[N] Obey here. This FAQ isn’t 100% complete, but there’s enough useful information here to share now. I’ve put a lot of time into it, so I hope it helps. The intent is to cover as many Halloween Items as possible in a single blogpost. Check back later for more content and info! (Links Coming Later)
Table of Contents:
Items are listed in chronological order. Items in strikethrough can no longer be earned the usual way; some may be marketable and/or giftable, and some are available as a Merasmission reward or via transmuting.
- Get Halloween Items by Transmuting
- The Gibus Family of Hats
- The Mildly Disturbing Halloween Mask
The Nine Halloween Class Masks
- The Haunted Scrap
- HHH Headtaker
- Spine-[Chilling] Skulls
- MONOCULUS! and the Bombinomicon
Voodoo-Cursed Souls
Voodoo-Cursed ItemsPiles of AshHalloween Spells
- The Skull Island Topper
- Fancy Spellbook & Spellbook Pages
- Halloween Gift Cauldron
- Necro Smasher
- Antique Halloween Goodie Cauldron
- Taunt Unusualifier
- Halloween Costumes 2011*
- Halloween Costumes 2012*
- Halloween Costumes 2013*
- Halloween Costumes 2014
- Halloween Costumes 2015
- Halloween Costumes 2016
- Haunted Halloween Gift
*Parts of these Halloween Costume sets could drop as rewards for completing the pop-up Merasmissions during the Scream Fortress 2016 event.
1. Get Halloween Items By Transmuting
(Coming Soon)
2. The Ghastly/ier/iest Gibus
The Gibuses are a series of hats awarded to players that earn a domination against a player who is currently wearing a Gibus.
- Unlike most Halloween items, a Gibus can be worn at any time. It is all-class: it can be worn by any character.
- A Gibus can be painted, changing the color of the entire hat.
- A player can only ever earn one Gibus, and they cannot be traded or sold.
- Players that have the Ghastlier Gibus or the Ghastlierest Gibus earned them before the 2011 Halloween event.
- They cannot be earned anymore.
- Players that earned a Gibus during the 2012 Halloween event received the Ghostly Gibus instead.
- All Gibuses earned before the 2012 Halloween event have a Ghostlier style that can be chosen.
The Galvanized Gibus isn’t a Gibus in the above sense; it’s a hat available from the Robo Community Crate #58. It also doesn’t have any Halloween restrictions. To earn: Dominate a player wearing a Ghastly Gibus to earn your own. This can be done at anytime, but only once per Steam account. The others cannot be earned, since you had to earn them during specific windows of time.
A Strange Gibus?!
Yeah, these exist. You would need a Strangifier, a tool item (very rarely dropped from the item drop system) that changes an item’s quality to Strange. And yes, they exist for each kind of Gibus in existence, as well as virtually any other cosmetic item, as well as some weapons. Strangifying a Gibus won’t make it marketable on the Steam Market, like most Strange items. The Strangifier tool items themselves are themselves marketable, and certain ones are worth plenty. But a few of the first Gibuses to exist were accidently untradeable; these are the ones available for sale on the Market, after being strangified.
3. The Mildly Disturbing Halloween Mask
Ever wanted to run around with a paper bag on your head? Not out of shame, but a strange sense of pride? Well then, do I have a hat for you! The MDHM has nine different appearances depending on which character class equips it at the time. It is untradeable and unpaintable. 
To earn: Collect 20 Halloween Pumpkins, which drop from killed players on any Halloween Event map, to unlock this mask. The pumpkins are a temporary powerup that refills ammo and grant a crit boost for 3.4 seconds. (NOTE: On some Halloween maps, you’ll find yourself frequently running out of ammo, such as when you’re trying to kill a boss. So keep an eye on your ammo, and take advantage of the crit boost as soon as you pick these up.) Collecting 20 pumpkins will earn you the “Candy Coroner” Scarechievement as well.
4. The Nine Halloween Class Masks
Not enough paper bags to wear? Collect the nine Halloween Masks, where there’s one for each class. Any class can wear any mask, so you can put a Pyro Mask on a Soldier if you want. They’re tradable, but not paintable, and they can only be worn during Halloween/Full Moon periods. 
But that’s not all! Collect all nine, and you can go to your Crafting Menu and craft the Saxton Hale Mask! Run around doing Saxton Hale things as any class. The Saxton Hale Mask is unpaintable, but it is tradable and it can be worn at any time. Wearing the Saxton Hale Mask makes you immune to the Headless Horseless Horsemann’s BOO! Taunt, which stuns players. It doesn’t affect the fear effect from touching ghosts or other bosses’ abilities. Previously, you had to join the Mann Manor event during the annual Halloween Event and find the Haunted Halloween Gift, but the Gift no longer spawns. To earn: Now the Masks are rarely found when turning in a Merasmission during the Halloween Event, or transmuting.
5. The Haunted Scrap
The Haunted Metal Scrap is a special tool item that you can only earn once, and can use it to craft one of four items. It is not tradable or marketable, but it is giftable. To earn: At any time of year, go to any map where the Headless Horseless Horsemann spawns, and deal the killing blow to him to earn the “Gored!” Ghostchievement and unlock the Scrap. But then, what will you do with it? Here are your crafting possibilities (you can only choose one):
- Haunted Scrap + Scotsman’s Skullcutter + 2 refined => The HHH’s Headtaker
- Haunted Scrap + 4 refined => one of three Spine-Chilling Skulls*
Like all crafting, your choice is permanent and cannot be reversed, nor can you ever earn another Haunted Scrap. 
The Horseless Headless Horseman’s Headtaker is an Unusual weapon that is only available by crafting in the above manner. It functions identically to the Eyelander (even though it may appear larger, it’s not), but emits its own sounds. And it is not an Unusual item in the traditional sense… so yes, you could say that it is an unusual Unusual. 
The Spine-Chilling Skull is actually one of three similar, but different hats. Each hat has since been modified by Valve to have all three styles available to each hat. The hats are Unique, Limited quality, and are tradable and paintable.
6. MONOCULUS! and the Bombinomicon
If you’ve seen some players running around with a big eyeball for a head, they’re wearing the MONOCULUS!, a cosmetic that replaces their entire head for the Demoman’s missing eye. It is an all-class cosmetic that isn’t paintable or tradable, since you unlock it as an achievement. 
You have to earn it by fighting the eye-boss itself, Monoculus! It angrily shoots damaging eyeballs at you like rockets. 
The Bombinomicon is an all-class cosmetic item that you wear on your chest. Wearing it overwrites the usual animation caused by your death, so that you violently explode when you die. The Bombinomicon even overrides special death animations of other weapons such as the Spy-cicle or a Golden Wrench, but not for feign deaths from the Dead Ringer. As an achievement item, it is untradeable and unpaintable. To earn both cosmetic items:
- Go to the Eyeaduct map, at any time, where Monoculus can spawn.
- Deal damage to Monoculus just before it dies to earn the “Optical Defusion” Eye-chievement and the MONOCULUS! cosmetic.
- When Monoculus dies, jump into the portal that appears in the air when he dies, to travel to Loot Island.
- Climb the stairs of Loot Island, and touch the Bombinomicon after its cage lowers.
- This will teleport you back to the original server, temporarily invulnerable with boosts to your health, speed, and crits.
- Move quickly, as you will be killed if you take too long.
- You must also avoid being killed by your enemies and the hazardous terrain. If you die, you will have to return to Loot Island in the future to try again.
- This unlocks the “Dive Into a Good Book” Eye-chievement and the Bombinomicon cosmetic.
7. Voodoo-Cursed Souls
How come some of the players you’re fighting against look like zombies? It’s because they have equipped a Voodoo-Cursed Soul!
This accessory does exactly that: it reskins the entire character to look like an animated zombie. Since it reskins the entire body, it allows pairing with most cosmetics, but with some weird effects such as missing hands or clipping materials. The Haunted Halloween Gift no longer drops on Ghost Fort, so these Souls (and the items need to craft them) can no longer be collected. The old process used to be:
- Go to the Ghost Fort map (koth_lakeside_event) during the annual Halloween Event days.
- Collect the Haunted Halloween Gift, a yellow giftbox, that spawns every five minutes when there are at least 10 players on the server.
- Collect seven Voodoo-Cursed Items to create a Pile of Curses tool item.
- Use the Pile of Curses to “uncrate” one of the nine random Voodoo-Cursed Souls.
- The Souls have a chance of being Haunted quality, which are also marketable.
- They currently sell for about US$1 on the Steam Market.
- At one time, Halloween Spells would sometimes drop from the Piles of Curses also.
To earn: They rarely drop from as a Merasmission reward, or by transmuting item. Or you can buy a Haunted one from the Market, because you can’t earn them anymore. They currently sell for about US$1 on the Steam Market. Piles of Curses, Voodoo-Cursed Items, and Halloween Spells are no longer available.
8. The Skull Island Topper
The Skull Island Topper is an all-class hat you can unlock by playing on Ghost Fort (a haunted cp_lakeside_event map) at any time. It’s the same hat that the wizard Merasmus is wearing while he throws bombs everywhere. It also tracks the highest level of Merasmus you have helped defeat. It is not tradable or paintable.
Unfilled Fancy Spellbook
A spellbook is necessary to be able to use spell powerups that are found on some Halloween Event maps such as Helltower and Hellstone. To earn the Skull Island Topper and the Unfilled Fancy Spellbook:
- Go to any Ghost Fort server, at any time.
- When Merasmus dies, jump into the portal that appears in the air when he dies, to travel to Skull Island.
- Climb the stairs of Skull Island, and touch the caged Skull Island Topper.
- This will teleport you back to the original server, temporarily invulnerable with boosts to your health, speed, and crits.
- Move quickly, as you will be killed if you take too long.
- You must also avoid being killed by your enemies and the hazardous terrain.
- This unlocks the “A Lovely Vacation Spot” Necromannchievement, your new hat, and an Unfilled Fancy Spellbook!
Spellbook Pages (fix!)
The Unfilled Fancy Spellbook is an action-slot item that doesn’t do anything… yet. You need to collect at least three Spellbook Pages before it becomes fully functional. To earn Spellbook Pages:
- Pick up Haunted Halloween Gifts on the Helltower map (plr_hightower_event).
- The Gifts also contain a random 2013 Halloween Costume Part or a Costume Transmogrifier.
- Complete four Bereavements to unlock the “Mann-tastic Four” achievement and its unique Spellbook Page.
Once you have at least 3 pages, it becomes a Fancy Spellbook. Now you can use magic spell powerups on Helltower on Carnival of Carnage. 
Wait… don’t want to go through all of that? Look in your inventory… you should have a Spellbook Magazine as a Stock action-slot item. Equip it, and you can start slinging spells right away! (This was added during the 2014 Halloween Event, so players no longer have to complete the Fancy Spellbook to use spell powerups on newer maps.) If you join a map that has magic spell powerups, and your loadout doesn’t have a spellbook equipped, you will be prompted upon joining the server whether you want to equip the Spellbook Magazine. If you don’t equip it, you won’t be able to use magic spells. NOTE: A third spellbook, the Fireproof Secret Diary, is no longer available.
9. Halloween Gift Cauldron
The Halloween Gift Cauldron was given away to every player who logged in to TF2 during the 2014 Halloween Event. Opening the cauldron will grant you three random cosmetic items from the 2014 Halloween season; one of the items will be Strange and Haunted quality, and the other two will be Unique quality. All three items (and the cauldron itself) are untradeable, unmarketable and uncraftable. To earn: It is still possible to earn a second Halloween Gift Cauldron, if you haven’t already! Complete the “Carnival of Carnage: Bumper to Bumper to Bumper” Merasmachievement by winning each of the three bumper car mini-games at the end of the Carnival of Carnage rounds (bumper car soccer, duck grabbing on a figure eight, and falling floors).
10. Necro Smasher
The Necro Smasher is an all-class-except-Spy melee weapon that functions identically to your class’s default melee weapon, without any change in range or damage. In the hands of an Engineer, it repairs buildings as normal. To earn: Complete the “Step Right Up” Merasmachievement by completing 4 of the other 6 achievements related to the Carnival of Carnage map (sd_doomsday_event). Be patient, as completing these achievements may require you to play that map quite a bit.
11. Antique Halloween Goodie Cauldron
The Antique Halloween Goodie Cauldron, when used in the backpack, will give you a Seal Mask (see below) and one random costume set cosmetic from the 2011 Halloween season. Note that the 2011 Halloween cosmetics are tradable. To earn: You probably have already earned it. Each player that logs in to TF2 during any Halloween Event season will earn this Goodie Cauldron. Only one can ever be earned, and they aren’t tradable or marketable.
Seal Mask
The Seal Mask is an all-class hat: a visor that covers most of the character’s face. It is not tradable or paintable. Like most Halloween cosmetics, the Seal Mask can only be worn during Halloween/Full Moon. Ever notice that when the Demoman wears the Seal Mask, one of the eyes is taped out?
12. Taunt Unusualifier
Valve has released Unusualifiers that are keyed to a specific taunt. It works just like a strangifier: use the tool item to give the taunt a random unusual effect! For example, you may have the taunt “The Director’s Vision“, and an unusualifier for The Director’s Vision. Using the unusualifier on the taunt, your Director’s Vision receives a random Unusual effect: Spectral Swirl! 
To earn: Rarely appears as a bonus drop when opening a Creepy Crawly Case (Crate #104), perhaps a 1-2% chance. Note that the Creepy Crawly Case and its special keys do not expire. Note also that there is crates currently double their chances of dropping an unusual item… perhaps that includes the chances of Unusualifiers! Like Unusual hats, they are rare and currently worth a lot of money on the Steam Market…. 
Click here if you’re curious how much a Conga Unusualifier is being sold for.
13. Halloween Costumes 2011
The first year to offer Halloween Costumes, Scream Fortress 2011 had players competing to grab a Haunted Halloween Gift every 5-10 minutes. This caused players to stop playing the objective and start hunting for the gift. Unintentionally distracting from the match, Valve changed the format slightly the next year. Unlike the later costumes, the 27 accessories that make up the 2011 Halloween costumes are all tradable, so it is possible for you to trade other players for them–or you can buy them outright in the Mann Co. Store (but not on the Market unless they’re Haunted). The Tin Soldier specifically has extra voice lines and a special taunt when the entire costume is worn. Halloween Costumes 2011 cosmetic parts can drop from completed Merasmissions, otherwise you’ll have to buy them from the in-game store.
Curse-A-Nature / Tin Soldier
Infernal Imp / Highland Hound
FrankenHeavy / Brundle Bundle
Mad Doktor / Camper Van Helsing
Invisible Rogue
14. Halloween Costumes 2012
Only one costume set was released in 2012: the Grand Duchess! The set’s parts were formerly available as drops from Eerie Crate #51; now you can only get them by buying them straight from the Mann Co. Store, or buying their Haunted versions from the Market, which would run about US$6 for the entire set. 
12. Halloween Costumes 2013
This year introduced a lot of new Halloween Costumes, and had also made them available in the now-retired Spooky Crate #74, as well as by finding the Haunted Halloween Gift. Currently, they can be bought off of the Steam Market in Haunted quality only. They can also be bought directly from the Mann Co. Store, and be found as rewards for completing Merasmissions during the 2016 Scream Fortress event. Depending on the method you receive the item, they may also be tradable.
- Scout
- Soldier
- Pyro
- Demoman
- Medic
- Spy
13. Halloween Costumes 2014
14. Halloween Costumes 2015
15. Halloween Costumes 2016
16. Haunted Halloween Gift
The Haunted Halloween Gift no longer drops on any Halloween map. During past Scream Fortress events, you could find the Haunted Halloween Gift on four different maps: Mann Manor, Eyeaduct, Ghost Fort, and Helltower. The Gift used to spawn at one of several predetermined spawn locations, and will last for 3 minutes after informing you that a Gift has spawned for you. If you fail to find it in time, you then have a 5-10 minute cooldown timer before another Gift respawns for you to try to find once more. (Often, when you join a new eligible server, you will receive a Gift spawn notification within a minute of joining, since your old cooldown timer will have expired.) However, the Gift will not spawn if there are not at least ten players (not bots) playing on the server at the same time. Also, the Gift will only spawn during the Annual Halloween Event (from late October to early November each year). When you pick up a Gift, you then had a three-hour cooldown (real time, not playing time) before you become eligible to pick up another Gift on any server.
- Mann Manor Gifts contain one of nine Halloween Masks.
- Eyeaduct Gifts contain one of 27 Halloween Costume Parts from the Halloween 2011 collection.
- Gifts found in the Underworld are Haunted quality.
- Ghost Fort Gifts are no longer available. They would contain Voodoo-Cursed Items and/or a Halloween Spell, or rarely Halloween constume parts or other items.
- Helltower Gifts contain a Spellbook Page, plus either one of many Halloween 2013 items OR a Costume Transmogrifier.
NOTE: The Haunted Halloween Gift no longer spawns, ever. It was removed by Valve and replaced by the Gargoyle transmute and the Merasmus Contract systems. [N] Obey
