Ultralisk

From StarCraft Wiki

Ultralisk
Unit
Race	Zerg
Role	Heavy Assault Warrior
Armament	Kaiser blades
Properties
Hit points	400
Size	Large
Production
Minerals	200
Gas	200
Control	4
Build time	60
Produced at	Larva
Requires	Ultralisk cavern
Hot key	U
Combat
Ground attack	20
Cooldown	15
Armor	1
Attack range	1
Sight range	7

The ultralisk is a zerg heavy ground unit.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Game Unit 2.1 StarCraft 2.1.1 Upgrades 2.1.1.1 StarCraft: Brood War 2.2 StarCraft: Ghost 2.3 StarCraft II 2.3.1 Researched Abilities 2.3.2 Upgrades 2.3.3 Development 3 Special Ultralisk Strains 4 Notes 5 Images 6 References

[edit] Overview

The ultralisk is a 20 meter long and 5 meter high^[1] living battering ram, evolved from the docile brontolith; a creature that the ultralisk now bears little resemblance to.^[2] Ultralisks serve as the backbone of the Swarm, possessing an exceptionally thick carapace.^[3]

Ultralisks attack using large, bone-like scythes which protrude from their backs. Known as "kaiser blades", these scythes are nearly indestructible.^[2] Possessing monomolecular edges,^[4] these scythes are able to tear through most substances with ease.^[2]

Even during the conflict, ultralisk evolution continued. By 2500 at least some ultralisks sported four kaiser blades.^[5] as opposed to the usual two^[2] By the Brood War, prolonged exposure to vespene gas had resulted in an enhancement to the ultralisks' physical capabilities, among which was the evolution of a more hardened exoskeletal shell and the ability to carry out anabolic synthesis, alterations being made to the glands that produce endorphins and adrenal fluids.^[3]

[edit] Game Unit

[edit] StarCraft

The ultralisk's attack is hardly impressive for its cost and high tier. Its main advantage is durability, staying power and fear. The ultralisk may lead an attack and draw the first volleys of defensive fire allowing more of the lesser zerg units to survive and close to attack. The ultralisk's relatively slow speed requires some planning to get it to the front rank before the attack. Its large footprint may hinder it and its allies at choke points in addition to making it difficult to reposition once caught in a melee.

Ultralisks, while having strong armor, are not very effective against groups of units that deal explosive damage or large amounts of it; this includes siege tanks in siege mode, mass dragoons, reavers, dark templar and occasionally, groups of zealots. Spider mines are also effective against ultralisks. Other counters also include archons with support and the battlecruiser's Yamato Cannon which can take down more than half an ultralisk's hit points. Psionic storms and Irradiate are also capable ot damaging ultralisks severely though not directly killing it.

Ultralisks are one of the few zerg ground units that cannot burrow.

[edit] Upgrades

Melee Attacks Evolved at Evolution chamber Hotkey M Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100 150 200 Gas 100 150 200 Required Hatchery Lair Hive Notes +1 bonus per attack per level for broodlings and zerglings. +3 bonus per attack per level for ultralisks.

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.

[edit] StarCraft: Brood War

Chitinous Plating Evolved at Ultralisk cavern Properties Minerals 150 Gas 150 Notes +2 bonus to ultralisk armor.

Anabolic Synthesis Evolved at Ultralisk cavern Properties Minerals 200 Gas 200 Notes Increases the speed of ultralisks.

[edit] StarCraft: Ghost

Ultralisks appear in StarCraft: Ghost.

[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.

Ultralisk
Unit
Race	Zerg
Role	Heavy Assault Warrior
Armament	Kaiser blades[6] Head thrust[6]
Properties
Hit points	600[6][7]
Type	Ground[6] Biological[6] Massive[8]
Armor type	Armored[6]
Production
Minerals	300[6]
Gas	200[6]
Control	4[6]
Build time	70[9]
Produced at	Larva[6]
Requires	Ultralisk cavern[7][6]
Hot key	U[6]
Combat
Ground attack	Kaiser blades: 20[10] (splash with Cleave)[11] Head thrust: 60 (buildings)[6][10]
Armor	3[12]
Attack range	1 (melee)

The ultralisk features in current builds of StarCraft II.^[13]

The ultralisk is capable of stepping over smaller units such as zerglings^[7] and has a cleaving ability to attack multiple enemy units.^[14][15] However, it does not deal trample damage to units it travels over.^[16] It has evolved the ability to burrow^[17] and can use a special "head attack" which deals extra damage to structures.^[14]

[edit] Researched Abilities

Burrow
Acquisition Minerals 50[18] Gas 50[18] Evolution time 50[19] Evolved at Hatchery/Lair/Hive[20][21] Hotkey B[18]
Notes
Many zerg ground units may burrow, rendering themselves invisible but incapable of moving or attacking.
Edit

[edit] Upgrades

Cleaving Talons[10]
Evolved at	Ultralisk cavern[11]
Properties
Minerals 150[10] Gas 150[10] Evolution time 80[10]
Notes
This upgrade gives ultralisks splash damage.[10][11]
Edit

Melee Attacks Evolved at Evolution chamber[18] Hotkey M[18] Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100[18] 150[18] 200[18] Gas 100[18] 150[18] 200[18] Evolution time 140[18] 170[18] 200[18] Required Hatchery[18] Lair[18] Hive[18] Notes +1 bonus to attack per level for zerglings and ultralisks.[18] Edit

Carapace Evolved at Evolution chamber[18] Hotkey C[18] Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 150[18] 225[18] 300[18] Gas 150[18] 225[18] 300[18] Evolution time 140[18] 170[18] 200[18] Required Hatchery[18] Lair[18] Hive[18] Notes +1 bonus to armor per level for drones, queen, zerglings, banelings, hydralisks, lurkers, infestors, roaches and ultralisks.[18] Edit

[edit] Development

The omegalisk was a pre-development version of the ultralisk, possessing spiked tentacles in addition to kaiser blades. The tentacles could attack multiple opponents.^[22]

The ultralisk was reverted because the skewering was too "random".^[23]

The omegalisk appears in concept art for StarCraft II.

The Chitinous Plating upgrade was removed as of March 2009.^[12]

Chitinous Plating[18]
Evolved at	Ultralisk cavern[18]
Hotkey	C
Properties
Minerals 150[18] Gas 150[18] Evolution time 110[18]
Notes
+2 bonus to ultralisk armor.[18]
Edit

[edit] Special Ultralisk Strains

• Blade Guardian
• Omegalisk
• Torrasque
  • Wise Old Torrasque
• Zergrinch Juggernaut

[edit] Notes

The ultralisk's name is often shortened to "Ultra" in online culture (most notably among Korean players).

[edit] Images

StarCraft I profile	Early StarCraft II in-game model	StarCraft II model.	StarCraft II render.
StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 2 depiction	StarCraft II model

[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