Ranking the Avatar fights

So, since I'm an expert at soloing avatars cheaply, I'm going to rank them by ease of battle. This incorporates their defensive capabilities as well as any ward bloodpacts. This list will go from easiest on top to hardest on bottom. Please note that this is my own personal opinion, and results may vary from your own experience.

Fighting Avatars

Diabolos
Ifrit
Shiva
Ramuh
Titan
Leviathan
Garuda
Fenrir

Diabolos is the easiest because it's really a no-risk battle. The only way to lose is to either do something stupid (like let the puppet melee) or running out of time. And really, it is a special case, as the Diabolos fight is vastly different from the other avatar fights.

Ifrit is next because Ifrit has no defensive bloodpacts, and no healing bloodpacts, so really, it's just a matter of wearing Ifrit down.

I was debating between Shiva and Ramuh. Shiva has Sleepga, but it rarely lands on the avatar (especially if using Ifrit), and as a Summoner, it is something that I usually get out of easily (with the Sublimation ability, or the Sacrifice Torque), so it's not that much of a threat. On the other hand, Ramuh's Thunderspark ability does a little damage, but the paralyze effect can be more devastating (imagine failing to resummon Titan because of paralysis), so it can catch an unaware Summoner off guard, and it can potentially be more dangerous. However, it can be countered by either being out of range, and having Light Arts with Addendum: White up.

Titan isn't much more dangerous, but he has Earthen Ward, which gives him stoneskin. While not dangerous, it can lengthen a fight, and drain a Summoner's MP more than necessary. In any avatar fight, MP is important!

Leviathan and Garuda are next, and I was debating between those two as well. What makes those two a bit more dangerous is their healing BPs, which potentially can be used often, and lengthening fights (which in turn, drains MP). Garuda wins out though, as she also has a defensive ability which gives her shadows, AND Hastega, hurting your avatar more. Of the six avatars, Garuda is the most dangerous in terms of fighting.

Fenrir, though, takes the cake. Tougher than the six elemental avatars, fast, and dangerous, Fenrir, as far as I'm aware is not soloable. At least not by SMN or PUP. I have heard, though, of a THF/NIN soloing this fight. But still, this one does require a group.

Getting there

Of course, fighting the avatars is only one part, but getting to the cloisters is a different trouble entirely. Some are very easy to get to, with no aggro to 75 monsters, and a simple maze, while others require items, fights, as well as dangerous aggro to 75 monsters. Again, the list is by avatar from easiest to hardest, with easiest on top and hardest on bottom.

Titan
Shiva
Diabolos
Fenrir
Ramuh
Garuda
Leviathan
Ifrit

Yeah, the list is a bit different than before, but again, this is getting in AND out of the avatar battle.

Titan tops the list as the easiest to travel to. Straight shot from Bastok through the Korrokola Tunnel into the Altepa Desert and into the Quicksand Caves. While it's easy to get lost, there are no aggro to 75 monster straight to the cloister of Earth. The best part is that the exit leads straight back out to the Altepa Desert, where you can go to Rabao or back to Bastok.

Shiva is next, as the Cloister of Ice is fairly simple to travel to. However, it is a rather lengthy journey to Fei'yin, and on top of that, there are sound aggro monsters near the cloister, so having sneak, or just enduring the hits, is a must.

Diabolos is, again, a special case. It involves going through Pso'Xja, but the level 40 portion. While naked runs are no longer necessary, the level 40 cap is still in place. The only real danger, though, are the gazers which sound aggro. They're in two portions, so having a means of sneak (two silent oils) is a must. If ice weather is present, there is a single snowball to watch out for. Otherwise, it's a fairly safe journey to the Shrouded Maw.

Fenrir can be easy or hard, depending on if you have the right key item. Taking the route from Windurst Walls will involve sneaking past a few sound aggro mobs, and it's a little longer. On the other hand, taking the 3 mage gate is safer, and there are no sound aggro mobs to look out for.

Ramuh is in the Boyhada Tree. When entering the tree, the crabs there all aggro sound, so having a form of sneak is a must! The Goobue also aggro sound, and should be avoided. Also, elementals will frequently appear there, and they aggro magic. Watch out for them, and don't cast magic near them.

Garuda is in Cape Terrigan, and it's filled to the brim with sound and sight aggro. Having both Invisible and Sneak is a must. Fortunately, there are no special aggro mobs, and it's a fairly straight shot to the Cloister of Winds.

Leviathan is deep in the Den of Rancor, which is only available through the Temple of Uggalepih. While there are no aggro to 75 monsters in the temple, there is a statue which must be destroyed to get to the area. On top of that, the Paintbrush of souls is also required to open the door to the Den of Rancor. When in the Den of Rancor, everything is sound or sight aggro, making invis and sneak necessary. Also, be sure to NOT have sublimation up, as there are monsters on the way to the Cloister of Waters which will aggro yellow HP.

Ifrit may be the easiest avatar to fight, but the hardest to get to. First, one MUST have an ice cluster to get past the flame spout. Then past that, there are sound aggro bats AND sight AND magic aggro bombs. So, needless to say, it's a very dangerous spot. Fortunately, it's not too far from the entrance, but getting there is a pain. I would also strongly suggest having a warp of some kind, as leaving the Cloister of Flames is a bit more dangerous than getting in.

So, there you have it folks, my avatar battle ranking. What do you think? How do you rank the avatar fights?