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Other Board Layouts
Some board layouts have become widely adopted, particularly
Linnaeus' layout and the diamond-centred layout on the 11x11 board, and
the alea evangelii layout is practically undisputed on the 19x19 board.
But there is a vast number of alternatives as people have experimented
with the game. The 7x7 and 13x13 boards have no clear standard, while
the 15x15 board has been so far neglected.
Many layouts conform to
a simple formula: p = 6w - 29, where p is the number of pieces and w is
the width of the board, in playing spaces. This gives a ratio of
pieces to empty space of approximately 30%. More open space tends to
favour the king by giving him and his forces more routes to escape;
consequently less open space favours the attackers who will find it
easier to make blockades.
There are many layouts which do not
follow the formula, but these generally require adjustments in rules or
layout to create a balanced game. For instance, more crowded games
sometimes work better when pieces are restricted in the distance they
can move, while sparse games like the alea evangelii compensate by
having the attacking blockade in an advanced state at the beginning of
the game.
Zillions Brandub Layout
Zillions Brandub Layout
Magpie Brandub Layout
Magpie Brandub Layout
Nigel Suckling in the Leprachaun Companion gives this as a layout
for Brandub. It is probably the most attractive layout for thirteen
pieces on the small board. But while this looks pretty, the attackers
form a blockade, such that any defender that tries to break through is
liable to immediate capture.
Nineteen-piece Layout
Nineteen-piece Layout
This layout differs from the rest in two points. Firstly, the
number of defenders is not divisible by four. Secondly, it lacks the
90-degree rotational symmetry of the other boards. However, it
satisfies the needs of those who think that thirteen pieces are too few
and 25 too many for this board. I have seen this layout marketed
commercially by Viking Crafts and Shannon Games, among others.
Unusual Ballinderry Layout
Unusual Ballinderry Layout
Some time ago I came by a game which is a vague likeness of the
Ballinderry board, cast in resin. For its rules it adopts a strange
21-piece layout where the attackers are only one and a half times the
defenders' number. The rules need to be adjusted in order to
accommodate such a game without making the attackers' task impossible.
Ard-Ri Board Layout
Ard-Ri Board Layout
This crowded layout is an attempt to fit 25 pieces on a board of
seven rows by seven. There is little evidence that this was ever
attempted before modern times, although a large number of boards conform
to this size, and many piece finds conform closely to this number.
However, with 51% of the board occupied, the king's task is extremely
difficult without some changes to the usual rules.
Small Viking Siege Layout
Small Viking Siege Layout
The computer game Viking Siege uses this layout for its game on
the smallest hnefatafl board. Compared to the ard-ri board, it gives
the king's forces much more room to manoeuvre, but the king's forces are
still very much hemmed in from the start of the game, with all the
corner areas blocked off. Since the attackers also have a lot of room,
it is easy to complete the blockade.
Fidchell Layout
Suggested layout for fidchell.
A number of people label this layout "fidchell", although
literary sources suggest that fidchell was a game of equal forces rather
than a hnefatafl game. The layout has apparently been inspired by the
image on the Golden Horn of Gallehus, which arranges circular marks
around the edge of the board in a similar, but more even, manner. It is
not practical to use this layout in games where the king must reach a
corner, as attacking pieces already occupy the corners.
Alternative 9x9 Board Layout
Alternative layout for the 9x9 board.
Linnaeus left us a precise drawing of the layout of pieces for a
9x9 board. However, this has not stopped others from experimenting in
modern times. Papillon's Escape and Hnefatafl by Jumping Frog Toys are
two commercial offerings that use this layout, and it is present in a
couple of books in my collection. In all of these instances it is
married to a set of rules in which pieces may move only to adjacent
squares.
A Basic 11x11 Board Layout
Serif-cross layout for the 11x11 board
Most games on the 11x11 board use a layout that puts the
defenders in a diamond configuration. However, this causes problems in
some rules, especially where the king must reach a corner. Aage Nielsen
has proposed a more straightforward layout, where pieces are arranged
in a serif cross as with the tablut layout. The serif-cross layout has
an elegant simplicity, and can be extended to accommodate any board
size.
Bell's Layout for Tawlbwrdd
Bell's layout for tawlbwrdd
This layout was proposed in 1969 by R. C. Bell for the game of
tawlbwrdd, from the description given by Robert ap Ifan in 1587. It is
probably the origin of the diamond configuration of defenders seen in
other layouts. It was marketed commercially in 1997 as The Celtic Game.
Diamond-centred 13x13 Layout
Diamond-centred 13x13 layout
Some people play the game on the 13x13 board by simply expanding
the layout most commonly used on the 11x11 board, leaving a diamond of
13 pieces at the centre, and moving the groups of six attackers outwards
to the edge of the larger board. This creates a very open layout in
which the king has an easy task, with plenty of room to manoeuvre. It
will be very difficult for the attackers to cover the four open ranks
and four open files before the king gets out.
Open Serif Cross 13x13 Layout
Layout for 13x13 boards with 37 pieces, forming a serif cross with gaps.
A common layout for 13x13 adopts the same 37 pieces of the
smaller 11x11 board, arranging them in the form of a serif-cross,
leaving a gap between attackers and defenders. This creates a game with
more open space than the usual 11x11 layout, and open space tends to
favour the king. This layout is probably only practical for games with a
corner objective for the king.
Closed Serif Cross 13x13 Layout
Layout for 13x13 boards with 49 pieces, forming a serif cross without gaps.
This layout uses 49 pieces for the board, set out in the form of a
serif cross like tablut. It is a simple alternative to some of the
more elaborate layouts that are common with games on larger boards. Few
archaeological finds or literary sources support such piece numbers, a
possible exception being the gaming piece collection found at Nes.
Large Viking Siege Layout
Viking Siege uses this layout on the 13x13 board.
The computer game Viking Siege uses this layout of 49 pieces on
its 13x13 game. It is an elegant compromise between the serif-cross
layout and the more elaborate layouts that bunch pieces towards the
centre.
Parlett's Layout
David Parlett published this layout for the 13x13 board.
This layout appears to have first been published in David
Parlett's book the Oxford History of Board Games. It has been sold
commercially by a number of small manufacturers, but the 13x13 board has
not become as widespread as smaller layouts.
A Serif Cross Layout for the Coppergate Board
A serif cross layout on the Coppergate board.
An Elaborate Layout for the Coppergate Board
An elaborate layout for the Coppergate board.
Reconstructions of larger boards sometimes favour more elaborate
layouts, possibly inspired by the Alea Evangelii diagram with a little
help from R. C. Bell's Tawlbwrdd. For people whose tastes lie this way,
I propose this layout for the 15x15 board found at Coppergate, which
has so far attracted little interest by those reconstructing the game.
Next: Movement.
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