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Already known as MTG's friendliest format, the Elder Dragon Highlander format just got a holiday makeover just in time for the festive season. During a holiday-themed show, hosts Josh Lee Kwai and Jimmy Wong showcased a four-player match titled "Holiday Countdown."

How the Festive Variant Function

Fundamentally is a straightforward mechanic added on top of a standard EDH game. A designated indicator travels to each player. Once it arrives at the current player's upkeep, the action temporarily stops. All gamers makes a hidden choice if they will be being Nice or Naughty via indicator cards.

Everyone turn over their card at the same time. After that, they apply the consequence associated with their own choice, beginning with the person who has the marker. This marker then gets passed to the right. The holiday round counter moves forward one notch, and normal gameplay resumes.

The choices become more significant as the rounds go on, seeming finely tuned.

Increasing Outcomes

The initial phases provided minor, collective advantages for the Nice path, including life gain or Clue tokens. On the other hand, Naughty choices usually provided more targeted benefits, often targeting an opponent. As an example let players who picked Naughty get a powerful airborne creature. Players that picked Nice created a 1/1 Toy creature token for all participants.

The Grand Arrival

During the eighth round, Santa Claus himself showed up, turning the match. According to the frequency with which each player selected Naughty versus Nice, Santa distributed wrapped prizes. These looked like small containers, but inside were MTG booster packs worth different amounts.

• The most benevolent player got a high-value special pack.
• The next kindest player got a different premium pack.
• Another participant ended up with a mid-range booster pack.
• The very naughty player drew the short straw: a famously bad set acting as a joke.

Every card from these packs immediately became used for the duration, played from outside the game using mana treating it as any color. For the nicer participants, their gift proved to be a major boost. However, mischievous participants basically received a disadvantage.

Trying the Variant Yourself

Although the original showcase had considerable custom components, it's one that any group can adapt with friends. Each player plays with their standard Commander deck, and all you'd need would be four different booster packs from different sets.

One potential challenge is that if everyone know ahead of time the prize for being Nice, players might might aim for the most valuable gift. You could add variety in different ways, like selecting cards from a shared pool or letting players pull specific cards from outside the game.

Based on the successful demonstration, Countdown to XT-Mas proves to be a fun way to create laughter during festive gatherings. It adds a layer to the dynamics between players in a fun and way, creating a memorable experience for MTG enthusiasts everywhere.