Squash

*Squashes will smash the first zombie that gets close.*

**Squash is actually his stage name. His birth name was Tracy.**

**Squash** is a single-use plant in *Plants vs. Zombies 2: Reflourished* and the ninth plant obtained in Ancient Egypt. He is unlocked after beating Ancient Egypt - Day 31.

Squash will smash any zombie up to 1 tile ahead of or behind him, and, dealing 1800 damage to zombies in that tile. This is enough to instantly kill most zombies, barring high health ones such as Brickhead Zombies and Gargantuars.

If the target zombie was moved to a different tile away from Squash, he will still smash that zombie regardless of distance, and if the target zombie was defeated before Squash could squash it, he will not attempt to smash until another zombie comes near him.

## Almanac entry

**Squash**

Squashes will smash the first zombie that gets close.

Area: all zombies around target

Squash is actually his stage name. His birth name was Tracy.

## Plant Food effect

When Squash is given Plant Food, he will smash 4 random zombies anywhere on screen, and return to the tile he's planted on, which he will squash too.

## Strategies

With the ability to almost instantly squash zombies for cheap, Squash excels at providing powerful zombie removal at all stages of the game. Early waves can be systematically kept from advancing by planting Squash near the left side of the lawn, without taking too much sun from being used to set up an early defense. Later on, endangering zombies or packs can be squashed to prevent the defense from being overrun.

However, Squash's squashing affects a relatively small area, compared to other single-use plants, which can limit the number of zombies that get squashed. So, other plants can be used to bunch zombies together and provide Squash with ample targets. Lane redirection is the simplest method, with plants like Garlic and Void Orchid able to group zombies into less lanes. Defensive plants like Wall-nut, and certain stalling plants like Snow Pea, Primal Peashooter and Hurrikale, are also useful, as their respective high health and slowdown can bunch up zombies within the same lane. Keep in mind that Squash can still be attacked (but not destroyed) when he detects a zombie, which may be used to briefly block zombies and allow more to walk into squashing distance. This can also be utilised to distract targets such as Gargantuars and charging All-Star Zombies.

Depending on how he is used, the mechanics of Squash's zombie targeting can be either a blessing, or a curse. Once Squash locks onto a target, practically any attempt to move away will be thwarted; a handy trait for dealing with the abilities of Raptors, Breakdancer Zombie and ZCorp Consultant, for example. When faced with zombies that are both in front of and behind Squash, the latter will always prioritise zombies behind him, which can easily waste a Squash from destroying the intended targets. Because of this targeting, Squash may sometimes need to be planted behind the intended targets when they are among a scattered horde.

Squash is often compared to Potato Mine. With a lower cost and the ability to pierce armor (which Squash cannot), Potato Mine will often be more useful in defending the early game, subtracting even less sun from an early setup and faring better against Brickhead Zombies. However, this comes at the cost of reactivity and late-game usefulness, as his long arming time forces Potato Mine to be planted far in advance, making it difficult to keep up with denser hordes. The two also have different Plant Food effects that make them useful in different situations: Squash's targeted bonus squashes are more effective at cleanly dispatching zombies in an instant, compared to Potato Mine's randomised cloning; meanwhile, the persistence of Potato Mine's clones gives his Plant Food effect more of a long-term effect, especially when used in tandem with Tile Turnip.

## Trivia

* Squash's "Scrooge McStruck" costume is one of the Feastivus Costume Contest winners, submitted by Red#6886 and redrawn to fit the game's art style.
	+ The original submission of the costume was based on Ebenezer Scrooge, a character from *A Christmas Carol*.
	+ Meanwhile, the in-game costume design is more based on Scrooge McDuck, a character that was originally named after Ebenezer Scrooge.