I would advise you to to use and abuse NPCs spawning in their specific biome.

Sail around and find water-accessible area where 3-4 biomes intersect. Build a sturdy base/fort with a nice view to the desired area.

It'll provide copious hours of enjoyment and to the victor goes the spoils, you.

Now a Neck vs a Leech gets old really fast, but a 1-2star troll wakes up whole swamp at night!

I've yet to find an area with Plains included and build a nicer fort than my missus.