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Original Cards from 2006 - 2009
Across the 1,000+ unique cards released during the original Doctor Who: Battles in Time series, there were five principal rarity levels, alongside a number of different card styles and printing techniques.
The number of cards assigned to each rarity varied between individual sets. However, the original Battles in Time releases generally followed a consistent distribution of cards per booster pack. Notable exceptions include the Daleks vs Cybermen and Adventurer sets, which used different card distributions.
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
These rarity levels were distinguished not only by their distribution, but also by the card stock, foil treatments and printing techniques used to produce them.
Common Cards:
Common cards make up the majority of the Battles in Time collection. They were generally printed on standard, non-foil card stock and formed the foundation of each set's checklist. Despite their relatively common distribution, there is a notable exception to the standard printing method. The Common cards in Daleks vs Cybermen were printed on a foil card stock more typically associated with Rare cards. This makes the Commons from this set visually different from those found in most other Battles in Time releases.
Rare Cards
Rare cards are distinguished by their metallic foil card stock, which gives the cards their characteristic reflective finish. The foil treatment can vary considerably between cards, with manufacturing differences producing noticeable differences in surface reflectivity. Variations in the application of ink during manufacturing can affect the appearance of the finished card. Some examples display a considerably more reflective surface, while others appear less pronounced. In highly reflective examples, the increased shine can make some of the finer details within the card's artwork less visible when viewed from certain angles. The Daleks vs Cybermen set again provides an important exception to the usual Battles in Time printing conventions. Rather than using the metallic foil treatment normally associated with Rare cards, the Rares in this set were produced using a "waves" holographic foil pattern more commonly associated with Super Rare cards.
Super Rare Cards
Super Rare cards generally used the distinctive "waves" holographic foil pattern, making them readily identifiable within most of the original Battles in Time sets. This rarity level is particularly interesting from a production perspective, as it includes several unusual printing techniques and finishes. An example of the different types of Super Rare are contained within the Exterminator set which contains two unique Super Rare cards featuring a Scratch 'n' Sniff treatment. Unlike the majority of Super Rares, these cards were printed on standard, non-foil card stock. This treatment was exclusive to these two cards and was not repeated on any other set within the original Battles in Time series. Some Super Rare cards feature an embossed finish, in which areas of the card have been physically raised to create a textured surface. The embossing follows elements of the artwork, giving the cards a distinctive tactile quality while also emphasising particular details within the design. Another unusual Super Rare treatment is the Glow-in-the-Dark finish. These cards feature a rough, phosphorescent ink overlay that allows sections of the artwork to glow after exposure to a light source. The treatment makes these cards particularly distinctive within the collection and demonstrates the range of specialist printing techniques used throughout Battles in Time.
Ultra Rare Cards
Ultra Rare cards represent one of the most technologically distinctive card types in the original Battles in Time collection. These cards use lenticular printing technology, allowing multiple images to be displayed on the same card. As the card is tilted, the image transitions between the different scenes. Depending on the card, the lenticular effect can contain either two or three distinct images. Two-image cards alternate between two separate scenes. For example, the TARDIS card transitions between an image of the TARDIS inside the Time Vortex and the empty Vortex itself. Three image cards contain an additional stage within the animation. The Regeneration card is a notable example, transitioning through:
Ninth Doctor → Regeneration Energy → Tenth Doctor
The effect creates the impression of movement within a static trading card and was one of the defining features of the Ultra Rare tier. As the printing technology improved, the transitions between images became progressively smoother and more refined. This development is particularly noticeable in later print runs of the Super Rose Golden Ticket card, where improvements in the lenticular effect are especially apparent. The Golden Ticket is therefore an interesting example of how the manufacturing technology used for Battles in Time cards continued to develop over the lifetime of the collection. For more information about this card and its different examples, see the dedicated Super Rose Golden Ticket page.
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.
Revival Cards from 2026
The rarity structure changed with the return of Doctor Who: Battles in Time in 2026.
While the original series used five principal rarity levels, the 2026 releases introduced a revised hierarchy and new card types. The number of cards included in each booster pack was also reduced, while the odds for the scarcer rarities were adjusted accordingly.
For the chance-based rarities, the current distribution is:
Common: 5 per pack
Rare: 1 per pack
Super Rare: 1 in every 18 packs
Vortex Rare: 1 in every 720 packs
This represents a significant change from the original Battles in Time releases, particularly at the higher end of the rarity scale. The new Vortex Rare cards occupy the rarest standard position within the 2026 card hierarchy, with an advertised insertion rate of 1 in every 720 packs.
The 2026 Limited Edition release also introduced another type of collectible: six oversized Box Topper cards. These cards were not inserted into individual booster packs in the conventional sense. Instead, one Box Topper card was included with each booster box. As a result, their stated distribution works out at approximately 1 in every 36 packs, based on the number of booster packs contained within a box. It is therefore important to distinguish the Box Topper odds from the chance-based card rarities listed above. The 1 in 36 figure does not mean that an individual pack has an independently random 1-in-36 chance of containing a Box Topper. Rather, it reflects the fact that one oversized Box Topper is supplied with each booster box.
There are six different Box Topper cards to collect, making them a separate category within the 2026 Limited Edition release rather than another rarity level within the standard pack hierarchy.
⚠️ 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, Rares or Commons. 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
The new 2026 rare foil cards differs from the original 2006 foil. With the original having a clean metalic effect, the rares in 2026 feature, a rainbow shimmer effect similar to that of the super rare foils from 2006 without the "wave" pattern.
Super Rare Foil
The Super Rare cards in 2026, feature a plain foil effect however are noticably shinier than their previous counterparts. Many who have seen these foils in person attribute the effect of these foil card as being not dissimilar to that of the 2006 rare foils.
Vortex Metal Cards
Introduced with Obliterator in 2026, the Vortex rares were in essence the replacement Super Rose Chase cards, however these 'cards' were printed on metal. Providing a shimmering title, category titles and icons. There was both a gold and silver version.
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