LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith (Image: LEGO)
From Star Wars and Sonic the Hedgehog, to Friends, Fortnite and Harry Potter, it seems like every major IP has its own LEGO range. However, as much as I love a good Minecraft set, and I wish I’d picked up the now retired Atari 2600, there are no sets more spectacular than the LEGO Lord of the Rings range.
Ever since LEGO released its 8,000+ piece Minas Tirith set, I’ve been building my through Middle-earth in order to bring you a definitive ranking of the best Lord of the Rings LEGO sets released so far.
6. Sauron’s Helmet
Sauron’s Helmet certainly isn’t as grandiose as the other sets on this list, but as a centrepiece for your bookshelf, it’s definitely worth having.
The iconic helm is made up of 538 pieces, and comes with a Sauron mini-figure, which you can use to recreate the battle at Mount Doom, where he lost the One Ring.
It’s a fairly quick and straightforward build, which is why it’s so low down on the list, but if you like the baddies like I do, this is an essential purchase.
Sauron’s Helmet is available from the LEGO website for £64.99.
5. Balrog Book Nook
The Balrog Book Nook pips Sauron’s Helmet by virtue of being just a tad more unique and interesting. It’s perhaps not as iconic as Sauron’s Helmet, but when opened up to expose the flaming backdrop, it’s arguably more striking.
Indeed, the Book Nook recreates the classic moment when Gandalf squares off against the Balrog on the narrow stone Bridge of Khazad-dûm inside the mines of Moria.
With more than 1200 pieces, there’s a bit more to it than Sauron’s Helmet, but it’s still a relatively straightforward build that you should be able to finish in one sitting.
The Balrog Book Nook is available from the LEGO website for £109.99.
4. The Shire
Of all the LEGO Lord of the Rings sets, The Shire is probably the one I had the most fun building. Perhaps it’s what it represents, but it’s a relaxing build that recreates Bilbo’s birthday party at the start of The Fellowship of the Ring.
The main centrepiece of this 2,000+ piece set is Bilbo Baggin’s hobbit hole, complete with the iconic round door, entrance hall, study and parlour.
However, it’s the accompanying parts that really gives this set its personality. You’ve got Gandalf the Grey and Frodo riding in on a horse and carriage that’s packed with fireworks, all the while Farmer Proudfoot and Mrs Proudfoot watch on. Merry and Pippin are also present (alongside Gandalf’s Dragon firework), as well as a functioning stage that Bilbo uses for his disappearing act. Even Sam’s future wife Rosie makes an appearance among the party goers.
The Shire is available from the LEGO website for £229.99.
LEGO Rivendell (Image: lego)
LEGO Barad-dur (Image: LEGO)
LEGO Minas Tirith (Image: LEGO)
3. Rivendell
OK, now is when things get really tough. I was debating whether to put Rivendell second or third, but my love of all things dark and evil meant Barad-dur got the nod for second spot. Still, if you can only afford one LEGO Lord of the Rings set, Rivendell is a worthy purchase.
It really is a beautiful set, featuring a stunning recreation of the House of Elrond. The autumnal foliage is a big part of what makes this set feel so magical, transporting fans to the iconic location where the Fellowship was born. Likewise, details such as the elven forge, the Shards of Narsil, Elrond’s study and Frodo’s bedroom really draws you into the world and makes this such a deep and satisfying build.
The mini-figures alone are almost worth the asking price, featuring the likes of Frodo, Sam, Bilbo Baggins, Boromir, Gimli, Aragorn, Legolas, Elrond and Gandalf the Grey.
At £429.99 it’s not cheap, but with more than 8,000 pieces, you’ll get days – if not weeks – of fun building such a fantastic set.
Rivendell is available from the LEGO website for £429.99.
2. Barad-dur
While Minas Tirith was the set that got me hooked, the 5,471 piece Barad-dur is the one I was most looking forward to building, and it didn’t disappoint.
Central to this stunning set is the towering Eye of Sauron that stands high above Middle-earth scanning for the One Ring – it’s even illuminated for added authenticity. You’ve also got a fully-functional automated Black Gate, as well as detailed rooms such as the forge, throne room and even a prison for Sauron’s captives.
It also comes with ten superb figures, including Sauron himself, as well as Frodo and Sam in their Orc helmets, not to mention Gollum, Gothmog and my personal favourite, the Eye of Sauron.
Barad-dur is available from the LEGO website for £399.99.
1. Minas Tirith
There’s one word that sums up the recently released LEGO Minas Tirith set: spectacular. Featuring a whopping 8,278 pieces, the breathtaking LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith set stands at almost 2ft tall and perfectly captures the majesty of the iconic location.
Gazing at the set head on fans are greeted by the towering city walls and the White Tree of Gondor. From the back, it opens up to reveal more intimate locations, including bedrooms, study and throne room where Perry sings to Denethor while he chomps on his chicken leg.
The set also includes ten minifigures that played a crucial role in the Siege of Minas Tirith and days leading up to it, including Gandalf the White, Faramir, Aragorn and four Soldiers of Gondor.
Shadowfax is also included, as well as various accessories such as helmets, shields and Aragorn’s crown.
The centrepiece of my LEGO Lord of the Rings collection, this took me weeks to build, but it was an absolute pleasure.
If you can afford the rather steep £579.99 price tag, this will be a talking point for years to come.
Minas Tirith is available from the LEGO website for £579.99.
