When battle calls for a massive medieval missile, your army should definitely have a ballista on hand. And Metro[pcs] has crafted one for all your LEGO castle siege needs. We love the use of gears and paint rollers to craft a machine that looks functional at such a small scale. But mostly we’re head over heals for those helmets as wheels.
I’ve mentioned before in these pages that I have a background in Roman stuff, particularly language and literature, but also some history and architecture. In fact, I compiled and annotated a Latin reader on Roman military texts for my Master’s degree. So imagine my delight when I saw this functional Roman ballista by Jerac. These things were used all over the Republic and Empire, including Caesar’s siege of Alesia. There’s no gimmickry here; just like the real deal, the force to launch the bolts comes from coiled cords, not the bow. And the whole thing is LEGO, which makes it even cooler. The Technic gear and axle connector don’t look out of place as parts of the mechanical structure, and, in fact, I believe the lip on the bushing catches on the gear to ratchet the tension. Then flip up those rods, and voilà! You have just destroyed a tower. The wooden planks and the soldiery, along with the suggestion of landscaping, are just icing on the cake to dress it up a bit; the real beauty of the build is the technological achievement.
Love Ancient Rome? Check out some more Roman-themed builds, like the whole city of Rome, an ambush, and a forum.