Overall hints | Walkthrough - Act I LEGO LotR Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
First of all I recommend completing the main story mode - that way you will unlock characters and part of the items required during the further exploration of Middle-Earth. As you can (and will have to should you want to reach 100%) return to missions later on, you don't have to worry about missing an item on the way.
Destroy all bricks, trees, bushes, rocks and other items that you come across. In return you will receive studs which you will need to buy red LEGO bricks. Additionally collecting enough studs during a mission will give you the title of a True Adventurer and therefore a mithril LEGO block.
Take a look into each niche, check behind every pillar and go inside every cave. That way you will find not only studs, but also minikits and new designs.
Minikits let you build item connected with Middle-Earth. You can later on view them in Rivendell treasury. In return for completing one kit you will receive 50 000 studs and for collecting all of them - 500 000.
All minikits you gather will be placed here.
Between missions, you are able to freely explore Middle-Earth. You can come across and buy new characters, complete missions, obtain mithril bricks and new designs. Just like with missions, you won't always have the right equipment at hand, though remember that you can always return to previously visited locations.
There is a fast travel option in the game. Open the map and you will be able to travel to any map stone available. It makes travelling between distant locations much faster.