Trunkbass

Are the polybags always available at the official LEGO stores? I have an enormous difficulty finding them in Europe (I'm located in Belgium, but I usually go to the LEGO store in Lille, France)

^ Copy that, sir! I recently supported as many LEGO LotR ideas as I could find and every month I try to send them an email, you never know. If there's no news in the booklet of the third Hobbit wave I will start a petition to save the LotR LEGO line, maybe in the form of a combined Middle-Earth theme?

I like your thinking, let's hope for the best!

I contacted LEGO again with the question if the LotR line is ending and suggesting it shouldn’t because we miss key parts of the story (Gondor, Witch-King, Balrog, Treebeard, etc.). I tried it in French this time, because I didn’t get an answer in Dutch (my mother tongue). This is what I got as a reply: “Nous vous remercions de nous avoir contactés. Avoir des fans de LEGO® heureux est l’une de nos priorités, et nous sommes heureux d’apprendre que vous soyez un grand fan de LEGO Lord of the Ring Je pense que votre suggestion est excellente et je suis avec vous, je pense aussi que ce thème LEGO est superbe. Toutefois, je me dois de vous informer que nous avons une équipe d'experts au Danemark dont le travail consiste à inventer de nouveaux ensembles, thèmes et jouets LEGO. Ils me font savoir que la planification de nouveaux concepts prend des années. Ils doivent d'abord tester toutes les nouvelles idées, discuter avec l'usine de la fabrication, trouver quelle boîte satisfera le plus les fans de LEGO et ensuite livrer les nouveaux ensembles à tous les magasins dans 130 pays ! Cela signifie qu'ils prennent toujours en considération les commentaires de nos fans. Je transmet donc fidèlement vos commentaires en espérant que ce thème resterai encore pour quelques années dans le marché. Nous vous remercions à nouveau de votre courrier. N'hésitez pas à nous contacter pour toute autre demande au numéro vert: 00800 5346 5555 (lundi-vendredi 9h-17h). Bien cordialement !” I don’t have the time to translate everything, but basically she says: She’s happy I’m a LotR fan and she is too. Developing new ideas for sets takes years and therefore they listen to the requests of their fans to try to incorporate these into their sets. She will send my request to the LEGO company and hopes too that the LEGO LotR line will continue for a few more years. As usual a bit vague, but at least it’s not negative news dead on. What do you think?

If the LotR line is really ending (I just sent an email to them, just to keep the pressure on), can't we all ask for a minor solution like just one or two sets a year of the Hobbit and LotR combined? Not that they'd listen, but it's nice to dream about. I'm thinking about something like the LEGO Architecture line (in terms of quantity: x sets/year, not the microbuildtype itself). The size would be something like The Grand Emporium, with 2000+ pieces and a price range of 100-400 €, which is all more fitting to the kind of people who buy LEGO LotR (adults, AFOLS, etc.). That way we can easily get Rivendell, Minas Tirith, a big Balrog, a Mumakil, etc. What do you think?

Minas Morgul

Well, it all depends on the content in the sets. If Amon Hen would come with a new Lurtz and a special bow-mold, new Uruk-scouts helmets versus a Mordor Battle pack with the old one-sided face orcs, I would go for the first. But if both sets would get new printing/molds I would say Mordor Battle Pack.

@MassEditor: Yeah, do you have more pictures? I love how accurate the shape of the spires is.

@ Steven: Wow, this actually feels like Minas Tirith. I like the size of the citadel. The domes add much to the feel of a city to me. How many pieces did you use? Now if you just find a solution to make a bigger/more credible shiplike-peakthing (the rock, don't know how to call it), it would be an instant buy for me!

Very detailed, congratulations! I especially like the interiors of the hobbitholes, just perfect!

@Hawkman: That would be great indeed. Imagine the possibilities

Nice! I really like the beds too!

Set: "the Battle of the Pelennor Fields". Can be as big as you like, with Witch-King on Fell Beast, Eowyn, armored Merry, Theoden with Snowmane, Gondorian soldier, Mumakil, Haradrim spearmen, etc. Minifigure: Gondorian soldier Piece: Witch-king helmet

Mordor Battle Pack. Lothlórien is nice, but the Galadriel will probably appear in the Hobbit line and the forrest itself might be MOCable with the pieces we got in the Rivendel set.

Where did you get Mirkwood Army for cheap? On Amazon (EU sites) it's still €35+

Nice! I'm trying for months to get hold of more Uruk-Hai Army sets, but no luck yet. There all €40+, IF they are available...

@mpoh98: I think he's referring to the LOTR MOC Index on the forum: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=83122

This looked promising at first, but if you take a look at this quote: "Why won't they bring back for good the space theme? The space theme is an evergreen theme for us. We currently have Lego Star Wars and Lego Mars Mission themes to satisfy consumer demand for space themed building." http://lego.gizmodo.com/5019797/everything-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-lego It could mean that The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings sets are indeed evergreen, but part of the evergreen theme 'Castle'.

Well, actually she isn't. Gandalf is a Maia, i.e. sort of an angel. Galadriel is just an Elf, be it a very powerful one.

I'm following your proposition about splitting the second wave after they announced that the Hobbit would be a trilogy. But I see no reason why they would do it for LOTR. The LOTR theme isn't linked to a movie, so trilogy or no trilogy, why would they split the second LOTR wave too and not give us the second part of it in july 2014?

Does that mean no new LOTR in 2014 or no new LOTR at all? I stille hope Smaug is in the Laketown set!

Lothlórien, because I agree that the Prancing Pony is easier to MOC and would come with less interesting minifigures.

Why is this so sure? Ok, we know we'll get TABA sets in oktober 2014. But - assuming that this is still part of a summer wave - this leaves room for another wave in december 2014. Do you think there will be two TABA waves this yea, one in oktober and one in decemberr? Or just the one in oktober? I'm still hoping for a LOTR wave in december that fits the probable LOTR tie-in of the last Hobbit movie.

Wow, this is amazing! Any other pictures?

TABA isn't even out yet, how can it be better than any of the LOTR films? On topic (well actually it should be about LOTR, but yeah): I can't believe that many of you think that LEGO covered almost everything from the Hobbit. There is so much more left to do, not even mentioning the endless possibilities regarding LOTR and scenes of the book(s) they could depict. Regarding the Hobbit (AUJ): - more Hobbiton (because we just need more) - the company on ponies in the Shire (ponies FTW!) - Rosgobel (the design of Radagast's house is just awesome, playability-wise collapsable roof, spiders, etc.) - the Trollshaws (I know new molds, but this would be awesome, they could reuse the ponies though ^^) - Warg huntdown (with Radagast on bunnysled, maybe armored elves on horses, and hopefully a new type of warg hunter orc) - Rivendel Moon Chamber (reading Thorins map with waterfall, not necessary, but would be nice) - Azog on the Weathertop (could be used as 'Evil Castle' and every excuse to get just more orcs en wargs is a good one, gives them also the opportunity to improve the Weathertop design) Regarding the Hobbit (DOS): - the Prancing pony (we just need Bree!, playability-wise you could ad the rough looking guys that are after Thorin, I know another Gandalf is inevitable) - Beorn's House (Beorn in bear form could add to the non-action feel of the set) - Halls of Thranduil (we just need a better or more accurate depiction of this scene, could add the captured orc or the captured dwarfs for playability) - The Water Gate (only if this means we get armored elves, but I suppose there's another chance in the BO5A in TABA) - Bolg vs Legolas in Laketown (but we probably get Bolg in a TABA set anyway) - Smaug in Erebor (I believe we will get a Smaug set in the TABA wave, but this will probably be set in Laketown, I would love an Erebor version with the gold, the pillars, etc.) I do believe there is far more to be done in the LOTR line than the Hobbit, but as you can see, there are still possibilities (the one more probable or desirable than the other).