Agree with everyone else who feels that there ought to have been more than one type of elf hair piece. There were several made for the previous LotR sets and some of those would have been perfectly suited for re-use here. On balance, I actually prefer the more streamlined look of the previous version of the “standard” elf hair piece with ears; this new one feels just a little too bulky to me. Shieldmaiden of Rohan, and slayer of the Witch King. “I am no man!” Eowyn is shown in a 5x7” vintage resin frame with a burgundy interior and gold roses encircling the outer rim.

Official images have demonstrated that the Council of Elrond can be displayed separately from Rivendell, presumably for anyone seeking a smaller The Lord of the Rings display. Options are always welcome and the model does look impressive alone, but I am not convinced this feature was truly necessary. Rivendell appears decidedly peculiar without its focal location, after all. There are 12 council members. I would add two temple guards and Jocasta Nu for the figure lineup. If it wasn't going to be the full council, I would keep the temple guards and Jocasta Nu, as well as Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, Agen Kolar, Adi Galia, Kit Fisto, Saessee Tiin, and Oppo Ranciss from the council. I would also add Ahsoka and the younglings that she teaches which are Gungi, Ganodi, Katooni, Zat, Pedro, and Byph. Although I doubt they would do the younglings since some of them are the same species as council members(Zat and Katooni), and they likely aren't popular enough. If I were to maintain a 15 minifig limit, I would cut from the previous list Kit Fisto and Plo Koon since their popularity will likely get them in a set at some point no matter what. Realistically, it would contain Yoda, Windu, Anakin, Obi wan, maybe Ahsoka, popular council members like Plo Koon and Kit Fisto, and hopefully a few temple guards. The river underneath is primarily constructed with trans-light blue tiles, covering teal plates. This colour combination yields a vibrant blue, which certainly suits Rivendell's clear waters. The white foam looks lovely as well, bubbling with particular ferocity under the waterfalls. Plants surround the stream and include the new fern element, 34 of which are scattered throughout the set.

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Akin to the Hobbits benefitting from the dual-moulded legs developed after they last appeared in minifigure form, Gandalf the Grey includes a modern dress piece to recreate his robes, greatly improving upon the prior minifigure. The decoration across the torso and dress element matches his original garb and the reverse also displays some creasing, despite usually being covered. Son of Thranduil of Mirkwood, Legolas the Elf is featured in a real LOTR metal collectors frame with mallorn leaves on each corner. 4x6”

Peregrin Took is similarly attired in his finery, with a detailed scarf. All three minifigures feature traditional smiles, but also include second expressions chosen to reflect their personalities. Sam accordingly appears very serious and carries a frying pan, while Merry looks excited and Pippin is nervous. Naturally, the more troublesome Hobbits are laden with food, including Elven lembas bread. The columns appear fragile, although some are surreptitiously reinforced using 1x1 round plates with bars, which connect them to the walls. A dark blue banner hangs behind the columns and resembles several from the films, featuring silver stars. Perhaps a couple more could have been included to balance the interior. Had they made it a much larger, micro-scale build, I would probably be more compelled to buy it day 1." In the book, it was Glorfindel who assisted Frodo at the Ford of Bruinen. This powerful and ancient Elf was the Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, so his ornate cream frame with gold details, the golden flower pin on his cloak, and blonde hair are all strong signifiers of who this portrait is. Glorfindel is an honored addition to this collection. 5x7” wood oval. Furthermore, the bedroom also includes Bilbo's writing desk, where he completes the Red Book of Westmarch, recounting his adventures. The quill in the inkwell looks great, while the desk is adorned with scrolls underneath. The teal-upholstered chair is neatly constructed and provides some additional colour, but the reddish brown frame looks odd, surrounded by dark orange and medium nougat furnishings.

Mentioning this bit of info in the review would have been helpful for those of use who were not privy to that FMD panel discussion. Remarkably, a unique accessory has been developed to represent Elendil's shattered blade and this weapon looks absolutely perfect. The distinctive hilt is instantly identifiable and the uneven break looks realistic too. Hopefully the reforged sword taken up by Aragorn, dubbed Andúril, will appear in any future The Lord of the Rings sets. They could also design the Jedi Archives and include Tera Sinube and Jocasta Nu (so we can re-enact the Grand Inquisitor fighting her in the library), and I would also want at least Gungi (since they could theoretically reuse him for Bad Batch sets)" Featured in an ornate gold frame, as he forged the One Ring to rule them all. 5x7” wood oval with hand gold leafing and hand rubbed for an antiqued look. The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell contains over 6000 pieces and occupies an enormous space on display, measuring 73cm across. The combination of muted dark tan and olive green colours with vibrant trees and roof tiles looks spectacular and I appreciate how different sections of the setting are angled, enhancing its realism. Of course, this configuration also increases the depth of the model.

Representatives from varied peoples of Middle-earth descend on Rivendell to determine the fate of the One Ring and Gloin, Gimli's father, is among the Dwarven attendees. The beard appears equally detailed in white, but I dislike the plain shirt underneath. Gloin's clothing is never clearly presented onscreen in The Lord of the Rings, so perhaps his attire from The Hobbit could have given inspiration instead. Which is why I'm not buying it day one. I will wait for it to show up somewhere else with a discount. Featured in a pure white wood oval 5x7” frame. Gandalf’s hair and beard are completely white, notating his change in status after his return from death after battling the Balrog. The ground floor is luxuriously adorned with 69 printed tiles, matching those from the courtyard outside. This pattern looks fantastic and precisely reflects the onscreen location, with light bluish grey tiles framing the decorative centrepiece. Unfortunately, the star-shaped design overlaps the edge of the model, so finishes rather abruptly.

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Not having a fully re-forged Anduril as well as the hilt shard of Narsil (as cool as it genuinely is!) also feels like a miss in a set this expensive. Admittedly that’s more for the books than the movies at this point in the story but we can only hope that the fully restored version of this sword appears in LotR sets yet to come… and the same for Gandalf’s Glamdring. And Sting (either version) is a great substitute for the sword Wonder Woman uses in the Gal Gadot films (certainly much better than the gladius). The neighbouring structure retains the patterned roof from Elrond's chambers, although features different bands of colour. The columns underneath are absolutely stunning and I appreciate the continued integration of sand green pieces, which are ubiquitous across Rivendell. The archway looks superb, with a statuette and two undecorated birds creating a decorative frieze on top. iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, 2017 iPad, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3, iPad Mini 4, 9.7-inch iPad Pro: I feel like even only 15 figures would be pushing the limit of LEGO Star Wars a little bit, but yeah, I agree with your selections! I definitely just want a modern Plo Koon. Also forgot about the Temple Guards, definitely would want at least 2.