The Hellhounds are an aggressive and murderous new enemy first encountered in Shi No Numa. Then become recurring in Der Riese and Kino der Toten. They are deadly dog-like monsters covered in flames that are believed to be the mutated version of Samantha's pet dog, Fluffy. They randomly spawn throughout the map (a ball of lightning will usually erupt whenever they spawn) every 4 to 7 rounds and their sole objective is to kill the player by streaking towards them and either attacking with tooth and claw or by exploding. The ground shakes whenever they spawn or explode.
It is possible they have something to do with Element 115, as they have only appeared on maps that contain it or have contained it. It is also possible they are controlled by a single entity as at the start of a Hellhound round, a Demonic Announcer says "Fetch me their souls!" (which is supposedly the voice of Dr. Maxis's Daughter,Samantha).
On Der Riese, there are a series of radios that can be turned on, two of them have the sounds of dogs in them. One of them is a recording of an experiment on a dog, using one of the experimental teleporters. The people who are experimenting sound German (maybe Nazi Scientists that are experimenting on, and maybe even had started the zombie outbreak). After the experiment, one of the scientists (known only as Doctor Maxis) tells his assistant to open the door, the assistant hesitates, Maxis snaps back to him and the assistant opens the door. The sound of electrical swirls and a Hell Hound can be heard, afterward a little girl can be heard saying "Father, what are you doing with Fluffy?". Maxis replies with "Dammit, Samantha, I told you never to come in here!", shouts to his assistant to remove Samantha from view of the dog. Samantha screams at the sight of her dog (formally known as Fluffy). She says "What is wrong with her? Daddy, what did you do? Fluffy!", Before running off. Maxis replies "Come back here Samantha. Stop Her." Maxis runs after her, while saying "Easy, come here Samantha. Good girl. Gently Samantha, thats not Fluffy anymore, we must get out of here" (all through that sentence, the Hellhound seems to have got out of the chamber and is destroying equipment and windows.) Before Maxis and Samantha have a chance to get out of the room, the assistant seems to have locked the door behind him as he came out. Maxis shouts "Edward! what are you doing! Open the door! Edward! Open this door now!". Samantha cries "I'm scared". Maxis says to Edward "Damn you, stay by me Samantha". Then the assistant speaks "Goodbye, Doctor Maxis!" in a voice very similar toDoctor Richtofen. A teleporter activating seems to be heard before Edward laughs in an evil tone. After that, the message cuts out into static. It is possible that Doctor Richtofen helped create the hellhounds. The assistant is Doctor Richtofen, due to all evidence Dr. Maxis's recordings and tapes.
Supposedly, Samantha's dog, Fluffy, was pregnent when she was killed and revived . In one audio clip, "You know she's going to have puppies?" is heard, presumably referring to Fluffy. It is also possible more tests were continued by Edward, they multiply or that the first teleport test also cloned them. Sometimes it will appear as if a teleporter is being powered up as the dog spawns, possibly stating that the dogs come from the teleporter. They could be able to spawn on Shi No Numa because when some test subjects (Possibly other dogs) disappeared after teleporting they were stuck, and are starting to reappear. Another theory is that Element 115 could have something to do with the teleportation as hellhounds only appear on the maps that are related to the element (Shi No Numa and Der Reise). They also might be intelligent enough to understand what the teleporters in Der Reise (their believed place of origin) do and the flash of lightning and ground shaking might just be the effect of teleporting.
It is a possible reason why Hellhounds are replaced by the Thief. The Hellhounds might have been replaced because as the known theory how Samantha controls the Hellhounds and is after Richtofen, and survivors, for what he has done to her and Maxis. Since Richtofen and the survivors are not in the new map Five, there is no reason for Samantha and the Hellhounds to be there, and also since Hellhounds are in Germany/Japan and Five takes place in America it would be unknown how they got there like the Zombies and Gas Zombies. Otherwise the Teleporters may be a reason but it is unknown if they are connected to the other teleporters in Germany. There is also the reason there might not be any or enough Element 115 to attract the hellhounds to the Pentagon. Another reason is to that they (Treyarch) wanted to give the players a harder game because of how 6 or so Hellhounds require 1 shotgun shot with a Trench Gun/Stakeout or a stab with the Bowie Knife to finish them while the Thief requires loads of ammo to kill him and if you don't he will get away with one of your weapons and leave only a Max Ammo, the need to replace your lost weapon, and the need for an upgraded if on higher levels leaving the player needing 5950+ (+ if the first try isn't a good weapon). All that the Hellhounds will do is require the players to regroup to their camping location and replace lost Bouncing Betties or Claymores.
In Black Ops, a Bowie Knife+ Ballistic Knife combo is a rather effective tactic past the third hellround. Beware that the player would get downed easily if they dont have Juggernog. This combo is very effective because all Hellhounds max out on 1600 health, so two fast hits with the Bowie Knife+ Ballistic Knife combo could take them out easily, assuming the player has Juggernog. It should be noted though that camping with a Ballistic Knife+ Bowie Knife is not a good idea as the player can get overwhelmed quite easily, even with Juggernog.
The best gun for Hellhounds is the Trench Gun, as it is always a one hit kill (Depending on range), so at least one person should hold on to one in a group. This has been tested up to and over round 300. The PPSh-41, the Browning M1919, the FG42 and the MG42 are also extremely effective, and can also be used to hold off the Hellhounds indefinitely. The .357 Magnum and the PTRS-41 also work just as well as the Trench Gun, especially in early rounds, although they can be harder to aim at the fast-moving Hellhounds; as for the Double Barreled Shotgun, it works just as well, but frequent reloads make the Trench Gun preferred by most players, as for the Ray Gun, while it always is a one hit kill against the Dogs just like the Trench Gun, using it is quite dangerous as the Hellhounds get close to the player very quickly, causing Splash Damage to kill oneself. The Stakeout shotgun is an effective weapon against the Hellhounds in Black Ops.
Despite the weapons above are extremely effective against the Hellhounds, a majority of other weapons in the game are extremely ineffective, Semi-automatics, Bolt-action rifles and the starting M1911 pistol are the worst choices for a Hellhound round, because they are simply too weak, have slower rates of fire than an automatic, and have agonizingly slow reload times. The Flame thrower can incinerate entire crowds of hell hounds, but low mobility and cool-down periods prevent it from being a reliable weapon against the hell hounds as the rounds progress. Explosive devices like the M7 Grenade Launcher and the Panzerschreck are quite dangerous to use as Hell hounds get really close in order to attack, and, unless taken out from a distance, splash damage will kill both the player and the Hellhound. The 4 other Automatic weapons in the game (StG-44, MP40, Type 100, and M1 Thompson) will take [at least] 1 magazine to kill 1 hell hound by round 20.
If on a Hellround, camping is the best solution, either in pairs or a group of four. Shotguns and MGs are equally effective, while the Ray Gun is quite dangerous to the player's self, as the dogs will often get very close and cause the player to kill himself with the Ray Gun's splash damage, though this is an insignificant flaw and can still be used on a Hellround. Note that the DG-2 should be saved for Zombie rounds instead, as the area effect has little bearing on Hellhounds (although this is nullified by the fact that the player gets a max ammo power-up at the end of the round, so as long as he keeps a full magazine when the max ammo is taken, he can kill the hellhounds effectively with the Wunderwaffe). If the players have an MG or Trench Gun yet in the first Hellhound, knifing them is rather easy (blindly tested, survived) the player will get damaged, but if he continually knifes in a corner, he should survive.
A fairly good camping spot on Shi No Numa is at the first mystery box spawn, just around the corner where the dogs can only come from one direction.
Another good spot is the little island to the left of the Comm Room (if facing the Comm Room) if the Comm Room isn't open, then there will be a good 3–4 seconds between dogs. If all the other rooms are open, there is around 10–30 seconds between each individual dog, giving time to reload, which is especially good if using the Browning M1919
It is sometimes good to move from one place to another.
The Hellhound picks a random target upon spawning, and will not deviate from that target unless it is downed. Because of this, if someone is standing with people blocking the Hellhound from attacking them, it will simply get stuck.
On solo, there is never more than 10 Hellhounds per round. Because of this, Bouncing Betty's (if all are placed during rounds between dogs and none are destroyed) can be used to complete a whole Hellround.
Dogs will usually not go into the water if they don't have to. The player can use this fact to funnel the Hellhounds. (although this only works on Shi no Numa since that this the only zombie map that contains water.)
Another strategy is to have a Submachine Gun (e.g. PPSh-41 ideally) or a Ray Gun, and basically run and jump frequently around and shoot at the Hellhounds. This makes it very hard for the Hellhounds to get the player because one, if he keeps on jumping, it makes it hard for the Hellhounds to line up an attack, and two, if they do attack, they will likely miss since the player has jumped out of the way. Also, when a Hellhound attacks and misses, it will usually stay still for a second before attacking again. the player can use that precious second to his advantage and get an easy kill.
In "Der Riese," there are a few good camping spots, the first one is the tunnel near the teleporter at the end of the factory, another good spot is the Catwalk next to the tunnel, Hellhounds can't spawn on the catwalk giving time to reload, both can funnel Hellhounds and Zombies alike.
Another good strategy (only works with at least 3 people) is to back all teammates against a wall with three solid sides and unleash on the Hellhounds with fully auto weapons.
Get out of the starting room as soon as possible, if no doors have been opened, the Hell Hounds are very likely to come at round 5-6.
In "Der Riese," the Bowie Knife will kill a Hellhound in one attack up to the 3rd Hellhound round, afterwards it is a two-hit kill for the rest of the game.
In Kino Der Toten, a Bowie Knife will kill a Hellhound in one hit up until the second hellround.
In Kino Der Toten, a good camping spot is in the corner of the screening room, beside the Jugger-nog machine.
In World at War, Hellhounds would only attack one random player and if you blocked the way for the Hellhound to get to that player it would look for a way around you. In Black Ops, if you block the way of a Hellhound it will attack you until you move out of the way of its target.
If your weapons are not good, it might be useful to run in circles as then the Hellhound will not be able to hit you as easily.
It seems that sometimes, hellhounds will only start running at you when they get closer. If you camp on the gangway in 'Der Riese', the dogs will only start running when they get about halfway up the stairs, or earlier if you shoot them. This gives you a chance to 'lock on' to them, as they are walking and make easy targets.
On "Kino Der Toten" a great place to camp is by the Speed Cola machine, as you will have a great visual of the dogs before they get to you as they have to usually come down the stairs. Most important is that the dogs that do come down the stairs will always walk until they are about 3-5 meters away from you, making them easy to kill.
On "Kino Der Toten", back up and camp in the gap between the right of the teleporter (so you can see out into the theatre) and the wall. The Hellhounds seem to struggle to get in the gap and it gives you some time to pick them off and get some rounds into them.
Glitches
Sometimes, when killed, a Hellhound will not fall down as normal, but instead will freeze in the standing position. This can look awkward and cause a problem during particularly intense Hellhound rounds because players might reflexively shoot at a seemingly live Hellhound that is actually dead, wasting ammo. It is also possible for a Hellhound to continue bounding or running after it is killed, thus tricking players even further. (confirmed on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC)
(Shi No Numa) In the 'Warning room' there is a pallet and barrel to the left of the gate, if the player is standing in the correct place next to the pallet and in front of the barrel, the Hellhounds will run up to the player, but will be unable to attack them. This can help, especially if the player needs to reload a large capacity gun, such as the Browning M1919.
(Der Riese) After opening the teleporter room behind the electricity generator, go past the teleporter and into the underground alley. If the player goes in the corner at the end, the Hellhounds will attack the wrong area. Give them enough time and they will figure out where the player is exactly and attack. But if you stay in the corner and only one Hellhound is there the Hellhound will stand there until it dies, which can allow the other players in multiplayer to complete other activities (explore the map, use the random box, upgrade weapons/perks, etc.). This can't be considered a barrier glitch with Hellhounds because if another Hellhound comes down the stairs, the hellhounds will attack, which can down the player if they're not careful.
(Der Riese) After reaching the first random weapon room, If the player faces the random weapon box and look north-east, then there is a corner. Run and jump into that corner, and the hellhounds will just attack empty space in front of him. However, this doesn't work for hellhounds going around the side, and the other hellhounds will eventually start attacking the player if he gives them time, resulting in the maneuver being repeated. (Xbox 360, unknown if it works on the PS3 or PC)
(Der Riese) Sometimes when the last Hellhound is killed, it will not drop a Max Ammo for some unknown reason, but when the next round starts the first Zombie will drop a Max Ammo (this can be quite problematic because if the player may have Bouncing Betties at a distance or shoot the first Zombie in a window, they will lose the chance of getting a Max Ammo). This is frustrating on much higher waves.
(Kino der Toten) If one stands on the top corner (closest to the podium) of a staircase coming down from the stage, hellhounds will all stand in one spot, not attacking the player. This is useful in the later rounds while equipped with Mustang and Sally and the ZeusCannon, as precious ammunition can't be spent on single hellhounds.
In Kino der Toten, If in the room with the room with the MP40, and you shoot a hound on the stairs closest to the MP40, it might fall down and stay there. If you kill this hound last, you will NOT be able to get the Max Ammo Power-up that falls. Confirmed on Wii.
Trivia
When the dogs spawn, there is a flash of lightning where they appear.
The Hellhounds have several different appearances just like the zombies. Some are large and intimidating while others look frail and badly burned.
The Hellhounds appear approximately every five rounds, although they are guaranteed to appear somewhere from rounds four to seven. Note that if teams complete a Hellround, it cannot happen again for three rounds, at which point it returns to the 50/50 probability.
It takes three hits from a Hellhound to down a player in Shi No Numa, four with Juggernog. Although in Der Riese it takes three hits to down a player without Juggernog, and approximately six hits to down a player with Juggernog.
Hellhounds have much lower health and are more vulnerable than the zombies of the equivalent round.
The last Hellhound will drop a Max Ammo when killed.
When the Hellround begins, an ominous tune, rumbling thunder and Samantha saying "Fetch me their souls!" can be heard. Also, the map turns foggy until the last Hellhound is killed. The Hellhounds can be heard howling on Shi No Numa on PS3 as well when the Hellround starts.
Hellhounds will attack certain players and don't switch between targets until the one they're after is downed.
In Der Riese, Hellhounds spawn without fire. They limp around until they find their target. When they find their target, the Hellhound will ignite and start running.
In Der Riese, if a player shoots at them they will lock on to the player that shot at them regardless of the distance.
In Der Riese, there is a door with a warning sign and a Hellhound head nailed to it. Inside on the floor there is a lot of blood; this is possibly where Dr. Ludwig Maxis and his daughter, Samantha, met their demise.
If the player does the glitch on Vendetta to get the Flammenwerfer 35, go on the second window and let the patrol go past, burn the dog. When its dead, it resembles a Hellhound.
If on solo in Kino der Toten, and you get downed by a Hellhound but have Quick Revive, the hellhounds will just stand there until you kill them or you get back up.
When playing on Der Riese, if a teleporter is nearby (if you are camping the balcony by Teleporter C, for example.) during a Hellround, many Hellhounds will spawn out of the teleporter. This makes sense, seeing how they were originally created in the teleporters. *Something that resembels a hellhound apperears in Black ops ds
Quotes
Four legged freak-sacks! Just more shit to blow up! - Tank Dempsey
Ahh... Shit!... Here come the dogs! - Tank Dempsey
