Sickamore (CC00)

Sickamore is the eleventh plant obtained in Prehistoric Plateau in Plants vs. Zombies: Rips in Time. When zombies are in the three tiles ahead of him, Sickamore will sneeze, creating three puddles of sap which slow zombies that walk over it. Unlike Sap-fling in the previous game, Sickamore will stack with other slowing effects, so it can be used with Snow Pea, Stallia, and other slowing plants to maximize its effect. The puddles last for about ten seconds, but Sickamore will sneeze immediately afterwards if zombies are in his path. Zombies in nearby lanes have a 50% chance to be slowed if there are any zombies on the tile above or below them at any given second. This infection lasts for about five seconds before fading. It should be noted that the sap will not stay on water tiles found in levels of Modern Day, Viking Seas, The Oddyssey, Shrapnel Bay, and Corruption Core, and that the sap tiles will not affect flying zombies. However, flying zombies can still be infected.

Origins
Sickamore is based off of sycamore trees, which are actually a variety of trees with similar leaf forms. Most likely, Sickamore is based off of the North American genus of Platanus. The "sick" pun in Sickamore's name is a reference to disease, which is often referred to as sickness. This is reflected by Sickamore's sneezing ability.

Almanac entry
Sun cost: 150

RANGE: 1x3 RECHARGE: Fast

Sneezes sap a few tiles in front of it, which can infect zombies in other lanes..

Special: Sap infects zombies in other lanes.

Sickamore doesn't really get why his illness is being used in battle. Sure, he's making a difference, but he just wants someone to give him a blanket and some soup for a change.

Plant Food effect
When fed Plant Food, Sickamore will sneeze sap onto 20 random tiles on the lawn, which function identically to the ones spawned by his attack.

Upgraded stats

 * Sickamore's lowest sun cost is 75 sun.
 * Sickamore's lowest recharge is 7 seconds.

Upgraded abilities

 * Absolutely Sickening - Sickamore's tiles have a small chance to poison zombies on top of them.
 * Epidemic - Every zombie near an infected zombie will has a 75% chance to be infected, rather than 50.

Strategies
Due to Sap-fling's absence in Plants vs. Zombies: Rips in Time, Sickamore acts as the most effective replacement. However, unlike Sap-fling, Sickamore relies on being placed closer to Zombies, due to his shorter range, so bringing defensive plants can be advised. Sickamore works most well with Pumpkin, as this assures that the player can make the most use of his range. Sickamore pairs well with slowing plants like Stallia and Winter Melon, so it is advised they are brought if the player wishes to use Sickamore. Sickamore, unlike ice-based plants, can be used alongside fire plants such as Fire Peashooter and Sunnydew, so the player shouldn't worry about Sickamore's effect being negated.

Sickamore should not be used on levels with water lanes, as the sap tiles will not appear on water. As such, he is not recommended in pool levels of Modern Day, Viking Seas, The Oddyssey, Shrapnel Bay, and any level in Corruption Core with water. It is also recommended not to stack it with Cold Snapdragon, due to its short range.

Sickamore can stack well with ground attackers like Spikeweed, Spikerock, and Poison Ivy, as it maximizes the amount of time zombies spend on these tiles, dealing more damage.

Trivia

 * It is the third new plant introduced in Prehistoric Plateau, after Tormato and Water-Melon.