Battles in Time has spent most of 2026 rebuilding its checklist around newer Doctors, but one release goes all the way back to where the show itself began.
The First Doctor Limited Edition Collector's Set is due in September 2026, and it marks the first time several classic 1960s characters have ever appeared in the card game at all.
Companions Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright, and Susan Foreman, along with monsters like the Monoids and Koquillion, finally get official Battles in Time cards after nearly sixty years on screen without one.
Here is exactly what the 15-card set contains and why its presentation sets it apart from every other release in the 2026 relaunch.
Unlike the randomized booster packs driving sets like Obliterator, the First Doctor set comes as a complete 15-card collector's pack with every card guaranteed inside, so there is no pulling or trading required to finish it.
That format fits the material: this is a tightly curated tribute set rather than a chase-card-driven release, and collectors know exactly what they're getting before opening the box.
Every card in the set is printed in black and white on silver foil, directly matching the look of the black-and-white television era the First Doctor's stories originally aired in.
That presentation choice ties the physical card stock to the show's actual broadcast history, rather than applying the same full-color foil treatment used across the rest of the modern checklist.
The set includes The First Doctor, TARDIS at Totter's Yard, Ian Chesterton at Totter's Yard, Barbara Wright, and Susan Foreman as its five human-focused cards, covering the show's original 1963 core cast.
The remaining ten cards cover monsters and set pieces: Skaro City Dalek, The Daleks Invading Earth, The Daleks Execution Squad, The Cybermen Invading Snowcap Base, Zarbi, Koquillion, The Monoids, War Machines Outside The Post Office Tower, Sensorite Aboard Maitland's Ship, and The Toymaker.
Despite running for five main series between 2006 and 2008 and now returning with multiple 2026 sets, Battles in Time had never previously given Ian, Barbara, or Susan their own cards.
The same goes for the Monoids and Koquillion, meaning this release closes a real gap in the checklist rather than simply repackaging characters the game had already covered in some form.
The First Doctor set is strictly limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide, a print run tight enough that collectors interested in owning one should treat pre-order windows seriously rather than waiting for general availability.
At a retail price of roughly £24.99, it sits well below most of the set's booster box pricing, making it one of the more accessible limited releases in the entire 2026 relaunch.
Because every card here is confirmed rather than chased, there's no reason to risk any of the 15 cards to careless handling; sliding each one into individual card sleeves right out of the box is worth the extra few minutes.
A set this historically significant for the franchise deserves to stay display-ready for years, not just protected for resale value.
A set with no randomization might sound less exciting than a booster box, but a tight 1,000-piece worldwide cap gives the First Doctor set genuine scarcity despite every card being guaranteed.
That combination, guaranteed contents plus a hard print cap, is actually a less common structure across the 2026 relaunch than straightforward booster packs, which adds to its appeal for collectors.
Master Replicas has positioned the First Doctor set as the first in an ongoing line focused on individual Doctors, their companions, and their greatest foes, suggesting more Doctor-specific collector sets are likely down the line.
That makes the First Doctor release worth watching as a format test case, not just a standalone product, for how future single-era sets might be structured and priced.
September 2026.
15 cards, all guaranteed inside the pack.
It debuts Ian, Barbara, Susan, Koquillion, and the Monoids for the first time.
Black and white on silver foil, matching the show's original broadcast era.
Just 1,000 sets worldwide.
A set built around the show's original 1963 cast deserves a spot in any Doctor Who collection, whether you've followed the franchise since the beginning or only started with a recent season.
House the full 15-card run in a compact toploader binder sized for a focused set like this one, rather than spreading it across a larger binder built for a full booster checklist.
!
