Greetings, I am new to forum and really excited to access so many enthusiasts and the vast collective knowledge. 

I need advice, can anyone suggest a few varieties likely to do well in my high mountain valley, about 4800' elevation in Cochise County, Arizona. Zone 8B, with heavy clay soils, barely adequate drainage, heavy winds in Spring,  and probably need crack resistant/closed eye type figs since it rains hard here starting in mid-July until late September most years.  Lots of birds here, so green/yellow varieties might be a good idea to resist birds ( I read somewhere birds prefer the purple ones).

I have planted Chicago hardy fig, Excel,  and also Panache, but the Panache did not survive... I have room for 3 or 4 trees outside in the ground, full sun.  

gratefully, Vic Herrick  Hereford, AZ.

  Welcome aboard, Vic...

  If you had to give up one variety, losing your Panache was the hands-down favorite.   When my trees receive a bit too much water here, the fruit on my Panache blow apart, looking as if they have been hit with a baseball bat.

  I'd suggest picking up a Battaglia Green.  The fruit is outstanding; it maintains its composure when subjected to high humidity and precipitation, and the fruit stays mint green in color, camouflaging themselves for the birds. 

Don't expect fast growth in clay soil. Try to amend the soil as much as possible and as wide as possible before planting and raise the ground around the base of tree.
I currently have five trees in clay soil and growing at a snail pace. The top performer of my three Col de Dame fig trees, is the Col de Dame Gris, but don't expect much fruit from this one before four or five years, perhaps longer.

Welcome to the forum.

Thank you Sas and Bluemalibu,  will consider that.  I am looking for Battaglia Green, not readily found so far.  Yes, the clay soil is a drag, but I am adding lots of organic matter on a constant basis, I dug large holes,  so maybe I can improve it over time.

I saw both figs and grape vines growing out of broken rock, virtually no soil,  in Greece, so those plants can be tough and resilient if they want to grow... Yes, I realize broken rock drains better than clay.  I have abundant mesquite trees and grasslands, it is a savannah type habitat, and we see a few weeks of 15-25f cold nights each winter.