diskus

It seems so. It looks like the head can rotate. http://cdn.toyark.com/news/attach/6/9/_DSC3378_1360501232.jpg

First: I'm not happy with the plate instead of real claws. Lynx is right with the grab of wargs. The Battle of the Five Armies can played with eagles grabbing wargs. Hope we get a set with both of them It's also possible to grab horses but you need another 1x2plate. It is possible for the eagle to "grab" a minifigure in two ways: 1.Yaznek (an some other orcs) have no hairpieces, so the eagle can "grab" by clicking the head stud under the feet. Looks strange, but in childrens fantasy the eagle grabs the head. 2.The eagle grab only one hand of the minifigures. Just tried to show it with the picture by using the next dwarf and a 2x2plate I could grab - that's why Gollums boat grabs Bifur. Maybe it is not so realistic as it is with real claws (like the 31004 Fierce Flyer) and maybe nothing to play scenes (the figures can fall very fast) but for some short foto scenes its enought ;-) And for all who wants to get more orcs: We have to start a cuusoo project like this one http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/2674 I prefer 25 Mordor Orcs, 25 Gondorian, 20 Rohan riders, 9 eagles and one Sauron.

Seems like a placeholder for the Mordor Orc. On the left side is another Moria Orc with an bow. Maybe the Corsair is somewhere on the ship? In a small cabin? 150$ sounds very good for everyones finances. But I doubt that there will be so much minifigures. In fact it will be a set that remodels the outside (the main scenes can be played without inner structure, only for the wizard battle you have to buy a cheap set) but you need many bricks. Take Attack of the wargs. It's 19cm high and you need 400 bricks for the whole set (I did'nt count how many bricks are for the rock and the catapult). More bricks, the higher the price. The Millenium falcon (7965) has 1254 bricks and 6 minifigures for 150€ (round about 200$). My prophecy is: For the price of 150$ we get 6 minifigures - Saruman, Wormtongue, Merry and Pippin, two orcs, maybe two Ents (brickbuild) and a tower build with 1000 bricks. - And this sounds like the rumor of the set "The betrayal of Isengard"

Tested? Germany, a big laboratory for consumption tests More than all of north america? Okaaaay, that sound a little bit strange. But realistic. Lego is really popular here. Maybe I can ask someone in the shop in Cologne next month about this topic.

LOTR is doing bad in Germany? Don't think so (but that's only my impression). The Hobbit too? I bought all the sets last year. Will buy the new sets too. So it's not my fault if LOTR is doing bad ;-) The Pirate Ship is nearly 60cm? Sounds very good. I will put it on my aquarium (2 meters long, 50 cm deep). On top the ship and under it the "monsters" of the sea (my 8 discus). And every night with the moonlight led the (hopefully glowing) undead will be perfectly presented. Mhhh, monster ... maybe TLG can design a set with the guard of the lake. Together with a set "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" Moria would be nearly complete.

Brickpedia has listed some infos. http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/79005_The_Wizard_Battle -->The palantir is a new peace. http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/79006_The_Council_of_Elrond --> Arwen (suprise suprise... ) and Gimli (no Gloin ) http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/79007_Battle_at_the_Black_Gate --> Aragorn with new print, Gwaihir (yes, no fellbeast), a black horse. http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/79008_Pirate_Ship_Ambush -->Nothing new. Don't want to write everything because the main infos are not new.

Wow, Orthanc is coming. Awesome! Now it would be good to hear how much minifigures comes with the set an which one. Its nice to read the speculations. Like chrismas till the next big news

Sorry, you're right. Mixed up the picture with another one. Hope that there are many minfigures. Saruman, Grima, some isengard orcs and uruk-hai... No ents please. It could be the scene when Sauruman sends out the orc troups "There will be no Dawn... for Men."

Hey Deskp, to 1. --> It could be, but the problem is the vertical bar in the middle of the 8bit part. So it has to be Orthanc not the tower with the eye of Sauron. to 2. --> I don't think so. The Tower Bridge is 40" long. Why not a 28,75'' high Orthanc? Okay, this is nearly twice as high as the Death Star or the Grand Emporium but its more realistic and detailled than a 20'' tower. In the films you can imagine how high the tower is if you compare the small platform on the top where Gandalf is arrested.

Hello everybody, it's my first post in the forum. I've found an interesting announcement for the Orthanc. http://www.lordofthebrick.com/2013/01/10237-the-tower-of-orthanc-cest-presque-confirme/ My french is not the best so here is the (terrible google translation) http://translate.google.de/translate?hl=de&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lordofthebrick.com%2F If it is true and we get an exklusive Orthanc I know what the present for my 30th birthday is. Diskus (aka Matthias) P.S.: Sorry if my english is terrible. Last english lesson in school is 10 years ago.