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I figured I'd make my own thread on this, as opposed to replying to the occasional one, to help share what I've learned from hardcore mode. While I am by no means expertly skilled or expertly knowledgeable about Minecraft, I believe you don't need a wealth of either to survive in hardcore mode.

So I'm going to propose that you can not only survive, but thrive in hardcore with relatively little skill or knowledge. "Relatively little" mostly means you don't need to be an expert at either thing, but having a reasonable understanding of the game and mechanics is pretty foundational. This will be intended towards Java, since that is the only version I'm familiar with, but many things should translate for Bedrock. If something I say doesn't make sense and you play Bedrock, it's probably a difference with Java and you can ignore it.

I started playing hardcore within the last two years. It's actually just about been the only way I've played since then. I've been playing since 2012 and didn't ever attempt hardcore mode it for a long time. After all, I'm a builder. I fall in love with worlds. Hardcore is a bad idea!

Since then, I've created four substantial hardcore worlds (there was a fifth, but it was shelved very, very early due to time constraints so I won't count it).

One world was started in 1.19, and then updated to 1.20. I died in that world.

Another world was started in 1.20.1, and updated to 1.21.3. This world is "ongoing", and may actually be moved out of hardcore eventually, but in the meantime, I've yet to fail it.

A third world was started in 1.6.4. I considered this world accomplished and stopped playing it.

A final world was started in 1.8.9. I also considered this world accomplished and stopped playing it.

I also played all of these worlds under some pretty strict rules that make them even harder. And yet, I'm finding it not too difficult.

So through all my time having survived, and my one death, I want to share the things I've learned that I think are most important.

1. You need to decide if hardcore is even right for you. Do not play hardcore just because it's a 'trend" or because you think it carries a given "status". Those... are.. meaningless! The purpose of a game is to have fun, and unless you cheat yourself out of the sole reason of playing hardcore, you will lose your world when you die. If that doesn't sound fun to you, don't play hardcore. Your world isn't "lesser" because it's not in hardcore. Hardcore is a punishment, not a status! Remember that. Your world is just as valid if it's not hardcore. That being said, if you want to try it because it sounds like it could inject some passion into your game, read on...

2. Take everything slow and steady. A bit like a romance, haha! But seriously, this is the real secret. Minecraft is a game that gives you, the player, the ability to manipulate the world. Read that again... and then a third time. You can almost always alter the world to give yourself an edge and reduce your risk. This often means approaching the game at a slower pace.

Some Examples of this would be...

Don't rush into that cave until you have good armor.

Don't run through dark caves.

Don't take fall damage (or any damage) that is risky or not necessary. Fall damage and creepers will be your biggest concerns, and perhaps lava too (especially in the nether).

In general, simply always be aware of your surroundings. If you are always aware of your surroundings, then the only reason you should fail is because you made a mistake.

"But Garnet, that ghast spawned and started shooting at me over lava! How is RNG my mistake!?"

That's a good question, but the answer is that it is still your mistake, and here's why. This is where "needing a basic familiarity with the game" comes in. The RNG itself may be random, but if you knew the ghast could spawn... and then did something that could put you into danger knowing that... then you made a mistake. That's not saying don't try things like that, but it is saying you have to be prepared and responsible to accept outcomes that you know may happen due to circumstances you put yourself into. Basically, it means don't do something if you don't have a backup plan if that thing that could happen, does end up happening. So in that example, either don't pillar over lava, don't do it until you're prepared to, or at least accept the risk and be willing to accept the consequences if something bad happens. You can manipulate the environment; there is a safer way to do whatever it is you're trying to do most of the time. It usually just means being careful, and taking it nice and slow. Be... aware.. of your surroundings! Always!

Unless you're churning out some generic Youtuber "Hardcore in X days" content, you don't need to worry about pacing at all. You don't gain anything to get it done sooner. The only thing you're competing against is your health bar not dropping, you're not competing against time or getting certain things done by a certain day count. You set your goals! I'm over 2,500 days in my current hardcore world and have not beaten the ender dragon nor gotten elytra. Why? Because my goal is to explore in that world (and elytra is actually off limits), so there's zero reason to go after the ender dragon. Avoid necessary risks, and take the ones you do have to do carefully and patiently.

3. Here's a good check list I'd do when starting a new world.

First, get a bed! A lot of fun things can be done with beds! Like, you know... skipping the night! You'd be surprised how minimized the risk becomes when you're not allowing most mobs to ever spawn on the surface at least. Find fluffy sheep, get a bed, and always carry one on you. Unless you explicitly have a reason to stay awake through the night, then you should sleep at night.

Secondly, you will be fragile until (in my mind) you get diamond armor with enchantments. Iron armor will still leave you fragile. If you have to, and it is smarter and safer, branch mines for diamonds. Then enchant them.

Many enchantments are luxuries, but I'd personally recommend 3x Protection and 1x Blast Protection (or just 4x Protection), with Feather Falling on the boots as your "core" enchantments. The higher the level, the better.

You will want a golden piece for the nether, and I personally recommend a helmet for this. Yes, the boots require an ingot less to craft but they are less efficient. As for where the various protection enchantments go, if you go with Blast Protection, I'd put it on the helmet or leggings and not the armor or boots. Why? If the armor will be swapped for elytra, you probably don't want to lose blast protection when you're in elytra (personal preference though, so maybe you disagree), and the same goes for if you swap your boots for leather boots for snow.

"What about the helmet, isn't that swapped in the nether so isn't it a bad idea on that too"?

Personal preference, but I say no, it's not bad idea. You don't need Blast Protection in the nether since it's purely desirable for protection against creepers. Use Protection or Fire Protection on the gold nether swap.

Your enchantments for your weapons and tools are pretty standard and probably shouldn't need mentioned (?), but don't overlook smite. It's actually really good because it does extra damage to zombies and skeletons (and other things) and those are very common. You do give up damage against some other common mobs like creepers and spiders, but it might be worth it (and a bow should be employed for creepers given the choice). I'd even recommend having two weapons so you can have both.

4. Shields are overpowered. Seriously, one of your first iron ingots should go towards this. And you should almost always have a shield in your offhand, especially if you're going into a dangerous location (like caves) and before you have diamond enchanted armor.

Totems of the undying are more beneficial when you're flying, and in some other circumstances, but do not sleep on shields. I'd default to having this in your offhand if you're not flying.

5. Your health bar is your most important resource, and stuff that supplements it is too. Nurture it! This might sound obvious, but the bigger thing I'm getting at is your hunger bar. Is it not full? There should be a very good reason if it's not. As soon as you start losing hunger, you eat! Hunger effects health regeneration (this is one that effects Java more than Bedrock), and having it as close to full as possible is better. Don't let it get low and then eat consecutive times in a row. That's fine in survival where you can afford to be risky in order to be lazier by eating less often, but it's poor form in hardcore. I've seen too many deaths that occur where the hunger bar (and sometimes health bar) was low to begin with. That is a mistake, and mistakes can be costly.

I get the feeling I'm forgetting some minor ones maybe? I probably am, so I'll edit them in later if so, but... I think that's at least the important ones. Seriously, it's mostly number two, and everything else I said could even be counted as falling under that.

"Be aware of your surroundings, only proceed if the environment is to your advantage, and be patient."

Pretend you have Slowga cast on yourself!

If something doesn't "feel right", then stop, and wait until you've become aware of the environment and/or altered it to your advantage.

Slow... and... steady.

If you do that, you should only die if you make a silly mistake... like jumping headfirst into a hole with elytra on and dying to fall damage despite having Feather Falling. Now that's just an example because I totally don't know who would do something like that... but it could happen, so be careful! Fall damage (including skeletons knocking you off something) and creepers will be the most common threats.

If anyone has anything they want to add, or feel like I have some bad suggestions, please feel free to give your input. Let's help even causally skilled players like myself thrive in hardcore!

Here's several slightly more niche (but still useful) tips I've learned from watching others' mistakes in Hardcore mode.

1. Ideally, you should swap from Elytra to chestplate upon landing in a dangerous area, such as a dark cave or structure, where you would be highly vulnerable to creeper explosions or high-damage mobs. In most cases, being fully protected and dealing with the situation you are in is far safer than being poorly armored and attempting to flee-fly (although there are some exceptions, for instance if you accidentally summoned a warden).

2. Always be prepared — remember to bring any backup items that can be lifesaving in certain situations. Potions are an excellent example of this: Fire Resistance potions (particularly in their splash form) are essential in the Nether, should you fall into a lava lake, unleash a lava pocket while strip mining for ancient debris, or find yourself in a sticky situation with blazes' long-range fireball attacks. Slow Falling potions are also invaluable during the Ender Dragon fight, as well as when exploring End cities. Water Breathing potions, and milk buckets to counter Mining Fatigue, are fairly useful while raiding ocean monuments. You may also wish to have a good supply of golden apples in your hotbar for more generic cases.

3. Don't be afraid to have your very best gear with you at all times. This is Hardcore mode, so when you die, you lose the world, which is a far greater penalty than losing your fully enchanted Netherite armor and tools.

4. If you are considering attempting a structure that you have never successfully raided before, it may be smart to "practice" that structure in a separate survival world first, so you know what to expect. When I first attempted a Nether fortress in my survival world, I was subjected to over a dozen deaths in the course of several in-game days ... but when you learn from your mistakes and know what to expect, you'll be far more prepared. Hence I was successful when I attempted a nether fortress in Hardcore mode.

5. Unless you are doing this purely for Youtube-type challenges etc., don't attempt dangerous actions, such as parkour jumps over lava or water bucket "clutching," purely to impress others or as a result of peer pressure. Linking back to Tip 2, don't prepare yourself inadequately for this same reason.

Most of those aren't niche and apply pretty broadly. I didn't give too many examples like those since there's hundreds or thousands of them, and they all circle back to falling under "play it safe and slow".

Your third mention is especially important. I was worried about making netherite armor without mending because I thought I'd find myself wanting to revert back to diamond if it was getting low in durability or if I thought I might take a lot of durability loss, and then I realized "saved it for what... it's there to save me!"