Kernel-pult

The Kernel-pult is an offensive lobbed-shot plant for the roof levels. It launches either small normal-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. 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.

Surburban 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, 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 said Spikeweed/Spikerock.

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 slows 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, however.

Trivia

 * BUTTER_SHOT.png eyebrow-less Kernel-pult can be seen in the Character Menu on the official Plants vs. Zombies website.
 * In the 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.Song_4.jpg
 * 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.
 * This is the only plant that fires two different kinds of projectiles.
 * This plant has the weakest projectile of all Lobbed-shot Plants.
 * This maybe 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.Kernel-pult.gif
 * 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.
 * In the Plants vs. Zombies website, the Kernel-pult is seen without the projectile.
 * All Lobbed-shot Plants have a different stem from each other. The Kernel-pult has a zigzag stem.
 * The Kernel-pult has a projectile that is too small for the sling.
 * 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 seems to shoot more butter than kernels.