Re: Berserk Hnefatafl
Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 7:59 pm
A new Hnefatafl variant:
Berserk Hnefatafl.
Berserk Hnefatafl.
Discussions on the Viking board game Hnefatafl
http://aagenielsen.dk/hnefataflforum/phpBB3/
http://aagenielsen.dk/hnefataflforum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3
The historic source on this is the set of Hnefatafl game pieces in the Bergen Museum (Foto: Bergen Museum):Roderich wrote:I would love it if the historic sources would have given us one knight on BOTH flanks
At the moment, from 34 Berserk games and 10 players, the statistics is 19 white wins, 12 black wins and 3 draws. But let's keep an eye on whether the edge rule is too hard for white.Roderich wrote:Do we have a win/loose-overview for the berserk-games played so far? I can't get rid off the feeling that white in Berserk is too weak ... could the edge-rule be too hard?
I wrote a note about it today on the small forum.Roderich wrote:Still, I've got problems with my small laptop, the chat window won't appear.
Yes, me too. thank you Hagbard for your very clear explanation. I'm very glad the figures so far look promising for Berserk's game balance. It is certainly a very enjoyable variant, with its combination of two-side and four-side capturing.Fraech wrote:@Hagbard: your suggestion makes sense for all three reasons you give; I support this change of rule.
I had the same problem as Fraech. The berserk multi-capture rule seems to work mostly in black's favour, but probably only because I'm leaving several white soldiers en prise which is good tactics in Fetlar and Copenhagen but pretty useless in Berserk - the "millar gambit" for instance is much less powerful, possibly I need a total re-think of tactics, especially openings. It's interesting that a single "commander" on c3 can effectively block the king from getting into a1 from either direction. Incidentally, I was wondering what you thought of calling the king's knight the Queen. Seems logical as the king's companion, and the piece has a similar combination of strength and vulnerablility you find in the chess queen, which means you try and protect it during the early game for use in the middle or end game. Just a thought.Fraech wrote:I found it hard to get use to the berserk rule.
crust wrote:The berserk multi-capture rule seems to work mostly in black's favour
A lady on the men's battlefield? The mentioned similarities are there (king's companion, combination of strength and vulnerablility, protect during the early game for use in the middle or end game), but the movements of the piece are those of a knight on horseback - it jumps and runs and kills everybody on its way.crust wrote: Incidentally, I was wondering what you thought of calling the king's knight the Queen. Seems logical as the king's companion, and the piece has a similar combination of strength and vulnerablility you find in the chess queen, which means you try and protect it during the early game for use in the middle or end game. Just a thought.