REVIEW: 70810 MetalBeard's Sea Cow

[AndyC]

I think the black seas barracuda would be a good example to put alongside this beast, The imperial flagship is one of the longest ships i believe so it would make this look even stubbier .Also wasnt the Black pearl considered stubby in its day so if you have it that could work? Anyway im sure whatever it is will be great, Thanks again .

Actually, it's surprising just how big the Sea Cow actually is. It's proportions are obviously all out of whack (intentionally), but the final model is only just a little shorter than the Imperial Flagship (by about half the IF's bowsprit) and stands a little taller overall. The steampunk aesthetic may not be to everyone's taste, but it really is a beautiful model if you ask me.

I tried taking a photo to demonstrate but my photography skills are lacking and you couldn't actually see that the flagship was behind it (yes it's that big!)

[pcvando]

Actually, it's surprising just how big the Sea Cow actually is. It's proportions are obviously all out of whack (intentionally), but the final model is only just a little shorter than the Imperial Flagship (by about half the IF's bowsprit) and stands a little taller overall. The steampunk aesthetic may not be to everyone's taste, but it really is a beautiful model if you ask me.

I tried taking a photo to demonstrate but my photography skills are lacking and you couldn't actually see that the flagship was behind it (yes it's that big!)

It is very large indeed. Maybe someone can buy two and make a double decker!

[Cara]

Thank you for the review. That set keeps looking better and better, though I don't really need the parts and its over the price of even a birthday or Christmas present

I would comment some of the photos in the review were harder to make out the details because they were taken against the box art background. But thank you very much for making it.

[The Joker1]

Thanks very much for that comparison pic, You have definitely sold me on this one . I am a big fan of the sails as i never really was a big fan of the early fabric due to fraying, And the more plasticy fabric just looked tacky so im pretty happy with this. Maybe that engine will need modding as some things cannot be unseen once pointed out . Great work and thanks again .

Also after this sentence I just pictured a quadruple layer couch built with two sets

It is very large indeed. Maybe someone can buy two and make a double decker!

[pcvando]

Thanks very much for that comparison pic, You have definitely sold me on this one . I am a big fan of the sails as i never really was a big fan of the early fabric due to fraying, And the more plasticy fabric just looked tacky so im pretty happy with this. Maybe that engine will need modding as some things cannot be unseen once pointed out . Great work and thanks again .

Also after this sentence I just pictured a quadruple layer couch built with two sets

Haha! That couch would be awesome. I have a feeling that the people who pass on the Sea Cow will be disappointed that they did not get one when they see it for themselves

[Louie le Brickvalier]

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Edited October 19, 2017 by Louie le Brickvalier

[Yawgmoth]

Hi! very nice review!

I'd like to see more photos about interiors, and if you can, a comparisson between the imperial flagship and this one..if you dont mind :P

[merman]

Some of my pix. Not of the best quality because I took them with my iPad. Never mind the mess in my small house. The soda can shows the size of the vessel.

Edited February 27, 2014 by merman

[Faefrost]

I'm fine with the weird Steampunk vibe and the taller than it is long construction. It's those sails that keep giving me pause. I would love this a lot more, even at its steep price, if those were real cloth sails and not those technic fenders.

[pcvando]

I'm fine with the weird Steampunk vibe and the taller than it is long construction. It's those sails that keep giving me pause. I would love this a lot more, even at its steep price, if those were real cloth sails and not those technic fenders.

That is how I felt at first but now I really like the way they used them, it would not be as good if it had cloth.

[TheBrickPal]

Asking for this for my birthday in September. This is exactly what the doctor ordered. Do you think you can do a comparison picture between this and a POTC ship (if you have any)? That would be great!

[pcvando]

Asking for this for my birthday in September. This is exactly what the doctor ordered. Do you think you can do a comparison picture between this and a POTC ship (if you have any)? That would be great!

Haha Its funny you mentioned POTC because I have every ship that lego has ever released sealed, Including the Armada Flagship, Sculls Eye Schooner, BSB, Clipper, Flagship v1 and v2, Black Pearl, QAR.

The only thing is that they ARE sealed. So I don't want to open them. I can show you it compared to every other ship in Lego History except for TBP and QAR because those are the only 2 that I don't have a opened one and a seal done. Only sealed.

[Andy D]

[pid][/pid]

... snip

DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK FOR MORE PHOTOS OR QUESTIONS ;)

Thanks for the review. Very interesting, good photos. I also like the instruction pages for Metal Beard on the other thread. I was wondering if you have larger photos of the instruction pages, maybe a link to the Fliker pages so I can see larger images of the Metal Beard instructions.

Thanks,

Andy D

[Lego dad]

This is a nice set and the review only makes me want it more.

[pcvando]

Thanks for the review. Very interesting, good photos. I also like the instruction pages for Metal Beard on the other thread. I was wondering if you have larger photos of the instruction pages, maybe a link to the Fliker pages so I can see larger images of the Metal Beard instructions.

Thanks,

Andy D

Sure, here is the link to the large photos;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/116646074@N05/

[Andy D]

Sure, here is the link to the large photos;

http://www.flickr.co.../116646074@N05/

Thanks, that's just what I needed.

Andy D

I thought I was going to Bricklink the parts for the mini Metal Beard, but I found now on eBay for $24 -- bought it. There is one more at $24 and 2 at $31.

Andy D

[pcvando]

Thanks, that's just what I needed.

Andy D

I thought I was going to Bricklink the parts for the mini Metal Beard, but I found now on eBay for $24 -- bought it. There is one more at $24 and 2 at $31.

Andy D

Thats actually a pretty good price considering its exclusiveness… It also seems inexpensive compared to some other figs from The Lego Movie!

Vitruvius is $25+ And I have seen him for $45! Benny is difficult to find (a legit version not the real 1980's Blue Spaceman) He is even more expensive! And Queasy Kitty is ridiculous from what I have seen so far...

[Andy D]

Thats actually a pretty good price considering its exclusiveness… It also seems inexpensive compared to some other figs from The Lego Movie!

Vitruvius is $25+ And I have seen him for $45! Benny is difficult to find (a legit version not the real 1980's Blue Spaceman) He is even more expensive! And Queasy Kitty is ridiculous from what I have seen so far...

That's what I thought. Also, someone had the double decker couch for more than the MB. Someone else had a "custom" double decker couch for $10 (meaning not the one from the set).

Andy D

[Kolonialbeamter]

Great review of a rather special pirate ship. Thank you and keep it up!

I hope the idea of more than 4 cannons in a Lego ship set catches on.

Regards

[Aanchir]

I'm fine with the weird Steampunk vibe and the taller than it is long construction. It's those sails that keep giving me pause. I would love this a lot more, even at its steep price, if those were real cloth sails and not those technic fenders.

The sails might look a bit odd in a traditional Pirates display, but I think they're pretty stylish, and having seen the movie I get why the sails are built how they are. In the movie, like the rest of the ship, the sails are far larger and more elaborate, using a combination of Technic panels and curved slopes. This was probably so that the sails would be more recognizably "made of LEGO", and thus more visually impressive within the context of the film (in contrast, the film's only other textile-based parts are the capes on characters like Superman, Batman, Vitruvius, and Lord Business). EDIT: My brother points out that I'm mistaken and Emmet's bedsheet is also textile-based.

Scaling the model down so it could be released as a set, it probably made sense to simplify them to just Technic panels, in order to reduce the size, cost, and the weight they would add to the masts (which might give the ship a harder time keeping balanced, as tall as it is), all while still maintaining that brick-built look that made the movie's version of the Sea Cow so visually impressive.

I certainly don't think these are a sign that future LEGO pirate ships will use a similar technique — after all, a more realistic pirate ship would demand more realistically-shaped sails, and I don't believe there's any brick-built solution for more realistic rectangular sails that wouldn't multiply the cost and complexity of a set tremendously. I look forward to seeing whether any Pirates fans can replace the sails with textile-based or plastic film-based ones. I haven't owned a LEGO pirate ship in years so I can't really judge how big the sails would have to be to look appropriate on this enormous vessel.

Thats actually a pretty good price considering its exclusiveness… It also seems inexpensive compared to some other figs from The Lego Movie!

Vitruvius is $25+ And I have seen him for $45! Benny is difficult to find (a legit version not the real 1980's Blue Spaceman) He is even more expensive! And Queasy Kitty is ridiculous from what I have seen so far...

Benny will probably be easier to find online once 70816 comes out this summer. Vitruvius, on the other hand, is not appearing in any other sets this year and so I imagine his aftermarket price might only continue to climb. Queasy Kitty is this set's one real "exclusive" (not counting Metalbeard, who is built differently but still depicts the same version of the character as in 70807, and less accurately to the movie at that). She will probably continue to command a very high price.

Edited March 1, 2014 by Aanchir

[pcvando]

The sails might look a bit odd in a traditional Pirates display, but I think they're pretty stylish, and having seen the movie I get why the sails are built how they are. In the movie, like the rest of the ship, the sails are far larger and more elaborate, using a combination of Technic panels and curved slopes. This was probably so that the sails would be more recognizably "made of LEGO", and thus more visually impressive within the context of the film (in contrast, the film's only other textile-based parts are the capes on characters like Superman, Batman, Vitruvius, and Lord Business). EDIT: My brother points out that I'm mistaken and Emmet's bedsheet is also textile-based.

Scaling the model down so it could be released as a set, it probably made sense to simplify them to just Technic panels, in order to reduce the size, cost, and the weight they would add to the masts (which might give the ship a harder time keeping balanced, as tall as it is), all while still maintaining that brick-built look that made the movie's version of the Sea Cow so visually impressive.

I certainly don't think these are a sign that future LEGO pirate ships will use a similar technique — after all, a more realistic pirate ship would demand more realistically-shaped sails, and I don't believe there's any brick-built solution for more realistic rectangular sails that wouldn't multiply the cost and complexity of a set tremendously. I look forward to seeing whether any Pirates fans can replace the sails with textile-based or plastic film-based ones. I haven't owned a LEGO pirate ship in years so I can't really judge how big the sails would have to be to look appropriate on this enormous vessel.

Benny will probably be easier to find online once 70816 comes out this summer. Vitruvius, on the other hand, is not appearing in any other sets this year and so I imagine his aftermarket price might only continue to climb. Queasy Kitty is this set's one real "exclusive" (not counting Metalbeard, who is built differently but still depicts the same version of the character as in 70807, and less accurately to the movie at that). She will probably continue to command a very high price.

Yea, I assume that Vitruvius will continue to climb in price, and queasy kitty for sure, there is one on eBay now for almost $100! Also Benny is going anywhere from around $20-45!

It is ridiculous to pay $100 for one fig, especially if you can get the whole set for just $200 more…

Also… My 99th post… almost as many as you have right? Nowhere near it ;)

Edited March 2, 2014 by pcvando

[Cammo]

Still not sure whether to buy it or not. Can someone post me a picture of the Sea Cow next to the QAR or Black Pearl?

[Israel Hands]

Also after this sentence, I just pictured a quadruple layer couch built with two sets

"That I literally the dumbest thing I have ever heard"

[Lord Insanity]

This set is so awesome when it is sitting in front of you. People turned off by the steampunk style would still find this to be an amazing ship starter parts pack.

Now that I have built this I have to say, the way the sails are built is brilliant. While I like cloth sails for display they are extremely fragile for play. This is 10 times worse on the Imperial Flagship where the sails are built into the poles. I don't let my 5 year old anywhere near that. The way the sails are done on the Sea Cow is more that durable for playing and still look good too. When I get around to MOCing a merchant ship for my pirates to attack and soldiers to protect I will likely do the sails "Sea Cow" style. I might be tempted to retro fit my Imperial Flagship too. The Barracuda was never an issue due to how the sails are spaced and (like most LEGO ships) can easily pop off their "trailer hitches" if you do bump them.

Overall, as I love the steampunk style, I highly recommend the Sea Cow.

[VintageLegoEra]

Nice review and photos.

The only thing i liked about this release is the ( 6 Canons )..waooo!!