You really need to watch the "In the World of Animals" program:D That's where you'll understand that they've gone overboard with the wolves.)))
Elementals appear so rarely that during that time, all your troops will move twice - and if you have archers and creatures with retaliation, then no battle planning is required.
It's certainly difficult to deal with water elementals in terms of initiative, but you can defeat them before their turn))) However, I also think that their initiative needs to be reduced.
And yes, phoenixes definitely need to be nerfed significantly))))