Hnefatafl Travel Game (The Viking Game)

Hnefatafl is an ancient strategy game often called the Viking Game or Viking Chess. The king sits on his throne at the centre of the board protected by 12 of his defenders and surrounded by 24 attackers ready for battle. For attackers to win the battle they must capture the king; for the defenders to win, the king must find his escape. Strategies are different for playing attacker or defender, so try both sides. For more information on Tafl games see the Wikipedia.

The rules are somewhat interpreted and various, and there are lots of internet resources covering them. I'll leave it to you to find your own favourite, but the downloadable PDF rules from The Museum of Gaming are useful to have on hand. Rules vary depending upon the type of Tafl game played. I have provided a Tablut-style 9x9 board and the more common Copenhagen-rules 11x11 board.

Youtube is a great resource for getting started with Hnefatafl.

• This video helps you get straight into it covering the basics of the Copenhagen rules game.
• This video gives more background into Hnefatafl games and provides more detailed Copenhagen rules.

This Hnefatafl travel game fits into a handy storage container. The lid clips tightly to the base to prevent pieces falling out. When removed the lid can be flipped and clipped underneath the keep it out of the way. The container is approx 6" x 6" x 1" (150mm x 150mm x 25mm). About the size of a CD travel case.

There are two stacked boards (11x11 and 9x9) that can be removed and played on separately or can be returned to the storage base if playing space is a premium.

All the playing pieces are stored beneath the board. Two optional removable trays can be used to quickly store and remove the pieces from the container and can be used in play to capture removed pieces (place pieces on their sides before storing). The trays are printed very thin. I have a spiral print mode version available here. 

Print in PETG to ensure the lid hinge has flexibility and won't break. PETG is also recommended for heat resistance if there's a likelihood of the game being kept in a vehicle.