Pine Drone

Pine Drone is the seventh plant obtained in Magma Marshlands in Plants vs. Zombies: Lost World, after beating Level 12A. Pine Drone fires pine cones at zombies, dealing the same amount of damage and fires just as fast as a Peashooter. Whenever one of Pine Drone's projectiles hits a zombie on a scorched tile in Magma Marshlands, however, the scorched tile will ignite and cause a burst of flames on the tile for a split second, damaging all zombies on the tile for 20 DPS. Pine cones can also be lit by Torchwoods, dealing 40 DPS of damage upon impact (hitting scorched tiles, however, will not change the damage output since the projectile is already on fire). Pine Drone also has a 'sniping' mode that will activate when he is clicked/tapped on (and deactivate via the same way). This will make him stop targeting zombies in his lane and aim a laser pointer towards the sky. During sniping mode, Pine Drone will actively detect for any incoming airborne zombies that may approach his lane (but has not done so yet). If he detects an airborne zombie that will enter the lawn in the next 3 seconds, he will snipe the zombie before it enters the lawn, grounding that zombie and taking away their means of flying, forcing them to enter the lawn by foot. This also forces any Stowaway Imps on that flying zombie to also enter the lawn via the same way. Examples of zombies that Pine Drone can ground before the zombie enters the lawn are Hang Glider Zombie and Balloon Zombie. Since Pine Drone is a flying plant, that means he can be planted over tiles which are normally unsuitable for planting without special means.
==Origins==
Pine Drone’s name is a portmanteau of the two words 'pine cone' and word 'drone', and refers to how Pine Drone is a cross between a pine cone and a drone. Pine cones are plant organs grown by pine trees for the purpose of seed dispersal, and drones (or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)) are aircrafts that are piloted without a person on board. The drone Pine Drone takes the form of is the well-known quadcopter version that is used for small-scale purposes.
==Almanac entry==
Pine Drone
Sun cost: 150
Recharge: Fast
Fires pine cones which can set fire to scorched tiles. Able to also snipe any incoming airborne zombies.
Can be planted over tiles unsuitable for planting.
Usage: Click/Tap to turn on or off sniping mode.
Special: Projectiles can ignite scorched tiles for a split second.
Special: Sniping causes airborne zombies to lose their means of flying.
Ever since young, Pine Drone had a fear of cats, but that's just what everybody thinks. In reality, he's not scared of them, but he's scared of harming them. He actually kept a pet kitten as a kid, and he would always play around with them using his laser pointer. All was fun and games until he accidentally shot one of his pine cones.
==Upgrades==
===Plant Food power===
When fed with Plant Food, Pine Drone will move slightly upwards and fly a little higher than he did above his tile, in which he will then fire a barrage of large pine cones at all zombies in front of him in his own lane and as well as the lanes above and below him before returning to his tile, dealing 600 DPS of damage to each zombie. Each large pine cone will deal double damage if it hits a scorched tile. However, if Pine Drone was in sniping mode when Plant Food was given, Pine Drone will then move upwards even higher from his tile and snipe three times ahead of him before returning to his tile (or two if he is planted on the first or fifth lane). Depending on the current level, airborne zombies that are found in the current level will crash land into the lanes in front of Pine Drone and on the lanes above and below (one will crash land in each lane), causing these airborne zombies to be instantly defeated, and as well as the zombies they crash landed into to, not only be dealt 600 DPS of damage, but also to stun them for 10 seconds. The zombies affected from the crash land will always be in the last five columns, and no nearer to the player's tent.
===Stat tiers===
Stat 	Tier 1 	Tier 2 	Tier 3 	Tier 4	Tier 5
Strength* 	10 DPS 	15 DPS 	20 DPS 	
25 DPS
(Unlock cost: 1 Strength Token)	
30 DPS
(Unlock cost: 2 Strength Tokens)
Toughness 	50 DPS 	200 DPS 	300 DPS 	
400 DPS
(Unlock cost: 1 Toughness Token)	
550 DPS
(Unlock cost: 2 Toughness Tokens)
Sun cost 	200 sun 	175 sun 	150 sun 	
125 sun
(Unlock cost: 1 Sun cost Token)	
100 sun
(Unlock cost: 2 Sun cost Tokens)
Recharge 	10 seconds	7 seconds 	5 seconds 	
3 seconds
(Unlock cost: 1 Recharge Token)	N/A
Firing rate	2 seconds 	1.75 seconds	1.5 seconds	
1.25 seconds
(Unlock cost: 1 Firing rate Token)	
1 second
(Unlock cost: 2 Firing rate Tokens)
*Projectiles on fire does double the normal damage.
More about the upgrading system here.
==Strategies==
Pine Drone can be seen as a Peashooter but with the ability to hover above any tiles that can't be planted on at the cost of 50 extra sun. However, Pine Drone's flammable projectiles and airborne zombie-sniping ability makes him more considerable in circumstances which may make these traits advantageous. One good example of these circumstances includes the area that Pine Drone originates from itself: Magma Marshlands. Magma Marshland's scorched tiles and greater use of airborne zombies makes Pine Drone more effective in this area than in most other areas, both allowing him to burn down zombies more frequently and as well as take down more zombies early using his sniping mode. Of course, Magma Marshlands isn't the only place he can be used in. Pine Drone can also be used in areas where unplantable tiles are a hassle to deal with, and if possible, he can be combined with Torchwood planted on any of the few usable tiles there are to utilise his projectiles' flammability. Any other level which may mainly consist of airborne zombies may also prove to be effectively dealt with using Pine Drone.
==Gallery==
Pine Drone.png|Pine Drone (HD)
File:Pine Drone in sniping mode.png|Pine Drone in sniping mode
File:Pine Drone costume.png|Costume
File:Pine Drone seed packet.png|Seed packet
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