Lord of the Rings Ongoing Discussion

[mtrsteve]

What would be a really fun curve ball would be if Lego go with the book description and include a black outer wall instead of white like in the movies. Would help break up the white monolith feel, but would almost certainly be unpopular.

[Blazej_Holen]

1 hour ago, hikouki said:

...as long as it is not a FLAT slice, I'll be okay. 

The limited minifig lineup of Barad-dur was disappointing. It would not have mattered if there were small, follow up sets to complete the minifig lineup, but no. 

What about a series of smaller sets that can be assembled together? A la Harry Potter?

What minifigs do you have in mind regarding Barad Dur? There are all main characters that have something to do with that location (even though Frodo and Sam wasnt actually there)… my only complaint is the missing new prints for hobbits. Other than that… Its fine. 4 orcs, Gothmog, Sauron, Mouth of Sauron… thats all there is and should be right? Maybe Witch King would be nice, but he will probably appear in Minas Tirith set where he makes more sense…

6 hours ago, MKJoshA said:

My guess is it'll be $500 and I'm hoping it's more like Rivendell than Barad-Dur. I was surprised we didn't get more figures in Barad-Dur. I worry that Lego will pull the same stunt with Gondor. The Shire was okay for fig selection. But nothing beats Rivendell yet. The full Fellowship plus so many extras, that was a treat. It's how Lego should treat these large, adult focused sets. It shouldn't be a one-off. But I have no faith that Lego will give us what we deserve and will skimp out on the figures again. 

Not that mamy extras… just Elrond, Arwen, unnamed dwarf and two generic random elves… just to dill the scene. Nothing special to be honest. Feels about right but not mindblowing. 
 

$500 Minas Tirith wont make it look that good. This is enough for just the upoer most level with citadel and tower and courtyard… and some side builds… 
 

I think that most of us are hoping for mor cohesive city/fortress like build rather than random cur from the city…

[RichardGoring]

5 hours ago, hikouki said:

What about a series of smaller sets that can be assembled together? A la Harry Potter?

I suspect that the compromises to make each set also with as a standalone would mean either a lower quality design or higher overall cost or both.

[JohnTPT17]

3 hours ago, RichardGoring said:

I suspect that the compromises to make each set also with as a standalone would mean either a lower quality design or higher overall cost or both.

Though it would allow for those of us with smaller wallets and shelf space to get a few small things a la carte as we have room for them. 

That does lead to another con of duplicates between sets, though - but, LoTR has that issue sometimes anyways, and more duplicates would bring down loose aftermarket prices on Bricklink for those just wanting figures. 

[hikouki]

4 hours ago, RichardGoring said:

I suspect that the compromises to make each set also with as a standalone would mean either a lower quality design or higher overall cost or both.

Maybe they are just trying to maximize profits?

I think if they design it as a single big set but sell it as smaller sets, it can still be a masterpiece, with just some pieces added or subtracted for the smaller sets.

[hikouki]

8 hours ago, Blazej_Holen said:

What minifigs do you have in mind regarding Barad Dur? There are all main characters that have something to do with that location (even though Frodo and Sam wasnt actually there)… my only complaint is the missing new prints for hobbits. Other than that… Its fine. 4 orcs, Gothmog, Sauron, Mouth of Sauron… thats all there is and should be right? Maybe Witch King would be nice, but he will probably appear in Minas Tirith set where he makes more sense…

Not that mamy extras… just Elrond, Arwen, unnamed dwarf and two generic random elves… just to dill the scene. Nothing special to be honest. Feels about right but not mindblowing. 
 

 

More orcs... for army building!

[Seaber]

If Lego are going to make Minas Tirith then things may get a little ugly in relation to army building unless affordable playsets/battle packs are introduced. 

There are plenty of other scenes or structures that would have made great sets outside of the locations with big battle scenes with huge armies, such as Edoras, Lorien and Weathertop. 

Using Minas Tirith as the example as it is the current rumour, but it could equally apply to Helm's Deep, the Black Gates or Last Alliance, there are far too many things to include satisfactorily is a set, no matter how large and expensive.

Outside of the hero characters and the actual city, MT has Gondorian soldiers, rangers, guards of the fountain court, citadel guards, rohirrim, dead soldiers, various kinds of orcs and uruks, attack trolls, drummer trolls, seige tower trolls, nazgul on fell beasts, haradrim, mumakil, horses and wargs, seige towers, Grond hauled by the Great Beasts... that's a lot of material! 

If, for example, an affordable Osgiliath Battle set was made, with Gondorian Soldiers against orcs, that would lighten the army load of the large MT set considerably. A separate Mumakil set vs rangers set based in Ithilien would do the same. Save the Rohirrim for future Rohan sets and maybe the dead for another pirate ship and I think that would please a lot of people. 

[GeoBrick]

9 hours ago, Seaber said:

Outside of the hero characters and the actual city, MT has Gondorian soldiers, rangers, guards of the fountain court, citadel guards, rohirrim, dead soldiers, various kinds of orcs and uruks, attack trolls, drummer trolls, seige tower trolls, nazgul on fell beasts, haradrim, mumakil, horses and wargs, seige towers, Grond hauled by the Great Beasts... that's a lot of material! 

If, for example, an affordable Osgiliath Battle set was made, with Gondorian Soldiers against orcs, that would lighten the army load of the large MT set considerably. A separate Mumakil set vs rangers set based in Ithilien would do the same. Save the Rohirrim for future Rohan sets and maybe the dead for another pirate ship and I think that would please a lot of people. 

Strictly speaking, all of those wouldn't be a Minas Tirith set, but a Fields of Pelennor set.

[McMurder_them_softly]

On 9/23/2025 at 12:46 PM, mtrsteve said:

What would be a really fun curve ball would be if Lego go with the book description and include a black outer wall instead of white like in the movies. Would help break up the white monolith feel, but would almost certainly be unpopular.

While a cool reference, does LEGO have the license for the books too or just the films? 

[Lordhelmet]

15 hours ago, Seaber said:

If Lego are going to make Minas Tirith then things may get a little ugly in relation to army building unless affordable playsets/battle packs are introduced. 

This is one concern I have for minis tirith, we need a battle packs (or equivalent) alongside minis tirith.  Without a full theme though I’m concerned something like that does not fit into the icons line up.

[zoth33]

1 hour ago, McMurder_them_softly said:

While a cool reference, does LEGO have the license for the books too or just the films? 

They have the rights to the movies.  

[mtrsteve]

10 hours ago, McMurder_them_softly said:

While a cool reference, does LEGO have the license for the books too or just the films? 

Just the movies AFAIK, but I'm not sure you would need the book rights for a detail like that. I mean they invented whole chambers within barad dur. To be clear, I don't expect this to happen, but would be funny to see the reaction to such subverted expectations (I fully expect half the shill reviewers would have no idea it's actually canon)

[MAB]

9 hours ago, zoth33 said:

They have the rights to the movies.  

And Warner Bros would want it to look like what is in their movies.

[mtrsteve]

15 minutes ago, MAB said:

And Warner Bros would want it to look like what is in their movies.

Me: "imagine the reactions if Lego did something they obviously wouldn't do"

You: "but they would never do that"

[mtrsteve]

26 minutes ago, mtrsteve said:

Me: "imagine the reactions if Lego did something they obviously wouldn't do"

You: "but they would never do that"

Please disregard. Grumpy Thursday morning syndrome.

[Seaber]

On 9/25/2025 at 1:28 AM, McMurder_them_softly said:

While a cool reference, does LEGO have the license for the books too or just the films? 

The licence covers the books, so if they wanted to include, say, Glorfindel, they could. 

There is no chance if that happening anytime soon though. 

[zoth33]

1 hour ago, Seaber said:

The licence covers the books, so if they wanted to include, say, Glorfindel, they could. 

There is no chance if that happening anytime soon though. 

I don't think the license covers the books anything they have done has been from the movies either LOTR/Hobbit.  

[MAB]

On 9/26/2025 at 6:36 PM, zoth33 said:

I don't think the license covers the books anything they have done has been from the movies either LOTR/Hobbit.  

Indeed. The boxes indicate that they license it from Warner Bros.

[Seaber]

Warner bros hold the licence to the books. 

Like they do with the Harry Potter line, and Lego have started to include book-only characters not seen in the films into sets. 

[Black Falcon]

4 minutes ago, Seaber said:

Warner bros hold the licence to the books. 

Like they do with the Harry Potter line, and Lego have started to include book-only characters not seen in the films into sets. 

Warner Bros has the license for films, based on what is writen in the books (and even then isn´t allowed to use all of tolkiens works) and as far as I understood it, they wouldn´t be allowed to make a series based on the books for instance. And themselves they only can give out licenses about what is shown in their films, hence Gloin was included Rivendell but wasn´t named there, because he wasn´t named in the films either.

WBs license agreement with Rowling might be different from the one with Tolkien Estate, so you can´t really compare one with the other - but Kettleburn for instance was in the movies, even if he was just shown in a small scene.

[Kyrasdad]

Maybe un unpopular opinion and question at the same time but what makes you all so enthousiast about Minas Tirith?

I understand its importance in the books and the movie adaptation but to me its just nothing more then a few white walls and terraces. There are some important places in the white city but i don't think they will be done justice in a build by Lego of the city. Not even if you throw 800 - 1000 euro against it.

The siege of the gate with Grond or the stewards throne room and the attempt to burn Faramir,  The houses of healing or the lighting of the beacons all need a lot of bricks to do the scene justice. And most popular scenes are more about what takes place outside the city.

Also lurking this topic for the last few years, to me it looks like discussing the hope for Minas Tirith always ends up in wish lists for the figures which are mostly based of the battle between Eowyn and the Witch-King,  The Easterlings and Haradhrim including a mumakil vs Rohan Horseman, The Siege of the gate with Grond, And The Faramir, Denethor Pippin Scene. And the hope for Gondorian soldiers / guards because the are lacking from the first few waves with sets. Its never about the "beauty" of the white city,  which i get because i feel all these little scenes are way more exciting then the Minas Tirith as a build. I would even prefer Edoras or a Helms Deep remake and i do own all sets of the Lord of the rings and the Hobbit excluding the special figures that where given away at special events so Helms deep is already owned and i would still prefer that one because it will probably look nicer then Minas Tirith

So basically, why are you happy about the Minas Tirith rumor.  

Edited October 1 by Kyrasdad

[MKJoshA]

3 hours ago, Kyrasdad said:

So basically, why are you happy about the Minas Tirith rumor.  

I for one am certainly excited for the possible figures, but after building Rivendell I'm equally excited by the possibility of an amazing Minas Tirith display piece. Contrastly, I'm concerned by another Shire repeat...

[Csc167]

3 hours ago, Kyrasdad said:

So basically, why are you happy about the Minas Tirith rumor.  

My biggest draw would be soldiers of Gondor followed by more orcs. I personally think a well done gate of Minas Tirith with additional wall battle packs would be perfect, with a few separate Pellenor field/Osgiliath sets. The gate is the most memorable location to me, outside of the entire shape of the city. 

[MAB]

4 hours ago, Kyrasdad said:

Maybe un unpopular opinion and question at the same time but what makes you all so enthousiast about Minas Tirith?

I understand its importance in the books and the movie adaptation but to me its just nothing more then a few white walls and terraces. There are some important places in the white city but i don't think they will be done justice in a build by Lego of the city. Not even if you throw 800 - 1000 euro against it.

The siege of the gate with Grond or the stewards throne room and the attempt to burn Faramir,  The houses of healing or the lighting of the beacons all need a lot of bricks to do the scene justice. And most popular scenes are more about what takes place outside the city.

Also lurking this topic for the last few years, to me it looks like discussing the hope for Minas Tirith always ends up in wish lists for the figures which are mostly based of the battle between Eowyn and the Witch-King,  The Easterlings and Haradhrim including a mumakil vs Rohan Horseman, The Siege of the gate with Grond, And The Faramir, Denethor Pippin Scene. And the hope for Gondorian soldiers / guards because the are lacking from the first few waves with sets. Its never about the "beauty" of the white city,  which i get because i feel all these little scenes are way more exciting then the Minas Tirith as a build. I would even prefer Edoras or a Helms Deep remake.

And i do own all sets of the Lord of the rings and the Hobbit excluding the special figures that where given away at special events.

So basically, why are you happy about the Minas Tirith rumor.  

I would also prefer a Minas Tirith set based on scenes from the movies in minifigure scale rather than a very micro microscale set of the whole city.

[Cyprinus]

31 minutes ago, MKJoshA said:

I for one am certainly excited for the possible figures, but after building Rivendell I'm equally excited by the possibility of an amazing Minas Tirith display piece. Contrastly, I'm concerned by another Shire repeat...

I feel Minas Tirith will disappoint one way or the other. Beyond doing it in architecture scale there really isn't a good way to capture the whole thing, and while in Rivandell they managed to combine select scenes into a glorious display, it also didn't have a shape anyway near as iconic as MT. Meanwhile doing it Barad-Dur style means you don't have a way of doing most of the scenes in the movie (since they're outside), while the interiors you have are kinda meh (the throne room and the pyre of Denethor)...