Rubenator's Level 20 Avatar Fight Guide

This a guide made specifically for the low level player wanting to earn their avatars. =Fame= In order to start the mini-fight quests, you must obtain Fame 2 in the corresponding area.

The "Quick Fame Quests" are just suggestions, see the fame page or Quick Reputation for details.

=Preparation= I credit the basics of this strategy (and the name) to Marrigan of the Remora Server.

Equipment
Here is suggested equipment to take with you into the fight. Please note that MP+ gear is generally not needed. The Yagudo Drinks take care of the perpetuation cost, and the Astral Flow Blood Pact: Rage uses all of your MP anyway. The importance is in the refresh. This is why I specifically denounce Astral Rings. Your maximum HP is much more important than your maximum MP.

Weapon

 * Hermit's Wand
 * 25% protection from spell interruption.
 * VERY useful for re-summoning Carbuncle. Worth every gil.
 * Fairly inexpensive (Buy at the Auction House).

Shield
none
 * No shields available to Summoner at level 20.

Ammo

 * Fortune Egg/Happy Egg ~Optional
 * The VIT+1 is nice. Don't worry about it if you do not have one.

Head

 * Poet's Circlet/Headgear
 * Decent defense (5).
 * Both fairly inexpensive (Buy at the Auction House).
 * Bonze's Circlet ~Suggested
 * Even better defense and a cute MP+2.
 * Slightly more expensive.
 * Compound Eye Circlet
 * DEF:5 Evasion+5
 * For rich people.

Neck

 * Justice Badge ~Suggested
 * DEF:1 MND+3.
 * Good neckpiece for any low level mage that wants to heal party members (I already had one from leveling White Mage).
 * Basically wear something that has defense.

Earrings

 * Shield Earring x2 ~Suggested
 * HP+10.
 * Anything with HP+ or defense.

Body

 * Nomad's Tunica ~Suggested
 * Decent defense (12).
 * Cheap.
 * Black Tunic
 * Good defense (18).
 * WARNING: You can't wear a headpiece with this body piece.
 * Stick with this if you already have one or cannot find a Nomad's Tunica.
 * Trader's Saio/Baron's Saio
 * For rich people.

Hands

 * White Mitts ~Suggested
 * DEF:4
 * Cheap.
 * Trader's Cuffs/Baron's Cuffs
 * DEF:5/6
 * For rich people.
 * Scentless Armlets
 * DEF:4 Evasion+5.
 * For rich people.

Rings:
~Optional
 * Safeguard Ring
 * DEF:2
 * Helpful, but not necessary.
 * Elemental Defense ring.
 * Helpful if you are having trouble with particular avatar. Not necessary.
 * Do NOT wear an Astral Ring.

Back

 * Cotton Cape/Cape +1 ~Suggested
 * DEF:2
 * Fairly inexpensive, useful as you level Summoner.
 * Cape
 * DEF:1
 * Get it instead if you feel poor.
 * Mist Silk Cape
 * For rich people.

Waist

 * Mohbwa Sash ~Suggested
 * DEF:2 MP+10.
 * A little pricey, but you will need this as you level Summoner anyway.

Legs

 * Trader's Slops ~Suggested
 * DEF:10
 * Pricey, but useful as you level Summoner.
 * Baron's Slops
 * For rich people.
 * Very good low level pants.

Feet

 * Light Soleas ~Suggested
 * DEF:4 Evasion+3,
 * Not too expensive.

Bring the following EVERY time you fight an Avatar
Food: Bring 1 of either~ Drinks: Potions: Ethers: Bring either~
 * Tavnazian Taco
 * Very nice defensive and HP boosts.
 * Quite expensive.
 * Boiled Crayfish/Steamed Crayfish // Boiled Crab/Steamed Crab
 * Decent defense boost.
 * Cheap.
 * 2 Yagudo Drinks
 * 3-4 Hi-Potions
 * 2 Ethers ~Suggested
 * ~4k from NPC, ~2k-3k on Auction House.
 * 2 Hi-Ethers
 * ~1k on Auction House.
 * Hi-Ethers are cheaper, but more dangerous. They have a VERY long usage time, and slow your spellcasting times including Carbuncle. I have been successful using them though.

Spells
Know the following spells for your White Mage sub: If you wish to use a Blue Mage sub know:
 * Protect
 * Cure
 * Aquaveil
 * Paralyna
 * Barstonra
 * Barwatera
 * Cocoon

Macros
You should make a macro set of the following: Put the Carbuncle macro somewhere comfortable, you will be using it a lot. Put the Astral Flow and item use macros somewhere where you will not accidentally hit them (like don't put them too close to your Carbuncle macro).
 * Assault
 * /pet "Assault" 
 * Carbuncle
 * /magic "Carbuncle" 
 * Poison Nails
 * /pet "Poison Nails" 
 * Searing Light
 * /pet "Searing Light" 
 * Yagudo Drink
 * /item "Yagudo Drink" 
 * Hi-Potion (you will get some extra error messages when you use this macro, but it will use a Hi-Potion normally, Hi-Potion +1 if you don't have any Hi-Potions left... etc.)
 * /item "Hi-Potion" 
 * /item "Hi-Potion +1" 
 * /item "Hi-Potion +2" 
 * Ether (Works similar to the Hi-Potion macro)
 * /item "Ether" 
 * /item "Hi-Ether" 
 * Aquaveil
 * /magic "Aquaveil" 
 * Cure
 * /magic "Cure" 
 * Bar-spell (Barstonra for Titan and Barwatera for Leviathan)
 * One of these:
 * /magic "Barstonra" 
 * /magic "Barwatera" 
 * Protect (If needed)
 * /magic "Protect" 
 * Pet HP
 * /echo HP:
 * Astral Flow
 * /jobability "Astral Flow" 

Pre-fight Tips

 * DO NOT attempt to fight an avatar on it's day of the Vana'diel week (like fighting Shiva on Iceday.
 * If at all possible, fight the avatar on Lightsday.
 * Fighting on Lightsday reduces the chance of Carbuncle's Searing Light being resisted.
 * You can use this site to find out when the next few Lightsdays are.
 * If not Lightsday fight the avatar on their weak day (for example fighting Ifrit on Watersday).
 * Make sure Astral Flow is ready to be used.
 * If possible, before trading the mini-tuning fork to the NPC, have a friend cast a fairly high tier protect and shell on you.
 * Eat your food in front of the protocrystal before you enter so you do not forget (don't worry, your food will last the entire fight).

Now it is time to get into the meat of the strategy. =Operation Carbuncle Shield=

Strategy Notes

 * Try not to do ANYTHING near the avatar besides running and using Blood Pact: Rages. It is called "Operation Carbuncle Shield" because Carbuncle is your shield. He can't do that if you generate too much enmity. So if you want to cure or buff yourself, do it far enough away that the avatar won't notice. Now there will definitely be times when you have to use a Hi-Potion or summon Carbuncle while the avatar is pummeling you; but try to keep it to a minimum.
 * If you are under attack, use Hi-Potions sooner than later. You never know when the avatar is going to do something mean.
 * Once you activate Astral Flow you must only use items for healing. No curing with magic or else you wont have enough MP to use Searing Light.
 * Note that Astral Flow only lasts 3 minutes, so you can only use 3 Blood Pact: Rages while it is active.

The Fight
Okay. You just entered the BCNM fully prepared and as a SMN20/WHM10. You ate your Food right before you went in and it just became Lightsday. You walk halfway to the avatar, stopping at the bend in the road. You do the following in this order as quickly and carefully as possible: Now run up most of the rest of the way towards the Avatar. As you approach, slow down, target the avatar and begin spamming your assault macro. You are trying to order Carbuncle to attack from the VERY edge of the pet command's range. DO NOT get aggro from the avatar. As soon as the command executes successfully, RUN AWAY! Head back to a little bit behind the "halfway point." Carefully watch Carbuncle's HP (use the Pet HP macro if nescesary). As soon as Carbuncle dies re-summon him. Now DO NOT assault the avatar. You will have the avatar's hate so Carbuncle will automatically run to the avatar and start attacking. You do not want to assault because that generates unwanted hate on yourself. As soon as you finish summoning, run back to the protocrystal and behind it. Watch Carbuncle's HP carefully, and re-summon when he dies. This time, before you run back up the path, stand RIGHT next to the avatar, and use Poison Nails. Do not run until Carbuncle has jumped into the air. You must stand close to the avatar so in the event that using a Blood Pact: Rage turns the avatar's attention to you, Carbuncle will not be "Too far away" because the avatar followed you. After Carbuncle is airborne run to the top of the arena behind where the avatar started. At this point your Yagudo Drink refresh, Aquaveil, and Barstonra/Barwatera will wear off soon. As soon as you reach the top of the arena, start doing the following in order, being ready to pause and re-summon Carbuncle when he dies (likely while you are in the middle of doing something). If before you know it the avatar is chasing after you before you finish, skip the other steps, just make sure you are at near full HP and used your second Yagudo Drink. So while you were doing this Carbuncle died once, you re-summoned, continued, and now Carbuncle is about to die again. Before Carbuncle dies, activate Astral Flow. When Carbuncle dies, re-summon him, run right up next to where the avatar stops to attack Carbuncle, and use Searing Light. Once again, do not move until Carbuncle is airborne. Now RUN down the ramp and towards where you started. At this point the avatar should be well below 50% HP and ready to use it's Astral Flow Blood Pact. You MUST keep your health above 150 HP if you want to survive the blast. If you are lucky you will not be anywhere near the avatar when it does it. Warning: Carbuncle WILL die when the avatar Astral Flows; be prepared to re-summon at anytime. Now, once you are out of the avatar's hate range, use 1 Ether or 1 Hi-Ether depending what you bought. Now you must "stall" until your Blood Pact: Rage is ready again. To stall, just keep re-summoning Carbuncle and running away. When your Blood Pact: Rage is finally ready, do not use it unless you have recently re-summoned Carbuncle, otherwise the avatar will probably kill Carbuncle before he finishes using Searing Light, and you will have wasted a Blood Pact: Rage. Remember to stand next to the avatar when you activate Searing Light, and make SURE you have at LEAST 40 MP. After your second Searing Light the avatar will "probably" die. If it does not, use another Ether and stall some more and hit it with your third and final Searing Light for the kill. Because of the nature of this strategy, you generally only need 2 Searing Lights to hit, so if you mess one up you still have a chance! The beauty of this strategy is that if executed perfectly (and with a little luck) you can win and only have used some food, 2 Yagudo Drinks, and 1 Ether. So that's the basic strategy, but I had to explain it as if the avatar never did any unexpected attacks that kill Carbuncle in 1 hit. You kind of have to wing it and follow the guidelines when that happens. Use Hi-Potions generously, but generally use them out of hate range. Now the worst case scenario while fighting the avatars, is right when you are standing next to the avatar and activate Searing Light, but the avatar uses their Astral Flow Blood Pact before Carbuncle finishes using his. This is very bad because Carbuncle just got killed, and you are mostly dead. Best thing to do is quickly use a Hi-Potion and re-summon Carbuncle (this is where the Hermit's Wand and Aquaveil come in handy).
 * If you didn't find a friend to do it for you, cast Protect on yourself.
 * If you are fighting Titan cast Barstonra, or for Leviathan cast Barwatera.
 * Cast Aquaveil.
 * Summon Carbuncle.
 * Drink a Yagudo Drink.
 * Drink a Yagudo Drink.
 * Cast Aquaveil.
 * Cure if nescesary.
 * If you are fighting Titan cast Barstonra, or for Leviathan cast Barwatera.

Titan

 * Easiest avatar.
 * Very slow to damage (compared to the others).
 * No annoying status effects.
 * You can use Barstonra.

Ifrit

 * Slightly more difficult than Titan.
 * Hits harder.
 * No annoying status effects.

Leviathan

 * Right when you first attack him with Carbuncle he will do AoE Gravity plus Damage. You can avoid it by assaulting him from maximum range and running away quickly. If you do get hit by Gravity if you don't panic it will go away.
 * You can use Barwatera.

Garuda

 * Will use Aerial Armor right when you first attack him with Carbuncle (gives Garuda Blink (Status Effect)). She will also recast it regularly.

Ramuh

 * Will use AoE Paralyze right when you first attack him with Carbuncle. Avoid just like Leviathans AoE Gravity. If you do get hit by it, attempt to heal it with Paralyna.

Shiva

 * Arguably the hardest avatar.
 * Will use Frost Armor right when you first attack her with Carbuncle. Frost Armor will give Carbuncle Paralyze (Status Effect) as he attacks her. Because of this, try to use Searing Light only with a freshly summoned Carbuncle. If Carbuncle is paralyzed when you tell him to use Searing Light, Searing Light may fizzle and you will have to wait a minute to try and use it again.

=Blue Mage sub?= I personally believe it is best to use a White Mage sub job for these fights, but some people think that a Blue Mage sub is best for the avatars that you cannot defend with a Bar-spell (all but Titan and Leviathan). The spell Cocoon is used to significantly boost defense.

=End Notes= There are other ways to go about doing the avatar fights, but this strategy I found to be cheap and effective.

This is my first guide. Feel free to ask questions or give suggestions on the Discussion Page.

I plan on adding a drawing of some kind of the shape of the Arena.