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When one desired to attack the enemy's castle, there was a variety of ways one could go about the process. If the structure was only made of timber, the job was relatively easy. It could be battered, burnt, or bored through with a terebrus or teretrus. If, however, the lord had had the foresight to use stone construction, the walls of the curtains and towers were generally impervious to most assault tactics until the advent …

…as eliminating blind spots with a greater field of fire. In the 13th century, defense changed from passive to active with the additions of lofty towers, crenellations, merlons, hoardings, allures, parapets, arrow slits, and machicolations. Hoardings were walkways projecting out from the edge of a tower or wall with holes or doors in the floor in order to afford the defender the opportunity to drop offensive materials (molten lead or pitch) onto the attackers below.