Doctor Who - Battles in Time
Encyclopedia
Doctor Who – Battles in Time is a trading card game
and fortnightly magazine from the partwork
publishers, GE Fabbri, who acquired the license to produce Battles in Time. The game and magazine were first released in mid-April 2006 in two 'test-regions' in the United Kingdom and was made available across the UK on 20 September 2006.
The magazine was released in Australia a few months later. However, only in South Australia was it made available in newsagents. In the rest of Australia it is available by subscription with the distributor only. The subscription and back issue services have now been removed from the official website. Battles in Time magazines are no longer available and the last issue was released on 13 May 2009.
and Grampian
television areas of the UK at a test market to see if Battles in Time would be popular. It released 7 pilot Magazines and the Exterminator card set.
The Exterminator set totals 275 cards and was issued on 20 September 2006. It covered the 2005 and 2006 series, plus the 2005 Christmas special The Christmas Invasion
.
The Annihilator set, comprises 100 cards, taken from the first two series and the 2006 Christmas special The Runaway Bride
. This set was released on 21 February 2007.
A Daleks vs Cybermen special was released 16 May 2007. This special came with a set of 18 cards, including 16 common cards and one of four variants of both a Dalek and Cyberman rare.
The Invader set, released on 5 September 2007 consists of 225 cards from the 2007 series.
The Ultimate Monsters set was released on 5 March 2008. This 225 card set is primarily sourced from the "Classic Series" of Doctor Who that ran from 1963 to 1989. Other cards came from the 2007 Christmas special Voyage of the Damned
as well as the first three series of the revamped show.
The most recent release is the Devastator set which is based on the 2007 Christmas Special and the 2008 series of Doctor Who. The Devastator set was released on 3 September 2008. A special issue with four free packs and a series 4 guide was released on 17 September 2008 priced £4.99.
Additional cards released include an unnumbered card, 'Super Rose', which may be found in every 1,000 packs of each of the five main series, the 'psychic paper' card, which only came with the first issue of the magazine series, and a lenticular card, 'Dalek Blaster' unnumbered and distributed with the special issue launching the Invader series.
A special edition pack of cards on The Sarah Jane Adventures came with Issue 62 as a one-off set.
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
and fortnightly magazine from the partwork
Partwork
A partwork is a written publication released as a series of planned magazine-like issues over a period of time. Issues are typically released on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis, and often a completed set is designed to form a reference work on a particular topic.-Publication:Partwork series...
publishers, GE Fabbri, who acquired the license to produce Battles in Time. The game and magazine were first released in mid-April 2006 in two 'test-regions' in the United Kingdom and was made available across the UK on 20 September 2006.
The magazine was released in Australia a few months later. However, only in South Australia was it made available in newsagents. In the rest of Australia it is available by subscription with the distributor only. The subscription and back issue services have now been removed from the official website. Battles in Time magazines are no longer available and the last issue was released on 13 May 2009.
The Test Run
The test series was run in the WestcountryWestcountry Television
Westcountry Television, is the ITV franchise holder in the South West of England, replacing its predecessor, TSW , from the 1 January 1993...
and Grampian
Grampian Television
Grampian Television is the ITV franchisee for the North and North East of Scotland. Its coverage area includes the Scottish Highlands , Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and parts of north Fife...
television areas of the UK at a test market to see if Battles in Time would be popular. It released 7 pilot Magazines and the Exterminator card set.
The magazine
Each issue of the magazine includes :- Rules for a different game each issue (not in issues 61 onwards)
- Deck Doctor (although no Deck Doctor in issue 1)
- Deck Doctor puzzles based on the cards (since issue 61)
- Comparison between cards; e.g. RoseRose TylerRose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
vs CassandraLady CassandraLady Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17 is a fictional character from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The character was voiced by Zoë Wanamaker, and was largely computer-generated, although a physical prop was also used on set....
, DoctorDoctor (Doctor Who)The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
vs Dalek Emperor, Captain JackJack HarknessCaptain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...
vs Empty ChildThe Empty Child"The Empty Child" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 21 May 2005. It is the first of a two-part story. The concluding episode, "The Doctor Dances", was broadcast on 28 May...
. - A guide on each episode with scenarios based on the episode that can be played with the cards.
- Fold-out guides to a different monster each issue, with notes on cards that feature that monster.
- Behind-the-scenes guide to certain monsters or shots.
- Comic strip story drawn by John Ross [issues 1 to 6] and Lee Sullivan. Colours by Alan Craddock
- Artwork depicting the "Dalek Wars"
- Doctor Who themed puzzles.
- "Which hero/monster are you?" quizzes.
Comic stories
Each issue has a three page comic story. Occasionally these are [stand-alone] stories but usually they fit into story arcs over many issues.Special editions
Four special issues have been released (Daleks V.S Cybermen, Invader, Ultimate Monsters and Devastator). These contain several packs of cards of the current set.The Card Sets
Six card sets have been issued as at 1 January 2009.The Exterminator set totals 275 cards and was issued on 20 September 2006. It covered the 2005 and 2006 series, plus the 2005 Christmas special The Christmas Invasion
The Christmas Invasion
"The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is Christmas, but there is little cause for celebration as planet Earth is invaded by aliens known as the Sycorax...
.
The Annihilator set, comprises 100 cards, taken from the first two series and the 2006 Christmas special The Runaway Bride
The Runaway Bride (Doctor Who)
"The Runaway Bride" is a special episode of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor...
. This set was released on 21 February 2007.
A Daleks vs Cybermen special was released 16 May 2007. This special came with a set of 18 cards, including 16 common cards and one of four variants of both a Dalek and Cyberman rare.
The Invader set, released on 5 September 2007 consists of 225 cards from the 2007 series.
The Ultimate Monsters set was released on 5 March 2008. This 225 card set is primarily sourced from the "Classic Series" of Doctor Who that ran from 1963 to 1989. Other cards came from the 2007 Christmas special Voyage of the Damned
Voyage of the Damned (Doctor Who)
"Voyage of the Damned" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. First broadcast on 25 December 2007, it is 72 minutes long and the third Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005...
as well as the first three series of the revamped show.
The most recent release is the Devastator set which is based on the 2007 Christmas Special and the 2008 series of Doctor Who. The Devastator set was released on 3 September 2008. A special issue with four free packs and a series 4 guide was released on 17 September 2008 priced £4.99.
Additional cards released include an unnumbered card, 'Super Rose', which may be found in every 1,000 packs of each of the five main series, the 'psychic paper' card, which only came with the first issue of the magazine series, and a lenticular card, 'Dalek Blaster' unnumbered and distributed with the special issue launching the Invader series.
A special edition pack of cards on The Sarah Jane Adventures came with Issue 62 as a one-off set.