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Widely regarded as MTG's friendliest format, Commander is getting a holiday twist perfect for the festive season. As part of a holiday-themed show, creators from a popular channel demonstrated a multiplayer match dubbed "Holiday Countdown."

How the Festive Format Works

The basic idea is a straightforward layer added on top of a regular EDH match. A designated indicator circulates around the table. When it the active player's upkeep, the action temporarily stops. Each participant makes a hidden choice whether they're being Nice or Naughty by using indicator cards.

Everyone flip their choice together. Next, they apply the effect linked to their selection, beginning with the player who has the token. It is then passed clockwise. A special tracker advances by one step, and standard gameplay carries on.

The Naughty/Nice options intensify with each passing round progress, feeling finely tuned.

Growing Choices

Early rounds provided modest, shared boons for the Nice path, such as life gain or investigation clues. In contrast, The Naughty paths usually provided more targeted benefits, usually at the expense of an opponent. As an example let players who picked Naughty get a powerful airborne creature. Anyone who picked Nice generated a 1/1 Toy token creature for all participants.

The Climactic Arrival

When the final round, Santa Claus himself showed up, transforming the game. According to how often each player was Nice versus Naughty, Santa gave out mystery presents. They appeared to be small containers, but held MTG booster packs of varying value.

• The kindest player was awarded a premium Collector Booster.
• Another friendly player got a another type of premium pack.
• One player received a mid-range set.
• The very naughty player essentially received coal: a famously bad set acting as a joke.

Each card unwrapped instantly were used for the rest of the game, used as a bonus using mana as though it were any color. Players who were nice players, their gift proved to be a major power spike. However, the naughty players basically received a disadvantage.

Recreating the Format with Friends

While the original showcase featured considerable custom components, it's one that players can adapt with friends. Participants plays with their standard EDH deck, and the additional materials needed are several booster packs of varying value.

The main issue is that if players know ahead of time the best pack's identity, they all try to get the most valuable gift. You could add variety in different ways, such as selecting cards together or allowing participants to include specific cards from their binders.

Judging by the successful demonstration, this holiday variant proves to be a fun way to spread some joy this holiday season. It complicates the social interplay at the table in a joyous manner, making it a memorable experience among Magic enthusiasts everywhere.