Gandalf is very similar, I prefer the old cape and head, but the torso and legs/dress will depend on the circumstance. The new Aragorn and Sam have different outfits, so their use depends on the situation. I prefer the ranger Aragorn, although the council outfit is useful in Rivendell. Sam’s new outfit is useful for while in the shire, while his old outfit is good for his outfit further into the journey. I think the old Aragorn and Boromir heads capture the actors better, although the new Boromir might be useful if I want to switch his hair to the more accurate reddish brown. I’m unsure on which outfit is better, there are certain aspects of each design I prefer better, so I’ll wait to see it in person. I like the new Boromir shield, although the older feels more ‘Lego’ to me. The figures share the same rubbery hairpiece: the female’s hair is cool yellow, while the male’s hair is dark brown. Peregrin ‘Pippin’ Took Ancient Psychic Tandem War Elephant • Banana Guard • BMO • Bouncy Bee • Box Kingdom Citizen • Choose Goose • Cinnamon Bun • Earl of Lemongrab • Evil Guy • Fern • Finn • Flame Princess • Giant Ogre • Gnome • Goliad • Gumball Guardian • Gunter • Heart Beast • Hunny Bunny • Ice King • Jake • Key-per • Lady Rainicorn • Lemonjon • Lop Top • Lumpy Space Princess • Magic Man • Manfried • Mannish Man • Marauder • Marceline • Monster • Mountain Man • N.E.P.T.R. • Old Lady • Peppermint Butler • Pillow Dragon • Princess Bubblegum • Roselinen • Sleepy Sam • Snail • Snow Golem • Stormo • The Lich • Tree Trunks Legolas is by far the biggest disappointment. The face does not fit him at all, and the one-size-fits-all approach to the elf hair in this set is just not very good. I don’t remember ever seeing his hair go over his ears in the movies.

Minifigures: x1 Aragorn, x1 Gimli, x1 King of the Dead, x1 Legolas, x1 Moridor Orc (bald), x1 Moridor Orc (bald with armor), x1 Pirate of Umbar, x2 Soldier of the Dead (two variations) I'm just gonna copy and paste what I wrote on the Rivendell announcement article, where I did my own comparisons based on the pictures: The different styles of torso decoration between minifigures are interesting, as the new versions are cleaner than those from 2012, which captured more creases. The variation looks particularly noticeable on Pippin, whose scarf was originally far messier and whose buttons are now hidden behind his lapel. The line work on the characters is all of a finer gauge and relatively simplified compared to a decade ago. In the meantime, the increased use of gold and silver metallic inks increases the detail, particularly amongst the elven folk. We recently looked at the building experience for 10316 Rivendell– the upcoming LEGO Icons set. It is big, with over 6000 pieces and 15 minifigures (+6 statues)! I thought I would take a closer look at the new minifigures, and compare them with the original Lord of the Rings figures from 2012-13. Boromir, Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas Male Elf, Elrond, Arwen, Female Elf and GloinThere are also some new printed elements, including a set of three unique printed tiles to make a mosaic floor. You’ll get 64 of the regular 2×2 tiles, 6 of the corner design 2×2 tiles, and 7 of the shield tiles.

I think minifigure designs took an enormous step forward around 2011 and 2012, becoming far more intricate and more focused on accuracy to any source material. However, this comparison shows another interesting update since then. The use of dual-moulded parts was inevitable, but the simpler torsos seemingly reflect a conscious change in style. If there’s one Lord of the Rings set to rule them all, Rivendell is certainly the One! The most ambitious set in the series to date, Rivendell captures the scene and the formation of the legendary Fellowship of the Ring. Members of the group seek to find the Ring of Power and destroy it. Relive the moment all of the key players gather for the first time at the scenic Elvish sanctuary. With the hobbits, it feels like the old torsos are overcomplicated, while the new ones are a bit oversimplified. I prefer the look of the old Frodo and Pippin torsos, and the new Sam and Merry ones, but they are overall very similar. I like the new dual molded hobbit feet. Merry and Frodo swapping hair is a bit strange, I think I’ll give them both the nougat hair, as it is more movie accurate. The new and old hobbit heads are both great, I’ll use each depending on the circumstance. I like how the new ones are more happy and goofy, while the old ones capture the actor’s likenesses a bit better.

Peregrin Took

The most significant difference between the original Hobbits and their modern equivalents is the use of dual-moulded legs, representing their bare feet. Additionally, the variation between these torsos shows how LEGO printing has developed, with crisper lines. Now we’ve got each of the three segments finished. Each third works well on its own and is an impressive build, with well over a thousand pieces in even the smallest of the sections. Each of the segments slides into its neighbor with exposed Technic axle pins but they’re for alignment only, and the segments are functionally separate (a single clip connects the roofline between the tower and middle section). If you need to move or even rotate the diorama, you’ll probably need to do so to each section individually. While we're on the subject of hair, the single style of elf hair piece seems very limiting. Dual-moulded may be an improvement but the top of the head looks oddly "bulbous" from some views in this new version. Given the number of elves, they had the opportunity to do more with this. Folks have mentioned Gandalf's staff; I can see their point but I'm more wiling to accept the generic piece. To me, the more egregious failing is the continued use of grey for Gandalf's hat! It was specifically described as "blue" in the book and also clearly blue in the movies too, even if it was a more washed-out and faded blue. Sand blue would have been a much more appropriate colour here and would have been a suitable "upgrade" from the original run of Gandalf minifigures. I had wondered if they would opt to use the more detailed wizard hat that was recently introduced; the hat would have been fine but the incorporated hair component would not really have been right for Gandalf so I'm glade the opted to stay away from this as the original wizard hat from the early-'90s works perfectly well here!