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Already considered MTG's friendliest format, Commander is getting a seasonal makeover just in time for the festive season. In a recent video, personalities Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong showcased a multiplayer match called "Holiday Countdown."

How the Festive Format Function

Fundamentally is a straightforward layer added on top of a standard EDH game. A designated indicator circulates to each player. Upon reaching the active player's upkeep, the game halts for a moment. All gamers secretly chooses if they will be being Nice or Naughty via choice cards.

The participants reveal their card at the same time. After that, they resolve the consequence linked to their decision, first with the person holding the marker. The token is then passed to the right. The countdown moves forward a single increment, and normal Commander resumes.

The choices do escalate as the rounds continue, seeming finely tuned.

Escalating Choices

Early rounds offered small, table-wide benefits for choosing Nice, such as life gain or investigation clues. Conversely, Naughty options often gave more targeted benefits, often to the detriment of an opponent. As an example allowed those who picked Naughty receive a 4/4 flying Reindeer token. Anyone who selected Nice created a small artifact creature token for each player.

The Grand Finale

On the eighth round, Saint Nick himself made an appearance, turning the game. According to the frequency with which a participant was Nice versus Naughty, Santa distributed wrapped prizes. Outwardly, these were small containers, but inside were MTG booster packs with different rarities.

• The most benevolent player was awarded a top-tier Collector Booster.
• Another friendly player got a different premium pack.
• One player received a mid-range booster pack.
• The very naughty player essentially received coal: a notoriously weak set that's essentially a gag.

All cards from these packs could then be playable for the remainder of the match, played from outside the game using mana considered to be colorless. The kinder players, their present wound up being a significant power spike. However, mischievous participants basically received a punitive gift.

Trying the Game at Home

While the video featured a lot of custom components, it's one that players could easily replicate at home. Everybody uses their regular Commander deck, and all you'd need would be four different booster packs of varying value.

The main issue could be that if everyone know the rewards in advance the prize for being Nice, then everyone might aim for the top prize. One might change this in different ways, like drafting cards from a communal pile or allowing participants to pull cards from their collection not in their deck.

Based on the entertaining match, Countdown to XT-Mas is definitely a festive method to create laughter during festive gatherings. It complicates the strategy between players in a uniquely festive way, creating a memorable way to play among MTG players everywhere.