Lordhelmet

Good to hear, hopefully they still sell out by the end of the day still but we call get one :)

Yes, but regular VIP points would be $25 so it would $25 more ($50 total) for 2X. So waiting for 2X VIP gains $25 in lego VIP points vs. day a day one purchase.

Nice to see the Executor this morning. I think it looks great, and not owning the UCS one, it is a welcome set (and will fit on shelves better than the UCS one). I agree that its a bit on the pricier side, but worthy of a purchase on sale or during a VIP event (maybe May 4th depending on how the dioramas look). I figure I will need to pick up two sets to reach whatever the promotional item will be for the event so may the best diorama, executor, or tie interceptor sets win that day.

I know, we will see. I am only going to be at the store ten to fifteen minutes before it opens, so pending a long line, or very few quantity I should be able to get one. On the positive side, if I can't get it day one, I will wait until the first 2X VIP points and order it online and get the extra $25 toward another lego set some day.

I purchased some spare hair pieces (3 Legolas ones, and a Bilbo one for Sam). I also picked up three Legolas dimension heads, all of that was pretty cheap ($1.50 each for the Legolas hair, $1.25 for the Bilbo hair, and $.75 for the Legolas face) on brick link. I had some other stuff I was ordering but those were my least favorite parts of the new set so I figured they would be an easy cheap fix. The Legolas hair piece was the part I wanted to change the most (especially after the pictures above- although I do like the new torso print). I am fine with the Elrond and Arwen face/hair (I do think the older ones were better, but these new ones were fine to me). Plus the cost of Elrond and Arwen parts are way higher, and I do not want to take apart my old ones as I only have one of each of them. I am also going to swap out the new Legolas hair pieces with one of my old Haldir figures who I think the new hairstyle would look better on than the old Legolas one. Excited to get the set on Sunday, hopefully they do not run out at my local store.

I debated the Elrond/ Arwen (head and hair) changes but thought the cost wasn’t worth it ($30-$40) and I’m not touching my old versions. I do like the Legolas hair change though and it is not as costly given all the Legolas’s options out there. My only changes I plan on making are Legolas hair (maybe head too) and sams hair with an old hobbit version of bilbo one. I like some of the new printing on the torsos, it feels less stylized than the old ones and more muted but still really good.

I sold a captain Rex minifig for part of the money to buy it. I think the only sets I wouldn’t sell/trade (hypothetically) for it would have been the UCS imperial shuttle or UCS AT-AT if I owned either. I am prioritizing Rivendell over the AT-AT though. the shuttle and some hobbit sets are the only ones I regret not buying when I had the opportunity before they retired. I also would not sell or trade any of the old LOTR sets as LOTR is my favorite Lego theme.

I saw Nerd of the Rings post a video with that. I think this combined with rings of power really increases the chances of a full LOTR return. Great news!

wow, I have never seen that behind the scenes image before, makes me like the lego set that much more. the floor plus the layout. I never paid much attention to the Rivendell details in the movies (other than what stands out like the gazebo, bridge, waterfall, etc.) Also I liked in the design interview that they mentioned there was a microscale at one point early in the design process. I am happy they moved to this but thought it was interesting that microscale was discussed given how much we discussed that possibility. I hope they keep up the playscale/minifigscale for future sets.

Also worth noting, the current price for Hogwarts is $470. To compare apples to apples we should probably stick with full prices (not "I bought it on sale for $300") and current lego.com prices which have taken into account Lego's general price raising. I do not love the $500, but Lego is essentially telling us that it is $30 more than Hogwarts in their current pricing models. (probably would have been $450 if released a year ago). Also thinking along this line, if we look at the other top ten largest sets (per lego.com) this might be the best value for a licensed theme set. (there should be better value in non licensed sets) but looking at Star Wars, Harry Potter, DC, or Marvel (especially the new leaked prices for the big sets coming out later this year) this is clearly a better price per piece/minifig etc. While I wish it cost less, this is a better price that we would see for the other licensed sets of this scale.

I think by next year if we know we are not getting any new LOTR, I will definitely pick up a second copy

I think they are given a date they are allowed to release the review from Lego (which is why they are on the same day). Family common for other industries as well. This review shows it next to the castle, razor crest, and some modulars for scale. A few things said here, Lego mentioned that Rivendell is being used to gauge the LOTR market and has to sell well for them to make more sets in the future (confirming some of the thoughts in the forum). I am reading between the lines a bit but thinking that could mean playsets (and other things) in addition to more large sets (like the Barad Dur which may come out depending on Rivendell sales). Also mentioned nothing is currently scheduled for 2023 for LOTR (which also makes sense as there have been no rumors, sad but more confirmation). I will be a day one purchase, unless my local store sells out before I can buy (but I will be there early). If it does sell out I will be buying at the first 2x VIP points afterward.

also can we get a LOTR advent calendar while we are at it (a list of things LOTR fans want). I would buy four or five of those. And I would like a Santa gollum and an Uruk in a Santa hat or Christmas tree Gandalf

Good call, I suppose you could have two lists. 1) CMF series where they never make another LOTR set again (my list). 2) CMF series where they do make a few waves of sets in the future and then it would be variant focused (or book focused) I would be good with four hobbits so long as they are variants or not the main four to build a better hobbiton like the sackville baggins the old gaffer, rosey, some tooks etc. it would be cool if they did a D2C of Bag end and included a bunch of hobbits but also suramon to let people recreate the book ending where they take back the shire. (Could use the Galadriel mirror vision scene for licensing reasons) This is true, I am not sure a Eoyen would be a good minifig :). I also would prefer Eowyn .

Seconded, it feels like every ten pages ROP comes up again. the new minifigs have grown on me. I was initially going to order new faces (the old ones) but have decided to keep these ones the more I have looked at them, I don’t love that they reuse the faces but the look of these ones has really grown on me. I think my only change for me is going to be Legolas hair to the old one and sams hair color. In honor of the Disney CMF leaks, what LOTR minifigs would be our top 12 for a CMF LOTR series. 1. Eoyen 2. Sauron 3. Faramir 4. Witch king 5. Tree Guard (Gondor) 6. White hand Uruk 7. Gothmog 8. Gondor pippin 9. Rohan merry 10. Gondor knight 11. Lothlorien elf (with helmet and shield as side items) 12. Rosy (or a different hobbit)

I heard reviews come out on the 22nd

I would pay way more for them to do something like Smaug or Dinosaur models vs. something like that. The brick built would not look nearly as good as something like Smaug would for the fell beast. I don't care if they treat it like Jurassic world sets and they cost more per part. They should really treat them like big animal figures would be treated. Diorama sets would be excellent for the series, at least as a way to get cheaper sets. I think it would be best to include them along side of play sets, but I think both could happen next year (sad it does not sound like anything is happening this year).

I feel like that video helps with the scale of the set. I have been saying since the first leaked image that the set is deceiving with all of the open space, but that video helps to realize just how massive this set really is. I will be there day one to buy, just hope they have enough (if they don't I will be buying during a double VIP points event as soon as possible afterwards).

Battle packs, battle packs, battle packs, CMF, CMF, CMF :) I should be careful for what I wish for though, I only have so much money budgeted for hobbies each year and if any of these came out it is likely I would spend more on these than I would just buying Rivendell (would need like 40 battle packs or more, and at least four complete CMF sets if not more). By my count that’s $800-$1000 for battle packs and $250-$400 on CMF sets depending on how many come out)

Who else bought the brickheadz? If so how would you rank them for finished product/ build? for me it is Aragorn, Arwen, Gandalf, Frodo, Balrog, then Gollum. I think the Balrog just bothered me because we don’t have a real one where at least we did with the others. Also I am excited to get minifigs of the king ellesar and queen Arwen in addition to a minifig scale balrog.

Same, the worst thing that could happen is this set not selling well and Lego taking that as there is not a fan base for LOTR and canceling any play set or future plans. I think we all agree their intro back into LOTR could have been better (play sets, dioramas, etc.). But we have brickheadz and a pricey (but awesome looking) set. I’ll be doing my part to keep the theme alive and well, and will thoroughly enjoy an excellent set that is reminiscent of the old theme style (with more detail). I do also like the Aragorn Arwen brickheadz (surprisingly as I do not like brickheadz in general). Those two were fun to build and look pretty decent all things considered. Side note - the response “you’re just signaling you want more big sets or more brickheadz by buying these” has been discussed like twenty times in this thread. Let’s just not go through that again as we can go read back through pages 35-65 to hear all the points.

Agreed that the GWP is lame. Brickheadz were not the ideal way to restart the theme and now they double down with the worst one. I bought the brickheadz too because I collect LOTR and didn’t want to miss a set, makes it that much worse for collectors who did the same. I would have preferred something unique, but also would have been happier even with some extra minifigs or an argonath micro build or something (really anything other than what they chose).

I would flip the sets in the movies and do witch king attack for return of the king and mumakill ambush for two towers (eoyen, witch king, fell beast, merry) (faramir, ranger, three haradrim). I would sub lothlorien for boromir’s last stand. I like the other two.

Cool, you enjoy your hogwarts and I’ll enjoy my Rivendell. I like HP and have a few sets but would never buy hogwarts for 400, so overpriced for what you get, even on sale at 300 still crazy overpriced for micro scale. So I guess to each their own. it would be cool to get an $800 LOTR set someday too, like a monster minis tirith. (In the same vein as the falcon or atat).

It is a top ten biggest Lego set (according to Lego) :), I have a shelf I set aside for it when the rumors came out, right next to my helms deep. also good suggestions on minifig mods.