Lord of the Rings Ongoing Discussion

[Balrogofmorgoth]

10 minutes ago, chrisincanada said:

So having started watching ROP a d being a big fan of the LOTR movies AND having all the Harry Potter sets out there I was getting bored and just a few days ago decided I should start buying the old LOTR minifigures on Bricklink...then this!!! Do people think they will remake old sets and start the whole theme off again for those who missed it first time round like me? In which case I should sit tight and collect the minifigures this time round rather than paying a fortune on the secondary market. OR...do people think they will just fill the gaps of builds and minifigures they didn't releass before in which case I will still have to go hunting for the fellowship etc.

If they actually reboot the theme completely, and that’s a big IF, then they will probably treat it as though there have never been LOTR sets as far as what sets, builds, and minfigures to produce. In other words, they won’t pick up where they left off. They will start from scratch

[RichardGoring]

48 minutes ago, Balrogofmorgoth said:

I think LOTR battle packs would be extremely popular, possibly more popular than Star Wars ones. It’s perfect for a theme that has no many different military factions in a fantasy setting. Especially among lego fans. Lego fans will want lego figures, not Games Workshop figures, including kids

Certainly amongst LEGO fans. But I was speculating more broadly. Of the world of LOTR fans, how many would buy armies in LEGO, compared to armies from Games Workshop? I speculated that it would probably skew towards Games Workshop, making battle pack armies a less attractive prospect for LEGO to make. Whereas, if LEGO produced some icon locations from LOTR, then I imagine that a larger proportion of LOTR fans would be interested, as LEGO is an excellent medium to recreate them.

All of which is to say, I suspect they'll focus more on locations (with figures) than purely on figures. But it is all wild speculation and musings. Interested to see what they come up with.

[sahidko]

If we do more regular sets i just hope they won't waste spots for ROP sets.

[Balrogofmorgoth]

39 minutes ago, RichardGoring said:

Certainly amongst LEGO fans. But I was speculating more broadly. Of the world of LOTR fans, how many would buy armies in LEGO, compared to armies from Games Workshop? I speculated that it would probably skew towards Games Workshop, making battle pack armies a less attractive prospect for LEGO to make. Whereas, if LEGO produced some icon locations from LOTR, then I imagine that a larger proportion of LOTR fans would be interested, as LEGO is an excellent medium to recreate them.

All of which is to say, I suspect they'll focus more on locations (with figures) than purely on figures. But it is all wild speculation and musings. Interested to see what they come up with.

I think lego is different enough that people will go for it. And lego won't care they will want to compete for the army building figures that people can collect. Also, it’s worth noting that in most Tolkien circles I’m in, people get way more excited over lego figures than Games Workshop figures. In fact, I’ve had several people tell me they only get those because lego doesn’t make them, and they would switch in a heartbeat. Lego is beloved by enough people that I think LOTR battle packs would win over most LOTR fans. Definitely in the circles I’ve been in

[chrisincanada]

1 hour ago, Balrogofmorgoth said:

If they actually reboot the theme completely, and that’s a big IF, then they will probably treat it as though there have never been LOTR sets as far as what sets, builds, and minfigures to produce. In other words, they won’t pick up where they left off. They will start from scratch

I truly hope so. I won't miss it second time round. Harry Potter had the (2nd) reboot about 8 years after the last and the theme is one of Lego's strongest now and of course basically all the old sets have been redone and then some. I understand the last LOTR wave was 2013 so 9 years later...seems just in line with the HP tineline for Lego to give it another kick at the can. 

[Balrogofmorgoth]

6 minutes ago, chrisincanada said:

I truly hope so. I won't miss it second time round. Harry Potter had the (2nd) reboot about 8 years after the last and the theme is one of Lego's strongest now and of course basically all the old sets have been redone and then some. I understand the last LOTR wave was 2013 so 9 years later...seems just in line with the HP tineline for Lego to give it another kick at the can. 

I’ve been a lifelong LOTR fan and always wanted lego to make sets so when they did I made sure to get them all. So I was lucky enough to not miss out last time around. But it’s still such a waste and a shame that we only got two waves of sets (not including The Hobbit). So if this is truly the start of an actual reboot I am all over it and will buy at least one of everything they put out, even if it means giving up other themes

Edited September 29, 2022 by Balrogofmorgoth

[chrisincanada]

Just now, Balrogofmorgoth said:

I’ve been a lifelong LOTR fan and always wanted lego to make sets so when they did I made sure to get them all. But it’s still such a waste and a shame that we only got two waves of sets (not including The Hobbit). So if this is truly the start of an actual reboot I am all over it and will buy at least one of everything they put out, even if it means giving up other themes

I will have lots of time to collect a new LOTR wave after the divorce. Because that is what will happen if I do start collecting it.

I promised HP would be the only theme I collected and I filled a whole spare bedroom displaying that...then snuck in the Medieval Blacksmith and Lion Knights Castle with a weak argument that involved childhood nostalgia and a trip to Tiffany for my wife! I won't get away with it again 😏

[Lion King]

3 hours ago, Brickroll said:

I would honestly disagree on the old minifigs. I have several of them, and while their beards are accurate, I don't think they really captured the character's expressions very well. Some of them do look rather good (Gandalf, Saruman, Thorin's company, Mouth of Sauron), but I would say the Fellowship's heads are among the weaker of them.

I would disagree with you. Some minifigures may need updates. I know there were some cool stuff introduced during or after LOTR theme. Like dual-molded arms and legs, etc. so that give minifiures some facelifts.  

Or at least just update your own minifigures. 

And I’m pretty sure you would change your mind once you see the offical reveal of that D2C. 

[Balrogofmorgoth]

5 minutes ago, DBlegonerd7 said:

I would disagree with you. Some minifigures may need updates. I know there were some cool stuff introduced during or after LOTR theme. Like dual-molded arms and legs, etc. so that give minifiures some facelifts.  

Or at least just update your own minifigures. 

And I’m pretty sure you would change your mind once you see the offical reveal of that D2C. 

The LOTR theme was definitely way ahead of its time as far as minifig designs, molds, and building techniques, and they do still hold up to this day. But I do think there are plenty of updates to the old theme they could do, figures included 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Balrogofmorgoth

[RichardGoring]

1 hour ago, Balrogofmorgoth said:

I think lego is different enough that people will go for it. And lego won't care they will want to compete for the army building figures that people can collect. Also, it’s worth noting that in most Tolkien circles I’m in, people get way more excited over lego figures than Games Workshop figures. In fact, I’ve had several people tell me they only get those because lego doesn’t make them, and they would switch in a heartbeat. Lego is beloved by enough people that I think LOTR battle packs would win over most LOTR fans. Definitely in the circles I’ve been in

Very interesting insight! As I said earlier, it may just be that I'm biased towards GW for this kind of thing. Maybe it's the pull of the more complete nature of LEGO sets that heightens the appeal. Or maybe it is indeed just the aesthetic of the minifigure that people like. Or, honestly, possible the price difference. If you think LEGO is expensive, then GW... Wow!

[Balrogofmorgoth]

21 minutes ago, RichardGoring said:

Very interesting insight! As I said earlier, it may just be that I'm biased towards GW for this kind of thing. Maybe it's the pull of the more complete nature of LEGO sets that heightens the appeal. Or maybe it is indeed just the aesthetic of the minifigure that people like. Or, honestly, possible the price difference. If you think LEGO is expensive, then GW... Wow!

When it comes down to it, I can really only speak for myself. And I personally would MUCH rather have LOTR lego battle packs than the GW armies. Lego is also very popular among people who don’t even really buy or collect it. They admire it from afar. So it would be a good way to get those people to take the plunge and spend money on lego

[MAB]

3 hours ago, chrisincanada said:

So having started watching ROP a d being a big fan of the LOTR movies AND having all the Harry Potter sets out there I was getting bored and just a few days ago decided I should start buying the old LOTR minifigures on Bricklink...then this!!! Do people think they will remake old sets and start the whole theme off again for those who missed it first time round like me? In which case I should sit tight and collect the minifigures this time round rather than paying a fortune on the secondary market. OR...do people think they will just fill the gaps of builds and minifigures they didn't releass before in which case I will still have to go hunting for the fellowship etc.

If they go for a full theme, then almost certainly they'd start from scratch. That doesn't mean they'd redo every set of course. But I imagine prices for the original sets and figures would remain high too, so long as prints are different as people would want the older different versions too. People that want one Pippin or Merry could buy new but new sets might even increase demand for the old. 

I'd love to see those two hobbits in Rohan and Gondor armour and not in jackets.

[Balrogofmorgoth]

30 minutes ago, MAB said:

If they go for a full theme, then almost certainly they'd start from scratch. That doesn't mean they'd redo every set of course. But I imagine prices for the original sets and figures would remain high too, so long as prints are different as people would want the older different versions too. People that want one Pippin or Merry could buy new but new sets might even increase demand for the old. 

I'd love to see those two hobbits in Rohan and Gondor armour and not in jackets.

My hope is that if they reboot it fully, they treat the minifigs like they do in the HP theme, prioritizing details in making a lot of different variants of each character. Paying attention to different outfits from the films and making that distinction in the figures depending on the scenes being depicted. For example, give Aragorn his chain mail shirt under his normal tunic for Helm’s Deep instead of making it the exact same figure from Weathertop. That extra attention to detail on scene specific minifigs makes all the difference. And yes, Rohan Merry and Gondor Pippin would be spectacular 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Balrogofmorgoth

[SirBlake]

5 hours ago, RichardGoring said:

Certainly amongst LEGO fans. But I was speculating more broadly. Of the world of LOTR fans, how many would buy armies in LEGO, compared to armies from Games Workshop? I speculated that it would probably skew towards Games Workshop, making battle pack armies a less attractive prospect for LEGO to make. Whereas, if LEGO produced some icon locations from LOTR, then I imagine that a larger proportion of LOTR fans would be interested, as LEGO is an excellent medium to recreate them.

Once again, apples and oranges. The two form factors are just too dissimilar. If it truly came down to a 1:1 matchup, Lego would crush games workshop. Nothing against them, but the entire market for small, detailed gaming figurines is dwarfed by the scale of Lego.

[natesroom]

28 minutes ago, SirBlake said:

Once again, apples and oranges. The two form factors are just too dissimilar. If it truly came down to a 1:1 matchup, Lego would crush games workshop. Nothing against them, but the entire market for small, detailed gaming figurines is dwarfed by the scale of Lego.

i think they are about similar... Games Workshop and FFG alone account for 1 billion (though FFG doesnt break down their product) and we arent even talking about D&D minis. reaper minis, etc. Lego total sales is approx 7 billion, however at least 60% or higher of lego sales wouldn't even be comparable to "army builders" if we are comparing.

Edited September 29, 2022 by natesroom

[sebastian666]

Has anyone else noticed that LEGO appears to be incorporating popular MOC set ideas into their set lineups? The moving  Hogwarts staircase set (similar to the MOC by @ericklaw that went viral last year) that was released this summer is a good example. Same with the Grimmauld Place set. Are there any good examples of LOTR MOCs that LEGO might look to for set inspirations? The only LEGO LOTR builder I follow is @jonaskramm and he is amazing

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce3xSDVI8ai/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

[Balrogofmorgoth]

9 minutes ago, sebastian666 said:

Has anyone else noticed that LEGO appears to be incorporating popular MOC set ideas into their set lineups? The moving  Hogwarts staircase set (similar to the MOC by @ericklaw that went viral last year) that was released this summer is a good example. Same with the Grimmauld Place set. Are there any good examples of LOTR MOCs that LEGO might look to for set inspirations? The only LEGO LOTR builder I follow is @jonaskramm and he is amazing

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce3xSDVI8ai/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Legomocloc 

[Jarreth2]

@sebastian666 I’ve just had a look at jonaskramm and some of his builds are stunning, especially his Treebeard, it’s really natural and organic looking. The only thing that makes me prefer Legomocloc is that a lot of his builds are very ‘set’ orientated where as Kramm’s are almost all like vignettes. Both very talented in their own rights though 👍🏼

Edited September 30, 2022 by Jarreth2

[MAB]

11 hours ago, Balrogofmorgoth said:

My hope is that if they reboot it fully, they treat the minifigs like they do in the HP theme, prioritizing details in making a lot of different variants of each character. Paying attention to different outfits from the films and making that distinction in the figures depending on the scenes being depicted. For example, give Aragorn his chain mail shirt under his normal tunic for Helm’s Deep instead of making it the exact same figure from Weathertop. That extra attention to detail on scene specific minifigs makes all the difference. And yes, Rohan Merry and Gondor Pippin would be spectacular 

I doubt we would ever get enough sets to have a lot of variants of each character. Frodo, Gandalf and maybe Aragorn sure (like last time). But otherwise, we'd probably have to make do with one ... and probably none of some (again!)

[Seaber]

9 hours ago, sebastian666 said:

Has anyone else noticed that LEGO appears to be incorporating popular MOC set ideas into their set lineups? The moving  Hogwarts staircase set (similar to the MOC by @ericklaw that went viral last year) that was released this summer is a good example. Same with the Grimmauld Place set. Are there any good examples of LOTR MOCs that LEGO might look to for set inspirations? The only LEGO LOTR builder I follow is @jonaskramm and he is amazing

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce3xSDVI8ai/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Rakrondewl from way back had some good mocs which looked set-like, otherwise Jonas Kramm and lecomocloc are good ones on insta. 

 

https://ideas.lego.com/profile/33b5562e-c93c-4c18-9782-c25c690c8917/entries

[sahidko]

2 hours ago, MAB said:

I doubt we would ever get enough sets to have a lot of variants of each character. Frodo, Gandalf and maybe Aragorn sure (like last time). But otherwise, we'd probably have to make do with one ... and probably none of some (again!)

Yes, let's hope at least some of the gaps will be filled: Sauron, Witch King, Faramir, Eowyn, Gondor Soldiers, Haradrim soldiers, Easterlings, Lothlorien elves just from top of my head. Shame that Imrahil/Knights of Dol Amroth didn't appear even in the extended edition and Glorfindel did show only very briefly.

Edited September 30, 2022 by sahidko

[Rjbricks]

16 hours ago, chrisincanada said:

I will have lots of time to collect a new LOTR wave after the divorce. Because that is what will happen if I do start collecting it.

I promised HP would be the only theme I collected and I filled a whole spare bedroom displaying that...then snuck in the Medieval Blacksmith and Lion Knights Castle with a weak argument that involved childhood nostalgia and a trip to Tiffany for my wife! I won't get away with it again 😏

Just do what I do and display them in individual bricks in plastic bags in the loft.

and visit them occasionally whilst crooning “my precious…”

[MAB]

1 hour ago, sahidko said:

Yes, let's hope at least some of the gaps will be filled: Sauron, Witch King, Faramir, Eowyn, Gondor Soldiers, Haradrim soldiers, Easterlings, Lothlorien elves just from top of my head. Shame that Imrahil/Knights of Dol Amroth didn't appear even in the extended edition and Glorfindel did show only very briefly.

I think many people's wants lists are very similar due mainly to missing figures. Although I'm OK for Sauron and Gondor soldiers due to non-purist and handmade customs, Eowyn and Faramir, Haradrim and Easterlings through purist customs. Although a printed Gondor torso for Faramir would be nice. If they later do them it makes me feel I wasted my time and parts! But the Witch King, I have never got his helmet right. So he is definitely No 1.

 

[sahidko]

1 hour ago, MAB said:

I think many people's wants lists are very similar due mainly to missing figures. Although I'm OK for Sauron and Gondor soldiers due to non-purist and handmade customs, Eowyn and Faramir, Haradrim and Easterlings through purist customs. Although a printed Gondor torso for Faramir would be nice. If they later do them it makes me feel I wasted my time and parts! But the Witch King, I have never got his helmet right. So he is definitely No 1.

 

Well i am in the same boat as you are, have spent too much money on custom figures already (including the Witch King). However I wouldn't be sad if LEGO does all of them, I have enjoyed owning customs for figures that officially don't exist for years. But I am still interested in LEGO's take on them and there is still something special about owning official LEGO figures of famous characters. :)

[RetroInferno]

22 hours ago, kevkipo said:

Shout-out to the OG's for sticking around all these years, it's been a while my dudes.

I think it's been years since I have not logged in ( Star wars is kinda dead for me ), that theme revival smells very bad for my wallet. 

Best case scenario is that they just go full on Harry Potter with original trilogy sets and the occasional Ring of Power mandatory publicity sets enforced by Amazon.

I think medieval fans would also be happy with that theme for lack of anything else going on D2C content not taken into account.