LEGO® Pirates Coming Soon!

I have been chomping at the bit for weeks to share this news. In late February, I received an offer to review an upcoming LEGO® Ideas set. The only information provided was the set number, 21322. Other than that, I had nothing to go on. A couple of weeks ago, a large, plain brown box arrived at my door with the LEGO® logo in the top corner. I opened the box and one of my biggest childhood dreams came true. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to post about this set from the moment I opened the box. However, I swore to secrecy until today. Now, I can excitedly announce that LEGO® Pirates are coming soon!

While not a full-blown return to the theme of old, this upcoming endeavor features one monster set from LEGO® Ideas. Many AFOLs might find this slightly disappointing, but reserve your judgement for just a moment longer. The upcoming set, named Pirates of Barracuda Bay, features a story and details that will make all original fans of the Pirates theme giddy with excitement. In fact, the original idea came from fan Pablo Sànchez, who reportedly grew up with the theme. A brief interview with Sànchez in the 459-page instruction manual for the set reveals he and his father used to play with the original Pirates sets. His goal in designing this set was to bring the theme back to life.

One monster set coming from LEGO® Ideas.

For those familiar with the original design by Sànchez, the final Pirates of Barracuda Bay differs somewhat. The soon-to-be released set features more ties to the original theme but preserves the story and original idea created by Sànchez. The instruction manual also contains an interview with Milan Madge, the model designer from the LEGO® Group responsible for the final product. He shares that staying true to the vision was important. However, he wanted to take the shipwreck featured in the set a step farther. The ruins convert into a pirate ship. Additionally, it is not just any ship. To the delight of Pirates fans of old, the Black Seas Barracuda sails again.

Click here to go view the original design at LEGO® Ideas.

To be fair, this new ship is not identical to the original. It is a little bit bigger in terms of its dimensions. Additionally, the whole kit contains a considerably larger number of pieces. The Black Seas Barracuda consisted of 870 bricks. Pirates of Barracuda Bay clocks in at over 2500. However, the coloring of the ship and sails, as well as other similarities in the overall look are sure to bring AFOLs back. I only had pictures of the original ship as a child, but I remembered it well when I saw this version.

Want to read more about LEGO® ships? Click here for the top 10 biggest LEGO® ships of all time!

The Black Seas Barracuda sails again!

The first page of the instruction manual also revives the old Pirates story from 1980s and ‘90s. However, it adds a chapter. The tale reminds us of the familiar colony of settlers who “thrived by means of the buried treasure they had discovered on their new island home.” Additionally, it tells of the pirates who wanted to take the treasure for themselves. But one stormy night 30 years ago, the pirates and their feared Captain Redbeard vanished in a storm. While rumors swirled of their fate, no one knew what became of the infamous crew and the Black Seas Barracuda, until now.

AFOLs will rejoice in seeing familiar looking characters in this set, including an aged Redbeard. Additionally, treasure chests, cutlasses, pistols, rifles, parrots, skeletons, canons, jolly-rogers, and a shark all appear. On a personal note, I was overjoyed to see the ruins of an Islanders totem statue partially buried in the sand. Only the monkeys are markedly absent in this new set.

8 pirates on the way!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

In terms of specifics, this set will cost $259.99 in Canada upon its release. In other parts of the world, you can expect a price of $199.99 US, $299.99 AUD, £179.99, and around €199.99 (depending on which European country you live in). Details for this set are:

• NAME: Pirates of Barracuda Bay
• SET #: 21322
• THEME: Ideas
• BRICK COUNT: 2545
• MINIFIGURES: 8.5 + 2 skeletons (the mast head is half a Minifigure)
• RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2020

To commemorate this return to swashbuckling, it is Pirate week here at True North Bricks. To continue the celebration, be sure to check back tomorrow, because I have a full review of this set! In the meantime, please share your thoughts on this new kit in the comments below or on social media. I would love to chat about this set and your pirate memories!

Until next time,

-Tom

Want to support True North Bricks?

If you like the content at True North Bricks, please follow on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter for regular updates. Additionally, you can support True North Bricks by making your LEGO® (and other) purchases using the links in the menu to the right. These affiliate links earn me a little commission at no extra cost to you, thus helping to manage the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support!