LOTR & The Hobbit 2013 Set Discussion

[Legoman123]

Has the orthanc tower been confirmed?

[wesker]

For me the Council of Elrond is the standout - a wonderful display piece with great minifigs, and the colors make it very different from the rest of the line. Wizards' Battle is a great set for that price point. And it's hard to tell from the pictures, but the corsair ship looks pretty damn cool. I like the Black Gate, but it's not screaming "BUY ME! BUY ME!"

I apologize to all the fans of the eagle, but I'm really not feeling it. It's not big enough, it doesn't belong in that set, and it can't hold minifigs, so I will continue to champion the Fierce Flyer, which only needs a beak mod to become a really great eagle on a more suitable scale.

Overall, it's not as exciting as the first wave of LOTR, but it's not bad. I still believe there is another exclusive set hiding in the wings, and given the extreme lack of hobbits in the sets we've seen I still think it's going to be Treebeard.

I hope there's another exclusive. With the third Hobbit movie coming out only 6 months after the second, it may be a long time before we see anymore LOTR sets.

[I Scream Clone]

Has the orthanc tower been confirmed?

Yes, pretty much locked in as I know of prelim pictures.

[Wolvarie]

Just noticed the price of the Elrond set...that is going to fly off the shelves.

[just2good]

Just noticed the price of the Elrond set...that is going to fly off the shelves.

It has competition with the gorgeous Lone Ranger Stage Coach set, which is also $30, so hopefully they'll balance sales out with each other.

[kermit]

I wonder if we'll get expansions to Rivendell, the Council of Elrond set has technic pins- perhaps a modular style construction?

I dont think you will get expansions for this set. The pins are there so that you can arrange the sections. Thats all.

[Mr_Malfoy]

FBTB has their more detailed pictures of the new LotR sets up! I love the Council of Elrond & The Black Gate sets the most.

[Haltiamieli]

Am I strange or is this picture just too funny?

( )

I'm sure that Mouth of Sauron is giggling uncontrollably in the picture.

[General Magma]

The Mouth of Sauron figure is great, but it's disappointing that he doesn't come with a secondary face print.

[Nagyzee]

It has competition with the gorgeous Lone Ranger Stage Coach set, which is also $30, so hopefully they'll balance sales out with each other.

I really hope it won't be €50 in Europe, unlike the Stagecoach.

[Mr_Malfoy]

Am I strange or is this picture just too funny?

*snip*

I'm sure that Mouth of Sauron is giggling uncontrollably in the picture.

Looks like he is! :) I do wish he had a double-sided face, though. One side a snarl, the other that big scary grin.

EDIT: Did anyone else notice that Frodo has a new angry face on The Council of Elrond box?

Edited February 11, 2013 by Mr_Malfoy

[Str0ngbad]

Between the leaves, the arches, and that wonderful hair, I'm going to have to get at least two of the Council set. I'll probably end up with all of the others but that set easily takes the cake for me this year. Now to wait for June... I for one don't mind having single sided faces especially on figs that have detail all the way around their head. I kind of wish the uruk-hai had only one expression so I could get away with leaving a few of them bald.

[Deathleech]

My only gripe really is the size of the eagle, but otherwise all are must buys for my LOTR collection!

Same here. The eagle should of been at least a third bigger than it currently is, and it also should of had more articulation like in the neck and/or legs. The orcs should of also had some new armor, not re-used Uruk-hai armor but all well.

Overall this is the weakest LotR/Hobbit wave in my opinion. The sets themselves aren't terrible by any means, it's just a combination of other factors that makes me say this. There are only four sets (with a possible fifth later on) this time around, no possible army builders whatsoever, and some really random scenes that aren't terribly big in the films (looking at you Corsair Ship). I see myself buying one of at least everything like usual, but I doubt I will be buying multiples of any of these sets. I will probably just try to pick up a few extra undead and eagles on BrickLink or eBay and be set. It should be a cheap wave on my wallet at least.

Edited February 11, 2013 by Deathleech

[Mahtion]

Did anyone notice that the Helms deep game has like five variant prints for the Uruk-hai?

Disappointing to see no new Orc prints in the new wave.

Definitely as others have said Wizard Battle and Council of Elrond are the must haves. At first I thought the new gothic arches were the old short tree arch pieces but it is indeed a new mold. I would love to see everybody's Rivendell MOCs once they buy Council set multiples. Hopefully with lots of these sold Lego may be compelled to make a full size Rivendell exclusive or larger set down the road.

Wizard battle is great, the Orthanc interior architecture is a nice surprise and I love the Palantir even if the globe piece should have been black or grey trans color. Gandalf's staff looks ridiculous next to Saurman, a pity that Gandalf the White lacks a better staff as well.

Black Gate is a solid set but not as high a priority in my case. I love that the sets seem cheaper than the outrageous Mines of Moria and Weathertop sets. Aragorn sharing the exact same sword mold with the mouth of Sauron is pitiful and almost pathetic. Poor Aragorn and Gandalf need steeds immediately if or when I get this set. Also yes the eagle is pathetic and the fierce flyer astronomically superior. I hope Smaug will be brick built and not suffer a poor molded design.

[legofreak86]

Am I strange or is this picture just too funny?

(http://www.flickr.co...57632736581143/)

I'm sure that Mouth of Sauron is giggling uncontrollably in the picture.

Too true!! love aragorn's black and red cape anyone else notice that!!! This looks like a must buy for me i mean gandalf and aragorn rotk in one set!!! Awesome!!

No andruil is dissapointing though.

[Shroffy123]

Pictures look great. I'm really excited for the minifigs in this wave. Sad, however, about the lack of army builders. I'm still waiting to build up my Gonordian soldiers :)

All sets are MUST buys; however, I am not sure I'll buy multiples of each set. I really don't want more Legolas, Gimil, and Aragorns.

[Legoman123]

Will the tower of orthanc have minifigs and open up inside for playability ?

[wesker]

Will the tower of orthanc have minifigs and open up inside for playability ?

No one knows yet.

[BrickBob Studpants]

Just found on brickipedia:

So Gandalf is finally getting a new facial expression

[jmagaletta]

Will the tower of orthanc have minifigs and open up inside for playability ?

If it does, i think it will be something similar to the UCS SSD from the star wars line.

[coolguy2323]

Oh man I love the Black Gate

Have there been any pics of Orthanc released yet? That's the one I'm most anxious to get, I can't have my Uruk-hai chilling in Helm's Deep with the Rohirrim! :D

[Darth Malgus]

Just found on brickipedia:

So Gandalf is finally getting a new facial expression

could be Saruman's face on one side Gandalf's on the other?

[Tauntaunwampa]

No, I really don't think so

[BlueberryWaffles]

LOL Gandalf's face is hilarious!

Mouth of Sauron: I don't know why I can't stop grinning! I'm supposed to be creepy!

Gandalf: GANDALF-HULK ANGRY!

[Brickadiergerard]

LOL Gandalf's face is hilarious!

Mouth of Sauron: I don't know why I can't stop grinning! I'm supposed to be creepy!

Gandalf: GANDALF-HULK ANGRY!

Now that I've seen the photos on FBTB I know I'll be buying the Wizards' duel and the Council of Elrond as soon as they're released. I had reservations about the latter because it seemed too small to do justice to Rivendell, but now that I've seen it, I can see that it 's a neat set that captures some of the feel of the place and comes at a great price. 2 of the figures are amazing, 2 a bit of a let down - if we have to have another Gimli couldn't we have had an old Bilbo or Gloin instead of yet another Frodo? But even so, it's a great set. I expect I'll try and get hold of a duplicate to enlarge it.

Which brings me on to the Black Gate, aka The Tooth of Mordor. What a weird half set it is. Kind of like the Mines of Moria but worse. Whereas Moria could hide the fact it was half a room with the whole acessibilty-for-play thing, having only one of the two gate towers does make for a really odd looking Black Gate. I'd sooner have had two towers, and got my great eagle in a more sensibly proportioned Warg Attack set (smaller tree with fewer functions, one less rock thing, one less Orc = room for an eagle). Like Rivendell, and Moria, I think this is another set that will be massively improved by the purchase of a duplicate to bulk it out, get that tower and an extra eagle, and then sell off the minifigs to recoup the purchase price. And like Rivendell the minifigs are a mixture of the great and the not-so-great, with the fab 3 of Gandalf, Aragorn and The Mouth set against yet more old Orcs. My big problem with that Orc is his face - those rings down his forehead make him too individual to be reused again and again. I think it's a real pity that we didn't get a new Mordor Orc figure. Finally the eagle - not as big as in the films, but not so far from the ones in the books as to make me anything other than really keen to get one. A figure can sit on its back, and the printing on the wings and head looks great.

All in all, while I'm still surprised about what isn't in this wave, I'm more happy with these sets than I thought I'd be - they're more than just fillers between Helms Deep and Ents, Balrogs, Witch Kings and Gondorians.

Edited February 11, 2013 by Brickadiergerard