Kubb yard game set

How kubb is played

Kubb is played by two teams on a rectangular field. Each team places five kubbs on its own baseline, and the king stands in the middle. Teams take turns throwing six batons underhand to knock over the other side's kubbs; knocked kubbs are thrown back into the opponent's half and must be cleared before the baseline kubbs.

When a team has knocked down every kubb on the other side, it may throw at the king. Topple the king and you win; knock him over too early and you lose on the spot. A game usually lasts 20 minutes to an hour, which is why kubb tournaments and championships fill whole weekends in Sweden, Germany and across the United States.

Why rubberwood

Kubb blocks take hard hits from heavy batons. Our kubb yard game set uses shock-absorbent rubberwood, which resists chipping and splintering on grass, sand and even gravel. The king measures 2 × 3 × 3 in with a crown, the ten kubbs 6 × 2.3 × 2.3 in, and the six batons 12 in long.

Four corner stakes mark the field, and the rule brochure gets a new team playing in five minutes. Everything packs into a zip bag that carries to the park, the beach or a family reunion.

A short history of the Viking yard game

Kubb is often called Viking chess, and legend says it has been played in Scandinavia for a thousand years. What is certain is that the game was played for generations on Gotland, Sweden's largest island, before the first commercial kubb sets were sold in the late 1980s. Since then it has become one of the best-loved backyard games in Europe.

The Kubb World Championship has been held on Gotland every summer since 1995, and national championships now run in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and many other countries. In the United States, kubb clubs and open tournaments have grown steadily for more than fifteen years, especially across the Midwest, where whole towns turn out for a weekend event in the park.

What makes kubb a great outdoor game

Kubb rewards aim and planning more than strength, so everyone can play: kids, grandparents and the friend who never plays sports. A turn takes seconds, a game takes about half an hour, and there is always a comeback in reach until the king falls. People who try it at a barbecue tend to ask where to buy a set before the evening is out.

It is also one of the few backyard games that works on almost any ground. Grass is ideal, but a kubb yard game set plays on sand at the beach, on a gravel driveway or in a garden with a few bumps. The blocks are heavy enough to stand in a breeze and solid enough to take a hard throw.

* Players: 2 to 12, in two teams.

* Field: about 5 × 8 m, marked by four corner stakes.

* Time: 20 to 60 minutes per game.

* Ages: everyone old enough to throw a baton underhand.

Regulation size and our set

Official tournament rules call for a king about 30 cm tall, kubbs about 15 cm tall and throwing batons about 30 cm long. The ApudArmis set follows the same proportions for backyard play: batons 12 inches long, kubbs 6 inches tall and a crowned king, all in solid rubberwood. That makes it a good set for practice before your first open tournament.

Because the pieces are finished in natural wood, brown or gray, they also make thoughtful gifts for a birthday, a wedding or a family that loves outdoor games. Look for the crown on the king and the logo on the bag — that is how you know you have the ApudArmis kubb set.