LOTR Project: The Fellowship of the Ring

[Brickmamba]

Well looking at the Lego standpoint, they always make sets without all the right characters, but only a slew. Take the POTC sets. How many characters were missing from their scene-based sets?

-Omi

Oh ye of course I wouldn't expect a small set like this to have 5 figures, was trying to describe the original movie scene

[Etmerek]

That Frodo torso is perfect, where did you get it?

[Ash]

These sets are all so good and I love what you're going for. I'd buy each and everyone of those. I thought Bag End was an interesting take I had mixed feelings about and then I started noticing the little details like Sting mounted on the mantlepiece Can't wait to see more.

I finally got around to writing the blog post that I'd alread checked in with you about: http://www.legolordoftherings.com/2012/02/21/weathertop-ambush-the-black-rider-wizard-duel-bag-end/

[The_Cook]

I think your price points are a little optimistic, but the designs do look as if they've come straight out of the Lego Design Studios.

Do you know what brick-counts you have on each of the sets? If you know your Brick and Minifig count then you can compare it against other licensed themes to get a rough idea of the price point that they might have hit had they been real.

Definitely some well thought out, neat and tidy, little sets that look like real shop bought product. Well done.

[moorkueken]

Very cool

i like the idea

and of course how you managed to build it

[Gabe]

Great designs Nuju Metru! You certainly have the knack for the modular style and for suggesting a lot with very little. In some cases (like Bag End), the simplification is just perfect, in others (the little bridge) it looks like it may have been taken a touch too far. In the later case i'd prefer to see a 4 stud wide road for the black rider to trot over, and perhaps the tree could have been bulked up a bit. But overall these are genius little sets - hell, i'd buy them!

[Masked Builder]

You've done a great job with all of your sets so far! Personally, I'm waiting for LEGO to release a set with Saruman. And your Weather Top set is so much more worth the money.

[Nuju Metru]

Mines of Moria Set added! Go check it out for a brick-built Balrog and more!

[Niku]

I specially like the back of the Balrog, besides its size is not as enormous I would like to be, it is ok, and I guess with some printed parts and a good palette of colors added to a bigger design will do the job.

I also like the bridge and the stairs, I would not include the tomb of Ballin nor the entrance to Moria in this set, as I think the scenes there should be better with the Watcher and the Tomb something as TLG has already done.

Overall great job and keep them coming.

[Skipper]

Woohoo! A Balrog set, I'm really disappointed TLG didn't include it in their Mines of Moria set. Your version of this scene, I think, takes the largest divergence from TLG's aesthic, simply because you couldn't mold your own Balrog. Nevertheless, it's my favorite of the five installments so far. It has a much more complete coverage of the movie scenes than the official, and I like the play features in the staircase and bridge. The decal for the door is really pretty.

The others look great as well, but I don't have the time to look at them properly right now. So you're done with the Fellowship now, eh, looking forward to the Two Towers. Can't wait!

Edited February 24, 2012 by Skipper

[General Magma]

These look great so far!

The Balrog might not be the right size but it's still great looking nonetheless.

I wish TLC had done the Moria set in a similar style.

The others look great as well, but I don't have the time to look at them properly right now. So you're done with the Fellowship now, eh, looking forward to the Two Towers. Can't wait!

There's still Amon-Hen and maybe Lothlorien to be done.

~ General Magma

[Masked Builder]

I love the Balrog! I definetly see LEGO possibly making something like that to expand on the Troll battle set.

[Ash]

Please tell me that bridge collapses? It looks like it might.

And it goes without saying... I love it. Great stuff yet again.

[Nuju Metru]

The final set, "Ambush at Amon Hen" has been uploaded! Go take a look!

I specially like the back of the Balrog, besides its size is not as enormous I would like to be, it is ok, and I guess with some printed parts and a good palette of colors added to a bigger design will do the job.

I also like the bridge and the stairs, I would not include the tomb of Ballin nor the entrance to Moria in this set, as I think the scenes there should be better with the Watcher and the Tomb something as TLG has already done.

Overall great job and keep them coming.

Neither I nor LEGo would plausibly include more than one brick-built creature in a set like this. Seeing as I found the Balrog to be more interesting and signature than the Watcher or Cave Troll, I decided to make it rather than the other two, and focus my set accordingly. That's why the stairs/bridge is biggest, and the other two are less realized in bricks. However, I also felt it'd be inaccurate and uncool to not include those parts of the Moria scene, too, so I added them to an extent. If I'd made them as fleshed out as the main part, the set would have been too big for the price point I envisioned.

Please tell me that bridge collapses? It looks like it might.

And it goes without saying... I love it. Great stuff yet again.

It absolutely does!

Thanks everybody for the feedback. Stay posted in the Minifig Customization Forum for a full look at all the Fellowship of the Ring figures!

[Masked Builder]

It looks great! Your solution to the Eagles on the top of the "tower" thing is quite nice. Just not sure about Lurtz's hair.

[Fives]

I must say, these are fantastic! Amon Hen is my favorite, but the Moria set is also great. Are you planning to design six sets for each film? And should we soon be seeing Two Towers sets? I'm exciting to see more!

[hiny]

wow you have quite a talent

if there where official Lego products , I had bought them all for sure

I just love Ambush at Amon Hen truly

[Stiel]

These are awesome, I just love the details and creativity everywhere. Yet they could still be plausible official sets. Very good job on the play features, figure selection and level of detail. I much prefer your version of Weathertop and Moria to the official ones.

I will still offer some critique though. As has been said, you could bump the prices by a good 20% or so. Also, there are too many small sets. While I love the variety and selection that the small sets provide, TLG wants to sell, which inherently leads to larger sets.

Some set specific critique:

1) Bag End

The Book could be, you know, a book. There is an official book piece, why not use it. Otherwise, the hobbit house is excellent design. Maybe a little 'too good', in the sense that you could add some of the less detailed parts (walls, plates etc.) and it would still be worth it.

2) Wizard Duel

Nothing against it (bar the price point). I love the solution of the candle globes.

3) The Black Rider

Slightly bland for my taste. Sure, the bridge and tree are nicely detailed, but there is still not much in this set, if you know what I mean. Also, I would have liked to see a set with Arwen saving Frodo instead (which is probably too similar to have both in the same line).

4) Weathertop Ambush

Excellent! My personal favorite. So much better than the actual set. Only thing I would keep from the actual set is the small statuettes instead of a minifig-sized statue.

5) The Mines of Moria

Again, great set, and so much more than the actual set, which could be called just 'The Tomb of Balin' instead. That said, I can understand why they chose to drop the balrog scene (for a possible later release). In your version, the play features are excellent; the only thing that seems a bit unusual is that the smaller structures are too disjointed.

6) Ambush at Amon Hen

Excellent set! You got the environment spot on. One minor thing (discussed in the stickied LotR topic as well) is that the Uruk-hai here were not as heavily armored in the movie, so you could probably settle for torso print.

Then again, don't get me wrong, these are minor issues, your set designs are at least as good, and in several cases, much better than the actual sets, and I will still buy several of those, so... great job!

[Palathadric]

These MOCs are really well done. They are small and the price range is really good. Something of the like that TLG could actually produce. Although so many people have said that so I feel that I am being repitious.

[WampaStomper]

These are a thousand times better than TLC's sets, Nuju Metru. When are you planning to make Two Towers sets?

[Nuju Metru]

I must say, these are fantastic! Amon Hen is my favorite, but the Moria set is also great. Are you planning to design six sets for each film? And should we soon be seeing Two Towers sets? I'm exciting to see more!

Six? We'll see... my dreams of a Helm's Deep set have been sorta crushed by TLG's excellent rendition, to be honest. A more likely number is 4.

These are a thousand times better than TLC's sets, Nuju Metru. When are you planning to make Two Towers sets?

Some have already been made - now, it's just an issue of making/completing the rest and taking photos.

[CaptainBermuda]

At first I honestly thought these were the real sets. Then I read more.......amazing!

[Mr. Wayne's sidekick]

I'm sorry... Is Lord of the Rings really history?

[CorneliusMurdock]

I'm sorry... Is Lord of the Rings really history?

This adds to the discussion how? Watch your posting habits, please.

These are very good, Nuju Metru. Great job nailing the look of what real sets could be like, especially while using mostly official pieces. My only complaint is that I pictured the Balrog a little more flame-y red. Otherwise it's quite excellent.

[Nuju Metru]

These are very good, Nuju Metru. Great job nailing the look of what real sets could be like, especially while using mostly official pieces. My only complaint is that I pictured the Balrog a little more flame-y red. Otherwise it's quite excellent.

If only technic connectors came in flame-red color... But really that's the main reason why most of the Balrog is dark grey and black; in the way of small clip and bar-type parts, they're dominant colors, whereas trans-orange has a far less diverse/useful range of pieces to its name.

But anyway, thank you!