French midfielder David Friio kickstarted the thrashing of Tranmere
with a thumping early volley that knocked the stuffing out of the visitors.
After that Plymouth never looked back with Paul Sturrock's side powering their way to their biggest league win of the season - and their largest winning margin in any competition for a decade.
Home skipper Paul Wotton crashed in a 25-yard free-kick shortly before the
break to make it 2-0 before man-of-the-match Peter Gilbert, Plymouth's on-loan Birmingham full-back, scored his first Argyle goal just before half-time.
The onslaught continued in the second half as Rovers tried to stem the flow,
with Ian Stonebridge crossing for Marino Keith to head home Plymouth's fourth goal just four minutes in.
Steve Adams crashed a 30-yarder off the crossbar and moments later striker
Michael Evans swept home his sixth goal of the season.
David Norris completed the rout with 11 minutes still remaining, but by that
time Argyle had taken their foot off the gas in a wholly one-sided affair.
Plymouth: McCormick, Worrell, Wotton, Coughlan, Gilbert,
Norris, Friio, Adams, Stonebridge, Evans, Keith. Subs: Hodges,
Connolly, Lowndes, Aljofree, Sturrock.
Tranmere: Achterberg, Connelly, Roberts, Allen, Loran, Mellon,
Haworth, Gray, Taylor, Harrison, Dagnall. Subs: Jones,
Nicholson, Howarth, Dadi, Navarro.
Referee: A Marriner (W Midlands)