Mainboard (60)
Creatures (25)
Instants (5)
Sorceries (4)
Planeswalkers (3)
Izzet Prowess chains cantrips to pump creatures for burst kills. Essence Scatter counters their threats, and Spell Pierce catches their pump spells. Remove their creatures before they can chain spells.
Mono-Green Landfall goes wide with landfall triggers. Additional removal from Requiting Hex and Shoot the Sheriff keeps their board in check. The Unagi provides a late-game threat that takes over.
Against Izzet Lessons (46% win rate) their Monument to Endurance, Gran-Gran, and Firebending Lesson engine generates more card advantage over time than your creature-based midrange plan. Annul shuts down Monument to Endurance and Artist's Talent at instant speed. Duress strips their key combo pieces and counters from hand before they can be used. Disdainful Stroke counters their expensive lesson payoffs. Flitterwing Nuisance and Phantom Interference are marginal creatures or interaction that don't line up well against their engine. Shoot the Sheriff has no relevant targets in a mostly spell-based deck, and Requiting Hex is too mana-intensive when you need early disruption.