Just thought I would update everyone on my hardcore with harderMF configs challenge. I'm on attempt #2, and so far am still alive. I just leveled up my tools to iron level, and have a full set of iron armor. I have a few growthcraft fishers providing all my food. Surprisingly, 1 fisher can provide just enough food to keep you alive if you cook the fish. I made more to get a surplus so it would be easy to travel. I have a small farm providing cotton (for string), rutabaga (for stock broth), berries, and wheat (for cow farm). I've been traveling around raiding the ore in the surface ravines. This cuts down the number of enemies I run in to since I am still woefully equipped to take on some of these harder foes. I even had to run and hide a few times when I ran into a wandering wisp.
The nastiest enemy I have run into so far is a potion throwing creeper. I got hit by slowness and sprinted away (slow walk really). Luckily I was in a forest biome, so I was able to get the creeper stuck behind some trees while I fled.
My #1 goal at the moment is to find some air shards and gold so I can get started in thaumcraft. I've already made a wand and hoping I can fill it by slaying the passive mobs and occasional enemy I run into along the way. I will be researching towards the lighting focus. That should help even the playing field against some of these enemies I encounter. I have lots of sheep by my base, and wool is an excellent item to throw in the deconstruction table for more research aspects. I just hope I can make it that far. I will have to enter the nether and get some quartz to actually make the focus though, and that part scares me a bit. If I can get some enchanted boots of the traveller (for fall damage) and/or a thaumostatic harness without needing nether quartz, that should help a lot, as flight in the nether really can be a life saver.