Hydra

"Project Hydra" was the codename for the Diablo III project and team before the announcement at WWI 2008.

Hydra is a Wizard skill unlocked at level 22, summoning a hydra that attacks enemies with bolts of fire.

Contents

Background

Diablo III Active Skill [e]
Hydra
Used by:	Wizard
Enabled at:	Clvl 22
Skill Description
Creates a hydra that attacks your enemies with bolts of fire. Hydra deals X-Y damage per attack.
Type:	Direct Damage/DoT
Resource Use:	Costs Arcane Power
Skill Rune Effects
Alabaster rune:	Arcane Hydra
Crimson rune:	Cold Hydra
Golden rune:	Adds fire walls
Indigo rune:	Lightning Hydra
Obsidian rune:	Acid Hydra

Among the many secrets of the Ancient Repositories, the Wizard found the Hydra spell to call forth a ward to dispatch of enemies from multiple directions.

Skill Design

This was too high level to use at BlizzCon 2009, though players sorely wanted to try it out and see the improvements from Diablo I. Graphical, if nothing else.

It's interesting to contemplate what the Hydra (multi-strike) rune would do to Hydra. More than 3 heads per cast? Plus, Greek Mythology fans could geek out. Especially if they named their character Learnean.

Skill Rank Table

• Rank 1: Hydra deals 6-10 damage per attack.

Synergies

• No synergies with any of the passive skills are yet known.

Skill Rune Effects

Hydra with Runestones.

A revamped skill rune system was unveiled at BlizzCon 2010. Full rune effects for three skills were listed in the Gameplay Panel: Weapon Throw, Hydra, and Plague of Toads. The Hydra rune effects are:

• Alabaster rune: Creates an Arcane Hydra which shoots bolts of Arcane power.
• Crimson rune: Creates a Cold Hydra which shoots chilling bolts that damage and freeze enemies.
• Golden rune: Turns the Hydra into one giant head that breathes fire walls.
• Indigo rune: Creates a Lightning Hydra which shoots chain lightning at monsters.
• Obsidian rune: Creates an Acid Hydra which shoots poisonous bolts at monsters that melts them into piles of goo.

Development

Hydra in action. Un-runed. October 2010.

Hydra was first shown at BlizzCon 2009, where it was on the Conjuring Skill Tree at Tier IV. Unfortunately, it was too high level to select in the gameplay demo.

At BlizzCon 2010 it was shown in the gameplay panel and also in the PvP Arena. Flux discussed its viability:[1]

You could only have one Hydra active at a time, and it had a slow firing rate. Like Meteor, it was useful to stick these out there to let them ping away, hoping the damage would add up over time. They were very commonly used near the end of rounds, when one or two characters were chasing one on the other team. Most Wizards would cast Hydras in the path of the fleeing enemy, knowing they’d get in a shot or two and help finish them off.

Skill tiers were removed for the July 2011 Press Event, and Hydra became a level 22 skill.

Previous Versions

See the Wizard skill archive for more details on previous versions of Hydra and other Wizard skills.
Or see Hydra (BlizzCon 2008) for the original version of this skill.

In Other Games

The hydra spell was originally seen in Diablo I, then called Guardian. The principle was that three heads were summoned from the ground, shooting firebolts at enemies for a limited time. They are more fun to cast than efficient to kill anything with.

In Diablo II, they were turned into flaming heads, and got the name Hydra. While not dealing damage to anyone near the flames, their firebolts are of more use, especially if concentrating the fire on single targets at a time, and alternating skills while waiting for the cooldown.

Trivia

Hydra was the codename for the Diablo III project and team before the announcement at WWI 2008.

Media

Hydra can be seen in action on video here:

• Gameplay: Blizzcon 2010 (in the Arena)

You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:

• Diablo III screenshots and pictures
• Hydra specific gallery contents

• 

  Arcane and Original version comparison.

• 

  Hydra made Arcane by rune.

• 

  Hydra made Arcane by rune.

References

• BlizzCon 2009 Full Wizard Skill Trees
• BlizzCon 2010 PvP Hands-on Report
• JudgeHype.com July 2011 Press Event Coverage - The Wizard (Translated by Zediono)