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Already known as MTG's most interactive way to play, Commander just got a holiday twist perfect for the festive season. During a recent video, personalities Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong demonstrated a multiplayer game dubbed "Holiday Countdown."

The Mechanics of the Festive Format Works

At its core is a straightforward mechanic superimposed on a normal EDH game. One special indicator travels between players. Upon reaching the active player's upkeep, the game briefly pauses. Every player makes a hidden choice if they will be being Naughty or Nice with the help of choice cards.

Everyone flip their choice simultaneously. After that, they apply the consequence associated with their selection, starting with the person who has the token. It then gets passed to the right. The holiday round counter ticks up a single increment, and normal gameplay resumes.

The choices become more significant over time go on, seeming finely tuned.

Escalating Choices

At the start granted minor, collective benefits for the Nice path, such as gaining life or Clue tokens. On the other hand, The Naughty paths usually provided more targeted upsides, usually to the detriment of an opponent. One round let those choosing Naughty create a powerful airborne creature. Those who selected Nice generated a small artifact creature token for everyone.

The Grand Arrival

When the eighth round, Saint Nick himself showed up, changing the game. Based on the tally of a participant selected Nice versus Naughty, Santa handed out wrapped prizes. These looked like deck boxes, but inside were MTG booster packs with different rarities.

• The nicest player was awarded a premium Collector Booster.
• The next kindest player received a different premium pack.
• One player ended up with a less powerful set.
• The most mischievous player got the worst prize: a famously bad set acting as a punchline.

Each card opened could then be used for the remainder of the match, played from outside the game with mana as though it were colorless. The kinder participants, their boon proved to be a major power spike. However, the naughty players were given coal in their stocking.

Trying the Variant Yourself

While the original showcase featured a lot of production value, it's one that any group can easily try in their own playgroup. Everybody plays with their usual EDH deck, and the additional materials needed would be four different booster packs of varying value.

A possible drawback could be that if players know ahead of time the best pack's identity, players might try to get the most valuable gift. Groups can add variety by using other methods, such as drafting cards from a communal pile or enabling gamers to use cards they own from outside the game.

Based on the entertaining match, this holiday variant proves to be a joyous format to create laughter during festive gatherings. It changes the social interplay in the game in a fun and way, making it a special way to play among MTG enthusiasts this season.