Imperial Armada was a subtheme of Pirates that was introduced in 1996 and only had 3 sets that lasted one year. The Armada replaced the Imperial Guards as adversaries of the pirates. Imperial Armada minifigures were based on the Spanish conquistadors and the Spanish Navy of the 16th and 17th century.
1996 LEGO Sets
1996 marked LEGO’s early digital pivot with the creation of LEGO Media and the launch of LEGO.com, establishing the company’s online presence. LEGO Technic was rebranded for global consistency, and several new themes expanded creative play. Wild West explored frontier adventures, Dark Forest revived outlaw factions within Castle, and Time Cruisers combined multiple eras through time travel. Exploriens emphasized scientific exploration within Space, while Pirates introduced the Imperial Armada, expanding LEGO’s nautical storytelling universe.