[Moon Eclipse]

Originally Posted by MrProphet

1) Berserker: there was this great scene with bloody Saber that really underscored how terrifying and powerful Berserker can be. However, he is mindless and can't really do anything without Ilya directing him. So, take her out of the equasion, and Berserker can be defeated.

2) Archer: was stood up by Saber like he was a baby and he didn't really prove himself to be anything special with Lancer. They were on par, true, but Archer didn't seem to be in any way superior.

3) Lancer: his supershot missed, for God's sake. If that was his ultimate attack, then I am disappointed in him. Also, before he unleashed it, Saber was managing him easily.

4) Saber: she proved herself to be a tough and adequate fighter, but due to Shiro's inadequacy as a Mage, she is unable to defeat anyone or even hold them off at times. One can say that it's not her fault, however, for the team of Shiro-Saber, it's a major disadvantage. And anyway, there is no "fair" in the Grail War. If Saber loses, I don't think it would be accepted if she says: "Oh, but it was Shiro's fault". They would just lose, period.

5) Caster is an unknown quantity as of right now.

6) Rider was the first Servant that really showed that she can be deadly. Not just fight a good fight, not just be on par with others, but really kill other Servants and Masters. She is the first one that turned the tide for me personally. Her attack of Shiro (as helpless Shiro generally is) really showed me that is War is serious business and there are fighters better than the token Main Characters (Shiro and Saber).

This threat to them, this underscoring that they can really lose this War, is what made this episode worth my time. Sort of a reality check, a confirmation that this isn't your regular shounen adventure, where the hero overcomes the odds and always wins in the end. That's what makes the show exciting, not the endless dialogues that serve no purpose other than to provide a backstory (and dialogues are not the best method for that, in my opinion).

Personally I think the fact that Archer continues to use daggers when he is... well and archer means he's not really showing his full potential in fighting as of yet. But based on the fact that he's using a secondary weapon to stand on par with lancer (who uses his primary weapon) tells me that Archer is either no as concerned with defeating the other servants at that point in time.

I have to agree with most of the other assessments or withhold my own opinion until learn more about the characters through the anime

I would like to add my own opininon of Rin up to this point, though. She seems not very into the whole "Holy Grail Wars" herself. Neither does her Servant for that matter, yet they seem to like to egg eachother to become "serious". Her whole incidetn with Shirou is to get him to take things more serious so that he won't die. Though I think Rider's actions will have a more profound affect in accomplishing that than the little game of cat and mouse Rin and Shirou had earlier on