Challenge of the Week: Protean Hydra

Protean Hydra XG
Creature - Hydra Mythic Rare
Protean Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.
If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.
Whenever a +1/+1 counter is removed from Protean Hydra, put two +1/+1 counters on it at the beginning of the end step.
Illus. Jim Murray 0/0

I figure there are a couple of ways to try to abuse this guy. After about four seconds of careful consideration, I decided mana ramp to go with mana ramp and (edited) clear the board with lots of board clearers............and a couple of reckless planeswalkers, Chandra Nalaar and Sarkhan Vol.

And I have combat tricks! Jund Charm gives my boy 2 extra counters to get removed!

Volcanic Fallout and Lavalanche can't really be considered combat tricks, but it can be considered da bomb. Hopefully these will work like Prized Unicorn by clearing out the blockers, but not actually suck. Like Prized Unicorn.

Chandra can be a win condition by herself, but she also makes my hydra a little bigger in the process, or helps get extra damage so a fallout can take care of business.

Sarkhan doesn't quite fit the synergy of what's happening here with the hydra, so I gave him a goblin assault. Plus, he's a game winner.

The Hellkite is cool because I can do it at flash speed. I'm pretty sure I can wait until the hydra's ability goes to the stack at the beginning of the end step, flash in a hellkite removing creatures and hitting my own hydra a couple times, then add some counters. Right? Plus this guy is a finisher.

Thirnax is a beast, and banefire is yet another finisher.

4x Rampant Growth
4x Jund Charm
4x Farhaven Elf
4x Volcanic Fallout
4x Sprouting Thirnax
4x Protean Hyrda
2x Sarkhan Vol
3x Chandra Nalaar
2x Bogardan Hellkite
2x Banefire
3x Lavalanche
4x Dragonskull Summit
4x Rootbound Crag
9x Forest
5x Mountain
2x Swamp