Perfecting the Queen Anne's Revenge

If you have purchased 4195 Queen Anne's Revenge, first off major kudos to you, and secondly you may have noticed that while the outside is breathtaking the inside is... a little spartan.  There are a few key features that, in order to meet their price point, Lego omitted from this ship.  I recently set about to see if I could remedy those deficiencies and was very pleased with the result.  So pleased in fact that I can honestly say, with these modifications, the Queen Anne's Revenge is my favorite of all my ships (surpassing even 10210 Imperial Flagship).  To do this I cannibalized 4191 Captain’s Cabin for a few specialized parts and added some extra pieces from my own collection. Here is what I did.

THE FRONT DECK

While the Revenge did improve upon 2009's Brickbeard's Bounty in that it did have a front deck the 2 small pieces Lego included are just not satisfactory considering the ship's  size.  I modeled my improvements off the first Lego pirate ship: 1989's Black Seas Barracuda.  That ship included holds beneath both the front and rear decks accessed by hatches.  I created the same thing here. 

As you can see there are two hinged hatches.  I have extended the deck to just before the first cannon port where I have added a solid wall with a ladder built into it.  I moved the anchor assembly up onto my deck and added a simple locking mechanism using a spare hinge piece.  To round it off I added a few small holders for weapons and called it good.  Nothing I did changed anything about the way the ship is built in the directions, I just filled it in.  A future modification I may try is to make the entire front deck removable and add a furnished crew quarters beneath... we will see.  

THE REAR CABIN

What I felt was the most major deficiency of the Revenge was that its rear cabin was not enclosed.  This has been my biggest pet peeve with all of the smaller Pirate and Imperial Guard ships Lego has produced through the years.  The minute I saw pictures of this set I knew that I would be adding a door to that cabin.  The result is, I feel, a door and facade that blends in perfectly with the rest of the ship making it impossible to tell where the original design ends and the modifications begin.


The 6x4 stud brown plate for the door came from set 4191 The Captain's Cabin.

This is the door assembly up close.

THE REAR DECK

In keeping with what I did in the front I also finished out a small rear deck immediately in front of where the rear cabin attachs.  I added two more hatches to access the space beneath and also a small extension out over the cannon well with a fourth large bone as a rail.  The hatches provide access to the area beneath the rear cabin which the instructions left empty but I finished out as the ship’s galley in a similar manner to the rear of the Imperial Flagship. 


You can see the two hatches with handles next to the support for the mast and
the stove for the galley on the left as well as table and supplies on the right.

MISCELLANEOUS

I incorporated many of the special elements from set 4191 The Captain’s Cabin in various places as well as connecting the front and rear decks on the sides of the cannon well using 3-1x8 peg black plates per side.  The end result is a feel a much more complete set than the original.  I am thrilled with how it turned out.


You can see the 1x8 stud plates that I added here, the ones
on the right end are missing for comparison.

The globe from The Captain's Cabin was a great new piece,
I mounted it near the ships wheel as shown here.

I created detailed instructions for these modifications so they can be recreated the next time I assemble the ship.  If anyone is interested in them let me know and I can send them to you.    

Happy Building
The Lego Chronicler

Worthy Of Joining The Hallowed Company

4195 Queen Anne's Revenge
The Chronicler's Rating - 5/5
Price ~ $120.00
Year Released - 2011

This set joins a hallowed company, revered the world over by kids right on up to the hard core Lego enthusiasts: the large scale Lego pirate ships (large scale defined as having a wide hull and 2 or more middle sections).  It is an elite company which, despite spanning over 2 decades is, with the addition of the Queen Anne’s Revenge is comprised of only 5 other sets: 6285 Black Seas Barracuda, 6286 Skull’s Eye Schooner, 6289 Red Beard Runner, 6243 Brickbeard’s Bounty and most recently 10210 Imperial Flagship (this last one is not technically a pirate ship but it fits in the category of large scale ships).   Lego enthusiast far and wide generally consider the large scale ships to be the holy grails of Lego sets and will argue to the bitter end which one of these revered sets is the best; with their respective opinions being heavily influenced by whichever one they happen to have in their collection.  On the addition of this set to my collection I am fortunate enough to have 4 of the 6 so I can hopefully bring a somewhat objective opinion to the table in this review.  My thoughts can be summed up in one brief sentence: this set is magnificent.

The Queen Anne’s Revenges is heavily influenced by its predecessors, despite the fact that it is first and foremost a re-creation of the ship seen in the movie.  When considered in this vein Lego has done an excellent job of balancing three potentially contradictory goals: creating a movie accurate model, incorporating the hallmarks of the great Lego ships of the past and keeping the price within a reasonable range.  For this delicate balancing act they are to be heartily commended.  I would place this set squarely in the middle of the pantheon of large scale Lego ships ahead of the Brickbeard’s Bounty and the Red Beard Runner and beaten only by the Barracuda, Skull’s Eye and Imperial Flagship.  Considering that all 3 of those latter ships are generally considered by fans to be in the top 10 of best Lego sets ever produced this is hardly a demerit!   

I could fill several pages with observations on the positives of this set as well as the aspects that are influenced by its predecessors.  However, as this forum is meant to primarily inform potential buyers I shall settle for summarizing a few of the main attractions.  First off, this ship is huge due to the inclusion of 3 middle hull pieces.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the measuring standards and design of Lego pirate ships here is a brief tutorial.  All Lego pirate ships have the same basic construction there are front and rear hull pieces joined by what are referred to as “middle pieces”.  The number of these middle pieces are the defining characteristic that determine how long the ship is.  Only one ship, 10210 Imperial Flagship, has ever had more than 3 (and that set was a collector’s model so in some ways it doesn’t count) so this set is tied for second longest ship ever produced alongside the Skull’s Eye and the Barracuda.  The color scheme is beautiful and it has stunning architectural details due to the inclusion of numerous small pieces (a major plus!).  Furthermore it has a middle mast with 3 sails which no other set except for 10210 Imperial Flagship, has ever had, and more cannon ports than any other ship ever produced (I must quickly point out however that only 3 cannon’s are provided so not all of these ports can be armed at the same time without the addition of more cannons).  And finally, it is just stunning to look at.  I have always had a soft spot for how magnificent Lego pirate ships look and this one continues that tradition, a true feast for the eyes, especially from the front!

FOR PARENTS

As a child I longed for a Lego pirate ship with nearly every beat of my little heart.  Due to their expense it was not until much later in life, when I could earn my own money that I was able to finally add one of these treasures (and subsequently several more) to my collection.  Trust me when I say your child or grandchild will adore this set.  If it is at all possible for you to make it happen get this treasure, it will be enjoyed for generations. 

FOR KIDS

Whether it’s that you like the movies, just want a pirate ship, or need an opponent for another ship you already have there are a thousand reasons to get this set.  Save your allowance and birthday money and add this to your collection, you will love it!

CONCLUSION

I must confess I was nervous when I heard that Lego was getting into the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.  When the Harry Potter franchise temporarily replaced the long running Castle theme in the early 2000’s the need to make the sets movie accurate precluded the inclusion of the aspects which made the Castle theme what it was.  Harry Potter wasn’t a bad theme, it just wasn’t Castle.  I was worried that in the name of “movie accuracy” the ships in this new theme would not have the magic of the great ships of the past.  I was delighted to discover that, although definitely a re-creation, the Queen Anne’s Revenge does not look out of place alongside such legends as the Barracuda or Skull’s Eye and is worthy of being included in the pantheon of Lego pirate ships on its own merits.  The positives of this set are so overwhelming that the few minor demerits my trained eye can see are not even worth mentioning.  I will go a step beyond recommending and say that if you only get one large set in 2011 make it this one, you won’t regret it. 

Happy Building

The Lego Chronicler