Best Nature for Maschiff and Mabosstiff in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

One of the many new Pokémon introduced in this generation, Maschiff and its evolution Mabosstiff are pure Dark type Pokémon, and appear to be based off guard dogs. Both have Intimidate as one of their possible regular abilities, which lowers the Attack of opponents. Maschiff has Run Away as its other regular ability, while Mabosstiff has Guard Dog, which is a unique ability that boosts its Attack stat if it has been hit by an Intimidate. This is our guide for the best nature for Maschiff and Mabosstiff in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Related: Best Nature for Bramblin and Brambleghast in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Finding the best nature for Maschiff and Mabosstiff

Offensive stats wise, Maschiff and Mabosstiff both skew towards Physical offense, with Maschiff having a base Attack stat of 78 compared to it’s base Sp. Attack of 40. Mabosstiff has a base Attack of 120, which is double that of its base Sp. Attack. Mabosstiff 80 base HP, 90 base Defense, 70 base Sp. Defense and 85 base Speed. There are two recommended best natures for Mabosstiff and by extension, Maschiff, Adamant and Jolly.

The Adamant nature lowers the Pokémon’s base Sp. Attack and increases its base Attack, which is fine in this case as you will not want to rely on Special moves to deal damage to opponents anyway. The Attack boost will increase Mabosstiff’s raw offensive power greatly, allowing it to deal more damage with hard hitting Physical moves such as Jaw Lock, Double-Edge and even the powerful Dragon-type move Outrage. Against defensive walls, this stat difference may mean the difference between victory and defeat.

On the other hand, the Jolly nature lowers the Pokémon’s base Sp. Attack, but increases its base Speed stat instead. With Mabosstiff’s 85 base Speed, it will get a decent increase in stats, allowing it to potentially outspeed opposing counters and glass cannons. This is especially important when dealing with hard counters, as the Speed advantage may allow Mabosstiff to land a super effective Psychic Fangs on an opposing Fighting type and change the tide of the battle.