I've been doing permadeath runs lately, so I've been getting a lot of practice starting over in the Black Forest. (Though I might want to start trying that stagbreaker tip in the crypts. I've been doing that in the swamp crypts, but for some reason didn't think to try it in the BF crypts. Stagbreaker requires core wood from pine trees, not fir trees.)

In my opinion, the best "weapon" to use against the trolls is the pickaxe. They can't cross ditches. If you set up a base in the meadows close to the BF, then dig a steep ditch around it, nothing can walk in. Make the inside slope too steep to jump out of. If it's big, put a few workbenches around so nothing spawns inside it. I usually lead trolls back to my base and then pick them off with a bow while they're stuck on the other side of the ditch. Use a single wood beam as a bridge. You can cross, but the greys can't figure it out. A single piece of troll armor greatly increases your chances of surviving the crypts. More is better.

Until you get that first piece of troll armor, close the door and retreat from anything in the crypt that looks dangerous. Close the door so they can't chase you. I always put a campfire in the first room. It can refresh your rested buff, sometimes distracts skeletons into hitting it, and most importantly can help you navigate in there. You might still get a core or two while avoiding spawner rooms. You need at minimum 5, to build either kiln or smelter, then alternate, or 10 to have both. Once you're adequately geared up, cautiously go after the spawner rooms because the room after usually has more cores and often gives the elder location.