LOTR & The Hobbit 2013 Set Discussion

[Mr_Malfoy]

That 2nd Black Gate combo looks superb! I'll have to do that myself when the sets come out here.

[8BrickMario]

Let me guess: When a CGI picture of the Mouth of Sauron comes out, you'll make it your profile pic?

[Artanis I]

That one looks so much better than the official combo. Would that be possible in real life?

You are talking about Lego...

It looks as though the base is connected under the gate, so you'd have to do more than simply switch the components around. If that's what you meant.

[8BrickMario]

Bad wording. Would that be easy, was what I meant to say! Now I think it would be possible, but more tricky than anticipated.

[deskp]

That one looks so much better than the official combo. Would that be possible in real life?

Very possible, you just need to change out some and move around some of the plates on the bottom.

I would however switch the far right and far left side around, so the rocks could be connected on either side.

[SMC]

Very possible, you just need to change out some and move around some of the plates on the bottom.

I would however switch the far right and far left side around, so the rocks could be connected on either side.

That's a good idea, I think I will just keep the main part as it is but redo the far left and far right so its not a gate at all and make it into a non moving wall. Will use the 4 rock parts and maybe some more bricks to make better rocks each side, getting larger as they go away from the wall like they should be.

[Masked Builder]

I think the main thing is the Torso mold. TLG has experiemented with doing clear figs, but the existing mold does not work well with the trans clear plastics. You get a lot of cracking under the arms very quickly. The figs look acceptable as display pieces, but can't really stand up to play. (A flaw that some of the early Halo figs also suffered from). But that minifig torso tooling is probably among the more complicated and expensive that they have. To re engineer and replace it is a massive and expensive undertaking. It is probably not economically worthwhile to do just to permit slightly foggy clear minifigs.

The problem with the trans-figs is the fact, and I quote from Mark Stafford, that when trans parts rub against any other part, they like to glue themselves together.

[deskp]

The problem with the trans-figs is the fact, and I quote from Mark Stafford, that when trans parts rub against any other part, they like to glue themselves together.

My personal problem with translucent figres is that they look horrible, when you see the insides of the figure. It looks much better overall when solid. The army of the dead looks marvelous as they are!

[Masked Builder]

My personal problem with translucent figres is that they look horrible, when you see the insides of the figure. It looks much better overall when solid. The army of the dead looks marvelous as they are!

Oh yeah, I think they look fine too. I was just saying.

[Lyichir]

There may be other plastic varieties which could work for transparent minifigs. However, it's absurd to suggest that Lego should have to bulk order an entirely unused variety of plastic for what would remain incredibly limited use, even if they used it for all the see-through characters across their many product lines. That'd be a massive investment compared to using traditional materials, due to the way economies of scale work, and why bother when many seem to be perfectly satisfied with the well-designed figs that are currently in use? It's a matter of investment versus reward, and by sticking to the tried-and-true minifig designs of old, Lego can devote more of the budget to the actual building elements.

[Brickadiergerard]

I think that the Army of the Dead figures are a pretty impressive likeness (in tiny cartoony form) of the characters in the film. My issue with them is that they're neither of them a particularly good likeness to the ones in the book, which are more grey and pale and misty and altogether more like a lurking, half-seen horror than a bunch of luminous green zombie-ghosts. So PJ took something that was quite subtle and turned it into something that wasn't, but that was still entertaining, and TLG have (in my view) continued that very effectively with the look of the figures.

But I still won't be buying them, oh no, nor the Black Gate either (which as we've been saying for a while now needs 2 sets to be worthwhile). I'm saving my pennies for Orthanc.

[Deathleech]

I am just glad they didn't use the Lego skeletons to represent the Undead.

[The_Chosen_1]

^ This.

I was half expecting them to go that route, and I'm glad they didn't. Granted, I wouldn't have minded it if was a glow-in-the-dark skeleton body with armor and a new head print, but this method is far better.

[Vindice]

It's a matter of investment versus reward, and by sticking to the tried-and-true minifig designs of old, Lego can devote more of the budget to the actual building elements.

Excellent point! The budget for building elements seems to be getting slashed anyway so why take even more out of it by changing materials unnecessarily?

[DragonKnights]

The local Lego store manager just let me know that the LOTR release date of June 1st is a hard date so I don't anticipate seeing them until then.

[WEREWOLF]

maybe we will see scenes from The Hobbit 2013 sets like another Mirkwood set, Dol Guldur, Smaug, The Lonely Mountain or Erebor

Radagast the Brown polybag?

Edited May 16, 2013 by WEREWOLF

[N7LEGO]

I'm sure there will be a Radagast but when... ? Wait and See...

[Infernum]

Radagast the Brown polybag?

A very interesting idea. I think it would depend on if new molds are needed or not. Bofur's hat could be used...?

[8BrickMario]

No, just give him Scarecrow's new hat. Dark brown. I'm not sure how they'll make him look so disheveled...

[deskp]

No current mold works for Radagst. And thats that.

[prozac]

Someone on toysnbricks in MD supposedly found the new wave...can anyone else confirm? Im foaming at the mouth here!

[deskp]

Someone on toysnbricks in MD supposedly found the new wave...can anyone else confirm? Im foaming at the mouth here!

Wave 2 of LOTR is out and about already, official release 1. june.

[prozac]

Oh...that's the first sighting I've read about.

[Darth Malgus]

I wonder how long it will be before we see them in Australia, hardly any new product down here for a little while.

[scottjs]

Are most people here buying the sets as soon as they come out? I try to wait for a 20% off sale before I buy sets but I think that's going to be next to impossible with Orthanc, maybe just a double VIP day.