|
When I fired up my first game of Starcraft 2 last July, I chose Zerg and immediately began the tech to Hydras. “The new Hydra’s gonna be so badass!” I thought. I was disappointed at first (1 upg only?!?!), but I had fun using them all the same. I’d zip them through nydus networks and watch how fast they would just rape everything. But after trying out all the other Zerg units, I realized hydras lacked their charming fearsomeness from the BW days, not only in the game but in the lore. Anyone else get a chill down their spine after those two Terrans hit that Zergling with their Jeep and big-daddy Hydralisk shows up? That thing was 8 feet tall, scary as hell, and shot acid-coated needles through those hicks before he ate them. Badass.
All the same I laddered up to diamond, my affection for the Hydralisk unperturbed. I of course realized I couldn’t just mass them up every game, but if given an opportunity I’d find myself gravitate to the Hydra. And as I climbed higher, these opportunities would tend to fail me. The Hydralisk just didn’t prove that viable. Of course they have their place in the Zerg army, but not as the cornerstone that I had grown to expect.
They’ll get buffed! Or so I told myself. In comes my least favorite buff of the last patch – increased roach range. Roaches are the most boring unit Zerg has to offer. So now, every game practically, I’ll field a pack (or swarm) of Roaches just because I have to. They’re viable in big numbers, small numbers, they’re low larva, they’re cost effective, they live forever, they come with 1 armor, they build fast, etc… Of the two Zerg ground units with ranged attacks why, I asked myself, did Blizzard choose to buff the boring one as opposed to the once-mighty Hydra, the backbone and poster child of the Zerg army.
The answer dawned on me this morning. The next expansion pack will be Heart of the Swarm, Zerg’s time to shine. Last time Blizzard expanded a game called Starcraft, the Hydralisk was evolved into the terrifying Lurker, who would hit ground units in an aoe row while being burrowed. How awesome was that the first time you watched a bunch of marines heads fall off in a neat little line?
Blizzard can’t do Lurkers again, that wouldn’t be proper. But the Hydra will get an evolution. They have to. And it’s going to be epic. Don’t you think Blizzard has as much love for their most iconic unit as all of us? They’re pacing themselves. Moreover, I bet Hydras will get a second upgrade (add a snare effect to grooved spines anyone?) and most Zerg matches will be filled with Hydras, transforming at a moments notice into their badass evolution to a unit that will be as unique as the Baneling. Hydras must be left mediocre now because every unit must get their chance – this is the roach’s time to shine. They better enjoy their 15 minutes.
There is no unit in the Zerg army that has as much growing room as the Hydra. Brace yourselves now, the HotS Hydra will reclaim that ferocity that garnered our affection for the Zerg all those years ago.
|
What they really need to do is change the animation and firing sound. Something more gooey perhaps?
|
Having a snare (slow) effect getting hit by Hydras seem pretty neat but then ZvP will turn really bad where Roach + Hydra will just tear through P army
I dont think it will be that devasting in ZvT seeing how T has a unit that can slow also
Yes, Hydras are pretty flawed, but I would advocate putting Hydras T1 and give them speed upgrade like BW. Maybe increase their DPS slightly too.
|
Did anyone else come in here expecting a comic like "The Happy Ultralisk" and was a little disappointed?
|
I think an upgrade for hydralisks to leave a trail of creep behind them would be interesting.
|
On November 10 2010 03:26 Krigwin wrote:
Did anyone else come in here expecting a comic like "The Happy Ultralisk" and was a little disappointed?
Not gonna lie, I did :/
|
On November 10 2010 03:26 Krigwin wrote:
Did anyone else come in here expecting a comic like "The Happy Ultralisk" and was a little disappointed?
A little bit, but it was a good post nonetheless.
|
On November 10 2010 03:26 Krigwin wrote:
Did anyone else come in here expecting a comic like "The Happy Ultralisk" and was a little disappointed?
indeed =(
|
Hehe nice post.. I think the Hydras role is not impressive as it was on BW, but they have still its niche in Z v Z and sometimes in P v Z :-)
|
On November 10 2010 03:26 Krigwin wrote:
Did anyone else come in here expecting a comic like "The Happy Ultralisk" and was a little disappointed?
totally, just scrolled down rapidly looking for the first image^^
|
I'm not sure how the roach is the boring unit out of those two. You can do more with a roach due to its burrow upgrade. The hydra was basically a strong marine (minus Stimpack). It's up to you if you count lurkers as a hydralisk feature.
|
On November 10 2010 03:26 Krigwin wrote:
Did anyone else come in here expecting a comic like "The Happy Ultralisk" and was a little disappointed?
did
|
Am i the only person who likes the roach? I think they're pretty cool. It's a very Blizzard name though unfortunately. Very uncreative and tbh, it resembles nothing of a roach, so why that name?
isn't HoTS supposed to be last? If so, i'd try and convince yourself that the hydra is a cool unit that has just been modified by retards
|
Great read. I think people are just not getting this post. More than a cry-post for balanace, its feels like a "poem" to the hydralisk situation and the desires/dreams of the op for it to become much more viable
|
On November 10 2010 03:34 Rickilicious wrote:
Am i the only person who likes the roach? I think they're pretty cool. It's a very Blizzard name though unfortunately. Very uncreative and tbh, it resembles nothing of a roach, so why that name?
isn't HoTS supposed to be last? If so, i'd try and convince yourself that the hydra is a cool unit that has just been modified by retards
HotS is the first expansion up to bat. Regardless, all races are supposed to receive fair treatment during both expansions, i.e. if one race gets a new unit they all will.
|
Aw... no comics! 
Here's something I found on the internet ot keep everyone here entertained.
![[image loading]](http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/214/0/a/HAPPY_RAGIN_HYDRALISK_TEAM_by_Kackex.jpg)
Anyways, I think it is intentional that hydras are not as good in sc2. Otherwise it would be too similar to sc1.
|
On November 10 2010 03:34 Rickilicious wrote:
Am i the only person who likes the roach? I think they're pretty cool. It's a very Blizzard name though unfortunately. Very uncreative and tbh, it resembles nothing of a roach, so why that name?
isn't HoTS supposed to be last? If so, i'd try and convince yourself that the hydra is a cool unit that has just been modified by retards
i've always kinda liked the roach, its nice with a bit more tough unit other than Ultralisk
and no HotS is the next expansion, LotV is last
|
I don't get why people think roaches are such a boring unit and then praise the hydralisk. The hydralisk is the textbook definition of an a-move unit. At least roaches have the potential for additional micro with burrow. I realize there's a lot of positioning that goes into every unit, including hydras, but that's just as true for roaches.
|
On November 10 2010 03:34 Rickilicious wrote:
Am i the only person who likes the roach? I think they're pretty cool. It's a very Blizzard name though unfortunately. Very uncreative and tbh, it resembles nothing of a roach, so why that name?
isn't HoTS supposed to be last? If so, i'd try and convince yourself that the hydra is a cool unit that has just been modified by retards
Legacy of the Void is last.
And I was slightly upset, but the post was o-k
|
For every new unit they add, they have to lower the role of all existing units to compensate. Hydra seems to be the unit that got it worst. I don't really think they are bad per se, I just think they are missing personality. Their attack sound is terrible and they no longer have those hydra screeches when they die in battle. They just sort of "splut" when they die. Compare that to brood war, when they would rip apart and have a huge screech of agony. They had a lot more character.
I also think they are too high in the tech tree to get something to morph into. More than likely the roach will be the one morphing if lurkers return.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
