Originally posted by warrenchmobile:

I don't think you need instruction on how to survive in the Swamp; you already know. I think you have done something that I and a lot of others have not: started a new viking on a new seed after the Mistlands update. Wait and see what players who have done so say about it.

I am doing so now. The swamp doesn't seem any different than before. OP might just have had bad luck on finding a crowded entry point. Granted, I do run away from abominations unless there's a crypt nearby and I put a workbench and ladders on each one I come across for that specific reason. They can't hit you while on top of a crypt, though they can bump you off if you're not careful. Easy root gear.