Balrogofmorgoth

I love the Rex figure, my one nitpick is that I think the pauldron is way too big and covers his entire arm (so we can’t see the glorious arm printing!) and I remember thinking the pauldron on the previous P2 Rex was also too big. A new cloth piece would have been ideal, but like I said it’s really just a nitpick. I think the figure is really solid!

Pretty happy with Gringotts. I’m very surprised and impressed that they actually made it compatible with the 2020 Diagon Alley set. I was so worried they wouldn’t, especially after the new WWW set. The building looks great, the Ironbelly looks miles better than the 2019 Horntail, and the figures are great! Not totally sold on the underground section but it’s a nice touch, and I’m just glad it can be displayed without it. Definitely gonna get the set!

Yes exactly. I wouldn’t want LOTR sets to look like the Hogwarts sets. In my opinion, the 2021-2023 Hogwarts sets look pretty terrible. They’re blocky, ugly, and unrealistic. It’s cool that they can all combine to make a fairly accurate Hogwarts layout, but that’s about it. I wouldn’t want that for LOTR. However, there are other options for sets to be able to fit together to form something bigger, like Helm’s Deep and Uruk-Hai Army for example. Rather than blocky modular sections, it’s just two complete sets that have the option to connect for something larger. I think that would be a great system for Minas Tirith since I just can’t conceive a way to achieve an accurate build for it in one set at a reasonable price. It would probably have to be a few separate sets that work on their own but can all connect to form the entire city if you buy them all. For example, one set could be the upper level with the tree, citadel, etc. Another section could have various walls with trebuchets and houses and incorporate a multi-level system. Another could be the lower level with gates and Grond. Maybe even another could be the beacon. There could even be a small battle pack style set with a small section of the wall that you could buy several of. Each set works by itself but if you buy them all you can make a very big and accurate Minas Tirith build

I have to strongly disagree here. I’m not saying they wouldn’t have been able to pull that off, but I think the effect would have been very different, in a bad way. One crown jewel type set I think was the perfect way to achieve the design and aesthetic they were going for. A modular system could possibly work for something like Minas Tirith, where achieving everything you would want out of that location would be almost impossible in one set. But I don’t think it would have worked for Rivendell I’m not holding my breath for more sets, I can’t let myself get my expectations that high. But…obviously I very much hope to see more

Hobbit hair in black is a major W!!! That said, the Express set has a terrible figure lineup, although the build is pretty decent. Patronus set is weird and I don’t like it but I need that Lupin. Battle of Hogwarts is a mixed bag. It needs about two more minifigs. I’ll give Bellatrix the CMF face for sure. Glad they fixed Neville’s sweater from the inaccurate Advent Calendar version with red all over it. I still hate the green roofs. That official layout for the 2021-2023 Hogwarts modules is actually pretty neat. I’m at least mildly impressed that they planned it out like that. But the green roofs cancel out anything good about it, and it’s still way too blocky. But the accurate layout overall is definitely cool. I don’t even know what to say about the Quidditch set. It’s ok. Not very interesting but those hoods are nice

And let’s not forget that Promobricks does not always get their facts straight, especially with HP, a franchise they have shown time and time again they don’t know much about and don’t always bother to pay attention to the details

I don’t think I’m being dramatic at all. Look at the decisions of the lego HP team since 2021. Does they scream “competent” to you? They certainly don’t to me. Everybody is wanted a Gringotts set since 2020 because it was left out of the Diagon Alley D2C. If they make one now that isn’t compatible, then yes, it’s insulting. And now they’ve come out with a completely redesigned Diagon Alley setup with this WWW set the same year Gringotts is supposed to happen. It’s not that far of a stretch that Gringotts will be compatible with this new design rather than the 2020 one. Look what they did to Hogwarts since 2021. As to people saying Gringotts isn’t connected anyway so it doesn’t matter, I don’t agree. While the building isn’t connected to other buildings, the display still needs to be compatible with the other display, and should be able to connect in some way. Best way to do it is probably to have some objects on the street with technic pin holes like the Sanctum. So the Gringotts building stands alone but the street can still connect

Gringotts will most likely be on lego plates as opposed to the baseplates the D2C was on. It also probably won’t have the technic holes and pins in the right place. With some modifications I’m sure it can become compatible, but the fact that it most likely won’t be designed to go with that set is quite frankly ridiculous

Natasha looks great, I’m glad she got the leg printing she sorely needed, and the torso is also fantastic. Pity she doesn’t have arm printing but honestly I’m just glad they didn’t reuse the Quinjet figure

Honestly this WWW is a total waste. It’s kind of insulting that they are starting a new line of Diagon Alley shops that aren’t compatible with the D2C and we all know Gringotts won’t be compatible either, even though the whole reason we all have wanted it for so long is to go with our Diagon Alley D2C. The random made up figure is also ridiculous and a complete waste of a minifig slot. Not to mention the entire shop is a massive downgrade from the D2C version

Give us a couple more minifigure heavy D2C sets, a few solid waves of playsets, and some battle packs, and it would be perfect

I’m most of the way done the build. I’m blown away by the ingenuity of this set design. There’s also just something so nice about sitting and building Rivendell while listening to the Prancing Pony Podcast with an ice cold beer

I have not had any missing pieces so far. That being said, I’ve had a lot of missing pieces in a lot of other sets recently so it doesn’t surprise me

Building now! My store had about 40 of them. I was 11th in line. I circled back later to see how many they had sold and they only had 4 left. Seems to be doing very well so far. I know 40 sounds like a lot. But I’m almost positive that’s what he said, and the line was very long

It’s the deep breath before the plunge

Called my local lego store and they said they’re getting a lot of Rivendell sets for launch. So it sounds like they’re going to be pretty well prepared for a launch for once. Which is good because I won’t be able to get there until a little bit later in the morning on Sunday

I would argue Legolas’ faceprint from The Hobbit sets was more accurate to the character than his LOTR faceprint, not counting the alternate angry face. I have multiple of that figure from The Hobbit since he came in three sets I believe (Mirkwood Spiders, Five Armies, polybag). I think I’ll be giving him that head. Come to think of it I’m pretty sure it’s the face they used for the Dimensions figure as well

Mae Govannen and welcome to the Tolkien community Mellon! The best thing any lego set or tv show or movie could do is bring new people to the original works and it looks like this set has done just that!

This was one of the many studio mandated things that Jackson was forced to do. The love triangle also. He didn’t have a say in those things

Yes! I found that very interesting as well although not surprising. I’m very happy they ended up deciding on a minifig scale set and I think the sales will reflect that

I think it’s supposed to be this device on the left. Pretty sure this is a BTS image

The first thing I thought when I saw that CMF Viking figure was that the helmet was remarkably similar to Eowyn’s helmet in Return of the King. Ever since I’ve longed for them to use it for her

I believe he’s referring to the one map that shows two arrows. One goes right and one goes left towards the image of Barad-Dûr. It’s supposed to be a reference to the extended scene where Frodo says “Mordor, Gandalf. Is it left or right?” And Gandalf replies “left” Yes, I agree with this for sure. I’m not saying everyone has to be a die hard Tolkien scholar but if you know absolutely nothing about LOTR just tell us and don’t try to act like you do for a lego set review. But on the flip side, I do understand that as members of LAN they need to come across a certain way for views, which is just inherently a part of the nature of what they do. But I’m happy to enjoy it for myself and find all the references that I know I’ll understand without someone who doesn’t actually understand it pointing it out to me half heartedly in some video. Also, Men of the West and Nerd of the Rings are remarkably knowledgeable Tolkien channels and I love them both. I’m actually in both of their Discord servers and talk with them regularly about all things Tolkien. Matt from Nerd of the Rings may very well end up buying the Rivendell set and making a video of it, he has mentioned a few times that he probably will Yes, he is a true Tolkien fan, I exchanged a couple comments on Instagram with him about a copy of The Children of Húrin I saw in one of his posts. It was definitely refreshing to see that

To be fair, they pronounce Gloin’s name wrong in the movies. So I tend to forgive that one. But Tolkien pronounced it as “glow-in” instead of rhyming with “coin”

I don’t want to watch the reviews. I don’t feel like cringing that hard when all the people who know nothing about LOTR butcher everything about it lol including the name Nah it’s Orthanc. It’s definitely a mistake on the map and it’s definitely inside Mordor, east of the Ephel Dúath