Cactus (PvZ: GW)


 * For the Cactus in other versions, see Cactus.

Cactus is a re-occurring plant in the Plants vs. Zombies series. It serves a playable purpose in Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare as a playable character on the Plants faction. Cacti serve as a sniper or a marksman of the plant side. Its long range attack allows it to provide long range support to the plant team. Cacti also have the ability to plant Potato Mines around the map which deal 175 damage to any zombie stepping on it, and plant Tallnut Battlements to block zombies, and protect its teams and itself. These abilities allow Cacti to create a safe haven for plants and prevent zombies from entering it. It can also fly a Garlic Drone to fight zombies from other angles, flanking them, and call a Corn Strike dealing maximum damage to group of zombies. However, Cacti are ineffective at close combat range due to low health, and quite inaccurate without scoping.

Description
''The Cactus is the long-range specialist of the Plant team, able to shoot high velocity needles at faraway Zombies. In her rooted form, she can dispatch her flying Garlic Drone to call in Corn Artillery strikes from above.''

Variants

 * Camo Cactus
 * Fire Cactus
 * Ice Cactus
 * Power Cactus
 * Future Cactus
 * Bandit Cactus
 * Citrus Cactus
 * Jade Cactus

Primary weapon
Spike Shot is the primary weapon of the Cactus which deals 25 (27 when upgraded) impact damage and 30 (33 when upgraded) critical damage.

Fast Load Cactus Training
Prickle Academy provided free reload training, enhancing reload speed.

Extra Spike Growth
Extra needles growth offers an increased ammo capacity.

Pointier Spikes
Pointier cactus needles provide a more damaging impact.

As Cactus
Cactus should play far from normal combat, as it is very outclassed by the All-Star in closer encounterments. Finding vantage points, and camping there will allow a Cactus to snipe off their opponents with ease, sometimes catching opponents off-guard. Cactus should also be weary of nearby Scientists, who may be able to Warp next to it, and kill it instantly. Staying out of sight is suggested in that aspect. Cactus can be used strategically, it can provide helpful support to all nearby plants by wounding or killing nearby zombies and using its Garlic Drone to clear objectives with a Corn Strike.

Against Cactus
When up against a Cactus, it is important to keep behind cover. Making quick shots at the cactus by randomly popping out of cover can confuse it, and allow the zombies to deal more damage to it than it can to them. Scientists can warp near them, allowing for an easy kill while the Cactus is attacking another zombie. It also may be a good idea to use The All-Star's Long Bomb against Cacti. Cactus has a weakness in close range so it's best to Warp close to them by using Scientist and shoot while moving around the Cactus.

Garden Ops
In Garden Ops, Cacti are a useful defensive support class on the plant team. Cactus' Spike Shot has a long range, making it effective at zombies afar. Finding a suitable location to snipe is the key in Garden Ops. Due to its low health, Cacti can be vanquished easily if ambushed from behind, especially using the Garlic Drone. Cactus is more on defensive, due to its Potato Mines and Tallnut Battlement/Iron Maiden abilities, so it is useful to protect the team and the Garden from zombies. Potato mines can kill most zombies at once except for bosses. Its Tallnut Battlement block zombies from entering locations. Garlic Drone ability is Cactus' ultimate ability. Garlic Drone is able to shoot needles at high rate, dealing high damage to zombies, The Garlic Drone can call out an Corn Strike, dealing massive damage to group of zombies, making it effective against special waves or boss waves.

Team Vanquish/Vanquish Confirmed!
Cactus is best just staying behind in this mode. Cacti should sneak around the map until they find a safe spot where they can safely snipe zombies at. Cacti should be weary of any zombies around them, as if a single zombie makes it into their sniping spot, they are likely to be vanquished almost instantly. Cacti should remember to make good use of their Potato Mines and Tall-nut battlements to make getting to them difficult for zombies. If Cacti absolutely have to fight zombies at close range, they should not bother with potato mines, but use Tall-nut battlements instead. It is useful for guarding against many strong attacks that the Zombies have, such as the ZPG and Sprint Tackle. In vanquish confirmed, it is recommended to use the Garlic or Artichoke drone to collect orbs, rather then the Cactus putting themselves in danger to get one. Cacti should also use Garlic/Artichoke drones to pick up Plant orbs also, as that saves the point from the zombies.

Trivia

 * In a commentary (prerelease), a game developer pointed out its similarities to battlefield. Cactus is the recon with a sniper like attack, the Garlic Drone an MaV, the Tallnut Battlement an MaV block, and the Potato Mine a M18 Claymore.
 * The official Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare strategy guide released by Prima refers to the Cactus as a female character, using pronouns such as "her" and "she".
 * It is also referenced as a female in its Almanac entry in Plants vs. Zombies.
 * Cactus and its variants are currently the only plant classes who use plants for all of their abilities.
 * It was originally going to have 100 health.