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:
