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Originally Posted by Frankenstein's Clare
Yeah, the argument kind of fell apart into a bunch of nitpicking because I didn't like ark's example battle.
He thinks that it's indefensible for someone with Hayate's magic potential to never learn how to defend herself in a one-on-one confrontation and has been arguing that Nanohaverse combat is sufficiently fluid that she can't count on the Wolkenritter to protect her.
I've been arguing that high-ranking TSAB mages aren't expected to fight and her choice to pursue her career to the exclusion of personal magical power is sensible for someone with her goals.
Basically I'm an apologist at heart and need to find logical reasons for everything to be the way it is (combat teleportation is rare- must be easily blocked, Hayate never learned good combat skills- must be hard enough for her that it would have impinged on her career-building goals), while he, like the majority of this thread, is fine with just saying the writers made the characters stupid and leaving it at that.
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I can't really say I envy that position. Whether deliberately or not, the writers seem to be making the show more and more difficult to defend. There may be some in-universe explanations but writers' treatment of Hayate is apathetic at best.
I posted this before regarding force structure. I think it is relevant to the discussion. The writers were already expecting Hayate to perform to many functions for RF6 and the retconn with regards to close combat skills make those expectations even more unreasonable.
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Normally a company CO only represents a small fraction of a unit's combat strength since they're still really one rifleman out a couple hundred. A battalion CO might have a rifle but the rifle is really only for personal defense as they can do far more through commanding their unit than acting as a rifleman. The CO of a combat unit in the TSAB really needs to be an experienced mage and ideally one that can fly so that they have the mobility to go anywhere the unit needs to go as the situation demands. If they aren't a mage or can't fly, then they really need an adjutant with equivalent powers. If you have neither, then you're left with a CO that can't make any personal observations of the frontline, no one act as a liaison with other units that are deployed in the air and perform similar functions.
Even with perfect communication, a TSAB CO can't be expected to fight well and command several companies at the same time. If they take the time to fight, then they can't focus on commanding and lose combat power indirectly. If they take time to command, then they're losing combat power directly. In RF6's case, the CO's nominal combat strength is greater than any of its component units leaving the CO with a nasty dilemma.
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If Hayate can't be committed to the fight or is forced to disengage for any reason, RF6 forfeits a huge fraction of its combat power. The slot she's taking up counts against the unit's limiters but her lack of close combat skills makes it more likely that she won't be able to be committed at the main effort or be forced to disengage.
Worse still, while she is capable of flying, she can't personally direct the main effort or make personal observations without having escorts that RF6 can't afford to detach. In Episodes 17 and 21 RF6 is unable to mass decisive combat power anywhere. Any mages that are used to escort Hayate make it that much less likely that they'll be able to mass that decisive combat power unless Hayate herself is able to fight.
Unfortunately, Hayate's lack of close combat skills rob her of her tactical mobility and her ability to command properly. Instead of reconciling any of those demands, the writers have pretty much chosen to ignore her which makes the efforts she made to be a commander all the more disappointing.
Is it reasonable for Hayate not to work on her close combat skills?
Maybe.
Does it cost the RF6 combat power from both ends?
Definitely.
Can RF6 afford to lose that combat power?
Episodes 17-22 and military logic say no. Episodes 23-26 and the writers say yes.