Some of the most beautiful LEGO sets are the LEGO sailing ships. LEGO ships have been around for some time, but this last couple of years LEGO really outdid themselves with not just one, but three gorgeous sailing ships; the #10210 LEGO Imperial Flagship (released in 2010 under the LEGO Pirates line), the #4195 LEGO Queen Anne’s Revenge and the #4184 LEGO Black Pearl (released in 2011 under the Pirates of the Caribbean license).
So which one of the three ships is best? Of course if you are into LEGO ships you would probably want to get them all, but what if you are strapped for cash or you don’t have enough room to display all three of them? So let’s look at each ship to see what it has to offer…
#10210 LEGO IMPERIAL FLAGSHIP – This is the largest of the three LEGO ships – measures 29.5” (75 cm) long and 23.6” (60 cm) tall – and the most realistic of all. If you are not into pirates per se, but just want a beautiful LEGO sailing ship model, this is your absolute best bet. The ship is full of accurate details and is a very solid built; totally ready for both play and display. At $180 with 1664 pieces the price is decent, and this ship is not going to go out of style any time soon. BUY IMPERIAL FLAGSHIP HERE
#4195 LEGO QUEEN ANNE’S REVENGE – This is the second largest of the three LEGO ships; measures over 20″ (50cm) tall and 25″ (66cm) wide. Here LEGO was going for the Pirates of the Caribbean look, rather than historical accuracy. Due to this, and the fact the set is made with children in mind and not so much adult collectors, the ship is not as accurately detailed as the Imperial Flagship. But if you are into the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, or pirates in general, this is a must-have ship! The color-scheme is really nice, the sails are beautiful, and the LEGO minifigs in this set are very unique. There are lots of bones attached all around the ship to make it more piratey, but also fall off easily. But other than this the ship is solid. At $120 with 1097 pieces, the price is a tad more than the Imperial Flagship, but this is not uncommon for a licensed set. BUY QUEEN ANNE’S REVENGE HERE
#4184 LEGO BLACK PEARL – The smallest, but meanest-looking of the three ships! It measures over 21” (53cm) long, 20” (50cm) tall. The ship is as black as it can get! I would say it is actually a more accurate-looking pirate ship that Queen Anne’s, although some LEGO-fans complain it is a bit too stripped down and simple. Although I don’t think this is a down-side for a pirate ship; after all they were not luxury cruisers! And the minifigs are amazing! As far as price it appears to be the cheapest of the three sets at only $100, however the price-per-part ratio is the worse for some reason. It only has 804 parts, so that comes to over 12 cents a piece. But then again; it is a really nice LEGO pirate ship. So you decide. BUY BLACK PEARL HERE
I hope this overview helps you make a decision on which ship is best for you! And if you like LEGO ships you may also like to check out our other posts:
No… Now I have to get one of those ships… 😉
And it’s really hard to say which one I prefer…
Flagship!
Yeah, that’s my favorite too! 😀
“She built this with her Bare Hands!” lol.
Flagship & QAR are my favourite..
adding BP shortly. now have some fun with 3 ships 🙂
Yes, having all three is the best! They look awesome together! 😀
Would all three ships blow the Skull’s Eye Schooner and Black Seas Barracuda out of the water? Those two were generally recognised as the best LEGO ships of the classic Pirates sets. I know Brickbeard’s Bounty, nice as it was, wasn’t considered as nice as the Skull’s Eye Schooner, but these three looks great. The Imperial Flagship looks like it’s going to deserve the mantle of the greatest LEGO Pirates ship ever, but who would you rate second?
Ian, I would say that the Imperial Flagship is by far the best LEGO ship. One of the reasons is that this is a LEGO exclusive set – meaning it is meant far older kids and adults – with the most accurate and realistic details. It is basically a LEGO model more, and a playset less. Although of course you can use it for great see-battles as well. 😉
The other ships, although really nice (LEGO ships in general are quite nice), were all part of themes and made and priced for kids. So, if you can get only one ship get the Imperial Flagship. You will be very satisfied.
If I would have to pick a second one I would pick the Black Pearl, just because of its realism. Yes, it is just black with a little bit of gray, but it a nice, solid ship.
Queen Anne is also nice; especially with those windows at the back, and the color of the sails are beautiful. But it is a bit overboard on skulls and bones, giving it more of a play-set feel. Some people may not mind that at all. Personally I would modify it a bit.
Having said that, the Skull’s Eye and the Barracuda still holds their place. In fact they look very nice next to the Imperial Flagship. 🙂
There is a picture I wanted to show you, but for the life of me I can’t find it. It was from one of the LEGO conventions, showing all the LEGO ships next to each other; both new and classic. They look very nice together. If I find the picture I will add the link here. 😉
black pearl of course
flagship!
I have QAR, but theFlaship is the best!
All of this ships are really “small” masterpieces! I already have the Imperial Flag Ship, BlackPearl and QAR. I still want NINJAGO Bounty, which is so amazing in details!Now, I am not so much in NINJAGO story, as I like the pirates, but NINJAGO Bounty also can be seen as “eastern pirates” ship 😉 (actually chinese pirates were even more ” succesful and mean ” as their “Caribbean” mates in pirate history).And also I will get the “Silent Mary” from PTC theme. She is just awesome ghost ship.
From the LEGO pirate classic – I would say : Skulls Eye for sure and Armada (Spanish) Ship because of some uniqe features.
Yeah, LEGO ships are definitely masterpieces. This article was written back in 2011, and since then LEGO released even more awesome ships! Sounds like you have a great collection! 🙂