Playing the Phoenix!

No, I'm not talking about the 1000 point colossal. I'm talking about the 297 point white Phoenix from Giant Sized Xmen. How do you put such a force into a team? What level do you play at to be functional?

First off, in a 300 point team, Phoenix is a considerable one woman army. I know, I've played her that way. She worked so well, I didn't even have to use her trait. She has awesome stats and powers to go with her team ability. Hypersonic speed, telekinesis, impervious and a nice five damage to open up with. If you do play her in a 300, you really should use a 3 point Alias feat card, just to add insult to injury.

So, what I've done below, is to take Phoenix and go by the numbers and keyword. I also put in what figures I think would work best based on how many you put on your force. Clearly, the best keyword for her is Xmen and this is what I came up with.

400: (Very limited but playable)
-Best duo: Her and Storm (86) for 383. Yes, you could use Nightcrawler as easily as Storm anywhere I list here. While Nightcrawler is awesome and his trait makes him a great interference runner for Phoenix. He really does have a glass jaw and lack of damage dealing. Storm can hit way harder and from just as good a range. Besides, need to hit up close because of stealth? That's what the hypersonic speed is for.
-Best Trio: Give her Vet Jubilee and Lockheed for 395. The second best trio is with two Cuckoo sisters for 377.

500: (now it's getting hot)
-Best duo: It's always more risky to use less pieces in higher point formats, but fun at times. This only technically a duo team because the piece I'm suggesting is duo Colossus/Wolverine for a total of 487. Second best duo goes to Juggernaut for a total of 490.
-Best Trio: Give her Prof X and LE Psylocke from GSX for 489.
-Best Four: Give her Storm, Lockheed, and LE Psylocke for 499.
-Best Five: Give her Storm and two Cuckoo sisters for 493.
-Best Six: Give her four Cuckoo sisters and Lockheed for 504. Keep those sisters and Lockheed in the way to interfere with opponents while Phoenix picks them off from a distance.

600: (Something's burning- and now a duo is just too small)
-Best Trio: Prof. X with Gambit/Rogue duo piece for a cost of 592.
-Best Four: Prof. X, Storm and Nightcrawler equaling, 592 again. Thist team is pure wickedness by the way.
-Best Five: Storm, Nightcrawler, Vet Jubilee and LE Psylocke for 589.
-Best Six: Storm, Vet Jubilee, LE Psylocke, Lockheed and a Cuckoo Sister for 590.

700: (I hear sirens)
-Best Trio: Juggernaut and the Colossus Wolverine piece will join her for 680.
-Best Four: Prof X, Juggernaut, and Storm fill this one for 699. Juggs smashes through things just so Prof X can get his mind on someone! Sounds cute to me.
-Best Five: Prof. X, Nightcrawler, Cyclops and Storm help her at 702.
-Best Six: Prof. X, Nightcrawler, Storm, Vet Jubilee, and Lockheed for 690.
-MAGNIFICENT SEVEN!: Nightcrawler, Storm, Jubilee, Lockheed, LE Psylocke, and Warpath for a total of 706!

800: (setting the town on fire and now a trio is too small)
-Best Four: Juggernaut, Prof. X, and the Colossus/Wolverine duo piece. 803
-Best Five: Juggernaut, Prof. X, Cyclops, and Storm for 806.
-Best Six: Juggernaut, Prof. X, Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine (103) and Nightcrawler for 805.
-Best Seven: Juggernaut, Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine (103), Nightcrawler, LE Psylocke, and Jubilee.

900: (a raging inferno and now four is too small to fill out the points)
-Best Five: Colossus/Wolverine duo, Gambit/Rogue duo, Cyclops, and Prof. X making a team of 892.
-Best Six: Colossus/Wolverine duo, Cyclops, Prof. X, Archangel (not the LE) and Storm for 905.
-Best Seven: Cyclops, Prof. X, Archangel (not the LE), Storm, Wolverine (103), and Nightcrawler.

1000!! (we're all crispy critters now!)
-Best Five: Colossus/Wolverine duo, Gambit/Rogue duo, Juggernaut, and Prof. X at 975.
-Best Six: Colossus/Wolverine duo, Gambit/Rogue duo, Cyclops, Kitty Pryde, and Prof. X for 1003.
-Best Seven: Colossus/Wolverine duo, Cyclops, Kitty Pryde, Prof. X, Storm and Nightcrawler for 1003.
-Best Eight: Emma (GSX), Wolverine (103), Storm, Nightcrawler, Cyclops, Archangel (not LE), and Prof. X for 985.
-Best Nine: Emma (GSX), Wolverine (103), Storm, Nightcrawler, Cyclops, Prof. X, LE Psylocke, and Lockheed for 1002.

Xmen certainly has the most options for playing Phoenix, but here is how her other two keywords stacked up in comparison.

DEITY:
-Best 400 is with Storm for 383.
-Best 500 is with Valkyrie and Phobos for 501.
-Best 600 is with Storm, Sif, Brunnhilde, and Phobos for 604.
-Best 700 is with Storm, Sif, Brunnhilde and Valkyrie for 690.
-Best 800 is with Thor (HoT), Valkyrie, and Balder for 798.
-Best 900 is with Thor (HoT), Valkyrie, Balder and Storm for 884.
-Best 1000 is with Thor (HoT), Valkyrie, Balder, Storm and Sif for 977.

COSMIC:
-Best 500 is with Beta Ray Bill (whose initials mean Be Right Back) for 456.
-Best 600 is with Phyla-Vell and Moondragon for 569.
-Best 700 is with Quasar and Moondragon for 694.
-Best 800 is with Noh-Varr, BRB, and Adam Warlock for 757.
-Best 900 is with Noh-Varr, BRB, Adam Warlock and Phyla-Vell for 895.
-Best 1000 is with Quasar, BRB, Noh-Varr, and Phyla-Vell for 998.

Yes, I pretty much stuck with marvel on all those, but you can see how hard it is to make a theme team out of the generic keywords (that SHOULDN'T be generic because of their insane costs and rarity). It's really best to use the Xmen. She just fits better with them. Hope you enjoyed these teams and be sure to mention how you play your Phoenix!