Chainmail Magic

Magic Before White Box
Chainmail preceded White Box and served as an inspiration for the first fantasy campaigns. The Fantasy Supplement in Chainmail gives us the earliest rules for casting magic. One of the figure types in the Fantasy Supplement is the Wizard, including lessor Sorcerers, Warlocks, Magicians and Seers. Among their magic abilities, the Wizard can become invisible at will "and remain so until they attack". The Wizard can see in darkness, causes morale checks among enemies and inspires courage in friendlies. They are impervious to normal missiles and get a "saving throw" of 7 or better on two die to survive a missile thrown by another Wizard.
The Wizard may throw missiles of two destructive varieties, either an area effect fire ball or a linear lightning bolt. Targets hit are normally killed outright, but certain more powerful types including Heroes/SuperHeroes, Dragons, Balrogs, Giants and Wraiths may be saved by a dice roll.
Besides "missiles", the Wizard can cast a number of other magic spells, including counter-spells. There are 16 spells listed, but it is mentioned that other spells exist and this is but a sampling of the more commonly used spells. Each spell is given a complexity score which is optionally used with a dice roll to determine if the spell goes off immediately (i.e. that turn), is delayed one turn or is ineffective. An opposing Wizard can attempt a dice roll to counter any spell. This counter-spell takes the Wizard's action for that turn. Otherwise it seems a Wizard may cast a spell on each turn, there being no "daily limit" or spell points spent.
The Wizard magic in Chainmail is geared toward battlefield use and the list of spells reflects this. There is no floating disc to carry treasure or "knock" spell to open locked doors. Hints of things to come do appear in the Fantasy Supplement. Wizards are defined in relative levels of power and corresponding cost to employ, starting with the least powerful "Seer" who has the most likelihood of casting an ineffective spell when using the optional complexity rules and topping-out with the most powerful "Wizard".
I have never seen a Chainmail Wizard used in a dungeon crawl, but the prospect seems interesting. The destructive power of Chainmail characters is immense compared to lower level White Box PCs, with even non-magic using Heroes and SuperHeroes able to kill many "normals" a turn. What is missing is the idea of gaining in experience and of "leveling-up". It has been pointed out that at its core, White Box is a game of PC improvement. It supposes a world view of experience making one better, better in combat or magic. With better abilities, PCs tackle bigger challenges/monsters and win more wealth and more experience.
On some level this process of getting better, richer and more powerful seems intuitively correct. Yet many have labeled the game "escapism", partially because in reality many of us do not get better at what we do, richer or more powerful. In fact as we age, the reverse may be true. The heroic and fantastic literature which inspired the Fantasy Supplement and White Box is frequently referred to as escapism as well. As a college student just starting out in this hobby I recall hearing about a realistic game called "Paychecks & Term Papers". It didn't catch on.