@FluttershyIsNOT aDoormat
Yep. It’s just like one thousand years ago. Because back then, a Crystal Princess is turned into a statue and overthrown by an evil king. But now, it’s different. A different Crystal Princess and a different evil king. First Amore, and now Cadance. I don’t know why Hasbro want to make the movie have another Crystal Princess petrified and dethroned by the villain of the film just like what they did in FIENDship Is Magic Issue #1 from the tie-in comics. I don’t know why the movie want to make Cadance like Amore and The Storm King and Tempest Shadow as King Sombra in the beginning of the film.

@AC97  
I believe that Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, and the Crystal Ponies were present at the Crystal Empire during the events of the movie being enslaved, punished, and imprisoned by the Storm King and later present offscreen attending the Friendship Festival in Canterlot after the Storm King died at the end of the movie meeting their restored Crystal Princess again.

@Background Pony #E629  
Without the Crystal Princess, I think the Crystal Empire will be cursed, controlled, conquered, and ruled, by the Storm King enslaving punishing, and imprisoning all Crystal Ponies, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart. Just like what King Sombra did 1,000 years ago.

@Background Pony #E629  
First Amore, and now Cadance!

@AC97  
Yeah it’ just like 1,000 years ago! Back then, a Crystal Princess was petrified into a statue and overthrown by an evil king. But now is different. Because I meant a different Crystal Princess and a different tyrant.

@Background Pony #0C9D
 
Hm, the Storm King got Amore’d (stoned then shattered) ultimately, except through inaction, come to think of it.

@Background Pony #E629  
First, Amore, and now Cadance was petrified into a statue and overthrown by an evil tyrant!

@FanOfMostEverything
 
Also noticeable is how neither Shining Armor nor Flurry Heart were mentioned so much as once, as to why they weren’t present.
 
(I’d assume “Crystal Empire,” but still, there’s a nicely sized box of “didn’t use this element,” regarding the movie, and the pacing was kinda rushed, even with all the trimming it went through)

@Tinandel
 
I’m pretty sure Cadance actually did know how to use them, since she tried to block, was actually pretty quick in doing so (only failed because those antimagic orbs gave the middle finger to her plot relevance here)… Luna and especially Celestia, not so much, and Twilight is not a fighter at heart, given her tendency to panic.
 
Meghan McCarthy did seem to like to Worf the Princesses though, seeing as she did it at least twice, and she arguably started the trend proper by having Chrysalis one-up Celestia onscreen, off stolen love.
 
…and I’ll point out she worfed Shining Armor too, since she did Twilight’s Kingdom (Tirek’d, no attempts at shielding), and The Crystal Empire (Sombra disabling his magic).
 
(In other words, I think Cadance is low on the “useless” scale based on her track record)

And Cadance Is Now A Statue

@FanOfMostEverything
 
But if we blame the writing, then fanfic writers everywhere wouldn’t be able to have as much fun doing what they want.
 
…well, no, never mind, they’re just lazy.
 
~STL

@Tinandel  
I don’t blame them. I blame the lazy writing that invalidates them whenever they would even slightly inconvenience the plot. And let’s not get started on how Equestria’s armed forces didn’t even exist during the movie.

She got stoned? :3

She’s so useless.

Alicorns: Nigh-infinite magical power. Absolutely no idea how to use it, despite life sending a nonstop stream of reminders that they should really learn.