Wizard battle
A simple strategy game crafted by /tg/ back in April 2010.
Rules
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
The game board is a 5x5 grid with random numbers from 1-3 on each space (see right for an example). Two players each have a wizard pawn, which start the game on opposite corners of the board.
Players alternate turns. On a player's turn, the player's wizard moves, then casts a spell.
- a wizard moves as many spaces as the number it is on when it starts the turn. Wizards may move only orthogonaly, and must move the full amount.
- a wizard casts a spell at any space on the board except these three: the one the wizard started on, or the two spaces currently occupied by wizard pawns. A spell can add one or subtract one the number on a space, so long as the resulting number is no less than 0 and no more than 3.
A wizard loses the battle if:
- a wizard lands on a space that has a number greater than the board width (thunder magic)
- a wizard lands on a space that has a number greater than it's distance from the board edge (fire magic)
- a wizard lands on a space with a zero (ice magic)
- a wizard's only safe moves are to repeat moving between two spaces (wind magic)
- a wizard pawn tries to occupy the same space as the other wizard pawn (disqualified for un-wizardly conduct)
Criticisms
Thunder magic loss will never happen; the board is 5 spaces wide, but no space can have a number greater than 3.
Fire magic loss makes the first move by a wizard is immediately fatal: any move from the first square will land on a space that is 0 from the board's edge, but the numbers at the start of the game necessarily must be greater than 0 on every space.