CASTLES ON THE ROCKS

[Richard]

CASTLES ON THE ROCKS


Martin said something in another topic about "defensible" castles being built on a hill or a rocky outcrop.

The first thing a castle builder does is pick a good defensible spot, so you don't get Medieval castles on flat easily accessible valley floors. It's too easy to beseige and drive siege engines right up to the walls. If there's a hill or rocky outcrop big enough, build on top of that (e.g. Edinburgh Castle and Bamburgh Castle).

So, we started thinking. Has Geobra ever produced a Playmobil castle built "on the rocks"?

Do these qualify?

see attachments

[Richard]

And, then there are these two recent additions ... 

Do they qualify?

see attachments

[WarriorOfToys]

In my humble opinion...
I think the 1st and last definatly qualify!
The third also looks like it makes the cut.
But the 2nd one I have to say doesn't (to me) look like a castle built on rocks.
It is more a castle with rocks around it.

[Martin Milner]

I think they all qualify insomuch as they make use of natural features to improve the defensible qualities of the castles.

I should have said in my previous post that if a hill or rocky outcrop isn't present where a castle was needed, the earliest castle builders created their own, and the "Motte and Bailey" style was created. The Motte was a mound of earth, the earth coming from a ditch dug round the whole fortification, and the Bailey was a walled enclosure where ghorse could be stabled.

A tower or keep would be built on top of the Motte to provide shelter for the castle occupants, and the last line of defense during a siege. The 3665 Barons Tower could easily have a steck Bailey added to make it such a style of castle, and the ruined walls suggest that this is what the original building might have been.

[Klickus Mobilius]

The two recent additions qualify.  I can't see how any army can lay siege to them.

[Martin Milner]

The two recent additions qualify.  I can't see how any army can lay siege to them.

With Draconian help! 

[Bill Blackhurst]

In my opinion I think they all meet the minimum requirements compared to the old 3666 & 3667 Steck castles that had no natural defense options.

[skypurr]

Not a castle on rocks, but as Martin said in an post on another topic that if there wasn't a natural defense then it could be surrounded by a moat.
This castle - Caerlaverock Castle - not too far from where I live was originally built fairly near the sea, then this one was built a little way away but on firmer ground, it is triangular in shape and its strongest points were its gatehouse and moat. 
Many British Castles were built to protect strategic points such as ports, lowest bridging points, trade centres, etc.
I'd like to try building this in steck - would it be possible? -but haven't got much at the moment (I'm working on that).  But I think it's a great looking castle. 

[Martin Milner]

I'd like to try building this in steck - would it be possible? -but haven't got much at the moment (I'm working on that).  But I think it's a great looking castle.

Not with existing Steck parts, because Playmobil have not provided the means to create anything other than a right angle corner. You might be able to fudge something  such as hot-glueing pieces with added support at the corners.

The recently announced new 4865 and 4866 castles may provide the angled pieces you need, but nobody had got their hands on these sets yet to see how they fit together, so it could be that options are very restricted and it would still be a fudge.

[Rasputin]

Hi

The last picture is what I was thinking about when viewing G's pictures. If a castle is built by an ocean where a port could be maintained there would not always be tall rock outcroppings with flat tops for great defensible spaces. Some castles must have been built on flatter terrain. It is also a problem for raising food when your castle is located on rocky terrain as it would be much harder to farm.

This is a great learning topic for me. Thanks for all the info

Rasputin "The Mad Monk"