The next step in Magic’s wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey Universes Beyond release series – which has previously covered popular franchises like Warhammer 40k, Lord of the Rings, Fortnite, Street Fighter, and more – are the Doctor Who Commander Decks and Collector Boosters, releasing October 13th, 2023.
Unlike the Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40k release, the addition of Collector Boosters will allow players to purchase the ever-popular premium booster product instead of (or in addition to) the Preconstructed Commander Decks to hunt down Extended Art and Foil versions of all of the multitude of new cards (and smattering of Whovian-themed alternate art reprints) that are found in the Commander decklists.
Players looking to simply get all their favorite Doctor Who characters and moments without randomized boosters can purchase the Commander Decks to get them all guaranteed, while those who are hunting for chase versions, including TARDIS-themed showcase frames and alternate art, may want to hunt the Collector Boosters instead.
Get the Doctor Who Commander Deck Set on TCGplayer
Get a Doctor Who Collector Booster Box on TCGplayer
At San Diego Comic Con 2023, we got our first glimpse at some of the actual cards and effects, including new Plane and Phenomena cards for Planechase fans, and examples of the TARDIS-themed showcase frames from the Collector Boosters.
Highlights include the Dalek-typal card Exterminate, the new Time Lord creature type, which is confirmed to be the first two-word creature type in the game, and the new mechanic Time Travel, which works as follows:
New Keyword – Time Travel
“For each suspended card you own and each permanent you control with a time counter on it, you may add or remove a time counter.”
Time Travel acts as a variant of proliferate that only works with Time Counters – but allows you to remove them instead, works with cards in any public zone, and only affects cards you own or control. This new mechanic makes it clear that mechanics like Suspend and potentially Vanishing, or new mechanics that use Time Counters, will be a centerpiece of the Doctor Who release. Proliferate is a well loved mechanic by many players, so with enough fun new options added, Time Travel is sure to appeal not just to Whovians but many more players who enjoy toying with counters during gameplay.
See the gallery of cards revealed so far below!
There will be more to come from Doctor Who and Universes Beyond in general, so stay tuned to Maindeck for more news and updates about your favorite TCGs!
