🔗 Share this article A Popular Gaming Channel Unveils a Holiday-Themed Commander Variant You Can Play at Home. Already known as Magic: The Gathering's most interactive way to play, the Elder Dragon Highlander format is getting a seasonal update perfect for the holidays. As part of a recent video, creators from a popular channel showcased a four-player match called "Holiday Countdown." The Mechanics of the Holiday Format Works The basic idea is a simple mechanic superimposed on a standard EDH match. A designated marker circulates to each player. When it the current player's turn, the action briefly pauses. Each participant secretly chooses if they will be being Nice or Naughty with the help of indicator cards. Everyone flip their card together. After that, they resolve the consequence linked to their decision, first with the player holding the marker. This marker is then passed to the right. A special tracker ticks up a single increment, and standard Commander continues. The choices become more significant as the rounds go on, feeling carefully crafted. Growing Effects Early rounds offered small, table-wide boons for being Nice, such as gaining life or investigation clues. In contrast, Naughty options usually provided more targeted upsides, frequently targeting an opponent. For instance let players who picked Naughty create a powerful airborne Reindeer token. Those who selected Nice created a small artifact token creature for all participants. The Grand Finale During the eighth round, Father Christmas himself showed up, transforming the match. According to the frequency with which each player selected Naughty versus Nice, Santa handed out mystery presents. These looked like deck boxes, but contained Magic booster packs of varying value. The kindest player received a top-tier Collector Booster. The second-nicest player opened a different premium pack. Another participant received a older set. The very naughty player essentially received coal: a historically poor set acting as a gag. Every card unwrapped could then be used for the duration, used as a bonus by spending mana as though it were all colors. Players who were nice participants, their present wound up being a significant power spike. Whereas, the naughty players essentially got a disadvantage. Recreating the Variant Yourself Although the original showcase featured significant production value, it's one that anybody can easily try with friends. Each player uses their regular Commander deck, and the additional materials needed are a selection of MTG packs with different worth. One potential issue could be that if everyone are aware beforehand what being nice gets you, they all try to get the best booster pack. One might mix it up with alternatives, like doing a mini-draft from a communal pile or allowing participants to use cards they own not in their deck. From how the format played out, Countdown to XT-Mas proves to be a fun method to spread some joy when playing with friends. It changes the social interplay at the table in a uniquely festive manner, making it a unique way to play among Magic players this season.