The Trebuchet Siege Camp

Hey I'm Rémy a.k.a. Brickinger_,

 

This is my first submission on LEGO IDEAS and being a Castle-Enthusiast I decided to submit The Trebuchet Siege Camp. We all remember the fun we had in our childhood when attacking the villains Castle with our cute Catapult. It made our day when we were able to knock down small turrets or entire wall segments.

 

The Trebuchet Siege Camp is the perfect addition to your Castle Collection and would fit very well next to the new LEGO Castle Sets, here is why:

The less cute Catapult or Trebuchet I submitted is now based on real life reconstructions of the historical siege engine. This Idea aims to be an homage to long-forgotten engineering techniques and to all the fun little sieges we had with our minifigures. A mixture of historical authenticity and play-features makes this a perfect set for kids and adults to relieve their inner child!

  

Now let’s dive in the thought process, the play features and the overall design behind this Idea:

 

 

The design of the Trebuchet is based on some easy mathematics and historical designs. First up, the launching arm is separated in 2 bits: The short arm and the long arm. The long arm, which holds the sling, should be around 5 times longer than the short one, which contains the counter-weight.

The counterweight weighs around 200 grams using the 2x2x6 weight bricks. The counterweight-projectile ratio is around 100/1, you should be able to propel bricks of around 2 grams over a great distance. Of course, by adapting the weight, you can vary the power of the shot and the throwing distance.

 

 

To lever the huge beam on an 45°-angle, you simply need to rotate the huge hamster wheels, where a blocking mechanism prevents the arm to go loose. Once the arm is all the way down, it is time to load the projectile carefully into the sling. For that, the sling needs to be pulled as far back as possible and the two strings should not be crossed. The loose end of the string should then be attached on the bar of the throwing arm. Then you can load the sling and unable the blocking mechanism by manipulating a small lever. The sling should detach itself mid-air and therefore releasing the projectile at maximum speed.

Ideally, the sling should consist of a cloth and not of bricks. This was simply not possible with my designing software.

 

 

 

The Trebuchet is flanked by a small fully functional Ballista. Based on a rubber-spring-mechanism, the Ballista is able to fire small spears over several meters. Of course, the power of the Ballista varies of the strength of the rubber.

 

 

 

Designed in the colours of the lion knights, two tents house a carpenter and a siege engineer and the Lion Knights Queen. A small working area and some weapons and accessories complete the little base. On a separate base, the entire crew can enjoy themselves around a campfire, to grill some fish or eat some delicious soup!

To keep the Camp running, I included 8 minifigures. Next to 4 regular soldiers and one knight, we've got the Queen, the siege engineer and the carpenter.

 

Whether you're a history enthusiast, a fantasy fan, or just someone who appreciates LEGO craftsmanship, “The Trebuchet Siege Camp” promises to be a captivating addition to your collection.

 

Help make this dream LEGO set a reality by supporting and sharing this project on LEGO Ideas. Join me on this adventure, where legends and nostalgia come to life, and the imagination knows no bounds. It's time to cast your vote for “The Trebuchet Siege Camp” and make your own LEGO history!