LEGO Pirate fans have been spoilt for choice lately!
The Classic Pirates have been hosting their very own Infamous Steve Contest, while Brethren of the Brick Seas has been hosting challenges to usher in its third era.
Meanwhile, The LEGO Group has hosted their own competitive initiatives; including the LEGO Ideas “If we could turn back time” Challenge and BrickLink “A Pirate’s Dream” Activity.
So let’s take a peek at the most “classically piratey” submissions of that activity…
What is the “A Pirate’s Dream” Activity?
The Classic Pirates are a wee bit late to the shindig due to managing a certain contest, as this activity ended on 21 August, 2024…
But the objective was to build anything pirate-related in 10 to 300 parts using BrickLink Studio.
Here’s the official spiel:
LEGO® Pirates have plundered the ocean for generations, but none are as infamous as Captain Redbeard. Once shipwrecked in Barracuda Bay, Captain Redbeard escaped with one goal in mind: recruit a new crew for his next adventure!
We want you to build your pirate’s dream life in digital brick form. This dream could be anything pirate-related, from a classic pirate ship sailing the ocean waves to a futuristic vision of space piracy.
Prove your worth to Captain Redbeard and you’ll be living a pirate’s dream on the high seas in no time!
So, submissions have closed but the winners shall be declared upon 28 August, 2024 at 12:00 PM PT.
And then we get to discover who’s designs will display A Pirate’s Dream winner badge – hurrah!
What’s more, there’s a “View Instructions” option for each creation, with step-by-step directions allowing you to build them for yourself.
The Creations
Since this activity had an extremely general definition of “Pirate”, a good many of the builds aren’t strictly “classic”.
Nonetheless, the Classic Pirates have done the sifting for you, so here be our top picks…
Hit the “View Creation” button for more images and information about each submission.
“Castaway Cay” by CaptDarkNStormy
This be somewhat of an upgrade to the classic set, 6260 Shipwreck Island, with some 6258 Smuggler’s Shanty and 1492 Battle Cove thrown in to add extra seasoning.
What! No monkey? Ah, but there be a tortuga splashing about!
This MOC is inspired by the small land based Pirates sets of yore such as 6260 Shipwreck Island, 6258 Smuggler’s Shanty, and 1492 Battle Cove. It features a cannon for defense against the pesky Bluecoats, a small cave for hiding treasure, and a hammock under a thatched roof for siestas away from the punishing rays of the Caribbean sun.
Go give the good captain’s “Castaway Cay” post a like on Facebook to brighten his day!
“When a Dream Becomes a Nightmare” by bwtyler
A 294 piece mini build of a killer kalamari!
The Crimson Seas Guppy met an untimely fate
Captain Bluebeard is (was?) the captain of the Crimson Seas Guppy and little brother of a much more famous pirate. This full scale replica is designed to recreate the story of when the diminutive pirate was attacked by the fell beast, after finally finding his long lost treasure.
“Nostalgic Parrot” by Sushi Taro
Ah yes, the original LEGO Parrot design… Fans familiar with the Golden Medallion comic and Ladybird Book series know this bird brain as Popsy.
Popsy placed upon a perch
It’s a nostalgic parrot.
Please enjoy the complicated way the face is assembled.
Ever notice how nobody ever builds a larger version of any of the later parrots?
“Island lookout” by Steampunxx
Only a handful of Imperial Solider creations appeared among the selection but this 6265 Sabre Island homage caught our spyglass.
No cannon. No oars. And no sabres on this island
Somewhere in the seven seas a pair of imperial soldiers guard this tiny island. Accompanied by only a row boat and a palm tree these soldiers keep watch from their tower.
The design is based off the style of imperial soldiers sets and mocs while the palm tree is a design used in 31084 pirate roller coaster.
“A Pirate Story” by Keenlego_build
The gripping 549 page autobiography of Captain Redbeard who candidly chronicles his lifetime of piratical pursuits.
Available in both hardcover and paperback
Batten down the hatches for the enthralling high sea adventures of the most notorious pirate Redbeard and his Man-O-War
Rough sea’s. Daring raids. Piracy, Plunder, Cunning escapes, Three sheets to the wind, Loot, and Mutiny (son of a biscuit eater).
Did you know Redbeard sailed a Man-O-War? No, neither did the Classic Pirates.
“Redbeard Returns to the Sea” by Ghost7982
Old Captain Redbeard grows bored of lazing around Barracuda Bay so he sets sail in his new luxury yacht… yes yacht!
The yacht’s sails honours Redbeard’s trademark colours
After years of plundering the seas and settling down at Barracuda Bay, Redbeard has decided to hit the water once again. He will enjoy his retirement sailing on his yacht or relaxing in a hot tub on his island. This yacht is themed to the legendary Black Seas Barracuda that Redbeard once captained and features a treasure chest hidden below deck up front and his iconic parrot.
Shipwreck Island by MyFirstMOC_HUN
6260 Shipwreck Island has made a lasting impression on LEGO Pirate fans so here’s another updated version:
In this one you get a monkey
Captain Red Beard has not been having a good life lately. First, several of his ships were confiscated or sunk. The morale of his men has also dwindled, as the booty has become smaller and smaller. This led to riots. And if that wasn’t enough, they were attacked by an Imperial ship in the middle of the internal strife. The enemy proved to be much stronger and more composed and the ship was so badly damaged that it was destroyed. Only two survivors remained before the enemy ship moved on. The captain himself and a loyal crewman. They were washed ashore on a small island by the sea current, where they began to settle in with the supplies they had thrown ashore.
Be so kind as to stop by Zsolti’s “Shipwreck Island” post on Instagram and give it some love!
“Up-Scaled Classic Monkey” by vcmiller
And now it’s time to enlarge the other classic pirate critter… Spinoza!
A brick built upscaling of the original LEGO monkey piece.
That’s the second biggest LEGO monkey head the Classic Pirates have seen!
An up-scaled version of the classic monkey seen in many pirate sets (part 2550c01). Scaled up by a factor of 6x, so it is to scale with the up-scaled minifigure set (40649).
“Redbeard Fightin’ Back for His Dreams” by Exerion
This be somewhat of a 6285 Black Seas Barracuda mini-build, albeit equipped with stripeless sails, just the way Niels Milan Pedersen intended.
The sails are meant to have red stripes
Well, the lack of stripes is more of a design limitation… but we eagerly await the day BrickLink Designer Studio offer support for the much desired fabric sails!
Arrr, ye salty sea dogs, gather ’round once more and let ol’ Captain Redbeard regale ye with the next chapter in our grand saga of bricks and bravery! This here be the continuation of our legendary MOC, where the tables have turned, and my trusty ship takes the fight straight to that scurvy dog!
Note: The sails are white, because at this scale stickers would be required to make white and red stripes on the sails.
“Redbeard’s Hot Tub” by Lightsaberz3
When Captain Redbeard isn’t cruising around in his yacht, he’s kicking back in his hot tub with Popsy.
Also, Redbeard is cut
Redbeard has completed all his pirate adventures and now wants to relax in his hot tub. He resides on a private island with his parrot “Popsy” and all the treasure he will ever need. 298 Pieces
“Treasure Chest Filled to the Brim with Gold” by Lutzifer
Continuing the trend of brick-built enlargement we have a pirate’s most prized possession: a treasure chest.
Well looky here, the vacuum metal gold makes a return!
A treasure chest that is filled with a lot of gold.
Where was it buried? Who found it? Is there a curse on the gold?
Dare you build this treasure chest to discover the curse?
“Under New Management” by Nobodyishere
Pirates have conquered an Imperial Fort!
The classic LEGO Pirates flag design makes a return… on the flag, at least
Redbeard and his crew have been getting tired of getting attacked by imperial boats and trying to avoid giant sea monsters out in the open ocean and it became their dream to settle down someplace on dry land. So they found a very nice 1 prison, 2 cannon imperial fort on a small island while the current resident weren’t to keen on moving so Redbeard and his crew enticed them with a show of their boat’s fire power. Now if you ever see a small fort flying the jolly roger you’ll know it is under new management.
“Skeleton Treasure” Cove by Block_of_space
In pirate lore dead men tell no tales, but they do seem to get up, walk around, and cause the living a lot of grief.
Undead highwaymen still don’t remove their masks
My humble submission to the pirate challenge. This poor pirate heard where the golden horde of the undead resided and decided after a drink to go and get it. He found the treasure but got in over his head with the undead!
“Con-Briki” by Jdsiro
Well, finally! The Indigo Islanders are receiving the attention they deserve!
Right before us be a creation inspired by 6256 Islanders Catamaran.
The sail even bears a brick-built version of the Indigo Islander motif
Two Islanders, on board the Con-Briki, sail past a small island poking up from a shallow reef, where a hermit crab considers a discarded bottle as a potential new home! Perhaps the Islanders are also en route to a new home in far and distant lands, though with a stunning lack of provisions for such a journey (thanks to a 300 part limit), it is more likely they are just out for a day sail!
The Islanders… Criminally neglected in past BrickLink designs, perhaps attributed to a lack of relevant parts in BrickLink Studio… but is that changing?
“Skull Island Remake” by Spaceguy909
Another classic LEGO Pirate set remake; this time 6248 Volcano Island receives the BrickLink Studio treatment.
It means to honour the 10320 Eldorado Fortress aesthetic
This is a remake of 6248 “Volcano Island” from 1996 in the style of Eldorado Fortress. This moc is built on a 24 x 20 base and includes a buried treasure chest, Volcano hence its name sake, and possibly a couple lost soals. This unfortunate conquistador met his fate after being trapped in the islands cursed cave possibly by the islander or his own crew. But with Redbeard’s crew in the picture again, maybe his story will again be told.
“The Tale of Captain MonkeyPants” by Turtles0203
Behold the riveting adventures of a piratical primate who has achieved many wondrous feats!
Sailing aboard the “The Great White“, can MonkeyPants lay claim to the mysterious Golden Banana for once and for all?
A monkey captain who does not wear any pants
Captain MonkeyPants was the most feared pirate of all the seven seas! He raided fortresses! He wrestled bears! And beat the Kraken is a game of chess! But there was one ting Captain MonkeyPants wanted more than anything… THE GOLDEN BANANA!
“Pirate house” by RAW123
Another one of those pirate hideouts that looks suspiciously as though it were seized from the Imperials.
The old semaphore station has experienced a change in management
Coming close at 297 pieces I finished my entry for A Pirates’ Dream.
“Captain Redbeard’s Golden Sword – A Lost Treasure” by Kmohaddes
And now for an enlargement of a pirate’s most vital security device… a cutlass!
Wait a minute…
The first katana to look more like a broad sword
This is Captain Redbeard’s lost sword, the cursed golden katana. All the pirates want their grubby hands on this awesome sword. This sword has a small red jewel and a black skull emblem. The sword is extremely thin and therefore has nice swoosh ability, I achieved this using bar and clip plates.
It rates highly on the Swooshability Scale, miraculous really, given that it’s forged from pure gold. Yer know how much gold weighs, right?
“Fortress on Stilts” by Ajericson
This quick, same-day build sees Imperial Soldiers of the verge of laying siege to a pirate battlement.
Now we’re talkin’ – a creation with both Imperials and Pirates!
This pirate fortress on stilts is a creation I started and finished on the same day I am hoping I can add more creations to the pirates dream contest. featuring three hundred and one pieces six minifigures three imperial guards including a skeleton witch is the third imperial guard three pirates one crab starfish spider fish shark and turtle also featuring two parrots and three seagulls.
“Pirates Party” by Piratecaptain85
Even pirates need a place to party. Naturally you’d assume they’d head to the nearest tavern to indulge in their frivolity, but for special occassions they require a change of scenery.
And what better change than the local beach bar – they’re just a stone’s throw from the docks!
Jack Sassy loves spending time at the pub
Captain Redbeard has thrown a party for all the pirates, hes also thrown his banana on the floor……ARRRRRRR RUM!
But Wait… There’s More!
There be plenty more creations where those came from!
We didn’t include the science fiction and suburban pirates
If yer interested in taking a squiz at the not-so “classically piratey” submissions, plot a course to the A Pirate’s Dream webpage on BrickLink.
What Do Yer Think?
Do yer like that selection of builds? Or be there other Pirate’s Dream creations we should have included?
A fanciful extension of the promotional image used on Instagram
And would yer build any of these creations for yerself?
Stay tuned for the winner announcement on 28 August, 2024 to discover which dreamy pirate designs have earned a winners badge!
Yo ho! it’s time to make our way to the LEGO Pirates Forum to discuss the A Pirate’s Dream Activity…
