Pirates 2009 vs. Pirates 2015

[Hive]

I already made a topic on the battle of the flagships, and parallels between the two are often made in discussion threads... so inspired by my old Castle battle thread, I decided to let the two Pirates themes battle it out. And as such, I have put the sets up against each other in compareable and fairly even battles. Due to the 2009 theme having more sets, I had to leave out some for a fairer comparison. As you'll notice, I also grouped 2 sets together for tag team battle in order to make them more directly compareable. Without further ado, let's get started!

1. 6239 Cannon Battle vs. 70409 Shipwreck Defense

vs.

2. 6241 Loot Island vs. 70411 Treasure Island

vs.

3. 6242 Soldier's Fort & 6240 Kraken Attackin' vs. 70412 Soldiers Fort & 70410 Soldiers Outpost

vs.

4. 6243 Brickbeard's Bounty vs. 70413 The Brick Bounty

vs.

5. Chess 2009 vs. Chess 2015

vs.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Hive

[Sigolf Brimabane]

This clearly shows that the smaller sets have improved in the newer series. But I miss those mini-sets with only one figure in (Soldier's Arsenal especially. I only got one of that a couple of years after the release).

[Captain Fortune]

It's very soon for a definitive conclusion, but I think that is clear that things are getting better on this 2015 wave, in all sets. At the moment, I only miss some impulse sets, like Soldier's Arsenal or the marooned pirate.

However, we must wait to the next year. We still need a Pirate base (like the Shipwreck of 2009-2010) and the soldiers' ship. If these sets didn't come, we will have to consider this wave incomplete so the 2009-2010 would win.

[lomis]

But I miss those mini-sets with only one figure in (Soldier's Arsenal especially. I only got one of that a couple of years after the release).

Me too!

I'd even like to see some sort of polybag.

[Captain Braunsfeld]

Let us see whether we will get a battlepack!

[Hive]

My own opinion:

1. 6239 Cannon Battle vs. 70409 Shipwreck Defense

A tad unfair comparison, since 70409 is obviously much bigger and more impressive. But it also costs twice as much, which evens out the clear advantage somewhat. With the huge price gap in mind, 70409 still narrowly wins it for me - in part due to me prefering blue coats over red coats.

2. 6241 Loot Island vs. 70411 Treasure Island

Another close call that had me go back and forth. I like sets with raised baseplates (even a weird one like the one in 6241) but 70411 has a better build. Both sets has an exclusive figure that's really interesting (castaway and female pirate) and both have a high quality set of minifigs. In the end, 70411 edges out a very narrow victory.

3. 6242 Soldier's Fort & 6240 Kraken Attackin' vs. 70412 Soldiers Fort & 70410 Soldiers Outpost

Yet another close contest with both sides having advantages and disadvantages. The 2009 sets have a better raft, better animals, much better palm tree and an overall better build - whereas the 2015 sets have more interesting parts, better colours and better minifigs. Both have the always-sought-for by AFOLs modularity, but the 2009 editions gives more options in terms of modular combinations. 6242 & 6240 are clear victors to me.

4. 6243 Brickbeard's Bounty vs. 70413 The Brick Bounty

6243 has a much better colour scheme and better animals; 70413 has better rigging and better minifigs. In the end though, they're both so dissapointingly similar that not much can seperate them. The lack of originality in 70413 ends up handing the victory to 6243.

5. Chess 2009 vs. Chess 2015

2009 has better and more logical board pieces/figures while 2015 has a far more interesting board. It's hard to declare a victor here, so I'll settle for a draw.

Final conclusions: both themes are pretty good in my eyes, LEGO did us well with them (for a 1-wave theme, which both seems to be). They both have their strengths and weaknesses, but in my eyes they're about equals. I enjoy both greatly.

[josykay]

1. 6239 Cannon Battle vs. 70409 Shipwreck Defense

IMO 70409 wins, since there are more parts, more weapons and minor details like the bottle and the campfire, and the shipwreck looks better than the ruin thingy. And i like the ship cannon better. However keep in mind 70409 is far more expensive!

2. 6241 Loot Island vs. 70411 Treasure Island

And another point for the 2015 Pirates. The new set might not have a unique baseplate, but is overall much better built, more stable, and got IMO the better selection of minifigures. Sorry old man, but the pirate lady is just awesome.

3. 6242 Soldier's Fort & 6240 Kraken Attackin' vs. 70412 Soldiers Fort & 70410 Soldiers Outpost

IMO it is a very close race. The 2009 fort got the better fort imo overall, has a nicer palm tree. In addition I kind of prefer the red kraken.

However now if we got to parts, and minifigures the new fort and outpost are better: First of all look at the big flags. The old fort just had that foily plastic thingy. The new set contains a detailed fantastic large classical style flag! The red brick pieces are fare better than DSSs and the 2015 minifigures are awesome! I just love the Govenor and that lady. In addition we got that crab, and 2 lovely frogs. Oh and the pirates boat got a bench.

So yeah... who wins? In the overall design 2009, in details 2015.

IIMO 2009 edges 2015 a litte bit.

4. 6243 Brickbeard's Bounty vs. 70413 The Brick Bounty

So which ship wins overall? Both have serious flaws. The BBB hat the worst riggings ever, which easily bend, look terrible, and the sales are unstable, nearly impossible to hold in position while playing. The ships hull is pretty dire, and let's face it those logs look terrible. You can not properly man the swivel guns and several sections of the ship are unstable. However it does have a fairly nice color sheme, pretty unusual for the regular pirates, brings back the lovely BSB style cannons.

TBB on the other hand has a terrible cannon design, making it unable, to close the port holes. The stern castle is, for whatever reason half open, since one door is missing. The stern in general looks squeezed, and the overall color sheme is not that nice. The upper sails are very very small... IMO both vessels are pretty medicore. Not as spectacular as BSB or SES but pretty decent ships. If they only wouldn't look so similar.

I think, it is a draw.

5. Chess 2009 vs. Chess 2015

2009 got a far better choice of figures, while 2015 got the better board. It depends on what you want to do.

Do you only want the figures? 2009 wins. Do you want to have a nice Lego chess board? 2015 wins.

I think it is a draw. Sorry but the rook, bishop and knights are terrible, and I just can not stand the soldiers hair variations. Tschakos or tricones would have been awesome!

So the result is:

2x 2015

2x draw

1x 2009

However I am kind of an unfair bastard giving the 2009 bonus points.

2009 got impulse sets, while the current serie does not. Especially the Soldier's Arsenal, giving one of each Lego Pirates weapons is dearly missed. Oh and don't forget the Shipwreck Hideout! 2009 got 3 sets more (If you ignore the IFS). +1 points for 2009.

In addition you can argue about the new bandana.... But regardless of the design, I miss the 2009 dark green bandana! Those things were simply amazing. The new red bandana looks ok. But white? I am no fan of that.

So after giving bonus points I come to the conclusion:

The new smaller sets are generally improved! The 2009 fort takes the cake, while the ships are equally good/ bad, depending of the point of view. The chess games draw. However 2009 series was larger...

All in all both series are great, it is just a question for individual taste. There is no clear winner for me.

Edited April 1, 2015 by josykay

[Captain Roger]

My preferences:

1. 70409 Shipwreck Defense

Reasons: more accesories (bottle, diamonds, fish, crow's nest and jolly roger)

2. 70411 Treasure Island

Reasons: this was hard, because the 2009 set has an imperial guard flag, a golden coffer, and chromed coins. But finally I voted the 2014 set because I like the female pirate. By the way, 2015 jolly roger is much better than 2009's

3. 6242 Soldier's Fort & 6240 Kraken Attackin'

Reasons: 2015 fortress is, in my opinion, a bad set because jail lacks a wall. 2009 fortress was more detailed than 2015

4. 6243 Brickbeard's Bounty

Reasons: same reasons as given in the thread "battle of the bountys"

5. Chess 2009

Reasons: I don't like that officers without hat. 2009 officers had tricornes, so I prefer the 2009 chess

[Cervantes]

I wish we could get a small bag lego set that let us double up on cannons. Seems awkward leaving half the hatches on all the ships empty all the time. But more on point, I'd say the new pirates sets fair better than the last one in every way sans for the new ship. I just can't get past the lack of a second door and the ugly color scheme. The BBB has to have one of the most visually appealing color schemes I've seen in a ship.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Cervantes

[Dunedain]

As was stated already above, we still have to see if TLG releases any more sets for the 2015 line. If they don't, then no matter how much better these 2015 sets are than the 2009, 2009 will have to win just on more sets alone. For now though, one to one the 2015 sets seem to be better in most cases, except the odd set like the chess set for example. Although I find the 2015 sets, SO FAR, to be a bit better, I absolutely HATE that these new sets have NO GOLD COINS, I HATE IT!!

[TeufelHund]

I'm surprised Loot Island is so unfavoured compared to Treasure Island. A unique baseplate, real gold coins, a cool marooned pirate and it still lucks out to a solitary nice female pirate it seems. I had them both together last night and still found Loot Island more aesthetically pleasing.

The good thing though is that the minfigs from both the 2009 and 2015 Pirates are completely compatible with each other in terms of detailing and appearance. I happily arranged a motley crew together on my desk yesterday and finally feel I have enough diversity to give the appearance of a genuine Pirate Crew.

[Robert8]

The 2015 wave has the better small sets, but the 2009 definitely wins the bigger ones.

[AFOLguy1970]

1. 6239 Cannon Battle vs. 70409 Shipwreck Defense

I give the edge to 70409, because I like the minifigs a little better. Also, there is a bit more to the build other than the cannons with 70409.

6241 Loot Island vs. 70411 Treasure Island

Tough call. I am no fan of the big baseplate thing in 6241 as it seems to limit creativity options. However, the gold coins in the treasure chest swings the vote to 6241---barely. Of all the new sets, I cannot believe they did not use one single coin. They did not even go the cheap route and use pearl gold round 1x1 tiles. When I think of treasure in the pirate world, gold coins are the first thing that come to mind. Doubloons, anyone? Sure there could be jewels, but there should be a lot of coins. End rant.

6242 Soldier's Fort & 6240 Kraken Attackin' vs. 70412 Soldiers Fort & 70410 Soldiers Outpost

I think I will give this one to 70412 and 70410 despite the gold coins appearing in the earlier sets. I like the black kraken better than the red one, and the minifigs are really good in the new sets. I particularly like the governor and governor's daughter designs in addition to the others. The newer build appears to use more bricks than panels. I really do not care for the panels with the red brick stickers or prints in the older set.

4. 6243 Brickbeard's Bounty vs. 70413 The Brick Bounty

I am voting 6243 on this one. I prefer the mermaid over the skeleton, the net over the crane, and think there are too many red parts on the newer ship. I do like the minifig selection better in 70413, but the ship design itself should take priority.

5. Chess 2009 vs. Chess 2015

In this case, pretty much what others have said. The board is superior in 2015, but 2009 has the better pieces. The exclusion of hats for the bluecoat pawns, lack of inspiration for designs in the knights and bishops makes 2009 the overall winner. I like how the 2009 bishops are minifigs with crossed swords to identify them, and the knights look like knights, especially on the soldier side. If some modding is done to the 2015 set, then it would be the ultimate pirate chess set. I am planning on all bluecoat pawns getting the shoulderboards and hats, making the pirate rooks into the crows nest like pieces of 2009, making the bishops actual minifigs, and totally redesigning the knights. Also, I would replace the bluecoat king with either the governor or admiral from the other sets.

I still plan on getting all the new pirate sets, but it seems apparent I prefer the older designs overall.

[lightningtiger]

I voted for all 2015 sets, having built all the 2009 minus the chess set and then comparing them to 2015......adding to the fact I only built 70412 soldiers fort today....the play features have been up graded for sure. Plus I enjoyed the build more this time round and no stickers..... (yeah, that coming from me LT who lives by the sticker )

[Captain Braunsfeld]

The 2015 wave has the better small sets, but the 2009 definitely wins the bigger ones.

That is probably a good summary.

[Matthias]

I voted in every case for the 2015 wave.Only the soldier-fort of 2009 wins. BUT...

I have a little question to TLG where is the fort in the soldiers fort of 2009 and 15. There is no fort, no military fortress, no mainbase. There are only 2 piers in the middle of nowhere. We need a fortress or a little town with the seat of the government.

Furthermore are the names ridiculous.

[bgalakazam]

With the exception of 6242 Soldier's Fort & 6240 Kraken Attackin' I like the 2015 sets better.

Edited April 9, 2015 by bgalakazam

[Legoking]

I'm finaly glad to see TLG is bringing back the blue coats. My passion for Lego my reignite once again.

Edited April 16, 2015 by Legoking

[blackdeathgr]

1. 6239 Cannon Battle vs. 70409 Shipwreck Defense

I would choose 6239 because smaller sets are destined to be army builders (along with impulse sets). It is a pity though that the cannon doesn't have normal short wheels. Judging them plainly from their looks, the new set looks better though (and costs a lot more too)

2. 6241 Loot Island vs. 70411 Treasure Island

Close call indeed. Both sets have interesting minifigs and 6241 has a nice baseplate. Cant go wrong with more pieces though, so i choose 70411.

3. 6242 Soldier's Fort & 6240 Kraken Attackin' vs. 70412 Soldiers Fort & 70410 Soldiers Outpost

6242 feels more solid and their combo has more minifigs (including THE monkey) but the 2015 combo has more pieces and no panels. That alone makes building more fun. I would call it a draw to be honest.

4. 6243 Brickbeard's Bounty vs. 70413 The Brick Bounty

6243 is the ship to choose. More interesting minifigs, waaaay better colours, better animals, the net, cannon hatches dont fully close on 70413 (see review).

5. Chess 2009 vs. Chess 2015

Since i would have bought chess for its minifigs i would guess 2009 beats 2015 one. The new pirate chess feels disappointing. In no military army (not even in chess) would a soldier be a soldier without a hat. ANY kind of hat. Plus we got monkeys and more minifigs too. Hands down 2009 chess for me

Final conclusions: The lack of a monkey in the 2015 line is disturbing. The lack of wheeled cannons and proper money (chromed or no) is annoying and so is the number of new pirates sets. Furthermore nothing compares with 6253 which is one of the most beautiful sets in 2009 along with the ship of course. Finally, I hope they add impulse sets, but with the CMF series bursting out there i wouldn't count on that. What i AM expecting though is the addition of a well missed pirate calendar and a pirate TIC-TAC-TOE or some kind of battlepack... All in all having bought most of 2015 line, I prefer the 2009 pirate line to be honest as the 2015 feels incomplete at the moment.

Thanks for putting up with my thoughts

Edited April 23, 2015 by blackdeathgr

[David Thomsen]

I find it very hard to vote either way on any of the sets against any others, they all have advantages and disadvantages. The only set I really feel really fails against the other is Loot Island. If you take the baseplate away, there's not much else to it. It's not like earlier sets with baseplates where there was sufficient building on top of the baseplate. And one thing I have never forgiven it for... the baseplate has a cavity where you can hide treasure, and they don't even use it to hide treasure! What's up with that?

[Bluecoat officer]

I would really like lego to add a battle pack of one army/faction/group because I think they should have cheap army builder sets.

[xray]

I am a big pirates fan and have nearly all of the sets going back to the beginning except for the big ships. I was very happy to see a return to blue uniforms and I think the use of color is outstanding in the 2015 sets. Also as stand alones, the new medium sets are beautiful pieces. Their modular nature is well implemented and I can see I will eventually get multiples of all of the soldier sets to combine in MOCs. Very happy to see the skull island theme return. I just don't have room for the big ships, otherwise I really like both the 6243 and new 70413 pirate ships. I don't get why the new chess set soldiers don't have proper head gear. That will keep me from acquiring it unless I can find a cheap source on Bricklink to get multiples to replace the hair pieces.

[J031 Ty3r]

hmmmm I like the 2015 better because of the blue coats and the Dark red Masonry bricks

[Redbeards_Rum]

2015 for me