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[D] Hydra upgrade order discussion - Page 2

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 HotS
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Grae
Profile Joined May 2011
Australia7 Posts
January 10 2013 23:12 GMT
#21
Definitely speed first, at least the way i play. I never use hydras defensively unless it's surprise voids or drop defense, so I always upgrade speed first. It makes hydras so much more useful in all applications, since they're not such vulnerable little slow babies.

As mentioned, blizz should give hydras the +1 range by default and leave the speed upgrade as is. Either that or change the range upgrade to allow hydras to attack two units at once HAHA
What nuke?
ailouros
Profile Joined August 2008
United States193 Posts
January 10 2013 23:16 GMT
#22
I always went for speed first but you guys make range first sound like a better idea... I think I'll still be tempted to go speed first vs. P though.
Thieving Magpie
Profile Blog Joined December 2012
United States6752 Posts
January 10 2013 23:40 GMT
#23
On January 11 2013 07:58 FeyFey wrote:
Since you can get offensive Speed at any hatch. Range of course alongside with Overlord Speed. The speed upgrade is just for lazy people.
But about the discussion of multiple upgrades for a unit. With the Ultra not being a techswitch unit anymore, they can actually bring back the speed upgrade on them again.

But I guess Hydra speed can be interesting to surprise your opponent with a quick attack.


Not exactly fair.

Speed is most important for retreating, not attacking. It's easy enough to time attacks. its the "oh crap!" then need to retreat that speed is needed.

It makes it so that a Hydralisk attack is not automatically an all in.

It's not because Hydralisks are slow (they have standard speed), but all standard units have speed upgrades that allow them to run faster than normal speed.

Between Stim, tanks, Stalkers, Forcefields, etc... standard speed units just can't retreat.
Hark, what baseball through yonder window breaks?
NeWnAr
Profile Joined April 2010
Singapore231 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-01-11 00:08:23
January 11 2013 00:05 GMT
#24
On January 11 2013 08:40 Thieving Magpie wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 11 2013 07:58 FeyFey wrote:
Since you can get offensive Speed at any hatch. Range of course alongside with Overlord Speed. The speed upgrade is just for lazy people.
But about the discussion of multiple upgrades for a unit. With the Ultra not being a techswitch unit anymore, they can actually bring back the speed upgrade on them again.

But I guess Hydra speed can be interesting to surprise your opponent with a quick attack.


Not exactly fair.

Speed is most important for retreating, not attacking. It's easy enough to time attacks. its the "oh crap!" then need to retreat that speed is needed.

It makes it so that a Hydralisk attack is not automatically an all in.

It's not because Hydralisks are slow (they have standard speed), but all standard units have speed upgrades that allow them to run faster than normal speed.

Between Stim, tanks, Stalkers, Forcefields, etc... standard speed units just can't retreat.



This.

I don't see the logic of those who say range first. If range first, then why the hell aren't you using Hydras in WoL??? Hydras are almost an abandoned unit in WoL. If you say range first, that means hydras with upgraded range must be good for at least SOME parts of the game. But the fact is that 6 range Slowdras still completely suck against almost all SC2 army compos by the time you get them.
Live For the Swarm!
TheAppetizer
Profile Joined February 2011
United States146 Posts
January 11 2013 00:11 GMT
#25
For defense against air, it might actually be better to upgrade speed first so you can chase air units around much easier; that is, if the speed upgrade allows hydras to move faster than normally on creep. Can anyone verify?
vol_
Profile Joined May 2010
Australia1608 Posts
January 11 2013 00:16 GMT
#26
Seems to be quite a few different opinions on this which does not surprise me, they really should just give range free (because half the time I forget to upgrade the 2nd one without a long period inbetween ).
I get speed first with ling hydra and range first with roach hydra.
Jaedong gives me a deep resonance.
a176
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Canada6688 Posts
January 11 2013 00:35 GMT
#27
On January 11 2013 09:05 NeWnAr wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 11 2013 08:40 Thieving Magpie wrote:
On January 11 2013 07:58 FeyFey wrote:
Since you can get offensive Speed at any hatch. Range of course alongside with Overlord Speed. The speed upgrade is just for lazy people.
But about the discussion of multiple upgrades for a unit. With the Ultra not being a techswitch unit anymore, they can actually bring back the speed upgrade on them again.

But I guess Hydra speed can be interesting to surprise your opponent with a quick attack.


Not exactly fair.

Speed is most important for retreating, not attacking. It's easy enough to time attacks. its the "oh crap!" then need to retreat that speed is needed.

It makes it so that a Hydralisk attack is not automatically an all in.

It's not because Hydralisks are slow (they have standard speed), but all standard units have speed upgrades that allow them to run faster than normal speed.

Between Stim, tanks, Stalkers, Forcefields, etc... standard speed units just can't retreat.



This.

I don't see the logic of those who say range first. If range first, then why the hell aren't you using Hydras in WoL??? Hydras are almost an abandoned unit in WoL. If you say range first, that means hydras with upgraded range must be good for at least SOME parts of the game. But the fact is that 6 range Slowdras still completely suck against almost all SC2 army compos by the time you get them.


range 5 can be a bit quirky in engagements with roaches because of the size of the roach and how fast front line enemy units melt, you end up having hydras running around your roach line trying to find a space to shoot from.

but more important at this stage in the game, you will not have near enough hydras to be effective, especially if you dump that gas into speed. so in this respect i always go for range first to give my limited hydra numbers that needed punch if you are caught against a timing.

starleague forever
FS_SlimJim
Profile Joined September 2012
29 Posts
January 11 2013 01:07 GMT
#28
So much good logic in this thread already. I'm still on the fence, but this is what I was hoping for, as I honestly had no idea which is actually better to get first. Under certain circumstances one is better than the other, and vice versa for other situations. I still just have a gut feeling like there is a 'correct' one to get first however (matchup-dependant ofc), so let the debate continue.
ZjiublingZ
Profile Joined September 2011
United Arab Emirates439 Posts
January 11 2013 01:19 GMT
#29
I think the answer is there is no right answer. It's situational. Just to clear it up now, the upgrade doesn't make Hydras as fast as they are on creep (or faster on creep than they already are). The tooltip reads: "Hydralisks move 25% faster off creep.".

So really the answer is: Are you going to be defending with your Hydralisks, wherein the speed upgrade is going to do literally nothing for you? Then range first.

Or do you need the ability to attack with them as soon as possible? Then speed first.

phodacbiet
Profile Joined August 2010
United States1740 Posts
January 11 2013 02:13 GMT
#30
If it's for defense i get range first. But if i am planning to attack, i get speed.
Lemminkainen
Profile Joined September 2010
Belgium20 Posts
January 11 2013 04:59 GMT
#31
I'm not sure. But one thing we wshould want to consider, when it's late game and you have 90+ drones and want to add some hydras to your army, go double den, since the building is cheap and you don't want to wait 80 or 110 seconds for another upgrade to have stronger hydras.
ETisME
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
12621 Posts
January 11 2013 05:06 GMT
#32
I prefer to get speed because even when used defensively, the speed would speed up the reinforcement rate and able to do a counter attack while range upgrade can be gotten on the way to counter attack.

I am not sure though, +1 range makes it better against protoss FFs
其疾如风,其徐如林,侵掠如火,不动如山,难知如阴,动如雷震。
ElMeanYo
Profile Joined March 2011
United States1032 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-01-11 06:17:18
January 11 2013 06:14 GMT
#33
Anyone who says range before speed is either just being passive with their hydras or haven't played the beta yet. Speed Hydras are waaaay better than the slow ones. They actually feel like you can micro them.

If you only have WOL, try stutter stepping with hydras on, then off creep, you will see how it feels.
“The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.” ― Theodore Roosevelt
BigRedDog
Profile Joined May 2012
461 Posts
January 11 2013 06:16 GMT
#34
Why would you want to switch back to tier 2 units when you are ready making tier 3 units? In some of the ultra long games, switching from tier 3 units to hydra (tier 2) makes sense. But those are few in between.

On January 11 2013 13:59 Lemminkainen wrote:
I'm not sure. But one thing we wshould want to consider, when it's late game and you have 90+ drones and want to add some hydras to your army, go double den, since the building is cheap and you don't want to wait 80 or 110 seconds for another upgrade to have stronger hydras.


The other option of going double den is when Leenock or other zerg players get double roach warren to get the tech early and hit with a timing attack.
Big Red Dog!
BigRedDog
Profile Joined May 2012
461 Posts
January 11 2013 06:17 GMT
#35
Speed first. Making defensive hydras are too...defensive. You can't counter. You can't push. You pretty much gives a third (or even a fourth) to your opponent.

Big Red Dog!
NeWnAr
Profile Joined April 2010
Singapore231 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-01-11 08:46:59
January 11 2013 08:39 GMT
#36
The problem with using range first is every problem Hydras face in WoL. I wouldn't say it's situational. There may be almost no realistic situation in WoL where Hydras are any good at all, cause the only thing they are remotely good against is air but mutas/queens/corrupters are always a much better choice at dealing with any race heavy air compo.
Live For the Swarm!
Forikorder
Profile Joined August 2011
Canada8840 Posts
January 11 2013 09:37 GMT
#37
depends on how your gonna use them if you need to immediately pur on agression then speed so you can if your defensive range since ythey on creep
doggy
Profile Joined May 2010
Germany306 Posts
January 11 2013 09:47 GMT
#38
Range is far more important. That is what makes the units really cost efficient. On Creep you dont need the speedupgrade anyways, and by the time hydras are out, you should have had more than enough time to cover your half of the map in creep.

If you scout some greedyness/weakness of your opponent you can go for dbl hydra and dbl upgrades and go for the kill. Its only worth to do it if you can say for sure it works. I dont like the idea to put on pressure with speed but without the rangeupgrade. Speed only helps you when you want to go on the opponents side of the map, and even for that, range is a must have!
Ramiz1989
Profile Joined July 2012
12124 Posts
January 11 2013 12:08 GMT
#39
On January 11 2013 18:47 doggy wrote:
Range is far more important. That is what makes the units really cost efficient. On Creep you dont need the speedupgrade anyways, and by the time hydras are out, you should have had more than enough time to cover your half of the map in creep.

If you scout some greedyness/weakness of your opponent you can go for dbl hydra and dbl upgrades and go for the kill. Its only worth to do it if you can say for sure it works. I dont like the idea to put on pressure with speed but without the rangeupgrade. Speed only helps you when you want to go on the opponents side of the map, and even for that, range is a must have!

Sorry, but this is just false. Range is not more important, and how do you know that he can cover half of the map with the creep? That, after all, depends on the skill level. In some situations speed is superior, and range is in other.

If your pressure fail with the speed upgrade, you can retreat, if it fails with the range upgrade, your army of Hydras is good as dead.

I have the feeling that people that say "Range is always better" haven't played enough with the speed first. Also, I agree with people that think you shouldn't push without both upgrades anyway, except in some rare timings.
"I've been to hell and back, and back to hell…and back. This time, I've brought Hell back with me."
SgtCoDFish
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United Kingdom1520 Posts
January 11 2013 13:46 GMT
#40
I feel like it depends and you can't say either way in general. If you're planning on being defensive for a while, having range first will help a lot more as speed doesn't benefit you much when you're on creep anyway - which you will be if you're defending. If you want to attack soon you'll want speed because you'll get there faster and you'll actually be able to micro. That said, if you're wanting to attack you probably want to have both upgrades so you'll want range first so you're better defended until you're ready to attack.
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