Lego Pirate Sea Battle 3
Robyn Ruder
Instead of a new dedicated space theme, Lego just releases space sets within the other themes, like city, friends, creator, dreams, classic and technic. But they all share the space logo on the box art.
Yeah City doing time travel would not go well with City or Pirate fans I think, but neither does the Pirate Amusement park way they have done for a few years now with Pirate Rollercoaster, Treehouse, Playground and now a LEGOLAND ride?
It's dissappointing that TLG isn't interested in doing a full Pirate release right now, but meanwhile these Pirate-adjacent sets are a good sign for fans. They keep the elements in active use so that they don't get retired. The set designers are on our side!
I suppose they could have a sunken pirate ship in an ocean exploration or sea life rescue set, but all in all I don't necessarily know whether LEGO would do any sort of cross-theme promotion this extensive for their other classic themes. I figure the space stuff for 2024 may be meant to capitalize on hype for the NASA Artemis program's first crewed mission.
Looking at the bnib prices of even the lamest 2009 sets, they are incredibly high, and they sell. But being their own worst enemy, lego constantly keep releasing a reddish brown small hull with a red / dark red cabin. The last 3 ships they officially released have all been near carbon copies of one another.
I'm not asking for a theme the size of dreamz or hidden side, but if you are gonna make pirate city sets... You can make pirate sets. It's easier to MOC when you have a something to work with. Yes, I suppose you can do the same with these city sets. But they are still lacking the proper Pirate "feel" imo.
Heck I'm getting ready to make a few Christmas purchases for myself, and I normally want to buy as much Lego as I can. But I want Pirate parts are pieces first and foremost. Followed by Castle and then LOTR. I have EVERYTHING those themes have to offer over the last (many) years. I thought about buying the creator 3-1 ship for the 4th time, or Eldorado for the 3rd time, just to have pirate pieces to MOC with. But is it too much to ask for some sets in the lower price ranges as well? I might buy 8 of those, lol. Sometimes you don't want to spend $150, but rather $50.
On one hand they have not enough faith in Pirates as a theme, but on the other hand they pump out pirate themed GWPs and sets like the water splash battle. So Lego must think there is enough interest in those sets and Pirates. Quite schizophrenic.
Unexpected, but it looks like this set has a new pirate torso print! This might bode well for future pirate releases this year; I don't think they'd do a whole new print just for a LEGOLAND set...
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