"Also idk how projecting your soul is a feat of skill. Jaune's gets his Aura unlocked and then it's just on, and heals him right after. Doesn't seem very skillfull"
On top of the confirmation in volume 5 that Aura needs extensive training to be able to be usable in combat...
'In RWBY, skilled users can manifest their aura as an invisible forcefield to absorb the impact of punches or energy attacks,'
'Few ever achieve the level of skill required to call it forth'
""No one landing a blow" i'm not sure is ever stated, and if it is, a likely decent portion of that can be attributed to her Semblance, which she demonstrably uses to make attacks miss when she can."
...Yes, it is, several times, Pyrrha being untouchable is literally her entire reputation, its why she's so famous and why shes seen as invincible. And since when is redirecting attacks in CQC to the point that your opponent cant even land a blow on you not considered skill?
"Cinder was also a full Maiden by then, which as shown with people like Amber and Freja (however you spell the old lady's name), is kind of a massive advantage against someone, regardless of your skill, considering the raw power, versatility, and flight it gives at the very least."
Yet Amber lost to Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald who were much weaker than her Maiden powers and was stated by Qrow and Ozpin to have lost because she wasnt as skilled.
"Penny was also a Maiden, which again, provides numerous advantages over non maidens
Cinder is a Maiden, whereas Neo and Winter were not at the time. Her fight with Penny also included using Emerald to distract her. It was also mainly a lot of projectile spamming, Cinder with her arrows and fire and all that."
None of the Maidens here used their Maiden powers for more than a few seconds in any of the fights youre referring to. Penny just used it to create wind and hail and then used it to break out of a grapple. Cinder only used her maiden powers after fighting both Penny and Winter in CQC, and for the Neo fight she literally only used it at the very end to stop the fight.