Review: 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith
Posted by CapnRex101,
The original The Lord of the Rings theme ended abruptly in 2013, so many major characters and locations were completely overlooked. However, there are examples where waiting for a massive Icons version, a decade after the original theme, was probably wise.
Minas Tirith is one such location, as the majestic walled city definitely necessitates a large-scale rendition. 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith obliges and I think the model looks spectacular, worthy of its source material and 8278 pieces, which make Minas Tirith the largest LEGO The Lord of the Rings set to date!
Summary
11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith, 8,278 pieces.
£579.99 / $649.99 / €649.99 | 7.0p, 7.9c, 7.9c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
After years of anticipation, Minas Tirith looks absolutely magnificent in LEGO form!
- Spectacular detail and presence on display
- Ingenious use of different scales
- Beautifully detailed interiors
- Some great minifigures
- Upper levels are distorted
- Aragorn and Gandalf's generic swords are disappointing
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Aragorn is crowned King Elessar after Sauron's defeat, finally returning a king to the throne of Gondor. This minifigure is exceptional, featuring a new hair piece with a moulded crown, plus a breastplate accurately adorned with the Seven Stars of Elendil, which appear frequently around this set. I think this might surpass even King Théoden's armour from 9474 The Battle of Helm's Deep!
The torso underneath is equally intricate, displaying the White Tree of Gondor with some gold accents at the edges of the surcoat. Dark blue was chosen when this garb appeared in 79007 Battle at the Black Gate and the surcoat does indeed have a hint of blue onscreen, though it is such a dark shade that I think black works.
In addition, the minifigure includes printed arms and a dual-colour cape, with dark red fabric on the inner surface and black outside. Aragorn's double-sided head looks splendid as well, so the only disappointment here is his sword. While this accessory looks fine as a generic sword, other The Lord of the Rings sets contain accurate weapons and Andúril definitely deserved the same treatment here.
I was fairly disappointed with the Arwen minifigure in 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, given its inaccurate hairstyle and re-used head. The head is much-improved here, featuring a detailed circlet with two smiling expressions, but the hair element remains the same and lacks the wavy texture of Arwen's hair, which is a shame because such a piece would be useful for other elves.
I like the plait on the reverse though, as well as the moulded ears. Moreover, the detail around the neckline of Arwen's dress is very intricate and extends across the arms, with metallic silver highlights. The rest of the spring yellowish green dress looks bland by comparison and the lack of decoration is accurate, but a few creases would have been nice, continued from the torso.
Arwen attends Aragorn's coronation carrying an ornate standard, which features the White Tree of Gondor topped with the Seven Stars of Elendil and a crown. The silver and white fabric looks superb and I am impressed this accessory was included, although Arwen emerging from behind the banner is quite memorable.
Gandalf the White has only appeared once before, in 79007 Battle at the Black Gate in 2013. The new minifigure makes some improvements on the original design, with printed legs and a more detailed belt, although I wish the specialised hair and beard piece had returned because that was absolutely perfect, whereas these parts are a compromise.
I am pleased to see the subtle pattern on Gandalf's robes represented on the minifigure, but I think silver would be more appropriate than tan because this contrast is quite strong. Similarly, tan is arguably too dark a shade for the fabric on the legs, especially since the cloak should be the same colour as the lower section of Gandalf's robes.
Similar to Aragorn, Gandalf lacks a specialised accessory for Glamdring, including a standard sword instead. I would like to see a unique piece for his staff too, perhaps in a future model of Orthanc. The minifigure does feature a new head though, which strikes me as potentially ideal for Count Dooku.
Peregrin Took accompanies Gandalf to Minas Tirith and pledges his service to Lord Denethor there, in honour of Boromir's sacrifice. Like many Gondorian uniforms, Pippin's garb features a White Tree and Seven Stars motif, paired with pearl silver arms for the chain mail. A dark green cloak and dual-moulded legs complete the ensemble, which is accurate to the movie.
Furthermore, the minifigure includes a new double-sided head, with a determined expression suited to these latter scenes around Minas Tirith. The usual Hobbit hairstyle looks superb and Pippin comes with a short sword, which bears a fair resemblance to his Barrow-blade.
Having never appeared in LEGO form before, Minas Tirith also provides a few new characters. Denethor, the Steward of Gondor during the War of the Ring, is an essential inclusion and the minifigure is instantly recognisable, with a sour expression and accurate garb. Ideally, his arms would feature the same fur trim as the torso and legs, but this is an excellent figure otherwise.
Faramir looks impressive as well, again emblazoned with the White Tree of Gondor. Dark tan and dark green shades blend nicely on his uniform and I like this dark orange hair element. Its wavy texture and length are appropriate and I am pleased Faramir's hairstyle deviates from the Boromir minifigure in 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, helping to differentiate them.
Though not known for his fighting prowess, Faramir is certainly courageous and his alternative expression is battle-ready, while Denethor looks worried. Faramir carries a common sword and Denethor comes with some accessories too, but they are found in the ornate Hall of Kings.
There are four Soldiers of Gondor included, which feels like a reasonable number for this set, although there really needs to be a smaller set available for army building. The bulky armour is faithful to the movie and adorned with a silver White Tree of Gondor, which also appears on the torso underneath, shared with Pippin's minifigure.
The new helmet looks magnificent too, with sculpted wings on either side, corresponding with Gondorian soldiers in the movie. The helmet's organic shape is accurate, but the mould sprue visible on the right side is annoying. Thankfully, this is not really obvious from the front, but still could be better hidden.
Again, the soldiers' accessories are fairly underwhelming. The spears are fine and the designs on their shields are faithful to the source material, but their shape is not. Gondorian shields are nearer to rectangular, with gentle curvature at the top and bottom. 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell and 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr spared no expense for accessories, but this set noticeably does.
Of course, each soldier includes a different head and these elements return from 75419 Death Star. A couple of them have only appeared in the Death Star before now and they work well for these generic characters.
Reference
Source - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, New Line Cinema
The Completed Model
Minas Tirith is enormous onscreen, measuring some 500 metres tall to the top of the Tower of Ecthelion, which would equate to roughly twelve metres at minifigure-scale! The designer has therefore made necessary use of microscale construction for much of the city, although with a clever blend of scales around the outer wall, which is disproportionately large to accommodate minifigures.
In fact, each successive layer of the city is designed at a smaller scale, which I find surprisingly effective. The outer wall is drastically oversized, but somehow blends rather well with the levels above. Even with the mixed scales, this model is enormous, measuring 61cm wide and 61cm in height, which is a great size for display with 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell and 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr.
Despite its disproportionate size, the architecture of the outer wall reflects the source material, with angular towers situated along the wall and battlements on top. Even the slits between the 1x2 curved slopes are accurate and I like the occasional cracks in the wall too, providing some realistic texture alongside the 1x2 masonry bricks.
Minifigures can stand on the battlements. These walls are a lot taller in the film, but I think this design works for a LEGO model, quite similar to the excellent 9474 The Battle of Helm's Deep. However, I wish the surface outside the walls was a little more vibrant, maybe comprising olive green elements instead of tan.
The gatehouse is interesting because it should be recessed relative to the adjoining walls, but that feature is not represented at all, as another consequence of the scale. The narrow towers flanking the entrance are accurate though, again mixing scales neatly because the sand green domes are removable, which creates space for minifigures to stand guard.
I love the gates, richly decorated with sand green and reddish brown pieces. Statue figures are mounted on each gate, while the adjoining 1x1 rounded plates with bars denote smaller figures carved into the onscreen gates. Printed elements could have captured these small details more faithfully, but I am satisfied with this brick-built solution.
The archway is big enough for a minifigure to ride through on horseback, such as Gandalf on Shadowfax. I think minifigures seem awkward riding horses without saddles, but as a Mearas, Shadowfax needs no saddle or harness, so a plain white horse was the appropriate choice.
Dark tan and light bluish grey tiles create a pattern on the courtyard inside, based very loosely on the courtyard in the film. The central statue of a horseman is not included, although there is not enough room for such details without interfering with the opening gates, so the floor pattern is a fine alternative.
You can separate the whole outer wall from the main structure, revealing space for minifigures and the first microscale buildings inside. These are hidden from most angles, but the transition between minifigure-scale and microscale works better for being concealed behind the walls.
A single trans-light blue tile signals an Easter egg found inside the base, which is only visible during construction. Here you can find the One Ring, lost in the Gladden River. This inclusion does no harm, filling an otherwise empty space, but it still seems pretty random, without much connection to Minas Tirith.
The streets of Minas Tirith are represented at minifigure-scale inside the walls, which is a nice idea. Once again, there is plenty of room for minifigures to walk around here and the designer, François Zapf, has evidently paid careful attention to scenes in the city streets, including a few details seen onscreen.
For instance, Gandalf passes a wall-mounted statue when he enters the city early in Return of the King, which presumably inspired the statue shown below. In addition, the water trough and colonnades are based directly on the movie, while the stone staircase is constructed to look as smooth as possible.
However, there is actually not much space on the walkways around the battlements, which are only two studs deep. This is enough to pose minifigures, though a little more depth would have been ideal. I like the bell tower positioned part way along the wall, which blurs the line between different scales.
On the other side of the gate, we find a water fountain, a bench and a market area, again each based on features of Minas Tirith onscreen. Even the chicken appears very briefly in the movie! Of course, all these details will generally be completely hidden, but I am pleased the streets are represented at minifigure-scale, ready for play if you wish.
The walls are covered with microscale buildings and those actually connected to the walls look fantastic. However, they should be a lot denser, with layers of buildings between the concentric walls, which are lacking in some areas. The area to the left of the tower pictured below seems a bit empty, for example, but the overall design is still effective.
Additionally, I love the arched passages through the spur of Mount Mindolluin, which blend well with the rock face and do pass all the way through. They are missing from the upper tiers of the city though, where the scale becomes gradually smaller. The forced perspective works, but I still wish these small details were represented towards the top.
I have mixed feelings about the individual buildings as well. Some are clearly based directly on Minas Tirith from the movie, including the large towers and the grey-roofed structure beside the trebuchet, near the centre of this photo, while others are generic. Recreating every building with complete accuracy is not realistic, but I am not sure why the designer chose only a few.
There are no stickers in this set and almost all the external details are brick-built, but there are some printed elements to be found on the buildings, which return from 21063 Neuschwanstein Castle. This is an example of perfect re-use, as you could be excused for assuming the printed tiles were designed specifically for Minas Tirith.
You may have noticed a few reddish brown robot arms mounted along the walls, representing the city's various trebuchets. These are all the same size and there are none on the outer wall, which was a good choice because accurately-sized trebuchets would make the changing scale too obvious, in my opinion.
The rocky texture on the mountain spur is not particularly intricate, but I still think it looks good on the whole. While the dark tan highlights are perhaps too strong, this combination of shallow slopes and exposed studs is effective and I like the transition to the stone on top, which is quite accurate to its appearance in the movie.
Atop the spur is the Court of the Fountain, where the now-dead White Tree of Gondor drapes over the fountain. This section of the city is microscale, but the walls around the courtyard are constructed at a size that looks reasonable with minifigures. Tan plates represent areas where minifigures can stand throughout this set.
The amalgamation of scales is obvious here, since the courtyard accommodates thousands of guests during Aragorn's coronation and the tree is only slightly bigger than a minifigure. This is still a great option though and I think the characters look reasonable from a distance, even with microscale buildings nearby.
The fountain and the White Tree are oversized in relation to the courtyard as a whole, although this is another occasion where combining scales is successful. The tree in particular should be prominent, but it would be absolutely tiny if constructed to scale with the surrounding buildings, perhaps one brick tall.
Beyond the fountain is the Hall of Kings, also known as Tower Hall. This is only the structure's façade, although there had to be a cutoff point somewhere and the model including a flat back makes it easy to display. The sand green domes are accurate to the onscreen setting and I like the 1x2 grille tiles forming little columns.
The iconic Tower of Ecthelion stands beside the hall, also using grilles for decorative columns around its exterior. The tower's hexagonal shape corresponds with the film and I like the white darksaber blades adding texture towards the top. I notice that the steps up to the door are very steep, although that really is a miniscule detail!
Another advantage of the flat back is the opportunity for an interior, based on the Hall of Kings. The black and white architecture is attractive and the dramatic proportions of this chamber are accurate, taking full advantage of the space. Additionally, two other rooms from the movie flank the central hall, only visible through small windows for now.
The throne of Gondor is elevated high above the floor, with the steward's black chair beneath. The black bands between the steps correspond with the film and I like the tree symbol carved behind the throne and the other details seen around the walls are authentic too. These include several black columns, arches and a pair of floor-standing candelabra, all taken from the film.
Moreover, the printed 1x2 tiles on the floor match their design in the movie, although dark tan is arguably too dark a colour for the other tiles. The marble pattern on Denethor's table is similarly exaggerated, but I am happy the table is included at all. Cherries represent the cherry tomatoes Denethor gorges on while Faramir charges towards Osgiliath, on Denethor's suicidal orders.
The throne assembly is removable, so you could display it in front of Minas Tirith if you prefer, perhaps as a diorama to show off some minifigures. This feature reminds me of the section of Mount Doom included in 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr.
Statues of historic kings line the throne room, two of which are represented here. Both include the new crown and hair component worn by Aragorn, moulded in white, with the familiar White Tree of Gondor emblem on each base. Furthermore, the golden furnishings beside the statues match those flanking the entrance to the Hall of Kings onscreen.
The dome is accurate as well and looks marvellous, with accurate shell-like details around the edge, reflecting designs on the crown of Gondor. On this topic, the chandelier suspended from the ceiling is also based on the crown and draws attention to the empty throne, which still waits for the promised return of the king.
Also notable are the Seven Stars of Elendil encircling the dome, connected to curved Technic gear racks. Moreover, a couple of little windows are situated beside the gear racks, with a few more referential details to be discovered once you remove these sections of the model.
A stack of logs and a flaming torch are hidden in the wall on one side, in case somebody needs to create a pyre! This is a clever means of acknowledging Denethor's fiery demise, which would doubtless be considered too graphic to appear in a LEGO set otherwise.
Removing this section of the wall reveals the library where Gandalf researches the loss of the One Ring, discovering that Bilbo's ring is indeed that forged by Sauron some 5000 years prior. The library only appears briefly in The Fellowship of the Ring, but fills this space nicely and the stacks of books and scrolls look superb. The printed page debuted in a Wicked set.
Denethor's dangerous actions are influenced by his access to a palantír in the books, through which Sauron shows him the massing forces of Mordor. I am surprised the palantír is included here because it never appears in the films, only vaguely referenced in dialogue when Denethor claims "I have seen more than you know" when speaking to Gandalf.
One side features the familiar Eye of Sauron, while the other shows a rider on horseback. This could be Aragorn, whom Denethor mentions immediately after alluding to the palantír, but I think King Théoden is a stronger candidate, based on this shot with the Rohirrim arrayed behind him. The palantír found in 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr showed the Shire and the White Tree, so perhaps this design also hints to an upcoming set.
Beneath the palantír, we find Pippin's bedroom and the location of his discussion with Gandalf, known as The Deep Breath Before the Plunge. Whereas the library's unusual shape was quite well disguised, the shape of the bedroom seems awkward. The furniture is reasonably detailed though, with dark green upholstery and a selection of suitable accessories.
Maybe more important than the bedroom is the balcony outside, where Gandalf and Pippin talk about the impending battle. There is barely space for both figures to stand out here, particularly with Pippin's cape, although they do both fit. I feared the transition between this balcony and the neighbouring microscale buildings would look strange, but once again, I think it works.
Overall
Vanishingly few sets have faced as much expectation and thus pressure as 11377 The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith, given its absence from the original The Lord of the Rings theme and its apparent inevitability in the new Icons range. Honestly, I was a bit nervous when the model was unveiled to Fan Media Days attendees last year, such were my expectations!
Fortunately, this iteration of Minas Tirith was undoubtedly worth the wait. The structure is richly detailed, with potentially the best combination of minifigure-scale and microscale construction I have encountered in an official set. The minifigure selection is excellent too, although its appeal partly depends on a subsequent more affordable opportunity to gather Soldiers of Gondor.
This set is not without issue, however. I think the cityscape on the higher levels could be better and Aragorn's sword is disappointing, after previous The Lord of the Rings sets have paid such close attention to authentic weapons. Nonetheless, I am delighted with Minas Tirith and its price of £579.99, $649.99 or €649.99 seems reasonable as well, so I can absolutely recommend the City of Kings!
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43 comments on this article
Great review as always, thanks!
The palantir of Minas Tirith appears briefly in the extended edition, when Aragorn uses it to reveal his true identity to Sauron.
Thanks for this great review! This is my second favorite Lego set of all times, right after Rivendell of course! I am lucky enough to own all of the existing LOTR sets, and I can't wait to discover the next ones :-)
FYI, I only caught the standard edition of the 2003 film guest starring John Noble, so never saw the Mouth of Sauron onscreen, nor Saruman's death, nor a certain corsair getting arrowed.
@pvp3020 said:
"Great review as always, thanks!
The palantir of Minas Tirith appears briefly in the extended edition, when Aragorn uses it to reveal his true identity to Sauron."
I think that is the Orthanc-stone. It certainly is in the book.
At last! :-)
If I had a mansion or coukd earn the money to buy a mansion... then I'd buy every LoTR Lego set. They just look awesome.
The one review to rule them all! Been waiting for this!
The set is perfect, but my broader issue is that I’d be more easily convinced to spend $650 on a LOTR wave than a one-time purchase that’s too large for me to display anywhere :( the set is amazing, though! The review really helped clear up the scaling issues I had!
@CapnRex101 said:
" @pvp3020 said:
"Great review as always, thanks!
The palantir of Minas Tirith appears briefly in the extended edition, when Aragorn uses it to reveal his true identity to Sauron."
I think that is the Orthanc-stone. It certainly is in the book."
I believe that also. I think that scene is in the movie too but I may be making that up.
Going to have to save up for this. Might be my final Lego purchase. Looks fabulous. Here's hoping for a pack of Gondorian soldiers somewhere down the line!
The generic swords aren’t just disappointing, they do a disservice to this set & the ridiculous price. They even had a mold for Anduril & did nothing with it. Swords are a huge blemish on an outstanding set.
Such a waste we'll never see these helmets and breastplates outside of a $650 set.
This was a fun build that took me a week of daily work to complete. It looks massive and impressive on display. I made a few small tweaks, like centering the statues of historic kings a bit more and making the white plane tree slightly larger (not accurate, but I imagine how it would look years after the Ring was destroyed, and I think it looks better). I just wish a handful of nano mini figs had been included for the outer walls. The mini figs provided work perfectly for the Hall of Kings, Pippin's bedroom, and the library. Adding more small buildings to the outer walls would be more accurate, but it might look too busy and messy—and make the set more expensive.
Looks just like Auckand City!
Great review CapNRex! And I see you centered your White Kings Hall statues as well this was a design mishap IMO. I really enjoyed this build, you probably won’t if you don’t like Architecture style sets, Notre Dame, or sets like Hogwarts Castle and Grounds, but if you enjoy focusing to perfectly align small elements then this set might be for you. Mike P. is truly an amazing set designer and the build never felt repetitive, tedious or tiresome as they used different elements and/or techniques to achieve the same look. I am really not a minifigure person but since they chose to include them there definitely should have been more as there is one point in the build around bags 10-30 where you go that long without adding a mini figure. Adding two fountain guards with golden accented helmets and a few more side characters would make the set feel more complete for the price.
Gandalf's plaid outfit looks like his going golfing!
@CapnRex101:
The term used frequently in my LUG is "selective compression", as some of our members have made towering models of the fairly short (by global standards) skyscrapers located in Detroit. Ground floors are built to minifig scale, and subsequent floors are quickly reduced in height to make the rest of the structure somewhat maneagable (not yet exceeding twice the height of an adult human, nor three times the weight). It actually makes them look more realistic, too, as any closeup view will be from near the base of the building, causing the upper levels to look scrunched anyways.
I disagree on the whole waiting for Minas Tirith idea. This set never would have been made during the original run, for sure, but that doesn't mean they couldn't have done _anything_ for Gondor. For a time, I was actually certain they had released a White Tree of Gondor courtyard set, complete with a few Gondorian soldiers. And that would have been an ideal option at the time, allowing for affordable army-building somewhat like the expandable wall of Helm's Deep.
And Faramir looks bad. He looks like he's wearing a wig on top of a hat, or like he used 1980's amounts of hairspray to achieve a stiff, plasticy volume to his bouffant.
Finally, I already came up with a better option for Gandalf riding Shadowfax. I already have the horse, so the only thing that was keeping me from building it was the exhorbitant cost of buying Gandalf the White.
@pvp3020 said:
"Great review as always, thanks!
The palantir of Minas Tirith appears briefly in the extended edition, when Aragorn uses it to reveal his true identity to Sauron."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz_njsPDGRs
I'm leaning towards Orthanc's Palantir. It makes a certain amount of sense for Denethor to keep it close to his Steward's Chair, but the burlap sack seems out of place for him.
I like how Faramir doubles as a minifigure for Alasdair Beckett-King. It's about time ABK was eternalised in ABS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kH-CfCaMl8
Although for that money, you could probably buy the real Alasdair Beckett-King.
This is going to look weird in five or ten years when parts of it start turning yellow.
Can't justify $650. I would like to see it next to the Disney Castle for scale.
Wish I could get the figures somehow to make a scale white tree courtyard vignette. Once again though, Lego made compromises for such an expensive collector set even with the figs. Gandalf the White looks pretty bad--even CapnRex101 states the beard and hair is a compromise. And it seems like they were too lazy to give Pippin black legs instead of reusing the dark blue from the Shire. And the swords...
This is an amazing set. The negatives are minor overall.
I want this, but not sure I'll be able to afford it.
A good @CapnRex101 review is never late, nor is it early. It arrives precisely when it means to.
...even if that is a month post-release, but oh well. Excellent review, Capn, as always!
I'm more torn on this set than I want to be. I want to love it, but there are several features I don't like:
-That rock spur is hideous, and contrasts far too much with the city. The dark tan is too strong. This would have been another excellent application for Light Stone Grey / Very Light Bluish Grey pieces. Also I think it's angled outward too much.
-I also don't like the minifig designs that much (how were they able to do them so much better in 2012?). The lackluster accessories are also slightly disappointing.
-I know I'll sound crazy for saying this, but I wish the set were deeper by about 6 studs, to better convey the city being nearly circular rather than semicircular. Then, it would look more correct up against a wall, treating the wall as the mountain. But mainly, I wish the Hall of Kings at the top had been more than a facade, better conveying the shape of the building (yeah it's another cathedral) and its surroundings. Would this have added another 1000 pieces or so? Probably. But I'd be willing to pay a small increase in price (say, $700) for a more complete structure.
-I don't like the tan flooring/ground. Olive green, as the review stated, would have been better, and the top level on the spur should have been white as well.
-Finally, it's white. Which means it will be tan/yellow in a couple years. Just that thought alone gives me pause on buying this, moreso than other predominantly white sets. It is, after all, the White City of Gondor, not the Tan City.
I may end up getting this eventually, if it's still around in 3 years. But it's a bit of a toss up between this, 75192, and a Switch 2 at the moment....
A set that certainly brings Minas Truth justice! I agree about some of its flaws, particularly no Anduril, but overall it is a fabulous set! I would love if they made a smaller set depicting Gondor such as a throne room diorama or the coronation ceremony like my idea for the council of Elrond. Alas, that is pretty much guaranteed to never happen. It is far out of my price range and space capabilities, so I will instead have to enjoy from afar.
Whoo finally! Thanks for the review! :)
I've seen and read The Lord of the Rings and am quite pleased that Minas Tirith just isn't a location that ever held any interest for me. The set looks magnificent from a distance but the only bit I'd particularly want in Lego form (the ceremony in the courtyard) is made impossible by the scale. The minifigures dwarfing the door behind them they're meant to enter and leave through is just absurd.
So for me, it's £500+ that I won't spend, which is excellent news. I do love the minifigures though.
I honestly don't love the helms on the soldiers. The wing motifs look much too prominent, I think
Not unexpectedly, @CapnRex101 has once again moved a set from a NO for me to now a MAYBE. As @BLProductions concisely listed, there are just so many concerns holding me back, not the least of which is the price.
I picked up 71043 Hogwarts Castle soon after release years ago with the 27 included nanofigs easily sealing the deal for me. I really think 11377 Minss Tirith could have benefitted from the same stratagem though clearly the scales would still be off.
@CapnRex101 a slight error:
“This could be Aragorn, whom Aragorn mentions immediately after alluding to the palantír…”
Pretty sure you meant that second Aragorn to be Denethor.
I find the set quite impressive. My biggest hang up is the lack of Citadel/Fountain Court Guard figures, with their rather more prominent winged helmets and printed lower face masks. There really should have been a couple here, and barring the future introduction of battle packs to the theme there’s not really anywhere else to put them.
Based on the helm and shield shape, the rider in the palantir is Theoden.
I think this set is extremely cool. I love the variation in scale and the little hidden rooms are fun. I also really, really wish they hadn’t used generic swords for Andúril and Glamdring.
This makes me want an MBS ISB headquarters from Andor.
Nice enough set, but I will make do with the model of Minas Tirith that came with my Collector's edition DVD boxset.
I do not collect LOTR sets, but they have always been impressive. This is no exception. I wish I have read the material and I wish I had the space and the capital to collect these sets.
Part of me was really hoping they’d include the little beacon outpost you could have put a flame piece in but it’s so far above the Court of the Fountain I guess it would have been impractical
Great review, Capn! I've been looking forward to this one.
I think the set is magnificent, and that they did a fantastic job of combining microscale and minifig-scale. The Hall of Kings is one of the best-looking interiors I've seen in any set.
However, I do wish some of the minifigs looked a little better, because I don't like some of the parts choices (Gandalf's beard, Faramir's hair, Arwen's hair and lack of printing on her skirt, and of course the Andúril mold, or lack thereof), but others turned out great; that King Elessar is one of the best figures from the theme, imo.
Definitely one of my favorite LotR sets, probably number 2 behind 10316.
It looks really cool, especially all the microscale houses, and no stickers is really nice. A couple more soldiers and a moulded anduril would’ve been the cherry (tomato) on top.
Space and price makes this a pass unfortunately.
@BLProductions said:
"A good @CapnRex101 review is never late, nor is it early. It arrives precisely when it means to.
...even if that is a month post-release, but oh well. Excellent review, Capn, as always!
I'm more torn on this set than I want to be. I want to love it, but there are several features I don't like:
-That rock spur is hideous, and contrasts far too much with the city. The dark tan is too strong. This would have been another excellent application for Light Stone Grey / Very Light Bluish Grey pieces. Also I think it's angled outward too much.
-I also don't like the minifig designs that much (how were they able to do them so much better in 2012?). The lackluster accessories are also slightly disappointing.
-I know I'll sound crazy for saying this, but I wish the set were deeper by about 6 studs, to better convey the city being nearly circular rather than semicircular. Then, it would look more correct up against a wall, treating the wall as the mountain. But mainly, I wish the Hall of Kings at the top had been more than a facade, better conveying the shape of the building (yeah it's another cathedral) and its surroundings. Would this have added another 1000 pieces or so? Probably. But I'd be willing to pay a small increase in price (say, $700) for a more complete structure.
-I don't like the tan flooring/ground. Olive green, as the review stated, would have been better, and the top level on the spur should have been white as well.
-Finally, it's white. Which means it will be tan/yellow in a couple years. Just that thought alone gives me pause on buying this, moreso than other predominantly white sets. It is, after all, the White City of Gondor, not the Tan City.
I may end up getting this eventually, if it's still around in 3 years. But it's a bit of a toss up between this, 75192, and a Switch 2 at the moment...."
You can get UV film to put on your windows for $30 on Amazon and that will keep your white city white forever!
I really like the look of that - but even as LOTR afficionado I can not bring myself to spend that kind of money on ONE set. Plus: I lack the display space.
One of two negatives: out of eight thousand, two hundred seventy-eight pieces, two of them are disappointingly generic.
If that's the worst that can be said, then I think I need to add this to my Christmas shopping list.
@kingalbino said:
"If I had a mansion or coukd earn the money to buy a mansion... then I'd buy every LoTR Lego set. They just look awesome. "
If I suddenly found myself rich (especially if I'd also found myself fully able-bodied again), I'd definitely buy 10316, but I'm not sure if I'd buy 10333 or 10354. I'd probably get this one, though.
Thanks for the review. Appreciate the amount of work it took to build the thing let alone review it :o)
Lovin the soldiers. Faramir's front leather armour looks a bit like a tabard. Gandalf's old hair and beard were 100 times better suited. Aragorn is superb. Arwen is very good.
I can't afford this. I could buy a reasonable greenhouse for this money. So I shall.....
At last. My member's bio has now been updated to say they will release a Minas Tirith set. And it's a stonker. I've not bought any of these recent flipping huge money draining LotR sets, with the hope I'll eventually be able to buy just one. This is, and always has been, that one.
Thanks for the review @CapnRex101 !
@Darth_Dee said:
"You can get UV film to put on your windows for $30 on Amazon and that will keep your white city white forever!"
And then you'll get less UV yourself which, frankly, you need to encourage Vitamin D production, esp given global vitamin deficiency levels, and even worse in winter.