The next round of Challenges have begun!

The Objective is simple:

Reply to Building Entry Topics in the LEGO Pirates MOC Forum and WIN Prizes!

• Creative Critics
  Provide feedback to Building Entrants for improving their creations.
  Browse the Entries Index
• Building Entrants
  Engage with the Creative Critics and get the most out of them!
  Submit a Building Entry

But above all, have a fun and friendly discussion… while WINNING Prizes!

Prizes

More opportunities to WIN than ever before – here’s the booty you’re competing for:

Round 2 has EIGHT opportunities to WIN Prizes!

Select your Prize value and then the LEGO set you’d like to WIN!

Be sure to read the complete details for winning Prizes in Round 2.

The Rules

There are three simple rules to live by:

Fairly simple, right?

1. Only Replies from August 3 onward will be counted.
2. No Double Posting in the same Building Entry Topic.
3. Replies must be at least TWO Sentences.

If you require elaboration on those rules, we’ve got you covered…

What Do Yer Think?

The race has begun – will you get to the Prizes first?

Submit another Building Entry or Browse the Entries Index and get the conversation flowing!

DON’T MISS OUT! 8 MORE Prizes are up for grab and all you need to do is Reply!

And remember! The Challenges and Entries Close on August 17.

Update 7/11/2024

LEGO® Icons 10335 The Endurance has been officially announced by The LEGO Group so be sure to get all the details.

The hull has sprung another leak!

The Classic Pirates have some new potential details for the 2024 Black Friday exclusive set, 10335 Endurance Polarship.

Here’s what we’ve learned…

The New Details

The eagle-eyed among ye will have noticed a slight deviation in the name from Endurance Ship to Endurance Polarship.

Guess The LEGO Group wants the world know this ship is as far removed from the tropical Caribbean waters as yer can get!

The Endurance – best served on ice

But the real nugget of information is the set will have 3,011 Pieces.

Meaning it will contain almost twice the Part Count of 10210 Imperial Flagship, the largest ship in the LEGO Pirates theme which clocks in at 1,664 Pieces.

But as with any rumour, these details are liable to change or disappear completely!

Gift With Purchase

The Endurance Polarship will be accompanied by a Gift With Purchase, baring set number 40729 and containing 232 Pieces, and two minifigures.

The Gift With Purchase is rumoured to be inspired by the  James Caird boat

This set is speculated to be inspired by the James Caird, the boat launched by Sir Ernest Shackleton to obtain rescue for the crew of the Endurance.

Many historians regard this voyage in a 6.9 metre (22.5-foot) ship’s boat as one of the greatest small-boat journey ever completed.

Where Did These Rumours Emerge?

10335  Endurance Polarship

Our matey BrickClicker on YouTube be the one who plucked these details from the shadowy abyss.

Here be the video from which the alleged information was sourced:

So all cease and desist notices credit and acknowledgements should be sent BrickClicker’s way

And if yer unable to watch embedded videos, here be a link to YouTube.

40729 James Caird Boat

Details of the daring rescue boat came via Brick Tap.

This be the image floating around the interwebs

And once again the Classic Pirates must remind this information should be treated as a rumour which may eventuate to nothing! Or maybe it’s part of The LEGO Group’s cunning marketing strategy to drip feed information to AFOL communities to generate hype surrounding an upcoming release.

Who knows? We will discover the outcome in November!

But This ISN’T a Pirate Ship!

Aye, the Classic Pirates hear yer! It isn’t an Imperial ship, nor a merchant ship, nor a ship directly related to the LEGO Pirates theme.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End sailed into icy waters – so too can your LEGO Pirates!

Nonetheless, some pirates and LEGO history enthusiasts be very excited for such a release so we’re providing coverage for their benefit.

And who knows… with a few slight modifications it might make a perfect pirate or imperial ship!

And if yer unfamiliar with The Endurance, we’ve prepared a Historical Overview to bring yer up to speed:

What Do Yer Think?

10335 The Endurance Polarship is expected to retail for US$259.99 / £219.99 / €259.99 and be released on 29 November, 2024 under the LEGO Icons line.

Imagine this wooden model made from LEGO – photo credited to Seacraft Gallery

Is The Endurance Polarship a “yay”, or “nay”, or “I just may” for yer?

Let us know yer thoughts on the new ship in the LEGO Pirates Forum or Facebook Post comments.

UPDATE 11 JULY, 2024

All the Critic Prizes have been claimed!

Get ready!

Prepare for a HUMONGOUS Contest finale with EIGHT more opportunities to WIN Prizes on top of the Prizes we’ve already announced.

Here’s what you need to know…

The next round of Challenges commences at 00:00 on 3 August and ends on 17 August, 2024 when Entries close.

The New Challenges commence in:

Prizes

Winning Prizes is as simple as replying to Building Entry Topics.

This time we’re introducing a Tier Structure of increasing Prize Value.

So you decide which Prize you’re aiming for.

Choose your Tier and then choose which LEGO Set you want to WIN!

Tier 1: 4 Opportunities to WIN a 25€ Set for 25 Replies

Tier 2: 2 Opportunities to WIN a 50€ Set for 50 Replies

Tier 3: 2 Opportunities to WIN a 100€ Set for 100 Replies

Here’s how it works…

When you reach 25 Replies (Tier 1 Objective) you may claim a 25€ Set, or…

You get to choose your difficulty level

You can leave that Prize for someone else and work your way to a 50€ Set (Tier 2 Objective), or…

Continue all the way to 100 Replies! (Tier 3 Objective)

Once a Prize has been claimed it’s off the board!

The Challenges

As with Round #1, there will be TWO different Challenges; one for Building Entrants and another for Creative Critics.

The Prizes have been split 50/50 between the two Challenges.

Building Entrants

The first Building Entrant to write Replies to one of their Building Entry Topics and meet their preferred Tier Objective will WIN a LEGO set of their choice.

Is anyone bold enough to attempt to attract 100 Replies to their Building Entry Topic?

Be sure to read the Building Entrant Strategic Advice to blitz the competition!

Creative Critic

The first Creative Critic to write Replies on Building Entry Topics and meet their preferred Tier Objective will WIN a LEGO set of their choice.

The Tier 3 100€ Prize averages to 7 Posts per day for 14 days

Don’t miss the Creative Critic Strategic Advice stay light years ahead of yer rivals!

The Rules

Here be three simple Rules to follow…

Read on if you require elaboration on those rules…

1. Only Replies from August 3 onward will be counted

To ensure all Participants are starting equally, only Replies from 00:00 on August 3 will be included in your Reply Totals.

2. No Double Posting in the same Building Entry Topic

Double Posting means two or more consecutive Posts by the same Author in the same Building Topic.

This prevents Participants from spamming to increase their Reply Count

But yes, you can Post in the same Building Topic more than once, just ensure another Participant has posted since you’re previous Post.

3. Replies Must be at least TWO Sentences

The bar has been raised!

While perfect spelling and grammar is not required, your Replies must be at least two full sentences.

So short Replies like:

Your MOC looks good! Fantastic entry!

Or

Great!🔥💯👍

Will not count towards your Reply Total.

Can I Enter the Challenges for BOTH Critics and Building Entrants?

YES you can!

And you can WIN a Prize in both Challenges providing you’ve:

• Submitted at least one Building Entry.
• Registered as a Creative Critic

So you can potentially claim TWO Prizes of the 8 newly announced Prizes.

Can I Still WIN Prizes through Voting at the End of the Contest?

YES you can!

We’ll still be holding traditional Voting at the end of the Contest to determine the Winners… so this means more Prizes!

And these are just the Prizes for the Winners of the Building Categories

Even if you WIN Prizes during the Challenges, you can still WIN more Prizes at the end of the Contest.

Here are further Prize Winning opportunities:

• Being Voted as a WINNER of the Small Building Category
• Being Voted as a WINNER of the Large building Category
• Being Voted as the WINNER of the Creative Critic.
• Winning a Draw for Voting for the WINNERS

So that’s FIVE more Prizes opportunities you can potentially WIN on top of the Round 2 Challenge Prizes.

What Do Yer Think?

Submit another quick Building Entry and Register as a Creative Critic because the FINALE is gonna be WILD!

Not sure about something?  Got an idea? Ask questions and provide feedback in the Infamous Steve FAQ.

8 More Prize WINNING opportunities coming your way!

New Challenges commence in:

Get prepared!  Building Entrants:

Creative Critics:

It’s been well advertised including the titular minifigure in your Building Entries is not a requirement.

Nonetheless, the lack of an official Steve minifigure may deter some from entering… so let’s put those concerns to rest!

The Contest rules firmly state including the Steve minifigure or Cutter Ship is not mandatory so this is merely a creative challenge for you to overcome.

But if you’re dead in the water and need guidance, the Classic Pirates will help you move forward…

What Do the Rules Say?

The rules are pretty lenient, actually…

Including the Steve minifigure is NOT mandatory, nor is including The Cutter ship.

Steve can depicted at any age, wearing any clothes… on any ship or location around the world… maybe when he’s older he has a grey beard… or no beard at all…

Your Entry could also be focused on a supporting character or without any minifigures at all!

For example; a mini build, a maxi figure, a mosaic portrait, etc.

Given Steve isn’t required to look identical to the classic minifigure, you’ve been afforded plenty of creative freedom.

What’s more, Steve’s appearance varied in official media.

Steve’s appearance has never been set in stone, not even in the official artwork

For example; in the Skulls Eye Schooner box art, he dons an eye patch and bicorne with Jolly Roger insignia – a vastly different visage from what we observe in the artwork associated with the The Imperial Trading Post.

Be sure to read the Who IS Steve? article so you may witness this evolution and perhaps gain some inspiration towards how you may approach Steve without a Steve minifigure.

But if yer still stuck, read on…

Build Steve from Similar Parts

For some, this is a given…  This is LEGO after all, and builders have been updating classic minifigures with modern parts ever since modern parts have existed to update them with!

Here’s a selection of contest Entries which have substituted various Steve parts

The rules also state that Steve can be depicted at any age, so naturally we should expect him to appear differently during other phases of his life.

Steve as a young lad on the left… and an old codger on the right

Browse the Entries Index to observe how other Participants have incorporated Steve into their Entries without the official minifigure.

Build Steve Digitally

It just so happens BrickLink Studio has all the parts necessary to assemble a classic Steve, but you may use whatever software yer please.

An assortment of digital Steves entered into the Contest

So if you have digital designer skills, this could be a convenient way to overcome a lack a physical parts.

Build an Entry Without Minifigures

This may be an outrageous suggestion but you don’t have to include minifigures in your Building Entry!

There be plenty of creative solutions to ensure your entries remain compelling without populating them with little LEGO people!

Mini and Micro Builds

The Classic Pirates keep stressing you don’t need to spend a vast amount of time building gigantic Entries for this Contest!

Dynamic building duo, 13 year old Sydney and her father, SevenDeadlyStreamers show us how its done with their “Mini Imperial Trading Post“.

The minimum Part Count is 25 Pieces so your Micro Build could be smaller this 156 Piece Build

An entire LEGO Set is quite an ambitious feat, just The Cutter ship alone would suffice providing you used at least 25 Pieces.

But Sydney was even more ambitious… after submitting their initial build, SevenDeadlyStreamers devised an ingenious solution for incorporating minfigs into their Micro Scale creation.

Decals and stickers are another method you can incorporate Steve into your builds

Sydney constructed the minfigs in BrickLink Studio and then SevenDeadlyStreamers converted them into decals before applying them to 1×1 translucent bricks.

Pretty clever, huh?

Sydney has already won a 25€ LEGO Set Prize for this Entry and deserves to WIN more prizes – unless you wish to rise to the challenge and demonstrate some ingenuity!

Maxi Figures

Instead, you could go in the opposite direction and build a gigantic Steve maxi-figure!

LEGO House 40504 A Minifigure Tribute released in 2023

During 2023, the Captain Redbeard minifigure was re-imagined and reconstructed as a maxi-figure for a LEGO House Exclusive set, 40504 A Minifigure Tribute.

So how do yer fancy building a Steve maxi-figure?  And if you should happen to possess the Captain Redbeard tribute, perhaps yer could borrow the face to create a larger than life Pirate Steve!

Mosaics

In recent times The LEGO Group has expanded the format of LEGO Sets to compass a wider variety of building styles and artistic forms.

Mosaics by nature are an obvious choice; tiling smaller pieces to compose a larger, two dimensional picture.

Official set 76271 Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City™ mosaic

The LEGO Art range has given us everything from the Milky Way, to the Mona Lisa to Batman to The Beatles, but not one pirate!

Leave it to the fans to innovate!

You don’t have to depict Steve in three dimensions

Above are a couple of LEGO Mosaics by intrepid builders; “Lego Mosaic Jack Sparrow” by Dave Ware and “Classic Lego Pirate” by Matt and Libby Shailer of PerthLUG.

Now, how could you give Steve the same treatment?

But don’t limit yourself to Mosaics, perhaps there be other art styles yer could lend yer hand to…

Focus on Other Characters

Steve is not the only character in Steve’s story…  who’s that stripey sailor seen onboard The Cutter with Steve?

Who be this? How did he come to sail with Steve? What happened to him after Steve became a pirate?

What happened at the Imperial Trading Post after Steve joined the Skulls Eye Schooner crew? Did Admiral Woodhouse miss him?

And what of the storyline exploring the blue coat Soldiers commandeering The Cutter and re-stationing it Eldorado Fortress?

What Do Yer Think?

Are yer bold enough to tackle an Infamous Steve Entry without the Steve minifigure?

We have TWO Grand Prizes; Sets of your choice to the value of $215/215€

Or are yer gonna sit on the sidelines and let someone else WIN the Prizes – all because you don’t have a particular minifig?

What kind of wretch does that?  Not YOU – so get building!

Awarding two Prizes for the Small Building Category just didn’t seem enough!

So we’re introducing a NEW Prize for the First Place Winner around the $50/50€ price point.

That means the 35€ Prize now will be awarded to the Second Place Winner and the 20€ Prize awarded to the Third Place Winner.

Updated Prize Pool for Small Building Category – Winners choose sets from LEGO.com

With THREE opportunities to WIN you’d be CRAZY not to set aside 20 minutes to put a quick Build together!

Tell Me More!

The Small Building Category enables you to submit a pint-sized Entry that won’t disrupt your busy schedule.

Here’s a sample of the Small Entries – what can you come up with?

A quick and easy creation is all you need:

• Builds containing as little as 25 Pieces!
• You may Submit up to THREE Small Entries.
  
• You don’t need to include the Steve minifig.

So starting building – put a nifty little creation together over the weekend…

And if you have kids, get them involved!

TWO Grand Prizes!

We’ll also be awarding TWO 215€ Prizes, one for the best performing Creative Critic and another for First Place Winner of the Large Building Category.

If you don’t want 10320 Eldorado Fortress choose something else!

Aye, like all our Prizes, yer may choose any set from your local LEGO.com of equal or lesser value to 10320 Eldorado Fortress.

The Large Building Category also offers a 70€ Prize* for Second Place and a 35€ Prize* for Third Place.

* or equivalent value in your local currency.

Well, just don’t stare at the screen – start building!

What Do Yer Think?

If you WON a $50 Prize by submitting a quick build (or two), which LEGO sets would you choose?

Choose any set around the $50/50€ price point on LEGO.com – here are some suggestions

To become inspired, acquaint yerself with Steve and then set aside 20 minutes to make the magic happen!

Whoa!  What a narrow victory!

The Winner of the First to 25 Small Builder Challenge was a joint effort between father and daughter…

But they only just scraped over the finish line thanks to the shenanigans of another Building Entrant…

And the Winner is…

Sydney… and her Father, SevenDeadlyStreamers!

Bonus points if you caught the 2000 Olympics reference.

13 year old Sydney teamed up with her father, SevenDeadlyStreamers to create a Micro Build of 6277 Imperial Trading Post – the set in which introduced Steve into the LEGO Pirates theme.

Notably their entry demonstrates:

• You’re certainly not limited to a particular building style.
• The Steve minifigure is not required!

“Mini Imperial Trading Post” by Sydney and SevenDeadlyStreamers

Above is an updated build which utilises custom stickers on 1×1 transparent bricks to depict the minifigures; however, their initial submission was just the Mini Build alone, without any minifig bricks.

SevenDeadlyStreamers writes:

My daughter, Sydney, wanted to join in on the fun, so I will enter her build first! She is 13 and likes to build mini and micro size MOCs. This one should be easily recognizable. It is a mini version of the Imperial Trading Post (set 6277) where the Infamous Steve made his debut!

The Classic Pirates encourage building with your children so the love of LEGO Pirates is shared with future generations.

In fact, that’s why we’ve allowed up to 3 Entries per Building Category, so you may submit a build of your own, and another created by your children… or younger relative… or cat.

The Prize

Sydney, who is based in Canada, was awarded a 25€ LEGO Prize.

Sydney with 31136 Exotic Parrot

Sydney selected 31136 Exotic Parrot which retails for 24.99€ or $39.99 CAD, so we hope she’ll build Steve a fine parrot!

Why Sydney and SevenDeadlyStreamers Won

As to be expected; Entry Topics submitted during the outset were slower to attract Replies as Participants gradually became aware of the Contest.

SevenDeadlyStreamers conscientiously responded to Replies in the Mini Imperial Trading Post Entry Topic during this initial phase, but it wasn’t until the Challenge Deadline was announced that engagement took a massive leap forward.

BrynnOfCastlegate could have claimed the Prize but committed self-sabotage!

BrynnOfCastlegate began eyeing the 25€ LEGO Prize and was determined to usurp the family team! She increased responding to those Replying to her International Society of Steve Entry Topic and rapidly closed the distance on the Mini Imperial Trading Post.

Victory was in sight!  But then she made a somewhat curious decision…

Brynn decided it would be amusing to simultaneously submit the 25th Reply to both Entry Topics, and then let the LEGO Pirate Forum Crew determine who achieved the Objective first.

But alas!  Her plan backfired!

BrynnOfCastlegate wrote:

This is also Sydney’s 25th post. I’ll let you figure out which one I pressed Submit on first. ????

Edit: The forum software requires 30 seconds between posts, foiling my plan to make the posts simultaneously. Who knew? 🙂

Congratulations Sydney on winning the first to 25!

Ah yes, to prevent Denial of Service Attacks, the forum software only permits one Post every 30 seconds, thus eliminating the possibility of submitting multiple Posts simultaneously.

Brynn honourably conceded defeat to Sydney affording this tale with a joyous conclusion!

The Moral of this Story…

Like all these Challenges, complacency is not an option otherwise another Participant is highly likely to overtake you. Therefore, when others Reply to your Entry Topics, follow-up ASAP!

Steve wastes no time replying to the other Participants who are Posting on his Building Topic

Directly Respond to other Participants, thank them for taking the time to Post in your topic, and then probe them for more feedback… or maybe just fish for compliments!   Whatever works – just keep the conversation flowing!

And above all; when a Prize is within the grasp, don’t mess around or it may slip through your fingers and be awarded to someone else!

Well, unless you don’t mind conceding graciously as BrynnOfCastlegate – five stars for being a good sport!

What are the First to 25 Challenges?

In addition to the Prizes awarded at the end of the Contest, the First to 25 Challenges provide Entrants with further opportunities to WIN Prizes throughout the Contest.

Challenges provide you with more opportunities to WIN throughout the Contest

The First to 25 Builder Challenges offered two 25€ LEGO Prizes; one for the Large Building Category and a second for the Small Building Category, which Sydney won.

The Objective was simple: the first Building Entrant to attract 25 Replies to one of their Building Entry Topics WINs a Prize.

Question: if you won a Prize, which LEGO Sets would you choose?

More Prizes

We haven’t lost sight of the bigger picture… or the bigger Prizes for that matter.

Challenges aside, the Infamous Steve Contest still offers Grand Prizes for both the Large Building Category and best performing Creative Critic

We have two Grand Prizes worth 215€ – you get choose the LEGO Set!

Should you win, you’ll be able to select a LEGO Set to the value of 215€, or the equivalent in your local currency.

Therefore, you may choose any set from your local LEGO.com of equal or lesser value to 10320 Eldorado Fortress.

Or you may choose Eldorado Fortress itself!

Even More Prizes

Before we announce yet more Prizes, let us know how you’d prefer to win them.

What kind of Prizes do you find most enticing?

Do you prefer Prizes of greater value? Or more opportunities to WIN?

More Prize Questions

To further our understanding of your preferences, we have a couple more polls if you’re interested in providing further feedback.

What Do Yer Think?

Do these Builder Challenges provide a suitable alternative for WINNING Prizes alongside the traditional Voting system?

Or should we scrap the Challenges and just have more Prizes at the end?

How should Steve allocate Prizes?

And what kind of Prizes would you like to WIN? Do you have suggestions for future Challenges?

Right! Now plot a course to the LEGO Pirates Forum and let share yer thoughts on the Challenges and Prizes!

Now that the Infamous Steve Contest is in full swing and the first round of challenges has wrapped up, the Classic Pirates would like to know what kind of Prizes make you the most enthusiastic to participate?

Do you prefer Prizes of greater value? Or more opportunities to WIN?

Let us know so we can adjust the Prize allocation according to yer preferences!

How would you prefer to WIN Prizes?

Through Voting for winners at the end of the Contest?

Or opportunities all throughout the Contest?

Traditionally Prizes have been awarded at the very end of Contests, but we’re open to exploring other ways of awarded Prizes all throughout the Contest.

Would ye be interested in participating in a Builder Challenge?

The Mission:

Reply to the other Participants Posting in your Building Entry Tropics, until you’ve accumulated the target number of Replies.

Review these strategic notes so you can annihilate the competing Builders!

Would ye be interested in participating in a Critic Challenge?

The Mission:

Write helpful and encouraging Replies on Building Entry Topics.

And to ensure Critics maximise their potential, we’ve compiled this cutting-edge Creative Critic advice.

Even More Prizes!

Aye, don’t forget you’re still Voting for the Winners at the end of the Contest.

The Grand Prize, for both the Large Building Category and best performing Creative Critic is a LEGO Set of your choice to the value of 215€.

We have two Grand Prizes worth 215€ – you get choose the LEGO Set!

You may choose any set from your local LEGO.com which is of equal or lesser value to 10320 Eldorado Fortress.

Not to mention, we also have:

• Second and Third Place Prizes for the Large Building Category, and
• First and Second Place Prizes for the Small Building Category.

You’d be CRAZY not to Enter!

What Do Yer Think?

Do yer like the idea of Challenges to provide opportunities to WIN Prizes throughout the Contest?

Or would yer prefer more Prizes at the end of the contest, with Winners determined by Voting?

Steve is on his way to pick up more Prizes for you to choose

Let us know! If there is sufficient interest we’ll hold another Round of Challenges…  with more Prizes… and potentially bigger REWARDS!

Now, race over to the LEGO Pirates Forum and let us know yer thoughts on Challenges and Prizes!  Or any ideas yer may have…

Mere days after Horation claimed victory in the First to 25 Critic Challenge, an Entrant participating in the Large Building Category claimed a 25€ LEGO Prize for completing the  First to 25 Builder Challenge!

The Objective was simple: attract 25 Replies to one of your Building Entry Topics and WIN a 25€ LEGO Prize.

So who might we be congratulating?

SpacePolice89!

SpacePolice89 dialed back the clock to Steve’s childhood and submitted an Entry depicting a ship owned by Steve’s parents, Stephen and Stephanie. It was onboard this ship Steve gained his first experiences as a sailor and trader, while delivering supplies to forts with his parents.

“Steve’s First Voyage” by SpacePolice89

Why SpacePolice89 WON?

SpacePolice89 was quite diligent when Replying to the other Participants who posted in his Entry Topic.

Samarth’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” was a strong contender but SpacePolice89 triumphed!

Maintaining an ongoing dialogue is crucial to succeeding in these Challenges, merely responding for the sake of responding is not sufficient! To maximise your success, you must acknowledge the other Participants and prompt them for further information, OR provide with them something, like an image or tidbit of information that you’ve not previously shared.

This conversational exchange naturally accumulates 25 Replies, ensuring that you’ll claim the Prize in no time at all!

The Prize

SpacePolice89, who is based in Finland, was awarded a 25€ LEGO Prize.

Ages 4 – 99:  it’s a sad day when you turn 100 and can’t play with LEGO anymore…

SpacePolice89 chose a 10713 Creative Suitcase for a well-rounded assortment of parts… which we hope he’ll use to submit another Entry in the near future.

If you won a Prize, which LEGO Sets would you choose?

Future First to 25 Builder Challenges

Question 1:

Would you be interested in participating in a Builder Challenge?

You just need to Reply to the other Participants Posting in your Building Entry Tropics, until you’ve accumulated 25 Replies. Heed these words of advice to gain the upper hand over yer rivals!

Question 2:

And what be most enticing Reward for you?

Prizes of greater Value OR more opportunities to WIN?

Tell us!  If there be plenty of interest we may host more Challenges with Prizes of greater value in the near future!

What Do Yer Think?

Do these Builder Challenges offer a fun new way to WIN Prizes alongside the traditional Voting system?

What kind of Prizes would you like to win? Do you have suggestions for future Challenges?

Steve is eager to dish out more Prizes – are you eager to WIN them?

Also, remember we’re still Voting for the Winners at the end of the Contest.

The Large Building Category has a Grand Prize worth 215€ for the First Place Winner, plus Second and Third Place Prizes.

Right! Now plot a course to the LEGO Pirates Forum and let share yer thoughts on the Challenges and Prizes!

The Infamous Steve Contest has attracted many fantastic entries, and the number keeps growing!

A couple of weeks prior, we Featured Three Entries submitted at the dawn of the Contest.

Those Entries have done the rounds, so now let’s take a look at the next three Entries.

The NEXT Featured THREESOME

Let’s dive into this pool of creativity!

“Found Forbidden Fortune” by Thewatchman

Did you know before Steve sailed aboard The Cutter, he found himself in the Indigo Islands?

This submission is a charming update to the classic Islander set, 6264 Forbidden Cove… with a few surprises!

You can weave any LEGO Pirate set into Steve’s story with a bit of imagination

Discover what happened to an Imperial Armada conquistador after he inspected the Crocodile Cage… and what has become of King Kahuka?

While submitting Entries in the style of Classic LEGO Pirate sets is not a requirement for this Contest, it’s certainly not against the rules either.

“Steve’s Hideout” by MyFirstMOC-Hun

Steve made a bad judgement call when he sailed into a fog only to discover it was smoke from the aftermath of a battle!

The enemy didn’t hesitate in making short work of The Cutter leaving Steve to drift for days until he washed at a familiar location…

Digital Steves are totally an option

Steve’s Hideout is another modern update of a Classic LEGO Pirate set – but we’ll let you guess which one.

Digital builds are welcome… and rumour has it, there’s even a classic Steve torso in BrickLink Designer Studio.

“Steve’s First Voyage” by SpacePolice89

Steve embarked on his first voyage at the tender age of 10 with his parents, Stephen and Stephanie.

Ships and beardless Steves also meet the entry criteria

Steve could have sailed aboard any number of ships in his past so let your imagination run wild when dreaming up a new vessel.

Or what about an enhanced version of the The Cutter? Or a remake of the Skulls Eye Schooner if yer up to the challenge?

Entries Index

When you submit a Building Entry in the LEGO Pirates MOC Forum, we update the Index ASAP by adding a photo of your creation and link to your corresponding Entry Topic.

The Entries Index keeps growing and growing!

Even if your Entries aren’t featured on the Classic Pirates Blog, everyone following the Contest will still see them.

Be sure to check the Entries Index regularly to discover new submissions as soon as they’re added!

What Do Yer Think?

Will you be entering the Infamous Steve Contest?

If you don’t have a Steve minifigure, fear not!  Including the minifig is not mandatory; you could build Steve out of modern parts, or…

Captain Braunsfeld demonstrates how to build Steve from modern parts

You could focus on other characters in Steve’s story, or… you could build a creation without any minifigures at all!

Don’t miss the fun!  Browse the Entries Index and Submit an Entry today…

An Infamous Steve Contest participant has completed the Round #1 First to 25 Creative Critic Objective!

They’ve triumphed over the competition to succeed as the first Creative Critic to write 25 Critic Replies to Building Entry Topics.

So let’s give a round of applause to…

Horation!

Horation was a latecomer to the First to 25 Challenges, assuming the mantle an entire 2 weeks after the Challenges had commenced.

Most of his rival Creative Critics demonstrated a high degree of complacency, enabling Horation to easily close the distance and overtake them in less than a day.

A snapshot of Creative Critics progress around the time Horation claimed victory

Math Wizard, was a strong contender for First Place, with 22 Replies at the time of Horation’s arrival.

However, an unexpected Internet outage delayed the submission of the Wizard’s final three Replies, costing him the Prize!

Steve knows complacency costs you Prizes!

The moral of this story:

Go above and beyond to craft your Replies. Reply to ALL the Building Entry Topics and ask Building Entrants about their creations to ensure the conversation continues… giving you further opportunities to Reply.

But most importantly, DO NOT hesitate! Or someone will beat you to the Prizes!

The Prizes

Horation, who is based in Canada, was awarded a 35€ LEGO Prize, which at the time of award, was equivalent to $51 Canadian dollars.

You get to choose your prizes – this is what Horation chose

Horation chose to split the 35€/$51 CAD value over two LEGO sets, 501st Clone Troopers™ Battle Pack and Ambush on Mandalore™ Battle Pack both retailing for 24.99 CAD.

Which LEGO Sets would you choose?

Future First to 25 Critic Challenges

Question 1:

Would you be interested in participating in a Critic Challenge?

It’s just a matter of writing helpful replies on Building Entries, and if you need more direction, scope out this Creative Critic advice to get the edge on your competition!

Question 2:

And what be most enticing to you?

More valuable prizes OR more opportunities to WIN?

Let us know!  If there’s enough interest we may host more Challenges with even more valuable Prizes in the near future!

Photography Credit

Not everyone be an aspiring photographer nor has time for photography to acquire the perfect sigfig photo (forum avatar image).

So a busy Creative Critic like Horation took a shortcut and borrowed a photo taken by photographin_lego.

“Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, 1758-1805” by photographin_lego

So we’d like to thank photographin_lego for this beautiful imagery and recommend you follow this talented photographer on Instagram.

That said, we prefer members of the LEGO Pirates Forum to provide their own photography for their sigfigs.

What Do Yer Think?

Are these Creative Critic Challenges worth a crack?  What kind of Prizes would you like to win? Do you have yer own suggestions for future Challenges?

Steve would like to know: do you prefer more valuable prizes or more opportunities to WIN?

Also don’t forget… there still be the Grand Prize, a 215€ LEGO Prize awarded to the overall best performing Creative Critic, as determined by Participants at the end of the Contest.

In the meantime…  Sail over to the LEGO Pirates Forum and let share yer thoughts on the Challenge and Prizes!

Within 36 hours of the First to 25 Challenges June 29 Report, Horation literally appeared out of nowhere and quickly worked his way to the top of the leaderboard!

Moving ahead of Math Wizard into the Number 1 Position of the Critic Challenge, Horation is just posts away from winning the 35€ LEGO set Prize.

Horation moves into the lead in less than a day!

This demonstrates how easy these First to 25 Challenges are.  Really, it only requires 25 sentences to WIN a Prize!

But will you let Horation claim the Prize? Or will you claim it for yourself?

You better act fast!

Building Challenges

At the time of writing none of the Building Entrants have stepped up to make a concerted effort to win the prizes.

Nonetheless, most Entry Topics have received new Replies so here be updated tallies.

Thanks to Horation’s efforts, the Reply Count of the Entry Topics have increased

However, a diligent Building Entrant could easily claim a Prize with a little more engagement

Some of the Building Entrants are edging closer to a Prize, but they better HURRY UP!

This round of Challenges ends on July 6 regardless of whether the Prizes have been claimed.

Certainly Building Entrants may remain complacent and might will win a Prize by default, by after the counter reaches 00:00:00 that’s it! First to 25 Challenges over!

Are you happy to miss an easy WIN?

25 Replies? That’s Too HARD!!!

Replies a sentence long is all you need, and 5 Replies per day for 5 Days isn’t that demanding… given how much time people waste gossiping about nothing on messenger apps!

The first image in a visual overview of advice was posted via the Classic Pirates Instagram

Nonetheless, this is a new initiative so we’ve put together some advice for both Creative Critics and Building Entrants to help you reach your goal as quickly as possible.

Creative Critics even receive a visual presentation on Instagram and the Classic Pirates Facebook Group.

So absorb those tips and then…

What Do Yer Think?

Horation has demonstrated a determined newcomer can easily take the lead!

DON’T DELAY!  The First to 25 Challenges close July 6 and then the Prizes will no longer be on offer!

Will you be the next newcomer to take the lead?

The clock is counting down and these THREE Prizes are will be unavailable if you don’t ACT NOW!

UPDATE 3 JULY, 2024

All THREE Prizes have been claimed!

Keep your eye on the sea because more challenges may be announced in the future.

For more information be sure to read the Building Categories Overview and the Creative Critic Overview.

The First to 25 Challenges are underway so let’s see which participants are in the running to claim a LEGO set of their choice.

And to up the ante…we’re

• bumping up the Creative Critic prize to a 35€ LEGO set
• offering 25€ LEGO set Prizes for both the Small and Large Building Categories!

So that’s THREE Prizes in total! Newcomers welcome!

The Leaderboard

These convenient info graphics have been designed to help visualise progress – whoever gets the mast of Steve’s Cutter across the dotted line WINS a Prize!

Creative Critic

The first Creative Critic to write 25 Replies in Building Entry Topics (that aren’t their own) will WIN a 35€ LEGO set of their choice.

Math Wizard has a noticeable lead while the previous champ hasn’t left the start line

A clever writer could catch up in a single sitting!

Large Building Category

The first Entrant in the Large Building Category to attract 25 Replies to one of their Large Building Entry Topics will WIN a 25€ LEGO set of their choice.

Steve’s First Voyage is edging ahead

They’re not even at the halfway point yet – the Prize is ripe for the taking!

Small Building Category

The first Entrant in the Small Building Category to attract 25 Replies to one of their Small Building Entry Topics will WIN a 25€ LEGO set of their choice.

Mini Imperial Trading Post is will on the way to the Prize!

Is it too hard for you to seize the lead and claim the prize?

Please note that the above images do not update in real time so the data is subject to change – be sure to check the LEGO Pirate MOC Forum regularly for the latest information.

How Many Prizes Can I WIN?

ALL THREE!

Steve is giving you even more opportunities to WIN!

Yes, you can potentially clean up and WIN ALL THREE LEGO set Prizes providing you’ve…

• Registered as a Creative Critic
• Submitted a Small Building Entry
• Submitted a Large Building Entry

Then it’s just a matter of accumulating 25 Replies for each.

For Critics:
What’s the Best Way to Deliver Constructive Feedback?

Write conversational style Posts of around 2-3 Sentences that provide observations and feedback to Building Entrants.

There is no requirement to write an entire review or analysis in a Single Post!

Steve is about to write some quick, Creative Critic feedback on every Building Entry Topic!

In fact, it’s better if you don’t!

If you’re able to write multiple paragraphs of feedback, great!  But spread your feedback over multiple Posts containing 2-3 Sentences.

Quote or Tag the Building Entrants so they’re alerted to your response and then allow them the opportunity to respond to your Critique before continuing your feedback.

The Creative Critic is meant to be a friendly discussion between Participants, not a comprehensive review from Critics to Builders!

Posts which are 2-3 Sentences in length are all you need.

For Builders:
How Do I Get More Replies on My Building Entries?

Make conversation with the other Participants who are Replying to your Building Entry Topics! Especially the Creative Critics!

If Steve was participating in the contest, this is what it would look like

If someone Replies to your Entry Topic; Quote or Tag them so they’re alerted to your response and then acknowledge what they said.

Ask them a question… ask them for more detailed feedback…  OR at the very least, thank them for taking the time to reply to your submission…

A little friendly conversation goes a long, long way!

What Do Yer Think?

It’s anybody’s game at the moment – a determined newcomer could easily take the lead!

BUT HURRY!  The First to 25 Challenges close July 6 and then the Prizes will be off the table!

So get Replying RIGHT NOW!

Can you get Steve over the dotted line before these Participants?

Are you gonna take a stab at the First to 25 Challenges? Just one of the challenges? Or ALL THREE?

For more information be sure to read the Building Categories Overview and the Creative Critic Overview.

The Infamous Steve Contest‘s first three Entrants have been submitted an Entry and the Classic Pirates are thrilled to present the creations of such enthusiastic builders!

To help supply you with rum the creative impetus to build your own captivating entries, let’s take a look at they’ve done…

The Featured THREESOME

And here be the Entries be in no particular order… well other than being the first three off the boat:

“From Merchant to Pirate” by Yatkuu/Gregory Coquelz

Turns out Steve wasn’t an honest merchant after all and condemned to the slammer for tax evasion!

Steve is actually quite buff

Did Steve patiently bide his time until the end of his sentence?  Or did he attempt a daring prison break?

“Mini Imperial Trading Post” by SevenDeadlyStreamers and daughter, Syndey

In collaboration with his daughter Sydney, SevenDeadlyStreamers has masterfully executed this pint-sized 6277 Imperial Trading Post.

A perfect example of how to submit an Entry without the Steve minifigure

For the Infamous Steve Contest we’ve broadened the entry criteria to allow for more creative freedom. While the Return of the Classic Pirates Contest encouraged entrants to emulate official LEGO sets, this Contest leaves the form and style open to your artistic discretion.

“Shipwrecked Merchant Steve in Need of Rescue and Pants” by LeChuck-MD

LeChuck-MD decided to explore Steve’s journey from merchant to the quartermaster of the Skulls Eye Schooner.

Steve tries out the latest Indigo Islander fashion

After escaping jail for tax evasion, it appears Steve had an unfortunate incident which saw him stranded on a desert island – how does Steve escape?

Entries Index

Now, there may be concerns  that Featuring Entries will give them an unfair advantage during Voting time.

Voters will be presented with an index of all Entries submitted

With Voting around two months away, the Featured Threesome will be a distant memory.  These Entries are intended to pique interest during the early phase of the Contest, and Voters will be presented with the Building Entries Index which presents all the Building Entries.

The Next Featured Threesome

Aye, we’ll be Featuring three more Entries from different Building Entrants!

That will be the next three Builders to submit Entries who haven’t previously been Featured.

So get an Entry in early and get seen!

And remember: you may enter up to THREE Entries in both the Small and Large categories for a total of 6 Entries.

So Submit an Entry NOW and another a few weeks later…

For more opportunities to get Featured in the future so follow the Classic Pirates on Social Media to keep updated.

What Do Yer Think?

Have these earlybird entries fueled your inspiration?

You don’t need a humongous build… the Small Building Category only requires 25 to 200 Pieces. 

What crazy scenario will you put Steve in?

So yer can put together something simple, yet effective over the weekend.

Join the fun and Submit your Entry…  and then check out all the other Entries…