Rankings for All 76 Doctor Who Commanders

Last updated on March 22, 2024

Vrestin, Menoptra Leader | Illustration by Ivan Dedov

Whovians and planeswalkers assemble! Magic: The Gathering is diving into a universe of epic timey-wimey proportions! Travel through the treasure troves of time with TARDIS, the thirteen sdoctors, and other commanders inspired by the characters on Doctor Who that you can now play in the most popular tabletop card game of all time! You may even see a shapeshifter commander that can blend into your deck build just like TARDIS’s exterior blends in wherever it travels.

Where do these legendary creatures stand as commanders? Read on to discover more as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the infamous Doctor Who series.

How Many Doctor Who Commanders Are There?

Ace, Fearless Rebel | Illustration by Colin Boyer

There are 76 total commanders in the Doctor Who set. The Fourth Doctor, The Tenth Doctor, The Thirteenth Doctor, and Davros, Dalek Creator are the commanders featured in the four Doctor Who Commander precon decks. The other 68 legendary creatures are either in the 99 of one of the Doctor Who Commander decks or available from Doctor Who Collector boosters.

#76. Dan Lewis

Dan Lewis turns your utility artifacts such as Sol Ring and Commander's Sphere into equipment that pump creatures by +1/+0. This provides versatility in your play strategy so you can ward off stronger creatures on your opponent’s board by equipping these utility artifacts that have been turned into equipment to a creature. 

Go wide with Treasure and/or Blood tokens (hey, it’s a red deck!) so you can turn them into equipment when you’re in a pinch. Captain Lannery Storm and Goldspan Dragon can get you the Treasure tokens you need while Falkenrath Celebrants and Blood Servitor can give you Blood tokens.

#75. Nardole, Resourceful Cyborg

A Commander deck featuring Nardole, Resourceful Cyborg as the army’s general can go one of many ways. Build with instants and sorceries, artifacts, or even enchantments so they can be cast with the blue mana that the scientist generates for every counter on it when you tap it. 

Its undying ability reassures you always have some form of ramp on the battlefield since it returns immediately to the battlefield after dying. Danny Pink and Herald of Secret Streams are a couple of cards that synergize well with a blue +1/+1 counters deck. 

#74. Donna Noble

Donna Noble has resurrected the soulbond mechanic that debuted in 2012 when Avacyn Restored released. This human pairs up with another creature of your choice and remain connected together for as long as you remain in control of the soulbonded creatures. 

Give Donna Noble indestructible with Darksteel Plate and pair it with Brash Taunter, which is already an indestructible goblin without equipment. Have this double trouble pair incite shenanigans on your play pod by paying the three mana to activate Brash Taunter to fight Donna Noble. 

As long as Donna Noble is still two power without other modifications, Brash Taunter will deal 2 damage to an opponent because that’s how much damage it was dealt when fighting Donna Noble. Then, on the stack, will come Donna Noble dealing 3 damage to one of your opponents because the human dealt two damage to the goblin and the goblin dealt one damage to the human during the fight exchange. 

Hence, from this 3-mana activation off Brash Taunter when paired with Donna Noble, you can easily land at least 5 damage on an opponent per turn. Attach auras and equipment to both creatures and they can deal even more damage to an opponent because of their ability, perhaps to the point of one-shotting them depending on their life total. 

#73. Jenny, Generated Anomaly

Jenny, Generated Anomaly is best built as a Voltron lands matter commander because of its double strike and explore ability. Nesting Dragon can create 0/2 Dragon tokens while Emeria Angel can create 1/1 white Bird tokens when lands enter. 

These can act as your blockers as you get Jenny, Generated Anomaly equipped with Swiftfoot Boots, Zephyr Boots, and other equipment to be the one formidable creature you attack with. Use Vexilus Praetor for the commander to get protection from everything. Don’t forget Crucible of Worlds to access lands from your graveyard when needed. 

#72. Cult of Skaro

Bring out your D8 for this bad boy! Cult of Skaro gives you an extra benefit at random when you attack with it. Build its deck with artifact creatures for the best results since it pumps them with the thay ability and creates a 3/3 black Dalek artifact creature token with the sec ability.

You can also have a legendary-matters build with legendary artifact creatures like K-9, Mark I, Liberator, Urza's Battlethopter, and Imotekh the Stormlord for added artifact and legendary permanent benefits.

#71. Kate Stewart

Kate Stewart is best built with cards that have the suspend mechanic like Plunder and Ivory Giant so you can get the triggers to create Soldier creature tokens.

Cards with suspend are sent into exile with time counters on them. A time counter is deducted on every upkeep. While the mana cost on Kate’s attack trigger is high, this commander can smash for the win when you get to a certain point in the match.

#70. Yasmin Khan

Yasmin Khan is a doctor’s companion that gives you further access to your resources when exiling the top card of your library after tapping this card. Tap Yasmin Khan on an opponent’s turn to see if you have an instant spell that can deal with a rambunctious board state (board wipes like Blasphemous Act) or problem creature (targeted removal like Lux Cannon).

#69. Astrid Peth

Astrid Peth adds to the small arsenal of mono-white cards with Food token synergy. Add The Underworld Cookbook and mono-white halfling creatures with Food token synergy from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. Incorporate Academy Manufactor, Sarah Jane Smith, and Bygone Bishop to generate Clue tokens.

#68. The Fugitive Doctor

The Fugitive Doctor rewards you for sacrificing Clue tokens in exchange for an instant or sorcery spell in your graveyard to gain flashback. Tireless Tracker and Elmar, Ulvenwald Informant can give you the Clue tokens needed for the time lord doctor’s ability.

Include other instant and sorcery spells that already have lower flashback costs like Moment's Peace and Firecat Blitz. You can use The Fugitive Doctor’s ability to reduce spells with a high flashback value like Visions of Ruin and Storm the Festival.

#67. Jo Grant

Jo Grant resurrects the cycling mechanic first introduced in Urza’s Saga. And what textual flavor, too, because of the motorcycle in the picture! Build your deck with artifacts, legendaries, and sagas for them to gain cycling when Jo Grant is on the battlefield. Incorporate other cards with low cycling costs like Angelsong and Hollow One.

#66. Graham O’Brien

Graham O'Brien rewards you with Food tokens for casting cards from exile and the graveyard. As a bonus, as a doctor’s companion, you can have two companions if another commander is one of the doctor commanders in the set. Have The Thirteenth Doctor as the secondary commander for more synergy. Use cards with the suspend mechanic like Search for Tomorrow to earn Food tokens when those cards are cast from exile.

#65. Romana II

Token players rejoice! Romana II copies one of your tokens as long as it enters the battlefield on that turn. Get more tap triggers by using Puppet Strings and The Moment to untap Romana II.

Choose this time lord scientist to be a doctor’s companion to The Fourth Doctor to copy Food tokens the doctor creates. If Romana II is your only commander, take advantage of Oketra's Monument for mono-white synergy.

#64. Leela, Sevateem Warrior

Leela, Sevateem Warrior is a doctor’s companion that gets strong whenever an opponent draws a card beyond the one they draw on their draw step. Watch out, blue players!

Because of this human warrior’s very contingent conditions, pair it with a doctor like The Sixth Doctor to have a more valuable primary commander. Copy legendary spells including The Great Henge, Mox Amber, and The Immortal Sun with ease because the legend rule doesn’t apply with The Sixth Doctor on the field as it copies these spells.

#63. The Master, Formed Anew

Say that your best creature is going to face removal. Have Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir on the battlefield so The Master, Formed Anew has flash. Cast it and have it become that creature that’s about to be removed so you can essentially save that destroyed creature by having The Master, Formed Anew take on its abilities.

#62. Alistair, the Brigadier

Alistair, the Brigadier has the same pay 8 mana ability when it attacks to buff up its army as Kate Stewart, except X is based on the number of historic permanents you control. Fill your deck with artifacts, legends, and sagas to get the historic spell cast triggers to generate white Soldier tokens.

Throw in soldier tribal deck staples like Kinsbaile Cavalier, Myrel, Shield of Argive, Horn of Gondor, Aegis of the Gods, Horn of Valhalla, and Captain of the Watch.

#61. Jamie McCrimmon

Jamie McCrimmon is another Doctor Who commander who synergizes with historic spells. Have enough ramp to cast higher-cost historic spells to buff it up at least two to three times per turn. The higher-cost historic spells could be Akroma's Memorial and legendary Eldrazi spells like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger and Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre.

#60. Ace, Fearless Rebel

Ace, Fearless Rebel thrives off sacrifice artifacts to get counters and fight an opponent’s target creature. Think of Ace as a slow board wipe tactic that an opponent can only control by using targeted removal on the creature.

Myr typal cards that create artifact tokens like Myr Matrix, Myr Turbine, and Myr Battlesphere give you constant access to blockers and sacrifice dummies for Ace’s attack trigger.

Have Ace as a doctor’s companion to The War Doctor. This way, you can include cards that give you extra attack steps like Raiyuu, Storm's Edge and Howl of the Horde to take advantage of Ace’s attack trigger an additional time each turn.

#59. Nyssa of Traken

Nyssa of Traken is another Doctor Who commander that thrives off sacrificed artifacts on its attack step, except in blue instead of green. What’s great about this card is that you can sacrifice any number of artifacts that you have on your battlefield to tap creatures on an opponent’s side equal to the artifacts sacrificed and to draw that many cards.

Blue artifact token generators like Sai, Master Thopterist, Efficient Construction, and Skystrike Officer make multiple artifact tokens to sacrifice them in one blow for extra value.

#58. The Face of Boe

Hasten time itself by playing The Face of Boe as your commander. Get more value for your mana by casting Lotus Bloom and Mox Tantalite for their 0 suspend cost after tapping The Face of Boe for them to go directly onto the battlefield rather than wait a few turns to get the ramp you need.

#57. The Dalek Emperor

The Dalek Emperor can come in with just a black and red mana if you have at least five Daleks on the battlefield because of its affinity ability. Since there are only two other Dalek creature cards, Dalek Squadron and Dalek Drone, this deck would benefit from black and red changeling creature cards.

Creatures with changeling like Bloodline Pretender and Taurean Mauler are essential for expanding your Dalek creature base so they all have haste coming onto the battlefield. Incorporate Maskwood Nexus and Birthing Boughs for Shapeshifter tokens with changeling that are also considered Dalek creatures for The Dalek Emperor’s affinity ability.

#56. Duggan, Private Detective

Duggan, Private Detective is best built as a card draw deck so its power and toughness are as high as possible. Incorporate infinite hand size spells including Nyssa of TrakenReliquary Tower, and Spellbook.

Expedite your card draw strategy with Clue token generators like Tamiyo's Journal and Trail of Evidence. And you can stave off a problem creature by getting Duggan’s power high enough to deal twice his power to it.

#55. Sergeant John Benton

Sergeant John Benton is best built as a Voltron commander to get combat damage through with many pieces of equipment and auras attached to it because of its trample ability. It’s also a group hug commander because of how you and the opponent dealt combat damage can draw cards equal to that amount of damage dealt.

Voltron staples, including Swiftfoot Boots, Ancestral Mask, and Mithril Coat, strengthen and protect Sergeant John Benton to stay on the battlefield longer.

#54. Susan Foreman

Susan Foreman is best built into a planar deck with the new plane cards from Doctor Who like Amy's Home, Bowie Base One, and Coal Hill School. If you aren’t playing Planechase, you can still utilize Susan Foreman as a mana dork and a doctor’s companion.

#53. Sarah Jane Smith

Sarah Jane Smith only creates one Clue token per turn. There would be more value if the human detective could create a Clue token on every historic spell cast. Pair this creature with The Eighth Doctor.

#52. Rassilon, the War President

Rassilon, the War President is a Doctor Who commander that brings back the conspire mechanic first introduced in Shadowmoor. Use Virtue of Knowledge and Lithoform Engine to copy the card’s exile ability so you have more cards to play from exile while the time lord noble remains on the battlefield.

#51. Rory Williams

You have to wait for three turns for Rory Williams to hit the battlefield because of its suspend ability if you cast it from your hand or the command zone. Fortunately, with Amy Pond as Rory’s partner, you can remove time counters from Rory Williams when Amy deals combat damage.

Mox Tantalite, Star Whale, and Wheel of Fate are a few of the many synergistic suspend cards that can be included when you partner the two humans together.

#50. Amy Pond

Amy Pond can be built as a Voltron suspend spell matters commander. Equip and enchant the human to ensure combat damage goes through and have enough suspend cards on the field at all times to get Amy’s trigger. Shivan Meteor and Pardic Dragon can be some of the suspend cards if you choose to do a mono-red build without partnering Amy with Rory Williams.

#49. The Rani

The Rani is another Doctor Who commander who’s an expert at turning your opponents against each other. The time lord scientist rewards you with Clue because of its investigative ability whenever a goaded creature does combat damage to an opponent. Incorporate Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer to get Treasure tokens for ramp and Shiny Impetus to goad another creature. This card is much like Mark of the Rani that’s created when The Rani enters the battlefield.

#48. K-9, Mark I

K-9, Mark I debuts as a Doctor Who commander who’s also the first robot dog in MTG. Have an Unctus, Grand Metatect in the build so that K-9, Mark I becomes tapped, you can draw a card, then discard the card. Plus, Unctus will have ward as long as this robot dog is untapped. Ioreth of the Healing House can ensure that K-9 Mark I always stays untapped after each combat step so all legendary creatures are protected with ward .

#47. Iraxxa, Empress of Mars

Iraxxa, Empress of Mars thrives off of spells being cast from exile or the graveyard. Cards like Yasmin Khan where you can cast cards from exile and any flashback instant and sorcery spells can help you get more Alien Warrior creature tokens from Iraxxa’s ability.

Equipment like The Reaver Cleaver can ramp your deck and Commander's Plate can protect Iraxxa, Empress of Mars from colors of all targeted removal except red.

#46. Idris, Soul of the TARDIS

Idris, Soul of the TARDIS takes on the features of the best artifact in your Commander deck with its imprint ability pumping up Idris’s power and toughness. You could have Idris become a Mana Crypt or an Arcane Signet to ramp to your wincon.

Keep in mind to have some way to proliferate because of the human incarnation’s vanishing ability so that it stays on the battlefield longer. Sword of Truth and Justice, Karn's Bastion, and Throne of Geth can help you have continuous proliferate resources to keep Idris on the battlefield.

#45. Bill Potts

Since you have to target Bill Potts with an instant or sorcery spell to get the human’s copy trigger, this is another Doctor Who commander that can thrive off a Voltron build. While you can choose new targets, instead choose to pump up Bill Potts again with the copy. Spellbinder and Lithoform Engine can further copy instant and sorceries as added value for this deck build.

#44. The Cyber-Controller

The Cyber-Controller is like a multi-colored version of a Master of Etherium, but with special milling and take control effects depending on how much mana you pour into the X cost.

Since the cards you have gained control of become 2/2 Cyberman artifact creatures, maybe implement cards with the face-down creatures with the morph mechanic. Pump the Cyberman artifact creatures and other face-down ones with Ixidor, Reality Sculptor. Reduce the mana cost of face-down creatures with Dream Chisel.

#43. Ryan Sinclair

Ryan Sinclair helps sift through your deck with its exile from the top ability whenever it attacks. Creatures, instants, sorceries, enchantments, and planeswalkers with higher mana costs will be more valuable with Ryan Sinclair as your commander since they can be cast for free if they’re exiled off the top from this human’s ability.

A Blasphemous Act for free. That’s straight blasphemy, but also so valuable!

#42. Vislor Turlough

On every step, you get to draw a card with Vislor Turlough, but at the cost of losing life equal to however many cards are in your hand. Build your commander deck with a lower mana curve of mono black spells costing no more than 1 to 3 mana. That way, you’ll always have something to cast and take less damage on each step.

If you don’t need it for a card draw right away, cast Vislor Turlough, let an opponent take control of it, and goad it. Enchant Vislor Turlough with Ghoulish Impetus for it to return to the battlefield under your control when you need some card draw.

#41. Jenny Flint

Jenny Flint is one of the Doctor Who commanders that has partner with Madame Vastra, so you can have two commanders if you choose. Have the deck build feature cards that generate Clue and Food tokens like Academy Manufactor, Tamiyo's Journal, and The Underworld Cookbook.

#40. Madame Vastra

Madame Vastra is essentially unblockable as long as it remains untapped until the combat step. Land combat damage with the lizard detective so it dies, and you create a ClueFood token. Gilded Goose and Elanor Gardner/card] give you more [card]Food token synergy while Lonis, Cryptozoologist and Wavesifter for Clue token synergy.

#39. Osgood, Operation Double

Get a Clue token with Osgood, Operation Double whenever you cast spells from the graveyard or exile rather than from your hand.

Plus, with two of them on the field because of the non-legendary token it creates when entering the battlefield, this commander also acts as a ramp to add colorless to your mana pool for an artifact spell or an ability when you tap either one.

Have instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard and give them rebound with Cast Through Time from Rise of the Eldrazi to get Clue tokens from Osgood when you recast those spells. What a fitting enchantment for a Doctor Who commander!

#38. Strax, Sontaran Nurse

Strax, Sontaran Nurse loves fighting other creatures on opponents’ battlefields to pump itself up when you sacrifice an artifact. Have a Treasure token generation build with Tireless Tracker and The Reaver Cleaver and token doublers like Primal Vigor to have enough artifacts for Strax’s abilities.

#37. Rose Tyler

The more suspend cards and cards with time counters that you have on the battlefield, the more time counters are put on Rose Tyler when it attacks. The time counters buff up the human, which would best be supported as a doctor’s companion with a doctor with blue in its color identity. Include permanents with time counters like Trenzalore Clocktower, Midnight Clock, and Ancestral Vision.

#36. Clara Oswald

Clara Oswald is like a The Prismatic Piper with how you can assign it a color before the game starts, except with an extra special ability. Since Clara doubles the triggered abilities of a doctor it’s partnered with, and including Panharmonicon can make a doctor’s triggered ability happen three times instead of one time.

If Clara is the companion to The First Doctor, three +1/+1 counters would go onto a creature or artifact instead of one. If acting as the companion to The Second Doctor, opponents can draw up to three cards on your end step in exchange for not attacking you when it’s their next turn.

#35. Ashad, the Lone Cyberman

Ashad, the Lone Cyberman rewards you by pumping itself with counters in exchange for sacrificing creatures with its casualty mechanic to copy non legendary artifact spells. Build an Ashad deck with standard artifact creatures or utility artifact spells with a token subtheme.

The tokens can be sacrificed for its abilities without destroying your key creatures. Generate artifact tokens with Myr Battlesphere and Sai, Master Thopterist and pump them with Vislor Turlough. Pump them with Master of Etherium so these tokens become 2/2s to be sacrificed with Ashad’s casualty 2 ability.

#34. The Master, Gallifrey’s End

The Master, Gallifrey's End rewards you for your nontoken artifact creatures dying to dock down the highest life total amongst your opponents. It also forces them to face a villainous choice between losing 4 life or creating a token that’s a copy of the dead creature. Zombies with graveyard recursion like Relentless Dead and Poxwalkers give you more value with constant death triggers for more villainous choice triggers.

#33. Karvanista, Loyal Lupari

Karvanista, Loyal Lupari is an adventure commander with a sorcery that gives indestructible to all humans. With three evergreen abilities of vigilance, trample, and haste, you can easily make this a Voltron commander.

As the alien dog soldier attacks, it pumps up humans with +1/+1 counters for each human on the field. You can also build the commander with a human token theme with Horn of Gondor to get more counters for each attack trigger.

#32. Me, the Immortal

Me, the Immortal only needs four turns to accumulate four new abilities. If it’s removed, these abilities stay with it, so you don’t have to repeat the process. If you want to save on commander tax if it goes to the graveyard, instead discard two cards from your hand and recast it for the 5 mana.

#31. The Beast, Deathless Prince

The Beast, Deathless Prince can only be held back with the six stun counters it comes in with for so long. You gain control of an opponent’s permanent when it enters and attack with it to remove a stun counter.

Keep The Beast, Deathless Prince tapped in some way so that it can be untapped to remove a stun counter for each creature owned by another opponent that deals combat damage to them. Cards like New Blood and Olivia Voldaren help you gain control of more opponents’ creatures to get the stun counters off The Beast, Deathless Prince quicker.

#30. Martha Jones

Martha Jones thrives off of you sacrificing Clue tokens so that itself and another creature become unblockable when you attack. Tamiyo's Journal gives you constant access to a Clue token on your upkeep to have handy for Martha Jones’s sacrifice ability.

It synergizes with Fleeting Memories to have a player mill three cards as well whenever a Clue gets sacrificed. Add value with ramp and life gain by incorporating  Academy Manufactor to get  Food and Treasure tokens whenever you generate a Clue token.

#29. Sally Sparrow

Sally Sparrow changes the time frame of when you can cast your creature spells, giving them flash. Cast one of your creatures at instant speed to act as a blocker to kill off one of your opponent’s creatures. You can get one Clue token per turn if your creature dies or is sacrificed somehow.

Incorporate Crested Sunmare into the deck build to get an indestructible horse at every end step. If none of your other creatures die for you to get a Treasure token on your turn, sacrifice one of the horses to Ashnod's Altar to get your Clue token instead. Turn around and use the 2 colorless mana generated from sacrificing the horse to Ashnod's Altar to sacrifice the Clue token to draw a card.

#28. Tegan Jovanka

Tegan Jovanka temporarily pumps legendary creatures and artifact creatures whenever you attack. This doctor’s companion would go great with The Seventh Doctor who also thrives on an artifact build to possibly get a free cast on some cards when the doctor attacks. Plus, Tegan Jovanka can pump The Seventh Doctor on attack.

#27. Adric, Mathematical Genius

Adric, Mathematical Genius is another Doctor Who commander that would benefit from Lithoform Engine in the build because both cards copy triggered or activated abilities of your permanent. Fill your deck with permanents that have activated and triggered abilities like Kefnet's Monument and Magewright's Stone to create a value engine for Adric.

#26. Peri Brown

Peri Brown embraces the power of convoke for each legendary, artifact, or saga spell that you cast each turn. Create a token build to easily be able to do the convoke ability every time you cast your first spell per turn. Horn of Gondor can create Soldier tokens based on the number of humans you control, so make this build a mix of the two types for best results.

#25. Ian Chesterton

Copy as many sagas as you want with Ian Chesterton. The Girl in the Fireplace and History of Benalia are examples of mono-white sagas that create creature tokens whereas more can come onto the battlefield at the same time if you pay the replicate cost as many times as you can for each saga that you cast. Each saga has its benefits, so find the right mix to replicate sagas to your heart’s content.

#24. Danny Pink

Danny Pink and the other creatures in its army encompass a counters-matters card draw-themed Commander deck. As you build your army with more +1/+1 counters on them, cast Herald of Secret Streams so they become unblockable.

Have Trenzalore Clocktower and Midnight Clock for more card draw as both let you draw seven cards when they get 12 time counters on them. The Ozolith would make a great addition to shift around +1/+1 counters if a creature with them is removed from the battlefield.

#23. Barbara Wright

Some sagas from Dominaria United have read ahead, but Barbara Wright gives all sagas read ahead. Skip to the third chapter on Battle at the Helvault to get an Avacyn token that’ll be hard to destroy unless your opponent has an exile card. Go to the third chapter of the War of the Last Alliance to have your creatures gain double strike for a game-ending win condition.

#22. Davros, Dalek Creator

Davros, Dalek Creator makes it easy for combat damage to get through with the Dalek artifact creature tokens with menace that it creates on every end step. Get your opponent to lose 3 life points repeatedly by attacking with these tokens with menace or with cards that drain their life totals like God-Pharaoh's Statue and Grima Wormtongue.

#21. The Thirteenth Doctor

The Thirteenth Doctor is in one of the Commander precon legendaries partnered with the doctor’s companion Yasmin Khan. It's absolutely great at placing +1/+1 counters on creatures when casting a card from exile. Eventually, you can build an army of creatures with counters on them that can untap on every one of your end steps to act as blockers.

#20. The Third Doctor

The Third Doctor buffs itself for every token you have that’s not a creature one. Academy Manufactor, Old Gnawbone, and Smothering Tithe would be auto-includes for the Commander deck build. Don’t forget the token doublers including Primal Vigor, Parallel Lives, Anointed Procession, and Mondrak, Glory Dominus.

#19. Wilfred Mott

The more time counters you have on Wilfred Mott, the more cards you can look at during each upkeep to find which nonland permanent that you want to place on the battlefield for free. This Commander deck should have a low mana curve to get more value in casting spells for free on every upkeep.

#18. The Master, Mesmerist

The Master, Mesmerist turns your opponents against one another in a 3- to 4-player pod. The time lord rogue gets stronger every time a creature with skulk deals combat damage to an opponent. The Master gives it to the creatures your creatures, you can get in on the skulk fun and have creatures with this ability like Gregor, Shrewd Magistrate and Gollum, Obsessed Stalker.

#17. The Seventh Doctor

The Seventh Doctor can start shenanigans very quickly with opponents guessing whether the card’s mana value is greater than the number of artifacts you already control. High-cost cards like Omniscience and Darksteel Forge would go great in this deck. If you have more artifacts than their mana value and the opponent guesses wrong, you can cast them for free.

#16. The Fifth Doctor

The Fifth Doctor likes it when you’re on the defensive rather than the offensive. Your creatures get pumped on each end step as long as you don’t attack. Inexorable Tide, Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus, and Norn's Choirmaster are great proliferate cards that can add more counters to these creatures for you to eventually swing out for the win.

#15. The Second Doctor

The Second Doctor is another commander like Nyssa of Traken that allows you to have no maximum hand size. However, this card gives all players no maximum hand size, which makes this a group hug commander that benefits everyone. Stave off opponents who need card draw because they can’t attack you if they draw a card at your end step because of the how civil of you ability.

This would be a great commander to mill opponents with Teferi's Tutelage and Bruvac the Grandiloquent. Do self-mill and be sure to have a win condition like Laboratory Maniac or Jace, Wielder of Mysteries.

#14. The Master, Multiplied

The Master, Multiplied allows the legend rule to not apply, the same ability that Sakashima of a Thousand Faces and Sliver Gravemother have. When you attack with the time lord rogue, the myriad ability allows for additional tokens to enter based on how many other opponents it’s not attacking. This would be a great card in a 3- or 4-player pod to continue getting more tokens of The Master, Multiplied.

Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink and Feldon of the Third Path can copy legendary creatures you control or that are in the graveyard for them to become legendary tokens to have multiple of them on the field thanks to The Master, Multiplied’s ability. Have other creatures with myriad in the build to increase how many tokens you create.

#13. The Tenth Doctor

Manipulate time itself on suspend cards with The Tenth Doctor. When you pay the mana ability to time travel three times, you can remove 3 time counters from each suspend card you control for them to hit the battlefield faster. Cast your suspend 3 cards in one turn. On the next turn, have enough mana and ramp to cast The Tenth Doctor and automatically pay the mana ability for all the suspend cards to enter from exile onto the battlefield that turn.

#12. The Eighth Doctor

The Eighth Doctor does best in a self-mill deck since it can cast historic lands or another historic permanent from your graveyard once each turn. Dreamborn Muse can help you self-mill on every upkeep so you always have access to something to cast from your graveyard. Mill yourself big time by adding multiple Persistent Petitioners, and don’t forget to have Triskaidekaphile with discard outlets to win with 13 cards in your hand.

#11. The Fourth Doctor

The Fourth Doctor is featured in one of the four Doctor Who precon decks with Sarah Jane Smith its companion. Together on the battlefield, the doctor creates a Food token when you cast a historic spell, and at the same time, the doctor’s companion gives you a Clue token for the same historic spell that’s cast. 

Just from casting simple ramp spells like Sol Ring and Arcane Signet, you can generate so much value on any historic spell cast by reassuring both creatures are on the field simultaneously first.

#10. The War Doctor

Teferi's Protection, Disciple of Caelus Nin, and Clever Concealment would synergize well with The War Doctor. So that you don’t lose your best creature, have the permanents that phase out for The War Doctor’s ability be creature tokens.

Include Yasmin Khan in the build for the exile synergy for The War Doctor to get more time counters. As this doctor attacks, direct the damage equal to its time counters to your opponent’s life total for an explosive game-ender.

#9. The Valeyard

The Valeyard is a cunning diplomat with the ability to have opponents face a villainous choice an additional time. If you vote, you can do so an additional time.

Magister of Worth and Custodi Squire involve votes for benefits, where you can vote on them an additional time because of The Valeyard. Sycorax Commander and The Master, Gallifrey's End are examples of cards that trigger The Valeyard’s villainous choice trigger.

#8. The Sixth Doctor

The Sixth Doctor is a copy machine for historic spells. The doctor can synergize well with Volo, Guide to Monsters. Include all legendary creatures in the build to get a copy each from The Sixth Doctor and Volo, Guide to Monsters per legendary creature cast since this is an example of a historic spell. As long as you include different types of legendary creatures, you can get two copies off the cast from both these creatures instead of just the original one cast.

Benefit more from the different creature types in your build with Volo, Itinerant Scholar, allowing you to draw cards based on how many are listed in Volo's Journal.

#7. River Song

River Song lets you draw cards from the bottom of your library instead of the top, which makes for a fun, unusual way to play. It gets larger when an opponent views their library in one of three ways, damaging them equal to its power. This essentially punishes opponents for scrying, surveilling, or searching their libraries.

Card draw synergistic giants like Niv-Mizzet, Parun and counter doublers like Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus cause additional shenanigans than just drawing cards in reverse.

#6. The Twelfth Doctor

The Twelfth Doctor gets two +1/+1 counters each time you cast a spell from your graveyard or exile because of its demonstrate ability. Don't Blink is a great card to include so that the cards cast from exile can go back into your library instead of being lost from the game forever. Impending Flux can hinder your opponents and their creatures depending on how many cards you cast from anywhere other than your hand when it’s cast.

#5. The Ninth Doctor

Incorporate cards with upkeep triggers for some insane value. Triggers are already great, and doubling up on your already powerful effects can be too much to handle for some opponents.

#4. The Eleventh Doctor

The Eleventh Doctor grants the suspend mechanic to any card you want. The lower the mana value of these cards, the less time counters that have to be placed on them when The Eleventh Doctor gives them suspend.

Maintain a low mana curve with creatures of mana value 3 or less so you can also give them unblockable with The Eleventh Doctor’s mana ability. Esper Sentinel can become an unblockable creature with this doctor’s mana ability while also giving you card draw value.

Pili-Pala and Grand Architect can give you infinite colored mana so that your entire creature arsenal can’t be blocked for an unexpected and riveting game-ender.

#3. The First Doctor

The First Doctor fetches TARDIS from your library or graveyard so you can cast it the same turn or your next turn when it goes to your hand. Since you can pump an artifact or creature by +1/+1 whenever you cast a spell with cascade, make your build with mainly artifact creatures or vehicles that can be crewed into creatures to maintain a strong army.

#2. Missy

Missy wants to see you and your opponents’ nonartifact creatures get destroyed to turn them into Cybermen that return under your control. Don’t forget to have Chief of the Foundry and Master of Etherium to pump your artifact creatures and have them available for part of the time lord rogue’s villainous choice ability.

Lita, Mechanical Engineer can untap these artifact creatures to act as blockers on your opponent’s turn. The time lord rogue synergizes well with the Planechase format because of its chaos ensues ability.

#1. Vrestin, Menoptra Leader

All hail the alien insects as we welcome the #1 Doctor Who commander! Vrestin, Menoptra Leader pumps itself when it enters and brings an army of alien insects along with it.

Plus, all insects are additionally buffed whenever one or more attack. With the evasion tactic of flying, you have a higher probability of landing combat damage on your opponents.

As a Selesnya token deck, you have the tools to outrageously increase your token output with Anointed Procession, Parallel Lives/card], and [card]Mondrak, Glory Dominus. Primal Vigor will synergize with Vrestin, Menoptra Leader’s token generating and +1/+1 counters abilities.

“Who” Will Be Your Doctor Who Commander?

Missy | Illustration by Ekaterina Burmak

The show, Doctor Who ran for 26 seasons between 1963 to 1989 and has continued to be an iconic sci-fi show and a British and American pop culture novelty. Whether you’re a bona fide Whovian or just a time lord novice getting started on watching Doctor Who, Magic players of all time spectrums will enjoy this fanbase set release.

Do you need inspiration for building a Doctor Who commander? Don’t let time pass you by! Visit the Draftsim Discord to connect with other Magic players who can help you out. You never know if you will make a new friend!

Enjoy every moment of your favorite tabletop card game because unfortunately, we can’t turn back time like Doctor Who.