Is Vullaby Good in Sword & Shield Playthrough?
Vullaby is Shield's counterpart to Rufflet. Dark/Flying evolving into Mandibuzz at level 54. AbilityOvercoat blocks weather damage and powder moves. Mandibuzz is a defensive tank. Shield-leaning availability.
Vullaby resists most of Milo's coverage and hits back hard.
Vullaby trades roughly evenly with Nessa's team.
Vullaby trades roughly evenly with Kabu's team.
Vullaby trades roughly evenly with Bea's team.
Opal's team hits Vullaby's weaknesses hard.
Gordie's team hits Vullaby's weaknesses hard.
Vullaby trades roughly evenly with Piers's team.
Raihan's team hits Vullaby's weaknesses hard.
Bede's team hits Vullaby's weaknesses hard.
Mandibuzz trades roughly evenly with Leon's team.
Catch Vullaby on Bridge Field (walking, Lv 26-28). Sandstorm.
Your Vullaby should hit Level 54 before you reach Leon, at typical leveling pace.
How to Get Vullaby in Sword & Shield
Vullaby's scattered across 20 spots in early-game routes with decent spawn rates. Check the list below for the closest location to wherever you are in the game. This one's quick.
Where To Catch Vullaby in SwSh
Vullaby is your first catch on the way to Vullaby. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 10-58 across 30 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Vullaby ✓Potbottom DesertLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%OvercastPotbottom DesertLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%SandstormPotbottom DesertLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%ThunderstormPotbottom DesertLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%Normal WeatherPotbottom DesertLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%RainingPotbottom DesertLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%Intense SunPotbottom DesertLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%SnowstormPotbottom DesertLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%Heavy FogPotbottom DesertLv.10-15OverworldShieldRate 5%SnowingBridge FieldLv.26-28GrassShieldRate 25%SandstormStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldShieldRate 5%OvercastStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldShieldRate 5%SandstormStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldShieldRate 5%ThunderstormStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldShieldRate 5%Normal WeatherStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldShieldRate 5%RainingStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldShieldRate 5%Intense SunStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldShieldRate 5%SnowstormStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldShieldRate 5%Heavy FogStony Wilderness - 2Lv.28-30OverworldShieldRate 5%SnowingRoute 8Lv.39-41OverworldShieldRate 10%All Weather
Step 2Catch or Evolve into MandibuzzDusty Bowl - FlyingLv.54OverworldShieldRate 100%SnowstormDusty Bowl - FlyingLv.54OverworldShieldRate 100%SnowingDusty Bowl - FlyingLv.54OverworldShieldRate 100%OvercastDusty Bowl - FlyingLv.54OverworldShieldRate 100%SandstormDusty Bowl - FlyingLv.54OverworldShieldRate 100%ThunderstormDusty Bowl - FlyingLv.54OverworldShieldRate 100%Normal WeatherDusty Bowl - FlyingLv.54OverworldShieldRate 100%RainingDusty Bowl - FlyingLv.54OverworldShieldRate 100%Intense SunDusty Bowl - FlyingLv.54OverworldShieldRate 98%Heavy FogLake of OutrageLv.55-58OverworldShieldRate 25%Normal Weatheror evolve from Vullaby (Step 1)
Vullaby Weakness
Electric, Ice, Rock, and Fairy moves hit Vullaby for super-effective damage. The upside? Ground and Psychic-type moves can't touch it at all.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ice, Rock, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground, Psychic |
What is Vullaby Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Vullaby
 Raichu Electric | C | |
 Glaceon Ice | B | |
 Onix RockGround | C | |
 Roggenrola Rock | C | |
 Joltik BugElectric | D | |
 Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
 Vikavolt BugElectric | B | |
Raichu Electric | C | |
 Mamoswine IceGround | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Mamoswine builds →Ice Fang 2x80-95% Ancient Power 2x35-41% | ||
 Toxtricity ElectricPoison | C | |
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Vikavolt BugElectric | B | |
Raichu Electric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Raichu builds →Thunderbolt 2x93-110%KO Draining Kiss 2x35-41% | ||
Mamoswine IceGround | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Mamoswine builds →Ice Fang 2x81-96% Ancient Power 2x35-41% | ||
 Beartic Ice | C | |
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
 Hatterene PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Hatterene builds →Dazzling Gleam 2x111-132%KO | ||
Vikavolt BugElectric | B | |
 Grimmsnarl DarkFairy | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Grimmsnarl builds →Spirit Break 2x85-100%KO | ||
Raichu Electric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Raichu builds →Thunderbolt 2x89-105%KO Draining Kiss 2x34-41% | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Gardevoir builds →Moonblast 2x124-147%KO Icy Wind 2x48-57% | ||
Hatterene PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Hatterene builds →Dazzling Gleam 2x112-133%KO | ||
Vikavolt BugElectric | B | |
Grimmsnarl DarkFairy | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Grimmsnarl builds →Spirit Break 2x87-102%KO | ||
 Avalugg Ice | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Avalugg builds →Ice Fang 2x73-86% Rock Slide 2x57-67% | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Gardevoir builds →Moonblast 2x125-148%KO Icy Wind 2x49-59% | ||
Hatterene PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Hatterene builds →Dazzling Gleam 2x114-135%KO | ||
Grimmsnarl DarkFairy | B | |
Vikavolt BugElectric | B | |
 Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
 Crustle BugRock | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Crustle builds →Rock Wrecker 2x154-181%KO | ||
 Tyranitar RockDark | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Tyranitar builds →Stone Edge 2x128-151%KO Ice Punch 2x64-75% Thunder Punch 2x64-75% | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Gardevoir builds →Moonblast 2x127-149%KO Icy Wind 2x49-58% Thunder Punch 2x36-42% | ||
Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Sudowoodo builds →Head Smash 2x148-175%KO Ice Punch 2x50-59% Thunder Punch 2x50-59% | ||
Hatterene PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Hatterene builds →Dazzling Gleam 2x117-137%KO | ||
Crustle BugRock | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Crustle builds →Rock Wrecker 2x154-181%KO | ||
Tyranitar RockDark | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Tyranitar builds →Stone Edge 2x128-151%KO Ice Punch 2x64-75% Thunder Punch 2x64-75% | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Gardevoir builds →Moonblast 2x127-149%KO Icy Wind 2x49-58% Thunder Punch 2x36-42% | ||
Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Sudowoodo builds →Head Smash 2x148-175%KO Ice Punch 2x50-59% Thunder Punch 2x50-59% | ||
 Tyrantrum RockDragon | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Tyrantrum builds →Head Smash 2x174-205%KO Thunder Fang 2x51-60% Ice Fang 2x51-60% | ||
Crustle BugRock | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Crustle builds →Rock Wrecker 2x154-181%KO | ||
Tyranitar RockDark | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Tyranitar builds →Stone Edge 2x128-151%KO Ice Punch 2x64-75% Thunder Punch 2x64-75% | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Gardevoir builds →Moonblast 2x127-149%KO Icy Wind 2x49-58% Thunder Punch 2x36-42% | ||
Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Sudowoodo builds →Head Smash 2x148-175%KO Ice Punch 2x50-59% Thunder Punch 2x50-59% | ||
Tyrantrum RockDragon | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Tyrantrum builds →Head Smash 2x174-205%KO Thunder Fang 2x51-60% Ice Fang 2x51-60% | ||
In Sword & Shield, Raikou's Thunderbolt hits Vullaby for 75-88%. Terrakion's Stone Edge also KOs at 91-107%.
 Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Weavile builds →Knock Off9-11% Ice Shard 2x24-28% | ||
 Raikou Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Raikou builds →Thunderbolt 2x75-88% Scald22-26% Aura Sphere22-26% | ||
 Terrakion RockFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemChoice Band NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Terrakion builds →Stone Edge 2x91-107%KO Close Combat54-64% | ||
 Mimikyu GhostFairy | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityDisguise ItemLife Orb NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Vullaby View Mimikyu builds →Play Rough 2x56-66% Shadow Sneak6-8% Drain Punch16-18% | ||
Vullaby Evolutions
Vullaby is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Mandibuzz. Check the evolution method below. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolved forms gain up to 140 total stats over Vullaby. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
SwSh Vullaby Best Moveset
Dark/Flying pre-evo with AbilityOvercoat blocking weather and powder moves. 75 Defense at 70 HP gives some physical bulk for a first stage. The moveset is defensive but can't compete yet. Evolve into Mandibuzz for the A-tier defensive profile.
Best Build
Vullaby best EVs are Defense and HP
Wall Moveset
- Toxic
- Defog
- Knock Off
- Roost
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Without breeding, Vullaby misses out on Mean Look and Roost. That's 3 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Brave Bird and Foul Play, with Normal and Fire coverage and more rounding things out.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It wears a bone to protect its rear. It often squabbles with others of its kind over particularly comfy bones.
Vullaby grow quickly. Bones that have gotten too small for older Vullaby to wear often get passed down to younger ones in the nest.
Vullaby Sword & Shield Guide
At 370 BST, Vullaby is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Mandibuzz before bringing it to any serious fight.
In Sword & Shield, watch for Raikou (Electric), Lapras (Ice), and Aerodactyl (Rock) when using Vullaby. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Fairy-type attackers are also a problem.
Big Pecks protects against Defense drops. That's the one you want on Vullaby. Weak Armor is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses. Overcoat works too if your team needs something different.
Vullaby is a physical attacker with base 55 Attack. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the support role.
In Sword & Shield, For a casual playthrough, Vullaby works as a placeholder. Dark/Flying coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Mandibuzz. That's where the stats start mattering.
Game Availability
Since Black & White, Vullaby has been obtainable in 8 games. A Generation 5 debut means a shorter history, but Vullaby has appeared steadily across every generation since.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BWDebut
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves