Mistcutter Hydra is absolutely insane against anything running blue. They can't counter it, can't chump it with a Snapcaster or block it with a Colonnade. It will virtually never be boltable, meaning their likely only out is Path.
If you run a bunch of mana dorks and Garruk, Wildspeaker maybe. But then it isn't a stompy deck, then it's a ramp deck and you might as well play NyxWave.
While Doofy is wrong about that hydra will "virtually never be boltable," he is completely right that it's absolutely insane int he board. I wouldn't run less than 2, it absolutely wrecks in tons of relevant matchups. I'm rolling with 3 in the board at the moment.
That said, mana dorks suck in this strategy. You want every creature to be able to turn sideways for big beats, and you also want every card to be a good topdeck. (Experiment one is the exception since he's too good turn 1 to pass up, despite being a bad topdeck turn 8.) I also really don't like any 5-mana Garruk. The only planeswalker I'd consider running is Garruk Relentless because he's 4 mana and can double as removal. His flipped +1 is also really strong with Rancor. A lot of people don't know the deathtouch/trample synergy but basically, the wording on trample is "you need only assign lethal damage," and deathtouch means 1 damage is lethal, so rancor on a deathtouch 1/1 means hyper-evasion. So much value, I swear.
Speaking of deathtouch, I briefly tested Ambush Viper for its synergy with rancor.
Does Spell Snare deserve any spots in the deck? It's an extremely powerful card and criminally underplayed in the format. Considering a well timed goyf can completely wreck our game plan, not to mention other cards that can be real thorns in our side (Stoneforge, pyroclasm, rough//tumble, jitte, thalia) and other 2 mana threats (Bob, enchantress, painter's servant, etc.). It's a huge tempo play, especially if you resolve a threat turn 1, and it can recover a game where you're on the draw as well.
Note that I would not suggest cutting pierce for spell snare, because they do entirely different things against entirely different metas. Snare would have to replace some other card.
I've been looking at Schneider's list. It seems pretty solid, but I have a few questions. Against what decks do you side in the lava spikes? Seems like you'd use them against non-interactive decks that you have to burn out really quickly, or against decks that only run basics. I also don't know how I feel about Gitaxian Probe; like, would you keep a hand with no lands but two probes? That seems so dodgy. I kind of want to cut them for 2 lands and 2 spells, probably a Ponder and a Price or Spell Pierce. I also don't like Smelt in in the board; Smash to Smithereens seems better. Not only does it hurt your opponent, but it can kill a Chalice at 1. On the other hand, it's easier to flash back Smelt, so who knows.
While Doofy is wrong about that hydra will "virtually never be boltable," he is completely right that it's absolutely insane int he board. I wouldn't run less than 2, it absolutely wrecks in tons of relevant matchups. I'm rolling with 3 in the board at the moment.
That said, mana dorks suck in this strategy. You want every creature to be able to turn sideways for big beats, and you also want every card to be a good topdeck. (Experiment one is the exception since he's too good turn 1 to pass up, despite being a bad topdeck turn 8.) I also really don't like any 5-mana Garruk. The only planeswalker I'd consider running is Garruk Relentless because he's 4 mana and can double as removal. His flipped +1 is also really strong with Rancor. A lot of people don't know the deathtouch/trample synergy but basically, the wording on trample is "you need only assign lethal damage," and deathtouch means 1 damage is lethal, so rancor on a deathtouch 1/1 means hyper-evasion. So much value, I swear.
Speaking of deathtouch, I briefly tested Ambush Viper for its synergy with rancor.
Don't run Ambush Viper.
Note that I would not suggest cutting pierce for spell snare, because they do entirely different things against entirely different metas. Snare would have to replace some other card.
Here's the list by the way:
4 Volcanic Island
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Arid Mesa
2 Mountain
2 Island
Creatures
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Goblin Guide
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Force of Will
4 Chain Lightning
4 Brainstorm
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Gitaxian Probe
3 Ponder
2 Spell Pierce
2 Price of Progress
1 Forked Bolt
1 Price of Progress
2 Sulfuric Vortex
2 Flusterstorm
2 Pyroblast
2 Smelt
3 Surgical Extraction
3 Lava Spike