Last month, I took a look at the biggest LEGO® Castle sets that have ever been produced (click here to read it). This month, I am taking another trip down memory lane, and looking at another of my childhood favorites, pirate ships. However, there have been several themes other than Pirates which have also featured awesome boats. In fact, the largest ship ever produced is not even a Pirates-theme ship. So, I have broadened the scope of this article to include the largest LEGO® ships across all themes. For the sake of clarity, I am looking at mast and sail ships here, and not the modern engine variety.
10. Redbeard Runner
SET #: 6289
THEME: Pirates
BRICK COUNT: 703
MINIFIGURES: 7
YEAR: 1996
FUN FACTS: The quarter deck of this ship was built to fall off to simulate battle damage during play. This set was re-released in 2001.
09. The Brick Bounty
SET #: 70413
THEME: Pirates
BRICK COUNT: 745
MINIFIGURES: 7
YEAR: 2015
FUN FACTS: This ship features a plank for captured imperial soldiers to walk, and a hold for hiding a treasure chest.
08. Pirate Ship Ambush
SET #: 79008
THEME: Lord of the Rings
BRICK COUNT: 756
MINIFIGURES: 9
YEAR: 2013
FUN FACTS: The King of the Dead and his ghostly soldiers that come in this kit all glow in the dark. In all, this set included four exclusive Minifigures (the three aforementioned, and the Corsair of Umbar).
07. The Black Pearl
SET #: 4184
THEME: Pirates of the Caribbean
BRICK COUNT: 804
MINIFIGURES: 6
YEAR: 2011
FUN FACTS: This set came with four exclusive Minifigures: Davy Jones, Bootstrap Bill, Maccus, and the entirely black Minifigure figurehead.
06. Black Seas Barracuda
SET #: 6285
THEME: Pirates
BRICK COUNT: 909
MINIFIGURES: 8
YEAR: 1989
FUN FACTS: One of the most popular Pirate ships, this set was re-released in 2002 as set # 10040, with 906 pieces. It is also the first pirate ship the LEGO® Group produced.
05. Skull’s Eye Schooner
SET #: 6286
THEME: Pirates
BRICK COUNT: 912
MINIFIGURES: 9
YEAR: 1993
FUN FACTS: This set came with four cannons, but could actually house eight.
04. Queen Anne’s Revenge
SET #: 4195
THEME: Pirates of the Caribbean
BRICK COUNT: 1094
MINIFIGURES: 9
YEAR: 2011
FUN FACTS: Queen Anne’s Revenge was actually a real pirate ship. It was the flagship of the infamous Blackbeard from November 1717 until May 1718.
03. Imperial Flagship
SET #: 10210
THEME: Creator Expert
BRICK COUNT: 1664
MINIFIGURES: 9
YEAR: 2010
FUN FACTS: This ship was built with removable deck sections so that you could access the cannons and galley below decks. Even though it was an “expert” set, the ship was clearly designed with the Imperial Guards logo, and based on the pirates theme. As such, it is the largest classic “Pirates” ship produced to date.
02. Silent Mary
SET #: 71042
THEME: Pirates of the Caribbean
BRICK COUNT: 2294
MINIFIGURES: 8
YEAR: 2017
FUN FACTS: While not really a “ship” anymore, the Silent Mary is certainly the remnants of one! This set comes with two undead sharks that are large enough to consume a Minifigure!
01. Destiny’s Bounty
SET #: 70618
THEME: The Ninjago Movie
BRICK COUNT: 2295
MINIFIGURES: 7
YEAR: 2017
FUN FACTS: This ship features removable levels that allow access to all of the interior rooms, including a training dojo, bathroom, and bedroom. There is also a functioning winch for the anchors. Click here to read my review of this set.
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HONORABLE MENTION: METALBEARD’S SEA COW
SET #: 70810
THEME: The LEGO® Movie
BRICK COUNT: 2741
MINIFIGURES: 5
YEAR: 2014
FUN FACTS: I hummed and hawed about including this set on this list. It clearly has sails, but it also appears to have steamboat components. In any case, it gets an honorable mention because, in fact, this is the largest LEGO® ship produced to date.
There you have it. Some nostalgic entries, as well as some more modern ones. Sadly, none of my childhood sets made this list as I never got one of the large ships. So, perhaps in the future I will take a look at just Pirates theme sets. As always, feel free to leave your thoughts or memories of these sets in the comments below.
Until next time,
-Tom
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I remember building the Black Seas Barracuda when I was a kid. Pretty sure that’s the first Lego set I had, or at least it’s the first one I remember having.
That is awesome! It was always a set I wanted, but I never got it.
I wish I knew what happened to mine. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the pieces are in my current parts inventory.