Avant Gardens

Avant Gardens is the second world a player can enter in LEGO Universe. Once a peaceful world, the Maelstrom was unleashed here when the Paradox research facility was breached by the Spider Queen. The area is now largely overrun by Stromlings and Stromling Mechs. The Sentinels have established an outpost led by Commander Beck Strongheart to keep them at bay.

Paradox Research Facility
The Paradox Research Facility is the area before the player enters into the Battlefield. This area contains Wisp Lee, who is the first Avant Gardens NPC met in-game, along with PRDX-7. The Triceratops pet can also be found on a cliff by the launchpad that the player lands on from the Venture Explorer. The Paradox Research Facility was tasked with researching the Maelstrom. However, it was shut down after the Spider Queen escaped. A Dark Spiderling is still held captive here, while its partners have broken out and headed to the Spider Cave, along with the Spider Queen.

Avant Gardens Battlefield


Commonly referred to as the Battlefield, this area is directly past the Paradox Research Facility. It is home to many Stromling and Stromling Mech enemies. Epsilon Starcracker is also located here and gives the player their first Weapon, a choice of either a hammer, sword, or spear.

Maelstrom Mine
Found directly past the Battlefield and to the right of the Sentinel Camp, this cave contains Dark Spiderlings, Stromling Mechs, and Stromlings. Traveling further into the cave you will find Melodie Foxtrot. If you keep venturing past her, you will find the Spider Queen Battle Instance Launchpad which is surrounded by many spiderlings.

Sentinel Camp
Many of the Sentinel NPCs of Avant Gardens can be found here, excluding Epsilon Starcracker. Sentinel guards constantly defend the camp from Stromlings, making it a safe zone for players. The tunnel which guides players to the Monument is located here, as well as Klaus Zett, the Sentinel vendor, the Avant Gardens Survival mini-game, and the Doberman pet.

Monument Tunnel
Although it is a small area, The Monument Tunnel is home to Theo Balfour, a Sentinel NPC. Theo guards the Monument until you are given Nexus Force authorization by Epsilon Starcracker.

The Monument
A massive project undertaken by the Assembly, this stone carving depicts a minifigure dueling a hooded Stromling with a sword. Home to the Monument Race and Rusty Steele, the Monument is the largest part of Avant Gardens. The Monument Race is a large system of three different paths, each with a unique color: "Orange," "Yellow," and "Green." These paths consist of many scaffoldings and tunnels, with lasers and fans as obstacles. The Avant Gardens imagination brick is located in the left hand of the minifigure statue. Rusty Steele gives out several daily missions to keep the Monument in good condition, including one in which the player must scare away birds resting on the giant sculpture, and another in which the player must collect drops from various objects around the monument.

Launch Area
This area is accessed from the monument via the broken Assembly Highway. Directly at the end of the road to the Launch Area, you will meet Oliver Sudden who asks you to take the footrace. Here, there are four Launchpads: Nimbus Station launchpad, Block Yard launchpad, Avant Grove launchpad, and Return to the Venture Explorer launchpad. Before you can use any of these launchpads, you will have to fight the Spider Queen in Block Yard. After that, you can access all of the worlds (unless you are a Free-To-Play member). The Launch Area is an open area that is great for players to meet and have small parties. There are multiple vendors, as well as the Avant Gardens Wishing Well (The Vending Machine).

Avant Gardens Pets

 * Doberman
 * Triceratops
 * Buffalo

Avant Gardens Chests
Johnny Thunder, on Nimbus Station, asks you to find some floating treasure chests he hid on Avant Gardens. There are 5 located throughout Avant Gardens. This map shows the location of the 5 chests.

Heart Flags
Flags allow you to increase your life. There are 10 around Avant Gardens. Here is a map to help you find them.

Imagination Brick
The imagination brick increases your imagination storage by one. This map shows where the one in Avant Gardens is located.

Binoculars
Like most worlds, Avant Gardens has binoculars that allow you to view interesting points in greater detail. There are 9 in Avant Gardens.

Trivia

 * The world's name is a play on Avant-garde, a term meaning "New and Unusual".
 * The word 'Avant' also means 'Before' in French.