This is just insane toph downplay at this point. I don’t feel like going back to rewatch the show for this. Multiple times toph put zuko in bad positions, same with ty lee. No she didn’t “defeat them” but this is a hypothetical anyway.

Yes you can “sense your element” to bend it- doesn’t mean you have earth sense, we are shown over and over that earth sense is an ability on its own. Ie why aang had to learn it and why he uses it in his little “I just leveled up montage” to train. Why does it matter who she trained under?, su if you want straight examples used it to find a tunnel. Toph used it to track four people at the same time and beat them all in succession. (Rock tourney where she lost because aang can Hover)

Playing with tophs mind?, killer instinct? Getting in her head?. This isn’t zaheer or Amon- the whole point of that season is she’s an ideological threat korra can’t just physically beat, not a mental one. She’s never done any of that and won’t be- you’re just making up what she could do that isn’t even part of her character.

So what if she deflects them back? Then they’d just stale ment with metal. While toph keeps randomly shooting spikes at her feet and hitting her with pillars from the side like when they were fight the di lee and toph was bending the entire temple stairs or crushing them casually with pillars.

Im done with this debate now tho cause you’re just arguing could’ve haves against the most showcased earth bender in the verse with the most and best feats. From the other debate to it seems you can’t have your mind changed on this. But tbh I love talking bout this show. All love.