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Already considered MTG's friendliest way to play, Commander has received a holiday twist just in time for the festive season. As part of a recent episode, hosts Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong showcased a multiplayer game dubbed "Countdown to XT-Mas."

The Mechanics of the Holiday Format Function

The basic idea is a straightforward layer added on top of a standard EDH game. A rotating token moves to each player. Once it arrives at the current player's upkeep, the action halts for a moment. Every player makes a hidden choice if they will be being Nice or Naughty with the help of choice cards.

All players flip their card at the same time. They then apply the consequence linked to their decision, beginning with the person holding the marker. This marker is then passed to the right. A special tracker ticks up one notch, and standard Commander resumes.

The Naughty/Nice options do escalate with each passing round go on, feeling carefully crafted.

Increasing Outcomes

The initial phases offered small, table-wide boons for choosing Nice, including gaining life or Clue tokens. On the other hand, Naughty paths typically offered more specific advantages, usually at the expense of an opponent. For instance allowed those choosing Naughty receive a powerful airborne creature. Anyone who picked Nice created a small artifact token creature for everyone.

Santa's Big Finale

On the final round, Santa Claus personally showed up, transforming the match. Based on the frequency with which a participant selected Nice versus Naughty, Santa handed out wrapped prizes. These looked like small containers, but contained Magic booster packs of varying value.

• The nicest player was awarded a high-value Collector Booster.
• The next kindest player received a another type of Collector Booster.
• A special guest got a older set.
• The least nice player got the worst prize: a historically poor set that's essentially a gag.

Each card unwrapped instantly were used for the rest of the game, played from outside the game with mana considered to be all colors. For the nicer players, their boon proved to be a significant power spike. However, mischievous participants essentially got coal in their stocking.

Playing the Format with Friends

While the demonstration match included significant polish and preparation, this is a concept that anybody can easily try in their own playgroup. Each player would bring their regular Commander deck, and all you'd need are several booster packs of varying value.

One potential issue is that if everyone know the rewards in advance the prize for being Nice, then everyone might aim for the best booster pack. Groups can mix it up with alternatives, for example selecting cards together or enabling gamers to pull cards they own from their binders.

From the entertaining match, this holiday variant is definitely a festive way to create laughter during festive gatherings. It changes the dynamics in the game in a uniquely festive manner, resulting in a unique experience for MTG enthusiasts everywhere.