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Already known as Magic: The Gathering's most interactive way to play, Commander has received a seasonal twist just in time for the holidays. As part of a special show, hosts Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong demonstrated a four-player match called "Countdown to XT-Mas."

How the Holiday Format Function

At its core involves a simple layer superimposed on a normal Commander game. A rotating indicator travels around the table. Upon reaching the active player's turn, the game temporarily stops. Every player privately decides whether they're being Nice or Naughty with the help of two cards.

The participants reveal their card at the same time. They then apply the effect tied to their own choice, beginning with the person holding the marker. It is then passed to the next player. The holiday round counter advances a single increment, and regular gameplay continues.

The choices intensify as the rounds progress, feeling well-balanced.

Growing Choices

Early rounds granted small, table-wide advantages for the Nice path, such as gaining life or Clue tokens. On the other hand, The Naughty choices typically offered personal advantages, frequently to the detriment of an opponent. For instance allowed players choosing Naughty create a 4/4 flying creature. Players that selected Nice made a small artifact creature token for each player.

Santa's Big Arrival

On the last phase, Father Christmas personally arrived, changing the match. Based on how often each player was Nice versus Naughty, Santa distributed wrapped prizes. They appeared to be deck boxes, but contained Magic booster packs of varying value.

• The most benevolent player got a high-value special pack.
• The next kindest player opened a different Collector Booster.
• Another participant received a less powerful booster pack.
• The least nice player drew the short straw: a famously bad set which is basically a punchline.

Every card unwrapped could then be playable for the rest of the game, cast from exile with mana as though it were any color. The kinder players, their gift wound up being a huge advantage. Whereas, those who chose Naughty basically received coal in their stocking.

Playing the Variant with Friends

While the video had a lot of polish and preparation, this is a concept that players could easily replicate with friends. Everybody plays with their usual Commander deck, and the additional materials needed are a selection of MTG packs with different worth.

The main issue could be that if everyone know the rewards in advance what being nice gets you, players might try to get the best booster pack. Groups can change this in different ways, such as doing a mini-draft together or enabling gamers to include cards from their collection not in their deck.

Judging by the entertaining match, this holiday variant proves to be a fun way to add holiday cheer this holiday season. It complicates the dynamics at the table in a fun and manner, creating a memorable way to play for Magic enthusiasts this season.