History
The first edition of the game had an extremely low production value and consisted of photocopied typewritten rules, simply designed two-by-three-inch cards, silkscreened cardboard boards, and photocopied chits, all contained in a clear plastic Ziploc bag. Jolly silkscreened the game boards by hand.
Later editions featured slightly more sophisticated game materials (such as a box), but the essential simplicity of the game has been preserved. Several expansion sets have also been published, including additional cards and board segments, allowing for more players.
After the release of Wiz-War 7th edition in 1997, Wiz-War went out of print for many years, and lengthy delays around the release of the Eighth Edition lead many to consider it vaporware. An Eighth Edition had been mentioned at Tom Jolly's website for some time, and had also been announced on the Chessex web site since at least 2002. In November 2009, Tom Jolly announced in a post on wizwar.com that he had canceled the contract with Chessex and had reached agreement to republish the game with a new publisher.
Jolly's new publisher, Fantasy Flight Games, released Wiz-War 8th edition in February 2012. Fantasy Flight Games has indicated that the new Wiz-War edition has been redesigned to make for faster gameplay and to clarify card effects.
Prior to February 2012, copies of the game could be very hard to find, but were sometimes available on eBay. Dedicated players frequently made their own equipment, ranging from the simple to the elaborate. The cards and board designs are available on the Internet. Wiz-War has a small but very dedicated following, and the game's creator seems to encourage creativity and innovation within the Wiz-War community.
Read more about this topic: Wiz-War
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