How I prepare for a swamp:

Pregame: Brew antidote meads and be sure to have a mace.

First drop two portals at the base. "temp" and "swamp"

Second bring portal mats and drive a boat to the nearest meadow/BF to the swamp

Third place a workbench and a portal in the meadow/bf and label it "temp"

Fourth go back through the portal and stow any valuable equipment/items at base

Fifth run like a madman through the swamp and get an idea of where crypts are while also scouting a good place for a centralized outpost. Don't fight anything. Left the good gear back at base

Sixth get the materials to build a centralized outpost near the most crypts as possible. Along with more portal materials.

Seventh build a small base with a couple storage chests and place another portal. Label it "swamp".

Eighth: Dive crypts, collect iron, store it at the outpost until full.

Ninth: Bring mats back to base.



There's no real reason to fight anything in the open world in the swamp, if you can avoid it (at least starting out in the swamp). Getting poisoned will cost you a valuable antidote mead.... or your life if you don't have any.

Be incredibly careful of starred draugers. They can do a lot of damage, even when blocked or parried.

Be patient in your first few crypts. They can be quite challenging with drauger spawners. Carving a thin path through the muck can make it so that you can shoot them with arrows, but they can't get through to you.