In most of the campaigns I DM, a TPK can happen at any time. My players still use the "divide and be conquered" strategy (E.g., "Tom, you ride up on that hill alone and start shooting; Dick, you sneak into the enemy camp; Harry, you cast water walking and charge across the river! This plan can't fail!"), and are frequently "captured" by enemies. I usually just re-write the direction of the campaign to accomodate it.
In a campaign I recently played in, death was fantastically common. The DM isn't too into story, but is quite a tactical mind. It was just lots of combat (which, since we knew what to expect, was a ton of fun), and I think at least one character would die each session. There were no TPKs, but there was always someone "stepping up" and sacrificing their character to let the party live.
I'm Cleo!
In a campaign I recently played in, death was fantastically common. The DM isn't too into story, but is quite a tactical mind. It was just lots of combat (which, since we knew what to expect, was a ton of fun), and I think at least one character would die each session. There were no TPKs, but there was always someone "stepping up" and sacrificing their character to let the party live.
I'm Cleo!
