Hydras have one major drawback: by the time they reach the enemy, there’s often nothing left (others manage to defeat them), so they are good in a “fight to the death,” but you can’t “quickly deal” with enemies using them, unlike with liches.
You place hydras, and let the enemy chip away at their health, while you quickly defeat the enemy with magic.
For a Warlock, the hydra is the best option, and perhaps even the foundation of the entire army...