Review: 70413 The Brick Bounty

[Dreamweb]

Here we go - this is my review of the flagship of the 2015 Pirate wave. The Brick Bounty, set number 70413.

Let me begin by saying that I was pretty excited when I heard that a new Pirate series was to be released, more importantly - with a new ship. For each wave of Pirate sets, it's always the ship (or ships) that matter the most to me. But then, when I heard the name of the set which was way too similar to the 2009 ship, and I saw the preliminary pictures, then the final pictures, my excitement dropped somehow. It looks like rehashing of the same old ideas all over again - the name, the sails etc. Still, I am a fan of LEGO Pirates, and especially ships, so I had to get it anyway to see in person how much it is really worth (in my own opinion, of course). And to make my final judgement about the set. So, let's begin, I will tell you what I do like and what I do not, and in the end hopefully I will summarise my thoughts and impressions somehow.

The box is pretty standard, quite big, but I do miss those much cooler boxes of early ships like the Black Seas Barracuda or Caribbean Clipper.

At the back there are some close-ups of several fun features of the set.

On one side we see some of the minifigs from this set (not all of them), the sawfish and the 1:1 image of the cannon. On another side which I did not take a photo of we have a smaller picture of the whole set.

Here's what we have in the box - three middle hull sections without a bag, 6 numbered bags, one bag with no numbers and with large pieces inside, and another one with the sails, the instructions and the sticker sheet (only two stickers for the smaller windows, still I'm not a fan of those). A piece of cardboard inside this bag makes sure this does not fold or get damaged in any way. The instructions are in one thick book and I prefer this over several smaller books. The sails are paper which is pretty much LEGO's standard these days, unfortunately. I'll get back to the sails later.

Here we have the minifigs, as seen from the front and the back. 4 pirates and 3 soldiers. It adds playability to the set, but a crew of 4 seems a bit too small for a ship this size, don't you think?

The facial exp<b></b>ression of the last soldier indicates that his backpack must be quite heavy. Let me also add that the soldiers come in bag no. 1, two of the pirates are in bag 5 and the other two are in bag 6. Which is a good thing for us fans of old pirate sets in that it builds up the tension gradually - you don't see the updated version of our beloved captain Redbeard (if that's really him) until bag 5, you don't see the new bandana until bag 6.

The admiral's head has two prints...

...but neither of them looks like the one in the instructions. Weird...

Speaking of the instructions, on the final pages we have some close-up images of different features of the set, they are basically the same as at the back of the box. But why is the chef feeding the rat a HUMAN LEG? Seems pretty gross...

We also get a boat for the soldiers and the new updated sawfish. The sawfish is great and I like the dark blue colour of the boat, but I must admit I don't like the small cannon at all. It looks way too futuristic. Well, at least it shoots 1x1 round plates and makes you look for them all around your room. A rightful compensation for placing a sci-fi gun on a pirate era boat.

Well, let's move on and take a look at the ship, shall we?

This is what it looks like after bags 1 and 2. Notice the four gold 1x1 round plates in the stern section. A few steps later they will be covered by plates, never to be seen again. Therefore I find it strange that they chose this rare gold colour for them, instead of something more common like black or grey.

The ship after bag 3. See what I meant about those gold plates?

The ship after bag 4...

After bag 5...

And... done! There she be. Notice the crane for lifting the trasure chest. A nice play feature but looks somehow oversimplified and the boom is too short. How exactly are they going to lift the treasure from the deck if the hook cannot reach the deck? By the way, the chest is nowhere to be seen, but that's because it's concealed in the secret compartment. Keep reading to find out.

View from the stern. The lack of proper stern section makes it look a bit low, but I must admit it looks pretty decent, and is much better (and higher) than what we saw in the Black Pearl. Well, the sails are printed on one side only, as was the case with some of the older ships. So it's not the problem of just this set, however while I can tolerate this on the square-rigged sails, the front sail looks really silly when viewed from the other side:

See? Once again, I miss the old days when the sails were printed on both sides (and were made of fabric).

The ship does not look bad from this angle...

The figurehead looks all right. No complaints here.

In here we can see pretty much the whole main deck. Thankfully, the anchor is present and has a very cool hoisting mechanism. What I will complain about though are the cannons. They have no wheels and are attached only on 1 stud each, therefore can be easily picked up, however once attached, they cannot move at all. You can't adjust their angle, nothing. What's worse, a gun port cannot be closed when the cannon is in place:

That's as far down as it can go. Looks pretty weird and I think it's better to leave them open. A huge design flaw if you ask me.

Now finally - FINALLY! Something new and original, not just copied from the previous ships. A sliding plank. You can extend it, put an unlucky soldier (or an insubordinate pirate) on it and then remove the plank from beneath his feet.

"Number One, that's 'retract' plank, not 'remove' plank!"

View of the deck towards the bow. Notice the out-of-place blue part. I have no idea why it was put in here.

View towards the stern (notice the retractable plank I mentioned above). There is no ladder leading to the bridge, but this time I will forgive it, as the ratlines are so close that probably the pirates use them to climb to that part of the ship. Now, about the captain's cabin and how it looks from the outside. It's not a bad idea to make it asymmetrical as opposed to most of the previous ships... However, the balcony on the left should have been given some sort of door on its own - one that opens inside perhaps? The way it is now - it's a cabin that's not really a cabin, as it has one door and one gaping hole in the wall. Captain Redbeard (if that's really you), I hope for your sake that the nights around these latitudes are warm.

The top of the cabin is removable, very much like in the Brickbeard's Bounty. The captain's cabin can be therefore accessed.

The inside of the cabin looks... all right. It does feel a bit empty, but has the most useful equipment where it should be (apart from a bed perhaps, but this piece of furniture was also missing in previous ships so nothing new here).

The hidden treasure below the floor of the captain's cabin. Again, an overall original and interesting feature. I give it points since it's a new idea. Too bad it leaves no room for a galley (and we do have a chef after all).

The treasure chest itself, built very much according to the instructions. Once again, why are there two human legs in here? Do they have some special value to those guys?

And finally, the spare parts. And quite a lot of them too! What is more, we also get a brick separator. Finally, I always wanted to get one but never got around to buying it.

Now, some final thoughts. It's a good thing that the pirates are back, and I am very glad to see the bluecoats return! However... This ship is a bit of a letdown. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's bad, it's just a disappointment when you take under consideration the previous ships released over the years.

Had this been the first LEGO pirate ship ever, or the first since the 1997 discontinuation of the original series, I would probably rate it higher. But that is obviously not the case, as we have experienced 2009 Pirates and then Pirates of the Caribbean. The design of this ship borrows so much from the Brickbeard's Bounty (even the name!), it just seems so repetitive and unoriginal. Why red and white stripes on the sails AGAIN? In 2009 when Brickbeard's Bounty had them it could have been interpreted as an homage to Black Seas Barracuda, but now it just seems like they lack fresh ideas, or perhaps prefer to play it safe. That's what this ship is - apart from some minor details, they are rehashing old ideas which they know worked the last time around. I expected more from LEGO. Now again, don't get me wrong. I bought this ship and don't regret it. But it did kind of feel like buying a reissue of some older set rather than something new and original. If you don't have any pirate ships, I recommend you get it. If you do have other ships, you might still enjoy it tremendously. I am enjoying it, but I was also enjoying buying my third Black Seas Barracuda ten years ago, despite already having two of them. And in this case here, the situation is somewhat similar.

If I were to rate this ship in a scale of 1 to 10, I would do so but only in relation to other LEGO Pirate ships of similar size - in which case I'd give it a 5/10, the Black Seas Barracuda being the 10/10. So that's basically what it is to me - an average ship, not that great but absolutely not bad either! But that - obviously - is just my opinion.

Feel free to share yours and thanks for reading my review! I tried to show as many details as I could and I hope it will be helpful for those of you who still don't have one and wanted to learn more about it.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Phred

[James Wellington]

Very good review! Over the last couple of months I've been looking at pictures of it, and now that it's out, and that I saw it in the display at my local LEGO store, I may actually get it! Also, nice usage of Captain Picard and Riker scene when they were on the ship Anyway, thanks for the review! Although I can't help but notice that your Admiral's face looks a bit different than the pictures I've seen, and the picture in the instruction booklet. I have one of those faces too, so I'm not quite sure why yours is a tad different Oh well, he looks a bit more serious anyway.

[Orange Leader]

Thanks for the review, Dreamweb! I only own the Imperial Flagship and the Corsair Ship from LotR and I was thinking of 'finally' getting a typical LEGO Pirate's ship. It's a pity I never got Queen Ann's Revenge, but that's another story.

I'm still doubting because the ship gives me an unimpressive feeling that not just needs a MOD, but a complete MOC overhaul. The one sided trangle sail printing is a shame. Speaking of sails, I thought the material was supposed to be 'Cloth'? At least that's what It says on bricklink, along with the old style sails.

I think I really have to see this ship in real life to form an absolute opinion.

[Spud The Viking]

Brilliant review! I share the same feeling in most parts like the emptiness and studshooters that are so out of place. I suppose it's a kid's ship with simplified features and maximum playability so what can you expect?

[James Wellington]

Oh, I just noticed the one sided triangular sail. Is it that difficult for LEGO to make a double sided sail? It apparently wasn't in the old days. And what are the sails even made of, now?

Edited March 14, 2015 by James Wellington

[Sir_Basil_Ashton]

Thank you for the review. I liked all the pictures, especially the ones you took of the ships features. I waited to order this set until the current double VIP promo and can't wait for it to arrive. I also ordered the Black Seas Barracuda on Bricklink so I'll wait to get them both to build them on the same day.

[Kolonialbeamter]

'Retract, not remove'... great reference

Thank you for this investigative review, it's well written, features good pictures, both in terms of quality and shown perspectives. Two thumbs up

Concerning the ship itself, I do like it. However, the triangular sail being printed only on one side and the issue with the unclosable gunports are major design flaws in my eyes, too. How this could pass TLG's quality reviews remains a mystery...

Fortunately, TBB has features to make up for this.

Best regards,

KB

[Hive]

Great review, thanks! Your final thoughts echo my own feelings about the ship. It's not a bad ship, but a lot of us simply expected more than 'mediocre'. And why they couldn't have given us colors and sails that stuck out a bit more compared to the last ship is beyond my comprehension.

[Dreamweb]

Thanks for the feedback!

The sails ARE paper, not cloth. Acually I haven't seen cloth sails in LEGO sets in quite a while.

Stll, I am hoping they will release a new ship for the bluecoats. Not neccessarily something as big as 10210 Imperial Flagship, in fact it can be smaller than the Brick Bounty - just put some more effort into the design this time please!

[Brinstar]

I finished building mine today. It's a nice ship and a good introduction to the world of pirates for those who missed the last wave of pirates in 2009. For me there are a few highlights including the stern-castle (which is very nicely done), a built up fore-castle (at least in comparison to Brickbeard's Bounty), a reasonable detailed cabin, and some nice mini-figures (particular from the soldier's side).

There are some very curious design choices. I don't like the way the cannons are done and in particular the fact that the flags won't cover the portholes. The fact there appears to be a door missing from the cabin which leaves a gaping hole is also very disappointing. Fundamentally, I don't like the fact that the model is so similar to Brickbeard's Bounty. It smacks of laziness on Lego's part. Thinking back to how different the Black Seas Barracuda and the Skulls Eye Schooner were I think it's a real pity that Lego didn't try and make a more unique and distinctive ship this time around. Overall I'd give it a 6/10.

[Captain Roger]

Thanks for the review. Great work.

Personally I don't like this ship and I won't buy it, but is cool to can read the review and have a chance to see all good and bad points

[legoguy1984]

Thanks for doing this. I have been waiting for a review to finally see the ship. Not into Pirates as a theme but have always wanted a pirate ship. Can't wait to finally get her.

[Captain Braunsfeld]

This is a fine review. Thanks!

This can be used as an excellent reference.

And the ship is acceptable (except the design around the gunports).

[2maxwell]

Thanks for the review. I'm planning on modding the cannon set up because I like the rest of this ship.

[AFOLguy1970]

Thank you for the review. We ordered this for 2x VIP points and hope to see it soon. Fortunately, I emerged from my Dark Ages just in time to snag the Black Pearl. We also have the LOTR pirate ship. This will be our first pirate ship from the Pirates theme. You make some good points that it may not compare to features on other ships, but it will be fun to build it with the boys. I am not particularly crazy about the red bricks, but kids do indeed like color in their sets. Nevertheless, I look forward to building the ship and may consider modding some of the features such as the open door into the cabin and replacing some of the red and blue parts.

[Dreamweb]

Although I can't help but notice that your Admiral's face looks a bit different than the pictures I've seen, and the picture in the instruction booklet. I have one of those faces too, so I'm not quite sure why yours is a tad different Oh well, he looks a bit more serious anyway.

I checked the review at Brickset and it looks like the guy who wrote it did indeed get a different face for the admiral. His looks just like the one in the instructions:

Clearly different from the one I have:

Which makes me wonder if the second face printing on that head is also different. I wonder how it happened that LEGO put a different head into the bag. Cool, looks like I got a unique set.

[TeufelHund]

A while back I went for the QAR over Brickbeard's Bounty and had a ball building that. Such a delightfully gruesome looking ship whereas both Bounties are just a bit too bland in comparison for my taste. I could have got the Imperial Flagship at a decent price too but decided I was more interested in Pirate ships than grand Navy ships so passed.I also passed on the LOTR ship and the Black Pearl a I felt the attraction of both was purely the minifigs.

I like the addition of the plank and the Ship's Cook mini, but there's not really much else of interest going on with this set.

[josykay]

Well, a little bit as aspected. Worse than the ships of the golden age (BSB and SES), but pretty decent. I dislike how empty the newer ships are. BSB had a deck, storage at the bow and the rear, and a fully armed cannon deck, making the ship looking much larger, much heavier. Oh, and with that widely open cannon deck the cannon design without wheels looks even more terrible. It just looks so cheap. What was wrong, about the cannons of old days? Even BBB used them. Not to mention the fact, that you can not close the portholes, making the entire cannon deck design even more shitty. You should have used turning "table" like on SES or wheels.

Now after watching more and more photos I see so many flaws: The non working crane.... I really dislike the half open stern castle. It looks terrible. Was a second door to much to ask for?! It appears, that a ladder or stairway to the roof of the sterncastle is missing... In fact I think the entire rear section of the ship looks a little bit squeezed. IMO the bow is fairly ok (Although they could easily design at least a proper deck section in the front..). The mid section looks sadly too empty, while at the rear there wasn't enough room for proper building. An additional hull piece whould have been nice and would have given much more opportunity for building a deck section at the rear as well.

It is a decent vessel. Better than BBB (Thanks to the rigging), but IMO nothing special. As expected BSB still rules the seas.

However the minifigures are clearly a redeeming factor! I absolutely love those guys. The captain, as a modern version of Redbeard looks so awesome! The cook is lovely... and the Admiral with his wig looks absolutely fabulous!

Edited March 18, 2015 by josykay

[2maxwell]

Can someone tell me what color the Admiral's lapels are? I'm colorblind and I can never quite seem to get a handle on em.

[Dreamweb]

In fact I think the entire rear section of the ship looks a little bit squeezed.

Actually, 'squeezed' was the term that crossed my mind too while writing this review.

Can someone tell me what color the Admiral's lapels are? I'm colorblind and I can never quite seem to get a handle on em.

It's hard for me to tell too... It's a light brownish-orangish colour... Nougat perhaps? I don't have much experience with this colour, but it might as well be nougat. As for the buttons and the rim around the lapels, they are of a more shiny-gold colour...

Edited March 18, 2015 by Dreamweb

[Capn Frank]

Thank you Dreamweb.

I've added this set to the Pirate Set Reviews Index.

[blarghiflargh]

It's hard for me to tell too... It's a light brownish-orangish colour... Nougat perhaps? I don't have much experience with this colour, but it might as well be nougat. As for the buttons and the rim around the lapels, they are of a more shiny-gold colour...

It looks more like flat gold with shiny gold trim to my eyes. Like gold cloth.

[2maxwell]

It's hard for me to tell too... It's a light brownish-orangish colour... Nougat perhaps? I don't have much experience with this colour, but it might as well be nougat. As for the buttons and the rim around the lapels, they are of a more shiny-gold colour...

It looks more like flat gold with shiny gold trim to my eyes. Like gold cloth.

Thank you both!

[Hive]

I'd like to say that this review confirmed my doubts and helped convince me not to buy this set and instead just get the unique figures. It's simply not different enough from Brickbeard's Bounty to warrant a purchase. So thank you, Dreamweb! I hope to see you do more reviews in the future.

[josykay]

I am still undecided. On the one hand it is a god damn Lego pirate ship, and I missed the PotCs and the Imperial Flagship (All are now quite expensive), which still saddens me. On the other hand, BB is a medicore set at best. It's overall design is not very good (Squeezed stern, cannons, half open cabin and so on) , and is pretty expensive. It costs 20 € more compared to the 2009 Bounty is very similar and offers only 50 parts more, while lacking the larger rear pieces of BBB and IFS (09). Having the BBB staying next to my BSB makes me realize how poor the BBB is compared to ships of the golden age, even if I don't consider the rigging... and BB is not really better. It is pretty expensive, but doesn't satisfy my desire for a amazing pirate vessel.

I don't want to miss an opportunity, but it doesn't look like a good one.