BrickBob Studpants Posted June 7, 2013 (edited) Out of this year's LOTR sets, this is the one I was looking forward to the most, simply because Rivendell is one of my favourite places in the entirety of Middle-earth. And I'm glad TLG have managed to capture it this well, but more on that later As mentioned in my review of 79005, I adore the boxart of these sets The picture with Arwen and Elrond looks a bit weird though, it sort of looks like she's ordering him to attack someone And this is what you find inside the box: Fortunately, the sticker sheet is quite small and only sports the superior kind of stickers (i.e. the transparent ones). Let's not hesitate and examine the contents of bag 1: The new dark-orange leaves do look great, now I can't wait to see autumn-based MOC's Noteworthy parts besides the foliage are the round plate in pearl gold and the rings. Looks like TLG is being generous by giving us three instead of two. Interestingly, they came out of the bag the way they're shown here, it wasn't me who put them on the turntable Coincidence, or more? The world may never know (nor care ). And those are the minifigs that await you in the first bag: Gimli is the same as before (apart from the fact he only gets one axe this time around) and Frodo has two new face prints, which has to be a record (or is there another character that got six different face prints in two years?). The angry expression I don't quite get regarding the context of this set, I mean what is he so angry about? (Maybe because Gimli gets launched right in his direction on the boxart ) Let's move on to bag 2: To some, the most exciting aspect of this set seems to be the new gothic-style arch pieces which might become very useful for a lot of MOCs. The bag also contains more foliage and a nice array of (dark) tan, white, reddish brown, pearl gold, olive green and light bluish gray parts. And, of course, the remaiing minifigures, Arwen and Elrond, which are both absolutely marvelous: The face prints and hairpieces are nothing short of perfect and I very much welcome the return of the double-sided cape, I really missed those Those two are my favourite minifigs of this wave of LOTR sets (besides Saruman and Gandalf the White of course ). The alternate expressions are cool too, but I don't recall Elrond ever smiling And now it's time for some comparison pics, yaaayyy!! Extra parts (as I've said before, quite generous): And the finished set: I'm amazed at how well they've managed to capture Rivendell in such a small set, they got everything right The colour scheme, the new foliage and details like those cute microfig statues give this set real charm. Even the play function is cleverly done: the Eye underneath the table to represent the moment the Eye appeared when Gimli hit the One Ring with his axe might seem gimmicky, but as I've said, I think it's really clever. So what else is there to say about this set but.... BUY IT ASAP!! Edited June 7, 2013 by Lego-Freak Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deskp Posted June 7, 2013 Nice review, great picturees good colors and not blurry! Any chanse you could do a picture of Tauriel with Arwens hair? All the lotr LEGO elves together looks sweet! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Infernum Posted June 7, 2013 Wow. This set is a must buy for me! Great parts, clever architecture, and great figs! I love Elrond so much! Don't like his smile, but the other print looks great! I bet the 'angry' face for Frodo is for when he gets annoyed at everyone arguing about what to do with the ring. I actually really love the 'gimmick'. Great review for a great set! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hive Posted June 8, 2013 Of all the LOTR/Hobbit sets, I think this one has the by far most exciting parts. Can't wait to get it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brickadiergerard Posted June 8, 2013 I've been very excited about this set since pictures of it first surfaced, and after reading this great review and seeing the photos I now can't wait to get hold of one - or two, because as can be seen in another thread, two together look fab. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrickBob Studpants Posted June 8, 2013 @deskp: Here you go: Looks way better than the other hairpiece, which is better suited for male elves I think Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lynx Posted June 8, 2013 Thanks for the review. This is my favourite Middle Earth set so far, and I already convinced my wife of the necessity of buying a second set. :) Lego-Freak, you should really grab the phone and call LEGO about your blue Elrond cape. I finally did it a few weeks ago, and they send it to me from Denmark (took less than two weeks). The long cape is an improvement over that short abomination that words can hardly express! I still prefer the T.A. Elrond, though. Just a fantastic head piece, perfect facial expression and beautiful cape. The only thing I dislike about the new hair pieces of Elrond, Arwen and Gandalf/ Saruman is that you can't fit a caped minifig on a horse and the cape tends to get damaged immediately after application. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hoschiebaer Posted June 8, 2013 nice review - i got the set already though one of my golden rings stuck to a brown round stud aswell it looks like you didnt get a brick seperator either, i guess they are not in the europe version of this set? ( i dont care much about not getting one, but i was kinda puzzled when i looked at the pictures on shop@home after getting the set) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deskp Posted June 8, 2013 @deskp: Here you go: *snip* Looks way better than the other hairpiece, which is better suited for male elves I think Thanks for the picture! I could not agree more about the hair! Did a little photoshopping and comparison. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gryphon Ink Posted June 8, 2013 Great review. I knew I wanted this set, but these pictures have totally convinced me. Hats off to the designer of this set, it's amazing how they've captured Rivendell's essence in a tiny piece of scenery. I'd buy two if the budget allowed for it. Elrond did smile in at least one scene that I remember, but I can't think what it was. Maybe in one of the many endings of ROTK, when the hobbits are reunited? I remember it was kind of weird for him. The Last Alliance version is much prettier than this Elrond, IMO, but this one is still pretty cool. And Arwen is beautiful! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trance89 Posted June 8, 2013 (edited) Nice review. I really like this set. It has a lot of usefull parts. I allready own one copy but I ordered another one today. Has anyone noticed Lego shows a brick separator on the image in their webshop? Not that I care because I hink it shouldn't be in smaller sets so you don't get a ****load of brick separators. But still it shouldn't on be picture when there isn't one in the set. I think there was one on the picture of the Wizard battle as well but they probably removed it. Edited June 8, 2013 by Trance89 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ki-Adi-Mundi Posted June 8, 2013 Hello Lego-Freak, yet another great review by you. Outstanding pics for an outstanding set! If it weren't on my shopping list by already, it would wander there now. Finally an Elven set without any 'Itchy and Twitchy' meddling in. While small, i like the style of it alot. The sophisticated architecture, integration of trees and the autumn feeling of Rivendell. The kin-strife of the Elves is being transported in a good manner. And i also like 'Agent Smith' finally entering Middle-Earth. Elrond indeed is my favourite character. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ceroknight Posted June 8, 2013 Thank you for the review! I absolutely love this set! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lynx Posted June 8, 2013 Elrond did smile in at least one scene that I remember, but I can't think what it was. I remember it was kind of weird for him. He was shown smiling at Minas Tirith after Arwen and Aragorn were united. Hugo Weaving plays him more relaxed in the Hobbit, which is of course a reflection of the mood of both movies. Don't forget, however, that movie Elrond differed a lot from Tolkien's Elrond who I thought was very warm and understanding. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Only Sinner Posted June 9, 2013 What a great set! Lots of good pieces in a warmer color palette, and some beautiful minifigs. I can't wait for mine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wardancer Posted June 10, 2013 (edited) Thanks for the review. I am about to order this now. A question about the stickers: The stickers on the chairs, are they a golden print on a transparent sheet (so that the colour below shines through) or are they golden print on solid reddish brown print? Edit: BL answered my question. The background is clear. These stickers on a 2x4 tile will make fine elven tower shields. Edited June 10, 2013 by Wardancer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faefrost Posted June 10, 2013 He was shown smiling at Minas Tirith after Arwen and Aragorn were united. Hugo Weaving plays him more relaxed in the Hobbit, which is of course a reflection of the mood of both movies. Don't forget, however, that movie Elrond differed a lot from Tolkien's Elrond who I thought was very warm and understanding. He also had a sly smile when Sam Merry and Pippin intruded on the meeting in FotR. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Studebricker Posted June 10, 2013 Wow, this is a cool set and the figs are excellent. I hope they do more scenes from Rivendell that could perhaps join together with this one. Thanks for the review. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brickington Posted June 11, 2013 Your pictures are very clear and are of great quality. You should consider joining the Reviewers Academy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Athos Posted June 11, 2013 I can't believe they didn't include Boromir in this set? Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbo Baggins Posted June 12, 2013 Great review, this set may be worth getting just because of Arwen and Elrond. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Etzel Posted June 19, 2013 Got this set today and I agree with all the praise for this set that IMO is definitely the best of the new line for LotR. Great pieces all around, with the top marks being the dark orange foliage and the new arch. The elven minifigs are outstanding, I can't wait to start experimenting with different combinations of their parts. Some might complain about getting yet another Gimli or Frodo, but I find those characters to be among the best to have several of since they are quite generic and has good parts that you can use to make different minifigs. A nice touch with the set is how one tree is used as a pillar for the building, just the kind of thing you could expect in elvish architecture. 4/5 from me. A really great set! Compared to the rest of the summer line, this was a no-brainer to buy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Elijah Timms Posted June 19, 2013 Wow... I'm not much of a LOTR collector, but this is positively beautiful. I can't look at it without hearing the sound of waterfalls and the music score from the film inside my head. Absolutely one of the best small interpretations of a movie scene TLG has ever produced. Thanks for the review! Your Elven group shot is pretty amazing, too! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlueberryWaffles Posted June 19, 2013 I love Frodo's face! I just watched TTT again last night (needed to see the extended edition!) and it's a PERFECT face for argh im angry and possessed by Sauron/wtf am I doing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
