Originally posted by DarthTanyon:

I'd say lvl 2 troll armor at least

A hoe to level out land

3 good buffs, deer meat, boar jerky and queens jam

A fine wood bow and a stack of fire arrows

I would probably bring a bronze axe and 2 deer antler picks

You can shoot the spawners from a distance so you don't have to get too close.

Do NOT stick around at night. wet plus cold.. and a harder enemy spawns. Go back home and sleep.

All good tips. Definitely don't waste time fully bronze-ing up. The upgraded versions of that stuff will swiftly be matched or outclassed by base level iron gear. Other than having to set up or travel at slightly further reaches of the world, progressing through swamp is much faster than black forest in many ways.

If you are going to rely on melee, blunt damage is the indisputable best choice in the swamps.

Also the tip people keep mentioning about bringing a hoe is not to be understated. Mercilessly get rid of those ponds puddles you find in your path and you will always have a clean escape route when you need one. Leeches will be hopeless to get near you.

Finally poison resistance meads. Neither healing meads nor recent food should be relied on for surviving poison. And remember, you need to drink it BEFORE you are poisoned. Just like with your smelters and furnaces, more fermenters means faster production.