Chard Guard

Chard Guard is the third plant obtained in Frostbite Caves in Plants vs. Zombies 2. It can bounce zombies back like the Spring Bean, but unlike the said plant, Chard Guard can bounce back groups of zombies (rather than a single one) up to three tiles back, three separate times, losing a leaf each time. After it has lost all of its leaves, it becomes a defensive plant that can withstand 30 bites from the zombies (37.5% the health of a Wall-nut). It only bounces zombies back when the zombie is on top of it, and about to eat it.

Almanac entry
Sun cost: 75

TOUGHNESS: Elevated

RECHARGE: Mediocre

Chard Guards are defensive blockers that can hurl zombies backwards.

Special: hurls zombies back (x3)

You might remember Chard Guard from his days in the WWF (that's World Wrestling Foliage). When he was in the ring - boy-oh-boy - he was something to behold! His moves! His style! His attitude! The crowd loved him. He was quite the star for a while there. Sure, those days are behind him. But if you watch carefully, when Chard Guard is fighting zombies, you'll see him use the wrestling move he made famous. The ol' Knock 'Em Dead maneuver - it gets 'em every time.

Plant Food
When Chard Guard is given Plant Food, it regains all its leaves back and hurls every zombie in its upper space, lower space, and 2x3 area in front of it, dealing 0.5 normal damage shots.

Costumed
It hurls zombies further than its regular effect.

Strategies
Chard Guard is a very strategic plant. Always keep in mind that it can only hurl zombies back three times before needing healing or replacing. If using it in Frostbite Caves, it is suggested to keep a Pepper-pult or Torchwood nearby as Hunter Zombies will likely be part of the zombie hoard. Using this plant alongside another stalling plant like Hurrikale or a nut is advised for the player to use. A good combination is a lane of Spikeweed or Spikerock and a column of Chard Guards. As the zombies get to Chard Guard, they are pushed back again to the columns of Spikeweed or Spikerock, forcing them to walk over them again and take up to quadruple damage from the spikes.

In normal levels, Chard Guard is very effective against Gargantuar because these can launch Gargantuar before the zombie crush this plant, although you must plant Chard Guard in front of the Gargantuar or slow the Gargantuar in order to make it effective. In Far Future, Chard Guard is useful against the Mecha-Football Zombie, since Chard Guard can throw it before the Mecha-Football Zombie can push the Chard Guard. Chard Guards are also useful in the Pirate Seas, similarly to how Spring Bean is useful there. Any zombie that it hurls into the water is killed instantly. However Chard Guards will not bounce zombies into water if it is planted on a lane with planks adjacent to water, unlike Spring Bean, which can.

Chard Guards also work well when placed adjacent to slider tiles in the direction that zombies will be directed to. Use the fact that you can use multiple Chard Guards to throw zombies back into slider tiles they would normally avoid to your advantage.

Another good combination is to use Blover when zombies are hurled by Chard Guard, to instantly blow them from your lawn.

In Dead Man's Booty, place your Chard Guards at the plankless columns but not adjacent to the water as Swashbuckler Zombies attacking in unison may eat it before it acts. By leaving the landing zone blank for Swashbuckler Zombies, Chard Guards will be safe from being eaten fully with exception to Seagull Zombies. However, be constant on replacing all of its lost leaves so you do not have to worry on it being fully eaten. This works fast if you have an Imitater to fill it in. For cases with Seagull Zombies and you have a Blover with you, only use Blover for fending Seagull Zombies off. Otherwise, Chard Guard's role, to fend Swashbuckler Zombies off, will be voided.

Trivia

 * Its name is composed of "chard," the vegetable it is based on, and "guard," meaning to defend against. These two words also rhyme.
 * Wall-nut First Aid works on this plant after the first time hurling.
 * If the player plants on a Chard Guard which has just finished hurling or is in the middle of hurling, it will appear with only two leaves.
 * Chard Guard, Stunion and Rotobaga are the only plants unlocked in Frostbite Caves that do not have thawing capabilities.
 * They are the only plants unlocked in Frostbite Caves that have two costumes.
 * Chard Guard, Infi-nut, Endurian, and White Radish are the only plants that have Elevated toughness.
 * Chard Guard, Lava Guava, Infi-nut, and Ghost Pepper are the only plants that have a sun cost of 75.
 * World Wrestling Foliage is a pun on World Wrestling Federation, which was renamed to World Wresting Entertainment over trademark issues with the World Wide Fund for Nature, who launched several in-app purchases in Electronic Arts's games, including the Sap-fling Restoration Bundle in the 3.2 update, when the Chard Guard and Frostbite Caves were released.
 * The achievement Knock 'Em Dead! references its Almanac entry.
 * Furthermore, Crazy Dave also mentions the achievement on Frostbite Caves - Day 10.
 * Blover and Hurrikale can blow all hurled zombies off the lawn.
 * It is the only defensive plant that does not have visual degrades before being eaten by zombies.
 * However, it loses its leaves after hurling zombies. This is independent from its health, though.
 * Similar to Tall-nut, it can also block flying zombies such as the Jetpack Zombie. However, it will hurl them back as long as it still has at least a single leaf remaining.
 * When Chard Guard hurls a zombie, it makes a "yargh!" sound, making it one of the six plants to make vocal noises, with the others being Squash, Banana Launcher, Sweet Potato, Dandelion, Strawburst, and Cactus.
 * When a Zombie Parrot approaches Chard Guard, it will not fling it, instead it will just burrow under its leaves.
 * However, it could fling Zombie Parrot while it is flinging other zombies.
 * If the player manages to plant a Chard Guard on a tile with zombies on it, the zombies could still eat the Chard Guard briefly before being hurled back. This happens only with large zombie groups.
 * In addition, if the player plants a Chard Guard right behind a zombie, the zombie will eat and possibly finish the Chard Guard without getting hurled back.
 * Chard Guard, unless planted directly under him, cannot hurl back Excavator Zombie before he shovels him.
 * Chard Guard can fling Shield Zombie back and destroy its shield at the same time.

Мангольд-страж