Corn Kernel

Corn Kernel
Flavor text	"Gotta mern 'em all!"
Item Pool	Boss Shop Treasure Room
Quality	2
Item Tags

Corn Kernel is a passive item added in the initial release of Fiend Folio.

Effects

• Spawns a corn kernel familiar that orbits around Isaac in a wavy pattern, which blocks enemy shots and deals contact damage.
  • The corn orbital deals 9 damage per tick.
  • Each subsequent Corn Kernel obtained are combined with the first one, changing its characteristics with each "level":
    • Level 2: The Corn Kernel turns into a "Mern", and gains the ability to lob a corn shot in an arc in the direction Isaac is shooting that creates a small explosion on impact.
      • The orbital can shoot every 3 seconds, and the corn shot itself deals 3.5 damage on hitting an enemy, while the explosion deals 10 damage. The explosion does not destroy rocks or damage Isaac.
    • Level 3: Changes from an orbital to a walking Mern that wanders aimlessly. In combat rooms, the familiar will occasionally stop moving to teleport in different locations rapidly a few times.
      • The familiar deals 4 contact damage per tick rapidly.
    • Level 4: Size of the Mern increases further. The familiar now chases enemies rapidly, periodically teleporting short distances towards them and automatically lobbing a large explosive corn projectile while doing so.
      • The familiar's contact damage is reduced to 3 per tick. The explosive corn projectile deals 3.5 damage and can now destroy rocks, but will now deal half a heart of damage to Isaac as well if he is caught in the explosion.

Notes

• Meltdown and Pollution will always drop Corn Kernel instead of an item from the Boss item pool.
  • Note that the Corn Kernel can be replaced with Cube of Meat or Ball of Bandages if it was encountered as a boss drop from one of The Harbingers — Likewise, if Corn Kernel was found as a drop from one of the Modern Harbingers first, then all other Harbingers encountered will drop Corn Kernel instead of Cube of Meat / Ball of Bandages, making it possible to obtain a Level 4 Mern naturally even though all 4 Modern Harbingers have not been implemented yet.

Unlockable Achievements

• 

  Mern — Build a Mern by getting 4 copies of Corn Kernel.

Trivia

• Corn Kernel is Fiend Folio's Modern Horsemen equivalent to the Cube of Meat and Ball of Bandages from the vanilla game.
  • Corn Kernel's flavor text, "Gotta mern 'em all!", is also an allusion to Cube of Meat's and Ball of Bandage's own flavor texts.
• The familiar created by Corn Kernel is based off of the titular enemy from Fiend Folio's secret Mern Mode, Mern.

Gallery

• 

  Level 1 Mern.

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  Level 2 Mern.

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  Level 3 Mern.

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  Level 4 Mern.