What Plants Can Kill Gargantuar? A Comprehensive Guide to Conquering the Colossus in Plants vs. Zombies
The Gargantuar, a towering zombie behemoth, is one of the most formidable foes in the Plants vs. Zombies universe. Its massive size, brute strength, and ability to crush plants make it a terrifying sight on the battlefield. However, with the right strategies and plant choices, you can effectively neutralize this monstrous menace. The key to defeating a Gargantuar lies in understanding its weaknesses and deploying plants that can exploit them. Here’s a detailed look at which plants are best suited for taking down these formidable opponents:
At its core, the plants that can kill or severely weaken a Gargantuar can be grouped into categories: Instant Kill Plants, High Damage Plants, Delaying Plants, and Explosive Plants. While some plants directly kill them, others slow down their movement or inflict damage over time. Successfully battling Gargantuars often means combining multiple plant types to maximize damage output and control the battlefield. Let’s dive into specific examples.
Plants Effective Against Gargantuars
Instant Kill Plants
- Squash: This close-range melee plant can instantly crush a Gargantuar. Notably, it requires getting in the Gargantuar’s face, so timing and a clear path is crucial. Two Squashes are enough to defeat a Gargantuar.
- Cherry Bomb: This explosive plant deals massive damage in a 3×3 area. While not a direct instant kill, it’s typically sufficient enough to take out most of a Gargantuar’s health on its own. A Cherry Bomb paired with another damaging plant (like a Squash) will easily eliminate a Gargantuar.
- Doom-shroom: This powerful mushroom creates a massive explosion capable of wiping out multiple zombies, including a Gargantuar. However, it leaves behind a crater preventing future plant placements. It also has a slow recharge time, so use this plant strategically.
High Damage Plants
- Melon-pult and Winter Melon: Melon-pults do a large amount of damage, and the Winter Melon offers slowing capabilities in addition to good damage. While neither can solo a Gargantuar, a few well-placed Melon-pults, or even better, Winter Melons, can rapidly chip away at their health.
- Cob Cannons: Created by combining two Kernel-pults, Cob Cannons deal massive damage in a huge area. Multiple Cob Cannons are highly effective at taking down Gargantuars. When paired with Spikerocks, the combination can dominate large swathes of Zombies.
- Gloom-shroom: Once placed near other plants that act as shields, the Gloom-shroom can inflict continuous area damage, which can swiftly deplete a Gargantuar’s health.
Delaying Plants
- Spikerock: These robust plants take nine smashes before disappearing. As each smash degrades the Gargantuar, placing Spikerocks can significantly slow their advance and provide opportunities for other offensive plants to deal damage.
- Puff-shroom and Scaredy-shroom: These plants are very cheap and fast to recharge, making them excellent temporary barriers to slow down the Gargantuar or block his line of sight. They are disposable, acting as a speed bump on the path to your more valuable plants.
Explosive Plants
- Jalapeno: Can be strategically placed in a column to damage or wipe out any enemies, including Gargantuars. While it will not one-shot a Gargantuar, it will severely injure it, paving the way for other plants to finish the job.
Unique Strategies & Plants
- Grapeshot: This plant, under the right circumstances, can instantly defeat a Gargantuar (excluding Jurassic Gargantuars). This is a special plant used in later iterations of the game.
- Snow Pea: While it won’t kill the Gargantuar, a Snow Pea in the front row can slow it down, buying your other plants more time. It isn’t a direct killer but assists by slowing down the colossal foe.
- Chomper: While Chompers cannot eat a full health Gargantuar, they can deal 40 damage per bite. While this is a low damage figure compared to other plants, you can slow the Gargantuar’s progression and create space for other plants to do their jobs.
Why Combination is Key
It’s important to note that no single plant is a guaranteed solution for every Gargantuar encounter. The most effective strategy involves using a combination of plants that complement each other. This includes:
- Delaying the Gargantuar with Spikerocks, Puff-shrooms, or Snow Peas.
- Dealing massive damage with Melon-pults, Cob Cannons, or Cherry Bombs.
- Using Instant Kill Plants when opportunities arise with Squash, or using a Jalapeno for damage.
This synergistic approach can significantly increase your chances of defeating Gargantuars.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can Garlic Stop a Gargantuar?
No, Garlic does not affect Gargantuars. Garlic only works on zombies that bite it. Since Gargantuars crush plants instead of eating them, Garlic will have no effect on them.
2. Does Jalapeno Kill a Gargantuar?
Jalapenos do not instantly kill Gargantuars. However, they inflict significant damage, especially when planted strategically in a column. A damaged Gargantuar will be far easier to eliminate.
3. How Many Squashes Does it Take to Kill a Gargantuar?
Two Squashes are needed to crush a Gargantuar.
4. Can Chomper Eat a Gargantuar?
Chompers cannot eat a full health Gargantuar. Instead, they deal 40 damage per bite when attempting to eat them. This makes Chompers less effective alone, but can be useful as a delay tactic.
5. Can Gargantuars Crush Spikerocks?
Yes, Gargantuars can crush Spikerocks. It takes three smashes for a Gargantuar to destroy a Spikerock. However, each smash also degrades the Gargantuar, making it a good delaying strategy.
6. What is a Giga-Gargantuar and how do you defeat it?
The Giga-Gargantuar is a stronger, red-eyed variant of the Gargantuar, appearing in endless modes. A strategy involves placing Puff-shrooms in front of a slowed Giga-Gargantuar and immediately replacing them with an Imitater Puff-shroom once destroyed. This effectively immobilizes them or slows them down considerably.
7. What is a Gargantuar Prime?
Gargantuar Prime is the hardest Gargantuar variant in the game, encountered in Plants vs. Zombies 2.
8. What Plants are Good for Delaying Gargantuars?
Spikerocks, Puff-shrooms, and Scaredy-shrooms are excellent for delaying Gargantuars. Spikerocks take multiple hits to destroy, and the mushrooms are cheap and quick to deploy. Snow Peas can also slow them.
9. Can I One-Shot a Gargantuar with Grapeshot?
Yes, a Grapeshot can instantly vanquish a full health Gargantuar (except Jurassic ones) under the correct circumstances.
10. Are there any Plants That Can One-Shot a Gargantuar?
Grapeshot is the only plant that can reliably one-shot a full health Gargantuar (excluding Jurassic variants) under the right conditions. Certain rare combinations using plant food can also achieve a similar effect.
11. Can Explosive Plants One-Shot a Gargantuar?
Cherry Bombs and Doom-shrooms can come close, with Doom-shroom being most likely to take it out. Most of the time, other Plants will have to follow up in the destruction.
12. Which is the strongest Gargantuar?
The Gargantuar Prime, unique to Plants vs. Zombies 2, is considered the strongest of the Gargantuars.
13. What Plants are the best for overall defense?
Gloom-shrooms, Melon-pults, Winter Melons and Cob Cannons are often considered the best for overall damage and defense. Sunflower is obviously important for generating the sun needed to plant them.
14. How many Plants does the Gargantuar crush on the path?
The Gargantuar will crush any single row of plants directly in its path. Plants in rows behind it will be safe from that initial crushing event.
15. What Zombies can Crush Plants?
Gargantuars, Zombonis, Dr. Zomboss, Giga-Gargantuars, Catapult Zombies, Squash Zombies, Weightlifter Zombies, Glitter Zombies, Barrel Roller Zombies (barrel intact) and Pianist Zombies can crush plants.
By using a blend of these plants and understanding their strengths and weaknesses, players can successfully overcome the challenge posed by Gargantuars. Remember to experiment, adapt your strategies based on the situation, and always be ready to counter the unexpected moves of the undead!