▲ The "Orc Siege Tower Set" includes: the Siege Tower, a Catapult, and an Orc weapon rack.
Greetings to all the new lords of the White City, heirs of Gondor, and saviors of Middle-earth who have already secured the LEGO 10333 "Minas Tirith" set! I'm Sam, and I'm here to share a special look at an exclusive launch day gift.
Today, we're diving into the "Orc Siege Tower," a special gift from the in-store exclusive event held abroad on June 1st for the launch of Minas Tirith! While it might not be breaking news, I have the completed model right here and can walk you through the build details and some of my own custom modifications. I've also gotten permission from the LEGO channel Firebird Bricks to share footage from the event. At the end of the article, I'll include a link to the instructions shared by Firebird Bricks! Let's go!
Event Breakdown: Every Store Had a Different Battle Plan
▲ Early Access LEGO Lord of the Rings Event! (YouTube Short)
Shared with permission from Firebird Bricks
According to Firebird Bricks, this limited event kicked off two hours before the store opened on launch day, with only 15 spots available. Participants received a basic instruction manual to build the core structures of the "Siege Tower," "Catapult," and "Weapon Rack." Afterward, they could head to the parts wall to pick out decorative pieces and freely customize their own siege tower. The event also featured a trivia contest and a "The Lord of the Rings" cosplay competition. Plus, every participant received a limited-edition commemorative poster!
Link to the Reddit discussion thread
Over on Reddit, another fan shared their experience at a different store: the location they visited didn't provide pre-made parts bags. Instead, attendees got the instructions and had to embark on a "brick hunt" to find the necessary pieces! The manual only covered the tower's basic structure, and while there was a picture of the finished model, builders had to use their own creativity. Their event didn't have a trivia or cosplay contest, either. Sounds like they were a bit disappointed (haha, but it's still awesome!).
Another user from Copenhagen commented that the staff at the Tivoli store had already sorted the bricks into bags before entry, and participants even received an exclusive printed minifigure torso! Now that's something to be jealous of! σ`∀´)σ
Building the Siege Tower's Core Structure
▲ The completed core structure of the Siege Tower.
The image above shows the model built exactly according to the event instructions. I have to say, with so many connection points left exposed on the walls, it kind of looks like it's covered in octopus suckers... The finished model's dimensions are roughly: an 11x11 stud base and a height of 17 bricks.
▲ The base assembly steps.
・Base Design: The chassis is built with a few thick bricks and plates for a solid foundation, with wheel axles and wheels at the four corners. I want to give a special mention to the round parts used as wheels, which have been used in siege weapons before. Because they have four Technic pin holes around the circumference, they make a clunky, rumbling sound when pushed, perfectly capturing the crude, rough-hewn style of the Orcs!
▲ The vertical wall construction steps.
・Vertical Wall Construction: After the foundation is laid, the walls go up. The first floor uses many tall 1x2x6 bricks for vertical extension. After building the base for the second floor, multiple sloped bricks are stacked to create the mezzanine and roof. Those "octopus sucker" parts are actually there to allow for free customization after the main build. The entire wall construction uses 18 SNOT (Studs Not On Top) bricks with studs on the side.
Official-Style Decorations + My Personal Touches
Although LEGO didn't release official instructions for the decorative details, eagle-eyed fans have managed to reverse-engineer a very close approximation!
▲ The fully completed Siege Tower.
・Exterior Details: The sides are first covered with large triangular plates, then decorated with 1x4 smooth tiles with studs on the edges, wood-grain printed pieces, and white tooth/claw parts to create a brutal, cobbled-together look of bone and wood.
・Swappable Front and Rear Panels: The front and back of the lower level are both built on two 4x6 dark gray plates. These two panels can be swapped freely, allowing each siege tower in your army to have some individual variation.
▲ Example 1 of the swappable front and back panel design.
▲ Example 2 of the swappable front and back panel design.
・Interior Space and Ladder: Since the back of the lower level didn't have any connection points, I replaced the original ladder connection with a rock-like door panel that has three handles for Orcs to grab onto for climbing. The tower has some empty space inside; I'm not sure what the official design intended it for, but it's perfect for cramming in a few more Orcs to use it as a troop transport!
▲ The opening back panel.
▲ Not sure what the interior space is for.
▲ It's a tough climb for an Orc.
▲ The two-level ladder.
・Rooftop Addition: For the top level, I built a "rooftop extension" with a spiky eave to defend against arrow volleys. On the back, I added a "commander's seat" that looks like it has shock-absorbing springs, allowing an Orc officer to command the battle from a high vantage point! (All it's missing is a parasol~)
▲ The rooftop extension design.
Catapult and Weapon Rack
Besides the siege tower itself, the small accessories from this event are also fantastic! There's a small catapult that can actually launch projectiles and an Orc weapon rack loaded with armaments.
▲ Catapult + Weapon Rack.
▲ Two Orc weapons plus three brick-built hammers and axes.
▲ When not in use, the ammo can be stored on the weapon rack.
Final Thoughts
When I first saw this event happening overseas, I thought it was awesome! I really wanted to get my hands on one! But since it wasn't a pre-packaged polybag gift and was a one-day exclusive, getting one was impossible. So, I decided to source the parts and build it myself—and I'm very happy with the result!
Thanks for reading to the end! If you have any LEGO Minas Tirith creations or ideas, feel free to send me a message!
I'm Sam, thanks!
Article by | Sam Lai
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/samlaiig
Threads | https://www.threads.com/@samlaiig
Gondor is in peril again!! Also check out: LEGO_POPO's MOC "Siege Mûmakil"
To complete the trio of Gondor's besiegers, having just "Grond" and the "Orc Siege Tower" isn't enough! Taiwanese LEGO MOC builder LEGO_POPO has created a "Siege Mûmakil," packing incredible detail into a war elephant built to scale with the White City. With this, how could Minas Tirith possibly stand...?
・Instructions for the Siege Tower shared by Firebird Bricks on Instagram
Link to the instructions