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Already regarded as Magic: The Gathering's most interactive way to play, Commander is getting a festive update perfect for the end of the year. In a recent show, creators from a popular channel showcased a multiplayer match dubbed "Holiday Countdown."

How the Festive Variant Works

At its core involves a straightforward mechanic added on top of a standard Commander game. A designated marker travels between players. Upon reaching the current player's turn, the action briefly pauses. All gamers privately decides if they will be being Naughty or Nice via indicator cards.

All players turn over their card together. They then resolve the consequence associated with their selection, first with the player who has the marker. This marker then gets passed to the next player. A special tracker moves forward one notch, and regular Commander continues.

These decisions do escalate with each passing round progress, feeling well-balanced.

Growing Choices

Early rounds granted small, table-wide benefits for the Nice path, including gaining life or investigation clues. Conversely, Naughty options often gave personal advantages, frequently to the detriment of someone else. For instance let players choosing Naughty create a 4/4 flying Reindeer token. Players that picked Nice generated a small artifact creature token for all participants.

Santa's Big Arrival

During the final round, Santa Claus himself showed up, changing the game. Based on the frequency with which each player selected Nice versus Naughty, Santa handed out mystery presents. They appeared to be small containers, but contained MTG booster packs of varying value.

• The nicest player was awarded a high-value special pack.
• Another friendly player got a slightly less valuable premium pack.
• One player received a less powerful booster pack.
• The least nice player got the worst prize: a historically poor booster pack which is basically a gag.

Every card from these packs immediately became playable for the remainder of the match, cast from exile using mana considered to be colorless. For the nicer players, their present became a significant power spike. Whereas, those who chose Naughty were given a punitive gift.

Playing the Variant Yourself

While the original showcase included significant production value, the format is something anybody can easily try with friends. Each player plays with their standard EDH deck, and the additional materials needed would be several booster packs from different sets.

The main challenge could be that if everyone know the rewards in advance what being nice gets you, they all strategize for the best booster pack. One might add variety with alternatives, like doing a mini-draft from a communal pile or allowing participants to include cards from their collection from their binders.

Judging by the entertaining match, Countdown to XT-Mas is definitely a fun way to create laughter when playing with friends. It changes the social interplay at the table in a fun and way, creating a special experience among Magic enthusiasts everywhere.