RODDY

If it’s dark tan it’d be a lot better than straight up gold for sure, it’s a death veil it’s not supposed to ornate or pretty it’s supposed to ominous and mysterious. And like you said in the film the frame is stone. It does look dark tan in the parts more in the back but I attribute that to less light getting back there and the angle, but the part to the right that’s more forward looks definitely gold to me. I don’t know why gold really bothers me cause I’m usually not a huge stickler for accuracy but that gold is really rubbing me the wrong way.

Using that sketch alone would be foolish sure but combined with the blurry picture that imo The Veil appears to have a gold frame, it seems very likely it will be gold. If it doesn’t end up being gold that’d be a great surprise but I’d rather be pleasantly surprised than let down again.

I’m pretty sure the gold is the frame of The Veil and the rest of it isn’t as visibly gold due to the photo quality. I actually went back to the sketch to check since it’s based on a different image due to the minifigure arrangements and it’s outlined in gold. While I am excited for you and other new collectors that haven’t gotten characters like Tonks and Mad Eye and they are great minifigs, I personally don’t really find them too significant to the Ministry as they make blink and you’ll miss them appearances in the scenes depicted. I know they work there and all but I think for the Ministry where there are so many characters that do show up and unfortunately some would have to be cut (even though with this price and piece count I’d expect pretty much all of the characters who set foot there) they’d maybe be the first two I would personally cut. But everyone’s got their own ideal lineups I guess though I still find this lineup very odd. I do hope official pictures sway me though, this was a set I wanted to see done in the Collector’s Edition format and so far I’m just disappointed.

Every time I see new pictures my opinion changes . But I have to say this is imo the worst Harry Potter D2C by a country mile. While the rock border on the bottom is cool there’s no room at all to place minifigs around The Veil so you can have them battling like in the film. The Veil being gold is really odd, it’s not the Mirror of Erised. The top portion is just plain unnecessary imo and it’s a waste of pieces, if this was a $600 set with more pieces to dedicate to the rest of the build I could get behind it. The middle level is by far the best and cleanest section and it’s just an expanded upon version of the system scale set. Unless the middle part has some cool rooms I don’t see myself picking this up at all. Minifig selection is weak especially if they not only do they not include any of the Death Eaters most notably Lucius or Belatrix but no Silver Trio too. But sure we have room for a random goblin and a Deathly Hallows Umbridge who doesn’t appear in the Order of The Phoenix unless she’s in the Wizengamot Robes.

At the very latest we should have the reveal Aug 15 if last year is any indication. Leaks will likely happen earlier especially if the sketch is now in the wild. I’m firmly back in the Umbridge’s Hogwarts Office GWP now rn. If all the Ministry Office Rooms are open back, I think there actually might be a chance of the book only rooms being included. Two of the 6 would definitely be Arthur’s and Umbridge’s Office. One would likely be either Hall of Prophecy or Wizengamot Court whatever isn’t included next to The Veil. Maybe Fudge’s Office and that leaves two empty rooms which they could do Space, Brain, or Time Room. Would especially would love to see the Brain Room.

Ngl I’m actually really sold on this the more I see it.

If the offices are pullouts similar to the pullouts on the UCS Death Star, I think that’d be kind of neat so you have access to them on the inside. As long as the offices stay in wall of windows and not on the ground floor, I’m cool with the Department of Mysteries and the Wizengamot Court being on the ground floor. That to me was my biggest concern since the offices don’t belong below.

While I’m reserving full judgment till I see pictures, if the middle is gonna be the atrium/Ministry buildings and the bottom is gonna be all the rooms idk if I’m gonna like that ngl. I wish they would naturally incorporate the rooms into the buildings. But the good news is no Phone Booth GWP.

Yea what I meant was the original iteration of the theme before it stoped in 2011. It’s dope we’ve gotten everything else remade and plenty of new rooms since 2018, but we have yet to see a a modern stab at Umbridge’s Hogwarts Office. Hope that changes with this GWP.

You know what the Toilet Entrance would be hilarious and would complete all of the bathrooms we see on screen in the movies. Harry Potter Bathroom Collection, count me in. I mean I guess they could do like the surroundings with the wall next to the Phone Booth or add a bench or a fence or something. But I’ll be honest I’d be way more thrilled with the Umbridge’s Hogwarts Office so I hope you are right.

Both a playscale Burrow and Gringott’s should be in the shuffle now that their Collector’s Edition counterparts should be retired by the end of the year imo. Especially they are iconic parts of the first two films given we are likely focusing on those yet again. As @Tariq j said, Burrow based on the wedding could be a way to get people who otherwise wouldn’t buy a third Burrow hooked. Hogwarts Express and Hagrid’s Hut for sure. If they are going to give us a Flying Ford Angelia please put it with a new fleshed out Whomping Willow cause I’d love to have a bigger take on the tree. Maybe First Years Detention now we have that new Unicorn Mold from the CMF now in circulation and they seem more brazen to do gory stuff ie East Wing’s petrified Ms Norris. And it’s one of the last scenes they haven’t done for Philosophers Stone. New Hungarian Horntail more like the Ironbelly would be sweet too. I’ve been firmly behind the Umbridge’s Hogwarts Office GWP for a while but idk how likely it will be with Umbridge being included in the actual Ministry of Magic set especially since she’s based on her DH attire with the locket. I think as of rn it’s more likely her office would be in the Ministry and since both Ministry and Hogwarts offices look similar, idk if they want a GWP that repeats what’s already in the set. But while I do think it’s kind of unlikely, I do hope it does happen. Umbridge’s Office is now officially the last room in the original Hogwarts that hasn’t been remade so I really want to see it happen. But in terms of likelihood I’m honestly leaning towards the Phone Booth as of rn with Arthur Weasley.

Personally thinking since it’s been confirmed Tonks & Mad Eye who have blink and you’ll miss it appearances at the Ministry of Magic Battle in the movie, at the very least we have to get the rest of the Order of The Phoneix members that show up. Lupin, Sirius, and Arthur to me have to be here since they have more prominent screen time. Kingsley is very likely too since he makes similar screen time as Moody & Tonks in the battle. So that brings the fig count up to 10 from the 6 confirmed. Then you have 3 more with the trio that’s 13. You are going to need Lucius and a couple of Death Eaters whenever Belatrix is there is to be seen so that’s 16. Fudge ofc too that’s 17. And that’s just the bare minimum we are already at 17. Nevertheless the Silver Trio which honestly I’d prefer to the more background OoTP members or Percy or Amelia Bones. The more I think about it, the more 10+ minifigs is really understating it which is great cause it needs the minifigs to justify its price.

Until we see 4x VIP points or clearance on Hogsmeade like we did the Collector’s Edition Hogwarts Express, I don’t think we can see definitively if that’s selling well or not. Besides we are a small chunk of LEGO’s fan base and from what I’ve seen from more general and Christmas Village Collectors, sets been pretty well received. HECK YEAH MS FIGG…you know what maybe I should stop yapping about the $450 price tag, maybe it’s justified afterall. Non sarcastically I was really hoping to get her so this is very great.

No hat mold is wild especially when he is seen wearing the hat in that scene. Imagine the hat mold in that violet color it would have been sick. I understand the face because they are supposed to be the same character in universe but I’m still not happy with it lmao.

Idk I was expecting $400 myself with it only being a couple hundred pieces more than Hogsmeade which was already overpriced as is as much as I love that set. And I understand the war to an extent but the way they’ve been pushing it imo feels like they are trying the Star Wars method of seeing just how far they can get away with pricing. Cloth piece though is a good point, maybe with that and more minifigs, the price hike could be somewhat justified. I guess spending $50 more isn’t a huge deal when you are already spending $400 but when you notice the trend with Hogsmeade being $50 overpriced and for no good reason (no big pieces or cloth)and then this year adding another $50 ontop of that, it feels less like the war and more so them testing their pricing as of rn. The new Castle System has been confirmed to be based on the movies again, Lego is probably waiting to see how the TV show does which is fair. So I would assume another three year cycle, which would fall right after the second season, optimal for them and their love for the first two books if they decide to do a TV show castle. I do find your idea of splitting sets interesting but very possible as of right now the First Year of Hogwarts is only just the Great Hall. Maybe they’ll split that up and the Main Tower again like they did this system but at half the cost and without the rock face. Same with the Astronomy Tower and the East Wing. And ofc they could throw in some other locations too. Like a Whomping Willow that is by itself and could be compatible to both systems like the Owlery last system.