Saruman the White Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 "Gandalf Arrives" is definitely an odd choice for TLG, but I'm glad there's a cheap way to get Gandalf. And since I'm not really a Castle collector, I don't mind picking up a carriage set (though I do recall there being a lot of them). Besides, the smaller sets always tends to be throwaway minifig packs. £12 for an 83 piece set isn't cheap, it would be better to have a bridge of Kazad dum set with 500 pieces which would be priced around £40-50 which includes gandallf because it's better value.
LegoBrickSteve Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Spelling a name incorrectly doesn't make you a troll. This is absolutely true. I will give most, if not all, of these sets a shot and buy them. I am rich, charming and handsome, so why not live a little and sample them all? The Horns Deep set actually looks like a really cool castle. I wonder what it looks like on the inside? Any pictures of that floating around?
Stiel Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Spelling a name incorrectly doesn't make you a troll. That is true -- as long as it is unintentional. Now please look at his posts again, and decide for yourself. Now back on topic: I was pondering a little over what sets to buy to get the best assortment of heroes. While it's nice to see the whole Fellowship spread over the sets, I expect most of them to appear in later sets as well, so there is no rush to get all of them. As for the others: Éomer is not an issue for me, as I will buy the Uruk-Hai Army set anyway, but King Théoden and especially Haldir are a different matter. Haldir is likely to be exclusive to the Helm's Deep set even in the long run.
DaleDVM Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 £12 for an 83 piece set isn't cheap, it would be better to have a bridge of Kazad dum set with 500 pieces which would be priced around £40-50 which includes gandallf because it's better value. I agree that set is not particularly cost efficient. If it really concerns you I would recomend waiting. Gandalf will certainly be in another set. The Bridge of Khazad dum is one scene that is very likely to be produced. I just hope they have their best designers working on the Balrog! I spend so much on LEGO that one overpriced set is the least of my worries, especially when it is one of the cheapest.
Niku Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 After seeing the prelim photos, I was taken aback. After seeing the newer toyfair pictures, I am really impressed. So many people are complaining about the sets, but I see nothing wrong with them. They are traditional lego. I have no problem with prefab wall pieces. I actually enjoyed building King's Castle and I really like the outcome. Helm's Deep will be a similar build I expect. I have never been into MOCing until more recently and these sets will be great parts packs for that purpose. But I think the sets will stand out on their own for their source material. They look pretty close to what I would expect. I don't know, maybe I'm too easy to please. Maybe I'm not a big enough LOTR fan to worry about every little detail they didn't cover. I don't know. What I do know is that this theme will rock the socks off of Lego fans. Of course the minifigures are the selling point. They are iconic to this wonderful story. If they removed the minifigures from every Star Wars, Harry Potter, PotC set, would people still buy them??? Yes, but not nearly enough to keep the company afloat. Everyone wants to see these characters in minifigure form, myself included. The only thing I worry about is the overall cost. Yes, the piece count is quite high in a lot of these sets so that will push the price higher. But at the same time, I like getting lots of pieces. I don't want to spend a fortune only on the minifigures. I want some substance to go with it so I can have a use for the minifigures. As far as people being upset about Gandalf's cart. I would very much like having a cart. Especially since I only recently got back into Lego, so I missed out on many carts in the previous themes. So this will be a welcomed set, especially with having Gandalf and Frodo and a horse! I wasn't this excited initially. The more I see it, the more exciting it is. August can't come soon enough! I was going to post something very similar of what you have written, so I suscribe you. Just have to add, after this photos I think the three sets with the most value form me are Helms Deep, Uruk hai and Orc Forge.
LegoBrickSteve Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Have any additional images surfaced? I am deadly curious to see how some of these sets look from the inside; particularly Horn Deep and Urkel hai.
CMP Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Have any additional images surfaced? I am deadly curious to see how some of these sets look from the inside; particularly Horn Deep and Urkel hai. Now I feel like you're trolling. No, we weren't even supposed to get the blurry overview of them. Detailed pictures aren't going to happen anytime soon.
Fives Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Now I feel like you're trolling. No, we weren't even supposed to get the blurry overview of them. Detailed pictures aren't going to happen anytime soon. Well, if you don't consider the next couple of weeks at h NY toy fair, then no. Also, the deliberate misspelling of the sets is really annoying and disrespectful to Tolkien and his amazing work.
LegoBrickSteve Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Admittedly a huge classic Castle theme guy, I must say that the most recent King's Castle was rather uninspired. Other then adding the red, it really wasn't anything new or spectacular...just another castle. I am hoping that after I add a pair of Joust kits to flank/frame it, it will liven the place up. That is why I am so curious about the backside/inside of some of these new Lord Rings sets. I hope they do some neat stuff with the interiors too.
Teh Stud Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Admittedly a huge classic Castle theme guy, I must say that the most recent King's Castle was rather uninspired. Other then adding the red, it really wasn't anything new or spectacular...just another castle. I am hoping that after I add a pair of Joust kits to flank/frame it, it will liven the place up. That is why I am so curious about the backside/inside of some of these new Lord Rings sets. I hope they do some neat stuff with the interiors too. Bricklink has plenty of pieces available for someone rich like you.
Fives Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 So I've been drooling over these pics for a while, and I've been wondering how many other people think that Helm's Deep is on a dark tan baseplate? I really hope it is.
TheDarkness Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 To think that I have been building Star Wars armies for awhile, this comes along. These sets are going to rupture my Lego budget massively, and I will love every second of it. The minifigs are sublime, the price a bit expensive, and the sets look fairly decent for the most part. I already plotting some giant army scenes
LegoBrickSteve Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 First they call me the troll. Then they mock me because I am rich, charming, and handsome. You just can't win around this forum. I was just expressing my love for classic themes (especially Castle) and the notion that despite how cool a new licensed theme may be, I always hate to see a well loved and classic series have to be retired to make room for it.
Artifex Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 So I've been drooling over these pics for a while, and I've been wondering how many other people think that Helm's Deep is on a dark tan baseplate? I really hope it is. I was going to say that I didn't think it was a baseplate, but more of a group of (regular?) plates bound together. But looking at it again, I do believe you are right -- it seems they are baseplates, and more than just one.
CMP Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 First they call me the troll. Then they mock me because I am rich, charming, and handsome. You just can't win around this forum. I was just expressing my love for classic themes (especially Castle) and the notion that despite how cool a new licensed theme may be, I always hate to see a well loved and classic series have to be retired to make room for it. So we've been told... Just because you disagree with how TLG is operating the historic theme cycle is no reason to mock it. Some people are quite happy to see this temporary change. I am.
BTappel Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 Then they mock me because I am rich, charming, and handsome. And oh so modest
Artanis I Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 First they call me the troll. Then they mock me because I am rich, charming, and handsome. You just can't win around this forum. I was unpolitely mocking these sets, expressing my love for classic themes (especially Castle) and the notion that despite how cool a new licensed theme may be, I always hate to see a well loved and classic series have to be retired to make room for it. Fixed that for you. This is an adult site, behaving like a teenager (or younger) is not a great idea. If you don't like something, mocking it is not acceptable. If you wish to make light-hearted witty comments, please choose your words carefully and make use of the plentiful emoticons - this is the Internet where it is more difficult to tell whether someone is serious or sarcastic etc than face to face. Don't be disrespectful to the Brick, or Tolkien's work or you will gain disrespect. (I'm not saying you have to be a fanboy or completely serious, just mature and sensible.) Anyway, take it easy, enjoy Lego and don't get uptight about sets not suiting your wants - after all, Lego is made for kids.
Piranha Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 I don't want to sound like the party pooper, but... Well, I've been thinking about this ever since the first Lego LotR pics came out. And even though the big ToyFair pic did improve the LotR line for me, I still have to say I'm not excited about the LotR sets. The minifigs are just great, a must get for anyone who likes Lego or The Lord of the Rings. But the sets? Well... Gandalf Arrives seems nice, but only because it's got Gandalf and Frodo and it's the least expensive of them all. The Mines of Moria, Attack on Weathertop, Shelob Attacks and Uruk-hai Army seems just meh to me -- nothing special. Apart from the minifigs, that is. I'm not crazy about minifigs; I just like them as much as the next Lego fan, but so far, they DO seem like the highlight of the entire line. The Orc Mine and The Battle for Helm's Deep are probably the only sets that really stand out for me, and even they make me think twice before putting any money into the line. Oh, well. I do want every minifig, so I guess I'll be putting some money into this line anyway. But I do hope that the first reviews and in-hand pics make me a little more cheerful about the whole Lego LotR line. And I also hope the second wave of sets gets a lot better. At least in the preliminary pictures. Harry Potter has some great sets and minifigs. So does Star Wars. Pirates of the Caribbean? Great minifigs, two great ships, but meh sets (in my humble opinion, that is). The Lord of the Rings line seems to be going down the same way PotC did, and that's just not good. Not good at all. Anyway, I hope I do bite my tongue when the sets are out. Sorry if I sound a bit(!) too grumpy. It's just that so far I don't see anything but the minifigs to be cheerful about. yeah I agree with these points, I don't like the sets much I just am happy about new parts I can use in my regular castle project.
LegoBrickSteve Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 Fixed that for you. This is an adult site, behaving like a teenager (or younger) is not a great idea. If you don't like something, mocking it is not acceptable. If you wish to make light-hearted witty comments, please choose your words carefully and make use of the plentiful emoticons - this is the Internet where it is more difficult to tell whether someone is serious or sarcastic etc than face to face. Don't be disrespectful to the Brick, or Tolkien's work or you will gain disrespect. (I'm not saying you have to be a fanboy or completely serious, just mature and sensible.) Anyway, take it easy, enjoy Lego and don't get uptight about sets not suiting your wants - after all, Lego is made for kids. I wasn't mocking anything. I have been collecting castle Lego since 1986. I am the proud owner of at least two (in some cases, and many as 5-6) of every castle or castle-related set made from then until present. I'm talking Vikings, dwarfs, witches...all the crazy variations and permutations over the years. They're the best. I sad in the beginning, I didn't know a lot about Ring Lords, so my knowledge of characters and spellings is limited. Sorry. I just miss Kingdoms already. This reminds me of when my kid was born and it killed his mother. Of course I loved him because he was my boy, but I also always kind of hated him in the back of mind too because it was because of him that my wife (kingdoms) was gone. He had her eyes though.
deskp Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 I was going to say that I didn't think it was a baseplate, but more of a group of (regular?) plates bound together. But looking at it again, I do believe you are right -- it seems they are baseplates, and more than just one. They are not the flat baseplates, you can see the edge of them quite clearly in the toy fair picture, Also the plate under the wall section doesent exist in that size.
LegoBrickSteve Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 They are not the flat baseplates, you can see the edge of them quite clearly in the toy fair picture, Also the plate under the wall section doesent exist in that size. They really don't use/utilize/offer baseplates for large size kits like they used to.
deskp Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 They really don't use/utilize/offer baseplates for large size kits like they used to. No they don't, and I prefer them not to normal plates are much more capatible seeing as they aren't limited to be under everything.
LegoBrickSteve Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 No they don't, and I prefer them not to normal plates are much more capatible seeing as they aren't limited to be under everything. I agree now...but man, when I was a kid, there was nothing hotter then when they would reveal a new baseplate. They made awful cool ones. I've recently gone back and ordered a bunch off eBay. Some really unique stuff out there.
Artifex Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 They are not the flat baseplates, you can see the edge of them quite clearly in the toy fair picture, Also the plate under the wall section doesent exist in that size. You are right. Just took another look at it. I thought maybe the one for the keep was a baseplate, but it isn't either. I used to love baseplates and I believed they should be everywhere. But this very same week I started goofing around with some castle designs and I have to say the plates make some things much easier -- if not altogether modular. I built sme walls and towers and it would not look so good if they had been built over one -- or over a couple of -- regular baseplates. On topic: did you guys notice that if you get multiples of the Uruk-hai Army you can attach the wall to Helm's Deep and have a longer wall -- and bigger armies? Nice feature. I'm guessing Battle for Helm's Deep x2 may be just perfect to get a great Hornburg.
Dharkan Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 I really loved these figs and sets. I just don't know how would I wait until August. :< And I have a question, any ideas about how will Haldir's face look like? Same as Legolas or?
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