Talk:Stat Growths/@comment-190.22.124.119-20141129003453/@comment-24458380-20141213023454

With regard to sustaining damage on Hard Mode :

On Bitterblack Isle I occasionally get one-shotted (?) by a Cursed Dragon or Gorecyclops. The augments Sanctuary and Tenacity will increase your survivability, but I'd rather not waste any of my six augment slots on defense. I'm maxed out on Wakestones anyway (999), so I'll carry 3-5 as backup.

Just as in Normal Mode the best defense is to focus on offense, ending the fight as quickly as possible.

Hard Mode will teach you to fight smart, with no skill spamming (due to stamina issues) or "Leroy Jenkins" style tanking (due to increased damage). More so than in Normal Mode, you'll probably want to carry extra curatives for stamina and health recovery, as well as stat boosters (like Tagilius' Miracles or Conqueror's Periapts).

Keep your back to a wall in the arenas (like the Rotunda of Dread and Sparyard of Scant Mercy) so you don't get flanked from behind, and use Rusted Weapons to your advantage (*cough* Goldforged Rusted Bow *cough*).

Good for you for choosing to take on Hard Mode, if for no other reason than to get the 2 reward outfits.