Surfer Zombie

*Surfs past plants on the water, then carries board on land.*

Surfer Zombie took up surfing just last year. At first, he only did it because he thought it would make him look cool. But he was a natural. Now he can hang 10 with the best of them. Now he's headed to the pro circuit. Now he IS cool.

**Surfer Zombie** is the second special zombie encountered in Big Wave Beach in *Alternate UniverZ*. He uses a surfboard to surf in water, ignoring all plants. Once he reaches land, he will carry his surfboard and use it as a shield against lobbed-shot plants, until he encounters a plant to crush with his surfboard. When he does, the surfboard will instantly destroy the first plant in where it is placed, and it will block damage similarly to tombstones.

After the surfboard is placed, the Surfer Zombie will behave like a normal zombie. His surfboard can place itself when this zombie dies on land. Additionally, if he is defeated by electrocution or an explosion (with the burnt animation), the surfboard will simply vanish.

## Almanac entry

**Surfer Zombie**

TOUGHNESS: Hardened

SPEED: Flighty

Surfs past plants on the water, then carries board on land.

Health: 350
Surfboard Health: 700
Speed: 1.0 on land, 3.0 on water
Damage: can crush a plant with his board
Special Ability: lobbing plants need to destroy board before damaging him

Surfer Zombie took up surfing just last year. At first, he only did it because he thought it would make him look cool. But he was a natural. Now he can hang 10 with the best of them. Now he's headed to the pro circuit. Now he IS cool.

## Overview

Surfer Zombie absorbs a total of 350 damage. His appearance changes upon absorbing 175 damage (when his arm falls off) before dying. His surfboard absorbs 700 damage from lobbed shots only and does not block other shots.

## Encounters

* Player's House: Piñata Party

* Big Wave Beach: BWB-II, BWB-IV, BWB-V, BWB-VII, BWB-VIII, BWB-X, BWBX-I, BWBX-II, BWBX-V, BWBX-VII, BWBX-VIII and BWBX-X

* Green Gold Rush: GGR-V

* Plant Showcase: Sub-zero Shock and Mid-Lane Crisis

* Endless Zones: Tiki Torch-er

## Strategies

Although the Surfer Zombie has low health, he is very fast when on water. When he reaches land, he will place his surfboard on your plants, which you cannot plant on unless you destroy the surfboard. Make sure you kill the zombie before he reaches land, as if he reaches land, killing him after that will result in him dropping his surfboard on the tile. If combined with multiple Octo Zombies, Fisherman Zombies, Sea Spill Zombies and Deep Sea Gargantuars, they will break flightly onto your defenses.

Among the plants introduced in Big Wave Beach, Guacodile, Chomper, and Tangle Kelp are the best choices for defeating Surfers. Chomper can eat both the Surfer Zombie and his surfboard whole, even if he reaches shore, as well as destroy a surfboard on the ground quickly if one is in front of him, and this attribute is shared with Toadstool. When placed out in the water, a Guacodile will be triggered when the Surfer Zombie passes over it, usually dealing enough damage to finish the surfer off. If the Surfer attempts to crush it, he will just trigger Guacodile's charging attack.

If a Surfer Zombie does make it to shore, plants that destroy the Surfer Zombie and surfboard together (without letting the surfboard drop during the death animation) or those that can just destroy the surfboard itself before the zombie are extremely useful, such as Chomper, Lightning Reed, Cherry Bomb, Fire Peashooter, Squash, Jalapeño, and Jack O' Lantern. Cherry Bombs are helpful for destroying a group of Surfer Zombies in the water or on land. However, they require a Lily Pad planted first before they can be detonated above water. It is highly recommended to use instant kill or high damage-rate plants to take out Surfer Zombie as the zombie himself is tough enough to kill, but its surfboard has the same amount of health as a tombstone. Destroy the Surfer Zombie and his surfboard as quick as you can or your lawn will be swarmed with surfboards.

A Split Pea is best used when on water if a Surfer Zombie passes your defenses, so that it can deal damage to both the surfboard and the Surfer Zombie, but this makes it vulnerable to other zombies. Large amounts of piercing plants that perform well against weaker zombies will also diminish their threat, such as Laser Bean, Snapdragon, and Fume-shroom, picking them off before they could get close and personal. While Citron isn't helpful, he can be used instead to take out the stronger zombies said plants usually struggle against, and his Plant Food ability can wipe the whole lane better.

Do note however, that when a Surfer Zombie manages to reach the shores, be ready as you will lose one of your plants in exchange for killing him unless you succeed in destroying the surfboard before he deploys it, as his surfboard prioritizes tiles with plants in them over ones that don't.

Laser Beans and Bowling Bulbs can also assist you in weakening the Surfer Zombie if you are in trouble of handling him, allowing you to save much time but you can also assist with Lightning Reed because when defeated by a Lightning Reed, he will not leave his surfboard on a plant or tile, so you can plant two columns of Lightning Reeds, if you do not want to lose a plant when you defeat him, remember to choose Winter Melon because he can slow zombies at range, giving your other plants much more time to kill them off.

There are also several exotic counters to Surfer Zombies. The surfboard cannot be used to crush allied zombies, so Zoybean Pod, and zombies affected by the Hypno-shroom will render him just a slightly stronger zombie, and likely destroy the surfboard on their way. To a lesser extent, Gumnut and Infi-nut can also be used, as the gum and the force field can't be destroyed, but will still pin the zombie down, forcing him to crush his surfboard. Ice Bloom can work if the zombie is sufficiently weakened, as her iceblocking effect will prevent the Surf Board from dropping, and while it will still destroy a plant when zombies get through it, the Surf Board still has to be eaten by other zombies before they could pass. Hurrikale, though only usable in a single lane, pushes them back, which can be useful if they've progressed too far with the board.