sometimes u find swamps that are filled with crypts. My advice would be to just look for another swamp

I wouldn't bother with health potions.

However, the swamp will require poison resist potions, at least until you gear up somewhat.

Use a blunt weapon.... swamp mobs are mostly blunt weak. And use the best food you can to maximize your health & stamina pools. And make sure you have as long a rested buff as possible before you venture out exploring. That rested buff is *huge* for stamina regeneration.

Edit: And as mentioned above, not all swamps are created equal... some will have little to no crypts, others might have 30-40 or more. If you're having trouble finding some, look for another swamp.

Swamps need to be of a certain size to have any crypts in them. They are indeed a lot harder than BF, but as you will notice later, there are more biomes that are a lot harder than their predecessors... Just be careful, keep an eye out, eat decent food, maintain your rested buff and you should be fine... Poison resistance potions might come in handy, too.

And to save you wasting potions... you need to drink the poison resist potion BEFORE combat. It gives you a 10-minute resistance buff. It does nothing if you drink it after you're already poisoned.

Well, it'll give you the buff for subsequent poisoning, but that won't help if you die before the current poison DoT expires. :P

OH, just thought of another thing: Bring you hoe to the swamps with you. Leeches infest the water, and the hoe is useful for creating quick, simple paths that help keep you out of the water.

I learned to love the Stagbreaker in the swamp. Knockback/kill blobs and leeches from outside the range of their poison attacks.

650+ hrs in, tips for swamps:

The dif level from BF to Swamp is high. So is Mountains to Plains. Don't go into the swamps at night until you have better equipment. Wraiths will tear u up. Watch the fire imps, they can be deadly at lower equip levels. Get that bronze armor on at least your chest upgraded and a shield helps tons (round for stagger blocking).

First is poison resist potions. Very needed early on. Health potions are always useful, so are stamina potions. FOOD IS THE KEY other than poison potions. You need to get to sausages to feel comfortable exploring. Get those entrails and make em. If you have the vendor found and enough cash (350 coins + extra) you can get the fishing rod. One fish, one boar meat, and one sausage puts you at good HPs...

Oozes and blobs: Oozes kill with a bow asap, they will break into smaller units. If you wait until the blob jumps and lands near you, you can get a shot or 2 off before they poison and kill them, IF you have iron weapons. Until then hit and run or use bows on them.

Drugar: REMEMBER at first they are a weapon class above you. They have iron and you have bronze coming in. Kill archers first or take cover behind trees to lure them in closer to attack. Watch spawners, they can overrun you if an elite spawns. Usually you can stand still and as they ramp to swing, just take one step back and they miss, you counter. Or stagger block and counter. Get entrails!

Wraiths: Mostly at night, mostly... sometimes in huts. Block or run at low levels. They can hit hard and fly, especially a 1 or 2 star.

Fire Imps: Will avoid water, but have good range and can burn you fast early on. Avoid, or hold bow shot until they are just about to shoot at you, then shoot and move and you will kill them easy (low HP) and should avoid the fireball incoming.

Leeches: Avoid, use Hoe to raise ground, shoot with arrows, or use Abyssal Harpoon to drag out of water. Honestly, if you watch your footing they shouldn't be an issue. They DO poison, so careful if you fall in deeper water.

Skeletons: Destroy with extreme prejudice. Just watch the archers, kill first.

Remember, most units can't climb, so big tree branches will help, just watch the blobs they CAN jump.

BLUNT WEAPONS ARE KEY. They are the least resisted dmg type and a good mace will get you far in the swamps. Collect gunk from trees (big green blobs on some trees) for the bow you will make later on in the game.

It's best to bring your swamp key, health around 100, a few poison potions and fire arrows + blunt weapon in at the start. Then work to a crypt and go in and get some iron. Then upgrade mace and armor until it hurts. GET AS MUCH IRON AS YOU CAN. Eventually, the padded armor later in the game needs iron, it helps to have leftovers..

In crypts: Keep to the right wall when you enter and follow it wherever it goes. Eventually, you will end up back at the start and not get lost. Bring more than one pickaxe, you will be digging for iron a ton. Put iron you find in a chest in the crypt in a cleared room near the entrance until you clear the place out. Weight will kill you if you don't watch.

Crypt rooms: Try to dig out the tops and leave most of the bottom there or cut a hole down the middle. This way the creatures can't get through at you and you can pick them off before charging in an area. Opened / cleared crypts are safe to stay in if you get caught out at night just like tombs in BF.

Really the only way to conquer a biome is to be in it. Just move slow, take your time, watch the water and get that iron.

Fortune favors the Brave!

Sunken Crypts always have torches out front. I find sailing at night lets you see if a swamp is worth stopping for because it makes seeing the green lights super easy.
It can be risky as you can run aground by mistake far easier, but that's the trade off.

I just quickly mark my map with a dot as I sail past if I see torches and go back in daylight to properly investigate.

Thanks for all the suggestions. This is a small swamp so i'm moving on. I assume its time to get rid of smurf....i mean troll....armor and move to bronze?

Originally posted by stvlepore:

Thanks for all the suggestions. This is a small swamp so i'm moving on. I assume its time to get rid of smurf....i mean troll....armor and move to bronze?

I highly recommend it. I recently came across a 2 star draugr archer while wearing troll armour and it hit me for around 70 health per hit. I haven't run away that fast for ages.

I ran with Troll hood and leggings in the swamps with a fully upgraded bronze chest piece and all the good stuff (food, arrows, blunt weap, BRONZE BUCKLER). I made bronze leggings and helmet for the boss fight though... Speed can help your movement in the swamps. All in bronze was too slow for my style, I stayed mostly in troll armor. Just move in battle. The bronze buckler was my best friend with that 2X parry bonus though..

When you start farming crypts, consider bringing 2 pickaxes.

Originally posted by LuckyShot:

When you start farming crypts, consider bringing 2 pickaxes.

I have two from copper, just as a time saver. Good advise.

One thing about swamps that no one seems to mention is that the larger the swamp the LESS dangerous it is. Smaller swamps, especially those tiny coastal swamps seem to have vastly elevated spawn rates. I think what is happening is that the entire swamp area has a spawn rate but when you compress the area vastly it jacks things up.

My first swamp biome had anywhere between 5 and 9 mobs constantly around and respawning. MY second swamp was far far larger and I could go minutes without getting raped.

The first thing I do getting to the swamps is farm up some entrails from the draugers for sausage. Then go looking around for some turnip seeds.

Once you get the turnip soup and sausages going then start to look for a swamp with crypts for iron.

Typically I will find a small swamp area to farm and leave a portal there with a comfort station just to gather up the entrails and look for the turnip seeds.

Edit add - in larger swamps you will get groups of spawners. Typically 3, two of them being drauger spawners the other one being skeletons. Make sure to destroy them if you can so it makes the swamp a lot easier to search. Initially there are a lot of mobs around but once cleared only a few respawn around. Spawners can be destroyed by arrows but depending on your level it may take a few shots... still typically safer than charging in to clear them. Also the spwaners are around rocks and you often find chests there as well.