Review: 31109 Pirate Ship
Posted by Huw,LEGO Pirates are enjoying something of a renaissance this year because hot on the heels of the excellent Ideas set, 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay, comes this large Creator 3-in-1 31109 Pirate Ship.
It's one of the most highly anticipated of the June releases so let's take it to the high seas to see what it has to offer the budding buccaneer...
Alternate models
Normally I encourage reviewers of 3-in-1 sets to build all three models, but that's not going to happen here. Not because the alternate models are no good, but because the pirate ship is too good to take apart to build them!
The alternative models are a tavern with a water wheel and fully-kitted out interior, and an island with large skull-like structure. As you can see, they both look to be impressive.
Minifigures
Being a Creator set, it's light on minifigs, with just three provided to form a skeleton crew of the vessel: a peg-legged captain, let's call him 'Brownbeard', a pirate in a tricorn, and young-looking one, perhaps the ship's boy.
Construction
Parts are packed in numbered bags, 1-9. I'm a big fan of numbered bags because they make construction so much easier and enjoyable. Particularly so here because each bag has just a few hundred parts in it at most.
Before commencing on the vessel, a small bird (I'm hesitant to call it a parrot) and shark are built:
The shark is as good as any I've seen in a Creator set and in my opinion, far preferable to the single-piece version.
The first thing that sets this ship apart from others that have sailed before it is the entirely brick-built hull. Even the one in 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay uses the large boat hull bricks.
It's built in three sections, held together initially by Technic pins. There's a lot of SNOT work buried within it.
From the underside you can see how the curvature of the bow and stern have been formed, using a large selection of reddish brown curved pieces.
As you work your way through the bags of parts, the ship takes shape, with the captain's cabin, and poop deck added to the aft and the fo'c'sle at the fore. Here's the completed vessel before adding the sails.
I particularly like the decorative red/light orange stripe along the side and the curvature of the sides around the main deck.
The exterior of the captain's cabin has plenty of decorative flourishes typical of this type of ship. The sides are hinged to allow access to the interior, which houses a table and chair.
The sails and rigging are entirely brick-built and I believe this is the first vessel of this size in which this is the case. 70810 MetalBeard's Sea Cow had sails made with Technic panels, but they were not entirely successful in my opinion. Even the masts are built using a multitude of parts rather than relying on the one-piece version.
The designers have make good use of the curved Wall W. Bow 3X4X3 W3.2 Schaft piece, more usually found in models of space shuttles, to give the impression of rolled-up sails at the bottom and fully unfurled ones with the wind behind them above.
There's a lookout at the top of the front mast for the ship's boy to keep an eye out for Imperial ships.
Brick-building the sails has allowed the designers to add a skull and crossbones on the fore sail, which looks excellent, particularly from a distance.
The last feature to be added is the figurehead, a mermaid with outstretched arms. It adds character and a welcome flourish of colour to the vessel.
The completed model
It looks superb from every angle. There's not a lot of internal space, and with just two cannons its armament is a little on the light side, but that's usually the case with LEGO pirate ships.
Verdict
I would go so far as to say that, with the possible exception of the re-imagined Black Seas Barracuda in 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay (which I've not built), this is the best pirate ship since the original 6285 Black Seas Barracuda.
It's decorative, detailed, incorporates advanced SNOT building techniques for the hull, is entirely brick-built and, well, as you can probably tell, I've very impressed with it.
However, in the interests of a balanced review I'll try to find a few faults. It could have done with a couple more minifigures. They are not the focus of Creator sets, always just provided to improve playability, but I feel three is nowhere near enough to crew a vessel of this size.
The bottom of the hull uses two 8x16 dark tan plates which look fine as the floor inside, but they leave an unsightly line along the waterline outside. That's pretty much all I can find to say.
As for the price and value for money, I can't really comment because I don't know what is in pounds sterling yet but I suspect, like all Creator sets, it will be better value than licensed ones.
Tl;dr: Don't let the Creator branding fool you, this is an awesome vessel, easily on a par with the best Pirate ships LEGO has produced.
Thanks to LEGO for providing the set for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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74 comments on this article
Oh, how I wish that the Pirates and Medieval product lines would make a comeback... those still remain my favorite sets from my youth.
But at the same time I hope that they won't since my wallet would likely suffer a lot.
If (read "when"really..) I get my hands on the new Barracuda I think I will end up buying one or two of these sets to do the alternative builds, well, depending on the price.
Are you going to review the other 2 builds too? Love this one, but very curious....
Hard to judge the value of this one without the alternative builds too...
Wait for the Jangbricks review I guess?
All 3 builds seem like really solid Pirates sets. Honestly, the only drawback is the minifigure selection. The new Brickbeard would have looked a lot better as Captain, but exclusivity is a thing for some reason, so 'brown' beard it is.
I am really hopping that Lego returns with an entire line in the Pirates theme in 2021.
I will like if they returned Castle in the Fantasy Era or Kingdoms style too.
First time I'm seeing the alternative builds and OMG that tavern build looks amazing.
The ship looks amazing and I think it will go amazingly with the Pirate Rollercoaster set from 2018 which is my favourite non expert creator set.
Is there going to be a second part with the alternate builds? I'd love to see them in more detail. Very nice looking ship, tho.
"with the possible exception of the re-imagined Black Seas Barracuda in 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay (which I've not built), this is the best pirate ship since the original 6285 Black Seas Barracuda."
Except you'd be wrong.
The Skull's Eye Schooner is the best pirate ship ever released. Followed by the Barracuda, the 2020 Barracuda and the Imperial ship at least :P
" incorporates advanced SNOT building techniques " obvious jokes aside, I had to google SNOT building techniques, and I discovered one thing...my joke was fundamentally better then learning this new piece of information :)
For the first time ever, I may just have to pick up three copies of a Creator set, just so I can make all of the builds at the same time. Nice job LEGO, and nice review @Huw !
Nice write-up and nice pictures. If I hadn't already bought Barracuda Bay this would be a must buy, but with the larger ship already in my collection it's a little redundant. It's a great alternative to that ship at a lower price. ... Who am I kidding? I'll probably get this one too....
When you go for one of the alternative builds, usually a lot of pieces are left out. With 2 boxes from the pirate rollercoaster i could almost build all three - it took some re-engeneering and i had to buy a set of cart, but still. It would be useful to know in this case wether we can build the 2 alternatives with just one box and some pieces. The Skull island really looks like a little amount of pieces compared to the total...
Thanks for the review.
As I get the impression this is relatively small, a size comparison with other vessels would be appreciated.
I'll echo what others have said, given this is a 3-in-1 set, I'd like to see you review the other builds as well.
Thanks for review. Please do other builds as well!
I would like to see a size comparison with some of the other big ships released like the LEGO Ninjago Movie Destiny's Bounty and Ideas Pirates Of Barracuda Bay ship, maybe even with some of the older Pirates of the Caribbean ships.
I liked the look of it from the first images but my wallet is still reeling from buying the Fiat 500 - so jealous of those who say they might buy multiple copies! I might be able to justify buying this as a gift for my son.... (acutally that's how I justify all Lego purchases!)
I like the idea of building the hull but anyone with ideas of extending the ship will, I suspect, find it harder on the wallet than would have been the case with pre-formed hull.
Still owning my childhood (old !) Eldorado fortress, I have always dreamed of a beautiful pirate ship to balance the forces between Imperial soldiers in their fortress and the poor pirates in their little rowboat. Then came the new edition of BS Barracuda, but it's too big for the available room here and a bit above my budget. I wonder if the long wait was not eventually worthy now that I have seen and read your review (excellent, as usual)... I am almost sure that this Creator is The compromise that I was waiting for... As mentioned in the comments, I hope to see a full Jangbricks video review coming soon. That would surely force my decision - if still necessary.
As someone who doesn't have any Pirates sets, I might get this one, seeing as all 3 models are so cool. Thanks for the review!
You need to put wings verticaly to have parrot of that bird.
"...Black Seas Barracuda in 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay (which I've not built)..."
why not?!!
Now we need Imperial Flagship!
I love the pictures with the blue backgrounds! Effort well spent.
I agree with @Huw, the primary model is too good!
I fell like the tavern is a bit too colourful though....
I'm probably getting this over Barracuda Bay simply because it's cheaper while still awesome, but I'll see if I can get both at some point. This is a definite purchase for me, and great review as always @Huw !
This looks the business. I may well end up having 2 pirate ships in my city by the end of the summer
Is this a June 1 release?
I'm sorry I've disappointed some by not building and reviewing the alternate models.
The set arrived on Thursday last week and I wanted to be among the first to review it given likely interest. That didn't give enough time to build all three models and post the review the day the embargo was lifted, today.
Because the parts are in numbered bags and are opened in sequence when building the ship, building the other models first would have required opening them all, and then of course losing the advantage of numbered bags when the ship was finally built.
I probably won't be breaking the ship up any time soon and in any case we have something in the region of 30-40 June releases to review so won't have time now. Sorry!
@ritzcrackerman said:
"Is this a June 1 release?"
In the UK and Europe, yes, but possibly not in the USA. Many of the June releases are being held back until August for US/CA for some reason.
Well, this cements the fact that I need to get two, one for the ship and one for the tavern.
Great Review!!
This looks fantastic! I can't wait to get it. It's hard to say when it will be released; none of the Friends sets are listed on LEGO.com as "coming soon", even though some of them do get released in June.
Wow, this along with the new Monkie set are two that I had no idea about. This looks fantastic--my son loves his Creator Pirate rollercoaster. This may also be on the list for him!
The captain of this set reminds me of one from an older Bricks n' More set, 6192. Quite a nostalgic set for me.
If you got three copies of this and two of Barracuda Bay you could set up a pretty awesome pirate display with all the alternate builds. It would set you around $700 in the hole, but would look cool!
Only problem I've got with it is the brick built sails look a bit awkward. Not terrible, but odd.
Thank you for the review. I don't know I'd go so far as to call it the best ship since the Barracuda, it's ok but I still like the Imperial Flagship as the best ever. It's a nice set but not a big fan of the brick built sails, animals, etc.
Fab review as normal.
I'm surprised that this set isn't an Imperial ship to complement the recent 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay rather than compete with it. A logical option might have been to include pieces to make both the Imperial & Pirate logos on the sail, thus allowing the choice and encouraging people to buy 2 sets. Obviously it will be easy to do that change ourselves but making the imperial crew will be more problematic.
The bird looks like a Blue Jay.
I'm really looking forward to getting this set. I hope the release isn't delayed here in the US as I am planning to get it as a birthday present for myself. I may actually need to get two of these as I want to be able to build the Tavern also.
I think it looks amazing, and I love the brick-built sails.
The brick-built base lends it well to making a hole and fitting a motor in, maybe to run around on some old blue train track on blue baseplates...
@Huw said:
" @ritzcrackerman said:
"Is this a June 1 release?"
In the UK and Europe, yes, but possibly not in the USA. Many of the June releases are being held back until August for US/CA for some reason."
Maybe because the Mexico factory is/was closed down temporarily?
Thanks for the review!
Amazing set. This really shows what can be done for sails and a hull with just bricks. Very neat looking, and I love its color. I watched the video by JANGBRiCKS and the tavern is so cool!
You know, just the other day I thought to myself "I don't REALLY need that pirate ship, do I?" And now I'm swinging the other way again. I even have some 2009-era pirates hanging around that aren't allowed on the old Red Beard Runner and would fill out the crew nicely...
> "There's a lookout at the top of the front mast for the ship's boy to keep an eye out for Imperial ships."
It's called a crow's nest. :)
I miss cloth sails and ropes. Otherwise looks good.
the ship looks great but i am not a fan of te brick built sails. the mermaid on the front looks like she is cruisified.
This is a definite purchase for me, with Barracuda Bay and the Modular Bookstore that could eat up pretty much my 2020 Lego budget.
Awesome that Pirates is getting some time in the spotlight this year. Super stoked for this.
Also, I've had a feeling for a while that Creator would be the perfect place for sets based on Classic themes. Hopefully they continue the trend and give us some Classic Space or Castle inspired sets in Creator somewhere down the line!
How can you say this is the better Pirate ship if you haven't armed the new Black Seas Barracuda? I am intersted in that Tavern as it looks like a complete Lego building as anyone.
Any word on the length of this beauty? I'm trying to work out where I'll be able to fit it in my collection...
About 45cm.
Great review and a fantastic pirate ship. As someone who owned the original Black Seas Barracuda back in the day, and now Creator vehicle collector I am very much looking forward to getting this, even if as I suspect it falls outside of my usual set budget. Don't blame you @Huw for not wanting to break up the ship for the alternate builds, but one question though: doesn't the skeleton count as a minifigure?
Looks outstanding!
Pirates seems to be back, no? Maybe not a full theme but this seems like a comeback to me, between this and the IDEAS set.
Wonder if a Castle revival could be next...
Can you put this and 21322 side-by-side in a picture?
I don't have the money or space to buy both *this* and Barracuda Bay, so this is going to become a tough choice...
@Bricktastic_builder
We've also gotten a few relatively recent Classic Space-inspired sets like Benny's Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP, and Benny's Space Squad, but true new Classic Space sets are certainly long overdue. Hopefully TLG will do what they did with Barracuda Bay, or hopefully something good and popular will come up on Ideas.
I liked the idea of a fully brick-built pirate ship but the execution of this is excellent, even better than I was expecting. Since it's a creator set and not a LEGO exclusive it'll probably go on sale, this is one of the best "normal" sets they've made in a long time and I can't wait to get it
So... What you are saying is that I need to buy at least two of these? ;)
Cloth sails in 21322 and brick-built sails here make no sense at all.
Where is the consistency in aesthetic within the line?
Thankfully, it's Lego, so we can fix the issue ourselves.
I realise light blue was probably chosen to fit in with the other models better, but I really wish that 2x1 clip holding the mermaids tail to her torso had been purple. Just to really complete the Disney’s Little Mermaid look
I could use something like a grand appearing unexpectedly in my bankaccount to deal with this year in lego, it's exhausting.
@iwybs said:
"Nice write-up and nice pictures. If I hadn't already bought Barracuda Bay this would be a must buy, but with the larger ship already in my collection it's a little redundant. It's a great alternative to that ship at a lower price. ... Who am I kidding? I'll probably get this one too...."
I have a small 18th century maritime display (basically all the 2015 sets except the pirate ship), and was thinking of getting two of this set to have a pirate ship and tavern/town at my port.
Now the Barracuda Bay set is $300 here in Australia, so as an owner of that set, would you recommend buying it? And, do you think I should go ahead with my plan of this set plus barracuda or not?
I was going to have this pirate ship attacking the barracuda (a armed merchant ship)while the navy defends their fort and the port.
@Huw said:
" @ritzcrackerman said:
"Is this a June 1 release?"
In the UK and Europe, yes, but possibly not in the USA. Many of the June releases are being held back until August for US/CA for some reason."
The same thing happened last year with the US sets held until August.
Are you certain this will be a June release? I’ve seen information that says it might be July in Europe and it seems all the winter sets are mixed between June, July, and August.
I've been wavering on this set because of the price and the brick sails. The fact that it was a creator 3 in 1 passed me by. Now the alternate builds may be the deciding factor in its favour, as I could do with a tavern for my other pirate ships.
As noted by not having a large boat base or cloth, plastic sails makes it easier to make completely different alternative builds, as these smaller bricks can be incorporated into walls, roof etc. I think it would complement the 70618 Destiny's Bounty really well. The 100 euro price should also appeal to a wider audience than Barracuda bay, and with the alternative builds this is my favorite 3 in 1 set at the moment and makes a welcome change in this series from city buildings and vehicles.
Overall an amazing Creator 3-in-1 set with great parts types and colors and 3 very varied quality builds.
I like it is completely brick build including the sails and hull. To me it is the best pirate ship released by Lego so far. Yes, better than any other including the larger ones in the pirate lines.
@Brickchap said:
" @iwybs said:
"Nice write-up and nice pictures. If I hadn't already bought Barracuda Bay this would be a must buy, but with the larger ship already in my collection it's a little redundant. It's a great alternative to that ship at a lower price. ... Who am I kidding? I'll probably get this one too...."
I have a small 18th century maritime display (basically all the 2015 sets except the pirate ship), and was thinking of getting two of this set to have a pirate ship and tavern/town at my port.
Now the Barracuda Bay set is $300 here in Australia, so as an owner of that set, would you recommend buying it? And, do you think I should go ahead with my plan of this set plus barracuda or not?
I was going to have this pirate ship attacking the barracuda (a armed merchant ship)while the navy defends their fort and the port. "
Yes, I'd recommend buying Barracuda Bay. The ship and the Bay are both great builds, and at least in the US the kit is really exceptional value for money. Not only is the price per part ratio good, but according to my calculations the price per gram is actually lower than it is for just about any other kit of the last twenty years. Prices are different in Australia, so I don't know how the value compares where you are.
All pirate ships should have had a brick-built hull since 1989...
Funny, the ship doesn't do much for me. It's nice for sure but I have in my collection nicer ships. I do appreciate fully brick-built hull though, that is a good development.
Loving the Tavern and may buy it for that - I would have made that the primary model. Hoping to see a review of it somewhere soon.
I think I actually might get three in order to build all versions simultaneously. Love all of them. This to me is LEGO at its best.
Wow, really love this! All three builds are very appealing. Might have to get at least 2!
This is amazing pirate ship!
Official prices are up on Shop at Home now; kit 31109 is listed at $99.99 in the US.
I think you've made an error building it - the bottom sail on the foremast is placed too low compared to the images on the box.
All I see from this is we need to get 3x because awesomeness
Release day in the U.K., and already out of stock. Backorders accepted will ship in TWO MONTHS. Impressed with the model, not impressed with Lego’s inability to have it in stock.
@CopperTablet, cloth sails actually don't make sense with this set, as it's a Creator 3-1. It's not part of an actual Pirates theme. Additionally, the big draw of 3-1 is that, as the name suggests, you can make 3 models out of all the same pieces. Cloth sails would really only be useful for the ship build, and would be a waste for the other two. It makes perfect sense for the sails to be brick built.
When is the US release date for this set? I'm surprised it still isn't available here yet.
I'm with you, those were great times, the Lego line is missing these types of sets, some of the other lines like Star Wars have gone a little stale of late, but once I saw this and the Barracuda Bay, I was hooked.