Norse Game of Tablut

Norse game of Tablut

History

“Tafl” are a family of ancient Nordic and Celtic strategy board games played on a checkered or latticed gameboard with two armies of uneven numbers. A king is at the centre of the board, with his small band of loyal defenders, facing a horde of attackers twice their number, who are lined up at the edges ready to attack from all sides. The king must escape from the board, while the attackers must capture him. There are a few versions of Tafl and many variations on the rules. Tablut (this game) is a simpler version with a 9x9 board and fewer pieces. Hnefltafl (also on sale at cheshire.ca) is played on an 11x11 board.

Tablut is a unique blend of two kinds of strategy games; “hunt” games, and “war” games. A hunt game is one where the purpose is for one (prey) player to get their piece from one spot on the board to another, while their opponent’s goal is to stop them. On the other hand, war games, like chess, are usually played between two players with equal armies, which create balance & more strategic, compelling play. Tablut gives the prey an army, which can defend & attack, adding a greater level of complexity.

Between 400 and 1000 AD, as Viking raiders, adventurers and settlers spread further afield, the game spread to other cultures: the English, Scots, Welsh and Irish all played. Norse traders also took the game east with them to Russia and Ukraine. By the 12th century, the popularity of Tafl games was challenged and overcome by the game of chess in all the lands it had invaded. Only in remote lands did the game survive, in Wales until the sixteenth century, and in Lapland until the eighteenth century. The Fetlar Hnefatafl rules were developed by the Fetlar Museum Trust in 2008, as a balanced version of the game for an annual tournament.

Board Design

Your Tablut Board includes a number of important historical and symbolic details. It uses primary artifacts to depict the importance of story and mythology to the Norse people.

Each corner of the Board is adorned with a depiction of Odin, the king of the Gods. The image is taken from the plate of a Norse helmet. You will see that Odin is confronting a serpent, and is flanked by his two ravens – Huginn and Muninn.

Meanwhile, the central etchings come from the Golden Horns of Gellehus. These horns were made of gold encircled by panels of engraved art. The original is lost to history, but the replicas and their meaning are still a mystery to scholars. Four of the panels are included on each side.

GamePlay & Rules

This is a game of pure strategy. Played on a square board, a king and a small force of 8 defenders occupy the center of the board. A larger force of 16 attackers occupies the edges.

Object: The king must escape to a corner of the board. The attackers must surround the king on four sides, preventing his escape. The game is considered a draw if neither player can move on their turn.

Setup:

While the colours may differ depending on your version, the setup is the same. The attacker (colour with \ more pieces) is set up in a T-phallanx on each edge of the board (4 per edge). The king is placed in the centre of the board, flanked by 2 defenders on each side. The picture to the right can help. Play:

1. Attackers move first. 2. All pieces in this game move orthogonally, like rooks in chess. They move in a straight line forwards & back, and sideways any number of spaces in one direction at a time. They cannot jump other pieces, or move diagonally. Pieces cannot share spaces. 3. Aside from the King, all other pieces can be taken by sandwiching them on two sides. A captured piece is immediately removed from the board.

4. Refuge Squares: The four corners and the centre can only be occupied by the King. 5. A piece is considered squashed if it is next to a refuge square and is blocked by an opposing piece. It is immediately removed from the board.

6. It is sometimes possible to capture two or three enemies separately (i.e. not two or three enemies in a row) against other pieces of your own in a single move; in this case all captured pieces are removed at once.

7. The king can only be captured by surrounding him on all four sides. 8. To win, the defenders must get the king to one of the four marked corner squares. 9. The attackers win if they capture the king before he escapes.

Points of Clarification: The king and his defending warrior can work together to capture an attacker’s piece. The active player is attacking, no matter who is at risk of capture. (IE, you can’t kill yourself.) You CAN move a soldier into a space between two opposing pieces. You cannot capture two pieces at a time – an offensive move that sandwiches 2 pieces doesn’t squash them. One at a time! If the King is on the edge of the board, but not at a corner, he is safe, because he cannot be surrounded on four sides. HOWEVER, he must be manoeuvered to a position where he can be surrounded. If no spot is possible, the game is a draw. The King is allowed to return to the middle refuge spot during the game. If he is surrounded by his opponents on the central square, he IS captured! If the King and one of the defending warriors are encircled by their opponents, victory is only declared when the warrior is separated from the King or taken. Warriors may cross the central refuge square, but only if the square on the opposite side is clear.

Strategy & Variations: If you are new to Tablut, playing the attacking force is a good place to start (more pieces to work with) Some variations favour the defender, such as allowing the king's escape possibilities to anywhere on the edge of the board and making the king "weaponless" (unable to participate in capture). One variation suggests that when moving a piece to attack between your opponent’s pieces, you should shout, “BRAVE!” as you step into the gap. It has no real effect on the game, other than encouraging a flair for the dramatic…

Thank you again for your purchase. We hope you enjoy this recreation of an ancient Norse game. If you are interested in other games and gifts from across history and the globe.

Deluxe Hnefltafl and Tablut

If you enjoy playing Tablut, and want a more complex and historically accurate game, check out our Deluxe Hnefltafl and Tablut table. Great game and art fused into one piece!!