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Already considered MTG's friendliest way to play, Commander has received a holiday twist just in time for the end of the year. During a special episode, hosts Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong played a multiplayer game called "Countdown to XT-Mas."

The Mechanics of the Festive Variant Works

At its core involves a simple mechanic added on top of a regular Commander game. A rotating indicator circulates between players. When it the current player's upkeep, the action halts for a moment. Every player makes a hidden choice whether they're being Nice or Naughty via two cards.

The participants reveal their card together. After that, they carry out the bonus associated with their own choice, starting with the player who has the marker. It is then passed to the next player. The holiday round counter moves forward a single increment, and standard gameplay carries on.

The Naughty/Nice options intensify with each passing round go on, feeling well-balanced.

Escalating Outcomes

The initial phases offered modest, shared advantages for being Nice, such as gaining life or Clue tokens. In contrast, Naughty options often gave more targeted benefits, often at the expense of someone else. For instance let players choosing Naughty get a 4/4 flying Reindeer token. Those who picked Nice generated a 1/1 Toy token creature for each player.

Santa's Big Arrival

When the last phase, Saint Nick personally showed up, transforming the experience. According to the frequency with which each player was Naughty versus Nice, Santa handed out wrapped prizes. These looked like deck boxes, but held MTG booster packs with different rarities.

• The kindest player got a high-value Collector Booster.
• Another friendly player received a another type of premium pack.
• One player got a less powerful booster pack.
• The very naughty player got the worst prize: a historically poor set that's essentially a gag.

Each card opened could then be playable for the remainder of the match, used as a bonus with mana as though it were any color. For the nicer participants, their gift proved to be a significant boost. Meanwhile, the naughty players essentially got a disadvantage.

Trying the Format with Friends

While the demonstration match had significant custom components, the format is something anybody could easily replicate in their own playgroup. Participants plays with their standard Commander deck, and all you'd need are a selection of MTG packs with different worth.

The main issue is that if players know ahead of time what being nice gets you, then everyone try to get the most valuable gift. One might mix it up in different ways, for example doing a mini-draft from a communal pile or allowing participants to pull cards they own not in their deck.

Based on the entertaining match, Countdown to XT-Mas proves to be a festive method to spread some joy this holiday season. It adds a layer to the social interplay in the game in a fun and manner, making it a memorable way to play among Magic fans in their playgroups.