[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Mandibuzz has a good typing, strong mixed bulk, and access to a variety of utility moves that allow it to act as a bulky pivot. It is one of the few Pokemon in the metagame to still learn Defog, giving it a niche as a bulky entry hazard remover. However, given its low offensive stats and reliance on its item for longevity, Mandibuzz can be overly passive and easily chipped down over the course of a game. This is especially true if the team relies too heavily on it to tank powerful attacks from foes while also removing entry hazards.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Tank**: Mandibuzz’s typing gives it a number of useful resistances and immunities, such as to Ghost, Psychic, and Ground. This combined with its excellent mixed bulk and access to Toxic allows Mandibuzz to check a wide variety of physical and special attackers as well as use its various utility options to chip opposing Pokemon down and avoid letting foes set up for free.
**Bulky Defogger**: Mandibuzz can use a combination of Defog and Roost to consistently come in throughout a game and remove entry hazards. Typically it will use a combination of Foul Play, Knock Off, Toxic, U-turn, and Whirlwind to avoid being setup bait.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Brave Bird, Dual Wingbeat, Foul Play, Knock Off
**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense, Nasty Plot
**Utility Moves**: Defog, Roost, Taunt, Toxic, U-turn, Whirlwind
**Coverage**: Heat Wave
Niche Moves
========
**Snarl**: Although it deals little damage, Snarl can be used in certain matchups to weaken an opposing special attacker while chipping it down. Snarl also goes through Substitute and can keep a Calm Mind setup sweeper from getting too many boosts.
**Tailwind**: Mandibuzz can use Tailwind to boost the Speed of slower offensive Pokemon. This works best with U-turn to get the best teammate in safely. Mandibuzz can use Weak Armor to switch in, get a Speed boost to help set up Tailwind, and more easily faint on the same turn.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Since Mandibuzz is weak to Stealth Rock, Heavy-Duty Boots is vital to its longevity and ability to consistently come in and check threats or remove entry hazards.
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet helps Mandibuzz punish pivot moves and physical attackers, securing chip damage for its teammates against foes that are otherwise difficult to wear down.
Niche Items
========
**Leftovers**: In matchups where Stealth Rock is not a threat, Leftovers can provide Mandibuzz with much-needed passive recovery to spend fewer turns using Roost.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb allows Mandibuzz to avoid a Taunt or Encore and do things like safely heal, remove entry hazards, or even use Taunt on the foe in return.
**Resistance Berries**: Resistance Berries give Mandibuzz the ability to take a super effective hit that would otherwise knock it out. This is especially helpful against boosted attackers that could otherwise break it, letting Mandibuzz knock them out with Foul Play or use Whirlwind on them to remove the boosts.
Tera
========
Mandibuzz should rarely, if ever, be chosen as a Tera Captain, as it cannot use Tera offensively and frequently relies on its typing to check threats. However, if necessary, Mandibuzz can utilize defensive Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Steel, and Poison to resist attacks that would otherwise be super effective.
Draft Strategy
========
Mandibuzz works best when filling out a team's defensive profile on rosters that already have their offensive core and need bulk and entry hazard removal.
**Steel- / Poison-types**: Pokemon of these types, such as Iron Treads, Metagross, and Iron Moth, pair especially well with Mandibuzz, switching in on Toxic and Fairy-type attacks that commonly target it.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Because it will commonly be a team's primary entry hazard removal option, Mandibuzz appreciates having other bulky teammates that can take off some of the pressure so it isn't worn down as easily. Pokemon like Jirachi, Galarian Slowking, and Swampert cover Mandibuzz’s weaknesses particularly well.
**Wallbreakers**: Being a bulky U-turn user lets Mandibuzz bring in teammates easily. Strong wallbreakers like Urshifu-R, Gholdengo, and Chi-Yu can take advantage of the free switches to break the opposing team.
**Entry Hazard Setting**: Mandibuzz appreciates teammates that can set entry hazards, as its common support moves like Toxic, Knock Off, and Whirlwind work well in conjunction with entry hazards to wear down foes. Pokemon like Great Tusk, Heatran, and Infernape that can both set entry hazards and prevent foes from setting theirs with either Rapid Spin or Taunt are especially helpful.
Checks and Counters
========
**Toxic**: Because Mandibuzz usually will be trying to check threats and keep entry hazards off, it is vital that it stays healthy. Being poisoned means that Mandibuzz will need to spend more time healing, which gives the opponent more opportunities to take advantage of it. Toxic damage also gives wallbreakers an easier range to 2HKO Mandibuzz, which stops it from checking threats throughout the game. Toxic users that can also set hazards and aren't afraid of Mandibuzz's own Toxic and Foul Play, such as Gliscor, Pecharunt, and Glimmora, are especially challenging to deal with.
**Knock Off**: Although Mandibuzz has an excellent resistance to Dark, it needs to avoid being hit by Knock Off from Pokemon it usually checks like Great Tusk, Meowscarada, and Rillaboom, since it relies on Heavy-Duty Boots to avoid taking damage from Stealth Rock. Without an item, Mandibuzz will struggle to check opposing Pokemon and safely remove entry hazards.
**Wallbreakers**: Although it has good mixed defenses, Mandibuzz isn't as bulky as many dedicated walls and can be broken by powerful attackers that can 2HKO it, including Choice Band and Specs users as well as naturally powerful wallbreakers such as Ursaluna-B and Chi-Yu. Iron Hands stands out as a physical wallbreaker that Mandibuzz struggles against due to a lack of Brave Bird weakness and strong secondary STAB moves to go with its Fighting typing. These wallbreakers can also force Mandibuzz to focus EVs into a single defense instead of spreading them out, weakening it on one end of the spectrum against the wallbreaker's teammates.
**Disruption**: Mandibuzz has little to no offensive presence, so Taunt or Encore from anything that isn't weak to Foul Play like Quaquaval, Ogerpon, and Scream Tail can prevent it from using most of its utility moves and keep it from recovering health.
**Stealth Rock**: Opposing Stealth Rock users can limit Mandibuzz by forcing it to both run Heavy-Duty Boots instead of a different item like Leftovers and use Defog instead of other utility moves like Toxic and Knock Off. Stealth Rock setters that threaten Mandibuzz offensively like Sandy Shocks and Glimmora make it difficult for Mandibuzz to effectively remove entry hazards. Similarly, hazard setters that Mandibuzz itself cannot threaten, such as Tinkaton, can consistently come in on it throughout a game to ensure Stealth Rock stays up.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hawhatos.139162/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sablolol.466715/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Mandibuzz has a good typing, strong mixed bulk, and access to a variety of utility moves that allow it to act as a bulky pivot. It is one of the few Pokemon in the metagame to still learn Defog, giving it a niche as a bulky entry hazard remover. However, given its low offensive stats and reliance on its item for longevity, Mandibuzz can be overly passive and easily chipped down over the course of a game. This is especially true if the team relies too heavily on it to tank powerful attacks from foes while also removing entry hazards.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Tank**: Mandibuzz’s typing gives it a number of useful resistances and immunities, such as to Ghost, Psychic, and Ground. This combined with its excellent mixed bulk and access to Toxic allows Mandibuzz to check a wide variety of physical and special attackers as well as use its various utility options to chip opposing Pokemon down and avoid letting foes set up for free.
**Bulky Defogger**: Mandibuzz can use a combination of Defog and Roost to consistently come in throughout a game and remove entry hazards. Typically it will use a combination of Foul Play, Knock Off, Toxic, U-turn, and Whirlwind to avoid being setup bait.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Brave Bird, Dual Wingbeat, Foul Play, Knock Off
**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense, Nasty Plot
**Utility Moves**: Defog, Roost, Taunt, Toxic, U-turn, Whirlwind
**Coverage**: Heat Wave
Niche Moves
========
**Snarl**: Although it deals little damage, Snarl can be used in certain matchups to weaken an opposing special attacker while chipping it down. Snarl also goes through Substitute and can keep a Calm Mind setup sweeper from getting too many boosts.
**Tailwind**: Mandibuzz can use Tailwind to boost the Speed of slower offensive Pokemon. This works best with U-turn to get the best teammate in safely. Mandibuzz can use Weak Armor to switch in, get a Speed boost to help set up Tailwind, and more easily faint on the same turn.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Since Mandibuzz is weak to Stealth Rock, Heavy-Duty Boots is vital to its longevity and ability to consistently come in and check threats or remove entry hazards.
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet helps Mandibuzz punish pivot moves and physical attackers, securing chip damage for its teammates against foes that are otherwise difficult to wear down.
Niche Items
========
**Leftovers**: In matchups where Stealth Rock is not a threat, Leftovers can provide Mandibuzz with much-needed passive recovery to spend fewer turns using Roost.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb allows Mandibuzz to avoid a Taunt or Encore and do things like safely heal, remove entry hazards, or even use Taunt on the foe in return.
**Resistance Berries**: Resistance Berries give Mandibuzz the ability to take a super effective hit that would otherwise knock it out. This is especially helpful against boosted attackers that could otherwise break it, letting Mandibuzz knock them out with Foul Play or use Whirlwind on them to remove the boosts.
Tera
========
Mandibuzz should rarely, if ever, be chosen as a Tera Captain, as it cannot use Tera offensively and frequently relies on its typing to check threats. However, if necessary, Mandibuzz can utilize defensive Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Steel, and Poison to resist attacks that would otherwise be super effective.
Draft Strategy
========
Mandibuzz works best when filling out a team's defensive profile on rosters that already have their offensive core and need bulk and entry hazard removal.
**Steel- / Poison-types**: Pokemon of these types, such as Iron Treads, Metagross, and Iron Moth, pair especially well with Mandibuzz, switching in on Toxic and Fairy-type attacks that commonly target it.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Because it will commonly be a team's primary entry hazard removal option, Mandibuzz appreciates having other bulky teammates that can take off some of the pressure so it isn't worn down as easily. Pokemon like Jirachi, Galarian Slowking, and Swampert cover Mandibuzz’s weaknesses particularly well.
**Wallbreakers**: Being a bulky U-turn user lets Mandibuzz bring in teammates easily. Strong wallbreakers like Urshifu-R, Gholdengo, and Chi-Yu can take advantage of the free switches to break the opposing team.
**Entry Hazard Setting**: Mandibuzz appreciates teammates that can set entry hazards, as its common support moves like Toxic, Knock Off, and Whirlwind work well in conjunction with entry hazards to wear down foes. Pokemon like Great Tusk, Heatran, and Infernape that can both set entry hazards and prevent foes from setting theirs with either Rapid Spin or Taunt are especially helpful.
Checks and Counters
========
**Toxic**: Because Mandibuzz usually will be trying to check threats and keep entry hazards off, it is vital that it stays healthy. Being poisoned means that Mandibuzz will need to spend more time healing, which gives the opponent more opportunities to take advantage of it. Toxic damage also gives wallbreakers an easier range to 2HKO Mandibuzz, which stops it from checking threats throughout the game. Toxic users that can also set hazards and aren't afraid of Mandibuzz's own Toxic and Foul Play, such as Gliscor, Pecharunt, and Glimmora, are especially challenging to deal with.
**Knock Off**: Although Mandibuzz has an excellent resistance to Dark, it needs to avoid being hit by Knock Off from Pokemon it usually checks like Great Tusk, Meowscarada, and Rillaboom, since it relies on Heavy-Duty Boots to avoid taking damage from Stealth Rock. Without an item, Mandibuzz will struggle to check opposing Pokemon and safely remove entry hazards.
**Wallbreakers**: Although it has good mixed defenses, Mandibuzz isn't as bulky as many dedicated walls and can be broken by powerful attackers that can 2HKO it, including Choice Band and Specs users as well as naturally powerful wallbreakers such as Ursaluna-B and Chi-Yu. Iron Hands stands out as a physical wallbreaker that Mandibuzz struggles against due to a lack of Brave Bird weakness and strong secondary STAB moves to go with its Fighting typing. These wallbreakers can also force Mandibuzz to focus EVs into a single defense instead of spreading them out, weakening it on one end of the spectrum against the wallbreaker's teammates.
**Disruption**: Mandibuzz has little to no offensive presence, so Taunt or Encore from anything that isn't weak to Foul Play like Quaquaval, Ogerpon, and Scream Tail can prevent it from using most of its utility moves and keep it from recovering health.
**Stealth Rock**: Opposing Stealth Rock users can limit Mandibuzz by forcing it to both run Heavy-Duty Boots instead of a different item like Leftovers and use Defog instead of other utility moves like Toxic and Knock Off. Stealth Rock setters that threaten Mandibuzz offensively like Sandy Shocks and Glimmora make it difficult for Mandibuzz to effectively remove entry hazards. Similarly, hazard setters that Mandibuzz itself cannot threaten, such as Tinkaton, can consistently come in on it throughout a game to ensure Stealth Rock stays up.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hawhatos.139162/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sablolol.466715/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
