Not long after I reviewed LEGO’s other big Lord of the Rings Icons set, Rivendell, our favorite Danish company announced a new LotR Icons set for Barad-dûr. For those of you that may not remember from the Tolkien books or the movie adaptations, Barad-dûr is also known as the Dark Tower. It is Sauron’s stronghold, from within Mordor.
Having already built the elegant Rivendell, now it’s time to take a look at its sinister LEGO neighbor, Barad-dûr.
What Is the LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr?
The LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr, set #10333, is a 5,471-piece set that contains 10 minifigures. It is 696 pieces and 5 minifigures smaller than the Rivendell set, but still plenty big when completed at 33″ high x 18″ wide x 12″ deep. The smaller size of the set also results in a smaller price tag, coming in $40 cheaper than Rivendell at $459.99. The LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr set is available from LEGO stores or from the LEGO webshop.
Unpacking the LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr
The LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr set doesn’t dominate the table quite as much as Rivendell, as it only has 40 bags versus Rivendell’s 49. But it’s still an impressive amount of LEGO bricks! There’s just a single sticker sheet included in the set.
Much as with Rivendell, the LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr set comes with three separate assembly guides. The first book, at 280 pages, covers the assembly of the bottom level. This level includes the entrance, the forge, and the dungeons. The second book is the shortest at 116 pages, and gives instructions for assembling the middle level, which is the dining hall. Finally, the last book is for the tower. This 224-page book tells you how to make Sauron’s throne room, the library, and the Eye of Sauron at the top of the tower.
Besides instructions, the three books contain information on the design of the set, as well as tidbits about Barad-dûr from the Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings films.
The LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr – The Build
Spread throughout different parts of the build are the 10 minifigures included in the set:
Half of the minifigures in the set are various Orcs, and they all are kept fairly distinctive from each other. Gothmog, being a lieutenant of the Witch-King, especially stands out with his misshapen features. The headpieces for both Sauron and The Mouth of Sauron are dead-on recreations of the actual helms from the films.
Book One: The Base of the Tower
As previously mentioned, the first book details how to build the entrance, the forge, and the dungeons. The entirety of the LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr is three separate assemblies that then connect with each other, to form the entire Dark Tower.
Here’s a look at the build of the lowest level of Barad-dûr:
And this is what the completed bottom level looks like from the front:
Separate from the rest of the tower is a standalone piece representing the ledge in Mount Doom where Frodo takes the One Ring, in an attempt to cast it into the fires. You build this piece with the very first bag of the set.
This piece, like the base of the tower, makes great use of translucent yellow, red, and orange bricks to represent lava.
The base of the tower has a hidden stone on the side, which when rotated opens and closes the entrance to Barad-dûr. That’s not the only hidden feature, as there’s also a compartment that pulls out to reveal a spider.
The forge and dungeon have some nice details. My personal favorite is the skeleton in the cage, hanging over the lava.
Book Two: The Dining Hall
The middle level is only 7 bags, and so unsurprisingly is also the fastest to build of all three stages.
Here’s the finished dining hall, from the exterior:
Much like the tower’s base, the dining hall also has a hidden feature. This time, it’s a compartment that holds the design of the three rings given to the Elves.
The dining hall level slots into the base level securely. The design of the base also helps support the weight of both the dining hall and tower levels.
Book Three: The Tower Level
With the first book, you build the widest level. But with the final book, you build the tallest. Somehow, it’s fitting that Sauron’s seat of power would be found in the final 13 bags of the set.
Here is the completed tower level:
Notably, the Barad-dûr set also includes a light-up brick. That brick is situated in a way that lights up the Eye of Sauron:
Another great hidden feature is the palantir, which allows Sauron to communicate with Saruman. The palantir is hidden behind Sauron’s throne:
A simple mechanism opens the throne room, revealing the palantir chamber.
Putting It All Together
The tower level slots into the dining hall in the same way that the dining hall slotted into the base level. Here’s the completed Barad-dûr:
Once you’ve finished, you can place your minifigures throughout to recreate scenes from The Lord of the Rings films, or create new ones! I even found a spot on the side of the tower to attach that ledge for Frodo and the Ring.
The LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr – Final Thoughts
It’s impossible not to make comparisons with the LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell set, as that set and Barad-dûr are somewhat companion pieces to each other. Both are massive kits, and while Barad-dûr may not have as many pieces as Rivendell, you wouldn’t immediately know it looking at the two sets side by side. “Imposing” is probably the best adjective to describe the completed Barad-dûr.
I enjoyed building Barad-dûr, though there’s fittingly an almost unrelenting amount of black, grey, and brown bricks used in the assembly. There are a lot of fun details in both sets, and also a lot of repetition in areas of both the builds. Overall, I’d say I had a bit more fun in building Rivendell. There were so many great uses of LEGO pieces to replicate the delicate Elven architecture with that set, that I found delight in every bag. I’d say with Barad-dûr, my chief delight came from some of the hidden features like the palantir chamber, and the main doors that open by turning a hidden stone. I just need some LEGO Nazgûl to come riding out of those doors!
So, should you get The LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr? If you already own Rivendell, then definitely. The two sets look great together, and you’ll be very happy displaying them side by side. If you don’t own either and can only afford one, I’d have to reluctantly say you should get Rivendell. Reluctantly, because Barad-dûr is a great set, but doesn’t quite capture the same magic that Rivendell does. But, there’s nothing that says you can’t get Rivendell first, and then save up to purchase Barad-dûr later…
All right LEGO, now bring on the LEGO Icons Lord of the Rings: Helm’s Deep, or maybe The Mines of Moria, replete with Balrog?
For more information on the LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr set, head over to the LEGO website.
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LEGO sent this set for evaluation but had no input into the review.
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