How to Play - Brandubh

HOW TO PLAY BRANDUBH

Equipment

  • One Board
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  • 4 defenders, 1 king  (Branan)
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  • 8 Attackers
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    Goal 

  • Attackers win if they capture the king, or surround the king and all defender
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  • Defenders win if the king reaches the corner edge of the board or all attackers are captured
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    Rules

  • Attackers make first move, Players alternate turns
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  • Pieces move vertical or horizontal
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  • The central point (castle) and corner edges are restricted to the king only, if empty any piece may cross over the castle but may not rest on it
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  • A player captures an enemy piece and removes it from the board by surrounding on two opposite sides (horizontally or vertically – not diagonally) with two friendly pieces. The king is also captured in this way, except when he is protected by the castle. A piece may be moved in between two enemy pieces without being captured. The king on open terrain may be captured by two opposing pieces
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  • When the castle is not occupied by the king, it is "hostile" to all soldiers – attackers and defenders. This means that an enemy soldier may be captured by pinning it (horizontally or vertically) between one of one's own piece and the castle. The King Cannot be captured this way, if adjacent to the castle, the king must be surrounded by enemies on three sides
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  • If inside the castle, the king must be surrounded on four sides to be captured
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  • If the king is in the castle and surrounded on three sides by attackers, but protected by a defender on the last side, it is possible to capture the last defender by pinning it between an attacker piece and the occupied castle.
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  • The latter is the only situation in which the attackers may capture a defender against the occupied castle. The defenders may capture an attacker between one of their own and the occupied castle, since the king then participates in capturing.
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  • The corner escape routes count as hostile to all pieces This means that an enemy soldier may be captured by pinning it (horizontally or vertically) between one of one's own piece and the Corner. Unlike the Castle The king may also be captured this way. Only the king may enter the corner space, once the corner space is reached, the defenders win.
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    History

    Brandubh (or brandub) is the Irish form of tafl. From two poems it is known that it was played with five men against eight, and that one of the five was a "Branán", or chief. A number of 7×7 boards have been found. The name brandubh means "black raven” The game most likely is a descendant of the roman game ludus latrunculorum, both featuring similar movement, custodial capture and a “king” piece that must be capture, the difference being the roman version focusing on equal fighting forces and the Viking version featuring a ambush situationMaoil Eoin Mac Raith

    "The centre of the plain of Fal is Tara's castle, delightful hill; out in the exact centre of the plain, like a mark on a parti-coloured brannumh board. Advance thither, it will be a profitable step: leap up on that square, which is fitting for the branan, the board is fittingly thine. I would draw thy attention, o white of tooth, to the noble squares proper for the branan (Tara, Cashel, Croghan, Naas, Oileach), let them be occupied by thee. A golden branan with his band art thou with thy four provincials; thou, O king of Bregia, on yonder square and a man on each side of thee

    Set up

    King at Center of Board

    Gleason Family Farm Crafts and Games

    Brandubh - The Ancient Irish Game Strategy Game

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