Heron v18  -  Editor for Viking Tafl

Heron is a desktop board and game viewer / reader / editor for the review and analysis of games of Viking Tafl ( primarily, Brandubh, Hnefatafl, Sea Battle, Tablut, Tawlbwrdd ). These games are modern reconstructions of a class of games played during Viking times.

Heron has been created by adapting the software for the Penguin program for Chess. Both programs have similar functionality.

It is a freeware program for Windows, and can be downloaded from this web page.

Use Heron to

• Store and replay your games and the games of the professionals.
• Launch a quick playing board from your desktop.

[ Rules for Tablut and the other Tafl games ]

I hope that you will find it an enjoyable and useful product and that it will help you improve your skill at these games.

Gorrion Game Server. Gorrion is my online game playing site. Viking Tafl are some of the games supported. Please do try. [ gorrion ]

April 2022. Version 18 of Heron was released.

The download is one executable installation program file. To download the file hit the link below. Run the installation program and follow the on-screen prompts. The installation program unpacks all the Penguin files that are needed. Please read the ReadMe and Licence files that are included.

Three executables will be installed, Heron7.exe, Heron9.exe, Heron11.exe, different executables for playing 7x7, 9x9 and 11x11 games.

Stored Games  Games can be stored on disk. Penguin supports two game formats: PGN and Penguin's own ECH format. Many games can be held in a game file. Many lines of play can be stored in a game.

PGN / FEN Import.  Games can be added into a collection by direct pasting of PGN / FEN text.

PGN / FEN Export.  PGN / FEN text for a game can be copied to the Windows clipboard, ready for pasting into another application.

Image Export  Game positions can be exported as GIF images, copied to the Windows clipboard as BMP images, from where they can be copied into documents or other applications, or copied in MS Word format to the clipboard ready for pasting into a Word document.

RTF Export  Games can be exported as a document in RTF file format and displayed using your choice of Word / Office document software, from which you will be able to make edits, reformat, print, save as DOC, save as PDF.

Composition.  Game positions may be composed, either as a starting state for a game or as a modification within a line of play.

Comments.  Comments can be added to game positions. Users are able to search the game comments for a text string.

Bookmarks.  Game positions can be bookmarked.

Statistics.  Player statistics can be viewed for the games in the collection.

Backup.  Backups are taken by the program as a protection against game loss.

A companion game editor, GoRilla, is available for the games of Connect6, Go, Havannah, Hex, Kropki, Othello ( Reversi ), Pente, Unlur.  Download it from my web page.

[ gorilla.html ]

Gorrion is my online game playing site.  In addition to Viking Tafl it also supports games of Backgammon, Chess, Go, Havannah, Hex, Margo, Merels, Onyx, Othello ( Reversi ), Pente, Unlur, Y.  Please do try.

[ http://www.dashstofsk.net/gorrion.php ]

You may contact me at [ heron@dashstofsk.net ].

Please put forward any comments and suggestions you may have. If you experience something you think might be a bug then do let me know. Likewise if there is some feature or enhancement that you feel would make a nice improvement. All opinions will be welcomed.

Your Valued Support. If this program is useful to you please take a moment to make a donation. Heron / Penguin cost me a lot of time and personal effort and your donation will help keep my interest alive in this project and will fund further development.