LEGO Ideas Pirates of Barracuda Bay Set 21322

Ever since this set appeared on Lego Ideas, I supported and followed its progress eagerly. Having missed out on the earlier Pirate sets in the past 2+ decades, I immediately purchased this set as soon as it was available. When I received the set, I was not disappointed. Its packaging, shear size and weight do a very good job of impressing upon you that your money was well-spent.For someone like me who likes to display built sets, the Pirates of Barracuda Bay is the perfect display set, especially in the island configuration; although, it displays only well from the front--at least for me. This set has all the elements/details that will appease even the most attentive collector--captain's quarters, crew sleeping area, kitchen, etc. For the minifigures, you are ... MoreEver since this set appeared on Lego Ideas, I supported and followed its progress eagerly. Having missed out on the earlier Pirate sets in the past 2+ decades, I immediately purchased this set as soon as it was available. When I received the set, I was not disappointed. Its packaging, shear size and weight do a very good job of impressing upon you that your money was well-spent.For someone like me who likes to display built sets, the Pirates of Barracuda Bay is the perfect display set, especially in the island configuration; although, it displays only well from the front--at least for me. This set has all the elements/details that will appease even the most attentive collector--captain's quarters, crew sleeping area, kitchen, etc. For the minifigures, you are provided with enough to populate the island so it looks quite lively. I particularly liked the individuality and uniqueness of each figure.If you are looking for the perfect Pirates set, then this is a must own, especially if you missed out on the sets that were released over the past few years. Just don't do what I did and build an older set (The Brick Bounty 70413) after building this set--personally, I was hugely disappointed and immediately broke it down and sold it. Maybe I should only compare this set with say the Imperial Flagship (10210) in terms of complexity. But regardless, I'd say this is a set that will remain in my possession for many years to come--the Pirates theme along with a perfect blend of build complexity and attention to detail will ensure that it will have a hard time feeling out of date far into the future.Now, if only they can resurrect the Adventurers theme in a similar manner..... Lego? Lego Ideas? Anyone? Please?

Christmas 1989 (or perhaps 1990) at my grandparents house, and my poor parents must have had to cram the original Black Seas Barracuda and its massive box into the car on the long journey. I remember waking at 6am, and ripping it out of the box (no awareness of prospective 2020s resale value back then!).I resisted this tribute set for so long, and even avoided looking at the pictures too closely, or watching reviews on the internet, lest I be tempted. But slowly and surely this set was burning a place in my heart regardless, and I caved in on my 38th Birthday.I'm glad I avoided looking at the publicity, as building the set and learning the history behind it was a real delight of surprises and discovery, with lots of hidden easter eggs and references back to the ... MoreChristmas 1989 (or perhaps 1990) at my grandparents house, and my poor parents must have had to cram the original Black Seas Barracuda and its massive box into the car on the long journey. I remember waking at 6am, and ripping it out of the box (no awareness of prospective 2020s resale value back then!).I resisted this tribute set for so long, and even avoided looking at the pictures too closely, or watching reviews on the internet, lest I be tempted. But slowly and surely this set was burning a place in my heart regardless, and I caved in on my 38th Birthday.I'm glad I avoided looking at the publicity, as building the set and learning the history behind it was a real delight of surprises and discovery, with lots of hidden easter eggs and references back to the old pirate theme (and Islanders!) sets.The build is a big one, but only occasionally challenging. More a cathartic trip down memory lane, one brick at a time. There are lots of lovely and clever techniques, particularly the anchor system and shaping of the stern section. Like so many on here, I expected to jump straight to the finished ship as soon as possible, but I was so impressed with the island that I quickly returned to that form, and even bought a 3rd party lighting kit to make the most of it on display!The only negatives are that the ship is difficult to play with and requires some determined modification to get the cannons into the lower deck. It would also be good to have easier access to the captains cabin like the original Barracuda - removing the rear panel usually ends up with pieces falling off. But overall the brilliant elements of this set make up for these minor shortcomings, and I cannot recommend it enough for fans of the original lego pirates.

As someone who’s old enough to remember when Lego first launched the Pirate range, I spent most of my early childhood dreaming of owning a pirate ship! Alas, by the time I saw the Barracuda Bay set earlier this year, Lego had already discontinued it and resellers were selling it at a massive (and disagreeable) markup- Mister Bricks had it listed at by far the cheapest price I found anywhere online, and it was dispatched the same day I ordered, arrived at home in Paris within 2 working days. The set itself is beyond marvellous and I’m super happy with it. Perfect experience, would definitely buy again from Mister Bricks!