Just adding my own two cents, although I'm a mxl noob.
I've found making honorific gloves, boots, and belt gives you the best mods for LC1. I maxed the resists on the gloves and belt, then added some FHR and -%enemy resists (fire/poison), then the boots I maxed the FHR and added some resists and -%enemy resists.
That, combined with the FHR and defense from my other gear put me around 6-7k defense and 5 fps FHR (just short of hitting 4 fps at that time).
Using that with a honorific bonesplitter MO with %ed, +max dmg, IAS, miasma, and crucify made the challenge a cake walk.