Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-14138255-20160117163823/@comment-26872876-20160121193201

Gastropod wrote: I don't think the whole attack is a diversion to get to Amber. From what we've seen, the Maiden powers aren't really that unbelievably strong. If Cinder, Merc and Em could take out a Maiden I reckon Ironwood, Qrow, Glynda and Ozpin would have zero issues taking Cinder out in a straight fight even if she did get the powers. This leads me to doubt that's the end goal for all this scheming. Moreover, what would Cinder do with the Fall Maiden's powers once she got them?

I think it's got a lot more to do with bringing chaos, overthrowing governments and generally disturbing the status quo (with or without creating a new world after everything has been destroyed). Gaining the powers of the Fall Maiden would just be a bonus and also help Cinder cause more destruction, so I think it's more of a means to an end than an end in itself.

Or maybe Cinder wants to gain the powers of all four Maidens somehow. That would be a sufficiently lofty goal. Either way I doubt stealing Amber's powers alone is her ultimate objective, the stakes don't really seem high enough for that to be the case.

Which is why I feel like Cinder is ultimately a pawn. Just getting the power isn't going to help her like you said. Seems like whoever is the Black Queen has a plan that requires a maiden power or all of them, and so she's using pawns to capture the pieces she wants.

Maybe it's just me, but I really feel like Cinder is being used just as much as she's using Emerald and Mercury. I think she's getting the power so she can either die to let the big bad somehow collect all the maiden abilities (assuming there's a way to do it). Or use that power in an act/event/spell/etc that's going to cost her.