Dead by Daylight Killer Guide: Houndmaster Killer (Perks, Tips, & Strategies)

The Houndmaster is the latest killer added to Dead by Daylight, so knowing the best build for the character could give you an advantage right away. Unlike the previous two killers added to the game i.e. Castlevania’s Dracula and Dungeons & Dragons‘ Vecna – the Houndmaster is a killer unique to the world of the game. Like killers like the Knight and the Twins, the Houndmaster also has a special companion, Snug the Dog.

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If you want to be an effective Houndmaster, you must master commanding Snug. You will also need to use perks that either enhance this killer’s natural strengths or lessen some of her weaknesses. While aiming is somewhat important for all killers, you will need to be a bit more precise with your accuracy when playing as the Houndmaster.

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Best Tips For Playing The Houndmaster
- The Houndmaster Needs To Effectively Use Their Companion To Make Up For The Killer’s Shortcomings

Best Perks For The Houndmaster

When considering which perks are best for the Houndmaster, there are a few things to consider. First is that the Houndmaster only uses basic attacks to hit opponents. This means perks that give killers advantages for landing basic attacks are good to consider for this killer. Aura reading perks can also be helpful, such as showing you where to send Snug.

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Dead By Daylight Isn’t Scary, And That’s Okay

Dead by Daylight is not as scary as one would assume a game full of horror icons would be, but that doesn’t keep it from being an entertaining game.

Currently, one of the main ways opponents seem to be countering the Houndmaster is by dropping pallets on Snug. Taking some perks that help deal with these obstacles could, therefore, be an excellent way to go. This could be a perk like Brutal Strength, which helps break pallets faster.

The Houndmaster also has a unique perk that makes healing more difficult: No Quarter. If you want to make healing even more difficult, you can take other perks that make it hard for survivors to recover. Leverage is a good option here, as it will make healing slower.

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Houndmaster Perks

Perk	Effect
All-Shaking Terror	After falling, the range of the killer’s Lunge Attack is increased by 75%.
No Quarter	When a survivor is healing, they are forced to perform continuous skill checks after reaching 75% healed. If they fail a check, they become broken.
Scourge Hook: Jagged Compass	Certain highlighted hooks are Scourge Hooks. When hooking a survivor on one, the aura of the generator with the most progress is shown to the killer.

Recommended Killer Perks

Perk	Effect
Save the Best for Last	As long as the killer’s obsession is alive, cool-downs for Basic Attacks are reduced.
Starstruck	Survivors are exposed in the killer’s terror radius while carrying a survivor. After the survivor is hooked, survivors in the radius remain exposed for a short period of time.
Rapid Brutality	The killer can no longer gain Bloodlust. However, hitting a survivor with a Basic Attack gives them +5% Haste for a short time.
Grim Embrace	Grim Embrace gains a token each time a survivor is hooked for the first time. Once there are four tokens, generators are temporarily blocked, and the Obsession’s aura is temporarily revealed.
Brutal Strength	Increases the speed at which the killer breaks walls and pallets and damages generators.
Leverage	Reduces survivor’s healing speed after they unhook another survivor.

Best Powers For The Houndmaster

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The Houndmaster’s powers revolve around controlling her dog, Snug. You can give snug a Chase Command or a Search Command, each with its own unique effects. While a Chase Command may be more impactful in the right situations, Search Commands can help locate survivors. Which one is better really depends on the situation.

Chase Command

The Chase Command will send Snug after a survivor in Dead by Daylight. Snug can make some minor turns and even jump over pallets or through windows. When Snug catches a survivor, the special interaction Dog Grab is triggered. While grabbed, you will be pulled towards the killer for eight seconds, and their aura is revealed. You can escape by dropping a pallet on the dog or being rescued by another survivor.

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Even after the survivor is released, they are Hindered, losing 10% movement speed for five seconds. Exit Gates are also blocked for the grabbed survivor for five seconds after being released, allowing the Houndmaster a better chance to knock them down before they escape. This power is significant for helping the Houndmaster catch survivors since she only has a basic melee attack.

Search Command

Search Command is similar to the Chase Command, but Snug will now reveal them to the killer instead of chasing survivors by triggering Killer Instinct. The Houndmaster will also get faster after following Snug’s search path for a certain amount of time.

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While Search Command is handy for locating survivors, killers will likely switch to using Chase Command to catch them. Still, Search Command can be very helpful, especially on maps with low visibility. Not being able to find survivors can be one of the most frustrating aspects of playing as the killer, and this power cuts down on the likelihood that survivors can stay hidden.

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Best Tips For Playing The Houndmaster

The Houndmaster Needs To Effectively Use Their Companion To Make Up For The Killer’s Shortcomings

The Houndmaster is particularly susceptible to being looped. Whereas killers like Dracula or the Xenomorph alien in Dead by Daylight can still hit players from across pallets with special attacks, the Houndmaster is restricted to her basic attack for doing damage. Since Snug can hop over obstacles, it might be worth holding him back until the survivor being chased drops a pallet or vaults a window. The survivor being grabbed will allow the Houndmaster to catch up and hit them with her melee attack.

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Because the Huntmaster isn’t as mobile as some killers, it’s also important that you send Snug out to search when you don’t know where survivors are. Killers shouldn’t get stingy with Snug and just wait to use the Chase Command; it isn’t worth it if they never find anyone to catch. Also, for both searching and chasing, you will need to get used to aiming Snug. Though Dead by Daylight isn’t as demanding in this regard as an FPS, you will likely find this killer frustrating if Snug keeps running past the survivors you want to catch.