Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-14138255-20151025160919/@comment-86.14.243.230-20151029184533

I don't think Roman really intended to lose, but I do think he realized the jig was up, as it were. Everything was rushed, his hideout was found and he was forced to put the plan into action pre-maturely, without any confirmation from Cinder. He was desperate, and Roman isn't in his element when his plan has been foiled.

He probably intended to end RWBY in that instance and then simply figure out a plan once the train had crashed. Blake caught him by surprise with new abilities even we didn't know she had, allowing him to be easily overpowered. Roman still matched her sword for cane, and was only caught out when she used her dust-augments (Catching him in the air combo after the fire clone explosion, and catching his cane in the ice clone before incapacitating him).

Its not Romans fault the White fang were hilariously incompetent in dealing with Ruby and Oobleck, nor is it his fault that Raven literally appeared out of thin air when Neo was about to execute Yang. It was only by luck that Weiss was knocked into the carriage Blake was in so Blake was able to save her from the Lietennant. There were half a dozen variables that were out of Roman's control in that entire episode, and thats after his plan was forced into motion.

I don't think Roman is incompetent. I think he literally just had the worst day ever.