Guides/Marsh Camp Guide

Applicable to Strange New Powers update

Thanks to Klei Forum Members and various Wikia Contributors:

Spazmatic, Rabbitfist, Lexicroft, Jbeetle, TeoSS69 and Carbon Coded

Marsh Camp Guide (concised version) by Jhepong 



The Marsh Biome
Also known as the Swamp,  the marsh is considered the most hostile Biome, and the scariest place a new player can be. Not only does it lack raw material supplies; its inhabitants pose great threat to whoever braves its grounds. Being home to Tentacles and Merms, and teeming with Spider Nests, the Marsh proves to be a common graveyard for the unprepared.

Through all these danger and lack of natural resources, this region can easily be turned into a successful fort.

(photo will be replaced with something much better soon)

Advantages
These are the advantages of having your base camp in this area:
 * Food supply is plenty even at Winter season. NO Traps required.
 *   "How do I get FOOD?"       "BOY YOU'D BETTER PICK THEM ALL UP!" 


 * Provides immediate strategic defense from all creatures, particularly Hounds, Deerclops, Spider Queen, Treeguards, etc, even at the early days of encampment
 * The whole region can be your Silk farm, Medicine farm, Fertilizer farm, Reed farm, and even Tentacle Spike farm!!!
 * and the newest: Beard Hair farm!!!

Searching for the Right Marsh


If you look in your Map, the brown or mud-colored areas are the Marsh Biomes. They can be randomly allocated in different shapes and sizes, joined or separated by other Biomes, and may also contain narrow streaks or small islands of Forests. They may even be found scattered in different parts of your World.

Hence, what you are really looking for is a large sized Marsh. Though, the secret to finding the best Marsh is actually the one with the greatest number of Rundown Houses. These are single-door hut-like structures where Merms spawn. You can easily find and count them as they are marked in your Map as yellowish hut icons. Do not confuse them with Pig Houses, which are the brownish hut version.

 Finding the Sweet Spot

Once you have found the right Marsh, you are now ready to find the sweet spot in that vast dangerous area. The first thing that you need to look for is a Road, which sometimes pass through Forest islands. Next, open your map, and analyze the positions of Rundown Houses. You want to settle at a single spot by the road and surrounded by most number of Rundown Houses. If you landed in a pure Marsh Turf area, then that would be just fine. Just be wary of Mosquito Ponds since they spawn Mosquitoes when Dusk arrives. And also, some parts in this area may be heavily infested with Spider Nests and hidden Tentacles. If you found your perfect spot near one or many of these, then you better get rid of them or move further. But during the early days, it is better to just settle at a safe distance from them.

(photo will be replaced with something much better soon)

 Safety First <p class="MsoNormal">Once you have laid down your basic camp structures for a Base Camp, it is now time to put yourself a bit of protective gear, which is of utmost importance for your survival in this hostile region. 'During the early days, it is better to wear head Armor than chest Armor; because during these stages you will mostly be gathering Natural Resources to improve your Base Camp  (such as digging for Saplings, Spiky Bushes and Grass Tufts, and collecting Pine Cones to plant Evergreens). So a Backpack gives you the most advantage.'

<p class="MsoNormal">You can acquire Pig Skins (to craft Football Helmet) in a Marsh Biome by looking for Pig Heads which usually stood along Roads, near Rundown Houses, or inside a Merm Village (a group of Rundown Houses). Pig Heads can be hammered to produce two Pig Skins and two Twigs.

<p class="MsoNormal">Your most helpful equipment in this area is a Walking Cane. Its speed boost is all you’ll ever need for evasive maneuvers and faster travel. Once you’re set to gathering food and resources, your destinations are already marked on your map. These are the Rundown Houses and the Spider Nests. But before you set off, you may want to plan your route to maximize your time and area coverage. Also, some of your destinations may be further away, and bringing in necessary materials is extremely helpful for your survival and maximum efficiency.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right;">(soon to add photo)

Things to Bring for Heavy Resource Gathering (for New Players)
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in">Optional:
 * Logs – for making Campfires, Fire Pits and extra Log Suit (in case Log Suit breaks), can be used for Fuel
 * Grass – for Campfires, Torches, and Ropes
 * Twigs – for Torches and Tools
 * Food – please Don’t Starve
 * Hammer – for hammering down Pig Heads
 * Shovel – for digging Spiky Bushes, Saplings and Grass Tufts
 * Tentacle Spike – just bring one in case of trouble
 * Bush Hat – hide yourself beside a campfire, just do it
 * Walking Cane (always equipped)
 * Football Helmet (always equipped)
 * Backpack (always equipped)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0level1lfo2"> ·         Umbrella – in case it rains and you don’t want too much sanity drain

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0level1lfo2"> ·         Miner’s Hat – if you want to keep on moving at Night without head armor

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0level1lfo2"> ·         Top Hat – if you want to counter negative sanity while sacrificing head armor

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0level1lfo2"> ·         Log Suit – in case you're really out of options, drop that Backpack and fight!!!

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0level1lfo2"> ·         Flints – if you will be crafting an extra Shovel or Axe

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.75in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0level1lfo1"> ·         Rocks – for making Hammers and Fire Pits (best placed between longer routes which serve as temporary Night camps, cooking and Winter heating stations; better spent for other important Items and Structures during the early days)

<p class="MsoNormal">For inexperienced players, please DO NOT BRING Chester with you. He may provide more inventory space, which in turn gives you a chance to wear various Armor or Clothing. However, Chester is just so good at attracting Mobs. Soon you'll find yourself constantly running, evading and getting hit. Worst, you'd be dead before sunrise.

<p class="MsoNormal">If you're having problems staying Sane, just build a Tent in your Base Camp. Tents are highly renewable, since Silk can be gathered in great quantities just loitered in this Biome.

Food and Resource Gathering
<p class="MsoNormal">For new players, moving through this Monster infested area might easily put them to panic, and worse when they witness the events that typically occur in this Biome, which include random battles between different monsters like Merms vs Tentacles, Tentacles vs Spiders and Spiders vs Merms. And these are all natural. In fact, such day to day happening is the single most important aspect for a player’s survival in this region, because these Mobs will be the player’s main food sources for all time. Casualties from these random battles will drop loots including Food, and there you shall come in. As effortless as it may seem, but picking those food and loots on the ground gives you an immediate danger. As you pick them up, you should always be ready for an incoming attack, commonly caused by Tentacles and your usual looting competitor, the Spiders.

<p class="MsoNormal">

Food Structure Setup
You may want to try this sample setup which gives you efficiency on food production: 'Note: In relation of food availability to the Food sources in a Marsh Biome: the more Mob deaths each day, the more food readily accessible. And the more food readily accessible, the more Food Structures you'll need to process the number of raw food supply.'
 * 2 or more Farm Structures, 1 or more Bee Boxes and 2 or more Drying Racks (quantity depends on player, but not really a need to even place one)
 * 1 Ice Box between 2 Crock Pots (Ice Box in proper location provides best efficiency)
 * or 2 Ice Box at the center of 3 Crockpots (1 Ice Box utilized for uncooked food, the other is used as storage for Crock Pot ingredients and for readily consumable food)
 * 1 Fire Pit placed below the Ice Box and Crock Pots (cooking through fire with an arm's reach Ice Box)
 * 1 Bird Cage placed not far from Ice Box and Fire Pit (one Bird Cage is more than enough)

<p style="text-align:right;">(soon to add photo)

Renewable Vegetable Source
You can easily find Mushrooms growing in this region. The most common are Blue Mushrooms. You may also find a Mushroom Set Piece, several Mushrooms formed in a wide circle. If you want to gather them in a regular basis, it is best to mark them on your map by placing a Sign (also Backpack, Piggyback, Tree, Grass, Sapling, Spiky Bush, Berry Bush etc). Mushrooms grow quickly during Rainy days. (best in "A Cold Reception")

Farming, Planting and Fertilizers
<p class="MsoNormal">As for farming, it is impossible to place Basic Farm or Improved Farm Structures on a Marsh Turf. You can either place your Farms in a different Biome or replace Marsh Turfs with other farmable turfs using a Pitchfork; though it is possible to plant Saplings, Grass Tufts, Berry Bushes and even Flowers on Marsh Turfs all with normal effects as if planted on other Turfs.

<p class="MsoNormal">As for Fertilizers, another substitute for Beefalo Manure that can be gathered in this region are Pengull Manure (during Winter) and rotten Food, better known as Rot. Since random battles occur everytime you may not be able to pick all those food on the ground that will eventually turn to Rot, unless eaten by certain Mobs such as Spiders, Hounds, Pengulls (during Winter), Pigs /Werepigs and Batilisks. Also take note that Pigs/Werepigs eat Rot.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right;">(soon to add photo)

<u style="font-style:inherit;">Never-Ending Food Supply
There are lots of strategies for a Marsh Biome that can constantly supply players with more than enough food. The moment you visit this Biome, you would easily find out that Tentacles are your major food supplier during the early days of your survival. Notorious from their powerful surprise attacks and large health, there's no doubt about Tentacles being responsible to the majority of death in a Marsh Biome. They may be that strong, unfortunately, as of "Strange New Powers" update, the Tentacles are still one of the finite Natural Resources; which means they can go extinct in your World. Still, there are other strategies that does not require the help of Tentacles to provide constant food supply. How to make Tentacles infinite can be found in the Tips and Hints section. <u style="font-style:inherit;">Monster Meat '''. '''The easiest and readily observable strategy for constant Food supply is the acquisition of Monster Meat. Hence, with the help of a Bird Cage, Monster Meat can easily become your staple Food in the Swamps.

<u style="font-style:inherit;">Monster Meat Farm (Finite Type): The Early Days
 Spiders vs Tentacles  '''. During the early days, the most common source of Monster Meat in this region are the Spiders. Random battles between these monsters are a natural day to day happening here. And Tentacles are responsible for the majority of Spider casualties in a Marsh Biome . The first step to starting your own Monster Meat farm in this early stages is by acquiring Spider Eggs from areas you have no use for. Then plant them to your desired location where Tentacles are present.'''

Planting Spider Eggs between two or more adjacent Tentacles is an effective tactic that produces more Spider casualties and more Spider drops in no time. Unfortunately, picking them up also becomes more dangerous as well. That is what your Walking Cane is for.

Another disadvantage though: if a single Spider managed to survive the gang war, with all the attacking Tentacles - dead, that lone Spider will quickly eat up all the Food loots scattered in the vicinity; unless you pick up all the food first or kill the Spider first. ''There's a fast and easy strategy on how to start a clash between Spiders and Tentacles, and also Spiders against Spiders. See Tips and Hints section.''

<p style="text-align:right;">(soon to add photo)

Monster Meat Farm (Infinite Type): Late Game
''' Spider vs Merms. '''You can now have the best Monster Meat farm for all time with the help of the Merms. This strategy best describes the true meaning of Everyday-Eat-All-You-Can-Monster-Meat for only $9.99. The first step is gathering enough Spider Eggs. Next, plant the Spider Eggs in the middle of those neighboring Rundown Houses. Once both parties meet, it will certainly be an all-out war. Things You Should Know:*Spider Den Tier 1 = 3 Spiders
 * Spider Den Tier 2 = 6 Spiders
 * Spider Den Tier 3 = 9 Spiders
 * 1x Rundown House = 4 Merms

Advantages: Disadvantages: <p style="text-align:right;">(soon to add photo)
 * 1x Merm spawns every 4 days
 * 1x Spider spawns every 0.2 days (accdng to Spazmatic)
 * Merm = 1x Fish and 1x Frog Legs
 * Spider = 1x (50% Monster Meat or 25% Silk or 25% Spider Gland)
 * Rundown Houses, one of the major ingredients for this Farming Strategy to work, are non-craftable and also immovable. So you should plan ahead on how you can maximize their presence.
 * Spider Queens are simply too powerful for a small number of  Merms . If you did not expect its sudden arrival, you must intervene; or your farm will become unproductive.
 * For  Merms  and  Spiders go clashing everytime,  make sure that the  Spider Den's  webbing touches or, much better, passes through the  Rundown House.
 * To maintain balance in your Monster Meat farm, then you must know the right quantity of  Spider Dens  regarding their  Tier Levels, with respect to the number of  Rundown Houses  and their distances from each.  Or simply make sure that the Merms always heavily outnumber the Spiders, since dead Spiders respawn around 0.2 days (according to Spazmatic)
 * Merms do not eat Monster Meat. They don't eat anything. Therefore, Food on the ground are safe for a while.
 * As Spider Dens grow to higher Tiers, its dwellers also grow in number. Other than that, it may soon spawn a Spider Queen if a player is nearby. Therefore, constant monitoring of Spider Dens are needed just in case you had not planned their growth.
 * Due to their Kiting combat style, Merms can finish a group of Spiders at a slow rate, unless they are in such a great number.

Spider Hunting. Sometimes, hunting Spiders yourself is much more efficient in acquiring their loot; since, it isn't always that they trigger a fight against Tentacles for these reasons: either all nearby Tentacles are dead, or they're just moving past the Tentacles without ever getting hit. However, if you do not fully understand the nature of your enemy, attacking them could be the beginning of your own demise. Tips on easy Spider hunting can be found on Tips and Hints section.

<u style="font-style:inherit;">Tentacle Hunting . Tentacles have a 20% chance to drop a Tentacle Spot, 50% Tentacle Spike, and absolute drop of 2 pieces of Monster Meat. '''Oh please don't hunt Tentacles, they are your friends! '''Actually, you don't need to hunt Tentacles for their Monster Meat, Tentacle Spike or Tentacle Spot, because, in these region, Tentacle deaths occur almost everyday. Besides, they are hard to kill. But, if you have time to observe their movements, a lone Tentacle is actually an easy prey. Tips on easy Tentacle hunting can be found on Tips and Hints section.

''' Fish and Frog Legs. '''They are best supplied by Merms as drops. You can also get 1x Fish, 1x Board and 1-2 Rocks from hammering down Rundown Houses. 'Oh please don't demolish Rundown Houses. That's where your bestfriends live!'

<p style="text-align:right;">  Fish and Frog Legs, Meat, Carrot, Bunny Puff and Beard Hair All in One Farm: Endless Supply 

<p style="margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em;"> ''' Merms vs Bunnymen. '''The best way to actually start a Fish and Frog Legs Farm is placing Rabbit Hutches and letting those Bunnymen and Merms go frenzy. Plus,. Such Bunnymen's unique characteristic gives players a choice of specific loots to scatter around. Since casualties from both parties are inevitable drops will definitely be a hundred percent.

<p style="margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em;">Things You Should Know:

Advantages:
 * 1x Rabbit Hutch requires 4x Boards, 10x Carrots and 4x Bunny Puffs craftable using Alchemy Engine
 * 1x Rundown House = 4 Merms
 * 1x Rabbit Hutch = 1 Bunnyman/Beardlord
 * 1x Merm spawns every 4 days
 * 1x Bunnyman/Beardlord spawns in less than 3 days (accdng to Spazmatic)
 * Merm = 1x Fish and 1x Frog Legs
 * Bunnyman = 2x Carrots and 1x (25% chance Bunny Puff or 75% chance Meat)
 * Beardlord = 2x Beard Hair and 1x Meat
 * Bunnymen automatically becomes Beardlords when player's sanity is below 80 (60 for Wes)
 * Even Bunnymen will attack you if you carry any kind of meats or meat-based crockpot food, eggs except Tailbird eggs, and even Batilisk Wings and Monster Meat; unless occupied with battle.


 * Bunnymen/Beardlords don't eat Meats, Merms do not eat anything.


 * Provides wide variety of loot
 * May choose to transform Bunnymen to Beardlords to change monster drops
 * Once few Rabbit Hutches are built, you can start farming Bunny Puffs and Carrots to place more Bunny Hutches

Disadvantages:

<p style="text-align:right;">(to add photo)
 * Bunny Hutches' crafting materials are only found in Caves.

Merms vs Tentacles. One of the most common battles you'll ever find here is between the Merms and the Tentacles. This is your early source not only of Fish and Frog Legs, but also drops from Tentacles. Tentacles have a 20% chance to drop a Tentacle Spot, 50% Tentacle Spike, and absolute drop of 2 pieces of Monster Meat. Rundown Houses cannot be crafted, so you must rely on the natural order of things in this region. Or you may lure and start a fight between Merms and Tentacles, which (for me) is definitely difficult..

<p style="text-align:right;">(soon to add photo)

Merms vs Spiders. Gathering Fish and Frog Legs this way is highly inefficient, because Spiders eat Merm drops faster than Pigs. Anyway, a single Tier 3 Spider Den placed right beside a single Rundown House is more than enough to eradicate all the Merms inside. Don't expect food loot though.

<u style="font-style:inherit;">Merm Hunting '''. '''Be wary about doing melee against Merms. Merms are regarded as one of the best Kiters and fast runners in-game. You don't need too much tactic against a single Merm by doing fast continuous melee attacks (preferred using of Ctrl + Space buttons). Well of course, you need to at least be wearing a Log Suit and/or Football Helmet, and most importantly, a Tentacle Spike. Yes, you will be hit once, but that Merm is dead in 5 hits of that Tentacle Spike. However, this strategy is not health and armor efficient against a group of Merms without utilizing other items. Though direct melee against 4 Merms at the same time will really hurt you, but they can still be killed this way. There's a better tactic than direct melee against a group of Merms. Tips on easy Merm hunting can be found on Tips and Hints section.

Meat and Pigskin Farm
Using Pigs to hunt for Merm drops, though possible, is ineffective for one big reason: Pigs eat Fish and Frog Legs, and almost any food at all. They even eat Rot.

On the other hand, Merms killing those Pigs is actually a brilliant idea. Since Merms don't eat food, and their Rundown House can hold up to 4 of them, plus, they have a great teamwork, and lastly, their footwork is better...

''Not yet done. I'm adding more content tomorrow. GMT+8''

Maybe I'll remove the boring stuff.

<p class="MsoNormal">- jhepong

<p class="MsoNormal">

Set Pieces
Most of the time when you venture into swamp you may encounter set pieces,they will be dangerous as you may die near them.

<p class="MsoNormal">For example: Reed area. This set piece has abundant amount of reeds but 3 tentacles near them. Its best not to get in as you will suffer great damage and sanity loss.Rundown houses  wont deal as they will get shortly killed by tentacles being near other tentacles. Best way to get rid of them is just wait until tentacles get killed. It will take a long  time but for patience you will be awarded by good amount of reeds.

<p class="MsoNormal">Another set piece is rot trap.This trap wont kill you.but all of your food sources turn stale, for example if you has fresh meat and open chest/backpack you will get your meat stale. if you have stale food. your items will turn spoiled.In the chest or backpack there may be blueprints and good amount of rot (10) which you can use for fertillizing grass tufts,berry bushes.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right;">"Set Pieces" shared by Roud72

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right;">(soon to add photo)

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">