Wizard (1978) is the companion to Melee, released by Metagaming as Microgame 6. In the plastic envelope is a rule book, a spell book, two sheets of tokens and a hex map. Like Melee, its tiny! Also, kind of wild to realize there was a time where you could just name your product “Wizard” and it worked.

Wizard builds on the rules of Melee, adding IQ to the physical attributes. Armor is also introduced, offering damage reduction in exchange for a lower DEX. Spellcasters know a number of spells equal to their IQ (which also determines the potential pool of spells – the higher the IQ, the more access a mage has to more powerful and complex spells). Casting spells costs points of Strength, which also serves as hit points. This introduces an interesting dynamic of risk to the tactics game.

I have to say, I am not super into tactical combat. As much as my brain enjoys it on one level, I also find it kind of tedious. That said, I extremely appreciate the way Wizard approaches spells on a tactical level. As much as I enjoy the often nebulous descriptions of spells in D&D, and how they facilitate creativity and strangeness, I also dig spells that have super short and precise descriptions that remove any wiggle room for lawyering. So much less mental static that way.

Clark Bradley does all the art here. I don’t know that he ever did work elsewhere (though he does seem rather GURPs-y). I love the feel of the cover art, and the interiors are super crisp.