By: Sean Murphy (AKA Aikirees)
Welcome to probably my only guide for Final Fantasy XI. This is also my first text guide to a game.
This will explain a well used tactic for defeating the solo 20 avatar battles as well as talking a
little bit about the actual Trials. Now, this is not the only way of defeating them, I've seen some
other ways as well (some people actually will purely melee the avatar the entire time!) And things
can be replaced or substituted to fit the players needs.
One thing I am going to clarify now is… You do not need ultra buffs from higher level people to
defeat these avatars! I did it solely on my skills alone! I only used Protect, Shell, and Aquaveil.
I never used food or got Protect/Shell II, III, IV, Stoneskin, or Blink and I won. So don't complain
saying you do need them, you don't.
Questions, comments, criticism, something I missed?
Send these to gerby2@hotmail.com with the subject line
"Summoner Info." And I'll be sure to read it.
[ Version Update Info ]
Version 1.0 - Information page created.
Version 1.1 - Information tweaked as well as adding info on Diabolos.
Now, onto the information on how to obtain the Avatars.
[ For the Prime Avatars ]
There are two ways of acquiring the avatars. One way is the Trials and the other is Trial Size.
Trial Sizes are the soloable 20 battles of all the avatars but Fenrir and Diabolos. The Trials
are the 65+ Battle versions that can also be used to obtain the avatars as well as lead up to acquiring
Fenrir.
[ For Fenrir ]
The Trials are the only way of acquiring Fenrir, after defeating the 65+ Battles, you get key items
called 'whispers' (you cannot obtain 'whispers' in the solo 20's)
that you can either trade these in for pacts and items, or save all 6 of them and
trade all 6 for a key item called 'Moon Bauble' which is the key item for battling Fenrir.
[ For Diabolos ]
Neither the Trial Sizes or the Trials will let you acquire Diabolos. To acquire Diabolos you first
must have Chains of Promathia installed and have completed Chapter 3-5 "Darkness Named." Then fight
him again in another much higher level Battle.
^ Back to Top ^
Lvl 65+ Battles - This is just like a BCNM, a party (6 only) of you go into the protocrystal
and fight the avatar. Once you defeated a Prime Avatar you get key items 'whispers' that you can
trade for items and pacts with the avatar. Or you trade all 6 'whispers' in to get the key item
'Moon Bauble' which is used to fight Fenrir. Regardless of job you can earn the ability to summon
that avatar. This is also the only way of acquiring Fenrir.
Fame for 65+ is lvl 6 Fame in all cities but Norg. Norg Fame of only 4 is needed.
The Moonlit Path
This is the name of Fenrir's quest. After acquiring all 6 whispers (only attainable during the Trials)
you get a key item "Moon Bauble" from a person in Windy Waters.
Waking Dreams
This is the name of Diabolos' quest. After defeating him in Chapter 3-5 of Chains of Promathia, talk
to a person in Windy Waters to obtain the key item "Vial of Shrouded Incense."
The Avatar's Weaknesses
I'm placing this information here because it's not a huge importance during the Trial Sizes, but
makes a difference in the Trials.
| Avatar | Element | Weakness |
| Carbuncle | Light | Dark |
| Titan | Earth | Wind |
| Shiva | Ice | Fire |
| Ifrit | Fire | Water |
| Leviathan | Water | Lightning |
| Ramuh | Lightning | Earth |
| Garuda | Wind | Ice |
| Fenrir | Dark | Light |
| Diabolos | Dark | *** |
*** - Diabolos is arguable on what his weakness is, mainly Stun is his weakness because of his very nasty Area of Effect: "Nightmare." Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder seem to work very well against him.
^ Back to Top ^
The Solo 20 Battles - This is 1 on 1 battle with the Avatar as you being only a Summoner and only summoning Carbuncle. This is do-able and is costly. The bonus is if you die (and you will) you do not loose exp from the solo 20's. The catch is you cannot acquire Fenrir or Diabolos this way.
The remaining information revolves around the Trial Sizes and how to do them.
Fame
You'll need fame of at least lvl 2 in all cities (this includes Norg) for you to get the Mini-Tuning Fork.
Equipment
Armor
All lvl 20 stuff except the hands, for hands I'd recommend scentless armlets (I think it's evasion +5).
Weapon
Hermit Wand (reduces Interrupt rate, which is a godsend against Ramuh)
Skills Levels
Cap both Enhancement and Summon Skill (Summon skill caps at lvl 63 at lvl 20) They will make a huge difference!
Sub-Job
Go as WHM and here is why.
1. Aquaveil - Mega Reduces interrupt rate
2. Protect - They don't hit too hard, but it all helps
3. Shell - They cast Elemental 2's on you and also do their 2 hour ability
4. Banish/Dia - This will help if they didn't die after the last Searing Light. Cast Dia on Garuda cause she is a pain to DD.
Items
4-5 Hi-Potions - this is a must have! You cannot cure yourself cause your MP will be gone most of the battle.
2-3 Ethers - This is a must. Do not get Hi-Ethers or anything else but Ethers. Hi-Ethers are glitched (cannot do any ability for an additional 10 seconds) and can cost you the battle.
2 Yagudo Drinks - Refresh is a good thing (must have)
Some people will bring a defensive food, but I didn't need/use it.
Now this item list is PER battle, which means every time you win/lose, you'll need to re-stock before the next battle.
Transportation
Now, you said something about how you get there? Well they are nice and will teleport you directly to the Cloister with the Mini-Tuning fork.
Locations
The cities you'll be going to are:
| City | Avatar | NPC Name |
| North Sand'Oria | Shiva | Castilchat (E-7) |
| Port Bastok | Titan | Ferrol (I-8) |
| Mhaura | Ramuh | Lacia (I-9) |
| Kazham | Ifrit | Dodmos (J-9) |
| Rabao | Garuda | Rahi Fohlatti (G-8) |
| Norg | Leviathan | Verctissa (H-9) |
If you've done the Trials, and have all 6 whispers, then go to Windy Waters and trade them to a npc named Leepe-Hoppe (J-9)
If you've completed Chains of Promathia's Chapter 3-5 "Darkness Named," talk to Kerutoto (J-8)
Weakness
The avatars all have a weak day.
| Avatar | Weak Day | Recommended Day |
| Shiva | Firesday | Lightsday |
| Titan | Windsday | Lightsday |
| Ramuh | Earthsday | Earthsday |
| Ifrit | Watersday | Lightsday |
| Garuda | Iceday | Iceday |
| Leviathan | Lightningsday | Lightsday |
You can also go on Lightsday for any of them cause then Carbuncle will do more damage. I would recommend not going on their strong day or Darksday, it will be much harder to win. The recommends should help when planning on going.
Yes I also have gotten comments saying that people have gone on their strong day and won. I'm not saying it can't be done, but why attempt to make it harder on yourself?
Order of the Days
Here's the order of the days to help preperation.
Firesday > Earthsday > Watersday > Windsday > Iceday > Lightningday > Lightsday > Darksday > Firesday
The Downtime
If you win, this isn't an issue. If you loose, you must wait 24 IRL hours (or 9 AM CST) to fight that same avatar again. You can go fight other ones (wait 2 hours though because of Astral Flow) but just not the same one.
^ Back to Top ^
This is the fun part (besides getting 2hred that is). Note: this is rather precise, so not too much variation can happen or you have a good chance of loosing. The only 2 that this can change a little bit is Garuda and Ramuh.
The 3 Searing Light Procedure
Carbuncle gets a super area-of-effect attack called Searing Light. Which can only be activated after a Summoner does Astral Flow.
Macros
Get a clean rack out just for this pilgrimage, you'll need it.
Here are the macros that you'll need, set them up in whatever order you're comfortable with (by lvl 20 you probably already got a macro set, just copy that setup to a new set though!)
The macro for Astral Flow is /ja "Astral Flow" <me>
You'll need this macro!
The macro for Carbuncle's Astral Flow ability is /pet "Searing Light" <t>
You'll need this macro!
Hi-Potion
/item "Hi-Potion" <me>
Ether
/item "Ether" <me>
Refresh
/item "Yagudo Drink" <me>
Carbuncle
/ma "Carbuncle" <me>
Assault
/pet "Assault" <t>
SL
/pet "Searing Light" <t>
AF
/ja "Astral Flow" <me>
^ Back to Top ^
All right here's the actual shindig.
While standing in front of the protocrystal, take a moment to psyche yourself up and take a moment to mentally prepare yourself. You don't wanna panic while in the battle so calm yourself here. Once that's all taken care of jump on into the crystal.
NOTE: Make sure you go into "Trial Size" not "Trial" or you'll die in like 3 seconds.
Alrighty, you'll hear them spam some text along the lines of "you woke me up you bastard!" anyway… after that, you'll be at the bottom of an L shaped battlefield. If this is your first time in one, it's rather small.
Behind you is the protocrystal to escape. Don't use this, if it's going bad, just die you don't loose exp in these battles. Now if this was the Trials, then yeah if the pt is dying you might wanna use this, but only if your pt tells you too!
All right lets get to it!
1. Cast Shell, Protect, Aquaveil
2. Run up to the bend in the L
3. Cast Carbuncle
4. Run slightly further up and drink the Yagudo Drink
5. Go up to the edge of the crater-like ring where the avatar is and tell Carbuncle to attack.
6. After carbuncle successfully hits the avatar a few times run up next to the avatar.
7. Slam Astral Flow
8. Slam Searing Light
9. As soon as carbuncle jumps into the air, run as fast as you can to the bend in the L again.
10. All right once here, you should have some time. Drink an Ether and drink a Hi-Potion (Hi-potion if needed, if your HP is yellow do so.)
11. Now as soon as Carbuncle dies, re-summon him.
12. After Carbuncle regains hate (a hit or 2 might slip in) Slam Searing Light again.
13. As soon as Carbuncle jumps run as fast as you can towards the protocrystal!
[ Now if this was done correctly you'll totally miss being hit by the avatar's 2 hour ]
Either way, Re-cast Carbuncle and run to the protocrystal area (not literally to it).
14. Drink an Ether and a Hi-Potion (if HP is yellow).
15. Wait it out till you can do Searing Light for the last time.
16. Slam Searing Light!
Now at this point either the avatar will be dead or with a sliver of HP left. If you killed the avatar, congrats! Sit back and take a few good deep breaths and port out of there (it will give you a warp scroll).
If the avatar is still kicking… start to melee, cast Dia, and cast Banish if mp will allow.
And that's the procedure for defeating the Trial Sizes.
^ Back to Top ^
The avatars can/will Astral Flow you! Meaning you're gonna eat ~150 dmg from it! Make sure you are very far away and you have more HP than this so you can live! If your HP is in the yellow use a Hi-Potion. Carbuncle WILL DIE if he eats this or they're Elemental 2's so be prepared to re-summons ASAP! Carbuncle is your first priority, not HP never MP, all Carby! HP is next after Carbuncle and MP is dead last.
What's with all the standing still!?
SE was so nice and made Summoner's rely on movement for messing up their abilities. This is prolly because once a bloodpact is activated, it can't be interrupted (unless the Summoner dies, the avatar dies, the enemy gets out of range of the avatar, or the avatar is paralyzed, slept, stunned, etc). There are three variables that are affected by how an avatar's bloodpact works:
1. If the Enemy Moves
2. If the Avatar Moves
3. If the Summoner's movement affects the two above
So that is why you cannot have excessive movement while trying to be precise with your abilites, especially when it's all time crucial.
Avatars with an attitude!
Ramuh
Ramuh in my opinion was the most difficult. Reason: He opens up with Shockspark which is an Area of Effect Paralyze. Which is bad. So, when you fight Ramuh summon carbuncle (after casting Shell, Protect, Aquaveil) right when you zone into the battlefield and you run as fast as you can and aggro Ramuh before carbuncle can get affected by the paralyze. Then all you gotta do is cast Paralyna and let the normal battle tactic keep going (and after you successfully remove paralyze, drink the Yagudo Drink).
Garuda
Garuda is hard because she casts Aerial Armor (Blink) on herself. This is annoyingly bad. But she hits the least hardest out of the six. She has a nasty magic defense so Searing Light will probably be resisted and not do 210 dmg (which is what it should do). So basically do the normal procedure and then at the end, melee her with carbuncle and yourself and cast Banish/Dia (Cast Dia first to be safe) and then pray that you can kill her this way. People have said that Searing Light does go through Aerial Armor, I either was totally unlucky or this is untrue. Either way be prepared for the worst.
The rest are pretty easy, just Leviathan has a lot of hp and hits harder than all the others.
I wish you the best of luck and don't be discouraged if you loose. You can win they are a bunch of pushovers!
Aikirees' Scores
Shiva vs Aikirees = 1 Shiva = 3
Titan vs Aikirees = 1 Titan = 1
Ifrit vs Aikirees = 1 Ifrit = 1
Leviathan vs Aikirees = 1 Leviathan = 0
Ramuh vs Aikirees = 1 Ramuh = 4
Garuda vs Aikirees = 1 Garuda = 1
So yeah even I got reamed a lot ^^;
Good luck!
^ Back to Top ^
