This massive LEGO Tower of Orthanc includes thousands of pieces and is one of the tallest MOC builds we’ve seen.
There are few more iconic fantasy settings than The Lord of the Rings. It’s a grand setting for a grand and timeless tale. It’s also a setting filled with many iconic locations, cities, and fortresses. One of the standouts among them is Isengard and the Tower of Orthanc. Home to the wizard Saruman, it is indeed one of the two towers that the second book takes its name from, and is central to the plot.
Like the City of Gondor, Orthanc was built by the survivors of Numenor as a fortress. Over 500 feet tall and built of a black stone that no known weapon could harm, Orthanc and Isengard around it served to guard the fords of the River Isen.
As the power of Gondor waned, the land in the area was transferred and eventually became part of the Kingdom of Rohan. Eventually, the tower was given to the Wizard Saruman and became his base. After his fall to evil, it became the center of an industrial hell from which he planned his conquests.
LEGO Tower of Orthanc
LEGO has made an official Orthanc set (10237–1) in the past, though it is long out of production. However, nothing that they’ve made can match the sheer scale of this Orthanc MOC designed by Alex Bonelli of SteBrick. SteBrick also designed an amazing Gondor MOC that we’ve featured before, and he has turned out another banger of a model.
With 36,219 pieces, this build stands a whopping 93.4 inches tall – almost eight feet! That’s about four times as high as the original official LEGO model, and about 18 times the number of pieces. This is a massive build that will stun anyone looking at it (and maybe hurt their neck looking up at it!).
Officially, the MOC is built at mini-fig scale. I can’t confirm if the math is 100% correct, but it certainly looks about right!
Officially titled “The Wizard’s Black Tower,” this build breaks down into nine stackable levels. This makes it both easier to move and build, and lets you get inside the tower itself. The inside itself does not appear to be furnished, but has spaces to include lots of things, such as a Planatir room and an armory.
SteBricks also sells the set (technically, they sell instructions and give you the pieces as a gift). This isn’t in any way sponsored or an ad for them, but if you wanted to own your own Wizard’s Black Tower/Orthanc, you could! It would only set you back close to $8,000.00, assuming you live in the EU. For now, let’s just marvel at how cool this thing looks!
A Closer Look at the MOCs Construction
As you can see, the LEGO Tower of Orthanc build breaks down into sections.
Scenes from the books – Sam and Frodo ride an Ent, and an eagle saves Gandalf – add to the display.
Build Another Dark Tower With The Barad-Dûr LEGO Set
For something a little more affordable, but still impressive check out this set. The 5,471-piece build is one of the best Lord of the Rings LEGO sets. It’s split into four main sections; the tower section is fully modular.
The dark tower features a throne room containing a map and a ladder to the top floor. The 4th floor is home to Mouth of Sauron’s study, while the 5th floor houses a tower library with a rotating ladder. At the summit of the tower is the Eye of Sauron, which rotates in various directions and features a light brick to make the eye glow.
There are also 10 minifigures, including Sauron, Mouth of Sauron, Orcs, Frodo, Sam, Gollum, and Gothmog.
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