Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26220697-20151108012255/@comment-24067560-20151111193531

1) Have you read or watched all of FMA? Creativity does matter, because it is the difference between a good strategy and just hitting someone with a rock. Consider, for example, when Ed fought Greed, he was smart enough to transmute his carbon armor and displace it in order to make the side facing him less dense.

-Additionally, I would say that alchemy generally gives one more versatile abilities than bending. For the most part, bending is merely moving the classical elements. Transmutation entails this sort of morphing, but also the general shift of pure elements, allowing one to do much more with alchemy. Consider the fact that Ed could literally bind someone's soul to a metal suit of armor and make it animate. You can't do anything close to that with bending.

2) I'm sorry, but they are not of equal intelligence at all. Edward Elric is of genius level intellect, and his alchemical understanding of the world entails far more knowledge than would be needed to bend. Aang may be wise, but he isn't really smart, perse.

3) I see what you mean about the Avatar State. However, one can only enter it in certain contexts, and Aang can't access this combat prowess otherwise. If Ed manages to kill Aang before he enters the Avatar State, then this fighting experience wouldn't matter. Besides, the strength of the Avatar State doesn't really come from fighting experience, per se, it's just really freaking powerful.

4) Ed did have help in defeating Father, but it ultimately came down to the two of them fighting each other.

Some things to consider: Is Aang's avatar state deemed to be outside help? What about the philosopher's stone for Ed, as it is a weapon he has canonically used. Additionally, what about summoning a portal to the Truth? Ed has seen the Truth, and if he can summon the gate to it, I'm not sure how Aang would escape. Ed used it to contain Father.