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Widely considered Magic: The Gathering's most social format, the Elder Dragon Highlander format has received a seasonal update perfect for the end of the year. In a recent video, personalities from a popular channel showcased a four-player game titled "Holiday Countdown."

How the Festive Format Works

At its core is a straightforward mechanic added on top of a standard Commander game. One special marker circulates between players. Upon reaching the active player's upkeep, the game temporarily stops. Each participant secretly chooses if they will be being Naughty or Nice via choice cards.

All players turn over their choice simultaneously. After that, they apply the effect tied to their selection, first with the player holding the token. The token is subsequently handed to the right. A special tracker moves forward by one step, and normal Commander continues.

These decisions do escalate with each passing round progress, designed to be carefully crafted.

Growing Choices

Early rounds granted minor, collective advantages for being Nice, including life gain or investigation clues. In contrast, The Naughty paths typically offered personal upsides, frequently targeting an opponent. For instance allowed those who picked Naughty create a powerful airborne creature. Anyone who picked Nice created a 1/1 Toy creature token for everyone.

The Climactic Showdown

When the last phase, Saint Nick himself made an appearance, transforming the match. Based on how often a participant selected Naughty versus Nice, Santa gave out sealed “gifts”. Outwardly, these were deck boxes, but held Magic booster packs of varying value.

• The nicest player got a premium special pack.
• Another friendly player received a slightly less valuable premium pack.
• Another participant ended up with a less powerful booster pack.
• The very naughty player got the worst prize: a famously bad booster pack which is basically a gag.

All cards unwrapped instantly were playable for the remainder of the match, cast from exile by spending mana treating it as all colors. Players who were nice participants, their boon became a huge advantage. Meanwhile, the naughty players basically received a punitive gift.

Playing the Game with Friends

Although the demonstration match included significant polish and preparation, it's one that anybody can easily try in their own playgroup. Everybody would bring their regular EDH deck, and all you'd need would be four different MTG packs with different worth.

The main challenge is that if everyone know the rewards in advance the best pack's identity, then everyone strategize for the most valuable gift. Groups can mix it up by using other methods, for example selecting cards from a communal pile or allowing participants to include specific cards from outside the game.

Based on the entertaining match, this holiday variant stands as a fun method to spread some joy this holiday season. It adds a layer to the dynamics at the table in a fun and manner, resulting in a unique experience for MTG players this season.