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"Impaler attacks while burrowed. Damages single target, tears through armor."

The impaler is an evolved strain of the hydralisk that appears in Heart of the Swarm and Co-op Missions.

Overview[]

Impaler SC2-HotS Cncpt1

An impaler

During Kerrigan's resurgence, Abathur discovered the impaler strain after assimilating impaler colonies on the surface of Marek V, where the local hive cluster was under attack by the Dominion Prometheus Company. The impaler colony was a creation of the Overmind and an ancestor of the now-defunct sunken colony. After collecting the essence of enough impaler colonies, the impaler was formed from the hydralisk, and subsequently crushed the Dominion forces in short order. The impaler is able to launch tentacles that shreds through flesh, bone and armor.[1]

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This article or section contains information derived from Co-op Missions, and should not be considered part of the official StarCraft storyline.

Primal zerg strains were able to evolve their own form of impaler from primal hydralisks, which could attack enemies from afar and tenderize them for further assault.[2]

Game Unit[]

Heart of the Swarm[]

The impaler is functionally identical to the lurker with its ability to attack only while burrowed. However its attack is quite different, as the impaler is only able to launch a single tentacle to an enemy that does massive damage. It has 11 range, and deals 20 damage to a single target, 45 to armored.

Impalers are better offensively compared to lurkers, due to having longer range and stronger damage versus armored targets (which includes any buildings). However, their lack of splash attacks means they can't fend off multiple foes nearly as easily.

Impalers also require a clear ground route to their targets to attack them. If there is a chasm separating the impaler from its target, the impaler cannot attack it.

Impalers are strong against marauders, firebats, thors, roaches, ultralisks, stalkers, and structures. They are weak against marines, zerglings, zealots, immortals, archons, any air units, and detectors in general. They are on par with siege tanks and colossi, but are out-ranged by siege tanks if detected. They also deal their bonus damage against hybrid, but will also be detected by hybrid even while burrowed.

Co-op Missions[]

Primal impalers are available to Dehaka in Co-op Missions. They are evolved from the primal hydralisk.[3][4]

Upgrades[]

DehakaTenderize Icon
Tenderize

Units hit by Impalers become tenderized. Tenderized units take 200 damage over 10 seconds. A tenderized unit Devoured by Dehaka will only cause 75% of the normal cooldown time.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Dehaka Level 9
Acquisition
Purchased from Glevig's den
Hotkey S
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 60seconds
ve
Dehaka Evolve Carapace
Evolved Carapace

The Impaler gains 50% life.

Usage
Passive
Notes

Gene Mutation 20% chance (up to 50% with full Mastery).

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Dehaka Level 15.
ve
Dehaka Evolve Adrenal Glands
Evolved Adrenal Glands

The Impaler attacks 20% faster.

Usage
Passive
Notes

Gene Mutation 20% chance (up to 50% with full Mastery).

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Dehaka Level 15.
ve
Dehaka Evolve Leeching
Evolved Leeching

The Impaler will leech 20% of damage done as life.

Usage
Passive
Notes

Gene Mutation 20% chance (up to 50% with full Mastery).

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Dehaka Level 15.
ve
PrimalZerg Damage Upg
Primal Attacks

Increases the attack damage of all primal zerg units.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Primal hive
Hotkey A
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Effect Damage: 44 (+22 vs Armored)
Level 2
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 190seconds
Required Glevig's den
Effect Damage: 48 (+24 vs Armored)
Level 3
Cost 200 Minerals 200 Vespene gas 220seconds
Required Murvar's den
Effect Damage: 52 (+26 vs Armored)
ve
PrimalZerg Armor Upg
Primal Carapace

Increases the armor of all primal zerg units.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Primal hive
Hotkey C
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Effect Armor: 2
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 190seconds
Required Glevig's den
Effect Armor: 3
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 220seconds
Required Murvar's den
Effect Armor: 4
ve

Development[]

Impalers originally had an ability named "spine lash" that dealt damage to units and stunned them for three seconds. Associated upgrades increased the range of spine lash by 50%, the damage it inflicted by 50%, and the stun duration by one second, to a total of four seconds.[5]

References[]

  1. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Heart of the Swarm, Hydralisk Evolution (in English). 2013-03-12.
  2. Blizzard Entertainment. Co-op Missions. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Dehaka (in English). 2018.
  3. 2017-08-21, Dehaka is the latest co-op commander in StarCraft 2. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2017-08-22
  4. 2017-08-21, Patch 3.17 Preview: New Co-op Commander Dehaka.Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2017-08-28
  5. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Map Editor. (Activision Blizzard) (in English). March 12, 2013
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