What are you doing reading this? Go buy Wiz-War right now!

Okay, well some people need more depth in their review before they part with their hard earned cash. I can understand that. After all, just a week ago I thought I'd take a risk at buying this game over Fury of Dracula because it'd save me a few bucks (FoD my next purchase, for sure). Little did I know this game has no risk factor at all. In fact, it is hard for me to believe someone would greatly dislike Wiz-War, because it does so much right that it's more work to hate the game than to love it.

Wiz-War is why I love Dungeon Quest, Magic the Gathering, Descent, and especially Mansions of Madness, but even then adds a spice of something completely revolutionary that words cannot convey the timeless fun you and your friends shall have playing this game. When I reviewed how Android failed to accomplish a week ago three vital details (i.e. balance, time management, and complexity), Wiz-War goes above and beyond accomplishing. The rule book is twenty pages and easy to understand. The complexity lies within the cards themselves, giving the game satisfying and understandable depth. Each card itself is quite balanced, and the players share the deck by the standard rules (I will discuss variants later). Additionally, cards compliment very well with other schools of magic.

For instance, I played tonight a card called Slow Death from the Thaumaturgy school which penalized my opponent if he drew cards by receiving 1 damage per draw (had the choice to draw though). Still feeling smug because he still had a full hand size, I then played an instant attack card called Brain Burn from the mental school, which suffered my opponent to choose which cards he wanted to discard. Those cards he left in his hand dealt 1 damage each; so after he takes damage from the cards he really wants to keep, loses some others from his hand, and then if he wants more cards in the future, he must then take itty-bitty smacks of damage to refill his hand. Did this make him ball up and cry in a corner? No! He instead grinned at the intensity of such a combo, and led on his turn a completely other unique combo that did devastating effects to me as well. The game is a laugh fest of enjoying the misfortune of your opponent because of how over-powered you feel, and then when his turn comes around, sometimes you dread his capabilities, and other times you feel well fortified because of the proper amount of counter cards thrown in for good measure. The game is so balanced I shudder because it seems so perfect. It feels like Magic the Gathering with figurines, but you and your opponent are on equal footing with the cards supplied (best of all, no needless collect single, high dollar cards to win). Matches can last anywhere between an hour and a half of intense sorcery and wit, and sometimes one opponent gets incredibly lucky draw within fifteen minutes and smashes his rival all over the labyrinth.

My favorite moment was where I had Dagger and a very nice draw. My opponent went for my treasure in a narrow passage, with only one exit two spaces deep. I boosted, increasing my speed by at least double, suddenly adjacent to him. I conjured a wall to seal us in. My opponent had a puzzled look at why I would do that. I then casted Invisibility with a boost that would give me 75% evasion for five rounds. I then ended my turn by stabbing him for 2 damage, and then he got the grim picture. Avoiding certain doom, my opponent at the start of his turn blew down a wall to escape, and I commenced chasing him around the labyrinth cackling with my knife until I felt he looked enough like Swiss-cheese!

All my sessions were two-player, but we played with a few of the variants. We played one or two games with the standard rules, and then we both preferred playing with Uncluttered Minds variant, letting us gain more chance at combos. We also played the second half with our own custom spell books. I imagine there is no true difference with three or four players. The maps add a 5x5 grid for each player, and nifty portals are also smartly suggested to maximize quick, simple, and fair travel to and from rival player's sectors.

After playing quite a few sessions, I suggested the idea of playing a solo-variant of my imagining but with his character added in as an extra. I thought it was too easy as 2 player against only 2 of the transformations at a time (i.e. werewolf, gnome, golem, etc.) as enemies, but I know the potential of having 1 player against 3. Shortly I will be test playing to see if I can make a further suggestion on how to play this mode.

What more can I say? I love this game. A lot. A lot, a lot! Kevin Wilson and Tom Jolly have forged one board game to rule them all. If I did have one problem with this game, it was with the art design, yet when I read a review that someone described it as "Saturday Morning Cartoon" art and I played the game, that is how the game exactly feels: zany, wacky fun that you get from a kids cartoon. You feel like Itchy killing Scratchy! The only two legit complaints I have is there is no expansion out for it yet, and that possibly you read to the end of this and still didn't shell out your 50 dollars to buy it already! Outrageous!

Out of a d20, this game earns a 20 out of 20. I cast Geass: buy Wiz-War now!

If you have a half-hour, Electronic Eremite does an excellent job too arguing why you will love this game. First half is component and rules breakdown, and the second half is his input why the game is fantastic.

Dude your review rocks!

I wasn't sure at all about this game and last week, after roaming in my FLGS I stumbled upon the actual box. Took it in my hands, looked and read the back...strafed 4 steps to the right while still reading the box and gave $ to the store clerk while he ended the conversation with "Thanks! Great buy dude, I wanted to buy it tonight after my shift you lucky bastard!".

Didn't played yet but read the rules, awesomelly simple and well done, can't wait to play that.

You also mentioned DungeonQuest, another of my favorite game (with Talisman, Dust Tactics and Runewars). Me and my bro (my monday 2-player gaming night partner) will couple Wiz-War with DungeonQuest in what we call "Chaotic Luck Mondays".

****, board gaming is so cool! I'm 31 ...

SolennelBern said:

Glad I could help FFG and its customers make an informed decision. Yeah, I'm 26 and this board gaming craze won't end any time soon for sure. I just got Fury of Dracula too and that is also very incredible. This week I should be getting the new Thunderstone: Towers of Ruin. I am very much looking forward to that. Let me know how you like Wiz-War. Right now that is my most played game along with Mansions of Madness.

Tromdial said:

Really? I would think that the replay value of Wiz-War is much higher than Mansions of Madness. I like MoM, but there are too few scenarios and that setup time is MADNESS!!!

GrimJester said:

Somewhat mispoke: in relation to the past, Wiz-War is my most played game alongside how often I would play Mansions.

I also have been playing a good amount of Fury of Dracula. I'd play Mansions more if Forbidden Alchemy had come out along with new PoDs.

Played 3 two player games tonight, first games of Wiz-War!

We had some much fun, even with only 2 players. 3 completely different games, 3 cool games where tension was everywhere from start to finish. Creating walls, Mist forms, Werewolf, Slime, Fireballs, Stones to boost your numerous skills...**** it's a better game than I thought.

Play just under 45 minutes, but it's 45 minutes of pure blasting and smelting and laughing!

**** glad I bought it!

SolennelBern said:

Exactly my initial reaction too, as I completely underestimated the fun-filled experience this game brings. I sold my Magic cards gladly once I owned this and my cousin whom I sold them to says that this is the one board game he will have to purchase himself.

Tromdial, thank you for sharing your experience. I was very skeptic about this game, but your review (and a marvellous discount on Amazon, I got my copy for 30 EUR instead of 50) made me decide. Many, many, many thanks

Julia said:

Oh, it's so incredible. Do enjoy and let me know how it goes for you.

Tromdial said:

Yup, sure! Can't way to give it a try now :-)

Tromdial said:

I've finally found the time to give this game a try and… it was a blast. Really. I played four games in a row, and even they were two player games only, they were all brilliant. Cards are *evil* (which is good), all games were fast paced and very tense, can't wait to try different decks and three or four player games :-)

Julia said:

Exactly how my first games went: 1v1 and just diabolic. I am so wanting an expansion for this awesome game.

Tromdial said:

Yep! This game could be expanded in many and *awesome* manners (starting with the introduction of creatures in the dungeon).

Need to read once more the rules, there are some poorly written parts which are kinda confusing. Then, back to labyrinth!