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Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 - How to Earn Rank S in Crazy Targets

Use these tips to achieve Rank S.

In Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2, players can earn stars to gain access to the Crazy Targets Range deep within the sewers of the Backyard Battleground. This guide explains the best strategies for earning Rank S in this fun new mini game.

The Crazy Targets Range is a shooting gallery found deep within the sewers of the backyard. In order to access the Crazy Targets Range, you first need to earn enough stars to unlock the gnome door in the sewers. Check out our guide on how to earn stars in Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 to obtain stars and find out where to use them.

The Crazy Targets Range features a timed course that contains various moving garden gnome targets. Upon completing the course, your final time is ranked based on how quickly you finished the course. The ranks consist of letter grades, with Rank S being the highest rank possible. You can earn a significant amount of coins for achieving Rank S for the first time, so it’s definitely an accomplishment worth pursuing.

Players who post exceptionally fast completion times are ranked on the global leaderboards, found at the panel in the corner of the Crazy Targets lobby. This guide will mainly focus on strategies for achieving Rank S, so that you can earn your initial reward. Once you can consistently achieve Rank S scores, it’s up to you to beat your personal bests and push your way to the top of the leaderboards. This guide also reviews several character variants that we think are the best and most viable characters for achieving Rank S completion times.

Crazy Targets Tips for Earning Rank S

The general strategy for completing the Crazy Targets course with a fast time is to use a character that has high mobility and splash damage. Characters with a high rate of fire also tend to do well in the course, but require much more accuracy than characters with splash damage capabilities. You may be able to achieve Rank S with a character that has a high fire rate, but splash damage will almost guarantee a Rank S completion time.

Characters with splash damage weapons are important because they have the potential to destroy multiple targets at once, if aimed correctly. Like most time trial courses, every millisecond counts. Having the ability to destroy multiple targets with a single shot can shave valuable seconds off of your overall time. This can also help prevent the need to reload, as splash damage makes each shot more effective.

Speed and mobility are also crucial factors for achieving Rank S worthy scores. Some characters have abilities that help them move exceptionally fast, while others waddle along at a snail’s pace. Consider whether a character’s ability set can aid you in your run through the shooting gallery.

The timer stops as soon as you destroy the final target, but you don’t necessarily need to be in the room to do so. When using ranged characters, you can begin shooting the last set of targets from the hallway of the previous set by shooting through the door instead of completely entering the room. This can cut several milliseconds off of your time, which makes a big difference in this mini game.

Note that you don't always have to shoot the target itself to destroy it.

The Best Plants for Rank S

The Peashooter’s Hyper ability offers a significant increase to the character’s mobility, allowing you to breeze through sections of the course. Most of the Peashooters perform well in Crazy Targets, but the Toxic Pea variant is by far the best character for earning Rank S and reaching the top of the leaderboards.

The Toxic Pea’s toxic splash radius can destroy two or three targets in a single shot. If deployed properly, the Chili Bean Bomb can also destroy all four targets in the first room. While using the Toxic Pea, activate the Hyper ability just after the first set of targets to ensure speedy mobility around the tight corners in the hallway ahead. Practice these skills with the Peashooter and you’ll be at the top of the leaderboard in no time.

The Kernel Corn is the only other character that has the movement and ability kit that can really come close to posting Rank S times. Achieving Rank S with Kernel Corn takes a bit of practice, but it’s certainly possible. Play around with his ability kit and see if you can use them as shortcuts for taking out targets.

The Best Zombies for Rank S

Nearly all of the Footsoldiers can achieve fast completion times, due to their generally high mobility and rapid fire weapons. However, the best zombie to use to earn Rank S is the Engineer, specifically the Electrician.

The Electrician can effectively destroy multiple targets in a single shot.

The Engineer’s weapon deals decent splash damage, and can be used while riding the Jackhammer to take out targets quickly while navigating the course. The Electrician definitely has the best splash damage radius to destroy multiple targets at once, and requires less accuracy than the default Engineer. The Electrician may not beat times posted by the Toxic Pea, but he’s by far one of the best contenders of the zombie variants to achieve Rank S.

The Imps don’t do particularly well in the Crazy Targets Range, but their Z-Mechs do. Most of the Imps are lacking the reach needed to take out targets down range. However, the default Z-Mech and the Pylon Mech have basic attacks that deliver the range needed to destroy targets further away. Plus, mechs like the Pylon Mech have decent movement speed and even have abilities that allow you to quickly dart forward. Use the Z-Mechs if you want to attempt a Rank S score with a bit of added challenge.

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