Bending advantages.

[reen]

Same as the other poll, it would be nice to know why you picked what you picked.

[rase]

Ultimately its the bender, not the element that determines victory.

In a fight airbenders are the biggest threat. As they are the hardest to separate from their element.

Earth and Water benders are limited to whats around them. And since a firebender's breathing is the key element to their bending, the longer a fight lasts, the weaker they are bound to become.

In terms of versatility and uses outside of combat. They all have their uses and are only limited by the imagination of the bender.

[gengoro]

Without question, airbenders have the biggest advantage due to air being everywhere.

[dandan]

I think ultimately waterbending is the most powerful element. Though it is also the most limited by availability. Near an ocean or river, I would imagine that even a moderate waterbender would be near unbeatable. However, in the middle of a desert with nothing but a pouch of water, even a master bender becomes comparitively weak.

The reason for this opinion is because of the fact that waterbenders can control their element in all three states of matter. They have dominion over water, vapor, and ice and can change between them in an instant. They can use liquid water to push and opponent around or use ice to deliver a killing blow. Water also seems to be one of the fastest elements and has the ability to even cut steel.

Other elements might be more readily available, but when there's a decent source of water nearby my money will always be on the waterbender.

[taka]

I must disagree with DanDans analysis. Although water has had quite a few uses in the show, I must say that I think airbending is the most useful of the four elements.

Airbending can be used to allow you to run straight up surfaces, it can be used to make you faster, it can be used to attack opponents from range; and now, with Aang's cutting the insect in half, we can speculate about its ability to cut matter.

Should a cold blooded airbender meet a waterbender, unless it was in the arctic, my money's on the airbender.

[reen]

And even in the arctic i wouldn't think the water bender has a 100% chance of victory, though they do have a raised advantage.

[aden]

reen said:

And even in the arctic i wouldn't think the water bender has a 100% chance of victory, though they do have a raised advantage.

Eh, it will Always come down to the skill of the individual benders...

I will admit that airbending probably has the most perks outside of battle. It pretty much enhances your speed, jumping ability, and can be used to move nearly any object that's not rooted to the ground. It's also one of the bending styles that doesn't require specific motions to use all the time. Aang seems to use it pretty instinctually most of the time.

However, I still stand by my claim that waterbending has the potential to be the strongest of the elements. It's truly hard for me to see a skilled waterbender losing when they have an ample supply of water at their disposal.

[taka]

Oh yes, I agree. In the ocean, or in the arctic, waterbenders would waste anybody... unless it was like 20:1 ratio... like Siege of the North. But a 1v1? Duh! ;D

I mean in a NEUTRAL environment.

[aden]

taka said:

Oh yes, I agree. In the ocean, or in the arctic, waterbenders would waste anybody... unless it was like 20:1 ratio... like Siege of the North. But a 1v1? Duh! ;D

I mean in a NEUTRAL environment.

Well, you'd have to specify what a Neutral environment consists of. When the fighters draw their very strength from the environment around them, it makes a big deal. ;D

One could make a case that given nearly any environment, one form of bending could absolutely crush the other 3. I will say, though, that Firebending is the only really element that works the same in any battlefield. Even airbending, if the fighters are limited to a confined room, has a cap in its strength. You can't hurl more at your opponent than there is available to you, but Fire will burn until there's no oxygen left, in which case both fighters are screwed anyway.

[taka]

*shrug* Point taken. I meant something like this:

A given room, a sort of arena, with grasses over x amount of soil (EARTH), with a tank of (WATER), filled with (AIR), which allows for the burning of (FIRE). Something like that. ;D

[wordbender]

I gotta go with water for power.

It's more versatile than earth or fire, and limited only by imagination. True, air bending has some definite advantages when it comes to the supply of the element, and even its wielding, but water comes in so many shapes, and can take a lot of stages.

Ice, water, snow, hail, any form of frozen water pretty much. Then you have to factor in the water benders abilities for healing and how they respond to the push or pull of the moon. Water benders seem the prime choice because of their power and versatility.

[kaska]

Ok, to make this easier on all of you. The environment for this poll shall be the area beneath the Earth Palace. It has plenty of air, earth and water available.

And, in that area, I honestly say a waterbender would win. Water can be accelerated and focused to cut through stone, steel, etc. The only defense would be if an earthbender bent diamond, which we've seen no evidence of them being able to do. Air, being a gas, cannot cut nearly as much as water before destabilizing and probably combusting and becoming useless. Earth, while it would beat air and fire, would, as I said, lose to water.

[rase]

Well as for water cutting through stone and steel, thats a bit exaggerated. The episdoe with the drill, it was clear they simple chip, chip, chip, chipped away.

In the element of cutting, put a waterbender and an earthbender against a tree. Who's going to cut it down faster?

Though I'm still trying to get my head around the physics of water cutting steel. I mean, I know its possible with todays technology, they use waterjets to cut metal. But you've a very small small nuzzle shooting out pressurized water around...oh say, any where from 900 mph or mach 3.

That's ALOT of speed, and to give you an idea of what a human being is capable of, you have athletes able to throw a baseball around 100 mph at the peak of their form. Fastest known throw is 103.whocares mph. So how fast can the average waterbender hurl a stream of water? I doubt they can hit 900mph, and then if they do a matter of accuracy is in order. You need a fine thin stream to hit a mark measured in milimeters.

I digress. Its a cartoon. Hardcore physics need not apply. I chalk that up to Aang and his avatarness, but I doubt cutting steel is in the average waterbenders arsenal of abilities. And again it still took two water benders. Sending water at that speed you have to have one catch it and send it back. A solo artist would shot the water past the steel in such a speed the wouldn't be able to get it back to make another pass at the cut.

That said. A much more fair field would be a mountain side water fall. Lots of water, lots of earth, lots of air, and the sky is out.

The sky is a big factor to fire and water benders. Fire benders are stronger during the day drawing their power from the sun. Water benders are stronger during the night when the gravitational pull of the moon makes them stronger. So whether this fight happened in the day or the night is another limit to consider.

Bending is also effect by the season.

Fire is summer.
Earh is spring
Air is fall
Winter is water.

But element vs. element. If each element sticks to their strong points they are each formidable.

Earthbending and Airbending are defensive styles. If each style focuses entirely on not getting hit and not so much trying to hit their opponent they can be quite untouchable.

Airbenders are purely movement and evasion. Circling their opponent and using gusts of wind to deflect attacks. Its the most passive style lacking the leathal techniques of the other styles.

Earthbenders are the opposite, stonewalls and barriers. Instead of moving around, they move their opponents around.

On the flipside, firebenders are on the otherside of the fence. Their strength is the absense of defense but using pure offense as a means of defense. Overpower and overwhelm is their thing.

Waterbenders are the jack of all trades master of none. As offensively capable as they are defensive. They have a wider range of abilities than the other benders, but the trade off is if a waterbender wants to match the pure offensive output of a firebender...they'll loose. They want to match the pure defensive capabilities of an earthbender....they'll loose. Their strength is in their ability to change and adapt.

To say a waterbender has the most potentional in the artic vs other benders is like saying a shark has an advantage over a lion out in open ocean. Just one of those. No Duh, things. The one main weakness with waterbenders is also their strength. They deal bend water in a push and pull manner. Flowing back and forth in fluid movements, their actions of set on a scale of rhythm. They fight with a pace and timing. Water shoots out cirlces back, round and round. A waterbender would be the easiest of the styles to get a count on. This also allows waterbenders to be offensive and defensive at the same time. Where airbenders circle and move around their opponents, waterbenders keep their water moving.

That said there is no superior element to bend. Its pretty fair to say they are all pretty balanced. The bender who wins is the one who doesn't stray too far from their natural strengths.

[sekar]

Hmmmm,

Now I've noticed that most of the replies are biased, first of both Hoji and Aden are fans of waterbending, so they will try to prove that waterbending has the most advantage. Lim? I think he's just a show off <<;

It's pretty simple really, screw physics. All the elements are pretty balanced. They all have strengths, weaknesses, pros and cons. And not to mention, there are other factors as everyone pointed out on enviroment, circumstance and indiviual ability.

Heres a simple chart I figured.
Airbending:
Pros
-Verisital
-Passive
-Incredible flexibity
-Agile
-Creative potentials
-evasive and swift
Cons
-Non aggressive
-Lack of Power
-No final attack
-Defense only

Notes: Airbending seems like element with the most advanatages, but it lacks a lot of strength and force, make it the flimsiest elemet. However, it's also the most creavtive element since it's so flexbile. Think about it, if you conbind team with a airbender and firebender it would be incredible! The two can create a series of backdrafts and explosives attacks. With a waterbender, they can use heavy clouds of fog for cover or make a flurry of waterspouts, Dispite being it's complentry element, I think earth and air would be an intersting combo. Can you say? Sandstorm?
Also I think that durning the Genocide, air folk relied on creativity to escape from Fire Nation. And as for no finishing move, it doesn't really need it. As long as you escape attack, it doesn't matter what happens to your foe, however that means that your enemy is still out there. I think it's most powerful move, is it's tornados, mainly because if you took a tornado with a high scale and added some debri, the opposing force is not going to come out well.

Earth
Pros
-Incredible defense
-good offensvie
-enduring and perment attacks
-excellent in seige warfar
-enviromental advatages
Cons
-Forts and towers can erode with heat or water
-too slow
-can be ridged
-no flexbilty

Notes: Earth is the most enduring and long lasting element on the wheel. Proof by the hundred year war. Earth is stable and firm. Allowing to with stand aggression and force. But it's also the most predicable and ridged. There is little creativeity to this element, and can prove to be diffcult in some circumstances, like mud or snow. However it advatangous in many climates that many elements lack. Mountians and fields expecially.

Fire
Pros
-Self element
-forceful and aggressive
-permanated and longlasting attacks
-overwhelming
-harms terrian and oppontens
Cons
-Can backfire and harm user
-Depents on indivual
-it's offensive to the point has little praticality
-it can eaisly get out of control

Notes: Fire is destructive as hell and the only reason it's winning the war. It can not only destroy people but enviroment and agriculture and it's effects are a perment as rock. Though despite it's firey goodness, it's destructive to the point it has no other use but combat, and it depends on the bender since it's powered by the bender. A Firebender in a murky swamp, where it's humid and most will not fair as well as bender of equal power in a forest.

Water
Pros
-Can work in all forms of matter
-Flexible like air
-Has good offense and defense
-healing ablities
-Can work in many enviorments
Cons
-It's extremely limited
-And it's not flexble enouogh to work in limited enviorments
-Lacks duriblity
-Like air can be unstable and unreliable

Note: Water is pretty unpredicable. Sure it's great in healing and can adapted well, but it not good in circumstances that it's limited. Because of this, limited resources make it unreliable in battle. However it's very practial and does well in techonlogical purpose. In combat though, it does make short work of foes by being a shapeshifting element :3

[tsumao]

FIre is best because you can warm up your tea XD