Originally posted by AEWFreak:

I can't upgrade my stations until I get iron. Can't get iron until I get the swamp key. Can't get the swamp key until I beat the Elder.

One small problem: with all of my bronze armor, weapons, and my finewood bow maxed out, I can't survive the trip through the mountains to even get to the Elder, much less beat him up. Wolves eat 45-50hp alone. Now, I'm stuck in a loop of running naked through the swamp to the mountains just so I can recover the stuff off of my dead body, only to die before I can get to it.

Anyone have any tips? I feel like I'm losing my grip on this game, and the penalties for dying are just too harsh.

you can mine iron without swamp key. it's dug inside swamps. yes. it's hard to stuble upon it...but sometimes (especially in the hills or on the borders of biomes) you can see the parts of scrap iron. when you do - dig it and smelt it.

on the other hand killing Elder(also it's in the black forest. not mountains) is probably easier then getting iron (after some practice you don't need much health or armor. cuz you can kite Elder around the spawn and hide behind the stones to avoide attacks(you'll have to run away or kill tentacles though)