Press Release 10237 - Tower of Orthanc

[BlueberryWaffles]

YESSSS! Totally buying it! I like that Saruman has a robe.

[8BrickMario]

Also, the palantir looks to be different than the one that comes in the smaller set?

Yep, the one in the Wizard Battle shows the Eye of Sauron in it. The only selling point of the set for those who can't wait. (I do like those yellow crytal balls, though...)

I don't understand the Ent hate either. I like him. The mushroom on its foor, its eyes, the tree on its head....he looks adorably stupid. I only wish the ratchet joint pieces could be brown. Gray and black just don't look right. Is this the second time a buildable figure like this but not Bionicle or Hero Factory has been made, with the Crystal King being the first? (CREATOR doesn't count.)

The tower...I am stunned. It is absolutely enormous! It looks beautiful, and its open back doesn't bother me a bit. Just turn it to the wall!

[TheLegoDr]

Finally some news!

The set itself is brilliant and I love the detailing. I would not have guessed any play features because most people in the target audience won't be able to afford this, but I digress...

I am pleased with the US price regarding pieces/details. I am displeased regarding the price and minifigures. I don't know anywhere else they could put Grima, but to have him the only exclusive figure in an expensive set is hard to swallow. Especially by having a cheap Gandalf/Sarumon set. His robe/skirt is fitting and looks great detailed (even though the lines don't line up like most of TLG. Shouldn't they check the calibration on their equipment???) I'd love a new print of Orc or something to help make it special, instead of another cheap generic Orc without ears above everything else. At least include the headpiece with the ears! But I guess TLG also made the Hobbit Mirkwood elves polybag without ears, so really anything can be an Elf or Orc since the ears don't define the characters at all...

I like the set and I will end up getting it, but I definitely have my misgivings about it. It will easily take the place of my summer SW purchases. I'm a much bigger LOTR fan to begin with.

Edit: So I assume the light brick is the green to light up that palantir? Has it been available in green before? Or am I seeing it wrong?

And I agree, I can't stand that Ent, mostly because I've seen such great designs by fans that this is very poorly done. I realize they have their limits, so that is why it looks like this. It's great to be included, but poorly managed. I will definitely improve on it for my collection, if I even build him.

Edited April 26, 2013 by TheLegoDr

[Etzel]

Looks really great!

I absolutetly love Saruman's outfit, really nice. I also like the level of detail that has gone into the model, both on the outside and the inside.

Hopefully I will have the money for this...

[8BrickMario]

Edit: So I assume the light brick is the green to light up that palantir? Has it been available in green before? Or am I seeing it wrong?

Actually, no. If you watch the designers' video, you can see the light is red.

[I Scream Clone]

Well that is a real beauty, I have often admired the effort that builders like Kevin Walter and One-LUG have put into their own versions so it will be amazing to own my own official set packed with loads of cool figs too. Love the Ent!

[Dr.Cogg]

Is it just me or does the The Tower of Orthanc look like it comes apart in 4 sections ?

[TheLegoDr]

Thanks for that. I am unable to watch the video since I'm at work and all video players are blocked by the firewall. I may have to watch it later even though I've seen enough pictures to make up my mind.

[8BrickMario]

For all you Ent-lovers, consider this: the back will probably look terrible!

[deskp]

For all you Ent-lovers, consider this: the back will probably look terrible!

It looks okay so far, the rotating thing looks right, seeing as its a stumpy ent... are you talking about the ent's back or the back of the tower sufffering from having "given" pieces to the ent?

[jonwil]

Watching the video makes me want this more and more. But when the likely Australian RRP is more than a weeks rent, its hard to justify spending that much.

[Mr_Malfoy]

For all you Ent-lovers, consider this: the back will probably look terrible!

I don't think it that's important. If the back is grey, one could cover it up with brown plates and some 1x1 square studs to give it some texture.

[Cara]

I love that this looks like it could have been a MOC from someone here, rather than a lego set!

[deskp]

I love that this looks like it could have been a MOC from someone here, rather than a lego set!

That hapens with more and more lego sets these days. Quality seems to be going up.

[brodey1]

I am so ridiculously excited for this set, it has exceeded my expectations in a big way.

[SonofTheShire]

It's an awesome set, but it really seems to be lacking in minifigs, especially compared to the other LotR sets. A few more orcs could have been included, and Merry and Pippin would have fit in nicely.

[Ardelon]

Wow, this is a really stunning set. Cant say I intend to get it, though. I expected no interior and a fully enclosed tower, and like some posters Im also wondering whether this set is aimed for kids or AFOL collectors.

As for the Ent, considering that I usually dont like brick-built creatures, I think it turned out pretty well. Anyway, its still a much better looking Ent than the one from the 1978 Bakshi movie (shudder). Im Also hoping this means a Treebeard set later on. The mushroom is a cute touch.

I wont complain about the figs, since I expected none. I think they could have captured Grímas beady-eyed look better, but I do ôlike the fact that he has no fleshie triangle on his torso. As for the reusd Orc, well after all, this is the set where he fits in most (along with the Orc Forge).

Its a shame PJ didnt do a cameo as a Dunlending, we might have gotten another fig!

[gedren_y]

Looks good if you build LOTR. As I don't build LOTR, this is too just much for what amounts to a mound black pieces for me. I may just bricklink the pieces that are important to me, and spend the bulk of my Lego budget elsewhere.

[SheepEater]

Fantastic set. Can't wait to get my grubby hands on it.

I have wanted a Lego Orthanc since the line was announced

[Gryphon Ink]

This is so far beyond what I was expecting. Full interiors including rooms that werent in the movies. A decent selection of minifigs (of course I'm disappointed that we still didn't get a new orc, but you can't have everything). The eagle and Treebeard give it some playability, and the detailing is basically modular level. LOTR has been a great theme so far, but TLG really hit it out of the park with this one.

I have to have it. I may not be able to buy any other Lego for the rest of the year, but this is too good to miss.

[Infernum]

Finally! This is more than worth the wait! ! All that detail is just stunning! The scale is huge! I couldn't have imagined better!

[8BrickMario]

Well, LEGO won't have me buying anything from them until after August! This set is just too great to pass up. I also like that unlike the other 10_37, this set has much more playability than the Asylum. I'm gonna have to find a good place to display this. And now, my deep dark secret: I am a complete novice to LoTR! I haven't seen the movies, and yet I still love this set!!

And now I wait for the onslaught of "WHY HAVEN"T YOU SEEN THE FILMS" or such like! Hey, at least I know about the terminology and what makes a Hobbit unique from a Dwarf and other things like that. The LotR and Hobbit sets have always attracted me, but I don't own one, and won't own another until after this!

P.S. Detail I just noticed in the dungeon: the demonic faces in the darkness on the back wall. Neat stickers!

This may be the first set I want that the minifigures don't drive me toward getting. The only minifigure-related thing I want is Saruman's robe piece. And (preparing myself for another onslaught) the Ent is actually one of the selling points for me. It was the first thing I liked about the set.

Edited April 27, 2013 by 8BrickMario

[deskp]

P.S. Detail I just noticed in the dungeon: the demonic faces in the darkness on the back wall. Neat stickers!

The middle stickers are a bunch of wargs!

I'm glad they didn't make a new orc for this set. If we did we'd be stuck with 2 isegard orcs over and over instead of POSSIBLY getting a new orc that isnt from isengard.

[Infernum]

we'd be stuck with 2 isegard orcs over and over instead of POSSIBLY getting a new orc that isnt from isengard.

Gotta agree here. I would MUCH rather have a new actual Mordor orc.

I am surprised they didn't use the orc hair piece. I would think they would have used it as much as possible, to make the mold worth it.

[Super Brick Collector]

This is the most amazing set this year. I will buy this without thinking about it twice...