Hypernova888

Pretty much what I was going to say on the topic.

Sauron, yes. Bolg, I think would be simple and easily possible like Old Bilbo. Alfrid, I think would be a bit difficult regarding the hat.

AAHAHAhahah funny joke. Actually, no. Not funny. I am disappointed, but I'm still gonna try to get that figure. It is a bit of a puzzling choice, certainly.

Well, I bought my sets from shop.lego.com, so in-store stock isn't really a hurdle for me, but I know for a fact that a friend of mine is looking around for WKB and has had no luck. Anyone know of anywhere in Utah? I haven't seent the sets in stores when I check just for the heck of it, so that's my point of view.

Really good points here. You're probably right.

Mountain doesn't have Thorin. But it is a dwarf haven. I can't decide which for you...they're all pretty good to me. Mountail has Smaug, which may be important to you like it was to me...Gate has Gandalf more orcs and a pretty good build (as do all) Moria is best in terms of value for characters included, and Attack o' wargs is good for parts and some good figures.

Creativity is more for the users, and not for TLG themselves? I understand most of your points but that's just ridiculous. And your point of LEGO making other unnecessary moulds licensing more is flawed: just because they've done it before it's okay to do it again? Bingo. I hope you don't feel that we're attacking you, but as AFoLs and TFoLs, defending LEGO makes a lot of sense to us. I love it!

Yeah, LEGO has used it twice. And if the technique is so good that you've been decieved that it's one new mould, then how bad can it be?

In my holiday 2014 there was BotFA.

That's a right shame. It maks AoLT look loads better, and is one of my favourite Hobbit sets.

It was "lazy" for TLG to use two rowboats for a longboat? I think that that usage was a genius way to do it when the technique was first used, and I'm glad they used it again. Why make a longboat piece when the alternative is so clever and looks as good as it does? And that way if one scraps the set for parts they get two rowboats, which are a lot more versatile than one huge longboat.

I find it a shame (though not at all surprising) that there are no LotR or Hobbit promo figs or UCS. I suppose there's still the chance of Minas Tirith late 2015-early 2016...

I'm sure that LEGO considered battle packs. I mean, it's almost impossible not to with a film like LotR. And I would remind you that there are technically TWO Lake-Town guards. While it probably is true that they could have strategized a bit better, it's not like the sets are BAD. The figures are immensly well done, and most of the sets are pretty fun to build and represend their locations well.

I think another noteworthy character omission is Alfrid, as he does play a decently-sized role in BotFA. He's not as crucial as Bolg, who played a big secondary role in DoS AND BotFA, but he was still left out by LEGO. I have a question: in your Tolkien displays (assuming you have one) do you prefer to set up your figures in action sequences (my preferred route) or lining them up for better viewing? Or do you just scrap the sets and display the figures on their own?

No problem! Totally fine.

No kidding! Kev, They're called BeornINGS, not BeornLINGS. It's just a little something that I think it'd be good to know if you're thinking of adding one in. And while this IS VERY off-topic, but Happy Christmas to all you awesome guys! This topic's been a lot of fun discussing. I keep updating my homepage on my phone to be the newest page of this! Thanks for being brilliant.

I have my kind of long explinations for why I don't think The Silmarillion would make a good film (probably the worst of Tolkien's stuff for the big screen, I would say.) But I'm not going to go into it, at least quite yet. I think the idea of expanding the universe for more content would only damage the world and split the fanbase further. I love the film adaptions, and would TOTALLY watch Kev's thing, but I think just writing new stories wouldn't be good. It's the TOLKIENverse: What is it really if he doesn't write the basic story? Seeing as he's no longer around, I don't think that making more stories like The Hobbit is wise.

Yeah, I feel you man. But I think the sets that we DO have are pretty cool, so it's not all bad.

Please? C'mon, LEGO!!!

I'll do my best: The legs are done by use of two 1x2 waved profile bricks, and are set underneath a 2x4 plate. On each end of the plate are four headlight bricks, two on each side. Behind one of the pairs of the headlights, set a 1x2 brick on the inside. On the outside of the structure, your headlight brick's studs should be. On each side, place a horizontal jumper tile. On the end with the brick, put a cheese slope sloping downwards. On top of the fat end, set a 2x2 tile, and on the thin end set a 1x2 tile. All bricks up to this point are brown. In the remaining space on the 2x4, put in a grey saddle. Inside this saddle put a 1x2 plate of any colour as a booster seat for dwarves. For the head, stack two brown 1x2 plates on top of each other, then put a brown cheese slope facing into the second stud on top. Then put on the open stud a 1x1 brick with two studs on the side, and face the side-studs to the long sides of your head build. If you have the curled horn pieces like Kev, set them inside the two stud holes. If you only have the tooth plate piece, like me, then put those on, then set a 1x1 plate on top of the brick. If you have the horns like Kevkipo, then skip this plate. Then add another cheese slope (brown) facing inwards, the opposite way from the the first slope. Turn this build on its side, with the long part being the downmost. Place this on the free jumper on the original 2x4 body build. I really hope this was clear! Sorry if it wasn't.

Ooh! I forgot: now that we've seen the film, what about the ballista in BoFA? Seems a bit wrong. As does Beorn in DGA!

AUGH! I got BoFA and DGA, and Dain looks FRICKIN' EPIC on the boar! Way better than before. Makes up for any other flaws in him, I say.

Thanks so much, guys! Kev, all I did to fit a sadwas replace your jumper and clip with a 1x2 tile! I only did it because I was using all my clips, and then I tried a saddle and it worked! But I'm glad I couls get something of my own design in there. ;) As unlikely as it is, what would you guys think about a microscale line? Denethor would also be great, but Faramir and Eowyn are more important.

Thought you guys'd be interested in seeing my designs on a couple of things... First off is my kind-of custom/stolen boar, of course mostly designed by Kevkipo! I added in a saddle, and had to use the 1x1 tooth pieces, and not those awesome boar tusks that Kev originally used. They do well to cover up the black 1x1 brick with two side studs that I had to use, as I once again do not have the same parts collections as he. And since I didn't know what the back was like I did my own. Next up is my custom design for Thranduil's moose. I built it kind of around the dimensions of a horse, except altering the size...because it's an elk, not a horse. Here's the left antler removed for the benefit of viewing construction methods. And I thought you guys'd like this...I made this about a year ago, and even though I'd rather have Bolg than an armoured Sauron, he was still cool to have. I used the Kingdoms dragon knight's torso and legs for a more metal-y look, and made my own simple custom decal for the face (which I should really redo). The chestplate is only added in there to give him that gunmetal grey tone, even though I prefer him without it (in terms of stability). The head is built around a dalek, and uses those claw hand weapon things that I don't know the name of. His height is altered by means of headlight bricks with cheese slopes ( cheese slopes) in the light under his feet, secured to the leg piece with two 1x2 plates in black, one on each leg. A robot claw is stuck through the top. Here's the back (cape removed) where you can see the 1x2 plates in action, and the 1x1 tooth piece on the back of his helm. So...what'd you guys think? Feel free to steal any of these designs! Only thing is...I have an epic boar, and no Dain to ride it! I'll have to wait until my sets arrive...

Thanks! I don't need it a ton now...zooming in helps loads! Thanks. I honestly feared for any of the characters that came across Bolg or Azog...even more than, say, The Necromancer or Smaug. Every fight scene with either of the two was nerve-wracking for me.