Strategy/ mini FAQ Playing as a summoner can be great, if you know HOW to play it. Summoners are healers and buffers first, damage dealers second. Their 2 hour ability calls forth the most powerful damage spells in the game, however the avatars typically do not do much in terms of damage until after level 60. Avatars learn abilities as you gain levels. The most useful abilities learn are status enhancing abilities, such as a group blink (instant dodge of attack) from Garuda or Stoneskin (super defense) from Titan. Getting the Avatars is a chore as well. You must have fame in the nations that give you the avatar quest, so if you want Shiva, you must have done a lot of quests in San'doria, or if you want Ramuh, you must be famous in the windurst/Mhuara region. These factors, plus the fact that it takes a full party of 60 plus characters to beat an avatar make choosing a summoner a very tough decision. Do you have what it takes?