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Mienshao
[Overview]
<p>For the first time in history, Mienshao makes its appearance in the UU metagame—and just as everyone expected, it absolutely wrecks everything. For starters, it resides in the nigh-unmatched 105 Speed tier, which only extremely fast Pokemon such as Raikou and Azelf can ever hope to touch it. Its Attack stat matches that of the mighty Heracross, but its STAB, Hi Jump Kick, is actually stronger than Close Combat, meaning Mienshao actually out-damages the stag-beetle. To make matters even better, two of its abilities makes Hi Jump Kick even scarier. On one hand, we have Regenerator, which ensures that Mienshao can afford to miss and not die from recoil. On the other, we have Reckless, which takes an already obscenely powerful move, and boosts it by another 20% to an astounding 156 Base Power. On top of all this, its decent base 95 Special Attack allows it to also use special moves to defeat its would-be counters, such as Gligar. However, its defenses are downright terrible, sitting at a mere 65 / 60 / 60, even resisted STAB attacks will do a considerable amount of damage, so you must keep this in mind when using this monster.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator / Reckless
nature: Naive / Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Mienshao's most common set; it has an extremely limited amount of safe switch-ins and will cause some severe pain to any team that lacks one of them. Hi Jump Kick is stronger than Heracross's Close Combat, and to give you an idea of how strong it is, it actually 2HKOes 252/252+ Suicune after Stealth Rock even without Reckless. U-turn lets Mienshao chip away at its counters while giving you momentum and has excellent synergy with Regenerator. Stone Edge lets it deal with many foes that resist its STAB, primarily Zapdos, Chandelure, and Crobat. Hidden Power Ice gets around Gligar, one of Mienshao's would-be counters, as it is able to finish it off over 90% of the time assuming it switches into Hi Jump Kick while Stealth Rock is on the field.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The choice between Mienshao's two great abilities, Regenerator and Reckless, comes down to longevity versus a considerable increase in power to Mienshao's STAB. While Regenerator helps it stay alive for a very long time, Reckless does some cool things, such as pushing 0/0 Flygon from a 2HKO to an OHKO and 252/0 Swampert from a 3HKO to a 2HKO (both after Stealth Rock damage). The given EV spread simply maximizes Mienshao's fantastic offensive capabilities, but you can choose to drop this set's Speed down to 330 with no consequence other than giving up the Speed tie against opposing Mienshao and the odd Mismagius, although it requires 216 Speed EVs to do so. However, the added bulk or Special Attack that it would get out of doing so isn't usually worth it. If Gligar isn't an issue for you, Mienshao can also use other moves such as Grass Knot and Fake Out over Hidden Power Ice. Keep in mind, however, that Grass Knot fails to OHKO 252 HP Rhyperior (as does Reckless Hi Jump Kick) and Swampert, nor does it 2HKO Slowbro. Fake Out is even less useful, as it lacks any sort of boost and gives your opponent an opportunity to virtually switch something in for free. Should you choose not to use special moves on this set, you should use a Jolly nature and move the 4 Special Attack EVs to Special Defense to prevent Download users from getting Special Attack boost, should they come in to revenge kill Mienshao. Choice Band is also a usable item on this set, but keep in mind that Regenerator will more than make up for Life Orb recoil and that Choice Band fails to boost Mienshao's special moves.</p>
<p>This set works fairly well on almost any balanced or offensive team, and there are a few partners that work especially well with it. Due to its fraility, Mienshao will appreciate opportunities to come in without receiving any damage, which makes slower U-turn and Volt Switch users, such as Gligar and Rotom-C, good partners. The latter is especially useful, as it takes advantage of a couple of Mienshao's counters, namely Slowbro and Slowking. Choice Scarf Moxie Heracross is a great offensive partner, as Mienshao usually weakens its counters enough to allow it to sweep late-game. Slowbro or Slowking, Mienshao, and Amoonguss form a cool Regenerator core that is really hard to wear down.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Baton Pass
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Hi Jump Kick
move 4: Stone Edge / Swords Dance
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Don't let this set's name fool you, despite what you might think, its purpose is not to Baton Pass Substitutes. Instead, it works in a variety of ways and can adapt to the opponent's team and strategy much more easily than any other Mienshao set. Under normal battle conditions, you use Substitute to ease prediction or get an additional hit in on a slower opponent coming in. For all intents and purposes, Baton Pass is to be used the same way as U-turn, as it achieves the same "switch" advantage as U-turn does. The true beauty of this set lies in that it's not dead weight against opponents with hard counters, as you can use Substitute on an opponent's switch to Slowbro or Gligar, for example, then Baton Pass to Shaymin or another Pokemon that takes advantage of them. Hi Jump Kick's sheer power is so scary that it usually allows it to use Substitute without a problem; and with Regenerator healing off all the lost HP in creating them, Mienshao can continue to threaten the opponent's team for a very long time. Stone Edge provides coverage against Pokemon, such as Chandelure, Xatu, and Zapdos, which resist or are immune to Mienshao's STAB.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EV spread simply maximizes Mienshao's relevant offensive stats while preventing a Special Attack boost to Choice Scarf Porygon-Z that attemps to revenge kill it. Even though it'll normally want to stick to the given moves, it can also choose to use Hidden Power Ice in the fourth moveslot to hit Gligar, but most of the time it's better to just use Substitute on the switch and then Baton Pass to a counter. The fourth moveslot can be Bulk Up, Work Up, or even Calm Mind, depending on your team, as that slot is mainly filler.</p>
<p>As this set is 100% countered by Sableye, you should make sure you carry something to take care of it. The cool thing about this is that this Pokemon can very easily be one of your Baton Pass receivers. Speaking of which, good receivers are obviously good teammates, especially if they can come out with a Substitute intact. Shaymin is probably the best, as it can come in on Slowbro or Slowking, Qwilfish, and Gligar, and has the typing and bulk to keep the Substitute intact during the pass. Zapdos and Rhyperior work well too, as they'll both manage to keep the Substitute up against Crobat, another common switch-in, with the latter also being able to set up Stealth Rock.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aerial Ace / Hidden Power Ice
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Reckless / Regenerator
nature: Jolly / Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to its base 105 Speed, Mienshao raises the bar in UU when it comes to fast revenge killers. When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Mienshao takes the title of fastest Pokemon in the tier, as other common users run neutral Speed natures. This has led to Mienshao undeniably becoming one of the better Choice Scarf users in the tier, on par with the likes of Flygon and Darmanitan, with its only drawback being the unreliability of its two main attacks. Hi Jump Kick is Mienshao's foremost STAB move; it's ridiculously powerful even unboosted, especially if you opt for Reckless. U-turn acts as an effective offensive pivot and momentum grabber, working in tandem with Regenerator to restore Mienshao's HP. Stone Edge offers coverage on Pokemon such as Crobat and Zapdos. In the fourth slot, Aerial Ace provides an additional check to one of the most dangerous Pokemon in the tier, Heracross, as well as a way to revenge kill Virizion, Roserade, and opposing Mienshao, without relying on Hi Jump Kick. However, Hidden Power Ice attains coverage on Gligar, which would otherwise turn Mienshao into dead weight by continuously switching into its other attacks with impunity.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs maximize offenses and Speed, with an alternate spread of 252 Atk / 40 SpA / 216 Spe is usable, as there's really nothing you miss out on in terms of Speed with this spread and it buffs Hidden Power. A Naive nature should be used if running Hidden Power, keeping the move as strong as possible with only minimum investment. The choice between Reckless and Regenerator comes down to the argument of power and sustainability; do you need Mienshao to decimate opponents with the click of a button, or would you rather be more conservative and have a backup plan in case Mienshao misses with Hi Jump Kick? If neither Aerial Ace or Hidden Power Ice prove to be effective, Toxic may be run in the fourth slot to help Mienshao's teammates break through sturdy walls.</p>
<p>Because Mienshao is designed to primarily function as a revenge killer, it doesn't really require teammates. However, Dark- or Ghost-type Pokemon, such as Bisharp or Chandelure, are effective teammates for Mienshao as they can eliminate opposing Ghost-type Pokemon that can otherwise freely switch in on Hi Jump Kick. Pokemon that benefit from Mienshao pivoting out of the likes of Slowbro and Sableye, such as Raikou and Tornadus, can also make good teammates for Mienshao, as they can use the momentum shift to generate opportunities to set up and begin their sweeps.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hi Jump Kick
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Baton Pass
item: Life Orb
ability: Reckless / Regenerator
nature: Naive / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Taking a more offensive role as opposed to the more utility role it typically fills, Mienshao can utilize Swords Dance to rip opposing teams into pieces. Once backed by the Swords Dance boost, Hi Jump Kick becomes terrifyingly powerful with Reckless, capable of dishing a lot of hurt to many defensive Pokemon found in the tier:</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 252/252+ Bronzong 123.67% - 145.56%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 252/252+ Suicune 104.21% - 122.77%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 248/244+ Slowbro 55.47% - 65.39%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 252/4 Claydol 95.06% - 111.73%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 252/252+ Gligar 44.91% - 52.99%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 248/236+ Zapdos 68.15% - 80.16%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 176/0 Crobat 54.37% - 64.23%</li>
</ul>
<p>Once Stealth Rock damage is factored in, everything in the tier suffers a 2HKO or OHKO from Reckless +2 Hi Jump Kick, bar Ghost-type Pokemon. Stone Edge offers coverage to the many Pokemon that are immune to Mienshao's Fighting-type STAB, namely Ghost-type Pokemon such as Sableye, Chandelure, or Cofagrigus, as all other Flying-, Poison, Bug-, or Psychic-type Pokemon are 2HKOed by Hi Jump Kick. Hidden Power Ice allows Miensho to bypass Gligar without the need for a Swords Dance boost, but serves very little purpose beyond that point, while Baton Pass allows Mienshao to retreat while passing its boosts onto another Pokemon, such as Crobat, giving them additional utility and a chance to open the game up.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs maximize power and Speed while preventing a Special Attack boost to Pokemon with Download, namely Porygon2 and Porygon-Z, in the event that you use a Jolly nature. However, dropping the Speed EVs down to 216 is acceptable, as you won't miss out on anything other than tying with opposing base 105 Speed Pokemon, and it'll let you get some more power behind Hidden Power Ice. The choice of ability plays off of whether you're using Mienshao strictly as a sweeper or as a passer, as Reckless suits the sweeper better and Regenerator the passer.</p>
<p>Lures for the Pokemon that stop this set cold, such as Crobat, Sableye, and Cofagrigus, are this set's most useful partners. Another option is to weaken them before trying to sweep through the use of offensive partners with the same counters. Slowbro and Slowking will definitely be weakened enough for Mienshao to break them after dealing with a Life Orb Darmanitan or Arcanine, potentially closing the match out. If you run Baton Pass over Hidden Power Ice, something like mixed Flygon with Draco Meteor can be used to take out Gligar expecting a physical set. Head Smash Scrafty is a cool lure for Crobat, but comes at a hefty price, sacrificing the majority of Scrafty's HP.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Because of Mienshao's rather eclectic movepool, filler moves such as Knock Off, Taunt, Reflect, and Toxic can be used if desired in many of Mienshao's fourth slots. A specially attacking set running Aura Sphere, Grass Knot, Hidden Power, and a filler move can be used as an effective lure, catching many of its common checks off-guard. In the same manner, a Calm Mind set might seem tempting, but is far less effective than standard physical sets, and therefore isn't recommended. Mienshao also has access to Payback, which might seem useful for getting past threats such as Cofagrigus and Slowbro, but its above-average Speed stat is too fast to effectively use the move.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Ghost-types, especially Cofagrigus and Sableye, are the best switch-ins to any Mienshao set, as they are immune to Hi Jump Kick, take paltry damage from Mienshao's other attacks, and can burn Mienshao, rendering it useless for the rest of the match. Bulky Pokemon that carry a resistance to Mienshao's Fighting-type STAB, such as Slowbro, Slowking, and Qwilfish, are also great checks to Mienshao, as they can effectively stomach most anything Mienshao throws their way. Gligar also makes an effective shutdown to Mienshao, but will be 2HKOed by Hidden Power Ice, which most sets run. Pokemon such as Crobat and Zapdos can take an unboosted Hi Jump Kick with ease, but must be weary of a super effective Stone Edge being hurled their way. Pokemon found in lower tiers, such as Amoonguss, can beat Mienshao through sleep or paralysis. Fast Choice Scarf users can also effectively manhandle Mienshao, but it always has the option of switching out and restoring its HP via Regenerator.</p>
Mienshao
[Overview]
<p>For the first time in history, Mienshao makes its appearance in the UU metagame—and just as everyone expected, it absolutely wrecks everything. For starters, it resides in the nigh-unmatched 105 Speed tier, which only extremely fast Pokemon such as Raikou and Azelf can ever hope to touch it. Its Attack stat matches that of the mighty Heracross, but its STAB, Hi Jump Kick, is actually stronger than Close Combat, meaning Mienshao actually out-damages the stag-beetle. To make matters even better, two of its abilities makes Hi Jump Kick even scarier. On one hand, we have Regenerator, which ensures that Mienshao can afford to miss and not die from recoil. On the other, we have Reckless, which takes an already obscenely powerful move, and boosts it by another 20% to an astounding 156 Base Power. On top of all this, its decent base 95 Special Attack allows it to also use special moves to defeat its would-be counters, such as Gligar. However, its defenses are downright terrible, sitting at a mere 65 / 60 / 60, even resisted STAB attacks will do a considerable amount of damage, so you must keep this in mind when using this monster.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator / Reckless
nature: Naive / Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Mienshao's most common set; it has an extremely limited amount of safe switch-ins and will cause some severe pain to any team that lacks one of them. Hi Jump Kick is stronger than Heracross's Close Combat, and to give you an idea of how strong it is, it actually 2HKOes 252/252+ Suicune after Stealth Rock even without Reckless. U-turn lets Mienshao chip away at its counters while giving you momentum and has excellent synergy with Regenerator. Stone Edge lets it deal with many foes that resist its STAB, primarily Zapdos, Chandelure, and Crobat. Hidden Power Ice gets around Gligar, one of Mienshao's would-be counters, as it is able to finish it off over 90% of the time assuming it switches into Hi Jump Kick while Stealth Rock is on the field.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The choice between Mienshao's two great abilities, Regenerator and Reckless, comes down to longevity versus a considerable increase in power to Mienshao's STAB. While Regenerator helps it stay alive for a very long time, Reckless does some cool things, such as pushing 0/0 Flygon from a 2HKO to an OHKO and 252/0 Swampert from a 3HKO to a 2HKO (both after Stealth Rock damage). The given EV spread simply maximizes Mienshao's fantastic offensive capabilities, but you can choose to drop this set's Speed down to 330 with no consequence other than giving up the Speed tie against opposing Mienshao and the odd Mismagius, although it requires 216 Speed EVs to do so. However, the added bulk or Special Attack that it would get out of doing so isn't usually worth it. If Gligar isn't an issue for you, Mienshao can also use other moves such as Grass Knot and Fake Out over Hidden Power Ice. Keep in mind, however, that Grass Knot fails to OHKO 252 HP Rhyperior (as does Reckless Hi Jump Kick) and Swampert, nor does it 2HKO Slowbro. Fake Out is even less useful, as it lacks any sort of boost and gives your opponent an opportunity to virtually switch something in for free. Should you choose not to use special moves on this set, you should use a Jolly nature and move the 4 Special Attack EVs to Special Defense to prevent Download users from getting Special Attack boost, should they come in to revenge kill Mienshao. Choice Band is also a usable item on this set, but keep in mind that Regenerator will more than make up for Life Orb recoil and that Choice Band fails to boost Mienshao's special moves.</p>
<p>This set works fairly well on almost any balanced or offensive team, and there are a few partners that work especially well with it. Due to its fraility, Mienshao will appreciate opportunities to come in without receiving any damage, which makes slower U-turn and Volt Switch users, such as Gligar and Rotom-C, good partners. The latter is especially useful, as it takes advantage of a couple of Mienshao's counters, namely Slowbro and Slowking. Choice Scarf Moxie Heracross is a great offensive partner, as Mienshao usually weakens its counters enough to allow it to sweep late-game. Slowbro or Slowking, Mienshao, and Amoonguss form a cool Regenerator core that is really hard to wear down.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Baton Pass
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Hi Jump Kick
move 4: Stone Edge / Swords Dance
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Don't let this set's name fool you, despite what you might think, its purpose is not to Baton Pass Substitutes. Instead, it works in a variety of ways and can adapt to the opponent's team and strategy much more easily than any other Mienshao set. Under normal battle conditions, you use Substitute to ease prediction or get an additional hit in on a slower opponent coming in. For all intents and purposes, Baton Pass is to be used the same way as U-turn, as it achieves the same "switch" advantage as U-turn does. The true beauty of this set lies in that it's not dead weight against opponents with hard counters, as you can use Substitute on an opponent's switch to Slowbro or Gligar, for example, then Baton Pass to Shaymin or another Pokemon that takes advantage of them. Hi Jump Kick's sheer power is so scary that it usually allows it to use Substitute without a problem; and with Regenerator healing off all the lost HP in creating them, Mienshao can continue to threaten the opponent's team for a very long time. Stone Edge provides coverage against Pokemon, such as Chandelure, Xatu, and Zapdos, which resist or are immune to Mienshao's STAB.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EV spread simply maximizes Mienshao's relevant offensive stats while preventing a Special Attack boost to Choice Scarf Porygon-Z that attemps to revenge kill it. Even though it'll normally want to stick to the given moves, it can also choose to use Hidden Power Ice in the fourth moveslot to hit Gligar, but most of the time it's better to just use Substitute on the switch and then Baton Pass to a counter. The fourth moveslot can be Bulk Up, Work Up, or even Calm Mind, depending on your team, as that slot is mainly filler.</p>
<p>As this set is 100% countered by Sableye, you should make sure you carry something to take care of it. The cool thing about this is that this Pokemon can very easily be one of your Baton Pass receivers. Speaking of which, good receivers are obviously good teammates, especially if they can come out with a Substitute intact. Shaymin is probably the best, as it can come in on Slowbro or Slowking, Qwilfish, and Gligar, and has the typing and bulk to keep the Substitute intact during the pass. Zapdos and Rhyperior work well too, as they'll both manage to keep the Substitute up against Crobat, another common switch-in, with the latter also being able to set up Stealth Rock.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Hi Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aerial Ace / Hidden Power Ice
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Reckless / Regenerator
nature: Jolly / Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to its base 105 Speed, Mienshao raises the bar in UU when it comes to fast revenge killers. When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Mienshao takes the title of fastest Pokemon in the tier, as other common users run neutral Speed natures. This has led to Mienshao undeniably becoming one of the better Choice Scarf users in the tier, on par with the likes of Flygon and Darmanitan, with its only drawback being the unreliability of its two main attacks. Hi Jump Kick is Mienshao's foremost STAB move; it's ridiculously powerful even unboosted, especially if you opt for Reckless. U-turn acts as an effective offensive pivot and momentum grabber, working in tandem with Regenerator to restore Mienshao's HP. Stone Edge offers coverage on Pokemon such as Crobat and Zapdos. In the fourth slot, Aerial Ace provides an additional check to one of the most dangerous Pokemon in the tier, Heracross, as well as a way to revenge kill Virizion, Roserade, and opposing Mienshao, without relying on Hi Jump Kick. However, Hidden Power Ice attains coverage on Gligar, which would otherwise turn Mienshao into dead weight by continuously switching into its other attacks with impunity.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs maximize offenses and Speed, with an alternate spread of 252 Atk / 40 SpA / 216 Spe is usable, as there's really nothing you miss out on in terms of Speed with this spread and it buffs Hidden Power. A Naive nature should be used if running Hidden Power, keeping the move as strong as possible with only minimum investment. The choice between Reckless and Regenerator comes down to the argument of power and sustainability; do you need Mienshao to decimate opponents with the click of a button, or would you rather be more conservative and have a backup plan in case Mienshao misses with Hi Jump Kick? If neither Aerial Ace or Hidden Power Ice prove to be effective, Toxic may be run in the fourth slot to help Mienshao's teammates break through sturdy walls.</p>
<p>Because Mienshao is designed to primarily function as a revenge killer, it doesn't really require teammates. However, Dark- or Ghost-type Pokemon, such as Bisharp or Chandelure, are effective teammates for Mienshao as they can eliminate opposing Ghost-type Pokemon that can otherwise freely switch in on Hi Jump Kick. Pokemon that benefit from Mienshao pivoting out of the likes of Slowbro and Sableye, such as Raikou and Tornadus, can also make good teammates for Mienshao, as they can use the momentum shift to generate opportunities to set up and begin their sweeps.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Hi Jump Kick
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Baton Pass
item: Life Orb
ability: Reckless / Regenerator
nature: Naive / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Taking a more offensive role as opposed to the more utility role it typically fills, Mienshao can utilize Swords Dance to rip opposing teams into pieces. Once backed by the Swords Dance boost, Hi Jump Kick becomes terrifyingly powerful with Reckless, capable of dishing a lot of hurt to many defensive Pokemon found in the tier:</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 252/252+ Bronzong 123.67% - 145.56%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 252/252+ Suicune 104.21% - 122.77%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 248/244+ Slowbro 55.47% - 65.39%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 252/4 Claydol 95.06% - 111.73%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 252/252+ Gligar 44.91% - 52.99%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 248/236+ Zapdos 68.15% - 80.16%</li>
<li>Hi Jump Kick vs. 176/0 Crobat 54.37% - 64.23%</li>
</ul>
<p>Once Stealth Rock damage is factored in, everything in the tier suffers a 2HKO or OHKO from Reckless +2 Hi Jump Kick, bar Ghost-type Pokemon. Stone Edge offers coverage to the many Pokemon that are immune to Mienshao's Fighting-type STAB, namely Ghost-type Pokemon such as Sableye, Chandelure, or Cofagrigus, as all other Flying-, Poison, Bug-, or Psychic-type Pokemon are 2HKOed by Hi Jump Kick. Hidden Power Ice allows Miensho to bypass Gligar without the need for a Swords Dance boost, but serves very little purpose beyond that point, while Baton Pass allows Mienshao to retreat while passing its boosts onto another Pokemon, such as Crobat, giving them additional utility and a chance to open the game up.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EVs maximize power and Speed while preventing a Special Attack boost to Pokemon with Download, namely Porygon2 and Porygon-Z, in the event that you use a Jolly nature. However, dropping the Speed EVs down to 216 is acceptable, as you won't miss out on anything other than tying with opposing base 105 Speed Pokemon, and it'll let you get some more power behind Hidden Power Ice. The choice of ability plays off of whether you're using Mienshao strictly as a sweeper or as a passer, as Reckless suits the sweeper better and Regenerator the passer.</p>
<p>Lures for the Pokemon that stop this set cold, such as Crobat, Sableye, and Cofagrigus, are this set's most useful partners. Another option is to weaken them before trying to sweep through the use of offensive partners with the same counters. Slowbro and Slowking will definitely be weakened enough for Mienshao to break them after dealing with a Life Orb Darmanitan or Arcanine, potentially closing the match out. If you run Baton Pass over Hidden Power Ice, something like mixed Flygon with Draco Meteor can be used to take out Gligar expecting a physical set. Head Smash Scrafty is a cool lure for Crobat, but comes at a hefty price, sacrificing the majority of Scrafty's HP.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Because of Mienshao's rather eclectic movepool, filler moves such as Knock Off, Taunt, Reflect, and Toxic can be used if desired in many of Mienshao's fourth slots. A specially attacking set running Aura Sphere, Grass Knot, Hidden Power, and a filler move can be used as an effective lure, catching many of its common checks off-guard. In the same manner, a Calm Mind set might seem tempting, but is far less effective than standard physical sets, and therefore isn't recommended. Mienshao also has access to Payback, which might seem useful for getting past threats such as Cofagrigus and Slowbro, but its above-average Speed stat is too fast to effectively use the move.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Ghost-types, especially Cofagrigus and Sableye, are the best switch-ins to any Mienshao set, as they are immune to Hi Jump Kick, take paltry damage from Mienshao's other attacks, and can burn Mienshao, rendering it useless for the rest of the match. Bulky Pokemon that carry a resistance to Mienshao's Fighting-type STAB, such as Slowbro, Slowking, and Qwilfish, are also great checks to Mienshao, as they can effectively stomach most anything Mienshao throws their way. Gligar also makes an effective shutdown to Mienshao, but will be 2HKOed by Hidden Power Ice, which most sets run. Pokemon such as Crobat and Zapdos can take an unboosted Hi Jump Kick with ease, but must be weary of a super effective Stone Edge being hurled their way. Pokemon found in lower tiers, such as Amoonguss, can beat Mienshao through sleep or paralysis. Fast Choice Scarf users can also effectively manhandle Mienshao, but it always has the option of switching out and restoring its HP via Regenerator.</p>