Oct
28th
2021
Castles · 8:45am Oct 28th, 2021
When you really think about it, the castles in this universe are basically useless defensive structures. What's the point of walls, towers, and other defenses when Pegasi can fly over the walls and unicorns can teleported behind them? Even Earth Ponies could be lifted by pegasi or teleported by their friends over the walls.
Do you think they just make castles to make the place look nice? I wonder is there a story that addresses this issue? Maybe even a human in the story, who knows a lot about mediaeval history is dumbfounded by the appearance of castles.
Canterlot Castle reminds me more of reneissanse castles. Maybe castles in Equestria are built more of a sense of symbolic power and the real fortifications are underground? Maybe the castles are designed to keep things in rather than out? Maybe the natural landscape and the surrounding settlements might be the real fortification?
5600925
I think you may be right.
MLP's standing army is pretty weak. Seemed to be only strong when King Sombra was in that other timeline. So, they at least have that. It is a question of how the war would happen if castles are next to useless. Mostly open-field combat, I guess.
castles were probably unicorn built exclusively and they'd bubble shield up and blast whatever flew first and foremost
5600939
Impossible anti teleportation fields. Then maybe they could be good defensively.
Old video, but relevant to the topic herein.
5600948
Ah, I love that guy Shadiversity. I watched lots of his stuff.
Against other ponies, castles would be too easy to bypass, yeah. From the Hearth's Warming Eve tale, the ponies had united the tribes before Celestia and Luna appeared. The first castle they made in the Everfree Forest, the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, would have been good protection against most of the monsters there, aside from manticores and creatures massive enough to step over the walls.
Canterlot Castle definitely seems like it was intended to withstand attacks from surface- and subsurface-dwelling species. An army marching up to it would be climbing a very narrow mountain path and/or train tunnel, where they would be insanely vulnerable to ranged attacks, being blown off the mountain by controlled winds, or having rocks rolled into them. Enemies coming underground would run out of dirt since Canterlot is hanging off the side of a mountain. Yaks, buffalo, minotaurs, zebras, horses, and various vassal species wouldn't be able to launch an effective attack on their own.
On an unrelated note, is it still deja vu if you see something for a third time?
5600951
And of course being in the air makes you even more vulnerable to ranged attacks, because there's nothing to hide behind. And that goes double when your enemies can control the weather.
it might actually just be a way to flaunt influence, like a solid gold toilet, "look how impressive this is, isn't our country so afluent?" something of a political tool rather than a military one?
5600951
Admittedly, yeah. Canterlot is pretty a formidable city if it had a proper defensive force. The Yaks would be idiots trying to fight the ponies.
5600959
Controlling the weather you could starve your enemies by stopping rainfall in that region.
5600961
Well Princess Celestia is a big pony so naturally she needs a big castle.
I don't think teleporting is a common Unicorn ability. Depending on it's rarity walls are a good defense against most, and having your own pegasi to fight the attackers is a good defense. Specially if you have the high ground to fight against the enemy's anti-air forces.
Sure, they're not as good as they were for us, but they can be useful. Magic makes them quite feasible, as does wings.
Earth Ponies alone are shit out of luck against other ponies though.
5601068
Granted, the ponies are allies. So, very little chance they have to fight each other. So, the castles may be good vs like let's say the Yaks.
5600929
To me it seems like Equsestria doesn't keep a full on army anymore, what with being relativly peaceful. I think I have seen a few fics poke at the various castles and their designs. I know a few have it so there are like, wards or the like that keep rampant teleportation from happening in the castle
5601108
If they had a professional standing (the Royal Guard are mostly bodyguards for the princesses) army they might have been able to counter villains much better. Such as King Sombra from that other timeline.
Or be able to push back the Changelings when they attacked Canterlot. If let's say they won after that whole thing. Let's say, I was Princess Celestia after the attack at the wedding. I would employ a local militia force for every village, and build a far larger professional standing army to defend Equestria from future attacks. And try to reach out more other races to gain allies far more early.
5601115
Yup. Maybe suggest mayors and such form a militia