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.

Secrets abound in a hidden jungle temple

Inside the jungle, where few venture, are secrets so hidden they remain forgotten to all but time. Occasionally, through a mix of determination and plain luck, those secrets will reveal themselves. That moment of discovery is caputured brilliantly in this jungle temple scene by master castle builder Jonas Wide.

Jungle temple

Built for the Brethern of the Brick Seas collaborative role-playing project on Eurobricks, this scene is reminiscent of the discoveries made by conquistadores such as Pedro de Alvarado or Diego Velazquez de Cuellar during those early days of exploration in the New World. One can feel the mix of excitement and trepidation as Jonas’ explorers make their way up the stairs of this forgotten temple. The cautious stance of the lead explorer, musket at the ready, hints that discovery always includes an element of danger. Although the temple’s abandonment is evidenced by its crumbling stonework and jungle overgrowth, there is a sense that these explorers are not alone. Maybe this temple was abandoned on purpose, its secrets never meant to be found. In the blank spaces on earth, perhaps some things are better left undiscovered.

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Green and white to sail the ocean blue

What I love most about this gallant old tall ship by Sebeus I is that it’s still distinctly in the style of the classic LEGO Pirate ships I remember from the early 90s. Of course, this one is both much larger and much better detailed, but it still incorporates the large hull elements and distinctive flags along the sides for cannon ports. The custom paper sails add a great look, too.

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Where this ship really shines, though, is in the stern, which is low and sleek and expertly sculpted. The ship manages to capture the deck’s curvature in a way the old sets never could. It looks just perfect to fetch some breadfruit plantings from the tropics.

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Yo ho, yo ho, a space pirate’s life for me

There’s a definite futuristic spin on this pirate ship created by Bricksam, but the only thing cooler than pirates are sci-fi pirates. The skull & cross-bones figurehead on the bow of the ship suggests that this ship does not come in peace, and the Jolly Roger flying over the stern confirms her intent. No sails are required on this particular ship, but there is some lovely hull shaping and lots of details. The colour blocking with dark green, black and more traditional brown for the main deck gives a real ‘scavenger ship’ feel to this vessel.

Arcadia_01

The view from behind shows the ragged Jolly Roger and the main deck more clearly. Those glowing rear engines mean that this ship does not need water or wind to power her plundering travels.

Arcadia_03

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Nassau is full of pirates and intrigue

I confess, I have not watched Black Sails. I know, I’m sorry! I plan on fixing that. But I don’t need any context to appreciate this lovely diorama based on the show by Mpyromaxos, depicting a busy scene with arson, theft, and property damage – which I understand is all pretty normal for pirates. There’s a lot of great detail to take in, and some easter eggs too. How many characters do you recognize?

Free Vane and burn Nassau to the ground!!!

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LEGO BrickHeadz 41593 Captain Jack Sparrow and 41594 Captain Armando Salazar [Exclusive Review]

Last month we revealed the two new BrickHeadz characters from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Captain Jack Sparrow (41593), and a new character, Captain Armando Salazar (41594). TBB has already exclusively reviewed Salazar’s enormous ghost ship 71042 Silent Mary and now we’re taking a look at the movie tie-in BrickHeadz characters.

TBB_POTC_BHZ_Completed

Like all the BrickHeadz, Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Armando Salazar will retail for $9.99 USD/£9.99/9,99 €. They have 109 and 118 pieces respectively, and will be available March 17 for LEGO VIP-card holders both in LEGO stores and from the LEGO Shop Online.

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Final voyage of the Lemuria

There’s something calming, peaceful, and haunting about a shipwreck. It’s knowing that it’s untouchable at the deepest depths of the ocean, where no one can touch the remains of the ship. Built by TBB contributor Luka Vodnik, this is a sombre ship, mesmerizing us with contrasting details and a story we may never know. Smooth tiles form the body of the ship’s hull, with studded elements creating barnacles. Luka has named the ill-fated vessel Lemuria, leaving her tales with Davy Jones at the bottom of the sea.

Lemuria

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The Black Death comes to pillage and plunder

A while ago W. Navarre revealed this ship as a part of a nautical diorama that was a modern re-interpretation of an original LEGO Pirates set. However, he decided that the diorama did not do the ship justice, and has chosen to photograph it now on its own. There is a lot to love about The Black Death, most notably the sails made out of all sorts of multi-angled pieces in an eye-popping dark red, as well as some very interesting shaping along the hull. Years ago, brick-built hulls were very common for small and medium scaled ships, but lately it seems to be becoming the norm.

The Black Death

Here’s the ship in the diorama, full of high-seas action and drama.

TT:R3: The Cat's Claws

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New LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean sets revealed at New York Toy Fair 2017, coming in May [News]

We are pleased to bring you on-site coverage of New York Toy Fair 2017, where LEGO has officially revealed a brand new set for the upcoming film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The fifth installment of the highly popular Disney Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise his theaters May 26, 2017.

[Update] 71042 Silent Mary will retail for $199.99 and will be available beginning March 17, 2017, for LEGO VIP members, and available to everyone April 1. The set will be exclusive to LEGO Stores and the LEGO Shop Online.

NY Toy Fair: Silent Mary

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Pirates of the Caribbean BrickHeadz revealed, BrickHeadz available now [News]

LEGO’s new line of BrickHeadz characters are available now for LEGO VIP Program members on the LEGO Shop online. These sets will be available to the general public beginning Wednesday, March 1. LEGO’s VIP Program is free to join, and you can sign up online, so you can still order your BrickHeadz today even if you’re not already a VIP member. You can check out our reviews of The LEGO Batman Movie sets and Marvel Avengers sets if you’re not sure which one you want to buy first.

Also revealed today are two new characters from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Included in the instruction books and on the boxes for 41595 Belle and 41596 Beast are images for none other than Captain Jack Sparrow (41593) and a new character: Captain Armando Salazar (41594).

Click here to see the BrickHeadz for sale now!

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Hostage negotiations on the high seas

It appears that there’s a rather tense hostage negotiation in progress on W. Navarre‘s lovely little sandbar island. I imagine some not-so-nice words are being thrown about, but the worst sin of all is the fact that this group of ragtag, cutthroat pirates are likely completely oblivious to the beauty just below their feet.

TT:R2: On Coral Sandbar

W. Navarre’s tiny scene has a nice contrast between the dark (and possibly murderous) pirates and the soft, pastel coral reef below the water. The ethereal flora and fauna beneath the water look like they’d be more at place in a Friends build than a pirate one. But that just adds to the awesomeness of W. Navarre’s building in my opinion.

TT:R2: On Coral Sandbar

If you’re interested in finding out what’s really going on in this build, check out the accompanying story that W. Navarre wrote over on MOCpages.

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Room with a View, Baby Doll and Building in Bed: a conversation with Romanian super-builder Vitreolum [Interview]

We recently had the opportunity to talk with Pacurar Andrei, also known as Vitreolum (Letranger Absurde). Pacurar lives in Romania and builds in a wide range of styles and genres. His work is highly regarded and his build, Room with a View, made our short-list of the year’s best creations. Please walk with us as we explore the mind of a builder!

Jay and Silent Bob

TBB: How did you get into the LEGO hobby and what inspires you to build?

Pacurar Andrei: I got into the hobby when I decided to sell my childhood collection. They were all mixed together in two large bags, so I had to sort and build everything… by the time I was done with this I ended up buying sets instead of selling. Everything inspires me, from someone else’s build to things that surround me. Sometimes just looking at a certain part will be enough. Or just an idea that suddenly pops in my head. Although my biggest source of inspiration has always been movies, games and literature. The challenge is whether I can translate it into bricks.

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Building by the sea

Sometimes simple is highly effective, like this lovely little build by David Zambito. This little scene by the ocean has a lot going for it, technique-wise (The curves of the half-built/half-destroyed ship are quite lovely!). I like the rock work and the sand dune; the uni-kitty horns and 1×1 round tiles as shells gives it a nice touch. I rarely see beaches completely clear of debris!

It’s a lovely setting for whatever nefarious conversation is happening in the bones of an empty ship!

Easy Peasy

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