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Widely known as Magic: The Gathering's most social format, the Elder Dragon Highlander format just got a holiday twist perfect for the holidays. As part of a holiday-themed episode, creators Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong showcased a four-player match called "Holiday Countdown."

How the Holiday Variant Works

The basic idea is a straightforward layer superimposed on a standard EDH game. A rotating marker travels around the table. Once it arrives at the current player's upkeep, the game temporarily stops. Each participant privately decides if they will be being Naughty or Nice by using choice cards.

The participants reveal their choice simultaneously. After that, they apply the consequence tied to their selection, starting with the person holding the token. It is then passed to the right. The countdown advances one notch, and normal gameplay resumes.

The choices become more significant as the rounds go on, feeling carefully crafted.

Increasing Effects

The initial phases offered modest, shared boons for being Nice, like gaining life or Clue tokens. On the other hand, The Naughty paths usually provided personal advantages, often to the detriment of someone else. One round allowed players who picked Naughty receive a 4/4 flying Reindeer token. Anyone who picked Nice generated a small artifact creature token for each player.

The Climactic Finale

During the final round, Father Christmas personally arrived, changing the game. Depending on how often a participant was Naughty versus Nice, Santa distributed mystery presents. These looked like small containers, but inside were Magic booster packs of varying value.

• The nicest player received a high-value Collector Booster.
• The second-nicest player received a another type of Collector Booster.
• Another participant received a less powerful set.
• The very naughty player got the worst prize: a famously bad booster pack acting as a joke.

Every card opened could then be playable for the duration, played from outside the game by spending mana considered to be colorless. Players who were nice participants, their boon wound up being a significant advantage. Meanwhile, those who chose Naughty basically received a disadvantage.

Playing the Game at Home

While the demonstration match had significant production value, it's one that players can easily try with friends. Participants would bring their usual Commander deck, and all you'd need are four different booster packs from different sets.

A possible drawback is that if players are aware beforehand the prize for being Nice, then everyone strategize for the top prize. One might mix it up with alternatives, like doing a mini-draft from a communal pile or letting players pull cards from their collection from outside the game.

Judging by the entertaining match, Countdown to XT-Mas stands as a joyous method to add holiday cheer when playing with friends. It complicates the social interplay at the table in a joyous way, creating a unique way to play among MTG enthusiasts in their playgroups.