Delibird, the Delivery Pokémon. It carries food all day long. There are tales about lost people who were saved by the food it had. It always carries its food with it, wherever it goes. If attacked, it throws its food at the opponent. It carries food rolled up in its tail. It has a habit of sharing food with people lost in the mountains.
Overview
Every year Delibird rises to prominence in its coat of red and white pseudo beard to remind us of Christmas and the spirit of cheer and generosity that accompanies it. Delibird reflects this generosity in its very being, from its Pokédex entries to its signature move in Present holding a delightful surprise for its targets, Delibird reminds us all to treasure the bonds we have with our loved ones.
For that is all the good that can be said about Delibird. With base stats on par with a first form starter, Delibird is one of the worst fully evolved Pokémon in the entire series. Base 45 defenses across the board already paint a dire picture, being comparable to the already notoriously frail Dugtrio and Wugtrio, but adding a horrendous Ice Flying typing means beyond Ground attacks, Delibird offers no meaningful defensive utility. Offensively, Delibird doesn’t look much better. While Ice and Flying are fearsome attacking types, base 55 Attack and 65 Special Attack leave Delibird reliant on type matchups to deal any significant damage. While Delibird can get more out of its paltry physical attack with Hustle, it is still so weak it struggles to get OHKOs even when stacked with a Choice Band. Even if one could garner utility, offensive or otherwise, out of Delibird, its below average speed makes its bulk even worse, making it laughably easy to remove before it can deliver anything of note. If looking for a terrifying Silent Night, go for Iron Bundle, for Delibird struggles at every avenue.
Positives
Decent support movepool with solid hazard control can allow Delibird to impact an entire match.
Ice and Flying are decently strong offensive STABs and with a handy Ground immunity.
Embodiment of Christmas Spirit.
Negatives
Everything Else
Movesets
Carol of the Dels
-Ice Spinner
-Drill Peck
-Drill Run
-Seed Bomb
Ability: Hustle
Item: Choice Band
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
With Choice Band and Hustle, Delibird can attempt to reach levels of greatness, grabbing OHKOs on frail targets weak to its attacks and quad weak targets, provided it doesn't miss. Ice Spinner is a good start given the immense coverage of Ice, obliterating Alolan-Exeggutor, Cacturne, Trevenaunt, and Noctowl as well as usually handling Goodra. Drill Peck, while also handling the aformentioned Grass types, also threatens Hitmontop, Frosmoth and Falinks. Drill Run provides valuable coverage against the Steel, Rock and Fire types that like switching into Delibirds STABs giving such pivots a slightly stronger blow. Seed Bomb, in addition to handling the Rock types also threatens Water types looking to use Delibird's Ice Spinner as free entry, such as Clawitzer and Lapras.
Tera Types:
As much as Delibird's horrid base typing drags it down, you never want to Terastalize Delibird, instead saving the Terastalization for Delibird's invariably better teammates. If for some reason you really want to Terastalize Delibird, offensive Teras are recommended for the Choice set, since this Delibird's job is to deal damage. Tera Flying is preferred, maintaining Delibird's valuable immunity to Ground while allowing Delibird to OHKO bulky Fighting and Bug types like Emboar, Hariyama and Rabasca. Tera Ground is also tempting to handle the sturdy Steel and Rock types while giving a nasty surprise to Electric types looking for an easy knock out against Delibird. If running Ice Shard, Tera Ice is workable for the considerable boost it gets to both base power and the Tera Boosted STAB.
EVs and Items:
As with most Choice Attackers, you want max Attack and max Speed investment to get the most out of each attack. For Delibird, a Speed boosting nature is nonnegotiable. With such horrid bulk, Delibird needs to outspeed as many targets as possible to avoid that bulk being exploited and its base 75 Speed is just not enough to suffice. Choice Band is the recommended item, as the effect stacks with Hustle to give Delibird something resembling stopping power. Life Orb is an alternative if one wants move flexibility, but the drop in power is quite noticeable.
Partners:
Normally having a pivot for Delibird's weaknesses would be ideal, so one can ideally pivot in a supposed Delibird check to safely get in a Pokémon that would normally cream Delibird. However, with Delibird's overwhelming frailty, just about anything that naturally outspeeds Delibird can come in and remove it, regardless of type matchups. Answers to physical walls are preferred given how much Banded Hustle Delibird struggles to break them. Scarf Typhlosion, while abhorring switching in, is an excellent revenge killer for Delibird, obliterating the Orthworm that completely walls it and capable of threatening out Regirock if need be. Scarf Passimian is another excellent revenge killer thanks to the wide anti-Rock and Steel coverage from its Fighting STAB while being hard to outspeed itself.
Other Options:
Ice Shard is a tantalizing priority option given the wide coverage of Ice and STAB, but Delibird's power is so lacking that it is difficult to get knock outs.
If not running Choice Band, Trailblaze is an option to address Delibird's below average Speed, but the low power and possibility of a Hustle miss are agonizing.
The Fight Before Christmas
-Spikes
-Rapid Spin
-Endeavor
-Ice Shard
Ability: Vital Spirit/Insomnia
Item: Focus Sash
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
This Delibird is meant to be used as a lead set, establishing Spikes, while denying opponents their own hazards, before being promptly removed for the rest of the team to take center stage. Spikes is key to this set, allowing Delibrd to set the vital hazards, and allowing Delibird to meaningfully contribute to the entire battle. Rapid Spin is an excellent tool, both removing the hazards your opponent places down and improving Delibird’s speed, making it easier for Delibird to act before it acts. The latter half half of the moveset allows Delibird to contribute before going down. Endeavor is a powerful weapon in Delibird’s hands given its poor HP and the ease it is to knock down to Focus Sash, allowing Delibird to quickly bring an opponent down to its level. Ice Shard combines well with a Focus Sash powered Endeavor, allowing Delibird to get an easy knock out before it is removed in turn.
Tera Types:
As much as Delibird’s horrid base typing drags it down, you never want to Terastalize Delibird, instead saving the Terastalization for Delibird’s invariably better teammates. Doubly so for a lead set whose purpose is to set hazards and be removed. However, for both this and for a dedicated Spikes support, Tera Ghost is by far the best for hazard Delibird, blocking opposing Rapid Spins that would undo all Delibird’s hard work.
EVs and Items:
This set is for max Speed and Attack. One is aiming for full aggression, having Delibird pile on as much damage as possible before going down. Attack investment is recommended since running Ice Shard. If running Freeze Dry or Ice Beam instead, Special Attack investment is recommended. Max Speed is required either way due to Delibird’s extreme frailty and horrid typing making defensive investment a lost cause. It should be noted never to run Hustle with Rapid Spin, as the chance of Rapid Spin missing is not worth the increase in power. Focus Sash is recommended for lead Delibird given its poor frailty while pairing wonderfully with Endeavor for compromising a target on the opponent’s team. If one wishes to use Delibird as dedicated hazard support, Heavy-Duty Boots is recommended so that Delibird can repeatedly come in on Stealth Rocks and remove them.
Partners:
Lead Delibird sets favor highly aggressive teams that aim to keep the opponent on the back foot, preventing them from safely removing Spikes. Pokémon like Jolteon, Whimsicott, Zangoose and Typhlosion all fit this team style well.
Other Options:
Destiny Bond is a great way of placing an opponent in a lose lose scenario with Delibird. Either lose one of your Pokémon in exchange for Delibird or not remove it and allow Delibird to continue setting Spikes.
Ice Beam and Freeze Dry are good STAB options for their wide coverage, allowing Delibird to pile on damage after setting Spikes.
Countering Delibird
With Delibird’s general failings in so many areas it is more of a question of what can’t check Delibird as opposed to what can.
Lead Delibird is annoying due to its access with Endeavor and pitiful base HP making it laughably easy to compromise most Pokémon down by slashing their HP, especially if they hit Delibird first. Ghost types like Spiritomb, Sableye, Dusknoir, Froslass and Rotom are notable for avoiding Endeavor and Counter but barring Prankster Sableye’s Taunt, Froslass and Rotom, none of them are faster than Delibird and by extension struggle to limit the Spikes it can stack. Multihit moves also work well, obliterating Delibird through Focus Sash. Lycanroc is ideal, outspeeding Delibird and easily securing the knockout through Rock Blast. Sneasel is another excellent example with Triple Axel.
Hustle Delibird is somewhat simpler to handle, given its low attack has it struggle to make any progress of note against physical walls provided they are not weak to Ice or Flying. Orthworm hard walls Delibird given its resistance to both STABs and immunity to Drill Run, while Regirock’s titanic Defense ensures that Drill Run only deals a mere pittance. Alolan Persian naturally outspeeds Delibird and with Fur Coat easily tanks any attack before crippling Delibird’s damage output with Knock Off. Glastrier also possesses the requisite bulk to only be 3HKO’d by Drill Peck and OHKO’s with Icicle Crash or Close Combat. These checks can have an even easier time when considering the possibility of a Hustle miss.
When all else fails, just hit Delibrd. If the Pokémon is faster, and has better offenses than an Alolan Persian, are more than capable of taking Delibird out.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Ice Path (Silver, Crystal)
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Trade from FireRed
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Icefall Cave (FireRed)
Colosseum/XD:
Snagged from Cipher Peon Arton in Realgam Tower's Dome (Colosseum)
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Route 216 (Diamond/Pearl)
Route 217 (Platinum)
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Ice Path (SoulSilver)
Black/White:
Giant Chasm
Black 2/White 2:
Route 22, Giant Chasm
X/Y:
Route 17
Friend Safari
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Shoal Cave
Sun/Moon:
Route 3
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Seaward Cave
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game
Sword/Shield:
Route 8, Axew's Eye, Dappled Grove, Dusty Bowl, Giant's Cap, Giant's Mirror, Giant's Seat, Hammerlocke Hills, North Lake Miloch, Rolling Fields, South Lake Miloch, Watchtower Ruins, West Lake Axewell, Snowslide Slope
Max Raid Battles: Dusty Bowl, East Lake Axewell, Giant's Cap, Giant's Seat, Hammerlocke Hills, Stony Wilderness, Slippery Slope, Frostpoint Field, Giant's Bed, Old Cemetery, Snowslide Slope, Path to the Peak, Crown Shrine, Giant's Foot, Frigid Sea, Three-Point Pass, Ballimere Lake, Dyna Tree Hill
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Route 216, Grand Underground
Legends: Arceus:
Not in game
Scarlet/Violet:
Glaseado Mountain
Tera Raid Battles: 5 Star Raid Battles
Legends: Z-A:
Wild Zone 12, Wild Zone 20, Hyperspace Lumiose
Anime Appearences
