For a long time, I've been saying that "Virtual Card Advantage" wins games. That means that whichever player has more playable cards at any given time is winning. To use your example, if you have a Sacred Phoenix, and I have 3x Smashing Ground and 3x Saku, you have virtual advantage by a ratio of 1:0. I have zero cards that can do anything productive. The thing is, when my opponent has cards in their hand or f/d and I don't know what they are, I can't figure out which of us has more playable cards. The only thing to do now is to try to accumulate regular card advantage, and then hope that my greater number of resources equates to more playable resources than my opponent. If at any time a serious threat should present itself (Phoenix, for example), then sure, -1 yourself to get rid of it.

Are we somewhat on the same page yet?

I understand that. A lot of intermediate players tend to revere card advantage like deity, and if you combine that with a bunch of noobs in their wake, you get, well, pojo. I loathe that sort of mentality every bit as much as you do. People who can't see the potential of cards because they don't fit into their minute numerical schedule. Still, that's no excuse to dismiss card advantage as useless, it forms a statistical template with a solid correlation. As long as you understand that there is a missing causative link and that advantage doesn't win games per se, it is an extremely valuable tool.

That's a flaw in their thinking, because top tier players only think like that when building their deck. When they are playing they play according to the situation. Ideally, even top players should learn to look past the numbers when looking at cards, but hey, if it isn't broken, you don't try to fix it.

Couldn't have said it better :)

Good for you.
Now lets safely assume you run x3 Shrinks and I dont (I run 2 btw) or that I dont run Torrential / Ring to dodge your BTH (which I do), I have a side of Drains, Cursed Seals and Raigeki Breaks for the exact purpose of triggering Phoenixes while doing some major dumpage ...

Even though you don't have have cards at your disposal to destroy the phoenix. Using sak. armor actually helps, even though it doesn't kill it. It gives you one more turn to draw a card, in which that one card can help you win it or not. You never know. I know most people think that, +1 this -1 that. That is why this metagame is all field presence. The more cards you have playable the better. Not to mention the faster you get through the deck the faster you'll be owning the duel (unless your deck just sucks). The thing is, having more cards doesn't mean you control the duel though, it just means you have more options than your opp. Just remember one card can change everything, I should know @_@.

The metagame isn't about field presence at all. It's about card advantage. If anything, people tend to hog cards early on and build their hand before constructing their field. This is what is making hand control a viable strategy again. Saku or smashing a phoenix can indeed be a solid move if you can follow up for massive damage and do it again next turn.

And now you assume I don't have a side ? If phoenix was ever a threat to me of course I would side more answers, but still. Phoenix simply isn't viable in a format that is reverting back to mostly monarchs, since you can just ram one of your giant floaters into it to kill, or pretty soon, just drop Raizza and put you in heaps of trouble if you don't find a discard outlet.

And the other decks in the format ? Well demise loves phoenix, he doesn't care if it comes back, he just needs to get one hit in.

Im listening for those common answers in your side.

PS- My phoenix regulrly dismantles monarchs. Im more worried about otk decks.
Oh. I run 3 wabokus main to prevent OTK decks.

You wont. I run x3 Vortex.

PS. You said if. Mostly it wont be. Simply because Phoenix isnt the last line of defense. Ild have a Treeborn at least. Or whatever Dasher SSed. : /

Yes I said if. Its a judgment call you can only make at that time and had no reference to your deck or any other specific deck. Merely to the fact that it CAN be a good call to remove a phoenix. I haven't seen your phoenix deck.

But if its really that good, I'll look for it next SJC ...

You know damn well I dont attend SJC. Had I the cash to trapaize across North America dueling, I would. But I dont.

However if you want to be sarcastic about it, go ask Dale Bellido about me (Uzo) and thats enuff said.

I'm not implying that YOU had to pilot the deck. But if its such a great deck, surely it will have been noticed by quite a few players by now, no ? That's not sarcastic at all. I mean we've had triple phoenix decks since march 1st, so you really mean to tell me you were the only one to experiment with it and realize it was that great ?

I mean, I even share your passion. I've seen and built a fair share of good phoenix decks. None of them were quite top tier though. Phoenix just wastes too many resources to bring him out.

Ill post a decklist.