The short answer
The KCD2 Phantom Horse appears after midnight in the burnt forest north of Kuttenberg during The Executioner's Pride. Follow it without attacking, take the Ghostly Horseshoe when it stops by its former owner, then mount it and ride directly to horse handler Stoia west of Kuttenberg. Do not skip time on that ride: players report that doing so can unload the horse before registration.
Cover: AI-generated conceptual illustration of a black horse in a burnt forest at night; not a KCD2 gameplay screenshot or a verified location.
The KCD2 Phantom Horse is a real obtainable mount, not just scenery and not a paid DLC reward. It is tied to the free Horse Races content and the Kuttenberg task The Executioner's Pride. The unusual part is timing: the quest asks for a Ghostly Horseshoe, but the same encounter gives you a short window to claim the horse itself.
Make a manual save before entering the burnt forest and another before registering the KCD2 Phantom Horse. The second save matters if you are attached to Pebbles, Herring, or another equipped horse.
Start the KCD2 Phantom Horse Quest
Reach the Kuttenberg region and finish Speak of the Devil. Then visit the Hole in the Wall inn in southeast Kuttenberg and ask innkeeper Mole about local rumours. He points Henry to Executioner Heinz, who works near the scaffold outside the city's eastern wall. Heinz starts The Executioner's Pride and asks for four unusual materials for a lucky sword.
The four materials are a Hanged Man's Noose, the Ghostly Horseshoe, a Bezoar, and a Hare Pelt. Only the horseshoe step meets the KCD2 Phantom Horse. The task is free update content; paid DLC is not the unlock condition.
If Mole has no rumour, verify that Speak of the Devil is complete. If Heinz already gave the task, track The Executioner's Pride. The KCD2 Phantom Horse is quest-driven, not a reliable random midnight spawn.
Source: Game Checklists
Before riding to the forest
0/4 completedFind the KCD2 Phantom Horse After Midnight
Follow quest marker B to the burnt forest north of Kuttenberg; other guides describe the area as southeast of Grund. The blackened trees are the important landmark. Arriving in daylight is fine, but the KCD2 Phantom Horse does not begin its route until after midnight. Use the marked tree stump to wait when the interaction is available, or arrive shortly before midnight under normal play.
Source: Game Checklists
Waiting at the quest stump starts the KCD2 Phantom Horse scene. Skipping time after mounting the KCD2 Phantom Horse is the risky player-reported action.
Source: Game Checklists
When the KCD2 Phantom Horse appears, follow at an ordinary pace. You do not need stealth, bait, food, or a Horsemanship check. Do not strike the KCD2 Phantom Horse or force it into a sprint. It leads Henry through the trees and stops near its former owner. Approach after the KCD2 Phantom Horse settles and pull the Ghostly Horseshoe from its hoof.
The interaction advances the objective and can add the Ghostly Horseshoes sketch to the smithing book. It is separate from the KCD2 Magic Horseshoes task in Semine. The item and KCD2 Phantom Horse are separate rewards: taking the horseshoe does not prevent ownership, and claiming the KCD2 Phantom Horse does not fail the sword task. Interact again to mount.
Source: Game Checklists
Register the KCD2 Phantom Horse Safely
Ride the KCD2 Phantom Horse to Stoia, the horse handler west of Kuttenberg, and use the same legal registration route used for an acquired or stolen mount. INARA identifies Stoia as the handler for this horse; some guides describe the destination more generally as the Kuttenberg stables south of the western gate. If the ordinary city groom offers no ownership dialogue, continue west to Stoia rather than assuming the horse cannot be kept.
Safe registration route
- Mount the KCD2 Phantom Horse immediately after taking the horseshoe.
- Place a map marker at Stoia west of Kuttenberg and ride there without fast travel.
- Do not use the wait or sleep interface while the unregistered horse is loaded.
- If Stoia is asleep, stay nearby and let time pass through normal play rather than skipping hours.
- Start the ownership dialogue, inspect the cost and trade-in state, then confirm only when you are ready to replace the active mount.
Registration is not necessarily free. The KCD2 Phantom Horse payment can change with reputation, haggling, and trade-in. Save before the transaction; another player's price is not guaranteed.
Players report that the unregistered KCD2 Phantom Horse can vanish after using Wait. This is not a documented timer. Keep the KCD2 Phantom Horse loaded until Stoia is available; if it disappears, reload and repeat without time skip.
Registering the KCD2 Phantom Horse changes Henry's active horse. Remove irreplaceable tack from Pebbles or Herring first. The transaction does not alter the Ghostly Horseshoe objective, so return to Heinz after ownership is settled.
KCD2 Phantom Horse Stats and Pebbles Comparison
Current INARA database values list the KCD2 Phantom Horse at 194 stamina, 413 capacity, 49 speed, and 24 courage, with a value of 4,050 Groschen before Henry's transaction modifiers. Compare these as clean reference values, not a promise about the numbers on your inventory screen. Tack, Horsemanship perks, mounted bonuses, and patches can change displayed results.
Reference table
| Question | KCD2 Phantom Horse answer | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Is it fast? | 49 base speed in the current database | Strong, but not the maximum before gear |
| Can it carry loot? | 413 base capacity | A major strength for armour and weapon hauls |
| Is it brave? | 24 base courage | Better suited to danger than many travel horses |
| Is it the universal best? | No single stat is best in class | Choose it for a balanced build and appearance |
| Does it replace Pebbles automatically? | Only after you confirm registration | Save and remove tack before the trade |
The KCD2 Phantom Horse is balanced, with useful capacity and courage. Perked Pebbles remains a serious alternative: Good Old Pebbles rewards invested riding distance. Use the broader KCD2 horse comparison, compare Pebbles and the KCD2 Phantom Horse without tack, then use the same saddle, bridle, caparison, and horseshoes.
Community posts disagree about KCD2 Phantom Horse speed and value because screenshots can include tack, mounted courage, patches, or old data. Current data supports the useful conclusion: the KCD2 Phantom Horse is strong and distinctive, not mandatory.
Finish The Executioner's Pride
Keeping the KCD2 Phantom Horse does not finish Heinz's request. Collect the other three materials, forge the Executioner's Sword at a Kuttenberg forge, and return the completed blade to Heinz. The quest's money reward is separate from horse ownership. Game Checklists records 475 Groschen at completion; Boneworks progress depends on other executioner-related quests rather than on which horse Henry owns.
Source: Game Checklists
Take the item, claim the KCD2 Phantom Horse, register it, then resume the ingredients. The KCD2 Phantom Horse and quest completion are compatible.
KCD2 Phantom Horse Troubleshooting
Find the cause
| Symptom | Likely check | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| No horse at the burnt forest | Quest not tracked or time is before midnight | Track marker B and use the stump after midnight |
| Horse appears but runs away | Henry attacked or crowded it | Reload before the encounter and follow calmly |
| Horse vanished on the road | Time was skipped before registration | Reload and ride directly to Stoia without Wait |
| Groom has no ownership dialogue | Wrong horse handler | Try Stoia west of Kuttenberg |
| Stats differ from this guide | Tack, perks, mounted state, or patch | Remove gear and compare the four base categories |
| Pebbles' gear seems missing | Registration changed the active horse | Reload before the trade and strip valuable tack first |
If the KCD2 Phantom Horse still fails to spawn with the objective active, verify files and test from the earlier save. Disable outdated horse or quest mods. Console spawning bypasses the KCD2 Phantom Horse quest and ownership state, so it is a poor diagnostic.
KCD2 Phantom Horse FAQ
Is the KCD2 Phantom Horse free?
The Phantom Horse encounter is free update content, but registration can require payment. Reputation, haggling, and trade-in can change the KCD2 Phantom Horse price.
Can I keep the KCD2 Phantom Horse and finish the quest?
Yes. Take the Ghostly Horseshoe, mount and register the KCD2 Phantom Horse, then collect the remaining materials and finish the sword. Horse ownership does not block Heinz's objective.
Why did the KCD2 Phantom Horse disappear?
The common Phantom Horse failure follows time skipping. Reload, mount the KCD2 Phantom Horse, ride to Stoia without Wait, and let the stable open during active play.
Is the KCD2 Phantom Horse better than Pebbles?
It depends on your Pebbles perk and play style. The KCD2 Phantom Horse offers high capacity and courage with balanced speed and stamina. Good Old Pebbles can remain better value for players who already unlocked her distance perk.
Where is the KCD2 Phantom Horse located?
During The Executioner's Pride, follow marker B to the burnt forest north of Kuttenberg, also described as southeast of Grund. The KCD2 Phantom Horse appears only after midnight and leads Henry to its former owner.
Do I need paid DLC for the KCD2 Phantom Horse?
No. The KCD2 Phantom Horse belongs to the free Horse Races update path. It is not unlocked by owning Brushes with Death or another paid expansion.
Quest route checked against Game Checklists, GamesRadar and current INARA horse data on 19 September 2026. The no-time-skip advice is a community workaround for an unregistered-horse despawn report, not an official guarantee.
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