The extraordinary 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell was released last year, recreating one of Middle-earth's most attractive locations, with superb detail. Barad-dûr seems an appropriate successor, representing the polar opposite and the home of evil in Middle-earth.
Though lacking the natural beauty of Rivendell, the sinister 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr looks spectacular in a different way. This model undoubtedly captures the menace of its source material and the Eye of Sauron is stunningly rendered in LEGO bricks. The minifigure selection is appealing as well, at last including the Dark Lord himself!
Welcome to "What's Up With That...?", the article series where I, ex-LEGO designer James and host of new YouTube channel TUBESIDE, will explore some of the frequently asked questions from AFOLs about the mysteries of the design decisions of The LEGO Group.
In the first part, we looked at what would limit a designer from using prints for every decoration in a LEGO model from a production standpoint. With all these limitations in place, in Part 2 we will see how a designer would decide when to use one of their precious SaPs (Swap a Piece - a colour change or printed element) on a printed decoration.
Today's random set is 8829 Dune Blaster, released during 1994. It's one of 8 Technic sets produced that year. It contains 278 pieces.
It's owned by 1,019 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $46.80, or eBay.
Today's random minifigure is sw0005Imperial Scout Trooper - Yellow Head, Dark Gray Torso Print, a Star Wars figure that was first produced during 1999. It can be found in 3 sets.
Our members collectively own a total of 121,085 of them. If you'd like to buy one you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $8.20.
Herbivorous dinosaurs have rarely appeared in the Jurassic World range, although this appears to be changing, as the Brachiosaurus was finally produced last year. Now the iconic Stegosaurus joins the selection, in 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery!
This dinosaur is certainly welcome, although the design has attracted some criticism, lacking the studs common among large LEGO animals. The accompanying vehicle and scenery seem appealing though, joining a pair of unique minifigures, plus a returning Velociraptor.
When I mentioned the new style of removable lid box in the review of 21061 Notre-Dame it generated a lot of interest and discussion, so I thought it would be worthwhile taking a closer look at them.
21349 Tuxedo Cat is the 57th set to be yielded by the LEGO Ideas platform. It's based on a project by Damian Andres that passed review in May 2023. Everyone loves cats, right, so it came as no surprise to me that the project was selected!
Tuxedo is not a term we in the UK use to describe black and white cats, or jackets for that matter, so that will be the last time I use it in this review.
The awesome pair of new Space sets, 10341 NASA Artemis Space Launch System and 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy, are now available at LEGO.com to Insiders, and a cool space-themed gift with purchase, 40687 Alien Space Diner, is free when you buy either, or anything else over £90 / $100 / €100.
Today,the LEGO Group, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, reveals the LEGO Icons Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr set, inspired by the award-winning film adaptations. Now in brick form, the epic dark tower and Eye of Sauron model has many hidden story references from the Lord of the Rings.
