Death isn’t the end in Windrose, and Israel Hands, the boss of the Foothills biome, is the embodiment of that thought. He wields the power of death itself, torturing the bodies and souls of anyone who walks into his lair. Despite his otherworldly powers, it’s not impossible to send him to the depths. This guide helps you in that regard, so you can put this difficult boss in his place.

Where is Israel Hands in Windrose? (Location & Needle in a Haystack Questline)

Note: Image courtesy of GogetaSuperx. Like Thomas Richards, Israel Hands is an “end of biome” boss in Windrose. Find him at the end of the “Needle in a Haystack” questline. Players will know if they’re on the right track after accepting the quest with the “Search the Pirate camps in the Foothills” objective. Travel to the marker on the map, indicating the location of the Pirate camps. Clear the area, and loot the containers. Next, the quest updates with a new objective, which should now say, “Board the Unsinkable.” Enter your boat, and prepare for a challenging naval battle against four of Blackbeard’s boats. After a while, you’ll see the Unsinkable heading in your direction. Continuously deal damage to the Unsinkable with your ship’s cannons. Board the Unsinkable when ready, and defeat all enemies from within. The questline updates with a new objective afterward, which should now say, “Search the camp near the ruins.” Travel to the new map marker and defeat the enemies loitering around the not-so-abandoned camp. Once cleared, search the wax-stained desk to trigger the next objective in the questline: Collect the temple key. Simply follow the new quest marker on the map to find the key. Collect the loot, which should trigger the last objective of the Foothills biome main questline: Defeat Hands. Again, travel to the new marker on the map to find the location where Israel Hands resides.

Preparing for the Fight Against Israel Hands

Note: Image courtesy of GogetaSuperx. Being a fiercely loyal ally to Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, Israel Hands is no pushover. As the main boss of the Foothills biome, Hands can deplete the health bar of any unprepared pirate he comes across. Consider returning to base camp before traveling to the boss fight location of Israel Hands. First, take advantage of consuming food items for their buffs. Some notable mentions include the following:

• Coffee: Craft using 4x Coffee Beans and 4x Cane Sugar. Grants +20 Endurance for 30 minutes.
• Hearty Egg Broth: Craft using 3x Sweet Potato, 1x Dodo Egg, and 2x Meat. Grants +10 Agility for 30 minutes.
• Spicy “Chicken” with Sweet Potato: 2x Bird Meat, 5x Cayenne Pepper, and 3x Sweet Potato. Grants +10 Vitality for 30 minutes.
• Spicy Breaded Kebab: 2x Bird Meat, 1x Dodo Egg, and 5x Cayenne Pepper. Grants +10 Strength for 30 minutes.

Remember, morals don’t matter too much in a battle with two pirates. Israel Hands will use anything in his arsenal to defeat you, so you should follow suit. It’s also ideal to have the rested buff for this fight. Thankfully, a Fast Travel point is nearby. So, return to camp for a few moments to get the buff. Then, return to Israel Hands’s location while the buff is active for faster stamina regeneration. As for the best weapon of choice, you can use any of your preferred melee and/or ranged options. However, a two-handed or heavy-hitting weapon, such as a greatsword or clubs, can deliver massive damage to Hands’s health. The right hits with these weapons can also make it easier than normal to stagger him, increasing DPS opportunities. And if you're struggling with taking too much damage or not fulfilling your build enough, make sure you also have the right armor for the job.

How to Defeat Israel Hands in Windrose

Note: Image courtesy of GogetaSuperx. Bosses in Windrose are no laughing matters, and Israel Hands will easily trade jokes for sharp steel. Rush in blind, and you’ll be reaching Davy Jones’s locker sooner rather than later. So, pace yourself, and only attack when you see an opening. Each of Hands’s attacks has a reasonably long windup. So, evade or parry his attacks, and then let your steel meet his flesh when the right time presents itself. It’s also a good idea to learn this boss’s attack patterns to prepare for your upcoming “dance” with him. In particular, Israel Hands has five known attacks, which are the following:

• Poison Lunge: Hands crouch, and then lunges towards the player’s position while leaving a poison trail.
• Sword Swings: Israel Hands’s normal attack. He can swing his sword one, two, or three times in a single combo.
• Spirit Blast: Ghostly energy transfers from Israel Hands’s hands and onto his shoulder. A bullet shoots from this mass toward the player’s position.
• Deadly Whirlwind: A skeleton appears from the boss, leading to a deadly spinning attack.
• Soul Salvo: Hands begins to float and then release a flurry of damaging souls to the player’s position.

Evasion can be a better choice than parrying in this fight. Apart from the lunges and sword swings, Hands’s long-range attacks can be quite difficult to parry. Some players may want to run around the arena rather than try to take advantage of the small parry window for optimal survival. Tip: Fight Israel Hands with a party in a Windrose server to help spread the boss's aggro to other players if you need time to restore health. Note that Windrose’s second boss fight can also be a skill check. Take it slow, and you’ll exit this arena as the victor. Additionally, you’ll receive the following loot rewards for completing this challenging feat:

• 1x Soul Eater
• 1x Charon’s Obol
• 200x Undead Essence
• 50x Experience Points