Ive read a few 'horror' stories about people switching straight from 18/6 to 12/12 and the plants have died

You've got to be kidding. The plants didn't die because of the change in light schedule. They died because of something else like switching to too much bloom nutes, or ...
Opie Yutts Reviewed by Opie Yutts on . which lighting technique is better gradually shifting from 24/0 to 12-12 or just shifting it from 24-0 to 18-6 to 12-12 Rating: 5