Imperial Armada

Imperial Armada was a subtheme of Pirates from 1996, which was partially re-released in 2001. It had the smallest number of sets in a Pirates theme, 3. 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.

Overview
The Armada had no facilities, only two ships, the 6280 The Santa Cruz, which was remade in 2001 as the 6291 The Santa Cruz, 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 the new Imperial Guards, but without backpacks and had different printing.

Characters
Despite the fact that the Imperial Armada was also known in history as the ‘Mighty Spanish Armada’, only three conquistadors appear in this LEGO sub-theme. Each represents one rank of the armada.

Other appearances

 * 6204 Buccaneers, 1997, includes The Admiral and Captain Valiant
 * 6249 Pirates Ambush, 1997, includes Sgt. Speed with a boat
 * 6281 Pirates Perilous Pitfall, 1997, includes two soldiers with a boat
 * 6296 Shipwreck Island, 1996, includes Sgt. Speedy on a raft