Compact 37-piece Hnefatafl Game
Some of the most popular hnefatafl games today are played on boards of 11 rows of 11 squares. This hnefatafl set brings such a game to you in a compact package. While it uses the same small squares as the low-cost Basic hnefatafl games, it emulates the style and refinement of the Deluxe range. This makes it both practical and attractive: find a place to display this in your home and it will be an instant conversation piece!
The board is made of the 10" square (250mm) birch plywood, with an ornamental border of American Walnut veneer. The grid pattern uses 3/4" squares.in eleven rows of eleven, with just the central and corner spaces indicated. As with most ancient boards, the starting positions of the pieces are not shown. In this case it is deliberate, as there are a number of different starting layouts you can use. The board is finished with a cellulose lacquer and polished with beeswax.
The pieces are small wooden pawns, and this is the first game in The Hnefatafl Shop to use them. A brown king in the centre of the board is surrounded by his twelve brown defenders. He must escape from the board, but his way must be blocked by the 24 white attackers who lie in wait for him at the edges of the board. The pieces are supplied in a wooden box, finished and polished to the same quality as the board itself.
An 8-page rules booklet is supplied with the game. It contains the history of the game, along with two sets of rules, one historic and one modern. The historic version is tawlbwrdd, a game played in Wales until the sixteenth century. The modern version is based on those from Fetlar, used for the annual hnefatafl tournament.
The game comes with the same after-sales service you expect from The Hnefatafl Shop. Before and after the sale, you'll find here a passion for the game: strategic tips and alternative rules for the board on the web site, and a readiness to answer any questions about history, rules and strategy that you may have.
The game is hand-made in a rustic style. Please do not expect machine-made precision; there may therefore be blemishes in the work. Not suitable for young children due to small pieces.