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Already known as MTG's friendliest format, Commander is getting a holiday twist perfect for the end of the year. As part of a holiday-themed show, hosts Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong demonstrated a multiplayer match titled "Countdown to XT-Mas."

The Mechanics of the Festive Variant Function

At its core involves a straightforward layer superimposed on a normal EDH match. A rotating indicator travels between players. Once it arrives at the active player's upkeep, the game briefly pauses. Each participant privately decides if they will be being Nice or Naughty with the help of indicator cards.

The participants turn over their card at the same time. Next, they carry out the consequence tied to their selection, beginning with the person holding the token. It is then passed clockwise. A special tracker moves forward one notch, and standard Commander resumes.

The Naughty/Nice options become more significant with each passing round go on, seeming finely tuned.

Escalating Outcomes

Early rounds provided modest, shared boons for choosing Nice, including life gain or Clue tokens. On the other hand, The Naughty paths often gave personal benefits, often to the detriment of an opponent. One round let those who picked Naughty receive a powerful airborne creature. Players that selected Nice made a 1/1 Toy creature token for all participants.

The Climactic Finale

On the last phase, Saint Nick himself arrived, transforming the match. According to the tally of a participant chose Nice versus Naughty, Santa handed out mystery presents. These looked like deck boxes, but contained MTG booster packs with different rarities.

• The kindest player got a premium Collector Booster.
• Another friendly player opened a different Collector Booster.
• A special guest got a older set.
• The most mischievous player got the worst prize: a famously bad booster pack which is basically a gag.

Each card opened could then be playable for the duration, used as a bonus using mana treating it as any color. Players who were nice players, their present wound up being a major boost. However, mischievous participants basically received coal in their stocking.

Recreating the Format with Friends

While the video included a lot of production value, it's one that any group can adapt in their own playgroup. Each player would bring their standard EDH deck, and the only extra items required are a selection of booster packs with different worth.

One potential drawback is that if everyone are aware beforehand what being nice gets you, they all might aim for the top prize. Groups can add variety with alternatives, like drafting cards together or letting players use cards from their collection from their binders.

Judging by the successful demonstration, this holiday variant proves to be a festive method to add holiday cheer during festive gatherings. It complicates the social interplay in the game in a joyous manner, creating a memorable experience among MTG players this season.