Some changelings can no longer fly

[ggg-2 3,550]

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2018/04/big-jim-confirms-that-some-changelings.html Apparently some changelings are the equivalent of unicorns or earth ponies now. Makes sense really.

[Will Guide 21,325]

7 minutes ago, ggg-2 said:

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2018/04/big-jim-confirms-that-some-changelings.html Apparently some changelings are the equivalent of unicorns or earth ponies now. Makes sense really.

You could ask Thorax that question.

So what? if they wanted to fly, just transform into something that can fly. They haven't lost their shape-shifting.

 

[Goat-kun 2,496]

Great, more Twitter lore. Quick, I need some FIM loyalist to educate me about its awesomeness and consistency! And don't forget to mention those great, great Fluttershy fashion skills!

 

P.S: Makes no sense since they've chosen Ocellus to be the representative ling. Jimmy Boy is making up some bad shit. Probably had too many milkshakes. And it's not even Friday.

[ShadOBabe 18,984]

That doesn't make sense.

Sure, some insects cannot fly, but ALL the changelings seen on screen have elytra, ie. the shell coverings beetles have to cover their wings.

[Will Guide 21,325]

2 minutes ago, ShadOBabe said:

That doesn't make sense.

Sure, some insects cannot fly, but ALL the changelings seen on screen have elytra, ie. the shell coverings beetles have to cover their wings.

That is true.

[SharpWit 2,472]

I was scrolling through the MLP creatures wiki last night and came across this too. Being a changeling used to sound cool to me. You could fly but maybe not better than a Pegasus. You could perform magic but maybe not better than a unicorn. But this was made for by the fact they could change and this would allow them to turn into any pony type. No point turning into a Pegasus if you couldn't fly. You'd be caught pretty quickly. And now the hive has been weakened even further. Great to know the most vulnerable group in MLP is doing swell. 

Edited April 11, 2018 by SharpWit

[CypherHoof 26,479]

13 minutes ago, SharpWit said:

I was scrolling through the MLP creatures wiki last night and came across this too. Being a changeling used to sound cool to me. You could fly but maybe not better than a Pegasus. You could perform magic but maybe not better than a unicorn. But this was made for by the fact they could change and this would allow them to turn into any pony type. No point turning into a Pegasus if you couldn't fly. You'd be caught pretty quickly. And now the hive has been weakened even further. Great to know the most vulnerable group in MLP is doing swell. 

Not sure that isn't an oversimplification.

While we have the massively OP examples of the Mane 6, most unicorns and most pegasi aren't noticably better than most earth ponies - unicorns have a little magic, in keeping with their special talent, and pegasi can lift themselves and maybe a bit more (after all, a pair of guard ponies can use Wingpower to lift a gilded carrage, and Fluttershy can carry a small cart laiden with frogs). All ponies can do a little magic - manipulate tools and other objects with their hooves, for example, as though they had hands - and all unicorns can lift small-ish objects with their horns without having to be in contact, but on the whole, most ponies are doing things pretty much how a human would do them, not though magic.

Changelings (with or without glitterbugging) are not a lot different in power than your average pony; their strength has always come from sheer numbers - the strength of the Hive - rather than individual standouts.

[SharpWit 2,472]

4 minutes ago, CoffeeHoof said:

Changelings (with or without glitterbugging) are not a lot different in power than your average pony; their strength has always come from sheer numbers - the strength of the Hive - rather than individual standouts.

Except we have literally just seen a decrease in their potential air power, which is often the determining factor in modern warfare, and the Hive might not have the numbers it used to. The physical hive itself has lost it's ability to change passageways, still has an exposed layout from the damage it received during the season 7 finale, and arguably it's best defense of a magic sucking throne has been destroyed. As a military force, it's a shell of its former self and open to attack in a world where it's closest ally is taken over pretty regularly and is slow to respond.

[Hierok 11,829]

13 hours ago, SwitchGuy2018 said:

You could ask Thorax that question.

So what? if they wanted to fly, just transform into something that can fly. They haven't lost their shape-shifting.

 

If you think about it, changelings are the most dangerous race, if magic didn't exist. 

[CypherHoof 26,479]

2 hours ago, SharpWit said:

Except we have literally just seen a decrease in their potential air power, which is often the determining factor in modern warfare, and the Hive might not have the numbers it used to. The physical hive itself has lost it's ability to change passageways, still has an exposed layout from the damage it received during the season 7 finale, and arguably it's best defense of a magic sucking throne has been destroyed. As a military force, it's a shell of its former self and open to attack in a world where it's closest ally is taken over pretty regularly and is slow to respond.

That is certainly true for modern warfare, but I am not sure that applies in this situation. Most of ponydom is divided into races that can *either* fly or do magic; offensive magic would also seem to be more of a game changer than flight, especially in defensive warfare.

An Equestria where the rules of mechanized combat applied would be a very different one, so that's one thing.

Second, the political situation has changed; the Hive has gone from being a pariah state to at least neutral (and in some cases friendly) to its neighbours; it no longer has to leach love from neighbouring communities but can fulfil its own needs internally, and if the Ponies ever get around to having a standing army, I am sure the Hive can make a few bits by hiring out more militant bugs to them (although those seem thin on the ground now; there is just about only Pharanx interested in combat vs an entire hive of "farmers")

And thirdly, there is no indication that the new Changelings can't change into armoured forms; airborne attack limited to spears and bows/arrows will do little against a heavily armoured force, and such a transform would be far too heavy to fly anyhow.

Edited April 11, 2018 by CoffeeHoof

[SharpWit 2,472]

2 hours ago, CoffeeHoof said:

That is certainly true for modern warfare, but I am not sure that applies in this situation. Most of ponydom is divided into races that can *either* fly or do magic; offensive magic would also seem to be more of a game changer than flight, especially in defensive warfare.

The biggest changes in warfare have been fire power, the distance from which enemies can attack one another, and flight. Flight is the one that really matters, because it moves you onto a three dimensional playing field, and allows you to out maneuver your opponent. if an earth pony is charging at you, you know it will either continue a straight path, or turn right or left. A unicorn does the same, but could also teleport behind you. A Pegasus however, has up down left right and everything in between. It has the most options and is therefore the least predictable. It can attack or evade in nearly every direction above at or above you. Magic is more of a game changer in defensive warfare though.

3 hours ago, CoffeeHoof said:

Second, the political situation has changed; the Hive has gone from being a pariah state to at least neutral (and in some cases friendly) to its neighbours; it no longer has to leach love from neighbouring communities but can fulfil its own needs internally, and if the Ponies ever get around to having a standing army, I am sure the Hive can make a few bits by hiring out more militant bugs to them (although those seem thin on the ground now; there is just about only Pharanx interested in combat vs an entire hive of "farmers")

This might not be the case. When Chrysalis fled the hive, she still had changelings occupying the Crystal Empire, Canterlot, and Ponyville. They weren't around to see the rest of the hive reform which leaves room for them to have gone with Chrysalis. These probably would have been the more experienced battle hardened drones. If she has these forces, then despite her loss of control over the hive and the reformed changelings, she has a better standing than them. She just has to regroup and strategize while waiting for Equestria to turn it's back for a moment, and then she can strike.

3 hours ago, CoffeeHoof said:

And thirdly, there is no indication that the new Changelings can't change into armoured forms; airborne attack limited to spears and bows/arrows will do little against a heavily armoured force, and such a transform would be far too heavy to fly anyhow.

The first 35 seconds of the changeling invasion during the Canterlot Wedding is a clear indication of their potential effectiveness against ground and armored units.

[King of Canterlot 9,588]

I think with how closely Pharynx's color scheme now looks to princess Luna's and how Thorax now has the same kinda height as Celestia, I would say if some changelings have lost the ability to fly, then it's because the Changeling Kingdom has been restructured so it more closely resembles that of Equestria with the three different pony species and leadership. 

[ManaMinori 4,143]

so Changelings aren't special anymore. They can't steal love, they can't fly. Might as well be earth ponies with multiple personality syndrome

[Brainstorm 4,092]

If some changelings can no longer fly as a changeling, they can just transform into something that can.

[Nyactis Mewcis Catlum 670]

21 hours ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

They can't steal love

They can steal love. They just choose not to because generating their own love instead of stealing it has proved to be healthier for the Changelings overall. Not to mention stealing love was actually weakening and making them starve to death, practically.

21 hours ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

they can't fly

They still can, just not all of them... Should this turn out to be the case. Just like how pegasi can still fly.

21 hours ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

Might as well be earth ponies with multiple personality syndrome

No, because Changelings still have one ability that no other species has that your post completely ignores: shapeshifting. Changelings have definitely not lost that ability considering it's what Ocellus still does, repeatedly might I add, in the premiere.

(Source)

[sweetolebob18 724]

Spoiler

 

As several others have pointed out, if a Changeling is in a form that can't fly they can just change to a form that can.

As to "they can't steal love", IMO they can but choose not because they don't need to anymore. 

[Brainstorm 4,092]

12 hours ago, Scootaloved said:

 

(Source)

Ocellous changeling, pony, and dragon form looks cute.