Step-by-Step Tutorial
Tablut is an asymmetric Viking strategy game played on a 9x9 board.
The Defenders (Player 1, gold) have a King and 8 defenders in a cross pattern at the center. The Attackers (Player 2, dark) have 16 pieces arranged in groups of 4 on each edge.
The center square is the Throne. Attackers move first.
All pieces move like a rook in chess: any number of squares in a straight line horizontally or vertically.
Pieces cannot jump over other pieces. The path must be clear.
Only the King can land on the Throne (center) and on corner squares. Other pieces cannot stop on or pass through the Throne.
Pieces are captured by sandwiching (custodial capture): when you move a piece so that an enemy piece is trapped between your piece and another friendly piece, the throne, or a corner square.
The capture is orthogonal only (horizontal or vertical). The capturing player must be the one who moves to complete the sandwich.
Here the attacker at (3,2) can move to (3,4), sandwiching the defender at (3,3) between the attacker and the throne at (4,4).
The Defenders win by moving the King to any of the four corner squares of the board.
Only the King is allowed to land on corner squares. The Defenders' strategy is to create an open path for the King to reach a corner.
In this position, the King at (2,4) can move directly to corner (0,4)... wait, that is not a corner. The corners are (0,0), (0,8), (8,0), and (8,8). Here the King has a clear path to escape to (0,0).
The Attackers win by capturing the King. The King requires special capture rules depending on its location.
When the King is on the Throne, it must be surrounded on all 4 sides by attackers. When adjacent to the Throne, 3 attackers plus the Throne can capture it. Elsewhere, the King can be captured by being surrounded on all 4 sides.
Here the King on the Throne is surrounded on 3 sides. One more attacker moving into place will capture the King.
The Throne and corner squares are "hostile" to all pieces for capture purposes. They act as a wall for sandwiching.
This means a piece can be captured by being pushed between an enemy piece and the Throne or a corner, even when the Throne or corner is empty.
This applies to both attackers and defenders (but not the King, which uses the special 4-side capture rule).
Attackers should use their numerical superiority (16 vs 9) to build blockade lines that prevent the King from reaching corners.
Focus on controlling the diagonal lines and edge squares near corners. Gradually tighten the net around the King while picking off defenders.
Be careful not to leave gaps that the King can slip through.
The game ends immediately when the King reaches any corner square. The Defenders win.
In this position, the King has escaped to corner (0,0). The Defenders are victorious!
The game ends when the King is captured. The Attackers win.
In this position, the King has been surrounded and captured. The Attackers are victorious!
A smaller tafl variant played on 7×7. The king has 4 defenders against 8 attackers. The compact board makes for quicker, more tactical games.
Brandubh is an Irish tafl game. The defenders form a tight cross around the king, while attackers are positioned in pairs on each edge. Corner escape and custodial capture rules are the same as standard Tablut.
The smaller board means the king is never far from a corner, so attackers must act quickly to form a blockade.
The largest tafl variant. 12 defenders protect the king against 24 attackers. The “weaponless king” option means the king can’t participate in captures.
Hnefatafl was played across Scandinavia and the Viking world. The defenders form a diamond cross around the central throne, while attackers mass in groups of 6 on each edge.
With the weaponless king rule enabled, the king cannot act as one side of a custodial capture, making it purely a piece to escort to safety.
Ready to play Tablut?