With both Doctor Who and Magic: The Gathering celebrating major anniversaries this year – 30 years for MTG and an amazing 60 years for Doctor Who – it seems that the time was right for the perennially popular sci-fi series and the world’s first (and still most popular) collectable card game to finally cross over. It’s time for MTG Doctor Who sets!
What Doctor Who Magic: The Gathering Products Are Available?
Though it’s big on ambition and scope, the actual product range featuring the Doctor(s) is surprisingly small – perhaps disappointingly, in comparison to the way that the MTG Lord of the Rings crossover felt like a major, complete set release.
You could say that it’s bigger on the inside – a phrase that’s very familiar even if you only have a passing knowledge of Doctor Who.
Despite only four Commander Decks being made available, there’s more than 200 cards in the set.
Each Commander Deck focuses on a different set of Doctors – or, at least, three of them do, with the fourth Commander Deck featuring the major villains of the Whoniverse!
If you’re keen to decide which deck might be best for you, it could just come down to which era of Doctor is your favourite – as every single Doctor up to the Thirteenth is featured here – or if you fancy taking a walk on the wild side with characters such as the Daleks, Cybermen, Missy and The Master at your disposal.
We go into a bit more detail in our MTG Doctor Who Card List article.
Are There Other Doctor Who Products Available?
The cards you can find in Commander Decks can also be found in the Doctor Who Collector Boosters; however, it’s worth noting that these are very expensive – as is often the case with Collector Booster packs.
That’s because each card is special in some way; if not foil treated (with plenty of different, fancy card treatments to find), the card will feature alternate art – and won’t be one that you’ll find in the Commander Decks.
Just to whet your appetite, each Commander Deck does include a mini Collector Booster, containing two cards, so you can get a taster of what you may discover in the full packss.
What’s The Card Gamer Verdict On The MTG Doctor Who Set?
Given the enduring popularity of Doctor Who and the resurgence it’s about to see – with the return of David Tennant to the role – we can’t help but feel that Wizards of the Coast have missed an opportunity here.
The MTG Lord of the Rings set featured plenty of ways for new or lapsed players to get back into the game as quickly and cheaply as possible, with two player learn-to-play kits, Jumpstart Boosters and all types of standard Booster pack, priced much lower than Collector Boosters, available.
Yet the Doctor Who set, with its focus on the 100-card Commander format – which isn’t the most accessible way into MTG – and extra cards only available in expensive Collector Boosters, seems to dissuade curious Doctor Who fans from taking the plunge.
After all, they’ll need to sink around $50 or more per player for each Commander Deck; a set of four will set players back $200+.
Collector Boosters, costing more than $20 per pack, feel like they aren’t great value – except perhaps for existing MTG players or collectors.
It’s a shame, because the usual high production values and fantastic design work has created a set that has some brilliant, incredibly thematic mechanics – some of which haven’t been seen in MTG before.
Card artwork is stunning – as you’d expect from any MTG set – and there’s a clear, deep appreciation for Doctor Who lore running through each and every card, not to mention the decks and the way they work.
Hopefully, the current Doctor Who products will do well enough to ensure that our favourite Time Lord will regenerate into the world of MTG – with a much more accessible and cost effective way for more casual players to get in on the action next time.
If you are new to MTG and you do find yourself picking up some Doctor Who cards, check out our list of the best MTG accessories to keep your new cards safely stored and protected!
