How Many Hits Does it Take to Kill a Gargantuar in Plants vs. Zombies?
The Gargantuar is one of the most formidable and iconic zombies in the Plants vs. Zombies franchise. Towering over other undead foes, this behemoth requires a strategic approach to defeat. Understanding how many hits it takes to bring down a Gargantuar is crucial for success, and the answer isn’t always straightforward, as it depends on the type of attack being used. In general, a standard Gargantuar has 3,600 health, meaning it will take a significant amount of damage to eliminate it. However, certain plants and power-ups can alter the number of “hits” required. Let’s break down the details and explore the various ways to take down this colossal zombie.
Understanding Gargantuar Health and Damage
The core concept to grasp is that “hits” in Plants vs. Zombies aren’t all equal. A single Peashooter projectile does far less damage than a Cherry Bomb, so the number of attacks needed varies greatly depending on your arsenal.
Direct Attacks vs. Instant Kills
Most plants, like the Peashooter, Repeater, and Gatling Pea, inflict incremental damage with each projectile. These “hits” chip away at the Gargantuar’s health. However, some abilities bypass this damage model and can kill the Gargantuar outright or inflict large amounts of damage at once. A single Grapeshot, for example, can be a one-shot kill, as can the plant food effect of Electric Blueberry and Citron. A Cherry Bomb or Jalapeno can also quickly deplete a significant amount of health, requiring fewer “hits”.
The Base Health and Damage Threshold
As mentioned, a standard Gargantuar typically has 3,600 health. This means that an attack that inflicts 20 damage, like a standard Peashooter projectile, would theoretically require 180 “hits” to kill the Gargantuar (3600/20 = 180). However, this is rarely the most efficient or practical approach in gameplay. The number of hits also relates to damage output of different types of plants. For instance, it would take many more hits to kill with only a peashooter, vs using a gatling pea with torchwood, which significantly multiplies damage with each hit.
Co-op Bowling and Mallet Hits
It’s worth noting that in specific game modes, like Co-op Bowling, a Gargantuar can take six hits. In situations where you have a mallet, it takes four mallet hits. These variations show that the number of hits can also vary by game mode as well.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Gargantuars
1. What is the easiest way to defeat a Gargantuar?
The easiest way to defeat a Gargantuar often involves instant-kill plants like Cherry Bombs, Jalapenos, or the Grapeshot. Additionally, using high-damage plants in combination with slow-down strategies can also be extremely effective. Snow Peas in the front rows to slow it down, paired with high-damage attacks like Gatling Peas and Torchwood, can quickly take down a Gargantuar.
2. How much damage does a Cherry Bomb inflict on a Gargantuar?
A single Cherry Bomb deals a substantial amount of damage to a Gargantuar, but doesn’t completely destroy it on its own. It significantly depletes its health but needs to be combined with other attacks or another Cherry Bomb or Jalapeno to defeat it. Two Cherry Bombs will defeat a Gargantuar if no other attacks are used.
3. Can a Chomper eat a Gargantuar?
No, a Chomper cannot fully consume a Gargantuar. Instead, it deals a small amount of damage with each bite. This is not an efficient way to defeat a Gargantuar.
4. Does Garlic affect Gargantuars?
Garlic does not affect Gargantuars. Garlic only redirects zombies that directly bite them, so it won’t stop a Gargantuar because they crush rather than bite.
5. What is a Giga-Gargantuar, and how many hits does it take to kill it?
The Giga-Gargantuar is a more powerful variant with twice the health of a standard Gargantuar (6000 health). It also changes appearance after taking certain amounts of damage. This requires significantly more attacks to defeat, or four instant kills from something like a Grapeshot.
6. How does a Grapeshot instantly kill a Gargantuar?
A Grapeshot under the right circumstances can instantly vanquish a full-health Gargantuar, making it a valuable plant against this strong opponent. However, this does not apply to Jurassic Gargantuars.
7. Are there any plants that can one-shot a Gargantuar?
Yes, certain plants have the ability to one-shot a Gargantuar under the right conditions. This includes the Grapeshot, Electric Blueberry’s Plant Food effect, and Citron’s Plant Food effect.
8. How many hits does it take using a normal Peashooter?
A normal Peashooter, inflicting approximately 20 damage per projectile, would require roughly 180 hits to defeat a standard Gargantuar. This highlights how ineffective solely using peashooters is, unless supplemented with others that amplify damage.
9. What is the impact of using a Torchwood with a Gatling Pea?
Combining a Torchwood with a Gatling Pea dramatically increases the damage output. The Torchwood ignites the peas, causing them to deal much more damage to the Gargantuar with each “hit”.
10. Can Squash take out a Gargantuar?
Yes, two Squashes will crush a Gargantuar. Or a combination of a Squash and a Cherry bomb, or Doom-Shroom, can also defeat a Gargantuar effectively.
11. Can Blover be used to defeat a Gargantuar?
Blover cannot directly kill a Gargantuar. However, it can be used in combination with abilities like Reinforce-mint to remove them from the field quickly.
12. How effective is using Gloom-shrooms against Gargantuars?
Gloom-shrooms placed in adjacent rows to a Gargantuar’s path can do significant damage over time, making them a useful strategy for whittling down a Gargantuar’s health.
13. What is the best strategy to use against a Gargantuar Prime?
A combination of the Reinforce-Mint + Blover Combo is one effective strategy against Gargantuar Primes. This combination can quickly eliminate Gargantuars and other zombies from the lawn.
14. Do Gargantuars appear in every level of Plants vs. Zombies?
No, Gargantuars do not appear in every level. They typically appear later in the game, usually beginning around half-way through roof levels or level 5’s. They also appear in various survival modes and other game types.
15. Are Gargantuars tougher in Plants vs Zombies 2?
Yes, Gargantuars have variations that are found in every world. They have higher health stats than they had in the first iteration. Certain versions such as the Jurassic Gargantuar also have unique abilities such as summoning imp zombies on the field.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the number of “hits” required to defeat a Gargantuar in Plants vs. Zombies isn’t a simple, fixed number. It heavily depends on the plant type and the strategy you use. While basic attacks may require many hits, strategic combinations, instant-kill plants, and high-damage options can eliminate these powerful zombies much faster. Understanding these nuances is key to mastering the game and effectively defending your home from the zombie horde.