Future The Hobbit Sets?

[Sir Jonathan]

if there will be coming a 3rd wave it will not contain that much

[The_Chosen_1]

^ I agree. If the second Hobbit wave only has four sets, that doesn't bode too well for the third wave.

[Deathleech]

Well there still is the possibility of a fifth retailer exclusive or D2C set, isn't there? A D2C is probably unlikely considering we just got Orthanc, but I wouldn't count out a retailer exclusive. We have had one or the other every LotR/Hobbit wave thus far.

People keep saying the LotR/Hobbit waves are getting smaller, but the second LotR wave was actually bigger price and piece wise than the first wave if you include Orthanc in it, it just didn't have as many sets.

[zylek]

^ I agree. If the second Hobbit wave only has four sets, that doesn't bode too well for the third wave.

I still think that the splitting of the movies from 2 to 3 impacted the lineup this year.

[deskp]

I still think that the splitting of the movies from 2 to 3 impacted the lineup this year.

If thats the case, do you think lego will do any catching up next year? by then they should know pretty well the contents of the first 2 movies and will know whats left over for the 3rd one.

8 sets december 2014 4 of them being TABA and the rest being from DOS and AUJ ?? The excitment SHOULD be highest for the last film in the trilogy right??

Either way it's weird that they made less sets for 2013 seeing as the fanbase should have grown over the last year.

Maybe we'll be lucky if we get TABA sets at all?

[Blakstone]

I think LEGO had enough time to delay sets that were planned that are now in the third movie. Smaug will definitely be in this year's movie but I suspect that LEGO did not have enough time to design him.

I am excited for an elven army builder this year. Perhaps we will get more army builders for the Battle of the Five Armies next year.

[Deathleech]

I am pretty confident we will get at least one more Hobbit set this wave, either as a retailer exclusive or a D2C set. A D2C set would make the most sense with the absence of Smaug and a set over $60 (if the prices were right), but since we just got one with Orthanc it doesn't seem as likely.

Edited September 10, 2013 by Deathleech

[Rogue Angel]

I think with the Hobbit and LotR both, nothing is for sure (third waves) so I will be happy with whatever comes out. I am excited for TB5A because of the army builder potential.

[legofreak86]

I think with the Hobbit and LotR both, nothing is for sure (third waves) so I will be happy with whatever comes out. I am excited for TB5A because of the army builder potential.

I wouldn't get too excited as Lego didn't even make the battle of Hogwarts for the final harry potter film sets. In fact despite the popularity of the final film they made nothing to do with deathly hallows part 2. Hopefully the battle of the five armies and the final film won't suffer the same fate.

[BrickBob Studpants]

I wouldn't get too excited as Lego didn't even make the battle of Hogwarts for the final harry potter film sets. In fact despite the popularity of the final film they made nothing to do with deathly hallows part 2. Hopefully the battle of the five armies and the final film won't suffer the same fate.

That's not entirely accurate, TLG released the 4867 Hogwarts set which was initially called "Battle for Hogwarts". It features a Death Eater, a Dementor and Goyle who clearly attack the protagonists on the boxart. It also includes Neville, who sports a knitted sweater the character is only seen wearing during the battle. And the Forbidden Forest set is also clearly based on DH Part 2 since it includes a captured Hagrid and Narcissa Malfoy

Edited September 12, 2013 by Lego-Freak

[Deathleech]

That's not entirely accurate, TLG released the 4867 Hogwarts set which was initially called "Battle for Hogwarts". It features a Death Eater, a Dementor and Goyle who clearly attack the protagonists on the boxart. It also includes Neville, who sports a knitted sweater the character is only seen wearing during the battle. And the Forbidden Forest set is also clearly based on DH Part 2 since it includes a captured Hagrid and Narcissa Malfoy

Plus they JUST released a big Hogwarts set the year before. Heck, even in the description it says "The Dementors have the Hogwarts™ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry surrounded, and an epic battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort is looming!". Making ANOTHER Hogwarts Castle when the actual battle starts would be a huge waste of a set spot since hardly anything would be different in it except maybe the minifigs (which you can get in other sets).

[Darth Malgus]

I think it will go down the SW battle pack route and we may get some custom battle packs such as orcs or elves, I think most likely this will occur in the midyear 2014 wave be it LOTR or the Hobbit.

[Blondie-Wan]

This is getting really confusing

I don't think we will get a Beorn this wave, I think next wave will be all sets surrounding Bo5A which can be put together and Smaug being the 'Diagon Alley' of the Hobbit wave

Bo5A?

[BrickBob Studpants]

BO5A= Battle of the five armies, the climax of the story I also believe Beorn will be featured in such a set, that makes the most sense to me (at least more sense than Beorn's house, which would surely be a decent set but doesn't provide much action and is certainly not as iconic or important as Bag End or other buildings we've seen so far)

Edited September 21, 2013 by Lego-Freak

[Infernum]

Hmm, I feel sorry for TLG with the battlepack issue. If they give battle packs they'll miss important scenes/locations. If they could combine scenes and battlepacks though...

[Blondie-Wan]

Anywho, there were iconic elements of prior license themes that never made it in. PotC BARELY got a Davey Jones, and the rumor was there was going to be a D2C Flying Dutchmen and it got cut. Same thing could happen here if The Hobbit doesn't sell well. I do agree it is different in the fact that The Hobbit waves are based off the movies that are currently coming out. We got more stuff from Indy 4 and PotC 4 then the more classic movies, and this could happen here.

Actually, we got a plurality of sets from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - more from it than from any individual one of the first three movies, but not more from it than all three others combined. Excluding "extended line" stuff (keychains, magnets, etc.), the Indy line had eighteen sets (sixteen retail, plus the Brickmaster and SDCC exclusives), of which there were eight from Crystal Skull (including the Brickmaster stuff), five from Raiders of the Lost Ark, three from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and two from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. If broken down into "new movie" and "classic originals," that's 8 for Crystal Skull (including the just barely movie-themed Brickmaster polybag and the ultra-limited SDCC set that included the Brickmaster one - only 6 regular retail sets) and 10 for the original "trilogy."

Typically, whenever LEGO licenses a theme based on some franchise that has already been around for a while without LEGO sets, they usually have a mix of "classic" and "new" material, but with a greater number of sets based on the new entry, at least in the first year; that's how it's been with Indiana Jones, Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean and even Star Wars (whose first year had thirteen sets, five for the entire original trilogy and eight for Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace). If these are released in multiple waves, the pattern is an initial launch wave based on the classics a few months before the new movie comes out, then a larger wave based around the new release (as happened with Indiana Jones, Toy Story and Star Wars). From there, if the line lasts a while, it then generally equalizes a bit, with increasing numbers of sets based on the older movies coming in subsequent waves (as seen with Indy and SW). Very few licensed themes go on beyond one or two waves, though, unless there's additional narrative material (principally movies and TV) coming out upon which to base sets. It appears that as long as there are regular movie releases and/or ongoing television series to "anchor" the theme, there can also be stuff from other media (such as comics or even video games) in that franchise, but there does have to be some sort of ongoing screen production (movie / TV, not videogame) for the line to continue for more than a couple years at most. Hence why Harry Potter has had sets most of the time since 2001 but hasn't had any since the last movie a couple years ago, why Star Wars has gone on continuously since 1999 (having a new movie every three years from that year to 2008, with a television series from then to now, new yearly movies beginning two years from now and a steady stream of comics, novels, games, etc. on top of all that over the entire time), and why Indiana Jones lasted just two years (it's remarkable it lasted that long, actually, given that there were no new movies on the horizon after the one around which the theme was anchored).

The Hobbit / The Lord of the Rings, taken together as a single theme, is a bit unusual in that there's a preponderance of sets being released based upon the "classic originals," even in the midst of back-to-back releases of new movies - were it following the usual pattern, we'd be getting far more Hobbit stuff than LotR, but it's actually skewing slightly in the other direction. I'm guessing it has much to do with the nature of the movies themselves, in that even with the Hobbit movie trilogy hugely expanding upon the book while the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy actually condenses from the books, LotR still makes up the overwhelming majority of this overall franchise in terms of sheer running time (and number of scenes, etc. upon which to base sets).

Edited September 21, 2013 by Blondie-Wan

[Deathleech]

Hmm, I feel sorry for TLG with the battlepack issue. If they give battle packs they'll miss important scenes/locations. If they could combine scenes and battlepacks though...

I am sure Lego could squeeze in one or two battle packs per wave no problem. I imagine battle packs don't require near as much designing as a normal $40+ set so I would think Lego could make a 4 or 5 set wave into 6 and just include an extra battle pack. They could also ditch the cheapest set each wave (Riddles for the Ring, Gandalf Arrives, Wizard Duel) and replace it with a battle pack since they don't seem to sell near as well as the normal sets and are often redundant with little to offer besides a cheap option.

Edited September 22, 2013 by Deathleech

[Infernum]

I am sure Lego could squeeze in one or two battle packs per wave no problem. I imagine battle packs don't require near as much designing as a normal $40+ set so I would think Lego could make a 4 or 5 set wave into 6 and just include an extra battle pack. They could also ditch the cheapest set each wave (Riddles for the Ring, Gandalf Arrives, Wizard Duel) and replace it with a battle pack since they don't seem to sell near as well as the normal sets and are often redundant with little to offer besides a cheap option.

Good point! I've also noticed how the smallest set (especially Riddles) have been sitting on shelves in the dozens...

[Rogue Angel]

But Wizard Battle is selling very well. I think that Lego was kind of screwed with Riddles. You have to make it because it is the most iconic scene of the book, but it's not an exciting scene at all.

[Deathleech]

But Wizard Battle is selling very well. I think that Lego was kind of screwed with Riddles. You have to make it because it is the most iconic scene of the book, but it's not an exciting scene at all.

I think the Saruman minifigure is the main driving factor behind the Wizard Battle sales though. The only other way to get him is in the big $200 Tower of Orthanc set. Without the Wizard Battle set being around he would be unavailable to many children (and adults) due to the high price of Orthanc that they might not be able to afford. He is a main antagonist so of course everyone who is a fan of LotR is going to want him.

Now that's not to say the set itself isn't good, because it definitely seems to be the strongest of the 3 cheap sets releasedso far. But you know as well as I that if Lego made a Sauron minifigure and put him in a $9.99 set with a rock, and that was the only way to get him, he would FLY off shelves. If Saruman was available in another $30 or $40 set do you think the Wizard Battle would sell as well? I don't.

This is why I don't understand why Lego doesn't do a battle pack and just include a main character (permitting they are allowed to through their license agreement). Make a Mordor Orc battle pack for $12-15, include Sauron or Gothmog and 3 generic orcs in it and it would be a hit. A Gondor Soldier BP with Faramir could be done too. Sure this would make multiple purchases a bit redundant, but it would at least appeal to all age groups. Children could still get an important main character to play with in an impulse buy set, and AFOLs could get an army builder with only 1 redundant figure they don't really need.

[Blondie-Wan]

But Wizard Battle is selling very well. I think that Lego was kind of screwed with Riddles. You have to make it because it is the most iconic scene of the book, but it's not an exciting scene at all.

Maybe for many people, but I'm glad to have it. I'm guessing you mean "not exciting as a LEGO set," because it's one of the most compelling, dramatic scenes in the story.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Blondie-Wan

[Darth Punk]

What is not to understand.? As been mentioned numerous times TLG has a licensing agreement that only allows them to make battle packs for Star Wars.

[Blakstone]

What is not to understand.? As been mentioned numerous times TLG has a licensing agreement that only allows them to make battle packs for Star Wars.

Just because it was mentioned numerous times does not make it true. There was an army builder in the Lone Ranger licensed line. Like many, I feel that any Tolkien army builder needs a main character to widen its appeal. The Lone Ranger set in question has the Lone Ranger as well as there generic Cavalry soldiers.

Further I suspect that the Elven Outpost in December will work as an army builder.

http://www.lego.com/en-us/theloneranger/products/the-lone-ranger/79106

[Deathleech]

What is not to understand.? As been mentioned numerous times TLG has a licensing agreement that only allows them to make battle packs for Star Wars.

I seriously doubt Lego has a licensing agreement with Star Wars that only allows them to make battle packs for that theme and no others. If anything they probably have a license with Warner Brothers for the LotR/Hobbit licenses that states they can only create building sets based on those properties since another company holds the action figure license or Lego didn't want to buy that one as well. And actually, Lego can't even create minifigure only sets/BPs for Star Wars since they don't hold the action figure license for that line either. They have to have some sort of building component otherwise strictly minifigue sets are too much like action figures which Hasbro has the license for (see Lego's response here).

Also, as Blakestone has pointed out, other lines DO have battle pack like sets. So, while we have SPECULATED on why Lego hasn't released any LotR or Hobbit battle packs, we really have no idea the ACTUAL reason. Maybe the license with them is more strict and they need a higher brick to minifigure ratio than with Star Wars? This just seems odd though considering there are currently no companies producing LotR action figures to my knowledge, yet Hasbro is still actively making Star Wars ones (the Hobbit's another story).

[tahoethewhite]

I agree that if Lego made Lotr/hobbit battle packs they would have to include a notable character in them, like Eomer in Uruk-Hai Army. Personally I think that the only "battle packs" we would get would be sets like Uruk Hai Army