Eurolock

Winners finally announced on Lego Ideas. The builds chosen were all really great - but I’m definitely surprised by the choices. Not sure I would have put any of them into my top ten. All a matter of opinion of course.

There are definitely some amazing LOTR builds. I particularly like one of the versions of Bilbos party because there is so much fun in the build. https://ideas.lego.com/s/ca:42e2952bdcdc4f42bb14c947a30f2ce5 The popularity of some of the builds does perplex me though. There are some very popular builds that bear very little resemblance to the location they are portraying (even though it is clear it is the movie representation that is the inspiration). They are still great builds from a technical and artistic point of view.

I really like your build. Added a comment to get the conversation going.

It’s also frustrating that they don’t give any indication of why they aren’t considered good enough quality for the competition….or even if there is a problem with all the pictures or just one of them. Hard to know if the problem is fixed before you resubmit. I know there was absolutely no chance of winning anything. Just wanted to take part.

Photographs submitted….but rejected for ‘too low picture quality’. Need to try again I guess but looks like I will miss the deadline IMG_3071 by Eurolock, on Flickr IMG_3053 by Eurolock, on Flickr

Sounds very interesting. I’m going to assume that Gollum will be hiding in the back somewhere. I’m hoping to get my photographs taken tomorrow. Getting close to the wire.

I’m starting to think I should have submitted a digital entry…just because it seems to be a real chore trying to get decent photographs of my brick built model.

Agree that version of the Balrog scene is very impressive. The gradual change in colors on the rockwork to give the impression of object source lighting is a really clever idea. I think there is an element of tinkering with the images here though (you can see what appears to be fiery glow on various parts of the Balrog). Nonetheless, very very cool. The Balrog scene is very heavily represented. Clearly a fan favorite. Lego should take note. One of the other Balrog entries has some incredibly detailed dwarven columns that are worth studying. There really are a lot of great entries. There are very ‘lifelike’ (for want of a better word) versions of Treebeard and Oliphant which I would love to recreate. One comment that I would have about the challenge is that I think Lego should have separate prizes for digital submissions and actual brick built models. Many of the digital submissions use a multitude of parts that simply aren’t available in the colors used (the huge gold ring in the ‘Forth Eorlingas’ build for example). Strikes me that this puts the physical brick built models at something of a disadvantage.

Changing topic slightly… There have been a lot of very high quality entries for the Lego Ideas Lord of the Rings challenge over the last few days. Some really incredible builds to draw inspiration from. Worth checking it out if you haven’t been following the challenge. Whatever Lego may (or may not) have sketched out as plans for Barad Dur, it isn’t going to be anything approaching the fantastic version that has been entered into the challenge.

Whilst I would also very much like a Minas Tirith set as you described it as a display piece, I just don’t think it would sell as well as a more ‘action focused set’. The appeal of the courtyard to non hard core LOTR fans seems limited. My kids absolutely loved playing with the Helm’s Deep set. Battles raged for hours with endless comedy banter between the heroes. Not sure what they would have done with the courtyard and white tree. Only so many times they could have thrown Denethor over the edge. Now, if you are talking about a UCS scale set aimed squarely at collectors then I would be more inclined to agree with you. However, even at UCS scale, I don’t think Minas Tirith is really all that viable. At least not in minifigure scale.

I always thought the most obvious way to tackle Minas Tirith was just to do the main gate and a short section of wall either side. Have Grond as the enemy ‘weapon’. Then they could have an expansion set (like the old Uruk hai army set) with an additional section of wall, a Gondor soldier, a tower guard and 2 or 3 orcs. I’d certainly buy a load of copies.

On a similar note, after having dropped $530 on Rivendell this morning, I was somewhat concerned about what my wife’s reaction was going to be when I proceeded to place a $50 order on Bricklink this afternoon for parts to upgrade my Weathertop MOC.

I think I posted before about my observation that, in the initial staging shot of the council of Elrond scene, the circular tower (with the statues around the perimeter) actually appears to be a partial ruin that completely lacks the entire top half and roof depicted in the Lego model. The design of the top section actually appears to be from another tower that is visible some way off in the background. Turns out when I picked up Rivendell today, that the upper tower section is an entirely separate removable section. Presumably this is to allow it to be be displayed with the (screen accurate) ruined tower…or with the complete tower which makes it a more visually striking (if slightly less accurate) set. Very impressive attention to detail and creative approach to dealing with the ruined tower (which seems a bit ‘out of character’ for Rivendell…if that is why the set is designed this way.

Truly amazing build…hard to wrap my head around the scale.

Ahead of getting the Rivendell set I started watching Fellowship again tonight. I noticed that, in the initial staging shot of the council of Elrond scene, the circular tower (with the statues around the perimeter) actually appears to be a partial ruin that completely lacks the entire top half and roof depicted in the Lego model. The design of the top section actually appears to be from another tower that is visible some way off in the background. Not sure how I feel about the difference here? In some ways it seems odd to deviate from the source material since so much else about the set is highly accurate. On the other hand a ruined tower in Rivendell does seems like a somewhat out of character with the rest of Rivendell - and the change that has been implemented does make for a more visually striking (and more beautiful) set. Also, I guess it would be very easy to modify it to more accurately reflect the ruined tower if that is what someone wanted to do.

I enjoyed aspects of RoP (Elrond and Durin, the Dwarves in general, the orc costumes, Adar, the visuals in general….even the Harfoots) and I was willing to look past moments of questionable acting and the strangely uneven pacing…but, for me, the whole endeavor was ultimately torpedoed by some, frankly, ridiculous plot elements. I was, quite literally cringing at times. Sauron’s ‘black blade’ being a key to unlock the opening mechanism for a dam made absolutely so narrative sense (to me) whatsoever. Why would someone design a dam to be opened by a magical blade? Still, the clumsy black blade dam key McGuffin seemed masterful when compared to the Sauron ‘twist’ at the end. Much of what happened in earlier episodes, makes no sense once the twist is revealed…and, of course, the whole plot suddenly hangs on 2 central characters meeting by complete chance under circumstances that compel them to work together. Really, that guy is Sauron? Come on…

Looks fantastic.....but perhaps I am a bit biased! You have nice details that I didn’t manage to include...like the steps at the slide of the ramp that winds up to the main keep.

Very impressive.....great attention to detail.

Fantastic build....the cave, snow and path are just perfect. Love the sleeping bear too.

Excellent build....and incredibly accurate to the source material.

Where would you even acquire all those hammers? Fantastic build though....and I like the use of the ingots too.

Thanks - the images can now be seen! Lots to like here....but I am puzzled as to why you built the ruins of the watchtower as a semi-circle rather than the full circle? Was the intention to do a sort of 'scale-up' of the official 9472? I built a MOC of weathertop about 3 years ago and have never got around to posting pictures (mainly because it was so difficult to photograph). I will try to post something this weekend though...

Afraid I can't see the images. Perhaps put them on Flickr?

Looks like an official set. Very cool without being very big.

008 by Eurolock, on Flickr 009 by Eurolock, on Flickr I posted a few pics of this before the great crash of 2012. Thought I would post it again in a thread of its own to get some feedback (this is my first attempt at castle). What I was trying to do was expand the official set so that it was a much more complete representation of Helms deep (comparable to the Weta polystone environment). The aim was to keep the general scale (as defined by the front gate) and design aesthetic. I also wanted all the major areas seen in the movie to be represented (interior of the keep, back stairs, glittering caves etc) This rear shot shows the interior of the keep and the caves beneath 001 by Eurolock, on Flickr The caves are connected by a passageway to the front area of the fortress as depicted in the movie 003 by Eurolock, on Flickr This shot shows Eomer on the back stairs. The stairs actually work as a sort of 'ball-track' play feature as a boulder can be rolled through the back gate and will follow the winding path of the stairs knocking down any uruk hai in its path. This is a nod to an event in the book where a great boulder is cast down upon the uruk-hai as they attempt to take the rear gate. 002 by Eurolock, on Flickr This shot shows Eomer on the walkway that connects the inner and outer walls. I changed the original model here so that the walkway enters the inner door through a doorway as shown during Aragorn's retreat to the keep. You can also make out the entrance to the passageway through to the caves. 005 by Eurolock, on Flickr Aerial shot. I had a lot of trouble with the spiral ramp that leads up from the front gate to the area in front of the keep. 011 by Eurolock, on Flickr Gamling in the caves. The whole set-up is modular and a section of the caves can be removed for separate play. The lack of roof was necessary for access. 016 by Eurolock, on Flickr 015 by Eurolock, on Flickr The battle in full swing....If only I had as many Uruks as Deathleech... Helm's deep by Eurolock, on Flickr Errm...don't know how I managed to post the same new thread twice. Sorry.