Yeah the whole using the quick way down from my midgame build after having neglected to keep an eye on my food and being completely down at basic 25 health leading to a very quick death. Several times. On the same build. ><

At least it's quick.

I think the deaths in combat in Valheim are generally painful, because they nearly always involve running out of stamina getting blocked in by terrain obstacles and having mobs wail on you until that juicy health bar is gone. The point being, you have at least a few seconds where you know it's coming, and you know you don't have the time left to engineer a solution. It really is like that meme: 'It was at that moment, he knew, he'd F'd up.'

The game almost seems to detect when you're being careless with your health/stamina upkeep and choose precisely those moments to overwhelm you.