mirkwoodspiders

Yeah, sad to say while I think many on this forum would love playscale LOTR, the appeal probably wouldn't be as wide as we hope it would be.

I like the Sauron helmet and will be picking it up. I like that it will have a Sauron figure, but don't any problem with LEGO initially putting him in something more expensive like Barad-Dur. If LEGO puts something exclusive behind a high paywall, the complaints roll in: "You're cutting off too much of the customer base from this exclusive thing." If they fail to give anything exclusive behind a high paywall, the complaints roll in: "You expect me to pay that without something exclusive?" LEGO does what I assume is the best for business, which is what I'd do if I were running a company. As far as playsets go, I'm not sure if there's been any other themes that have gotten rebooted exclusively in Icons/Creator then gone on to release playssets, so I'm not hopeful for LOTR but maybe LEGO will surprise us.

This. Minifig scale for the entire city is obviously untenable. Minifig scale for a portion, a la Rivendell, I do not think makes sense either - the contexts are entirely different. Rivendell as a whole is not as much of a focus in the films as are its individual components. I think Minas Tirith, on the other hand, is visually appealing primarily as a whole. The entire facade gets so many camera shots, and rightly so, more so than its individual components. So, I don't think minifig scale for a portion of Minas Tirith would be as welcome as it was for Rivendell because you'd be losing the essential thing that makes Minas Tirith cool - the entire facade. I am expecting something similar to Barad-Dur, which I consider a success.

Yep. Anything other than microscale or a portion of the city is untenable. We're talking tens of thousands of pieces, probably around 4-5 feet in height for a complete city to be even close to minifig scale. Microscale is the only realistic way to go for a full city if anyone wants to afford/display it.

No, it does not always mean this. For example, the UCS Millennium Falcon is "larger" than the UCS AT-AT by both piece count and footprint, but they are priced exactly the same. Minas Tirith might have a high piece count and large footprint but end up being cheaper than Rivendell. A lot depends on piece size, number of prints, etc. I did not say you spoke for others. You did more or less say I am wrong, which made me feel the need to explain what I said. Sorry if I misinterpreted your reply, though.

It is exciting. You're entitled to your opinion, but some of us don't mind the high prices as long as quality follows. Personally, when an expensive set like Rivendell is released, I avoid other sets, save for a lengthy period of time, and get sets like Rivendell that I truly want. Maybe Minas Tirith will be poor value, but I'll wait and see. IP doesn't always equate to poor value. I would rather have Minas Tirith done well at a higher price than something that's a let down for cheaper. Also, higher priced sets don't necessarily exclude the possibility of smaller sets in the future if you want to avoid the more expensive ones.

Where is TandNbricks post about this? I'm having trouble hunting it down. This is exciting news!

I wonder what the release date for Minas Tirith will be. I half-remember getting news of Rivendell about this time of year and seeing it release in April of the following year, so possibly a late spring release? Or maybe it's the big ticket Black Friday item and we'll have to wait an entire year

Don't forget Helm's Deep!

To the shock of no one, the Death Star is still in stock in the U.S. I did stop by my local LEGO store to see it built. It really is impressive in-person. Unfortunately, many LEGO fans won't have the chance to see it in-person, which I believe is a major factor in deciding on a set like this. Further, as I've said before, LEGO really missed the mark in not offering something irresistible as a GWP. Yes, others are thankful there's nothing special locked behind a $1000 set, but from LEGO's standpoint I really think they needed a fantastic GWP to sell much at all in the initial release period. The GWP has nothing printed, no unique parts or minifigs, etc. I truly believe the set is a decent value for what you get (but not so decent one should not hold out for a discount), the display presence is undeniable, and the playability is extensive. I'm not the sort to get hung up on dual-molded legs, etc. However, if you don't give me something compelling to buy it right away, there truly is zero reason to buy at retail or not avoid it altogether if the price doesn't drop.

My preference would be 3). But, I honestly think I'd be happy with any of those options. Minas Tirith is going to be really difficult to pull off however they do it, so I'm trying not to imagine much of anything right now.

Super exciting rumor about Minas Tirith. I hope, if it turns out to be true, it's not as controversial as the Death Slice, as it would probably need to be close to that expensive and have as many/more parts to be done well. The Sauron bust sounds like a great idea. I wonder what other ones they might have up their sleeve

Saw a 360 view of the set and finally got to see the back and... I can see why they kept it hidden lol. Very utilitarian and unsightly. Man, I was waiting for some as yet unrevealed detail to move the needle, but other than a functional elevator - cool but not profound - I can't see anything that moves me to get this any time soon, if ever. I'm thinking I'll hold onto my VIP points and see if some big LOTR set or something else compelling releases next year.

Tie GWP is not appealing in the slightest. I can't think of a GWP that would have pushed me from "maybe I'll get the Death Star for a 3X points or some hefty discount down the road" to "might actually consider getting this day one", but it's not this!

If there is something on the horizon, I wish we'd get some hint soon. As expensive as sets have become, it's gotten more important to know about other themes ASAP in order to know what to spend money on and when. Like, if there's another large set releasing next year, I'll pass on some of the sets I'm considering this fall. LOTR trumps everything for me.