Hydralisk

From StarCraft Wiki

Hydralisk
Unit
Race	Zerg
Role	Hatchery Evolved Ranged Unit
Armament	Needle spines (most common attack)
Properties
Hit points	80
Size	Medium
Transport slots	2
Production
Minerals	75
Gas	25
Control	2
Build time	28
Produced at	Larva
Requires	Hydralisk den
Hot key	H
Combat
Ground attack	10e
Air attack	10e
Cooldown	15
Armor	0
Attack range	4 (5 upgraded)
Sight range	6

The hydralisk is the zerg basic frontline creature, forming the backbone of their onslaughts with its resistant carapace and ranged spine attack.

Contents 1 Overview 1.1 Attacks 1.2 History 2 Game Unit 2.1 StarCraft 2.1.1 Abilities 2.1.2 Upgrades 2.2 StarCraft: Ghost 2.3 StarCraft II 2.3.1 Researched Abilities 2.3.2 Upgrades 2.3.3 Strategies 2.4 Development 3 Other Appearances 4 Special Hydralisk Strains and Characters 5 Images 6 Videos 7 References

[edit] Overview

The hydralisk is a zerg evolution of the slothien. While slothiens were peaceful herbivores, the hydralisk is noted as being one of the most fierce and sadistic of the zerg strains.^[1] During the initial zerg invasion of the Koprulu Sector, hydralisks commonly reached 5.5 meters in length and could draw themselves up to over 2.4 meters in height.^[2] Since the Brood War hydralisks have evolved to be much larger.^[3] Since hydralisks move relatively slowly over open terrain,^[4] it is common for hydralisks to burrow and await their prey to enter killing range before attacking,^[5] destroying their enemies in a deadly crossfire.^[6] Despite their relatively sluggish nature, hydralisks can climb vertical surfaces^[7] and continued evolution of the strain through muscular augmentation has resulted in faster hydralisks.^[1]

They are sometimes colloquially called "hydras".^[8]

[edit] Attacks

Hydralisks may attack directly with scythe-like arms or, more commonly, strike from a distance with volleys of armor-piercing spines.^[5] Hundreds of spines are stored in the upper carapace plates^[1] and covered by flaps. The flaps fold back before the spines fire^[9], a process which gives a few second warning to an impending volley.^[7]

The hydralisk has 4,000 muscles, compared to a terran's 629,^[6] and a portion of these may be used to launch the spines with enough force to penetrate 2 cm. of neosteel.^[1] The spines were evolved from slothien's defensive urticating (stinging) hairs;^[6] they may be "grooved" for increased range^[1] and are slightly poisonous.^[10]

[edit] History

The hydralisk is descended from the slothien, a peaceful caterpillar-like creature.^[1]

The first recorded encounter between terrans and hydralisks was aboard a cargo vessel. The hydralisk was recorded by the derelict ship's security cameras.^[4] Current terran tactics for dealing with the creatures stress the need for siege tank support.^[6]

Prior to the beginning of the Brood War, hydralisks gained the ability to mutate into lurkers.^[11]

[edit] Game Unit

[edit] StarCraft

Hydralisks have a single ranged attack, unlike in the cinematics where they may melee attack. They are the only zerg ground unit able to hit air targets, making them one of the most important zerg units in the whole game. Hydralisk dens are required to spawn them from larvae.

Hydralisks are cheap enough to be mass produced in a short period of time. Although hydralisks can deal huge damage in large groups, there are numerous counters; terrans benefit from large numbers of siege tanks, and marines paired with medics. Protoss can effectively counter mass hydralisks with reavers with ground support and high templar using Psionic Storm. In competitive StarCraft, hydralisks are most often used against the protoss race (e.g. the 3 hatch hydra opening) because it is an effective counter to many protoss units despite the easy counters against them. This is especially true if the zerg player is skilled at micromanaging his hydralisks. Against terrans, hydralisks do not see much usage because professional players are too skilled with their marines, medics and siege tanks which are also natural counters to the hydralisk. In zerg vs zerg competitive play, hydralisks are virtually unseen as are most zerg units because the game is usually dominated by zerglings and mutalisks.

[edit] Abilities

Burrow Acquisition Minerals 100 Gas 100 Evolved at Hatchery/Lair/Hive Hotkey B Usage Hotkey U Notes Many zerg ground units may burrow, rendering themselves invisible but incapable of moving or attacking.

Lurker Morph Acquisition Minerals 200 Gas 200 Evolved at Hydralisk den Usage Minerals 50 Gas 100 Units 1 hydralisk Notes Allows a hydralisk to morph into a lurker. The control cost increases to 2.

[edit] Upgrades

Missile Attacks Evolved at Evolution chamber Hotkey A Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100 150 200 Gas 100 150 200 Required Hatchery Lair Hive Notes +1 bonus to attack damage per level for hydralisks +2 bonus to attack damage per level for lurkers	Carapace Evolved at Evolution chamber Hotkey C Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 150 225 300 Gas 150 225 300 Required Lair Hive Notes +1 bonus to armor per level for broodlings, defilers, drones, hydralisks, infested terrans, larvae, ultralisks, zerglings.
Muscular Augments Evolved at Hydralisk den Hotkey M Properties Minerals 150 Gas 150 Notes Increases hydralisk movement speed.	Grooved Spines Evolved at Hydralisk den Properties Minerals 150 Gas 150 Notes Increases the attack range of hydralisks by 1 (to 5).

[edit] StarCraft: Ghost

	This article or section contains information about StarCraft: Ghost. The content may be significantly out of date. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.

Hydralisks are featured as a player unit in StarCraft: Ghost, in addition to acting as enemies. Hydralisks maintain their StarCraft abilities but also gain a powerful claw attack.^[12] Their poison quills attack interferes with terran vision.^[13] They move more slowly than zerglings.^[14]

In Invasion mode, transforming a zergling into a hydralisk costs one point.^[14]

[edit] StarCraft II

	This article or section contains information about a StarCraft II unit or structure.
	The content may be significantly out of date as StarCraft II experiences a new build weekly and may change substantially as more information becomes available. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.

Hydralisk
Unit
Race	Zerg
Role	Ranged Attacker
Armament	Needle spines (most common attack), scythe
Properties
Hit points	80[15]
Type	Biological[16][17] Ground[16][17]
Armor type	Light[16][17]
Production
Minerals	75[15]
Gas	25[15]
Control	1[15]
Build time	33[17]
Produced at	Larva[17]
Requires	Hydralisk den[18][19] or *Lurker den[20]
Hot key	H[17]
Combat
Ground attack	8 (+4 vs armored)[15]
Air attack	8 (+4 vs armored)[15]
Armor	0[17][21]
Attack range	6[22] [23]

Hydralisks will be featured in StarCraft II.^[6]

Their appearance have changed slightly in StarCraft II. The most notable difference is their scythes, which now boast more spikes than in StarCraft. Their face is also slightly different from what it was before.

Hydralisks move quickly, have a longer firing range than before (there is no need to research a range upgrade) and can devastate enemy buildings in only a few volleys, but are fragile.^[22]

Hydralisks have a melee attack as well, but it does the same damage as the ranged attack.^[24]

[edit] Researched Abilities

Lurker Morph
Acquisition Requires Lurker den[17]	Usage Minerals 50[17][25][26] Gas 100[17][25][26] Units Hydralisk[27] Duration 33[17][25][26] Hotkey L[17][26]
Notes
Allows a hydralisk to morph into a lurker.[27] The mutation costs 1 control.[26]
Edit

Burrow
Acquisition Minerals 50[28] Gas 50[28] Evolution time 50[29] Evolved at Hatchery/Lair/Hive[26][30] Hotkey B[28]
Notes
Many zerg ground units may burrow, rendering themselves invisible but incapable of moving or attacking.
Edit

[edit] Upgrades

Missile Attacks Evolved at Evolution chamber[28] Hotkey A[28] Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 10[28] 150[28] 200[28] Gas 100[28] 150[28] 200[28] Evolution time 140[28] 170[28] 200[28] Required Hatchery[28] Lair[28] Hive[28] Notes Attack bonus for queen, roaches, hydralisks, and lurkers.[28] Edit	Carapace Evolved at Evolution chamber[28] Hotkey C[28] Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 150[28] 225[28] 300[28] Gas 150[28] 225[28] 300[28] Evolution time 140[28] 170[28] 200[28] Required Hatchery[28] Lair[28] Hive[28] Notes +1 bonus to armor per level for drones, queen, zerglings, banelings, hydralisks, lurkers, infestors, roaches and ultralisks.[28] Edit
Muscular Augments Evolved at Hydralisk Den[28] Lurker den[28] Hotkey M[28] Properties Minerals 150[28] Gas 150[28] Evolution time 80[28] Notes Increases hydralisk movement speed.[28] Edit

[edit] Strategies

Hydralisks counter mutalisks. A combination of roaches and hydralisks can defeat a combo of zerglings and mutalisks.^[31]

[edit] Development

Hydralisks have constantly moved in tier from 1.5 to 2 and back over the development of StarCraft II. As of April 2009 the hydralisk has been moved back to tier 1.5, as part of an effort to prevent zerg vs zerg matches devolving into roach vs roach battles.^[32] As of May 2009 they were moved back up to tier 2.^[33] As of June 2009 they were moved back to tier 1.5.^[34]

[edit] Other Appearances

Main article: Hydralisk (Warcraft III)

A hydralisk unit is available in the World Editor of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.

[edit] Special Hydralisk Strains and Characters

• Frayne the Feral
• Hunter Killer
• Specimen 16G
• Zergrinch Warg

[edit] Images

See: the image gallery.

Initial concept art	StarCraft concept art	StarCraft: Ghost game model	StarCraft II concept art
StarCraft II cinematic appearance	StarCraft II development

[edit] Videos

[edit] References

Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft/Brood War
Ground units	Larva · Drone · Zergling · Hydralisk · Defiler · Ultralisk • Brood War only • Lurker
Air units	Overlord · Mutalisk · Guardian · Scourge · Queen • Brood War only • Devourer
Infestation units	Broodling · Infested terran
Transition units	Egg · Lurker egg · Cocoon
Basic buildings	Hatchery · Extractor · Evolution chamber · Spawning pool · Creep colony · Spore colony · Sunken colony · Hydralisk den
Advanced buildings	Lair · Hive · Spire · Greater spire · Queen's nest · Nydus canal · Defiler mound · Ultralisk cavern · Infested command center
Other	Creep

Zerg Units of StarCraft: Ghost
Ground	PC	Hydralisk · Infested marine · Zergling
	Other	Drone · Infested terran · Infested SCV pilot · Infested scientist · Larva · Lurker · Ultralisk
Aerial	PC	Mutalisk
	Other	Overlord · Brain spectre
Other	Zerg Egg

Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft II
Land units	Larva · Drone · Zergling · Baneling · Roach · Hydralisk · Lurker · Infestor · Ultralisk · Queen
Air units	Overlord · Overseer · Mutalisk · Brood lord · Corruptor
Spawned units	Broodling · Mantaling · Changeling · Infested terran
Basic buildings	Hatchery · Creep tumor · Extractor · Evolution chamber · Spawning pool · Baneling nest · Hydralisk den
Combat Buildings	Spine crawler · Spore crawler
Advanced buildings	Lair · Hive · Infestation pit · Spire · Greater spire · Roach warren · Nydus network · Nydus worm · Ultralisk cavern · Lurker den
Transition units	Egg · Baneling egg · Overlord cocoon · Lurker egg
Others	Creep
Campaign-Exclusive Zerg Units and Structures of StarCraft II	Special Zerg Breeds	Brutalisk · Centaur · Sac
Scrapped	Removed Units	Infested protoss · Large Queen · Huge Queen · Morphalisk · Swarm · Swarm guardian
	Removed Buildings	Infested protoss buildings · Infested terran buildings · Shrieker · Spore colony · Sunken colony · Swarm clutch · Swarm infestation