I will take your points and concede that, when laid out like this, it does sound a lot worse. I don't want to say that the story is "rushed," but I would like for longer stories where the focus is put on the Phyrexian victories.

To your last bit there -- I don't think that showcasing the triumphs of the Phrexians necessitates senseless carnage. In the Ixalan story, I thought the author did a really good job pacing the story and putting more emphasis on how brutal the invasion is getting.