Pyramid Pick
Compact Sorcerer
Published by MicroTactix
Designed by Greg Poehlein and Guy McLimore
Art by Gary M. Williams
Rulebook, 2 game boards, 30 spell cards, 8 magic item cards, and 17 cardboard figures, $9.00
There comes a time in every Compact Warrior's life where he or she is no longer satisfied beating opponents senseless with swords and hammers, and yearns instead to engulf his or her enemies in ghastly fire. Fortunately for them, MicroTactix has created Compact Sorcerer, the first expansion for their Compact Warrior board game.
Compact Warrior is a game of man-to-man fantasy combat played on a square grid map using cardboard figures and ten-sided dice. Compact Sorcerer provides the rules, skills, and spells necessary for wizards to enter the fray. Even with the addition of magic, the board game retains its quick pace and remains generic enough that it can replace the combat systems of fantasy role playing games.
As with Compact Warrior, the Compact Sorcerer rules are clear and suffer from few editing mistakes. The black and white art is satisfactory and the cardboard figures are sturdy. The two games were clearly created by the same team and work together seamlessly.
Compact Sorcerer adds two skills, two actions, and Mana points to the game. The new skills, Magic and Spell Targeting, are the skills that define a character as a sorcerer. Casting a spell requires a successful roll on the wizard's Magic skill. If the spell is . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: March 24, 2000
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