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Already considered Magic: The Gathering's most interactive format, Commander just got a festive update just in time for the end of the year. As part of a special video, creators from a popular channel showcased a multiplayer game dubbed "Holiday Countdown."

How the Festive Format Works

The basic idea is a simple mechanic superimposed on a normal Commander game. A designated marker moves between players. When it the current player's turn, the game briefly pauses. Each participant privately decides whether they're being Nice or Naughty with the help of two cards.

All players flip their card together. Next, they carry out the bonus tied to their own choice, starting with the person who has the token. It is then passed to the next player. A special tracker moves forward a single increment, and normal gameplay carries on.

These decisions do escalate over time progress, designed to be carefully crafted.

Increasing Outcomes

At the start granted small, table-wide advantages for the Nice path, including life gain or Clue tokens. In contrast, The Naughty choices usually provided more specific upsides, frequently to the detriment of an opponent. For instance let players who picked Naughty get a 4/4 flying Reindeer token. Anyone who picked Nice created a 1/1 Toy token creature for everyone.

Santa's Big Arrival

During the eighth round, Saint Nick himself showed up, turning the experience. Depending on the frequency with which a participant chose Nice versus Naughty, Santa gave out sealed “gifts”. Outwardly, these were small containers, but contained MTG booster packs worth different amounts.

• The kindest player got a premium Collector Booster.
• Another friendly player received a different premium pack.
• Another participant got a older set.
• The least nice player got the worst prize: a famously bad booster pack acting as a joke.

All cards opened instantly were playable for the rest of the game, cast from exile with mana as though it were colorless. Players who were nice players, their present became a significant power spike. Whereas, the naughty players were given a disadvantage.

Trying the Game Yourself

While the video included a lot of custom components, it's one that anybody could easily replicate at home. Everybody plays with their usual Commander deck, and the only extra items required would be several booster packs with different worth.

One potential drawback lies in the fact that if everyone know the rewards in advance the prize for being Nice, they all might aim for the top prize. One might mix it up with alternatives, for example doing a mini-draft from a shared pool or enabling gamers to use cards from their collection from their binders.

Based on the entertaining match, Countdown to XT-Mas stands as a festive method to add holiday cheer when playing with friends. It adds a layer to the dynamics in the game in a fun and manner, making it a unique way to play among MTG fans everywhere.