What is the Drakkar of Luck?
The Drakkar of Luck is a game of chance with dice of medieval origin that was once common among innkeepers and – especially – mercenaries, especially between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in Germany, where it is known as Glückshaus. Our game – Drakkar of Luck – is modeled after this Glückshaus. With it we want to offer a new stage to this wonderful game and revive it.
The origin is not 100% traceable, but it is certainly one of the many games that belong to the series of games of chance, the „Games of Seven“. That is, a series of games in which the number 7 has a central place. The oldest gaming tables, of the game House of Fortune, date from around 1400 AD and are made of wood, with a design that is more like a house with a series of „rooms“. In addition to a central room that bears the number seven, there are several others. These rooms are occupied by all the other numbers, the numbers twelve and two occupy the outermost „rooms“. A wild boar was often depicted on the 2, and a pair of rings on the 7 instead, indicating a wedding party.
As a game, it was as long-lived as it was fought in various ways, as were all dice games, since they almost always involved an economic sphere; for most of the Middle Ages, dice games and gambling in general were considered both by the Roman Church and by many states as a trap and sin into which one could easily fall with the illusion of easy money. Which usually ended in falling prey to swindlers and scoundrels.
As a game, it remained in fashion for a few centuries, losing importance in the nineteenth century. In the 20th century it experienced a new boom until the 70s.
Goal of the game – Drakkar of Luck
The goal of this game is as simple as the rules themselves. If you manage to collect all the tiles of your opponents, you are the new Jarl and have secured the treasure of Drakkar.
Rules of the Game
Basically, the game can be played with an unlimited number of players. The number of tiles provided is enough to have fun with up to four players.
- Starting from an empty board, players take turns rolling the dice, clockwise or counterclockwise, and depending on the result, place or collect the coin.
- Basically, if the field is empty, a coin is placed on the field. If there is already a coin, it is won by the player who rolls this number again.
- This does not apply if a 2, 7 or 12 is rolled.
- If a 2 is rolled, the player wins all the tokens that are in the rings marked with numbers.
- If a 7 is rolled, the player places the coin on the boat, even if there are other coins there.
- If a 12 is rolled, the player wins all the coins on the board, both those of the circle and those of the boat.
- If a player has no more coins, he is eliminated from the game.
Variations of the game
The most popular variants of the game involve the number 4.
The original German game boards of Glückshaus – Drakkar des Glücks – did not contain a square with the number 4, so it was decided to use one of the following variants:
- The player who rolled 4 gives up the turn without doing anything;
- All players pass their tokens to the player to their right;
- The player who rolled 4 pays a token to the owner of the board;
Since the board of the Viking version we reproduced has the box with the 4, it is possible to determine whether to use one of these variants or treat the 4 as any other box, as indicated in the basic rules.
More Informations
Do you already know the game Hnefatafl? It was played by the Vikings, the Scandinavian and British peoples. You can find pictures and more information about this game here.