Overview:

This Bant (GWU) Doctor/Historic-themed deck leverages The Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith to generate value through historic spells (artifacts, legendaries, Sagas), creating Food/Clue tokens and incremental advantages. The strategy focuses on mid-game board development using Doctor companions, token synergies, and Saga triggers, with a conditional alt-win via Gallifrey Stands. While synergistic, it lacks fast combos and has moderate protection.

Primer:

Core Strategy: This deck aims to establish value engines through historic spell triggers (Sarah Jane Smith investigations, The Fourth Doctor topdeck plays) while building a critical mass of Doctors and tokens. Key phases:

1. Early Setup: Ramp with Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, and land-searching Sagas like An Unearthly Child
2. Engine Activation: Cast Doctors and Companions to trigger historic synergies (Jamie McCrimmon buffs, Heroes' Podium scaling)
3. Win Conditions:
   • Token swarm enhanced by Displaced Dinosaurs and City of Death copies
   • Gallifrey Stands alt-win with 13 Doctors
   • Value dominance through Traverse Eternity draws and Saga triggers

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands including color sources
• Prioritize early ramp (Three Visits, Mind Stone)
• Look for engine starters (TARDIS, Barbara Wright for Saga control)

Key Tips:

• Sequence Sagas with Barbara Wright's read ahead
• Use Time Lord Regeneration to protect key Doctors
• Reverse the Polarity can counter game-ending spells or enable alpha strikes

Avoid Traps:

• Overcommitting to board before Time Wipe/Crisis of Conscience
• Holding Gallifrey Stands without sufficient Doctor density

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• Relies on maintaining 13 Doctors for primary wincon
• Minimal graveyard recursion for exiled pieces

Moderate:

• Slow recovery from board wipes
• Limited instant-speed interaction

Minor:

• Some tapped lands slow early turns

Most Important Cards:

• Gallifrey Stands
• TARDIS
• Heroes' Podium
• City of Death
• The Five Doctors
• Displaced Dinosaurs
• Banish to Another Universe
• Traverse Eternity
• Time Wipe
• Reverse the Polarity

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Reaches critical mass around T8-10 via incremental value
• No fast mana beyond Sol Ring, relies on land drops

Resilience: 4/10

• Vulnerable to commander removal (3+ removals cripple synergy)
• Limited protection outside Heroic Intervention

Consistency: 6/10

• Multiple Doctor tutors (The Five Doctors, Twice Upon a Time)
• Strong draw from Clues and Traverse Eternity

Interaction: 5/10

• Spot removal (Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares)
• Flexible answers (Reverse the Polarity)
• Lacks free counterspells

Rating Justification:

This deck operates at a Focused Casual (4.5) level - faster than precons with synergistic engines but slower than optimized combo decks. Comparable to upgraded precons that win through combat/value around T9-11. Lacks the speed (T8-10 benchmarks) and redundancy for Optimized Casual (5.0), but exceeds basic jank through Doctor tribal cohesion.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5