Kernel-pult

The Kernel-pult is an offensive lobbed-shot plant available in roof levels. It launches either small light-damage kernel or bigger double-damage butter which temporarily immobilizes zombies. Like other lobbed-shot plants, the Kernel-pult fires at a rate of 1/2x, meaning that the light or normal damage is an average of the damage of the kernels and butter respectively. Also like other lobbed-shot plants, the Kernel-pult can hit Snorkel Zombies while still in the water. The Kernel-pult along with its kernels are the species of zea mays or maize. Two Kernel-pults next to each other horizontally can be upgraded into a Cob Cannon.

Suburban Almanac Entry
Kernel-pult

Kernel-pults fling corn kernels and butter at zombies.

Damage: light (kernel), normal (butter)

Range: lobbed

Special: butter immobilizes zombies

Kernel-pult is the eldest of the Pult brothers. Of the three of them, Kernel is the only one who consistently remembers the others' birthdays. He bugs them about it a little, too.

Cost: 100

Recharge: fast

Strategy
The Kernel-pult is best used in conjunction with other lobbed-shot plants (including other Kernel-pults), since it does not do a good amount of damage reliably. They are also good when used in conjunction with Spikeweeds or Spikerocks since if they freeze the zombie while it is standing on the Spikeweed/Spikerock, the zombie will take large amounts of damage from the Spikeweed/Spikerock.

A Kernel-pult requires a bit of luck as the only reason why it can be useful is it has the chance to stun with butter while a kernel does hardly any damage and you would be better off with a Cabbage-pult.

This lobbed-shot plant is more useful than the Cabbage-pult overall, since it can stun, but if you want a better one, go for the Melon-pult. This plant is best used to increase the effective damage output of other plants; it can slow the zombies, giving your plants more time to deal damage. At the beginning of a level, plant a Cabbage-pult and then two Kernel-pults; when two or three are used in a single row the zombies get buttered much more frequently.

It is especially important during Roof levels as the incline of the Roof will upset the firing of peas, spores, etc. It can also hit Screen Door Zombie and Ladder Zombies over their doors and ladders, and Snorkel Zombies while they're underwater. It prioritizes Gargantuars over other zombies, making this a useful weapon against it.

It is best to use a combination of Cabbage-pults, Kernel-pults, then Melon-pults. It is a good idea to eventually replace Cabbage-pults with Melon-pults, and then with Winter Melons.

Trivia

 * An eyebrow-less and catapult-less Kernel-pult can be seen in the Character Menu on the official Plants vs. Zombies website.
 * In the old iPod Touch and iPhone versions of the game, there is also an image of an eyebrowless Kernel-pult for the seed packet. However, the actual Kernel-pult does have eyebrows.
 * If you look very closely at the seed, it is missing its catapult as well, rather than it being hidden behind the seed's edge like the Cabbage-pult.
 * A zombie with butter on its head appears in the promotional music video Zombies on Your Lawn.


 * The idea of butter for the Kernel-pult is based on the butter that people put on their corn.


 * For some reason, a mixture with Torchwood does not make popcorn.


 * This is the only plant that fires two different kinds of projectiles.
 * This plant has the weakest projectile of all Lobbed-shot Plants.
 * This may be because it is the oldest of the Pult brothers, according to the Suburban Almanac.
 * If a zombie is in front of a Kernel-pult, the zombie will instantly get hit by a kernel or butter. This also happens with other Lobbed-shot Plants.


 * If a zombie has butter on his head and you enter "dance", he will not dance, but pose in a frame of the dance until the butter wears off.


 * The Kernel-pult is the only lobbed-shot plant which has a projectile not similar to its head.


 * The Kernel-pult is said to have just light damage to zombies. But actually, it has a projectile equal to the damage of the Peashooter's. On the other hand, it fires at half the speed of a Peashooter.


 * All Lobbed-shot Plants have a different stem from each other. The Kernel-pult has a zigzag stem.


 * The Kernel-pult has different leaves than the Cabbage-pult and Melon-pult. Instead of having regular leaves, Kernel-pults have corn stalks.
 * In the Mini-game Invisighoul, the Kernel-pult tends to shoot more butter than kernels.
 * This is possibly because the difficulty of the Mini-game, or so you can see the zombies. This is also the reason why you get the Ice-shroom and why it happens in the nighttime pool.
 * The more times you play Invisighoul, the less butter it seems to lob.Kernelpultplsush.jpg


 * In the DS version, the Kernel-pult's butter sometimes sticks to the zombie's hair or jaw, rather then it's head.


 * The Kernel-pult's common projectile is the smallest projectile.


 * The idea that butter paralyzes zombies is that butter clogs up blood vessels.


 * If there's a zombie that bites a Garlic and the Kernel-pult throws a butter the will show the disgusted face while it's paralyzed by the butter.


 * It is the only freezing plant which does not use ice, making a good choice with flaming peas as they won't remove the freeze effect, although butter can melt easily.


 * The butter, except in Invisighoul, is only thrown when a zombie gets near a plant, which means that it can still survive when a zombie is right in front of it and it's the only attacking plant in the row.


 * The Butter is the only projectile that remains visible after hitting the Zombie, not counting fumes.


 * The Kernel-pult and Cabbage-pult is a great combo to kill a Conehead Zombie.


 * In Versus Mode, it is unknown why kernel and butter can destroy Zombie Gravestones.


 * If a Kernel-pult is about to lob butter, but is squashed, the squashed Kernel-pult will have a kernel in it instead of butter.


 * If lucky, six Kernel-pults can kill a Giga-Gargantuar with 2 or 3 Kernel-pults lost.


 * The Kernel-pult, Cabbage-pult and the Melon-pult are the only plants with "pult" names.


 * The Kernel-pult the player uses seems to have a slim chance for it to lob butter but the Kernel-pult in I, Zombie has a greater chance to lob butter.


 * The Kernel-pult and the Cob Cannon are the only grains in the game.


 * Kernel-pults seem to butter stronger Zombies more than weaker ones.


 * This is the only Lobbed-shot plant in I, Zombie.


 * When choosing where to plant it in the Xbox Live Arcade version, butter can be seen in the basket.