If you see an enemy Houndmaster in a Stress team and their only skill is Hound's Harry, consider setting up a Riposte effect.

Since there are a number of useful skills available to the Houndmaster, how you deal with him depends on what skills the opponent is using and where he's located. Cry Havoc is rarely used due to its chance of failure but with the Brass Bugle it can provide AoE Stress relief to counter enemy Stress teams. Lick Wounds also sees use to give the Houndmaster self-sustainability, and can be augmented with the Tattered Chewtoy. Guard Dog is a useful defensive tool to save allies under threat, and combined with the Padded Armguard can push the Houndmaster's DODGE stat to near-untouchable levels. Frontline Houndmasters take Blackjack as a long-reaching Stun and supplant it with the Brass Knuckles to raise their Stun rate. The other skill slots are typically filled by the Houndmaster's support skills, customized based on his expected position. These builds favor the Attack whistle and Crimson Hook to raise the bleed rate and Stress output respectively. The second build, designed to spread Bleeds and Stress, typically spams Hound's Harry for almost the entire battle since the skill can be used anywhere. These builds favor use of the Target Whistle to increase the raw damage done. The first build, designed for a Mark team, typically carries Target Whistle and Hound's Rush to Mark enemies and capitalize on Marks respectively. Two kinds of builds exist for the Houndmaster.

Stress skills darkest dungeon