In the exciting and challenging world of R.E.P.O., one entity stands out as a particularly dangerous and persistent threat: the Headman. This massive, floating head relentlessly pursues players, dealing devastating damage with its aggressive attacks. To successfully survive encounters with the Headman, you need careful planning, quick thinking, and the right gear.

In this guide, we’ll cover the best items to use against the Headman to effectively avoid or defeat him, ensuring you and your teammates stay alive and make it safely back to your extraction point.

Understanding the Headman

Before diving into the equipment, it’s important to grasp the Headman’s behavior and attacks.

Attack Patterns and Behavior

• Persistent Pursuit: Once the Headman spots a player, it aggressively chases them. Its attack is signaled by widened eyes and an open mouth.
• Damage Output: Each successful bite deals 50 HP damage, making it deadly if you’re caught off guard or without sufficient health upgrades.
• Speed and Mobility: It moves quickly, floating after players and able to open doors. It can lose track of players if they move quickly out of sight, particularly behind doors or into side alcoves.

Best Strategies to Evade the Headman

• Stay Out of Sight: Avoid direct visual contact as much as possible. Crouch-walk and use furniture or obstacles for cover.
• Use Doors and Corridors: Quickly entering side rooms or alcoves and shutting doors can effectively break its line of sight. Avoid straight-line escapes.
• Team Communication: Coordinate with teammates to distract or mislead the Headman.

Now that we understand the Headman’s dangerous behavior, let’s look at the ideal items you’ll want to carry into confrontations.

Best Items to Use Against the Headman

1. Tranq Gun

The Tranq Gun is a must-have against the Headman, providing a reliable method to stun it temporarily.

Why it Works:

• Temporarily incapacitates the Headman, giving you a brief window to reposition.
• Great for teammates to use as cover for others carrying valuable items.
• Effective at halting its pursuit if you become cornered.

Tips for Use:

• Aim carefully, as ammunition is valuable and accuracy is crucial.
• Communicate with your team before firing, ensuring they capitalize on the stunned enemy.

2. Landmines

Landmines can be strategically placed to deal heavy damage to the Headman, slowing down or even eliminating the threat entirely.

Why it Works:

• Deals significant damage upon detonation.
• Can completely neutralize or significantly weaken the Headman, making subsequent encounters easier.
• Allows safe passage through corridors where the Headman frequently patrols.

Tips for Use:

• Place landmines in narrow corridors or doorways for maximum effectiveness.
• Warn your teammates about their locations to avoid accidental triggering.

3. Grenades

Grenades offer powerful, immediate damage that can quickly eliminate the Headman when timed properly.

Why it Works:

• High damage and area-of-effect, making them extremely effective for direct confrontations.
• Quick deployment in emergencies.

Tips for Use:

• Coordinate with teammates to ensure everyone is clear of the blast radius.
• Use grenades to clear a path quickly if the Headman is blocking an essential route.

4. Sledgehammer

The Sledgehammer provides a viable melee option against the Headman, especially when resources are low.

Why it Works:

• Good damage output with decent reach.
• Effective as a last resort or when your team is low on ammunition.

Tips for Use:

• Attack only during the Headman’s cooldown period after it bites.
• Swing and quickly retreat to avoid its counterattack.

5. Health Upgrades

While not an offensive item, health upgrades are crucial for surviving Headman encounters.

Why it Works:

• Increases your maximum health, allowing you to survive multiple bites.
• Gives your team more room for error and greater survivability.

Tips for Use:

• Prioritize health upgrades early in the run.
• Combine with defensive tactics to significantly improve your chances of survival.

Items to Avoid

Avoid using items that rely on stealth or hiding under furniture since the Headman can detect and pursue players even when hiding spots are used once it has spotted a player. Items like camouflaging or small melee weapons with limited reach are ineffective and risky against this aggressive entity.

Conclusion

Successfully handling the Headman requires a mix of strategic evasion, careful item choice, and coordinated teamwork. Equip your team properly before confronting this threat—carry a Tranq Gun for crowd control, deploy Landmines and Grenades for direct damage, and keep a Sledgehammer handy as a backup. Don’t forget to invest in health upgrades to increase individual survivability.

By planning ahead and using the best items available, you can confidently face the Headman and secure a safe extraction for you and your teammates. Good luck out there, Repo men!