Horse Lord Castle - Alternate Build of 2 x 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle

The castle is 41.9 cm wide, 32.0 cm deep, 49.0 cm tall (drawbridge lowered)
Or 16.5 inches wide, 12.6 inches deep, 19.3 inches tall (drawbridge lowered)

Horse Lord Castle

Can’t believe it’s already been four years since I built my Grand Castle using 2x 31120 Medieval Castle. This time, I pushed myself further and designed a 2,200-piece Studio model. Big kudos to the designers who regularly create large MOCs, going 5x my usual 200–500 piece builds in Studio really drained me.

The 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle comes with some of the best modern castle minifigures. While the brick-built horses were controversial, I came to appreciate them after building. Compared to 31120’s rectangular layout, 31168’s irregular, adjustable footprint makes it far more dynamic.

I built both sets simultaneously, bag by bag, over four nights (versus just one for a Star Wars set). This method helps me learn techniques while sorting parts directly into the castle as I go.

Design Goals

My main goal was to elevate the castle’s vertical presence. LEGO’s octagonal tower design is brilliant, but the gatehouse towers felt underwhelming. Using two sets, I rebuilt the gatehouse with octagonal towers and doubled the height of the ramparts. This not only improved the proportions but also created stronger connections, as each wall now locks in with two clips instead of one. Arrow loops were shifted higher up the walls, and the drawbridge was extended by a third while still retaining its winding play feature.

I chose not to rebuild the trees, as keeping the castle walls tall and imposing felt more important.

Open vs Enclosed Castle

At first, I considered enclosing the castle, but inspiration struck: my Disney Castle is always displayed front-on, its open back showcasing multiple stories. Then my 6-year-old chose to defend the castle from the open back during play. Finally, keeping it open allowed me to go bigger overall. Decision made.

The design keeps four main sections: gatehouse, two L-shaped walls, and the main building.

Expanded Features

The back section was lengthened to retain the banquet hall, blacksmith, and stable.
The guard tower was replaced with a wattle-and-daub trade house for the craftspeople.
Another level was added to the banquet hall, turning it into a multi-storey masonry keep with a throne room above.

Towers & Silhouette

The focal point is the pair of towers: a smaller guard tower with two lookout rooms, and the main tower crowned by a tall dark-blue spire built with palisade bricks and convex slopes. Finishing the main tower used up every last corner panel I had. Together, the towers create the pyramid silhouette I love for castles, a shape that reflects feudal hierarchy and inspired the name Horse Lord Castle, the next level up from Knight Castle.

Extra Builds

With leftover parts, I made a jousting barrier, perfect for smashing the two knights on horses. My son insists on being the good guy, which leaves me stuck as the black knight!

This build is both a display centerpiece and a playset. If you try it yourself, you won’t regret it.

Comparison to Lion Knight’s Castle

After many requests, here’s a direct comparison between my Horse Lord Castle (built from 2× 31168 Medieval Horse Knight Castle) and the iconic 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle.

Thanks to its open-back design, the Horse Lord Castle appears at a similar scale while using around half the pieces, yet still delivers strong presence, playability, and display appeal.

Would you put both on your shelf?