Horseless Headless Horsemann

Horseless Headless Horsemann
Basic Information
Icon:	N/A
Type:	NPC
Health:	5000 +200 for each player in the server past 10.

“

This is my world! You are not welcome in my world! Click to listen — The Soldier on the Horseless Headless Horsemann

”

The Horseless Headless Horsemann (often abbreviated HHH) is an enemy that appears in Mann Manor. As the undead form of Silas Mann, this character will spawn out of the currently contested control point after a pre-determined amount of time, and proceed to hunt down and kill players on both teams. Due to immense size and strength, the Horsemann is capable of instantly killing any player or building he strikes. He will continue his massacre until killed by a player (or players).

The Horseless Headless Horsemann is referred to as "Team Fortress's first boss monster" on the official Scream Fortress update page.

Mechanics

Player Targeting

A player within a certain proximity to the Horseless Headless Horsemann when it spawns or loses its target will be designated as "It," whereupon they become the primary target for the Horseless Headless Horsemann.

The current ("It") is marked with a floating white skull-and-crossbones symbol, but the status can be passed on by striking a player on the opposing team with a melee weapon. The Horseless Headless Horsemann can change targets if the player marked "It" moves close enough to RED or BLU's spawn, moves out of range from the Horseless Headless Horsemann, or survives for thirty seconds without being killed.

If no one is "It", the Horseless Headless Horsemann may perform a "Boo" taunt. When doing so, he crouches and spreads his arms wide while releasing a loud "Boo!", stunning anyone in a range of 500 units. This is similar to the Ghost's effect and can also grant the Scared Stiff Scarechievement. Wearing the Horseless Headless Horsemann's Head or the Saxton Hale Mask provides immunity from being stunned in this way.

Horsemann Health

The Horseless Headless Horsemann has a base health of 3000, increasing by 200 per player in the server, setting his health at 7800 (24-player server) or a maximum of 9400 (in an increased slot 32-player server). He will not spawn if there are under 10 players in the server, placing his minimum possible health at 5000. The Horseless Headless Horsemann will begin to "shiver" when he has been defeated before exploding. The game will then announce his annihilation via a sound and message on screen.

The Horseless Headless Horsemann spawns roughly every 8 minutes (± 1 minute), and can only spawn on the map Mann Manor.

Holiday items

Contributing to killing the Horseless Headless Horsemann awards both the Sleepy Holl0wnd ghostchievement and the Horseless Headless Horsemann's Head hat. If a player delivers a killing melee blow, either delivering the fatal melee hit or being one of the last three to deliver a melee hit, that player will receive an Unusual Haunted Metal Scrap and the Gored ghostchievement.

General Strategy

Damage graph showing the number of players, vs. health of the Horseless Headless Horsemann.

• A strategy for the player designated "It" is to act as bait for the Horseless Headless Horsemann, while all other players inflict as much damage as they can.
• The Horseless Headless Horsemann's target can trap him by standing on the ledge behind the wall of the shack on the rock outcrop. Standing there while targeted makes the Horseless Headless Horsemann attack the wall of the shack and ignore all other players, including those attacking him with melee weapons. Using this method, the "Gored!" ghostchievement can be easily obtained.
• Any on-hit effects such as the Buff Banner's rage building does not affect the Horseless Headless Horsemann. The Horseless Headless Horsemann is also completely immune to all status ailments, such as being coated in Jarate or Mad Milk, affected by afterburn, slowdown, The Sandman's ball, and knockback. However, the Horseless Headless Horsemann is affected by Critical damage and damage ramp up/falloff. Damage to the Horseless Headless Horsemann does not display damage text, or play hit sounds.
• Grenades from the Loch-n-Load will bounce off the Horseless Headless Horsemann on contact.
• The control points stay active while the Horseless Headless Horsemann is out. It is a good strategy to use this time to take control of the point while the enemy is distracted.
• A strategy regarding RED on Point C is to stay as close as possible to the spawn and retreat into the spawn as soon as a player on said team is "It". The Horseless Headless Horsemann will spend most of the time chasing BLU, thus defending Point C. This strategy works well with Sentry Guns guarding the point.
• Use the gap around the final control point as a buffer. If the HHH gets too close, it is possible to simply jump the gap while he will be forced to manouver around the crack in the floor in order to reach the player.
• Though the Horseless Headless Horsemann can chase the player designated "It" onto the roof of B, he cannot chase a player onto the roofs of the buildings near it. Therefore, it is still possible to deal damage without the risk of being killed.

For class specific strategies see Horseless Headless Horsemann match-ups.

Related Achievements

Sleepy Holl0WND Kill the Horseless Headless Horsemann. Reward: Horseless Headless Horsemann's Head

Gored! Collect the Horseless Headless Horsemann's Haunted Metal Scrap.

Update history

October 28, 2010 Patch

• The Horseless Headless Horsemann can now climb the ladder at point B.

November 1, 2010 Patch

• Fixed a minor issue with the Horseless Headless Horsemann.

Trivia

Presumably Silas Mann in the Mann family portrait. Notice that he is holding keys and nametags, and something is burning in the fireplace.

• The Horseless Headless Horsemann is a parody of the Headless Horseman from the story Template:W by Template:W.
• The Horseless Headless Horsemann has several unused animations that can be found in the game files. These include the "Cheers" thumbs up action and Medic calls. This is due to the Horseless Headless Horsemann using many of the Demoman's original animations.
  • The animation the Horseless Headless Horsemann uses when walking changes depending on how much health he has. After he loses a certain percentage of health, (presumably 50%) he stops using the Eyelander/Skullcutter/Claidheamh Mòr walk animation (two handed) and starts using the Bottle/Pain Train/Frying Pan/Ullapool Caber walk animation (one handed).
  • There is an unused jump animation which is left over from the Demoman. This animation is unused, as the Horseless Headless Horsemann never actually jumps, though he will fall from a higher level if he is chasing someone. He will otherwise walk around height obstacles or change his target.
• The Horseless Headless Horsemann's kills count as environmental deaths. Therefore, achievements such as Foul Territory for the Scout can be achieved by stunning someone about to be killed by the Horseless Headless Horsemann.
• Bots will not attack the Horseless Headless Horsemann and will ignore him completely.
• The Horseless Headless Horsemann does not do damage in the regular manner. It will always kill a regular player in one hit, regardless of how much health they have. The only exceptions are Bonk! Atomic Punch, an ÜberCharge and the Dead Ringer.
  • The Horseless Headless Horsemann will continue to attack you until someone else becomes "It", or the invulnerability effect is over and it kills you.
• A special Sourcemod plugin allows admins to spawn the HHH all year long.
• The train in Well can run over the Horseless Headless Horsemann and kill it instantly, similarly to the train hitting any other player.

Gallery

• 

  The Horseless Headless Horsemann attacking some members of both teams

• 

  An in-game screenshot of the Horseless Headless Horsemann

• 

  The icon which appears above a scared player

• 

  The Horseless Headless Horsemann's kill icon