I'm very happy with LEDs, but you absolutely need an LED OCD. Without it, I had a ton of ghosting and things just didn't look right.

All my games are LED'd except LOTR. I love the warm glow of incandescents in this game.

Anyone here install the Modfather Interactive sword mod on their LOTR?

http://modfatherpinball.com/products/lotr-interactive-sword-mod

Of all the mods I am still wanting for mine, I'm thinking this one might be tops on the list, but I've only seen pics and not in person. Want to make sure it doesn't block to much because it appears to be quite a large object. I really don't care about seeing the balls in the sword trail below, but I don't want it to block the ringwraith, shooter lane, or anything else too much that it detracts. Any opinions would be appreciated.

I'm also looking to do the path of the dead with the translucent green armies of the dead figurines... and possibly a shooter rod, though can't decide between the red knob with gold ring or the round globe that looks like earth tone layers. Leaning toward red knob with gold ring, but again, haven't seen it in person.

Decisions, decisions!!

Is there any way to reset the 'destroy ring champion' I was testing the game once with glass off and it kept the time with no name.
I just went into 'reset high scores' to see of there was a sub menu... No menu, it took of 1 to 4. Left GC Atleast. Don't really want to do a factory reset since my GC game was pretty good!

Really? Even the bulb above the ring wraith on the right ramp? That fade is why I left it as the only incandescent in the game. Everything else is LED with a mix of daylight and warm white LEDs.

I've been asked to increase the difficulty on LOTR for an upcoming PAPA tourney. Aside from software and outlanes, I could use some creative suggestions to make game times shorter.

Thicker ramp entrance rubbers? Please let me know what you think...

Increase the pitch. Remove the outlane posts. Put thicker rubbers on the posts on the center ramp and right ramp. Adjust your sling sensitivity to make them hyper sensitive. Rebuild your flippers and make sure they snap.

Clean and wax the playfield. Also, set the tilt bob sensitive.

lighting flipper is the kicker but no out lane post and sensitive slings is the what drains most

Great advice, all. Removing outlane posts entirely just didn't occur to me. What are the thicker post rubbers? I feel like I've only seen one size, although I suppose there are the shorter, very slightly thicker yellow ones... and the upside-down cones.

https://vimeo.com/34448364

This is footage of a LOTR at PAPA. They talk about all the things that make it harder. Take note that with the removed outlane posts they actually reduce the tilt sensitivity to allow the possibility of some nudge saves.

You can have an even warmer glow with LEDs if you use the right ones...

those:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=65
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=537

Hey guys, does anyone have a difinitive list of ways to get extra balls on this game? I've done a lot of searching and can't find anything. I'm going to need a bunch of extras if im ever going to get to Valinor.

From my experience:
After 5 hits to Barad Dur (varies depending on difficulty setting I think). And again after many many more but I haven't got to that number yet.
Random - Shire Mystery Awards Extra Ball and Special which can be set to award extra ball.
Gift of the Elves awards by completion of modes or multi balls - extra ball and special.

Any others I missed?

You can get an extra ball by completing at least 2 of the 4 circuits of ring frenzy or super ring frenzy and then hitting the center shot to complete the mode. You need to get the extra ball in the same turn as you light it, it wont carry over to the next ball.

mine is set to 7 hit and I think after that it's like 30-70? It shows in PAPA's Mark attempt to do Valinor

Anyone have a spare shire VUK plastic number "-20" shown in the pic?

Let me know if you have an unused one or used unbroken one your willing to part with. Thanks!

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Not with the cointaker warm whites. My TZ and HS2 look ghetto now with the other LED games next to them.

@ Neal_W:

I also looking for this... If i could get a scan i would try to create an repro.

That is the exact plastic I broke after installing the PBL stronger flipper coils! I had to buy an entire plastic set just to get the one plastic. I swapped the normal coil back into the right flipper and left the stronger coil on the left.

Yup, I might end up doing that too. (or probably the medium coil mentioned on the previous page)

That plastic breaks due to the bounce down from the path of the dead along with the crappy rivet placement. I removed the rivets and replaced with screws and nylon nuts and at the bottom where the screws go into the playfield, I put two L brackets that absorb the hit.

Did you have some pictures??

Someone on this thread already had the cool idea to put more wraiths in the game, so I decided to do it as well. If anyone wants the drawing for the clear plastic plate feel free to PM me and I'll send it to you, if there's enough interest I can see if Laseriffic will cut them.

Easy install - I just removed the four nuts off of the top of the sword handle plastic, added 4 spacers (with male and female ends), the plastic and then the nuts. Figures are held in place with 3M Command adhesive (removeable by pulling on it with zero residue behind). Figures are from the same AOME collection. I did the same thing with the Sauron figure - just used some 3M Command and stuck him right on top of one of the lane guides, as well as the POTD figures on top of pinbits' plastic. The ambient light from the POTD lights seems to light the dudes up pretty well without LEDs underneath them. A much cheaper option if you don't want the deluxe POTD mod.

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I'll try to take some better ones later in the week, but here is one where you can see the two little L brackets. They absorb the impact of the ball. If your plastic didn't already break around the left rivet, this should prevent it from cracking.

LOTR Left VUK (resized).jpg

Those two wraiths look absolutely sick there!! Awesome mod and a must have for my LOTR.

LOTR LE . LED Conversion

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I'm reading the rules again now that I've had the game a short time.

I'm curious if people gave the cave troll part allowed on the FotR MB?

Also what the easiest and hardest ring modes?

I guess Ents is the easiest and Witch King hardest ?

I leave the Cave Troll part on. I think it is fun to just wail away for a minute and I like the Boromir call out. As a downside, I think it can eat up your ball save.

Ents is regularly doable and I may finish Escape the Ringwraiths more often. Even though the shots are a little harder, it is only four total. I'll have to check the audits to see.

I feel like I will reach Valinor before defeating the Witch King, but making him pretty much impossible to beat does fit perfectly with Lord of the Rings lore, "...not by the hand of man will he fall." I'll give myself a wedgie for dropping that quote.

Looks awesome. What kit did or whose bulbs did you use?

Start a multiball (Fellowship MB makes sense) immediately after starting witch king mode. (this was posted a few pages back, and helps me kill that flying monster.)

I have not researched much LotR strategy, but since you can always start a MB after starting a ring mode, I always do it in that order. (AKA stacking) Hit Elf rings to light "start mode", then start the mode, and usually end up qualifying and starting a MB while working on a ring mode. Once the MB is started, I concentrate on the MB goal, since you have to complete all 3 MB objectives to reach Valinor, and I often happen to complete the ring modes while working on the MB objectives. (You must complete the MB objectives, not the ring mode objectives to reach Valinor.)

I hear ya, I think I was part of that last discusion too

Stacking a MB with Witch King just feels like a waste to me; the mode is just very demanding even with the help of a MB. Gandalf vs Sauruman is one I like to pair with FOTR.

Anyone put one of the ColorDMD Led diplays in their LotR? If so, can you say how it compares to the LCD?

Thank you . I don't use kits . I hand pick all my LED's . LOTR has clear inserts so I used different colors for the character inserts and the mode inserts . Color matched the rest . Incandescent 'orange' for the nine GI inserts along the shooter lane . LED do not work there as they flicker to much . Around the Ring hole on back board use Incandescent of the modes as well they flicker to much. I do not use OCD board or what ever it is called . You may opt to. Under Right ramp I used CoinTaker Ultra Brite Orange 47 GI Under and off to left of Center Ramp CoinTaker Red 47 Ultra Brite LED . Shooter lane SKILL Shot x3 inserts I used PinBalllife slowfade Color changing LED . The rest of the LED came from Germany The PinballCenter T10 Nofix Superflux they give a great color spectrum for clear inserts . Link : http://www.pinball.center/en/shop/noflix-pinball-leds/wedge-base-t10/superflux/341/t10-noflix-plus-turquoise-l-superflux?c=2917
Coin Taker Ultra Link http://cointaker.com/t/ultra Art at CometPinball now carries the German SuperFlux style of Bulb now. He would be an good vender . CometPinball was not formed yet when I did my LED Conversion . Comet Link to Superflux :
http://www.cometpinball.com/product-p/1-flux-wired.htm One Note : The Link to German style SuperFlux all have extended wires . That is just an example . They also come as a normal 555/47 with out the extended wire . Most of the inserts will use the same SuperFlux but with out the extended wire . Link http://www.cometpinball.com/product-p/1-flux.htm I hope this helps you out . Rob Knapp

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Can someone please confirm what belongs on this gate switch. Is it just some nuts, or more hex posts? I'd appreciate any pictures of this area or the wraith area/side view next to the cabinet. Thanks.

LOTR (resized).jpg

A hex post on mine. Looks to be about 1.5" long or so. The wires from the ring wraith flasher and switch appear to be zip tied around the hex post to probably prevent pinching when raising/lowering the playfield.

IMG_2766 (resized).jpg

Yes, a post that sticks up about 35mm. (looks like I also have a broken wire keeper there, but the wire is not currently routed that way)

gate (resized).JPG

Perfect, thank you. As usual I did not take quite as many photos as needed during teardown.

I can almost taste the rainbow.

I'm getting air balls on left ramp shots -- but not on the wire form (I fixed that with a self-made poly protector). The ball is somehow jumping to to loop. Any idea what could be causing this? I can fix it with foam, but I'll probably make a cover for that whole area eventually unless there's another known fix. Have the high power coils in there btw.

Modified back box, tube replaced with led strips, eye flashes when tower shot is hit. Color changers. hard backbox to mod as its a pretty dark translite, but still much more vivid than with the tube.

I replaced my Shire VUK and it's flaking out again less than 3 months later. It's weird because it clicks (adjusted properly) but flat out doesn't register maybe 15% of the time.

I saw in this thread that the diode should be removed from the pinball life replacement. I don't remember if I did this or not when I installed the replacement. Would it have an effect on the longevity/reliability of the switch if left on? Any suggestions on taking care of this once and for all? Thanks!

these Y fork switches have just been notoriously unreliable since the beginning. They fail often.

The diode should not be removed if you have a standard LOTR, only when you have an LE should it be removed.

The microswitches with the fork seem to go bad easily. It is a poor design. When hit by the ball, the fork causes a side-to-side twisting movement on the microswitch casing and that appears to cause the failures inside the switch.

This could be a problem since those fork switches are so unreliable. Marco is oos, pbl has a few it looks like

Screenshot_2016-12-30-00-25-47 (resized).png

Wow. I was about to post the exact same thing. Literally replaced mine soon after buying. And 100 games later having the same issue!

The weird thing is is registered 100 percent of the time. Its just when it goes to kick the ball up it only kicks it half way in the air....
Tired about 15 times and then give an operator error. Thrn does ball search and kicks it up perfectly.
This is the same thing that happened when I got it and replacing it fixed the issue....
But what's actually happening here incorrectly? Why is the solenoid being so weak and what's it got to do with the switch?

Thanks.