9471 Urak-Hai Army
Posted by Huw,
As mentioned below, I've been loaned the LotR sets for photography purposes by the good people at Gizmocom and ToyAddict, which is just as well because it's going to be a couple of months until they are available to buy in Europe. I understand several shops in the USA (including TRU) are selling at least some of them now: I guess it's only fair that you get something early given Europe had Star Wars and Marvel a few weeks before you earlier in the year :-)
Anyway, I'll be creating a full minifig gallery in due course but for now I'm going to post photos of the sets, which were sent to me assembled, so I won't be able to tell you what the build is like.
First up, then, is 9471 Urak-Hai Army. This costs $35 in the USA and consists of a section of wall, 6 minifigs and a siege machine. The great thing about this is that not only is it a great 'army builder' it's also designed to be a 'castle extender': the wall section can be connected to 9474, The Batle of Helm's Deep, and I guess you could buy as many of these as you liked to build a massive castle wall. The back of the box shows how they can be combined.
The six minifigs are Eomer, a Rohan soldier and four Urak-hai. The latter all have the same legs, torso and head printing, but the addidion of helmets and armour to some of them has created three variations.
This is the only set that Eomer comes in, and one criticism is that, given the set is likely to be bought in multiples by those that want to stage large battles, it would perhaps have been better to have another generic Rohan soldier instead: after all, you only need one Eomer, right?
The horse is of the new articulated-back-legs type so it's possible to pose it in new ways. Unfortunately, however, the saddle prevents the minifig from bending forwards to be upright, which I'm sure he'd try and do in order to stay on the horse :-)
The seige machine is perhaps a little disappointing in that it looks big, heavy and fearsome, but it fires only small projectiles that don't look as if they'd have much of an impact on the castle walls. They do, however, launch at quite a speed.
So to conclude then, it's a neat set and one that will be worth picking up multiples of. $35 doesn't seem too bad for it, although it'll probably be £35 in the UK which will make it a bit on the expensive side.
Next up, probably tomorrow: 9476 The Orc Forge.
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39 comments on this article
Thanks for the review huw :) Very nice pictures. I'd say £35 for this is a complete rip-off but then most licensed lego is these days :( the price is especially bad considering the printing on the four Urak-Hai isn't even unique - that's just plain lazy. Really good review though, can't wait for more! :D
Thanks Huw, great review! The figures are really nice, and the new articulated horse looks amazing, I love it already! To allow the figure to bend forward when the horse rises up, maybe a 1x2 slab/flat piece (or two) placed inside the saddle for the figure to stand on could help alleviate the issue? :)
I think the projectiles are supposed to be grappling hooks to help the Uruk-Hai climb up the wall...it doesn't look like it would be impossible to mod in a piece of string or a winch to attach them to.
This is probably going to be my favourite set of the lot (or one of them)! Does anyone have any ideas when the set will be released to the masses in the UK? I am very much hoping this set will closer to £30 but either way, it still looks great to me!
@brickmommy - Thanks, I can't wait!
I believe the European release date is the end of June. It's possible that it might be later than that in the UK, though. If I had to guess, I'd say we'll see them first in the UK when the autumn-winter Argos catalogue appears in July.
Fellowship of the ring was on channel 4 last night and all I was thinking is how much I love this trilogy and how this Theme will immediately become my favourite theme ever!!! Just hoping they bring out the rest of the Characters at some point. CAN NOT WAIT for this!!!!
Of course it will also easily fit in with most of my current favourite theme which is Castle! ;-)
P.s. As always, Amazing review Huw!
I thought it was going to be $29.99 according to the toy fair, unless Lego have decided its too good Faye for how such a set is and jacked it up. I hope though that it will only be £29.99 if less ( I doubt it) as at £34.99 it's a total rip off.
On the other hand looks like a great set which I hope to get but will buy it reduced if its cost 34.99 GDP.
Thanks for the review, I just think the price is far to high. I might pick them up on Argos 3 for 2 when it comes around or on a trip to the US but at £34.99 no way.
^^^^That's what I thought.
Yes, there is a Lord of the Rings Video Game advertised in the instructions.
The price I quoted is the TRU price so the RRP is probably lower, $30, as you suggest. Not sure exactly what the UK price is but I would guess at least £25.
Holy cow, I had no idea that TRU was already selling these in the US. Very tempted to get at least one of them even though I know they're overpriced. Do you know what the official "street date" is supposed to be for them on LEGO.com?
^June. And yes, they have all the LOTR sets in store (apparently) and online. And they're all faithfully overpriced.
Like LEGOlas1 says below, Target or the LEGO Store would be a lot better.
^I think you want Target. TRU is way above retail, Target has them at retail.
If you buy multiples you could always mix things up with the two Rohan minifigures to make it seem like there are several variations of Rohan soldiers. Put the cape on the regular soldier, have the Eomer fig wear the plain helmet and bow, swap the heads and so on.
Anyway, why are people complaining about the price? You're getting SIX minifigures PLUS a horse, and that's not even counting the actual set. Even if the Uruk-hai figs aren't individually unique, they all come with slightly different armor/equipment to make them look different enough. Considering these are practically the clone troopers of the Lord of the Rings, it's not like these are supposed to look all that different from one another.
awesome just awesome(=
Thanks for the review! This looks great - it isn't a 'must get' compared to the others, but still one to pick up later if the wallet allows. If it's $30, it should really be £19 though- there are no excuses for a higher price otherwise.
Well, I capitulated and bought the Shelob set just to whet my appetite. I'll try and do a review when I get it in a couple of days.
Toys R Us always has things at at least five bucks over MSRP. This'll actually be thirty dollars when it hits the shelves anywhere that doesn't rip people off.
I just went to my local TRU, and they had all but the Orc Forge, but all of them were marked up at least 20-30USD each Weathertop was 79.99USD for a 430 piece set! That's insane even for TRU standards, I did pick up Shelob attacks though because that one as only 5USD over list, and was still good value for money. The sets still all look fantastic, and I'll probably pick them all up at list somewhere along the line.
Thanks for the review! Are the tiles on the siege machine printed or are they stickers?
Target.com has it for $30. That should be the MSRP. Excellent set of figs.
^^They are printed.
It has been confirmed the actual price of this set is going to be £29.99! Not £35 (9471 Uruk-hai Army)
The rest of the LOTR sets confirmed prices are as follows:
9470 Shelob Attacks will be =£19.99
9473 The Mines of Moria will be =£69.99
9474 The Battle of Helm's Deep will be =£99.99
9476 The Orc Forge will be =£39.99
9469 Gandalf Arrives will be =£11.99
9472 Attack on Weathertop =£49.99
^ thanks for the info -still all way too much money :( shame there are enough people out there who are desperate enough to pay these prices for TLC to be able to charge them :( not buying anything other than shelob attacks as it seems the most reasonable
Price is $29.99 in the U.S. $34.99 is the inflated TRU price.
I think that the Battle of Helm's Deep price is very reasonable. I was expecting about £130 like the most recent Millennium Falcon set.
Thanks @Mcotter...
I look forward to the LEGO LOTR video game! Also, when will sets related to 'The Hobbit' Be released?
Wow £30... £25 would have been steep, for basically a supersized battle pack. Wasn't tempted by this until I saw the figs photographed up close. The detailing is amazing. I was expecting a added licensing cost but weathertop and mines of moria seem especially over-priced, by about £15-20 each. I'll be waiting for a discount.
Wow, cool set! I really hope this series is available by June, my cousins B-Day is then and he is a LotR addict so I'm hoping to be able to pick one of these up for him (And while I am at it I might as well get some for myself ;)
As for the price I think it's reasonable. If it wasn't licensed I'd say it still be 25/30 dollars, and after all it's the license that really makes this set special. Otherwise it'd just be a wall and catapult. Also 6 minifigs in one set under 50$ is a rarity. And having the Urak-Hai all different would only add to the expense of the sets. Anyways as someone said earlier they're like the Clones of SW, they're supposed to be cookie cutter (As opposed to Orcs who are pretty much all different, and Lego did a great job at capturing that)
Looks lovely, but this one and the Orc Forge are probably on the bottom of my LOTR buying list...
gotta admit - they are winning me over. I may just conver to Castle/LOTR yet. =)
Are all the LOTR sets printed, or are some of them stickered?
Eomer and Rohan archer faces are mixed up...
LOTR is also available at Fred Meyer stores in the Pacific Northwest (9469,9470,9471,9473)
9469 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiredforsound23/7200880616/
9470 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiredforsound23/7200649954/
Is the spear and pointy sword made in China like CMF or are they made in Europe, Mexico ect.?
Also when the sets are released in June at Walmart, Target, and lego stores will the price be $29.99?
$60 seems a bit steep don't it?
Opps ignore the last line.
Let's not be afraid to give some criticism on these reviews. The main one for this set is where is Gandalf the White? This set is absolutely incomplete without him. This scene in the film has Gandalf as the main character and he's completely left out of it!