Ultralisks needs nerf (2024)

General Discussion
1

Hey. I’m tracking the bananalance of SC2 (i’ve been active player for years [around 2010-2020]) and I clearly noticed that the ultralisks are unbalanced. Their armor should be reverted to WOL or HOTS version because they can’t be killed by some compositions so they are literally the only one unit that is the ultimate counter to some game compositions. Not only that but they are still very cost effective to the units that supposed to counter them. So if you get ultralisks you have: a) instant win OR b) extreme advantage even when enemy does have the counter units. That should be considered. Thank you.

AND BEFORE YOU POST: Yes, I know ultralisks doesn’t shot air but it’s not like I make 200 liberators and you make 200 ultralisks, right? I’m talking about typical game scenario.

2

Every time I make ultralisk it usually gets me killed.

Main problem spend a lot money and die by mass siege line.

I would like to know unit comp that they destroy u with ultras

3

Ultralisk is OP, it always wins the game for protoss and terran

It should be nerfed so zerg has a chance to win

1 Like
4

Dude the new Ultra is insane. The additional splash is just plain broken. Terrible against Protoss, though.

5

Exactly, that’s what I said, insane right?

6

They changed the collision size, so their splash damage overlaps more.

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7

Every unit except for the ultra needs to be removed. When something is so beyond broken it makes the game one dimensional, it’s obvious that we should adjust every other unit in the game to make it so that it can do damage to something which takes 14~ tank shots to kill.

8

We have a bigger issue in 2024 : the Carriers.

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9

Ultralisk is bigger than Carrier.

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10

I cant even kill them with air units, like Ill watch 2-3 bases be destroyed in 4v4 while my air units are pounding on them, its ridiculous

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11

You realize interceptors cost minerals to replace right? Do you have any idea how much econ it takes to run a carrier fleet? The bigger issue is you are fighting them with half as many expos… and expecting to win somehow… with half the resources and lower tech units…

12

Ultralisks have high armor. Any air unit that deals damage in small bursts is just going to tickle them, so that isn’t the right answer.

To be blunt, I think the Carrier complaints are overblown. All 3 races have tools that can deal with them, if used properly. That includes Zerg, although Zerg has a difficult time making the right amount of Corruptors so that they can kill the Carriers without losing to a Warp-In follow up.

I am curious what you would actually suggest though.

A half decent player would target the Carriers directly instead of the Interceptors, so this isn’t much of an argument. Almost everything trades inefficiently against Carriers (and other units around them) if it wastes DPS on Interceptors. The opponent will usually be better off pushing forward to target down the Carriers or avoiding that particular fight altogether.

Just about the only thing that kills Interceptors well is Parasitic Bomb, but using it against Interceptors involves some weird tactics, such as rushing your Corruptors on top of the Carriers so that Parasitic Bombs targeting those Carriers will hit all of the Interceptors.

2 Likes
13

Legit. Winning with Ultras means that you’re ultimately a worse player, a cheater, and deserved to lose for abusing the only thing more overpowered than skytoss.

2 Likes
14

Ultras not that good it’s not on Thor lvl only people complain. Plays one dimensional type play and they have low damage with high attack speed.

Any units high burst damage melts ultras.

Stalkers do well against ultras and so does hydras.

Anyone complains never tell what units they had that got steam rolled.

Biggest problem ultras can’t storm siege line and survive

15

That is not a problem. You can use Blinding Cloud to break a Tank line with almost anything, or you take it apart with Abducts, Brood Lords, or Locusts dropping on top of the Tanks.

Tank lines below a certain size also tend to be very vulnerable to Ravagers (click & delete), and you can always split your units on the approach to significantly improve their chances.

The last thing any faction needs is the ability to simply a-move over Tank lines. Blizzard already tried that with the Warhound, and the result was one of the most overpowered units they ever tried to implement. Ironically, massive tank lines were the only things on the ground that Warhounds didn’t beat.

2 Likes
16

But point of this thread is nerf ultras but they not that good.

You named how get around siege line but their hard counters for those as well.

Unlike Thors or carriers and bc small amount units can deal with them.

Ultras has bigger list of units that can easily counter it.

17

It depends on the situation. I think most of the Terran players who complain about Ultralisks are Bio players. Their armies have low burst, and they don’t tend to make many Marauders if they can avoid it. Even though Terran has tools that can handle Ultralisks, it isn’t easy or cheap to transition into them from Marine-heavy Bio.

Either way, it is ridiculous to expect Ultralisks to be powerful enough to storm a large line of Tanks. Tanks are the Terran counter to Ultralisks in Brood War, and they remain an effective counter in StarCraft II as long as their supply count is large enough for the range and burst to take effect, or as long as they have something durable (walls, rocks, terrain, Hellbats, Thors, etc) in the way to stall for extra time.

The main advantages of Ultralisks are their high armor, speed, and splash damage, but the armor and splash damage advantages are negated by the Siege Tank’s own burst and size or spread respectively. When there are enough Tanks in an area then most of the Ultralisks won’t be able to get into range without help, and they don’t need to be able to do that either because Zerg (like all three races) has plenty of other tools to help break Tank lines.

There are counters for everything in the game. Ultimately, it comes down to using your units properly, and having them ready (sufficient numbers, right place, right time).

Small amounts of units can beat Battlecruisers, Carriers, or Thors too. You don’t need a massive supply or resource lead to trade against these units unless you are trying to beat them with the wrong thing.

The issue you might be complaining about is that Ultralisks do not scale up well into larger engagements, but that is a result of Ultralisks being a bulky melee unit rather than a problem with any of the Ultralisk’s stats. Melee units simply do not scale up as well as ranged units, so at some point you need to supplement them with something else, or you need to keep the fights small (such as by attacking multiple locations).

In terms of raw numbers, sure. Ultralisks have more potential counters than Thors, Carriers, or Battlecruisers. However, I wouldn’t consider this a problem.

Ultralisks have the mobility advantage against most of their potential counters. They can avoid fights or attack other locations if needed. Ultralisks can also wait until a Fungal, Abduct, or a Blinding Cloud is landed before taking an engagement, and that will turn the tables on most of the Ultralisk’s potential counters. Thors, Carriers, and Battlecruisers are usually in the opposite position. They have a smaller list of potential counters than Ultralisks, but almost everything on that list (and almost everything that they are good against) can outmaneuver them.

3 Likes
18

Most underused unit needs a nerf… Okay

19

9 out of 10 last tvz the opponent used Ultras in my games at least, but you know if you don’t use Ultras than your affirmation has to be true.

20

Yeah, that is true, combined with the creep map vision, Ultras can make even a losing battle turn around in a few seconds.

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