Dartichoke

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This item is only obtainable during certain events. However, it can still be used if you have already obtained it. It is currently available.

Not to be confused with Heartichoke.

Dartichoke
Dartichokes fire high-damage darts down the lane, prioritizing especially dangerous zombies such as Wizards, Octo Zombies, and Healers
Almanac statistics
Sun cost	225
Recharge	8.5 seconds
Damage	75 damage per shot
Range	Straight
Usage	Has a limited supply of darts, then must recharge
Special	Each shot has a chance to do critical damage
Weakness	(can block or deflect projectiles) (cannot prioritize)
Family	Spear-mint
In-game statistics
Rarity (China)	Legendary
Unlocked	250 seed packets
Costumes
"Why waste shots on foot soldiers when you can win the battle with one well-chosen dart to the dome?" wonders Dartichoke. "Why would you do it? Why would ANYONE do it?"

“	Dartichokes aim first at high-priority targets like Wizards and Octo Zombies.	”
—Penny

Dartichoke is a premium plant in Plants vs. Zombies 2, that was first introduced in the 7.9.1 update. She fires high damaging spines (every 1.7 - 2 seconds) at high priority targets.

About

Dartichoke costs 225 sun and her ability allows her to fire artichoke spines at zombies in her lane, however she can only fire a limited amount and needs to recharge after firing the max amount of spines. She also has a chance to fire a critical dart which deals more damage.

It takes 3.25 seconds to reload her darts without leveling up. Her darts do not target grid items such as tombstones. Dartichoke can be unlocked for 250 seed packets.

Dartichoke's spines prioritizes certain zombies in a similar manner to Witch Hazel prioritizing Wizard Zombies, these zombies are (priority targets):

• Explorer Zombie
• Pirate Captain Zombie
• Prospector Zombie
• Treasure Yeti
• Wizard Zombie
• Octo Zombie
• Fisherman Zombie
• All-Star Zombie
• Roman Healer Zombie

Dartichoke will also prioritize certain zombies that aren't listed on her Almanac entry, these zombies are (secondary targets):

• Arcade Zombie
• Balloon Zombie
• Blastronaut Zombie
• Bug Zombie
• Disco Jetpack Zombie
• Dodo Rider Zombie
• Glitter Zombie
• Imp Cannon
• Jetpack Zombie
• Jurassic Rockpuncher
• Mecha-Football Zombie
• Newspaper Zombie
• Punk Zombie
• Seagull Zombie
• Sunday Edition Zombie
• Surfer Zombie
• Troglobite
• Tomb Raiser Zombie
• Turquoise Skull Zombie
• Zcorpion Zombie
• Zombie Bull
• Zombie Medusa
• Zombie Parrot

In the Chinese version, Dartichoke will also prioritize these zombies:

• Arbiter-X
• Archmage Zombie
• Cavalry Zombie
• Chief Ice Wind Zombie
• Double-Cabin Aircraft Zombie
• Exploding Zombie
• Explode-O-Nut Zombie
• Furnace Zombie
• Gatling Pea Zombie
• Hunter Zombie
• Jalapeno Zombie
• Jester Zombie
• Jurassic Bully
• Leaper Zombie
• Lost Doctor Zombie
• Nunchaku Zombie
• Perfume Zombie
• Pharaoh Zombie
• Relic Hunter Zombie
• Robo-Cone Zombie
• Snow Pea Zombie
• Torch Kongfu Zombie
• Torch Monk Zombie
• Walrus Zombie
• Zombie Fighter

Origins

She is based on a spiny artichoke, more commonly known as an artichoke, a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as a food.

Her name is a portmanteau of "dart," referring to the projectiles that she fires, and "artichoke," the real-life plant she is based on.

Almanac entry

Note: The stats shown below only apply to Level 1.

Dartichoke	SUN COST 225 RECHARGE 8.5 SUN COST: 225 RECHARGE: 8.5 TOUGHNESS 300 DAMAGE 75 TOUGHNESS: 300 DAMAGE: 75 Special Critical Damage Special 0.3 Special: Critical Damage Special: 0.3 FAMILY Spear-mint FAMILY: Spear-mint Dartichokes fire high-damage darts down the lane, prioritizing especially dangerous zombies such as Wizards, Octo Zombies and Healers. Special: each shot has a chance to do critical damage Usage: has a limited supply of darts, then must recharge Dartichoke Priority Targets: All-Star Zombie Explorer Zombie Fisherman Zombie Octo Zombie Pirate Captain Zombie Prospector Zombie Roman Healer Zombie Treasure Yeti Wizard Zombie Why waste shots on foot soldiers when you can win the battle with one well-chosen dart to the dome?" wonders Dartichoke. "Why would you do it? Why would ANYONE do it?

Dartichoke

		SUN COST 225			RECHARGE 8.5

SUN COST: 225
RECHARGE: 8.5

		TOUGHNESS 300			DAMAGE 75

TOUGHNESS: 300
DAMAGE: 75

		Special Critical Damage			Special 0.3

Special: Critical Damage
Special: 0.3

		FAMILY Spear-mint

FAMILY: Spear-mint

Dartichokes fire high-damage darts down the lane, prioritizing especially dangerous zombies such as Wizards, Octo Zombies and Healers.

Special: each shot has a chance to do critical damage
Usage: has a limited supply of darts, then must recharge
Dartichoke Priority Targets:
All-Star Zombie
Explorer Zombie
Fisherman Zombie
Octo Zombie
Pirate Captain Zombie
Prospector Zombie
Roman Healer Zombie
Treasure Yeti
Wizard Zombie

Why waste shots on foot soldiers when you can win the battle with one well-chosen dart to the dome?" wonders Dartichoke. "Why would you do it? Why would ANYONE do it?

Upgrades

Plant Food effect

When given Plant Food, she spins and shoots blue darts that deal critical damage to a multitude of zombies on the lawn, in a similar matter to Homing Thistle's Plant Food effect.

Spear-mint effect

When boosted by Spear-mint, Dartichoke will receive an additional 210 DPS to her main attack along with an additional 630 DPS to her critical darts, and the chance to fire a critical dart will increase to 75%.

Level Upgrades

Level	Seed Packets	Coins	Upgrades
			Sun Cost	Recharge	Starting Recharge	Toughness	Damage		Plant Food Power Damage	Critical Chance	Max Shots	Cooldown Time*
							Normal	Critical
1	0	0	225	8.5 seconds	6 seconds	300 dps	75 dps	225 dps	225 dps	30%	6 shots	3.25 seconds
2	50			8 seconds	5.75 seconds	350 dps	90 dps	270 dps	270 dps	35%	7 shots	3 seconds
3	100			7.5 seconds	5.5 seconds	400 dps	105 dps	315 dps	315 dps	40%	8 shots	2.75 seconds
4	200			7 seconds	5.25 seconds	450 dps	120 dps	360 dps	360 dps	45%	9 shots	2.5 seconds
5	300		200	6.5 seconds	5 seconds	550 dps	135 dps	405 dps	405 dps	50%	9 shots	2.25 seconds
6	400			6 seconds	4.75 seconds	600 dps	150 dps	450 dps	450 dps	55%	10 shots	2 seconds
7	500			5.5 seconds	4.5 seconds	650 dps	165 dps	495 dps	495 dps	60%	10 shots	1.75 seconds
8	600		175	5 seconds	4.25 seconds	700 dps	180 dps	540 dps	540 dps	65%	11 shots	1.5 seconds
9	800			4.5 seconds	4 seconds	800 dps	195 dps	585 dps	585 dps	70%	11 shots	1.25 seconds
10	1000			4 seconds	3.75 seconds	900 dps	210 dps	630 dps	630 dps	75%	12 shots	1 seconds

*Time taken to reload his darts.

Mastery upgrades

• Chance to Boost
• Damage Pierce

Level upgrades (China only)

Level	Upgrades	Description
	Quick Recuperation	Cooldown reduced by 25%
	Combat Training	Dartichoke gains 50% more attack power and health (150% of initial).
	Rapid Recuperation	Cooldown reduced by 50%
	Cell Activation	Dartichoke gains another 50% more attack power and health (200% of initial).
	Ability Awaken	Dartichoke may be boosted when planted.
	Fighting Power	Dartichoke gains another 50% more attack power and health (250% of initial).
	Thunderstorm	Dartichoke's normal attack now has a chance to fire a thunderstorm dart. Thunderstorm darts will prioritize attacking the strongest zombie, damaging all zombies pierced by it. It also kills all weaker zombies in a 1x1 area.
	Fighting Power	Dartichoke gains another 50% more attack power and health (300% of initial).

Strategies

Dartichoke is a very interesting plant to use. At level 1, she is very powerful, being able to defeat a basic zombie in 3 hits. Although she is strong, she has a limited number of darts and needs to recharge, so she should not be the main attacking plant to use in a level. As a support plant, Dartichoke can defeat tougher zombies while other plants defeat weaker zombies. She can be used with Electric Peashooter to defeat tough zombies while the latter can defeat groups of weak zombies. Plants that can slow zombies such as Winter Melon, Cold Snapdragon, and Snow Pea can stall zombies while Dartichoke defeats them effectively.

Piercing plants such as Laser Bean, Cactus, and Bloomerang can damage all zombies in a lane to weaken the zombies Dartichoke can attack or prevent weaker zombies from eating it. This plant works fairly well with shadow plants, especially Dusk Lobber and Shadow Peashooter. These two plants can damage lots of zombies at a time (or slow them in the case of Shadow Peashooter), allowing Dartichoke to do as much damage as possible.

She is also good in Pirate Seas, Lost City, Far Future, Dark Ages, Jurassic Marsh, Big Wave Beach and Modern Day because she can target dangerous zombies that appear in those worlds.

One weakness of Dartichoke is that she can't target zombies that may eat her due to her targeting other zombies. She also needs time to recharge her darts so it is recommended to use defensive plants to protect her.

She is not a good choice in Last Stand levels because she gets overwhelmed by zombies in levels such a Pirate Seas - Day 22.

In Neon Mixtape Tour, she will prioritize Punk Zombie, Glitter Zombie, and Arcade Zombie; but not MC Zom-B, Breakdancer Zombie, or Boombox Zombie.

In Lost City, Excavator Zombies can block Dartichoke's darts and in Dark Ages, Jester Zombies can deflect them.

In Pirate Seas, she can target Imp Cannons but cannot target the Imp Pirate Zombies themselves, allowing them to eat Dartichoke.

Gallery

Plants vs. Zombies Wiki has a gallery for Dartichoke.

Visit this page to see it.

Trivia

• While Dartichoke is never referred to with gendered pronouns in her in-game almanac entry, she was initially referred to with masculine pronouns in her official reddit reveal post, but was later referred to with feminine pronouns in a post written by Stephen Notley, the employee who writes most of the almanac entries in Plants vs. Zombies 2.
• Despite her Arena Season coming after Ultomato's, she is before Ultomato in the Almanac.
• She and Witch Hazel are the only plants in Plants vs. Zombies 2 to be able to prioritize a specific kind of zombie.
  • The other plants are Carrot Rocket (from Plants vs. Zombies Online), which prioritizes Archer Zombie, and Cactus and Cattail (from Plants vs. Zombies) which prioritize Balloon Zombies (only when flying).
• Dartichoke, Jack O' Lantern, and Stickybomb Rice are the only three plants in Plants vs. Zombies 2 to have a sun cost of 225 at Level 1.
• She and Ultomato are the only 2 straight-shooting plants that can attack through objects.
• Dartichoke got buffed in 8.1.1 update, in which her crit chance was increased and the cooldown period was reduced.
• Dartichoke's costume is very similar to one of A.K.E.E.'s costumes.
• She heavily resembles a shadow plant.
• In the Chinese version, Dartichoke does not prioritize Healer Zombies.

See also

• Homing Thistle
• Witch Hazel
• Cattail

V · T · E	Plants (Tower defense)