Napoleon53

Upon my next shipment: Brickbeard's Bounty Queen Anne's Revenge Queen Anne's Revenge Wow. That is awesome.

This! I doubt the poachers would use guns due to Lego's cartoony style, i.e. Dino, but cages could work! You could probably combine this with jungle, too.

And the QAR sails don't have a honking ugly copyright thumbing your eye. If you look extremely closely, there is a copyright, but I had the set for a few days before I even noticed.

I don't foresee a Steampunk theme, as much as I'd like one. Man, that'd be awesome... Mythology fans, look away! I know a lot of people would like it, and I've heard it suggested often, but I, personally, don't like Greek mythology that much as a theme. Except for the figs and maybe a ship, I can't see the sets being that awesome, or at least not like mythology MOCs I've seen. PoP didn't do that hot from what I've heard, and my TRU and Walmart still have a few sets, and that was about the only Ancient theme ever made. At any rate, when I was a young kid, mythology never interested me. I liked G.I. Joe, Batman, spies, knights, Rome, giant fighting robots, and WWII, and the bizarre combinations of those I came up with at playtime. I've never met a young kid obsessed with the adventures of Telemachos, Ulysses, or Zeus. Most kids simply wouldn't be able to relate to that and don't have a clue about the ancient legends, and might not even be able to pronounce set names. Most ancient era movies tend to be R rated, (300, Clash of the Titans or whatever that was called) so I wouldn't expect a license, either. I also can't see a Roman theme, as that would have to be extremely violent, with actual fig representations of Celts vs. Romans, etc, and it obviously can't be peaceful; you'll notice that castle has always been generic for that reason, and it'd be virtually impossible to have "generic" Roman look-a-likes. In the end, I think kids would ignore them and buy LotR, SW, Ninjago, and Monsters. I know I would've at that age. People our age would buy them, heck yeah, but not kids.

QAR! I have both, and I would not buy a second BBB, but I am buying a second QAR. 1000+ parts in the QAR versus the 500+ in the BBB speaks for itself. Plus, if you order QAR on Amazon like I did, it's only 99 bucks, which is a steal. And of course, the skull sails on the BBB are, IMO, absolutely horrendous.

This is beautiful. Pintel & Ragetti are in my top five favorite characters. If this is true, and there are at least some pirate sets next year, it will be the best year for LEGO in a looonnnnggg time. Dino, Munsters- er, Monsters, LotR, Hobbit... Wow. I'm going to go bankrupt.

You mean there will be another wave of sets and not just the Dutchman!?

Okay, guys, I got pictures of the Artesano and the main characters, plus about 30 decaled pirate/soldier figs, including the Sabre Island Guards. I'll be trying to post them tomorrow. I'm still working on the Redbeard. It'll essentially be the pirate flagship for the story, so I've got to make it with as few pieces as possible so I can build beaches, ports, etc later at the same time. BTW, I'm making progress on that giant map! It gets kind of laggy because it's so big, so it's taking a while. Anyway, here ya go: Chapter 5 The Adventure Begins Becky Ironhook held on to the spritsail topmast as the Redbeard cut through the sea toward Ironhook Island, the most populous pirate-held landmass. She held on to her hat as the wind picked up, moving the ship faster and faster. As she looked out to see with her spyglass, she struggled to see the island that could possibly decide her fate. There it was, sure enough. "Land ho! It's Ironhook Island!" "Huzzah!" cried members of the crew. At that moment, a flag signal was sent to the Unicorn, which was a short ways behind the Redbeard. Soon, both ships had dropped anchor and the crew disembarked. Fields red hair stuck to his face with sweat. It was at least 90 degrees on the beach. "Well, Cap'n Ironhook, what next?" he asked. Becky shrugged. "Well, I guess we try to find the other pirates here. There's supposed to be that town in the dormant volcano, one of the most defensible positions in the world. I hear there are still Islanders here, though, so watch out." Becky was puzzled as to where the Ironhook Island pirates kept their ships, as no docks or ports were visible. Still, pirates were known for being clever, so they might have an amazing technique for camouflage. She and the huge mob of pirates drew their swords and started hacking into the jungle. They made brisk progress at first, but soon, it became dangerous and thick with vines. Temperatures soared as men feverishly drank from canteens and rum bottles. They all gave thanks to the Sea God when they found a stream. However, the first sips immediately were bitter and terrible, and they spat it out with disgust. "Something's infected the water," explained St. Bleu, exhaustion and thirst on his face. They all stripped to the waist and slogged on. Finally, they found a dead deer in the creek ahead, it's bloating body contaminating the water. As they debated on what had killed it, another animal stepped slowly out of the jungle. A gorilla. No, several gorillas. They were massive. "Men, fire!" screamed Fields. The pirates fired wildly at the beasts, only making them angry. One of St. Bleu's men was picked up and torn in two in a gruesome scene of blood and plastic. Becky leveled her blunderbuss and fired, shooting the head off one of the animals, while Fields threw an axe at another, crippling it. A pirate then rushed up and shot it with a musket. The last gorilla pounded its chest and leaped at Becky, grabbing her by the leg and starting off into the jungle. "After that creature! Now!" ordered St. Bleu. The horde of sailors sprinted through the jungle after the animal and its prisoner. Becky tried to escape the ape's vice-like grip, but couldn't manage it. She had lost her sword and she couldn't reload her pistol. She thought she was going to die as the creature went closer and closer to a cave at the base of the volcano. Finally, though, a shot rang out, and the gorilla went down. Several sailors stepped out of the bushes and patted each other on the back. Becky pried the dead fingers from leg and stood up. "Well, that was... interesting," she grinned as one of the pirates handed her her hat. She put it back on and waited for the others to catch up. Fields appeared from the trees. He pointed up, saying, "There it is, Ironhook Mountain. We just need to get up there. C'mon." The way up was tough, but soon they found a worn path which made it much easier. At last they were at the top. Inside the volcano was an entire city of huts, log buildings, and shanties. Taverns, residences, houses of ill repute, armories, everything. A pirate's dream. They followed a neat cobbled road down the inside of the volcano until they finally reached solid land. Becky and the others collapsed in exhaustion in some grass. At last, they stood back up and dusted themselves off. Becky then went with Fields and St. Bleu to a tavern called the Admiral's Tankard. "Listen up, dogs!" Fields addressed the tavern patrons as the three burst into the building. "We got Cap'n Ironhook's daughter, here, we do! The Esteban Pirate Clan has returned! We sea mates ha' been abused by those Bluecoats long enough, and we're gonna take back th' Kahuka Isles under the Red and Black flag of Ironhook; what say you?" The ruffians looked at Becky, Fields, and St. Bleu for a moment, silently. One drew his sword and approached, his moth-eaten Redcoat uniform covering a tattooed body, and a grim expression on his bearded face. "I served with Ironhook, I did," he said. "And I'll do it again! Long live Ironhook!" He waved his sword. "Ironhook! Ironhook! Ironhook! Ironhook! Ironhook!" chanted the buccaneers, pounding their tankards against the rickety tables. Several pirates hoisted Becky up on their shoulders and carried her out into the street. As the cheering continued, men, women, and children poured out of buildings to see what the cheering was about. When told, most of them joined in. Soon, Bluecoat flags were brought out and burned in the town square and pirates danced around the fire. Guns were fired off in the air and a carnival-like atmosphere ensued. The next morning, Ironhook and her fellow captains were led to the secret port under the volcano, and after a week of preparation, the sails were lowered and the flags unfurled as the inhabitants of Ironhook Island took to sea, leaving only a few men and a couple sloops to stand guard. The Great Pirate Fleet had been assembled. Becky grinned and told Fields, "You know, if I had known I had this much influence, I wouldn't have grown up as an alley rat stealing pies from windowsills." Fields nodded. "Aye, I didn't expect the whole town was this passionate about taking back the Kahuka Islands." Chapter 6 Forbidden Island Lady Anette watched her mercenaries disembark at the Islander village. Some of them were Bluecoats, but the majority were from the Eastern City-States. They immediately looted and pillaged supplies from the Islanders and stole their animals. Anette stood in the water just off the beach to monitor and direct her men. Captain Jean Bastille stood beside her in his splendid blue uniform with sash. "My lady, why don't you come out of the water, you'll ruin your dress!" advised Bastille. "You think I care? To the underworld with the dress! I'm the leader here, and I'm doing my job." "Yes, my lady. Private! Give the lady your jackboots!" Bastille hollered at a young mercenary. The marine rolled his eyes and sat down and removed his boots, dropping them in front of Anette. She slipped out of her heeled, buckled shoes and into the boots. She wore a hussar jacket over her top, and a feathered tricorne. The militaristic noble continued to monitor the landing as more and more troops sloshed through the seawater and into the village. Lieutenant de Tyrol jogged over and reported the scavenging of the village was complete. "Good," answered Anette, walking onto dry land with her hands behind her back. "Now, kill them all." "My lady?" said a shocked Bastille, his wig almost falling over his eyes. Even he was shocked by her brutality. "Er... you heard Lady Anette! Kill them all, immediately!" "Sir... Oui, it shall be done," obeyed de Tyrol. Anette drew her sword and cut her palm. Bastille winced. She then rubbed the blood over half her face and tossed the hussar jacket and hat at Bastille. She proceeded to enter a hut and massacre the inhabitants. Shots rang out as the mercenaries all over the village followed orders. ********************* Anette unstuck her throwing axe from the native's skull and thrust back in her sash. She stepped over the body. It was the last one. The mercenaries followed her, frightened by her stoic massacre. It was like she was possessed, and it made them fear and obey her even more. Bastille had deliberately missed all his targets, but he knew not to make it obvious. This type of massacre never occurred in the official army. He wished he hadn't gotten stuck on this voyage. "Where to, next, my lady?" he asked, full of dread. "Further inland, to King Kahuka's throne. There are supposed to be old scrolls there. Best chance for finding the location of this golden statue." "Oh, oui, my lady." Bastille thought it frightening how her blue eyes contrasted with the blood "war paint" on her face. He knew something about this legend, and rather than let her wish come true, he thought about killing her at the last moment. He itched to do it right now. He fingered his flintlock... and obeyed his orders. A day's march later, they arrived at Kahuka's throne. The seat of the great Islander leader before he was killed. The old village seemed totally abandoned, and cobwebs covered everything not covered in vines. Anette dusted off the old throne and sat down, almost as if she was trying to spit in the dead king's face. "In the morning, we'll use the daylight to explore. Until then, make camp." "Ouis, my lady!" Bastille then had the men pitch their tents. An eerie quiet hung over the old battlefield as the mercenaries drifted off to sleep. Anette had a special portable cabin for herself, complete with a door and a mosquito net roof. She took off her blood-stained clothes and went to bed, sleeping as if nothing had happened. ****************** Bastille woke to the sound of cries of battle. He immediately put his boots and coat on over his long johns and grabbed his pistol. Over at the other end of the camp, a roaring fire was blazing, and mercenaries were in battle with tribal warriors. He joined up with his officers and raced to the scene. It was Anette's tent on fire. Bastille was almost happy. A wounded soldier raced up. "Sir! We have reports that Lady Anette was taken prisoner by the natives. How the devil there are this many left on the island is beyond me. Must've been breeding like roaches under a rock." Bastille was tempted to order the men to abandon Anette to her fate, but knew a court martial would result. He rubbed his yellow hand though his messy hair and ordered the men to kill the natives. For the rest of the night, the mercenaries fought to regain Kahuka's Throne and the surrounding area. At last, they won, and the Islanders retreated. Bastille quickly, but reluctantly, ordered a forced march to rescue Anette. His men, having suffered severe casualties against the natives, were exhausted and worn-down, but they went anyway. Reinforcements from Blackcloak strongholds to the east were not available due to the vast distance. It puzzled him why they would leave Kahuka's Throne unguarded. That question was answered when they stumbled across a small cabin filled with massacred and scalped Blackcloaks. Early in the morning, the mercenaries found the Islander village. Bastille used his spyglass to scout it out from the cover of the jungle. "I see about 50 warriors. Hmmmm... I see a chief talking to a witch doctor. Aha! I see her! She's... in a... pot. By the sea god, they're going to eat her!" "Egads!" shrieked de Tyrol. "We must do something, sir! Should I tell the men to attack?" "Have 10 or 15 attack over by the king and witch doctor. You'll lead them. I'll take the main force and fight our way through to Lady Anette. Clear?" "Absolutely! Right away!" de Tyrol saluted. Bastille drew his rapier and lined up his men behind him. Finally, he shouted a battle cry and he and the mercenaries flooded out of the jungle, firing their muskets. Islanders fell like flies, too shocked to brace themselves. The chief and witch doctor tried to escape from the rear, but de Tyrol and his firing squad killed them. Bastille and his men bashed through to the center of the village where the cannibalistic feast was set to occur. Anette was tied up in the pot and the mercenaries quickly freed her. Bastille gave her his coat and sent her to the rear as he attended to the battle. The natives were crushed in minutes. **************** Bastille stomped his foot in rage as he entered Anette's new tent. "My lady, this expedition has been a disaster! We started with 800 men, and now we have 300, not counting the 200 we left to guard the ships at anchor, heaven's miracle if they aren't dead now, too!" Anette was back in aristocrat dress and looking like her old self. "You don't understand, captain. We're talking about the fate of the world. The Bluecoats can dominate forever if that's the wish made!" "Ugh! 'If?' I see what's going to happen here! You're going to wish yourself overlord of the world! You traitor!" Bastille had been pushed far enough. He drew his pistol and fired. Bastille saw another smoking gun. Hers. He dropped dead on the ground, blood pouring out of his chest. Anette grinned in satisfaction. She had thought he was suspicious. She then noticed Bastille's aim had been almost true; a bullet hole in the tent was just two inches from her head. De Tyrol heard what had happened, and quickly spread the word. Before long, most of the mercenaries were leaving. De Tyrol joined them and began the march back to the ships, to spread the word to Gouveneur Broadside about the treachery. Clearly, with war about to break out, this was a horrible situation. Anette managed to convince a few mercenaries to stay, which prevented de Tyrol from just shooting her dead, and she for all practical purposes became a pirate and outlaw. Kinda dark, but hey, I think it fits.

When I was younger, I wrote descriptions for about two years of pirate sets centered around a generic soldier faction patterned on the Dutch. I think I called it 'High Seas." It was much, much more like the planned-but-never-released Europa theme from the 80's, and less like regular pirates. I might have to try that again with perhaps PotC instead, just in case Lego ever does check in here.

How about lots of the small ships from Hoist the Colors as independent sets? I think I suggested this a while ago. I think smaller one-to-two mid-section ships would sell like hotcakes.

While that'd look neat, it'd be amazingly costly, probably $250 dollars. *shudder* I'd much prefer something like this:

How about turn-of-the-century Arctic Exploration? You could have ice cutters, shotguns, snow beasts, huskies, and even a Victorian campsite. Fresh take on the Adventurers.

I have that small set, I believe it's called Cannon Battle. Man, I regret not picking up ten of those... I really don't want another ludicrously expensive ship; small ships have not appeared in the pirates line since I believe Armada Flagship.

This. I concur.

I just noticed that there's a black derby in the Frankenstein set! More useful than gray, IMO.

Hallelujah! This has made me optimistic, at least. Still, it's bizarre that all the other themes, including Disney Cars, have been leaked and PotC/Pirates have not. Wait, didn't Lego say there "would always be pirate sets on the shelves" earlier?

As someone who grew up watching classic horror movies, I'm very excited. Of course, I also grew up watching the Abbott & Costello parodies, so I can sense a comedy-horror MOC using that derby hat very soon. "Heyyyy, Abbott!" At least the main character has a derby hat and a rapier. I don't have any ghosts...

Phenomenal stuff!

Outstanding work! I agree that mundane scenes are fun. I hope you do more pirates stuff!

God Zeus that looks abominable. @Sebeus Iniwum: Please don't say that.

Perhaps ninja pirates then? You never know; giant fighting redneck alien robot ninja demon nazi skeleton pimp biker pirates from spehs driving monster trucks from Hell itself might be our only option now that PotC is gone, and pirate spinners could have great appeal with boys. Er, and somehow we'd get a ship set, albeit with monster truck tires. All fun aside, Ninjago is fine, but, in my unbiased opinion, Pirates is better. Let's hope they indeed stay separate.

Good one! I almost feel like sigging that. Yeah, it's not that I believe it, it's just that that whole idea makes me sick.

I just heard a disturbing rumor that 2013 holds Pirates vs. Ninjas.

I'm good then. Now, get to work.