Talk:Heroic Mode/@comment-4199297-20170116151138

Getting DF+ vs getting SF non-plus (location 1-6 + 7-12 vs 1-6 + 13-15) when you don't have the right DF+/SF:

Getting the DF+: start location 11 and/or 12 from day 1. I think 12 takes me 2 or 3 heals and 1 or 2 revives at 8/8 per run. Total time needed: about 2-3 runs/day, so most of the week to complete those 2x8. The other 10x8 can be run whenever a run at 11 or 12 finishes, since you can run those without heals middle of the run (10, maybe 9 probably need the remaining 4-6 friends you don't use at 11 and 12). Just make sure you either run naturally or with potions enough to start crafting the non-plus early enough so you don't have to waste gems on speeding up the craft.

Getting a SF: With rests after (nearly) every screen and maybe gemming once if unlucky misses or boss RNG makes you not complete a screen, location 13 should probably take 1 - 1 1/2 days and location 14 1 1/2 - 2 days with nearly only gemming on the last screen. For location 15 the situation is a bit different, needing to probably gem 1-3 times per screen, since 2 of the minions will 2-shot epic+/DF even with non-weak elements. It will probably take 2 days to complete the 10 screens with the 9 heals and likely take about 200 gems if you don't have the right element DF+/SF.

Which to pick: DF+:
 * - takes longer to collect
 * - needs DF non-plus crafting at least 3 days before the end
 * total gems probably similar
 * + higher power

SF:
 * + quicker to collect
 * total gems probably similar
 * - lower power if not enough silver coins
 * + skill

Next step: research the minion orders of the random-boss screens of the "hardcore" locations, since usually 2 of the minions are what's wiping your party (a water element minion on Zephyr Plateau can kill my 99/105 earth/earth Sylvanus Stonemail SF on its own), so you can set armor elements order for the most common minion order, since with 2400/2400 to 3000/3000 armors, "getting through 1 screen without needing a revive" is your goal (in addition to them being strong and not weak vs the end boss)