UU Suspect Coverage: Mienshao

By Monky25. Released: 2022/01/11.
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Introduction

Mienshao has been a steadily growing presence in SS UU. In past metagames, Life Orb Mienshao was quite difficult to build with due to its lack of defensive utility and exploitable Speed tier, which left it primarily as a Choice Scarf user. Choice Scarf Mienshao was an effective revenge killer to top threats like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Meteor Beam Nihilego, but it struggled to break through Buzzwole and Amoonguss. However, Life Orb Mienshao has skyrocketed in popularity and dominance due to metagame changes such as the rise of Buzzwole, a common defensive counter, to OU. Moreover, the bans of Latias and Kommo-o were greatly in Mienshao's favor, removing an omnipresent faster threat that could KO it and some heavy competition as a dangerous Fighting-type wallbreaker. With several weeks of continued dominant and unmatched wallbreaking power showcased in the Underused Snake Draft, sporting 50% usage with a 58.3% winrate in Week 4 of the tournament for example, the UU council decided to suspect test Mienshao.

The Sets

UU Suspect Coverage: Mienshao artwork

Art by Albatross.

Mienshao's infamous Life Orb set is easily its most threatening set, sporting insane power, great coverage, and an amazing Speed tier. The real kicker is Regenerator, which allows Mienshao to offset its Life Orb recoil and fire off nuclear Close Combats without getting worn down. It also keeps Mienshao healthy after Rocky Helmet chip damage and Spikes. Knock Off is great for crippling checks like Moltres and Salamence, and U-turn activates Regenerator while also getting Mienshao away from a Pokémon it cannot KO, like a full health physically defensive Primarina. Base 105 Speed is excellent in UU, outspeeding common staples like Hydreigon, Thundurus-T, and Nihilego. With few natural revenge killers remaining in the tier, many players have seen Mienshao as too much for the tier to handle. That's not all, though, as Mienshao is able to pick and choose its checks. While Poison Jab is the most common fourth move to handle threats like Primarina, Azumarill, and Tapu Bulu, other coverage moves like Stone Edge and Blaze Kick have seen some usage, taking out defensive answers like Moltres and Amoonguss, respectively. However, Mienshao does have to rely on team support to make up for the coverage it forgoes. Nevertheless, players sending in their Amoonguss only to get blasted by Blaze Kick has helped convince many that Mienshao's power, Speed, longevity, and coverage are too much for the tier to handle.

Other than the Life Orb set, Mienshao also utilizes a Choice Scarf set, acting as a potent revenge killer for common threats like Azelf, Zygarde-10%, Dragon Dance Gyarados, and even other Choice Scarf users like Hydreigon. Running Choice Scarf also means Mienshao is harder to check with naturally faster threats such as Zygarde-10%. Stone Edge is almost mandatory coverage to reliably KO the aforementioned Gyarados, in addition to other threats like Dragon Dance Salamence and Thundurus-T. A fast U-turn lets Mienshao pivot from uncomfortable matchups while also regenerating its health. Many UU players see this set as fine and a healthy presence in the tier, being one of the few viable Choice Scarf users.

Other Options

Mienshao can run a Swords Dance set to boost its Attack to insane levels and muscle past physical walls like Amoonguss, Tangrowth, Skarmory, and Primarina. Swords Dance is often paired with High Jump Kick, Blaze Kick, and Stone Edge, the former boosted by Reckless, and this combination allows Mienshao to demolish nearly every Pokémon in the tier. Alternatively, Mienshao can run an Assault Vest set to let it switch into threats like Hydreigon and force them out. However, this set severely lacks in power compared to Mienshao's other sets.

Sample Team

Here is a sample team created by Askov and Juno that features Life Orb Mienshao. Mienshao is partnered with Azelf, another hard-hitting fast pivot, to take advantage of each other's checks. Azelf KOes Amoonguss and Skarmory, while Mienshao removes Chansey and Umbreon. Specially defensive Swampert provides entry hazard support and checks Thundurus-T and Starmie. Mandibuzz and Celesteela form a great defensive backbone, checking threats like Aegislash and Gyarados. Amoonguss can cripple the enemy team with Spore and switch into Mienshao and Primarina.

The Arguments

Ban Reasoning

Mienshao has a wide variety of coverage moves that makes it extremely difficult to defensively switch into. Checks like Primarina, Moltres, and Amoonguss can all drop to Mienshao's coverage moves if it's not properly scouted, leaving little secure counterplay available. Mienshao also has limited common and faster offensive checks, with only Azelf, Zygarde-10%, Starmie, and Cobalion fitting this description, as other faster threats like Keldeo and Lycanroc-D have narrower uses. Mienshao is nearly impossible to wear down thanks to Regenerator denying passive damage, making it much harder to get rid of than the average wallbreaker despite its poor bulk. Mienshao's power has led to a dominance of VoltTurn teams in UU, which pair it with another top threat in Thundurus-T to pivot around and overwhelm UU's walls, and eventually the tier as a whole. The abundance of other pivots like Zarude, Swampert, and Mandibuzz also affords Mienshao safe entry against their checks like Tapu Bulu, Hydreigon, and Nihilego, overcoming entry issues with its frailty.

Do Not Ban Reasoning

Despite its longevity, Mienshao still provides next to zero defensive utility, which can leave teams open to dangerous wallbreakers like Zygarde-10%, Starmie, and Mamoswine. While a single defensive check often isn't enough to beat Mienshao, combinations of common and relevant Pokémon like Amoonguss, Primarina, Salamence, Slowking, Moltres, and Galarian Weezing work well enough in combatting it. For example, while Amoonguss doesn't like Blaze Kick, another partner like Salamence can scout for it, and revealing a lack of Stone Edge lets Salamence be much more agressive against Mienshao. Faster threats like the aforementioned Zygarde-10%, Starmie, and Azelf also match up well against the common VoltTurn teams Mienshao is on, limiting its progress by outspeeding and KOing it.

Results

Mienshao got banned in a 17-13 majority vote, one of the closer suspect test results this generation. With it gone, Pokémon like Tapu Bulu, Excadrill, and Chansey greatly improve, while others like Thundurus-T, Galarian Slowbro, and Galarian Weezing decline in viability.

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