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Widely known as Magic: The Gathering's most interactive way to play, Commander is getting a festive update perfect for the holidays. During a recent show, personalities from a popular channel played a four-player game titled "Countdown to XT-Mas."

How the Holiday Variant Works

At its core is a simple layer superimposed on a standard Commander match. One special marker travels to each player. When it the current player's turn, the game briefly pauses. All gamers privately decides whether they're being Naughty or Nice by using indicator cards.

All players flip their card simultaneously. After that, they apply the consequence tied to their decision, starting with the player who has the token. It is then passed clockwise. The holiday round counter ticks up a single increment, and standard Commander continues.

The choices do escalate as the rounds progress, feeling carefully crafted.

Growing Effects

At the start provided modest, shared boons for choosing Nice, including gaining life or investigation clues. In contrast, Naughty options typically offered more specific upsides, usually to the detriment of someone else. One round allowed players who picked Naughty create a powerful airborne creature. Those who selected Nice generated a 1/1 Toy creature token for everyone.

The Grand Arrival

During the final round, Santa Claus himself showed up, turning the match. Based on the frequency with which each player chose Naughty versus Nice, Santa handed out wrapped prizes. These looked like deck boxes, but contained MTG booster packs worth different amounts.

• The nicest player received a top-tier special pack.
• Another friendly player opened a slightly less valuable premium pack.
• Another participant received a less powerful set.
• The very naughty player essentially received coal: a famously bad set that's essentially a punchline.

All cards unwrapped instantly were playable for the duration, played from outside the game by spending mana considered to be all colors. For the nicer players, their boon proved to be a huge power spike. Whereas, the naughty players essentially got a disadvantage.

Playing the Format with Friends

Although the original showcase had significant production value, this is a concept that players can adapt with friends. Participants uses their standard Commander deck, and all you'd need would be a selection of MTG packs with different worth.

The main issue is that if players know ahead of time the prize for being Nice, they all might aim for the top prize. One might mix it up with alternatives, like drafting cards from a communal pile or enabling gamers to use specific cards from outside the game.

Judging by how the format played out, Countdown to XT-Mas proves to be a joyous way to create laughter this holiday season. It changes the dynamics between players in a fun and way, resulting in a unique way to play among Magic enthusiasts everywhere.