Plants also have extra card, put a Admiral Navy Bean/Astro Shroom/Sergeant Strongberry on Planet of the Grapes (Only cost 2 suns), or the Shooting Starfruit. Also Mayflower, Captain Cucumber, All Magic Beans, All ''Cosmic'' , Banana Peel, Photos... the piano xD, Starch Lord and more, give you a lot of cards, i think you need more fun with the plants! try more!, I had a good time with the plants.
About pre-strike, i think you mean the Overshoot, is a specially ability of zombies, like heal of the plants (well, a Nurse Gargantuar can do that too xD), but plants have excellent abilities too.
About the tricks, you must realize that the first advantage is the plants, because the zombies have to play first, so playing like plants we can always respond to the zombies, but the zombies don't know what plants we are going to place or what strategy we will make, so they have to place all their confidence in their tricks... that's the reason why the tricks go after, and because most of the zombie tricks are precisely better, because if they are not, the game would be very unbalanced.
that's why when i play like zombie i feel uncomfortable, no matter where i put my zombie, if it is lethal, the enemy (Plant Hero) always will block the line with a plant.
but instead the plants, can place a lethal plant in any lane, dodging the zombies played, that's why zombies like '' Zombie Bouncer '' or ''Sumo Wrestler'' they are needed, plus a lot of removal tricks...
but I still think that the advantage of planting after zombies is great...
