Tag Archives: Pirates

Avast, me mateys! If ye be lookin’ for LEGO on the high seas, you’ve found the place where X marks the spot. Here be a treasure trove of sailing ships, garrisons full of imperial scalawags, and other such nautical nonsense. Walk that plank and dive into the wonderful world of LEGO Pirates.

Never has a choppy sea looked so good in LEGO

Emulating nature in LEGO bricks can be tricky, particularly capturing the fluidity of water. Enter Huynh Khang and Ky Duy Phong, with some of the best brick-built water I’ve ever seen. It looks like it could be a painting in a gallery! A whopping 50,000 bricks were used to create this diorama, and not a single one has gone to waste. Tile pieces are used for the calmer bits of the sea, with clear and white studded plates used to represent the choppier parts of the water. The result is an incredibly dynamic ocean, which looks like a challenge for even the toughest sailors. Speaking of sailors, don’t let the waves overshadow the pirate ship – it’s just as impressive, using Bionicle pieces among other things to create detailed woodwork. To complete the roundup of LEGO Systems in this piece, we have a Duplo shark. It speaks to the magnitude of this piece that it doesn’t look at all out of place!

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Billowing sails on the high seas

The latest episode of LEGO Masters had me in awe as the contestants built stunning pirate ships in just eight hours. This lovely tall ship by Ralf Langer is admittedly several nautical miles above and beyond that and surely took him more than eight hours to construct. The cannons, the rigging, and the waving flag are all amazing touches to be sure. But the star of the show here has got to be those billowing sails. Ralf is a master at building complex curves and textures and this ship encompasses all of that in some surprising ways. Please do yourselves the favor and set sails for our Ralf Langer archives to see what other adventures await.

Space Pirate-ship Keuppia

Presumably named after an extinct genus of octopus, the Keuppia by Builder BetaNotus is also inspired by an ancient expansion from 1994 of the Star Wars role-playing game. The Discril-class attack cruisers from Cracken’s Rebel Operatives may not be canon now but their general shaping was similar to the model that BetaNotus crafted in their honor. Like the once Imperial vessels which fell into the hands of brigands and thieves, this ship is “crewed by pirates seeking fame, fortune, and unsuspecting merchants,” as the builder puts it. Originally built for BrickFair Virginia 2021, there are a slew of techniques used in the shaping of this craft. BetaNotus covered almost ever crack and angle while also creating a frightfully armed front end. The grill slopes used at the front could be large vents or textured armor, either reads well, but the triple gun arms are real heavy hitters. I could see why pirates would like such an craft as it would be great for running down ships and disabling their shields while taking plenty of hits of its own.

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Long have I wandered...

I’m loving this slender fort from Youenn H. (Neyoun). A lone wanderer stands above it, either syrveying the landscape below or the sumptuous texturing on the building. I would suggest he doesn’t make any sudden movements though as it looks rather precariously built! The fact everything is supported by a single column gives the build presence, especially given its relatively small footprint. There’s some great parts use here too. Whips for vines, teeth for detail on the fortress, and – my personal favourite – a crocodile tail for a big, leafy plant.

Crashing waves and toppled treasure

A group of privateers have brought their plunder to shore in this amazing vignette by Nicholas Goodman. Nicholas has achieved one of the best wave effects I’ve ever seen, sculpting foam so real I can smell the salt air. The slight incline in the shore and the line between wet and dry sand help sell the effect of being on an actual beach. Environment details like that really help sell the storytelling going on with the minifigures. I have a feeling that even though eight men came ashore, after spilling that chest only seven are leaving…

Time to take a tour of Tortuga

LEGO construction styles collide in the pirate town of Tortuga by builder Faëbricks. First, there’s the excellent rock work creating the cliffs of this craggy isle at sea. So many large slopes in shades of gray positioned at just the right angle such that they blend perfectly into an organic wall. Second, we have the ramshackle houses built into these cliffs. Set at odd angles and built with uneven or off-colored shingles, this is clearly a town that sprung up from whatever was available, not the finest building supplies. Then finally we have the expert use of minifigures. This tiny town is full of stories, told by figures in action poses. One posse is on lookout and manning the cannon, another works to raise a chest with a crane. My favorite is the man aboard the beautiful sailboat coming around the island. The whole scene is given agency by their individual stories, and Tortuga’s buildings and crags come alive as a result.

Pirating takes you to all kinds of places

Builder Deus Otiosus gives us a wonderful island scene of LEGO buccaneers. Pirates make off with a chest full of treasure, heading across the beach to their waiting ship just off the island. It’s a pretty usual day for a band of exploring pirates, and these pirates navigate all the dangers with experience. The build itself is something to behold! The trees are well done with some flexibility for that leaning and swaying of palms. I like the sculpting on those ancient statues on the beach hearkening to LEGO minifigs. The whole ancient ruin is so well crafted there’s a sense of history about it. And of course the pirate ship is just amazing with those curving greens and flex-tubing for the rolled up sails. Overall this is a spectacular pirating build with plenty to explore for curious pirates and adventurers.

Another 100-stud long ship – but not the kind you’re thinking of

We’ve featured a lot of big ships recently, what with it having been SHIPtember and all, but they’ve all been the space-faring kind. If you want 100-stud long behemoths that sail the seas rather than the stars, it can be a month of false dawns. Isaiah Durand is here to save the day with this frankly jaw-dropping beast! Christened the Buccaneer’s Dread, it took three years to plan and build. It’s almost as long as it is tall, at a whopping 4 foot 3 inches, or 1.3 metres for the metrically inclined. That’s the height of a small child!

There are some minifigures in the above picture to give you a sense of scale, but it doesn’t really do the details justice. So let’s take a closer look…

The lug wrench marks the spot

Jan Woznica has engaged in a little bit of meta-LEGO building with this mosaic style recreation of a classic treasure map tile. All the major details are perfectly captured, from the compass to the latitude and longitude lines. I think mosaics of classic prints could spark a new MOC trend thanks to the near-endless possibilities…computer screens, instrument panels, license plates, wanted posters. What printed tile mosaic would you want hanging on your wall?

An ocean of adventure in four micro modules

If it hasn’t been clear from past articles I’ve written on here, I am a humongous fan of micro LEGO builds. I probably build within an 8×8 stud area more often than not anymore. And I am absolutely gaga for these connected micro scenes by Louis of Nutwood. Depicting some of the classic tropes from high seas adventures, this quartet of vignettes shows the vessel, the fortress, the kraken, and the remote island. Each of the scenes lives in its own black box, reminiscent of those from the succulents LEGO set. But those boxes are then linked via waterfalls, connecting the disparate parts into a whole story. While there is some excellent parts usage throughout, some of my favorites are the cannons on the fortress and the texture-filled tree design.

These pirates are feeling a little crabby

Behold the mighty Hermit ship, constructed of LEGO by Thomas Jenkins! What happens with a bunch of little crabs team up with a giant hermit crab with a ship for a home? They all turn to pirating the seas, gathering all the goodies they can in their claws and stowing it away in the ship. They make use of the old ship’s stores to outfit themselves, and they roam the ocean floor looking for their next haul. The build before us here is adorable and colorful, giving a sense of whimsical adventure. Good usage of Bionicle and Hero Factory parts give the hermit crab form. The ship makes use of Technic parts for the bowsprit, and some nice slopes for the curving bits of the keel. The crabs make use of pirate tools, though the one atop the forepeak makes use of some scissors to cut opponents down to size.

The biggest issue with stowing loot in a broken ship? The cargo hold doesn’t exactly hold anything, as seen with the treasure chest being left behind. From this angle we can better see the details of the broken ship. Meanwhile, life in the sea continues as the pirates pass by. Fish swim around the coral and another crab goes about its life instead of joining the buccaneering crew.

Arrrr ya gonna eat all that cheese?

The ongoing Pi-rat competition has yielded a lot of interesting pirate ship builds. But Bard Jaskier has gone in another direction and constructed a brick-built buccaneer with a treasure chest full of delicious Swiss. Bard’s mousey marauder is not just adorable, but makes good use of pirate ship pieces, like the crow’s nest barrel halves that make up the legs of his shorts.