A couple subtle things in the art that look especially nice to me are the ring insert with the ring art around it (bottom right), and the water/rapids over the inserts in the pop bumper area (note the random edges around the inserts like the randomness of water splashing).

I wonder if the left outlane kickback where it says "load arrow" has anything to do with the kill shot?

Why post this with a newly formed Pinside account and with no details? Without details it is slander and/or inflammatory.
With legitimate details then it would be news.

Maybe when a shot is made to the left VUK next to Smaug, the ball is kicked next to Smaug and then Smaug's head rotates and throws the ball into the subway that goes from left (above Smaug) to the right? Also the tail could be the ramp diverter as it looks in that drawing.

Every time the above pictures get shown, pizza sales go up.

I think it is high time they introduce their new system with LCD. It is not a revolution, it is evolution and transformation.

I posted this a couple weeks ago, but my theory (based on the playfield drawings) is that the tail acts as a diverter and the head pushes the ball to the subway.

Does Smaug eat anybody or swallow anything in the third movie? I don't know because I have not read the book.

I doubt he swallows pinballs then.

Maybe a bow for the arrow?

girion-lord-of-dale-bards-ancestor-174-years-before-events-of-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug.jpg

The real problem is that none of the Stern LEs have been worth $7500 either.

I guess the equation gets a little tougher when you consider that pinballs need to be the same physical dimensions no matter the material, and the density of gold and steel are different thus meaning the weight of a gold pinball would be more than a steel pinball. Also, a pure gold pinball would likely be very soft and too heavy for the game to function properly.

Sorry to bore you. Unfortunately I was born an engineer.