’Tis the season for silver borders. Not many Commander players know this, but all holiday promo cards are legal between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Trust me. I’m a Level 20 flavor judge.

Only a Grinch or a Scrooge would object to silver-bordered cards, at least in moderation. I recommend playing no more than one sterling border in you ninety-nine. And few people would be lucky enough to have two of the holiday promos. Wizards of the Coast sends them as gifts to store owners, and the cards are rare, pricey, and worth every penny.

In this article, I’ll be making a list of the holiday promos and checking it twice, leading with the most merry. Play ’em if you got ’em.

Fruitcake Elemental was the first holiday promo released by Wizards, and it’s the best. What could be better than burying your opponents in a sticky tide of indestructible fruitcake? I am playing it in my Xenagod deck, with which I am happy to pay 7 life for a 14/14 indestructible beater.

The Elemental is even better than that. At end of turn, I can re-gift the cake to my ally, who I hope will attack the same blue mage. The ally can then pass it back, and none of us will take any damage—except for the blue mage. He’ll be crushed by holiday cheer.

What if my Fruitcake Elemental falls into the wrong hands? Why, that’s just part of the joy of playing these cards. The unexpected delight of a silver border can send the whole table laughing.

Is a Consecrated Sphinx taking over the game? Or you may need to remove Purphoros, God of the Forge before the Prossh, Skyraider of Kher player kills everyone next turn. Naughty // Nice will give you or an ally the answer to continue the game. The card is almost as good as Demonic Tutor, but then, what is Santa Claus if not a time-warping demon in red satin? Also, pie is always a better gift than fruitcake.

There are reasons Gifts Ungiven is banned in Commander. Searching for four singleton cards out of ninety-nine takes too long. However, your opponents will be grinning if you cast Gifts Given. You can ask the table who has an answer to that pesky Prophet of Kruphix. Then, an ally will be happy to give you the correct pile. You could even get in the holiday spirit by enabling an ally’s graveyard strategies since the cards go in their owner’s graveyard.

These first three cards all require collaboration for the best effect. Holiday cheer brings us together, but festivities can also be a time of strife, especially when someone gives the wrong gift.

I suggest placing the gift card hidden under Evil Presents. Slide both over the table, and make the other player unwrap the gift. Won’t he or she be delighted when it’s Phage the Untouchable and that player instantly loses the game? You really shouldn’t have. Any Eldrazi would be a great gift as well—even better if the creature has a penalty, such as Abyssal Persecutor.

What an adorable gift! It’s not as pricy as the original Mishra's Workshop, but it’s infinitely fuzzier. Rhys and his team of Santa’s little helpers belong in the toy factory, but any deck with a token-producing commander can benefit from this year’s promo. We’ve always known deep down that Marath, Will of the Wild creates huggable bears. The stuffed creatures that Stitcher Geralf makes might be missing a button eye—or have a crab-claw limb. Feldon of the Third Path becomes less tragic when working in the toyshop. Use plush bacteria to represent the Saprolings from Ghave, Guru of Spores.

Don’t forget to play this card with Urza's Factory. That way, the brothers can join their plane-shaking artificer expertise together to make toys.

Snow Mercy is the most festive option for pillow-fort decks. In Commander, I hate it when the control player running Oloro, Ageless Ascetic tutors up something. I just know it’ll be Moat or Humility. But what if the card turns out to be Snow Mercy? That’s kiss-worthy, mistletoe or no. Also, I’m a sucker for the untap symbol. I hope Wizards prints more of that fun mechanic.

And a shout-out to the original No Mercy: That’s Tolarian Academy in the background, under siege by Phyrexia. The pillow-fort effect discourages people from attacking you, and cards like Seal of Doom and Brittle Effigy tend to be more powerful in a multiplayer format than Doom Blade. But even if a card is less powerful than Snow Mercy, the laughs it brings can more than justify its inclusion.

A mono-red Krenko, Mob Boss deck would be a great home for Season’s Beatings. But be careful. What if someone casts Fork on your Season’s Beatings? Then Krenko and all seventy-eight of his in-laws would get in a massive brawl, throwing the stuffed turkey, stomping on presents, tipping the Christmas tree, and eating the Hanukkah candles. None of the Goblin family would speak of that night for years.

Less terrifying than fruitcake, the Yule Ooze will still liven up your holiday gathering. The Ooze’s jiggling green maw can engulf even a creature with hexproof, so watch out, Uril, the Miststalker. Of course, you’ll want to double the effect with Strionic Resonator. Don’t forget to have some gingerbread on hand for regenerative eating.

Flavor Judge Ruling: You must chew and swallow the food, not just lick it as you would a candy cane.

Do you hear the soft rustling of poorly-knitted fabric? It’s not another sweater from Aunt Bertha. It’s a cuddly tiger ready to bring you a gift. Stocking Tiger is best in a deck that cares about amassing a glut of cards in the hand, for instance Kruphix, God of Horizons. Potential payoffs would be Ivory Tower, Psychosis Crawler, and Masumaro, First to Live.

But even without synergies, imagine the joy of unwrapping a booster pack in front of your opponents and adding all the cards to your hand. I wouldn’t suggest splurging on an Unlimited booster, as those early packs could be tampered with easily. But look at that wonderful tagline, “Visit the Shores of Imagination.”

What kind of pack would you stash in your Stocking Tiger? Let me know in the comments.