20 : Walkway Retaining Wall

I completed (for now) this Citadel sector by making some pavement areas and a retaining wall for the raised walkway.

The pavement adds more of an urban feel to the space between the two houses. It’s beginning to look more and more like a miniature Bronze Age encounter is about to take place.

Adding this second retaining wall to the setup reinforces the fact that Troy was built on a mound. This particular wall, though, is also of interest to a scenario based around the East Gate (SLD-M28-BK-103) as although it’s a rather ordinary looking wall it was also a cunning defensive feature.

Imagine yourself managing to break through the first gateway of the East Gate to be confronted by the second gateway. Missiles falling from above, somehow you manage to break through this as well. Mission accomplished! Like a great, big mythological wooden horse, you’ve made it into the mighty Citadel of Troy! However, you are now confronted with yet another obstacle – a high wall stands before you. From the cover of this wall, you are being pelted with even more missiles. It’s another killing zone as the defenders on the battlement behind you continue to fire down on you. In confusion, you have to make a quick decision – whether to turn left or right. The more you hesitate, the more you remain prey to enemy fire but if you choose to go right, you will unfortunately reach a dead-end, forcing you to return along the narrow channel back into the killing zone.

Given that this is the Bronze Age and fortification was designed to thwart low-level attacks rather than counter the great engines of future siege warfare, the day-to-day accessibility of Troy’s East Gate does a remarkably good job at hiding a series of pretty ingenious defensive features.