LEGO Lord of the Rings: Shire Starts Epic Quest

LEGO enthusiasts and fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga have a new reason to celebrate. On April 2, LEGO Insiders will have the first chance to purchase the highly anticipated LEGO Lord of the Rings: The Shire set, followed by a general release on April 5. This set marks the third LEGO Lord of the Rings release within the last three years, following the intricate 6,167-piece Rivendell in 2023 and the imposing 5,471-piece Barad-dûr in 2024.

Out April 5

LEGO LOTR: The Shire, the Beginning of an Epic Quest

The new 2,017-piece LEGO The Shire set captures the essence of the Hobbiton village with its warm, detailed design. Every wall is rounded or curved, and each surface is adorned with accessories, creating a truly immersive experience. IGN had the opportunity to test-build this charming set provided by LEGO. While it beautifully reflects the cozy and rustic feel of the Shire, it's worth noting that its price might seem steep given its piece count.

We Build LEGO LOTR Shire

146 Images

Set #10354 offers a detailed rendition of Bilbo Baggins' hobbit-hole, as depicted during his "eleventy-first" birthday celebration. This set includes nine minifigures: Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Mrs. Proudfoot, Farmer Proudfoot, Merry, Pippin, Rosie Cotton, Samwise Gamgee, and Gandalf the Grey. The hobbit-hole is ingeniously designed, built into a green-bricked hillside with a cutaway at the back, allowing a glimpse into three distinct rooms: the main foyer accessed through the iconic round door, a study to the left, and a dining and sitting area to the right.

These rooms are constructed separately and then joined together using clamps, ensuring a seamless hillside exterior and a cozy, interconnected interior. The designers have gone to great lengths to replicate the warmth of Bilbo's home, featuring various patterned rugs, stacks of letters from "well-wishers," and food tucked into every corner. Highlights include a wedge of cheese above the fireplace and a loaf of bread with libations on the windowsill.

The set is also filled with mementos from Bilbo's youthful adventures. The Mithril Coat, a gift to Frodo before his journey to Mordor, is stored in a large chest by the door. A well-worn map, pivotal to Thorin and Company's quest to the Lonely Mountain, rests near the teapot on a table. Additionally, a sword and parasol are displayed in the umbrella stand by the entrance.

The set features a single mechanical element utilizing LEGO Technic, allowing you to change the fireplace display from a charred envelope to the One Ring—a subtle nod to a key scene in "The Fellowship of the Ring" where Gandalf reveals the Ring's markings to Frodo.

The rooms are designed to be wider than they are tall, true to the lore and creating a sense of open, welcoming space. The interior construction is straightforward, but the exterior, with its flowing curves, demands careful attention for accuracy and placement.

Building The Shire evokes a tactile pleasure similar to running a hand over a globe, feeling the terrain's relief. The set uses multiple curved green pieces to create a natural landscape, with varying slopes and erosion patterns, reflecting the hobbits' harmonious relationship with their environment. The iconic Bag End is crowned with a tree, its branches extending gracefully over the hilltop.

Additional exterior elements enhance the set's playability and scene-setting capabilities. These include a birthday cake, a Party Tree adorned with multi-colored lanterns, a patterned tent (memorably blown sky-high by Merry and Pippin in the film), a flying red dragon firework, and Gandalf's horse-drawn carriage. The set also allows for switching Frodo and Gandalf's legs between standing and sitting positions for the carriage ride.

A clever feature is a set of barrels rigged to interlocking gears, enabling Bilbo's iconic "disappearance" at his birthday party's end.

Overall, LEGO The Shire is a delightfully simple set compared to its predecessors, Rivendell and Barad-dûr, reflecting the humble and cozy lifestyle of the hobbits. However, its simplicity contrasts sharply with its price, which, at $270 for 2,017 pieces, exceeds the typical 10 cents per brick metric by 34%. This pricing seems disproportionate when compared to other LEGO sets, including the 2024 LEGO Star Wars Jabba's Sail Barge, which, despite being 3,943 pieces, only exceeds the metric by 27%.

Ironically, despite its higher per-piece cost, The Shire remains the most budget-friendly option for Lord of the Rings fans unable to justify the larger sets. Yet, the question remains whether LEGO's established goodwill and the enduring love for Tolkien's universe will sustain this pricing model.

For those interested, a LEGO mini-movie featuring this set is also available for viewing:

LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Shire, Set #10354, retails for $269.99 and is composed of 2,017 pieces. It is available at the LEGO Store beginning on April 2 for LEGO Insiders and on April 5 for the general public.