Overview

Doctor's Companion is built around the suspend mechanic and time counter manipulation. The Tenth Doctor has a triggered ability that fires whenever you remove one or more time counters from a suspended card: you may cast a copy of a target instant or sorcery spell from any graveyard without paying its mana cost. This turns every suspend trigger into a bonus spell, doubling the value of every card in the deck that uses suspend or benefits from time counter removal.

The Doctor also interacts with companion cards in a new way unique to this set: certain cards featuring his companions (Martha Jones, Donna Noble, Rose Tyler) can act as Doctor's companion and begin the game in the command zone alongside him, providing additional triggers and bonuses based on the Doctor's adventures. The deck layers suspend, time counter acceleration, and companion synergy into a Jeskai spell-value engine that generates enormous advantage over the course of a long game.

Key Cards

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Martha Jones
Companion · Card Advantage
A companion for the Tenth Doctor that can begin in the command zone. Whenever a time counter is removed from a suspended card you own, you draw a card. Martha Jones turns every suspend upkeep trigger — and every spell that removes time counters — into a free card draw. With the Tenth Doctor already triggering bonus spell copies whenever time counters are removed, Martha ensures that each removal event both copies a graveyard spell and draws a card, creating a card advantage engine that scales dramatically with the number of suspended cards in play.
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Teferi, Master of Time
Time Counter Manipulation · Exile Value
Can phase out creatures and remove time counters from suspended permanents at instant speed. Teferi, Master of Time provides on-demand time counter removal, triggering the Tenth Doctor's ability on any turn rather than waiting for the natural upkeep counter removal. His ability to exile and suspend creatures also builds the deck's suspended card count, and his ultimate generates card advantage through repeated extra turn effects. As a planeswalker that activates at instant speed, he generates multiple triggers per round when the table is actively attacking him.
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Jhoira of the Ghitu
Suspend Engine · Threat Accelerator
For two mana, exile any nonland card and suspend it with four time counters. Jhoira of the Ghitu is the premier suspend enabler in MTG and a perfect fit for this deck: any card in hand can be suspended for two mana, which costs four upkeep triggers for it to resolve, but each of those triggers fires the Tenth Doctor's ability and Martha Jones' draw trigger simultaneously. Jhoira effectively turns hand cards into a pipeline of future card draws and graveyard spell copies, compressing the game's card advantage in the deck's favour over four turns.
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Clockspinning
Counter Manipulation · Instant-Speed Trigger
For one blue mana at instant speed, add or remove a counter of any kind from target permanent or suspended card. With buyback for three additional mana. Clockspinning is the most efficient instant-speed counter manipulation in MTG: for one mana it removes a time counter from a suspended card, triggering the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones simultaneously. The buyback mode costs four total but generates an effectively repeatable trigger engine whenever the deck has spare mana. Removing counters from opponent's suspended permanents or Sagas provides additional utility beyond pure Doctor synergy.

Playing the Deck

The deck operates on two timelines simultaneously: the present (playing ramp, counters, and small threats) and the future (building a pipeline of suspended cards that will resolve over subsequent turns). Early turns should establish mana acceleration and deploy Jhoira of the Ghitu to begin suspending powerful spells. The Tenth Doctor arriving on turn three or four begins converting each upkeep trigger into a bonus spell copy.

The mid game is defined by the number of suspended cards in the pipeline. More suspended cards means more upkeep triggers, more Tenth Doctor triggers, and more Martha Jones draws each turn. Clockspinning with buyback provides instant-speed triggers on opponents' turns, and Teferi, Master of Time operates at instant speed to fire additional Doctor triggers during opponents' attacks.

The late game resolves through an overwhelming spell advantage. A suspended Finale of Promise or similar high-powered sorcery resolving while the Tenth Doctor copies additional graveyard spells generates a one-turn combination of effects that is almost impossible to answer. The deck's Jeskai colours provide enough counterspell backup to protect the key turns when the pipeline delivers maximum value.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: The deck generates card advantage automatically through Martha Jones and the natural cadence of suspend upkeep triggers. The Tenth Doctor's graveyard spell copying is a powerful ability that scales with the quality of instants and sorceries in any graveyard. The Jeskai colour combination provides excellent removal, counterspells, and draw to support the engine.

Weaknesses: The deck is slow to establish: it requires multiple pieces (The Doctor, suspended cards, and Martha) before the engine fires at full power. Exile-based graveyard hate prevents the Tenth Doctor from copying spells. The suspend pipeline means the deck has less immediate impact than decks that operate entirely in the present.

Verdict
Doctor's Companion is a well-crafted suspend deck that rewards planning ahead and building pipeline value over several turns. The Tenth Doctor's graveyard copy ability is genuinely powerful, and the companion system introduced in the Doctor Who set adds a layer of flavourful customisation. Martha Jones as a command-zone companion provides automatic draw that makes the deck more consistent than a typical suspend strategy. Players who enjoy strategic long-game deckbuilding and value the planning aspect of suspend over immediate impact will find this precon deeply satisfying.

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Full Decklist

All 100 cards from the out-of-the-box Doctor's Companion precon, enriched with current prices. Click any card to expand it.

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