With the new Hobbit film The Desolation of Smaug almost upon us, there also comes some rather tasty Lego. Here are two of four kits for your eyes to feast on; we’ll have the final two soon.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Mirkwood™ Elf Army 79012
Set Details: Released 1st December 2013, 276 pieces, RRP £29.99 $29.99
Age Range: 8 – 14
Official Blurb: “The Orcs are trespassing on the lands of the great Elven king, Thranduil, and a thrilling battle is inevitable. Climb the rotating tree at the edge of Mirkwood Forest and keep watch. When the Gundabad Orc warriors draw near on foot or riding the ferocious brown Warg, defend the Elven stronghold with the Mirkwood™ Elf army. Watch out for Orcs using the ladder to scale the wall. Flick missiles from the wall, then grab a weapon from the rack and attack! Split the tree in two for ambush mode to send Elven warriors flying over the wall and shock the Orc invaders! Includes 6 minifigures with assorted weapons and accessories: Thranduil, Mirkwood Elf, 2 Mirkwood Elf Archers and 2 Gundabad Orcs.”
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Dol Guldur Ambush 79011
Set Details: Released 1st December 2013, 217 pieces, RRP £19.99 $19.99
Age Range: 8 – 14
Official Blurb: “At the fortress ruins of Dol Guldur the Gundabad Orcs lie in wait for Beorn™ with their weapons and firing mobile catapult. But that’s just the start of the danger for the great warrior. There are traps everywhere in the old ruin. Can Beorn avoid the huge spikes at the entrance, hidden flick missile and deadly swinging hammer and axe traps? That’s for you to decide. Includes 3 minifigures with assorted weapons: Beorn and 2 Gundabad Orcs with exclusive new armor.”
Where were these when I was a kid?! I had knights and a castle, but Legos have truly reached another level in the past ten years. Star Wars, LOTR, there are just too many cool kits out now.
They have. Unfortunately the level they have reached is “Exceedingly Cost Prohibitive”. I’m glad that these weren’t around when I was a kid because I’d have been a very disappointed kid! Heck at this point I’m a very sad adult age person.
Let’s see what two pages of amazon search turn up…
LOTR sets:
Pirate Ambush: $82
Black Gate: $59
Elrond: $22
Helm’s deep: $158
Shelob: $25
Moria: $95
Wizard battle: $20
Orthanc: $200
Gandalf arrives: $24
Weathertop: $72
Orc forge: $71
Urak Army: $45
Uruk ballista: $10
Total: $883
Hobbit (to date):
Gathering: $52
Riddles: $7
Spiders: $20
Wargs: $37
Goblin King: $67
Elf Army:$50
Dol Guldur ambush:$17
Barrels: $54
Dol Guldur battle: $59
Total: 363
Grand total: $1246
Hmmm pay the mortgage for a month or buy legos. LOL.
I suspect I’m very wrong and it is just my adult, internet-aware self playing tricks on me. As I look up a list of the sets for classic space (which is what I was in love with growing up) there are many many more and I only had about four of those sets and only two large ones. I guess I am just an greedy adult. Now that I say it, checking with my mortgage company about skipping a month for hardship reasons doesn’t actually sound too bad. I wonder if “Acute Lego Deficiency” is a valid hardship reason for the bank. Hmmmm…..