What a great set! This is a small set, so I'll give it a correspondingly short review.

With just 27 pieces, it manages to include a surprising number of useful (and in some cases, hard to find) pieces that any historic/castle/LOTR/Hobbit builder will be happy to get their hands on.

The minifigure is excellent, with a unique torso and (IMO) the awesome new-ish longbow. Like many others, I wish a dark green cloak had been included, but the set doesn't suffer too much from the lack. The dark green hood is a welcome addition.

The build is simple and quick, but still manages to turn out a fun little tree, complete with torch and mushroom. As a fan of the Hobbit book, the presence of the torch, barrel and goblet are a happy surprise . . . a welcome easter egg that references the woodland party that the dwarves interrupt several times before finally being captured.

All in all, this is a fantastic little set that is a must-have for LOTR/Hobbit collectors, and also a great set for the army-builders among us. It's not on shelves anymore, but snag several if you get the chance!

While you're waiting for me to review the last boxed Hobbit set, Attack of the Wargs, I thought I'd take a quick look at 30212 Mirkwood Elf Guard, which I now have in my possession thanks to DaveBey.

It's one of the better polybags to have been released recently, for two reasons. Firstly, the minifig is excellent. It's generic which means you can never have enough of them, and it features a piece in a new colour: the dark green cloak hood. It would have been better had it come with a dark green cloak as well, but I guess that would have increased the price too much for a polybag.

Secondly, the parts that make up the tree are all good and useful. Polybags with vehicles in them are all wheels, axles and tyres and not much else, but this one is full of useful slopes, arches, a plant limb and a mushroom top, as you can see from the parts list.

If you're in the US, and you haven't done so already, get on over to TRU and snap some up while you can.

Here's the elf in all his glory.

I bought this set new off Bricklink about four years after its release for approximately six dollars US. I am quite pleased with my purchase. The Mirkwood Elf minifig is good quality but not outstanding; he's no Thranduil or armored Elrond. The accessories include the Elf's hood and quiver, an elven bow, a wine glass, a keg, and a mushroom, all of which are satisfactory. Also included are two tree limb pieces, some brown and green slopes, and a large dark green foliage piece. The build is brief and simple, but delivers a nice looking tree.

As far as playability goes, there isn't much to see here. It's just an Elf, a keg, and a tree. No play functions or anything. Personally, the lack of a play function is fine by me, but it might bother some people.

The Mirkwood Elf Guard polybag makes a good addition to any LEGO Fantasy/Tolkien collection. Just don't pay over seven dollars US for this set.

I went to the local Toys'R'Us hoping they would have some of The Hobbit sets in stock early Sadly they didn't but it wasn't a total bust - I was able to pick up this little set.

Box/Instructions

The 'box' is a typical polybag. The "The Hobbit" logo is very pleasing, with a lovely shot of a New Zealand mountain in the background. The set itself is displayed over a dark background, befitting the Mirkwood forest in which it is set.

The instructions are a single foldable sheet. The printing is very nice, with the background being the famous Map To Lonely Mountain from the book and film of The Hobbit. The set is assembled in a mere 7 steps, and there's a large ad for set 79010 Goblin King on the back of the instructions page.

Parts

Despite having only 27 parts, the selection is great. All the pieces used in the tree could be easily integrated in larger arboreal structures, especially the large dark green leaf piece and the two brown arches. The printed mushroom, old flame piece, green goblet, and emerald gemstone are all welcome pieces in any collection.

Minifigures

The Elf Guard is of course the centerpiece of the set, as he is an exclusive minifigure, very rare in a polybag. He is as detailed a figure as you could ever want in a 'normal' set, with a lovely olive green torso (with back printing!) that would fit into any medieval setting.He has a surprisingly double-sided head, one side calm and one side yelling and angry. Both sides have those high Elfin cheekbones that make him look appropriately haughty. His longbow and quiver are nothing new, but are highly appropriate for his character, and the dark green hood is very nice to have, especially since according to Bricklink it's new with this set.

The Build

The build is very insubstantial, as are all builds with only 20-something pieces. There's not much to say about it.

The completed model

The finished model is a nice little package all together. The tree, while tiny, still stands tall over the elf figure, and would fit right in with the larger Mirkwood forest set, 79001. The barrel with goblet seems a little out of place, except that in the book it's clear that the elves are enjoying a feast in the forest when the Party of Dwarves runs across them. All in all it looks larger and more substantial than its piece count would imply, like a tiny, well-designed component of a larger set.