Nerdy Lego sets

Released in 2023, the enormous Lego Rivendell set is the eighth biggest Lego set ever put on sale, and has a $500 (£430) price tag to match – but in our view it pays back every penny in sheer detail, charm, craftsmanship, versatility, and pure play value.

A sprawling recreation of the House of Elrond and its peaceful surroundings, this 6167-piece build will need a very large surface to sit on. Once finished, though, you’ll have several modular, detachable sections containing a ton of authentic, playable Lord of the Rings details to mess about with, re-enacting your favorite scenes.

You’ve got Bilbo’s cute little attic room; the infirmary where Frodo recovers from his Morgul blade wound from Weathertop – and, most excitingly, the leafy, circular terrace where the Fellowship of the Ring is first formed. Since the mighty 15 minifigures bundled with the set include every Fellowship member and Elrond, you can recreate the scene exactly, complete with all the requisite offers of axes, swords, and bows.

We had no hesitation in calling Rivendell the best Lego Lord of the Rings set, and it absolutely ranks among the ultimate best sets as well.

We couldn’t, in all good conscience, omit a Lego Millennium Falcon from our top ten. Since the very first Star Wars Lego sets in 1999, Han Solo’s faithful old, heavily modified YT-1300 light freighter has received no fewer than 27 dedicated Lego versions, ranging in size from single brick keyrings, up to the current Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon, at 7,541 pieces.

For most fans, though, we wholeheartedly recommend the latest playset-scale Falcon (Lego model 75257) which has been beloved by Star Wars Lego-ers ever since it came out in 2019. Its ingenious design and brick uses allow it to capture a stunning number of the Falcon’s most distinctive details (inside and out) while keeping the overall size, complexity, and costs far lower than its larger sibling.

Whether it’s for play or display, if you want a brilliant Star Wars Lego set that’s a serious, satisfying build, but won’t cost you the same as a month’s rent – you can’t go wrong with this one.

Read our full Lego Millennium Falcon review.

Lego Dungeons and Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale was released to mark the 50th anniversary of the tabletop RPG, and it’s absolutely packed with references to D&D’s long history. This hulking set features a tavern, castle keep, dungeon, forest, and dock. Oh, and who could forget the enormous red DnD dragon towering over all?

The minifigs and DnD monsters included are truly spectacular. Along with that eye-catching red dragon, you’ll get a handful of customizable adventurers who can serve as DnD miniatures as well as display pieces. Monsters from all walks of life make an appearance, with iconic Owlbears and Beholders standing alongside more obscure creatures, like the mushroom-y Myconid.

The build experience is accompanied by a playable DnD campaign, but the set itself is a bit disappointing when it comes to play. Red Dragon’s Tale is so full of references that you’ll struggle to move your minifigs around to interact with the epic fantasy world.

Some of the best Lego sets perform admirably across multiple categories of play, display, experience, detail, value, and so on – while others earn their place in our ranking by utterly excelling in just one or two. Lego Hogwarts Castle and Grounds – top pick in our list of the best Harry Potter Lego sets – is a perfect example of the latter type.

See, as a toy or playset, this is a distinctly un-magical dead loss, with no real interactivity or playability at all. But, as a high-fidelity display model for Harry Potter movie superfans, it’s an absolute slam dunk. Modern Lego design techniques have been applied to astonishingly good effect here, cramming a relatively small set with as many movie-accurate details, proportions, angles, and colors as humanly possible.

Fun details include the Durmstrang ship and Beauxbatons carriage from Goblet of Fire – but it even goes as deep as showing Arthur Weasley’s flying car still stuck in the Whomping Willow, and a subterranean Chamber of Secrets. A plaything this ain’t, but it’s a magnificent feast of instantly recognizable Harry Potter elements that’ll delight fans both during the build and finished on their display shelf.

Read our Lego Hogwarts Castle and Grounds review.

We got very, very excited when the Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter was first revealed – not only was an all-time classic science fiction series getting new movies, but its best and weirdest vehicle was coming to life in fully modelled, Lego form!

Once we finally got our hands on it, the long awaited Lego Ornithopter did not disappoint. With a long, delicate fuselage containing several mechanical parts that need to be carefully layered and interlocked, the build process is more challenging than some other top-rated sets in this list – but believe us when we say it’s worth it.

Once complete, the Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter has probably the most viscerally satisfying and technically impressive moving-parts interaction we’ve ever experienced in a Lego set: by pushing a spring-loaded and locking bar on the top, you can extend or retract the four separate wing assemblies (and the eight wings attached to them) all at the same time. Folded landing mode or buzzy bee flying mode, it’s your call. And it rocks.

On top of that, a rotating knob opens or closes the landing gear, and the cockpit opens to allow two passengers (you’ll have a lot to choose from, too, because you get eight minifigures with this set, including the official best minifig ever, Wibbly Wobbly Baron Vladimir Harkonnen). This isn’t just essential for Dune fans, it’s among the best licenced Lego sets ever made.

Editor Alex Evans bought himself one as a treat, and loves it very much – look forward to his Lego Dune Ornithopter review very soon.

Everything about this build oozes classic movie magic. The Lego Walt Disney Tribute Camera is a stunning collector’s item, created to celebrate the legendary movie studio’s 100th anniversary.

Here, the main set piece is an intricate vintage camera that ejects a film strip stuffed with iconic Disney scenes. A director’s clapper board also serves as a stand for five simple but elegant Minifigures – Bambi, Dumbo, Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, and Walt Disney himself.

The main build is a short but charming affair, and you won’t find it too repetitive. Once the camera is set up, it also offers several interactive features. Turn the camera’s crank, slide the matte box, rotate the lenses, or clap the clapper board and shout ‘action!’. There’s a surprise in the camera’s back panel, too. It’s easily the best Disney Lego set on offer right now.

Read our Lego Walt Disney Tribute Camera review.

If you want a display piece that shows off your huge love of Marvel, the Lego Avengers tower is about as big as they come. It’s almost 40 inches tall, and with over 5,000 pieces, building it will be an hours-long labor of love. Attaching hundreds of identical windows will make it feel like labor at times, but the payoff is more than worth it.

One side of the building can be lifted to peer inside the superhero headquarters. Here, you can use 33 included minifigs to recreate the most memorable scenes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Have Captain America meet himself, or save the world from Loki (again). Or hang out with actual, real-life human Kevin Feige – an odd yet unique addition to a roster of Minifigures we’ve mostly seen before.

The enormous Lego The Mighty Bowser set may cost a pretty penny, but it has more value for money than several Lego sets put together. Clear instructions make this hefty build approachable and enjoyable, and the finished result is a truly breathtaking Mario Lego set. Nintendo’s biggest, baddest dragon is beautiful in brick form, with chunky curves that accurately recreate his videogame look.

Once you’re done gazing at Bowser, you can play with him too. His eyes move, he breathes fire, and he’s sturdy enough to stomp around. Plus, if you own a Lego Mario, there are some neat digital features that trigger when they meet. Display him on your shelf or recreate the boss battle of your dreams – either way, this set is a huge success.

Few images are more evocative than a pirate ship, and the Lego Pirate Ship set is the ideal way to bring a bit of buccaneering home with you. It’s vibrant, detailed, and a real joy to put together.

Despite its limited minifigures, the completed ship will capture your imagination, encouraging play and storytelling. This is helped by the ship’s many interactive features, which include moving sails, an accessible cabin, and a shark to menace any pirate minifigure that steps off the plank.

As a Creator 3 in 1 set, the pirate ship can be dismantled and turned into two alternative sets: a Pirate’s Inn or a Skull Island. However, the pirate ship itself is of such high quality that you’ll be reluctant to take it apart – and these secondary sets don’t reach the same standard of excellence, anyway.

The Lego Arctic Explorer Ship isn’t the most detailed build on our list, but this slick sea vessel is still a wonderful display piece. Even better, it’s well-suited to younger builders who want to play with their completed construction.

The ship comes with a helicopter, submarine, exploration ship, and dinghy, as well as a shipwreck to check out. On board, the seven Minifigures can operate a functional crane or wave to the friendly Orca floating by.

And did we mention that the ship floats? Well, it does – ideal for bathtub voyages replete with scientific discoveries (though hopefully no icebergs). The Lego Arctic Explorer ship is colorful, playful, and a wonderful buy for Lego vehicle aficionados.