TheDoctor

Well I think we'll see Barad Dur before the 14th if these are anything to go by.

These new pics are really putting me off buying the Skyline... I think only Catwoman will remain exclusive, if you don't include the (Superior) fabric cape for Batman. No doubt the Joker in the Batcave set will have a laughing face though. Reckon i'll wait for all the sets to release before picking up the Skyline figures and see how it affects the price.

If not sooner, I would expect very early May if the Rivendell tease was anything to go by! Especially now all the Star Wars reveals are done.

Heard that too, would have expected more buzz or descriptions if true

Latest speculation I'm hearing is that the GWP is going to be a Fell Beast. Also heard some rumours that it might be The One Ring in some sort of display box, but the 269 piece count seems too high for that. I did think about it being Tolkien in his study, but honestly I think that's a pretty dull setting an minifig (no offence to the great man!) All the discussion is about the fact it ties in directly with the set. No doubt it will be something special though if it's exclusive to a Barad-Dur purchase! (I'm still expecting them to throw the Gimli & Legolas Brickheadz in with the purchase too)

A little of both. Obviously very unique parts for licensed sets like Bombur's beard/belly combo are of no use after the theme and can't be reused because it's design is licensed. Same for Gimli's helmet, after the theme ended it couldn't be used for anything else because its design was owned by New Line Cinema; so it gets destroyed (hence the slightly different version released in Rivendell) The other part is storage. It's not as simple as putting the mould on a shelf and saving it for later. The steel moulds require an artificial environment to store or constant oiling to prevent them oxidising (the tolerances on the moulds are so small that even the smallest bit of damage or degradation can render them unusable). They're also big chunks of high grade steel which have monetary value in and of themselves.

Yup, any 'unique' moulds that were licensed or too specialised to be used again were destroyed. (Costs a lot to store the steel moulds) That's why Gimli's helmet is slightly different and we didn't see the return of Elrond's crowned hair-piece or Legolas's original (more accurate) hair-piece. Only 'useful' moulds were retained (One Ring, Hobbit hair, Gandalf beard, Thorin hair and I think that's about all!) This is true, but The Mouth wasn't even in the theatrical release of the film! (I remember much discussion at the time about his rumoured inclusion in The Black Gate) People associate the Witch-King with the Fell Beast and think of them circling Barad-Dur. As for multiples, LEGO will want to get their money's worth from a newly developed element. (Just like the suspiciously Sauron-looking mace from the new D&D minifigs)

I think the inclusion of Gollum points to my prediction that the lower interior of the tower will be the magma chamber of Mount Doom where the ring was forged. (Especially as we saw a lava river on the leak) Expecting a trans-orange floor with the walkway over the lava for posing Sauron or Frodo Vs Gollum. I know it's technically Mount Doom, but it's too iconic not to include and will likely not be re-made anywhere else. Do we know if the leak about The Mouth of Sauron was accurate, I'm very surprised by that inclusion. Could it be a mistake and someone misidentified it for the Witch-King from a blurry leaked picture they saw? The helmets would look similar if blurred. We know the original LotR moulds were destroyed, so why remake such an obscure character that didn't appear at this location rather than the Witch-King helm which could potentially be used later down the line.

Nonsense, the Brickheadz are June 1st (GwP) same as Barad-Dur. There wont be sets of War of the Rohirrim either, that films not due to release until mid-December. They're not going to put money behind a niche animated film with limited cinematic release I would not at all be surprised to learn that a small LotR wave is already in development, ready to launch next year, pending the success of Barad-Dur

Wow, that mace is absolutely being used for Sauron, it's too much of a coincidence when it's that perfect! I wouldn't be surprised if that was actually made for the Barad-Dur set and they're repurposing it for D&D to get their money's worth!

I guess if the Rivendell reveal is anything to go by, we can expect to see the first official tease at the very end of April, before the big reveal on May 1st!

Yeah I agree, I don't think the surveys can be used as a measure like that. It could easily go both ways with the survey feedback, "Make the playset smaller and more affordable" VS "Make the tower bigger but less detailed". We don't even know what questions were pitched. If anything goes to keep cost down, it will be the light brick function for the eye of Sauron.

Ohhh I see, thanks :) I don't think it lost too much compared to the leaks. A few auxiliary bits of scenery and animals but the buildings look much the same and more complete/ detailed in the actual release.

Who are MTS? And why should worry... I'm worried now and I don't even know why!

Is the June 1st release date confirmed? I remember hearing that rumoured and Brickmerge seems to agree... LEGO® Icons 10333 Barad-dûr - Lord of the Rings (2024) | LEGO® Price Comparison 02/2024 (brickmerge.de) Guess we can expect teasers for the set at the end of May

What I really want is a Balrog like the one from the game and your profile pic! A travesty that was teased and never made, a perfect £30 set.

Unless they're micro builds to match the scale of the tower, I can't see that being the case (Unless they're an easter egg on the rocky base) The Fell Beast is the only real candidate for a Minifig scale side build....would be a good opportunity to address the glaring absence of the Witch King in any LotR Sets so far ;) I actually think we're going to see the inclusion of at least 3 Nazgul, as they'd be no different from the statues included in Rivendell, mostly identical.

I don't understand all this quibbling over the interior rooms. They'll bulk it out with stuff that's not from book or film and take artistic liberty with what did/didn't take place there. I'm expecting the ground floor to have lava and a forge for the One Ring. Makes zero sense but it's an iconic image. (Plus will look good for promo picks and renders) Just as likely there will be a dungeon, throne room and library with a palantir.

I was very excited to see Lego's new 'modular' Diagon Alley set and in particular the new Owl Post building. I wanted to integrate this model into the existing 75978 Diagon Alley, but it is a very tiny rendition of the building; see below! Here's my improved version... I wanted to try and stick to the spirit and design of the original build as closely as possible.

Now that does look good, far more accurate! Now I'm torn! It would be more symmetrical to display the bank and vaults in the middle, but more accurate and better looking in my opinion to have it on the end

Unfortunately, you're now faced with having to pay upwards of £60 for it! Bricklink still has some cheaper options if you're willing to import from Europe.

I'm still waiting to see this layout before I commit! Also, what has happened to the price of the Vault GWP?! It's averaging at about £65/$80 Why did they make so few? Maybe it should have just been an exclusive when purchasing the Bank instead of any HP set.

Well, we knew to half-expect it. Where did the price and piece count come from?

So Barad-Dur is confirmed for 2024 now? $400 4,000 pieces Sauron, multiple Orcs, Frodo and Sam (Orc disguise) Microscale exterior, Minifig scale interior (like Vader's Castle) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz8DoSpWKPg&t=691s&ab_channel=BrickClicker

I can't imagine them re-using the same combination again. However, I do think we will see the elven blades, sting, axes ect. again, but with the addition of re-forged Narsil and Glamdring. I was quite surprised those two were not already included, given the relative ease to which they could have been included in the single mould that all of weapons were made in. All they needed was to design them and add them to the sprue and maybe give us one less axe and broken Narsil