This page details where to find and how to defeat Mad Pumpkin Head in Limgrave. Includes an overview of attacks and strategy to defeat him.
| Runes | Drops |
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Unlocks access to Sorceress Sellen |
Mad Pumpkin Head Location in Limgrave¶
You’ll find Mad Pumpkin Head in the Waypoint Ruins Cellar, which is located on the other side of the lake to the east from the Church of Elleh, or just northwest from Fort Haight West, as shown on the map below. You’ll want to kill this boss early on if you’re a class which can benefit from Sorcery spells, since you’ll gain access to Sorceress Sellen upon defeating Mad Pumpkin Head. Once he’s dead, you’ll be able to use a Site of Grace in the cellar, and you can open the door at the back of the cellar to speak with Sorceress Sellen and purchase a number of Sorcery Spells from her.
The location of Mad Pumpkin Head, at the Waypoint Ruins in Eastern Limgrave.
Attacks¶
The Mad Pumpkin Head primarily wields a flail. He’ll use this to execute most of his attacks, but there are some others that he’ll use which don’t involve the flail, so you’ll need to be ready for these.
One / Two-hit Sweeping Flail Attack¶
The most common attack that he’ll use is a sweeping attack, during which he swings the flail to his right, and then again to his left. He’ll sometimes stop short and only swing the flail to the right, before pausing for a different attack.
Left Hand Swipe Attack¶
This attack is sometimes used at the end of any combo attack, making it particularly deadly since it’s difficult to predict when it will be used. You’ll need to look out for the left hand swinging from behind the Mad Pumpkin Head, and dodge accordingly.
The below gif shows the overhead slam, left hand swipe, and right flail swipe attack.
Uppercut Flail Attack¶
This will sometimes be incorporated into the rotation of attacks, and essentially consists of Mad Pumpkin Head swinging his flail upwards in an uppercut fashion, before slamming it down on the ground again, in exactly the same way as the overhead slam attack.
The below gif shows the uppercut attack followed by the slam flail attack.
Head Slam¶
One of the most difficult attacks to avoid if you’re in close range is the head slam, during which Mad Pumpkin Head literally slams his head on the ground in front of him. This can inflict massive damage. You’ll need to look out for when he raises his head towards the ceiling, indicating an incoming head slam.
Winding Slam Flail Attack¶
This one consists of Mad Pumpkin Head briefly winding up the flail at this side before swinging it over his head and slamming it down in front of him.
The below gif shows the winding overhead flail attack.
Strategy¶
The strategy for defeating Mad Pumpkin Head will depend on your class, but as with most of these boss fights, it will come down to how well you anticipate the attacks, and how quickly you avoid or counter them. Whether you’re a melee or ranged focused class, using your Spirit Calling Bell to summon assistance from your spirit allies will make the fight much easier. Not only will these inflict extra damage, they’ll also serve as a distraction, keeping Mad Pumpkin Head away from you for much if not most of the fight.
Now comes the interesting part. If you’re a melee user, you can strike at Mad Pumpkin Head from behind as your spirit allies retain his attention. He will almost certainly turn to you at some point however, and you can deal with his attacks in different ways depending on your gear. If you have a good shield which negates 100% of physical damage, you can block most of Mad Pumpkin Head’s attacks without taking any damage. This gives you the confidence to wait for his attacks to finish before striking with a series of swift blows or a heavy attack as he recovers between attacks. So long as you’re locked on to the target and you’re facing him, you should block every attack, unless you have no stamina at the point of blocking. If you don’t have a shield, you’ll need to dodge and roll to avoid being hit by these attacks, then move in for a few hits as he recovers.
(1 of 2) Be ready to hit Mad Pumpkin Head from behind when he’s distracted.
Be ready to hit Mad Pumpkin Head from behind when he’s distracted. (left), Any attacks which hit his armored head will inflict no damage. (right)
Try not to spam too many dodges or rolls at once, thereby wasting valuable stamina. You’ll want to preserve as much stamina as possible for last minute dodges or swift attacks, so learn the timing of the attacks to become familiar with how many rolls or dodges you’ll need for each. This may sound like a lot of work, but it comes easy enough even during the first attempt so long as you pay attention to the animations.
The fight is fairly simple once you become familiar with Mad Pumpkin Head’s attacks, but you’ll need to maintain good block / dodge form to avoid being hit as a melee user. If your class focuses more on ranged attacks, especially if you’re a magic user, the fight is arguably even more easy. A spirit summon will draw Mad Pumpkin Head’s attention away from you initially, giving you plenty of time to prepare spells and inflict massive damage from afar. When Mad Pumpkin Head inevitably turns his attention to you, all you need to do is dodge or roll away from a series of attacks until he turns back to the spirits. You can then inflict more damage with your magic attacks, or close in from behind with melee attacks if you want / need to. The principle is effectively the same regardless of your class: become familiar with Mad Pumpkin Head’s attacks so that you can avoid them successfully, and be ready to retaliate with your own whenever you get the chance.
If you’re a magic user, keep in mind that any attacks aimed at the Mad Pumpkin Head’s armored head will inflict only a small amount of damage at best, or often none at all. You’ll need to aim for the rest of his body, which is comparatively exposed, to inflict the most damage possible.
The below gif shows an easy strategy to defeat Mad Pumpkin Head as a magic user.
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