Introduced in generation five, with the Pokemon Black and White games, Mandibuzz is a dual type dark and flying Pokemon. It is the final evolution of its two stage evolution line and evolves from Vullaby once it reaches the level threshold. Mandibuzz is classified by the Pokedex as the “Bone Vulture Pokemon” which may be a nod to its general design. This guide will showcase Mandibuzz’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Mandibuzz.
About Mandibuzz
As a generation five Pokemon, Mandibuzz first appeared in the Black and White season of the anime in the episode Meowth’s Scrafty Tactics. In this episode, two Mandibuzz were shown having a dispute over their nest and food. The Pokedex mentions that Mandibuzz can be seen flying circles in the sky waiting for weakened prey to collapse.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Black and White Meowth’s Scrafty Tactics |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | Final evolution of Vullaby, not known to evolve into any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 54 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Watching from the sky, they swoop to strike weakened Pokémon on the ground. They decorate themselves with bones. |
Mandibuzz Base Stats
| HP | 110 |
| ATTACK | 65 |
| DEFENCE | 105 |
| SP. ATTACK | 55 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 95 |
| SPEED | 80 |
| TOTAL | 510 |
Appearance
Mandibuzz is a large, bird-like Pokemon that resembles a vulture. Most of its body is black or gray, but its head and neck are bare and pink. There is a black outline around each of its eyes and a large brown tuft of fur extends from the back of its head. It has a wide spiked bone belt and two typical talons of flying Pokemon. Its beak is tipped gray to match the trim around Mandibuzz’s wings. Mandibuzz is an average sized Pokemon at 3 feet and 11 inches, or 1.2 meters, tall.
Behavior
Mandibuzz lives in arid climates, lying in wait for people or Pokemon to scavenge from. It lives in nests made from bones that it finds and it will spend all day waiting for prey to collapse so that it can drag them back to the nest. Mandibuzz is a female-only Pokemon but it will sometimes dress itself up in bones in a fruitless attempt to attract mates. The Pokedex confirms that dressing up with bones is an attempt to attract males, although a male Mandibuzz has never been found.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Mandibuzz can prove to be a dangerous Pokemon because while it does not have much in terms of physical and special attack, its defensive stats are impressive. With a good line up of physical and special defense matched by a strong health pool, Mandibuzz can be a resilient Pokemon. It also has a decent speed stat so it is not often slower than other Pokemon. As a dual type dark and flying type Pokemon, Mandibuzz takes 2x damage from rock, electric, ice, and fairy type moves. It is immune to ground and psychic type moves, and resistant to ghost, grass, and dark type moves.
Best Moveset
In competitive play, Mandibuzz is typically used for its defensive capabilities. With the Leftovers, as a held item, Overcoat ability, and access to defensive moves, Mandibuzz can slow down opposing Pokemon with ease. The combination of good base stats, defensive typing, and high health makes it difficult to shut down Mandibuzz. Consider running Foul Play, Roost, Defog, and U-Turn/Knock Off. Foul Play ensures that Mandibuzz deals significant damage against other damage dealing Pokemon, Roost ensures Mandibuzz’s longevity in battle, Defog can remove problematic hazards like Stealth Rocks, and U-Turn/Knock Off are interchangeable as efficient switch outs or as a way to deal with problematic held items respectively.
| Foul Play | Roost |
| Defog | U-Turn/Knock Off |
How to Catch Mandibuzz in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Mandibuzz in Pokemon Go, the only way to do so would be to first obtain a Vullaby and eventually evolve it into Mandibuzz. However, unlike most Pokemon, neither Vullaby or Mandibuzz will spawn in the wild and you have to hatch Vullaby from a 12 km egg and eventually evolve it into Mandibuzz. Both Vullaby and Mandibuzz have not appeared as raid bosses either, so you will need to hatch enough Vullaby or walk with it as your buddy to obtain candies. To evolve it, you will need 50 candies.
Trivia
- Despite Mandibuzz’s base special attack being its lowest stat, it will provide special attack EVs when defeated.
- The inspiration for Mandibuzz’s design seems to be based on an Old World vulture.
- The name Mandibuzz is a combination of the words mandible and buzzard.
FAQ
Who is better, Braviary or Mandibuzz?
Braviary presents a stronger offensive set, while Mandibuzz offers a near perfect defensive set. Unfortunately for Braviary, it is often outclassed by other offensive Pokemon while Mandibuzz can provide its own niche of usability. Mandibuzz is perfectly geared to be a defensive Pokemon, while Braviary can suffer from its own offensive set.
Is Mandibuzz any good?
Throughout competitive history, Mandibuzz has managed to remain somewhat relevant throughout the new generations of Pokemon play. Its base stats coupled with defensive moves can allow Mandibuzz to slow down many different strategies. Without an obvious type disadvantage, Mandibuzz can often outlast other Pokemon.
Can Mandibuzz evolve?
Mandibuzz is the final evolution of its two stage evolution line and it evolves from Vullaby once it reaches level 54. Mandibuzz itself will not evolve again and there is no special condition to fulfill for evolving other than reaching the level threshold. Once Vullaby reaches level 54 you just need to let the evolution animation play without pressing the “B” button.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Bone Vulture Pokemon”. The impact by Mandibuzz on the competitive environment is not the most impactful, it was simply a good defensive Pokemon that was not too unfair in its approach or its projected potential. Mandibuzz is a solid Pokemon that can offer a way to slow down opposing Pokemon. Reserve a slot on your team for Mandibuzz if you want a defensive dark and flying Pokemon.
