The Ultralisk

What do you guys think of the Ultralisk unit ?

I think it's a horrible unit in both appearance, fluff and abilities in game. It doesn't even fit in with the rest of the Zerg units because it's more like a Rhino then an Insect. Contrast this with the Brood Lord, an excellent tier three unit that screams Zerg.

I don't know what I hope to achieve with this thread but if enough people also show their hatred of this ugly unit we may be able to persuade Blizzard to change the model. If not at least it has provided me a medium to vent my frustration.

 

I'm all for hating the new Overlord portrait, but the new Ultralisk is actually pretty neat.

 

I'm not writing about the Ultralisks portrait, I mean his model in game. And the Overlord is my favourite Zerg unit.

 

I think it looks fine. Zerg are NOT insects, they never have been insects, and they never will be a race of insects. They take over other species and implement them as they see fit, so some Zerg units may look like insects, a Zergling with the speed upgrade for example, but the entire race is not Insectoid.

That said, the Ultralisk as a unit is rather lackluster compared to Zergs other T3 option, the Brood Lord. At the moment, there is no reason to get Ultralisks over Broodlords, unless your opponent is going nothing but Lings of Zealots all game long, in which case you should be able to counter anyway.

Some ways I have thought of trying to change the Ultralisk is simply allowing it to be Colossus like and walk over units, instead of acting as a barrier, which would solve the problem of it not tanking for smaller units. Perhaps a stat boost or cost reduction, although I would prefer a cost reduction as I am opposed to super units(Talking to you, Mothership.) Lastly, perhaps a static speed upgrade.

I have seen a lot of people try and suggest all sorts of wacky spells and ideas to fix units they think are broken. Not all units need spells or abilities. Please, please, stop trying to say the Ultralisk needs a spell that allows them to mate with another Ultralisk to create Zerglings or some other wacky stuff.

 

The problem with the Ultralisk are the hard/quick counters to it.

Terran has Thors that stun it for 6 secs while dealing 500 damage.

Protoss has forcefields that block its path, combined with Immortals to do rape damage to Ultralisks.

Zerg has Infestors to use Neural Parasite, and with the incredibly long range of that now it is really easy to use.

 

personally i have played matches where a terran player has simply used marauders and microed to kill off the ultralisk. Now if a thor counters a ultralisk fine... Neural parasite, fine. The whole forcefields, i have the feelinf that might end up being altered at some point but its w/e MY problem is freaking Marauders, there concussion grade nades shouldnt effect massive units. Besides that the ultralisk also has a movement speed problem, EVEN with the damn upgrade it moves astronomicly SLOW. i think the lifespan of a srat goes by if ur waiting for an ultralisk to catch certain units. IDK though, there movement speed issue needs to be handled. for a late game unit I want it to make a difference. not waste a crap ton of my money and get countered by effective tier 1/2 units that it was ment to beat...

 

i take it you're new to starcraft.

1. the zerg are not an insectoid race.
2. ALL the zerg are ugly.
3. the ultralisk is one of THE iconic zerg units. i don't think anyone's ever complained about its looks.

that said, it could use a small buff in its armor. sure, it's already the highest-armor unit in the game (after all the upgrades) but it's pretty weak unless you fully invest in it. it needs to start off a bit stronger. it's supposed to be the ultimate tanking unit in the game.

 

It is the ultimate tanking unit in the game, it just does its job so poorly, getting focused down in seconds to many T1/2 units in a matter of seconds. Sure, if you can get full armor upgrades Marines and Zerglings won't do squat to it unless they are upgraded as well, which they probably will be, but if you are trying to go Ultras you won't have the time to get those upgrades before you die, because they are just that bad.

 

Ultralisk has always been the ultimate ground unit for zerg and I'm glad they kept it that way. Its problem I think is its look when it attacks. For once, I'd like to see it stomp on the enemy to death instead of using its tusks.

One thing about the new Ultra that I can't get over is the fact that it can burrow... which is just hilarious.

 

It's already been nerfed to near death, and it's visuals are more lame then ever before. What more do you want? Make it have a plastic dome instead of a shield?

 

Correct.

1. I beg to differ. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

2. Again I disagree. Zerglins, Over Lords, Infestors and even the Queen all have a certain buggy charm. The Ultralisk lacks this.

3. What so because it was crap in SC 1 it should continue to be crap in Sc 2 ? Sorry, but I don't believe in tradition for the sake of tradition.

 

Again I beg to differ, see my above post for the wikipedia quote.

Agreed especially since Zealots can't even attack Brood Lords.

Haha, who suggested Ultralisks mate ? :wacko:

 

blizzard, not wikipedia, is the source of all information in starcraft.

http://us.starcraft2.com/features/zerg/

the hydralisk, lurker, mutalisk, scourge, ultralisk, and devourer were very un-insectlike. the zerg are a composition of dozens of different species they assimilated.

also, since when did you get to decide that ultralisks were crap in SC1? you're new to the game. learn to use units properly before you complain about them.

if you're complaining that they're weak when compared to brood lords, it's because brood lords are overpowered. i have never seen a zerg player lose after teching up to brood lords, while terrans and protoss can still lose after then get BCs, nukes, carriers or motherships. considering it spawns 2x30HP units roughly every second, it's harder to deal with than a flying super-roach with seige range attack.

 

mmeehhh, i prefer to think of the zerg as bugs regardless of how other people might interpreter it. as i see it yes the zerg are composed of different races, but i see it as zerg taking the ideas of creatures that they find useful into there collective. Even many of the building have a bug intensive feel. HIVE? i mean really there not a bunch of dinosaurs...


back to the main topic, who ever said people need to stop creating wacky ideas for ultralisk there right. just fix what they already have. I say make ALL massive ground units immune to certain slow effects. Make there speed upgrade woth the damn money and possible increase the cleave radius.(it doesnt have to be alot)

 

@iwasfrozen2

I don't recall who said that, but if you go to the Blizzard forums, many people keep trying to fix units with wacky spells or abilities that make no sense. I haven't seen many, if any at all here that I can remember though.

 

Nowhere in your quote does it say the Zerg are not insectoid your quote mearly states that the Zerg integrate many different species into the Swarm via zerg infestation.

Indeed the word "Swarm" is even resonant of the Zerg as insectoids.

I beg to differ. In fact all of those units you named look like insects to me.

Indeed I may not have played SC 1 very much back in the day (because I was seven) but that doesn't stop me assessing the aesthetic value of the Ultralisk.

My main problem isn't that the Ultralisk is weak compared to the Brood Lord (and it is) my main problem is that the Ultralisk is a vile model that doesn't fit the over all "feel" of the Zerg army.

 

Well, i just played a ZvP and decided to go crackling ultra just like the good old days xD. I got stomped. Im no platinum player, but with force feild, 2 colossus and a few immortals, its like my ultra/ling combo was jello.

The ultra fails

 

It's kinda like a rhino beetle on steroids.

 

Frozen, if you think the units that asdf listed look like instects then the question is inevitable: Do you know what insects are?

The ultralisk fits in perfectly regarding its model and texture. What I don't like is its attack animation against buildings... as if there was no such thing as physics. Also it's doing a pathetic amount of damage. I would prefer it to have 500hp and 20 or 25 base damage.

 

I reckon the Ultralisk is awesome, and I don't think I've lost a game yet in which I've made Ultralisks (albeit some close calls). Ultralisks = rape everything in their path... twice. If you're relying solely on Ultralisks to win the day for you, then the afore-mentioned counters may take them down... but the assumption is that you also have other units backing up your Ultras to take out whatever may attempt to counter them.