Template:Plantpic
- For other versions, see Lightning Reed (disambiguation).
Lightning Reed is the fourth plant obtained in Wild West in Plants vs. Zombies 2. He generates lightning from his body that strikes the closest zombie or obstacle, such as a tombstone, within three lanes from where he is planted, similarly to Threepeater. The lightning will arc to another zombie or tombstone if close enough. After the 5.6.1 update, a direct hit deals a quarter of a normal damage shot and the arcs of electricity deal the same amount of damage. Before the 5.6.1 update, a direct hit dealt half of a normal damage shot and the arcs of electricity dealt a quarter of a normal damage shot. He attacks approximately every 1.5 seconds.
Origins
Based on his appearance, it is likely that the Lightning Reed is based on the Typha plant family, commonly referred to as cattail in English. His name is a pun of "lightning rod," a piece of metal put on top of a tall structure to protect it from lightning strikes; "lightning," a sudden electrostatic discharge occurring during thunderstorms; and "reed," the real-life plant that this plant is based on.
Almanac entry
Note: The stats shown below only apply to Level 1.
Lightning Reed
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Lightning Reed |
Lightning Reeds shoot lightning at nearest zombie up to one lane away. The bolt will then arc and hit other zombies. This may come as a shock, but Lightning Reed has a serious passion for ham radio. His call sign is El3ctric H1ccup. You can tune in every Tuesday to hear him read the classics to elderly plants. This week: Seeds and Sensibility. |
Upgrades
Plant Food effect
When fed Plant Food, he generates a small storm cloud that tracks down a random target, dealing 8 normal damage shots per second. If the target is defeated, the cloud will quickly move to another random zombie. The cloud lasts for 15 seconds before disappearing.
Costumed (China only)
Lightning Reed unleashes a huge lightning cloud and instantly electrocutes all zombies on screen.
Level upgrade
Level | Seed Packets | Coins | Upgrades | |||||
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Sun Cost | Recharge (Fast) |
Toughness (Typical) |
Damage (Normal) |
Special (Zombies Zapped) |
Range | |||
1 | 0 | 0 | 125 | 5 seconds | 300 damage | 10 damage | Three | Multi-Hit |
2 | 10 | 1,000 | 350 damage | 14 damage | Four | |||
3 | 50 | 2,000 | 400 damage | 16 damage | Four | |||
4 | 100 | 4,000 | 450 damage | 18 damage | Five | |||
5 | 125 | 6,000 | 100 | 500 damage | 20 damage | Five | ||
6 | 175 | 8,000 | 550 damage | 24 damage | Six | |||
7 | 250 | 10,000 | 600 damage | 28 damage | Six | |||
8 | 350 | 15,000 | 650 damage | 32 damage | Seven | |||
9 | 450 | 20,000 | 700 damage | 34 damage | Seven | |||
10 | 800 | 60,000 | 75 | 750 damage | 40 damage | Eight | ||
11 | 1,000 | 75,000 | 800 damage | 44 damage | Eight | |||
12 | 1,250 | 100,000 | 825 damage | 48 damage | Nine | |||
13 | 1,500 | 150,000 | 850 damage | 52 damage | Nine | |||
14 | 1,750 | 200,000 | 875 damage | 56 damage | Ten | |||
15 | 2,000 | 250,000 | 50 | 900 damage | 60 damage | Ten |
Level upgrade (China only)
Strategies
Due to the lightning's chaining mechanic, Lightning Reed is best used in large groups. While one will have trouble against even a regular Zombie, ten or more of them are capable of dealing an impressive amount of damage against swarms of enemies, especially when all five lanes are occupied with zombies. However, his low initial damage means that it will have difficulty against durable targets like Buckethead Zombies, meaning that more powerful plants like Citron or Coconut Cannon will be required to support it.
Because of his high attack speed and chain attacks, Lightning Reed is a powerful weapon against Zombie Chickens and Ice Weasels because he can destroy multiple chickens in only one shot. Compared to other plants that can also counter them such as Spikeweed and Fume-shroom, Lightning Reed can cover up to three lanes at once, attack faster and has better range, but cannot neutralize Ice Weasels as effectively due to his low damage, unless it's level 4, as it does more damage and zaps 5 Ice Weasels per hit, planting 1-2 columns is the the best against both; Zombie Chickens and Ice Weasels.
Another useful feature of Lightning Reed is that his attack cannot be blocked or reflected by any means. Therefore, it is a possible counter against Shield Zombies, Jester Zombies, and Excavator Zombies. Lightning Reed is also helpful in defeating Surfer Zombies in Big Wave Beach as he will destroy their surfboards upon defeating them, thus preventing any surfboards from crushing plants.
Lightning Reeds can be quite useful against a column of Glitter Zombies. While they can protect all zombies behind them and severely reduce the effectiveness of single-lane plants such as Laser Bean and Fume-shroom, a group of Lightning Reed can still attack the entire column of Glitter Zombies and defeat them quickly.
In the Chinese Version it is highly recommended to upgrade him because he will be able to stun zombies for a few seconds. Groups of upgraded Lightning Reeds will be easily able to stun zombies because of fast attacks combined with splash damage. Because of this , it works well in PVP mode combined with other upgraded plants.
Gallery
Plants vs. Zombies Wiki has a gallery for Lightning Reed.
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Trivia
Specific to Plants vs. Zombies 2
- The "El3ctric H1ccup" in his Almanac entry is an improper call sign for ham radio operators. A real one resembles something such as "K7PKRL." "El3ctric H1ccup" is actually "leetspeak" for "Electric Hiccup."
- Hence, when he's zapping zombies, his head rises as if he has hiccups.
- Despite the fact that the real life reed is an aquatic plant, he cannot be planted in the water in Big Wave Beach.
- This has been corrected in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes.
- "Seeds and Sensibility" mentioned in his Almanac entry is based on the novel Sense and Sensibility, a famous Jane Austen novel.
- His Plant Food immunity time is less than half a second, making him one of the few plants which can be eaten while under the effects of Plant Food.
- If he zaps the body of a zombie that has already lost its head, the head comes back for the dying animation.
- If he zaps any kind of Gargantuar, the player will see that Gargantuar has a skeleton of a dinosaur where its rib cage should be.
- When a Zombie Bull is zapped, it reveals the mechanical parts used to make up the Zombie Bull instead of a skeleton, unlike all the other zombies. If the Zombie Bull Rider is not yet thrown and the Zombie Bull is zapped, the Zombie Bull Rider will vanish.
- If he zaps a Balloon Zombie, the player will see that the balloon has a skeleton of a monkey riding an old school bicycle and wearing a fez, rather than an empty balloon.
- The same will happen with Electric Blueberry
- If his storm cloud goes after a swinging Swashbuckler Zombie, it will zap the Swashbuckler Zombie's landing spot.
- If he electrifies an Imp that was launched from an Imp Cannon over water, the Imp will just disappear.
- After the 2.5.1 update, his electricity immediately fades away.
- If he manages to zap a Zombie Chicken, the player will obtain the Fried Chicken achievement.
- In the Almanac, it says he deals normal damage, but he only deals light damage in actual gameplay.
- He was originally going to cost 150 sun, according to pre-release gameplay footage.
- He, Sun-shroom, Sun Bean, Hot Potato, and Explode-o-nut have a glow around themselves in the seed packet.
- In the Behind the Brainz - New Plants the developers said that Lightning Reed is a female, but the Almanac entry says he's a male.
- After the 5.6.1 update, he deals directly 0.25 normal damage shots.
- He is the only electric plant that doesn't have a twitching animation.
Specific to the Chinese version
- Despite the fact that he is unlocked after Wild West - Day 9, he is considered a Pirate Seas plant.
- His Plant Food ability will zap illusions created by Magic Mushroom instead of attacking other zombies. This is probably a glitch.
See also
View · Edit | L · G |
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Plants vs. Zombies | |
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Day | Peashooter · Sunflower · Cherry Bomb · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Snow Pea · Chomper · Repeater |
Night | Puff-shroom · Sun-shroom · Fume-shroom · Grave Buster · Hypno-shroom · Scaredy-shroom · Ice-shroom · Doom-shroom |
Pool | Lily Pad · Squash · Threepeater · Tangle Kelp · Jalapeno · Spikeweed · Torchwood · Tall-nut |
Fog | Sea-shroom · Plantern · Cactus · Blover · Split Pea · Starfruit · Pumpkin · Magnet-shroom |
Roof | Cabbage-pult · Flower Pot · Kernel-pult · Coffee Bean · Garlic · Umbrella Leaf · Marigold · Melon-pult |
Upgrades | Gatling Pea · Twin Sunflower · Gloom-shroom · Cattail · Winter Melon · Gold Magnet · Spikerock · Cob Cannon |
Others | Imitater · Explode-o-nut · Giant Wall-nut · Reverse Repeater · Giant Sunflower · Giant Marigold · Sprout · Tree of Wisdom |
Plants vs. Zombies: Social Edition | |
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Normal | Peashooter · Sunflower · Cherry Bomb · Wall-nut · Potato Mine · Chomper · Repeater · Puff-shroom · Scaredy-shroom · Snow Pea · Sun-shroom · Fume-shroom · Grave Buster · Lily Pad · Squash · Spikeweed · Tangle Kelp · Torchwood · Sea-shroom · Jalapeno · Coffee Bean · Tall-nut · Pumpkin · Magnet-shroom · Blover · Melon-pult · Cactus |
Premium | Pickled Pepper · Icy Fume-shroom · Fire-shroom · Flamewood · Vine-nut · Gatling Pea · Twin Sunflower · Gloom-shroom · Winter Melon · Super Chomper · Future Star · Calm Chuck |
Plants vs. Zombies Adventures | |
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>Normal | Peashooter · Sunflower · Aspearagus · Wall-nut · Cherry Bomb · Popcorn · Beet · Snow Pea · Jalapeño · Magnet Plant · Flaming Pea · Shamrock · Bamboo Shoot · Repeater · Chilly Pepper · Twin Sunflower |
VIPs | Sweet Pea · Beeshooter · Hard-nut · Acespearagus · Power Flower · Beetboxer · Ice Queen Pea · Shamrockstar · Bamboom |
Others | Trees |
Plants vs. Zombies 2 (Chinese version) | |
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Ancient Egypt | Peashooter · Sunflower · Wall-nut · Cabbage-pult · Bloomerang · Iceberg Lettuce · Grave Buster · Bonk Choy · Repeater · Twin Sunflower · Snow Pea · Cherry Bomb · Torchwood |
Pirate Seas | Kernel-pult · Snapdragon · Power Lily · Spikeweed · Spring Bean · Coconut Cannon · Spikerock · Lightning Reed · Tall-nut |
Wild West | Threepeater · Squash · Split Pea · Chili Bean · Jalapeno · Pea Pod · Melon-pult · Winter Melon · Imitater |
Kongfu World | Resistant Radish · Fire Gourd · Heavenly Peach · Bamboo Shoot |
Far Future | Laser Bean · Blover · Citron · E.M.Peach · Infi-nut · Magnifying Grass · Tile Turnip · Starfruit |
Dark Ages | Hypno-shroom · Sun-shroom · Puff-shroom · Fume-shroom · Sun Bean · Pea-nut · Magnet-shroom · Oak Archer · Coffee Bean · Plantern |
Big Wave Beach | Acid Lemon · Lotus Pod · Lily Pad · Bowling Bulb · Banana Launcher · Guacodile · Tangle Kelp · Homing Thistle |
Frostbite Caves | Hurrikale · Fire Peashooter · Hot Potato · Pepper-pult · Chard Guard · Stunion · Rafflesia · Whirlwind Acorn |
Sky City | Rotobaga · Loquat · Asparagus · Saucer · Horsebean · Groundcherry · Anthurium · Pineapple |
Lost City | Lava Guava · Red Stinger · A.K.E.E. · Stallia · Gold Leaf · Toadstool · Jackfruit |
Neon Mixtape Tour | Morning Glory · Phat Beet · Thyme Warp · Celery Stalker · Spore-shroom · Garlic · Intensive Carrot · Cactus |
Jurassic Marsh | Primal Peashooter · Primal Wall-nut · Perfume-shroom · Primal Sunflower · Primal Potato Mine · Primal Rafflesia · Dino-Roar Grass · Timid Thorns · Sugarcane Master |
Modern Day | Shadow-shroom · Caulipower · Moonflower · Grimrose · Nightshade · Dusk Lobber · Blooming Heart |
Steam Age | Gold Bloom · Flat-shroom · Maypop Mechanic · Lotus Shooter · Wind-Blowing Vanilla · Lily of Pharmacy · Mulberry Blaster |
Renaissance Age |
Aloe · Bearberry Mortar · Wax Gourd Guard · Oily Olive · Jeweler Pomegranate · Dartichoke |
Heian Age | Dripping Diphylleia · Stephania · Tupistra Stalker · Dendrobium Windbreak · Chef Cypripedium · Boophone Geigi |
Fairytale Forest | Ents · Heath Seeker · Hat Mushroom · Hocus Crocus · Princess Spring Grass · Bamboo Trooper |
Monthly special | Pyro-shroom · Carrotillery · Cryo-shroom · Dandelion · Strong Broccoli · Machine Gun Pomegranate · Chomper · Sweet Potato · Landlord Bamboo · Sap-fling · Ghost Pepper · Chestnut Squad · Bamboo Bro · Rose Swordfighter · Magic-shroom · Electric Blueberry · Mischief Radish · Endurian · Pumpkin Witch · Sunflower Singer · Snow Cotton · Agave · Kiwifruit · Pretty Plum · Dragonfruit · Angel Starfruit · Gatling Pea · Banksia Boxer · Flame Flower Queen · Cattail · Grapeshot · Cold Snapdragon · Shrinking Violet · Cob Cannon · Apple Mortar · Witch Hazel · Escape Root · Electric Currant · White Melon Sumo Wrestler · Wasabi Whip · Explode-O-Nut · Parsnip · Missile Toe · Kiwibeast · Electric Peashooter · Hot Date · Icy Currant · Tulip Trumpeter · Eggplant Ninja · Banana Dancer · Dual Pistol Pinecone · Narcissus Shooter · Alarm Explosive Arrowhead · Holly Barrier · Shadow Peashooter · Snap Pea · Crystal Orchid · Sling Pea · Thunder Snapdragon · Electrici-tea · Imp Pear · Strawburst · Egret Flower Plane · Goo Peashooter · Elaeocarpus-pult · Water Chestnut Brothers · Pokra · Dollarweed Drummer · Ultomato · Shadow Vanilla · Splendens Blade · Stickybomb Rice · Gumnut · Olive Pit · Earthstar Nuclear Silo · Headbutter Lettuce · Dazey Chain · Boom Balloon Flower · Celebration Soda Palm · Claw Gloriosa · Impatiens Shooter · Turkey-pult · Hammer Flower · Fishhook Grass · Mangosteen · Inferno · Tigerstool · Gardener Grass · Draftodil · Buttercup · Byttneria Meteor Hammer · Laser Crown Flower · Zoybean Pod · Orchid Mage · Jack O' Lantern · Twin Year of the Rabbits · Pea Pharmacist · Pike Hoya · Vamporcini · Burdock Batter · Pumpkin · Capaci-cone · Cranesbill Fencer · Meteor Flower · Gorgon Pitcher · Power Vine · Parkour Mandrake · Abyss Anemone · Abyss Devil's Claw · Hoya Heart · Pea Vine · MayBee · Oilseed-pult · Leaf-Blade Dracaena · Bamboo Spartan · Shine Vine · Sunshine Leek · Nightcap · Pyre Vine · Gluttonous Snapdragon · Bun Chi · Heliconia Gunner |
Others | Potato Mine · Flower Pot · 8-Bit Peashooter · Tactical Cuke |
Hero Plants | P-Mech Assembler - Flamestar |
Removed | Rotten Red |
Plants vs. Zombies Online | |
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Player's House | Sunflower · Peashooter · Wall-nut · Potato Mine |
Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum | Bruce Bamboo · Carrot Rocket · Pomegranate · Dandelion · Venus Flytrap · Wax Gourd · Sod |
Ancient Egypt | Bloomerang · Bonk Choy · Grave Buster · Iceberg Lettuce · Cabbage-pult |
Pirate Seas | Snapdragon · Spikeweed · Spring Bean · Kernel-pult · Coconut Cannon · Narcissus · Endurian · Spikerock · Pineapple-pult · Threepeater |
Far Future | Laser Bean · Blover · Citron · E.M.Peach · Tile Turnip · Ganoderma · Banana Tree · Nitro-shroom · Infi-nut · Magnifying Grass |
East Sea Dragon Palace | Oxygen Algae · Garlic · Bubble Flower · Electric Sea Pine |
Upgrades | Twin Sunflower · Repeater |
VIPs | Winter Melon |
Power Ups | Cherry Bomb · Jalapeno |
Premium | Squash · Snow Pea · Tall-nut |
Adventure Mode only | Magic Vine · Split Pea · Chili Bean · Lightning Reed · Pea Pod · Melon-pult · Starfruit · Chomper · Fire Peashooter · Cattail · Rose Swordfighter · Clivia · Sap-fling · Acid Lemon · Magic-shroom · Ghost Pepper · Guacodile · Hurrikale · Plantern · Oak Archer · Homing Thistle · Pepper-pult · Resistant Radish · Toadstool · Blooming Heart · Red Stinger · Electric Blueberry · A.K.E.E. · Moonflower · Agave · Asparagus · Pumpkin Witch · Mine Fruit · Sea Anemone · Lychee Drill · Sea Starfruit |
Plants vs. Zombies 3 | |
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Neighborville | Sunflower · Wall-Nut · Bamboo Shoots · Peashooter · Bonk Choy |
Lost Keys Lake | Lily Pad · Tangle Kelp · Squash |
Mt. Quesogrande | Chili Bean · Silversword · Cabbage-Pult |
Power-Ups | Grapes of Wrath · Chilly Pepper · Jalapeño · Cherry Bomb · Blover |
Pre-2021 | Puff-Shroom · Buttercup · Garlic · Potato Mine · Pushywillow · Chard Guard · Spikeweed · Kernel-Pult · Caramel Popcorn · Lightning Reed · Melon-Pult · Shuffle Truffle · Blockbuster · Butternut Squash · Ragweed · Sawgrass · Fire Peashooter · Pine Needler · Snow Pea · Night Cap · Aloe Vera · Sweet Potato · Hydrangea · Dogwood · Chomper · Flak Seed · Gravitree · Gloom-Shroom · Lemon-Aid · Starfruit · Snapdragon · Fairy Ring Mushroom · Kalestorm · Star Tree · Magic Beans |