If you’re going on a hunt, make sure you’re packing the right piece. For dogs or Fleshes, a regular AK will do. If you’re after a boar or a deer, bring along a shotgun. And if you spot a chimera or a pseudogiant, ditch everything and run for it.
Tip #61
The Hornhead or Deer is a mutant appearing in Heart of Chornobyl.
Overview
Not much is known about the Hornhead. It's assumed like the other mutated animals in the Zone, it adapted and evolved following the Second Disaster. Hornheads are solitary, and are seldom seen near other mutants.
Physical Appearance
It has four brown eyes with horizontally slit pupils, with two eyes in each eye socket. It's antlers that flair in an "x" pattern that are wide, thick, and end in sharp points. It has reddish-gray matted fur, with armored growths on most of the torso and flank.
Gameplay
Hornhead spawn locations will sport an overwhelming amount of flowers, which can signal to the player that a Hornhead is nearby.
When aggravated, they can charge, claw, jump, and knock the player down. They have slightly more health than a Controller, and high damage weapons like shotguns are recommended to kill it quickly. At any point while fighting a Hornhead, it can summon a Blind dog, Boar, and a Rodent to its aid multiple times. These mutants are not psi-illusions, and can overwhelm the player if not dealt with.
Appearances
Heart of Chornobyl
Hornhead can be encountered in two locations regularly, at the Helicopter Base in the Burnt Forest, and the Zustrich Canteen in Prypiat. It also has three scripted encounters:
- In Search of a Guide: A Hornhead interrupts Skif and Trapper's conversation about Nimble.
- Gray’s Last Hunt: The player is required to kill a Hornhead to complete the quest.
- The Scanner found in southwest Yaniv, when activated, summons a Hornhead. The player must kill it to obtain the Devil's Mushroom within the scanner.
Trivia
- Due to how common the species is in Europe and wildlife observations in the real-world exclusion zone, the Hornheads in-game likely belong to the red deer (Cervus Elaphus) species.
| Mutated animals | |
|---|---|
| Humanoids | |
| Poltergeists | |
| Unknown | |
| Cut mutants | |