Class 4

Imperial Armada
Release years:	1996, 1997, 2001
Main theme:	Pirates
Colour scheme:	White & Yellow
Concurrent faction(s):	Pirates (faction)

Imperial Armada was a theme of Pirates from 1996 , and than again in 2001. It had the lowest number of sets in a pirates theme, 3, but also appeared in several Pirates theme sets. The Armada replaced the Imperial Guards as main adversaries of the pirates.

The soldiers were modeled after Spanish conquistadors of the 16th and 17th century and were the first minifigures to feature morion helmets. The theme lasted one year and only had 3 sets.

Overview Edit

The Imperial Armada was a subtheme of Pirates. It replaced the red-coated Imperial Guards. Only three sets were made, and they appeared in 1996 and 2001, and Armada Conquistadors appeared in several Pirates sets in 1997, though no real Armada sets were released that year.

The Armada had no facilities, only two ships, the 6280 Armada Flagship, which was remade in 2001 as the 6291 Armada Flagship, also known as the Spaniard ship. The third set was a small rowboat and building with one soldier, the 6244 Armada Sentry.

In 1997, several Pirates sets came out that included Armada figures. The First was 6204 Buccaneers, which included two Armada Conquistadors. 6296 Shipwreck Island included a soldier on a raft. The 6249 Pirates Ambush included a soldier with a boat, and 6281 Pirates Perilous Pitfall includes two soldiers with a boat.

The subtheme's minifigures were based on the Spanish conquistadors and the Spanish Navy of the 16th and 17th century. Their most recognizable feature was the conquistador helmets.

The Imperial Armada theme was phased out around 2001, and when Pirates tried to make a comeback in 2009, the Armada figures were replaced with red coated soldiers similar to the Imperial Guards, but without backpacks and had different printing.

Sets Edit

Image	#	Set	Pieces	Figures	Price	Released
	6244	Armada Sentry	70	1	$8.75	1996
	6249	Pirates Ambush	159	2 Pirates and 1 Imperial Guard	$21.99	1997
	6280	Armada Flagship	284	3	$49.99	1996
	6291	Armada Flagship	284	3	$49.99 / €54.99	2001

Video Game appearances

• 4850307 LEGO Battles

Other appearances

• 6204 Buccaneers (1997), includes two soldiers
• 6296 Shipwreck Island (1996), includes a soldier on a small raft
• 6249 Pirates Ambush (1997), includes a soldier with a boat
• 6281 Pirates Perilous Pitfall (1997), includes two soldiers with a boat