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Already known as MTG's most social way to play, the Elder Dragon Highlander format just got a seasonal update just in time for the festive season. As part of a special show, personalities Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong played a multiplayer game titled "Holiday Countdown."

How the Festive Format Works

The basic idea is a straightforward mechanic superimposed on a normal Commander match. A designated marker circulates to each player. Once it arrives at the active player's turn, the game temporarily stops. Every player privately decides whether they're being Nice or Naughty by using indicator cards.

Everyone flip their card simultaneously. They then apply the bonus tied to their decision, first with the player holding the marker. It is then passed clockwise. The countdown moves forward one notch, and regular Commander continues.

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

Escalating Choices

Early rounds granted small, table-wide benefits for choosing Nice, including life gain or Clue tokens. In contrast, Naughty paths often gave more specific advantages, often to the detriment of someone else. As an example allowed players choosing Naughty get a powerful airborne creature. Players that picked Nice generated a small artifact creature token for each player.

Santa's Big Finale

When the eighth round, Santa Claus personally arrived, changing the match. According to the tally of each player selected Nice versus Naughty, Santa distributed sealed “gifts”. Outwardly, these were deck boxes, but inside were Magic booster packs worth different amounts.

• The kindest player was awarded a premium Collector Booster.
• The next kindest player received a slightly less valuable Collector Booster.
• Another participant ended up with a less powerful booster pack.
• The most mischievous player got the worst prize: a notoriously weak set which is basically a gag.

Every card from these packs could then be playable for the remainder of the match, used as a bonus with mana as though it were colorless. Players who were nice participants, their present became a major boost. Whereas, the naughty players basically received a disadvantage.

Recreating the Variant with Friends

While the demonstration match included a lot of polish and preparation, this is a concept that any group could easily replicate in their own playgroup. Everybody plays with their usual Commander deck, and the only extra items required would be several booster packs of varying value.

One potential issue could be that if players know ahead of time the prize for being Nice, they all might aim for the best booster pack. You could change this in different ways, like doing a mini-draft together or allowing participants to use cards from their collection not in their deck.

Judging by the successful demonstration, Countdown to XT-Mas stands as a fun format to add holiday cheer during festive gatherings. It changes the social interplay in the game in a joyous way, resulting in a special way to play for Magic enthusiasts this season.