Pirate Advent 2009: Day 24

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 24


Treasure Chest and Pirate Booty

After yesterday's dip into evil, I wasn't sure what to expect behind the final door of the 2009 Pirate Advent Calendar. Severed LEGO Monkey heads? The rest of the skeleton from Day 23? A still-warm LEGO heart?

No, instead they gave us the alleged root of ALL evil: Money.

A treasure chest filled with Pirate Booty - a nice selection of Transparent Gems and a lump of gold ore. It sure beats the lumps of coal Santa should have brought these naughty pirates!

But for a grand finale of the Advent Calendar...this is still pretty weak. They could at least have thrown in some gold LEGO coins.

So. Time to wrap up this year's Advent Madness.

How did LEGO do with this limited-release Pirate Themed calendar?

Well, I doubt anyone will complain that it wasn't Pirate-themed enough. From Brickbeard the Pirate Captain to the lovely Mermaid Lass, LEGO found enough swag to fill the calendar.

The problem was that some of the swag was pretty weak. Consider day 10's "Barrel of Crap" and day 20's "barrel and oar": hardly impressive hauls. Considering the difficulty of getting one of these calendars and their already-high price point, I found myself going "is that it?" more than once.

On the flip side, there were some impressive mini-figures to be had. The Pirate Lass, the Castaway, the Mermaid...all had to find figures with quality decoration and accessories. (Provided you're willing to count the mermaid's tail as an accessory, anyway.)

In my role as "grumpy old man who talks about LEGO", I tally this year's calendar up as follows:

Excellent Days: 7, 11, 14
Good Days: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 21
Okay Days: 3, 15, 17, 19, 23, 24
Weak Days: 8, 16, 18, 22
Crap Days: 10, 20

Giving the overall calendar an average of +7, a solid mark higher than just "okay". That puts this year's Pirate theme firmly in the WIN column.

Way to go LEGO! That's 2-for-2 on this year's calendars!

Will we see another Pirate adventure in 2010? Will we return to the Castle universe? Or will we take a dive and explore Atlantis next winter? Or maybe...just maybe...will we explore SPACE?

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to finding out!

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 23

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 23


Sinister Altar

I know it's a Pirate themed calendar and all, but...wow. This is a pretty evil looking mini-set.

I'm not sure why a disembodied skull is creepier than the full skeleton from yesterday. The setting certainly is a factor - and it leaves me wondering what the LEGO designer who put this mini-set together was thinking.

"I know! While all the kids are dreaming about the presents they're about to unwrap, let's remind them that there's a fun secret friend inside everyone! You just have to peel off the skin!"

Well...okay. He probably wasn't thinking that.

But now you are.

Happy Holidays.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 22

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 22


Skeleton and Snake

He's an undead warrior from Davy Jones' locker with an appetite for human flesh. She's a slithering reptile from the depths of the amazon with a taste for Brie.

CAN THEY GET ALONG?

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 21

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 21


SHARK! SAWFISH!

I'll admit it. When I first saw the box art for the Pirate Advent calendar I thought there was a slim chance we'd be getting one of the super-deluxe sharks from the Agents line.

I knew it probably wouldn't happen - there's no way LEGO could cram the larger shark into the standard Advent spot...but still, I hoped.

Today's door isn't a bad consolation prize, though. Sure, it's a "Sawfish" and not a shark, but this particular fish hasn't been seen since 2002, cast in black plastic in an Agents Alpha Team set. If you wanted things in a more nautical grey, you had to go all the way back to 1997 when it was a common feature in town Diver sets. With the color change from old-grey to new dark bley, this makes today's cretaure a one-of-a-kind accessory.

Sounds like a win to me.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 20

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 20


Pirate Escape Pod

Oh, LEGO, how you toy with my Holiday Cheer.

Yesterday, you shocked and delighted me with a seemingly bonus minifigure. Today, you crush my spirits with a two-piece microset.

Oh, sure, it fits the overall Pirate theme. And both the oar and the wooden tub are uncommon parts.

But, come on. I paid how much to have this set shipped to me from the UK? And the best you can do, less than a week from Christmas Day, is two lousy pieces?

If anyone needs me, I'll be over in the corner, weeping quietly.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 19

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 19


Deckhand

As expected, today's door held nothing more than a few random bricks and...

...hold on.

That's a minifig.

But we just got Officer Grumpypants two days ago. We're not due for another person until at least tomorrow.

I was all set to bitch about another low quality micro set. Um. Okay. Let's try this again.





Um.



In an amazing twist, the Officer sub-theme ends with a criminal to put into yesterday's handcuffs!

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 18

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 18


Weapons and a Rack to put 'em on

Today's set is another in the "sort of hit, sort of miss" pile for the Pirate Advent. It fits well as a follow-up door to yesterday's Officer Grumpypants. It has some decent accessories that you can even share out among the other Mini-figures from the calendar.

But...let's face it....the model itself is pretty darn weak. What good is a sword stand that requires you to grab the blade when you want to retrieve it?

Heck, it almost looks more like a little Steampunk robot than anything Pirate-y.

Now there's an idea. A Steampunk Advent.

Someone remind me to do that as a contest next November.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 17

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 17


First Officer Grumpypants

Working with the LEGO Advent calendars every year, I've come to expect to see some familiar faces and themes. LEGO tends to re-use faces a lot, and it adds a small bit of continuity to the calendars that - somehow - isn't quite as annoying as when they rehash things like traffic lights.

However, it did take me by surprise when the usual CITY Police officer minfigure took it upon himself to time travel and enlist in the British Navy.

Say hello (again) to First Officer Grumpypants. His grim visage has been a regular feature of law enforcement in the CITY calendars for nearly half a decade.
(He appeared in the 2005, 2006, and 2008 editions. I guess he was busy in 2007.)

It's only fitting that he appear this year as a Navy Officer - I doubt he'd have enjoyed life on the wrong side of the law.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 16

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 16


Leftovers

The Pirate Advent continues to follow it's own wacky rules. I thought we were back to traditional three day sub-themes, but I can't see how today's mini-model relates to a Mermaid universe.

If anything, today's sad little meal would work better with the Castaway from Day 11. The turkey leg is pretty generic as far as LEGO meals go, but the addition of a rat to the tableau suggests that quiet desperation that can come from living in one of only two places: a deserted island or downtown Detroit.

I can't decide if I like today's offering or not. It's a very simple bit of building, but it really does evoke a mood.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 15

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 15


Underwater Treasure

Today's micro-set is very similar to Joe Crab's shack from December 9th. We get a little underwater diorama - a rock, a plant, and a tiny sea creature. The focus, though, isn't on the oyster, but rather the pearl it contains. Or, rather, the giant pink gem it contains.

I was trying to think of what part LEGO could have used instead of the gem to represent a pearl. Maybe a 1x1 round in the new flat silver? I don't know if that'd really scan as a pearl, though.

Eh. It's really not that important.

Today's set fits well with the Mermaid sub-theme, so I have no real complaints in that area either.

Maybe I'm getting mellow in my old age.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 14

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 14


Mermaid

Three days after the Castaway Minifigure, we get...another Minifigure! Tradition has been restored.

Maybe December 10th was just a weird space-time anomaly that shifted the bulk of the Pirate Advent back a day or something. I blame the Romulans.

Today's Minifigure is an awesome addition to the Pirate theme, too. This mermaid has only appeared in one other set - at the bow of set 6243, Brickbeard's Bounty. (It's also worth noting that the design on her tail is an improvement over the printing on LEGO's other Mermaid figure from the 2005 Harry Potter line)

Certainly a nice surprise to help take the sting out of a cold winter's Monday.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 13

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 13


Monkey and Banana

Haven't you always wanted a monkey?

Well, if you were lucky enough to get a Pirate Advent calendar, now you have one.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 12

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 12


Fish Dinner

Today's set works well as a "Castaway Enhancer" - a small fish cookout for our lost Pirate.

The building technique here isn't super advanced, but it's still not a bad mini-model. I'm a fan of the new alternate flame piece, and it's used here to good advantage.

The new fish design has been around since Winter of '08 (when the first pirate sets leaked out to Toys R Us) but it still makes me smile.

I'd rank this one as "mid-to-high" on the quality scale. It fits the overall and sub themes, has fun parts, and more than six pieces. We've seen better, but we all know we've seen much, much worse.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 11

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 11


Castaway and Torch

Heh. Okay. I get it.
Yesterday we got a super-lame advent gift of a barrel and a couple of tools. The expected minifigure was missing.

Why?

Because obviously he was lost at sea and couldn't find door 10 in time.

This castaway is a very rare fellow: he appeared in only one set: 6241 - Loot Island. In that set he had a blue hat instead of the long hair, making the Advent Castaway a one of a kind variation.

Pretty cool comeback on LEGO's part.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 10

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 10


Barrel of Junk

Wait.

This isn't right. This can't be right.

Every three days in a LEGO advent calendar you get a new mini-figure. It's like...tradition. It's nearly a law.

This is day 10. CITY got a Postman. And the Pirates get....this?

A barrel, a pick-axe and a shovel???

Three common LEGO parts. Parts so generic that they can't possibly be called "thematic".

I'm hurt, LEGO. You were doing so well up until now.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 9

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 9


Joe Crab's Shack

I've got mixed feelings about today's mini-model. Oh, it's cute enough. And the crab is a fairly rare item in the LEGO world, so that's nice.

But is it Holiday themed?

Heck, is it even Pirate themed?

I suppose, with a little imagination, our little Joe the Crab could be having a wee little Holiday Party deep under the sea. And the plant behind him is an aquatic version of a Christmas Tree.

There. All better.

And tomorrow, if tradition holds, we should be getting a new Mini-figure to bring this calendar to new heights of Pirate-y goodness. Or badness.

Or something.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 8

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 8


Raft

I'm starting to think that the Pirate Advent really doesn't care about the CITY "three days of a theme" concept - I think the overall Pirate-focus is overwhelming any micro-sets that might be included.

Case in point: today's wooden raft. Does it work with the Pirate Lass from yesterday? Sure. Does it also work with just about any other day? Sure. (Although linking to the Parrot might be a bit of a stretch.)

As to the model itself, it's pretty middle of the road when it comes to Advent Swag. There aren't any super interesting parts, but at least there's more than six pieces. The model is recognizable at a glance, fits the theme, and has decent play value.

If all the remaining doors hold up to this level of quality, I'll be impressed.

(Impressed... and shocked.)

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 7

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 7


Pirate Lass with Spyglass

Last years Castle Advent gave us a lot of rare mini-figure designs - it seems that we can look forward to the same treatment from the Pirates this year. At the time of this writing, the only other place you can acquire this figure is in a Toys R Us limited-edition set: Shipwreck Hideout. Or, if you're near a LEGO store, you might spot her in the Pirate Tic-Tac-Toe set. But that's it.
(Her corset-top appeared in the LEGO exclusive Medieval Market Village set, too. Not that I'm complaining about that.)

LEGO still has it's share of Princesses-in-Peril in minifigure form, but it's nice to see them giving some gender-diversity to their heroes as well. There's no doubt in my mind this tough-as-nails Pirate would kick your butt if she ever heard you calling her a wench.

Now that's a role model.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 6

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 6


Crocodile

Hrm. So...following the "three day sub-theme" rule of thumb...is this an Imperial Crocodile?

Regardless of his political affiliation, I just love the dark green shade of this beast.

So...do you remember when rock was young?

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 5

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 5


Cannon

Traditionally, LEGO Advent calendars follow a three day sub-theme format. You start off with a mini-figure, then get two days of items to help outfit him or her.

So far, the Pirate calendar seems to be following that format - the Pirate Captain came with two "support" days of his map and parrot. That would make today's cannon an accessory for yesterday's Imperial Officer. I guess that's why LEGO decided to make the cannon stand empire red, rather than a more Pirate-y dark grey.

For a tiny brick-built cannon, today's model is reasonably clever. Using only a handful of tiny parts, the cannon is instantly recognizable as such. The downside is a lack of ammunition, but I'd prefer to use my imagination rather than end up with yet another flick-fire missile...

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 4

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 4


Imperial Officer

Say! This guy isn't a pirate!

When you think about it, Pirates is one of the few LEGO themes that favors the "Bad Guys". Sure, some themes give both sides of a conflict equal time (Castle comes to mind) but not many.

Okay, and maybe in the grand scope of history LEGO does tend to favor the invading army. Western, Power Miners, Mars Mission, Belville...all focused on trampling the natives.

Erm. Anyway. Where was I?

Oh yeah.

Today's Pirate Advent toy is an Imperial Soldier. And, as Star Wars teaches us, Imperials are the bad guys.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 3

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 3


Parrot and Stand

Day three of the Pirate Advent continues to outfit our Captain with needed accessories. Sure, the treasure map is important, but no Pirate worth his salt would be caught without a Parrot at his side to spout "Pieces of Eight" at opportune moments.

This mini set would be at place in a CITY pet store just as much as in the Captain's cabin. The food cup is a nice touch that makes the stand more than just a coat rack with a bird on it.

Here's a question for everyone. Which do you prefer, the new "mixed red and green plastic" Parrot or the classic painted version below? (Thanks to Bricklink for the picture)



Personally, I'm a fan of the classic version.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 2

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 2


Table, Map, and Lantern

I'm usually pretty harsh on LEGO's CITY themed advent for not adhering to a holiday over-theme. I recognize that it's is a bit of a double standard not to hold the other calendar up to the same ideal. After all, there might be a way to make Pirates festive.
(Hrm. That might make a good contest idea for next year....)

Still, I do expect a decent amount of quality out of the Pirates Calendar. Luckily day 1's minifigure was pretty nice, and day two has some nice supporting pieces.

Sure, there's not much to today's assortment - the table is three simple bricks, the lantern another five. Heck, even the map is something we've seen a lot of. (It's been around since the Indiana Jones "Last Crusade" sets.) But combined they make a nice jumping off point for a Pirate-based adventure to last through the month of December. First we got a Pirate Captain, and now we have a map to help him on his way.

Will the following days continue to suggest a narrative? Only time will tell.

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 1

Pirate Advent 2009: Day 1


Pirate Captain

The 2009 LEGO Pirate Advent Calendar is a European exclusive set. Although 2008 Castle set showed strong support for a non-CITY themed advent stateside, LEGO didn't have time to modify their 2009 plans to include a North American release of this set. They claim they'll have worldwide releases of all advent themes for 2010...we'll see how that goes.

Anyway, lurking behind Day 1 of the Pirate Advent is a studly Pirate Captain Minifigure. He's the same figure that's been shipping with the rest of the 2009 Pirate sets, but that's not really a bad thing. He has dual sided printing on his torso, a snazzy upgraded skull and bones logo on his hat, a well drawn face, sword, and shiny gold epaulets. (In fact, he comes with two of them. In case one gets dirty or something.)

Sure, it's not much of a holiday theme - but I forgive LEGO for that. Holiday Pirates? Sounds like a bad webcomic to me.