1^st March 2023 UPDATE

From the Instagram account of set builder Stuart Harris:

Avast ye! today be the day the new LEGO House exclusive set 40504 ‘A Minifigure Tribute’ hits the shelves. Available only in the LEGO House LEGO Store for 599DKK or several Doubloons 🙂 In order to celebrate and promote the launch our store staff will be wearing these distinctive badges of Captain Redbeard and if you ask nicely they might even speak like a pirate too!

So what is the current market value of a several authentic doubloons?

The shelves at the LEGO House LEGO Store are stocked – now go get your Classic Pirate Captain!

Did you spot the Classic LEGO Pirate minifig?

Where Can I Buy One?

If your busy schedule prevents you from detouring to LEGO House in Denmark, not a problem!  We shall now take a gander at alternative options for acquiring this set…

eBay

Have ye thrown a glance towards eBay*?  It’s the bay with all the auctions…

Hours after its release this is what it costs on eBay*…

Just several hours after its release the set begun appearing on eBay at ridiculously inflated prices, prompting many fans to pummel social media with their frustration.

* affiliate links provided by eBay Partner Network.

Bricklink

So what about good, old Bricklink? Well glad yer asked!

Here’s a screenshot of the current situation on Bricklink – not much more forgiving is it?

Avast! There’s Piraten’s Shop in the list! Since that kind lad generously granted us permission to share one his event photos (later in this post) let’s give him a shout out…

If yer must buy from Bricklink, buy it from an authentic Dane! YARRR! Buyers in the Netherlands and surrounding countries may disagree…

Not Enough Booty to Buy One?

Are these options still a too far beyond yer reach? Well bugger! Remember maties; they’re called “exclusives” because they “exclude” people.

Building Instructions

Should ye be eager to acquire this set yet too geographically or financially challenged to purchase one, would it alleviate your frustration to learn free building instructions were available?

Well, if you’re avid builder with bricks to spare, the good news is you can download building instructions for 40504, Build a Minifigure from LEGO.com.

If you’re not an avid builder, well… too bad!

Set designer Niels Milan Pedersen on on page 9 of the building instructions – what a happy chappy!

Just kiddin’ yar!

The building instructions are also overflowing with fascinating information and gorgeous photography covering the history of the set, LEGO House and the set designers.  So, it’s well worth reading even if you lack the desire to construct the Classic Pirate Captain yerself.

Excerpt from Page 8

Tree of Creativity – Captured by pirates.

Of course the centrepiece of LEGO® House, the impressive Tree of Creativity, also holds its share of LEGO minifigures and, of course, pirate minifigures. In fact, they occupy an entire section of the tree. The pirate branch features beloved models from the classic LEGO Pirates theme including a pirate island, an imperial fort and an epic sea battle between Captain Redbeard’s Black Seas Barracuda and an imperial flagship.

Page 8 features a photo from the Pirate display at LEGO House

Here be the download link  – go treat yerself to the visual and factual feast that lies within!

The Official Announcement (25 February 2023)

If yer been keeping pace with the Classic Pirates yer should know we intercepted a rumour regarding an upcoming pirate-themed set which was about to be announced.

Well, by thunders it’s been officially announced on the LEGO House website and now we can confirm the images circulating earlier were indeed the new 40504 A Minifigure Tribute set.

We can also confirm the set has 1,041 pieces and retails for 599 DKK ($85 USD / AU$126) exclusively at the LEGO House store from March 1 onward.

The set features Captain Redbeard as a brick-built figure approximately 30cm/11.811′ tall, holding a treasure map which contains cryptic references left by the product designers. And if yer look closely, you’ll find a blue LEGO House wristband behind the hook.

Captain Redbeard as a LEGO House Exclusive set: 40504 A Minifigure Tribute

Aye, we know there be many a LEGO Pirate fan with hands clasped to their face, wailing in frustration; “why can’t we have a classic-style set like a ship or fort? WHY LEGO Group? WHY?!?!?”

While other be shrieking; “Why must this set be a House Exclusive? I don’t have time to swing by Denmark on my home from work so obtaining one will be extremely expensive and challenging!”

But let’s rejoice for them who be genuinely interested and able to acquire this fine sculptural piece.

The Box

Here be the official packaging…

Here be the front of the box – would yer like to see it unboxed?

And on the back of the box we get some really clever alternate buil… ahhh.. we get a history lesson

Don’t forget to have your box signed by the designers!

The LEGO Group Announces:

LEGO^® House Exclusive – A Minifigure Tribute

This year marks the 45^th anniversary since the LEGO Group launched the very first LEGO minifigure in 1978. Since then, more than 10 billion minifigures have been produced in more than 8000 variants.

You can take part in celebrating the legendary minifigure by building the iconic Captain Redbeard, this year’s LEGO House Exclusive set. The finished figure, complete with a peg leg, pirate hat, and hook, is approx. 30 cm. high and consists of 1041 bricks.

This exclusive set is sold from 1 March 2023 and is only available in the LEGO store in LEGO House, Billund, Denmark.

Each year, the LEGO House Exclusive sets pay tribute to the most iconic LEGO Group stories. ‘A Minifigure Tribute’ is the fourth set in the series. These special sets can only be bought in the LEGO Store at LEGO House.

Want to Meet the Designers?

Be out the front of the LEGO House LEGO Store between 4 and 5PM CET on the March 3rd or 17th.

There, you can meet and greet the LEGO designers responsible for this product, Stuart Harris and Markus Rollbühler.  Concept models shall be presented for all the world to see, and you can even chat with the designers who will enable you to “get your box signed“. Although, the official information doesn’t specify which “box” exactly.

UPDATE 2 March 2023

Well blow me down! Turns out the designers will sign MISB Classic LEGO Pirate sets!  So far no confirmation on whether the boxes need to be in mint condition or whether they must be sets they designers and conceived themselves… or maybe they love signing everything!

MISB LEGO boxes for 6265 Sabre Island and 6255 The Golden Medallion comic signed by Niels Milan Pedersen and Stuart Harris

One of Classic Pirates’ star contributors, LEGO Ideas 10K Club Member and LEGO MASTER Semifinalist 2022 Denmark,  Piraten (Brian Steffensen Vestergaard) attended the March 1 event. As you may observe from the above photo he not only got his 40504 A Minifigure Tribute signed, but also the boxes for classic sets 6265 Sabre Island and 6255 The Golden Medallion comic – WOW!

In a recent Instagram post, Piraten writes:

What a day ! Thank you to @legohouse , @masterbuilder_stuart and @moriartus 
And off course the legend Niels Milan for the experience and storys from the time Redbeard was created. Got the sealed 6265 and the comic signed by Milan

Just remember, there be further opportunity to mingle with the designers at the LEGO House LEGO Store on 3^rd and 17^th March between 4.00 and 5.00 pm CET.

Did you know 10 Billion Minifigures have Been Produced?

It’s hard to imagine LEGO play without the minifigure.

Who is the tiny LEGO minifigure really? The answer may surprise you because the minifig was created to be you. With the minifigure, you can magically become part of any LEGO build. You can sail the oceans like Captain Redbeard, the model you can build in this year’s LEGO House Exclusive box, just to name one example. He was originally part of the 6285 “Black Seas Barracuda” box, a large pirate ship with two masts, sails, a crew, and of course a real pirate captain. Now he has become his very own LEGO set – with 1041 bricks and lots of building fun!

The minifig was created to be me?  Then why did yer trademark me so I can’t reproduce meself elsewhere?

Special Events which YOU Can Attend

In Person

Get out and meet people in the real world! Aye, the real world of little plastic people.

You can attend in person on March 1st at 4:15pm CET at LEGO House. You shall witness Redbeard being presented live by the designers, along with the background information on how this set was developed.

The ticket price will be a paltry 799 DKK per person and this includes the Redbeard set exclusive valued at 599 DKK… so the event only costs 200 DKK – a steal, really…

Book yer tickets here.

Online

Or you can watch online on March 2nd at 3.00pm CET live at Instagram which will be the same thing, just cut short after the Q&A ends (no play time for you!), only with a camera pointed at the designers.

So follow LEGO House on Instagram or you won’t know where to watch.

Wait!  Who IS Captain Redbeard?

If yer a youngin’ who’s just enrolled in the Classic Pirates crew, Captain Redbeard was the original LEGO Pirate captain who debuted along with the LEGO Pirates theme back in 1989 – aye, between 50 or 60 years ago, or something… He was originally included with 6285 Black Seas Barracuda, 6270 Forbidden Island and 6251 Pirate Minifigures… and the Imperial Soldier set 6276 Eldorado Fortress.

The evolution of Captain Redbeard

Over the years various other pirate captains have appeared, including the infamous Ironhook and Brickbeard, but Redbeard has prevailed, undergoing various design updates.

Conceived by Niels Milan Pedersen (aye, that his papa), Redbeard is the first LEGO minifigure to sport a beard and deviate from the standard minfig mould to include piratical features like a hook and pegleg.

The official press release also offers a rationale for the enlargement of the good captain:

The original Captain Redbeard minifigure from 6285 Black Seas Barracuda was created by Niels Milan Pedersen, and we chose to recreate this iconic figure in large scale for this year’s LEGO House Limited Edition set. Niels has been involved in the development of many popular LEGO sets during his long but still-active career as a LEGO designer. However, of all his many sets, his favourite set is still 6285 Black Seas Barracuda from 1989.

Captain Redbeard is an intricate design with lots of fun details such as a hook for hand, peg leg, epaulettes on his shoulders, and a black captain’s hat with the ‘Jolly Roger’ emblem. All of that is meticulously recreated in this new set. The build stands 30 cm tall and consists of 1041 LEGO bricks and as a little extra detail, the pirate has a LEGO House bracelet on his hook hand and a treasure map in his hand with a secret reference to the designers behind the product!

They seem to have forgot to include a parrot!

Who Are These Designers, Anyway?

A handful of aspiring reviewers have already received a preview of the set and a presentation of its development from Stuart Harris and Markus Rollbühler, along with a special appearance by Niels Milan Pedersen.

Here are some stills…

This be “Master Builder” Stuart Harris… thinks we seen him in that other Instagram video

Here’s Niels Milan Pedersen

---

Unboxing Video

If yer curious about what’s included in the box and the figure’s articulation be sure to take a gander at this:

Spoiler alert: the map is actually a sticker! Alas, there be no gigantic printed map tile.

Bonus Minifigure

We are able to confirm the review copies of the set include a bonus minifigure but still aren’t certain whether the minifig is included with the standard release.

Some say this is an updated version of Bo’Sun Will

And he’s here a little reminder to let know you the minifigs are getting on in years!

This is the box from which it emerged

Reviews

Here is a video review by Ashnflash.

A speed build by AustrainBrickFan

iTavix Instagram Review

iTavix has reconstructed the set digitally and shared the result in a series of images as an Instagram carousel.

This is just the first of seven images – be sure to follow iTavix on Instagram for the complete series

LEGO 40504 A Minifigure tribute digital version
The assembly process of this set is actually identical to that of the two Hogwarts students and the difference will be only on the accessories or on the aesthetic variations such as the wooden leg or the front part of the torso,a nice little nod from the designer can be found instead inside the head which houses a micro-island with its palm tree, clearly not visible anymore afterwards, but it’s a fun detail during the building process. Too bad perhaps for the two stickers present .. the map of Denmark still contains some amusing references such as the marking of the position of Billund with a red cross, the presence of the Black Sea Barracuda in the upper left or the use of a skeleton head in the middle of the compass. A set that as we know will be an exclusive of the LEGO HOUSE and that I’m sure fans will certainly want to have.. for now I told myself to build it “only” digitally..

Follow @itavix for other MOC and NEWS on the world of bricks

Piraten Instagram Overview

Brain has opened his and created this fine video for us…

And remember to follow Piraten on Instagram for more superb LEGO Pirate content.

What Do Yer Think?

Captain Redbeard with Stuart Little on his shoulder – yarrrhaaaa! Couldn’t resist, mates!

Does this announcement warm the cockles of yer piratey heart? Will/have you attempt to procure your very own 40504 A Minifigure Tribute? Or are you seething with disappointment because yer hopes were held high for a classic-style LEGO Pirates set?

Have ye been to LEGO House in Denmark for the event, purchased one of the sets, or got anything signed by the designers?

Share your thoughts and experiences with the Classic Pirates in the LEGO Pirates Forum or on the Facebook Post so we can cheer together… or console you, if that’s what you need.

T’was just the other day when the Classic Pirates intercepted a rumour of a new LEGO Pirates set sighted upon 2023‘s horizon.  For them who’s still lost at sea; a “buildable LEGO Classic Pirate Captain” will be released as an exclusive set for LEGO House in the near future.

The official announcement confirms everything.

February 27 UPDATE!!!

There has been an official set announcement and you can find all the details here.

Or you can read on to see the photos and videos not included in the new blog post.

Now, thanks to the diligence of our LEGO Pirates Historian, TalconCard, we’ve been pointed in the direction of some official details and a March 1 reveal date with a cost of 599 DKK (approximately 85 USD).

Special events: New LEGO® House exclusive product

On 1 March, LEGO® House will launch this year’s exclusive collector’s set. Every year, a new LEGO House Exclusive set is launched, celebrating the most iconic moments in the LEGO Group’s history – all linking into footprints around LEGO House. This year, we invite LEGO fans of all ages to attend the launch of the exclusive product, in LEGO House and on social media.

After hour event around the newest LEGO House exclusive product
1 March at 4:15pm CET at LEGO House
Join us for something completely unique when we present this year’s exclusive LEGO House set ‘live’ at LEGO House at a fan event. Meet the designers behind this year’s set: Stuart Harris and Markus Rollbühler and hear all about the many ideas for this year’s LEGO House exclusive. In addition, you can also hear the historical perspectives about this year’s product from two LEGO employees who have been particularly involved.

If you can’t make it to the event, which will most likely be the majority of LEGO Pirate fans, there shall be a live box reveal on Instagram:

New box revealed – live on SoMe

2 March at 3.00pm CET live at Instagram
If you can’t make it to LEGO House, but still want to be one of the first to experience this year’s LEGO House Exclusive, this is then your chance! Meet Stuart Harris and Markus Rollbühler, who designed this year’s exclusive set and hear all the funny details around developing the product and the thoughts behind in a Instagram Live session. Prepare your questions already now – it’s gonna be fun!

What the Blazes!  This mentions nothing about Pirates!

Blast, yer right! No mention of the Classic Pirate Captain anywhere in the information on the official LEGO House website.

Well, what do you expect from a rumour?

WAIT!  Have you checked the LEGO House Instagram lately?

What be going on here?

“Where is it” indeed?

Now, why has LEGO House posted a pirate video on their official Instagram account?

Could this be a fleeting tease of an upcoming pirate release? Or is a bum steer to throw us off course?  And then they announce a Castle or Space set instead? Yer know, like they did during the 90th Anniversary set releases.  Even though fans were officially polled to determine which theme they’d like to return for the anniversary and Pirates had the third most votes… until The LEGO Group realised their Castle sub-theme blunder and rejigged the poll options privately.

Here are some screenshots highlights from the Instagram video

What does it all mean? Will we ever see the Imperial Guards again?

So it’s Just Going to be that Overgrown Minifigure?

Do yer think our fortunes be smiling and The LEGO Group will boldly announce the release of a large ship of fortress set?

If so, yer more naive optimistic than the Classic Pirates!

This is the rumoured “40504 Classic Pirate Captain” LEGO House exclusive set

Are we looking at the cover of the instruction manual?

Some may adore placing this upscaled Captain Redbeard upon their stained mahogany mantelpiece, right next to their over-wound cuckoo clock.

While other LEGO Pirates fans may reel in disappointment, longing for a set which hails its architectural inspiration from classic source material. Yer know, like a ship or fortress.

What Do Yer Think?

Will the upcoming announcement for LEGO House exclusive be the Classic Pirate Captain set? Or shall we be disappointed surprised by something else entirely?

And if it should be the captain, will you attempt to procure one?  Or will you sail on by as though he’s not even there?

Share your thoughts with the Classic Pirates in the LEGO Pirates Forum or on the Facebook Post so we can either celebrate or commiserate this release.

The Imperial Armada sub theme emerged during the tail end of the LEGO Pirates theme during the years 1996 and 97.  Its debut consisted of just two sets, 6244 Armada Sentry and 6280 Armada Flagship, with no further additions the following year leaving us to speculate whether they were all the Imperial Armada sets The LEGO Group intended to release?  Or did plans exist to expand the sub theme further, but ultimately aborted along with the LEGO Pirate’s theme itself?

Not a skerrick of information has surfaced, nor may we ever receive an official answer to this quandary. Nevertheless, it has not hindered AFOLs from exploring their own concepts, most notably Armada Port by Brickhammer, a 10K LEGO Ideas submission which updates and expands upon the classic Imperial Armada aesthetic.

Master0889 has also taken a crack with “Return to Spanish Armada Fort“, albeit with a generous helping of beige and tan, a trademark of his building style.

A bustling port with no shortage of details – count the seagulls.
HINT: some are chickens

Master0889 writes:

My New MOC – Return to Spanish Armada Fort
What do you think about my project?
I built it for the Lego contest 90th Anniversary: Pirate Theme Celebrations

A mighty conquistador stationed on the parapet. Here, we can also see Armada green in a Harry Potter hue

Another mighty conquistador… on pollo duty.
HINT: “pollo” is Spanish for “chicken”

The Harbour Master ensures the floral arrangements remain fresh and prevents seagulls from flying away with the pineapples.
HINT: Flowers attract cute turtles

And on the west side we have… a few palm trees and that lovely floral arrangement

And there you have it maties! That concludes our tour of Armada Fort – makes you wonder what’s in that topmost tower, doesn’t it?
HINT: It could be more than just a cannon

LEGO 90th Anniversary

During 2022 The LEGO Group turned the ripe old age of 90 and hosted a plethora of classic themed contests which required entrants to submit suitably themed creations.  Castle, Space and even Bionicle were celebrated, and to the surprise of some, Pirates were given a moment to shine!

Hundreds and hundreds of glorious pirate-themed entries means hundreds and hundreds of glorious pirate-themed MOCs to blog… one day…

Fueling life into the Imperial Armada spirit, Return to Spanish Armada Fort was berthed and submitted into the Pirate Themed Anniversary Contest, but ultimately pipped at the post by Levi CJ Mason’s submission, “Cut Throat Falls Outpost”.

Ah well, as fine as the fort may be, it was never destined to claim the nonagintennial crown. Still, the Classic Pirates are forever grateful, as that contest alone encouraged dozens of fantastic new pirate MOCs to be unleashed upon the world.

About the Builder…

Master0889 (Adrian Sowińskior or Brick Islander as he’s known in certain circles – sometimes even King Kahuka) has been pottering around the LEGO Pirate MOC Forum post 2020, but the bulk of his work can be discovered on Instagram and Flickr. Here you’ll be treated to remakes of classic sets like 6267 Lagoon Lockup and 6276 Eldorado Fortress in his trademark brown and beige palette. However, should ye be bold enough to venture further into the past, you’ll discover once upon a time he built with a more traditional set decor before exploding into colour.

He’s also submitted a few creations to LEGO Ideas, both as contest entries and as submissions with the aim of reaching 10,000 supporters. He hasn’t yet fulfilled that objective but follow his LEGO Ideas profile and maybe we can help change that in the future, should he submit another of his dazzling creations.

What are you thoughts?

Should Return to Spanish Armada Fort have won the 90th Anniversary Pirate Themed Contest?  Or did the LEGO Ideas Review Team make the correct decision?  Would this fort be a fine addition to the Imperial Armada sub theme if were released as an official set? Or is the colour scheme perhaps esoteric to its builder’s (contemporary) signature style?

Tell us! Zip by the LEGO Pirates Forum and share your thoughts right now!

Where to Buy 43212 Disney Celebration Train?

This set is currently available for purchase on LEGO.com* for US$39.99, £34.99, CA$49.99, €39,99 and AU$59.99.

* Affiliate link provided by Rakuten advertising

Aiming to procure one cheaper?  Try fishing around on eBay – you may get a better deal with free shipping.

Yer just got to find an auction nobody else bids on!

And of course, there is the ever faithful Bricklink.

Original Announcement

The Classic Pirates have mercilessly recently disappointed you with rumours of a new official pirate-themed set… that isn’t the type of set LEGO Pirate fans most desire.

So now we’re going to disappoint you again with news of an upcoming set which contains a pirate ship sail…  but the set itself doesn’t fit within the LEGO Pirates theme.

The Set Details

In celebration of the Walt Disney Company’s 100^th anniversary, The LEGO Group will be releasing a commemorative set named 43212 Disney Celebration Train aimed at children from age 4 onward.

What the blazes does a train have to do with LEGO Pirates you may ask?

And there be the new sail which compelled the Classic Pirates to write this blog post

The train offers an assortment of carriages, each sporting a Disney themed design, complete with minifigures based upon various intellectual properties owned by the Walt Disney Company.

The locomotive features balloon wielding Mickey Mouse, while the carriages showcase Woody from Toy Story, Moana from ummm…. Moana, and Peter Pan accompanied by Tinkerbell – but not necessarily in that carriage order. Oh, and Minnie Mouse is bringing up the rear in a pagola which appears to be sheltering a plus-sized cupcake… or whatever that oozing mess is supposed to resemble.

And this is the front of the box

And on the back of the box we get to see some imaginative alternate builds… oh wait!

And wouldn’t yer know it!  The Peter Pan carriage is pirate ship-themed, garnished with one of those red and white striped sails The LEGO Group adores so much.  This sail is even decorated with a Jolly Roger, but in an imaginative twist, one of the crossbones sprouts a hook – good to see they’re innovating!  The oblate cranium persists, however… Anyone long for the original 1989 Jolly Design? Yer know, the historically accurate one…

And now for a closer look…. What if we tore the undercarriage off?

The set is expected to contain 200 pieces and will be available in April 2023 with a retail price of 39.99 Euros… but we’ll leave the currency conversion to you!

The Walt Disney Company survives to the ripe old age of 100 in October, 2023.

Do yer feel the century old magic permeating through yer veins after seeing this?

What Good is this Sail to LEGO Pirate Fans?

The Classic Pirates do not blame you in the slightest if yer rather not incorporate this Puffing Billy into yer LEGO Pirate collection.

And nary a doubt that many irate LEGO Pirate fans be grumbling “Just bloody-well report on proper pirate sets!”

Believe us, we’d love nothing more than to deliver such tidings, so don’t blast the mail ship – we just deliver the news!

This is what’s been officially released in the past

The upcoming sail however, may prove useful to builders of smaller vessels who lack the patience time to create their own sails, or avoid repurposing dingy sail pieces from sets 6261 Raft Raiders or 6267 Imperial Trading Post.

We’re not 100% certain of the material its comprised of, but it may lean towards plastic rather than fabric.

So if ye aspire to build a petite craft along the lines of Marooned Marin’s “Warty Crab” or one of Legostein’s smaller creations this sail may hit the spot!

Marooned Marin’s Warty Crab requires you to make your own sails

Legostein’s “Jolly Boat” – another type of small vessel which could make use of the smaller sail

Or as suggested earlier… tear the undercarriage off and yer may have the workings of a small ship upon a custom hull….  but yer probably want to be adding more of yer own ingenuity to the overall design.

What Do You Think?

Will this new sail piece be useful?  If so, what would you use it for? Or do you prefer to ignore it completely and make your own custom sails? After all, there is only so many red striped sails a LEGO Pirate fan can handle!

As eternally always, share your thoughts on the new sail with the Classic Pirates in the LEGO Pirates Forum!

Did you know that during The Age of Sail you could commit an act of high seas piracy and not get prosecuted or hanged for it? Quite on the contrary, you could get rich and famous, or even knighted like Francis Drake and Henry Morgan!

All you needed was a ship and authority issued commission, often referring to as a letter of marque, which empowered the holder (you) to carry out hostility permissible at sea by the usages of war against the hostile countries. In a nutshell, government sponsored pirates were known as privateers.

One such privateer ship which wreaked havoc to the Imperial Armada was the Scarlett Viper, a fast and nimble cutter ship constructed by the finest shipbuilder in Italy, Captain Barbatos.

Barbatos writes:

Very recently I finished the project of another ship: The Scarlett Viper.

This time we are talking about a cutter, a fast and stable ship used in the 1700s also by privateers for racing wars, as well as as smuggling boats or to communicate between fleets of larger ships.

The Scarlett Viper is captained by Roxanne, a privateer nicknamed Bloody Lady!

Authorised by Queen Elizabeth I with the letter of marque, Captain Roxanne sails the Caribbean seas and legally plunders any Spanish merchant ship she encounters

The Venomous Design

The cutter has a single mast with 3 jibs (triangular sails at the bow), 2 cages (square sails on the master) and a auric sail between boom and peak (the stern rods)

Unlike the other ships Barbatos created in the past, with Scarlett Viper he decided to remain true to the real ship as much as possible

That means, no figurehead at the bow, as he has never seen a cutter ship with one

Ironically however, initially he was creating a brig, which was supposed to be called Scarlett Lust because of the red curvy lady on the figurehead

After some torture back and forth questioning, Barbatos admitted that this ship was born from a hull experiment he was performing – and we might add that the experiment succeeded flawlessly

If ye were wondering, the sails are made out of 160g red cardboard – and they look great!

She is armed to the teeth with eight light guns and fourteen revolving muzzles, even though she is sailing on the skeleton crew of only five – but who cares, this is LEGO!

The deck is removable and inside there are two bunks for the crew and various containers. Not accessible (but visible) are the captain’s quarters and a couple of rooms used as a warehouse

That piece is absolutely perfect for a hammock – steal this idea!

Specifications

• Parts: 1468 parts (without minifigures)
• Dimensions: Width: 16cm (6.3″) | Length: 60cm (23.6″) | Height: 60cm (23.6″)
• Instructions available at Rebrickable.com

The red colour scheme is quite striking, and Bandiera Rossa surely drives fear and terror into the enemy when they see her flying, as it signals – no quarter!

Pirate/Privateer – What’s the Difference?

So what actually distinguishes pirates and privateers?  The intro of this blog post said privateers are basically pirates commissioned by a government?

But what does that mean?

This infographic will educate you!

If we research its etymology (that’s the study of the  origin of words), the word “pirate” originates from the Latin word “pirata” and from the Greek word “peirates”, both words referring to those who are enticed by wealth. Meanwhile, the word  “privateer” describes a privately commissioned errand-running seafarer… and by “errand-running” we mean encouraged by a government to prey upon another nation’s ships during times of war.

In other words; a pirate is an outlaw who steals from ships for their own personal gain, while, a privateer is commissioned or “hired” by a sovereign nation who legally exerts that pirate’s right to pillage and plunder. That also means the privateer’s crew don’t get to divide all the plunder among themselves – they must cut their sovereign into the booty!

If a pirate is captured and arrested they are usually condemned to the noose, while a privateer may attempt use their Letter of Marque (I.e. their mission orders from their sovereign) as a Get Out of Gaol Free Card. Whether it worked or not is another matter…

Historic photo painting by Ambroise Louis Garneray: East Indiaman Kent (left) battling Confiance, a privateer vessel commanded by French corsair Robert Surcouf

Privateers are usually hired during wartime, yer know, like mercenaries to attack enemies.  But eventually the war ends and their sovereign has no further use for them, thus rendering them unemployed. Since you can’t keep a good sea dog down, privateers often returned to pirating for their livelihood… and adventure!

A big thank ye to Escales Ponant magazine for the definition and stunning infographic.

---

About the Builder…

Captain Barbatos, creator of the widely known Terrifying Charon’s Chest, is an experienced builder whose main interest lies in ship builds (pirate-themed mind you), as they present a greater challenge than puny land-based builds.

He regularly shares images and insights of his finished builds, along with Work-In-Progress updates via his Instagram account. And on rare occasion, he also spoils us with MOC video demonstrations on his YouTube channel.

For building instructions plunder his Rebrickable account, as you might learn a thing (or twenty) on about how to build ships the Italian way.

What Do You Think?

When was the last time we have seen a cutter ship design in our waters – is this the first so far? Now that you have seen it, would you like to own one? What about Terrifying Charon’s Chest, is Scarlett Viper superior or we should avoid going too deep into comparative waters? Tell us what you think in the LEGO Pirates MOCs sub-forum by clicking the big red shiny button below.

The Classic Pirates have been keeping their ears to the wind, and by that we mean we’ve been spending too much on social media

We’ve intercepted a rumour about a new LEGO Pirates set. But we stress (with the pressure of a thousand kraken tentacles) that (currently) no official announcement or images watermarked “confidential” have surfaced to confirm the validity of this hearsay.

The validity has been confirmed.

UPDATES!!!

February 27

Hearsay no more! There has been an official set announcement and you can find all the details here.

February 25

An official announcement for the upcoming set is imminent – divert your attention towards the official details we’ve captured.

Rather, the Classic Pirates know a lad who knows another lad… Well, specifically our Facebook Group Captain, PX Chris shared an Instagram story based on a post by @exabrickslegogo_ who claims:

New Rumour:
Lego will give Buildable LEGO Classic Captain Pirate exclusive for lego House in the same style as the Harry Potter buildable characters, a brickbuilt treasure map is also included plus a stand for the character.

Well blow me down! Not exactly What tickles the fancy of most LEGO Pirate fans – their heartstrings commonly be strung towards a large Imperial Fortress to compliment Pirates of Barracuda Bay. And this news blows hot on the heels of the recent announcement which reveals the fate of 10K LEGO Ideas submission, Armada Port, which just emerged from review by the LEGO Ideas Team.

That minifig is a recent version of Redbeard, not the set in question!

Furthermore, given the set is a LEGO House release, it will be exclusive to LEGOLAND. So, anyone wishing to obtain this bundle of joy will need to undertake the pilgrimage to Denmark, or battle the scoundrelous prices of the aftermarket.

Nonetheless, it will be a mandatory acquisition for any devoted pirate collection completest.

LEGO House? What’s that?

No, The LEGO Group has not released a theme based on the curmudgeonly television doctor, House M.D. (Or have they?)

LEGO House is a gigantic (12,000-square metre building to be precise) loaded with 25 million LEGO bricks, located in Billund, Denmark, near LEGOLAND and The LEGO Group headquarters. Affectionately titled the “Home of the Brick” attributed to it’s location in Billund from which LEGO originates.

How would you like to live here?

During their visit, budding LEGO fanatics can enjoy an array of activities, which include; physically or digitally building MOCs, programming cyborgs and animating computer generated models. The centre offers four experience zones, two exhibitions and the LEGO Museum, which provides a comprehensive trip down memory lane for everything associated with the LEGO brand’s history.

LEGO House is renown throughout the lands as an innovative marvel, deliberately designed to resemble Jenga a stack of gigantic overlapping LEGO bricks. Aye, that’s not an accident!

The LEGO House website describes it as:

The ultimate LEGO® experience

Book your LEGO® House experience and get access to 25 million LEGO bricks, endless play possibilities and the world’s largest LEGO models! Children under 3 years get free admission.

And for those who’d love to absorb every morsel of detail, the LEGO House YouTube Channel provides a 48 minute documentary which throws gratuitous details of how this monstrosity came to be.

What’s Harry Potter Got to Do with This?

The LEGO Group previously released a set named “76393 Harry Potter & Hermione Granger” in the building style which will be shared with the rumoured upcoming pirate set.

So these are maxi-mifigures?

So this style is essentially giant minifigures measuring 26cm/10in tall and 17.5cm/6.5in wide.

Yer Got Any Photos of the Actual Set?

There are indeed images floating around social media like obtuse flotsam, whether they be official or fabricated, the Classic Pirates dare not say.  We shall let you decide.

But since yer been a good reader, here they are:

Behold! It’s the 1989 version of Captain Roger Redbread and he’s all grown up!

Ahoy! Is that a set number we spy beneath the LEGO logo?

It’s definitely a case of “Honey, I Blew Up the kid”. Place this Redbeard next your regular minifigs and he’ll tower above them like a piratical kaiju! We definitely may need a giant Governor Broadside or Admiral Woodhouse accompanied by some giant Imperial Guards to ensure the situation remains under control!

What Do Yer Think?

Did a bored fan concoct these images for their own self amusement?  Or are these authentic images of a future LEGO set release? And if genuine, what are your thoughts on the set? Will ye attempt to source one?  Or will ye let it pass like two ships in the night?

Head to the LEGO Pirates Forum and share yer thoughts with the Classic Pirates right now!

Also, for more great Classic Pirate content, be sure to follow PX Chris on Instagram – he has a wealth of great LEGO Pirate content. Also, let’s extend our thanks to exabrickslegogo_ for unleashing this rumour upon the world.

A new method of creating art has skyrocketed in popularity despite sparking a steaming pile of controversy.  AI Art, has apparently afforded the everyday sailor with an artistic finesse like that of an old master.  And all one need do, is to enter a brief description into a computer or device… and then voila! It churns out an artistic masterpiece in whatever style or medium that tickles yer fancy, just like that!

In this multiple part series we shall boldly navigate these uncharted waters to discover whether any digital treachery is at play!

• Part I: An Introduction to AI Generated Art & its Consequences on Society.
• Part II: Vanestream’s experimentation with the Stable Diffusion Generator.
• Part III: Mister Phes’ experimentation with a variety of generators.
• Part IV: And if YOU, the reader would like to participate, we’ll explore some of your own AI Generated LEGO Pirate creations.

So bookmark this page immediately for we shall be update the above index as soon as the other posts are published!

Part I: An Introduction to AI Generated Art & its Consequences on Society

Unless yer been marooned upon a desert island for decades, yer probably somewhat aware that “AI” is an acronym for “Artificial Intelligence”. This essentially implies software which simulates a more human manner of learning and determining output based on “taught” examples.

Over the years it’s been employed in a myriad of applications, such as Chatbots and Call Center Operators, but in more recent times it’s been crawling into visual mediums like film. Deepfake technology for example, is becoming more commonplace within the movie industry, to de-age crotchety old actors so the youthful visage of their glory days can more effectively tantilize your memberberries.

And now the latest craze (or is that concern?) is seemingly professional artworks generated by Artificial Intelligence, with the bare minimum of effort.

So let’s look at some Non-LEGO, yet Piratey Examples:

Aye, we now dare to investigate what has sparked the hubbub with some AI artworks focused upon pirates, while avoiding being overly specific towards the medium… I.e. LEGO.

A painting of a pirate ship generated by neural.love – which doesn’t credit who entered the prompts

A pirate ship generated by AorE in Night Cafe who did not see fit to share the prompts

A pirate generated by Adansito in Night Cafe using the prompt: A fierce pirate captain standing on the bow of a ship, with a sword in one hand

They do pirate wenches too – look out Robin Loot!
Prompt “Pirate Wench” entered into neural.love

Imperial Guards are no problem either!
Prompt “18th century imperial british red coat general” entered into neural.love

A ship sailing into a liquefying moon generated by Marc Virgili in Midjourney
using prompt: Night at Sea

What is an AI Text-to-Image Generator?

Now we’ve taken a gander at the machinations of some generators, let’s explore the basics of how a typical AI Text-to-Image Generator conjures its mess magic…

AI text-to-image generators often make use of a machine learning technique known as artificial neural networks that can receive input in the form of text or words, from which they digest to generate images. The process takes a few seconds, but if you’re using a free service, the generator may deliberately dilly dally as an incentive to make you pay for a faster service.

Before neural networks can be reliably deployed, they require an immense amount of training. Like a young whippersnapper discovering the connection between words and objects for the first time, AI generators must undergo a similar process. But being powered by computers, they achieve it at a much faster rate while consuming vastly more data.  In fact, some process billions of images from which they can draw influence at any given moment.

Different types of text-to-image AI models have evolved over the years but the two more common are:

Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)

Earlier iterations of AI-generated images relied upon  Generative Adversarial Networks. In the GAN model, two neural networks compete. The first network, the generator, creates imagery, while the second network, the discriminator, must determine whether or not the imagery is real or fake.

They battle it out and if the discriminator approves of the generators realism, hey presto! You’ve got yourself the AI image you requested!

Diffusion models

In recent times, Text-to-Image AI models have been migrating away from GANs and towards diffusion models.

Diffusion models are trained with billions of images, each labelled with keywords that described the image to establish the “learn” relationship between text and image. During the process, the network also learns to infer other conceptual information like which colours or elements would cause an image “feel” as though it was created by a particular artist or technique.  The more images they process, the more accurate their image generations become.

After they’ve been trained, the models learn to accept text prompt from the user, to first create a low-resolution image, and then gradually incorporating more details to beef it up into a complete rendering.

“Curses” roars King Kahuka – their power also generates island warriors!
AI Art generated by neural.love with prompt “Island warrior in Polynesian mask”

A scene generated by BenElegance in Disco Diffusion using prompt: Painting of a pirate ship approaching a shimmering tropical island

But is this Technology an Asset to Humanity?

Ok great!  Begone with art school!  Begone with college! Begone with community art courses! Now I be at liberty to churn out creative masterpieces from the sterile comfort of me technological contraption… without having to squander me waking hours at some bleedin’ academic institution… an institution which no doubt would impose the expectation writin’ them damn essays!

Not so fast…

Thousands… maybe even millions of artists, many of whom invested a lifetime mastering their craft, howled in fear.  If years of training, practice and passion is no longer a prerequisite for professional artistry, what is to become of them? Will this technology make them redundant?

That is what we’re here to determine!

Does the below image appear somewhat familiar?

A pirate generated by RealLirix in Night Cafe using prompt: a stunning close up and immersive cinematic face portrait photography of a Pirate filigree Male wearing an eye patch and leather ragged clothes, steampunk octopus with tentacles

Yet more artists bellowed in agony when they discovered these digital degenerators had been plagiarising their work with nary a credit or compensation. Some generators can simply analyse an artist’s unique artistic style and apply it like a filter to other artworks.

Jack Sparrow generated by RoseKnight in Midjourney using prompt: Insanely detailed portrait of Jack sparrow, backdrop of a ship, Digital art, art station, concept art, HD, 8k

The above image appears to have been merely cropped from a Pirates of the Caribbean film poster with a smoothing filter applied to it.

Below is an actual film poster:

The official Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides film poster

It’s definitely not an identical depiction, but is the generated image different enough? Did the AI Generator even draw influence from that film poster? We may never know!

Smoothing aside, the AI generator interpreted Jack’s hair differently, bestowing him with more dreadlocks, opposed to the film poster’s fairer curls.

Some generators even audaciously incorporated the artists personal signatures into their “newly” generated art pieces…

Examples of AI Art Generator, Lensa stealing artists’ signatures.  Example images compiled by ARTnews

Now, the Classic Pirates have not yet encountered any pirate examples of this piracy, but various online art news sources, like ARTnews have reported this phenomena.

The concern is; where does this end?

If these AI Generators have the ability mimic style an artist’s style down along with their signature, what becomes of society’s demand for professional artists?

Be this the demise of artistic talent as we recognise it?

“Blood Bones” by Martin McKenna

Gotcha! Or did we? When yer first laid eyes upon the above artwork did yer leap to the assumption t’was AI generated?  When in fact, it be a traditional artistic piece by British artist Martin McKenna, who crafted it circa 2006 for the “Blood Bones” game book cover – part of Steve Jackson’s Fighting Fantasy series, no less! Yer know, the very same Steve Jackson who created Evil Stevie’s LEGO Pirate Game.

Martin McKenna, was a skilled artist who produced artworks for Magic the Gathering and other role playing ventures.  But in juxtaposition to the AI generated pieces, be there a need to hire a professorial artist, considering it costs significantly less time and gold to magic up such imagery?

Fear not!  McKenna has unfortunately become acquainted with his maker so this technological menace won’t affect him directly… but what of an artist’s family, should they happen to be receiving stipends for past commissions of their loved-ones?

Summary of Text-to-Image AI Generators Examined

If you’d like a crack at generating some art, here be a list of generators mentioned in this article:

• Night Cafe
• neural.love
• Midjourney
• Stable Diffusion
• Disco Diffusion
• Lensa

Now go play and discover what you can computerate into existence…

What’s In Store for Part II?

In Part II, master brick film animator,  Vanestream shares his experience of using the Text-to-Image AI generator, Stable Diffusion.  He’s got plenty of images for us to review so we can determine just how much of a threat this technology poses to traditional building methods.

Here’s a peak of what’s to come… the images will be in full colour!

But if yer busting with enthusiasm and would like a peak at what’s coming next, yer should swing by his topic in LEGO Pirates Forum, or feel free to post yer own Artificially Generated LEGO Pirate goodness.

What Do Yer Think?

Do AI Art Generators pose a threat to LEGO Pirate MOC building?  Or are these musings little more than hyperbolic nonsense to entice ye to read articles on the subject?

Have you attempted to use an AI Art Generator to create LEGO Pirate imagery?  If so, how did it turn out?  Were you pleased with the results?

Share your experiences of this emerging phenomena in the LEGO Pirates Forum or Classic Pirates Facebook Group and post your own AI generated LEGO Pirate creations.

The Results of the Second 2022 LEGO Ideas Review

The official announcement on 8 Februrary, 2023.

Over the past months, the LEGO Review Board evaluated 51 stunning product ideas that reached 10,000 supporters between early May 2022 and early September 2022.

A big congratulations to all our 10K members for managing to get to this challenging milestone and becoming eligible for review. Our review board really enjoyed reviewing the wide variety of submissions but as always had to make some tough decisions.

We currently have 9 fan creations that are in development, launching at different points in the future. On top of that we just recently revealed the stunning A-Frame Cabin by Andrea Lattanzio. We’re delighted to add several new LEGO Ideas creations to that list today!

And those LEGO Ideas creations are…

Drumroll… And the successful creations are…

Red London Telephone Box and The Nightmare Before Christmas!

Looks like Armada Port has failed the review, but let’s not feel too fearsomely cutthroat, 48 other 10K submissions also didn’t pass the review.

Good thing us LEGO Pirate Fans never surrender!

If you’re looking for more Pirate-themed fort submissions to support on LEGO Ideas, check out:

• “Island Of The Imperial Soldiers” by Wolf King
• “Imperial Island Outpost” by Blej
• “Lostmans Island” by PirateTales

51 Product Ideas Qualify for the Second 2022 LEGO Ideas Review

That’s quite a selection of entries!

It’s official, Armada Port has entered the review phase.

This morning, we closed the latest review qualification round with a massive 51 submissions reaching the 10,000 supporter milestone and qualifying for the Second 2022 Review.

These 51 product ideas have hit the 10,000 supporter milestone between the months of early May 2022 and today’s review qualification date, the 5th of September 2022. Congratulations to all 10K members who’ve made it to this milestone!

Product Ideas hitting 10,000 supporters after today’s deadline will be eligible for the next review period instead which starts on the 2nd of January, 2023.

We look forward to celebrating our 10K Club members through the 10K Club Interview series, which will kick-off as soon as we’ve announced the First 2022 review results.

Have a favourite or perhaps multiple favourites? Let us know in the comments what you’re hoping will make it through this review.

A whopping 51 entries in total but Armada Port is the only pirate-themed submission – unless you count THE GOONIES 360°.

It also should be noted that BrickHammer has a second 10K submission “Viking Village” in the same LEGO Ideas Review so it will be interesting to see if this has any effect on the outcome.

Read more about it on the official LEGO Ideas blog.

LEGO Ideas Team’s Official Announcement

An announcement has been made, so here is an except containing all the vital details:

Congratulations on 10,000 supporters, BrickHammer!

Support Achieved!

Support has been achieved! Now we await the LEGO Ideas Team’s official comment…

Thank you to everyone who took their time to support this wonderful creation!  Visit the LEGO Ideas project page to see the result for yourself, or continue reading this blog post for more news, images and behind the scenes commentary from BrickHammer.

Seven times LEGO Ideas 10K Club Member, BrickHammer has returned with yet another stunning creation, “Armada Port“!

This seaside stronghold has already attracted more than 9,000 6,300 supporters and has more than 700 days remaining, giving it a decent phenomenally good shot at reaching 10K supporters.

So let’s make it happen! Let’s all unite and tell The LEGO Group it’s time to release a brand new Pirate-themed set! It’s been more than two years, after all!

March over to the LEGO Ideas project page and click the SUPPORT button right now!  And then leave a comment while you’re at it! Or continue reading this blog post for exclusive commentary from BrickHammer about the build.

BrickHammer writes:

Pirates and buccaneers beware!

Too long have you preyed on weak and unprotected merchant ships! Too long have you raided small Caribbean Islands and ports! Too long have you roamed the seven seas without meeting any real resistance! Now you will have to face the justice of the mighty Imperial Armada!

This “Armada Port” is an homage to the beloved 90s Imperial Armada pirates subtheme, which only ever got a single fort like structure! While sets like the “Eldorado Fortress” were clearly based on the British Empire, this all new design uses elements of real life Caribbean architecture to pay tribute to the Spanish Armada while also trying to capture the spirit of Caribbean ports like Havana!

The Overview

Watch out, the Imperial Armada finally have a stronghold! 

BrickHammer has skillfully woven traditional Spanish-style architecture into the design, particularly the turret and tejas curvas roofing

This port is the stronghold the Imperial Armada deserves!

The back…  What might be hidden in that cave? Spinoza’s coconut stash?

Here’s the floor plan

Not one, but THREE parrots!

The port is immaculately detailed and elevates the crane concept found in 6244 Armada Sentry to another level

The Build

The building can be separated into 9 pieces for easy access.

BrickHammer provides us with further details of his creation:

The build consists of a small Caribbean island complete with a bay, a rocky cliff, a cave, palm trees, parrots and a monkey. Despite the small size of the island, this Caribbean trading post consists of several interesting structures:

1. A small wooden peer
2. A crane
3. A boat
4. An open storehouse to store incoming goods
5. A small residential house
6. and the big Armada fort on the cliffs above the bay!

The fort itself consists of:

1. The governor’s house, which contains a war room, a storage for treasure, an armoury and bunk beds for the port’s garrison,
2. and a bastion with cannons and a bell to sound the alarm in case of a pirate attack!

The “Armada Port” consists of 2980 pieces including 3 parrots, a monkey and 4 minifigures:

1. The port’s governor
2. An Armada guard
3. An Armada sailor
4. and a female merchant!

Length: 38 cm.

Width: 38 cm.

Height: 24 cm.

Looks cozy! But it seems a little too small for old Cannonball Cordoba

Is this Don Diego de LEGO, leader of the Imperial Armada, 25 years later?

Labonita Legola just finished drinking sangria lemonade…

The Design Process

BrickHammer explains how he arrived at the final design:

After my first LEGO IDEAS submission “Imperial Island Fort“) was turned down I immediately started to plan a redesign of the project. I always start my designs with a very clear vision in my head and for this redesign I had two major goals: 1. I wanted to make the design a lot more colourful and 2. I wanted to add as much depth and verticality as possible within the 3k parts limit of LEGO IDEAS. On top of that, instead of going back to the “old” red coats, who already had their big “Eldorado Fortress”, I decided to honour the legacy of the Armada faction which only ever received one bulding: The Armada Sentry!

I had started the project about a year ago but then put it on ice because I was not really happy with the results. At one point I just decided to move on to other designs and have created a couple of them since then. You can see the final result of my first attempt in the picture below. Even though this was far from finished it is clearly visible that the proportions and the over all layout would have looked super weird.

Brickhammer’s first attempt… which he wasn’t satisfied with

I then returned to the project in early May 2022 and finished it in about two weeks. My main hobby is martial arts and for some reason I keep injuring myself which then results in me having more time to build. In a way this project is thus brought to you by my broken rib! However, two weeks are a rather long time for me. Some of my projects were built within two or three days (even some of the ones that made it to 10k). The rendering usually takes a longer than the building!

To get a better feeling for the general shape of the island I used a couple of placeholders to determine the relative size and location of the different structures, as can be seen in the picture below:

A behind the scenes exclusive!

After I was satisfied with the results of the first couple of test renderings, I also made sure that the geography of the whole island was visually appealing from all angles and that there was a good mixture between 90 degree angles and odd angled elements, as can be seen from a bird’s eye view:

Helicopter Sea eagle view

Once, I was happy with the general shape I started to design the different buildings in detail. While the fortification and the smaller houses were quite easy to design, I struggled a lot with the design of the main building. Originally I had planned to include a big arch with a bell, but was unable to find a design that did not look like a church! In the end I decided to move the bell to the right outer wall and go for a more basic roof design, since I really did not want to make the building look like a chapel. You can see a couple of different variations for the roof structure below:

Armada Port version 2.0

And this one with a bell but no minfigs… Version 2.1

The Minifigs

The Imperial Armada minifigures never received names in the set packaging or retail catalogues. However, the Northern American, LEGO Mania Magazine and Shop At Home catalogues referred to the minifig with the bright red torso as “The Admiral”. The March/April 1996 issue of LEGO Mania Magazine held a contest to determine his name, offering “Billy Cannonball Cordoba” and “Don Diego de LEGO” as suggestions, along with a write-in option to allow participants to submit their own.

Minifig lineup – do we have Don Diego de LEGO®, Captain Valiant and Cannonball Cordoba? But who is the senorita?

But alas, the winning name was never announced! The July/August 1996 issue merely stated three names offered by fans; “Sir Sail-a-Lot”, “Don Juan DeMented” and “Chrislego Columbia”. So without a canonical designation, later magazines, catalogs and even video games continued referring to him as “The Admiral”.

Some sources state the UK Bricks ‘n Pieces Magazine named the minifig “Sergeant Speedy”. Although, the magazine’s narrative mentions this character springing to action at the “outpost”, which could be a reference to 6244 Armada Sentry, rather than any of the Imperial Armada minifigures onboard the Santa Cruz (6280 Armada Flagship).

The green torsoed Captain Valiant was also mentioned on the same page, only his name and dialogue was used in conjunction with the speech bubble above the minifigure speaking the same lines.

Not to worry, the Classic Pirates are happy put forth naming suggestions! Let’s give “Cannonball Cordoba” to the new soldier who doesn’t resemble any past Imperial Armada figures, and “Labonita Legola” to the stunning senorita.

But what do you think? Could these minfigures be given better names? Or should we honour the past and use what previous media has offered?

BrickHammer’s Closing Words:

They seem a bit confused… Imperial Guard flags instead of Imperial Armada flags?

I am really happy with how my “Armada Port” turned out! If you like it you can check it out on the LEGO IDEAS website!

If you have any questions please ask! I really appreciate criticism and feedback!

How Can I Help?

1. Support on LEGO Ideas

The very first thing you can do is support the submission on LEGO Ideas!

Click the Yellow Support Button

Just click on the Yellow Support Button:

• To the right of the main image on Desktop
• Beneath the main image on Mobile

2. Comment on LEGO Ideas

Write a comment on the project page and tell everyone why you think Armada Port will make a great set!

Commenting let’s LEGO.com know the project is popular, so recommend it to more people

Scroll down beneath the main image and click the Comments link.

You’ll need to be logged into your LEGO.com account to submit a comment.  If you don’t have an account you’ll need to create one – it’ll be worth it!

Just be sure you read the House Rules before submitting anything!

3. Share on Social Media

One you’ve done that, share it to social media! Share to your friends or relevant LEGO Pirate groups.

Share from LEGO Ideas

You can share directly from the LEGO Ideas project page by clicking the Share Project link to the right of the main image.

Share straight from LEGO Ideas!

Share from Classic-Pirates.com

The Classic Pirates have made it easy for you. At the bottom of this post are some share buttons to each of the major Social Media platforms.

Make good use of these!

So scroll down and share to yer heart’s content!

If the answer is “No” get to the LEGO Ideas project page at once!

About the Builder…

BrickHammer specializes in digital builds within the Pirates and Castle theme and has achieved 10,000 supporters for SEVEN different LEGO Ideas projects.  That’s right, 10,000 supporters for each of the the seven seas! To be dazzled by more of his fantastic builds, check out his Instagram, LEGO Ideas profile, and Eurobricks profile.

Now, have ye pledged yer support for this beautiful build? If not set a direct course to LEGO Ideas project page at once!  Then tell us yer thoughts on Armada Port. Do you think it would make a worthy addition to the Imperial Armada subtheme? What do you like about it? Could there be improvements? What would you do differently if you were the builder?

Visit the LEGO Pirates Forum and share yer thoughts with the Classic Pirates!

Creative MOC designers frequently tread upon a perilously thin line between common sense achievable ideas and larger than life grandiose projects. Eventually they all succumb to the latter and either emerge victorious, captivating the world in a state of perpetual marvel, or they crack under the weight of ambition and drown in the abyss of their own mindless insanity.

Three years ago Barthezz Brick took one such journey, veering well outside the realm of common sense, and luckily for everyone involved, returned stronger than ever with a build so unique it could be easily dubbed as ‘MOC of the year’, or maybe even the decade.

We are referring to his amazing vision of Venice 1486, as it may  have looked during the 15th century.

Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember, nothing is true.

Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember, everything is permitted.

We work in the dark to serve the light.

We are assassins.

Venice 1486 – the best unofficial installment of the Assassin’s Creed game series

Barthezz Brick writes:

Approximately 3000 hours and 250.000 parts later I present to you with great pride and incredible detail; Venice 1486 as it might have looked in the 15th century.

This is the first chapter of a total of 4, in which I’ll take you into an adventure of Darion as a Master Assassin.

Chapter-1 is about ‘observing’, chapter-2 will focus on planning, chapter-3 about the execution and chapter-4 about the escape. And all will be completely different builds within the Venice.

So, expect more over the years.

The Parkour Hero Of the Story

Meet ‘Darion Aiulf da Fortebraccio’ and his eyes and ears in the sky, ‘Gaita’ an Italian barn owl

Darion is a Venetian nobleman, and unbeknownst to others, is also Master Assassin and a former member of the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins.

Abandoned by his brothers and mentor for disobedience, Darion is now a lone assassin that seeks his targets through signs of the God. Nothing unreliable there!

For his next mark, faith steered Darion towards the Templar order who have gained a foothold over the Venice city grounds. They have guilefully coaxed the newly elected doge, ‘Marco Barbarigo‘ into an alliance after Marco openly expressed his support for the Templar Order.

This is where the story begins….

Q&A Tour Around the Venice

The Classic Pirates were rather impressed with this diorama and had the fortunate opportunity to interview Barthezz to extract those valuable insights into how this harbour was birthed into existence.

Venice is a city in north-eastern Italy which is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and interconnect by more than 400 ornate bridges

Q: Why Venice?

Long story short; my girlfriend challenged me after our holiday in Italy/Venice 3 years ago to make Venice. I accepted on my own terms to build a 15th century Venice and how it could’ve looked back in the days.

The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region long long time ago, around the 10th century BCE

Q: How much money did you spend on this project?

I can’t tell you. My girlfriend reads all my posts as well, and told here only a couple of hundred bucks.

Historically from 697 to 1797, Venice was the capital of the Republic of Venice, a major financial and maritime power

Q: Did you use any inspiration from the Assassins Creed 2 video game, which mainly based in Florence Italy?

AC2 also visited Venice in the game. So it’s an existing Assassins Creed setting. For my diorama I made the whole thing from my own fantasy. So it doesn’t exist in the game nor in Venice itself. I just used the setting and the environment of the city in my advantage.

Due to its strategic location, Venice was also a prominent centre of commerce – especially in the trade of silk, grain, and precious exotic spices

Q: Did you base any section or a building on the existing real life part of Venice?

I don’ t really like building existing things because people will always judge. Now I can do what I want and set a proper story and Venice feel how it could have looked like in the 15th century.

It should not come as a big surprise that Venice is considered to have been the first official international financial centre

Q: Did you build first in digital, or just went straight ahead and built the real thing from physical LEGO?

I never use digital software for my LEGO builds. I do everything by hand and for 95% out of my head. I only made a childish top-down sketch to get the layout out of my head and the rest is designed along the way. Some parts are rebuild 2 or 3 times before i was satisfied with the result. So its really all by trail and error.

Venice was known under array of different names: “La Dominante”, “La Serenissima”, “Queen of the Adriatic”, “City of Water”, “City of Masks”, “City of Bridges”, “The Floating City”, and “City of Canals”

Q: What was the hardest part for you to build? Ships, building, bridge?

The hardest part for me was fitting this all together and make sure the lines of sight where clearly visible from all directions. And if I need to pick only one section, it will be the round towers designs.

Numerous parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their settings, their architecture, and artwork – as we can attest to that here, the sight is beyond belief

Q: What’s your favourite part?

I don’t have one particular thing or section that is my favourite. But if I need to name a few; – the waving water – the bridge with the hp wands – the boats – the fountain – the round towers.

But sadly, since every beginning has an end, the sovereignty of Venice came to an end in 1797, at the hands of that insatiable blue coat Napoleon

Q: Did you have periods where you got stuck with no idea how to move forward?

Not really in terms of size or does it get finished some day. The thoughts I had where more in the direction; is this good enough and do I still like it… If you look upon a build for so long it’s hard to still see the beauty of your own build.

Today the lagoon and a part of the ‘old’ city have legal protection by an Imperial Soldiers convention, in other words, they are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Q: This diorama being chaper-1, is the chapter-2 also Venice or something else?

Chapter 2,3 and 4 will be AC builds and tell the rest of the story of Darion. Chapter 1 is about ‘observing’. Chapter 2 will focus on planning, 3 about the execution and 4 about the escape. All three will be completely different builds within Venice.

Last but not least, Venice has been described as one of Europe’s most romantic cities and the most beautiful city built  by humanity – and the sames echos for this brick-built rendition

Q: Roughly, how many minifigures are there?

A quick count learned me that there are approximately 90 minifigs incorporate within this build.

For those who feel the need to nitpick, you may ask how this masterpiece is in any way related to the ‘Pirate theme’?

Q: How many conquistadors do you have?

14 conquistadores as CMF figs and some loose helmets and bodyarmor pieces to create another 10 for this diorama.

Even though this is not technically pirate themed, there is a generous amount of overlap. For instance the use of the Imperial Armada minifigs ties this into Classic Pirates nicely – Don Diego de LEGO would be proud!

Q: During those three years of building, how did you manage to keep the dust off?

I built some LEGO towers and sleepers in combination with a plastic sheet to keep the dust of. That works perfectly as you can see.

The devil is in the details, and each little part of that fantastic diorama is a jewel of its own – observe the pigeon at the fountain and the cat preparing to leap

A gondola is a traditional long, narrow Venetian rowing boat which is steered by one person called a gondolier with the aid of an extremely long oar

Q: Last question; what did you use for the background?

The background is a industrial piece of vinyl flooring that I bought because my regular 2m wide backdrop was way too small. I still need a piece for our attic, so I hit 2 birds with one stone!

Undoubtedly this is the biggest Assassin’s Creed MOC we’ve seen, and what’s more amazing is that sheer size of it did not deter Barthezz Brick from making truly phenomenal photos

Road signs sails really capture the attention, but there are so many other details here on this boat it is hard to pick a favourite

Seeing that eagle on the tower we can almost visualise 360° panoramic views during the synchronization – Assassins Creed  fans will understand

Notice all the building techniques used to curve (bridges, towers, boats, crane… ) in one simple word – wonderful!

Gondolier, would you please take us around one last time before we visit the About the Builder section and leave Venice, gracie!

Venetian Gondola on LEGO Ideas

Not strictly ‘pirate themed’, but after all what we have seen, maybe we could should take a minute or two and give our support to his LEGO Ideas submission, the “Venetian Gondola – Minifgure Scale”.

SUPPORT the Venetian Gondola on LEGO Ideas

LEGO Ideas Description

I present to you a minifigure scale gondola. The iconic tourist attraction nowadays, but back in the day the way of transport through Venice.

It’s always striking how authentic the city still is and how many elements have been preserved as they looked 500 years ago. One of the elements that really stands out for me is the gondola. In its shape or appearance never changed and yet the iconic element that immediately reminds you of Venice.

A souvenir most tourist take home to remind you of your last vacation.

About the Builder…

Dad, LEGO enthusiast, AFOL, builder since 2017 and a MOC Expert, Barthezz Brick is all that and more! He hails from the Netherlands and when he is not building jaw-dropping historical dioramas, he sails the globe on the Flying Dutchman. Really? Nay, just kidding! He mostly builds stunning dioramas and uses his remaining free time to juggle multiple social accounts, in which he regularly shares tips, tutorials and the secret knowledge behind his builds.

Connect with him on:

• Facebook
• Instagram (main account)
• Instagram (WIP – behind scenes account)
• Flickr
• Reddit
• YouTube
• LEGO Ideas

What Do You Think?

With so many incredible, mind blowing details it seems impossible to find the best place to start processing the entire diorama, but after a week or two, when you come to your senses, tell us what do you like the best? The towers, the bridges, the size of it, or the overall effort and time Barthezz invested?

Tell us, for we are waiting for you in the LEGO Pirates forum…

Your favourite aircraft, Boeing 787 8 Dreamliner has landed once more with another digitally built frigate, “HMS Amelia”.

Without being encumbered by the limitation of physical bricks, the build measures a generous 95cm/37″ long and 63cm/24″ tall! But size isn’t everything as Dreamliner is finely attuned to the details of ship historic building. He’s selected complimentary colours for the hull with a muted hue that still offers a hint of visual flare.  Combined with skillfully woven rigging, brick-built sails and custom built cannons, the HMS Amelia is equipped for the perilous journey ahead!

Look out, a new frigate has been launched!

Boeing 787 8 Dreamliner writes:

These specifications were provided:

“HMS Amelia”

• Fifth rate frigate
• Armament: 22 x 12 lb longun

Crew: 150 man

Dimensions:

• Length: 95 cm
• Width: 28 cm
• Height: 63 cm

Armament:

• 22 x 12 lb long gun
• 6 x 6  lb long gun
• 4 x 12 lb cannonade
• 2 x  swivel beam

Look at that beautiful shaping and intricate rigging!

Size comparison with a tiny mid-sized ship.

Look at all those cannons!  Is this ship formidable opponent in a battle?

It’s a massive frigate, even if it’s hard to tell from this picture alone…

Historical Overview

Captains: Lord Graham Hammond/Charles Herbert/Lord William Proby

Keel laid: 1776

Launched: 1780

• 1781 arriving first captain Lord Graham Hammond and equipped
  • Transferred to the 13 colonies
  • Fought in the American War of Independence against the US Navy and the Royal French Navy
• 1781 (September, 28) Capture of the USS Wasp (14 guns) formerly HMS Interceptor
• 1783 destroyed the french 22 gun corvette La Therese
• 1784 battle with Dutch frigate “De Ruyter”
• 1784 to 1791 Mothballed
  • Captain Hammond transferred to the Indefatigable

• 1792 reactivated and Charles Hammond becomes the new commander
• 1792 -1795 blockade service in the canal
• 1795 Transferred to Menorca
• 1795 – 1801 independent mission from Menorca
  • HMS Amelia captures several merchant ships

• 1788 Transport of secret papers from Constantinople to Tunis
• 1800 overhaul in the shipyard of Menorca
• 1801 Participated in the second naval battle of Algeciras
• 1802 Return to London
  • New captain Lord William Proby comes on board

• 1802 Frigate transferred to West Indies (Jamaica).
  • Independent mission

• 1804 (February 1) captured by the Spanish frigate Phama

Size comparison with a microfigure… wait a second… that’s actually a minifigure!

Here be he main deck!  Its tiled surface shines while packed with details like custom built cannons.

The figurehead perched upon the bow is that of a fearless woman!

The elaborately decorated stern utilises feather pieces…

How it Ended

On February 1, 1804, HMS Amelia was captured by the Spanish frigate Pharma en route to Havana. A fierce battle ensued! Now you may have assumed Amelia would be unstoppable with all those cannons.

Triumph for the Imperial Armada!  Battle damage causes the Amelia to sink during a storm on the way to Havana

Nay, it requires more than firepower to succeed at naval warfare, and while the Amelia escaped immediate doom, her demise was on the horizon. Unable to sustain the damage inflicted by the Pharma, the Amelia plunged to Davy Jones locker, thus ending her 23 year career. Don Diego breathes a sigh of relieve with one less enemy ship to worry about!

About the Builder…

It goes without saying Boeing 787 8 Dreamliner (Frank Mäurer) is a masterful ship builder, even if his username suggests he’s an aircraft mechanic.  his entire digital fleet awaits you so don’t miss his Flickr, Instagram, and Eurobricks profile.

Now let us discuss the HMS Amelia further! What do you think of the HMS Amelia? What would you do differently if you were building?  Would you build this ship using physical pieces?

Drift towards the LEGO Pirates Forum for a chat with the Classic Pirates and Boeing 787 8 Dreamliner!