My Little Pony LVII: You Must Construct Additional Pinkies!

[the_druid_droid]

Yes but they also have Fluttershy who wasn't in berserk mode and really isn't a fighter at all.

Ok, but Tier 1 caster plus Chaos Acolyte plus two obviously fit and scrappy combatants plus a couple less-suited ones still equals a major obstacle.

The infiltration is an assumption considering we see them attack from the outside. Not unreasonable sure, but still an assumption and failing to detect said infiltration doesn't speak well for them.

Yes, but I think the infiltration angle is not only not unreasonable, but actually very likely. Just because you have a large assault force doesn't mean you don't have any number of spies and informants already present, and possibly double agents ready to flip at key times. As soon as the shield goes down from the more obvious frontal assault, those sleepers can take action and turn a siege into a rout.

Moreover when your entire race is basically a walking army of spies, why wouldn't your tactics make use of that? It seems very reasonable to assume that Changeling battle tactics have been using espionage and subterfuge for a very long time, simply based on their biology.

I would think they were mainly defeated/excluded for plot reasons; the few other times they have been present they have always come across as being both quick to react and highly disciplined (in the parts I remember, I'm sure someone can come up with evidence to the contrary).

Admittedly, this is the dominant meta reason, but where's the fun if you don't over-analyze things?

I'd like to add that since it appears Equestria seems to have so few conflicts in the recent years before the series begins, a majority of those guards probably don't have any real combat experience.

Also very probably true.

I totally would like to see an episode where the Royal Guard fight someone(s) off successfully, so their only jobs are not standing, looking for a phoenix, delivering messages...

Yeah, I could go for this, even if it was just a minor thing, like a support role.

Also, I drew a pony.

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Woo, pony!