Horseless Headless Horsemann match-ups

Note : Wearing the Saxton Hale Mask or the Horseless Headless Horsemann's Head will make you immune to its scare ability. Use these if you plan on hunting multiple incarnations of the Horsemann.

Class			Strategy
Scout	vs	Horseless Headless Horsemann	Playing as Scout while being 'IT' allows you to evade the Horsemann more easily than other classes due to your agility and ability to double/triple jump. Luring the Horsemann if you are 'IT' towards the enemy team's spawn room will provide a much needed distraction. The Sandman baseball and Fan O' War are ineffective against the undead horseman. Bonk! will allow you to survive the Horsemann's axe hits for a short time (and even allow you to use the knockback to your advantage). The Shortstop remains the Scout's best weapon choice in case a head-on assault against the Horsemann is required.
Soldier	vs	Horseless Headless Horsemann	Rocket jumping over the Horsemann while "IT" will cause him to hesitate briefly while changing directions.It can also keep you well outside of the reach of his attacks, thus giving you the opportunity to either make an escape or draw the Horsemann into a group of enemies. The Buff Banner will not charge while doing damage to the Horsemann and thus is not recommended. Use the Shotgun instead, making the switch when you run out of ammo for your primary weapon. This layout allows you to deal the most damage to the Horsemann. The special ability of the Black Box does not work and is a considerable drawback when the reduced ammo is taken into account. Charging a busy Horsemann with the Equalizer at very low health can be effective if the enemy team is away as your crits will deal ~300 damage. The Half-Zatoichi does not properly behave against a Horsemann kill, and should not be utilized. The Gunboats will allow a skilled Soldier to entirely kill a Horsemann on his own, should the Horsemann be properly kited. A friendly Kritzkrieg Medic will allow a skilled Soldier to make short work of the Horsemann, as a pack of critical rockets and Shotgun shells will take a large chunk of his health away.
Pyro	vs	Horseless Headless Horsemann	Because the Horsemann does not suffer afterburn damage, using the Pyro against the Horseless Headless Horsemann is inadvisable. In addition, the Pyro's short range of effectiveness makes attacking head-on a very deadly prospect. However, using the Backburner while he is distracted can be moderately effective in defeating it. The Flare Gun is possibly the worst weapon to use against the Horsemann (minus the Fan O' War) as it cannot catch on fire. Only the minimal flare impact damage will register.
Demoman	vs	Horseless Headless Horsemann	The Demoman can deal a considerable amount of damage to the Horsemann by planting stickybombs where the Horsemann spawns, before he appears. This strategy is particularly effective with a Kritzkrieg charge. Direct hits with the Grenade Launcher or Loch 'n' Load will cause large amounts of damage to the Horsemann, so it is advisable to lead your shots slightly to ensure they connect. It is also possible to briefly outrun him by charging with the Chargin' Targe in a single direction across open ground, although given the Horsemann can one-hit kill anyone he so desires, going toe-to-toe with him in melee combat is very inadvisable.
Heavy	vs	Horseless Headless Horsemann	The Heavy is the best head-on class against the Horsemann, should he not be "IT". Any Minigun will shred the boss in a matter of seconds at short range, even without criticals. Be aware that the Heavy has no real means of getting away from an angered undead horsemann wearing a pumpkin for a hat, and thus should be relying on the Gloves of Running Urgently in such situations. The Shotgun should never be used, as the time between shots and damage spread mean you will always get more damage from your primary weapon. The Steak is also not recommended, except to attempt quick getaways. The Brass Beast, even with a Kritzkrieg, is only recommended if the Horsemann is already busy, as your extremely sluggish will tempt even the enemy team to focus on you. A Heavy/Medic pair should camp the control point where it will spawn next, while building up a Kritzkrieg charge. The damage resulting from such an attack is usually enough to kill the Horsemann almost immediately following its spawn animation.
Engineer	vs	Horseless Headless Horsemann	Sentry Guns will target the Horsemann even when it is outside their normal range. Since the Horsemann is not affected by knockback, the player should never rely on his sentry to keep the monster away. Note that the Wrangler's slight auto-aim will not activate on the boss, rendering it slightly more difficult to keep the Sentry Gun's fire on target. In addition, the Horsemann will attack anything blocking his path - this includes untargeted players and buildings. Keep in mind wrangled Sentry Guns can survive a few axe hits, allowing you and your team to profit from the distraction.
Medic	vs	Horseless Headless Horsemann	Use your ÜberCharge on a teammate so they can attack the Horsemann. While the Horsemann will ignore a ubercharged individual for as long as possible, keep in mind it will attempt to bat you away should you be in its way. The undead boss can also easily counter an ubercharged pair by stunning them with its special scare ability. Your Übersaw is ineffective against the boss due to the close quarters, and thus should not be used. If you do not have an ÜberCharge or Kritzkrieg charge, it is best advised to stay away and build one up.
Sniper	vs	Horseless Headless Horsemann	The basic Sniper is very limited against the Horsemann, as headshots from the standard Sniper Rifle do not deal extra damage. However, charging shots is still worthwhile as the damage will properly scale against the undead horror. The Huntsman deals extra damage on headshots against the monstrosity, effectively rendering a skilled bow Sniper able to defeat the boss on his own in a short matter of time. The Horsemann has no blood to lose, and thus the Tribalman's Shiv is very inadvisable. Jarate does not affect the Horsemann, although the Sydney Sleeper's faster charge rate makes it more useful than the standard Sniper Rifle, as he is immune to headshots.
Spy	vs	Horseless Headless Horsemann	The Spy is rather ineffective against the Horsemann as a Backstab will not result in an instant death or a critical hit and does not contribute significant damage. As with the Sniper Rifle, the Ambassador does not contribute extra damage via headshots. The L'Etranger will not provide Cloak upon a successful hit. This, coupled with its lower overall damage, makes the Revolver the most worthwhile weapon, although it should only be used against the Horsemann if it is focused on another player. The Dead Ringer's feign death ability will allow you to survive one hit per use, giving the Spy more survivability against the Horsemann. As with any other on-hit effect weapons, Your Eternal Reward and the Conniver's Kunai will not grant you a bonus upon getting the last hit on a Horsemann and should be avoided. The Horseless Headless Horsemann is a product of black evil magic, and thus is not fooled by disguises or invisibility.

See also

• Scream Fortress
• Mann Manor