LEGO Fortnite: 10 Expert Mode Tips and Tricks

Highlights

Craft Totems of Return to escape permanent elimination in Expert Mode.
Farm Storm Cores from weaker Storm-Wild enemies for easier access.
Use ranged weapons for safer fights and better chances at survival.

LEGO Fortnite is an open-world, sandbox survival game that allows players to dive in, create and upgrade their Village, battle against hostile enemies, and craft tools and equipment to progress in their unique world. While Survival and Sandbox were initially the only two modes available, additional modes have debuted as of the v30.10 update, providing players with alternative difficulties to the standard Survival experience.

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The standout mode that arrived with the v30.10 update is Expert Mode, an experience designed to test players’ skills. This mode increases the difficulty of regular Survival, pitting players against stronger enemy types and introducing a permanent elimination feature. Though this mode does crank up the difficulty settings, there are some strategies players can employ to increase their success.

1 Stockpile On Totems Of Return

Escape Permanent Elimination With The Totem Of Return

One of the biggest standout features that contribute to Expert Mode’s difficulty is its perma-limination feature, which will lock a player out of the world forever if they are eliminated. While this may be enough to turn some players away from the mode entirely, there is one way that players can escape perma-elimination, and that is to craft a Totem Of Return. This nifty Charm is an absolute necessity in LEGO Fortnite’s expert mode as if players are eliminated with it in their Charms Inventory slot, they will simply respawn at their last spawn point with their inventory intact.

While players will be given an Uncommon Totem Of Return upon speaking to Triggerfish in their new Expert Mode World, this item will break once it has been used. Of course, one very simple tip to ensuring players never lose their progress is to simply keep several reserves of this Charm in their inventory. Uncommon Totems Of Return are fairly easy to farm early on, as they require 50 Storm Core, 5 Silk Thread, 8 Wolf Claws, and 3 Shells to craft via the Crafting Bench. Of course, this means players will have to take on Storm-Wild enemies early on, which brings us to the next tip.

2 Farm Storm Cores

Farming Storm Cores Allows Easy Access To Totems Of Return

As mentioned before, Storm Cores are an essential resource for LEGO Fortnite’s Expert Mode, as they are the main ingredient for crafting a Totem Of Return of any rarity. As lucrative as this resource is, however, there is a catch. Storm Cores are dropped from eliminating Storm-Wild Enemies, special variants of many existing hostile creatures that boast increased strength, health, and speed. Naturally, players will want to ensure that they can acquire a steady stream of Storm Cores in order to craft Totems Of Return, but the toughness of some Storm-Wild enemy variants could risk a permanent elimination.

Though players might be initially hesitant to try and take on tough enemies to get Storm Cores, there is a method to farming this precious resource, and that is to simply prioritize eliminating the weaker Storm-Wild enemy variants. The weakest Storm-Wild enemy is Storm-Wild Spiders, as they sport the smallest pool of health of any enemy type. However, the next best enemy to set your sights on is Storm-Wild Skeletons, which are common to come across at night. Storm-Wild Skeletons are also relatively less challenging than other enemies such as Storm-Wild Brutes or Wolves, making them a perfect candidate for farming Storm Cores fast.

3 Used Ranged Weapons

Ranged Weapons Allow For Fights To Resume At A Safe Distance

Many players’ main go-to items when battling enemies are the trusted Sword and Shield combo, which are immensely useful for avoiding taking damage and quickly dispatching foes. While both items are still immensely helpful in LEGO Fortnite’s Expert Mode, ranged weapons are arguably just as important. In Expert Mode, all enemies hit much harder than in both Cozy Mode and regular Survival, and with the ability to be locked out of your world once eliminated, fighting enemies up close can become a little more daunting.

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This is where ranged weapons come in, as they allow players to deal damage from afar without needing to close the distance between them and their target. Weapons like Crossbows are the obvious go-to, with their ammunition proving relatively simple to stockpile if players have regular access to resources like Feathers. With a trusty Crossbow in hand, players will no longer need to pressure themselves into taking on chasing Wolves or Skeletons up close, making battles much easier and less risky. If players are looking for alternative options, then Star Wars weapons like the E-11 Blaster and the Bowcaster can also come in clutch.

4 Craft Mobility Items

Mobility Items Like The Grappler & Gliders Are Pretty Handy

Most enemies in LEGO Fortnite’s Survival Mode are pretty easy to outrun, but in Expert Mode, things are different. The Storm-Wild enemies in Expert Mode are much faster than their regular counterparts and can be challenging to deal with on foot, especially the Storm-Wild Brutes. However, there are a few items that players can craft to help them escape Storm-Wild enemies and reach safety.

The obvious choice players may gravitate to is the Grappler, which is invaluable for escaping fast-approaching Skeletons, Wolves, and other nimble Storm-Wild enemies. Although this item is not craftable until players obtain Copper Bars, it is a must-have for traversing vast distances quickly. The Grappler also synergizes well with a Glider, allowing players to extend their reach and boost their mobility even further.

5 Become A Farmer

Establishing Both A Crop & Animal Farm Will Yield Useful Resources

Adopting the farming lifestyle is, without a doubt, the best way to acquire some of the most useful resources in LEGO Fortnite. The first aspect players should focus on early is recruiting animals to their farm, as each new animal provides a steady stream of resources. Taming animals is relatively simple and only requires a Barn and an Animal Treat. Once players have tamed an animal, they can assign it to a Barn and interact with the Barn to feed it. Feeding animals items like Vines will offer the player items in return. Recruiting all animal types — Sheep, Cow, Pig, and Chicken — will enable players to farm Wool, Milk, Slurp Mushrooms, and Feathers.

On the topic of farming, building a crop farm is also imperative for making progress in players’ Expert Worlds, as it allows them to farm useful crops. Players will need a few Dirt Plots and Seeds to build an efficient farm, which can be acquired either through looting or via the Grain Mill. Seeds can then be placed into the Dirt Plots to grow crops. Some of the most important crops to focus on include Snow Berries, Wheat, and Spicy Peppers, as each can be used to craft Snow Slushies and Spicy Burgers, both of which are ideal for inevitably leaving the Grasslands and heading into the Frostlands and Dry Valley — to progress further into the game.

6 Focus On Increasing Your Health

Health Charms & Certain Food Items Will Increase The Player’s Number Of Hearts

It’s no secret that enemies hit a lot harder in Expert Mode, and while players are protected from getting one-shotted if they have full hearts, eliminations will come quickly if they encounter even the weakest of enemies. The defense buffs of many Charms have also been taken away specifically for Expert Mode, making surviving that much harder. All these points put a great emphasis on players to increase their overall health, specifically early in the game.

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The first and most straightforward way to increase health is through crafting Health Charms via the Crafting Bench. These items bestow extra hearts when equipped to the Charms Slot of the Inventory, and the higher the rarity, the more hearts the player receives. Certain foods also grant extra hearts, and while they are not permanent, they can provide a useful temporary health buff. Such foods include Grilled Meat, Spicy Burgers, and Pizza, all of which can be crafted via the Grill.

7 Acquire Additional Stat Buffing Charms

Additional Charms Can Be Useful In Expert Mode

While the Totem of Return and Health Charms are two very important items players can acquire, they are not the only effective Charms in Expert Mode. In fact, players can obtain a variety of alternative Charms that can make progressing through Expert Mode much easier. The two most important additional Charms to focus on are the Cool-Headed Charms and Inner Fire Charm, which bestow the player with heat or cold resistance. Both Charms are essential for progressing to the Dry Valley and Frost Lands biomes, allowing players to acquire the Expert Mode Trophies much sooner.

There are also a few other Charms that players can acquire, and while they are not necessarily essential, they can provide some neat benefits. These include the Hearty Totem for adding bonus health when players are at full hearts, and the Regeneration Charm for regaining hearts over time. The Totem of the Immortal is also great for saving players from elimination and offers more hearts than the Totem of Return. The only major caveat of these Charms, however, is how expensive they are to craft, so players should choose wisely.

8 Farm The Rebel Cave

The Rebel Cave Offers Various Farmable Resources

Resources such as Marble and Knotroot are pretty important for acquiring some early game tools in LEGO Fortnite, along with upgrading the Grassland Village. The obvious go-to way to acquire these resources is to head to Grassland Caves, and while there is an abundance of Marble and Knotroot inside, they also are home to hostile mobs like Scorpions and Skeletons. Such areas pose a high risk of being permanently eliminated from the world. However, there is an alternative method for acquiring this resource early on.

The Rebel Cave, though essentially acting as a gateway to the Star Wars Island, does in fact harbor a ton of Knotroot and Marble up for grabs. Not only that, but players can farm the Rebel Cave of these precious resources without having to deal with hostile enemies inside. Pair this with the fact that the Rebel Cave itself is also pretty close to the world spawn point, and players will find that they have easy access to such resources right from the get-go. As a bonus tip, the Rebel Cave also offers alternative benefits, such as the ability to acquire Planks and Granite from destroying the chests inside, fishing spots to acquire fish, along with Star Wars props that can be harvested for Plastoid.

9 Bring Villagers Along On The Adventure

Villagers Offer A Helping Hand Both Inside & Outside The Village

Villagers are the most useful critters players can come across in LEGO Fortnite, as they can perform various tasks around the Village. While many hardcore players may be content with venturing the map solo in Expert Mode, there is a way that players can bring a Villager along with them to accompany them on their journey. Almost any Villager can be invited to follow the player, and doing so will provide them with an extra set of helping hands.

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To invite a Villager to follow, players can simply interact with any Villager, select the ‘let’s talk jobs’ dialogue option, and then choose the ‘let’s explore’ dialogue option. The Villager will then follow the player, engaging in activities such as battling hostile mobs while the player focuses on harvesting resources. Players can even gift these Villagers better tools, allowing them to perform tasks more efficiently. Having Villagers tag along is a surefire way to gather resources faster, and players won’t need to worry about losing their Villagers permanently if they are eliminated.

10 Play With Friends

Invited Friends Can Help In Resource Gathering & Progression

building a Village in LEGO Fortnite's Expert Mode

While Villagers are remarkably useful for automatic resource gathering and helping players on their journey outside of the Village, there is another way to acquire extra helping hands: inviting friends to the world. Playing with friends in LEGO Fortnite is not only more fun, but other players can also help out in ways that Villagers can’t.

Having other players in the world allows for faster resource farming and Village upgrades if everyone contributes. This benefit also extends to activities outside the Village, as exploring areas like Caves in a group can be an effective strategy for fending off enemies and gathering lucrative items. However, unlike Villagers, additional players run the risk of being permanently eliminated from an Expert World, so it’s crucial to ensure that they have plenty of Totems of Return in stock.