I, Zombie Endless/Strategies

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This is a strategy page about I, Zombie Endless. Feel free to add your strategies, but see the rules page first.

Zombies

All zombie health below are represented as peas (20).

Zombies in I, Zombie Endless
Name Cost Armor Category Armor health (peas) Zombie health (peas)
Imp 50 3
Conehead Zombie 75 I 19 9
Pole Vaulting Zombie 75 17
Buckethead Zombie 125 I 55 10
Bungee Zombie 125 23
Digger Zombie 125 I 5 10
Ladder Zombie 150 II 25 17
Football Zombie 175 I 70 10
Dancing Zombie 350 17
Backup Dancer 10

Category 1 armor can protect the zombie from fume, catapult, and spike attacks, and while category 2 armor cannot do so, they can shield the zombie from snow pea's slowing effects and splash damage from flaming peas.

Beginner's Guide

  • If the player is low on sun, aim for getting the sun first. Be reminded that Bungee Zombies stealing Sunflowers give the player sun. This is because if the player runs out of sun to place a zombie, the player loses the level even when starting the next streak. Also, spend sun wisely.
    • If the player is playing on PC version, they can abuse the pause button (Space bar) to be able to quickly place multiple Bungee Zombies on one Sunflower. The Sunflower will end up being stolen multiple times, netting the player a lot of sun.
  • Prioritize getting rid of the following plants first : Threepeater, Starfruit, Magnet-shroom, Kernel-pults and Umbrella Leaf.
  • The Dancing Zombie works extremely well when the plant layout includes lots of Potato Mines, Chompers, and Squash, and when the zombie is placed in a lane with little to no threats.
    • If necessary, use a Bungee Zombie or two to clear out any big threats to the main Dancing Zombie.
  • The Starfruit and Spikeweed layout can be easily cleared by placing a single Football Zombie in every lane. But beware zombies can die unexpectedly.
  • Keep an eye out on Starfruit, Kernel-pults, and Threepeaters, as they can defeat a sprinting Imp unexpectedly.
  • Two Conehead Zombies are more powerful than a single Buckethead Zombie, if they are placed at the same time, but watch out if too many Spikeweeds in a lane.
    • This is especially useful for a lane with Kernel-pults in it because it only takes a few strikes of butter to defeat a Buckethead Zombie or even a Football Zombie if the lane is packed with multiple straight-shooting plants. Whereas, if there are two Conehead Zombies, the likelihood of them being buttered at the same time is low, even with two Kernel-pults. They are immune to Magnet-shroom as well.
    • However, this strategy can be ineffective if both Conehead Zombies are facing Fume-shroom, assuming there are more than one fume shroom, or a fume shroom in Column 1.
    • Keep in your mind sometimes Kernel pult can kill both Conehead Zombies unexpectedly, assuming in a row has Spikeweed, Wall nut, Fume-shroom, Squash or Repeater.
  • If a lane looks too tough, the player should use a Digger Zombie first to clear the plants, and then use an Imp to eat the brain. This costs the same amount as a Football Zombie, but is guaranteed to work, assuming there are no Threepeaters nearby, Starfruit on non-first or second columns in the lane, or Magnet-shrooms nearby, no Potato Mines on the lane or Split Peas on a non-first column of the lane, and more than two Spikeweeds are in the lane to kill Digger Zombie or the Imp.
    • Sometimes Chompers can devour Digger Zombie unexpectedly, so be careful!
  • Imps can withstand two hits from Peashooters, Spikeweeds, and Fume-shrooms. The third hit will defeat them. If a lane has only one Spikeweed, an Imp should do the job.
    • Pay attention if the land has Kernel pults, which attack using butter, can kill Imp unexpectedly.
  • Players can use Imp to distract instant kill plants such as Squashes, Potato Mines, and/or Chompers to make a room for other zombies. This is important if you have met some instant kill layouts. Never used stronger zombies if a lane has instant kill plants as long as it could waste your sun.
  • Keep in mind that sometimes Potato Mines blow up Digger Zombies while they're digging through the land.
  • Scaredy-shrooms cover in fear even when a zombie approaches them on a lane adjacent to theirs.
  • Use Bungee Zombies on plants like Starfruits, Split Peas, and Magnet-shrooms if you have enough sun, assuming there is no Umbrella Leaf, Kernel-pults or instant kill plants nearby in a lane.
  • Every zombie takes about the same time to finish eating a plant.
  • Zombies can finish a Wall-nut before a Chomper finishes digesting a zombie, if it place at right time.
  • Imps will count as being in the same tile as the plant they are eating. A Puff-shroom will attack an Imp eating another plant 3 tiles away, e.g. an Imp eating the Wall-nut in the Puff-shroom-Chomper-Sunflower-Wall-nut sequence will be attacked by the Puff-shroom. Two adjacent Scaredy-shrooms will both hide when an Imp is eating the rightmost Scaredy-shroom. The Spikeweed in a Wall-nut-Spikeweed sequence will not attack an Imp that is eating the Wall-nut.
  • A Conehead Zombie is sufficient to clear a lane with only one Peashooter (or equivalent) on column 1 and no other damaging plants.
  • Use Pole Vaulting Zombie wisely to defuse more than one instant kill plant, or to avoid a Potato Mine, or a Chomper to get at the brain directly, or one plant remaining in a row, provide it doesn't have annoying plants.
    • Example 1: A Chomper-Squash sequence can be defused with only one Pole-vaulting Zombie, hopping over the rightmost Squash, triggering a Squash, and being eaten by the Chomper before the Squashes land.
    • Example 2: A Split Pea in first column can bypassed with a Pole-vaulting Zombie, provide there is no annoying plants.
    • Example 3: A Wall nut-Puff shroom in a row can be bypassed with a Pole-vaulting Zombie, regardless Puff shroom and Wall nut column positions, and no other annoying plants.
  • A Buckethead Zombie is sufficient to clear a lane with a Peashooter and/or Puff-shroom and/or equivalent plants on columns 1, 2, and 3 and no other damaging plants. But beware Snow Peas, which can slow your movement and attack speed.
  • A Ladder Zombie is usually stronger than a Buckethead Zombie, because its ladder can prevent Snow Peas from slowing as long as he has his ladder. His ladder is not as strong as a bucket, but beware Kernel-pult.
  • A Squash-Potato Mine, or Chomper-Squash sequence can be inconsistent. Sometimes the Squash is triggered when the Potato Mine or Chompers is triggered first, sometimes not, and vice-versa.
  • Snow Pea's slow effect halves zombies' speeds (both movement and attack speed), and wears off in the time it takes for a regular zombie to walk one tile.
  • Use Ladder Zombie to past the Wall-nut, for giving advantage of other zombies, provide it doesn't have Magnet-shroom.
  • Keep in your mind that Kernel-pult can unexpectedly kill any strong zombies if the placement was good, such as Snow Peas or Spikeweeds in a lane with Kernel-pults.

Modern Guide for Skilled Players

This guide is from 植物大战僵尸吧, written by 天盟琉璃, and translated by DanielGong. This strategy aims to quantitize zombie health methodically solve IZE puzzles.

Single Lane Method

Health formulas are theoretical models that quantize plant damage by assuming the following:

  1. Zombies move at a constant speed.
  2. Plants attack at a constant interval, and are inflicting damage continuously.

Obviously, these are not real, but they can greatly simplify our model without losing much accuracy.

Formula 1: 3+6

This formula is for slow zombies (Conehead Zombie, Buckethead Zombie, Pole Valuting Zombie without pole, Ladder Zombie without Ladder). A peashooter in the 5th column will inflict 3 peas damage to a slow zombie, and the total damage increases by 6 for each column on the left.

A Fume-shroom, a Split Pea, and a Threepeater on the same row are equivalent with a Peashooter. A Repeater is equivalent to two Peashooters, and when a Snow Pea slows a zombie down all the way, the damage is doubled.

However, there are some limitations, as zombie speeds are not constant. There are cases when a zombie would theoretically survive, but moves too slowly. The 3+6 formula only predicts whether a zombie is LIKELY to survive.

In the probablilities below, unless otherwise stated, the sample size (N) is 1000, simulated from IZTools by sqrt_7

  • Conehead: 3+6+6+3+6+3=27; p=69.2%, marginally pass Pole Vaulting: 3+6+3=12; p=100%, must pass

    Conehead: 3+6+6+3+6+3=27; p=69.2%, marginally pass
    Pole Vaulting: 3+6+3=12; p=100%, must pass

  • Conehead: 3+6+6+6+6=27; p=66.6%, marginally pass Pole Vaulting: 3+6+6+6=21; p=0%, can't pass

    Conehead: 3+6+6+6+6=27; p=66.6%, marginally pass
    Pole Vaulting: 3+6+6+6=21; p=0%, can't pass

  • Buckethead will only absorb 3+6*3+3+6*2+3+6+3=48 before reaching the Starfruit; will pass (p=100%)

    Buckethead will only absorb 3+6*3+3+6*2+3+6+3=48 before reaching the Starfruit; will pass (p=100%)

  • Application of the "3+6" formula in IZE (1)

    2*(3+6*4+3)=60<65, Buckethead will pass (p=99.4%)

Formula 2: 5/2+3, 1

s damage.

When Pole Vaulting Zombies (with the pole) or Ladder Zombies go over a Spikeweed, they take 2 peas damage.

When Football Zombies go over a Spikeweed, they take 3 peas damage.

When zombies need to eat a plant while standing on the Spikeweed, they take 3 peas extra damage. If the plant is a brain, they take 2 damage. There is an exception to this rule. Pole Vaulting Zombies and Imps have smaller hitboxes, so they won't take any extra damage when eating a plant while standing on a Spikeweed.

When Pole Valuting Zombies jump immediately after stepping on a Spikeweed, they take 1 pea damage.

Formula 3: +2-2

A Puff-shroom has the same DPS as a Peashooter, but it has less attacking distance. When it is at column 3, 4, 5, it is equivalent to a Peashooter. However, if it is at column 1 or 2, it's damage equivalent to a Peashooter on column 3 plus 2.

A Threepeater on the side's damage is equivalent to a Peashooter on the same column plus 2, because it continues to attack after the zombie is supposed to have eaten the plant.


It takes a zombie 3 seconds to eat a normal plant, The attacking interval of a Peashooter is 1.5 seconds, so the zombie will absorb 2 peas damage when stopped by a plant. If the zombie is not blocked by a plant (for example a Spikeweed), for each shooter plant, the total damage is the calculated damage minus 2.

  • 3+6*2+2+3+6*2+2+3+6*2+3+6+3=61. Buckethead will pass

    3+6*2+2+3+6*2+2+3+6*2+3+6+3=61. Buckethead will pass

  • Cone: 8+3+6+6-2+8=29, will die; pole: 5+3+1=9, won't die

    Cone: 8+3+6+6-2+8=29, will die; pole: 5+3+1=9, won't die

Fast zombies

The "3+6" formula does not apply for fast moving zombies such as Football Zombies and Ladder Zombies. Ladder Zombies are 2.6 times faster than Zombies, and Football Zombies are 2.25 times faster than Zombies. For Ladder Zombie, its formula is 2+3.5. For Football Zombie, its formula is 3+3.75

  • Row 2: 2*(3+3.75*4+3+ 3.75*2+3+3.75+3) =76.5, will survive; row 3-4: (row 2)+3*2=82.5, may survive or die. In reality, 87% will survive (N=1000, Snow Pea has reaction time)

    Row 2: 2*(3+3.75*4+3+ 3.75*2+3+3.75+3) =76.5, will survive; row 3-4: (row 2)+3*2=82.5, may survive or die. In reality, 87% will survive (N=1000, Snow Pea has reaction time)

  • Buckethead: 2*(3+6*4-2-2)+8+3+6-2+8=69, will die; Ladder: 2*(2+3.5*4-1.5-1.5)+5+(2+3.5-1.5)+5=40, won't die

    Buckethead: 2*(3+6*4-2-2)+8+3+6-2+8=69, will die; Ladder: 2*(2+3.5*4-1.5-1.5)+5+(2+3.5-1.5)+5=40, won't die

  • row 2: 2*(3+3.75*4)+3+3.75*3+3+3.75*2+2*(3+3.75)+3=77.25, will survive; row 3-4 = (row 2)+3=80.25, might die

    row 2: 2*(3+3.75*4)+3+3.75*3+3+3.75*2+2*(3+3.75)+3=77.25, will survive; row 3-4 = (row 2)+3=80.25, might die

  • 2*(3+3.75*4)+(3+3.75*3)+3+(3+3.75*2)=81.75. A Football is likely to die. If an Imp absorbs 3 peas, the Football will survive

    2*(3+3.75*4)+(3+3.75*3)+3+(3+3.75*2)=81.75. A Football is likely to die. If an Imp absorbs 3 peas, the Football will survive

Wall-nut

If a Conehead Zombie is deployed here immediately followed by a Pole Vaulting Zombie, not only will it take much less time to take down the Wall nut, but the Potato Mine will only blew up the vaulting zombie as well.

Each Peashooter behind a Wall-nut will inflict 26 peas extra damage to the zombies. Also, in I, Zombie only, a zombie undamaged in 5.25s deal double damage to Wall-nuts, therefore 2 zombies eating a Wall-nut (assuming one consistently shields the other) takes approximately 16.67 seconds instead of 20.

Dancing method

Although Dancing Zombies are expensive, they are commonly used in I, Zombie Endless (about 1/3 the time), because it can clear 3 lines at a time. However, Dancing Zombies are also vulnerable, and they move very slowly. When using Dancing Zombies, it's better to play safe. It's not worth it to waste 350 Suns for 75 Suns.

Single Dancing Zombie

It is often used against single shooters on the 4th and 5th column.

Example: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1tv411b7bE

Shields

Other zombies from Imp to Ladder Zombie + Pole Vaulting Zombie can act as shields to protect the Dancing Zombie. Meanwhile, the Dancing Zombie will continually summon Backup Dancers to help the shields attack the plants.

Example: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1DA411p75R?p=3

Maid's cheat

Dancing Zombie's timer is independent of the game's timer. When you pause the game by pressing space, Dancing Zombie's timer is still running and changing the phases of the Dancing Zombie. By using this, you can manuver the Dancing Zombie by pausing the game.

Examples: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1d541137CB, https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1zK4y1f72T, https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1UD4y1X7Tu, https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1jK4y177HV

Digger method

Magnet-shrooms can be tedious in I, Zombie, but sometimes they can help Digger Zombies sneak behind the plants and directly eat the brains. It is especially useful in the endgame, where there are few sunflowers. This is a pretty advanced strategy. It requires precise timing of the Digger Zombies.

Example: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Do4y197KB

Community strategies

Bungee Paradise

First, steal an undefended Sunflower with Bungee Zombie. This will give you a lot of sun. Then, choose lane and place only Bungee Zombies at this lane. You may also get extra sun. Then, when the lane is cleared, be sure to do not have ranged plants that can kill an Imp in that lane. If there's any, steal them. If any of plants are under Umbrella Leaf, place a Digger Zombie in that lane. Then, when there's no ways to attack on that lane, place an Imp on the lane. If there's a Magnet-shroom, steal it. If it's under an Umbrella Leaf, use Pole Vaulting Zombie.

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