(Personal Opinion)

Phoenix is an agent I've felt comfortable playing since I first started playing Valorant last December. I think he's a perfectly balanced agent.. but somehow super lackluster.

As a washed up gold 3 player, I may not have the grounds to say how good he is or isn't, or maybe 'skill wise' I cant unlock his "full potential". It just feels like though he is well rounded, he gets out-shadowed/shined by almost every other 'relatable' agent.

To explain what I mean by relatable agent;

• movement wise: every duelist beats phoenix (jett dash, Reyna/yoru tp, raze satchels). It feels like all the other duelists have a better incentive to aggro a fight or quickly leave one. (I mean, phoenix ult does help but that comes with ult farming or just general fragging)
• Flashes: Phoenix's flash is very easy to use, but in most cases its so easily counter-able (because 9/10 if you see a phoenix flash he's swinging). There is the xtr flash but like I said, if you see a phoenix flash and you couldn't turn in time, you'll prob win 'more times than not' if you just spam after flash. (IM GOLD LMAO, I'm not playing against people like SiCK_CS or anything)
  • Skye's flash, even after nerf, has way better flash potential because the timing changes based on the person playing her AND she has the option to fake flash giving her even more options in a duel. (I know she's an initiator but that's who phoenix gets swapped for)
  • Yoru's flash timing is similar to the skye flash; in the sense that it flashes off contact with another surface & you can send it almost anywhere, so timing wise its not as easily counter-able.
  • Reyna flash has to be shot (displacing enemy crosshair) unless they're close/far enough to where it doesn't affect them.
• Other Utility: His wall feels like it gets disrespected in a lot of situations unless you're flashing through it (A viper wall would make me reconsider an attack/slow down but if the only thing stopping me is a phoenix wall and i have a flash or im feeling good aim wise im swinging it.. maybe its the gold ego in me, whatever). And in most cases (another personal opinion incoming) I feel like his wall is only useful in conjuncture with the molly for heals or stalling.

I mainly play Astra/phoenix/cypher/Jett. I don't dislike playing phoenix by any means. Ive made some cheeky 3k plays with his ult or something flashy by flashing out of a wall, etc. It just feels like when I'm in agent select deciding who to play/who the team needs, its almost never phoenix unless I just feel like playing him that day.

Does anyone else feel similarly or am I just running my mouth lol.

(sorry for poor grammar and over use of parenthesis)