Orthanc set

Okay, anyone who reads this blog already knows this, but I have to note the Orthanc set that will be released in July. At 2359 pieces and over two feet high, this thing is pretty amazing.


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I just want to note something that made me do a Tolkien geek happy dance. If you look closely at the library level, there are portraits of five wizards! So at least in picture form we get LEGO versions of Alatar and Pallando. On the back wall on the left is Radagast and the right side has Gandalf. Saruman's portrait is in the middle of the back wall under those arches (blocked by the fig in this picture, but you can see it in another picture). Then on the left-hand side wall there is another figure - and if you look close you can see the edge of a sticker (yes, unfortunately these are stickers) on the right-hand wall.



In another interesting little detail, there are five wizards' staffs in the set. The simple brown one is Gandalf's as has already been seen in released sets, and the one with the white light bulb cover is Saruman's, as seen in the box art. So what are the other three? Did Saruman steal them from the other three wizards (as he accused Gandalf of wanting to do)? Are the LEGO designers implying that they've disappeared by the time of the events of the Peter Jackson movies, and that this is due to some underhanded doings of Saruman?



Add to this a fully furnished interior, a great set of figs (including Wormtongue who seems to be exclusive to this set), an eagle and a sweet brick-built Ent (presumably Treebeard), and this turns out to be a pretty epic set.