Editing Ice

'''Ice''' is a [[hazard]] in {{p4}}. It is non-fatal, and cannot outright harm [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]], but it can freeze them solid, leaving them vulnerable to other hazards or to being eaten. [[Ice Pikmin]] and [[Glow Pikmin]] are completely immune to ice. Ice also affects the [[Pikmin 4 player character|player character]] and [[Oatchi]] if they do not have the [[Thermal Defense]] equipped. It is also something that can affect bodies of [[water]], [[enemies]], and some [[obstacle]]s, mostly by having Ice Pikmin or [[Ice Blast]]s hit them.

* Obstacles:

** '''{{icon|Ice vent|y|v=P4}}''' – hazard generators poking from the ground that spray icy mist.

** '''{{icon|Ice wall|y|v=P4}}''' – gates that typically require Ice Pikmin to break.

** '''{{icon|Ice block|y|v=P4}}''' – obstacles that cause [[cold air]] but also freeze Pikmin on direct contact.

* Enemies:

* '''{{icon|Ice blast|v=P4|y}}''' – freezes anything around it when it explodes.

Pikmin that are not [[Ice Pikmin]] or [[Glow Pikmin]] will instantly be encased in ice if they touch ice from an enemy or obstacle, and in this state they will be unable to move or act. Unlike most other hazards, this is non-fatal, and the Pikmin can stay in this state indefinitely. Also unlike most other hazards, when this happens their [[maturity]] does not decrease. The only way to unfreeze a Pikmin is by [[whistling]] it or by having it get hit by some other hazard. Bumping against one or making it touch a [[fire starter]] does not work.

 

Pikmin can also be frozen by [[Ice Blast]]s, even if used by the player. Wild Pikmin are also able to become frozen. [[Rock Pikmin]] become vulnerable to [[crushing]] when frozen, which is normally a hazard they're immune to. Enemies will not attempt to freeze a Pikmin that is already frozen, but may attack in other ways, like biting them.

If Pikmin are on or under water when [[#Freezing bodies of water|it gets frozen]], regardless of depth, they simply instantly go to the ice's surface, and if they were carrying something they become [[idle]] instead.{{cite youtube|k9MhFpeWc4Y|of Blue Pikmin carrying something when the water freezes|published={{date|10|August|2023}}|retrieved={{date|18|August|2023}}}}

Similarly to Pikmin, the [[Pikmin 4 player character|player character]] and [[Oatchi]] will be instantly encased in ice if they touch hazardous ice from an enemy, obstacle, or an [[Ice Blast]]. If they have the [[Thermal Defense]] enabled, they will not be able to be frozen. While frozen, they will likewise be unable to move or act, and can be unfrozen in the following ways:

* By pressing {{button|switch|b}} eight times when controlling them. The game displays a reminder labeled "Break" with the button.

* By waiting 5 seconds.

Bumping them with the opposite character or making them touch a [[fire starter]] will not unfreeze them. Enemies will not attempt to freeze a character that is already frozen, but may attack in other ways, like biting them; even if an enemy hits them with another ice attack in this state, the time they have left to unfreeze naturally will not reset.

 

If they are on or under water that is not very deep when [[#Freezing bodies of water|it gets frozen]], they simply instantly go to the ice's surface. The same happens if Oatchi is swimming on the water's surface. If the player character is underneath deep water, like the coral reef to the east in [[Serene Shores]], they will be teleported out and on top of the surface of the ice, with an animation, regardless of the state of the Thermal Defense.

 

They can also be encased in ice if they are inside the body of a [[Creeping Chrysanthemum]], [[Startle Spore]], [[Foolix]], [[Burrowing Snagret]], [[Waddlequaff]], [[Greater Spotted Jellyfloat]], or [[Bogswallow]] when they freeze, which happens regardless of the Thermal Defense being enabled. For all of these cases, if the player controls the character that is inside, the game shows a reminder with {{button|switch|b}} and the label "thrash", but in reality this only has an effect when inside the Foolix, which requires 8 taps of the button to break free.

 

Most [[enemies]] can be frozen. Whenever an enemy gets hit by anything that contributes towards freezing it, a cyan ring will appear around its [[health wheel]]. There are a few ways for the gauge to increase.

* Being hit by an [[Ice Blast]].

* Having an ice blast go off inside their body. This usually freezes the creature instantly.

* Touching another enemy that is icy or attacking using ice. The gauge increases over time with direct contact. Certain instances include the [[Hero's Hideaway#Feasting Center|Feasting Center]] night expedition and sublevel 2 of [[The Mud Pit]].

If an enemy is defeated while frozen, it will instantly shatter into chunks of ice without leaving a corpse, instead producing a drop of [[nectar]] or [[ultra spicy spray]] (depending on [[Randomization|chance]] and the enemy's size), similar to enemies killed while petrified by [[ultra-bitter spray]]. [[Moss]] is the exception to this, in that she will instead stop being frozen and become knocked out like normal. Any enemy that is airborne when the freezing happens, whether because it is flying, jumping, or got slightly bounced in the air by a [[rush]] slam, will fall to the ground and shatter, instantly dying.{{cite youtube|ElSxI2__C34|of a player instantly knocking Moss out by rushing against her just before freezing her|published={{date|9|August|2023}}|retrieved={{date|13|August|2023}}}}

Any enemies that are in contact with a body of water when [[#Freezing bodies of water|it gets frozen]] will instantly freeze. In this way, they cannot unfreeze by themselves, and as soon as the water unfreezes, so do they, instantly. Enemies under the water's surface cannot be reached in this state, but any enemy that's on the surface or partially submersed can be attacked with ease. Enemies that attack using ice cannot be frozen themselves, and for the [[Ancient Sirehound]]'s case, it is only invulnerable during the second phase.

[[Greater Spotted Jellyfloat]]s will only freeze from "swallowing" an Ice Pikmin when the Ice Pikmin inside their body gets digested. Whenever a [[Foolix]] gets an Ice Pikmin inside its body, it will start freezing at a steady pace, freezing faster the more Ice Pikmin it has in its body. Also unique to this enemy is that regardless of how its gelatinous body is frozen, it will never unfreeze on its own, and will instead shatter, destroying the gel, when it takes enough hits, or when the leader or Oatchi inside thrash out.

When an enemy is defeated while frozen, it will drop [[nectar]] or [[ultra-spicy spray]]. The number of drops, and the chance of each drop being a nectar or an ultra-spicy spray, depend on the type of enemy. Each drop has its own independent probability of being a nectar or an ultra-spicy spray.

:* {{icon|Gildemander|v=P4|y}}

:* {{icon|Mammoth Snootwhacker|v=P4|y}}

:* {{icon|Foolix|v=P4|y}}

:* {{icon|Burrowing Snagret|v=P4|y}}

:* {{icon|Puffstool|v=P4|y}}

:* {{icon|Toxstool|v=P4|y}}

:* {{icon|Porquillion|v=P4|y}}

| 5 || 70% || 30%

{{columns|2|

:* {{icon|Empress Bulblax|v=P4|y}}

:* {{icon|Sovereign Bulblax|v=P4|y}}

:* {{icon|Man-at-Legs|v=P4|y}}

 

If any [[carry|carriable]] item, such as a [[treasure]] or an enemy corpse, is in contact with a body of water when [[#Freezing bodies of water|it becomes frozen]], the item will become stuck to the ice, making it impossible to move. Pikmin and Oatchi will not grab the item even if sent to do so.

 

 

 

Enemies can also freeze hydro jelly with their attacks, particularly the [[Snowy Blowhog]] and the [[Blizzarding Blowhog]].

 

{{game help|p4|Document whether enemies can freeze bodies of water.}}

[[Water]] bodies and [[mud]] pools can be frozen solid, and in this state, leaders and Pikmin can safely walk on top of the ice.

 

To freeze one, [[Ice Pikmin]] can be thrown in, or an [[Ice Blast]] can be used. When pointing the [[cursor]] at a body of water with Ice Pikmin as the standby type, a display will appear telling the player how many Ice Pikmin are needed to freeze it, and how many are on it right now. When enough are thrown, the entire body of water instantly turns to ice. An ice blast will instantly freeze any body of water, regardless of its size. This transformation instantly makes the water flash white and then quickly fade to a normal icy look as a puff of water vapor appears near the Pikmin. What happens to different things that are in contact with the water when the freeze happens depends on the thing itself, as documented in the sections above.

With the water frozen, the Ice Pikmin that were thrown in get stuck with their upper bodies poking out of the ice's surface. When the water is no longer being actively cooled, it will start cracking after a few seconds, something that is accompanied by an on-screen notification. After a few more seconds, it unfreezes completely and returns to normal; this too receives a notification. The process lasts 8 seconds, and for thrown Ice Pikmin, it begins when they get [[whistle]]d out of the water, and for ice blasts it begins immediately after the blast occurs. If an ice blast explodes on top of a frozen body of water, the countdown restarts.

[[Fire starter]]s have no effect when thrown at a frozen body of water, and are simply placed down gently on the water's surface by the thrown Pikmin.

=== Enemies losing their ice ===

Enemies that have a protective layer of ice on them (the [[Frosty Bulborb]], [[Dwarf Frosty Bulborb]], and [[Snowfake Fluttertail]]) will instantly lose it if a Pikmin holding a [[fire starter]] is thrown at them; simply directing the Pikmin towards the creature does not do anything, and may even result in the Pikmin getting frozen. The same happens if a [[Lightning Shock]] is used or they touch a [[fire geyser]] when it is spewing fire. In either case, they do not take any damage. Frosty Bulborbs will also lose their icy backs if they consume a [[White Pikmin]].