New MOC: Wall with Hourd

Lord_Of_The_LEGO · Post by **Lord_Of_The_LEGO** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:04 pm

At last, I've started MOCing big (by my standards) again:

http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/5789

Please let me know what you think!

Post by **Formendacil** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 12:01 am

Neat...

You learn something new everyday.

At first I thought you were misspelling "horde/hoard". It became apparent pretty quickly that this was not the case...

Great job.

lil Jon · Post by **lil Jon** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 12:09 am

That looks pretty good, and functional.

Was this book you got the idea from a realistic book?
Meaning, did they actually make things like that?

Jojo · Post by **Jojo** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 2:34 am

Hello!

That's an interesting structure. Was it in the book like you built it? Looks somewhat astable to me while it's a nice design.

And did you keep the book? Or did you sell it regardless of its CC-value?

Bye
Jojo

manjr · Post by **manjr** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 3:06 am

Formendacil wrote: At first I thought you were misspelling "horde/hoard". It became apparent pretty quickly that this was not the case...

Actually, it is misspelled - the correct spelling is h-o-a-r-d - although I did find an Old French spelling of h-o-u-r-d.

I get an odd error message when clicking the MOCPages link:

Warning: mysql_connect(): Access denied for user: 'smkenney@209.68.2.108' (Using password: YES) in /usr/www/users/smkenney/moc.php on line 31
Could not connect to the database.

But, looking at theBrickshelf gallery, the hoarding looks great - next, you should try applying the hoarding to a corner.

Marc Nelson Jr.

porschecm2 · Post by **porschecm2** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:26 am

Very nice...I like the planks. Looks susceptable to fire, though.

And ya, I haven't been able to get the MOCpages link to work all evening.

Cm2

Post by **Robin Hood** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 6:15 pm

I can't see it, there is something wrong with the link.

Dan

footsteps · Post by **footsteps** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:41 pm

Robin Hood wrote:I can't see it, there is something wrong with the link.

I'm having a problem too:
"Warning: mysql_connect(): Access denied for user: 'smkenney@209.68.2.108' (Using password: YES) in /usr/www/users/smkenney/moc.php on line 31
Could not connect to the database. "

Any ideas of what's happening (or not, as the case may be)?

Alan

Mr. D · Post by **Mr. D** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:09 am

I couldn't access MocPages right now, so I went on BS and did a search on "Hourd". Needless to say, Nathan's MOC is the only one that came up. Here is the link, for those of you that can't access MocPages: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=101612.

Comments on MOC: The whole thing looks really neat! I love the use of SNOT for the hoarding. By the way, is that the Lone Falcon and his brother Lonely Falcon on the wall?

jon_p · Post by **jon_p** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:31 am

I also got the error message, must be a problem with MOC pages.
Thanks Mr D, for the brickshelf gallery.

Very nice MOC Nathan. It looks great sat on top of the wall and I bet it would look even better if you made a little scene with an invasion.

Only one thing bugged me and that was it looked like it was a little off balance but I'm sure it is fine. Also, how do you acess it from the main wall?

Finally, a question.

...wooden structure added to walls in times of war

Taken from your b-shelf gallery.

But what was the actual use of these Hourds? I don't really know what they are.

Jon.

Post by **JoshWedin** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:36 pm

jon_p wrote:But what was the actual use of these Hourds? I don't really know what they are.

I have seen them before, but never in Lego. Way to go, Nathan! Hoards or Hoardings were built all around the battlements if a siege was expected to be likely. They were not a permanent fixture. On some castles you see large spikes sticking up out of the crenelations: they were supports for the hoardings. Hoardings enabled the defenders to stand outside the wall and drop "stuff" on the attackers. They also protected the defenders from archers. They had various other uses as well. There are some great pictures of them in David Macauley's classic book "Castle" and in Nova's video "Medieval Siege". (they build a short section on top of their wall which they then destroy with trebuchets)

Hey Nathan, great work! I only have one criticism. From my understanding, they usually covered the entire top of the wall. Did your book show something different? Or was it a lack of bricks issue? Overall, a great MOC! It may start a new fad here in the castle community. Building hoardings had never occured to me. I had forgotten about them.

Thanks,
Josh

PS. I also found this on LegoDude's Brickshelf gallery when I searched for "hoardings" -> http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=98965 I think yours are better, as he built his roof out of stone.

jon_p · Post by **jon_p** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:16 pm

Hey, thanks for the info. I has some sort of idea what their uses were but you cleared it up for me now!

I just want to add something else now I know more about the hourd.

On some castles you see large spikes sticking up out of the crenelations

As I said in my last post, it looks a little weak and maybe off balance. Of course, I don't know how stable it is. But I think it would look good with something like this underneath.
Maybe you could build a bit into the wall which supports the hourd from beneath?

Jon.

The Blue Knight · Post by **The Blue Knight** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:41 am

This is the first time I've seen this tried in Lego. Nice job. My criticism is that it does not look complete. This looks as if it would topple over because there is nothing tying it to the wall. They cover the parapets and wall walks in reality. Wish I had some links to show you, sorry. Stephen Biesty's "Castle cross sections" is a great source.

forester3291 · Post by **forester3291** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:48 pm

This looks awesome Nathan! How sturdy is it?

It looks like it may have a tendency to topple over. Not that I'm saying you should change it. It looks quit awesome.

Post some pics of attackers then I will be happy

.

Tycho McKorley · Post by **Tycho McKorley** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:09 pm

Very nice...I like the planks. Looks susceptable to fire, though.

Some animal skins soaked in stale urine (if I remember correctly) covering the hoarding should more than take care of that.

Anyway, excellent work. My only complaints about it are that the smooth brown bricks are a bit part expensive and the hoarding doesn't cover the parapets. Regardless, I think it looks like it would function well. No miners would dare try to undermine the walls when flaming straw could be dropped on them so easily from the hoarding.