Whilst sailing the Caribbean Sea looking for treasure, Captain Redbeard was captured by Imperial soldiers. He was promptly banished to the dreaded prison located on the remote Lostmans Island, where he now awaits the trial of the century, and the media spectacle which will surely follow.

Can he prove his innocence to the prejudiced jury? Will he even try? Can he break free of the shackles with an outrageous bribe? Or will he choose to keep the gold and abscond into the wide yonder?

Join us with PirateTales debut on the Pirate MOC scene and find out…

Welcome to the Lostmans Island, your government imposed Pirate “refuge”, far from the rest of the world

PirateTales writes:

When the pandemic hit, I started to build with LEGO again. Rediscovering my love for LEGO was an amazing and fun experience.

When I was a kid my favorite LEGO theme was pirates and imperials. The theme brings back childhood memories and imagination.

I wanted to make this model to bring back those feelings and share them with the LEGO community. I have seen a lot of excellent imperial sets as LEGO Ideas, and I really hope that LEGO will produce an imperial ideas set at some point.

The Imperial Prison Tower

The build is consists of 2137 pieces and is intended for use in any Pirate or Imperial landscape, as well as, a standalone set.

The tower has three levels, the prison situated in the cave at the ground level, followed by the living quarters on the first level and an office on the second level. There is a modest dock and a slither of sand at the rear of the tower, call it a “beach” if ye wish to be generous.

Dear Pirates, meet Captain James along with, Lieutenants Edwards and Andrews, able-bodied blue coats who man the outpost

Upon the beach sleepy Edwards whiles away the hours. He is a somewhat unmotivated soldier and was stationed at Lostmans Island after being expelled transported by an Imperial supply ship .

That’s the spirit Edwards, don’t mind those pesky pirates and don’t let anyone to interrupt your well deserved siesta

Captain James will be absolutely furious… Captain Redbeard is at large!

The prison is the most perilous level because of the tides. With the high tide, the cave is engulfed with turbulent water diminishing the prisoners odds of survival.

But wait a minute! Could it be there is a secret underwater tunnel which leads to freedom for anyone daring enough to make a dive for it?

However, there are whispers that at low tide, if you know the right spot, the cave can be opened from the outside.

Ah… yes, the swinging secret entrance makes the escape far less dangerous (and much less spectacular) than diving through the underwater maze filled with sharks and electric eels

The first floor of the tower is the barracks. It has a big hatch in the middle of the floor to throw down the prisoners and occasionally piss on give them some food and water.

The soldiers quarters have everything one desires, two cozy beds, the food storage, latrine, prison hatch, and the best roommate who never always snores. Yo ho ho, a soldier’s life for me

Hey look, they are having Sushi night, every night

The second floor is Captain James’ office and where he keeps the key of the prison.

As lying in bed causes irremediable wrinkles on the uniform, the common practice of the No-Bed for Officers continues, even at this outpost

The most noticeable object in the Captain’s office is the Diamond of the Seven Seas. The legend has it whoever possesses the diamond gains the power to rule the seven seas by commanding the sun and tides!

Forget about Captain Redbeard, you’ve got the diamond… now RUN!

Atop the tower, we can find Lieutenant Andrews gazing over the parapet. He has a keen eye and a razor sharp senses for sighting pirates and tidal waves other threats on the horizon.

It appears Lieutenant Andrews has completely failed to notice the band of pirates who are now storming the tower. Sigh… you simply can’t find good workers these days

The Real Build

It’s one thing to build a MOC digitally, it’s another to build it from physical LEGO bricks.  Sometimes builders employ techniques which defy physics in their digital builds, which in turn pose structural issues when recreating the design in the real world.

No such issues with Lostmans Island, but PirateTales did have to employ some creative colour substitution due to a lack of blue coat Soldier torsos.

PirateTales continues:

For me, LEGO is all about creativity and play. This build gives a lot of different opportunities for play; Open the cave and rescue Redbeard, climb on the rocks and greens beside sleepy Edward, fight the imperials and steal the diamond.

In addition, to play I focused on the aesthetics to make the model interesting to look at, so it also could be a nice display model.

Don’t mind that sleepy Edwards is there in red, PirateTales simply used all of his bluecoats and did some creative substitution

Lostmans Island is made from real LEGO bricks and waiting for your SUPPORT on LEGO Ideas so stop what you’re doing (which is reading a blog post) and SUPPORT NOW!

Not Familiar with LEGO Ideas?

LEGO Ideas is a website that allows aspiring builders to submit creations with objective of becoming official LEGO sets – the kind you can buy! Original designers receive 1% commission on royalties and ten free LEGO sets from those currently in production. But to be a contender for official set status, each idea must garner 10,000 supporters within a limited timeframe.

That’s where YOU come in! LEGO Pirate fans must unite to support another blue coat Soldier submission and propel it over the 10K finish line! Visit the project submission webpage and click the Support Button to pledge your support!

LEGO® Minifigures Series 24 (71037) has been sighted on 2023’s horizon prompting the Classic Pirates to delve into the new assortment to determine which minifigs are suitable to join the LEGO Pirate ranks.

And this time we have the pleasure of introducing the Rocco Aristocrat, an exquisitely dressed, 18th century lady of French nobility – after all these decades, Lieutenant de Marinet might finally be able to get hitched!

So what relevance does this minifigure have LEGO Pirates?

Well, not a darn thing in terms of the pieces included with the minifig – unless you want a yapping pooch tearing up yer ship!  Or a periwig for a dandy fop of the same era… the head might also work for that purpose too.

Perhaps the aristocratic lady offers a much requested civilian presence to harbours and villages, or maybe a suitable wife for a high ranking officer in your Blue Coat Soldier army. A few years back, The LEGO Group confirmed on their website; the Soldiers “are based upon the French navy and marines of the colonial era” so Lady Rococo slots in nicely.

Is this minifig relevant to your LEGO Pirates collection? Does she have a place in your MOCs? Or is she too far removed from LEGO Pirates? Tell us yer thoughts in the LEGO Pirates Forum…

Official Statement

And here is the complete line up of minifigures available in Series 24

The official LEGO Minifigure Series 24 webpage states:

Kids aged 5 and up will be thrilled to stage fun scenes with these LEGO® Minifigures Series 24 (71037) blind bags. New for January 2023, these amazing characters are perfect for collecting, displaying and inspiring little builders to dream up their own fun-filled stories. A fantastic cast of LEGO minifigure characters Both kids and adult collectors will be excited to see this fantastic line-up of LEGO minifigure characters: T-Rex Costume Fan, Rococo Aristocrat, Robot Warrior, Potter, Newspaper Kid, Orc, Football Referee, Falconer, Conservationist, Carrot Mascot, Brown Astronaut and Spacebaby, and Rockin’ Horse Rider. The perfect treat for LEGO fans! All 12 LEGO minifigures are ready to dive into action-packed stories and each one comes in a sealed blind bag accompanied by at least one accessory and a collector’s information leaflet. A small and durable gift guaranteed to provide countless hours of fun for kids.

When Can I Buy It?

Hey look! The packaging colour-coordinates nicely with her dress!

Minifigures Series 24 will be available on LEGO.com from January 1, 2023.

What be a Rococo Aristocrat?

Rococo or Late Baroque, is art, fashion and interior design style which emerged in Paris during the early 18th century but quickly spread throughout France and nearby countries. The style is characterised by exuberant ornamentation with intricate detailing. The word Rococo originates from the French word rocaille, a method of decoration employed since the Renaissance, often utilised to petty up fountains and grottoes with pebbles, seashells, and cement.

Here’s a Rococo style room
Imagine all the fun you’d have if you were the one responsible for the dusting and cleaning

Cosmetics were an integral part of Rococo France; during an informal ceremony known as the public toilette, aristocratic women would style their hair and decorate their faces in front of an audience. The makeup was made from highly toxic materials, and despite awareness of this fact, the cosmetics were so popular they were used regardless of the consequences.

Marie Antoinette, Rococo poster child – she had no problem sneaking guests into the ball

Like its architectural counterpart, Rococo fashion was the epitome frivolity and excess. Women often sported huge, poufy hairstyles, and enormous pannier skirts with an excess of decorative frills, feathers and bows.

“The Tête à Tête” by William Hogarth, 1743, oil on canvas.
Somehow this painting manages to tie everything together!

After their marriage, Lady Rococo wipes her makeup off and de Martinet realises he’s been catfished! But he’s too indisposed to react, yet his new wife seems giddy with excess of energy to burn. Meanwhile, the dog locates a curious substance in de Martinet’s pocket. So now we must ponder; exactly what is that “white powder” they love smothering all over their faces?

What Do Yer Think?

She needs to go to the bathroom to powder her nose entire face

Maybe yer pirates could kidnap her and hold her for ransom! How much would de Martinet pay to get her back? Or maybe she’s actually a pirate in disguise – who can really tell under all that makeup?

How would you incorporate the Rococo Aristocrat into your LEGO Pirate and Imperial Soldier MOCs? Or would you rather not?  Don’t hesitate to fire your ideas and opinions at us in LEGO Pirates Forum.

Most builders focus on constructing a single ship, an undertaking that requires skill and finesse in its own right.  Legostein however, is not content with just one ship – he aspires to create entire fleets! Well, not just fleets, entire factions!

Driven by a desire to explore concepts not touched upon in the original LEGO Pirates theme, he embarks upon creating entirely new sub themes, so today, let us introduce you to “The Explorer Fleet”…

Here you will be treated to an army (or is that Armada?), a port larger than 6272 Imperial Trading Post and of course, the fleet itself!

Legostein writes:

Hello everybody,

and welcome to my own corner of the pirate world! Today I want to introduce you to an exciting project I am into for some time now. It’s an alternate pirate play theme with new factions, new boats, and new places. I made up some rules for myself that apply to the project:

I try not to use any official pirate theme insignia, any official pirate theme sails (official pirate boat pieces allowed), any official pirate theme torsos, any official pirate theme heads (official headgear allowed).

With that I started into a new adventure of playset design! It was quite a challenge but a pleasure even more. So, I would like to present to you: The Explorer Fleet

1. The Personnel of the Explorer Fleet

Legostein continues:

For the crew of the Explorer Fleet, I used toros of the “Racers” series from the early 2010 years. The back printing of the torsos (which would not look adequate for a pirate figure) is covered with standard capes. I was really happy to finally being able to create a yellow uniform that looks nice (as you know yellow dress for yellow head and hands color is quite difficult). The heads are from the “Fright Knights” series from the late 1990 years. As insignia the flag of the “Lone Ranger” series from 2013 was used.

A total of 39 figures with guards, 9 officers, and 3 commanders

The Imperial Armada has nothing on these guys!

An eclectic assortment of torsos and a leader with facial hair to rival that of Don Diego de LEGO

2. The Port of the Explorer Fleet

Legostein continues some more:

All locations use a modular system of old 10×20 baseplates/bricks. You can stick them together to get a rellay long quay wall, or you can assemble them in corners to make a harbor basin. The modular system is extremely useful when participating in an exhibition to create a really lengthy display with buildings in the back and ships in the front. The home port is called “Port Yellowsandstone”. You will find a storage buidling with crane, and a defense tower whichi has a map/conference room on the first floor with great panorama view. There is also a small prison, the commander’s castle, and of course a tavern.

Every faction needs a base of operations – welcome to… Hey, what did he say the name of this port was?

While Legostein did a great job defining a visual identity for the vessels, he’s perhaps not innovated enough to differentiate The Explorer Fleet’s structures from the Soldiers and Imperial Guards

Every good port is well defended

3. Ships and Boats

Legostein just keeps going (but seriously, it’s great he’s provided these details):

Catboat

You can already see it on the images of the port: A small catboat. Yellow sails are hard to find. For this little boat I used foam pieces that came with the “Scala” sets in the early 2000s.

A catboat – meow meow!
But seriously, a catboat is a sailboat with a single sail on a single mast.

Vela Latina

The next ship of the fleet is a small vela latina. It uses the large brown rowboat from the “Adventurers” series which I already used for several other boats, too. As lateen sail I used the carousel top cover from the Creator carousel 10257 of the year 2017.

This is a Vela Latina – and no, Vela is the class of vessel, not a Spanish chica

But she does look fine from the rear – also known as the “stern”

And here is the Vela Latina’s starboard from the bow

The port side with a feisty cannon aimed towards us!

That heavy cannon probably weighs her down quite a bit!

Fully accesorised, just like the Classic LEGO Pirate sets – you’ll spare observe the musket and sabre

And this is the view you’ll see after they blast your cumbersome vessel with a cannon ball and sail off

Xebec

The next ship a Xebec which use the same carousel top covers as sails. This was really a pleasure to build. I especially like how the angled mast turned out. It uses the standard boat hull pieces (narrow form) with one expansion piece in the middle.

Sailing to new adventures! Exploring the uncharted regions!

A xebec – a small three-masted sailing ship with lateen and square sails.

And just like the classic sets, this ship only has two cannon, despite having four gun ports

But what it lacks in cannon, it makes up in sails because we’ve never seen a xebec in the LEGO Pirates theme

This is what we can observe from the helm

That is a unique approach to a flag – we certainly haven’t seen that piece used in such a way in the Pirate theme

Two masts but only one cannon? A warship this one aint!

Brig

The next ship of the Explorer Fleet is a brig, also with two masts, standard boat hull and one expansion piece in the middle. For the sails “Scala” theme foam pieces were used again.

The flagship of the Explorer Fleet

That foam from the Scala theme really works!

The LEGO Pirates theme is lacking in two-masted ships with these hull pieces

A set based on brig would be a welcome addition to any LEGO Pirate collection

Anchor included… figurehead however…

And on the bridge you’ll find some important figures – not that we know who they are!

And that concludes today’s tour of The Explorer Fleet

Closing Thoughts

Legostein concludes:

That’s all for now! I hope you enjoyed our journey so far. Please keep in mind these are designed as playsets, thank you.

The Explorer Fleet port includes everything you see here

So what do we think?

Legostien has done exceptionally well to create an entire faction, but Classic Pirates exists to be constructively critical, so here are some suggestions to flesh out (any) LEGO sub theme more thoroughly:

1. Custom flags and insignias
2. Custom toros
3. Naming the key minfigures
4. Naming the vessels and port
5. A more unique design aesthetic for the port

Yes, we’re nitpicking because of all these suggestions have the potential to add many hours onto the build.  Nonetheless, they are hallmarks of a classic LEGO faction, and thus cannot be overlooked

The Explorer Fleet is ready to venture into the known!

About the Builder…

Legostien has been sailing around the LEGO Pirates forum for quite some time, but during 2022 he exploded into a “Classic Pirate faction” building renaissance, beginning with smaller ship adaptions such as the “Caribbean Ribbit”. From there he began conceptualising entire new factions (yes, that’s right, more than one faction) which the Classic Pirates endeavour to explore in future posts.

So if the The Explorer Fleet has tantalized your nostalgia buds, be sure to investigate Mini Wizardry on Flickr because he’s got a cargo hold brimming with colorful classic creations!

What do you think of The Explorer Fleet?  Has Legostein created the perfect new faction for LEGO Pirates? Or can you suggest how he might improve on it further?

Allow the Explorer Fleet escort you to the LEGO Pirates Forum for further discussion…

Ever since the debut of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise in 2003, the Black Pearl has become one of the most iconic pirate ships in popular culture and an inspiration for ship builders and pirates fans worldwide.

Whether you’re a fan of the series or not, one glimpse at her pitch-black sails and ebony hull is enough to make your knees wobble and blood run cold! For you know when you see a ghost ship, a trouble is on the horizon… in other words, Undead Pirates!

LEGO 4184: The ‘Official’ Black Pearl

In 2011, The LEGO Group licensed and launched the LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean theme and, as expected, one set was dedicated to this infamous ship. When it was finally released, instead of unbridled glee, the reception within the AFOL community was met with an echoing thud! Something was amiss!

While enthusiasts and collectors frantically praised its notable features, no matter how small and insignificant, a generous number of fans remained undazzled by a LEGO set with a mere 804 piece count and two clunky masts, lacking any further similarity to the vessel Black Pearl  of the same name.

Yep… almost the same (that is immense ‘almost’)

To make matters worse, the Pearl was released just a year after the 10210 Imperial Flagship, a formidable vessel which capture hearts with a fantastic design and a whopping 1664 piece count – a record for its time, and in contrast more than double of the Pearl.

In short, The LEGO Group knows how to achieve impressive design, but in the case of the Pearl they simply choose not to, and this prompted a call to action for builders worldwide to build a design which would grant the legendary ship justice.

Today, the accumulated number of the Pearl MOCs worldwide is staggering, and in this review we will investigate a notable design by the builder BrickMOCBay.

A few extra parts can make all the difference in the world of MOCs, but is it any good?

 Specifications

Trivia: the original name of the ship during production of Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl was The Wicked Wench, based on the ship in Disney park attraction, but it eventually evolved into, The Black Pearl

Box and Content

The package arrived from China to the EU in 12 days with no visible physical damage. It was hand delivered by courier of DPDgroup, an international parcel delivery service (a major Plus)

They also provided the tracking number (Plus), and on shipping details rated the package at weight of 3.1kg/6.9lbs, which was later confirmed on the standard weight scale. The box was wrapped in two layers of bubble wrap for added protection

The carton box lacks the beautiful artwork of official LEGO products which we’ve taken for granted grown accustomed

Some say the beauty comes from the inside… and in this case the cheap plain box stores 2,800 lovely building pieces. Don’t judge a box by its cover

The instructions come in digital form on a USB drive with a copyright notice. Whether this is Plus or Minus, it depends. On the plus side we are saving the forest by not printing out 272 pages of instructions, but on the other side… physical instructions are convenient to have

Closer Inspection

The majority of parts are packed in unnumbered plastic bags, with no clear system of grouping, other than colour and part type

Comparison shows that the blue and bluish gray are on par with LEGO, while the reddish brown is close but not entirely the same. The lattice comes in yellow instead of pearl gold

The bow piece came with several minor and one major scratch on the side. Upon closer inspection minor scratches were also found on the black mast

Other notes regarding the parts:

Due to trademark, the minifigure torso which serves as the figurehead on the bow, is not included.

Printed parts were not included, so no T-Bone steak or treasure map for us… ARRRRGGGGGHHHH!

The crab is listed as tan but arrived in yellow. Later we received information that it’s not available in other colours.

Sails are not included, which could be forgiven if there was a graphic template inside the building instructions with diagrams and dimensions to make your own sails out. But alas, there were none!

One bag of 35x black 1×6 tiles was missing. After reporting the problem it was promptly sent and delivered 8 days later, free of charge with a sincere apology.

All other parts came in the right quantity, or even an extra piece or two. (Plus)

Building Instructions

Building instructions consist of 275 pages. They are simple, straightforward and almost entirely easy to follow. Visual part-list is also included on the last several pages

On one occasion (step 73) it was not clear where the two 1×1 plates go?? Two pages and steps later the mystery was luckily solved when we got the view on the bow from a new angle

The Build

To maximise playability and ensure an easy access to every corner of the hold, the ship is divided into four sections, which in theory, should be easy to remove and reassemble

1. The Lower Section

This was the cause of the first small annoyance; the red 2×3 bricks and blue 2×3 corners came all in black while building instructions indicate otherwise

The quality of third-party manufacturers bricks and plates is surprisingly good! They connect and stay connected

The hull of the ship is packed with guns and barrels; what else could a pirate desire, except maybe gold?

The ship’s bow accommodates the kitchen and more barrels. You can’t have enough rum on a pirate ship

Next annoyance… The cones came hollow without X grove which makes them impossible to attach to Technic axles. This is a minus

Due to the trademark the minifigure torso, which should serve as the figurehead, is not included! Luckily, an old black torso and a helmet borrowed from a castle theme came in handy

2. The Main Deck

The floor of the main deck looks nice, but it’s utterly flimsy. Two plates are hanging there on barely two studs, even though there was enough room for extra support from below

The main deck cannons have a cool design, but what is not cool is the recurring problem of hollow cones which can’t be attached to the axle

The remaining build of the main deck went smoothly without problems

The three masts and the bowsprit, significantly less clunky in contrast to the LEGO Pearl

Once assembled the whole deck is sturdy, just as long as you know which bricks and plates you must avoid touching at all costs

3. The Captain Cabin

We can only guess what the 2×2 tiles on the Captain’s table should represent, maybe a map and…? Well, let’s leave that to our wild imagination

Complete side section of the cabin is intended to rest on one hinge plate which is a cause for small alarm. We will see how that idea works out…

The overall curves and angles of the captain’s cabin are nice and reveal no major gaping holes

Only one hinge plate is a poor solution. The side sections can be opened half-way out (until their back-side collides with the stern). To compound the issue, the other ‘free’ side has no way of ‘clicking’ with the rest of the cabin, which results in flimsy and constant opening sides. ARGG!

4. The Poop Deck

Small, but notable annoyance is the ship’s immovable wheel which needs to be raised by at least one 1×2 plate to allow a free run

Fully accessorised stern

The antennas fit quite nicely into the Poop lanterns, and the overall look and feel is nice

With the mizzen mast attached the Poop deck is finished and ready for final assembly

The Finished Model

The ship looks impressive and formidable, no argument there, and we can only wonder how much better it would look in the company of the full sails, ropes and the cursed crew

Only when you have it in your arms, you start to grasp the real size of it. In one word, it’s BIG. Way bigger than the official Pearl… but, as we have seen, it does come with a minor set of issues

While on the subject of issues, the antennas under the rigging are a nice idea, but these parts are known to quickly become loose, and soon enough they all start to point down

Next, the Poop Deck rests completely on the cabin’s tiles, with no firm connection, not even with one stud. This is fine as long as you intend to use the ship for showcase, rather than play

As for the cabin and the main deck, once attached to the lower section it’s better to leave them connected as they are not sturdy enough to survive wear and tear of constant separation

Issues aside, we can easily picture the spacious main deck as the main stage of numerous battles between pirates and soldiers. This MOC looks promising enough for many hours of playtime

Conclusion

The End

About the Builder…

With a background in engineering and passion for large scale models, BrickMOCBay is an expert digital builder who found his home in Pirate waters where he has made several impressive big ship MOC designs. He is also a member of the Playwell-Bricks designer team, a group of highly talented individuals who design and produce incredible projects of all shapes and sizes at the clients request.

If you like his Black Pearl, we invite you to visit his Instagram or Facebook account, and gaze your greedy eyes upon his entire MOC fleet.

What Do YOU Think?

Now that you’ve read a review on a set produced by a third-party manufacturer, what are your thoughts? Are the Classic Pirates CRAZY for reviewing non-authentic LEGO? Or does the Black Pearl and AFOL designed sets have potential? Should MOCs only be built from authentic LEGO? Or do non-authentic brands have a place?

Sail by the LEGO Pirates Forum and let us know!

Disclaimer: This is a licensed MOC design, built from third-party bricks and elements. Anything written inside the post is solely expression of the author’s feelings. Parts and build photographs by Marooned Marin (© 2022 Classic-Pirates.com)

What is the cutest LEGO animal? Could it be the kitten? What about the bunny rabbit? Maybe even the teddy bear?

Nay! According to Yatkuu, it’s the Hermit Crab. He’s so smitten by these little nippers he’s built an entire fortress in their honour.

And this isn’t a fortress to scoff at! It’s a hefty blue coat Soldier stronghold perched atop a rocky bluff, overlooking a glistening cove.

Yatkuu writes:

I dedicate this Imperial Fort to the cutest LEGO animal ever made… the Hermit Crab.

This Fort has a full interior with an armory, prison cell, kitchen and some barracks. You can check the album here.

Thank you Pixel Fox for the crabs! (the crustaceans 😉 )!

If we pop the top off; from above you can see the interior layout of the fortress… and where they keep the rum…

How many hermit crabs have you spotted so far? Despite the name, Governor Broadside doesn’t seem to have a crab infestation on his hands… at least.

“Sacre bleu, what is zis?  How on earth could I miss such a sweet, little succulent crab?” a great chef once sung.

This fortress may actually be impregnable if it had more firepower – just one cannon in a big fort like that? Seriously?

The defensive side of the fortress… guarded by a stingray!

About the Builder…

Yatkuu (Gregory Coquelz) is a loyal supporter of the Classic Pirates Flickr Group, so we plucked the photos of his fortress straight from the photostream (even though we claim our source is the Instagram post we made a while back).

But there’s more to him than just a mere hermit crab loving aficionado. He’s actually, a talented builder in his own right, evidenced by the stream of photos he shares via his Flickr account. Although, not a dedicated LEGO Pirates builder, he does have a diverse selection of MOCs, encompassing many styles and themes.

So, after you peruse his creations, drop by the LEGO Pirates Forum to discover more great LEGO Pirate creations.