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#2392 SET REVIEW: 10333 Barad-Dûr

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One does not simply walk into Mordor! That is unless they have Mordor at home! And now you can with the impressive LEGO Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr set 10333. The Fortress of Sauron rises high above the Plateau of Gorgoroth, and is topped by his ever watchful eye! Recreate favorite moments with a host of minifigures, including 4 orcs, Gothmog, the Mouth of Sauron - and for the first time: Sauron himself! Follow along with us in our two-part review, as we explore the ins-and outs of this 5,471 piece behemoth befitting of the Dark Lord!


#2392 SET REVIEW: Barad-dûr In the first of our two part series, we begin our examination of this amazing new set from Mordor! “A Great Eye, lidless wreathed in flame” -Saruman Central image is of Barad-dur: a tall dark structure topped by the Eye of Sauron. It is ringed by lava, and diagonally bisected by gray stonework. There are numerous black spires, and you can see the light bouncing off the lava. It is ominous. It is foreboding: it is Barad-dur. Barad-dur is £399.99/ $459.99 /€459.99 for 5,471 pieces. Our overall score: 21 out of 25.

Barad-dûr is £399.99/ $459.99 /€459.99 and will be available on LEGO.com for Insiders on June 1st with a GWP - the Fell Beast!

[Review products provided by the LEGO group, but all opinions are our own and honest - we don’t have to praise sets to keep receiving them.]

Part Selection: There are nine new recolors. They include the following: 64 copies of part 2431, a 1 by 4 tile in trans-orange; 4 copies of part 65734, a curved slope in dark brown; 2 copies of part 3504, a triangular brick in dark brown; 2 copies of 61406pb04, a triangular rubber dual molded piece in brown and orange; 21 copies of part 86996, a 1 by 1 by ⅔ brick with an open stud top in light aqua; 7 copies of part 3049c in brown, an angular and pointed brick; four copies of part 23861 in trans-orange; 6 copies of part 98137, a large black blade element; and 7 copies of part 80545, an angular black tapered sloping, pitched brick. There are two instances of rare colors: four copies of part 23930 in black and four copies of 6060 in dark brown. There is one new print: a 2 by 2 brown window insert element with rolled ancient scrolls printed on it. There is one sticker sheet containing 12 unique stickers of various decorations and details from inside the fortress. There are numerous parts in bulk. They are as follows: 172 copies of part 2877, a 1 by 2 brick with grooves in black; 31 copies of part 3069, a 1 by 2 tile in black; 35 copies of part 3049c, a 1 by 2 sloped pointed brick in black; 41 copies of part 3299, a 2 by 4 brick with double 33 degree slope in black; 68 copies of part 49668, a 1 by 1 plate with tooth in black; 44 copies of part 2412b, a 1 by 2 grille in black; 39 copies of part 3386, a 1 by 1 by ⅔ half circle brick with stud on side in black; 62 copies of part 24309, a 3 by 2 curved slope brick in black; 62 copies of part 3005, a brown 1 by 1 brick; 59 copies of 85984, a 1 by 2 sloped brick in dark brown; 34 copies of part 13548, 2 by 2 corner wedge brick in medium nougat; And 42 copies of part 3069, a 1 by 2 tile in trans-red. What Barad-dûr lacks in color selection, it compensates with numerous recolors, and large quantities of them. Our Part Selection Score: 4 out of 5.

Minifigures: Barad-dûr is packed with new and exclusive minifigure components! Images of the new Gollum minifigure alongside still from the feature film. His minifigure has a new mold with printing. He is crouched with pearly white eyes. Image of Samwise Gamgee from the movie, and his minifigure, in his orc helmet, tan coat and brown trousers. Image of Frodo Baggins from the movie, and his minifigure is also in an orc helmet with a crooked nose. Orcs are back with an upgrade: four new unique torso prints, two new head and leg prints. We also see four new helmet designs, new shield with battle damage printing, and a reappearance of the infamous Uruk-Hai scimitar. Image of four orcs all wearing all new helmets, including two green orcs. 4 shields included! With an arrow pointing to gray, battle damaged shields. Image of bald orc from the LOTR movie.

Minifigures: The return of the Mouth of Sauron, and the introduction of Gothmog and Sauron are all fantastic inclusions! Image of the Sauron minifigure compared to his movie version. He is topped with a pointy crown, holding a mace and the Ring of Power. Image of the Orc leader Gothmog minifigure next to his movie version. He has one red arm and one tan arm, and is wearing a chestplate. Image of the Mouth of Sauron next to his movie version. He is sporting a large toothy grin, holding a sword. Leg printing, armor printing, new helmet molds, and printed shields elevate our score for the minifigure selection. Our knocks include the reuse of Frodo and Sam from 2023's Rivendell, and only having 10 minifigures - 5 fewer than Rivendell, and 12 fewer than the $60 cheaper Lion Knights’ Castle. Our Minifigures Score: 4 out of 5

The Dungeon: Barad-dûr is built in several stacked sections. It contains a great deal of interior spaces, all packed with details. They make for a great building experience, and visual display! Image of a skeleton minifigure hanging in a cage. The Front Entrance Image of the front entrance to Barad-dur. It is a black fortress ringed by glowing orange lava. Image of an orc at a grinding wheel. Look out! That orc has a scimitar to grind! Image is a wide shot of the entire dungeon showing its cavernous space. Blacksmith’s forge and tools to the right, lava and cage to the left.

The Dining Hall and Throne Room: Image of Sauron’s throne. It is black with spiked sides and is flanked by banners showing the Eye of Sauron. Sauron’s Throne splits to reveal his Palantír! Image of Sauron standing over his Palantir. In the Palantir is the Burning of the White Tree of Gondor. There are numerous details in the Dining Hall. There’s one Easter Egg in particular those with keen eyes will spot! We will point out all Easter Eggs in Part Two! Image of a wide shot of the dining hall. There is a central table adorned with food and drink. To the left is a vat leaking green liquid. To the right is a giant soup pot, and a menu with a piece of meat. In the center back is a board to store utensils.

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The Upper Tower is composed of a study and library. Check out that new print, and the moving ladder!

Top left image is the Mouth of Sauron holding Frodo’s mithril chainmail. Top right image is a video of the stairs in the archive spinning! Bottom right image is a still shot of the library.. Bottom left is a still shot of the archives with an impressive portrait of Sauron with the One Ring on the wall. In the center is the new scroll print.


The Eye of Sauron: Top left Image is a close up of glowing brick-built Eye of Sauron. Top right image is a comparison to the movie version of the Eye. To remain faithful to its source material, the Eye can emit a fiery glow with the help of a light brick! This was the first component LEGO designer Antica finalized before work began on the rest of the set! We will explore the Eye’s impressive building techniques in Part Two of our review! Bottom left image is another closeup of the Eye from the movie: fiery and all-seeing. Bottom right image is another closeup of the Eye, this time not glowing but you can see a little lower beneath the eye and all the decorations which adorn it.

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There are several moving elements within this massive set!

First, the front doors open by operating a hidden knob on the side of the fortress. Video of the fortress front doors opening.

The suspended skeleton rises and falls when you rotate the gear! Video of the caged skeleton lowering.

Sauron’s Throne splits open when you activate the pull tab! Video of the inside mechanisms spinning as you pull the pull tab. Video of the Throne splitting by activating the tab to reveal Palantir.



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