This is the mirror against Izzet Spellementals, a near-identical spells-matter shell, so the game comes down to who assembles the better threat density and closes first. Hydro-Man, Fluid Felon adds another early clock that grows with every blue spell and doubles as a mana source late, giving you resilience their removal-light deck struggles to answer. Ral, Crackling Wit generates card advantage and Otter tokens off your existing cantrip-heavy plan, snowballing loyalty quickly in a deck full of noncreature spells. Spell Pierce and the extra Spell Snare are less impactful since both decks are racing with proactive plays rather than relying on a single key spell to counter, so favor added threats and value engines instead.

Mono-Green Landfall wants to flood the board and pump creatures with Earthbender Ascension, Bristly Bill, and Mightform Harmonizer, so Flashfreeze is excellent since virtually their whole deck is green. Shore Up protects Hearth Elemental or Sunderflock from Meltstrider's Resolve fights and gives a surprise combat trick against their bigger threats. Annul counters key enchantments like Earthbender Ascension and Meltstrider's Resolve, providing a huge tempo swing against their engine. Spell Pierce is weak here since they aren't casting many crucial low-cost spells you need to stop, and Winternight Stories comes out because tapping three mana at sorcery speed is too slow while you're trying to survive their board development.

Dimir Midrange is grindy with high-value threats like Kaito, Bane of Nightmares and Elektra, so extra Spell Snare is great against their many two-mana pieces like Kaito's ninjutsu cost consideration aside, Floodpits Drowner, Bitter Triumph, and Nowhere to Run. Annul is mostly a sideboard tool here since their maindeck has few targets beyond Nowhere to Run and Enduring Curiosity, so skip Annul rather than bringing it in speculatively for opposing sideboard cards like Soul-Guide Lantern. Get Out is awkward since its counter mode misses planeswalkers like Kaito and its return mode only targets your own permanents, so trim it in favor of more efficient interaction. Prioritize Traumatic Critique and burn to close games before they stabilize with Enduring Curiosity or The Wondrous Wasp.