Hello folks! Happy New Year!!!

I hope you are doing well.

Today I want to take on a new challenge for 2019, this time one where I create a brand-new Casual format or variant. My goal is to create a casual format that is built around New Year's Eve.

I have no idea what format I'll make, or where I'll go. But I do know that it seems like a pretty cool idea to me.

So let's discuss New Year's Eve and see what sparks my creative juices.

Each New Year's Eve contains a number of conventions, with different societies having different traditions.

For me in America, New Year's Eve includes a lot of alcohol, kissing at midnight when a big ball drops, singing the same song "Auld Lang Syne," every year, and New Year's Eve Resolutions.

Hmmm...

Got it!

A resolution seems like it's got some space that I could play into. It feels game-y. That feels Magic¬-possible

Here's the definition of the word according to Dictionary.com.

So how about this?

Resolution as per Section 18f for Veto

In this multiplayer variant, an odd number of players must play the game. On determining any action other than waived actions below listed under Subsection B, a person must apply to the committee of a whole in which the person is a member. If the group votes to Veto the given action, then the action does not happen, and costs are still paid as per Subsection A below.

However, the people who voted against said action will each lose 10% of their starting life total. This payment only occurs if the given action was stopped via a vote.

Subsection A:

After a vote passes and an action is halted, these things occur:

1. The spell or effect is cancelled.
2. All costs to pay for it are still paid, such as mana or life payments.
3. If cast from your hand, the spell returns to your hand and can be recast later.
4. The spell or effect cannot be used again until your next turn.

As a result, voting against something will typically just delay it, although delaying some key things, such a Fog or Giant Growths, may be hurt by being delayed a turn. They can be recast after a turn passes.

Subsection B:

The following effects and spells cannot be halted via a Resolution Submission for Veto. They are waived from this program.

1. Taking your turn in the normal order, with the normal effects, such as draw step main phase.

• Examples include but are not limited to, untapping your permanents in your untap step or attacking during your attack step.

2. Drawing cards
3. Playing a land
4. Playing any effect that reads "this cannot be countered"
5. Triggered abilities
6. The casting of one's Commander

Subsection C:

These things can be submitted to a Resolution Submission for Veto.

1. Activated abilities that aren't mana abilities
2. Casting a creature, artifact, enchantment, Instant, Sorcery, or planeswalker.

Please note that although the casting of your Commander is not subject to the Rules of Resolution Submission, that it's activated abilities are. You can stop a planeswalker Commander or a leader like Sliver Queen from activating as per the rules outlined above.

And there you are! Have fun and enjoy playing politics with your foes.

This format was inspired by the Azorius Addendum ability

It feels like it plays into the same rules-ish space!

Hmmm...

I think I can do another one for you.

Pyrotechnical Romance

How about something themed around Fireworks? They are usually a key part of New Year's Eve. Now where would I look for inspiration for that? There is a card named Pyrotechnics, and Red and colorless have a few in flavor options. FIREworks certainly seems like it plays into Red, right?

Got it!

For this format, based around Fireworks, you can only run decks that meet the following two restrictions:

1. You may only use Red, artifacts, and colorless cards
2. You must run either Pyrotechnics or Rocket Launcher in your deck.

You are encouraged to run cards that help to demonstrate the fireworks loving fun times. How about cards like Bombard, Bomber Core, or Pyrite Spellbomb. Angelic Rocket? Shower of Sparks? Panic? I'm sure you can unearth loads more!

Well that was faster than the first one. How about one more? And then we can call it?

Hmmmm...

I'm racking my brain. I can't come up with it. Hmmmmm...

Nothing works. I already have fireworks and resolutions. Auld Lang Syne? Kissing? There are cards out there like Kiss of Death but that doesn't really resonate with me. Balls falling from the sky? Countdowns?

The Countdown Is at One! Got it!

The Countdown is at One!

In this variant, you play "The Countdown Is at One" prior to playing the game, and then you shuffle up the cards, and then play the main game with the losers taking double damage.

That worked. But it was too fast.

All right. Got it! One more. The countdown will rise to four.

I am out of American ideas, but I can think of another culture...

How about something a little different?

Mistletoe Magic

This format is inspired by Mistletoe. I learned in my French class in High School that French society uses the Mistletoe tradition on New Year's Eve.

This is a cheap gimmick used by (arguably) desperate people (or those with no boundaries) to get in "smooches" that can be done under the Mistletoe without their permission. It's part of a litany of kissing conventions around the world. It even works in the "kissing part" of New Year's I suppose, but from a very different place.

For the purposes of this format, this is what Mistletoe looks like:

This image of Mistletoe inspires my format. You'll need to keep it in mind as I describe the format. Ready?

Great!

The Rules of Mistletoe Magic:

1. You may only use Green (for the leaves), White (for the berries) and colorless cards
2. You may, if you desire, use precisely one off color card with the word "Ribbon" in its title.
3. You may only use creatures that have one of the following creature types:

• Plants
• Treefolk
• Elementals that are of a Plant-ish nature (like Woodvine Elemental or Ivy Elemental)
• Defenders that are of a Plant-ish nature (such as Carven Caryatid, Infested Roothold, or Wall of Mulch)

And there we are! Again I think that's a fun format with two colors and a plant like styling that works quite well. I would recommend that if you have any other plant-like dorks outside of Elementals or Defenders that you can unearth in your colors that it also be allowed.

I don't know if you noticed, but Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on Trees. Thus, Trees and Plants are both eligible for the deck!

There are only a few Ribbons available for you to use. For your perusal, here they all are!

• Ribbon Snake
• Cut // Ribbons
• Ribbons of Night
• Ribbons of the Reikai

And that's it, a mighty four cards! You can put one of these in your deck, but no other cards. If you combine this with Commander, then your Commander must have Green, White, or both as its color identities and you are allowed to add in one of these for this specific variant. Just like the ribbon on the Mistletoe is another color, Red, so too is the format's!

I thought about Fungus, but that didn't feel like this format. Mistletoe isn't a Fungus at all. According to Wikipedia, the Ancient Greeks called Mistletoe, "Oak Sperm". So there you have it.

I'd recommend on theme (non-creature) support such as Explosive Vegetation, Cultivate, and Crushing Vines.

Or these! However, those aren't required by the Mistletoe format, but they are on flavor!

Note that Mistletoe is often a symbol of peace. You could add in things like Holy Day or Peace Talks in order to demonstrate that. You could also dip into this theme for removal such as Pacifism or Path of Peace. Mistletoe is also poisonous, so you could add in cards that give deathtouch might hit some flavor notes as well. Maybe Vial of Poison or Venom?

And there we have it. Mistletoe Magic seems like a lot of fun! It's easy to figure out and play with!

Above are four formats or variants for your perusal, all based around the core concept of New Year's Eve. Are you planning on trying them out? Have any comments or questions? Did I forget some rules or anything? Just let me know and thanks for your time!!!

P.S. - If this article reminds you of one when Anthony Alongi did something similar with a dictionary and flipped to random cards and then created variants around it, then you are correct! That was intentional. I hope you enjoyed that connection! You can check it out here - https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/serious-fun/dictionary-formats-2004-03-16