"Instantly kill Elite monsters below 13% (+13% per stack) health." Execution triggers on the next hit after an elite drops below the threshold - not at the moment they cross it. Only the holder executes elites; allies do not. Stacking is hyperbolic - never reaches 100%. Overloading elites cannot be executed while they have shields. Unlocked by killing 500 elites.
Holder Only
Allies excluded
Execution triggers on the NEXT HIT after crossing threshold
Old Guillotine does not instantly kill the moment an elite drops below threshold. The damage that crosses the threshold applies first, then the execution check fires on that same hit only if their HP is already below it. This means: get an elite to 13% HP, then hit them again to execute. The threshold is a trigger condition, not an instant death floor.
Execution Threshold by Stack Count
Stacking is hyperbolic - the description implies linear +13% per stack but actual gains diminish. You cannot reach 100% regardless of stack count.
| Stacks |
Execute Threshold |
Practical Effect |
| 1 | Below 11.5% HP | Base - executes at last sliver |
| 2 | Below 20.6% HP | ~22.6% - significant elite DPS savings |
| 3 | Below 28.1% HP | ~31.1% - skip final third of elite HP |
| 5 | Below 39.4% HP | ~44.8% - execute at nearly half HP |
| 8 | Below 51.0% HP | ~51% - execute past half HP |
| 10 | Below 56.5% HP | ~56.5% - more than half HP skipped |
| 24 | Below 75.7% HP | ~75.7% - cancels Tier 1 elite 4x HP bonus |
Elite Shield Interactions
Enemies cannot be executed while they have any shields. This is a hard rule. Dealing damage to a shielded enemy, even if their combined HP+shield total is below threshold, will not trigger execution until all shields are gone.
Overloading elites: only bottom 50% of health bar is executable. Overloading elites have 50% of their health replaced by shields. The execution only activates once those shields are depleted and you're dealing damage to their actual HP. With 1 stack (13% threshold), Old Guillotine only fires in the bottom 13% of the HP that remains after shields.
Perfected elites are the exception. Despite having 100% of HP converted to shields, Perfected elites can be executed normally. Their execution threshold is still checked and triggers as expected.
Transcendence players have all HP as shields but can still take damage and die normally - this interaction does not apply to the player, only enemies.
Best Synergies
Brainstalks S Tier
Kill an elite, enter a frenzy with near-zero skill cooldowns for 4s (+4s/stack). Guillotine shortens every elite fight, meaning more elite kills per minute. More kills feeds more Brainstalks windows. The two items create a self-reinforcing loop in elite-dense environments.
Artifact of Honor S Tier
All enemies spawn as elites. Every single kill becomes an elite kill. Old Guillotine fires constantly through every fight. Combined with Brainstalks this becomes effectively permanent skill cooldown removal during combat.
Wake of Vultures A Tier
Steal elite buffs on kill. Guillotine speeds up elite kills, which means more rapid buff cycling. With Artifact of Honor the stolen buffs cycle constantly through every fight.
Acrid - Poison Build A Tier
Acrid's Poison is normally non-lethal - it leaves enemies at 1 HP. Old Guillotine fixes this for elites. Once a poisoned elite drops below the execution threshold, the next tick or hit executes them instantly.
Artificer - Snapfreeze B Tier
Snapfreeze executes at 30% HP. Old Guillotine takes whichever threshold is higher - Guillotine beats Snapfreeze after 2 stacks (22.6% vs 30%). At 3+ stacks Guillotine handles elite execution entirely.
Defense Nucleus B Tier
Alpha Construct spawns on elite kills. Guillotine accelerates elite kills, meaning faster and more frequent Alpha Construct generation. In Artifact of Honor runs this becomes a substantial army buildup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Old Guillotine do in Risk of Rain 2?
Old Guillotine instantly kills any Elite enemy when it takes damage while below 13% (+13% per stack) of its maximum health. The execution does not trigger at the moment their HP drops below the threshold - it triggers on the next hit after they cross it. Only the holder can execute elites; allies do not benefit.
How do you unlock Old Guillotine in Risk of Rain 2?
Old Guillotine is unlocked by completing the Cut Down challenge, which requires killing 500 Elite monsters across any number of runs. This happens naturally over the course of normal play, especially on higher difficulties where elites spawn more frequently.
Does Old Guillotine stack?
Yes, but with hyperbolic (diminishing) returns - not linear. The in-game description implies +13% per stack additively but the actual formula is hyperbolic. 1 stack = 13%, 2 stacks = 22.6%, 5 stacks = 44.8%, 8 stacks = roughly 51%. You can never reach 100% execution threshold no matter how many you stack.
Does Old Guillotine work on Overloading elites?
Partially. Enemies cannot be executed while they have any shields. Overloading elites have 50% of their HP converted to shields. Once those shields are depleted and only the base HP remains, they can be executed normally. This effectively means Old Guillotine only applies in the bottom half of an Overloading elite's health bar.
Does Old Guillotine work with Brainstalks?
Yes, and this is one of the best synergies in the game. Brainstalks grants near-zero skill cooldowns for 4 seconds (+4s per stack) whenever you kill an elite. With Old Guillotine raising the execution threshold, you kill elites faster - each elite kill feeds directly into a Brainstalks window, which lets you chain more elite kills, which gives you more Brainstalks windows.
Can Old Guillotine execute bosses?
No. Bosses (enemies with a red health bar) are immune to execution effects. Old Guillotine only works on elite variants of regular enemies. The Overloading Worm is not considered a true elite despite having an elite prefix in its name and is not affected.
Other Risk of Rain 2 Items
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