Pea Gatling is an ability for the Peashooter in Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2, and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. The ability turns the Peashooter into a Gatling Pea, which can shoot peas at a really fast rate for 100 ammo. However, once the Peashooter turns into a Pea Gatling, he will root to the ground, preventing him from moving until he runs out of ammo or the ability is deactivated. In this situation, the player can easily be vanquished instantly by a ZPG. Pea Gatling also provides small damage resistance boost (approx. 20%, 66% in Garden Warfare 2) when being rooted.
Although the ability technically has to cool down for 45 seconds after being deactivated, it can be instantly reused if a single pea was not fired. The impact damage of a single pea is 8, while the critical damage is 10. The alternate ability for Pea Gatling is the Retro Gatling.
The Peashooter can dig into the ground and root himself in place, turning himself into a Pea Gatling. He can deal more damage, but is vulnerable to attack.
Strategies
With
The Pea Gatling is very powerful when trying to shoot someone from a good distance but it is very risky at the same time as you cannot move while shooting. It is best recommended to use this on safe camping spots where no one can attack you. Never root in the middle of the battle or otherwise you would be an extremely easy target. If you have nothing to shoot, do not be afraid to press the ability again to unroot yourself before the opponents can attack you. If you use Pea Gatling on a false alarm, and never shoot with it you can dispel it without having it cool down. Try not to use this ability for close combat as moving spells can dodge it easily. If you spot a Foot Soldier facing you, especially if it is bending over, end your ability quickly and run! You might be able to dodge a ZPG.
Against
Zombie Stink Cloud or Super Stink Cloud can easily blind the Pea Gatling, resulting in less accuracy. ZPG or Multi-Rocket (Garden Warfare only, unless the rooted Peashooter is an Agent Pea) can easily take out the Pea Gatling due to the Peashooter being rooted and unable to dodge the ZPGs. If you play as a Scientist, you can warp past the Pea Gatling to make an easy ambush target. Try to keep moving as the Pea Gatling will land less hits. Also, try not to run straight at the face due to being a dangerous risk. Sprint Tackle and Ultra Tackle can easily kill Pea Gatling. Imps can use their Gravity Grenades to unroot the Peashooter and hold him in place for a few seconds, making him an easy vanquish.
Gallery
Pea Gatling in-game
Concept art of Pea Gatling
A Peashooter facing a Foot Soldier using the Pea Gatling
Unlike the Gatling Pea, a Peashooter using it can shoot more than four peas at a time.
Elemental Peashooters, like Fire Pea, Toxic Pea, or Ice Pea do not shoot their elemental pea counterparts, they will only shoot normal peas.
Unlike the Gatling Pea in the original game, the Peashooter wears goggles similar to a pilot's on the helmet, but he does not wear them. Also, the tubes seem to resemble bamboo instead of gatling gun bullet tubes.
His helmet is different than the Retro Gatling helmet.
Like the Sunflower with her Sunbeam, the Peashooter takes 20% less damage while this ability is active.
In Garden Warfare 2, Peashooters using it gain a 66% damage resistance.
Its damage is also buffed in that game, dealing 10 damage max for impact and 12 damage max for critical.
While the game suggests that it should be used for long range only, heavy recoil and instability while firing makes this very difficult. However the Retro Gatling can fix this problem as it is much more accurate than the default Pea Gatling.
Because of this, it is virtually easier to take out closer, unaware zombies than far away zombies.
