Wolvarie

In regards to the pricing I think you will find even though the AU$ is above the US$ at the mo this doesn't seem to make much difference as historically across the board Lego prices in Australia are 15 to 20% higher than those in the US, even more for a bigger set which can be double or more. Example of this new Starwars X-wing $49 Amazon US, local shop in my town $115. I can take the distance factor as we are a long way from anywhere, but my biggest gripe is on LEGO.com where it is correct me if I am wrong coming from the Lego factory. Do a price check on any large set from the US or EU, UK portal then flick over the AU one and you will see the angst all Lego lovers have down under and in NZ. It isn't just Lego its on iTunes and many other goods. The reply you get is different deals for different countries and the Aussie public have woken up to this fact and are using the internet to buy things from overseas is such large volumes that the local retail stores are feeling the pinch. So for the prices above shave 15-20% off the smaller sets and at least $100 off Helm's Deep and you will be around the mark. ,

Agreed that LOTR isn't just castle, but really is a world rich in races and types of armour and dress and buildings as well. I guess we are a bit limited by what PJ decides to put into the Hobbit and as has been mentioned there aren't large castles per say in either LOTR or the Hobbit. Minas Tirith is just too big unless they decided to do a UCS of it.... Hobbiton, Bree, Rivendell, Dale, Mirkwood Elves, Laketown and Edoras are sets that could be done with a Castle slant as Tolkien's world is very medieval. Would be great if we could have a Pirate vessel being attacked by the undead. I feel there could be a large range of sets that really don't have such a complete building rather props to add to a scene. I just love to mash it all together and see what world you can create from it.

I am really hoping this part is true. The castle sets have come a fair way and the last joust set showed they were heading in the right direction with the Castle theme. I will be buying sets in this wave of sets purely for adding to my castle building and to add to my goblin, wolfen armies. Waiting for a Rohirrim battle pack hopefully next year, now if some goblin warg riders were in the next wave or for the massive five armies battle set sure to be coming in 2013 then I could think of changing my castle theme to a more LOTR theme.

Thank Lynx. Its about what I expected:cry_sad: ...sigh...was looking to buy 3 or 4 Uruk-hai army, Moria and Helms Deep, but the local shops won't be getting my coin. Lego would sell so many more sets in Oz if they dropped the prices a bit...I mean Orc forge close enought o $80?? Gandalf arrives double the US price?? Bricklink here I come...again.

I hear you Lynx. Might buy a few smaller sets locally, but most will be sourcing from my good friends in the US via Bricklink, saving like mad atm. Now have to add orc forge to the list... ;( Folks in the US don't know how damn good they have it.

Could use the Hungarian Horntail dragon from Harry Potter with a couple of mods to the wings and tail and in black of course.

I am really hoping there will be a Rohan BP as the more I look at it the balance between Uruks and Rohirrim is just too one sided. I know they were outnumbered at Helm's Deep...but cut them some slack Lego!

Birds up a Tree Gandalf Bilbo Fili Kili 2 Wargs 1 Eagle 4 Goblins 1 or more trees at least 25 - 30 studs tall Willing to pay 60 - 80 for a decent sized trees and a new mold for Wargs and an eagle, both of which could be used for the Battle of the 5 Armies later. 8 figs plus 3 animals would raise the price, but a decent tree would make all the difference

Can't see why they couldn't do both. Like to know the % of sales is from AOFL's. Listen to us Lego we want Battle Packs!!!!!!! please

Agree totally. Really hopeful that there can be some sort of Helm's Deep defenders pack with maybe two elves and two Rohirrim one a royal guard and another a more common soldier.

Its not like they are going to lose out in this deal. Some cheaper sets would totally hook more fans. Maybe for the bottom of the range knock 15% off the RRP and watch them fly off the shelves. If they keep the level of detail and techniques up for this whole line it has the makings to be the most successful line TLG has ever undertaken.

Thnks will do. Imagine a set with a brickbuilt Smaug in the main chamber of Lonely Moutain lying on a pile of lego coins, jewels, etc and Bilbo. Call it Never Laugh at a Live Dragon. Iconic picture around the US 60 - 80 range. Could have some sets of armour and other dwarven weapons and architecture pillars, the secret tunnel, maybe a flight of stairs like in the picture below and the Arkenstone.

Amazon doesn't sell lego to Australia.

Do we think Lego will tackle an Ent? Would love to see Treebeard, Merry and Pippin with some Isengard orcs fleeing in terror. Back on the BP discussion, get rid of the extra bits such as scenery and small catapults or carts or pieces of wall, drop the price down $3-4 or add another minifig and make it 5. People buy the BP for the figs not the scene that goes with it. Did a survey in my classroom today on what kids would rather have and it was figures for cheaper. Lego is already pricing kids out of buying BP's by making them 20-25 dollars here in Oz.

I am a bit of an army builder and really stay away from buying multiples of the BP from the past couple of years for the reason of the extra bricks and vehicles or scenery or put one cool figure and three not so good ones. Solution, buy multiple packs, sell off the bits you dont want on Bricklink or Ebay, use money to buy figures you do want on Bricklink from all the other people selling the ones they don't want. I would like to see faction BP brought back in a big way and I think they would sell really well. More mounted Rohan please, and elves, and dwarves, and Minas Tirith Gondorian and Gondor rangers, Moria goblins, warg riders, those attack trolls from the third movie, mordor orcs and goblins. Thinking big battle pack onslaught prior to the Battle of the Five Armies should be on the cards...Lego make it so!! I am looking forward to many, many figures being available on Bricklink and building that way. Get 6 figs for the price of 1 BP. Chainmail dude. Just think if you wanted recreate this scene as a MOC....

Any idea on Australian pricing. I roughly add another 1/3rd to the price of the smaller sets and 1/2 to the bigger. Any other Oz fans have any info...just for my budgeting for the next 4 months..

The excitement I have felt for this new line has been building since the first whispers came out last year. Almost more than when Lego first annouced the Star Wars line. What has impressed me the most with the pictures viewed today is the detail and ideas and techniques from the AFOL building community that Lego has put into the sets. Also noticed this on Jabbas Palace photostream, but I digress. While some has stated they are disappointed with Weathertop, the fact it opens up, with a detailed interior and you get not one but two Nazgul and horses has got me putting it on my buy list. Also there is the Uruk-hai army with its 6 minifigs and a new horse section of wall and crazy bastilla...only drawbacks is the price that Lego will slap on it for the Australian market, expecting 60-80 dollars per set and I want at least 4...hello bricklink and the cheap exchange rate from my US friends. The other is I would have liked to see maybe a 3:3 split uruks to rohirrim, but hopefully battlepack for them down the track. Maybe even December...pleeze Helms Deep also looks amazingly awesome and while it will be $200-250+ here it is a lock. The elf as I am sure someone has already stated is not Legolas, but Hadir or one of the elves that came to fight in the hopeless battle. Would have loved a few more of these, but points to more down the track...I mean why waste the torso stamp when you can add another 4 to a battlepack(damn you Lego!!!) Would have liked a few more Rohirrim. Loved the vid over on FBTB that shows the mechanism for "throwing Gimli" awesome. Love the detail of Theoden's minifig is almost worth the price alone, the new grey brick pattern awesome, also a new slimmer arrow slit piece noticed near the sally port near the main door, Gimli and his axes, the new uruk helmets, the interior of Helm's deep, bezerker with the bomb, the huge horn tower, the deepling wall that just screams Uruk-hai battle pack wall add ons...maybe some more sets later on that could add to the set, Gandalf the white and Eomer with 4 mounted Rohirrim...One of the best sets for a while, just a must have. The other one that took my fancy was the Mines of Moria playset. They have a Cave Troll!!!! Great new mould and colours and printing. I was a big worried we may just get a troll from Kingdoms. While not as substantial as I would have liked allows for additional modding and has some fantastic design and brick features. Love the goblins, but more please. Wish Legolas had a cloak, but easily fixed, love Pippin's bucket and the well scene, detailing on the doors and columns. Really liking the work that Lego have obviously been doing for a while and you would think have a long line of sets that they could put out. The only gripe I maybe have with this is that Gandalf arrives will be the cheapest set here is Australia, with everything else in the 40 - 250 dollar bracket and I know that many of my young Lego fans just can't swing that kind of dosh around especially with most of them wanting both LOTR and Starwars. Just too many good sets out there at the mo.

Just had a look at your flickr stream and all I can say is WOW! Just love the attention to detail. Its people like you DC that keep me wanting to improve and build new things and not be satisfied with plain and boring grey and right angled straight buildings. Hope to have something to share on Flickr soon. Going to spend Christmas Eve day sorting out two tubs I took to school this year so I can get stuck into some building in the New Year. Looking forward to new updates to this growing village...does it have a name yet? Have a great Christmas all and keep brickin.

YES! Lots of blonde haired vikings on horses!

I can only talk about here in Oz the castle line is still very popular, but I see your point. I really have been liking the direction Castle has been taking over the past 18 months. Now whether or not it takes a hiatus while LEGO makes its millions out of LOTR and the Hobbit remains to be seen. Was hoping for a sheep to go with the goats from the Mill raid set. Can't see too much village life being represented in LOTR sets. I just hope they can bring the same sort of detail to new LOTR sets. Looking back I really think they were testing the waters a bit with the whole castle fantasy line, which at the time I thought was very LOTR like and it got me back into buying castle sets. Then when an elf came out in the minifig series and an evil dwarf the writing was on the wall. I've always tended to go towards buying castle sets for parts and using them to develop my own factions and with a Uruk-hai battle pack to suppliment my orc army the forces of good are in for a rocky ride.

You wouldn't think there will be two many female figs Eowyn, Galadriel and Arwen you would think will all get a look in and maybe a few female characters from the Hobbit maybe the one that is being made for Kate from LOST. Collectable figures...can't see why not, flog it for all its worth, they will make a packet out of it. Aargh Lego stop it you will send me broke!

Good range of sets off the bat. Have no problems with them being fleshies, in fact more the merrier, would however like to see a wider range of flesh tones. The Moc I'm working on at the mo will have flesh tones from brown to yellow and everything inbetween. To expect a full blown super detailed set of Helm's deep is just not going to happen, just for the fact that it won't sell to the average consumer in the market. Sure everyone here will be selling off body parts to fund their lego spends in 2012 and I feel that lego has in the past 2-3 year really beginning to tap into the AFOL market in a big way and this is just another pointer to that fact. As for this being the end of the castle line..don't think so. The Kingdom Joust set that I'm waiting to hit Bricklink has a new black falcons knight and I'm hoping this will bring a third faction into the lion and the dragon factions. I really like how Lego seems to be looking at what the community is coming up with in their builds and adding the detail into their bigger sets. They have brought out some interesting wider interest sets such as the Mill raid and the older market set. There is enough market for both. When do we see some pictures??

Derfel Cardan and many other great builders!! All of whom I am shamelessly getting ideas and looking at how they put their builds together. Bricklink has had a beating this year and doesn't look like stopping anytime soon.

Well lets think of some battle packs that could be trotted out... Rangers of the North Elves Dwarves Rohirrim Gondorians Orcs Uruk-hai Goblins of Moria Trolls Would love to see a 4 hobbits battle pack with Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin Another with Boromir, Aragorn, Gimili and Legolas Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the white Then you have the Dwarves and Bilbo from the Hobbit. Would really like Lego to make hinged short legs somehow so the dwarves, Gollum and the hobbits can have some more movement. All that wishing has paid off finally. Starting 2012 Lego slush fund now. Sorry inlaws no pressies for you at Christmas.

Showed my two girls the list of sets planned for the Friends line today and they are super excited, my eldest is making up her birthday list already looking at the house and the treehouse and the car and liking all the characters. Whether they should have been normal minifigures remains to be seen. Being a teacher and having a huge tub of lego in the classroom the girls do build the houses and cafes and other items like what is being put out as sets. My two are just as happy building starwars characeter and soliders to protect their princess or having female warriors to kick the bad guys. I think this line is well overdue and I can see my lego budget going up as a result. To all those getting stuck into the idea, grow up, Lego is going to make plenty with this idea and I'll be out there talking it up.