Lego builds Minas Tirith: the biggest Lord of the Rings set ever
Lego builds the capital of Gondor - and it's big. 8278 pieces, ten minifigures, 749 francs: the new Minas Tirith set is the biggest Lord of the Rings set ever. And it looks damn good.
For the filming of «Lord of the Rings», Peter Jackson's team faced a real problem: it's hard to recreate a medieval fortress city 1:1. So the people at Weta Workshop simply recreated Minas Tirith - as a seven metre high model that was used for various tracking shots.
Jackson affectionately called such constructions «Bigatures». A term that has stuck in the industry to this day.
Source: New Line Cinema / Warner Bros.
Lego's interpretation of the White City feels similarly monumental. The new set «The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith» consists of an epic 8278 pieces. This makes it the largest «Lord of the Rings» set that Lego has ever built. It even surpasses the legendary Millennium Falcon with its 7541 pieces.
Source: Lego
Built up, the Lego miniature measures 59 centimetres in height, 62 centimetres in width and 37 centimetres in depth. So if you were hoping to squeeze it discreetly onto a Billy shelf, you won't be able to: It won't work.
Microscale at the front, minifigure scale at the back
The design is based on a hybrid approach. The front shows Minas Tirith in microscale - i.e. greatly reduced in size, but with all seven wall rings, battlements, tiny trebuchets and the white tree at the top of the citadel. Nice. The lowest level, on the other hand, remains in minifigure scale and can even be opened. Small scenes are hidden behind it: Soldiers arming themselves, Gandalf overseeing it all and Denethor buying tomatoes at the market.
Source: Lego
Turn the set over and you'll find a surprise on the back: Lego has recreated the Hall of Kings on a minifigure scale. Black pillars, golden decorations, printed floor tiles - and enough space to recreate Aragorn's coronation or watch Denethor at the infamous tomato banquet.
If you delve even deeper into the details, you will find more hidden rooms: a library where Gandalf searches for the origin of the One Ring in the first film, the Houses of Healing - only seen in the Extended Edition of the third film - and an implied crypt where Denethor has the funeral pyre piled up for himself and his son Faramir. Even a chicken has somehow found its way onto the set.
Source: Lego
For the first time: Gondor in minifigure form
The ten included minifigures include some long-awaited firsts: Faramir and Denethor celebrate their Lego premiere. Also included: Gondor soldiers with printed armour and new helmets. Aragorn appears for the first time as a king with a crown, Gandalf returns in his white robes - including his horse Shadowfell, which is apparently the only Lego horse without a printed bridle.
Source: Lego
And yes, Smart Play is not included. But it doesn't matter: so far, this rubbish feature has been reserved exclusively for Star Wars sets anyway. To put it mildly, it hasn't knocked anyone's socks off yet.
Expensive - but justified this time
749 francs is objectively a lot of money. However, after the rather disappointing flat Death Star, I think this Gondor set is fantastic. Especially when I discover all the details. Yep, for me it's one of the most successful sets Lego has released in a long time. At around 9 cents per brick, the price is also significantly lower than last year's Shire set, if you compare it with the official Lego price, which eases some of the pain at the checkout.
Source: Lego
As a goodie, you can get the «Grond» set for free with your purchase between 1 and 7 June - the infamous battering ram from the Siege of Minas Tirith, with two orc minifigures and 307 pieces.
Lego Insider members can access the set from 1 June. All others will follow from 4 June - but initially only directly from Lego. Lego will sell the set exclusively for the first three months. We will add the set to the range as soon as possible, but we cannot promise an exact date at the moment.
What do you think? Is Minas Tirith a must-buy for «Lord of the Rings» fans - or is it still a case for the wish list at this price?
I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.
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