commander · The Thirteenth Doctor
Paradox Power (WHO).
A Temur exile-and-cast deck led by The Thirteenth Doctor and Yasmin Khan — exile cards to cast for free and proliferate counters on companions to unlock powerful bonus abilities.
The Commanders
Paradox Power is a Temur Commander deck built around two mechanics unique to the Doctor Who set: exile-casting and the Companion creature type. The Thirteenth Doctor exiles cards for free casting later, building a hidden pool of options. Yasmin Khan proliferates counters on companions, unlocking their escalating bonus abilities. Together they form a ramp-heavy midrange deck that builds card advantage through exile rather than the hand.
The Thirteenth Doctor is a Partner commander. At the beginning of your end step, she exiles the top card of your library face down with a time counter. You may cast those exiled cards as long as the time counters remain. She builds an exile zone full of spells each turn — a hidden extra hand that refills passively. With proliferate effects keeping time counters alive, you accumulate a large pool of castable exiled cards.
Yasmin Khan is the second Partner. She's a 2/4 Human Detective: whenever a +1/+1 counter is put on a Companion you control, you may draw a card and lose one life. In a deck that proliferates constantly, Yasmin converts each proliferate trigger into card draw while your companions grow stronger. She turns the counter engine into persistent card advantage that keeps your hand full through the midgame.
Key Cards
Etali, Primal Storm
Whenever Etali attacks, exile the top card of each other player's library — you may cast those cards without paying their mana cost. In a four-player game, that's three free cards per attack. Etali is the single most explosive creature in the deck, converting each attack into three free spells from opponents' decks. The Thirteenth Doctor's exile package pairs naturally with Etali's attack trigger, and any proliferate that fires during Etali turns extends time counters on her exiled cards.
Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald
Whenever you cast a spell from exile or a spell you didn't cast from your hand, create a 2/2 green Wolf token. The Thirteenth Doctor's exile-and-cast engine triggers Faldorn every turn. Each card cast from exile is a free 2/2. With multiple exiled cards available and proliferate extending time windows, Faldorn floods the board with Wolves while you're casting your exile library. This is the deck's primary token-generating engine.
River Song
A legendary Companion with a unique ability: whenever an opponent casts a spell from their hand, River Song gets a +1/+1 counter. She grows passively each time opponents play spells — in a four-player game she reaches five or six counters quickly. Her bonus ability at high counter thresholds makes her an escalating threat that opponents must answer or face a 6/6 or 7/7 bearing down on them. Yasmin Khan draws a card every time River Song grows.
Maelstrom Wanderer
Eight mana for a 7/5 haste creature that cascades twice when cast. Two free spells off the top of the deck, then attack with a 7/5 that gives all your creatures haste. With the Thirteenth Doctor's exile deck building, you often cast Maelstrom Wanderer into two powerful cards from the top and attack for significant damage immediately. The cascades potentially chain into Etali or other high-value creatures.
Sonic Screwdriver
A legendary artifact that lets you play the top card of your library — effectively adding a card to your hand each turn. Its secondary ability lets you tap a target artifact, and the tertiary ability copies an instant or sorcery spell. The Sonic Screwdriver provides consistent card access, interacts with the exile-and-cast theme, and represents one of the most flavor-accurate pieces of the Doctor Who deck.
How to Play
Build mana in the early turns with the deck's green ramp package. Deploy the Thirteenth Doctor as early as possible to start accruing exiled cards. Get Yasmin Khan onto the board and start proliferating — every proliferate tick draws a card through Yasmin and extends the time counters on your Thirteenth Doctor exile pile.
Win through Etali hitting multiple opponents simultaneously and building an overwhelming board of free spells, or through Faldorn flooding the table with Wolves while you cast your exile library. Maelstrom Wanderer closes games when it resolves cleanly — two free cascades plus haste on a 7/5 is frequently enough damage to eliminate a player. The deck is difficult to race once the exile engine is running.