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With the success of the Test Run in both the Grampian and West country areas, The Main Release of the magazine was re-launched nationally on the 20th of September 2006, continuing as a fortnightly magazine (GE Fabbri, 2006h). A 1-million-pound TV advertising campaign on terrestrial and satellite channels supported it. Nine million copies of the magazine and 1.5 million trading cards were planned to be distributed until the original end date of September 2008, ending on issue 52 (Retail Newsagent, 2006). This plan changed, however, and instead went on to issue 70, ending 9 months later in June 2009. Each magazine came with at least one pack of cards and was available in newsagents nationwide and some superstores such as Sainsbury’s.
This sub-page is specifically about the main release magazines of Battles in Time; for other parts, such as the Test Set magazine series or the cards, please view the relevant subsections on the dropdown menu to the left.
On this sub-page, there are scans of the printed material with included information, such as differences between the test set and the main set, for example. Also included are ‘Notable Issues’, which are issues which stand out from the main print run (usually in cellophane), as well as scans from each magazine. These scans were taken from Millennium Effect, which stopped updating information after issue 29. However, they continued to upload scans of the magazines (The Millennium Effect, n.d).
The first seven re-launched magazines are a mixture of covers and contents of the pilot issues as follows...
No. 1 contains pages 6 and 7 from pilot No. 3 as pages 4 and 5, pages 20 and 21 of pilot No. 5 and a remix on page 23 from pilots 1 and 2.
No. 2 has the cover and pages 10-15 of pilot No. 6, page 22 as a re-work from pilot No. 3 and a remix on page 23 from pilot 5 and new material. Additionally the cover was changed from Cyberleader to Cyberman.
No. 3 has the cover and pages 10-15, 20 and 21 of pilot No. 7, pages 4 and 5 from pilot No. 1 as pages 6 and 7, pages 22 and 24 from pilot 5 and new material on page 23.
No 4 has the cover, pages 10-15 of pilot No 2, and new material on page 23.
No 5 has the same cover and content as pilot No 5 except for pages 20 and 21 from pilot 1, new material on pages 22 and 23 and page 24 from pilot 3.
No 6 has the cover, pages 10-15 of pilot No 4, and new material on page 23.
No. 7 has the body, pages 10-15, 20 and 21 of pilot No. 3, and new material on pages 22 and 23
Extra difference, On Test Set magazines, (top) the characters are shown as character cut-outs on the rear which character are you page. On Main Set releases, they are shown on their respective cards.
Here you can see a high-definition scan of a Main Release Issue 1, as it was when you bought it. By clicking the directional buttons on the image, you can see the issue without the magazine, and the reverse of the cardboard backing. Although this looks similar to the Test release, there are subtle differences (GE Fabbri, 2006e).
The "£1.50" corner is red rather than the test set yellow.
The column where the packs are attached is now an orange/red hue.
Cards are now shown WITH rarity symbols.
The blue background is now a radial blur design rather than the time vortex
The included poster is of a different design.
The leaflets inside also have subtle differences. (Shown below)
Another scan shows what Issue 2 looked like when it was on sale. The cellophane was re-used for the main release; if you look carefully, you can see the cards on the packaging do not have rarity symbols (GE Fabbri, 2006f). The differences between the main release issue 2 and the Test release Issue 2 are:
Tardis no longer requires cutouts to keep the cards in place due to design change
Different front cover now cybermen rather than slitheen.
The final promotional "special" for the exterminator set in the main run was issue 3, like the Test Release, this issue came with the final part of the Tardis collectors case, which was the Tardis Lid. There aren't many differences between the Main Set version and the Test Set, except the Tardis Lid design being less robust, and the cover now being a Krillitane rather than the Sycorax (GE Fabbri, 2006g).
With the success of the Test Run, the main release no longer needed the questionnaire which was included previously. Issues one, two and three still had leaflets in them, however they had now been redesigned. Most notably the initial leaflet which gave the 'run down' on the Exterminator set had been revamped with the new cards, all with rarity symbols and showing some cards above the 85 mark.
The order leaflet also had a design change, instead of showing a Dalek with an orange theme, it now showed Exterminator packs with a reminder that 'all good newsagents' will have extra packs to buy. Additionally, it was based on a blue theme rather than the previous orange.
Lastly the TARDIS leaflet which was a reminder to subscribe now shows a Cyberman within the TARDIS rather than the Doctor and Rose. On the rear it showed a Dalek rather than the Doctor.
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. Rose vs Cassandra, Doctor vs Dalek Emperor, Captain Jack vs Empty Child.
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.
Issue 12 was the first magazine that followed the release of the Annihilator set. Although most sets contained a separate pack of each set, Issue 12 was unique in offering only a dual pack in addition to the Exterminator pack. The Annihilator cards were the only set never to have separate Annihilator packs with magazines.
Issue 26 came wrapped in decorated cellophane and included two Invader packs.
Similar to Issue 26, Issue 39 came within a cellophane wrapper, containing two packs of cards. One Invader and a brand new Ultimate Monsters pack.
The last of the Battles in Time magazines to come with cellophane packaging. Instead, they opted for a sticker rather than printed plastic. It contained two packs of devastator packs, each containing 12 cards. Some packs, however, included only 2 cards due to a quality control issue.
Issue 63 contained a pack of Adventurer cards commemorating The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was the only magazine to come with three different set packs.