The first episode of Let's Play Minecraft Hardcore opens on the Create New World screen. The world is called BasketMC, the game mode is Hardcore ("Same as survival mode, locked at hardest difficulty, and one life only"), and the seed is a fresh one Basket hasn't seen. The goal for the series is set right away: "eventually, hopefully, get to the end and kill the dragon in the end."
Snow, spruce and a crafting table
The world loads in a snowy spruce forest beside a river. Basket isn't promising speed. "I'm not a racer or anything, so it might take me a while." The Nether and alchemy are on the wish list too. For now it's the usual start: punch trees, make planks, set down a crafting table on the snow, and craft the first wooden tools. Partway through, the "Getting Wood" achievement pops up, the moment the episode is named for.
Pigs, chickens and not enough wool
Next comes food. Basket goes after the pigs on the riverbank and picks up porkchops, with chickens wandering the sand nearby. A bed is the other goal. "I'd like to set up a bed, too, so let's get some wool." Basket comes up short. "I need two more wool." Basket admits sleeping through the night "feels a little bit like cheating," but plans to do it anyway, since the night is long and dark otherwise.
A dungeon already
Past the snow the land turns to grass, and Basket finds a spot with exposed stone and some cows. "The cows are really nice to eat." Then a cave opening turns up something better. "Woah, a cobblestone, a dungeon already, well that's interesting, hmm, I have to remember that." Zombies come out of the dark, and Basket fights them off with the sword. Later Basket guesses what spawns there: "looks like it's a zombie one, which isn't as exciting, but there could be good stuff in there."
There's stone to mine, so a furnace is next. "I guess I can just mine some of this and make a furnace." Down in the cave, a creeper walks out of the shadows. "Oh, creeper."
Company at the furnace
Basket sets the furnace and crafting table into a small dugout in the ground, a place to hide out until a real base spot turns up. There's no coal yet, so the furnace makes charcoal from wood, and the charcoal becomes torches. The light doesn't keep everything away. Zombies and a creeper come straight at the furnace, and Basket fights them off one by one. "A little jumpy. All the creepers are all around the corner."
Next time
The episode ends there, with Basket alive at the furnace and a plan for next time: "see if we can build a mob trap and a little protection from all these bad guys."