It has a great p/t cost ratio overall with added abilities why not use four?
Roy1138
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I don't understand why you can't see the beauty of having a Goblin Lackey with double strike. But the asnwer to your question is, this guy is just another big green creature. Rare, because he's a little bigger and badder than some other green creatures, but certainly not worth Mythic status. Warren Instigator lets you play creatures without paying Mana cost. This guy is Mana Hungry. Warren Instigator is-- whatever the opposite of that is.
Laguz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Not worthy of mythic status at all, plus with the titans they probably needed the room.
Nikeyeia
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Somewhat I think it is sad, that it got bumped to rare. Normally it might not be mythic, but in the right deck it definitely deserves it.
Pick him up in draft, hes worth it.
Sir_Kaeru
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
im glad that this is no longer a mythic, increases my chances of getting one ^_^
IshubarashI
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(6 votes)
This card deserves mythic status 10x more than the lame titans... And to the guy who said he "consistently failed to deliver the goods" I think you were probably just using him wrong... Let me remind everyone that his ability prevents ALL damage dealt to him, regardless of how many +1/+1 counters are on him, then counters are removed until the proper amount has been taken or until he runs out of counters. If you use an effect to give him a +1/+1 (or higher) bonus, it can't be removed, thus making protean hydra immune to damage. Slap an equipment like behemoth sledge on him and you have a big scary monster.
Even without a buff like that, just throwing a few burn spells at him can make him a huge threat. Besides that he has great playability in nearly any deck that can splash green and give him a decent start. And if his usefulness isn't enough, you've got to at least appreciate the flavor of it. This is a 5/5 from me, and I'm very disappointed that he is no longer considered a mythic rare.
SocialExperiment
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
I'm glad they bumped him down just so the newer guys can get in on this. The Hydra is awesome in a game against anyone low on removal, and even better against burn decks if you can give him +1/+1 somehow (Marshal's Anthem, or whatever).
JWMidnight
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(11 votes)
No one ever wants to chump block him ;_;
ToidiDiPuts
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You know, i think there's a card in this set that will keep this guy from ever dying of preventable damage... maybe it was the Leyline of Vitality I also opened in the prerelease.
Hahahhhahahahha... This is the only reason I like the Green leyline
Drop Leyline of Vitality before the game stars
Then on turn two you can play this guy for two
(you need at least one counter on him or else you won't have any counters to remove, less you have ways of putting them on)
and you have a force immune to damage
what you do with that is up to you, i personly just wanna fling it when it gets fat : D
persecutor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
CJM2:
First of all, if you want to comment on Warran Instagator, you should post your comment on that page. Then type in "goblin" on advanced search and you'll see why it's mythic.
I pulled one of these in the prerelease, he did quite well with Primal Cocoon.
As for being a rare, he deserves it. He was an exceptional mythic, but a good rare.
lockwolf
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pretty much this card plus Whispersilk Cloak saved my butt at the draft last night.
RPGsr4me
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I've got to get this from my friend now that it's reprinted.
Donovan_Fabian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The protean hydra is actually an incredibly nuts cards against red, I don't know about mythic, but when you have anything that gives it extra counters or uses counters for an effect, or gives it +1/1 then it is indestructible to normal combat damage or burn. Combined with the new totem umbras (eel umbra comes to mind), leyline of vitality and so on, it looks a lot better in the current set that it did in m10.
niallcmurray86
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
I love big creatures but I DO totally understand why this guy got the downgrade. He is really good and if you know how to see combos there are lots of them out there for this guy, but no he didn't feel like a mythic to me either. P.S. Warren Instigator is great dummies P.P.S. Lackey is still the best though
MasterOfEtherium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Yeah It's Rare Thats Fine But I'm Glad I Got Mythic Ones The Mythic Color Looks So Much More BadAss
lorendorky
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
this seems like good SB material against RDW in a ramp deck.
CJM2
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I don't understand why this gets bumped to the rare slot, with all the lame mythics (Warren Instigator?) out there.
On the other hand...I'm glad I'll be picking up more copies of it.
Edit: This is a really flavorful card. It's not just another big green creature. It's hard to kill short of a straight up destruction spell, for one thing. For another, it is a replica of the Hydra of Greek mythology. Yes, mythology...as in mythic? The titans are a cycle, all based on the same mechanic. I don't see how that warrants mythic status, as opposed to a unique and interesting card like this one. And I certainly don't see how a little goblin who can hit for 2 damage and drag other goblins into play would be mythic either. But then, I guess not everyone is as into flavor as I am.
Edit of the edit: I'm not saying Warren Instigator is bad. That would be absurd. I'm saying he's not mythic in flavor. And I don't want to comment on him, I'm commenting on why this card should be mythic.
spaceninja_222
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
If you can do enough damage to him (obviously prevented) to remove all the counters from him, he becomes a 0/0. When a creature's power hits 0, it's destroyed. Right? The is a nemesis of Vampire Hexmage.
Pregnantoctopus
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Yeah, I put this in my lifegain beatdown deck. Today I put an armadillo cloak on it. It is now going to be the primary strategy of my deck. They had to block it just to stay alive, and it just kept getting bigger. Too good.
Vampire96
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I would like to know... does deathtouch work on this card? i still think the ability to prevent damage will certainly prevent deathtouch from killing it, pls correct me if i'm wrong. thanks
Wow, got downgraded from a Mythic to a Rare. Power creep? What's that?
TheSwarm
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Really awesome card, not only is it immune to damage under the right circumstances but its can get huuuuuuge. I mean most creatures aren't immune to damage, at least this guy iiiis and can double his stats. Better than its feral companion in my opinion. Want to build a deck involving this guy and dragon fangs and some other umbras and such. Make it g/r and burn the hydra to get him bigger and swiiiiiiiing
Ok, I'd like to get the general consensus on this:
Protean Hydra in your opening hand, how much should you cast it for? You want to get it out as early in the game as possible, but too soon and it'll be useless.
I'm inclined to say 5, since a 4/4 puts it out of range of most creatures and burn.
Baconradar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It isn't a /downgrade/ to not be mythic rare. You people are crazy. You're saying you actually want /less/ chances to use a card that you like?
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ spaceninja22:
You're half right. It's not when a creature's power hits zero, but it's toughness, and it's not actually destroyed or sac'd at that point; the rules just say it gets put into its owner's graveyard (this is so indestructable creatures still die to -1/-1 effects).
Also, your Vampire Hexmage suggestion is nice; be wary, because if it's getting a toughness boost from something other than counters, it will just survive the assault and grow twice as big.
On an interesting sidenote, this is hilarious with Lifelink and Pariah's Shield as long as you have a way to give it a static toughness bonus. Also, this makes Orcish Artillery playable LOL.
Zulp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I used to dislike this card. But I've done some playing around with him and I've really learned to love him.
Biteybiteybitey
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Love this card, give it a bit of additional life and only somebody that can remove prevention from damage and destroy/exile can destroy it. Builds up quickly and then you just use Overwelming Stampede... oh look all your creatures gain that much power and toughness... I'll just panic over here if you don't mind? lol
surewhynot
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you're playing a deck that can't remove this, or you just aren't drawing your removal spells (it happens), you have to either kill this thing the first time it attacks, or you may as well concede. The fact that he's green is crazy too, since green can just dump buckets of mana into him very early on to make him a monster.
planersibling
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Protean Hydra + Spider Umbra + Leyline of Vitality for the win! It gives him reach (if your opponent is big on flying creatures) plus, they need to essentially waste a removal spell just to make him vulnerable to ANOTHER removal spell as he still can't be destroyed via combat as long as the leyline is on the field. I love umbras on this guy in general.
304
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Amazing design. Perfect flavor. One of my favorite cards.
@NARFNra
Greater Basilisk's deathtouch wouldn't do anything against Protean Hydra, all of the basilisk's damage is prevented, therefore deathtouch wouldn't activate and you'd just make the hydra bigger.
BLAAARGNN
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
if you buff this card with say leyline of vitality, if someone does more damage than it has health from all of the +1/+1 counters, does its prevent damage keep it alive?
thanks for answering if someone does lol.
flare1122
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Wouldn't this card have a hard time killing larger creatures cause of the fact that it loses counters on it when attacked?
@ BLAAARGNN Yes this card really shine's with card's like Leyine of Vitality. Essentially, Damage can't kill him if he is still alive with no +1/+1 counters on him, because all damage is always prevented (unless it can't be, by say Leyline of Punishment) regardless if counters are on him.
metalmisty
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
so what would happen if this is in the graveyard and you play Necrotic Ooze? im not sure if it counts as activated abilities
Ozywonder
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
OK! This is completely wrong.
Rule : If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.
"All damage that would be dealt to Protean Hydra is prevented, even if it doesn't have that many +1/+1 counters on it. This is true even if Protean Hydra has no +1/+1 counters on it at all (and is able to remain on the battlefield because some other effect is boosting its toughness). If the amount of damage that would be dealt to Protean Hydra is greater than the number of +1/+1 counters on it, all the +1/+1 counters on Protean Hydra are removed from it."
This cant work on the principal of being able to read.
Break it apart. Prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters.
Define 'and' And: –conjunction. Used to introduce a consequence or conditional result
If the creature does not have enough +1/+1 Counters then this effect can not be used, due to the conditions not being met. Prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters. Not enough +1/+1's then this effect can not trigger.
I would like this rule to be corrected please.
made4ipod
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I understand why this was moved down to rare, because they needed to make space for the titans because they obviously deserve mythic status.
moriar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Ozywonder You forget that you're parsing a card in a game with a set structure of rules. There are rules for what to do when an effect or ability attempt to do more than one thing, when one of the things is impossible.
Assuming this fellow has no counters on it, and would damage. The prevention ability attempts to prevent the damage (possible) and remove that many number of counters immediately thereafter (impossible).
According to the Comprehensive Rules, the ability will do whatever it can and not do whatever it can't. Hence the damage being prevented and no counters removed.
kdraphael
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@metalmisty, this is a triggered ability (happens "Whenever", so something has to trigger it), so Necrotic Ooze wouldn't gain these abilities.
Garfunculus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Aaaargh... I can't belive that I just gave this away when I got one. I know, I was so new I didn't even know the phases of a turn yet, but stil, that's painful to realize now that I have a deck consistently producing an average of 8 mana per turn at turn four, with Omnath and everything. I have to go buy one again now, because no way will I get so lucky twice.
StealthShadow
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Geez, give this guy an umbra like Bear Umbra or Boar Umbra and he's pretty much unstoppable.
Templar314
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
This guy's getting some new combos in New Phyrexia. Having a Glistening Oil on him or a Hex Parasite on the battlefield with him could be quite nasty.
@Garfunculus If you're consistently producing 8 mana per turn at turn 4, there are much better things to do than cast a 7/7 that can be killed by any other 7/7. And while 8 mana per turn at turn 4 is certainly possible, it sounds like you're either running stuff which will also benefit your opponent (ie. Heartbeat of Spring), or your opponents aren't running good enough removal.
Protean Hydra isn't a bad creature, but of course the big problem is that it's relegated to being below the curve without help from something like Doubling Season. Simply put, for the same mana that you invest into getting this guy out, someone else can invest that much mana into a creature that will kill him and live to tell about it. At every point on the curve in green, there's a better option - unless you've managed to get to ~20 odd mana in a game and have nothing to spend it on.
JackofAntioch
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Glad to see they finally made something similar to the Shichif ukujin Dragon as a playable card. It's a really flavorful mechanic, glad they put it on a hydra.
Larwick
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Absolutely beautiful artwork.
Bouv10
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Someone played him with 3/3 and I thought that was a mistake as I just lightning bolt'ed him right into the graveyard. Definately go for 4 or more if you know your opponent is running a red deck of anykind.
Palutena
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
run him with Cinder Giant or other similar cards and he's getting more powerful every turn.
snipeknight77
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Love him all around. I built my mono green around him. I love to ramp him with auras and enchantments, but the best thing to use with him is a Feral Contest, usually with an Ascetisism in play. Then I pick what will block him, and get a free +1/+1 token. Oh, and I recently placed a Hex Parasite in with him, and this thing is great. Not only does it eat the token from Hydra to make itself a fatty in it's own right, but the next turn, Hydra will double them up again. I love it.
This, with doubling season *gasp* this would be a monstrosity in no time!! Bring out a Hex Parasite along with it and you will be good to go!
Truly love this card, haven't gotten a change to get it out yet though
MrBarrelRoll
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Since comboing with jank rares is always fun, run this dude with Predatory Urge. Tap to eat a dude and make your Hydra bigger? Won me quite a few casual games.
kiseki
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
I like this with Spike Rogue and Heartstone. This guy laughs at wither, infect, deathtouch and lifelink. Unfortunately he is not a fan of first strike, and dies a horrible death to blink effects. Put a Spider Umbra on him then cast Chain Reactions.
Valesk
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(4 votes)
if i got a 3/3 protean hydra and its block by a 3/3 creature, both creature dies or just the hydra?
I find this card to be rather insane in a defender deck with Overgrown Battlement.
I regularly manage to bring him out as a 12/12+ creature. Unfortunately, my friends don't take kindly to this. Especially with Roughshod Mentor out. :D
Zokorad
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Terrible Card and it Should Be a Uncommon or Maybe Even a Common and it Has Been Mythic Before?
Edit: I did not understand that the Last ability could trigger more then 1 time. 5/5 Update.
I'm working with Hydras for a casual deck to celebrate my "Johnnyness", and I just wanted to point out that if you give this guy Dragon Fangs it's got trample, and prevents all damage dealt to it
I love Hydras :D
Arachnos
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
Cut off one head, two more shall take its place!
HAIL HYDRA!
joeytheforestdweller
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oooo baby, I played this card in FNM with my Primeval Titan. After playing my titan against a Poison Ten turns til death match on my part, I got all 22 of my mana out making him a 21/21 and ended up batting the poison guy against my titan and Hydra up in his face, thus clenching me the match...Then my next match one motha humpa pulled a doom blade on my hydra and I lost after that since the jerk kept pulling doom blades on my creatures lol, Doom blade, makes everything a big headache...lol
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I feel like Vigilance would have made this more mythic worthy
Radagast
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Powerful, provided it survives the early hits, and hilarious in any deck that can make it grow bigger. I also give them a lot of credit for finding a clean way to recreate the classic hydra's ability from myth on a fun and very playable card.
TheFanatic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card has some nice combos with newer cards. This + Bioshift + Slumbering Dragon is just awesome. Throw in an Ooze Flux and you've got yourself a win.
Totema
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
As recently stated, Ooze Flux makes this totally nuts. Pay an extra 1G at the end of your opponent's turn to reduce it to a 1/1, then immediately make your monster grow, ready for glorious combat during your next turn.
Krysto
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Okay guys, it's mid-late game, you're playing RG or RGW and you've got your Hydra out and he's a 3/3 or bigger with some form of trample...
If you're feeling dangerous, slap Fatal Attraction on it and watch this guy inflate. Seriously - an initial 2 damage pulls off 2 counters from him, then slaps on 4 more at the end of the turn, next turn he loses 4 and gains 8 after, so it's a net gain of 4 +1/+1 counters PER TURN.
Abuse Doubling Season this way and he loses 4, but gains back 16 (since doubling season only counts counters going on).
Feeling even more dastardly? Drag in a Furnace of Rath. He'll take 4 initially, gain back 8 (16 with doubling season), then take 8 and gain back 16 (32 with doubling season). Not to mention the pain your opponents will feel when you do attack with him.
This +1/+1 ramping can Rival even Primordial Hydra for a few turns, especially with doubling season.
Dog_of_Four
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
if this gets flickered... poof there goes all your hard work
atemu1234
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
What would happen if you played glorious anthem and this guy had no +1/+1 counters on him when he was blocked? Could he die? would he survive and then next turn you put the number of +1/+1 counters supposed to be removed on him x2 on him? someone help...
Great card though. Imagine it with Ghave, Guru of Spores? Someone in casual would stop playing you.
@Arachnos It would be spelled heil, in anglicized German.
this is the TRUE HYDRA,just as the ancient Greek myths say.1 head is cut and 2 grow. 4 stars for power + 1 for being flavorous without flavor text
yesennes
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Proudly made playable by The Simic Corporation Research and Development: Zameck Guildmage Funded by: Plasm Capture Kickstarted by: Bioshift Labor manager: Ooze Flux Extra 1: Ooze 4/4 Extra 2: Ooze 8/8 Extra 3: Ooze 16/16 Extra 4: Ooze 32/32 Extra 5: Ooze 64/64 Extra 6: Ooze 128/128 Distribute by: Crowned Ceratok Edit: Made Indestructible by: Mizzium Skin
somegeek
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Beyond Ghave, Power Conduits are good here too. Remove a counter from him... and just put it back. Good stuff with Corpsejack Menace.
OstravaBoletaria
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
combos with Corpsejack Menace... but come on, what doesnt combo with him?
CrazyChucky
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Of all the various hydras, this is my favourite, because it actually acts like a hydra: cut off one head, two grow back in its place. A+ flavour.
SirLibraryEater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just imagine a deck with this and Mindslaver. Get your opponent to have a bunch of weenies, then control them and block this guy with just enough to not kill him. He then doubles in power. Oh, and also Ion Storm.
matus_42
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Ozywonder: In fact the ruling is correct. The rules clearly say "609.3. If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible." Even if it is not possible to remove counters, the prevention part is clearly still possible and will be executed.
car2n
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oh wow, this could be my favorite card in the right deck.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of the first cards I ever played with, and still one of my favorites. Also I honestly can't say I've seen a card downgraded from mythic to rare, not including From the Vault reprints.
Comments (87)
Pick him up in draft, hes worth it.
Even without a buff like that, just throwing a few burn spells at him can make him a huge threat. Besides that he has great playability in nearly any deck that can splash green and give him a decent start. And if his usefulness isn't enough, you've got to at least appreciate the flavor of it. This is a 5/5 from me, and I'm very disappointed that he is no longer considered a mythic rare.
Sadly, I got NO toughness-boosting spells.
Drop Leyline of Vitality before the game stars
Then on turn two you can play this guy for two
(you need at least one counter on him or else you won't have any counters to remove, less you have ways of putting them on)
and you have a force immune to damage
what you do with that is up to you, i personly just wanna fling it when it gets fat : D
First of all, if you want to comment on Warran Instagator, you should post your comment on that page. Then type in "goblin" on advanced search and you'll see why it's mythic.
I pulled one of these in the prerelease, he did quite well with Primal Cocoon.
As for being a rare, he deserves it. He was an exceptional mythic, but a good rare.
P.S. Warren Instigator is great dummies
P.P.S. Lackey is still the best though
On the other hand...I'm glad I'll be picking up more copies of it.
Edit: This is a really flavorful card. It's not just another big green creature. It's hard to kill short of a straight up destruction spell, for one thing. For another, it is a replica of the Hydra of Greek mythology. Yes, mythology...as in mythic? The titans are a cycle, all based on the same mechanic. I don't see how that warrants mythic status, as opposed to a unique and interesting card like this one. And I certainly don't see how a little goblin who can hit for 2 damage and drag other goblins into play would be mythic either. But then, I guess not everyone is as into flavor as I am.
Edit of the edit: I'm not saying Warren Instigator is bad. That would be absurd. I'm saying he's not mythic in flavor. And I don't want to comment on him, I'm commenting on why this card should be mythic.
Your opponent could only take him out with a "destroy" or "exile" effect in that case :D
Protean Hydra in your opening hand, how much should you cast it for? You want to get it out as early in the game as possible, but too soon and it'll be useless.
I'm inclined to say 5, since a 4/4 puts it out of range of most creatures and burn.
You're half right. It's not when a creature's power hits zero, but it's toughness, and it's not actually destroyed or sac'd at that point; the rules just say it gets put into its owner's graveyard (this is so indestructable creatures still die to -1/-1 effects).
Also, your Vampire Hexmage suggestion is nice; be wary, because if it's getting a toughness boost from something other than counters, it will just survive the assault and grow twice as big.
On an interesting sidenote, this is hilarious with Lifelink and Pariah's Shield as long as you have a way to give it a static toughness bonus. Also, this makes Orcish Artillery playable LOL.
Builds up quickly and then you just use Overwelming Stampede... oh look all your creatures gain that much power and toughness... I'll just panic over here if you don't mind? lol
@NARFNra
Greater Basilisk's deathtouch wouldn't do anything against Protean Hydra, all of the basilisk's damage is prevented, therefore deathtouch wouldn't activate and you'd just make the hydra bigger.
thanks for answering if someone does lol.
On another note braid of fire and upwelling nasty combo with this guy.
Yes this card really shine's with card's like Leyine of Vitality. Essentially, Damage can't kill him if he is still alive with no +1/+1 counters on him, because all damage is always prevented (unless it can't be, by say Leyline of Punishment) regardless if counters are on him.
Rule : If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.
"All damage that would be dealt to Protean Hydra is prevented, even if it doesn't have that many +1/+1 counters on it. This is true even if Protean Hydra has no +1/+1 counters on it at all (and is able to remain on the battlefield because some other effect is boosting its toughness). If the amount of damage that would be dealt to Protean Hydra is greater than the number of +1/+1 counters on it, all the +1/+1 counters on Protean Hydra are removed from it."
This cant work on the principal of being able to read.
Break it apart. Prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters.
Define 'and' And: –conjunction. Used to introduce a consequence or conditional result
If the creature does not have enough +1/+1 Counters then this effect can not be used, due to the conditions not being met. Prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters. Not enough +1/+1's then this effect can not trigger.
I would like this rule to be corrected please.
You forget that you're parsing a card in a game with a set structure of rules. There are rules for what to do when an effect or ability attempt to do more than one thing, when one of the things is impossible.
Assuming this fellow has no counters on it, and would damage. The prevention ability attempts to prevent the damage (possible) and remove that many number of counters immediately thereafter (impossible).
According to the Comprehensive Rules, the ability will do whatever it can and not do whatever it can't. Hence the damage being prevented and no counters removed.
If you're consistently producing 8 mana per turn at turn 4, there are much better things to do than cast a 7/7 that can be killed by any other 7/7. And while 8 mana per turn at turn 4 is certainly possible, it sounds like you're either running stuff which will also benefit your opponent (ie. Heartbeat of Spring), or your opponents aren't running good enough removal.
Protean Hydra isn't a bad creature, but of course the big problem is that it's relegated to being below the curve without help from something like Doubling Season. Simply put, for the same mana that you invest into getting this guy out, someone else can invest that much mana into a creature that will kill him and live to tell about it. At every point on the curve in green, there's a better option - unless you've managed to get to ~20 odd mana in a game and have nothing to spend it on.
It's a really flavorful mechanic, glad they put it on a hydra.
Truly love this card, haven't gotten a change to get it out yet though
This guy laughs at wither, infect, deathtouch and lifelink.
Unfortunately he is not a fan of first strike, and dies a horrible death to blink effects.
Put a Spider Umbra on him then cast Chain Reactions.
i love you.
-ghave, guru of spores
I regularly manage to bring him out as a 12/12+ creature. Unfortunately, my friends don't take kindly to this. Especially with Roughshod Mentor out. :D
Edit: I did not understand that the Last ability could trigger more then 1 time. 5/5 Update.
I love Hydras :D
HAIL HYDRA!
If you're feeling dangerous, slap Fatal Attraction on it and watch this guy inflate.
Seriously - an initial 2 damage pulls off 2 counters from him, then slaps on 4 more at the end of the turn, next turn he loses 4 and gains 8 after, so it's a net gain of 4 +1/+1 counters PER TURN.
Abuse Doubling Season this way and he loses 4, but gains back 16 (since doubling season only counts counters going on).
Feeling even more dastardly? Drag in a Furnace of Rath. He'll take 4 initially, gain back 8 (16 with doubling season), then take 8 and gain back 16 (32 with doubling season). Not to mention the pain your opponents will feel when you do attack with him.
This +1/+1 ramping can Rival even Primordial Hydra for a few turns, especially with doubling season.
Great card though. Imagine it with Ghave, Guru of Spores? Someone in casual would stop playing you.
@Arachnos It would be spelled heil, in anglicized German.
4 stars for power + 1 for being flavorous without flavor text
Research and Development: Zameck Guildmage
Funded by: Plasm Capture
Kickstarted by: Bioshift
Labor manager: Ooze Flux
Extra 1: Ooze 4/4
Extra 2: Ooze 8/8
Extra 3: Ooze 16/16
Extra 4: Ooze 32/32
Extra 5: Ooze 64/64
Extra 6: Ooze 128/128
Distribute by: Crowned Ceratok
Edit: Made Indestructible by: Mizzium Skin
Oh, and also Ion Storm.