A Viking Game

I first heard of Hnefatafl over 20 years ago.  At the time, the internet was a lot less of a resource than it is today.  I had the idea that I'd like to learn to play the game, but never did anything with that idea.

So, looking for something to do, as many of us are while being socially isolated, I decided to look for information about Hnefatafl.  Just put that word into your favorite search engine and you'll get more than you might expect.  It seems to have experienced something of a resurgence in popularity in recent years.  Not too surprising, considering the interest in Vikings that's going around.

In short, Hnefatafl is a game from a thousand years ago.  It is sometimes called Viking Chess.  The sides are mis-matched, with the larger side being the attackers and the smaller side being the defenders.

I made my board by running a piece of pine lumber over a table saw several times, cutting grooves about 1/8" deep to divide the board into a grid of squares.  Playing pieces are just glass decorative "stones."  Except the king, which I made, using standard lampworking techniques.  The defenders are blue, the attackers red.  A little paint and a quick spray of semi-gloss wood finish and it was done.

I played a couple of games with my 7 year old today.  The rules are very easy to learn, but there is a need for strategy no matter which side you play.  I can see this becoming a favorite game in the house.