[OVERVIEW]
Mienfoo has a variety of traits that make it one of the best all-around Pokemon in the metagame. Its terrific stat distribution and deep movepool, which includes support moves such as Knock Off and Baton Pass and coverage moves such as Poison Jab and Acrobatics, give it the ability to function in a variety of roles, freely customizing its item, EV spread, and choice of moves for the team it is on. Because of its various roles, Mienfoo is quite versatile and difficult to check until its set is revealed. Mienfoo's most common role is that of a pivot, using its good natural bulk, access to U-turn, and Regenerator ability to take a wide range of hits and then bring in a teammate, granting its team momentum instantly while gaining a third of its HP back just by pivoting out. It can also support its team through the use of Knock Off, which removes common defensive items such as Eviolite and Berry Juice to support Mienfoo's teammates. However, Mienfoo is not limited to functioning as a bulky pivot, as it is also able to use its bulk to boost its stats with Swords Dance and then Baton Pass these boosts to an ally, or to invest in its Attack and don a Choice Scarf to function as a threatening cleaner in the late-game. In short, Mienfoo's longevity thanks to Regenerator, ability to pivot and support its teammates with U-turn and Knock Off, good stat distribution, and wide support and coverage movepool make it incredibly splashable and an excellent choice on many teams. Mienfoo's only downside is its own popularity; despite its ability to perform many roles, Mienfoo is pretty consistently defeated by the same Pokemon, including Spritzee, Snubbull, and Foongus, which tend to be quite common because of how prevalent it is.
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Drain Punch / High Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: High Jump Kick / Acrobatics / Poison Jab
item: Eviolite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Adamant
evs: 76 Atk / 196 Def / 196 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Drain Punch is a solid option for a STAB move that deals decent damage and keeps Mienfoo healthy over the course of a match. High Jump Kick can be used as a significantly more powerful alternative that comes at the expense of said recovery. U-turn turns Mienfoo into a stellar pivot, giving it the ability to gain momentum for its team just by switching out of a check. It also works well with Regenerator to keep Mienfoo healthy throughout a match. Knock Off allows Mienfoo to support itself and its team by removing items such as Eviolite and Berry Juice from foes to allow them to be more easily defeated. Mienfoo's final moveslot is less crucial to its success as a pivot, so the move choice can be tailored to support its team. High Jump Kick can be run if a choice between recovery and power is desired. Mienfoo can also run Acrobatics as a coverage move that hits opposing Fighting-types and Foongus for super effective damage, which is made more effective by how often it is used as a Knock Off absorber during a match, meaning it frequently gets the damage boost. Alternatively, running Poison Jab to hit Fairy-types such as Snubbull and Cottonee super effectively or Stone Edge to hit Flame Body users such as Ponyta and Larvesta without having to fear a burn is also effective.
Set Details
========
This Mienfoo set is designed to take a variety of hits and keep its health up throughout a match. The given EV spread is designed with Mienfoo's bulk in mind, allowing it to hit Eviolite-optimal numbers and giving it the ability to take a wide range of hits when holding an Eviolite, and the Regenerator ability allows it to recover the damage it does take as it pivots in and out of battle. The remaining EVs are invested in Attack, which along with an Adamant nature give Mienfoo enough attacking power to be threatening offensively. The given Speed investment gives Mienfoo 13 Speed, which is slower than a large portion of the metagame. This allows Mienfoo to take a hit before using U-turn to safely bring in a frailer ally. However, a faster EV spread of 196 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe with a Jolly nature allows Mienfoo to hit 17 Speed, outspeeding a decent majority of the metagame and turning it into a better revenge killer and a slightly better switch-in to several key Pokemon such as Pawniard. The faster Mienfoo EV spread can also be used as a fast Taunt user to cripple some leads such as Dwebble. However, this increase in Speed comes at the cost of special bulk and the ability to act as a slow pivot.
Usage Tips
========
This Mienfoo set should be used as a pivot or a scout, coming in on resisted or weaker neutral hits throughout a battle and pivoting out when its health gets low. Regenerator comes in handy in doing this, as Mienfoo can regain health when it needs to just by coming out of battle. When Mienfoo is in battle, it should use Knock Off as much as possible to wear down the opposing Pokemon and remove items, especially to wear down Mienfoo's checks. Once it needs to recover health, or if a check is predicted to be coming into battle, Mienfoo can use U-turn to switch out while gaining momentum for its team. Its relatively slow U-turn is useful for bringing in frail allies as well. Be careful against opposing Flame Body users such as Ponyta and Larvesta, however, as Mienfoo relies on contact moves, which these Pokemon can come in on and potentially cripple Mienfoo with a burn.
Team Options
========
Mienfoo is weak to Flying-types, so good partners include Rock-types, such as Onix and Omanyte, and Electric-types, such as Chinchou and Magnemite. The latter two also form a powerful VoltTurn core with Mienfoo, which can give a team offensive momentum. Pivot Vullaby and Larvesta can also be used to accomplish this. Checks to Fairy-types are also important when using Mienfoo, as they are its most threatening switch-ins and Poison Jab doesn't do significant damage to most of them. Foongus switches into most Fairy-types and forms a potent Regenerator core with Mienfoo, and Steel-types such as Pawniard and Magnemite can deal with Fairy-types offensively. Mienfoo is good at softening up opposing walls with Knock Off, so pairing it with a setup sweeper such as Omanyte that appreciates the opposing team being weakened is a good choice. Finally, frail attackers such as Abra and Gastly appreciate Mienfoo's slow U-turn, as it can bring them in safely, and they can force many of Mienfoo's checks out of battle.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Drain Punch / Stone Edge / Poison Jab
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Regenerator / Reckless
nature: Jolly
evs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
High Jump Kick is Mienfoo's primary STAB move and does enormous damage to anything that doesn't resist it. U-turn allows Mienfoo to pivot and scout the opponent's team while dealing chip damage early in a game in order to weaken foes. Knock Off can soften up switch-ins by removing their items, allowing Mienfoo to do more damage later, and also hits Ghost-types like Gastly and Pumpkaboo, which deter Mienfoo from using High Jump Kick. Drain Punch is an option in the final slot as a STAB move that can be more safely spammed in situations where a High Jump Kick miss would be especially costly. Stone Edge is an alternative that hits Flame Body users such as Ponyta and Flying-types such as Vullaby that aim to come in on Mienfoo. Finally, Poison Jab can be used as a way for Mienfoo to hit Fairy-types.
Set Details
========
With maximum Speed investment and a Choice Scarf, Mienfoo hits 25 Speed, allowing it to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame and serve as a good revenge killer. This pairs well with maximum Attack investment, which allows Mienfoo to hit as hard as possible. An Adamant nature can be used to allow Mienfoo to hit harder, but without the Speed investment Mienfoo will fail to outspeed a few key threats, such as Choice Scarf Pawniard, Choice Scarf Rufflet, and Carvanha after a Speed boost. Regenerator is a useful ability that allows Mienfoo to take weak hits and priority moves early on in a match and recover its health as it switches out, and can help make up for the damage taken from a High Jump Kick miss. Reckless is an alternative that boosts the power of High Jump Kick significantly, but it costs Mienfoo the longevity provided by Regenerator.
Usage Tips
========
In the early-game, Mienfoo should use Knock Off and U-turn to weaken foes and bring in checks. As the pivot set is far more common, Mienfoo can often bluff not having a Choice Scarf, which can be used to lure in Pokemon that aim to revenge kill Mienfoo. After foes have been worn down, High Jump Kick should be spammed because it hits extremely hard. However,care should be taken to remove opposing Ghost-types beforehand, as they can hurt Mienfoo significantly by coming in on High Jump Kick. Because Choice Scarf locks Mienfoo into a single move, be careful about picking a move that turns it into setup bait, and keep in mind that Mienfoo can always use U-turn if becoming locked into a single move is an issue. However, in most late-game scenarios, if opposing Ghost-types have been eliminated, locking Mienfoo into High Jump Kick has very few downsides.
Team Options
========
This Mienfoo set pairs well with other VoltTurn users, which can use slow pivoting moves to bring it in safely without it taking damage and work together with Mienfoo to give a team momentum. Examples of good partners that can do this include Chinchou and Vullaby. Diglett makes a good partner for its ability to trap and remove some Pokemon that can take Mienfoo's hits, including Poison-types and Ponyta. Alolan Grimer and Pawniard make good partners to this set as well, as they are able to use Pursuit to trap the Ghost-types that make it riskier for Mienfoo to use High Jump Kick and check opposing Fairy-types for it. Other Fighting-types such as Timburr work well as a partner to Mienfoo due to their ability to bring in and weaken shared checks and counters so that Mienfoo can clean with High Jump Kick late-game. Finally, this Mienfoo set is particularly weak to status conditions such as paralysis and burns, so a cleric such as Chinchou or Spritzee pairs well with it.
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Knock Off / Substitute
item: Eviolite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Careful
evs: 156 HP / 196 Def / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance is a boosting move that is immediately useful after a single use, making Mienfoo reasonably offensively threatening or allowing Mienfoo to turn an ally into something more threatening. With Baton Pass, Mienfoo can transfer its boost to an ally, allowing it to instantly double an ally's Attack and regain some health itself thanks to Regenerator. Drain Punch allows Mienfoo to recover some health without switching out and does quite a bit of damage, especially after a Swords Dance boost. Knock Off furthers Mienfoo's utility by allowing it to remove items and can hit fairly hard after a Swords Dance boost. Substitute is also an option so that it can set up a Substitute before passing to an ally against Pokemon that give free turns such as status inducers.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread is designed to give Mienfoo the greatest bulk possible so that it can take hits while boosting with Swords Dance. The given defensive EVs allow Mienfoo to hit Eviolite numbers, which cause Eviolite to enhance Mienfoo's bulk as much as possible. A nature that lowers Mienfoo's Speed is an option on this set to ensure Mienfoo gets hit before passing if Mienfoo's target recipient is frail. Regenerator allows Mienfoo to regain its health when it uses Baton Pass, enabling it to ideally be able to pass a boost more than once over the course of a match.
Usage Tips
========
Swords Dance should nearly always be the first move Mienfoo uses, as it makes it difficult to switch into on top of giving it the possibility of passing out the Attack boost at any time. After gaining the boost, Mienfoo can use Drain Punch to deal significant damage to a foe, or take a hit and Baton Pass to a frail attacker that appreciates the Attack boost. In the late-game, when Mienfoo can't afford to set up a Swords Dance, Baton Pass can be used to turn Mienfoo into a pivot, taking various weak attacks and bringing in an ally that can't come in out of fear of taking a hit. If Knock Off is run, it can be used to weaken switch-ins if this set is not ready to Baton Pass a boost.
Team Options
========
The most obvious partners to Baton Pass Mienfoo are those that appreciate its Attack boosts. Choice Scarf Pawniard can deal significant damage to the Fairy-types Mienfoo lures in, outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame, and hits extremely hard after Mienfoo passes it an Attack boost. Carvanha also makes an amazing recipient thanks to its ability to boost its Speed with Speed Boost and great STAB coverage. Mudbray and Drilbur make good recipients that can take out the Poison-types that come in against Mienfoo, and hit very hard at +2 Attack. Other potential recipients are frail Choice Scarf users, such as Bunnelby and Cranidos, that are virtually impossible to switch into with a boosted Attack stat but don't have the bulk to boost it themselves. Cottonee is a major threat to this set due to its resistance to Mienfoo's STAB move and ability to Encore it into a boosting move, so Poison-types like Foongus and Fire-types like Ponyta, which can deal with Cottonee, are good partners as well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fake Out and Feint are options that give Mienfoo a form of priority, but they are both extremely weak and are essentially limited to breaking opposing Sturdy users or picking off extremely weak foes. Calm Mind is an option on the Baton Pass set, as Mienfoo has the bulk to successfully pass the boost to an ally, but Mienfoo can't use the boosts itself in the way it can with Swords Dance. Both Flyinium Z with Bounce and Poisinium Z with Poison Jab can be used to give Mienfoo a high-power Z-Move to lure in opposing Fighting-and Fairy-types, respectively, but they come at the cost of the bulk Eviolite provides. Reckless, which is listed as an option on the Choice Scarf set, is an option on the pivot set as well to boost the power of High Jump Kick, but not having Regenerator hurts Mienfoo in terms of longevity. Life Orb is an acceptable option for fast offensive sets, but takes away from Mienfoo's mix of offensive capabilities and bulk. Finally, Facade is an option to surprise Flame Body Pokemon that aim to cripple Mienfoo with a burn, but it costs Mienfoo a moveslot it could use for coverage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types, especially Snubbull and Spritzee, wall Mienfoo completely unless it is running Poison Jab, which still doesn't do a lot of damage. Cottonee is also difficult to deal with, especially for the Baton Pass set, but is much more susceptible to Poison Jab.
**Poison-types**: Poison-type Pokemon, including Foongus, Trubbish, Skrelp, and Mareanie, take very little damage from Mienfoo's attacks and can take advantage of the free turns Mienfoo gives them to set up entry hazards or spread status. However, none of them particularly like being hit by Knock Off, with the exception of Trubbish, whose item cannot be removed because of Sticky Hold.
**Flying-types**: Flying-types do significant damage to Mienfoo, although they fear switching into it if it is running Stone Edge. Vullaby checks Mienfoo fairly well due to Weak Armor, which allows it to outspeed Mienfoo after switching in and deal significant damage, and Archen, Rufflet, and Doduo all check it offensively, although Rufflet needs a Choice Scarf to outspeed Mienfoo.
**Flame Body** Ponyta and Larvesta make it costly for Mienfoo to spam Knock Off and U-turn as consistently as it would like, as they can switch in and potentially cripple it with a burn; however, both fear Stone Edge.
**Abra**: Abra is one of the best offensive checks to Mienfoo, although the bulkier sets can take a Psychic from the Focus Sash Abra set. Abra also must be wary of being surprised by a Choice Scarf Mienfoo variant, which can outspeed and U-turn out of it.[/hide][/quote]
Mienfoo has a variety of traits that make it one of the best all-around Pokemon in the metagame. Its terrific stat distribution and deep movepool, which includes support moves such as Knock Off and Baton Pass and coverage moves such as Poison Jab and Acrobatics, give it the ability to function in a variety of roles, freely customizing its item, EV spread, and choice of moves for the team it is on. Because of its various roles, Mienfoo is quite versatile and difficult to check until its set is revealed. Mienfoo's most common role is that of a pivot, using its good natural bulk, access to U-turn, and Regenerator ability to take a wide range of hits and then bring in a teammate, granting its team momentum instantly while gaining a third of its HP back just by pivoting out. It can also support its team through the use of Knock Off, which removes common defensive items such as Eviolite and Berry Juice to support Mienfoo's teammates. However, Mienfoo is not limited to functioning as a bulky pivot, as it is also able to use its bulk to boost its stats with Swords Dance and then Baton Pass these boosts to an ally, or to invest in its Attack and don a Choice Scarf to function as a threatening cleaner in the late-game. In short, Mienfoo's longevity thanks to Regenerator, ability to pivot and support its teammates with U-turn and Knock Off, good stat distribution, and wide support and coverage movepool make it incredibly splashable and an excellent choice on many teams. Mienfoo's only downside is its own popularity; despite its ability to perform many roles, Mienfoo is pretty consistently defeated by the same Pokemon, including Spritzee, Snubbull, and Foongus, which tend to be quite common because of how prevalent it is.
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Drain Punch / High Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: High Jump Kick / Acrobatics / Poison Jab
item: Eviolite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Adamant
evs: 76 Atk / 196 Def / 196 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Drain Punch is a solid option for a STAB move that deals decent damage and keeps Mienfoo healthy over the course of a match. High Jump Kick can be used as a significantly more powerful alternative that comes at the expense of said recovery. U-turn turns Mienfoo into a stellar pivot, giving it the ability to gain momentum for its team just by switching out of a check. It also works well with Regenerator to keep Mienfoo healthy throughout a match. Knock Off allows Mienfoo to support itself and its team by removing items such as Eviolite and Berry Juice from foes to allow them to be more easily defeated. Mienfoo's final moveslot is less crucial to its success as a pivot, so the move choice can be tailored to support its team. High Jump Kick can be run if a choice between recovery and power is desired. Mienfoo can also run Acrobatics as a coverage move that hits opposing Fighting-types and Foongus for super effective damage, which is made more effective by how often it is used as a Knock Off absorber during a match, meaning it frequently gets the damage boost. Alternatively, running Poison Jab to hit Fairy-types such as Snubbull and Cottonee super effectively or Stone Edge to hit Flame Body users such as Ponyta and Larvesta without having to fear a burn is also effective.
Set Details
========
This Mienfoo set is designed to take a variety of hits and keep its health up throughout a match. The given EV spread is designed with Mienfoo's bulk in mind, allowing it to hit Eviolite-optimal numbers and giving it the ability to take a wide range of hits when holding an Eviolite, and the Regenerator ability allows it to recover the damage it does take as it pivots in and out of battle. The remaining EVs are invested in Attack, which along with an Adamant nature give Mienfoo enough attacking power to be threatening offensively. The given Speed investment gives Mienfoo 13 Speed, which is slower than a large portion of the metagame. This allows Mienfoo to take a hit before using U-turn to safely bring in a frailer ally. However, a faster EV spread of 196 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe with a Jolly nature allows Mienfoo to hit 17 Speed, outspeeding a decent majority of the metagame and turning it into a better revenge killer and a slightly better switch-in to several key Pokemon such as Pawniard. The faster Mienfoo EV spread can also be used as a fast Taunt user to cripple some leads such as Dwebble. However, this increase in Speed comes at the cost of special bulk and the ability to act as a slow pivot.
Usage Tips
========
This Mienfoo set should be used as a pivot or a scout, coming in on resisted or weaker neutral hits throughout a battle and pivoting out when its health gets low. Regenerator comes in handy in doing this, as Mienfoo can regain health when it needs to just by coming out of battle. When Mienfoo is in battle, it should use Knock Off as much as possible to wear down the opposing Pokemon and remove items, especially to wear down Mienfoo's checks. Once it needs to recover health, or if a check is predicted to be coming into battle, Mienfoo can use U-turn to switch out while gaining momentum for its team. Its relatively slow U-turn is useful for bringing in frail allies as well. Be careful against opposing Flame Body users such as Ponyta and Larvesta, however, as Mienfoo relies on contact moves, which these Pokemon can come in on and potentially cripple Mienfoo with a burn.
Team Options
========
Mienfoo is weak to Flying-types, so good partners include Rock-types, such as Onix and Omanyte, and Electric-types, such as Chinchou and Magnemite. The latter two also form a powerful VoltTurn core with Mienfoo, which can give a team offensive momentum. Pivot Vullaby and Larvesta can also be used to accomplish this. Checks to Fairy-types are also important when using Mienfoo, as they are its most threatening switch-ins and Poison Jab doesn't do significant damage to most of them. Foongus switches into most Fairy-types and forms a potent Regenerator core with Mienfoo, and Steel-types such as Pawniard and Magnemite can deal with Fairy-types offensively. Mienfoo is good at softening up opposing walls with Knock Off, so pairing it with a setup sweeper such as Omanyte that appreciates the opposing team being weakened is a good choice. Finally, frail attackers such as Abra and Gastly appreciate Mienfoo's slow U-turn, as it can bring them in safely, and they can force many of Mienfoo's checks out of battle.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: High Jump Kick
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Drain Punch / Stone Edge / Poison Jab
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Regenerator / Reckless
nature: Jolly
evs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
High Jump Kick is Mienfoo's primary STAB move and does enormous damage to anything that doesn't resist it. U-turn allows Mienfoo to pivot and scout the opponent's team while dealing chip damage early in a game in order to weaken foes. Knock Off can soften up switch-ins by removing their items, allowing Mienfoo to do more damage later, and also hits Ghost-types like Gastly and Pumpkaboo, which deter Mienfoo from using High Jump Kick. Drain Punch is an option in the final slot as a STAB move that can be more safely spammed in situations where a High Jump Kick miss would be especially costly. Stone Edge is an alternative that hits Flame Body users such as Ponyta and Flying-types such as Vullaby that aim to come in on Mienfoo. Finally, Poison Jab can be used as a way for Mienfoo to hit Fairy-types.
Set Details
========
With maximum Speed investment and a Choice Scarf, Mienfoo hits 25 Speed, allowing it to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame and serve as a good revenge killer. This pairs well with maximum Attack investment, which allows Mienfoo to hit as hard as possible. An Adamant nature can be used to allow Mienfoo to hit harder, but without the Speed investment Mienfoo will fail to outspeed a few key threats, such as Choice Scarf Pawniard, Choice Scarf Rufflet, and Carvanha after a Speed boost. Regenerator is a useful ability that allows Mienfoo to take weak hits and priority moves early on in a match and recover its health as it switches out, and can help make up for the damage taken from a High Jump Kick miss. Reckless is an alternative that boosts the power of High Jump Kick significantly, but it costs Mienfoo the longevity provided by Regenerator.
Usage Tips
========
In the early-game, Mienfoo should use Knock Off and U-turn to weaken foes and bring in checks. As the pivot set is far more common, Mienfoo can often bluff not having a Choice Scarf, which can be used to lure in Pokemon that aim to revenge kill Mienfoo. After foes have been worn down, High Jump Kick should be spammed because it hits extremely hard. However,care should be taken to remove opposing Ghost-types beforehand, as they can hurt Mienfoo significantly by coming in on High Jump Kick. Because Choice Scarf locks Mienfoo into a single move, be careful about picking a move that turns it into setup bait, and keep in mind that Mienfoo can always use U-turn if becoming locked into a single move is an issue. However, in most late-game scenarios, if opposing Ghost-types have been eliminated, locking Mienfoo into High Jump Kick has very few downsides.
Team Options
========
This Mienfoo set pairs well with other VoltTurn users, which can use slow pivoting moves to bring it in safely without it taking damage and work together with Mienfoo to give a team momentum. Examples of good partners that can do this include Chinchou and Vullaby. Diglett makes a good partner for its ability to trap and remove some Pokemon that can take Mienfoo's hits, including Poison-types and Ponyta. Alolan Grimer and Pawniard make good partners to this set as well, as they are able to use Pursuit to trap the Ghost-types that make it riskier for Mienfoo to use High Jump Kick and check opposing Fairy-types for it. Other Fighting-types such as Timburr work well as a partner to Mienfoo due to their ability to bring in and weaken shared checks and counters so that Mienfoo can clean with High Jump Kick late-game. Finally, this Mienfoo set is particularly weak to status conditions such as paralysis and burns, so a cleric such as Chinchou or Spritzee pairs well with it.
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Drain Punch
move 4: Knock Off / Substitute
item: Eviolite
ability: Regenerator
nature: Careful
evs: 156 HP / 196 Def / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance is a boosting move that is immediately useful after a single use, making Mienfoo reasonably offensively threatening or allowing Mienfoo to turn an ally into something more threatening. With Baton Pass, Mienfoo can transfer its boost to an ally, allowing it to instantly double an ally's Attack and regain some health itself thanks to Regenerator. Drain Punch allows Mienfoo to recover some health without switching out and does quite a bit of damage, especially after a Swords Dance boost. Knock Off furthers Mienfoo's utility by allowing it to remove items and can hit fairly hard after a Swords Dance boost. Substitute is also an option so that it can set up a Substitute before passing to an ally against Pokemon that give free turns such as status inducers.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread is designed to give Mienfoo the greatest bulk possible so that it can take hits while boosting with Swords Dance. The given defensive EVs allow Mienfoo to hit Eviolite numbers, which cause Eviolite to enhance Mienfoo's bulk as much as possible. A nature that lowers Mienfoo's Speed is an option on this set to ensure Mienfoo gets hit before passing if Mienfoo's target recipient is frail. Regenerator allows Mienfoo to regain its health when it uses Baton Pass, enabling it to ideally be able to pass a boost more than once over the course of a match.
Usage Tips
========
Swords Dance should nearly always be the first move Mienfoo uses, as it makes it difficult to switch into on top of giving it the possibility of passing out the Attack boost at any time. After gaining the boost, Mienfoo can use Drain Punch to deal significant damage to a foe, or take a hit and Baton Pass to a frail attacker that appreciates the Attack boost. In the late-game, when Mienfoo can't afford to set up a Swords Dance, Baton Pass can be used to turn Mienfoo into a pivot, taking various weak attacks and bringing in an ally that can't come in out of fear of taking a hit. If Knock Off is run, it can be used to weaken switch-ins if this set is not ready to Baton Pass a boost.
Team Options
========
The most obvious partners to Baton Pass Mienfoo are those that appreciate its Attack boosts. Choice Scarf Pawniard can deal significant damage to the Fairy-types Mienfoo lures in, outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame, and hits extremely hard after Mienfoo passes it an Attack boost. Carvanha also makes an amazing recipient thanks to its ability to boost its Speed with Speed Boost and great STAB coverage. Mudbray and Drilbur make good recipients that can take out the Poison-types that come in against Mienfoo, and hit very hard at +2 Attack. Other potential recipients are frail Choice Scarf users, such as Bunnelby and Cranidos, that are virtually impossible to switch into with a boosted Attack stat but don't have the bulk to boost it themselves. Cottonee is a major threat to this set due to its resistance to Mienfoo's STAB move and ability to Encore it into a boosting move, so Poison-types like Foongus and Fire-types like Ponyta, which can deal with Cottonee, are good partners as well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Fake Out and Feint are options that give Mienfoo a form of priority, but they are both extremely weak and are essentially limited to breaking opposing Sturdy users or picking off extremely weak foes. Calm Mind is an option on the Baton Pass set, as Mienfoo has the bulk to successfully pass the boost to an ally, but Mienfoo can't use the boosts itself in the way it can with Swords Dance. Both Flyinium Z with Bounce and Poisinium Z with Poison Jab can be used to give Mienfoo a high-power Z-Move to lure in opposing Fighting-and Fairy-types, respectively, but they come at the cost of the bulk Eviolite provides. Reckless, which is listed as an option on the Choice Scarf set, is an option on the pivot set as well to boost the power of High Jump Kick, but not having Regenerator hurts Mienfoo in terms of longevity. Life Orb is an acceptable option for fast offensive sets, but takes away from Mienfoo's mix of offensive capabilities and bulk. Finally, Facade is an option to surprise Flame Body Pokemon that aim to cripple Mienfoo with a burn, but it costs Mienfoo a moveslot it could use for coverage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types, especially Snubbull and Spritzee, wall Mienfoo completely unless it is running Poison Jab, which still doesn't do a lot of damage. Cottonee is also difficult to deal with, especially for the Baton Pass set, but is much more susceptible to Poison Jab.
**Poison-types**: Poison-type Pokemon, including Foongus, Trubbish, Skrelp, and Mareanie, take very little damage from Mienfoo's attacks and can take advantage of the free turns Mienfoo gives them to set up entry hazards or spread status. However, none of them particularly like being hit by Knock Off, with the exception of Trubbish, whose item cannot be removed because of Sticky Hold.
**Flying-types**: Flying-types do significant damage to Mienfoo, although they fear switching into it if it is running Stone Edge. Vullaby checks Mienfoo fairly well due to Weak Armor, which allows it to outspeed Mienfoo after switching in and deal significant damage, and Archen, Rufflet, and Doduo all check it offensively, although Rufflet needs a Choice Scarf to outspeed Mienfoo.
**Flame Body** Ponyta and Larvesta make it costly for Mienfoo to spam Knock Off and U-turn as consistently as it would like, as they can switch in and potentially cripple it with a burn; however, both fear Stone Edge.
**Abra**: Abra is one of the best offensive checks to Mienfoo, although the bulkier sets can take a Psychic from the Focus Sash Abra set. Abra also must be wary of being surprised by a Choice Scarf Mienfoo variant, which can outspeed and U-turn out of it.[/hide][/quote]
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