Hardcore

Hardcore is a play style that limits the interactions a player may have with other players and the items that are available. A player may elect to enter hardcore mode as part of the ascension process.

A Hardcore player is limited in the following ways:

• Unable to receive Clan Buffs, meat from the Meat Tree, adventures from the Calendar of Loathing, and take items out of the Clan Stash

  You can't take items from the stash while you're in Hardcore mode.

• Unable to receive buffs from other players
• Unable to buy items at The Mall of Loathing

  You can't buy items at the Mall while you're in Hardcore mode.

• Unable to buy or sell items at The Flea Market:

  You may not use the Flea Market in hardcore mode.

  You can't sell items at the Flea Market while you're in Hardcore mode.

• Unable to receive items via KMail other than as a gift package that can only be opened after completing the hardcore run.

  That player cannot receive Meat or items from other players right now. If you want to send them something to open later, try The Gift Shop in Market Square.

• Unable to use skills that have been gained through normal/softcore ascensions

In many ways, Hardcore is very similar to the Ronin phase, however it differs in the following ways:

• Only those skills you retained as hardcore permanent (as opposed to normal permanent) from previous Hardcore ascensions will be usable in Hardcore mode. Skills made permanent from normal ascensions will be inaccessible until you ascend and elect to do another normal ascension.
• In order for a skill to be made hardcore permanent, it must be obtained while still in hardcore (before freeing the King).
• Hardcore mode lasts from the time you return from Valhalla after electing to do Hardcore until you free King Ralph XI, regardless of the number of adventures used.
• You cannot remove anything from storage except for Mr. Accessories, and you cannot equip these. If you receive a Mr. Accessory during a hardcore run through donation, you will not be able to equip it. Items from Mr. Store may not be equipped either, but you can use or zap them. Familiars from Mr. Store may still be placed in your terarrium and function normally, and items with a "use" (or "squeeze") link may be used as normal.

Upon completion of a Hardcore ascension, the player receives a number of bonuses that are either increased or not given to a player who has completed a Normal ascension (see Letter from King Ralph XI for the list).

See Also

• Ascension
• Hardcore Strategy