Review: 75639 The Going Merry Pirate Ship
Posted by CapnRex101,
A decade has passed since the last traditional Pirates theme was available and ONE PIECE is potentially its greatest successor yet, thanks to brilliant sets like 75639 The Going Merry Pirate Ship! This vessel differs substantially from other LEGO ships, with far more interior space.
In fact, the clever use of space inside and out is probably the model's defining feature, with lots of room for the five minifigures and the accessories, which is not always the case for sets like this. Moreover, the exterior looks impressively detailed, so this is definitely the ONE PIECE set I have been most looking forward to.
Summary
75639 The Going Merry Pirate Ship, 1,376 pieces.
£119.99 / $139.99 / €129.99 | 8.7p/10.2c/9.4c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
The Going Merry is among my favourite LEGO ships, especially for its detailed interiors
- Attractive and accurate design
- Efficient use of interior space
- Scales are cleverly mixed
- Neat cannon function
- Includes the full crew, all brilliantly designed
- The railings around the bow could be improved
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Each version of Monkey D. Luffy is unique, albeit with significant overlap between three of his five minifigures. This one includes the dual-moulded hat and hair element designed specifically for Luffy, while the cheerful double-sided head also appears in 75637 Buggy the Clown's Circus Tent and both expressions are ideally suited for Luffy.
Similarly, his dark red vest and tattered shorts look excellent and dual-moulded legs work well here, especially with printing along the edges of the shorts. It would have been nice to see the character's hair piece included as well, as an alternative to his hat, but Luffy does usually wear the iconic straw hat when aboard his ship.
Nami and Zoro are the first characters to join Luffy on his journey, although they are definitely not part of his crew! The same version of Nami appears in three new sets, wearing her normal striped shirt and orange skirt, which translate perfectly to LEGO form. I would have liked to see more variety in the character's costumes in these sets, but including her standard appearance here makes sense.
The orange hair element is interesting, partly retaining its animated style from the ONE PIECE anime series, though I think it works for the live-action series too. In addition, Zoro's green hair looks fantastic and contrasts with his relatively plain shirt, which includes dual-moulded arms to denote short sleeves.
Luffy's rubber body precludes a need for weapons, but Nami is equipped with a bo, while Zoro wields his characteristic three swords. Two are standard black katana, but the third is specially designed to fit around his neck, as though held between his teeth! This feature is integral to the character and its execution is impressive. Zoro also comes with a black bandana, reserved for particularly epic fights.
Upon reaching Syrup Village, Luffy recruits Usopp as the next member of his crew. Again, this minifigure is very detailed and really feels like no expense has been spared, featuring a unique hair and bandana piece, with a printed wristband on his arm. The brown vest and yellow satchel also correspond with Usopp's usual appearance onscreen.
Sanji, the ship's cook, is perhaps more refined than his crewmates, hence he sports a double-breasted black jacket with a nice striped shirt underneath. Another new hair element has been developed for Sanji, cleverly sculpted to cover one eye and again mirroring the source material.
I can understand why the graphic designer gave Sanji two smiles, but an angry or determined face would perhaps be more versatile. Usopp's frightened expression is nice though and he is equipped with a bright green slingshot, based on his weapon from the manga and its television adaptations.
The Completed Model
As well as Usopp joining the crew, the Straw Hat Pirates acquire the Going Merry from Syrup Village. The ship has become a symbol of ONE PIECE and is instantly recognisable in LEGO form, thanks to its distinctive sails and sheep-inspired features. The vessel's general design is quite simple and resembles 6280 Armada Flagship, though this model is vastly more detailed than its counterpart from 1996.
However, its size is quite similar to some of those early LEGO ships and therefore smaller than the next generation, released between 2009 and 2015. 4184 The Black Pearl is a good point of comparison and is evidently much larger than the Going Merry, despite including over 500 fewer pieces, such is the density of detail aboard the new ship.
One notable difference is the lack of prefabricated hull elements, affording greater flexibility for the hull's shape. The dark bluish grey armour belt and white figurehead are accurate, although the supports under the railings should be more ornate and the transition from the figurehead to its curved horn-like features is not as smooth as I would like.
On the other hand, matching the onscreen design would be near-impossible without producing specialised parts and using flexible hoses works well, partly due to their texture. A stud shooter is located directly under the figurehead, which is based on a cannon found in the same position on the original ship.
I am impressed with this feature, especially since the cannon was not actually used in season one and received very little focus. Pressing the reddish brown cone on deck will shoot a black 1x1 round tile from its launcher and this function is very satisfying, as the button pops back up when you reload. A chest of food and other accessories are also provided on deck.
Monkey D. Luffy loves to sit atop the figurehead when sailing, so two studs are included for the minifigure. While the scale is far from accurate, I am pleased this feature is included. Moreover, the horns of the ram's head are neatly constructed using stickered 2x2 round tiles and life rings, so they look superb.
It is a shame the circular tiles need stickers though, as the same swirling pattern is found three times along each flank. Maybe these and the 3x3 round tiles could have been printed. Even so, the stickered designs are appealing and I like the anchor, simply attached to a short pearl silver chain. A cabin occupies the interior, hence there is no room for a capstan.
The model is fully navigable for minifigures, with steps leading from the forecastle to the main deck and another flight to access the cabin. There are no cannons or other features taking up space on deck, maximising the area to pose characters. A tool rack is included though, tucked into the corner with two clips to store accessories.
The aforementioned chest doubles as a handle to remove the deck, revealing the room inside. This is quite a tight squeeze, but there is space for various details taken from the Netflix series, including ropes and circular windows on the walls. The bunk is an ideal size for a minifigure and some more accessories are arranged beside it.
I wonder whether the pearl gold hilt is intended to represent the furled Grand Line map, which plays a pivotal role in season one. My only problem with this space is that I wish the clips near the door were easier to reach, although that was probably unavoidable in such a small room.
LEGO pirate ships historically used specialised pieces for their masts and rigging, but this ship instead features standard Technic parts and rubber hoses. The rigging would ideally be denser, but these flexible elements work reasonably well and incorporate plenty of connection points for the minifigures.
The Going Merry's mainsail, emblazoned with the cartoonish emblem of the Straw Hat Pirates, looks superb, again matching its onscreen appearance exactly. I had hoped the sails would be made from fabric rather than vinyl, which can look very shiny, but at least the material is thicker than usual, certainly when compared with vinyl dragon wings from NINJAGO, for instance.
More irritating to me is that the rigging does not quite reach the crow's nest. Also, the tub piece used for the crow's nest is relatively shallow, which makes it difficult to pose a minifigure inside. The crew's Jolly Roger mounted above looks great, however, made from the same material as the sails.
Returning to the main deck, we find some more clips for accessories and a barrel. The latter is fun, presumably present in reference to the cast-off ceremony shown at the end of season one. You cannot actually pose the minifigures with one foot atop the barrel, but this is still a delightful detail.
The middle of the deck is removable, bringing a whole assembly with it underneath. This is the main storage area, featuring two crates packed with food and somewhere to keep the included wanted posters. Four are provided here and these 2x3 tiles are distributed randomly across the ONE PIECE range, each displaying a renowned pirate from the series.
Mirroring the design towards the bow, two staircases lead down to the rear cabin and up to the poop deck. There is enough space to open the door at the bottom of these steps and I love the white lattices on the door and windows, which complement the railings around the vessel.
The compromises in scale become a little more obvious nearer the stern, as this cabin is much too small for minifigures. More internal space would be great, but this was a necessary change to capture the vessel's proportions and the door and windows are included, so it certainly looks the part from outside.
Similarly, the tiller and Nami's tangerine trees are undersized in relation to the figures and there should be a third tree between these two. However, the designer has struck a balance between proper scaling for characters and these details being correctly sized when seen from a distance, so I am happy with the compromise.
One advantage of vinyl over fabric is that its decoration shows very clearly on both sides, which is particularly important for the striped lateen. Flexible hoses again comprise the rigging and the mast is topped with another flag, so there is a nice visual balance between masts.
Three windows and the rudder are located at the stern. The rudder is attached via a small ball joint, so it can move sideways, while the grey parts forming metal bands look good. Also, I like how the windows are angled and the transition from the curved sides of the hull to this panel is fairly smooth.
Though not accessible for minifigures, you can still slide out a section of the top cabin. Various accessories are kept inside and the cabin opens to see them all, as shown below. These items are fine, but I wish they had more significance to the characters. Perhaps this would have been a good place for Nami's maps, as an example.
Deeper within the ship is the galley and lounge. It is much easier to play inside this room and pose minifigures than in the other cabin and its vibrant colours are attractive. Several stickers form shelves along the wall, above the sink and worktop. Sanji makes pizza for the crew in the ONE PIECE manga, so the printed pizza tile is appropriate.
I like the bench at the end of the lounge, featuring tan and medium azure stripes to match the live-action ship. There is just enough room for two minifigures seated side by side, with a blue table in front of them. The printed orange slice is a nice touch, perhaps representing a piece of tangerine on this occasion, with trees on the deck above.
Three more stickers decorate the other wall, forming cupboards on this side. A few more items are also supplied, including metallic silver dishes and black and white 1x1 round tiles with bars, which serve as salt and pepper shakers!
Overall
75639 The Going Merry Pirate Ship is firmly battling with the updated Black Seas Barracuda in 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay for the title of my favourite LEGO pirate ship! Although smaller than most of its rivals, the model is absolutely packed with detail and feels surprisingly spacious, given its size. The open deck areas are welcome in particular.
Furthermore, it is great to have the whole crew from season one available in one set and every character is nicely executed, integrating new pieces where needed. I think the price of £119.99, $139.99 or €129.99 is reasonable too, so I would absolutely recommend this set to any fans of ONE PIECE and I think fans of LEGO ships will be satisfied as well.
152 likes
55 comments on this article
I know nothing and care nothing for One Piece, but this ship is really well done! It’s a bit unpolished in the hull, but it’s mostly polished off in other key areas. Regardless, just give us the BLACK PEARL!!!
There is no "us" here. I like this ship, and I want it a good deal more than the Black Pearl.
The shaping is great, the price is fair, the minifigures are welcome and the stickers are... not great, not welcome. And I don't think I'm being unfair here.
@Crux said:
"There is no "us" here. I like this ship, and I want it a good deal more than the Black Pearl.
The shaping is great, the price is fair, the minifigures are welcome and the stickers are... not great, not welcome. And I don't think I'm being unfair here."
Ok then, give me. Better? Your assessment of this set is also spot on.
Having obtained the last Black Pearl and seen some poor image leaks of the new one, I'm only interested to see what differs between the two to make the newer one worth having.
As much as I like ships, this set just doesn't interest me.
This is a fine merchant caravel for the pirates aboard the galleon Barracuda to plunder. I'd never thought of recoloring it in blue for a modern Armada Flagship, but that might be worth a try!
A lovely looking ship, packed with nice features and touches Great to have the whole crew in the set too.
I'll have to add this to my pirate ship collection sooner or later.
That looks like fun to build, fun to display, and fun to play with. Lust!
The whole One Piece wave of sets has really got my attention, despite me having never watched it or having any knowledge of it, they all look fantastic and a good price-per-piece ratio too.
Not quite the brick bounty 70413, but I understand with twice the pieces the hull and cabins are far more detailed, but still seems a bit empty without any cannons along the main deck and where is the ships wheel?
"The ship has become a symbol of ONE PIECE and is instantly recognisable in LEGO form, thanks to its distinctive sails and sheep-inspired features. "
For me, this is why this is not the greatest successor to the Pirates theme. You'd have to replace the all the sails and a lot of the decoration on it (and all the minifigures) so that it doesn't look like the licensed thing it is meant to be. Otherwise it will always be the ONE PIECE ship not a Pirates ship.
I was excited to add this to my Pirates display, but after checking it out at the LEGO store last week, it didn’t quite shiver me timbers.
This set rocks. Such a fun build. The only downside for me was the rubber hosing to attach to the masts. I can never get it to attach quite right and it always looks kinda funky.
@ambr said:
"Not quite the brick bounty 70413, but I understand with twice the pieces the hull and cabins are far more detailed, but still seems a bit empty without any cannons along the main deck and where is the ships wheel? "
Tiller in the back, stud shooter under the bow.
Never watched the TV show or read the manga (though I want to at some point), but I love the design of this set. I'm a sucker for a good brick-built hull.
I really like the smaller size compared to other Pirate Ships, since it is accurate to the manga/show. The Going Merry was quite smaller then the (typically insane) sizes of the other ships.
I bought this immediately, and it is going to look great with all my pirate sets.
Solid set. Needed some more playfeatures.
On my wish list!
Picked up the entire line on Aug 1st.
Wound up with about 8 mihawk posters, and am short alvida and arlong.
The Baratie legit included 3 mihawk and 2 Luffy.
This is the other set I will buy.
Great review of a great set! I agree they scaled it just right, could obviously have been a lot bigger (and much more expensive), but this works perfectly fine, probably even more so next to the other sets, Baratie in particular. And so many nice details! Too bad about those stickers, but that's my only real complaint. Even the price seems very fair.....and considering my local toy store already has it discounted at €109, I might just go get one this weekend....
Okay, maybe one more nitpick: The Sanji minig. Where's his cigarette? And while maybe more of a manga/anime thing, why not him being hit by Hapiness Punch as alternate face?
@Wallace_Brick_Designs said:
"I know nothing and care nothing for One Piece, but this ship is really well done! It’s a bit unpolished in the hull, but it’s mostly polished off in other key areas. Regardless, just give us the BLACK PEARL!!!"
When is coming out?!? On black friday?
@CapnRex101 @Huw You should do reviews as video reviews and publish them on YouTube. Would get more views, and you could monetize them more!
Since this is a ship, I half-expected to see a review from @FlagsNZ with a detailed, in-depth comparison to real-life pirate ships :)
Thanks for the detailed review!
Looks like a lot of thought went into the design when they could have easily taken a lazier approach. Much appreciated.
Not a set for me. I like the early anime episodes, but at some point I stopped. I don't think I'll pick it up again. Too many episodes.
@WizardOfOss said:
"Okay, maybe one more nitpick: The Sanji minig. Where's his cigarette? And while maybe more of a manga/anime thing, why not him being hit by Hapiness Punch as alternate face? "
LEGO won't include smoking in sets; they never did. Certain cultures, like in North America, have started to taboo smoking even outside of that, such that The Batman couldn't show the Penguin with a cigar (lit or unlit).
I'm a massive fan of One Piece, and this set is just awesome, so I'll most likely get it at some stage.
@Feroz said:
"I like the early anime episodes, but at some point I stopped. I don't think I'll pick it up again. Too many episodes. "
Just go for the manga! It's only like 109 volumes or so!
(and more to come.....I read (and thus bought) the first 65 volumes within just 2 months.....and then had to wait a few months for each next volume to be released)
@Trigger_ said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
"Okay, maybe one more nitpick: The Sanji minig. Where's his cigarette? And while maybe more of a manga/anime thing, why not him being hit by Hapiness Punch as alternate face? "
LEGO won't include smoking in sets; they never did. Certain cultures, like in North America, have started to taboo smoking even outside of that, such that The Batman couldn't show the Penguin with a cigar (lit or unlit)."
Yeah, obviously that. Which is kinda a shame. I personally never smoked (and think it stinks), but it is just part of his character. Will be interesting what they will do with the upcoming second season, as that contains a character literally named Smoker, always smoking two cigars.....
One Piece Rocks..... and this ship is an absolute belter!
Lovin it and can't wait to get one.
HUGE bonus (must be one of those extremely rare times) where Lego give us the whole main gang of characters in one model.
I really wanna see the wanted posters (I know it's gimmicky), but I thank you now for not showing them and ruining future surprises. Quite surprised tho at the scale compared to Black Pearl - which of course was smaller than Queen Anne's Revenge. Thanks for excellent review.
Not entirely sure why 70618 never gets considered a pirate ship, but by comparison this set is a distant second for me.
@slvrlksrfr said:
"Not entirely sure why 70618 never gets considered a pirate ship, but by comparison this set is a distant second for me."
This question makes you an enemy to both ninjas and pirates alike, which paradoxically, might allow you to befriend either (but not both).
I did thoroughly enjoy the show. Wacky action is fun. This set captures what is needed for them to go to the Grand Line.
I am glad to get the main crew in one set. I can't wait to pick this set up. I'll try and wait for a sale to be safe, but who knows if it will happen. But I'll still pick it up at MSRP if I can't find one.
@Crux said:
" @slvrlksrfr said:
"Not entirely sure why 70618 never gets considered a pirate ship, but by comparison this set is a distant second for me."
This question makes you an enemy to both ninjas and pirates alike, which paradoxically, might allow you to befriend either (but not both)."
I may be wrong but I do believe Captain Soto and the pajamas men had a truce at one point. Still the Bounty is one magnificently imagined sailing vessel.
@jturner_91 said:
"The whole One Piece wave of sets has really got my attention, despite me having never watched it or having any knowledge of it, they all look fantastic and a good price-per-piece ratio too."
You should give it a watch/read. Truly epic in scope.
@WizardOfOss said:
" @Feroz said:
"I like the early anime episodes, but at some point I stopped. I don't think I'll pick it up again. Too many episodes. "
Just go for the manga! It's only like 109 volumes or so!
(and more to come.....I read (and thus bought) the first 65 volumes within just 2 months.....and then had to wait a few months for each next volume to be released)
@Trigger_ said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
"Okay, maybe one more nitpick: The Sanji minig. Where's his cigarette? And while maybe more of a manga/anime thing, why not him being hit by Hapiness Punch as alternate face? "
LEGO won't include smoking in sets; they never did. Certain cultures, like in North America, have started to taboo smoking even outside of that, such that The Batman couldn't show the Penguin with a cigar (lit or unlit)."
Yeah, obviously that. Which is kinda a shame. I personally never smoked (and think it stinks), but it is just part of his character. Will be interesting what they will do with the upcoming second season, as that contains a character literally named Smoker, always smoking two cigars....."
He’ll still smoke in the show. If he gets a Minifig, the name will be the same but no cigars. He also uses smoke for his powers so it’s not like the name exclusively alludes to that.
I never had any interest in the show, but if I had the space, I'd be tempted to pick this up. Also, I thought Usopp was holding a https://brickset.com/parts/6420268/carrot-top at first, and now I want to stick a green slingshot into a carrot.
@Feroz said:
"Not a set for me. I like the early anime episodes, but at some point I stopped. I don't think I'll pick it up again. Too many episodes. "
That's a big part of why I never felt like getting into it. I didn't feel like making that big of a commitment.
@TheOtherMike said:
"I never had any interest in the show, but if I had the space, I'd be tempted to pick this up. Also, I thought Usopp was holding a https://brickset.com/parts/6420268/carrot-top at first, and now I want to stick a green slingshot into a carrot.
@Feroz said:
"Not a set for me. I like the early anime episodes, but at some point I stopped. I don't think I'll pick it up again. Too many episodes. "
That's a big part of why I never felt like getting into it. I didn't feel like making that big of a commitment."
I do not have the time, the energy or the resources to get into anime. But a while back, during sick-leave, I did on a whim binge the One Piece manga, and I got pretty far. I didn't much like the point where I broke it off, because it got boring - but the first several hundred chapters were engaging, the characters were fun. I liked that, well enough.
The chapters are short, though. Each Netflix-episode speedruns through a few dozen chapters, and it does so pretty well. If the series doesn't fall into that terrible trap of making the show solely about the villain-of-the-week and the subsequent punching into soup of said villain, I don't mind seeing where it's going. The Netflix-show has a surprising amount of heart, I like that.
Also, you know. Pirates!
The minifigures are spot on, beautiful. I also loved the interior details. I try to fill my older sets with such details, too.
Wow! A good, fun, well-designed, reasonably-priced Lego set with figs that have new molds, dual-molding, and accurate fan service.
Why is this such a rarity with Lego anymore?
P.S. Good review, Cap'n.
@Trigger_ said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @Trigger_ said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
"Okay, maybe one more nitpick: The Sanji minig. Where's his cigarette? And while maybe more of a manga/anime thing, why not him being hit by Hapiness Punch as alternate face? "
LEGO won't include smoking in sets; they never did. Certain cultures, like in North America, have started to taboo smoking even outside of that, such that The Batman couldn't show the Penguin with a cigar (lit or unlit)."
Yeah, obviously that. Which is kinda a shame. I personally never smoked (and think it stinks), but it is just part of his character. Will be interesting what they will do with the upcoming second season, as that contains a character literally named Smoker, always smoking two cigars....."
He’ll still smoke in the show. If he gets a Minifig, the name will be the same but no cigars. He also uses smoke for his powers so it’s not like the name exclusively alludes to that."
Yeah, probably. A bit of a shame as Smoker without his cigars isn't quite Smoker. But still better than no Smoker at all.
And we can only hope the series ever makes it as far as Punk Hazard, because we obviously need a Smoker in Tashigi's body minifig ;-)
Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big.
@MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
Somalia disagrees
Step 269 in the instructions, is fitting two brackets ( designid:99780 into designid:21712 ) together an illegal technique? I ask cause that part on my Ram head doesn't sit flush and there's tension and stress designid:99780 pushing out.
@MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
Should they actually be though? My understanding is that most real pirates from the Golden Age of Piracy used smaller ships such as sloops and brigs (though this was due to convenience and necessity as much as choice). Occasionally a lucky pirate would manage to capture and use a larger vessel (e.g., Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge and Bartholomew Roberts' Royal Fortune), but this was the exception.
Smaller ships generally were more maneuverable and had shallower drafts, both useful traits for hiding, ambushing, and fleeing. Large ships also required more maintenance and larger crews to handle, meaning any booty had to be split more ways.
@MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
I agree. For the price, it's pretty mediocre. There are too many parts dedicated to making a (worse) hull than what the older parts accomplished. I feel like it could have been a lot better.
I mean, it has as many sails as the little ship included with the Eldorado remake, and even that, despite its size, still managed to have a wheel. The inability to turn seems like it would be a problem, especially since the only "cannon" is at the bow of the ship.
@MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
Consider the source-material. The Going Merry _is_ a small vessel, and this set is very true to the version from the manga/anime/Netflix-series. Making it an enormous galleon would just be weird.
If you want a big pirate-ship, the best advice I can give you is to buy a big pirate-ship, or maybe use your own parts and your imagination - or maybe someone else's imagination - to build a big pirate-ship. Or maybe, I dunno, build this set and hold it really close to your face at all times, so that it appears larger to you? Or have a small child carry it at all times, again, for the sake of scale?
There are solutions for your urgent problem, is what I'm saying. You're welcome.
@MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
In this case a factor in the size was probably to allow future ships in this theme to be even bigger without breaking the bank. The Straw Hat Pirates, as I understand it (again, still haven't watched the show or read the manga for myself so I'm going by what I've learned from friends who are into the series) are meant to be a crew of scrappy underdogs—which also extends to their ship compared to the much, much larger ships they go up against in the series. Realistically Lego probably could have made this ship bigger and eschewed the scale trickery they used for it, but not only would this set have been made much more expensive, it would have made future ships completely untenable. So look on the bright side—by keeping this small it's left the door open to larger ships in the future!
@Lyichir said:
" @MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
In this case a factor in the size was probably to allow future ships in this theme to be even bigger without breaking the bank. The Straw Hat Pirates, as I understand it (again, still haven't watched the show or read the manga for myself so I'm going by what I've learned from friends who are into the series) are meant to be a crew of scrappy underdogs—which also extends to their ship compared to the much, much larger ships they go up against in the series. Realistically Lego probably could have made this ship bigger and eschewed the scale trickery they used for it, but not only would this set have been made much more expensive, it would have made future ships completely untenable. So look on the bright side—by keeping this small it's left the door open to larger ships in the future!"
I wonder if wel''l ever get a proper minifig scale Thriller Bark ;-)
@Crux said:
" @MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
Consider the source-material. The Going Merry _is_ a small vessel, and this set is very true to the version from the manga/anime/Netflix-series. Making it an enormous galleon would just be weird.
If you want a big pirate-ship, the best advice I can give you is to buy a big pirate-ship, or maybe use your own parts and your imagination - or maybe someone else's imagination - to build a big pirate-ship. Or maybe, I dunno, build this set and hold it really close to your face at all times, so that it appears larger to you? Or have a small child carry it at all times, again, for the sake of scale?
There are solutions for your urgent problem, is what I'm saying. You're welcome."
Chill, I just mean that in my opinion there's not too much to like here for Pirates fans.
@WizardOfOss said:
"Thriller Bark ;-)"
And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike
@MZ_1 said:
" @Crux said:
" @MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
Consider the source-material. The Going Merry _is_ a small vessel, and this set is very true to the version from the manga/anime/Netflix-series. Making it an enormous galleon would just be weird.
If you want a big pirate-ship, the best advice I can give you is to buy a big pirate-ship, or maybe use your own parts and your imagination - or maybe someone else's imagination - to build a big pirate-ship. Or maybe, I dunno, build this set and hold it really close to your face at all times, so that it appears larger to you? Or have a small child carry it at all times, again, for the sake of scale?
There are solutions for your urgent problem, is what I'm saying. You're welcome."
Chill, I just mean that in my opinion there's not too much to like here for Pirates fans. "
You could also strap the ship to a very small dog. Dress the dog up as a bear, the ship is going to look HUGE.
@Vesperas said:
" @MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
I agree. For the price, it's pretty mediocre. There are too many parts dedicated to making a (worse) hull than what the older parts accomplished. I feel like it could have been a lot better.
I mean, it has as many sails as the little ship included with the Eldorado remake, and even that, despite its size, still managed to have a wheel. The inability to turn seems like it would be a problem, especially since the only "cannon" is at the bow of the ship."
This ship steers using a tiller, which is included in the set.
@iwybs said:
" @ambr said:
"Not quite the brick bounty 70413, but I understand with twice the pieces the hull and cabins are far more detailed, but still seems a bit empty without any cannons along the main deck and where is the ships wheel? "
Tiller in the back, stud shooter under the bow."
Thats what they all say.
@LordDunsany said:
" @Vesperas said:
" @MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
I agree. For the price, it's pretty mediocre. There are too many parts dedicated to making a (worse) hull than what the older parts accomplished. I feel like it could have been a lot better.
I mean, it has as many sails as the little ship included with the Eldorado remake, and even that, despite its size, still managed to have a wheel. The inability to turn seems like it would be a problem, especially since the only "cannon" is at the bow of the ship."
This ship steers using a tiller, which is included in the set."
You know it's tiller, tiller steered
@MZ_1 said:
" @Crux said:
" @MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
Consider the source-material. The Going Merry _is_ a small vessel, and this set is very true to the version from the manga/anime/Netflix-series. Making it an enormous galleon would just be weird.
If you want a big pirate-ship, the best advice I can give you is to buy a big pirate-ship, or maybe use your own parts and your imagination - or maybe someone else's imagination - to build a big pirate-ship. Or maybe, I dunno, build this set and hold it really close to your face at all times, so that it appears larger to you? Or have a small child carry it at all times, again, for the sake of scale?
There are solutions for your urgent problem, is what I'm saying. You're welcome."
Chill, I just mean that in my opinion there's not too much to like here for Pirates fans. "
I think the comments have made it fairly clear that it does have some things that some Pirates fans like just fine. It’s okay to just not like things without invoking a group to agree with you.
@LordDunsany said:
" @MZ_1 said:
"Am I the only one who doesn't like this set? Pirate ships SHOULD be big."
Should they actually be though? My understanding is that most real pirates from the Golden Age of Piracy used smaller ships such as sloops and brigs (though this was due to convenience and necessity as much as choice). Occasionally a lucky pirate would manage to capture and use a larger vessel (e.g., Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge and Bartholomew Roberts' Royal Fortune), but this was the exception.
Smaller ships generally were more maneuverable and had shallower drafts, both useful traits for hiding, ambushing, and fleeing. Large ships also required more maintenance and larger crews to handle, meaning any booty had to be split more ways."
Indeed, smaller vessels were easier to acquire and crew. They could sail in waters that the big ships needed to steer clear of, which both enabled them to mount ambushes and evade pursuit. They were typically faster, having cleaner lines and far less mass. And they most frequently targeted lightly-armed merchant vessels crewed by sailors with little combat experience, so having a massive arsenal wasn't really a necessity.
Bigger ships could be obtained by capturing them, by turning Privateer and getting government backing, or by defecting from a proper navy, but Treasure Island presents a false impression that pirates could actually save any money. Usually they blew their loot on women and booze the instant they made port. Buying a large vessel simply wasn't an option. And even if they captured one, they'd still have to arm it.
Smaller ships being faster and more maneuverable means it's easier to chase down victims and grapple them alongside so you can board. The only other alternative is to use a small armada to encircle your target. That means that you first need to acquire and crew enough ships to constitute an armada, and bears the significant risk that making too much a pest of yourself will result in a large naval force being dispatched to end you.