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Widely known as Magic: The Gathering's most interactive way to play, Commander has received a seasonal update just in time for the festive season. As part of a recent video, hosts Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong showcased a multiplayer game dubbed "Countdown to XT-Mas."

The Mechanics of the Festive Variant Works

At its core is a straightforward layer superimposed on a standard EDH match. A rotating marker moves between players. Upon reaching the current player's turn, the game temporarily stops. Each participant secretly chooses whether they're being Naughty or Nice by using two cards.

Everyone reveal their card at the same time. After that, they resolve the effect tied to their decision, beginning with the person holding the token. The token is subsequently handed to the next player. The holiday round counter ticks up by one step, and standard gameplay carries on.

The choices intensify over time progress, seeming well-balanced.

Growing Effects

At the start offered small, table-wide advantages for being Nice, like gaining life or Clue tokens. Conversely, Naughty paths typically offered more specific upsides, frequently to the detriment of someone else. As an example allowed those who picked Naughty get a powerful airborne creature. Players that selected Nice generated a small artifact token creature for each player.

The Grand Arrival

When the last phase, Father Christmas personally showed up, turning the game. Depending on the frequency with which each player chose Naughty versus Nice, Santa handed out wrapped prizes. Outwardly, these were deck boxes, but held Magic booster packs worth different amounts.

• The nicest player got a top-tier Collector Booster.
• The next kindest player received a another type of premium pack.
• Another participant got a older set.
• The very naughty player drew the short straw: a historically poor set acting as a joke.

Each card from these packs instantly were playable for the duration, used as a bonus with mana treating it as all colors. For the nicer participants, their boon wound up being a huge power spike. However, the naughty players essentially got a punitive gift.

Playing the Variant Yourself

Although the demonstration match had a lot of production value, it's one that anybody can easily try in their own playgroup. Participants would bring their standard Commander deck, and the additional materials needed would be four different booster packs of varying value.

The main challenge could be that if everyone know the rewards in advance the best pack's identity, players might strategize for the most valuable gift. You could change this with alternatives, for example selecting cards from a shared pool or allowing participants to use cards they own from their binders.

Judging by how the format played out, this holiday variant is definitely a festive method to add holiday cheer this holiday season. It changes the social interplay at the table in a uniquely festive way, creating a memorable way to play among MTG enthusiasts this season.