Headless Horseman

[capnpop]

The Headless Horseman is a special event in SM: Graveyard.  When you get to the graveyard you will see a pumpkin that will give the quest to summon him.  It is a daily quest so you can do it each day (75s reward).  You will receive a candle that you can turn in directly behind the pumpkin to start the event.

This fight is in three stages with "breaks" in between:

Phase 1: Headless Horseman will attack whoever summoned him so position tank right next to that person to get aggro ASAP.  This is a strait up tank and spank but once the Horseman hits 0-1% the head comes off.

Between 1: These between phases are all the same. The body will stay on the main tank but will eventually whirlwind throughout the group.  This whirlwind hurts A LOT.  During this phase the head will be floating around.  Focus all DPS on the head.  After a certain amount of time or damage the body will be at 100% again and the head will reattach itself.

Phase 2: After the first head removal and reattachment phase 2 starts.  This is the same as phase 1 but the horseman will eventually toss out a flaming "something" and hit someone with it.  This causes a disorient effect on the target and does fire damage to the target and surrounding party members.  I don't know if it is dispellable.  Once again DPS the horseman to 0-1% and the head will once again detach.

Between 2: This is the same as the first between phase.  The body will continue to whirlwind occasionally.  This in-between seems to be shorter but the head should be down to around 30-45% at this point.  The head will once again attach.

Phase 3: During this phase fast DPS is the key.  The headless horseman will toss out pumpkins all around him that will transform into vine-like things with pumpkin heads.  They hit clothies for 600-800 and killing them is painfully inefficient (I tried to SoC them while they were "growing" and it didn't do anything).  The adds will continue to come until you kill the horseman again (3-5 adds per time he throws the pumpkins out).

Between 3: This is the final phase.  Same as the others, just kill the head.  The adds will likely be running around and the body will be doing its whirlwind, once you kill the head everything will die.  Enjoy the loot.

Note: The Headless Horseman is NOT undead (for some reason??) so exorcism will not work to pull him.  I'd also advise clearing most or all of SM: Graveyard beforehand (at least the courtyard area).

[usonian]

I think only the person who picks up the quest has it count towards the daily limit, so theoretically you could run it up to five times if you had a five man group right?

Also, I think the head rejoins the body after you take about 30% of it's damage away so the phases are every 1/3 of the head's life.

:pumpk8: :pumpk8: :pumpk8:

Oh, and if you wipe you can't get the quest again until the next day. :hallo7:

[capnpop]

I don't know about the 30% thing.  We brought it down to 50-65% after the first phase.  The next one seemed to last only 15-20% or so.  Then the last time we just burned the head fast...  For some reason the 2nd time going after the head is incredibly fast... (perhaps DoTs remaining on it after the first phase continuing to do dmg to just the head...).

[Thane]

I wasted him in a pug twice today, its really pretty easy. just gotta take the head out every time it leaves the body. and when the adds come at the end, just "zerg" the heck outa him.  i think thats the right term. just always waste that head....I got some damn broom, and a helmet that looks like a pumpkin.