Approved by Jellicent and UU C&C mods
[OVERVIEW]
Mandibuzz offers a unique set of defensive traits, most notably a strong typing, respectable stats in those areas, and reliable recovery in Roost. This combination allows it to fare well against many top threats like Celebi, Krookodile, Gyarados, and Mega Sceptile. It also has access to some useful utility moves in Defog, Foul Play, U-turn, and Knock Off. These factors combine to make Mandibuzz one of the better defensive pivots the tier has to offer. However, largely due to its reliance on Foul Play to do meaningful damage, Mandibuzz finds itself much worse off against bulky Pokemon like Bulk Up Conkeldurr and Florges. Additionally, status moves can severely cripple its longevity and general defensive uses.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Foul Play
move 2: Roost
move 3: Defog
move 4: U-turn / Knock Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Overcoat
nature: Careful
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Foul Play is Mandibuzz's main Dark-type STAB move, allowing it to reliably check Gyarados and Mega Swampert while dealing solid chunks to physical threats such as Mega Aerodactyl, Krookodile, and Swords Dance Cobalion when needed. Roost keeps Mandibuzz healthy enough to sponge hits from foes like Celebi, Krookodile, Hydreigon, and Gyarados. Defog removes all entry hazards, most notably letting Mandibuzz itself switch more comfortably into Dazzling Gleam Celebi and Hydreigon. U-turn allows Mandibuzz to get teammates such as Nidoqueen, Roserade, and Mega Aerodactyl into favorable positions to fulfill their respective roles. Alternatively, Knock Off can remove the Leftovers of bulky Pokemon like Swampert, Florges, and Empoleon or cripple item-reliant foes like Nidoqueen and Gligar.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Special Defense investment lets Mandibuzz match up with attackers like Celebi, Mega Sceptile, Mega Blastoise, and Hydreigon as well as possible. Leftovers provides Mandibuzz with passive recovery, helping to keep it healthy enough to handle the threats it is meant to. Overcoat most notably lets Mandibuzz counter Roserade, providing it with an immunity to Sleep Powder.
Usage Tips
========
Pivot Mandibuzz into Pokemon it is meant to handle such as Celebi, Krookodile, Gyarados, and Roserade. Use these favorable positions to deal damage back with Foul Play, remove entry hazards with Defog, or get off a slow U-turn to get a teammate into a good spot. As it is weak to Stealth Rock, Defog is often most useful in keeping Mandibuzz itself healthy, letting it continually come in against the aforementioned threats. The best course of action following a switch into a full health Celebi as it uses Nasty Plot is often to slow U-turn out into a fast teammate that can easily pick off a weakened Celebi. While it counters any non-Dazzling Gleam variant, Mandibuzz is 2HKOed if they do have it, making U-turn the superior play to the slightly stronger alternative in Foul Play. Generally, burns and poisons should be avoided, as they can weaken its attacks or limit effectiveness defensively, but at times they are necessary to stomach. Examples include switching into Roserade's Sludge Bomb or attempting to get off a slow U-turn after Suicune's Scald. Knock Off is useful in removing the Leftovers of troublesome walls or when in the face of Pokemon like Nidoqueen and Gligar that depend on their items to be effective. If paired with Florges, Mandibuzz can often be the preferred switch-in to special attackers like Hydreigon and Mega Sceptile, as it can easily take their attacks and gain momentum with U-turn, whereas Florges may be forced to use Synthesis following Hydreigon's Flash Cannon or Mega Sceptile's Leaf Storm.
Team Options
========
Mandibuzz can fit on a variety of playstyles ranging from bulky offense to stall due to its defensive uses and general utility. If carrying U-turn, it is essential that Mandibuzz have a partner such as Pursuit Mega Aerodactyl or U-turn Infernape that can pick off a weakened Celebi, as that is often a common scenario in dealing with it. Poison-types like Nidoqueen and Roserade heavily appreciate the positioning against Fairy-types that Mandibuzz can provide via U-turn. The two can proceed to set entry hazards and throw out their powerful attacks. Florges and Colbur Berry Psychic Slowking share fantastic defensive synergy with Mandibuzz, checking its main bane in Bulk Up Conkeldurr. Additionally, Florges gives cleric support and can take pressure off of Mandibuzz in handling foes like Hydreigon, Mega Sceptile, and Mega Blastoise. Slowking fares well against threats like Cobalion, Entei, and Mega Aerodactyl. In return, Mandibuzz deals with Pokemon like Celebi, Roserade, and Krookodile that can potentially muscle past these partners. Suicune makes for a solid partner, checking Mega Aerodactyl and absorbing status moves aimed at Mandibuzz, while Mandibuzz can handle some of Suicune's most prominent answers in Mega Sceptile, Celebi, and Roserade. Steel-types such as Mega Aggron, Mega Steelix, and Doublade pair nicely with Mandibuzz, covering its main weakness in Fairy and appreciating the easy positioning it provides against them to perform their roles. The latter two can viably run Toxic alongside Mandibuzz to cripple Swampert and Cresselia, which can often be difficult for it to deal with despite their initially poor damage output against it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Toxic lets Mandibuzz cripple Swampert, Cresselia, and Slowking, but it is often difficult to fit over other moves. Teammates can often carry this move to cripple the intended targets and aid Mandibuzz in dealing with them one-on-one. Taunt is an option alongside Toxic to more effectively deal with bulky foes, but it suffers heavily from the presence of threatening Fighting-types and bulky Fairy-type clerics.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Florges and Sylveon fear nothing from Mandibuzz's attacks and take advantage of it to perform their roles.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types like Conkeldurr and Cobalion take negligible damage from Mandibuzz's attacks, letting them throw out powerful attacks or start setting up with their respective moves.
**Status**: The Attack drop from burns severely cripples Mandibuzz's ability to check foes like Gyarados and Celebi, and both burns and poisons negate its passive recovery and force it to use Roost more often than it would prefer.
**Bulky Setup Sweepers**: Suicune, Snorlax, Reuniclus, and Cresselia shrug off any of Mandibuzz's attacks and set up in front of it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Pak, 245869]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ark, 268102], [Eyan, 226777], [Killintime, 257575]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
[OVERVIEW]
Mandibuzz offers a unique set of defensive traits, most notably a strong typing, respectable stats in those areas, and reliable recovery in Roost. This combination allows it to fare well against many top threats like Celebi, Krookodile, Gyarados, and Mega Sceptile. It also has access to some useful utility moves in Defog, Foul Play, U-turn, and Knock Off. These factors combine to make Mandibuzz one of the better defensive pivots the tier has to offer. However, largely due to its reliance on Foul Play to do meaningful damage, Mandibuzz finds itself much worse off against bulky Pokemon like Bulk Up Conkeldurr and Florges. Additionally, status moves can severely cripple its longevity and general defensive uses.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Foul Play
move 2: Roost
move 3: Defog
move 4: U-turn / Knock Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Overcoat
nature: Careful
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Foul Play is Mandibuzz's main Dark-type STAB move, allowing it to reliably check Gyarados and Mega Swampert while dealing solid chunks to physical threats such as Mega Aerodactyl, Krookodile, and Swords Dance Cobalion when needed. Roost keeps Mandibuzz healthy enough to sponge hits from foes like Celebi, Krookodile, Hydreigon, and Gyarados. Defog removes all entry hazards, most notably letting Mandibuzz itself switch more comfortably into Dazzling Gleam Celebi and Hydreigon. U-turn allows Mandibuzz to get teammates such as Nidoqueen, Roserade, and Mega Aerodactyl into favorable positions to fulfill their respective roles. Alternatively, Knock Off can remove the Leftovers of bulky Pokemon like Swampert, Florges, and Empoleon or cripple item-reliant foes like Nidoqueen and Gligar.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP and Special Defense investment lets Mandibuzz match up with attackers like Celebi, Mega Sceptile, Mega Blastoise, and Hydreigon as well as possible. Leftovers provides Mandibuzz with passive recovery, helping to keep it healthy enough to handle the threats it is meant to. Overcoat most notably lets Mandibuzz counter Roserade, providing it with an immunity to Sleep Powder.
Usage Tips
========
Pivot Mandibuzz into Pokemon it is meant to handle such as Celebi, Krookodile, Gyarados, and Roserade. Use these favorable positions to deal damage back with Foul Play, remove entry hazards with Defog, or get off a slow U-turn to get a teammate into a good spot. As it is weak to Stealth Rock, Defog is often most useful in keeping Mandibuzz itself healthy, letting it continually come in against the aforementioned threats. The best course of action following a switch into a full health Celebi as it uses Nasty Plot is often to slow U-turn out into a fast teammate that can easily pick off a weakened Celebi. While it counters any non-Dazzling Gleam variant, Mandibuzz is 2HKOed if they do have it, making U-turn the superior play to the slightly stronger alternative in Foul Play. Generally, burns and poisons should be avoided, as they can weaken its attacks or limit effectiveness defensively, but at times they are necessary to stomach. Examples include switching into Roserade's Sludge Bomb or attempting to get off a slow U-turn after Suicune's Scald. Knock Off is useful in removing the Leftovers of troublesome walls or when in the face of Pokemon like Nidoqueen and Gligar that depend on their items to be effective. If paired with Florges, Mandibuzz can often be the preferred switch-in to special attackers like Hydreigon and Mega Sceptile, as it can easily take their attacks and gain momentum with U-turn, whereas Florges may be forced to use Synthesis following Hydreigon's Flash Cannon or Mega Sceptile's Leaf Storm.
Team Options
========
Mandibuzz can fit on a variety of playstyles ranging from bulky offense to stall due to its defensive uses and general utility. If carrying U-turn, it is essential that Mandibuzz have a partner such as Pursuit Mega Aerodactyl or U-turn Infernape that can pick off a weakened Celebi, as that is often a common scenario in dealing with it. Poison-types like Nidoqueen and Roserade heavily appreciate the positioning against Fairy-types that Mandibuzz can provide via U-turn. The two can proceed to set entry hazards and throw out their powerful attacks. Florges and Colbur Berry Psychic Slowking share fantastic defensive synergy with Mandibuzz, checking its main bane in Bulk Up Conkeldurr. Additionally, Florges gives cleric support and can take pressure off of Mandibuzz in handling foes like Hydreigon, Mega Sceptile, and Mega Blastoise. Slowking fares well against threats like Cobalion, Entei, and Mega Aerodactyl. In return, Mandibuzz deals with Pokemon like Celebi, Roserade, and Krookodile that can potentially muscle past these partners. Suicune makes for a solid partner, checking Mega Aerodactyl and absorbing status moves aimed at Mandibuzz, while Mandibuzz can handle some of Suicune's most prominent answers in Mega Sceptile, Celebi, and Roserade. Steel-types such as Mega Aggron, Mega Steelix, and Doublade pair nicely with Mandibuzz, covering its main weakness in Fairy and appreciating the easy positioning it provides against them to perform their roles. The latter two can viably run Toxic alongside Mandibuzz to cripple Swampert and Cresselia, which can often be difficult for it to deal with despite their initially poor damage output against it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Toxic lets Mandibuzz cripple Swampert, Cresselia, and Slowking, but it is often difficult to fit over other moves. Teammates can often carry this move to cripple the intended targets and aid Mandibuzz in dealing with them one-on-one. Taunt is an option alongside Toxic to more effectively deal with bulky foes, but it suffers heavily from the presence of threatening Fighting-types and bulky Fairy-type clerics.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Florges and Sylveon fear nothing from Mandibuzz's attacks and take advantage of it to perform their roles.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types like Conkeldurr and Cobalion take negligible damage from Mandibuzz's attacks, letting them throw out powerful attacks or start setting up with their respective moves.
**Status**: The Attack drop from burns severely cripples Mandibuzz's ability to check foes like Gyarados and Celebi, and both burns and poisons negate its passive recovery and force it to use Roost more often than it would prefer.
**Bulky Setup Sweepers**: Suicune, Snorlax, Reuniclus, and Cresselia shrug off any of Mandibuzz's attacks and set up in front of it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Pak, 245869]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ark, 268102], [Eyan, 226777], [Killintime, 257575]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
Last edited:
