Mastering the Cob Cannon: A Comprehensive Strategy Guide for Plants vs. Zombies
The Cob Cannon strategy in Plants vs. Zombies (PvZ) revolves around utilizing the immense destructive power of the Cob Cannon to quickly and efficiently eliminate large waves of zombies. This strategy isn’t about careful, incremental defenses but rather overwhelming force delivered precisely where it’s needed. It’s a late-game powerhouse, transforming the battlefield into a field of scorched earth, one corn cob at a time. The core of this strategy hinges on strategically deploying and rotating multiple Cob Cannons to maintain a constant barrage of high-damage attacks, effectively neutralizing even the most formidable zombie hordes. It typically involves a coordinated setup that includes sun production, and strategic placement of support plants to keep your cannons firing consistently.
Understanding the Power of the Cob Cannon
The Cob Cannon isn’t a simple plant; it’s a compound weapon requiring two adjacent spaces. Once planted, it becomes a manually operated artillery piece. Players click on the cannon, guide a targeting reticle to any spot on the lawn, and then click again to unleash a devastating corn cob. The impact area is a 3×3 grid, causing significant damage that can clear out entire clusters of zombies. This attack deals massive damage, making it incredibly effective against most zombie types, including the notoriously tough Gargantuars. Importantly, once the cob is launched, the cannon enters a recharge period before it’s ready to fire again.
The 2-2-2-2-2 Cycle
A crucial element of the Cob Cannon strategy is the “2-2-2-2-2 Cycle.” This refers to having multiple Cob Cannons – typically four, though sometimes more are required. The cycle means that the player is targeting with 2 Cob Cannons firing at a time, with a total of 5 cycles per rotation before restarting. Instead of waiting for a single cannon to recharge, the cycle method allows you to always have cannons ready, creating a near-constant barrage of corn cob explosions. Effective implementation of this cycle involves careful timing and awareness of the recharge time, which is roughly 36.41 seconds per Cob Cannon.
Key Components of a Successful Cob Cannon Strategy
Beyond the Cob Cannon itself, a functional strategy requires a supporting ecosystem of plants. Here’s a breakdown of the essential elements:
- Sun Production: The Cob Cannon is expensive, costing 500 sun, and you need multiple of them. Efficient sun production is the cornerstone of this strategy. You will need at least 4 Twin Sunflowers, but often more are required, particularly when starting out. This allows you to keep deploying and upgrading your cannons.
- Cannon Placement: Generally, placing Cob Cannons toward the center of the lawn can maximize their impact on multiple lanes. It’s also vital that the player can quickly click on a cannon and target without being hampered by other plants.
- Imp Protection: While Cob Cannons are incredibly powerful, they are vulnerable to smaller, faster zombies, especially Imps. Planting defenses like a Gatling Pea or Melon-pult behind the Cob Cannons is critical for their safety and to stop the Imps getting to the cannons.
- Targeting Strategy: Prioritize larger groups of zombies, especially high-health targets like Gargantuars. A single well-placed cob can significantly weaken even the toughest hordes.
- Rotation: The most important part of this is understanding the rotation, and keeping multiple Cob Cannons working, one after the other to maintain a constant barrage. It is important to be aware of the recharge timer.
Advantages and Drawbacks
The Cob Cannon strategy offers substantial advantages, but like any approach, it comes with its challenges:
Advantages:
- High Damage Output: The Cob Cannon can devastate multiple zombies with its 3×3 area of effect damage.
- Versatile Targeting: Unlike many plants, Cob Cannons can attack any point on the lawn, providing immense flexibility.
- Effectiveness Against Tough Zombies: The Cob Cannon’s damage output is sufficient to rapidly eliminate even the toughest zombies.
- No Sun Cost for Attacks: Once built, cob cannon attacks are completely free.
Drawbacks:
- High Initial Cost: Setting up multiple Cob Cannons is very expensive.
- Long Recharge Time: The 36.41 second recharge time per cannon can leave gaps if rotations are not handled effectively.
- Vulnerable to Imps: The cannons are stationary and can be easily overwhelmed by Imps if not properly defended.
- Requires Micro-Management: It requires frequent clicking to target and fire the cannons effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How does the Cob Cannon work in Plants vs. Zombies?
The Cob Cannon is a manually operated plant weapon. Once planted on two adjacent spaces, the player can click on the cannon and guide a targeting reticle to any spot on the lawn. A second click launches a corn cob, dealing massive damage within a 3×3 area.
2. Are Cob Cannons good in Plants vs. Zombies?
Yes, Cob Cannons are incredibly effective. Although they are very expensive to set up, their high damage output and ability to target anywhere on the lawn make them excellent for quickly eliminating large zombie waves and high-health threats.
3. How do you protect a Cob Cannon from zombies?
Protect Cob Cannons by planting defensive plants behind them. Plants like Gatling Peas or Melon-pults are great for quickly eliminating Imps and other threats that can approach the cannons from behind.
4. How long does it take for a Cob Cannon to recharge?
The Cob Cannon takes approximately 36.41 seconds to recharge after firing, which is why using the 2-2-2-2-2 Cycle method is important to maintain constant pressure on the zombies.
5. How many Cob Cannons do you need for the 2-2-2-2-2 Cycle?
The 2-2-2-2-2 Cycle generally requires at least four Cob Cannons to ensure consistent firing and minimize gaps in your defenses.
6. Can Bungee Zombies steal a Cob Cannon?
No, Bungee Zombies cannot steal Cob Cannons due to their size, as the Cob Cannon takes up two spaces. Unless two of them jump down at once, they cannot steal it.
7. Is the Cob Cannon in Plants vs. Zombies 2?
Yes, the Cob Cannon is available in Plants vs. Zombies 2, continuing its role as a powerful, high-damage plant.
8. What is the best sun production setup for the Cob Cannon strategy?
Using at least four Twin Sunflowers is recommended, although sometimes more may be needed to sustain the constant purchase and use of Cob Cannons.
9. Does Torchwood boost the damage of the Cob Cannon?
No, Torchwood does not directly boost the damage of Cob Cannons as they do not fire peas. However, they can boost Gatling Peas which is often used to defend Cob Cannons.
10. How does the Cob Cannon compare to other high damage plants like Melon-pult?
The Cob Cannon delivers higher instant damage compared to the Melon-pult and can target anywhere on the lawn. While Melon-pult can hit multiple targets with splash damage, the Cob Cannon’s raw power and control make it more effective in many situations.
11. What is the best way to use the Cob Cannon against Gargantuars?
The Cob Cannon is highly effective against Gargantuars. Target them directly with your cob launches to inflict heavy damage or even instantly destroy them with multiple hits.
12. What if my Cob Cannons are overwhelmed by smaller zombies?
Plant supportive defenses like Gatling Pea and/or Melon-pults directly behind your Cob Cannons to quickly deal with small and fast zombies before they can reach and overwhelm your cannons.
13. Is the Cob Cannon effective in the Endless Survival modes?
Yes, the Cob Cannon is one of the most powerful plants for Endless Survival modes. Its ability to quickly clear out large groups of zombies and control the battlefield makes it crucial for the later rounds.
14. How much damage does a Cob Cannon do?
The Cob Cannon deals significant damage in a 3×3 area. The exact damage amount is very high, making it ideal for dealing with high-health zombies and dense groups, clearing them out quickly.
15. Is the Cob Cannon the strongest plant in Plants vs. Zombies?
While there isn’t a single “strongest” plant due to the different roles plants play, the Cob Cannon is certainly one of the most powerful due to its high damage output, versatility, and control over the battlefield when used properly. The cost of multiple Cob Cannons, combined with the need for manual aiming, is what balances the plant’s overall effectiveness.