Fives

If LEGO were to make multiple army builders, they could each revolve around different sections of Dale. 3 army builders: Elves, Dwarves, and Men of Esgaroth. Elves: Includes armoured Thranduil, three armoured Elves (two with sword and shield, one with bow and quiver), three armoured orcs (perhaps a warg). Dwarves: Includes Dain, three Dwarf warriors (all have shields, one sword, one axe, one spear), three armoured orcs and an eagle. Men: Includes Bard in armour, three Laketown soldiers (two swords, one bow), three armoured orcs. Each set would include a different section of Dale that could add together to create a ruined courtyard or something. Then Erebor could have Thorin, Kili and Fili in armour, Azog on Daisy, Bolg, Beorn bear form, Bilbo, and two orcs. A Laketown set with Alfrid, Bain, maybe another Bard, a big Smaug, and some villagers. The set would have one or two buildings on fire, and maybe another longboat. Then a last Dol Guldur set (maybe depicting more of the dungeons area), includes Gandalf, Saruman, Galadriel, Elrond and Sauron. Six sets, three of which would sell like crazy as army builders. That would be the perfect TABA wave.

I'd be content with fewer orcs. We got plenty this wave, and the orcs we'll likely see during the BO5A will be the same Gundabad orcs, so just stock up now. LEGO could easily give us something similar to MEA in regards to the good/evil ratio, with the good outweighing the bad by a decent chunk. That way we could get maybe two orcs (maybe with a Warg), two armored Dwarf warriors, two armored Elves, and perhaps an eagle. That would be the perfect BO5A army building set. $30-$40 price point, with the set itself just being extentions of Erebor so you can expand the two arms that stretch out from the door that create the valley in which the battle is fought. I also forgot about Smaug. I really hope that LEGO treats us with another D2C, and go balls to the wall on a Fire and Water set. Give us a Smaug that, while not scale to the Minifigs, is bigger than any dragon they have previously made in the history of the company. Then give us characters like Alfrid and Bard's family, along with Laketown villagers (maybe a nod to Stephen Colbert and his family, who all make a cameo somewhere in Laketown). I think that would be the smartest way for LEGO to do it, because then we get the level of detail required to pull off a good Smaug, and still get enough basic sets to cover the essentials of the BO5A.

I expect we'll get a big Erebor set that will have Thorin, Azog, Beorn, and maybe Bolg and some of the other dwarves and an orc or two. Then maybe a decent sized Dale set (based on some of the production vlogs, it appears that Thranduil is seen fighting in his shiny armour in the streets of a ruined, snowy Dale), with armoured Thranduil, some armoured Elves and more orcs. Then another army builder, with perhaps Dain, some dwarves and some soldiers of Laketown fighting more orcs. Honestly, I have a feeling the entire wave for TABA will be based around the BO5A. Just three decent army building sets and Erebor as the centrepiece.

A rounded corner cheese slope. That'd be cool. Also, maybe a variation to the cheese slope so the slope is more rounded.

Taking that into consideration, I bet they didn't invest in the new molds because they want to save them for TABA and give us a proper army builder for them. Hopefully.

I wasn't aware of the history behind the list. I'm gonna message his Tumblr page to inquire about the list. Hopefully he can shed more light on the subject. EDIT: Never mind. Scratch everything I said. In the Tumblr he states that the LOTR sets are not confirmed. That really bugs me; not that they aren't real, but that he'd include them in a big list of confirmed sets.

Yes, but LEGO may have reasons for not making them. I honestly am fine with not getting a Sauron fig. Sure, it would be cool, but to me it isn't essential. As for the Balrog, the designers my have had too tough a time coming up with a set that had all the needed aspects of the scene (the creature itself, likely brick built; the bridge with a collapsing function; enough figs to warrant that many pieces, and all of that in a price slot they assigned to it). They might have just not been able to realistically come up with a way for it to be a set in the wave. Sure, take away Amon Hen Ambush and give us just the Balrog, Gandalf and either other Fellowship members or some goblins, and you've got a Balrog set. But without any functions, LEGO may have decided to go a different route.

They must have had some reference for the armoured Elves because we did get the shield. However, they may have chosen to use only scouts because they feature most prominently in DOS (I'm assuming based on what has been shown in clips and trailers). I bet we'll see fully armoured Elves in a TABA BO5A army builder come next year.

The tombs of the Nazgul are in Rudaur, as stated by Galadriel in AUJ. That is in Arnor, which isn't that far from Bree. Radagast might only appear there in DOS. I've got my ticket booked for friday evening to see the movie, so all of these questions will soon have answers.

I understand why so many seem to believe that that list for possible 2014 LOTR sets is fake, but there are a few things that point to it possibly being true. Firstly, there have been plenty times in the past when we have seen long set lists that cover all sets released from all themes over the course of a year. A lot of those other sets listed in that list are real, with the ones that aren't links just waiting until official images are released to link to. While it looks a lot like a wish list (it is, for the most part, the exact sets I would choose for a final wave), there could still be some truth behind it. Secondly, the minifig choices. Take the Amon Hen set for example: why only Merry? Surely if someone was making a wish list (which usually are a little unrealistic in minifig number), both Hobbits would be included, and possibly even Lurtz. But since we only get Boromir, Merry and two Uruks, it kinda sounds a little more plausible as an official set, especially when you consider the likelihood that the set has four figs and would likely be $25-$30, similar to the Council of Elrond; and at a piece count like that, they could easily pull off the Seeing Seat and a small tree or something. Lastly, Osgiliath looks like the typical army builder style sets that LEGO seems to like giving us in these Middle-Earth waves. Like both Uruk-Hai Army and Mirkwood Elf Army, we get a decent selection of generic warriors, and the possibility that the Ranger was mistaken and is actually Faramir makes a lot of sense. One named character (secondary or tertiary in importance), and numerous generic soldiers to help beef up the ranks. And when it comes to the Minas Tirith set, the number of figures and the figures chosen makes sense if it were made by official LEGO designers. You get the essential main characters who are present during the siege, as well as enough orcs to pose a threat, and just as many good guys as Helm's Deep (only difference was Helm's Deep had no generic soldiers for good). A wish list version would likely include a troll, Denethor or a Tower Guard. All this analysis taken into account points to two conclusions: either this list is real (or has extreme potential to be real), or I'm plagued by wishful thinking. In the end, only time will tell, but I'm hopeful that this may be the farewell wave for LOTR, with a final The Hobbit: TABA wave to conclude the Middle-Earth license come winter 2014.

Thats perfect! Thank you so much!

I'm surprised anyone could be upset by the accuracy of the Dol Guldur sets. Sure, the designers kinda used them as a way to just give us lots of figs, but who cares? I'm happy we got Radagast because he was at Dol Guldur in the first film. Makes sense. As for Beorn, I think they took this wave as an opportunity to both make him so A) kids wouldn't go see the movie and then say 'Where is LEGO Beorn?', and B) because they obviously plan to only make his bear form for the TABA wave next year. It may not be film accurate, but it is strategic. Also, on the discussion of the new LOTR rumours, I have a feeling that Osgiliath will be the 'army builder' of the wave. I really hope that the Ranger is actually Faramir, because it would be a lot easier to make multiple Faramir figs into generic Rangers rather than the other way around.

Wow! Thank you so much! My only tweak would be if you could add the white pupils to Steve's eyes so he matches with the current trend of minifig faces. Otherwise, tremendous work! I'm so grateful!

That list sounds very plausible, but I'm not gonna get my hopes up too much until we have a little more concrete evidence. However, whenever long yearly release lists like this surface, they tend to have some truth to them, so we'll see. If it is true, I would be content [while slightly annoyed at the exclusion of Faramir (who could be mistaken for the Ranger)] with this wave being the last slew of LOTR. While not perfect (no Balrog), we get the last few essentials from FOTR and ROTK to make for a satisfying finish to an amazing theme.

Hello decal making world! I have (at least what seems to me) quite a hefty request. I'm looking for someone who can make me good quality, LEGO style (looks official) decals for the Sourcefed hosts. For those unfamiliar with Sourcefed, here is a link to the Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_gE-kg7JvuwCNlbZ1-shlA So, I wish to make official style customs of: Phillip DeFranco: I need a black shirt with this on it - http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/78/29/c7/7829c7852f9085aff3956584ff46288c.jpg Joe Bereta: a red shirt with FEELIN' GOOD! in big white letters on it. Lee Newton: white shirt with a small green t-rex silhouette on it (female) Elliott Morgan: plain grey hoodie with the classic Sourcefed shirt in black underneath. http://a.images.blip.tv/SourceFed-poster_image224.jpg Just make the silhouettes white on a black background. Steve Zaragoza: plain black hoodie over a plaid red collared shirt. This was the best reference for the shirt I could find http://24.media.tumblr.com/f59f43b3d1af132e4be6a4e3b23a5d9c/tumblr_mp88b2BOJF1qcuq51o1_500.gif I also need a classic LEGO looking version of Steve's bearded and glasseseded face. Meg Turney: black shirt with this on it http://skreened.com/render-product/c/a/s/casefawmauadsuonswnm/image.w174h200f3.jpg Trisha Hershberger: a light blue (KK2 Jayko colour) shirt that says woof in big black letters. Also (and this may sound really weird), but make her bosom particularly ample. Ross Everett: light blue (same as above) plaid collared shirt (similar design to Steve's) I really know that this is a very hefty request, but I would be outrageously grateful. Certain details (like the monkey's face on Phil's shirt) obviously don't need to be defined, just as long as the design is recognizable. My main overarching request with these is for them to look as if they are official LEGO prints of these designs. Having absolutely LEGO-fied versions of the Sourcefed group would be so flipping amazing! If you are serious about taking on this request, please PM me if you need any more info or help with what I'm looking for. Thank you so much!

I like the new version of Bolg. He looks more like Azog's son than the previous design. But there was just something so menacing about the original version that was so captivating. Also, I really liked that video you posted, deskp. Am I the only one who is REALLy MAD LEGO didn't make the special head for the goblins!?! It looked so flipping perfect! ARGGH!!!

Am I the only one who noticed that Captain America is listed as Spidey in the minifig lineup?

The fact that Smaug doesn't make an appearance till nearly the end of the movie is kinda a huge sigh of relief. I was so worried that this movie would be too jam packed with stuff, and ultimately feel rushed. I'm glad we'll get more time with Beorn, the Elves, and Laketown. I think these three major sections of the book will be the main focus of this film, along with all the Dol Guldur stuff, with entering Erebor and confronting Samug being the climax, leaving film three to cover Smaug's attack on Laketown, the dwarves arming up in Erebor, the negotiations before the BO5A, Bilbo sneaking away with the Arkenstone, the battle itself, and Bilbo's return journey.

I'd be upset if the used one of those small ballistas. That is even more of a copout that a special arrow. I could imagine Legolas or Thranduil somehow, at some point, forging and giving Bard a special Elven arrow. Plus, they'll have to make a big deal out of Bard's lineage. He is a descendant of Girion, so thats gotta count for something. Anyway, this is getting off topic. I'd say lets move this conversation over to the movie discussion thread.

New production blog has been released. Shows some neat stuff, with a great quick shot of part of Smaug's face emerging from the treasure.

Using Sting looks great, but its too short. The troll sword is pretty awesome as well. I may try it.

While the Black Arrow is kind of a really simple, easy, and unbelievable plot device, I think that it is crucial to the story. Sure, some people who aren't fans will feel like its a copout, but its too iconic to disregard. I could see them tweaking the reason why it works, maybe making it somehow magic, or maybe Elven, or something like that. But it has to be there. Also, that makeshift Braga is brilliant. Now I really wish I had that Dan Reid head.

We could delve into all the allegory that happens in the Middle-Earth Legendarium that parallels Catholicism, but this really isn't the place to get into it. All I'll say is that, at the core, Sauron is essentially Satan (well, Morgoth is, but Sauron kinda is too), the Istari are angels, and let's not forget about all the outrageous racist undertones within the story. But did that stop LEGO from acquiring the license? No. They did it because it's one of the most famous movie franchises ever and has a huge fan following. This curiosity towards the whole Balrog thing, and in turn the actual reality of a third wave, makes me want to write a letter to LEGO to inquire about the chances of LOTR getting more sets. It I kelt would yield few concrete answers, but any small hint might be able to clarify LEGO's intentions with the future of this theme.

So, today brought us the first official look at the infamous dragon Smaug! Air New Zealand had one if their planes done up with Smaug on its sides, and boy does he look perfect! http://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/first-look-at-smaug-new-zealand-airline-reveals-full-image-of-hobbit-dragon-1.1569553 If you don't want his design spoiled before you see the movie in theaters, DON'T CLICK the link above.

There's no confirmed date yet, but I'd expect to see these sometime in January, like past years.