The Cards

Card Rarities & Variations:

Across the 1,000+ unique cards in the Battles in Time series, print styles and rarities varied wildly. The standard pack distribution generally followed a strict hierarchy:

Common: 8 per pack
Rare: 1 per pack
Super Rare: 1 in every 6 packs
Ultra Rare: 1 in every 24 packs
Golden Ticket: 1 in every 1,000 packs

⚪ Common Cards:

Common cards make up the bulk of the series and were typically printed on standard, non-foil card stock.

However, there are exceptions: in the Daleks vs Cybermen set, the Commons bucked the trend by being printed on the shiny foil usually reserved for Rare cards, this has also been shown on the new Retroduction cards where the full set was only comprised of commons, yet were all printed on the new foil.

🟡 Rare Cards

Rares were printed on a metallic foil base to give them a distinctive shiny appearance.

Because of variations in the ink used during production, some Rares look noticeably shinier than others, occasionally causing finer design details to be lost.

Additionally, the Daleks vs Cybermen set shook up the rules again by printing its Rares on the "waves" holographic foil typically reserved for Super Rares.

🔴 Super Rare Cards

Super Rare's generally utilized a distinct "wave" foil pattern, but this tier features some of the most unique print experiments in the hobby:

Scratch 'n' Sniff: Exclusive to the Exterminator set, these two unique cards were printed on standard, non-foil card stock. No other set in the entire series repeated this feature.
Embossed: These foil cards featured a physically raised texture that highlighted and amplified the details of the artwork. Just like the Rares, ink variations mean some versions are shinier than others.
Glow-in-the-Dark: These cards were finished with a rough, phosphorescent ink overlay that vividly glowed in the dark after being exposed to a light source.

🟣 Ultra Rare Cards

Ultra Rares always featured lenticular technology, displaying 2 to 3 distinct holographic images that transition as you tilt the card.

2-Image Transition: For example, the TARDIS card seamlessly shifts between the TARDIS inside the Time Vortex and the empty Vortex itself.

3-Image Transition: The Regeneration card transitions from the Ninth Doctor, to bursts of regeneration energy, and finally to the Tenth Doctor.

As lenticular printing technology improved over the years, the image transitions became significantly smoother. This leap in quality is highly visible in later print runs of the legendary Super Rose Golden Ticket card, which you can read about on its dedicated page.

⚠️ Note on Visual Variations: The guide images below summarize the core card anatomy but don't show every set-specific detail. For instance, the Daleks vs Cybermen set introduces a power bar, Ultimate Monsters features two Doctor variants on the card, and the Adventurer cards display the The Sarah Jane Adventures logo. These unique designs are fully detailed on their corresponding set pages.

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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