CDC1 Tower: Autumn Watchtower

[Ayrlego]

As travellers approach the southern Mitgardian town of Ambarvale, the temporary and semi-permanent watchtowers manned during the summer months give way to the permanently garrisoned defences of the town. Built out of stone and wood, this watchtower sits just outside the town and watches over the road leading up to the summer pastures. As birch trees surrounding tower turn golden yellow in late autumn, the road is busy with villages making their final preparations for the winter months.

I haven't been around here much lately as BoBS has dominated my Lego time... I think my last GoH build was around a year ago! I have been thinking of returning to castle for a while now and a challenge with a tower category was the final motivation I needed! I mostly constructed this tower around two years ago when I made my other two AoM towers. It was meant to be my third but I never got around to finishing it and it has sat on the shelf imcomplete for a long while now. Anyway I dusted it off, finished the tower and constructed the landscape. In case it's not immediately obvious, the inspiration for the tower came from @soccerkid6's Riften Watchtower.

[caiman0637]

Those trees are excellent- they pop really well. The tower itself is great, and that's some phenomenal brickwork. Nice job!

[zoth33]

I like the wooden framing with the dark grey bricks.  The layered plates for the sloping ground effect is great.  The orange bricks under the trees to show fallen leaves is a great detail.  The roof looks great with the two colors.  The figs also look nice.  What torso is the woman with the spear from?  Great build.  

[Ayrlego]

3 hours ago, zoth33 said:

What torso is the woman with the spear from?

It's from Dr Doom with green arms. I saw it used as a medieval torso somewhere before and added to my BL wanted list. Haven't had a chance to use it until now!

[Servertijd]

Great tower, great layering on the ground and the bright autumn foilage is nice!

[Kai NRG]

A lovely tower, lovely autumnal trees, and a goat... what more could a MOC offer?   Seriously, the yellow on the ground with the olive stalks, and the combination of white and dark grey for the tree trunks are both unique, smart choices that make the whole creation very pleasant to look at. 

[socalbricks]

So many wonderfully subtle techniques here! I especially like how did the roof shingles and the "leaves" on the ground.

Keep up the great work!

[Grover]

Gorgeous work!  I think your stonework is some of my favorite: not too busy, but plenty of interesting texture.  Your rooflines are very nice too, and you use the not fully pressed down tiles to great effect, almost too perfect!  The fall colors are bright and exciting, and look great with the dark tan and DBG stone.  The slightly indented boards on the wall are very subtle and nice as well.  The land itself is impressive.  I don't know that I'd have enough patience to make a natural slope like that.  And thanks for the Dr. Doom torso, I'm going to add that to my BL wishlist!

[Exetrius]

I'll echo what the others said: love those yellow bricks on the ground as fallen leafs! You also got the most effect out of it with the hill you made, love the slopes you created! Architecturally solid and geographically stunning work! 

[jtooker]

Terrific tower!  I like the contrast of the dark stone against the light birch trees.  I've been experimenting with trees like this and will have to try your style.  The roof design looks wonderful.

[mrcp6d]

This is a really beautiful build Ayrlego!  The color scheme here is great, and the inset wood paneling is a lovely little bit of detailing.

[Niku]

I really like the tower, looks very realistic, and the autumn colors are always beautiful.
Thanks for sharing.

[Louis of Nutwood]

And somehow, I see myself back in Riften, fighting gigantic spiders that lurk in the woods, or ice dragons drifting across the tundra. 
Anither signature Ayrlego build. The trees and the fully textured base are phenomenal. It's a perfect balance of an autumn forest to receive this magnificence of a wood-and-stone watchtower.
The yellow birch leaves just make the cold Mitgardian days turn into a warm and peaceful embrace. 
And a goat is always a treat for the eye, enhancing any MOC's value.

Skol, fellow builder.

[Aurore]

The landscaping is really impressive, both in colour and texture! Just the perfect dose of studs vs tiles, slopes vs plates...I love the tower too - quite sleek and well proportioned. Gorgeous build! 

[mccoyed]

I can definitely see SK's influence on this one. It's got that same clear structural technique, excellent use of color, and topped off with perfect photography. Also, always nice to see so much effort in a base. Not my strong suit, personally, so I always notice and admire it when other people make the effort.

[Garmadon]

That yellow is so beautiful   The trees and color-scheme are fantastic (I can't quite get over how gorgeously the yellow in the landscape works!), and the tower is a superb combination of clean and texture, and a perfect example of why Mitgardia is the best    Really well done!

[Spader]

love the summer coloration, really brings out the seasons