Hydralisk Den Tactics
Using good Hydralisk Den and Hydralisk tactics can be of paramount importance when focusing on creating a Zerg ground army around the mid game instead of opting to go for air units. The Hydralisk is a unit of the Zerg that can attack enemy ground units as well as air units. These Hyralisks can be produced by the player when they have made the Hydralisk Den.
The Hydralisk Den requires the Lair to be present on the battlefield beforehand before it can be constructed. The Lair is the upgraded version of the Zerg Hatchery structure.
The Hydralisk is a strong unit in the game with its quick attack. This attack can be especially effective when the Hydralisk is used in groups. The Hydralisk Den can be produced in all three match ups and has its uses in each match up.
The Hydralisk Den only contains one upgrade of its own for the Hydralisk unit. This upgrade is called Grooved Spines and it increases the attack range of Hydralisks by one. It is a very important upgrade as Hydralisks are relatively fragile units which need to be kept as far back as possible when attacking the enemy.
The Hydralisk Den can be constructed very quickly when compared to construction of a Spire. This effectively means that a Zerg player can build up a force of Hydralisks more efficiently and quickly than an aerial attack force of Mutalisks or Corruptors. Hydralisks are less maneuverable then Zerg air units however.
The amount of damage that the Hydralisk can cause can sometimes be overshadowed by its various weaknesses. Hydralisks have a decent attack however they have less health compared to other units that cost just as much. They are not very good when it comes to fighting units that inflict splash damage such as the Protoss Colossus, Zerg Baneling and the Terran Siege Tank. In order to use Hydralisks on the battlefield effectively they need to be supported by other sturdier Zerg units.
Hydralisks can help thwart attacks made by Protoss Zealots, Stalkers, Sentries and Immortals when they gain the support of Roaches plus the Zerglings provided that they are controlled properly. However the tide of the battle would be turned in the Protoss player’s favor if they obtain the Colossi. Extended thermal lances gained by Protoss in collaboration with Colossi can be especially damaging.
The Hydralisk also suffers from a very slow movement rate when it is off of the Creep. As a result of the differences in the speed of Hydralisks on Creep and off of Creep most Zerg players will use them on the Creep. When going for Hydralisks spreading Creep around the map becomes even more important for the Zerg player. This usually results in the Zerg player positioning Overlords to spew a Creep highway across the middle of the map.
