Hydralisk

"The only good hydralisk is one charred to a smoldering crisp."

- Annual Hydralisk Derby slogan.

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

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. The average hydralisk in 2499 was 5.4m long and weighed 390 kg. Since hydralisks move relatively slowly over open terrain, it is common for hydralisks to burrow and await their prey to enter killing range before attacking, destroying their enemies in a deadly crossfire. Despite their relatively sluggish nature, hydralisks can climb vertical surfaces and continued evolution of the strain through muscular augmentation has resulted in faster hydralisks.

Hydralisks are sometimes supported by infestors.

History
Prior to the beginning of the, hydralisks gained the ability to mutate into lurkers.

The first recorded encounter between terrans and hydralisks was aboard a cargo vessel. The hydralisk was recorded by the derelict ship's security cameras. Since then, hydralisks have established themselves in terran culture to a notable extent. Sometimes colloquially called "hydras," hydralisk skulls have been mounted akin to trophies in Joeyray's Bar and on an ore loader on Sorona. The Annual Hydralisk Derby has also become an established event. Current terran tactics for dealing with the creatures stress the need for siege tank support.

Attacks
Hydralisks may attack directly with scythe-like arms or, more commonly, strike from a distance with volleys of armor-piercing spines 30mm in length in 2503; by 2504 they were significantly larger. Hundreds of these spines are stored in the upper carapace plates and covered by flaps. The flaps fold back before the spines fire, a process which gives a few seconds warning to an impending volley.

The hydralisk has 4,000 muscles, compared to a terran's 629, and a portion of these may be used to launch the spines with enough force to penetrate 2 cm. of neosteel at a range of over 300 meters or even half a kilometer at a velocity greater than that of the C-20A rifle. The spines were evolved from the slothien's defensive urticating (stinging) hairs; they may be "grooved" for increased range and are slightly poisonous.

StarCraft

 * For StarCraft gameplay information see: Hydralisk (StarCraft).

StarCraft: Ghost


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. Their poison quill attack interferes with terran vision. They move more slowly than zerglings.

In Invasion mode, transforming a zergling into a hydralisk costs one point.

StarCraft II

 * For StarCraft II gameplay information see: Hydralisk (StarCraft II)

Warcraft III


The hydralisk appears as an Easter egg unit in Warcraft III and its expansion, The Frozen Throne.

Variant Strains

 * Hunter Killer
 * Hydolysk
 * Primal hydralisk
 * Temple Guardian
 * Zergrinch Warg

Evolutions

 * Lurker
 * Impaler

Individuals

 * "Dennis"
 * Frayne the Feral
 * Specimen 16G
 * Vaevictis (Hunter Killer)

Trivia
A hydralisk action figure was released in 1998.

The hydralisk is often nicknamed "hydra" in online culture.