Mandibuzz, The Bone Keeper Pokémon. They adorn themselves beautifully with bones. This is supposedly an effort to attract males, but no male Mandibuzz have ever been found. It circles in the sky, keeping a keen eye out for Pokémon in a weakened state. Its choicest food is Cubone.
Overview
Despite being a vulture, Mandibuzz is a solid wall of a bird, having defensive stats to rival Zapdos. However, Mandibuzz is held back by its low speed and subpar offensive stats, limiting its effectiveness overall. All this makes Mandibuzz a strong support Pokémon in UU were most threats are more specialized, minimizing some of Mandibuzz's flaws.
Positives
+ Mandibuzz has excellent defensive stats. 110 base health, 105 defense, and 95 special defense allow it to take even super effective hits and avoid a OHKO on some threats.
+ Mandibuzz has a wide support style move pool, allowing it to fill a lot of holes in a team. Tailwind can help slower sweepers, Defog for hazard control, Taunt to cripple other walls, and Toxic for stall are some of the best options.
+ Access to Roost makes a major difference as it allows Mandibuzz to tank more and survive longer, making it a more desirable wall in a lot of situations.
Negatives
o Mandibuzz has really bad offensive stats, limiting it to the role of a tank or support making it predictable and not overly a threat.
o While it can be nice sometimes, Mandibuzz loses some key resistances with its Dark typing, namely Fighting. This prevents it from checking threats like Mega Heracross and Keldeo as they will just break through with neutral damage
o Mandibuzz has lackluster abilities. While Overcoat is good, though a bit niche, none of the others. This hurts it as its main use is a Defogger, which being part Flying means it loses Ľ health to rocks.
Abilities
Big Pecks - User's defense cannot be lowered - This is terrible, dropping defenses in Singles is a bad strategy making this obsolete to begin with.
Overcoat - Grants immunity to weather damage and powder moves - A solid defensive ability, it helps negate Sand or Hail damage as well as block Spore and Sleep Powder but its great as unless you are using the weather it can just do nothing in some matchups.
Weak Armor - Raises Speed by 2 stages and lowers Defenses by 1 when hit by a physical move - If Mandibuzz had better offensive stats and an aggressive boosting move like Swords Dance or Nasty Plot this could be used as a gimmick but is mediocre at the present
Movesets
Utility Tank
-Foul Play
-Defog
-Roost
-U-Turn
Item Attached: Leftovers/Rocky Helmet
Ability: Overcoat
EVs and Nature:
248HP/244Def/16Spd
(Calm/Careful 248HP/244SpDef/16Spd)
Impish Nature
Foul Play is the main move of the build, really hurting threats like Hippowdon, Swampert, and Mega Aerodactyl. This allows Mandibuzz to answer physical threats slightly while being geared for special ones. Defog is next as its Mandibuzz's primary reasoning to be used, removing hazards almost for free. Roost heals from this, as Mandibuzz takes 25% of its health from Stealth Rocks as well as sponging damage. Finally, Mandibuzz has access to U-Turn, allowing it to maintain momentum so it's kind of a must use. Mandibuzz has the option to run either physically or specially defensive, making it a bit unpredictable so play off that when teambuilding.
Other Options and Partners
Taunt - Taunt allows Mandibuzz to cripple some walls that it outpaces and force them out as well as stop boosting sweepers from setting up.
Toxic - Always a solid option on defensive Pokémon, if you can find the room run it. However, Mandibuzz tends to play better in a bulky core so something else might carry it already.
Swampert - Swampert is a solid partner with Mandibuzz with its ability to counter Raikou and check Rotom Wash while providing Stealth Rocks for the team. Swampert can also help Mandibuzz's lack of status moves or free up a slot with its own un Scald and Toxic.
Entei - More offensive, Entei likes how reliable Mandibuzz can remove hazards for it as well as its slow U-Turns, getting in easily. Entei also can switch into some answers to Mandibuzz such as Weavile, Mega Glalie, and Togekiss and spam Sacred Fire or Flare Blitz for pressure.
Gliscor - Mandibuzz doesn't like Status moves, Toxic in particular clips its wings fast. This is where Gliscor comes in, sponging status with Poison Heal. Gliscor is also able to check some of Mandibuzz's answers like Terrakion and Mega Gardevoir (Special Defense build however) and can Defog for it, freeing up a slot.
VGC, Double, & Triple Battle Options
Mandibuzz was an uncommon bird in past VGC formats, even though she had good support moves. With a smaller pool of Pokemon in VGC 2017 and some new game mechanics, Mandibuzz has become one of the most popular Tailwind supporters. The primary reason for this is due to the introduction of the terrain Seeds and the Tapus’ automatic terrain abilities. Mandibuzz’s fantastic bulk, boosted even further by a Seed, make it a reliable Tailwind user next to a powerful teammate like Tapu Fini or Tapu Lele.
Buzzkill
-Foul Play
-Tailwind
-Roost
-Taunt / Snarl
-Destiny Bond / Taunt
Item Attached: Misty Seed / Psychic Seed
Ability: Overcoat
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 244 SpD / 12 Spe
Calm Nature
Mandibuzz has fantastic defensive stats, made even better when backed by a Misty or Psychic Seed (in Tapu Fini’s Misty Terrain or Tapu Lele’s Psychic Terrain, respectively). 252 HP with 244 special defense and a Calm nature survives a Gigavolt Havoc from a Timid Tapu Koko outside electric terrain. 12 EVs in speed outspeed Tapu Koko (and anything that speed-creeps Koko by 1) after Tailwind. If you run Snarl over Taunt, 8 EVs can be taken out of speed and 4 each put in defense and special attack if you prefer. Overcoat is a good ability, as Mandibuzz is immune to Spore and Sleep Powder, and will not take any hail or sand damage.
Foul Play is Mandibuzz’s primary form of damage, especially against physical attackers. This move is especially useful against Pokemon like Swords Dance Garchomp or Belly Drum Snorlax. Tailwind is Mandibuzz’s primary purpose to boost the team’s speed to attempt to sweep. Roost increases its longevity, which is especially useful should it need to set up Tailwind a second time. Taunt helps prevent Trick Room and other strategies, but Snarl is an option to weaken both opponents’ special attack.
Other Options & Team Ideas
-Non-Seed sets are sometimes used. While Mandibuzz does lose some ability to take damage, it still has very good bulk and a recovery item can help it stay healthy. Leftovers, 50% pinch berries, and Sitrus Berries can all fulfill this role. Another item that is used occasionally is Mental Herb to help Tailwind go up.
-Knock Off, Thief, and Pluck are all great (STAB) moves to get rid of your opponent’s items. Knock Off has the highest base power and can affect items that are not mega stones or z crystals. Thief is weaker, but can also give Mandibuzz a useful item like a recovery berry, which can be great on a combo with a Seed that has already activated. Pluck has the same base power as Thief, but only affects berries. Immediately receiving the effects of the berry are a great bonus.
-Toxic can help wear down bulky Pokemon like Porygon2, though is it not an ideal option when Tapu Fini is Mandibuzz’s partner.
-Whirlwind prevents most Trick Room strategies, and can mess with Pokemon who set up with stat boosts.
-Sunny Day can help weaken rain teams’ power, and Mandibuzz can easily survive a rain-boosted Hydro Vortex from Swift Swim Pokemon like Golduck thanks to a Misty or Psychic Seed boost. Rain Dance is also a great move against sun teams like the powerful Torkoal and Lilligant lead. Mandibuzz is immune to Lilligant’s Sleep Powder thanks to Overcoat, resists Lilligant’s Leaf Storm or Bloom Doom, and can easily live Torkoal’s Eruptions (for example, a full power Charcoal-boosted spread Eruption from a max special attack Quiet Torkoal cannot 2HKO the above Mandibuzz set). Mandibuzz can set up Tailwind to match Lilligant’s Chlorophyll, or Snarl both opponents to weaken them.
-Rock Tomb is another form of speed control that also does chip damage, but Tailwind is generally a much better option. Fake Tears is sometimes used to help weaken the opponent’s to make your special attackers more powerful.
-Protect is uncommon on Mandibuzz due to its great bulk and most trainers opting to use a support move in the last slot, but does get used.
-Swagger and Flatter can be used for combos under Misty Terrain to boost Mandibuzz’s teammate.
-Snatch, an ORAS move tutor move, is a sneaky move to steal an opponent’s move should they try to match your predicted Tailwind or other support moves.
-Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele are the two best partners to take advantage of the terrain Seed boosts. The Misty and Psychic Seeds boost the user’s special defense, which helps Mandibuzz take hits from Tapu Koko and other Tapu Lele. While the Electric and Grassy Seeds can be considered to boost Mandibuzz’s physical defense alongside Tapu Koko or Tapu Bulu, it does not help against the previously mentioned special attacks that are more likely to threaten Mandibuzz. Electric Terrain also boosts electric attacks aimed at Mandibuzz, and it is not able to take advantage of the healing from Grassy Terrain.
-If you are looking to boost Mandibuzz’s physical defense, Intimidate support is a much better idea than the Electric or Grassy Seed. Pokemon like Arcanine are good all-around teammates that can help Mandibuzz.
-Earthquake users like Garchomp and Krookodile can freely use Earthquake next to Mandibuzz. Choice Scarf users can be especially effective, either as a late-game sweeper or as a lead to threaten something like Tapu Koko so that Mandibuzz can freely set up. VGC 2018 should bring about other strong teammates like Landorus-T, who also has Intimidate.
-Lightningrod Pokemon like Alolan Marowak and Togedemaru keep Mandibuzz safe from electric attacks.
-Mid-speed sweepers like the Tailwind support. This can include Pokemon like fast Alolan Marowak, bulky Tapu Lele, Choice Specs (or Calm Mind) Tapu Fini, Modest Tapu Koko, Krookodile, and z-move Garchomp.
Countering Mandibuzz
Terrakion - With its high Attack and STAB Stone Edge, Terrakion can easily remove Mandibuzz, or even boost on it if Terrakion runs Swords Dance or Rock Polish. Also, Terrakion doesn't care about Foul Play as it gains a boost from Justified.
Mega Gardevoir - With Gardevoir's low Attack, Mandibuzz can't really hurt it with Foul Play, however it does hit for neutral. Without Taunt Mega Gardevoir could boost with Calm Mind, but can easily KO Mandibuzz regardless.
Primarina - With its Special Attack focus and Fairy typing, Primarina resist Mandibuzz's primary move Foul Play and pressures back with Fairy stab. However with a Special Defense spread Primarina can't OHKO Mandibuzz, but you won't gain anything from taking a hit.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game
Colosseum/XD:
Not in game
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Not in game
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Not in game
Black/White:
Route 11 (Black)
Trade from Black/Black 2 (White)
Black 2/White 2:
Route 4 (Black 2)
Trade from Black/Black 2 (White 2)
X/Y:
Evolve Vullaby
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Evolve Vullaby
Sun/Moon:
Poni Wilds (Moon)
Trade from Moon (Sun)
Animé Appearences
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Mandibuzz has made many appearances in the anime. Most of which are cameos |
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