Lord of the Rings Ongoing Discussion

[Mr. Cube]

8 hours ago, Ql97 said:

Yes this is it! Thank you so much. Yeah Helm's Deep, Orthanc, and bits of what might be Bag-End and a Balrog are visible in the far back. The Ewok village is there too, front and center. I remember a more zoomed in version, but that might just have been everyone squinting really hard at this one.

I found this, it is more zoomed version.

I remember that there was another photo or a still from the designer video with Minas Tirith prototype in backround, but I can't find it anywhere now.

[TheDoctor]

I hate seeing that Balrog set, i'm still bitter!

That would have been such easy money for LEGO back then, a $20-$25 set with a bit of bridge, Gandalf and the Balrog. No new moulds.

Up it to $30-$35 and have a larger environment with a collapsible bridge feature and maybe some goblins.
Could have also included a much needed 'dirty' Gandalf variant.

[Black Falcon]

3 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

I hate seeing that Balrog set, i'm still bitter!

Where do you see a Balrog set? Aside from Orthanc, Shelob and Helms Klamm I can´t recocnize anything on that picture. 

[TheDoctor]

20 minutes ago, Black Falcon said:

Where do you see a Balrog set? Aside from Orthanc, Shelob and Helms Klamm I can´t recocnize anything on that picture. 

It's the set on the bottom shelf below Shelob, you can see it's wing.

[Black Falcon]

1 hour ago, TheDoctor said:

It's the set on the bottom shelf below Shelob, you can see it's wing.

I thought so, but honestly, that could be pretty much anything. Based on that the other sets seem to be Lord of the Rings aswell, it isn´t unlikely, but if there would be Bionicle  or Ninjago Figures there, I would say they could be that aswell.

[Artanis I]

Great find.

 

You can also see his whip.

[MAB]

21 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

I hate seeing that Balrog set, i'm still bitter!

That would have been such easy money for LEGO back then, a $20-$25 set with a bit of bridge, Gandalf and the Balrog. No new moulds.

Up it to $30-$35 and have a larger environment with a collapsible bridge feature and maybe some goblins.
Could have also included a much needed 'dirty' Gandalf variant.

It is funny really how time repeats itself. The same discussion was had about 10 years ago when these images were first released.

[TheDoctor]

17 minutes ago, MAB said:

It is funny really how time repeats itself. The same discussion was had about 10 years ago when these images were first released.

I probably said the same thing back then too!

I have fond memories of 2012 on the forum when they first announced the theme and then build-up to the rumours, then the leaks and finally the product images... good times 

I bought the entire wave for less than the cost of Barad Dur! 

[MAB]

1 hour ago, TheDoctor said:

I probably said the same thing back then too!

I have fond memories of 2012 on the forum when they first announced the theme and then build-up to the rumours, then the leaks and finally the product images... good times 

I bought the entire wave for less than the cost of Barad Dur! 

Same here. Good times.

I think it was more exciting then than it is now as it was something new. Rivendell is beautiful, and the architecture of it far outweighs everything from the original sets, but it doesn't feel as exciting.

[Lordhelmet]

Would a full on wave bring back that same level of excitement, or is it just that back then it was completely new (therefore more exciting as there was no measuring stick for new sets to live up to?)

[TheDoctor]

49 minutes ago, Lordhelmet said:

Would a full on wave bring back that same level of excitement, or is it just that back then it was completely new (therefore more exciting as there was no measuring stick for new sets to live up to?)

Ahh probably not, this was back when LEGO didn't license everything under the sun, and it was astonishing that they were even considering LotR so late after the film.
The buzz, skepticism and rumours were like nothing i'd seen before!

I was a lot younger back then with my first job, so it was also exciting to be able to actually afford to purchase them all!

EDIT:

Took a trip down memory lane and viewed the first few pages of this thread!
I forgot about all the discussion as to how they would make the One Ring (and then the excitement of it being a new mould AND chrome!)

Edited May 21, 2024 by TheDoctor

[Lordhelmet]

4 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

Ahh probably not, this was back when LEGO didn't license everything under the sun, and it was astonishing that they were even considering LotR so late after the film.
The buzz, skepticism and rumours were like nothing i'd seen before!

I was a lot younger back then with my first job, so it was also exciting to be able to actually afford to purchase them all!

EDIT:

Took a trip down memory lane and viewed the first few pages of this thread!
I forgot about all the discussion as to how they would make the One Ring (and then the excitement of it being a new mould AND chrome!)

I used to follow these threads back then but never participated in them.  I think part of our expectation has been set with how good the original run of LOTR Lego was.  Like the dual molded hair for Elrond, we were only disappointed with that because the original was so good.  If the original ring had been printed on a round 1x1 tile getting what we have (its own mold with chrome) would be incredible.  I think this applies to Barad Dur.  It is an incredible set, if it had been in the original run we would have all said how amazing it is (and most of us are today), but Orthanc was so good too, that now expectations are wild (like seeing some comments that barad dur is not in scale to Orthanc, and others saying Orthanc is better).  I think this is why it would be better for Lego to re-establish the theme with things that have not been done before (so many options, Minis Tirith, Gondor in general, Lothlorien, etc.) rather than revisit old sets like Bag End, or Helm's deep.  I would like them all, I just think they would be smart to go to things that we have not had to reduce the comparisons we will place on the old (really good) waves.

[Balrogofmorgoth]

2 hours ago, Lordhelmet said:

I used to follow these threads back then but never participated in them.  I think part of our expectation has been set with how good the original run of LOTR Lego was.  Like the dual molded hair for Elrond, we were only disappointed with that because the original was so good.  If the original ring had been printed on a round 1x1 tile getting what we have (its own mold with chrome) would be incredible.  I think this applies to Barad Dur.  It is an incredible set, if it had been in the original run we would have all said how amazing it is (and most of us are today), but Orthanc was so good too, that now expectations are wild (like seeing some comments that barad dur is not in scale to Orthanc, and others saying Orthanc is better).  I think this is why it would be better for Lego to re-establish the theme with things that have not been done before (so many options, Minis Tirith, Gondor in general, Lothlorien, etc.) rather than revisit old sets like Bag End, or Helm's deep.  I would like them all, I just think they would be smart to go to things that we have not had to reduce the comparisons we will place on the old (really good) waves.

Lol what idiot wanted Barad-dûr in scale with Orthanc??? 

[Lordhelmet]

I thought it was in an instagram post when Barad Dur pictures came out but could have been mentioned in one of the YouTube videos.  Could have been someone just messing around, or clearly have no idea how big Barad Dur is.

[RichardGoring]

1 hour ago, Balrogofmorgoth said:

Lol what idiot wanted Barad-dûr in scale with Orthanc??? 

I like to see a LEGO set larger than my house. First million piece set?

[Lion King]

1 hour ago, RichardGoring said:

I like to see a LEGO set larger than my house. First million piece set?

Well, it’s likely to wail when you see a $1 million tag on that set! Unless you spend buying pieces off PAB and Bricklink and build it larger than your house. 

[Lordhelmet]

21 minutes ago, Lion King said:

Well, it’s likely to wail when you see a $1 million tag on that set! Unless you spend buying pieces off PAB and Bricklink and build it larger than your house. 

How many minifigs should come in a set like that?  21 thousand (includes three versions of Sauron, Gandalf the white, king Aragorn, the rest of the fellowship, 7 cave trolls 5 fell beasts, the which king, 5k Gondor and 16k orcs.

[Lion King]

11 minutes ago, Lordhelmet said:

How many minifigs should come in a set like that?  21 thousand (includes three versions of Sauron, Gandalf the white, king Aragorn, the rest of the fellowship, 7 cave trolls 5 fell beasts, the which king, 5k Gondor and 16k orcs.

Oh boy that’s a lot of work for desginers when it comes to those numbers of minifigures! 

[Lordhelmet]

39 minutes ago, Lion King said:

Oh boy that’s a lot of work for desginers when it comes to those numbers of minifigures! 

They would at least get a cool motivational poster “build me an army worthy of Mordor” in their office

 

 

edit: they really need to do an orc battle pack with this slogan written on it some where.  You know that would be the ideal marketing for a set like that.

Edited May 22, 2024 by Lordhelmet

[Ferder]

When the designers showed that the Barad Dur-tower section was modular and could be stacked it made me curious how the scale compared to the tower as shown in the film. I made a few size comparisons in photoshop. As it turns out the Lego Model is very much in scale with the film model, except, yes, the top section of the tower should be a bit taller. But not two sections worth. More like .5 section worth.

So good news for those wondering if you'd have to buy two of these sets to make it the a more accurate size. Much cheaper to brick-link the extra parts you'd need, as it is only for half of that one tower module. 

 

Edited May 22, 2024 by Ferder

[CardinalBricks]

1 hour ago, Ferder said:

When the designers showed that the Barad Dur-tower section was modular and could be stacked it made me curious how the scale compared to the tower as shown in the film. I made a few size comparisons in photoshop. As it turns out the Lego Model is very much in scale with the film model, except, yes, the top section of the tower should be a bit taller. But not two sections worth. More like .5 section worth.

So good news for those wondering if you'd have to buy two of these sets to make it the a more accurate size. Much cheaper to brick-link the extra parts you'd need, as it is only for half of that one tower module. 

 

Wow, with that side-by-side comparison I'm realizing that it is definitely the color of the rock section in the middle that is throwing me off about the look of the Lego model. I wonder if it would look better if they were a uniform dark bley? Though probably the ideal color would be pearl dark grey  (but that would not feasible of course).

[RichardGoring]

2 hours ago, Lordhelmet said:

How many minifigs should come in a set like that?  21 thousand (includes three versions of Sauron, Gandalf the white, king Aragorn, the rest of the fellowship, 7 cave trolls 5 fell beasts, the which king, 5k Gondor and 16k orcs.

Minifigures? You'd get Sauron, the Mouth, two nazgul, six orcs, Frodo (repeat), Sam (repeat), and Gollum.

Oh, OK, maybe seven orcs.

[chris6507]

Has anyone else played LEGO Dimensions before? My wife and I have picked it up again after a 4 year break and the second level we played was one based in Metropolis with Sauron as the villain. It was quite funny as Sauron walks up all intimidating towards the civilians and as he gets closer to them all it turns out he is just regular minifigure size. Cracked me up after all the discussion on here about Saurons size.

Also thought it was interesting whilst not exactly Canon that it shows Saurons throne inside Barad-Dur. So for those wondering what's inside Barad-Dur... It's a very tall empty cylindrical room with a throne in the middle! 

Edited May 22, 2024 by chris6507

[Timobricko]

On 5/22/2024 at 1:24 PM, BrickRally217 said:

Wow, with that side-by-side comparison I'm realizing that it is definitely the color of the rock section in the middle that is throwing me off about the look of the Lego model. I wonder if it would look better if they were a uniform dark bley? Though probably the ideal color would be pearl dark grey  (but that would not feasible of course).

I think the tan is the main offender, hopefully removing some of those pieces would help with that. Dark pearl grey would look perfect though you're right!

Honestly the more I look at the tower the more I'm disappointed. After Rivendell elegance I feel like could have done something better. Did they have the same set designers involved? I'm not super worried by the height but the towers detailing and greebling just looks a bit clunky and not like the reference material it sticks out too much making it just looks a little messy from a distance, especially that rock work. The rock work and landscaping looked incredible on Rivendell meanwhile, I'm just not sure why those techniques didn't carry over

Still cool to be getting a new lord of the rings set. Maybe anything would have been disappointing after Rivendell, that set is incredible 

[LDM]

On 5/21/2024 at 11:24 PM, BrickRally217 said:

Wow, with that side-by-side comparison I'm realizing that it is definitely the color of the rock section in the middle that is throwing me off about the look of the Lego model. I wonder if it would look better if they were a uniform dark bley? Though probably the ideal color would be pearl dark grey  (but that would not feasible of course).

I think it is the mid section that is throwing me off. After the rocks it does straight into symmetry and that isnt how it looks, there are towers that step up the one side. I've added half a level and these proportions looks much better.