Hnefatafl Viking Chess Set
Vikings, Valhalla hopefuls, Beth Harmon of The Queen's Gambit, Hnefatafl has one question for you: are you ready to fight for your king?
"Viking chess set" is just a loose description of Hnefatafl, which is actually its own ancient and authentic game created in Northern Europe during Viking times. It peaked in popularity during the Dark Ages, and hasn't been played much since the early 18th century, but if 1980s fashion could make comeback in 2020, why not revisit the 680s Viking entertainment on game nights in 2021?
Hnefatafl gameplay is more abstract in strategy than chess, though it still features 2 players competing for a king. One player represents the defender pieces and the other the attackers. The board is the battlefield of a city under siege, where defenders fight to get the king off the field as attackers move to capture him.
Hnefatafl provides 37 wood pieces, 12 x 1.5" defenders, 24 x 2" attachers, and 1 x 2.5" King. The 10.5" square gameboard features the "famed and feared" World Serpent, and has a single-piece construction, so there won't be any darned fold interfering with the smoothness of your Ragnarok.
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