@Starswirl  
They stood up to the manticore (didn’t beat it) because they had no choice. They had to keep going. Any other situation and they would’ve run. And like I said, the Bugbear scene was mostly a plot device, and even then we didn’t even see how they won. Maybe they just used some party tricks and AJ’s lasso to make it trip back to Tartarus or something.
 
Listen, its not that I don’t think they can stand their ground when they need to, but calling them warriors just doesn’t fit. They can’t actually fight and beat things bigger than them, except Twilight, because as far as the strength scale goes, they’re just little ponies who spend their lives planning parties, making dresses or bucking apples. RD may use her Rainboom as a last resort, but like I said, while powerful, its also suicide to use it against anything sturdier than herself for obvious reasons.
 
And to me, the fact that the show tries to be faithful to what they can actually do in a belieavable way, is what makes it much more interesting than just making them unreasonably strong for their size, overpowering things many times bigger than them because main characters. But anyways, I think we’ve reached a point where out stances are clear.

@Starswirl  
While I agree they’ve often stood their ground instead of running, and done so commendably, I really can’t agree with the sentiment of them being “warriors”. Not most of them at least. I mean, yes, they fought some bigger creatures, but aside from the Changeling thing, in which half of them were just comically tripping their way to victory, most situations don’t really portray them as actual fighters.
 
The Bugbear, to me, has also always been a very strange factor because them, out of everyone, fighting it while everyone else just watched, always looked weird. They are the EoH because they can use the magic of friendship to solve most problems, not because they are some battle troop that can fight wild creatures better than other characters without it (aside from Twilight of course). Even Rainbow Dash’s punches weren’t even tickling it, so it just drove the point further for me.
 
In the end, I assumed Twilight did most of the job we didn’t see because…well, really, what exactly do people actually expect the others to do if Fluttershy can’t just tame it? Applejack can bind it for a while and Rainbow can maybe make it dizzy by flying around it but, in the end, that’s about it. And that’s fine, because there’s one statement I definetly agree with:
 
@Background Pony #1EAD  

While I definetly wouldn’t call Rainbow Dash normal for a Pegasi, I agree with the general idea. Most of them have well-developed everyday skills they can adapt to defend themselves to a certain extent, like Applejack using her lasso or Pinkie shooting things with her party cannon, but when the situation is serious, the show actually tries to keep it real by showing those things are only as effective as we’d expect them to be.
 
On the other hand, even if we’ve seen even less of canon Spike in that regard, the current one is different in the amount of time he’s lived, the battles he’s apparently gone through, his appereance and the fight scene with the Crimson Changeling, all implying that he’s clearly trained for battle. And given what he is, it makes sense. He’s also a thinking creature while the Bugbear was just an wild animal. An animal that anyone aside from Twilight wasn’t doing much against, I might add =D
 
But that’s just my opinion. I’ve just never really thought of most them as actual fighters or warriors, or whatever.

@Background Pony #1EAD  
They fought a manticore, a bugbear, the plunder vine plants, all of which were bigger than them. They also fought dozens upon dozens of Changelings until there were just too many. No, they don’t run from everything bigger than them. Some things, yes. Not everything. They’re not soldiers, but by the standards of their own universe, they’re warriors alright. And Spike… we’ve seen little of him in that regard. He’s big, sure, but the bugbear was bigger. The only problem is that they’re not at full number. Even so, he should watch it. Dragon arrogance can prove fatal.

@Vaidelot  
This doesn’t make sense anymore. This is the first time I’ve seen anyone insist any of them are seasoned warriors because they kicked around some Changelings once, or they managed to bind a big crocodile another one. The’re resourceful, brave and have great coordination yes. But (most of them) aren’t warriors. They also never fought any dragons, and they escape from most monsters too. Put almost any of them in front of anything bigger than a pony and she’d run.
 
PS: The Sonic Rainboom is the reason why I considered Dash along with Twilight as capable of things beyond what most other ponies can do, but calling it an effecient weapon isn’t exactly accurate either, since realistically speaking, she’d end up hurting herself as much or more than her target. Its more of a suicide (at least as much as the show would allow) attack.

@Vaidelot  
This. They fought a lot of threats other ponies didn’t dare face. Actual fighting, at that. There’s little sense in saying all those instances were simply flukes.

@Background Pony #1EAD  
They definitely ARE seasoned warriors. Changeling army, dragons, assorted monsters - Mane Six probably have seen more action then actual equestrian army since the season one. Dash in particular not only super-fast, strong on pair with the Earth ponies and excellent tactician - but her Sonic Rainboom is the most powerful attack anypony have performed in the show under their own power. Nopony, even Alicorns, is equal to Dash in the fight! Let alone one Drake, no matter how buff he looks now.

@Starswirl  
They are heroes because they stepped up and their magical friendship destinies let them channel a force of good into strong, purifying magic. They aren’t seasoned warriors, what are you saying. Twilight’s one thing, her incredible magic talent allows her to hold her own against some creatures despite not having as much as experience as Celestia and Luna yet, but the others don’t fall into the “a mistake to anger them” category at all.
 
Dash is really fast, but still just a pony and she doesn’t have much military training yet (and even then that only goes so far against bigger/stronger creatures, like we’ve seen with the WB), and AJ has strong legs and great skill with her lasso. That’s it. Some like to translate that into superhero territory because is a cool way to see them, but it doesn’t make it accurate.
 
A strong point of this series is how it doesn’t treat its main characters like the PPGs by making every diminutive, colorful little horsie into a nuclear-powered bullet. They can’t win by force, so solving problems is interesting. Comedy aside, most of them are normal in what they can do and most unicorns only have very basic magic, enough to move around everyday objects.
 
Also, the only reason they fought the Bubgbear was because plot needed a reason to keep them occupied while occasionally showing them in the background for funnies. Or what, are Rarity and Pinkie part of the town’s guard now? Barring Twilight and Dash, there’s lots of ponies in PV that can “fight” like the rest of the Mane6, since they are normal in that category.
 
@Starswirl  

Pretty sure that actually reinforced what I was saying, because like he/she said “anyone can be a hero”. Exactly right. Given the right circumstances, anyone can. That doesn’t make him/her a seasoned warrior everyone should be scared to anger.

@Starswirl
 
they weren’t the ones talking smack about mai waifu though
 

@redweasel  
You might want to tell that to the Background Pony below.

@Starswirl  
anypony can become a hero.
 

@Background Pony #1EAD  
They are seasoned warriors. Who fights off monster attacks on Ponyville? Derpy? Not likely.
 
Also, when a character does the wrong thing, even if it’s understandable why they would, it’s still fair to call them out on it.

As always, everyone automatically assumes a character should act in a completely calm manner and don’t make any mistakes due to anger, bad experiences, etc, because us, as the readers and with all the information at our disposal that the characters don’t have and no personal involvement in the situation, that’s how we would react.
 
Of course. Fuck anyone who doesn’t react like we think they should. What? hundreds of years of terrible experiences we can’t even begin to imagine altering their perspective? Who cares. We are regular people! People who have never been in a situation even remotely similar to this one ourselves! Of course we’d do better in his shoes.
 
@Vaidelot  

I think you might be misunderstating things here. They are heroes because their magical friendship lets them use magical items/forces that can defeat the forces of evil. You’re acting as if they were some kind of seasoned warriors outside of the field of friendship with any relevant fighting ability. Sure, he shouldn’t be talking like that to his friends, but what does “not the wisest move” means in the context you’re thinking? Outside of friendship magic they are normal ponies and he’s a hulking, solid, fire-breathing beast.

@redweasel  
“We’re gonna run.”
 
… Well, he never DID give that option!

“we’re gonna kick your ass!”
 
“…didn’t see that coming”

@Wolfjira  
No, it doesn’t.  
Not unless you believe that the people you are trying to kill in said war are your friends.  
Last I checked, AJ, RD, and Pinkie don’t fit that criteria.

@thestralpony  
War will do that to you.

@Starswirl  
When someone’s pissed, expect them to lash out (Even if it is the wrong people/ponies).

@Background Pony #EDE3  
And he’s taking it out on the wrong people. So, even if it’s understandable, it’s not right.

@Vaidelot  
He’s pissed off, what did you expect him to say? “Could you kindly come and join me in this crusade?”

Classy Spike, really classy.  
Threaten to hurt your old friends if they don’t do what you want.  
Some friend you turned out to be.

@Zéphyr Fields  
Betrayal is a very hurtful sin

Outright threatening the trio of Equestria’s most powerful heroes… Not the wisest move from Spike’s part…

Wow, where the hell did that came from?

Judging by their expressions, I’m not getting the “Yeah, we’ll fight along side you” feeling here.

@Background Pony #1A43  
Well… i kinda understands him being blunt/harsh to them. Ponies died during that war and it’s there that his sister/mother/best friend/all of the above, “changed” to become the ruthless leader he’s forced to lead a rebellion against. And suddenly “Twilight” bowed to the zygons ? even hiding them ? Yeah, he’s pissed.