How Do You Heal in Plants vs. Zombies?
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Healing in the Plants vs. Zombies universe is a diverse mechanic, differing significantly between the plant and zombie factions, and even varying across different game titles within the franchise. This article breaks down the core healing methods available, focusing on how each faction restores health, including specific game modes and character roles. The primary ways to heal are through specific abilities, designated characters, and strategic planting of certain units.
Healing Mechanics for Plants
The plant faction’s healing is largely dependent on support units and items. Here’s a detailed look:
Sunflower and its Variants
The Sunflower is the quintessential healer in the Plants vs. Zombies universe. While the classic Sunflower primarily generates sun for planting, certain variants in games like Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville have explicit healing abilities. The core concept is their ability to provide a Heal Beam to allies, restoring their health over time.
Heal Beam/Rainbow Heal Beam
In shooter-style Plants vs. Zombies games, specific Sunflower variants can deploy a Heal Beam or Rainbow Heal Beam. These beams continuously restore health to targeted teammates. The healing continues until the beam is deactivated or until the targeted plant reaches 100% health. This method is highly effective for maintaining the health of frontline fighters, providing a steady stream of restoration.
Sunny Side Up (and Sun Drops)
The Sunny Side Up ability, sometimes available through specific variants, allows Sunflowers to drop sun that also acts as a healing source. When plants collect these sun drops, they regain a portion of their health. This adds a strategic element to healing, as players must actively position themselves to benefit from the sun drops.
Heal Flower
The Heal Flower is a deployable unit that serves as a stationary healing source. It can be planted by any plant player if a vacant pot is available and if they have acquired Heal Flower stickers. This flower acts as the plant counterpart to the Zombie Heal Station, providing a passive healing field to nearby plants.
Self-Healing Plants
It is important to note there are plants in the real world like Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) which are medicinal, and are not a mechanic in the game.
Healing Mechanics for Zombies
Unlike the plant’s support-based healing, zombies often rely on different kinds of healing.
Scientist and its Variants
The zombie equivalent of the Sunflower, the Scientist, is the primary healing class. Like the Sunflower, specific Scientist variants can also deploy Heal Beams. These beams work similarly to the plant’s Heal Beams, restoring health to teammates until deactivated or until the targeted zombie reaches 100% health.
Heal Beam of Science
The Heal Beam of Science, primarily deployed by the Scientist, is crucial for sustaining zombies on the front lines. This beam provides a continuous stream of health restoration to zombies within its range, allowing for sustained engagements with plant forces.
Dr. Heals
Dr. Heals acts as a zombie counterpart to the plant’s Heal Flower. It functions as a deployable, stationary station that heals nearby zombies within its radius. This provides a passive healing option that the zombies can use to stay healthy during combat.
Special Game Modes
Specific game modes also alter the healing landscape, such as “To Heal, or Not To Heal?” from Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2. In this mode, players heal nearby allies and gain additional damage when at lower health, changing typical team dynamics as the mode changes healing to be more generally available for anyone other than healers. Note: Sunflowers and Scientists are not available.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions related to healing in the Plants vs. Zombies universe:
1. What is the Heal Master Boast?
The Heal Master Boast appears next to a player’s name at the end of a multiplayer game as an Orange Heart. It indicates the player who healed the most teammates during the game. Only the Sunflower and Scientist classes can achieve this boast through healing other players.
2. Can any plant heal in every Plants vs Zombies game?
No, not all plants can heal in every title. The core game usually focuses on the Sunflower’s sun generation whereas the shooter games focus on specific variants.
3. Can any zombie heal in every Plants vs Zombies game?
Similar to the plants, most zombies cannot heal but, like plants, the primary zombie healer is the Scientist and its variants in shooter games. Some stationary stations can heal the zombies.
4. Who is Dr. Zomboss?
Dr. Edgar George Zomboss is the main antagonist of the Plants vs. Zombies franchise. He leads the zombie horde but is not a healer himself.
5. Is there a limit to how much a heal beam can heal?
Yes, heal beams restore health until the target is at 100% health or the beam is deactivated.
6. Can plants self-heal?
While there aren’t direct mechanics in the games for self-healing in terms of a skill, certain plants like the Sunny Side Up allow for tactical healing by collecting sun drops, and some natural plants (like the Self-heal which is not a game mechanic) are known for their medicinal properties.
7. What is the most expensive plant?
Cornucopia is the most expensive plant card in the game, costing 10 sun to play, but this does not mean that it has the most healing.
8. Is there a “strongest” zombie?
While Dr. Zomboss is the main antagonist, the Giga-Gargantuar is considered the second-strongest zombie due to its sheer size and damage capacity, however, it is not a healer.
9. What are some funny cheats in the original Plants vs Zombies?
Cheats in the original game include future (futuristic sunglasses for zombies), mustache (zombies with mustaches), pinata (candy shower upon zombie death), trickedout (alternate lawn mower appearance), and sukhbir (toggle zombie “brain” calls).
10. What is the significance of Crazy Dave in the games?
Crazy Dave acts as the player’s guide and vendor in the Plants vs. Zombies series. He is well known for wanting to use hot sauce on his tacos, though he doesn’t heal you in any way.
11. How do you unlock the Torchwood?
To unlock the Torchwood, players must open all 5 locks of the Torchwood chest, with each lock costing 15 Rainbow Stars for a total of 75 Rainbow Stars, in addition to the completion of 4 Trials.
12. How do you unlock the Hover Goat-3000?
The Hover Goat-3000 is unlocked by opening all 5 locks of its chest, with each lock requiring 15 Rainbow Stars for a total of 75 Rainbow Stars.
13. Where is Dr. Patient located?
Dr. Patient is a character in Plants vs. Zombies. He is next to a hatch near a Zomboss blimp on the right side of the zombie base, and can only be talked to if you’re on the zombie team.
14. What plant helps with real life healing?
Some plants such as Chamomile or Echinacea help in real-life healing, but are not in the game.
15. Can you win the endless mode?
No, the Survival: Endless mode has no set ending and only finishes if the player’s brains get eaten or they choose to reset.
Conclusion
Healing in the Plants vs. Zombies universe is a multifaceted concept that requires strategic thinking and tactical play. Understanding the specific roles and abilities of classes like the Sunflower and Scientist, as well as the effectiveness of support structures like the Heal Flower and Dr. Heals, is critical for both individual and team success. Whether you’re supporting your team with a steady stream of health, or actively seeking healing drops to continue pushing the frontline, mastering the healing mechanics is essential to achieving victory against the zombie horde or the plant invaders.