9470 Shelob Attacks is the second smallest Lord of the Rings
sets. It is based on the middle scene from The Return of the King. It is priced
at $19.99 USD and contains 227 pieces. I was able to get mine on after
Christmas clearance for $15.91. Considering it is a licensed set, it is
actually a pretty good value. The box contains four bags and the directions.
The bags contain two cardboard boxes, one with two capes and the other with
string. Gollum is also packaged in a separate little bag within one of the larger
ones.
The set contains two minifigures, (three if you count Gollum). Frodo and
Samwise Gamgee are included in this set. Both of their heads are two sided so
Frodo’s can be turned to symbolize him inside Shelob’s web. There are also two
rings, two swords, a fish for Gollum, and Sam’s starlight bottle symbolized by
a crystal. 
The first part of the build is a small vignette for Gollum. It
includes a launcher to fling Gollum towards the hobbits. There are also two
dark green vines attached to it, pieces you don’t see every day. It is very
well detailed and works great. 
The next part of the build is Shelob’s main body. It looks great except for the bulky Bionicle piece towards the back; though I think it is necessary to get her web to work. The next part is Shelob’s legs and more of her body.
After that, the bottom part of Shelob’s web cavity
is built. Once her web cavity is built, the actual web and spinner is added.
Her web cavity is then covered and attached to her body.
The completed set
looks amazing, including Shelob herself. A number of rarer pieces and the fact
this is a licensed set make it a great buy. It is
bigger and much more intricate than the smaller 9469 Gandalf Arrives. The only
thing that seems a little weird is her web cavity. It seems a little out of
proportion when compared to the original source material. Shelob is miraculously
stable, despite her fragile appearance. This is another great Lord of the Rings
set.
Price
|
O O O O
|
Playability
|
O O O
|
Minifigures
|
O O O O
|
Building Experience
|
O O O O
|
Parts
|
O O O O
|
Overall
|
3.8
|