Starcraft 2 Hydralisk

[Basics]

The Hydralisk is one of the staple Zerg units from the original StarCraft. However, there were some changes to Hydralisks in StarCraft 2. First, the Hydralisk is now a tier 2 unit, which means it requires a Lair in order to build them. Secondly, the Hydralisk is slow in StarCraft 2, as it only moves at only 2.25 movement speed (and relative to speed-upgraded roaches and zerglings, that is very slow), which can inhibit a lot of the harass that Zerg is accustomed to from SC1. The Hydralisk is still a great damage dealer vs. air and ground, and it remains a low-HP unit. The Hydralisk does move significantly faster on creep, and its range can be upgraded from 5 to 6, giving it the same range as Marauders and Stalkers.

[Hydralisk Advantages]

The Hydralisk is a high damage-dealing unit. It provides 16 damage per second, which is far greater than the DPS of comparable units, such as Roaches, Marines, Stalkers, and Marauders, all of which hover in the 7-8 DPS range (although some of them improve slightly if facing armor). Additionally, the Hydralisk has excellent range (6) when it has been upgraded, which makes its range equivalent to Marauders and Stalkers and better than marines. This allows for some great fungal growth strategies as well as advantages in ball on ball fights.

Another advantage of the Hydralisk is that it moves faster on creep, like all Zerg units. Once its base speed of 2.25 (off creep) is enhanced by moving onto the creep highway, Hydralisks have a much better ability to kite units, chase them down, and relocate on the battle field significantly faster than units of the other races. For anyone who doesn’t know, 2.25 is the most common movement rate of units: Roaches, Hydralisks, Marines, Marauders, Zealots, Sentries and Tanks all move at 2.25 movement speed. Therefore, creep spread for Hydralisks is extremely important, as it helps them to fit in with the theme of the quick, agile army that is Zerg.

Another advantage of Hydralisks is they are very effective at dealing with early air harassment. Banshees, Phoenix, and Mutalisks in equal numbers will lose to Hydralisks as the Hydralisk is such an effective damage dealer and outranges all of those units. Coupled with Queens, Hydralisks are one of the best early air defenses for Zerg; the Hydralisk den even builds quicker than most structures in order to help Zerg respond to early air threats.

[Hydralisk Disadvantages]

Hydralisks have a few disadvantages. The most evident are their slow speed and their low HP. It is always wise to pair Hydralisks with Roaches, if possible, as the Roach units (which are robust, with high HP) can provide a health buffer for the low-HP Hydras. Also, Hydralisks work well with Ultralisks and Zergling,s but Zerglings are typically also low-HP and rather weak; a blend of Hydras and Zerglings can produce a rather imbalanced army with high DPS but very low overall HP. Ultralisks are great for DPS and for damage absorption, but are very expensive and can be quite hard to attain. Another (expensive) option would be to pair the Hydras with Brood Lords, providing terrific air and ground support. In order to compensate for the low speed of the Hydras, you will typically want to either build your game plan around slow, methodical map control or pair their slow speed with some harassment in the form of Speedlings, drops, Nydus Canals, or light Mutalisk harassment (light because if you are getting Hydralisks you are likely very low on Vespene).

The second large disadvantage of Hydralisks is their tendency to clump and fight like Roaches, Stalkers, and MM. This clumping is perfect when fighting melee units and when maximizing damage output and minimizing intake, but it is very bad when fighting units that utilize splash damage. Siege Tanks, Colossi, High Templar Psi Storm and, to a lesser extent, Ultralisks and Seeker Missiles, are all very damaging to a large, clumped Roach/Hydralisk army. When you run into these scenarios, your best bet is to switch tech and to pick your fights intelligently. Are you near creep, can you close the distance quickly, can you spread out your army to mitigate splash damage? Those are your best options to deal with it with your current force while switching tech (Ultralisks, Mutalisks, or Brood Lords might be an effective choice for dealing with those armies head-on). Also, when you find yourself in these situations, try to consider: “how else can I attack my opponent?” There are drops, Nydus Canals, and finding different attack paths to eliminate the need to fight your opponent head on.

[Hydralisk Strategy]

The Strategy for Hydralisks is typically very clear and straightforward. Get large numbers, expand your creep aggressively, and find some centralized areas to defend your bases. The Hydralisk is not a great harass unit, but it is a very powerful damage dealer that, when supported by the appropriate units, is very effective at dealing with both large and small armies comprised of ground or air units.