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Already known as Magic: The Gathering's friendliest way to play, the Elder Dragon Highlander format is getting a holiday twist perfect for the festive season. As part of a recent show, personalities Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong played a multiplayer game dubbed "Countdown to XT-Mas."

How the Holiday Format Works

At its core involves a straightforward mechanic added on top of a standard Commander game. One special indicator travels around the table. Upon reaching the active player's turn, the game briefly pauses. All gamers makes a hidden choice if they will be being Naughty or Nice with the help of indicator cards.

The participants flip their choice at the same time. After that, they resolve the consequence linked to their selection, starting with the player who has the marker. The token then gets passed to the next player. The countdown ticks up a single increment, and normal Commander continues.

These decisions become more significant with each passing round progress, seeming finely tuned.

Increasing Effects

The initial phases offered minor, collective advantages for the Nice path, including life gain or investigation clues. Conversely, The Naughty paths typically offered more targeted benefits, often at the expense of another player. For instance allowed players who picked Naughty get a 4/4 flying Reindeer token. Those who picked Nice generated a small artifact creature token for each player.

The Climactic Finale

On the last phase, Saint Nick himself made an appearance, turning the game. Based on the frequency with which a participant chose Naughty versus Nice, Santa gave out mystery presents. They appeared to be small containers, but inside were Magic booster packs worth different amounts.

• The nicest player received a premium Collector Booster.
• Another friendly player received a different Collector Booster.
• Another participant got a mid-range booster pack.
• The least nice player drew the short straw: a notoriously weak booster pack that's essentially a gag.

Each card unwrapped instantly were playable for the rest of the game, played from outside the game using mana considered to be any color. The kinder players, their boon wound up being a major power spike. However, mischievous participants basically received a disadvantage.

Recreating the Format with Friends

While the video had considerable custom components, it's one that any group can adapt in their own playgroup. Everybody would bring their standard EDH deck, and all you'd need are several booster packs with different worth.

The main challenge is that if players know the rewards in advance the prize for being Nice, then everyone strategize for the top prize. Groups can mix it up by using other methods, such as selecting cards from a shared pool or allowing participants to include cards from their collection not in their deck.

From the successful demonstration, Countdown to XT-Mas stands as a joyous method to create laughter during festive gatherings. It changes the social interplay in the game in a uniquely festive manner, creating a unique experience for Magic enthusiasts this season.