It's autumn at Halcyon Castle

Discussion of personal LEGO Castle creations
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SavaTheAggie
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It's autumn at Halcyon Castle

Post by SavaTheAggie »

It's fall now in Ikros. The leaves are turning and the fields are being reaped. Queen Alyia has just overseen final construction of the new castle at Lake Halcyon. During her father Ulmerad's rule over Ikros, the original Halcyon Castle was destroyed in a great battle between the Ikrosian forces and those of the Necromancer Ethelred. The nearby village of Halcyon Lake and the surrounded farmland have remained unguarded ever since. But now, through her public works projects, Halcyon Castle has been rebuilt, bigger and better than ever.

The castle sits in Lake Halcyon on a large man made rock hill, built over the original Halcyon Castle foundation. The Castle once again serves its purpose as the Royal Family's summer home, and though it does not share all the comforts of Illana Castle in Ikros' Capital, it is still a grand fortress with all the necessities.

Teaser picture:

Image

Post mod Main Gallery can be found HERE.

Post mod Castle Detail Gallery can be found HERE.
Post mod Courtyard Gallery can be found HERE.
Post mod Village Detail Gallery can be found HERE.

Halycon Castle features:

1. Gatehouse: with Portcullis and four archer loops in the causeway and those little holes that you pour oil through above it.
2. A total of 22 archer loops throughout the castle itself.
3. A Royal bedchamber with fireplace and privey.
4. A guest room with fireplace.
5. A great hall with large fireplace.
6. Jail cell on third floor in the tower in the keep.
7. An Oubliette opening on the second floor of the keep (It's a shaft with a trap door you throw people down and forget about them, the word is modified french for 'to forget')
8. A wine cellar with trellice and barrel stack, the cellar is two bricks lower than the other parts of the first floor.
9. A rear entrance to the keep from the outside, guarded by another port cullis, leading to a boat dock.
10. a Forestair
11. Every location on the castle is accessible by stairs or ladder.
12. The castle is fully modular. The curtain walls are only attached to the towers by the flared tower bases and the baseplates they sit on. The towers and keep have been built upon baseplates, which all sit upon a tile/brick support structure inside the hill. The hill comes apart in it's 4 48x48 large grey baseplate components, none of which are permanently connected together.

Halcyon Castle's Courtyard features:
1. Stable
2. Barracks with
3. Kitchen
4. Smokehouse
5. Rose Arbor
6. Well

Halcyon Village features:
1. Gustav's Post Mill
2. Blacksmith
3. Wheelwright
4. Baker
5. Milkmaid and Jersey Cow (with barn accessory)
6. Beekeeper and Beehives
7. Wheat harvest with scythes
8. Vineyard
9. Well
10. Modular terrain

This is bar none my best Castle MOC I've ever created (I count Formeathan 2.0 as a Fantasy MOC). I am extremely proud of the final product. Pictures do not do it justice.

I have had a lot of help with this creation. Whether it be through inspiration or direct comments, I thank everyone invovled, but especially my fiancee' Christina, who not only put up with me through this whole thing, but also built parts of it as well (including furnishing all the furnished buildings)!

Enjoy, and LMKWYT!

--Anthony (and Christina)
[url=http://www.ikros.net][img]http://www.ikros.net/links/ikrosbuttonsmall.jpg[/img][/url]

Give a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
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architect
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Post by architect »

Hi Anthony,

There are so many wonderful details. I like the display as a whole. The castle and village building interiors are great. I like the fall season of the display. Small details like the latrine and the beekeeper wonderful. This is certainly your best work. :D

Ben
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jeff_o_rama
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Post by jeff_o_rama »

Just from the teaser pic, the village looks really cozy. Excellent job! I can't wait to see the rest!

-Jeff
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wlister
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Post by wlister »

Wow Anthony,

What to say...

Halcyon Castle is excellent. The final product certainly turned out well. The addition of the 3CS buildings inside the castle really dissapated the blocky look of the exterior. The exterior really creates a sense of strength. A very defensible looking keep. I wish I had the brick to avoid the trap of wall pieces, the all brick look really creates a sense of solidity.

The village is great and all the little details are what makes it so. I really like the hacksaw you made for the wheelwright. The exterior forge and anvil are a much better representation of a blacksmith's house than we have seen before. It is nice to see a litle working village around the castle.

Well I've gushed enough, great work and I must say I am very jealous of your bricks. I maybe have 3000 assorted 2 x light gray brick, not quite enough. :(

Will
After a long absence, I have returned. I can't wait to start building again.
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Bricksidge
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Post by Bricksidge »

Wow! This is most impressive. The modularity of the castle is astounding. And all the details are excellent. And that there is a fully detailed landscape and countryside to go with it is dumbfounding!

I agree that it is your best castle MOC, and you should be proud.

I could use a few more pictures of the castle as a whole, and some pictures displaying how all the parts come together. I see the individual sections, but can't get a clear idea of how it all fits. Also, I'd like more pictures of the well in the center of the castle.

But where is the gong farmer? When I first heard about this project, I gave you only one expectation: a gong farmer! This is simply unacceptable.
~[url=http://www.neutronbot.com/kevin/]Kevin Blocksidge[/url]
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LEGOFREAK
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Post by LEGOFREAK »

ynohtnA
.esrouc fo ysuolaej reehs ...daerht "avaS ynohtnA etah I laiciffo eht" ot daerht siht fo eman eht egnahc dluohs uoy kniht I .siht ekil gnihtemos tuoba garb ot thgir yreve evah uoy esruoc fO llufrednow yletelpmoc si egalliv eht dna ,etteilbuo eht devol I .seert eht evol I dna ,gnireggats si liated ehT .COM taerg a htiw su dedivorp evah uoy niaga teY

!enod llew boj A

kaerf
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Troy T. Moore
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Post by Troy T. Moore »

Yeah, what freak said!! (Very funny BTW Freak :lol: )

The sign post, saw at the wheelwright's, the chicken coop with door in top to gather eggs, the tack area in the stables....these are few of my favourite things about your MOC. Quite realistic. I also like the skeps and beekeeper.

Also, it cannot be overstated the value of a spouse (or fiancee :wink: ) that can appreciate your addiction, no, um..er, mental illness...., wait, HOBBY! Yes, hobby of building, buying, and playing with Lego.
Troy T. Moore
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PorteusMaximus
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Post by PorteusMaximus »

:shock:
Man... this is... awesome...

I'm speachless.
- Po...
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Mr. D
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Post by Mr. D »

Wow, this is AWSOME! One thing I didn't see is the X-shaped barrel stand. Maybe I just didn't look hard enough. On thing I especially like is the windows that are set back one stud with arches on the face layer. One question, what is this thing: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/savat ... cyon10.jpg? The whole thing is simple wonderful.

LF, I managed to read you post :D, but do you read it from the bottom, or from the top; finding the beginning of each sentence and reading backward? Clever idea, anyhow.

mD
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Gumby
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Post by Gumby »

Wow, VERY nice, Anthony (and Christina). The amount of life you've put into the creation is unbelieveable. The non-rectangular placement of the houses is very effective.

That's it, I'm gonna sell a bunch of my castle walls and use the money to buy plain bricks!
Mr. D wrote:One question, what is this thing: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/savat ... cyon10.jpg?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's a beekeeper!

-Bryan
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Mr. D
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Post by Mr. D »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's a beekeeper!


Yes, I think your right! And they are very good-looking bee-hives, now that you mention it.

mD
moom
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Post by moom »

Realy impressive display. You've done a lot of fine work, the both of you. I see that a lot of previous MOC's, ideas and discussions have come together in this model.
Not yet a new attic door for the post mill, but I won't hold that against you, with so many other things you've done.
There was one thing my eye fell on, looking at this picture:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=688548
I suggest to make the center pier of the bridge 'bulge out' a little more from the face of the bridge. The knight statues look a little wobbly on such a narrow supporting surface. A pertruding pier gives them a bit of socle to stand on. If you happen to own a pair of Castle Turret Panel Walls like below, you maybe could use these for the purpose:
Image

With friendly greetings, M. Moolhuysen.
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Jennifer
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Post by Jennifer »

Anthony~
I must say, this is fine work. Wonderful detail, and a great Autumnal scene. Love the trees. I am duly impressed, and now feel the sudden urge to bow down before you, and worship *your* acronym.... Nah. More fun the other way. ;)

Good work :D You should be proud.
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catena
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Post by catena »

I'd like to add my praise to the chorus. :)

I'd also like to thank you for models of a whole bunch of new entries on my LEGO Castle Tech page: hacksaw, saw, scythe, sickle, henhouse, barn, coop, stable, arbor, smokehouse, barracks, wine cellar, oubliette, jail cell, keep, citadel, portcullis, causeway, barrel stand, and wine rack! This, in addition to many more examples of entries I already had.

Great job, I am sure it will be an inspiration for many!
Jason (lego at jcatena dot net)
Classic-castle [url=http://www.classic-castle.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=874]Master Gatekeeper[/url], March 2004
http://www.jcatena.net/lego
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Barbapple
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Post by Barbapple »

holy sweetness, mate! This is amazing, I love all your work. I suppose it is my second favorite of yours, Because I still prefer the dwarven castle. But this is an amazing job! Good work man!
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