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Home › Traditional Games › The Viking Game (Hnefatafl)

3 sold in the last 24 hours

What's included?

24 Dark pieces
12 Light pieces
1 linen board
Rules booklet
Two year warranty

The Regency Chess Company Reviews:

Beautiful board and great customer service. The WhatsApp feature on the website is great for making sure everything is right with the order.

Tom KenyonReviewed 23/10/2023

I needed to make a speedy order, so I contacted The Regency Chess Company and they made sure they looked out for my name/order and got it sent off that same afternoon. When they noted an item I had ordered was out of stock they upgraded me to ensure we got the order in time. Super great service and so helpful they were on WhatsApp too - just really lovely to deal with. Thank you so much again!

Louise O'KeeffeReviewed 25/09/2023

Many thanks - our replacement knight arrived on Thursday. We are so impressed with your service. We have made a donation to Refugee and Migrant Network Sutton - a brilliant local charity making people welcome in our community.

Lisa WebsterReviewed 05/11/2023

The Viking Game (Hnefatafl)

Name: The Viking Game (Hnefatafl)
Brand: The Regency Chess Company
SKU: NMS013
Price: 31.7900 GBP
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (20 reviews)

CHRISTMAS SALE

20% discount now available!

Save £6.36 with code:

DEC20

The last day for guaranteed Christmas delivery to the UK was Tuesday 15th December.

Please be aware that orders placed now are not guaranteed for pre-Christmas delivery (we will however do our best).

£37.09

£31.79

over 14% off

Quantity Required: (17 in stock)

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Extended returns period - our 30 day no quibble returns policy is extended to January 31st 2024 on all purchases.

Product Description

1 white king King.
12 white Defenders.
24 dark Attackers.
Linen playing surface.
Rules and Historical information leaflet.
Gift box presentation.
Made in the UK.
A genuine National Museum of Scotland Product.

Viking Board Game Hnefatafl from the amazing product team at the National Museum Scotland. As always they have created a superb quality (British Made) product that is presented perfectly. A great game and an ideal gift.
Hnefatafl, also known as The Viking Game, The King's Table or simply Tafl, is one of those rare games with two unequal sides.

Positioned around the border, the attacking side is comprised of 24 infantry in four groups of 6. All pieces move like the Rook in chess and pieces are captured by "sandwiching" i.e. moving a piece so that an opponent's piece is trapped horizontally or vertically between two of yours.

Starting the game in a cross formation in the center of the board, the defending team comprises twelve soldiers and a king. Their objective is for the king to escape by reaching any of the four corner squares. There is an array of information available on the Internet about Hnefatafl, including many rule variations that are worth experimenting with.

THE HISTORY
Most popular during the Dark Ages in Northern Europe, Hnefatafl, also known as The Vikings Game, ranks as one of history's greatest board games. As early as AD400 the game was popular in Viking homes and carried to the lands they overthrew.

The attacking force has the advantage at the start of each game, most likely mimicking the success of these Viking raids. The king is another cultural indication of the Viking chiefs' presence in battle.

The game was developed over the years and different versions have been found on archaeology sites. Hnefatafl literally means Kings Table and manuscripts revealed how to play the game properly. There is no doubt that various types of board and pieces, along with different versions of rules, existed at different times and places. Its popularity declined in the 11th century with the rising popularity of the chess set.

This Hnefatafl set is reminiscent of the famous Isle Of Lewis and the "board" is printed on woven textile, giving a nice medieval feel to the set. Most pieces found to date are more basic in design than this, revealing how popular the game was among ordinary people who could not indulge in the finer things in life.

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Product Specifications

King Height:  1.7 inches (4.32 cm)
King Base Diameter:  0.75 inches (1.91 cm)
King Weight:  16 grams
Pawn Height:  1 inch (2.54 cm)
Pawn Weight:  8 grams
Pawn Base Diameter:  0.3 inches (0.76 cm)

Weight:  0.45 kg
Materials:  Crushed Stone Resin
Board Size:  11 inches (27.94 cm)
Board Thickness:  0.1 inches (0.25 cm)
Square Size:  0.75 inches (1.91 cm)

Please note that due to wood being a natural and therefore inconsistent material, weights are approximate and won't be exact. Please also be aware that this may result in colour and burl variation.

Sending as a gift?

We send out all of our orders in plain packaging and without an invoice or receipt, so you can feel confident sending our products as a gift directly to the lucky recipient.

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Product Reviews

"Good quality product that was nicely presented."

B Dulmage, 26th April 2021

"Product was exactly as described"

T Andersen, 11th April 2021

"Great game well made and high quality product"

D Miller, 10th March 2021

"Good quality product. Fast delivery."

N , 28th January 2021

"Looks good and is popular in our house."

L A, 11th January 2021

"Ordered this Hnefatafl game for my partner and he loves it. The game itself is quite fun to play, we like how you have a different role for either player. The chess set itself is really nice. The individual pieces are beautiful, well-cut and distinctive, and we like the cloth board. Overall, great value for money."

B Hughes, 10th January 2021

"A lovely looking game in a very nice box."

T Rogers, 8th December 2020

"I got this as a present for my boyfriend who loves strategic games. We haven’t played it yet but I have YouTubed the rules and can’t wait to play. Game arrived quickly and it is beautifully packaged. Great quality."

B Williams, 4th December 2020

"Looks good, very small pieces, but a fun looking alternative to chess."

A Marsden, 29th November 2020

"playing it now"

R , 27th November 2020

"There is some problem with dark color on pieces - it stays on fingers"

T Novoselec, 8th October 2020

"A nice addition to my games collection."

M David Barr, 4th October 2020

"Haven’t played it yet but looks interesting."

A Scott, 28th April 2020

"Really good game "Hnefatafl" or viking chess. Challenging and intriguing variant on standard chess. The pieces are made of high quality resin and finely detailed and weighted. Presentation in the box is top notch - would make a wonderful gift. Bought to help while away hours at home during this time of social distancing. My 14 year old son hasn't lost yet, so great challenge for me as well. Mark Dailey"

M M Dailey, 7th April 2020

"Please write 10 characters"

A Vogt, 16th November 2019

P Van Namen, 1st April 2019

"This was purchased as a gift so I’ve been kind and not taken it out of its packaging, but it looks well made with good attention to detail"

J Townsend, 4th September 2018

"Got it for my birthday - I'm highly delighted!"

P Nixon, 18th April 2018

"This is a well designed and well made set. The instructions are clear and provided in multiple languages. The pieces are tactile and sturdy, the cloth board is clearly printed. It all comes in a nice box as well so makes a good gift."

A , 29th January 2018

"Can't comment on the game itself. Bought as a gift for someone who likes strategic games and has a keen interest in Scandinavia and Iceland."

A , 8th December 2016

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