Pause Magazine's Lego Set Reference Guide - Pirates

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Introduced in 1989, the Pirates theme was the last new mini-figure-scale theme to be introduced until Aquazone, for 1995. According to Lego Shop at Home, it is one of the most successful themes they sell. From the very first days of the Pirate line, with the giant 6285 Black Seas Barracuda, the Pirates have captured the imagination and adventurous spirit of Legomaniacs everywhere. The original Pirate sets included "shooters": Cannons which were spring-loaded and shot 1 X 1 X 1 round elements (with holes in the stud). By some time in 1990, Lego had replaced the shooters with a non-shooting variety. The shooters may still be available in Europe (although repeated attempts to get them through Shop at Home have been 100% unsuccessful). Two of the original Pirate sets, 6270 Forbidden Island and 6285 Black Seas Barracuda, have been in Shop at Home's inventory until very recently. On the other hand, 6276 Eldorado Fortress and 6274 Caribbean Clipper are some of the most sought-after Lego sets around.

This first group of sets are the Generic or Unspecified sets - those which don't fall into a Pirate sub-theme. Following these are the sets in the Soldiers, Imperial Guards, Islanders and Imperial Armada sub-themes.

In 1990, the Soldiers were made an official sub-theme, incorporating both 6276 Eldorado Fortress and 6274 Caribbean Clipper. Added were the two sets below. The Solders were the first official ocean-going peacekeepers in Legoland.

In 1992, the Pirates received a new adversary…the Imperial Guards. This sub-theme consisted of three sets initially, with another set added in 1993 and the last in 1995. For 1996, the Imperial Guards have transformed into the Imperial Armada, with two new sets.

The Islanders are without question the most distinctive sub-theme of the Pirate System. Introduced in 1994, the Islanders remain the largest original sub-theme in the Pirate lineup. The largest of the sets, 6278 Enchanted Island, introduced a new baseplate which, with different paint, is now used in 6195 Neptune Discovery Lab and 6079 Dark Forest Fortress. The two largest sets include the "amazing cleavage woman," as she is affectionately known by people on rec.toys.lego.

For 1996, the Imperial Guards have been transformed into the Imperial Armada. The new sub-theme includes only two sets: A medium-sized ship (about the same size as the 6268 Renegade Runner and 6271 Imperial Flagship) but with a new, different-colored hull.

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