One of five finalists in Series 11 of the BrickLink Designer Program has some immediate competition at a likely similar price, thanks to a Middle-earth model.
NicolasCarlier's Elven Citadel has finally been selected for a LEGO BrickLink Designer Program set, featuring 3,992 pieces and eight minifigures. It goes up for crowdfunding in June of next year, with shipping of the set taking place in November. With that price point, expect a cost around £319.99 / $349.99 / €349.99.
Also on shelves within that timeframe, and right now, is 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, which you would expect to be too similar to this build for it to become an official set. There are numerous reasons why these ultimately similar models are different enough to be their own individual releases, though.
The biggest difference between 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell and Elven Citadel is that while Rivendell is based on a popular license, the Elven Citadel is an original model with no additional fees for the LEGO Group to consider. While Rivendell has over 6,000 pieces and a £429.99 / $499.99 / €499.99 price tag to match, Elven Citadel is smaller, but still huge, and will likely have a lower cost.
Despite being considerably smaller, Elven Citadel also has a big advantage over Rivendell – it's completely enclosed.
10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell has been made by LEGO designers as both a display set and a play model, featuring a dollhouse-like design for you to easily pose minifigures inside. NicolasCarlier, as a LEGO fan, has instead designed Elven Citadel to a specific niche of the community's tastes, making sure the model is accurately enclosed.
In turn, it makes some areas of the model harder to access more reliably. It's an interesting comparison to make between Rivendell and Elven Citadel, revealing the different design choices that went into each build and how they serve different segments of the LEGO fandom.
Another difference between these models, and one where Rivendell has a major lead, is in the minifigure selection. As you would from elves in a LEGO set, Rivendell has minifigures with pointed ears, using some of the few pieces with pointed ears that are currently available.
Unfortunately, Elven Citadel is forced to use pieces from a specific selection, which does not include any hair elements with pointed ears. Head of the BrickLink Designer Program Alex Kastelic spoke on this subject at Brickworld Chicago, following the reveal of the finalists.
"It'll be tough," Alex responded when asked about the possibility of pointed ears in the final Elven Citadel set design. "We'll see what's available; it's a real challenge. I know the only parts that are currently active in the palette that would do that would be the elves from the Winter Village, but their hats are green or red typically, so it might not work. We'll have to see what's available."
It's a good reminder that these Series 11 finalist designs are not necessarily what the sets will look like after they are redesigned. The only other hair elements featuring pointed ears come from 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red: Dragon's Tale and various The Lord of the Rings models, and the former is retiring next month.
With the possibility of pointed ears in the BrickLink Designer Program set very much up in the air, it only serves to highlight just how different these two builds are. That's not to mention that while 10316 The Lord of the Rings is available in standard retail, currently retiring at the end of 2027, Elven Citadel will only be available for a limited time.
That should make Elven Citadel that much more appealing for collectors, even to a few who have already picked up 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell. The Series 11 model will also certainly be more affordable, positioning it as an option for enthusiasts on a budget, but still desiring that elven fantasy feeling in LEGO form. Given the likely high price of both sets, some fans are going to have to pick one or the other, but at least there's now a choice.
Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO using our affiliate links – thank you.
Comments
Be the first to comment!