Tafl - Brandubh - Rules and Openings (Part 1 of 3)

[@HnefataflModern]

Update: THIS GAME IS NOW AVAILABLE TO PLAY (CORRESPONDENCE WITH OTHER HUMAN PLAYERS) AT DRAGONHEELSLAIR DOTCOM.

[@KOYARTOS]

I have taken the liberty of transcribing the rules for this and a few other versions of tafl from your videos. In my transcriptions I have endeavored to be Correct, Complete, Clear, Coherent, Consistent and Concise. I hope you will agree. Ed. - I have made some changes to bring the rules into greater conformity with the video and some of the comments below. Brandubh Setup (Sorry, I don't know how to put an appropriate image here.) The (K)ing and his (D)efenders are light. The (A)ttackers are dark. Initially, the K sits on the (T)hrone, the marked center square. The (C)orners are also marked. Movement The As move first. All pieces move orthogonally in a straight line any distance without changing direction or jumping other pieces. Only the K may land on the T or a C. All pieces may pass through the empty T. Capture A piece is captured custodially by enclosing it on opposite orthogonally adjacent sides with 2 enemy pieces. The K is captured in the same way. The K may take part in captures. The T does not assist in capture. The Cs may be used to capture in lieu of a piece. The Cs may also be used to capture the K in lieu of an opponent piece. If a piece encloses 2 or 3 enemy pieces in different orthogonal directions, all of them are captured. A piece may halt between 2 enemy pieces without harm. When the K is on the edge of the board, he may be captured in the usual way between 2 opponent pieces or by enclosing him on the third side as well. Other than as stated in the above rule, the edge never assists in capture. Winning the Game The Ds win by moving the K onto a C square. The As win by capturing the K. If a player has no legal move, his opponent wins. If the K threatens to win by a repetition of 3 moves, the Ds lose.

[@HnefataflModern]

That is an excellent question. Yes, the king would be captured because pieces are captured on two sides in this game and the corner acts as the other piece even against the king.

[@accordingtobush4250]

600th subscriber here! I love coming across old board games. This variety is my most recent finds and I am excited to try and play!

[@HnefataflModern]

Yes, it is possible for the attackers to capture the king on the throne. The king is not safe there. If the king is surrounded orthogonally by two attacker pieces, the game is immediately over (the king loses).

[@chrismead1464]

I made my own Hfefatafl board on a large sheet of canvas, but no one in my family is interested enough to play it.

[@_..Osh.._]

5:10 How would the king not be captured by the two on either side of him?

[@hunterclark5345]

+Michael Burt It looks a little misleading because the author places the attacker next to the king for the example. In an actual game the king would have moved to that square with the attackers already in place.

[@johnmcmahon2631]

Great Video, just one possible mistake on this game-play, the Gaelic text does not say that escape is attained by reaching the corner, but they are won by reaching all the castles/kingdoms. In American terms your aiming for a 'home-run' style of game-play with the king (very similar to Ashtāpada, but is different), it does not use a dice/die like some of the Talf family of games. Brandubh may be a combination of Fithcheall and Tafl rather than a the pure version of the Viking Tafl, it also has spiritual symbolism from Druidism, with Christian reinterpretation as in the Alea variation. Alea may be an extension of a 9x9 cell game being extended to make a much bigger version of a preexisting Anglo-Saxon game, unlike Brandubh, Alea almost certainly used a dice/die (Alea: Latin for Dice), like the Welsh Twalbwrdd 'throw-board', Twal being used as a Welsh alternative for Tafl but having a different yet relative meaning.

[@HnefataflModern]

You are very welcome! Enjoy!

[@DougPinson0316]

Jocly is a new app/site that has the Tafl games including this one.

[@0911claude]

I have a question. At 9:15 of the video you say: Any piece sitting next to the corner can be captured by an opponent piece (the Custodian method with the corner instead of two enemy pieces). Does this rule apply, when the king goes to this square next to the corner? That would mean the end of the game, isn't?

[@cemmutlumail]

are you crying while talking? your sound like crying