Lord of the Rings Ongoing Discussion

[BrickBob Studpants]

9 hours ago, TandNbricks said:

Yeah just checking off the ones we've gotten in that story.

Thank you for confirming it!

I still think Minas Tirith is a likely candidate for 2026, but we shouldn‘t rule out other possibilities like Edoras, Orthanc, or Helm‘s Deep.

That said, the things on the top of my personal wishlist are the Witch-King, Eowyn, and Mûmakils, so the sooner we can get a Minas Tirith/Battle of the Pelennor Fields set, the better  Everything after that is a bonus.

[TheDoctor]

12 minutes ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

Thank you for confirming it!

I still think Minas Tirith is a likely candidate for 2026, but we shouldn‘t rule out other possibilities like Edoras, Orthanc, or Helm‘s Deep.

That said, the things on the top of my personal wishlist are the Witch-King, Eowyn, and Mûmakils, so the sooner we can get a Minas Tirith/Battle of the Pelennor Fields set, the better  Everything after that is a bonus.

Agreed, I actually think Bag End is more of a 'filler' set for this year in the lead up to Minas Tirith.

Minas Tirith would likely be a bonanza of new moulded parts (which is why I don't think we'll see any new moulds for LotR this year, essentially Bag End is funding the development of Minas Tirith)

Like I said before, Bag End will very much be build-focused with underwhelming figures.



As for Minas Tirith, I expect it to be scaled in a similar fashion to Barad Dur.
We've seen they're not making 'system playsets' for the theme, so it's unlikely to be a small section of the city with play features.

The only catch is the courtyard.
It's the one place you'd really want to display figures, but if it's scaled like Barad Dur, it's going to be tiny.

The White Tree would probably be represented by this piece, recoloured white...

[Balrogofmorgoth]

14 hours ago, wesker said:

It was originally created for the Series 15 CMF Queen but has also been reused on the Calamity Drone (Lego Movie) and Hermione (Harry Potter).
 

My preference would be for the Witch-King to have his own set, but if he must be included in Minas Tirith you cannot have him appear in the set without Eowyn. The two need to be released together to recreate the duel. Leaving her out of Minas Tirith so she can be released later in Helms Deep or Edoras isn't really an acceptable solution as it skips over her armored costume which is both integral to the duel and her most iconic look in the trilogy.

It would also be a shame if Minas Tirith didn't include Aragorn and Arwen from the coronation scene at the end of the movie.

I mean yeah, a playset would be ideal, but they e showed no signs of that happening. And if they would include Éowyn then they would have to include more Rohirrim. Making a huge Minas Tirith strictly about Gondor and its enemies would be the best move. There has to be a limit somewhere. But it just goes to show how badly we need playsets

[MAB]

6 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

As for Minas Tirith, I expect it to be scaled in a similar fashion to Barad Dur.
We've seen they're not making 'system playsets' for the theme, so it's unlikely to be a small section of the city with play features.

The only catch is the courtyard.
It's the one place you'd really want to display figures, but if it's scaled like Barad Dur, it's going to be tiny.
 

I don't think it has to be a playset to be a minifigure scale / minifigure based set. Rivendell is a perfect example of a display set with minifigures and some play features, although adults often prefer them to be called Easter Eggs or hidden features. The courtyard with tree, citadel and hall are a reasonably large area. If they did a building facade roughly 40 studs wide and maybe only 16 deep, they could do the whole of the courtyard about 36 studs in diameter, with the tree. I doubt the 'runway' really adds much for display but a short region could be added even if it is nowhere near long enough. 

Although there are some nice microscale MOCs of the whole city, I don't think they fit with what they have recently done and I'd skip it if LEGO did one. 

[TheDoctor]

1 hour ago, MAB said:

I don't think it has to be a playset to be a minifigure scale / minifigure based set. Rivendell is a perfect example of a display set with minifigures and some play features, although adults often prefer them to be called Easter Eggs or hidden features. The courtyard with tree, citadel and hall are a reasonably large area. If they did a building facade roughly 40 studs wide and maybe only 16 deep, they could do the whole of the courtyard about 36 studs in diameter, with the tree. I doubt the 'runway' really adds much for display but a short region could be added even if it is nowhere near long enough. 

Although there are some nice microscale MOCs of the whole city, I don't think they fit with what they have recently done and I'd skip it if LEGO did one. 

I just don't think the Courtyard, White Tower and King's House are Iconic enough for a set, I can't really remember what the King's House facade looks like apart from it's white with a lot of pillars.

Rivendell worked because the location consists of multiple buildings and structures, so it was easy to isolate certain elements and bring them together for one set whilst still looking 'complete'.

By 'System Playset', I mean a small portion of a larger location; like Balin's Tomb, Dol Guldur, The original Rivendell, Uruk-Hai Army
or in this case, something like the front gates with Grond or Walls with Trebuchets.

Minas Tirith is kind of an 'all or nothing' location.
It's only iconic in its entirety, with all seven of the concentric levels.



I understand why they decided not to make sets for it back in the day.
It’s hard to do it justice and if they went for a smaller set, it would just be boring white walls.
 

[RichardGoring]

4 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

I just don't think the Courtyard, White Tower and King's House are Iconic enough for a set, I can't really remember what the King's House facade looks like apart from it's white with a lot of pillars.
...
Minas Tirith is kind of an 'all or nothing' location.
It's only iconic in its entirety, with all seven of the concentric levels.

I understand why they decided not to make sets for it back in the day.
It’s hard to do it justice and if they went for a smaller set, it would just be boring white walls.

Whilst not a strong disagreement, I think that the courtyard, tree, tower, and house at the top are iconic enough to work. Gandalf talked to Pippin about various things in the courtyard and they met Denethor in the house (if it wasn't for that scene, you wouldn't need the interior at all, I suspect). The courtyard is used several times around the madness of Denethor and the crowing of Aragorn. I really do think they could justify it and build a great model around this area.

But yes, clearly the seven levels and the siege are more iconic, but it becomes extremely difficult to do.

I hope they find a way.

[Khargeust]

Two more months to wait... We have a name, a reference number and a number of parts. No description or rumour of a possible GWP. I hope we know more quickly.

I can only see Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Rosie and Gandalf included. It would be a poor but cohesive character selection according to the place and the price. It would definitely need exclusive torsos for all the hobbits and a new hair / hat mold for Gandalf to compensate however. I dream having all dwarves from Thorin and company instead, but I'm 99,99% sure they will go for a LOTR version sadly...

[THELEGOBATMAN]

I really just want to know a price, pretty surprising that we still don't have it. I hope they keep the super good PPP ratio with it being below 200€.

[TheDoctor]

2 hours ago, Khargeust said:

Two more months to wait... We have a name, a reference number and a number of parts. No description or rumour of a possible GWP.

There were actually a couple of April 1st leaks today, so it could be imminent.

More likely that we'll know more within the next 3 weeks though, if we go by the flurry of early leaks at the moment, which are mostly about 5-6 weeks prior to release.

[BrickBob Studpants]

1 hour ago, TheDoctor said:

There were actually a couple of April 1st leaks today, so it could be imminent.

More likely that we'll know more within the next 3 weeks though, if we go by the flurry of early leaks at the moment, which are mostly about 5-6 weeks prior to release.

D2C sets both leak and get official reveals much closer to their release dates though. I wouldn‘t expect any major leaks before early March

4 hours ago, Khargeust said:

I can only see Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Rosie and Gandalf included.

That would be awfully low for the price. Even the 2012 playset had 6 minifigs!

[Balrogofmorgoth]

2 hours ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

D2C sets both leak and get official reveals much closer to their release dates though. I wouldn‘t expect any major leaks before early March

That would be awfully low for the price. Even the 2012 playset had 6 minifigs!

Yeah only five minifigs would be an insult

In my opinion, the bare minimum needs to be Gandalf, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Bilbo

[Lordhelmet]

Do we expect a gwp on this one?  Maybe the set shouldn’t include Gandalf but have Gandalf arrives as a gwp?  Or a black rider as a gwp (two prints and then the roadside cove scene).  I only plan on buying day one if there is a gwp or 2x vip points (my standard Lego rule) or else I will wait for a 2x vip.

[JohnTPT17]

6 minutes ago, Lordhelmet said:

 Maybe the set shouldn’t include Gandalf

Not having Gandalf would be bonkers - they already have all the prints they need for him in Rivendell. Plus, it can help give a sense of scale/add playability by including him. He even made the cut for the old Bilbo Hobbit Hole set, so it would be bizarre for him to not be included in a $200+ D2C.

The existence of a GWP was only leaked about a month before for Barad-Dur (shortly before the first tease released), so we may not know for sure until we get closer. But since this set is on the smaller/cheaper end, I could see it not getting one - the smallest liscenced set last year that had a set-specific GWP was the Dungeons and Dragons tower with the Mimic Dice Box, if I remember correctly, and the only other one smaller than that was the Botanical Garden's GWP.  $300+ seems to be the threshold for a set to get an exclusive GWP, and it sounds like the Shire will be a little under that.

[Balrogofmorgoth]

I have heard there is indeed a GWP

[Black Falcon]

9 hours ago, Lordhelmet said:

Do we expect a gwp on this one?  Maybe the set shouldn’t include Gandalf but have Gandalf arrives as a gwp?  Or a black rider as a gwp (two prints and then the roadside cove scene).  I only plan on buying day one if there is a gwp or 2x vip points (my standard Lego rule) or else I will wait for a 2x vip.

There is no way Gandalf will not be included in the Bagend Set - and I would think he and his horse will be included too - though it would still be possible that the GWP includes another Gandalf with the carriage. If there even is a GWP at all, as it is a comparable small set it could aswell just go without. 

7 hours ago, Balrogofmorgoth said:

I have heard there is indeed a GWP

Source? So far I haven´t seen any mention of it on the usual place.

[MAB]

On 1/31/2025 at 9:38 PM, TheDoctor said:

I just don't think the Courtyard, White Tower and King's House are Iconic enough for a set, I can't really remember what the King's House facade looks like apart from it's white with a lot of pillars.

 

I do. Just the white tree alone is pretty iconic, but wouldn't make a very good set. I'd go for a decent minifig based well done part of the city, than a large white inverted cone  to represent the whole city in microscale. I don't think the market for huge licensed architecture sets is as big as that for minifig based sets. 

[Balrogofmorgoth]

4 hours ago, Black Falcon said:

There is no way Gandalf will not be included in the Bagend Set - and I would think he and his horse will be included too - though it would still be possible that the GWP includes another Gandalf with the carriage. If there even is a GWP at all, as it is a comparable small set it could aswell just go without. 

Source? So far I haven´t seen any mention of it on the usual place.

Hasn’t made the rounds in the usual places yet. But I trust the source. Probably won’t be long

[TheDoctor]

4 hours ago, MAB said:

Part of the city rather than a large white inverted cone to represent the whole city in microscale

Well given that they're making Bag End, the large black microscale tower must have sold pretty well.

 

4 hours ago, MAB said:

 I don't think the market for huge licensed architecture sets is as big as that for minifig based sets. 

It wouldn't be an architecture set, just a microscale location similar to Barad-Dur with a minifig-scale interior.
(mind you, not a lot happens inside in the films, but the same could be said of Barad-Dur)

[Lordhelmet]

4 hours ago, MAB said:

I do. Just the white tree alone is pretty iconic, but wouldn't make a very good set. I'd go for a decent minifig based well done part of the city, than a large white inverted cone  to represent the whole city in microscale. I don't think the market for huge licensed architecture sets is as big as that for minifig based sets. 

I think the white tree would be a cool set on its own.  Like a floral meets diorama set.  I’d totally get that set, or the white tree could be a part of a citadel guard battle pack.  Have the tree build, 2 critical guards and 2 Gondor soldiers. I think these are unlikely but would also be cool.  
 

with the battle pack idea I would have at least two other Gondor battle packs Gondor soldiers with some wall, and then the rangers of ithilien with some foliage.

3 minutes ago, TheDoctor said:

It wouldn't be an architecture set, just a microscale location similar to Barad-Dur with a minifig-scale interior.
(mind you, not a lot happens inside in the films, but the same could be said of Barad-Dur)

What happens inside?  Gandalf goes over the scrolls in the library.  Houses of healing are shown briefly, main hall/throne room is shown, and then the pyre scene.  I can’t think of any others off hand minus some shots of doorways or arches.

 

also if we ever get Denethor, I want the alternate face to have some tomato on it.

[RichardGoring]

If they do a GWP, a black rider and small amount of scenery would make the most sense. You can use the hobbits from the set as part of the play, so the GWP only needs one figure and a horse.

Gandalf's cart should be included in the set, if they do it at all. Gandalf has to be included, and there is little incentive to getting yet another Gandalf in a GWP.

[MAB]

4 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

Well given that they're making Bag End, the large black microscale tower must have sold pretty well.

 

It wouldn't be an architecture set, just a microscale location similar to Barad-Dur with a minifig-scale interior.
(mind you, not a lot happens inside in the films, but the same could be said of Barad-Dur)

OK, we are using different definitions. I am using minifigure scale to mean minifigures interact with the build not that the build is proportional to minifigure height. Like every building in City is poorly scaled. For me, microscale is massively scaled down with no minifigure interaction at all. 

Barad-Dur works OK as a minifigure based tower as the proportions of rooms inside are still believable. I cannot see how they can make the whole of Gondor work in microscale as the rooms would be very weird shapes. Most of the whole city MOCs are architecture style. 

Edited February 2 by MAB

[zoth33]

Is Rivendell set to Retire in December of this year?  I didn't see it on the list on Reddit.  

[Black Falcon]

2 minutes ago, zoth33 said:

Is Rivendell set to Retire in December of this year?  I didn't see it on the list on Reddit.  

Next year as of now, but ofc that can still change.

[zoth33]

24 minutes ago, Black Falcon said:

Next year as of now, but ofc that can still change.

Ok thanks.  I thought I heard this year but that's better for me as I still need to get it at some point.  

[Black Falcon]

9 minutes ago, zoth33 said:

Ok thanks.  I thought I heard this year but that's better for me as I still need to get it at some point.  

As far as I remember they changed it from 2025 to 26 in October or so. They could change it back towards end of the year, but that would really surprise me - it seems more likely it stays longer than shorter to me.