So, I'm playing using the easy patch and I've just been confronted by ironclad. No matter what I do though I seem to need to use at least 30 something colour to do ANY damage at all, usually a tiny chip of his health, and often run out before he's even down to 75% life...

Even the pangolin and other parasites seem exceedingly tough, even when using their specific "kill me quick" colours.

I do abhor using cheats on a first playthrough, but I feel like I may well have to. I love all the other aspects of the game, mining, colour planting the sheer visual beauty and uniqueness, but I cannot fight to save my life (literally).

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Ironclad is one of the toughest brothers, with maximum HP about 7500 (or 8000?)

Try collect and grow into your Paletee as much lympha as possible, and use double damage when possible. Note also that in early stages his ring of portable cannons shoots cannonballs randomly, and some of them can destroy your golems (which tend to detonate at any moving physical object except the player).