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Catapult Zombie

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For the one in Plants vs. Zombies: All Stars, see Great Wall Catapult Zombie.

Catapult Zombie is a zombie in Plants vs. Zombies that rides a vehicle that rolls onto the player's lawn (or roof), destroying plants and occupying the first two columns from the right. It then stops its vehicle and starts lobbing basketballs at the last plants (closest to the house, or the chimney on the roof) in its lane. Once this zombie kills a plant, it moves forward slightly and continues attacking the next plant. When it runs out of basketballs or if it kills all the plants in the lane, Catapult Zombie drives towards the player's house in a fashion similar to that of a Zomboni. In the process, its vehicle will squash any plants it comes into contact with, except for Spikeweed, Spikerock and any instant-kill plant other than Chomper in its chewing stage which destroys it instantly. It is the 22nd zombie encountered in Adventure Mode.

Audio

Sound Description
Basketball

Catapult Zombie launching a basketball.

Cherrybomb
Catapult Zombie Dies (same sound as when a Cherry Bomb explodes)

Suburban Almanac entry

Almanac Card Catapult Zombie

Almanac entry of Catapult Zombie

CATAPULT ZOMBIE

Catapult Zombie operates heavy machinery.

Toughness: medium
Special: lobs basketballs at your plants

Of all the things Catapult Zombie could launch with his catapult, basketballs seemed like the best and most obvious choice.

Overview

Catapult Zombie absorbs 660 damage per shot and its appearance changes upon absorbing 300 and 580 damage per shot, where it begins to vibrate and smoke. After 660 damage per shot, the front bumper of the catapult shows damage before exploding.

Encounters

Strategies

Use a Spikeweed or Spikerock to pop the tires. If you do not have one available, use Umbrella Leaves to knock the basketballs out of the way while your offensive plants take care of it. Keep in mind that you cannot use Spikeweed and Spikerocks in any roof level. This is a good idea if you have any expensive plants like Twin Sunflowers or Cob Cannons in the back. Keep in mind that if you plant a Spikeweed or Spikerock beneath the back tire of the Catapult Zombie's vehicle, it will not kill it. You also should not plant any non-instant kill plant other than the Spikeweed or Spikerock in the first two columns to the right if there are Catapult Zombies in the level because it will kill them when it's approaching. In Survival: Endless, the Umbrella Leaf is a must because any Spikeweeds or Spikerocks you have previously planted will quickly be destroyed by the hordes of stacked Catapult Zombies, Zombonis, and Gargantuars. Magnet-shrooms are useless against it, even though the machine is made out of metal, but you can use chilling plants such as the Winter Melon, Snow Pea, and Ice-shroom to slow down the Catapult Zombie. Also, if you don't have an Umbrella Leaf you could also use a Wall-nut or a Tall-nut behind your Sunflowers, so the other plants can focus on killing the Catapult Zombie.

Note: Pumpkins are useless for directly defending plants against it because Catapult Zombies aim for the plant inside the Pumpkin first before they go for the Pumpkin.

Gallery

Trivia

  • It takes Catapult Zombie six basketballs to destroy a plant.
  • Catapult Zombie's health is on the high end of the zombies with "medium" toughness, with the Digger Zombie's being at the low end.
  • Although it has higher health than most plants, Garlic only takes six basketballs before dying, the same as any other plant being eaten (other than defensive plants).
  • Apart from Digger Zombie, Catapult Zombie is the only zombie in the original game to attack the plants in reverse order (until it runs out of basketballs).
  • If there are no plants in Catapult Zombie's row, it will drive towards the house or the chimney while crushing any newly planted plants.
    • The same happens if Catapult Zombie runs out of basketballs.
  • Catapult Zombie, Zomboni, Zombie Bobsled Team (on ice), and Dr. Zomboss are the only zombies with vehicles.
  • On the home page of the official Plants vs. Zombies website, the Catapult Zombie is seen holding a sign saying, "Try the Zombatar!", not riding its catapult vehicle, and wearing glasses.
  • Catapult Zombie, Digger Zombie (while digging), Ladder Zombie (while still carrying its ladder), Gargantuar, Giga-gargantuar, Zomboni, and Balloon Zombie (while on its balloon) are the only zombies that can get past a Tall-nut by itself without eating the plant.
  • If a plant is planted on a tile of a roof or lawn where the Catapult Zombie is (regardless if it is moving or in idle animation to throw basketballs), the plant will be immediately be squashed.
    • This does not include Spikeweed, Spikerock, or any instant-kill plants other than Chomper when they are planted on the zombie, in which the first two plants will pop the tires of the Catapult Zombie instead and in case of any instant-kill plants, even if they are planted at the zombie except for Chomper, they will still kill the zombie without killing the plant. This zombie also does not crush plants if buttered or frozen with an ice-shroom.
    • In Dr. Zomboss' Revenge and Level 5-10, if Dr. Zomboss sends a Catapult Zombie and there are plants on these tiles (assuming that the number of them is the same as the number of tiles that this zombie occupies), it will kill a total of two plants (if there are only Flower Pots or one Flower Pot and the plant on it), four if there is a plant above those two said plant, and three if one of the Flower Pot is empty and the another one have a plant above it. This is also the same for Zomboni.
  • When Catapult Zombie is frozen or paralyzed, the vehicle has the inability to crush plants. This is probably a glitch.
  • There is quite a resemblance between Catapult Zombie's head and Digger Zombie's.
  • There is an oil stain on Catapult Zombie's left cheek, near its mouth.
  • It is unknown how a new basketball transfers from the basket of the machine to the catapult after the old one has been lobbed without any animation of Catapult Zombie or any other zombie taking a ball from the basket and placing it in the catapult.
    • The same thing happens with the projectiles of the lobbed-shot plants (except Cob Cannon).
  • When seen without its catapult, Catapult Zombie appears to have a small dirty rag hanging out of its back pocket. There is no further reference or clues as to what it uses its rag for.
  • Catapult Zombie appears to be a little overweight.
  • Catapult Zombie's speed is the same as a flying Balloon Zombie's.
  • Catapult Zombie is the zombie counterpart of Carrot Missile, as both shoot the last plant or zombie in the row.
  • If player looks closely, he or she can see it uses a basketball hoop to lob basketballs.
    • The player can also see that a basket holds the basketballs.
  • It is similar to the Archer Zombie from Plants vs. Zombies Online.
  • It has less basketballs in the DS version (about 5-6).
  • Although it explodes when defeated, it does not appear to damage any plants or zombies in a radius.
    • It shares this trait with the Zomboni and Zombot.

See also

Zombies
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