Spring 2010 Magic: The Gathering DeCal at UC Berkeley

Theater, Dance, & Performance Studies 98/198
Magic: The Gathering^TM DeCal Course Website
University of California, Berkeley

Introduction
Magic Overview
Course Overview
Assessment

Schedule
Resources
Course Questions

Faculty Sponsor:
Abigail De Kosnik

Student Facilitators:
Trevor Dolinajec
Elvia Nidia González

Time: 4pm-5:30pm
Day: Tuesdays
Location: GBP 107
CCN: TBA

Syllabus [PDF]

Tentative schedule as of January 17, 2010. Schedule subject to change (though, we doubt there will be any changes).

Schedule Date	Discussion Topic	Homework
January 26 DeCal Week 1 Semester Week 2	Review syllabus Game play overview, including T1 format. MTG Website (Rosewater, Ask Wizards, Building on a Budget, Daily Deck, etc.) Colorwheel	Reading: List of Creature abilities Light Rule Book 10th Optional: Magic 2010 Rules Changes
February 2 DeCal Week 2 Semester Week 3	Overview of three major types of decks: Agro Control Combo Cycles of Cards First Core Sets: Alpha (A) Beta (B) Unlimited (U) Revised (R) Early Expansions: Arabian Nights (AN) Antiquities (AQ) In class gameplay (Bring cards, if you have them. We will also be providing additional cards for students who do not have their own collection.)	Gaming Create a mono-colored theme deck based on one of the three major deck types discussed in class and a creature type. Submit a brief overview detailing deck theme and design. Reading: Card Cycles Legends Arabian Nights
February 9 DeCal Week 3 Semester Week 4	Building multi-colored decks. The hundred worst Magic cards of all time. Early Expansions: Legends (LG) The Dark (DK) Fallen Empires (FE) Homelands (HL)	Gaming Create a multi-colored theme deck with at least five cards chosen from 100 worst list. Submit a brief overview detailing deck theme and design. Reading 100 Worst Cards Optional Reference Material: Older deck-o-pedia Newer deck-o-pedia
February 16 DeCal Week 4 Semester Week 5	Introduction to hybrid decks and hybrid deck strategies: agro-control mid-range control combo agro combo agro control combo. Beginning of the Weatherlight Saga. Ice Age Block: Ice Age (IA) Alliances (AL) Coldsnap (CS) Mirage Block: Mirage (MI) Visions (VI) Weatherlight (WL) Core Set: Fourth Edition (4E)	Gaming Create a hybrid theme deck based on one of the hybrids discussed in class. Submit a brief overview detailing deck theme and design. Reading: Top 50 Nonbasic Lands Top 50 Artifacts Optional: Set FAQs MTG Salvation
February 23 DeCal Week 5 Semester Week 6	Banned cards and extended format. Tempest Block: Tempest (TE) Stronghold (SH) Exodus (EX) Urza Block: Urza's Saga (US) Urza's Legacy (UL) Urza's Destiny (UD) Core Set: Fifth Edition (5E)	Gaming No declist. Complete this worksheet isntead. Reading: Infinity Combos Formats
March 2 DeCal Week 6 Smstr Week 7	Conclusion of the Weatherlight Saga. Masques: Mercadian Masques (MM) Nemesis (NE) Prophesy (PY) Invasion Block: Invasion (IN) Planeshift (PS) Apocalypse (AP) Core Set: Classic (6E)	Gaming Create a theme deck with Timmy, Johnny and Spike in mind. Submit a brief overview detailing deck theme and design. Reading: Timmy, Johnny and Spike
March 9 DeCal Week 7 Smstr Week 8	Morph Odyssey Block: Odyssey (OD) Torment (TO) Judgment (JU) Onslaught Block: Onslaught (ON) Legions (LE) Scourge (SC) Core Set: Seventh Edition. (7E)	Gaming Create a five color theme deck. Submit a brief overview detailing deck theme and design. Reading: Sets of Five Play and War chapter from Johan Huizinga's Homo Ludens (p89-95) — Download Here.
March 16 DeCal Week 8 Smstr Week 9	Mirrodin Block: Mirrodin (MR) Darksteel (DS) Fifth Dawn (FD) Kamigawa Block: Champions of Kamigawa (CHK) Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK) Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK) Core Set: Eighth Edition (8E)	Game play Create an artifact theme deck or Kamigawa theme deck. Submit a brief overview detailing deck theme and design. Reading: Melvin and Vorthos Play and War chapter from Johan Huizinga's Homo Ludens (p95-104) — Will be handed out in class.
March 23	Spring Break	No Assignments
March 30 DeCal Week 9 Smstr Week 10	Ravnica Block: Guildpact (GP) Dissension (DIS) Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV) Core Set: Ninth Edition (9E) Vanguard Shandalar: The Role Playing MTG Game Keld Otaria Western Jamuraa	Game play Create a guild theme deck or five-color highlander or Vanguard deck. Submit a brief overview detailing deck theme and design. Reading: Timmy, Johnny, Spike and Vorthos Revisited 50 Top Gold Cards
April 6 DeCal Week 10 Smstr Week 11	Dominaria Time Spiral Block: Time Spiral (TSP & TSB) Planar Chaos (PLC) Future Sight (FUT) Lowryn Block: Lowryn (LRW) Morningtide (MOR) Shadowmoor Block: Shadowmoor (SHM) Eventide (EVE) Core Set: Tenth Edition (10E) Begining of the Draft, Sudden Death, tournament.	Game play Notes to help with deck creation. Create a Pauper theme, Storyline, or Tribe deck. Submit a brief overview detailing deck theme and design. Reading: Dominaria Timeline Unusual example of a Tribe
April 13 DeCal Week 11 Smstr Week 12	Introductory Sets: Porta (PT) Portal Three Kingdoms (P3) Unsets: Unglued (UG) Unhinged Planechase Continuation of Draft, Sudden Death Tournament	Gameplay: Create a Ridiculous theme, Three Kingdoms theme, or a Planar theme deck. Submit a brief overview detailing deck theme and design. Reading: Known Multiverse Planes of Planechase
April 20 DeCal Week 12 Smstr Week 13	Elder Dragon Highlander Shards of Alara Block: Shards of Alara (ALA) Conflux (CFX) Alara Reborn Zendikar Core Set: Magic 2010. Planechase Final day of Draft, Sudden Death Tournament	Game play Create a tribe deck or Elder Dragon Highlander deck, Sanctuary duel-deck, or Prismatic Deck. Submit a brief overview detailing deck them and design. Reading Elder Dragon of Highlander Prismatic Rules
April 27 DeCal Week 13 Smstr Week 14	Wizard Monologues	No Homework