How to Activate Hard Mode for the Headless Horseman Encounter During Hallow's End

Live Posted 2023/10/18 at 7:10 PM by Neryssa

Headless Horseman Hard Mode BasicsActivating hard mode applies a PERSONAL debuff to you only

Ember Curse - Cursed enemies emit Shadowflame around their location periodically. Each blast inflicts a stack of Wicker Man's Shadow.
Cursed Hot Head - Cursed enemies suffer dark hallucinations manifesting in front of their location. Moving to the hallucination dispels it. Ignoring the hallucination inflicts two stacks of Wicker Man's Shadow to the enemy.
Shadow Curse - Insidious Cackle shackles the souls of cursed enemies in fear. The shackled soul slowly moves towards consuming flames. Souls that reach the flames before their shackles are destroyed inflict two stacks of Wicker Man's Shadow to the afflicted enemy.
Thorny Surprise - Piercing thorns erupt under cursed enemies periodically. Enemies hit by the thorns suffer a stack of Wicker Man's Shadow.

Wicker Man's Shadow - The Wicker Men delight in the target's suffering, reducing the target's maximum health by 10% per stack.

Wicker Man's Protection - The Wicker Men have prevented your death, reducing damage taken and restoring your health. Additionally, their curses have been lifted, forfeiting their rewards.

Headless Horseman Hard Mode RewardsKickin' With the WickLoot-Filled PumpkinThe Horseman's ReinsArfusWindborne Velocidrake: Hallow's End Armor

Zinsus: Is there an increased chance on the first kill of the day for the headless horseman mount? Yes, and the first drop of the day receives a bonus likelihood that scales with the number of curses you apply.

12 3

Comment by Dasroni got arfus, and cant even sell the damn thing >.<Comment by ChaxtonDo hardmode first with your best character, then do normal with your alts? Got it. I did hardmode the second time because I wanted to see how easy it was normally. Feels like it's WAY too long now, even with good gear and players. I don't miss the forced interventions with the head though. Hardmode made the fight significantly more tedious (not hard, tedious. Huge difference), but I'll do it for the dumb dog.Comment by JourneyOverHonestly found hard mode way to easy of a fight, I was expecting it to actually amp up the difficulty a bit but it sadly did not :c I want a real hard mode!Comment by blupachePersonalised hard mode is actually kinda neat.Comment by couchpotato2013Pretty neat fight just got it no issue with a group having 3 of us with all curses, felt like running tol dagor bosses again. No Arfus, armor or bonus horseman mount though. Got the scarlet key though.Comment by garfeeldso is it an increased chance for ANY attempt with the curses or just the first attempt of the day?Comment by TofkeBit annoying that it doesn't give you the achievement when someone rushed and started the event before you activated the 4th curse.

Have been running 'hard mode' on most my characters, none failed. So yeah, its doable on alts or even level 50's just avoid the stuff.
Be nice if tanks would keep in mind that we need extra space, for some reason most of them stick around the 'lava' or fight around the fences. Even with just the normal mechanics its daft.Comment by MrPotatoHeadso is it an increased chance for ANY attempt with the curses or just the first attempt of the day?Comment by MrPotatoHeadBit annoying that it doesn't give you the achievement when someone rushed and started the event before you activated the 4th curse.Comment by Setsuna665didnt realize how to do hard mode till my 12th alt. i already got the mount and the velocidrake i dont use much. i just want arfusComment by TamillerIs it first kill of the day per ACCOUNT or CHARACTER?Comment by N0083rP00FAccountComment by TehLucarioBit annoying that it doesn't give you the achievement when someone rushed and started the event before you activated the 4th curse.

Have been running 'hard mode' on most my characters, none failed. So yeah, its doable on alts or even level 50's just avoid the stuff.
Be nice if tanks would keep in mind that we need extra space, for some reason most of them stick around the 'lava' or fight around the fences. Even with just the normal mechanics its daft.Comment by nayab9So hard mode only does anything first kill per day?
No point activating it thereafter?Comment by Deviousdb1So hard mode only does anything first kill per day?
No point activating it thereafter?Comment by jenraiSee this is why you check before running hardmode on ten alts. Not like it made it that much harder but I feel stupid now.Comment by Nulgari got arfus, and cant even sell the damn thing >.<Comment by RivenbladeI can report that you DO have continual chances to get the rewards by doing hardmode, even on on Alts I didn't get anything on the first two attempts, but on the third I got Arfus, 15 attempts later (yeah no life) I received the Velocidrake Manuscript. The question now, "will the new way be acceptable to the majority, and was this just crazy luck that can't be replicated for most players?" Who knows, but I say... "MORE SOLO CONTENT BLIZZ; PLEASE?"Comment by s4mouraigame, i dont know how, but every time you found a new way to make simple stuff been full of a summer zodiac.

had 3 wipes cuz 1 person was ninja pull the horseman, while rest, incluse me, we needed to activate the curses. spend 20 mins for a kill.

well find a way and fix that @#$%. or just make curses perma at 60+ that the shinnies drop, or make the curses groups wise.

idk, just fix that clown fiesta systemComment by Reydra1986I had all four curses on me, it didnt give the ach at all. Dont know if its bugged or you guys got lucky with it.

12 3