Difference between revisions of "Skeletons"

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{{Hazard infobox
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​​​{{Hazard infobox
   | health      = 50 <small>(1000 Skeleton King)</small>
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   | health      = Normal: 50<br><!--
   | damage      = 26-34 Medium Skeletons
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-->              Small: 50<br><!--
   | backup      = ?
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-->              King: 1000<br><!--
 +
-->              Mobster: 130<br><!--
 +
-->              Salmann: 200<br><!--
 +
-->              Scarecrow: 500<br><!--
 +
-->              Toastmaster: 5000   
 +
   | damage      = King: 100<br><!--
 +
-->              Normal: 30<br><!--
 +
-->              Small: 20
 +
   | backup      = No
 
   | bonk        = Yes
 
   | bonk        = Yes
   | candy-cane  = ?
+
   | candy-cane  = No
 
   | targe      = Yes
 
   | targe      = Yes
 
   | dead-ringer = Yes
 
   | dead-ringer = Yes
Line 11: Line 19:
 
   | mini-crits  = Yes
 
   | mini-crits  = Yes
 
   | uber        = Yes
 
   | uber        = Yes
   | image      = Skeleton_Group.png
+
   | image      = Skeleton Group.png
 
   | kill-icon-2 =  
 
   | kill-icon-2 =  
 
   | kill-icon-3 =  
 
   | kill-icon-3 =  
 
   | kill-icon-4 =  
 
   | kill-icon-4 =  
 
   | kill-icon-5 =  
 
   | kill-icon-5 =  
   | maps        = [[Helltower]]
+
   | maps        = {{map link|Bloodwater}}, {{map link|Brimstone|Brimstone (map)}}, {{map link|Cauldron}}, {{map link|Erebus}}, {{map link|Farmageddon}}, {{map link|Ghoulpit}}, {{map link|Gorge Event}}, {{map link|Gravestone}}, {{map link|Graveyard}}, {{map link|Hassle Castle}}, {{map link|Hellstone}}, {{map link|Helltower}}, {{map link|Los Muertos}}, {{map link|Precipice}}, {{map link|Sinthetic}}, {{map link|Slasher}}, {{map link|Slime}}, {{map link|Spineyard}}, {{map link|Terror}}
 +
 
 +
From spells only: {{map link|Monster Bash}}, {{map link|Moonshine Event}}, {{map link|Pit of Death}}
 
}}
 
}}
'''Skeletons''' are AI-controlled enemies found in the Halloween map '''[[Helltower]].'''
 
  
There are two types of Skeletons that can spawn: team-colored and green. While team-colored Skeletons can only inflict or receive damage from the opposite team, Green Skeletons can inflict or receive damage by either team. Team-colored Skeletons are only spawned by the players on the server using a Rare Summon Skeletons [[Magic spells|Magic Spell]].
+
{{Other uses|this=the AI-controlled enemies|Skeleton|l1=Skeleton (disambiguation)}}
 +
 
 +
{{Quotation|Redmond Mann|The Skeleton King! Oh... gravelpits, you are in for it now!|sound=Sf13 redmond enemies05.wav}}
 +
 
 +
'''Skeletons''' are AI-controlled entities ​that are found in ​[[Halloween map]]s. Originally introduced ​in [[Helltower]]​, they often spawn when a point is captured in [[Payload]] or [[Control point (objective)|Control Points]]. They can also be spawned using console commands with {{cvar|sv_cheats}} enabled.
 +
 
 +
There are two types of Skeletons that can spawn: team-colored and green. Team-colored Skeletons can only attack and receive damage from the opposite team, and are only spawned by players on the server using a Rare Summon Skeletons [[Magic spells|Magic Spell]]. Green Skeletons can attack or receive damage from either team and can spawn naturally on many Halloween maps.
 +
 
 +
There are 3 different ​sizes of Skeletons: Small (or "Babies"), Normal ​(​or Medium)​, and ​crown-wearing ​Kings. ​​​​Normal Skeletons ​spawn individually or in groups, while Small Skeletons only spawn from the shattered bones of ​​destroyed ​Normal Skeletons​. Singular Skeleton Ki​ngs, much ​larger with a greater pool of health​, usually spawn accompanying a number of ​Normal Skeletons​.​
 +
 
 +
When ​​destroyed​<!-- can't kill them, already dead -->​, Normal Skeletons ​drop three glowing skulls, which then ​​​sprout​ into three ​Small Skeletons​ that then attack until destroyed.
 +
 
 +
The Skeleton King drop​s​ a [[Magic spells#Rare Magic Spells|Rare Magic Spell]] ​when it is destroyed by players; however, they do not drop any Magic Spells when they are destroyed by an [[Environmental death|environmental hazard]] or the [[Payload cart]].
 +
 
 +
;Maps with Skeletons:<!-- Note to translators: Do not forget to translate the side notes -->
 +
* {{map link|Bloodwater}} <small>(Skeleton King only)</small>
 +
* {{map link|Brimstone|Brimstone (map)}}
 +
* {{map link|Cauldron}}
 +
* {{map link|Erebus}}
 +
* {{map link|Farmageddon}} <small>(As scarecrows)</small>
 +
* {{map link|Ghoulpit}}
 +
* {{map link|Gorge Event}}
 +
* {{map link|Gravestone}}
 +
* {{map link|Graveyard}} <small>(Skeleton King only)</small>
 +
* {{map link|Hassle Castle}}
 +
* {{map link|Hellstone}}
 +
* {{map link|Helltower}}
 +
* {{map link|Los Muertos}}
 +
* {{map link|Monster Bash}} <small>(rare magic spells only)</small>
 +
* {{map link|Moonshine Event}} <small>(rare magic spells only)</small>
 +
* {{map link|Precipice}}
 +
* {{map link|Pit of Death}} <small>(rare magic spells only)</small>
 +
* {{map link|Sinthetic}} <small>(Toastmaster only)</small>
 +
* {{map link|Slasher}}
 +
* {{map link|Slime}} <small>(reskinned as Salmann)</small>
 +
* {{map link|Spineyard}}
 +
* {{map link|Terror}}
 +
 
 +
== Stats ==
 +
All Skeletons move at a [[speed]] of 300 [[Hammer unit]]s per second (same speed as the Pyro, Engineer, and Sniper) when navigating the map, and attack at about once per second.
 +
* Small ​Skeletons spawn with 50 health and do 20 damage on hit.
 +
* Normal Skeletons also spawn with 50 health but do 30 damage per hit.
 +
* Skeleton Kings spawn with 1000 health and do 100 damage on hit.
 +
Skeleton ​King attacks have strong [[knockback]]​; Normal and Small Skeletons have successively weaker knockback.
 +
 
 +
​​Skeletons are not affected by damage falloff, status ailments​ (such as [[Mad Milk]] or [[bleeding]]​)​​,​ on-hit effects​ (such as [[Rage]]-building or the [[Blutsauger]]'s on-hit heali​​ng​), [[knockback]]​, ​or [[Compression blast|airblasts]]. ​Neither​​​ are ​Skeletons ​subject to [[headshot]]s.​ They are, however, otherwise affected by [[critical hits]].
 +
 
 +
​​[[Taunts#Kill taunts|Kill Taunts]] ​generally have no effect ​on ​Skeletons, ​doing no damage to them; however, some taunt attacks do some damage to Skeletons:
 +
* The [[Execution]] still fires the normal [[Scorch Shot]] round as part of the taunt, which does do normal Scorch Shot damage to Skeletons and, so, can destroy multiple Small and Normal Skeletons in two shots, albeit at a rate much slower than normal shooting.
 +
* The [[Grenade (taunt)|Grenade taunt]] does do limited splash damage to all ​Skeletons ​that are close enough, and enough damage to destroy any nearby Small and Normal ​​Skeletons, but it is a slow taunt​.
 +
 
 +
The scarecrows in [[Farmageddon]] are reskins of the Normal Skeleton, but with 500 health instead of 50, and do not spawn Small Skeletons.
 +
 
 +
The Toastmaster, a unique boss in [[Sinthetic]], is a reskin of the Skeleton King, but with 5000 health instead of the usual 1000.
 +
 
 +
The Salmann of [[Slime]] are a reskin of the Normal Skeletons. They have four times as much health as a regular Normal Skeleton, at 200 health, and can soak players in slime to [[Mechanics#MarkedForDeath|mark them for death]] for 5 seconds.
 +
 
 +
In [[Spineyard]], the skeletons have 130 health, more than double the health of a regular Normal Skeleton. They are also armed with submachine guns, being able to hit players from a distance and deal much more damage per second. They do not spawn Small Skeletons when defeated, but they drop a Magic Spell each.
  
There are 3 different variants of Skeletons: Small Skeletons, Normal Skeletons, and Skeleton Kings. Normal Skeletons always spawn in numbers on every other witching hour (when the clock on the clock tower strikes midnight), alongside a single, larger Skeleton King with a greater pool of health. When killed, Normal Skeletons will cause Small Skeletons to sprout from their remains, which will continue to attack until destroyed. The Skeleton King will drop a Rare [[Magic spells|Magic Spell]] upon death.
+
== Behavior ==
 +
​Skeletons spring from the ground at the spawn points. ​Normal Skeletons and Skeleton Kings spawn with recognizable sound cues that vary between maps (for example, chiming bells or [[Merasmus]]'s incantations).
  
If spawned through console using the command "ent_create tf_zombie" before the [[Scream Fortress 2013|Scream Fortress Fifth Annual Helloween Special]], the skeleton would be a random class wearing a Voodoo-Cursed Soul, with an invisible melee weapon.
+
Once spawned, they run towards players, maneuvering around obstacles. They are unable to [[Jumping|jump]] or [[Crouching|crouch]]​.
  
== Skeleton Variants ==
+
​Once they are close enough to a player, they start to melee attack them. Upon destroying a Normal skeleton, 3 glowing skulls are scattered to the immediate surrounding area. These spawn Small skeletons, which then continue attacking players. Once the target is killed, or has gotten to an inaccessible point (such as a roof in which there are no solid pathway connections), the Skeletons move on to the next nearest player. Should no players be present to target, all Skeletons stop in place and stand still. All types of Skeleton gib on the spot after being on the playing field for an extended period of time without being destroyed.
*'''Normal Skeletons'''
+
 
Every other witching hour, Normal Skeletons will spawn in numbers alongside the Skeleton King, targeting all players for attack. They will run around the battlefield, attacking nearby players until they are killed when a number of Small Skeletons will appear from their remains. Team-colored Skeletons can also be summoned by using a spell and will attack only the opposite team.
+
Skeletons target all bots that take up player slots, such as [[Bots#AI bots|TFBots]] or puppet bots, but do not target any [[Buildings|Engineer buildings]] or bosses such as the [[Horseless Headless Horsemann]], [[Merasmus]], or [[MONOCULUS]]. All TFBots, [[Sentry Gun]]s, and team-allied MONOCULUS target the Skeletons, however. Skeletons created with a [[Magic spells#Rare Magic Spells|Magic spell]] have the same stats and navigation, but attack both the opposing team and other Skeletons that are not on the team of the summoner.
*'''Small Skeletons'''
+
When a Normal Skeleton is killed, a number of Small Skeletons will appear from it's remains. These skeletons have a smaller health bar but will still run through the battlefield and attack players around them. When a Small Skeleton is killed, no more will appear as a result of that skeleton.
+
== Strategy ==
*'''Skeleton King'''
+
{{hatnote|See [[Community Skeletons strategy]]}}
Every other witching hour, like the Normal Skeletons, the Skeleton King will appear announced by the team's employer. The Skeleton King will act like other skeletons, running through the battlefield and attacking players. However it also acts as a boss, being considerably bigger than the other skeletons, having a greater amount of health, running faster than the normal skeletons and killing players with one hit. When it is killed, the Skeleton King will drop a rare spell.
 
  
 
== Related achievements ==
 
== Related achievements ==
 
+
=== {{Achiev type link|bereavements}} ===
=== [[File:Pumpkin.png|20px|link=Bereavements{{if lang}}]] [[Bereavements]] ===
 
 
{{Achievement table
 
{{Achievement table
 
| 1 = {{Show achievement|Halloween|Helltower- Skeleton Coup}}
 
| 1 = {{Show achievement|Halloween|Helltower- Skeleton Coup}}
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
== Console commands ==
 +
In order to enable the spawning of Skeletons on a non-Halloween map, the server must be running [[Halloween mode]]. The server administrator can manually enable this mode by using the command {{cvar|tf_forced_holiday 2}}. The server is also required to have [[cheats]] ({{cvar|sv_cheats 1}}) enabled, which disables obtaining [[achievements]]. TF Zombie entities can also be manually spawned with the command {{cvar|ent_create tf_zombie}}.
 +
 +
{| class="wikitable grid"
 +
! class="header" | Command
 +
! class="header" | Description
 +
|-
 +
| {{nw|<big>{{cvar|tf_halloween_zombie_mob_enabled}}</big>}}
 +
| If non-zero, enables skeleton spawning.
 +
 +
;Syntax: <code>tf_halloween_zombie_mob_enabled <''integer''></code>
 +
 +
;Parameters:
 +
:<code><''integer''></code>
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::Either 1 or 0. Default is 0 (disabled).
 +
 +
;Example: <code>tf_halloween_zombie_mob_enabled 1</code> enables the skeleton horde on all AI-noded maps.
 +
:: On maps without Skeleton spawns, this command spawns 20 Normal Skeletons every 8 minutes at predetermined out-of-sight spots relative to the nearest player. ​
 +
|-
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| {{nw|<big>{{cvar|tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_count}}</big>}}
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| Determines the total number of skeletons to spawn each wave.
 +
 +
;Syntax: <code>tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_count <''integer''></code>
 +
 +
;Parameters:
 +
:<code><''integer''></code>
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::Whole number between 0 and how many skeletons to spawn each wave. Default is 20.
 +
 +
;Example: <code>tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_count 5</code> spawns 5 skeletons per wave.
 +
|-
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| {{nw|<big>{{cvar|tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_interval}}</big>}}
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| Determines the time between consecutive skeleton waves.
 +
 +
;Syntax: <code>tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_interval <''integer''></code>
 +
 +
;Parameters:
 +
:<code><''integer''></code>
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::Whole number between 0 and how many seconds before the next wave. Default is 480.
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::Setting the spawn interval to 0 causes skeletons to continuously spawn and can cause the server to crash.
 +
 +
;Example: <code>tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_interval 40</code> spawns a wave of skeletons every 40 seconds.
 +
|-
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| {{nw|<big>{{cvar|tf_halloween_zombie_damage}}</big>}}
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| The amount of damage a skeleton hit does. This command no longer works as of [[Scream Fortress 2013]].
 +
 +
;Syntax: <code>tf_halloween_zombie_damage <''integer''></code>
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 +
;Parameters:
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:<code><''integer''></code>
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::Whole number between 0 and how much damage each skeleton melee attack performs. Default is 10.
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;Example: <code>tf_halloween_zombie_damage 20</code> makes skeletons do 20 damage every hit.
 +
|-
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| {{nw|<big>{{cvar|tf_halloween_zombie_speed}}</big>}}
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| The speed at which the skeletons move at. This command was removed as of [[Scream Fortress 2013]], so skeletons always move at the same speed.
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 +
;Syntax: <code>tf_halloween_zombie_speed <''integer''></code>
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 +
;Parameters:
 +
:<code><''integer''></code>
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::Whole number between 0 and how much fast the zombies move in Hammer units. Default is 300.
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::Setting the speed to around 1000 and higher causes the zombies to damage themselves and die while moving.
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;Example: <code>tf_halloween_zombie_speed 400</code> makes the skeletons move at 400 Hammer units.
 +
|-
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| {{nw|<big>{{cvar|tf_max_active_zombie}}</big>}}
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| Sets the maximum skeletons allowed to exist at once. If the limit is exceeded, the new skeletons instantly gib.
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 +
;Parameters:
 +
:<code><''integer''></code>
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::Whole number between 0 and how many skeletons exist at once. Default is 32.
 +
 +
;Example: <code>tf_max_active_zombie 512</code> allows up to 512 active skeletons at once.
 +
|}
 +
 +
== Update history ==
 +
'''{{Patch name|6|21|2022}}'''
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* Fixed laggy animations on [[Halloween boss]]es, skeletons, [[ghost]]s and other ghoul-like beings
  
 
== Unused content ==
 
== Unused content ==
*There exists 3 unused skeletons in the game's files; a plain skeleton that does not glow any specific color, a skeleton that glows an orange color, and a skeleton that glows a purple color.
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* There exists 3 unused skeletons in the game's files: a plain skeleton that does not glow any specific color, a skeleton that glows an orange color, and a skeleton that glows a purple color.
  
== Trivia ==
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== Bugs ==
*The Skeletons use the [[Sniper]]'s animations, similar to [[Merasmus]].
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* ​The Skeleton​s​ ​are able to hit player​s through certain walls, ceilings, or other obstructions, ​if players stand within their normal reach. Particular examples ​include King and Normal skeletons reaching through the windowed wall in front of the team spawns in ​[[Helltower]]​ and The King reaching players ​​standing above him ​on some of the balconies.  
*The Skeleton King wears [[Prince Tavish's Crown]] (with RED gems).
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* On rare occasions, the Skeletons summoned by either team freeze and do not move or attack, rendering them useless. They can still receive damage as normal. This often occurs when skeletons are spawned in areas that lack a [[vdc:Navigation Meshes|navigation mesh]].
*[[Sentry Gun]]s and the Helltower-specific Monoculus eyeballs will attack green skeletons or skeletons of the opposite team color.
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* Skeletons do not spawn on AI-noded maps if there are no players on both teams, even with [[bots]] present.
*Team-colored skeletons spawned by players will attack green skeletons or skeletons of the opposite team color.
 
  
== Bugs ==
+
== Notes ==
*Sometimes the Skeleton King will hit a player standing behind the wall or above him (eg balconies on [[Helltower]]).  
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* ​If spawned through the console using the command {{cvar|ent_create tf_zombie}} before the [[Scream Fortress 2013|Scream Fortress Fifth Annual Helloween Special]], the Skeleton would be a random class wearing a [[Voodoo-Cursed Soul]], with an invisible melee weapon.
 +
* Skeletons use modified [[Sniper]] animations while moving and attacking, in a similar vein as [[Merasmus]].
  
*On rare occasions, the skeletons summoned by either team will sometimes freeze and won't move or attack making them useless. They can still receive damage as normal.
+
== Trivia ==
 +
* The Skeleton King wears [[Prince Tavish's Crown]] (with RED gems).
 +
* Skeletons use the [[Flying Guillotine]]'s hitsounds when spawned from a skull (e.g. when spawned from a spell or after killing a medium-sized skeleton).
  
 
== Gallery ==
 
== Gallery ==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
File:Green Skeletons.png
+
File:Green Skeletons.png|The Green Skeletons
File:Skeleton King.png|The Skeleton King.
+
File:Skeleton King.png|The Skeleton King
File:Skeleton Red.png|The [[RED]] team skeleton.
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File:Skeleton Red.png|The [[RED]] team skeleton
File:Skeleton Blue.png|The [[BLU]] team skeleton.
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File:Skeleton Blue.png|The [[BLU]] team skeleton
File:Skeleton Plain.png|The unused plain skeleton.
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File:Skeleton Plain.png|The unused plain skeleton
File:Skeleton Orange.png|The unused orange skeleton.
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File:Skeleton Orange.png|The unused orange skeleton
File:Skeleton Purple.png|The unused purple skeleton.
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File:Skeleton Purple.png|The unused purple skeleton
 +
File:Scarecrowskeleton.png|The scarecrow from [[Farmageddon]]
 +
File:toastmasterfull.png|The Toastmaster from [[Sinthetic]]
 +
File:Undead Mafia Skeleton.png|The mobster skeleton from [[Spineyard]]
 +
File:Salmann.png|The Salmann from [[Slime]]
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
*[[Scream Fortress 2013]]
+
* [[Scream Fortress 2013]]
*[[Tf zombie|tf_zombie]]
+
* [[Pocket Halloween Boss]]
 +
 
 +
{{Scream Fortress 2013 Nav}}
  
{{ScreamFortress2013Nav}}
 
[[Category:Halloween]]
 
 
[[Category:Environmental hazards]]
 
[[Category:Environmental hazards]]
 
[[Category:Gameplay]]
 
[[Category:Gameplay]]
 +
[[Category:Halloween]]

Latest revision as of 23:11, 2 November 2023

​​​

Skeletons
Skeletons
Kill Icon
Killicon skeletons.png
Basic Information
Health: Normal: 50
Small: 50
King: 1000
Mobster: 130
Salmann: 200
Scarecrow: 500
Toastmaster: 5000
Damage Done: King: 100
Normal: 30
Small: 20
Affected By:
• Battalion's Backup: No
• Bonk! Atomic Punch: Yes
• Candy Cane: No
• Chargin' Targe: Yes
• Dead Ringer: Yes
• Gunboats: ?
• Mini-crits: Yes
• ÜberCharge: Yes
Found On: Bloodwater, Brimstone, Cauldron, Erebus, Farmageddon, Ghoulpit, Gorge Event, Gravestone, Graveyard, Hassle Castle, Hellstone, Helltower, Los Muertos, Precipice, Sinthetic, Slasher, Slime, Spineyard, Terror

From spells only: Monster Bash, Moonshine Event, Pit of Death

This article is about the AI-controlled enemies. For other uses, see Skeleton (disambiguation).

Skeletons are AI-controlled entities ​that are found in ​Halloween maps. Originally introduced ​in Helltower​, they often spawn when a point is captured in Payload or Control Points. They can also be spawned using console commands with sv_cheats enabled.

There are two types of Skeletons that can spawn: team-colored and green. Team-colored Skeletons can only attack and receive damage from the opposite team, and are only spawned by players on the server using a Rare Summon Skeletons Magic Spell. Green Skeletons can attack or receive damage from either team and can spawn naturally on many Halloween maps.

There are 3 different ​sizes of Skeletons: Small (or "Babies"), Normal ​(​or Medium)​, and ​crown-wearing ​Kings. ​​​​Normal Skeletons ​spawn individually or in groups, while Small Skeletons only spawn from the shattered bones of ​​destroyed ​Normal Skeletons​. Singular Skeleton Ki​ngs, much ​larger with a greater pool of health​, usually spawn accompanying a number of ​Normal Skeletons​.​

When ​​destroyed​​, Normal Skeletons ​drop three glowing skulls, which then ​​​sprout​ into three ​Small Skeletons​ that then attack until destroyed.

The Skeleton King drop​s​ a Rare Magic Spell ​when it is destroyed by players; however, they do not drop any Magic Spells when they are destroyed by an environmental hazard or the Payload cart.

Maps with Skeletons

Stats

All Skeletons move at a speed of 300 Hammer units per second (same speed as the Pyro, Engineer, and Sniper) when navigating the map, and attack at about once per second.

  • Small ​Skeletons spawn with 50 health and do 20 damage on hit.
  • Normal Skeletons also spawn with 50 health but do 30 damage per hit.
  • Skeleton Kings spawn with 1000 health and do 100 damage on hit.

Skeleton ​King attacks have strong knockback​; Normal and Small Skeletons have successively weaker knockback.

​​Skeletons are not affected by damage falloff, status ailments​ (such as Mad Milk or bleeding​)​​,​ on-hit effects​ (such as Rage-building or the Blutsauger's on-hit heali​​ng​), knockback​, ​or airblasts. ​Neither​​​ are ​Skeletons ​subject to headshots.​ They are, however, otherwise affected by critical hits.

​​Kill Taunts ​generally have no effect ​on ​Skeletons, ​doing no damage to them; however, some taunt attacks do some damage to Skeletons:

  • The Execution still fires the normal Scorch Shot round as part of the taunt, which does do normal Scorch Shot damage to Skeletons and, so, can destroy multiple Small and Normal Skeletons in two shots, albeit at a rate much slower than normal shooting.
  • The Grenade taunt does do limited splash damage to all ​Skeletons ​that are close enough, and enough damage to destroy any nearby Small and Normal ​​Skeletons, but it is a slow taunt​.

The scarecrows in Farmageddon are reskins of the Normal Skeleton, but with 500 health instead of 50, and do not spawn Small Skeletons.

The Toastmaster, a unique boss in Sinthetic, is a reskin of the Skeleton King, but with 5000 health instead of the usual 1000.

The Salmann of Slime are a reskin of the Normal Skeletons. They have four times as much health as a regular Normal Skeleton, at 200 health, and can soak players in slime to mark them for death for 5 seconds.

In Spineyard, the skeletons have 130 health, more than double the health of a regular Normal Skeleton. They are also armed with submachine guns, being able to hit players from a distance and deal much more damage per second. They do not spawn Small Skeletons when defeated, but they drop a Magic Spell each.

Behavior

​Skeletons spring from the ground at the spawn points. ​Normal Skeletons and Skeleton Kings spawn with recognizable sound cues that vary between maps (for example, chiming bells or Merasmus's incantations).

Once spawned, they run towards players, maneuvering around obstacles. They are unable to jump or crouch​.

​Once they are close enough to a player, they start to melee attack them. Upon destroying a Normal skeleton, 3 glowing skulls are scattered to the immediate surrounding area. These spawn Small skeletons, which then continue attacking players. Once the target is killed, or has gotten to an inaccessible point (such as a roof in which there are no solid pathway connections), the Skeletons move on to the next nearest player. Should no players be present to target, all Skeletons stop in place and stand still. All types of Skeleton gib on the spot after being on the playing field for an extended period of time without being destroyed.

Skeletons target all bots that take up player slots, such as TFBots or puppet bots, but do not target any Engineer buildings or bosses such as the Horseless Headless Horsemann, Merasmus, or MONOCULUS. All TFBots, Sentry Guns, and team-allied MONOCULUS target the Skeletons, however. Skeletons created with a Magic spell have the same stats and navigation, but attack both the opposing team and other Skeletons that are not on the team of the summoner. ​

Strategy

See Community Skeletons strategy

Related achievements

Item icon Spellbook Magazine.png Bereavements

Helltower: Skeleton Coup
Helltower: Skeleton Coup
Kill 99 skeletons

Console commands

In order to enable the spawning of Skeletons on a non-Halloween map, the server must be running Halloween mode. The server administrator can manually enable this mode by using the command tf_forced_holiday 2. The server is also required to have cheats (sv_cheats 1) enabled, which disables obtaining achievements. TF Zombie entities can also be manually spawned with the command ent_create tf_zombie.

Command Description
tf_halloween_zombie_mob_enabled If non-zero, enables skeleton spawning.
Syntax
tf_halloween_zombie_mob_enabled <integer>
Parameters
<integer>
Either 1 or 0. Default is 0 (disabled).
Example
tf_halloween_zombie_mob_enabled 1 enables the skeleton horde on all AI-noded maps.
On maps without Skeleton spawns, this command spawns 20 Normal Skeletons every 8 minutes at predetermined out-of-sight spots relative to the nearest player. ​
tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_count Determines the total number of skeletons to spawn each wave.
Syntax
tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_count <integer>
Parameters
<integer>
Whole number between 0 and how many skeletons to spawn each wave. Default is 20.
Example
tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_count 5 spawns 5 skeletons per wave.
tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_interval Determines the time between consecutive skeleton waves.
Syntax
tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_interval <integer>
Parameters
<integer>
Whole number between 0 and how many seconds before the next wave. Default is 480.
Setting the spawn interval to 0 causes skeletons to continuously spawn and can cause the server to crash.
Example
tf_halloween_zombie_mob_spawn_interval 40 spawns a wave of skeletons every 40 seconds.
tf_halloween_zombie_damage The amount of damage a skeleton hit does. This command no longer works as of Scream Fortress 2013.
Syntax
tf_halloween_zombie_damage <integer>
Parameters
<integer>
Whole number between 0 and how much damage each skeleton melee attack performs. Default is 10.
Example
tf_halloween_zombie_damage 20 makes skeletons do 20 damage every hit.
tf_halloween_zombie_speed The speed at which the skeletons move at. This command was removed as of Scream Fortress 2013, so skeletons always move at the same speed.
Syntax
tf_halloween_zombie_speed <integer>
Parameters
<integer>
Whole number between 0 and how much fast the zombies move in Hammer units. Default is 300.
Setting the speed to around 1000 and higher causes the zombies to damage themselves and die while moving.
Example
tf_halloween_zombie_speed 400 makes the skeletons move at 400 Hammer units.
tf_max_active_zombie Sets the maximum skeletons allowed to exist at once. If the limit is exceeded, the new skeletons instantly gib.
Parameters
<integer>
Whole number between 0 and how many skeletons exist at once. Default is 32.
Example
tf_max_active_zombie 512 allows up to 512 active skeletons at once.

Update history

June 21, 2022 Patch

Unused content

  • There exists 3 unused skeletons in the game's files: a plain skeleton that does not glow any specific color, a skeleton that glows an orange color, and a skeleton that glows a purple color.

Bugs

  • ​The Skeleton​s​ ​are able to hit player​s through certain walls, ceilings, or other obstructions, ​if players stand within their normal reach. Particular examples ​include King and Normal skeletons reaching through the windowed wall in front of the team spawns in ​Helltower​ and The King reaching players ​​standing above him ​on some of the balconies.
  • On rare occasions, the Skeletons summoned by either team freeze and do not move or attack, rendering them useless. They can still receive damage as normal. This often occurs when skeletons are spawned in areas that lack a navigation mesh.
  • Skeletons do not spawn on AI-noded maps if there are no players on both teams, even with bots present.

Notes

Trivia

  • The Skeleton King wears Prince Tavish's Crown (with RED gems).
  • Skeletons use the Flying Guillotine's hitsounds when spawned from a skull (e.g. when spawned from a spell or after killing a medium-sized skeleton).

Gallery

See also