My review of the latest large-scale LEGO® Icons set inspired by The Lord of the Rings should have been published long before now. But due to a series of unfortunate events, including a misprinted instruction book, several incorrect elements and waiting for them to be replaced, along with a hospital visit has meant it’s been extremely delayed. Thankfully, I’ve finally been able to complete the set, so here’s a brief collection of my thoughts about it. I won’t be going into great detail, but here goes.
Product Details
Set Name: The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith | Set Number: 11377 | Pieces: 8278 | Theme: Icons
Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: n/a | Minifigures: Gandalf the White, Faramir, Denethor, Peregrin Took, Aragorn as King Elessar, Arwen and 4 x Soldiers of Gondor, plus a Shadowfax horse figure
RRP: £579.99 / 649.99€ / $649.99 / 99.99AUD / 929.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & LEGO retailers
Since the LEGO Group returned to Middle-Earth for a new set inspired by The Lord of the Rings, they have been part of the Icons range and have focused on one large-scale set a year. These have included the gloriously detailed Rivendell. A visit to The Shire and the imposing Barad-Dûr. The latest heads to Gondor and its white city stronghold of Minas Tirith. It’s a location which plays a great importance in The Lord of the Rings film, especially in The Return of the King. During the third film, Minas Tirith is besieged by the armies of Mordor. Compared to other The Lord of the Rings sets, this is based on the biggest structure yet.
With this being such a large set, it’s built in sections. These include the lower outer walls and ornate gate. Then the inner city, which is built into the side of a mountain, so also features a large rocky outcrop. It’s topped by the iconic courtyard, where Denethor falls to his fiery death, Aragorn is crowned the true King of Gondor and the Hobbits bow to no one. The base of the set and its inner sections are all minifigure-scale, but as you travel up the loft top of the set, it becomes microscale. It’s an interesting concept and one which mostly works. It’s a fan most LEGO fans love minifigures, and the differing scale allows the set to include the entire structure as well as areas where the minifigures can recreate moments from the film. But I’d have much rather seen the set completely built in microscale. But then the interior would have just been a vast space. Although I guess that space could have been used for a series of minifigure-scale dioramas or mini scenes inspired by moments from the film. I fully understand why it was chosen to blend scale and mostly works.
The different scales also mean the set uses some interesting build techniques. These include the way some pieces are connected, some of which are easily dislodged as they are loosely connected or, in some places, merely sit in place. But this isn’t a playset and an 18+ set, so these unusual building methods are fine and in some cases fully expected. As mentioned, most of the exterior of Minas Tirith, beyond the base, is microscale, but that’s not the case within the walls of the White City. This offers various areas where minifigures will feel at home, including the great hall where Denethor enjoys his juicy tomatoes. I love some of the details included here, especially around the domed roof. Either side of the great hall are two inner chambers. These are accessed by removing a small section of the exterior. The rooms within include a study and bedroom, but they feel more like space-fillers than places inspired by important moments from the film.
The set features 10 minifigures, 12 if you also include the two King of Gondor statues awkwardly aligned in Minas Tirith’s great hall. All of the minifigures are unique to this set. They include Aragorn in his King of Gondor robes; this is the set’s best minifigure, thanks to the use of a new crown/hairpiece, armour plate and print detail on the torso. He’s joined by a unique version of Peregrin Took, partly dressed in Gondor armour. A new version of Gandalf the White, which has a far more detailed torso compared to previous versions, but the 2013 version’s hairpiece was much better. Arwen is featured in her regal gown for the first time and includes a long banner. The set also sees the minifigure debuts of Faramir and Denethor, along with four soldiers of Gondor. It’s an interesting mix of characters, especially as they are all unique.
It’s by far one of the largest of the sets inspired by the beloved film series. Because of its size, it’s not the easiest set to display. It has a large footprint and stands quite tall, so you’ll need a lot of space to house it. As it’s built in sections, it’s also not the easiest thing to move around. The lower wall and gate section isn’t physically connected to the rest of the set; instead, it’s just slots around the rest of the set. So you’ll need to take care when moving it. But overall it’s a wonderful set; it looks amazing, and despite a few issues, it’s great to see another iconic Middle-Earth location recreated with LEGO bricks.
The LEGO Group provided this set to BricksFanz.com for review purposes. The thoughts in this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or Warner Bros. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of it
