Doctor Who: Battles in Time (trading cards)
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[[edit] | [edit source]]
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[[edit] | [edit source]]
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[[edit] | [edit source]]
| 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[[edit] | [edit source]]
- 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.
