Nydus Worm

From The StarCraft 2 Wiki

Nydus Worms are evolved Zerg Nydus Canals in StarCraft I, and used for instant transport from one worm to the other through a Nydus Network in StarCraft II.

Contents 1 Background 2 Game Unit 2.1 Abilities 2.2 Upgrades 3 Nydus Worm Breeds 4 Development 5 Gallery

Background

StarCraft II Unit [e]
Nydus Worm
Race:	Zerg, Tier 1
Role:	Transport
Unit Statistics
Size:	Large
Type:	Ground, Biological
Speed:	Normal
Transport Slots:	N/A
Hit Points:	250
Plasma Shields:	N/A
Energy Points:	N/A
Offence
Armament:	N/A
Ground Attack:	N/A
Air Attack:	N/A
Range:	N/A
Defence
Armor:	1 (Light)
Sight:	x
Cooldown:	N/A
Special Abilities
Nydus Transport Teleport-type transportation.
Production
Hotkey:	N
Supply:	2
Resources:	100 100
Build Time:	20
Produced by:	Nydus Network
Prerequisite:	Lair

The Nydus Canals was one of the Zerg tactics that were very seldom used during the Brood War. Things have changed, and the Nydus Canals have evolved into semi-sentient creatures, and can burst through the crust of any surface to transport units from one worm (or the Nydus Warren) to another instantly. Only a limited number of creatures can be in the Warren network at once though, so even though the transport is instant, it still requires some coordination.

Game Unit

This unit only appears in StarCraft II, and is a similar idea to the StarCraft Nydus Canal, but made next to mandatory and actually useful as the Overlords lost their ability to transport units. It is used to transport, like all races can, but very different in style than the way Protoss or Terran does it. Units transports instantly from one opening (Nydus Worm or Nydus Warren). The only problem is that the entire Nydus network can only hold a total of 12 Zerg creatures, so they need to be manually filled and emptied by the Zerg player by pressing the Unload All button. The worm has 12 slots, and you can get in 12 units regardless of its size. For example, 12 Ultralisks fit in, in contrast with the Terran Medivac or Bunker where certain type of units require more than one slot.

Abilities

• Summon Nydus Worm (N)
• Load (L)
• Unload All (D)

Upgrades

• N/A

Nydus Worm Breeds

• Nydus Canal
  • Nydus Warren
  • Nydus Worm

Development

The two main reasons why the Nydus Worms got their chance in the spotlight for StarCraft II was the fact that hardly anyone used the Nydus Canal of StarCraft, but the developers still thought the idea was interesting and the fact that the developers wanted to diversify the races even more in StarCraft II than in the predecessor, which made it into a very interesting way to handle transport for the Zerg. The Overlord still has the ability to transport units by evolving Ventral Sacs at the Hatchery.

Gallery

• General StarCraft II Shots
  • In-game Shots
  • Concept Art
  • Unit Models

Screenshot with Nydus Worms and other Zerg creatures.

Early Nydus Worm concept art.

Nydus Worm concept art, with functionality design explained.

Summon Nydus Worm button.

Zerg Units (StarCraft II) [e]
(i) = Infested (z) = Zerg-evolution (g) = Swarm Guardian spawn
Ground Units:	Hive Queen | Larva | Drone | Zergling | Baneling (z) | Roach | Hydralisk | Lurker (z) | Nydus Worm | Infestor | Ultralisk
Air Units:	Overlord | Overseer (z) | Mutalisk | Swarm Guardian (z) | Corruptor |
Additional Units:	Broodling (g) | Infested Terran (i) | Infested Protoss (i) | Egg (z) | Lurker egg (z) | Cocoon (z)
Basic Buildings:	Hatchery | Extractor | Creep Tumor | Spawning Pool | Spine Crawler | Roach Den | Baneling Nest | Evolution Chamber | Spore Crawler
Advanced Buildings:	Lair | Hydralisk Den | Deep Warren | Spire | Nydus Network | Hive | Greater Spire | Infestor Pit | Ultralisk Cavern
Cancelled Units:	Shrieker (z)
Cancelled Buildings:	Sunken Colony | Spore Colony | Swarm Clutch

Zerg Units (StarCraft I & Brood War) [e]
(q) = Queen-infested (z) = Zerg-evolution
Ground Units:	Larva | Drone | Zergling | Hydralisk | Lurker | Defiler | Ultralisk
Air Units:	Overlord | Scourge | Mutalisk | Guardian | Devourer | Queen
Additional Units:	Broodling (q) | Infested Terran (q) | Egg (z) | Lurker egg (z) | Cocoon (z)
Basic Buildings:	Hatchery | Extractor | Evolution Chamber | Spawning Pool | Creep Colony | Spore Colony | Sunken Colony | Hydralisk Den
Advanced Buildings:	Lair | Hive | Spire | Greater Spire | Queen's Nest | Nydus Canal | Defiler Mound | Ultralisk Cavern | Infested Command Center (q)
Hero ground units:	Torrasque (ult) | Matriarch (qu) | Infested Kerrigan (it) | Unclean One (def) | Hunter Killer (hyd) | Devouring One (zlng) | Infested Duran (unk)
Hero air units:	Kukulza (mut, grd) | Yggdrasill (ovl)
(ult) = Ultralisk -- (qu) = Queen -- (it) = Infested Terran -- (def) = Defiler -- (hyd) = Hydralisk -- (zlng) = Zergling -- (unk) = Unknown -- (mut) = Mutalisk -- (grd) = Guardian -- (ovl) = Overlord