The Headless Horseman in WotLK 3.3.5a: the fight, the loot, and farming The Horseman's Reins
The Headless Horseman is the boss of Hallow’s End, the Halloween world event. Once a year he rides out over the Scarlet Monastery Graveyard, and for two weeks every level 80 in the realm queues for him. He drops strong rings for a fresh character, and his daily pumpkin holds one of the most wanted mounts in Wrath of the Lich King: The Horseman’s Reins, the Headless Horseman’s Mount.
This guide covers how to reach him, how the fight works, what he drops and how often, and how to give yourself the best chance at the mount before the event ends on 1 November. For the rest of the event, see the Hallow’s End guide.
Where the Headless Horseman is
The Headless Horseman is fought in the Scarlet Monastery Graveyard, the first wing of the Scarlet Monastery in Tirisfal Glades. You don’t need to travel there, though. During Hallow’s End, a level 80 character can queue for him through the Dungeon Finder, where he’s listed as a holiday dungeon. The queue builds a five-player group and puts you straight into the Graveyard.
Once inside, the group summons him at the centre of the Graveyard, and the fight starts as he rides in.
How the fight works
The Headless Horseman is a short fight that a normal five-player group at level 80 handles easily. There are three phases.
- Mounted: he rides in on his horse and fights from the saddle. Tank him, burn him down.
- Headless: at low health he loses his head. His body keeps fighting while the head flies around the area. Damage the head when it lands, because that’s what ends the phase. Each time this happens, the body gets back up stronger.
- Final phase: he summons pulsing pumpkins around the area. Kill them quickly, or they turn into fiends that attack the group, then finish him off.
The fire he leaves around the Graveyard is the main danger. Move out of it, keep the pumpkins under control, and the fight is over in a couple of minutes.
Loot: what the Headless Horseman drops
His own loot, every kill
Every kill gives one of three item level 200 rings:
- Ring of Ghoulish Glee
- The Horseman’s Seal
- Wicked Witch’s Band
At item level 200 they are a good upgrade for a new level 80 who is still in dungeon gear. He also has a chance to drop the Weighted Jack-o’-Lantern, a fun toy that puts a pumpkin on other players’ heads.
The Loot-Filled Pumpkin, your first kill each day
Your first kill of the day also gives a Loot-Filled Pumpkin. This is where the rare rewards are. Its contents and chances:
| Item | What it is | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Tricky Treats | The event’s candy currency | Always |
| Emblem of Frost | The best emblem in WotLK 3.3.5a | Always |
| Magic Broom | A broom you can ride during the event | 20% |
| Flying Broom | A flying broom for the event | 10% |
| Sinister Squashling | A pumpkin companion pet | 8% |
| Hallowed Helm | A cosmetic pumpkin-head helm | 8% |
| The Horseman’s Horrific Helm | Item level 200 plate helm | 2% |
| The Horseman’s Baleful Blade | Item level 200 sword | 2% |
| The Horseman’s Reins | The Headless Horseman’s Mount | 1% |
How to farm The Horseman’s Reins
The mount comes only from the daily pumpkin, at about 1%. Each character can open one Loot-Filled Pumpkin a day. So the way to farm it is simple, if slow:
- Queue every day of the event. Two weeks of daily kills is about fourteen tries per character.
- Bring every level 80 you have. Each character gets its own pumpkin, so two level 80s double your chances, and three triple them.
- Don’t skip the first kill. Extra kills the same day give the rings and the toy, but not another pumpkin.
At 1% a try, most players won’t see the mount in a single year, and some will see it on the first day. It’s worth doing anyway: the Emblem of Frost alone makes the daily kill worth a few minutes, and the Squashling and the Hallowed Helm count toward the event’s achievements.
The Headless Horseman and the Hallowed title
Killing the Headless Horseman earns the achievement Bring Me The Head of… Oh Wait, one of the steps to Hallowed Be Thy Name and the title the Hallowed. The Sinister Squashling and the Hallowed Helm from his pumpkin count toward the same meta. The full list is in the Hallow’s End achievements guide.
Where to farm him
Lasthavens is a free Wrath of the Lich King 3.3.5a realm that runs in your browser, on PC, phone or tablet. Hallow’s End is live until 1 November, and the Headless Horseman is in the Dungeon Finder for every level 80.
Create a free account and play in your browser. Still levelling? Double experience gets you to 80 faster, and the leveling guides help too.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to the Headless Horseman in WotLK?
During Hallow's End, a level 80 character queues for him through the Dungeon Finder, where he appears as a holiday dungeon. The queue puts your group in the Scarlet Monastery Graveyard, where he is summoned.
What is the drop rate of The Horseman's Reins?
The Horseman's Reins come from the Loot-Filled Pumpkin you get for your first Headless Horseman kill each day, with about a 1% chance. Each character can open one pumpkin per day, so more characters at level 80 means more chances.
Can you get the Headless Horseman's Mount more than once a day?
Each character gets one Loot-Filled Pumpkin a day, from its first kill. You can kill him again the same day for his normal loot, but the mount only comes from the pumpkin.
What rings does the Headless Horseman drop?
He drops one of three item level 200 rings every kill: the Ring of Ghoulish Glee, The Horseman's Seal and the Wicked Witch's Band. They are good upgrades for a new level 80.
How long does Hallow's End last?
Hallow's End runs from 18 October to 1 November, so there are about two weeks to farm the Headless Horseman each year.