Printable Hnefatafl Board: Free Downloads
Download a board
Each file is an SVG generated from the same engine data the online game plays by, so the printed setup always matches the live board. Boards print in black and white on A4 or letter paper, with the starting position, square labels, and a short rules reminder in the margin.
Download and print a hnefatafl board free on this page: every variant this site plays, from the 7×7 Brandubh grid to the full 11×11 Copenhagen board, each with the starting setup and a rules reminder printed on the sheet. A printer and something to use as pieces gets you playing over a real table tonight.
What’s in the downloads
Each board file is sized to print on standard paper, with the throne and corner squares marked, the starting position shown, a legend with the piece counts, and a small rules reminder in the margin, enough to referee a game without opening a browser. For pieces, coins work: heads for attackers, tails for defenders, something bigger for the king. Buttons, beach stones, and rival candy colors have all refereed fine games. Medieval players scratched grids into benches and used whatever fit; the board guide shows how unfussy the originals were, and a printed sheet is fancier than half the boards archaeology has found.
The larger boards print best enlarged: most print dialogs have a poster or tile option that spreads one page across two or four sheets for taping. The 19×19 Alea Evangelii board in particular deserves the four-sheet treatment unless you enjoy squinting.
Setting up and settling arguments
Each download shows its variant’s starting position on the board itself, and the setup guide explains the arrangements in more detail. For rules disputes over a physical board, the rules reference is the tiebreaker, with the capturing guide covering the situations that actually cause arguments (it’s always the hostile squares or the safe-move rule).
New players printing a first board: start with Brandubh. It fits on one sheet, teaches every core rule, and finishes fast enough for a lunch break; the beginner’s guide pairs with it well. And when there’s no opponent across the table, the same games are playable online here, where the engine never misplaces a piece or disputes a capture.
FAQ
What can I use for pieces with a printed board?
Coins are the classic: one denomination or face for attackers, another for defenders, a larger coin for the king. Checkers, buttons, or glass beads all work; the game demands nothing but three distinguishable kinds of marker, and the legend on each board lists exactly how many you need.
What paper size do the boards print on?
Standard letter or A4. The small boards fit one sheet at comfortable square sizes; for the 11×11 and larger boards, use your print dialog’s poster or tile setting to spread the sheet across two or four pages, which gives squares big enough for coins and comfortable fingers.
Can I laminate or sell prints of these boards?
Laminate away; a laminated board with dry-erase notes on the margin is a genuinely nice travel set. The downloads are for personal use, classrooms and game clubs included. For anything commercial, ask first at info@hnefataflgame.com.
Which board should a beginner print first?
The 7×7 Brandubh board: one sheet, quick games, and every rule of the bigger variants in miniature. Print Copenhagen alongside it if you know you’ll continue, since that’s the standard board the strategy guides assume and the size most commercial sets use.