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Already regarded as Magic: The Gathering's friendliest format, Commander is getting a festive update perfect for the holidays. As part of a special episode, personalities Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong played a multiplayer game dubbed "Holiday Countdown."

How the Festive Variant Function

At its core is a straightforward layer superimposed on a regular Commander match. A designated indicator circulates around the table. Once it arrives at the active player's upkeep, the action temporarily stops. Each participant secretly chooses if they will be being Naughty or Nice by using choice cards.

All players flip their choice at the same time. After that, they resolve the effect linked to their selection, beginning with the person holding the marker. It is then passed to the next player. The countdown ticks up by one step, and normal Commander carries on.

The Naughty/Nice options do escalate as the rounds progress, seeming carefully crafted.

Escalating Choices

At the start provided small, table-wide benefits for choosing Nice, such as gaining life or Clue tokens. On the other hand, The Naughty options typically offered more specific advantages, usually at the expense of an opponent. One round allowed players choosing Naughty receive a powerful airborne Reindeer token. Those who picked Nice generated a 1/1 Toy token creature for everyone.

The Grand Arrival

When the final round, Father Christmas personally showed up, changing the game. According to the frequency with which each player was Nice versus Naughty, Santa distributed wrapped prizes. Outwardly, these were deck boxes, but held MTG booster packs with different rarities.

• The nicest player got a top-tier Collector Booster.
• The next kindest player got a another type of Collector Booster.
• Another participant received a less powerful set.
• The very naughty player drew the short straw: a famously bad set that's essentially a punchline.

All cards opened immediately became used for the rest of the game, played from outside the game with mana considered to be all colors. Players who were nice players, their present proved to be a huge power spike. Whereas, the naughty players essentially got coal in their stocking.

Playing the Game with Friends

While the video included a lot of production value, the format is something players can easily try with friends. Everybody would bring their standard Commander deck, and all you'd need are several MTG packs from different sets.

A possible drawback lies in the fact that if everyone know the rewards in advance the prize for being Nice, they all might aim for the best booster pack. You could add variety in different ways, like selecting cards together or letting players include cards from their collection from outside the game.

Judging by the successful demonstration, this holiday variant is definitely a joyous way to spread some joy when playing with friends. It complicates the dynamics between players in a joyous way, making it a unique experience among MTG players everywhere.