Doctor Who: Battles in Time (trading cards)

DWBIT logo

Doctor Who: Battles in Time were collectable trading cards issued with the similarly-named magazine. They were also available for separate purchase from newsagents and some specialist shops.

Over the course of three years, from 2006 to 2008, 1,075 individual numbered cards were produced, plus three special cards, comprising five main sets - Exterminator, Annihilator, Invader, Ultimate Monsters & Devastator. In addition a further 34 cards were produced comprising two extra sets - Daleks vs Cybermen & Adventurer exclusive to specific issues of the magazine.

Overview

Each standard pack cost £1.50 and contained 9 cards, 8 Common and 1 Rare. Super-Rare and Ultra-Rare cards were included as an extra tenth card in a pack.

Mixed set packs, which were only available free with the magazine, contained 12 cards, 6 from each set - 5 Common and 1 Rare.

Features

The cards shared a number of common features.

Feature	Explanation
Title	Each card was named.
Card number	Each card had a unique identification number in the top left-hand corner.
Power icons	Each card had three power icons, these were Gallifreyan symbols coloured a combination of red, green or silver.
Card description	Each card had a sentence describing the character or object featured on the card.
Rarity symbol	Each card had a symbol denoting its rarity in the bottom left-hand corner. (C) for Common, (R) for Rare, (SR) for Super-Rare, and (UR) for Ultra-Rare. (This was introduced when the cards went nationwide, cards in the initial trial run did not have this feature.)
Set number	Each card had its number within each set in the bottom right-hand corner.
Skill categories	Character cards listed the following skills: Intelligence, Agility, Stamina, Special Abilities, and Fear Factor.
Double ratings	Character cards had two ratings for each skill category, one in a green circle and one in a red circle.
Deck icon	The cards were split into two types - Character cards & Bonus cards. Character cards were categorised into the following decks, with an icon in the top right-hand corner: Alien, Cyberman, Dalek, Hero, Human, Monster, and Robot.

However two sets had set specific features.

Feature	Explanation
Power bar	Cards from the Daleks vs Cybermen set have this feature to be used with the board game included with DWBIT Daleks vs Cybermen Special.
Which Doctor?	Cards from the Ultimate Monsters set indicated which Doctor's era each card came from.

Sets

Doctor Who: Battles in Time trading card sets
Set	Release date	No. of cards	C	R	SR	UR	GT
Exterminator (trial run)	spring 2006	85	60	14	7	4	1
Exterminator	20 September 2006	275	231	28	10	6	1
Annihilator	23 February 2007	100	75	15	6	4	1
Daleks vs Cybermen	16 May 2007	18 (24)	16	2	n/a	n/a	n/a
Invader	5 September 2007	225	184	25	10	6	1
Ultimate Monsters	5 March 2008	225	185	25	10	5	1
Devastator	17 September 2008	250	209	25	10	6	1
Adventurer	21 January 2009	10 (11)	10	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

In April 2008 a spin-off series of trading cards based on Torchwood was launched - Torchwood Trading Card Collection.

Special cards

• Psychic Paper - Special card to read hidden messages in some bonus cards. Available only in the first issue of the magazine.
• Super Rose - There was only one in every 1,000 packets of all five main sets.
• Dalek Blaster - This was a special lenticular card of a Dalek being 'blasted', and came free with the Invader Special magazine.

External links

• Doctor Who: Battles in Time official website, with magazine and trading card details
• Doctor Who: Battles in Time at the Top Trumps Wiki