Alara: Encounter double trouble

After having been stuck on this encounter for a little time I thought to share some tips on how to beat it after finally getting it done using Jace's deck.

Jace deck

Your opponent has only 33 cards in his deck at the start of the encounter. The goal with this deck is to get his library empty. There are also several cards useful to keep his hydra's in check while you are doing this.

I found the following cards would help me especially well with this goal:

- to get him to discard cards

Mind sculpt

Wheel and deal

- to keep the hydra's in check

Into the roil

Send one of his hydra's back to his hand. Especially handy when combined with playing Wheel and deal so that he has to discard his hand as well and draw 7 new cards.

AEther adept

Same as into the roil, although with the 1 mana more in cost you have a creature in play as well to deter him from attacking you.

Mind Control

Good for the midgame to play to gain control of his strongest hydra. Prevents him from attacking you plus gives you also the ability to attack him and win the encounter by taking his life points if you kept the hydra's in check with the above cards.

Not usefull is the following card

Clone

Because the hydra's require a X amount mana which you cannot pay you will get a 0/0 thus nothing from cloning one of his hydra's.


I just used the standard deck and used any cards not usefull to this goal as discard material.

Achievement: if you haven't won the achievement for winning by emptying your opponents library yet then you will get it here using this strategy.


I hope this guide helps anyone else that feels he is getting stuck with the double trouble encounter. Once you know the trick it is rather easy to do.
I'm sure there are also other ways and decks to beat the encounter. Feel free to suggest them as well and I shall add them.