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Flavor cycles uncover hidden lore in a Time Lord companionship

Magic: The Gathering thrives on cycles—interlocking stories that spiral across sets and even universes beyond. When you spotlight a card like Susan Foreman, a legendary Time Lord’s companion, you’re not just admiring a green two-drop with a dash of Time Lord bravado; you’re peeking at a flavor cycle that stitches personal history into the fabric of multiverse travel. The Doctor Who crossover gives Susan’s story a fresh passport stamp—green mana as a symbol of growth, curiosity, and the stubborn, hopeful work of a young traveler who learns to navigate time’s labyrinth with wit and courage. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Mechanics that read like time travel in disguise

The card’s core mechanics feel like a wink at the show’s premise: you would planeswalk, but instead you look at the top two cards of your planar deck, choose one to the bottom and the other to the top, then planeswalk. It’s a ritual that mirrors the Doctor’s habit of nudging fate while advancing through dimensions—two options, a choice that subtly rearranges destiny. The balance of top-of-deck manipulation and a free green mana tap to add a green mana symbol evokes the garden-right-or-left path that Susan often navigates beside the Doctor. This isn’t just card text; it’s a thematic invitation to bend time to your will, without ever breaking the thread of a grand narrative. Doctor’s companion as a keyword is a clever nod to the bond that powers Susan’s arc, while the green color identity anchors her growth-oriented journey.

Two commanders and a doorway to lore

One of the most delightful touches here is the line about commanders: you can have two commanders if the other is the Doctor. That flavorful rule nudges players toward two-council style decks, where Susan’s loyalty to the Doctor forms one axis and a complementary Doctor-themed card forms the other. It’s a design choice that invites experimentation—green ramp meets time-bending deck manipulation, all while honoring a character whose history is inseparable from the Doctor’s. The result is a play pattern that rewards timing, careful reading of the battlefield, and a willingness to embrace narrative synergy over pure power. ⚔️

Art, rarity, and the collector’s gaze

Painted by Wangjie Li, Susan Foreman sits in the Doctor Who Commander slot as a rare that’s both collectible and evocative. The frame, the classification as legendary, and the 1/1 body might look modest at a glance, but the real value is in the storytelling aura it carries. The planar deck concept—an in-universe construct that doesn’t exist in standard Magic but feels right at home in a crossover—gives the card a place on the shelf next to other iconic Time Lord moments. For casual players, the card is a reminder that a well-timed top-deck manipulation can outmaneuver brute force; for collectors, it’s a slice of a beloved franchise translated into MTG lore. And yes, even as a non-foil, it still has that shimmering sense of possibility that only a richly flavored crossover can deliver. The current market price nudges toward accessibility, with a foil bump that mirrors the excitement of new reveals. 💎

Crafting a flavor-forward deck

If you’re building around this card, think green as the engine of discovery and resilience. You’ll want ways to exploit top-deck manipulation—look for cards that reward you for seeing more of your plan and for placing critical pieces on top. The “two commanders” rule invites a juicier two-deck dynamic: pair Susan Foreman with another Doctor Who card that complements her companion role, perhaps another Time Lord or a card that thrives on time-shifted sequencing. The synergy between flavor and function shines brightest when the deck leans into timing and patience, rather than brute-speed, turning each match into a narrative beat with a satisfying payoff. And if you’re drawn to the aesthetic of the era, the crimson-green palette of the set’s art and design helps any battlefield feel like a control room pulsing with ancient energy. 🎨

Beyond the table, the card invites conversations about how flavor cycles reveal hidden lore that might otherwise stay tucked away in the margins of official canon. Susan’s presence in the Doctor Who crossover isn’t just a cute nod—it's a deliberate bridge that encourages fans to map character relationships across time, space, and even across the rules of a game. The “planar deck” concept becomes a metaphor for how stories are organized: not simply a single linear path, but a living web of possibilities where every choice reshapes what comes next. 🧭

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