I love the trunk and all the interesting angles you put in the foliage layer! Wonderful!

Woah! that Gandalf looks exactly like Sean Connery and Sauraman looks like Sting!

wow! while I never was attracted to lor, you make it interesting, I espescially appreciate your movie vision, I did about the same with g.i.joe, and others, there s a producer in you mr xeno, and quite an artist too, innovation is no stranger either, the edits of your pics is a real fascination, and you picked a part of lor, that I like, the 'raiders'? the black horsemen, are a concept that inspires me, and your last pics are just a dream! congrats mr xeno!

@ Klaatu: you're welcome! @ Xenomurphy: Sting! :D Got it! (I'm a little slow sometimes...)

The musician and actor? No, although his name would make sense in the contex of LotR. It's Malcolm McDowell.

@Tom Remy - Yes, I found out after using the Klatu Barrada as an alias in various places that the spelling is Klaatu Barada. It was simple to change here. Done. The new foliage in the Warg Hobbit set and the wargs might "force" me into extra sets. Thanks for the tip on AltBricks. Those look yummy! @Xeno -Is the second drawing of Sauroman using Sting? Now back to praising Mr. Xenomurphy's incredible, inspirational tree.

No need to apologise. On the contrary, thanks for the compliments and for adding to the conversation. I think TLC will soon follow altbricks' example and produce more autumn coloured foliage.

This creation is just as amazing to me as it was when I first saw it, truly magnificent work. Also, to add to the mini conversation about foliage, LEGO is releasing a set in the Hobbit line this December which includes two dark red 6x5 leaves, so extreme purists like me won't be left out of all the fall colours if they're willing to spend a small fortune. ;) Anyway, sorry to saturate your page with my comments, but this really did deserve another. Only a matter of time before MOTD in my opinion. ;)

Thanks, Tom. And I agree, those altbricks foliage looks fantastic and soon it'll become part of my collection.

Wonderful creation! Even with four hobbits, it really has the book feel. The whole scene is simply stunning in proportions, colours... Well done Xeno! PS @ Klatu Barrada : if you're not an extreme purist, altbricks make regular Lego foliage in different colors: orange, yellow... And Isn't it klaatu, with two a's? ;)

Thank you, Klatu, that was a very nice comment. I'm always glad when I can inspire people. In return, comments like these are a great motivation for me to go on.

Have the adjectives exquisite and impeccable been used yet? Your sense of proportion in placing everything and the color choices were very nice. Of course you had to use gray for the trunk since you used brown for the muddy bank. Am I the only one who longs for more colors in foliage? Now being a huge LOTR fan since first reading the books in the 1960s, I am irritated by departures from orthodoxy, but your design is so beautiful and the spirit of the scene is true to the book. (Movies have a way of obliterating everyone’s recollection of the books.) I’ve been dreaming of making a Caras Galadhon tree. Your tree inspires me to try – now for some golden leaves?? Looking forward to what you come up with next in the LOTR world.

Somebody stole this as their own!! http://thelordoftherings.us.lego.com/en-us/Gallery/Details/Default.aspx?projectid=0a701df0-f90d-4b7d-9e3e-63ae888bff1f&index=5

the ... tree... is super fantastic *out of breath* ahhh its great !

The... the tree... it's, it's... *faints* THAT IS HUGE! I am still trying to find my brain, I think it flopped all the way down the hallway.

YOU GOT THE LIGHTING PERFECT!!!!!

Incredible build! I made this exact scene a couple years ago before I had really worked on my building skills, (it look like a joke to me now, but what're you gonna do? You have to start somewhere...) and yours brings back some memories!

Fantastic tree!

IM speechles

building at it's best, your tree is unbelievable, fantastic work well done.

That tree is simply stunning

Nice Tree ;)

In the Lord of the Rings, Sauron forged the One Ring, pouring in a lot of his own power. http://jiggmin.com/threads/84264-War-Commander?p=2133794#post2133794

one of the most beautiful moc of LOTR i ever seen !

Beautiful build! I can only imagine how funny a Sean Connery Gandal would be!

Absolutely fantastic tree design!

So... cool... This definitely should've been a real set.

This is great! nice work all around!

great!! I LOVE Lord of The Rings!!...and flashbacks

I hate to say it, but as incredible as the MOC itself is, I think I enjoyed some of the flashbacks just as much. I was actually introduced to Tolkien's world through the Rankin Bass special of The Hobbit. A few years later, their LOTR's special came my way, and then Bakshi's version. By then, it was all she wrote - I was hooked forever! As for your own beautiful work here...stunning. We as a community have been steadily gaining ground on realism with landscaping, and this tree is perhaps the finest I've seen yet. I hope to see it blogged, so the community as a whole can benefit and enjoy your work. Fantastic stuff, Xeno!!!

Wow! That tree is FANTASTIC! By far the best Lego tree I've even seen! The whole scene is brilliant! And I liked your little history section too. Sean Connery was instantly recognizable! haha! That would have been interesting! --Blast--

Why can I actually hear in my head Sean Connery saying "There can be only one... ring." HAHAHA Great moc man! Story accurate or not, this is one beautiful piece of bricking! I for one am a HUGE fan of natural effects and the sunrise shot was just stunning! Thanks for sharing and here's to hoping you do more in this series! ~ Chris.

The tree is almost alive. WOW!

Fantastic work on everything! Love the tree! Its so big!

Hahaha, oh Riccardo, in no way you offended me. I like that you always say what you think and your criticism is carefully thought out all along. I'm sure I have seen MOCs with trees and grey trunks before, but I made my decision based on the trees I'm always passing when I go for a walk. And now smile and get back to building, my friend ;o)

My friend, I hope I did not offend you. The trunk is spectacular, like the rest of the tree. I know, that many trees have gray trunk, as, beech, Hackberry, the privet .... and others ... But as a first impression, it was strange to see a gray trunk made out of Legos (usually , the gray pieces, give the impression of rocks). No one I think, has ever done. You were very brave. And this goes rewarded. The great geniuses in the past have always dared, and their work, very often, over time, has changed the way of seeing things for everyone. With great respect, Riccardo Z.

Great. Really love the tree!

As a huge fan of It's Always Sunny, Danny DeVito as Gimli had me howling! This entire post was a delightful walk through your memories along with some spectacular LEGO goodness; that tree is a thing of magnificence! Thanks for inviting us along.~H

Thank you, Aidan, also for the hint and link.

Hahaha, thank you, Chris. He would have been dubbed here in Germany, though I'm watching movies and TV series almost always in Englisch.

Wow this is amazing

Stunning tree!

Wow! This is awesome! Blogged on BrickEnd: http://brickend.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-lord-of-rings-three-is-company-by.html

Amazing texture on the tree and the rock face, everything about the build is simply gorgeous!

Amazing! It would have been interesting to see Sean Connery as Gandalf...though the accent would have been funny. "You Shall Noht Pash!" Haha! Interesting casting choices. But back to the LEGOs...The tree has to be the coolest think I've seen all week on MOCpages! I can't wait for more!

Ah very good the "Chairman" I watch Iron Chef all the time now that you told me I can totally see it. This has been a lot of fun I've enjoyed it as much as the MOC. Once again great job.

He is awesome and made the 1997 Spawn movie almost watchable. Excellent actor. But still, no. The actor in the Legolas portrait is the amazing Mark Dacascos, with blonde hair and blue contact lenses.

Okay last guess and I'm almost positive this time John Leguizamo?

Close, but still not right. Okay, he had played at least 2 comic book characters in movies/tv shows and was born in 1964.

Your hint has led me to guess Jet Li he has that look to his eyes.

Thanks, Ru. It happened so often that I'm glad I don't have to build trees for quite some time and the next ones won't have any leaves.

Thank you, Joe, very kind. No, it's not River Phoenix, but it's a good guess. At this point a little hint for everybody: He is not caucasian.

As if the build wasn't enough, you've once again put it over the top with a stupefyingly awesome presentation and incredible illustrations. Go Sean Connery!

The contrast between the grey tree and the brown landscaping is perfect. As always, you have a subject matter you are passionate about that drives your build, but it's the details around that subject that really captivate your viewers. Thank you so much for sharing your passion. ~Dave

Wow!! This is beyond amazing! The tree is utterly fantastic, but for some reason, I can't look at it without imagining how many times the leaves must of toppled over as you built it :P Well done Xeno!

Awesome! 5/5

Wow simply WOW! Your eye for detail is sensational (except the inclusion of Merry) ;). There is so much to say here but I will keep it brief. The tree is sensationally good and the trunk colour and shape is excellent. The lighting is fantastic. I too try not to use photo editing but my photography is nothing compared to this. Your sketches are also extremely good too. I know them all but the last is a little more difficult – River Phoenix?? An exceptional build from and exceptional artist.

cool

Thank you, Michael, I agree, the Hildebrandt brothers' works are amazing and a beautiful mirror of their time. I can also recommend Ted Nasmith, John Howe and Alan Lee, but that's probably not new to you.

And it's good to see you are still alive and active here, my friend. You are absolutely right about my comfort zone, though this is an interesting experience for me. About the colour of the trunk, I better don't start a fight about it with a professional landscape designer, but on my way to work and on my many long walks, most of the tree trunks I see are grey/greenish.

Thank you, Tim, I'll try to build faster ;o) All joking aside, you are right except for the last one. I see he is not easy to recognise and I know why. But I'll wait a little longer to see if somebody finds out.

Thanks, Par, in that case it's easier for me to limbo ;o)

Exzellentes MOC, der Baum ist gigantisch. Es ist schon erstaunlich, wie früh dein Interesse für HdR begonnen hat. Meines wurde anfangs von den alten Herr der Ringe Comics von Fantastic, den Tonfiguren meines Vaters, den Bildbänden von Joan Wyatt und den Gebrüdern Hildebrandt geweckt, und das knapp 1 Jahr bevor die Gefährten auf der Leinwand erschienen sind.

Sweet! I love LoTR and this MOC depicts one of my favorite scenes! That tree is spectacular! Overall a great build!

this is truly amazing! and i think it does'nt matter that the scene isn't exactlly like in the movie... the tree is the best i've seen! and the hole texture is so great! espescially i like the root coming out of the landscape in front - very realistic!

My friend is always good to see your creation. With this, you have surprised me. You're completely out of your comfort zone. Congratulations! The creation is truly a work of art, the only concern I have is about choosing the color of the trunk of the tree ... However, you go strong! ;)

The wait in between your MOCs is always way too long for me. This is simply brilliant. The tree and additional greenery is nothing shy of perfect. Especially the roots and vines down the side of the hill. The rock work is also wonderful. One of my favorite works by you. An accurate rendition of one of the most chilling scenes in the book and the movie. Being someone who also likes to sit down with pencil and paper now and then, I really appreciate the drawings as well. Okay, here's my guesses, in order: Sean Connery, Malcolm McDowell, Kenneth Branagh, The Crypt Keeper, Danny Devito, and, I think, Brad Pitt. Your depictions of these actors is so well done, it was easy to guess.

This is very nice, you did an amazing job on that tree. I actually first saw the movies and then got interested so I read the books, first the dutch-written ones, after that I got even more interested and got myself the original english books :P

Man, that shot in the sunlight is just stunning. Love the tour of all thing LOTR also, mate what a fun and superb upload this is. The build is fantastic as expected but the presentation, well, let's say you set the bar very high...

Thanks, Eric. Yes, he is the cool crypt keeper.

Thank you, Shannon, nice compliment. It's not Fassbender, though I just realised he would be perfect for a remake of "Max Headroom".

Thank you, Jason. I'm glad I was able to shock you ;o) SciFi, fantasy, horror and all their subgenres are my all time favourite topics.

Hahaha, thank you, Chris. Though I love Ian McKellen as Gandalf (and all of his other works that I've seen so far), I'm still convinced that Sean Connery would have been awesome as Gandalf.

Good lord, that tree is HUGE! Excellent work again my friend. I also like the illustrations you drew of the characters. Imagine if the movies actually had those actors? Haha! Was Gollum inspired by the Tales from the crypt guy?

Thank you, Matthew. I agree, Mortenson and Lee are both awesome in the movies and were a brilliant casting choice.

Thanks, Caleb. The cliff you are probably talking about is also inaccurate, since it was nothing but a little hollow in the books.

Thanks, Kevin. I don't remember if they used that paticular piece of music in the scene, since there were four Hobbits - then again it's the chapter's name in the books. By the way, while building I wasn't listening to the movie score this time, but to the unabridged audio book read by Rob Inglis. Highly recommended.

Wow, fantastic version of that scene.

Dude that is MAGNIFICENT! That scene is one of my favorites from the first movie and you did such a good job bringing an epic scale to it with your moc. but I enjoyed your background pics and illustrations just as much as the build! I love it when people share their love for themes and show their imagination. PS your Legolas looks like Michael Fassbender, although I don't think he was very old in the 90s...Top work mate!

The large tree is well built, I like the technic sub-frame, that is a great way to ensure strength and poseablity. Very nice!

When I said "well documented" a little earlier, I meant it because I thought those amazing foggy images are screenshots from the movie. And to my surprise, looking closer revealed the actual lego build in all that fantastic atmosphere. Imagine how stupid I feel now... and amazed at the same time, as you totally got me! :)

First of all....WOW! Secondly, I clicked on the link without looking at who built this. I was going through it thinking this is just amazing, but the history of your LOTR fascination was also.....fascinating! Then I saw the Chris Stone comment that said LOTR by Xeno....That shocked me. The quality of the build is totally you, but the genre is not one I would have guessed for you. Now I am really pumped to see what else you bring forth. Keep it safe, keep it secret.

Even without it being LOTR, I absolutely love the techniques used to make the tree, cliff, and underbrush. Brilliant work, sir!

Mmmm. LotR series by Xeno. This'll be yummy. Now, based on Peter Jackson's movie, the MOC is quite accurate. But, as you mentioned, there were a few things different according to the books. Regardless, the MOC is an amazing piece. The tree looks so real when put up against the skyline. A very interesting personal Tolkien background as well. I really want to play that Hobbit video game :P P.S. Sean Connery as Gandalf? Really?

Stunning! Your rock work In the slope is amazing! The tree is breathtaking!!!!! I love the detail and design of the tree! The absOlure best tree that I have ever seen! The Lego version of the illustration is great! Your actors for the LOTR characters are pretty good, although I don't like the Aragorn and saruman, I like Viggo Mortenson as Aragorn and Christopher Lee as Saruman much better. But that is my opinion. Great Moc!

Haha, nope, you haven't missed anything. "Something" has yet to be released (and will most likely begin early next year).

The only problem I have is the inaccuracy of it. The cliff was much shorter. I like the history though

This is an amazing build! I love how you put such a small scene into such a large model. I absolutely love that tree. I have never seen that design before. Really love it. Great job!

This is awesome. I have fond memories of the animated movie too, but I never watched it again to avoid ruining them.

Beautiful!

Thor, aside from the aspect that you mentioned this model in your last mail and that I watched "The Fellowship of the Ring EE" this night (pretty ironic), you didn't fail to amaze me with this and "kept your promise" - Awesome work, I know myself that "random" work as Heath says to it, is pretty difficult (such as rockwork), but you've outdone yourself - just splendid, I hope you continue this series!!! BTW: the soundtrack in the complete recordings named it also as "Three is company" - K.

Stunning! You never cease to amaze with your versatile building style; whether it be zombies, superheros, or fantasy, you always bring an ordered, creative vibe to your MOCs. Well done!

Simply beautiful. The Lego creation is fantastic, but the artwork is incredible, fantastic work.

Thank you, David. Yes, he is sniffing. That made the scene in the animated movie really creepy.

Thanks, Heath. Me neither, that was my first attempt and I felt a little bit uncomfortable.

Pah, C64 ;oP I didn't upload a close-up of the mushrooms since I thought they are already visible in the fifth picture.

Thanks Luke. And isn't that a strange coincidence?

Thanks, Stu. I almost had to after buying all those green tree parts.

Excellent, Chris. Everyone is correct (even the crypt keeper) apart from the last one. He is a bit tricky ;o)

Correct. A very young Kenneth Branagh. Very good.

Thank you, Ian. Now you made me curious. Did I miss something?

Thanks, Henrik. It is indeed a fact that most of the tree trunks I've seen are greyish-greenish and seldom brown. And I'm glad to see that I wasn't the only owner of a Spectrum :o)

Wowzers! Excellent job! That's massive. :D

Thank you, Alex. The chances are very good that this is not my last LotR MOC.

Wow, this is awesome! I know it's false in both terms of the movie and the book. (The cliff and the four hobbits) I just read the books recently, and thought they were really good. :D The tree on this is the main attraction. I would really like to see some techiniques on your curved things! I like the little burrow they are hiding in, and good job with the sniffing Nazgul. (If he's sniffing) God Bless ~ David.

A gorgeous tree and landscaping Xeno! I'm not very good at landscaping, because I'm not good at making things look random...I prefer a more uniform approach to things, and so always find myself struggling to make things appear naturally out of place. LOL I think that's my favorite part of this build, is it looks organic and not symmetric.

Wow, an amazingly well designed scene. Lovely photos as well!

Wow. So stunning. That tree... just wow. Speechless. Come to NZ with your moc and photograph it here in Middle Earth.

Getting up early was definetly worth it. I remember your drawings well. I played the Hobbit game on a Commodore 64. Even though I had a walkthrough, I typed in the words 'say elrond read map' in vain. That tree is awesome as is the whole scene. Did I miss a picture of the mushrooms on the backside? They are a favorite part for me. The calendar cover is a nice addition.

All sorts of great stuff here in addition to the build! One of my favorite scenes in the trilogy, and you captured it perfectly! Good call on the evil Dr. Sorin for the role of Saruman, too. But I have to admit that I agree with Deus as far as the Sean Connery accent. Excellent post here, Dude!

hmmm, a most amazing tree, and a cool cliff, although its not supposed to be there :P

That tree is spectacular. I really like that you took a scene that could have easily been portrayed by a simple vignette and made such a large diorama for it. Going that extra step is what separates the truly great builders from everyone else. Your drawings are almost as good as the MOC, and Aragorn looks surprisingly like Sam. Very well done, if your LOTR MOCs continue like this then Blake Baer had better watch his back. ;)

You shall not pash! Hehehe, that line alone would make the movies a comedy.

Well here's a beauty of a post on loads of levels! Ken Branagh as Aragorn looks fantastic! I think the others have been guessed at and i'll comment on the build later but the artwork is absolutely lush mate. You could make a living doing commission pieces for crazed fans!

Alright besides Sean Connery as Gandalf I'm pretty sure Malcolm McDonnel is Saruman Danny Devito is Gimli The Crypt Keeper is Gollum and I think Colin Farrell is Legolas

That tree is incredible! I love the way you angled the leaves and branches, and the roots are fantastic.

I know I recognize Saruman too, and it's killing me!

Splendid art, you are amazing. Beautiful work on the MOC and I love your drawings.

AHA! I recognize Aragorn now. Is it Kenneth Branagh?

Beautiful scene! That tree is really fantastic.

Yes!!! You did a Lord of the Rings build! I'm pumped! Great work as usual. The build is fantastic! You may get a chance to display your LOTR building prowess in early 2013. Something big is in the works (and has been for the past year).

Oh.... My.... Gosh..... This is AWESOME!!!!!

That tree is just stunning! and the rest of the moc is great to.

Thanks, Ben. I like your latest atmospheric MOCs - awesome illumination. The treetop in my MOC is a little bit too small for the trunk, but I think it's okay.

Excellent, madame. Now there are only 5 left.

Glad you like it, especially after having it already seen in real life. At least the story was new.

Incredible!

Thank you, guys. Even though I don't reply to every comment, I certainly read, enjoy and treasure all of them. You guys rock! The gals, too ;o)

That must be about the best Lego-tree I have ever seen! Also, It´s the first time I see reddish brown used this way, to make the steep slope. The greyish tree works surprisingly well in this setting. (Most people would have swapped the grey and brown...) Although I dont share your enthusiasm regarding LOTR, I *did* experience the 80´ish The Hobbit game on my Spectrum, and DID read the bundled paperback book that came with the game. Must have been the first english book I read in my life! (volunteerly, not being obligatory school-reading)

WOW that was an awesome scene!!!!5/5

Thanks, George. I'm sure the game is on some webpage and one can play it online for free. I shall have a look ... oh, a nice walk down the memory lane :o)

Thanks, pal. Only my larger MOCs are well documented and only if it fits. But it's always a lot of fun for me.

GREAT!

Wow that is amazing! I love that tree its so realistic and amazing. you should definatly build some more lord of the rings mocs!

Beautiful landscaping! Love the artistic shots and bonus logo pictures :)

I have lots of respect for people who can build realistic nature mocs, and you, sir, just built a very realistic nature moc! That tree is just... Wow... Indescribably awesome. The sloped hill is great too, but my favorite part has too be the tree. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it! Fantastic work here, mate! Keep it up!

Wow. Not quite sure why you're not on my favorite builders list... This is great. And Sean Connery as Gandalf? You're my hero.

Magnificant Tree! Hee, hee, I recognized that bearded, wizard-hat topped fellow... Sean Connery as Gandalf... yes! :)

excellent building and of course very good pictures too. Wie ich dir ja schon am Mittwoch gesagt habe gefällt mir der Baum und die detaillierte Umgebung sehr gut, aber auch den zusätzlichen, sehr informativen Text kann ich nur weiterempfehlen. (Auch wenn ich lieber eine deutsche Version hätte ;) )

Thank you, Blake. Coming from you as an awesome Tolkien builder, this is a really nice compliment.

This is some great work. I love the pictures with the sun coming up. And your drawings are great also. Keep it up!!!

Brilliant Tree. Some neat artifacts from the years as well! nicely played.

This is great! Your moc looks exactly like the picture! I remember when I played that game, once, but I didn't get very far in it... Well, great job anyway!

Great tree!

Lovely work my friend, I wish I had the right words to describe my first reaction. Your patience and attention to details is simply stunning, not to mention that everything you do is so well documented! Absolutely amazing, I love it!

Fantastic work, that tree is nearly life like. I see you have a bit of an obsession with LOTR.

Xeno, my respect for you just spiked. ;) Awesome work man!

Cool! Very clean build!