🔗 Share this article

Already known as MTG's most social way to play, Commander has received a seasonal update perfect for the end of the year. During a holiday-themed show, hosts Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong showcased a four-player game called "Holiday Countdown."

How the Festive Format Function

The basic idea involves a simple mechanic added on top of a normal Commander match. A designated marker travels between players. Upon reaching the active player's upkeep, the action halts for a moment. All gamers secretly chooses if they will be being Nice or Naughty with the help of choice cards.

All players reveal their choice at the same time. Next, they resolve the consequence linked to their own choice, beginning with the person who has the marker. This marker then gets passed clockwise. The countdown ticks up one notch, and standard Commander resumes.

The Naughty/Nice options do escalate with each passing round continue, feeling well-balanced.

Increasing Outcomes

Early rounds granted minor, collective benefits for the Nice path, including gaining life or Clue tokens. On the other hand, The Naughty options typically offered more specific benefits, frequently to the detriment of someone else. As an example let players who picked Naughty create a powerful airborne creature. Players that picked Nice made a 1/1 Toy creature token for each player.

Santa's Big Showdown

On the final round, Santa Claus personally showed up, changing the experience. Based on how often a participant selected Nice versus Naughty, Santa distributed mystery presents. Outwardly, these were deck boxes, but contained Magic booster packs with different rarities.

• The nicest player got a top-tier Collector Booster.
• Another friendly player got a another type of premium pack.
• A special guest got a older booster pack.
• The least nice player drew the short straw: a notoriously weak set that's essentially a punchline.

All cards opened instantly were used for the rest of the game, used as a bonus by spending mana as though it were colorless. Players who were nice participants, their boon became a significant boost. However, the naughty players were given a punitive gift.

Trying the Format at Home

While the original showcase included a lot of polish and preparation, this is a concept that anybody could easily replicate at home. Each player plays with their regular EDH deck, and the only extra items required are several booster packs with different worth.

The main drawback lies in the fact that if everyone know the rewards in advance the best pack's identity, players might might aim for the most valuable gift. You could add variety with alternatives, such as drafting cards from a shared pool or allowing participants to include cards they own not in their deck.

From how the format played out, this holiday variant is definitely a festive format to spread some joy this holiday season. It adds a layer to the social interplay between players in a joyous way, resulting in a unique experience among Magic players everywhere.