Perma-Death, No Boss, No Exploit: When do you go to the mountains?

I'm looking for advice from those who have done it: on a one world, perma-death, no boss, no exploit, single player run. Got lucky with a long, narrow swamp that let me mine iron without dealing with the leech-water in the swamp. I've pretty much exhausted it, and I'm wondering if I should move to the mountains now, or find another swamp(s) first.

I currently have:

Iron Pickax (needed)
100 Iron nails (for longship, to serpent hunt)
Hearth + Iron cooking grate (to cook serpent meat)
Max level Banded Iron Shield
Max level Bronze armor
Max level Bronze mace, Level 3 Abyssal Dagger, Max Finewood bow
Serpent stew, turnip stew, roasted serpent meat, frost resist mead, and medium healing mead as planned consumables in the mountain,
1 unused Iron piece


Will this be enough to deal with the wolves and drakes (I see golems, I'm running)

Or should I find more swamps, and try to get enough iron for weapons and armor?

I've beaten content on low-death runs before, if that info helps, but never tried a mountain in bronze.
12:13 am, November 12, 2022
brown29knight 0 comments 0 likes

76561198055587974 replied to Perma-Death, No Boss, No Exploit: When do you go to the mountains? November 11, 2022 @ 3:39:22 pm PST

Thank you. I'll consider it, although it would mean also farming up 30 more Iron that could just as easily be used to give me better weapons or armor.

I do not consider that to be an exploit, although in swamps, I'm having just as much luck with the stagbreaker as I am using a hoe to "level terrain" on slopes that go out of the swamp, while I'm at the water's edge. More than once leveling terrain like that has exposed scrap piles.

Speaking of the stagbreaker, it is an amazing leech killer. Just stand on dry land beside them, and a few swings later, they are gone. No danger, no fuss, no using up arrows.

I'm more curious about how hard survival is in the mountains with bronze weapons/armor, and should I hold out for iron? (assuming I can even FIND enough iron, with crypts off-limits)
6:13 pm, November 12, 2022
0 comments 0 likes

76561198055587974 replied to Perma-Death, No Boss, No Exploit: When do you go to the mountains? November 11, 2022 @ 4:08:02 pm PST

Thank you again. I'll give it try later tonight

Update: I got my first silver load in. Wolves hit like a troll when you just entered the black forest, but I could still beat them.

80 silver total in the first vein, will use up all my mead hauling it, so I'll be making more and farming for a few days (got a 2* boar farm going, so turnip stew and sausages are abundant) Got a wolf trophy, so I think I'll be farming wolves in the lower areas until I can make the wolf chest, then hunt for more silver.

Thanks again for the advice.
6:13 pm, November 12, 2022
0 comments 0 likes

blprice61 replied to Perma-Death, No Boss, No Exploit: When do you go to the mountains? November 11, 2022 @ 11:17:13 am PST

You might consider farming Draugr spawns until you get an Elite Draugr trophy then go for the Iron Sledge which has a larger AoE than Stagbreake. That will make it a bit easier to find silver.

If you consider the use of Stagbreaker/Iron Sledge to find silver an exploit, then you'll just have to keep a sharp eye out for an exposed piece of a silver node.
12:13 am, November 12, 2022
0 comments 0 likes

brown29knight replied to Perma-Death, No Boss, No Exploit: When do you go to the mountains? November 11, 2022 @ 3:39:22 pm PST

Thank you. I'll consider it, although it would mean also farming up 30 more Iron that could just as easily be used to give me better weapons or armor.

I do not consider that to be an exploit, although in swamps, I'm having just as much luck with the stagbreaker as I am using a hoe to "level terrain" on slopes that go out of the swamp, while I'm at the water's edge. More than once leveling terrain like that has exposed scrap piles.

Speaking of the stagbreaker, it is an amazing leech killer. Just stand on dry land beside them, and a few swings later, they are gone. No danger, no fuss, no using up arrows.

I'm more curious about how hard survival is in the mountains with bronze weapons/armor, and should I hold out for iron? (assuming I can even FIND enough iron, with crypts off-limits)
12:13 am, November 12, 2022
0 comments 0 likes

blprice61 replied to Perma-Death, No Boss, No Exploit: When do you go to the mountains? November 11, 2022 @ 4:05:25 pm PST

I do initial silver farming using troll armor with bronze helmet, all fully upgraded (well actually used a L4 deerhide cloak but same really). Stamina is an issue with heavier armor, if you get lucky on drake kills I'd highly recommend the Drake Helmet.
12:13 am, November 12, 2022
0 comments 0 likes

brown29knight replied to Perma-Death, No Boss, No Exploit: When do you go to the mountains? November 11, 2022 @ 4:08:02 pm PST

Thank you again. I'll give it try later tonight
12:13 am, November 12, 2022
0 comments 0 likes