Card Types

Throughout the 1000+ various cards within the Battles in Time card series, there were different variations in printing, and rarity. The series of Battles in Time predominantly held a hierarchy of Common cards, which were usually 8 in every pack; Rare Cards which were usually 1 in every pack; Super Rare Cards which were usually 1 in every 6 packs; Ultra Rare Cards which were usually 1 in every 24 packs and finally the Golden Ticket which was 1 in every 1,000 packs.

Common cards within Battles in Time were usually printed on normal 'card stock' and make up the majority of the cards within the series. There are some exceptions, for example the Dalek Vs Cybermen sets whereby the Common cards were printed on Rare Foil rather than basic card stock.

Rare Cards within Battles in Time were printed on foil resulting in a shiny metallic appearance. Sometimes this would mean that details of the design were lost, and there were variations of ink used which gave some rare cards shinier appearances than others. Much like the Common Cards within Daleks vs Cybermen sets the "Rare" cards were instead printed on the "waves" super rare foil, however this was the only time this happened.

Super Rare Cards were usually printed on 'wave' foil, however unlike the previous cards, there were some variations. In the Exterminator Set only, two Super Rare cards were 'Scratch n' Sniff' which were also printed on "common" card stock this was the only time within Battles in Time these cards were printed with no other set containing these 'Scratch n' Sniff' cards. There were also embossed cards, which featured a raised design where details of the artwork were amplified by raised lines. These emboss cards were always printed on foil, however much like the rare cards some were 'shinier' than others. Lastly, there were also glow in the dark cards, which as the name suggested, there was glow in the dark rough ink printed on the design which glowed after exposure to light.

Ultra Rare Cards were always lenticular featuring 2-3 images within one card which transitioned when you moved them. An example of the two-image transition would be the TARDIS card which shows the TARDIS in the vortex in one image, and the vortex without the TARDIS in the other. An example of the three-image transition would be the Regeneration card seen below where one image would be the '9th Doctor', the next is the regeneration energy, and the next is the '10th Doctor'. As time went on, and the technology improved the Ultra Rares became better and the images transitioned better. This quality improvement can be seen with later variations of the Super Rose Golden Ticket card which is detailed on another page of this site.

Below are images showing the different card types of which try to show how each card displays.

Card Categories

All Battles in Time cards were split into 7 categories. These were Robot, Dalek, Cyberman, Human, Hero, Monster, and Alien. In some card games during the Battles in Time series, these categories played a part in how you play. These Categories gained more prominance when the Invader and Ultimate Monsters sites were created with whole webpages dedicated to each category.

Character Card

These cards are the most common; the one shown here is a Common card. However, character cards can also appear as Rares or Super Rares. They feature the character with information on the bottom of the card. In addition, they also show creature stats to be used within the Battles in Time games.

Bonus Card

Bonus cards, like the character cards, can appear as Super Rares or Rares, but may aslo be Ultra Rares. They feature a large yellow and black box with power-ups for specific cards or special bonuses' to assist in the games. An example is the one above.

Rare Foil

Rare Foil cards are as you'd expect. There are either character versions or such as the one above, rare bonus cards. All Rare cards have a shiny surface.

Super Rare Scratch n' Sniff

Scratch n' Sniff cards were only featured in the Exterminator set. They contained a small patch on the card with a foul smell. One was on the Sip Fel Fotch Slitheen card, and the other was on the Pickled Eggs card. They are visually similar to standard cards, making them easier to mistake for one.

Super Rare Emboss Card

Embossed cards are Super Rares. They feature across all sets, and as the type would suggest, they feature raised parts on the front of the card. The Terileptil above has an embossed face. These cards also feature a foil print, some shinier than others, depending on the design of the cards and the amount of ink used. The card above is almost matte, whereas the Davros embossed card is incredibly shiny and lacks print.

Super Rare Wave Shiny

Super Rare Wave Foils are just like the image above. The foil used on these cards has a waving multicoloured pattern within them, shining through the design of the image used.

Super Rare Glow in the Dark

These card types have a similar design choice to the common cards, with no foil. There is however a glow in the dark, rough ink making up the design. Shown here, the light blue is the glow in the dark part of the card.

Ultra Rare Lenticular

Ultra Rares always have a bonus box. They always feature a lenticular image, which gives the illusion of moving. Such as the Skinsuit card, where it starts with Margaret, transitions to a glow, then to a Slitheen, or this card where it transitions from Christopher Eccleston, to the regeneration effect, and finishing on David Tennant.

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