LOTR & The Hobbit 2013 Set Discussion

[Fives]

Yeah, it looks "better", but its kinda repetitive..4 same walls with tree..(honestly - it doesent look like a tree :D)... I dont know what happend to that designer? Heartattack? :) Becaouse othere previous sets, like Bag End, Helms deep...these are full of detail, and awesome brick-built techniques, but this? What is it?

Jordon Scott, who designed Mirkwood Spiders and sections of Orthanc, also designed MEA. I think the reason that this set feels a little lackluster is due to the fact that it intends to represent Thranduil's fortress, be a decent battle pack, and be modular, all for $35. Those are some steep expectations from a small set designed by a rather new designer.

Also, there might be a chance that this set is only slightly based on aspects of scenes from the film. New Line may not have given LEGO too much info initially, so the designers had to go off memory, but also incorporate play features into a nature setting. On of the most detrimental aspects of the set is the Elf catapult on the top of the tree. It takes up so much space and is pretty dumb, but once removed, the tree gains more space for Minifigs to be set up, as well as the tree being able to be built upon and made taller.

[Blazej_Holen]

Jordon Scott, who designed Mirkwood Spiders and sections of Orthanc, also designed MEA. I think the reason that this set feels a little lackluster is due to the fact that it intends to represent Thranduil's fortress, be a decent battle pack, and be modular, all for $35. Those are some steep expectations from a small set designed by a rather new designer.

Also, there might be a chance that this set is only slightly based on aspects of scenes from the film. New Line may not have given LEGO too much info initially, so the designers had to go off memory, but also incorporate play features into a nature setting. On of the most detrimental aspects of the set is the Elf catapult on the top of the tree. It takes up so much space and is pretty dumb, but once removed, the tree gains more space for Minifigs to be set up, as well as the tree being able to be built upon and made taller.

Jordan Scot..is that the guy who created Pirate Ship Ambush?

[Fives]

Jordan Scot..is that the guy who created Pirate Ship Ambush?

Yeah, I forgot he did that one as well. And that was a really nice set, design wise.

[Blazej_Holen]

I can imagine how hard is to create set such as MEA and hold on the rules like number of bricks, playability and so on. But thats what I dislike. When this theme (LOTR, Hobbit is one big theme from Middlearth for me), I was really excited from those detailed and almost realistic sets (on lego set level). Thats why I decide to collect all of them, and maybe create my own (which I missed like Bree, proper Rivendell etc) to create nice windows to Tolkiens world. But nowdays sets like this second Hobbit wawe ruins it. DGB has potential, I ve already made a concepts in my LDD which are based on original set. Truthly it has almost 1000 bricks more than original set, but I saved original concept of Courtyard and made some halls , rooms, tunnels and add more spikes..but point is, that maybe this set only has some potential, the others are just lego sets for kids with detailed and nice minifigs...

Yeah, I forgot he did that one as well. And that was a really nice set, design wise.

Yes, Ship is nice, and almost accurate, but the cellar? Why? What? Where is the logic? :) I know the logic of designer, that he has to put Corsar of Umbar somwhere like "jail him" but eeegghh? :) anyway, that set from his hands is fine. I didnt get it yet (miss this and Mines of Moria -because that set is simply awful) just waiting for good price...

[Fives]

It is noticeable that LEGO has realized how much fans are putting importance of figs these days, so I feel like the builds of the sets are less impressive, and instead the designers are putting way more effort into the figs. This wasn't the case with the initial LOTR release, but the sets have progressively become less detailed as the popularity has been going down. It's as if LEGO sees how LOTR/Hobbit sets are a little less popular that anticipated, so they feel like they can slack of on some sets here and there.

[Blazej_Holen]

It is noticeable that LEGO has realized how much fans are putting importance of figs these days, so I feel like the builds of the sets are less impressive, and instead the designers are putting way more effort into the figs. This wasn't the case with the initial LOTR release, but the sets have progressively become less detailed as the popularity has been going down. It's as if LEGO sees how LOTR/Hobbit sets are a little less popular that anticipated, so they feel like they can slack of on some sets here and there.

Exactly... Maybe they realize that anyone can do their own "sets" and bricks alone are realy cheap. What u cannot do on your own is minifigs. Maybe thats why..Start to feel that there will be no third wave of LOTR. ..

[Fives]

If LEGO doesn't give us something from Gondor, it will be a huge slap to the face of the fans and collectors, but that's a conversation for a different thread.

[Blazej_Holen]

If LEGO doesn't give us something from Gondor, it will be a huge slap to the face of the fans and collectors, but that's a conversation for a different thread.

Agreed :)

[Deathleech]

Yeah, I forgot he did that one as well. And that was a really nice set, design wise.

Where did you guys see Jordan Scott created MEA? I tend to view him as the weakest of the three main designers currently working on the LotR/Hobbit line, while Bjarke seems to be the strongest by far with sets like An Unexpected Gathering and Helm's Deep under his belt. Hans is kind of middle of the line, he has some decent ones, but also some pretty sub par ones like Goblin King Battle. I guess it makes sense considering Bjarke is a senior designer and Jordan has only been there a year or so?

[Fives]

I saw him make a post on his tumblr page when the first images of the new wave were released. I think he may have also been involved with Dol Guldur Ambush, but I'm not sure.

[Infernum]

I agree with Deathleech, but isn't there another designer too?

[zylek]

30216 Lake Town Guard is in-stock again:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=28737556&prodFindSrc=search&cp=

[Fives]

Still no image. Weird. I'd like to see what it includes. Does anyone have any yet?

[Deathleech]

I agree with Deathleech, but isn't there another designer too?

There were a couple others for the first LotR wave. Henrik did Gandalf Arrives, Nicholas did Shelob Attacks/Orc Forge, and Martin did Uruk-hai Army/Attack on Weathertop. Since then it seems only Hans, Jordan, and Bjarke have continued to work on the Hobbit/LotR line.

30216 Lake Town Guard is in-stock again:

http://www.toysrus.c...dSrc=search&cp=

Meh, no free shipping because of the 4 limit really sucks. $8 in shipping and the polybags already being $4.99 make this really hard to swallow. Too bad they don't still have the new Hobbit sets listed, then I could at least get the 15% off for spending 100 and free shipping by combining the order. As is the polys come out to be about $7 per which is terrible. I think I might have to just hit up my local TRU stores and take my chances there, I have three all within an hour

[LegoThomas]

I think MEA is the biggest disappointment by far. The set looks really bad. If there weren't so much nice figs plus a warg in it, i wouldn't even have bought it. I think it's going to be the first set i don't build. :-(

[Floundie]

I don't understand all the negativity towards MEA. Yes it could have been bigger, but I'd much rather have an affordable $35 set that I can double, triple, quadruple without too much expense. Perhaps it is fig focused but maybe that's not such a bad thing.

[AFOLguy1970]

I dont think MEA is too bad. It might be the first Hobbit set to be purchased from this wave. Thranduil is a really good minifigure. The build uses some nice pieces, especially the brown arches and the shields. The only downside is that out of the four elves, only one provides a generic elf hair piece. Two have hoods, so you cannot actually even distinguish them as elves. Thranduil's uniqueness would not be suitable for army builders. You would actually be better off purchasing Mirkwood Spiders if you wanted elven hair pieces. The price for MEA seems fair. It is comparable to the Uruk Hai army in number of figures and pieces in the build.

[Professor Flitwick]

What, he has even less to do with this game,and would be the 3rd Bilbo figure, It would be a waste, and I believ we'll get more Bilbos in the sets Anyway. Galadriel has A fair bit of Play in the hobbit.

What? The guy who is narrating the entire story to his nephew has nothing to do with the story?

[Brickadiergerard]

I dont think MEA is too bad. It might be the first Hobbit set to be purchased from this wave. Thranduil is a really good minifigure. The build uses some nice pieces, especially the brown arches and the shields. The only downside is that out of the four elves, only one provides a generic elf hair piece. Two have hoods, so you cannot actually even distinguish them as elves. Thranduil's uniqueness would not be suitable for army builders. You would actually be better off purchasing Mirkwood Spiders if you wanted elven hair pieces. The price for MEA seems fair. It is comparable to the Uruk Hai army in number of figures and pieces in the build.

I think MEA's problem is the same as that which is found in so many of these Middle-Earth sets, which is that it doesn't quite cut it. Long ago we discussed the colour of Aragorn's legs, the weird look of Gandalf having a beard but no hair at the back, the lack of a quiver for Legolas. All of those were things which stopped each of those figures being perfect, and under-mined the sets they were in.

The elves in MEA have got great printing, but the lack of helmets for at least one of them stops them being really great figures IMO, and for a set that is centred on the elves that under-mines it from the outset. As for the build, the structure is really unimpressive. Unlike Uruk-hai Army it's not an add-on to anything, and as a stand alone structure, it's just not good enough to make the set stand out for me, unlike the Council of Elrond say. A wood-elf structure could have been a tree fort or look-out post without the weird wall that doesn't really go anywhere or look complete. So a taller tree with some elven arches and a platform near the top, plus a couple of elves in helmets, another in a hood or with hair, Thranduil, 2 orcs and the warg. That would've been good.

[Darth Caedus]

Meh, no free shipping because of the 4 limit really sucks. $8 in shipping and the polybags already being $4.99 make this really hard to swallow. Too bad they don't still have the new Hobbit sets listed, then I could at least get the 15% off for spending 100 and free shipping by combining the order. As is the polys come out to be about $7 per which is terrible. I think I might have to just hit up my local TRU stores and take my chances there, I have three all within an hour

I just had a long interaction with my local TRU over the phone - the polybags haven't been shipped to the stores yet, and there's no 'ship2store' option online, so online is the only route. The 7.99 shipping hurts, but as a fan I must put my money where my mouth is, I just ordered 4 - would've ordered 11 to aggro free shipping but limits suck. It's a hefty price to pay - basically $7 a polybag - but it's not worth the risk of them never showing up in stores, and there's no way to know if they'll ever be put in an armybuilder in the TABA wave.

If you're going to try local stores, definitely call ahead and check.

[Deathleech]

I just had a long interaction with my local TRU over the phone - the polybags haven't been shipped to the stores yet, and there's no 'ship2store' option online, so online is the only route. The 7.99 shipping hurts, but as a fan I must put my money where my mouth is, I just ordered 4 - would've ordered 11 to aggro free shipping but limits suck. It's a hefty price to pay - basically $7 a polybag - but it's not worth the risk of them never showing up in stores, and there's no way to know if they'll ever be put in an armybuilder in the TABA wave.

If you're going to try local stores, definitely call ahead and check.

Ya, it sucks not knowing. It's really hard to justify so much for basically one minifigure though. Polybags are usually like $4? So at $7 with the shipping that's almost double what a polybag SHOULD cost. I am really torn. Do I risk not seeing them again, or blow the money on something that's pretty over priced? I really wanted to get a few dozen too. I think I am going to wait and see if I can find them in stores, or at the very least if they are still available in a few days when the new Hobbit sets are officially released. That way I can at least add a MEA and DGA to each order and get free shipping since I have yet to pick the new sets up. Of course TRU will probably jack the prices way up on them when they release them again.

I did call ahead to two local TRU stores to see if they were in stock. Both said no, not that either sounded terribly convincing. I tried to give them the number TRU has online but they kept asking for the name of the set, which I gave them and they came back telling me nothing was there.

[deskp]

Um you guys, keep in mind the guys who designs the sets does not deisgn the minifigure. the set designers puts all their effort into the sets,

[TeufelHund]

^{MEA is basically some nice minifigs and a bunch of useful spare parts, as far as I can see. The build looks awful.}

^{I might change my mind once the set is built, but my initial reaction is that it looks like something an 8 year old came up with.}

[Robianco]

I've not been able to get hold of any of the sets yet as I'm in the UK but I think MEA is essentially an army builder, almost by definition... so for $35 it's the kind of set people will get more than one of and mod to create a larger structure to centre a battle around.

The environment has taken a clear second billing to the figures but almost universally here people stated they would get 2, 3, 4 or more of these to create their Elf Army... well that gives a lot of the right kind of pieces to modify a structure that is more suitable.

[Darth Caedus]

I've not been able to get hold of any of the sets yet as I'm in the UK but I think MEA is essentially an army builder, almost by definition... so for $35 it's the kind of set people will get more than one of and mod to create a larger structure to centre a battle around.

The environment has taken a clear second billing to the figures but almost universally here people stated they would get 2, 3, 4 or more of these to create their Elf Army... well that gives a lot of the right kind of pieces to modify a structure that is more suitable.

With LOTR/Hobbit for me, it's a binary: either give an iconic scene or location and do it right (Isengard, Helm's Deep, Bag End, etc.) or just give me filler and as many figures as possible. LOTR/Hobbit have the greatest on-screen armies in all of film.

And Deathleech, Polybags are 4.99, so 7 hurts but is just barely justifiable. The limit of 4 is the real problem. Maybe a way around that could be to call up Toys R Us and place an order over the phone like the olden days, and haggle with the sales rep - they could well have the ability to override such a petty limit.