You’re flying over Manhattan as Iron Man, right? The sun is hitting the Stark Tower glass just perfectly. But honestly, your stud counter is moving at a snail's pace. It’s frustrating. You want those multipliers. You want the "Attract Studs" feature so you don't have to chase every single silver coin into a corner. That is exactly why LEGO Avengers red bricks are the actual backbone of the game. Without them, you’re basically playing a demo version of the real experience.
Most people think you just stumble upon these things. You don't. TT Games hid these beauties behind Collector Missions, and if you aren't paying attention to the specific requirements for each level, you’ll end up finishing the story with zero cheats enabled. That sucks.
The Collector is Your Best Friend (And Your Worst Enemy)
Unlike older LEGO games where you just found a red parcel in a hidden room, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers makes you work for it. You have to find The Collector in every single level. He’s usually tucked away in a corner of the Free Play mode, demanding some weird item—like a tea set or a specific hat.
It’s a bit of a grind.
If you want the x10 Stud Multiplier, you can't just buy it. You have to head to the "Shakespeare in the Park" level. You need to find the Collector and give him the prop he wants. Only then can you go back to the Helicarrier, enter the Collector’s room (it’s down the hall in the lab area), and spend your hard-earned studs to actually turn the thing on.
Why Multipliers are the First Priority
Seriously, stop buying characters. I know you want to unlock every version of Captain America, but it’s a trap. If you spend 200,000 studs on a character early on, you’re delaying your ability to get the x2 Multiplier.
Think about the math.
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Once you have the x2, x4, and x6 bricks active, they stack. We aren't just adding them; we're multiplying them. $2 \times 4 \times 6 = 48$. Every single purple stud you pick up suddenly becomes a fortune. If you manage to get all of them, including the x10, you’re looking at a $3840$ multiplier. You will hit the "True Avenger" status within three seconds of starting a level. It’s game-breaking in the best way possible.
Tracking Down the Most Useful Bricks
There are 15 red bricks in the main levels and 3 more in the hub worlds. Some are useless. "Big Head Mode" is funny for about five minutes until you realize you can’t see the combat animations properly.
Focus on these first:
- Attract Studs: Found in the "Struck Off the List" level. This is a quality-of-life essential. You basically become a walking magnet.
- Fast Build: Located in "Earth's Mightiest." LEGO building animations are cute, but when you're replaying a level for the tenth time to find a Minikit, they're agonizingly slow. This fixes that.
- Collect Ghost Studs: This one is actually underrated. You know those blue transparent studs that lead you to the next objective? Normally they disappear. This brick makes them real. It’s free money.
Honestly, the Detector bricks are a mixed bag. The Minikit Detector is great, but the screen gets so cluttered with white arrows that it sort of ruins the vibe of the game. Use it sparingly.
The Hub World Secret
Did you know there are bricks outside the levels? Most players forget this. If you go to the various hubs—Sokolovia, South Africa, or even Barton’s Farm—you can find extra unlocks. These aren't always the standard multipliers, but they include things like "Fast Climb" or "Fast Fix."
Barton’s Farm is particularly chill, but the missions there are weirdly specific. You'll often need a character with telekinesis (like Scarlet Witch) or someone who can handle electricity (Thor is the obvious choice).
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How to Actually Activate Them
I’ve seen so many people complain that they "unlocked" the brick but it isn't working. You have to buy it first. Go to the Helicarrier. Take the elevator down to the interior. Find the room with the Collector.
It’s the room with all the glass cases.
Stand in front of the terminal. You’ll see the list of bricks you’ve "delivered." If they have a price tag, buy them. If they say "Locked," you missed the Collector in that level. Once bought, you still have to turn them on. Go to the pause menu, select "Extras," and toggle them to "On."
Keep in mind, every time you restart the game, these might reset to "Off." It’s a quirk of the LEGO engine that has persisted for years. Always check your extras menu as soon as you spawn in.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
People often get confused between LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and LEGO Marvel’s Avengers. In the first game, Deadpool handled the red bricks. In Avengers, he’s nowhere to be found. Don't go looking for a Deadpool room; you’re looking for the Collector’s trophy room.
Another thing: some people think using red bricks disables achievements or trophies. It doesn't.
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TT Games has always been cool about this. You can use the x3840 multiplier and still get your Platinum trophy. In fact, it’s almost impossible to get the "100% Completion" achievement without them because of the sheer volume of studs required to buy every vehicle and character.
Real Strategy for Efficiency
If you’re starting a fresh save, do the story first. Don't even worry about the red bricks on your first pass. You won't have the characters needed to reach the Collector anyway. You need a "full kit" of abilities—someone who can shrink (Ant-Man), someone who can melt gold (Iron Man), and someone with super strength (Hulk).
Once you finish the story, go straight for the multipliers in order.
- Get the x2 from "A Train to Catch."
- Use those studs to buy the x4 from "Shakespeare in the Park."
- Rinse and repeat.
By the time you get to the x10 brick in the "Lost in the Clouds" level, you'll be a billionaire.
Actionable Next Steps
First, load up your current save and check the Collector’s room on the Helicarrier to see which levels you’ve already cleared. Second, prioritize the Attract Studs brick above everything else except the multipliers; it saves more time than any other upgrade. Finally, remember to always use the pause menu to reactivate your cheats every time you boot the game, as they rarely stay active between sessions. Stop wasting time chasing individual silver studs and start the multiplier stacking today.