LOTR & The Hobbit 2013 Set Discussion

[CM4Sci]

LOTR 2013 Line-up (Release: June)

Warning all pictures link to HR versions which can be up to +6000.pxl

all pictures posted from GRogall

79005 The Wizard Battle S@H

113 pcs. US$ $12.99, $15.99 CDN, DE 14,99 €,UK £11.99

Recreate The Wizard Battle at The Tower of Orthanc, as Gandalf the Grey takes on his

mentor and old friend, Saruman, who has fallen under the influence of Sauron while

gazing into his palantir. Saruman will stop at nothing to deliver the One Ring to his new

master and serve him by helping to conquer Middle-earth. Avoid the spinning palantir’s

spell, cast powerful staff magic and send Saruman flying from his throne! Stay away from

Sauron’s mesmerizing gaze or risk being enslaved yourself! Includes 2 minifigures with staffs:

Gandalf the Grey and Saruman.

79006 The Council of Elrond S@H

243 pcs. US$ $29.99, $34.99 CDN, DE 39,99 €,UK £29.99

Build the majestic Elven city of Rivendell, home to Elrond and his beautiful warrior-princess

daughter, Arwen. Call Gimli and Frodo Baggins to The Council of Elrond to plan the

destruction of the One Ring and the defeat of Sauron. Place the Ring on the podium

and recreate this classic scene from The Fellowship of the Ring! Send Gimli flying with

the launch function when he tries to destroy the Ring with his axe. Beware the Eye of Sauron,

as he draws closer to the Ring that will lead to the fall of Middle-earth! Includes 4 minifigures

with weapons: Elrond, Arwen, Frodo Baggins and Gimli.

79007 Battle at the Black Gate S@H

656 pcs. US$ $59.99, $74.99 CDN, DE 89,99 €,UK £59.99

Fly the Great Eagle high above the Black Gate of Mordor where Aragorn and Gandalf the

White must distract the Eye of Sauron. Use them to stage a scene while Frodo Baggins

and his friend Sam throw the One Ring into the fiery depths of Mount Doom and destroy

it forever. To reach the Ring’s final destination, you must defeat the Mouth of Sauron and

the Mordor Orcs positioned high in the spiked gate walls. Then breach the gate and lead

the attack on the enemy! Includes a Great Eagle and 5 minifigures with weapons: Aragorn,

Gandalf the White, Mouth of Sauron and 2 Mordor Orcs.

79008 Pirate Ship Ambush S@H

756 pcs. US$ $99.99, $129.99 CDN, DE 99,99 €,UK £89.99

On the shores of Minas Tirith, Sauron’s Mordor Orcs prepare to greet their allies aboard

the Pirate Ship – but all is not as it seems. Pull up alongside them, drop the anchors and

lead a surprise attack with Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas Greenleaf and the Army of the Dead.

This majestic Corsair ship features 3 large sails, removable rear section with dungeon

and Pirate of Umbar prisoner, firing crossbow and loads of armor and weapons! Capture

the Orc catapult and lead the glow-in-the-dark King of the Dead and his soldiers into battle

at the War of the Ring! Includes 9 minifigures with weapons and accessories: Aragorn,

Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli, 2 Mordor Orcs, the King of the Dead, 2 Soldiers of the Dead and

a Pirate of Umbar.

10237 The Tower of Orthanc S@H

2359 pcs. US$ 199.99

Finally, collect one of the most instantly recognizable and iconic buildings of The Lord of the Rings™ trilogy: The Tower of Orthanc™! Build all 6 highly detailed floors filled with fascinating movie-related details including the attic, library, alchemy room, Saruman’s throne room, entrance hall and dungeon. This exclusive model stars in some of the most iconic scenes from The Lord of the Rings movies. Swoop down with the Great Eagle and rescue stranded Gandalf the Grey from his tower-top prison after his defeat at the hands of the white wizard, Saruman. Build the powerful, tree-like Ent, with poseable limbs and cool swinging arm function, then attack the Uruk-hai and Orc Pitmaster while Saruman and his servant Grima Wormtongue take refuge high in the tower. The Tower of Orthanc is a must-have model for any The Lord of the Rings collection! Includes a Great Eagle, buildable Ent figure and 5 minifigures with weapons: Saruman with kirtle outfit, Grima Wormtongue, Gandalf the Grey, an Uruk-hai and the Orc Pitmaster.

All pictures are © 2013 The Lego Group

The Hobbit 2013 Line-up (release December)

79011 Dol Guldor Ambush $19.99

79012 Mirkwood Elf Army $29.99

Lake Town Chase $49.99

79014 Dol Guldor Battle $69.99

Image first posted by LOTR343

-Sci

Edited October 27, 2013 by ZCerberus
Added pictures of 2013 The Hobbit line

[Lynx]

Is there any reliability to the information you posted, i.e. did the original poster cite her/ his credible source, or is this just speculation? Neither of the sets would be a surprise, so either way, it is conceivable to see at least the first two sets (brick-build balrog has been officially shown as part of the video game, Orthanc has been seen on the shelf of a LEGO office worker (I presume that's where it was.).

I'd buy the bridge of Khazad-dûm although I'd prefer a molded balrog over a brick-build one. However, having seen the balrog from the video game, I expected as much. Orthanc is a must-buy for me if the set depicts the tower rather than a compilation of disjointed pieces as so often the case with previous LotR and Hobbit sets.

I'm not a big fan of brick-build creatures, and an ent with minifigures that I already have from the first wave at a price of roughly 100 AUD would be a definite no for me.

[CM4Sci]

Is there any reliability to the information you posted, i.e. did the original poster cite her/ his credible source, or is this just speculation? Neither of the sets would be a surprise, so either way, it is conceivable to see at least the first two sets (brick-build balrog has been officially shown as part of the video game, Orthanc has been seen on the shelf of a LEGO office worker (I presume that's where it was.).

No, the original poster had it up, then he removed it.

Here:

From the LOTR 2012 thread:

I like to share some information i received today.

First half of 2013 will bring us more sets from the original LOTR, Second half of 2013 will bring us sets based on the second Hobbit movie.

-I never should have shared this information. Gets me in trouble, people who saw it where lucky, please delete your quotes. Thanks-

-Sci

[Deathleech]

Ya, I would like some more information/credibility for these rumors before I get all excited about them. As is they are pure speculation in my eyes, just like the guy claiming his Lego store manager told him the LotR line was ending after one wave... and we all know how that turned out

[SheepEater]

Maybe the Treebeard set will feature a second generic Ent soldier.

[Fives]

Maybe the Treebeard set will feature a second generic Ent soldier.

Because of it's size and price, it could be an Isengard extension, or perhaps it has another generic tree, since it sounds like this set is based on Merry and Pippin's first meeting with Treebeard, and the orc will most likely be Grishnakh.

[Seaber]

I think the proportion of Gandalf the Grey minifigures is a bit silly (five identical figures in three waves). Unless they swap his hat for hair I suppose.

I'm glad it looks like they are making the creatures of Middle Earth. I thought Lego might shy away from Ents in particular. Hopefully Mumakil, Fell Beasts, Watcher in the Water and troll variants will follow, along with some LOTR Wargs.

[Gryphon Ink]

I seriously doubt that the Balrog, one of the most recognizable beasties in all of Middle Earth, is going to appear in a $40 set with only one minifig. Dude is huge, and impressive, and a hot seller. Gandalf's fight with the Balrog, while brief, is the one scene everybody who saw the movies remembers vividly. Find a random co-worker, tell him "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" and he will probably say "get out of my way, Gandalf."

Treebeard, on the other hand, is the character that only real LOTR fans care about, accompanied by the two hobbits that only dedicated LOTR fans care about, stomping on the orc that only hardcore LOTR nerds even know the name of. That's the $60 set?

Gandalf vs. Saruman in the flagship set? Really? A one-on-one wizards' duel, with no witnesses, in a completely black chamber is the flagship? Not, say, the battle of Osgiliath, or the Black Gate, or the battle of Pellenor Fields, each of them an epic scene in a dramatic setting, with casts of thousands and great ferocious beasts? Seriously?

In standard Lego terminology, this would be like making the T-Rex chase a $20 set while the $100 flagship set features an ankylosaurus, a dimetrodon and a pile of triceratops dung. It just doesn't make business sense. It's the complete opposite of how TLG do things.

Enough with the silly rumors and the "inside knowledge", guys. If we're gonna speculate, let's try to make some sensible predictions, and call them what they are: pure fan speculation.

[Legonardo]

I need a higher income, why does LEGO release such awesome things while I'm a broke student?!?

awesome, Will try to get 1 or 2 sets, they sound nice

[Artanis I]

I seriously doubt that the Balrog, one of the most recognizable beasties in all of Middle Earth, is going to appear in a $40 set with only one minifig. Dude is huge, and impressive, and a hot seller. Gandalf's fight with the Balrog, while brief, is the one scene everybody who saw the movies remembers vividly. Find a random co-worker, tell him "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" and he will probably say "get out of my way, Gandalf."

Treebeard, on the other hand, is the character that only real LOTR fans care about, accompanied by the two hobbits that only dedicated LOTR fans care about, stomping on the orc that only hardcore LOTR nerds even know the name of. That's the $60 set?

Gandalf vs. Saruman in the flagship set? Really? A one-on-one wizards' duel, with no witnesses, in a completely black chamber is the flagship? Not, say, the battle of Osgiliath, or the Black Gate, or the battle of Pellenor Fields, each of them an epic scene in a dramatic setting, with casts of thousands and great ferocious beasts? Seriously?

In standard Lego terminology, this would be like making the T-Rex chase a $20 set while the $100 flagship set features an ankylosaurus, a dimetrodon and a pile of triceratops dung. It just doesn't make business sense. It's the complete opposite of how TLG do things.

True, but... Your arguments are sound as a general rule for licenced themes (including The Hobbit). Difference here being that LOTR films came out 10 years ago, the books even longer, and they aren't thrown in your face all the time like Star Wars. (Lots of kids would've seen SW, whether they got into it through Lego or CW or whatever.) Most of TLGs current audience probably haven't seen the LOTR movies (let alone read the books), so TLG makes cool looking sets to appeal to the kids but don't have to be from a memorable moment (but can be fan service for older fans of the franchise).

I imagine that any non-AFOL adult/teenager not a big enough fan of LOTR to recognise Treebeard or be interested in the other hobbits probably wouldn't be interested in LOTR Lego at all anyway.

[General Magma]

Ah, these sound pretty good so far.

We knew that the Tower of Orthanc was coming already, though I wonder if we're getting the same "clone" orcs again...

I sure hope not, since they were all so different. I'd like to see some new skin colors, clothing, etc. on them.

We might see this guy if they decide to have any varied looks on Mordor orcs:

Edited November 2, 2012 by General Magma

[narbilu]

Very good news, when march is introduction, we would likely be seeing some pictures late december.

I'm hoping for:

1) Grimas Wormtongue in the Orthanc set, and maybe an eagle (so different scenes can be played)

2) Witch king set, with Fell beast, Witchking, Eowin and Pippin (Rohan armor)

3) Osgilliath set, with Faramir (maybe another fell beast with Nazgul)

4) And some battlepack like sets with wargs, rohan riders etc.

Edited November 2, 2012 by narbilu

[Seaber]

Ah, these sound pretty good so far.

We knew that the Tower of Orthanc was coming already, though I wonder if we're getting the same "clone" orcs again...

I sure hope not, since they were all so different. I'd like to see some new skin colors, clothing, etc. on them.

We might see this guy if they decide to have any varied looks on Mordor orcs:

[snip picture by ZCerberus]

Pretty much all the orcs in Isengard look like this (Snaga orcs). Squat, brownish skin with little hair and lots of rings in their face. I agree it would be nice to have variation in faces though!

The other variant breeds are Morannon orcs, Morgul orcs as well as Moria orcs and the Uruk-Hair.

Edited November 3, 2012 by ZCerberus
Please don't quote whole posts. Quote only part that you are specifically responding to.

[General Magma]

I'll try to predict the full list...

I tried to have sets with the same price ranges as the first LOTR wave, with one extra set.

The Betrayal of Isengard - $100

The Black Gate - $80

Treebeard Encounter - $60

Bridge of Khazad-Dûm - $40

The Battle of Osgiliath - $40

The Witch-King Attacks - $30

Amon-hen Skirmish - $20

Battle Against The Wargs - $10

Let me know what you think of the list.

Minas Tirith seems unlikely with Isengard as the largest set this wave,

so I hope we'll get to see that later on still... we need figures of Gandalf the White and Denethor - Gothmog would be nice to have, too.

I wonder if we'll get any more LOTR sets in 2014, otherwise I fear that there might be some potential stuff that won't see the light...

Very curious about the rest of the list - I hope part of my predictions are true but there could be better options for some other sets, just tried to use likely-for-release sets.

Also, at least we know there will be one new orc, which is Grishnakh in the Treebeard Encounter set.

Now, I really hope that the 5 orcs in the Isengard set won't be duplicates... it would be great to have some properly varied figures, really.

Edited November 2, 2012 by General Magma

[The_Chosen_1]

I would love it if those three sets are part of the wave! I remain skeptical until official confirmation, however.

[Haltiamieli]

Ya, I would like some more information/credibility for these rumors before I get all excited about them. As is they are pure speculation in my eyes, just like the guy claiming his Lego store manager told him the LotR line was ending after one wave... and we all know how that turned out

While it is obviously very possible that these rumours don't hold water, it's also possible that they do. And the guy who claimed his Lego store manager told him the LotR line was ending after one wave was probably speaking truth - it's just that the manager in question wasn't in the know. We shouldn't jump to conclusions based on rumours like these, but as long as we have nothing better to talk about, we can discuss these and their credibility.

In the following I don't bother to add "in case this list is true" in every other sentence, but you can imagine them there.

I seriously doubt that the Balrog, one of the most recognizable beasties in all of Middle Earth, is going to appear in a $40 set with only one minifig. Dude is huge, and impressive, and a hot seller. Gandalf's fight with the Balrog, while brief, is the one scene everybody who saw the movies remembers vividly. Find a random co-worker, tell him "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" and he will probably say "get out of my way, Gandalf."

While Gandalf vs. Balrog fight is certainly an iconic moment, I don't think it has makings of a huge set, especially after Mines of Moria has already been done. Besides the balrog itself, there's not much to build except the bridge. Grey walls make for great parts packs but they're rather dull set elements. By no doubt they could include some orcs or some repetitions of Fellowship characters, but they are superfluous to the scene in question. I'd much rather see that they put all the oomph to the balrog, minifigs be damned. A $40 balrog should be epic enough.

Treebeard, on the other hand, is the character that only real LOTR fans care about, accompanied by the two hobbits that only dedicated LOTR fans care about, stomping on the orc that only hardcore LOTR nerds even know the name of. That's the $60 set?

I think you are giving Treebeard a little too little credit. He's not the most memorable character, but not the most fleeting or forgettable either. I admit it's a surprisingly big set, but apparently it will include a lot of scenery, which isn't necessarily a bad idea - what is a tree guardian without anything to guard?

Gandalf vs. Saruman in the flagship set? Really? A one-on-one wizards' duel, with no witnesses, in a completely black chamber is the flagship? Not, say, the battle of Osgiliath, or the Black Gate, or the battle of Pellenor Fields, each of them an epic scene in a dramatic setting, with casts of thousands and great ferocious beasts? Seriously?

I seriously doubt most movie-goers even remember what Osgiliath is, and the scenes in there include only rubble and ruins as scenery. Not very good material for a flagship set. Orthanc on the other hand is a unique memorable building featured in a lot of scenes, and can be miniaturised into Lego-scale better than most things in LotR (I'm looking at you, Minas Tirith). What's more, Saruman is arguably the de facto main villain of the first two films, while Sauron stays on the background. I agree with Narbilu though, it would be nice to see Gríma in this set in case there isn't a Meduseld set in the works too.

Edited November 2, 2012 by Haltiamieli

[General Magma]

Also, I must make a comment about that Balrog set...

291 pieces and ONE minifigure for $40? I kept hoping for some more Moria orcs (possibly armored) in a set like that,

but I fear we might never see actual, armored Moria orcs with those spiky helmets of theirs if this is true... shame.

However, why does he only know about 3 sets instead of the actual list?

People thought they saw Treebeard and the Tower of Orthanc in this designer room picture from a while back, so those could be true,

but the Balrog as a 291 pcs set for $40 and one figure we would've seen dozens of times before by the time we have the Hobbit sets? Meh...

Edited November 2, 2012 by General Magma

[deskp]

Please no more Gandalf the grey, baaah. If these sets are true than its a real shame about the lack of new minifigures...

The orc in Ent set better be the one that gets trampled by Treebeard..

The other 5 sets better have close to all new minifigures.

[General Magma]

Please no more Gandalf the grey, baaah. If these sets are true than its a real shame about the lack of new minifigures...

The orc in Ent set better be the one that gets trampled by Treebeard..

The other 5 sets better have close to all new minifigures.

Agreed, though I'm pretty sure that's the orc, indeed.

I can foresee some useful new pieces for custom orcs... gonna need a few more of his head if it ends up being a good one for generic orcs,

besides just Grishnakh himself (which is the stomped-on orc's name... I don't think knowing that makes one a "hardcore LOTR nerd", Gryphon,

in the eyes of many, someone who has never read any of the books and found out about that name by checking a LOTR wiki might not even qualify... just sayin'.

Edited November 2, 2012 by General Magma

[Deathleech]

While it is obviously very possible that these rumours don't hold water, it's also possible that they do. And the guy who claimed his Lego store manager told him the LotR line was ending after one wave was probably speaking truth - it's just that the manager in question wasn't in the know. We shouldn't jump to conclusions based on rumours like these, but as long as we have nothing better to talk about, we can discuss these and their credibility.

In the following I don't bother to add "in case this list is true" in every other sentence, but you can imagine them there.

The thing is though, most people seem to be taking this guys info as if it came from Lego themselves. They aren't talking about these as "possible" sets, but rather as "actual" sets. For all we know it's just some random guy coming on and telling us what he thinks might come out and acting like it's legit info. Anyone can do that. I could just as easily make an alt account and come post 4 of the 6 wave 2013 LotR sets with made up piece counts, minifigures, and the set theme. The fact he has very few posts and gave NO indication as to where he got his information makes me all the more skeptical. I realize his info could be legit, and I know if he is leaking it early he probably has to be careful... but it just doesn't seem likely. His sets seem especially off. Who knows though.

I seriously doubt that the Balrog, one of the most recognizable beasties in all of Middle Earth, is going to appear in a $40 set with only one minifig. Dude is huge, and impressive, and a hot seller. Gandalf's fight with the Balrog, while brief, is the one scene everybody who saw the movies remembers vividly. Find a random co-worker, tell him "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" and he will probably say "get out of my way, Gandalf."

Gandalf vs. Saruman in the flagship set? Really? A one-on-one wizards' duel, with no witnesses, in a completely black chamber is the flagship? Not, say, the battle of Osgiliath, or the Black Gate, or the battle of Pellenor Fields, each of them an epic scene in a dramatic setting, with casts of thousands and great ferocious beasts? Seriously?

In standard Lego terminology, this would be like making the T-Rex chase a $20 set while the $100 flagship set features an ankylosaurus, a dimetrodon and a pile of triceratops dung. It just doesn't make business sense. It's the complete opposite of how TLG do things.

Enough with the silly rumors and the "inside knowledge", guys. If we're gonna speculate, let's try to make some sensible predictions, and call them what they are: pure fan speculation.

I would tend to disagree with you on this. Bigger sets don't always mean better, and I am sure the sales for bigger and smaller ones about even out in the end (you sell fewer big sets but make more profit, you sell many more smaller ones but make less per sale). I mean if they didn't, why wouldn't Lego just focus on making nothing but huge $100+ sets? The 40 dollar price range seems to be a good one for an iconic set such as the Balrog as it still allows younger kids to get this set as a birthday present, or buy it for themselves. I think when you move up to the $60 price relatives and friends start to shy away from getting it and little kids won't be buying that set themselves when they could save their money for something else.

More importantly I don't see how they could really make the Balrog a $60 set without adding unnecessary elements. I mean we already have Mines of Moria and the Balrog is really the only other iconic scene that takes place in the Moria setting (watcher in the water is more outside...). Sure they could do a third set with some stairs, pillars, and a bridge, but it would be bland and generic and not really have anything going for it (would make a great army builder/battle pack though!). All they need for the Balrog set is the Balrog, Gandalf, maybe an orc or two, the bridge, and then some stairs or a pillar (last three totally optional). To me this seems like a $40 set with Balrog being slightly bigger than Shelob I would imagine.

I do agree that the minifigure counts seem to be WAY off though. One minifigure in a $40 set, and only 3 in a $60 set? The most likely set seems to be the Isengard, but even that seems iffy. Why would it include 5 orcs when the set is modeled after a scene that has no orcs shown in it at all? And like you said, why make a $100 set out of a duel between 2 wizards? If anything it should be when the Ents attack, or they should of made the big flagship set Minas Tirith since we have next to nothing for sets from RotK as of yet.

Edited November 2, 2012 by Deathleech

[ZCerberus]

2 things.

1. PLEASE don't quote an entire post or pictures in a post. Just quote the part you are replying directly to.

2. We do know LotR will continue in 2013, but we know NOTHING but rumor. Discussing rumor is okay, but let's just assume no one has an official list yet.

[gusmoore17]

Also for the moderators:

Yesterday I made a new topic on licensed themes and asked to be removed to the right forum. All you did was shutting down the topic, saying that the discussion was taking place over the historic forum. Why didn't you just moved it here??

Instead, you took my very own premise and made one of your own, then you just cited another guy without even mentioning him just until another member of the community asked for reliability on his post about the rumored sets.

What's going on? I mean...i've been a member since 2005 and this is the first time in 7 years that these kinds of almost nonsense edits & things are taking place here!! even other websites copied what these eurobricks' forums used to be and work very well, respecting TLC's policies and all.

Just I had to say it because i'm very fond of this website and know it's kind of getting down, so just be careful...

Now on topic: I can't wait for official or more info about LOTR sets, I'm definitively on the Orthanc set but to be honest, everyone's looking for Minas Tirith sets!!

That's all, regards from Mexico =)

[ZCerberus]

Also for the moderators:

Yesterday I made a new topic on licensed themes and asked to be removed to the right forum. All you did was shutting down the topic, saying that the discussion was taking place over the historic forum. Why didn't you just moved it here??

Instead, you took my very own premise and made one of your own, then you just cited another guy without even mentioning him just until another member of the community asked for reliability on his post about the rumored sets.

That is not what happened at all. Here is the scoop- members began discussing LotR 2013 in the LotR 2012 thread. I told them that stuff should be in a new thread. Because of my instruction to move it to a new thread, someone else made a 2013 thread in here. It was NOT staff, but a regular member.

I saw your post which was locked in the themes forum, but I do not have the power to move the thread here. I can only regulate within my own forum and could not move or merge your topic here. I think Corney over in the themes forum thought your questions would fit in the 2012 topic. He simply didn't know I had instructed everyone to post 2013 rumors in a new thread. Since the 2013 thread popped up shortly after my request in the 2012 thread and it also cropped up around the same time as your post, I let it slide. Sorry you felt ignored, that was not what happened.

[Deathleech]

Now on topic: I can't wait for official or more info about LOTR sets, I'm definitively on the Orthanc set but to be honest, everyone's looking for Minas Tirith sets!!

Exactly! Minas Tirith is the most logical set to use as a flagship set for Lego's next LotR wave. Most of the RotK film takes place in or around Minas Tirith. The city is amazing looking and screams to be the center piece for the second wave. It seems like a no brainer. The only thing I could see preventing it being made is the sheer size. Even if Lego made it way smaller than minifigure proportions like they did with Helm's Deep, the set would still be massive. Easily a $160+ set. It could still be done, it would just be difficult to get the scale down while also keeping the price reasonable. I have faith in Lego though.. bring on the massive Minas Tirith with a nice wall/army pack add on please!!!

[adreva11]

I just want more urukhai orcs and elfs Sets sound really good though if true