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Already regarded as MTG's friendliest way to play, Commander has received a festive makeover perfect for the end of the year. During a holiday-themed video, personalities from a popular channel demonstrated a four-player game titled "Holiday Countdown."

How the Festive Variant Works

The basic idea involves a straightforward mechanic superimposed on a normal Commander match. A rotating token circulates around the table. Upon reaching the active player's upkeep, the action briefly pauses. All gamers secretly chooses if they will be being Nice or Naughty via indicator cards.

Everyone reveal their card together. They then carry out the consequence linked to their selection, first with the person who has the token. This marker then gets passed clockwise. A special tracker advances a single increment, and standard gameplay resumes.

These decisions do escalate over time go on, designed to be carefully crafted.

Growing Outcomes

The initial phases granted minor, collective advantages for the Nice path, such as life gain or Clue tokens. In contrast, Naughty paths typically offered personal advantages, usually at the expense of an opponent. As an example let those who picked Naughty get a 4/4 flying creature. Anyone who selected Nice made a 1/1 Toy creature token for each player.

The Climactic Arrival

When the final round, Santa Claus himself made an appearance, turning the experience. Based on the tally of a participant selected Nice versus Naughty, Santa distributed mystery presents. They appeared to be deck boxes, but held Magic booster packs of varying value.

• The nicest player was awarded a top-tier Collector Booster.
• The second-nicest player got a slightly less valuable premium pack.
• One player got a less powerful booster pack.
• The most mischievous player got the worst prize: a famously bad set that's essentially a gag.

Every card opened could then be playable for the remainder of the match, played from outside the game using mana treating it as any color. The kinder players, their boon became a major advantage. However, those who chose Naughty basically received a punitive gift.

Recreating the Variant at Home

While the video featured considerable polish and preparation, it's one that anybody can adapt at home. Participants uses their usual Commander deck, and the only extra items required would be four different booster packs of varying value.

One potential issue lies in the fact that if players are aware beforehand what being nice gets you, then everyone might aim for the most valuable gift. You could mix it up with alternatives, such as doing a mini-draft from a shared pool or enabling gamers to include specific cards from their binders.

Based on the successful demonstration, this holiday variant is definitely a festive format to spread some joy during festive gatherings. It adds a layer to the dynamics between players in a uniquely festive manner, making it a special experience for MTG enthusiasts this season.