Lightning Reed


 * For the version in Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2, see Lightning Reed (PvZ: GW2).
 * For the version in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes, see Lightning Reed (PvZH).

Lightning Reed is the fourth plant obtained in Wild West in Plants vs. Zombies 2. It generates lightning from its body that strikes the closest zombie or obstacle, such as a tombstone, within three lanes from where it is planted, similarly to Threepeater. The lightning will also arc to another zombie or tombstone if close enough. A direct hit deals half of a normal damage shot and the arcs of electricity deal a quarter of a normal damage shot.

Origins
Based on its appearance, it is more likely that Lightning Reed is based on the Typha plant family, commonly referred to as cattail in English. Its name is a pun of lightning rod and reed.

Almanac entry
Sun cost: 125

DAMAGE: Normal

RANGE: Multi-Hit

RECHARGE: Fast

Lightning Reeds shoot lightning at nearest zombie up to one lane away. The bolt will then arc and hit other zombies.

Range: can even hit targets one lane above or below

Special: chain attacks to multiple targets

This may come as a shock, but Lightning Reed has a serious passion for ham radio. His call sign is El3ctric H1ccup. You can tune in every Tuesday to hear him read the classics to elderly plants. This week: Seeds and Sensibility.

Plant Food effect
When fed Plant Food, it generates a small storm cloud that tracks down a random target, dealing 8 normal damage shots per second. If the target is defeated, the cloud will quickly move to another random zombie. The cloud lasts for 15 seconds before disappearing.

Costumed
Lightning Reed unleashes a huge lightning cloud and instantly electrocutes all zombies on screen.

Strategies
Due to the lightning's chaining mechanic, Lightning Reed is at its best when in large groups. While one will have trouble against even a regular Zombie, ten or more of them are capable of dealing impressive amount of damage against swarms of enemies, especially when all five lanes are occupied with zombies. However, its low initial damage means that it will have difficulty against durable targets like Buckethead Zombies, meaning that a powerful plant like Citron or Electric Blueberry will be required to support it.

Because of its high attack speed and chain attacks, Lightning Reed is a powerful weapon against Zombie Chickens and Ice Weasels because it can destroy multiple chickens and hit a lot of weasels in only one shot. Compared to other plants that can also counter them such as Spikeweed and Fume-shroom, Lightning Reed can cover up to three lanes at once, attack faster and has better range, but cannot neutralize Ice Weasels as effectively due to its low damage, unless there are about three columns planted.

Another useful feature of Lightning Reed is that its attack cannot be blocked or reflected by any means. Therefore, it is a possible counter against Shield Zombies, Jester Zombies, and Excavator Zombies. Lightning Reed is also helpful in defeating Surfer Zombies in Big Wave Beach as it will destroy their surfboards upon defeating them, thus preventing any surfboards from crushing plants.

Lightning Reeds can be quite useful against a column of Glitter Zombies. While they can protect all zombies behind them and severely reduce the effectiveness of single-lane plants such as like Laser Bean and Fume-shroom, a group of Lightning Reed can still attack the entire column of Glitter Zombies and defeat them quickly.

Trivia

 * El3ctric H1ccup is an improper call sign for ham radio operators. A real one resembles something such as "K7PKRL." El3ctric H1ccup is also leetspeak for "Electric Hiccup."
 * Despite the real life reed is an aquatic plant, the Lightning Reed can only planted in ground. This has been corrected in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes.
 * "Seeds and Sensibility" mentioned in its Almanac entry is based on the novel Sense and Sensibility, a famous Jane Austen novel.
 * Lightning Reed's Plant Food immunity time is less than half a second, making it one of the only plants which can be eaten while under the effects of Plant Food.
 * If it zaps the body of a zombie that has already lost its head, its head comes back for the dying animation.
 * If it zaps any kind of Gargantuar, players will see that the Gargantuar has a skeleton of a dinosaur rather than a ribcage.
 * When a Zombie Bull is zapped, it reveals the mechanical parts used to make up the Zombie Bull instead of a skeleton, unlike all the other zombies. If the Zombie Bull Rider is not yet thrown and the Zombie Bull is zapped, the Zombie Bull Rider will vanish.
 * If Lightning Reed's storm cloud goes after a swinging Swashbuckler Zombie, it will zap the Swashbuckler Zombie's landing spot.
 * If a Lightning Reed electrifies an Imp that was launched from an Imp Cannon over water, the Imp will just disappear.
 * After the 2.5.1 update, Lightning Reed's electricity immediately fades away.
 * When it zaps a Zombie Chicken, the player gets the Fried Chicken achievement.
 * Lightning Reed was originally going to cost 150 sun, according to pre-release gameplay footage.
 * Lightning Reed, Sun-shroom, Sun Bean, and Hot Potato all have a glow around themselves in the seed packet.
 * In the Chinese version of the game, it is a Pirate Seas plant and appears on its world map. Additionally, it has the Pirate Seas background in its Almanac entry.
 * Lightning Reed's attack is similar to that of the 2/x upgrade for the Monkey Apprentice "Lightning Bolt" in Bloons Tower Defense 5, Plants vs. Zombies' rival series. Both Lightning Reed and the Lightning Bolt upgrade chain off of their targets, hitting multiple targets that are close to each other at once