Once you've mastered a few tricks, the combat gets easier. The only fights I fear now are the Gith, the Minotaurs and the Bulette, and sometimes the Kuo-Toa will put one of my party down. Most of the battles are tough if you just blunder into them, but a bit of scouting and preparation will vastly improve your chances.
- Advantage: always attack from behind or above, or when the enemy is threatened
- Allies: help is available from many sources. You can get the Flind fighting on your side in the main Gnoll battle, which turns it from challenging into a breeze, and Glut is invaluable in the Underdark. If you have a warlock, the imp companion is OP.
- Armor class: always have those who can use shields finish their turn with their shield equipped, even if they attacked with a bow or two-handed weapon. With the right equipment and stat boosts, you can have most of your team at AC19 by level 4.
- Environment: scan the terrain for useful hazards that you can shove/blast enemies into, shoot down (stalactites, stone blocks, braziers, statues) or blow up
- Equipment: obtain the best equipment you can ASAP - Zevlor's gloves, helmets to prevent crits, Scale Armor +1 for medium armor wearers and Studded Light for light wearers, whatever +1 or +2 weapons traders are selling). Pick up bows for everyone ASAP as they have a better chance to hit and do more damage than most low-level spells, even in the hands of a cleric or mage.
- Food: some food items heal better than potions - mostly joints of meat. Have each character carry one around. The gruel that you get from the old woman in the Druid Grove is also a fantastic health boost (you can get 10 portions if you talk to her with every character and choose the right dialogue path).
- Hide: before a battle starts, hide some characters in good locations, to increase their advantage on their first attack. They can also join in when you want them to.
- Jump: use to cover more distance in battle and to position yourself strategically
- Light: have some sort of light source in dark areas for your non-night vision characters (Light spell, Dancing Lights, rings of light, torch, another fire source)
- Dipping and coating: carry around candles or torches to drop and dip your weapons into, and don't skimp on using poison potions (there are at least 40 in EA). The extra damage can be crucial in ending fights more quickly.
- Weapon selection: you may have preferred weapons for each character, but once you build up a collection, you can switch according to your needs on any given turn. Sometimes a Cleave will take out a few enemies at once, so equip a sword or axe; on other occasions, you might achieve the same effect with Rush, so use a spear or pike.
- Efficiency: never waste an action or bonus action. If you're injured, drink a potion or eat some gruel. If you're at full health, hide. If you can't hide, dip. If you can't dip, jump somewhere safer/more strategically useful.
- Buff, buff, buff: have any mages cast Mage Armor at the start of each day, have a cleric cast Aid on the party, and cast Longstrider on your best fighter (all three last until next long rest or death). There are tons of potions of haste, invisibility and hill giant strength, too, although I'd save them for the hardest fights.
Happy fighting!
In other words you are saying we should all embrace the cheese
