You guys can stop arguing, because you are all right
Janissary is right that AoCP can be stopped, and isn't the worst thing in the world anymore. There are ways around it, and some of the best are protection fortresses.
BubbleBoy is right that Philistines are a particularly vulnerable civilization currently. They have very little protection from anything, and they rarely get initiative in battle. Looking at the broader meta-game, there are just too many TGT decks focused on territory destruction (Jepthah, ET+AoCP, Holy Grail, Israelite Archer, The Destroyer, etc.) for them to have a chance.
I agree with BB that Philistines need some sort of protection to be viable in top decks. However, this protection doesn't have to come from a fortress.
