[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Toxic / Stone Edge
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Regenerator
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Great Speed, high Attack, access to a powerful STAB Close Combat, good utility options in Knock Off and U-turn, and inability to be worn down by entry hazards thanks to Regenerator combine to make Mienshao one of the best Choice Scarf users in the tier. It's also useful defensively; its bulk is atrocious, but its Fighting typing and aforementioned access to Regenerator mean that it can handle weaker attacks like Lycanroc-D's Accelerock and Rotom-W's Volt Switch in a pinch, giving it some extra utility. Knock Off gives Mienshao coverage for Pokemon that resist or are immune to Close Combat like Palossand and Necrozma, and it can also cripple Pokemon like Sylveon, Slowking, and Skarmory to make it easier to break them over time. U-turn allows Mienshao to pivot out of unfavorable matchups against the likes of Galarian Weezing and Slowking in order to bring in a teammate that's more capable of dealing with them. Toxic is used to put Pokemon like Palossand and Slowking on a timer, meaning they can no longer check Mienshao in the long run. Stone Edge can be used over Toxic to allow Mienshao to more reliably revenge kill Noivern, Talonflame, and Scyther if it is required.
Mienshao appreciates powerful wallbreakers as teammates, since it's not very strong on its own with this set. Partners like Obstagoon, Choice Specs Kyurem, and Toxtricity are all very great options for this role, breaking through Pokemon Mienshao struggles with like Slowking, Palossand, Hatterene, and Skarmory. Rotom-W and Scyther are incredible teammates for this set, as they can easily form VoltTurn cores with it and pivot around its counters. Rotom-W in particular appreciates that Mienshao can easily threaten Pokemon that come in on it, like Celebi and Rotom-C. Both Rotom-W and Scyther are very appreciative of Mienshao's ability to revenge kill Lycanroc-D and Terrakion. Slowking can also form a momentum core with Mienshao, and together they can quickly recover their health thanks to their access to Regenerator. It acts as a pivot into threatening special attackers like Hatterene and Noivern, and it can use Future Sight to make Mienshao's switch-ins, like Galarian Weezing and Palossand, think twice before coming in on Close Combat. Mamoswine can break through Pokemon like Galarian Weezing and Palossand for Mienshao, and its access to Ice Shard allows it to revenge kill some Pokemon Mienshao can struggle with like Noivern. Entry hazard support from the likes of Tyranitar and Skarmory is helpful, as Mienshao often spams Knock Off and U-turn early game, so racking up quick, residual damage is useful to enable a potential late-game Close Combat sweep. Tyranitar can also check Ghost-types like Chandelure and Polteageist that can take advantage of Mienshao locked into Close Combat while acting as a good check to Noivern too. It's also good at luring Skarmory and weakening it with Fire Blast. Mixed Jirachi is an exemplary partner for this set, being able to lure in and weaken plenty of Pokemon that Mienshao struggles with like Slowking, Palossand, and Skarmory. Jirachi can also run other sets to help Mienshao, like Stealth Rock and Calm Mind, both of which take aid Mienshao in cleaning up late-game.
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Swords Dance / Stone Edge / Poison Jab
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
When equipped with a Life Orb, Mienshao becomes incredibly difficult to switch into, and its access to Regenerator allows it to offset passive damage from both its Life Orb and Stealth Rock. This turns it into a wallbreaker with both frightening power and great longevity, which is compounded by its excellent Speed tier and utility options. Most Pokemon hit neutrally by Close Combat are easily shredded; the likes of Rotom-W, Flygon, and most notably Jirachi are hit ridiculously hard by it, allowing Mienshao to easily dispose of them. Even Pokemon like Skarmory can struggle to switch into this Mienshao; it's almost always 2HKOed by Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage, leaving the list of reliable switch-ins to this set very short, as it's essentially limited to Galarian Weezing and Colbur Berry Palossand. Neutralizing Gas Galarian Weezing denies Mienshao's Regenerator, which can make chipping it difficult as Mienshao must be wary when attacking; Knock Off allows Mienshao to harass it, removing its Black Sludge and making it struggle to check Mienshao over the course of a game. It's also helpful to hurt Fighting-type answers like Reuniclus, Doublade, and Noivern. U-turn is useful to revenge kill Pokemon like Celebi and acts as a generally excellent scouting tool, enabling Mienshao to keep up offensive momentum. In its last slot, Mienshao has multiple options. Swords Dance allows it to act as a potential late-game cleaner and allows it to more easily bust through Pokemon like Skarmory and Slowking, but Stone Edge can be used to catch Flying-types like Noivern and Talonflame on the switch. Poison Jab is useful for a stronger hit on Hatterene and Sylveon but lacks utility outside of this. Finally, this set can also be used with a Choice Band and the Reckless ability, which makes Mienshao incredibly tough to handle defensively. If this set is used, Mienshao should use High Jump Kick in its last slot. Be warned, though, that locking into one move is easily punished, and the longevity provided by Regenerator is hard to give up.
Mienshao's incredible power means that it easily blows holes in opposing teams before going down; this makes late-game cleaners like Mimikyu and Doublade desirable teammates, since they can perform their roles much more easily if the opposing team is broken down. Doublade in particular is an excellent partner, being able to switch into and check Terrakion, Cobalion, and Lycanroc-D, all of which are huge problems for this set. Entry hazard support from the likes of Skarmory and Tyranitar is extremely helpful for this set because it forces many switches and it can easily remove opposing Pokemon's Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off, forcing defensive answers like Slowking and Noivern to take entry hazard damage. Slowking is a great partner, being able to form a momentum and Regenerator core with Mienshao. It can pivot into Mienshao's switch-ins like Hatterene and Palossand, and its access to Future Sight combines well with Mienshao's Close Combat to take out the likes of Galarian Weezing. It can also handle Pokemon that attempt to revenge kill Mienshao, like Starmie, Noivern, and Talonflame. Other Pokemon like Sylveon and Hatterene that can check these threats are helpful to have, too. Noivern is also a great teammate for this set, being able to weaken shared checks like Galarian Weezing and Hatterene and bring Mienshao in safely via U-turn. Mienshao can, in turn, pressure answers to Noivern like Slowking, Tyranitar, and, if running Poison Jab, Sylveon. Partners like Indeedee-M and Necrozma appreciate Mienshao's ability to pummel Dark-types like Krookodile and Incineroar, and in turn, they can easily pressure Galarian Weezing and Hatterene for Mienshao. Finally, Krookodile is a great partner. It can set up Stealth Rock for Mienshao, weaken Pokemon like Rotom-W, Hatterene, and Skarmory with Knock Off, and it can Taunt Skarmory to prevent its recovery.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Lilburr, 481709]]
- Quality checked by: [[Twilight, 344575], [Estarossa, 461329]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Toxic / Stone Edge
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Regenerator
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Great Speed, high Attack, access to a powerful STAB Close Combat, good utility options in Knock Off and U-turn, and inability to be worn down by entry hazards thanks to Regenerator combine to make Mienshao one of the best Choice Scarf users in the tier. It's also useful defensively; its bulk is atrocious, but its Fighting typing and aforementioned access to Regenerator mean that it can handle weaker attacks like Lycanroc-D's Accelerock and Rotom-W's Volt Switch in a pinch, giving it some extra utility. Knock Off gives Mienshao coverage for Pokemon that resist or are immune to Close Combat like Palossand and Necrozma, and it can also cripple Pokemon like Sylveon, Slowking, and Skarmory to make it easier to break them over time. U-turn allows Mienshao to pivot out of unfavorable matchups against the likes of Galarian Weezing and Slowking in order to bring in a teammate that's more capable of dealing with them. Toxic is used to put Pokemon like Palossand and Slowking on a timer, meaning they can no longer check Mienshao in the long run. Stone Edge can be used over Toxic to allow Mienshao to more reliably revenge kill Noivern, Talonflame, and Scyther if it is required.
Mienshao appreciates powerful wallbreakers as teammates, since it's not very strong on its own with this set. Partners like Obstagoon, Choice Specs Kyurem, and Toxtricity are all very great options for this role, breaking through Pokemon Mienshao struggles with like Slowking, Palossand, Hatterene, and Skarmory. Rotom-W and Scyther are incredible teammates for this set, as they can easily form VoltTurn cores with it and pivot around its counters. Rotom-W in particular appreciates that Mienshao can easily threaten Pokemon that come in on it, like Celebi and Rotom-C. Both Rotom-W and Scyther are very appreciative of Mienshao's ability to revenge kill Lycanroc-D and Terrakion. Slowking can also form a momentum core with Mienshao, and together they can quickly recover their health thanks to their access to Regenerator. It acts as a pivot into threatening special attackers like Hatterene and Noivern, and it can use Future Sight to make Mienshao's switch-ins, like Galarian Weezing and Palossand, think twice before coming in on Close Combat. Mamoswine can break through Pokemon like Galarian Weezing and Palossand for Mienshao, and its access to Ice Shard allows it to revenge kill some Pokemon Mienshao can struggle with like Noivern. Entry hazard support from the likes of Tyranitar and Skarmory is helpful, as Mienshao often spams Knock Off and U-turn early game, so racking up quick, residual damage is useful to enable a potential late-game Close Combat sweep. Tyranitar can also check Ghost-types like Chandelure and Polteageist that can take advantage of Mienshao locked into Close Combat while acting as a good check to Noivern too. It's also good at luring Skarmory and weakening it with Fire Blast. Mixed Jirachi is an exemplary partner for this set, being able to lure in and weaken plenty of Pokemon that Mienshao struggles with like Slowking, Palossand, and Skarmory. Jirachi can also run other sets to help Mienshao, like Stealth Rock and Calm Mind, both of which take aid Mienshao in cleaning up late-game.
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Swords Dance / Stone Edge / Poison Jab
item: Life Orb
ability: Regenerator
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
When equipped with a Life Orb, Mienshao becomes incredibly difficult to switch into, and its access to Regenerator allows it to offset passive damage from both its Life Orb and Stealth Rock. This turns it into a wallbreaker with both frightening power and great longevity, which is compounded by its excellent Speed tier and utility options. Most Pokemon hit neutrally by Close Combat are easily shredded; the likes of Rotom-W, Flygon, and most notably Jirachi are hit ridiculously hard by it, allowing Mienshao to easily dispose of them. Even Pokemon like Skarmory can struggle to switch into this Mienshao; it's almost always 2HKOed by Close Combat after Stealth Rock damage, leaving the list of reliable switch-ins to this set very short, as it's essentially limited to Galarian Weezing and Colbur Berry Palossand. Neutralizing Gas Galarian Weezing denies Mienshao's Regenerator, which can make chipping it difficult as Mienshao must be wary when attacking; Knock Off allows Mienshao to harass it, removing its Black Sludge and making it struggle to check Mienshao over the course of a game. It's also helpful to hurt Fighting-type answers like Reuniclus, Doublade, and Noivern. U-turn is useful to revenge kill Pokemon like Celebi and acts as a generally excellent scouting tool, enabling Mienshao to keep up offensive momentum. In its last slot, Mienshao has multiple options. Swords Dance allows it to act as a potential late-game cleaner and allows it to more easily bust through Pokemon like Skarmory and Slowking, but Stone Edge can be used to catch Flying-types like Noivern and Talonflame on the switch. Poison Jab is useful for a stronger hit on Hatterene and Sylveon but lacks utility outside of this. Finally, this set can also be used with a Choice Band and the Reckless ability, which makes Mienshao incredibly tough to handle defensively. If this set is used, Mienshao should use High Jump Kick in its last slot. Be warned, though, that locking into one move is easily punished, and the longevity provided by Regenerator is hard to give up.
Mienshao's incredible power means that it easily blows holes in opposing teams before going down; this makes late-game cleaners like Mimikyu and Doublade desirable teammates, since they can perform their roles much more easily if the opposing team is broken down. Doublade in particular is an excellent partner, being able to switch into and check Terrakion, Cobalion, and Lycanroc-D, all of which are huge problems for this set. Entry hazard support from the likes of Skarmory and Tyranitar is extremely helpful for this set because it forces many switches and it can easily remove opposing Pokemon's Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off, forcing defensive answers like Slowking and Noivern to take entry hazard damage. Slowking is a great partner, being able to form a momentum and Regenerator core with Mienshao. It can pivot into Mienshao's switch-ins like Hatterene and Palossand, and its access to Future Sight combines well with Mienshao's Close Combat to take out the likes of Galarian Weezing. It can also handle Pokemon that attempt to revenge kill Mienshao, like Starmie, Noivern, and Talonflame. Other Pokemon like Sylveon and Hatterene that can check these threats are helpful to have, too. Noivern is also a great teammate for this set, being able to weaken shared checks like Galarian Weezing and Hatterene and bring Mienshao in safely via U-turn. Mienshao can, in turn, pressure answers to Noivern like Slowking, Tyranitar, and, if running Poison Jab, Sylveon. Partners like Indeedee-M and Necrozma appreciate Mienshao's ability to pummel Dark-types like Krookodile and Incineroar, and in turn, they can easily pressure Galarian Weezing and Hatterene for Mienshao. Finally, Krookodile is a great partner. It can set up Stealth Rock for Mienshao, weaken Pokemon like Rotom-W, Hatterene, and Skarmory with Knock Off, and it can Taunt Skarmory to prevent its recovery.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Lilburr, 481709]]
- Quality checked by: [[Twilight, 344575], [Estarossa, 461329]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Last edited:
