Overview
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Sporting solid but in no way remarkable 125 / 95 / 105 offenses and almost nonexistent bulk, Mienshao has a very hard time carving itself a niche in the OU metagame, given that it is, for the most part, outclassed by faster, stronger Fighting-types such as Mega-Lopunny, Terrakion, Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross and Conkeldurr. However, Mienshao can take advantage of two very good abilities in Reckless and Regenerator; the former powers up its main STAB move, High Jump Kick, to great levels, and the latter increases its longevity.
It also has access to a few utility moves; Fake Out makes it a good Focus Sash breaker and anti-lead, while U-Turn is great at generating momentum and pairs up extremely well with Regenerator. Mienshao's movepool gives it the ability to hit Fairy, Psychic, and Ghost types quite hard courtesy of Poison Jab and Knock Off respectively.
Life Orb Attacker
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name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 3: U-turn
move 2: Fake Out / Poison Jab
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Poison Jab
ability: Reckless
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Speed
nature: Naive / Jolly
Moves
========
High Jump Kick is a great main STAB move as it hits very hard thanks to Reckless and even severely dents some of the frailer Pokemon that resist it, such as Latios and Talonflame. U-turn not only gives Mienshao a bit more utility, enabling it to generate momentum and bring something in for free, but also hits Psychic-types, such as Latias, Starmie, and Celebi, which would be be able to switch into it without too much difficulty otherwise. Fake Out makes it a good anti-lead, enabling it to break the Focus Sashesof the likes of Garchomp, Breloom, Mamoswine, and Tyranitar, all of which it can KO with High Jump Kick the next turn. Hidden Power Ice is the preferred move in the last slot since it hits Landorus-T and Gliscor, both of which can easily switch on any other one of Mienshao's moves. However, Poison Jab is also a very good option that hits Fairies, (AC) such as Mega Gardevoir and Clefable, which take little damage from High Jump Kick and U-turn for heavy damage. It should be noted that Poison Jab isn't necessary for hitting Azumarill since High Jump Kick 2HKOes it anyway. Stone Edge can also be a decent option, enabling Mienshao to hit faster Flying-types, such as Tornadus-T and Mega Pinsir; however, most Flying-types are hit very hard by its STAB High Jump Kick regardless.
Set Details
========
This set runs a fully offensive EV spread since there is no real benefit to investing anywhere else, with Mienshao being as frail as it is. A Speed-boosting nature is necessary to be an effective anti-lead against Garchomp andoutspeed Landorus. Reckless is the preferred ability given that it powers up Mienshao's High Jump Kick, making it hit a lot harder. Specifically, it guarantees that a combination of Fake Out and High Jump Kick will KO Focus Sash Garchomp. Life Orb increases the power of Mienshao's moves without locking it into any of them, which would be very counterproductive with Fake Out. If you dislike Mienshao taking recoil damage from Fake Out and U-turn, a Fist Plate can be given to it instead. A Naive nature should be used if Hidden PowerIce is being used; otherwise, a spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed with a Jolly nature should be used instead.
Usage Tips
========
This set should be used as a lead and anti-lead to stop the opponent from gaining momentum early on in the match. Use Fake Out on the first turn when facing a Focus Sash lead or if Mienshao needs the prior damage to take the opponent out;however, don't be too reckless when using Fake Out since Mienshao may take recoil for no good reason, especially if the opponent sends in a Rough Skin or Iron Barbs Pokemon predicting the Fake Out. Mienshao should always use U-turn on slower Pokemon that threaten it unless they carry priority, in which case you should pull a manual switch if you want to keep Mienshao for later. Don't spam High Jump Kick or Fake Out against any team that carries a Ghost-type, as that can backfire very badly for obvious reasons. Play around Ghost-types with U-turn instead.
Team Options
========
Mienshao is to be used on offensive teams that want to stop opposing offensive teams that employ a Focus Sash lead from laying down entry hazards. Make sure you have a Pokemon that can take on bulky Psychic-types, such as Slowbro or Cresselia, since Mienshao cannot get past them. You should also have an answer to Fairy-types, especially if you do not run Poison Jab, as well as something that can check Talonflame and Pinsir for they can take care of Mienshao very easily. A Pursuit user, such as Choice Scarf Tyranitar, is a very good partner since Mienshao can bait in Ghost-types, such as Gengar, and Psychic-types, such as Latios, use U-turn on them, and subsequently trap them with the Pursuit user of choice. Tyranitar is particularly good given that it also checks Flying-types . Mienshao also enjoys the support of a Stealth Rock setter, such as Heatran or Mamowine, to wear down the opposing team.
Offensive Pivot
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name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Stone Edge / Poison Jab / Fake Out
ability: Regenerator
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Speed
nature: Naive / Jolly
Moves
========
High Jump Kick is Mienshao's most powerful STAB move. U-turn is also an absolute must, as it not hits Psychic-types quite hard, but it also pairs up very well with Regenerator, giving Mienshao a good chunk of health back every time it uses the move. Knock Off is a very good move, since it hits Ghost-types, deals more damage to Psychic-types than U-turn and has great utility in general. When combined with Knock Off, U-turn and Regenerator make Mienshao very good at wearing down foes. Hidden PowerIce hits bulky Flying-and Ground-types, specifically Gliscor, Landorus and Landorus-T. However, Poison Jab nets a 2HKO on Fairies such as Clefable, Mega Gardevoir, and Azumarill, while Stone Edge lets Mienshao hit Flying-types that fear neither High Jump Kick nor U-turn, such as Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, Tornadus-T, and Mega Pinsir. Fake Out is usable, but most switch-ins to Mienshao don't mind Fake Out anyway.
Set Details
========
Full offensive EVs should be a given, as there is no benefit to investing in Mienshao's bulk. A Speed-increasing nature enables Mienshao to outspeed Garchomp, (AC)Landorus-T, (AC) and positive-natured base 100s. Regenerator gives Mienshao a solid amount of longevity and stops it from getting worn down, especially when combined with U-turn. Life Orb pairs extremely well with Regenerator since Regenerator cancels out its recoil damage and then some, giveing Mienshao 23% of itshealth back every time it uses U-turn. A Naive nature should be chosen if Hidden Power Ice is used; otherwise, a Jolly nature with a spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed is better since althoughthe extra bulk isn't necessary, Mienshao does not need the Special Attack for anything.
Usage Tips
========
U-turn should be used most of the time, especially early-game, to rack up chip damage on the opponent. Always U-turnout of slower Pokemon that Mienshao cannot KO and lack priority that threatens Mienshao. If you predict a Ghost-type to come in to absorb High Jump Kick, either use Knock Off or U-turn out into a Pursuit trapper. Knock Off is a very safe move to use in general if you expect a check to switch in, since even Pokemon that resist it are crippled by it, excluding Mega Evolutions. Specifically, Knock Off removes Leftovers, which lets Mienshao wear down defensive switch-ins more easily.
Team Options
========
Pursuit trappers are very good partners for Mienshao, since they can deal with the Ghost- and Psychic-types that cause trouble for it. Bisharp is very good given that it also checks Clefable. Choice Scarf Tyranitar is also a solid partner given its ability to check Flying-types. Mienshao enjoys support from Pokemon that can take priority moves aimed at it, specifically Flying-type priority moves from Pinsir and Talonflame. Rotom-W in particular is a good teammate since it forms a VoltTurn core with Mienshao and checks Azumarill and Sand Rush Excadrill, both of which can cause trouble for Mienshao. Since Mienshao is very vulnerable to Fairy-type attacks, a teammate that can switch into them easily, such as Heatran or Mega Scizor is appreciated. Heatran also lays down Stealth Rock, which helps wear down Mienshao's checks.
Other Options
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Mienshao can run a decent Choice Scarf set thanks to U-turn, but it receives a lot of competition from Landorus-T, which is far bulkier and has a typing more suited for a Choice Scarf user and Terrakion, which is faster and has far a better STAB combination. Mienshao can also run a Substitute + Baton Pass set, which takes advantage of the switches it causes and can easily let something come in for free, possibly behind a Substitute. This set also pairs very well with Regenerator, since Mienshao gets health back every time it passes a Substitute.
Checks & Counters
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**Ghost-Types**: Mega-Sableye, Gengar, and Gourgeist-S are all very threatening to Mienshao, since they stop it from safely using High Jump Kick. Reckless Mienshao can't do much to Ghost-types in general, but the Regenerator set has access to Knock Off and can therefore hurt them more.
**Fairy-Types**: Fairy-types, such as Clefable, can take High Jump Kicks and retaliate with a super-effective STAB move. They do not fear any move from Mienshao besides Poison Jab and can therefore easily switch into it. However, some less bulky Fairy-types still take a lot from High Jump Kick: for instance, Azumarill and Mega Gardevoir are 2HKOed by Reckless Life Orb High Jump Kicki if Stealth Rock is up.
**Flying-types**: Flying-types, such as Tornadus-T, Thundurus, Talonflame, and Mega Charizard Y, resist Mienshao's most common moves and can OHKO it with a super-effective STAB move, or STAB Fire move in Mega Charizard Y's case
**Priority Users** : Mienshao's lack of bulk and average defensive typing make it very weak to priority from the likes of Pinsir, Azumarill, and Dragonite.
**Faster Attackers** :
Due to Mienshao's extreme frailty, almost any faster attacker, such as Greninja, Keldeo, and Terrakion, or Choice Scarf user, such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Garchomp), can threaten to KO it.
**Psychic-types**: Faster Psychic-types that are faster than Mienshao and can take one High Jump Kick, such as Latios, Starmie, and Azelf, threaten to KO it, while bulkier Psychic-types, such as Slowbro, Mew, and Cresselia, can take U-turn and even Knock Off from it.However, U-turn lets Mienshao escape while dealing a big chunk of damage.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Mega-Venusaur and Amoonguss, resist Mienshao's main STAB move and can usually take every other move it carries quite well.
**Bulky Ground-types**: If Mienshao lacks Hidden Power Ice, most bulky Ground-types, such as Landorus-T and Gliscor, can usually take it on decently, though the former gets worn down by repeated High Jump Kicks a lot. Hippowdon gets a special mention for its ability to even take Life Orb-boosted Hidden Power Ices.
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Sporting solid but in no way remarkable 125 / 95 / 105 offenses and almost nonexistent bulk, Mienshao has a very hard time carving itself a niche in the OU metagame, given that it is, for the most part, outclassed by faster, stronger Fighting-types such as Mega-Lopunny, Terrakion, Mega Medicham, Mega Heracross and Conkeldurr. However, Mienshao can take advantage of two very good abilities in Reckless and Regenerator; the former powers up its main STAB move, High Jump Kick, to great levels, and the latter increases its longevity.
It also has access to a few utility moves; Fake Out makes it a good Focus Sash breaker and anti-lead, while U-Turn is great at generating momentum and pairs up extremely well with Regenerator. Mienshao's movepool gives it the ability to hit Fairy, Psychic, and Ghost types quite hard courtesy of Poison Jab and Knock Off respectively.
Life Orb Attacker
########
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 3: U-turn
move 2: Fake Out / Poison Jab
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Poison Jab
ability: Reckless
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Speed
nature: Naive / Jolly
Moves
========
High Jump Kick is a great main STAB move as it hits very hard thanks to Reckless and even severely dents some of the frailer Pokemon that resist it, such as Latios and Talonflame. U-turn not only gives Mienshao a bit more utility, enabling it to generate momentum and bring something in for free, but also hits Psychic
Set Details
========
This set runs a fully offensive EV spread since there is no real benefit to investing anywhere else, with Mienshao being as frail as it is. A Speed-boosting nature is necessary to be an effective anti-lead against Garchomp andoutspeed Landorus. Reckless is the preferred ability given that it powers up Mienshao's High Jump Kick, making it hit a lot harder. Specifically, it guarantees that a combination of Fake Out and High Jump Kick will KO Focus Sash Garchomp. Life Orb increases the power of Mienshao's moves without locking it into any of them, which would be very counterproductive with Fake Out. If you dislike Mienshao taking recoil damage from Fake Out and U-turn, a Fist Plate can be given to it instead. A Naive nature should be used if Hidden PowerIce is being used; otherwise, a spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed with a Jolly nature should be used instead.
Usage Tips
========
This set should be used as a lead and anti-lead to stop the opponent from gaining momentum early on in the match. Use Fake Out on the first turn when facing a Focus Sash lead or if Mienshao needs the prior damage to take the opponent out;however, don't be too reckless when using Fake Out since Mienshao may take recoil for no good reason, especially if the opponent sends in a Rough Skin or Iron Barbs Pokemon predicting the Fake Out. Mienshao should always use U-turn on slower Pokemon that threaten it unless they carry priority, in which case you should pull a manual switch if you want to keep Mienshao for later. Don't spam High Jump Kick or Fake Out against any team that carries a Ghost-type, as that can backfire very badly for obvious reasons. Play around Ghost-types with U-turn instead.
Team Options
========
Mienshao is to be used on offensive teams that want to stop opposing offensive teams that employ a Focus Sash lead from laying down entry hazards. Make sure you have a Pokemon that can take on bulky Psychic-types, such as Slowbro or Cresselia, since Mienshao cannot get past them. You should also have an answer to Fairy-types, especially if you do not run Poison Jab, as well as something that can check Talonflame and Pinsir for th
Offensive Pivot
########
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Stone Edge / Poison Jab / Fake Out
ability: Regenerator
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Speed
nature: Naive / Jolly
Moves
========
High Jump Kick is Mienshao's most powerful STAB move. U-turn is also an absolute must, as it not hits Psychic-types quite hard, but it also pairs up very well with Regenerator, giving Mienshao a good chunk of health back every time it uses the move. Knock Off is a very good move, since it hits Ghost-types, deals more damage to Psychic-types than U-turn and has great utility in general. When combined with Knock Off, U-turn and Regenerator make Mienshao very good at wearing down foes. Hidden PowerIce hits bulky Flying-and Ground-types, specifically Gliscor, Landorus and Landorus-T. However, Poison Jab nets a 2HKO on Fairies such as Clefable, Mega Gardevoir, and Azumarill, while Stone Edge lets Mienshao hit Flying-types that fear neither High Jump Kick nor U-turn, such as Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, Tornadus-T, and Mega Pinsir. Fake Out is usable, but most switch-ins to Mienshao don't mind Fake Out anyway.
Set Details
========
Full offensive EVs should be a given, as there is no benefit to investing in Mienshao's bulk. A Speed-increasing nature enables Mienshao to outspeed Garchomp, (AC)Landorus-T, (AC) and positive-natured base 100s. Regenerator gives Mienshao a solid amount of longevity and stops it from getting worn down, especially when combined with U-turn. Life Orb pairs extremely well with Regenerator since Regenerator cancels out its recoil damage and then some, giveing Mienshao 23% of itshealth back every time it uses U-turn. A Naive nature should be chosen if Hidden Power Ice is used; otherwise, a Jolly nature with a spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Speed is better since althoughthe extra bulk isn't necessary, Mienshao does not need the Special Attack for anything.
Usage Tips
========
U-turn should be used most of the time, especially early-game, to rack up chip damage on the opponent. Always U-turnout of slower Pokemon that Mienshao cannot KO and lack priority that threatens Mienshao. If you predict a Ghost-type to come in to absorb High Jump Kick, either use Knock Off or U-turn out into a Pursuit trapper. Knock Off is a very safe move to use in general if you expect a check to switch in, since even Pokemon that resist it are crippled by it, excluding Mega Evolutions. Specifically, Knock Off removes Leftovers, which lets Mienshao wear down defensive switch-ins more easily.
Team Options
========
Pursuit trappers are very good partners for Mienshao, since they can deal with the Ghost- and Psychic-types that cause trouble for it. Bisharp is very good given that it also checks Clefable. Choice Scarf Tyranitar is also a solid partner given its ability to check Flying-types. Mienshao enjoys support from Pokemon that can take priority moves aimed at it, specifically Flying-type priority moves from Pinsir and Talonflame. Rotom-W in particular is a good teammate since it forms a VoltTurn core with Mienshao and checks Azumarill and Sand Rush Excadrill, both of which can cause trouble for Mienshao. Since Mienshao is very vulnerable to Fairy-type attacks, a teammate that can switch into them easily, such as Heatran or Mega Scizor is appreciated. Heatran also lays down Stealth Rock, which helps wear down Mienshao's checks.
Other Options
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Mienshao can run a decent Choice Scarf set thanks to U-turn, but it receives a lot of competition from Landorus-T, which is far bulkier and has a typing more suited for a Choice Scarf user and Terrakion, which is faster and has far a better STAB combination. Mienshao can also run a Substitute + Baton Pass set, which takes advantage of the switches it causes and can easily let something come in for free, possibly behind a Substitute. This set also pairs very well with Regenerator, since Mienshao gets health back every time it passes a Substitute.
Checks & Counters
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**Ghost-Types**: Mega-Sableye, Gengar, and Gourgeist-S are all very threatening to Mienshao, since they stop it from safely using High Jump Kick. Reckless Mienshao can't do much to Ghost-types in general, but the Regenerator set has access to Knock Off and can therefore hurt them more.
**Fairy-Types**: Fairy-types, such as Clefable, can take High Jump Kicks and retaliate with a super
**Flying-types**: Flying-types, such as Tornadus-T, Thundurus, Talonflame, and Mega Charizard Y, resist Mienshao's most common moves and can OHKO it with a super-effective STAB move, or STAB Fire move in Mega Charizard Y's case
**Priority Users** : Mienshao's lack of bulk and average defensive typing make it very weak to priority from the likes of Pinsir, Azumarill, and Dragonite.
**Faster Attackers** :
Due to Mienshao's extreme frailty, almost any faster attacker, such as Greninja, Keldeo, and Terrakion, or Choice Scarf user, such as Landorus-T, Heatran, and Garchomp), can threaten to KO it.
**Psychic-types**: Faster Psychic-types that are faster than Mienshao and can take one High Jump Kick, such as Latios, Starmie, and Azelf, threaten to KO it, while bulkier Psychic-types, such as Slowbro, Mew, and Cresselia, can take U-turn and even Knock Off from it.However, U-turn lets Mienshao escape while dealing a big chunk of damage.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Mega-Venusaur and Amoonguss, resist Mienshao's main STAB move and can usually take every other move it carries quite well.
**Bulky Ground-types**: If Mienshao lacks Hidden Power Ice, most bulky Ground-types, such as Landorus-T and Gliscor, can usually take it on decently, though the former gets worn down by repeated High Jump Kicks a lot. Hippowdon gets a sp
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