Nuts - I was halfway through a long reply when I hit the compatability view problem, and as I fixed that IE decided to wipe everything I'd typed.
As Justindo says, gunpowder reached Western Europe around 1250, presumably brought back by the Crusaders after they were on the receiving end. So much military technology travels this way.
I don't mind the mix of dates in the equipment of these new knights, as it can be ignored if desired, or lead to a discussion of and research into the subject! Playmobil is a top educational toy, and if they did all the work for us we wouldn't have as much fun discussing the subject!
One trick Playmobil missed is the co-development of siege guns and fortifications. I've noted elsewhere how a round tower is stronger against mining and low velocity missiles. Higher velocity and bigger calibre siege guns accelerated the obsolescence of square walls and towers, and of small fortifications which could be reduced to rubble with less risk to the attackers than creating a breech for an attack.
The new Castles have almost eliminated square corners except in the towers, which should by now be round. A missile is more likely to glance off a round tower or wall, thus diminishing its direct impact and chance of doing significant damage. The advent of guns kick-started a process of moving living quarters away from the castle as a home, and making the military base a gun fort with purely military personnel in residence.
Henry VIII's reign (1509-1547) saw the rapid development of gun forts to defend English shores against attack by the pesky French and Spanish. Such forts had entirely round contours, and comparatively low profiles, to give the best protection against gunpowder weapons. It also gave the garrison an all round field of fire.
This is St. Mawes Castle on the coast of Cornwall, built between 1539 and 1545.
