[Fantomen]

I use awake Phoenix sometimes. I found that putting death 5 or more on it makes a lot of sense.

1. You get fear/awe innate combo, which makes it last much longer in melee. (remember CBM phoenix has awe even without high dom, awe +3 with dom 10)
2. You can script frighten after airshield from turn 1, in combination with fear that makes the indies rout after fewer explosions. I found this makes a key difference in expansion.
3. You get soulvortex/phoenix pyre combo in midgame, as addition to mistform, fire shield etc. That makes it a powerful defensive grenade in dominion and lets him stay on cast spells without fatiguing out.
4. A cloud trapezing immortal with high death, air and fire isn't the worst support in lategame, not to speak of just having powerful death access.

If I put on any equipment it would be a ring of regen to keep afflictions down, perhaps horror helmet for extra fear and some ring of appropriate resistance. But I never do that until I have soul vortex so my phoenix actually survives most battles.