Forming a Strategic Plan | Hnefatafl: the Game of the Vikings (2024)

FAQs

Forming a Strategic Plan | Hnefatafl: the Game of the Vikings? ›

The game has a basic strategy for each side. The attackers have to form a blockade to contain the king and his defenders, and gradually close in the ring until the defending forces are suffocated, capturing defenders and eventually seizing the king himself.

In the control of an experienced player, the king is unlikely to fall carelessly into the attacker's hands. The attacker must therefore restrict the king's movement, while approaching him with assassins or herding him into a prepared ambush. This is done by forming blockades.

A good variation is that the King's player must say 'Check' if he can get the King to the edge of the board on his next turn. There are clues from the Nordic Sagas hinting that the King cannot take part in captures but many versions have an armed King who can capture.

Enemies are usually captured by surrounding them on two opposite sides with your own pieces; this is called custodianship. The piece trapped between the aggressors is removed from the board. It is usually acceptable to place a piece deliberately between two enemies without harm; capture must be a deliberate act.

The game has a basic strategy for each side. The attackers have to form a blockade to contain the king and his defenders, and gradually close in the ring until the defending forces are suffocated, capturing defenders and eventually seizing the king himself.

The king: on his throne or in his castle? People new to hnefatafl often make the same observation: "the king always seems to win!" Sometimes that's because they're playing a variant which really is unbalanced. But more often than not, nowadays, the variant is balanced.

In most games, pieces can move as far as they like along a rank or file, like a chess rook. Some games restrict pieces to moving only to adjacent squares. This is most often used on the smallest boards. In some games, the king has a restricted move (typically one or four squares) while the other pieces are unimpeded.

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From the same website, some strategy notes: The King's forces usually possess a slight advantage, despite being outnumbered. Tactically, the defender (King's men) must arrange for the King to escape the board.

You did an illegal move, because capturing the King is against the rules of chess. Instead, you should have raised your hand and claim that your opponent did an illegal move when he left his King in a check. Capturing the King is not the same as checkmating the King.

Can you capture king without checkmate? ›

You won the game by capturing the opposing king, just as you would capture any other piece. There was therefore no need to mention check or checkmate in the rules.

One of history's greatest board games, Hnefatafl(nef-ah-tah-fel), which translates as "King's Table," has been played for more than 1,600 years, far longer than chess. There are two ways to win: either the attackers (24 soldiers) capture the king, or the king (helped by his 12 soldiers) escapes to one of the corners.

Hnefatafl. Hnefatafl (sometimes now referred to as Viking Chess) was a popular game in medieval Scandinavia and was mentioned in several of the Norse sagas. Some of these saga references have contributed to controversy over the possible use of dice in playing hnefatafl.

There are two ways to win: either the attackers (24 soldiers) capture the king, or the king (helped by his 12 soldiers) escapes to one of the corners.