Brandubh Strategy peg Game from Ireland Made in USA

Price: $34.99 - $15.95
(as of May 19, 2025 16:59:13 UTC – Details)

The Irish strategy game Brandubh (pronounced “bran-duv” with the trailing “v” being barely sounded) is descended from the Norse tafl games, probably a variant of the Welsh game tawlbrrd. This theory is supported by a 10th-century artifact found in Balinderry, Ireland, consisting of a wooden board with a seven by seven grid, marked off by holes suitable for playing pegs, and it has Celtic symbols on it. The modern rules are conjecture based on surviving tafl rules adapted to the smaller board. One player controls the king at the center position (the red peg) and eight guards (black pegs) are placed in a cross pattern with the king at the center. The other player positions his 12 attackers (white pegs) in the three central points on each edge of the board. The center point (where the king starts) is known as the throne. The king is the only piece that may stop on the throne, although other pieces can cross over it. The object of the defender is to move the king to safety off the board, while the attacker tries to stop the king by surrounding him on all sides, or on three sides and the throne. All other pieces are captured by trapping them between two enemy pieces on either side (called a “custodian” or “flanking” capture). Includes wood pegs and a 4-inch square board made in the USA from domestically farmed wood. A strategy game for 2 players age 6 to adult.