Card

Unreleased

Teammates are collectible playing cards available in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes. They are the main methods used by Plant and Zombie Heroes to defeat the opposing side.

Overview
Teammates are divided into two major categories: Troop cards and Trick cards. A troop card will spawn either a plant or a zombie on the field, and will be destroyed once the unit's health reaches 0. A Trick card can generate a variety of effects, ranging from spawning additional plants/zombies, modifying their attributes or destroying them, to gaining or creating additional cards in the player's deck. After the effect is finished, the Trick card will automatically be destroyed. Each Teammate also has a wide set of attributes, such as sun cost, strength, health, type and subtype - one of which is Superpower, a special subtype of Trick cards that can only be gained through filling the Hero's Block meter.

At the start of the game, each player is given four cards, and will be given the chance to replace each card with another random one in the player's deck once. Each player will also be given a random Superpower Teammate from the player's list; this card cannot be replaced by any means. The player will also draw a card from the deck each turn, and there are special effects that can give the player additional Teammates, either from or outside the deck.

A card can be played providing that the card's Sun/Brain cost does not exceed the player's current stockpile, and that there are valid targets for the card. Once the card is placed, the player's stockpile will be decreased by an amount equal to the card's Sun/Brain cost. All Plant Teammates can be played on the Plant's phase, while Zombies can only play zombie and trick cards in their respective phases.

Traits
Although every teammate is unique in some way, most of them share common traits, which the player needs to know them to use the cards the best way. Present here is a list of these traits and a detailed explanation of them:

Afterlife
"When this is destroyed, you can play it a second time"

- Game Description

Exclusive to the zombie side, this effect allows its owner to return to the player's hand upon defeat as a "ghost" version of itself. The ghost version has identical stats to the original card, but without the Afterlife ability.

Amphibious
"Play on Water or Land"

- Game Description

Zombies or Plants with this effect can be placed on either water or land, gaining a distinct tactical advantage over the adversary.

Anti-Hero
"+(Number of Strength Points) Strength against Heroes"

- Game Description

This effect increases its owner's Strength by a set amount if the lane where the unit is present is clear of hostile. Summoning anything in front of them will cut the bonus points.

Armored
"Reduce damage to this by (number)"

- Game Description

This effect reduces all damage to its owner by a certain amount; if the damage is lower than the reduced amount, the Plant/Zombie will emerge unscathed. However, this effect does not protect its owner from effects that reduce health by a set amount.

Bounce
"Push it off the board. It can be replayed"

- Game Description

Zombies or Plants with this effect can choose a target on the board and send it back to the player's hand. This effect is used to balance some powerful teammates, as sometimes the targets are restricted to Plants/Zombies of the same side.

Deadly
"Destroy any Plant it hurts"

- Game Description

An effect exclusive to the zombie side. This effect guarantees that the zombie's target will be defeated as long as the zombie deals at least 1 damage to the opposition during battle, regardless of remaining health. Plant Heroes are not affected, and Armored Plants can survive the attack as long as no damage is dealt.

Freeze
"That (Zombie/Plant) skips its next attack"

- Game Description

Units with this effect can immobilize a selected target, forcing it to skip its next attack but not neutralizing its ability. Using a card that gives the plant/zombie a bonus attack can cure this effect early.

Frenzy
"When this destroys a Plant, it attacks again"

- Game Description

Another effect exclusive to the zombie side. Zombies with this effect will make a bonus attack if they managed to eliminate a plant.

Gravestone
"Hides in a Gravestone until it's time for tricks"

- Game Description

Another effect exclusive to the zombie side, and one of the most common. Zombies with this effect cannot be seen until the zombie's trick stage, with a gravestone taking their place. They are invulnerable to most Trick cards and plant effects when hidden, with the exception of Grave Buster.

Shielded
"A Shielded (Zombie/Plant) can't be hurt"

- Game Description

Zombies and Plants with this effect cannot receive damage as long as the effect is active. This effect, however, does

not protect its owner from instant kill or stat-reducing effects, the latter of which may also result in the owner's death.

Splash Damage
"When it attacks, it also deals (number of damage) damage to Zombies next door"

- Game Description

An effect exclusive to the plants side. When this plant attacks, it will also deal a set amount of damage to the zombie on adjacent lawns. Zombie Heroes do not receive additional damage if the adjacent lanes are empty, however.

Strikethrough
"This hits the Zombie here and the Zombie Hero"

- Game Description

Another effect exclusive to the plants side. When this type of plants attack it deals damage to everyone in that lane, including the Zombie Hero.

Team-Up
Shellery description.png, an example of the Team-Up trait

]] "You can fit two Plants here"

- Game Description

An effect exclusive to the plants side. Plants with this effect can be played in front of or after another plant, causing it to either be protected from or absorb damage for its comrade.

Truestrike
"Doesn't charge the opponent's Block Meter"

- Game Description

Plants and Zombies with this effect do not fill up the opposing Hero's Block Meter upon a direct attack.

Trivia

 * Plant teammates cannot have Gravestone, Deadly,  Frenzy and Afterlife.
 * Zombie teammates cannot have Strikethrough, Team-Up and Splash Damage.
 * Brain Freeze is the only zombie that can freeze plants.