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Widely 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. During a special episode, hosts from a popular channel played a multiplayer game dubbed "Countdown to XT-Mas."

The Mechanics of the Festive Format Works

Fundamentally involves a straightforward layer superimposed on a standard Commander match. A rotating token circulates between players. When it the current player's upkeep, the game temporarily stops. Every player makes a hidden choice whether they're being Nice or Naughty by using indicator cards.

The participants turn over their card at the same time. They then apply the consequence linked to their own choice, starting with the person holding the marker. This marker then gets passed to the next player. A special tracker advances a single increment, and standard Commander continues.

These decisions intensify as the rounds continue, feeling well-balanced.

Increasing Choices

Early rounds provided modest, shared boons for choosing Nice, including gaining life or investigation clues. On the other hand, The Naughty choices often gave personal advantages, usually targeting an opponent. One round allowed those who picked Naughty create a 4/4 flying creature. Anyone who picked Nice made a 1/1 Toy creature token for everyone.

The Grand Showdown

During the eighth round, Saint Nick personally made an appearance, changing the experience. Based on the tally of each player chose Nice versus Naughty, Santa handed out mystery presents. These looked like small containers, but contained MTG booster packs with different rarities.

• The nicest player was awarded a top-tier special pack.
• The next kindest player got a different Collector Booster.
• A special guest received a older set.
• The very naughty player essentially received coal: a notoriously weak booster pack acting as a punchline.

Every card from these packs instantly were playable for the rest of the game, played from outside the game with mana considered to be colorless. Players who were nice participants, their gift proved to be a significant boost. However, those who chose Naughty were given a disadvantage.

Playing the Game at Home

Although the demonstration match included a lot of production value, the format is something players can easily try at home. Everybody plays with their regular Commander deck, and the additional materials needed are four different booster packs of varying value.

One potential challenge lies in the fact that if players are aware beforehand the best pack's identity, then everyone try to get the top prize. One might add variety with alternatives, like selecting cards from a communal pile or allowing participants to include cards they own not in their deck.

Judging by the entertaining match, this holiday variant is definitely a festive method to create laughter when playing with friends. It complicates the strategy at the table in a fun and manner, resulting in a memorable experience for Magic players this season.