http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/630.shtml
[OVERVIEW]
- Above-average 110/105/95 Defenses scream mixed wall.
- Okay typing gives her 2 immunites (Ground and Psychic) and 3 Resistances (Grass, Ghost, and Dark).
- Recieves competiton from Murkrow, of all things, thanks to its similar typing, Mischievious Heart ability, and wider support movepool (though Mandibuzz can use Leftovers and has better defenses).
Name:Mixed Wall
Move1:Taunt
Move2:Roost
Move3:Whirlwind
Move4:Protect/Knock Off
Item:Leftovers
Ability:Overcoat/Big Pecks
Nature:Impish
EVs:248 HP, 56 Def, 204 SpDef
Set Comments:
- Excellent mixed wall who can fit on a multitude of teams.
- Moves are self-explainatory: Taunt slower Pokemon to prevent them from setting up, Roost to heal off damage, Whirlwind to blow away stat-uppers and rack up entry hazard damage, and either Protect to gain back some health from Leftovers, or Knock Off to prevent being Taunt fodder and rid your opponent of his/her item.
- The given EV spread gives Mandibuzz its maximum HP without giving it a Stealth Rock number. They also ensure Excadrill can never OHKO Mandibuzz at 100% with a +2 Rock Slide without holding a Life Orb or Flinch hax(special thanks to Darkmalice for the EV fixes!).
- Fly can be used to both protect Mandibuzz from most attacks and earn a turn of Leftovers recovery without being Taunt fodder, but this option gives your opponent an opportunity to switch in a counter like Ferrothorn, and you risk being destroyed by Thunder.
- Overcoat is the preferred ability, making Mandibuzz immune to Sandstorm/Hail damage (though Big Pecks is an option to block the occational stat-down from Crunch or the like).
- Entry hazards are mandatory with this set, as it gives Mandibuzz a way to damage Pokemon by Whirlwinding them out. Swampert is a good teammate to consider, as it can set up Stealth Rocks while having good bulk and being neutral to Ice attacks, while Mandibuzz can cover his sole Grass weakness. Blissey and Chansey are also good Pokemon that can set up Rocks, as well as heal any status with Aromatherapy or pass on a Wish.
- Pokemon like Tyranitar and Thundurus, who have strong STAB attacks that are supereffective against Mandibuzz, are great big problems in her feathery behind. Swampert, again, makes a great teammate, being immune to Electric attacks, resisting Rock attacks, and being neutral to Ice attacks. Tentacruel can soak up her Ice weakness, as well as set up Toxic Spikes and spin away Stealth Rocks from your side of the field, while Mandibuzz can take any Ground- and Psychic-type attacks aimed at it.
Name:ToxiStall
Move1:Substitute
Move2:Toxic
Move3:Roost
Move4:Protect/Taunt/Knock Off/Mean Look
Item:Leftovers
Ability:Overcoat
Nature:Impish
EVs:248 HP, 56 Def, 204 SpDef
Set Comments:
- Mandibuzz can also pull off a ToxiStall set, thanks to her base Speed and excellent defenses. Switch in on a resistance/immunity and proceed to either set up a Substitute or Toxify your opponent’s current Pokemon, all the while Roosting to recover lost HP.
- Once again, Moveslot 4 is a toss-up between Protect, which will buy you an extra turn of Leftovers and Toxic damage, and Taunt, which will prevent slower Pokemon like Chansey/Blissey and Jellicent from healing or giving you unwanted status. Knock Off is also a great option to keep you from being Taunt bait and allowing you to damage Espeon, who would otherwise completely wall you.
- Mean Look can be slashed in the fourth moveslot to prevent your opponent from switching out to reset the Toxic counter, though in comparison to your other options, it’s rather weak.
- The EV spread is the same as the Mixed Wall set to ensure maximum bulk.
- Mandibuzz won’t be able to touch Steel-types like Ferrothorn or Skarmory, so bring Magnezone along to trap and K.O. them. Other bothersome Steel-types, like Excadrill and Lucario, need a different kind of approach, as Magnezone cannot hope to defeat them. Conkeldurr’s Mach Punch and excellent bulk will ensure these Pokemon won’t get in Mandibuzz’s way while she stalls.
- Other worries include Poison-types like Nidoking and Poison Heal variants of Breloom and Gliscor, who either can’t be or don’t mind being Poisoned one bit. Starmie and Slowbro can knock these Pokemon out with a good STAB Surf/Boiling Water or Ice Beam, also acting as lures for Ghost- and Dark-type attacks for Mandibuzz to switch into. Starmie can also keep entry hazards off your side of the field with Rapid Spin.
- Once again, entry hazards are imperative to set up, especially with Toxic forcing your opponent to switch out. Hippowdon can lay down Stealth Rocks, as well as create a Sandstorm to wear down the opponent further. Ferrothorn can set up Spikes and take any Rock- or Electric-type attacks aimed at Mandibuzz. Once again, Tentacruel can set up Toxic Spikes, as well as spin hazards away and has good type synergy with Mandibuzz.
Name:Nasty Plot
Move1:Nasty Plot
Move2:Dark Pulse
Move3:Hidden Power [Fighting]
Move4:Roost
Item:Life Orb/Leftovers
Ability:Breakable Armor
Nature:Modest
EVs:248 HP, 252 Atk, 8 Spe
Set Comments:
- Despite Mandibuzz's poor attacking stats, Nasty Plot is still Nasty Plot, and she does get unresisted coverage with Dark Pulse and Hidden Power [Fighting].
- The key here is switching into a resisted, physical attack, like Conkeldurr's Payback or Breloom's Seed Bomb and setting up a Nasty Plot, Roosting off damage all the while.
- This time around, Breakable Armor's the ability of choice to net a +1 boost in Speed at the cost of -1 in Defense.
- Honchkrow pulls off Nasty Plotting way better than Mandibuzz ever will, so unless you attempt to surprise the opponent, go with the Honch every time.
- Unfortunantely, Mandibuzz needs to get at least +4 in SpAtk before she can even think about hurting anything--made more difficult by the fact that her Defense is lowered every time she's hit.
- 252 Evs are invested into SpAtk with a Modest nature to ensure Mandibuzz does as much damage as possible, while 248 EVs are put into HP to help Mandibuzz survive the onslaught of moves she'll encounter while setting up. The remaining 8 EVs are put into Spe.
- With the emphasis on her sub-par attacking stat, Mandibuzz needs several problems dealt with before she can begin 'sweeping'. Blissey and Chansey immediately come to mind, as Mandibuzz can't ever hope to hurt the famed special walls. Faster attackers with Super-effective moves like Excadrill and Tyranitar will also obliterate the vulturess. Conkeldurr serves as an excellent counter to every one of these switch-ins, with Mach Punch tearing down the faster opponents and Drain Punch healing off any damage taken.
- Priority users like Azumarill and Scizor are also a big thorn in Mandibuzz's side. Jellicent can take anything Azumarill can throw at it, while Mandibuzz can take any potential Crunches and Paybacks for the jellyfish. Magnezone can also devastate Scizor with Hidden Power [Fire] and can switch out to Mandibuzz whenever a Fighting type attack is predicted.
- Mandibuzz serves as a defensive pivot on whatever team she's on (unless you're running the ill-fated Nasty Plot set), so having teammates that are weak to Ground-, Psychic-, Dark-, Ghost-, and Grass-type attacks are a must. Swampert and Hippowdon can set up Stealth Rocks while also taking any Rock- and Electric-type attacks thrown at Mandibuzz (though Swampert has the privalage to be neutral to Ice attacks), while she absorbs any Grass attacks aimed at them. Jellicent appreciates the vulturess' ability to stare down Ghost types such as Chandelure and Gengar (provided the latter lacks Thunderbolt) while the jellyfish isn't afraid of any Ice attacks thrown her way. Finally, Tentacruel is one of the best teammates for Mandibuzz for reasons listed above.
- Strong sweepers with super-effective attacks like Tyranitar and Thundurus will devastate Mandibuzz's split defenses.
- Espeon and Xatu, when armed with Magic Mirror, will completely wall anything that Mandibuzz can throw at them.
- Mischievious Heart Taunters like Whimsicott and the aformentioned Thundurus will all but shut down any attempt Mandibuzz can make at walling.
- Mandibuzz's Dream World ability, Breakable Armor, has little to no use on a defensive Pokemon like herself, aside from attempting to run a Nasty Plot sweeping set. Overcoat should always be the go-to ability for Mandibuzz.
