Stealthy Squash

Stealthy Squash
"An ethereal entity from the deep, foamy waters below. Only troops with hidden detection can effectively deal with this enemy." - Enemy Description
Mode Appearance	Haunted Harvest
Wave Debut	13
Statistics
Base Health	150 (Easy) 225 (Hard)
Speed	Above Average
Cash Given	$75 > 155 on death (Variable)
Hidden?	Yes
Flying?	No
Ghost?	Yes
Lead?	No
Attributes	Mutation (Variable) Slime (Variable) Bloated (Variable) Nimble (Variable) Lantern (Variable)

Description

The Stealthy Squash is an enemy that appears in the Haunted Harvest gamemode. It debuts on wave 13, and acts as a "Detection Check" to punish players who underinvested in hidden detection. It has average health, and above average speed whilst possessing the Hidden and Ghost attribute. Because of this, towers that can detect hidden enemies and deal good damage like Minigunner, Crook Boss, or Warden can make quick work of this enemy.

Appearance

The Stealthy Squash seems to be designed similarly to the Pumpkid being a humanoid, turquoise squash with a gaping hole within its chest. it possesses a single glowing orange eye, and seems to be covered in seaweed. It emits a black aura effect and floats slightly above the ground, with a wisp effect replacing its legs.

Analysis, Ranking, and Strategy

It's me, Noobs! This enemy is a bit tricky to counter, so let's analyze it!

The Stealthy Squash is a hidden AND ghost enemy, meaning that there are a few things to take into account:

• The Stealthy Squash is a Hidden enemy, meaning that towers that lack hidden detection like the Ranger, Mortar, or Brawler are rendered ineffective against this enemy.
  • However, hidden enemies like the Stealthy Squash can still be indirectly hit by multi-target towers that lack detection like the Sledger when a visible enemy is nearby.

The Ghost attribute is a bit confusing and isn't used very often, so let me explain it:

The Ghost attribute essentially just means that the enemy is hidden, and any unit that collides with the enemy will simply pass through them.

• All things considered, spawner towers like the Military Base or Elf Camp shouldn't be used against enemies that possess the Ghost attribute, as collision is disabled towards them.
  • However, towers that summon units with hidden detection like the Crook Boss or even the Mercenary Base can still effectively deal with such enemies, like the Stealthy Squash.

Overall, I'd give the Stealthy Squash a 4/10 for threat level. It's a feeble enemy that can be easily dealt with, long as you've got good hidden detection. The only issue I'd say about this enemy is if it outruns your defenses or if they spawn in the back, but even so this enemy is NOT difficult. For wave 13, the Stealthy Squash offers a balanced gap in difficulty, allowing you to get used to the second map before their debut. Especially considering how strong hidden enemies come earlier (like the Ghost or Hallow Gourd), you should be prepared before this enemy even comes.

Trivia

• This enemy's design takes some inspiration from the Pumpkid.
  • It also took some design from the Swamp Monster.
• The Stealthy Squash was originally going to be called the "Swampy Squash", but I felt like this sounded cringe, so I overall scrapped it.

Update History

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