[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 10-12 points
**Overview**: Mienshao's high Attack, good Speed, and strong coverage make it a solid offensive pivot. Access to Knock Off and U-turn allows it to soften up walls for its teammates, while good complementary coverage in Stone Edge, Poison Jab, and Triple Axel allows it to hit typical Fighting-type switch-ins. Its access to Regenerator additionally makes it relatively undeterred by the presence of entry hazards, allowing it to more easily pivot throughout the course of a game without relying on Heavy-Duty Boots to stay healthy. However, despite Regenerator, Mienshao's paltry bulk means it offers no defensive value to a team and almost always requires a free switch to safely enter the field. Further, it faces stiff competition from the sheer number of strong Fighting-types available, which are stronger, faster, or offer more utility, making it sometimes difficult to justify Mienshao's place on a team.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Offensive Pivot**: When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Mienshao outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame and slower boosted sweepers. With access to Knock Off and U-turn to force progress against bulkier teams and a strong Close Combat plus coverage to deal with opposing offensive threats, it thus makes for a strong offensive pivot.
**Wallbreaker**: Mienshao can equip a Life Orb with little drawback thanks to Regenerator, and the power boost combined with setup from Swords Dance can turn it into a terrifying wallbreaker. It can become even stronger with the combination of Choice Band, Reckless, and High Jump Kick.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Close Combat, High Jump Kick
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Brick Break, Taunt, Knock Off, U-turn
**Coverage**: Stone Edge, Triple Axel, Ice Spinner, Poison Jab, Grass Knot, Aerial Ace
Niche Moves
========
**Dig**: Mienshao is typically unable to hit Poison-types effectively, so Dig can be used to surprise these Pokemon when they're hoping to switch in safely.
**Vacuum Wave**: Mienshao has a usable Special Attack stat, and Vacuum Wave is its strongest form of priority.
**Fake Out**: Like Vacuum Wave, Fake Out can be used for a priority attack, chipping away at and potentially picking off very weakened, faster foes.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Mienshao appreciates the Speed boost from Choice Scarf to outrun all opposing unboosted Pokemon, allowing it to more effectively pivot around opposing teams.
**Life Orb**: Mienshao is able to heal off the recoil damage from Life Orb with Regenerator, making it an effective choice on more power-focused sets.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Band**: If a stronger damage boost than Life Orb is required for specific damage rolls, Mienshao can use Choice Band.
**Assault Vest**: Although Mienshao's bulk is poor, its access to Regenerator alongside its resistances to Rock and Dark makes Assault Vest useful against some special attackers.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash allows Mienshao to gain safer setup opportunities with its poor bulk.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: While Regenerator makes Heavy-Duty Boots hardly necessary, it can still be useful against particular entry hazard-stacking teams or if Mienshao opts to use Reckless.
Tera
========
Mienshao is typically not the best choice for a Tera Captain. Its movepool allows it to naturally hit most opposing Pokemon strongly enough, and its poor bulk means it gains very little from defensively Terastallizing. Mienshao's price also presents the opportunity cost of preventing one from choosing a higher-tier Tera Captain with it. If chosen as a Tera Captain, Tera types such as Tera Fighting, Dark, and Poison can be chosen to boost its existing moves, while Tera types such as Tera Ground, Psychic, and Fairy can patch holes in its movepool with Tera Blast.
Draft Strategy
========
Mienshao is a strong Pokemon, but it can struggle to fit onto teams in part due to competition from many other Fighting-types and offensive pivots. It is best used on teams that appreciate its ability to keep up momentum throughout the course of a game better than other Fighting-types.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types like Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Iron Treads can deal with the Poison- and Fairy-types Mienshao struggles with while also providing entry hazard support that it can take advantage of.
**Bulky Pivots**: Mienshao provides nearly no defensive value thanks to its awful bulk, and it requires support from bulky teammates that don't mind taking hits to enter the field safely. Both formes of Slowking and Uxie are particularly valuable support, as they provide a slow pivot combined with Future Sight support for Mienshao.
**Fast Pokemon**: While Mienshao is quick when given a Choice Scarf, the presence of many other fast Pokemon capable of running Choice Scarf or Booster Energy makes it best to have additional speedy partners such as Darkrai, Ogerpon,or and Tornadus-T.
**Cleaners**: Mienshao can effectively weaken walls and pivot to get cleaners like Greninja, Meowscarada, and Thundurus set up to win games.
Checks and Counters
========
**Faster Pokemon**: Mienshao's paper-thin bulk means it cannot take a hit from faster Pokemon such as Iron Valiant, Ogerpon, and Sneasler, particularly when Pokemon like these are further equipped with a Choice Scarf or Booster Energy.
**Physical Walls**: Mienshao can struggle to get past general physical walls such as Great Tusk, Scream Tail, and Alomomola, limiting its ability to break through bulkier teams.
**Poison-types**: Mienshao is unable to hit Poison-types super effectively, which means bulky Poison-types such as Galarian Weezing, Fezandipiti, and Muk can stonewall it.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 10-12 points
**Overview**: Mienshao's high Attack, good Speed, and strong coverage make it a solid offensive pivot. Access to Knock Off and U-turn allows it to soften up walls for its teammates, while good complementary coverage in Stone Edge, Poison Jab, and Triple Axel allows it to hit typical Fighting-type switch-ins. Its access to Regenerator additionally makes it relatively undeterred by the presence of entry hazards, allowing it to more easily pivot throughout the course of a game without relying on Heavy-Duty Boots to stay healthy. However, despite Regenerator, Mienshao's paltry bulk means it offers no defensive value to a team and almost always requires a free switch to safely enter the field. Further, it faces stiff competition from the sheer number of strong Fighting-types available, which are stronger, faster, or offer more utility, making it sometimes difficult to justify Mienshao's place on a team.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Offensive Pivot**: When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Mienshao outspeeds the entire unboosted metagame and slower boosted sweepers. With access to Knock Off and U-turn to force progress against bulkier teams and a strong Close Combat plus coverage to deal with opposing offensive threats, it thus makes for a strong offensive pivot.
**Wallbreaker**: Mienshao can equip a Life Orb with little drawback thanks to Regenerator, and the power boost combined with setup from Swords Dance can turn it into a terrifying wallbreaker. It can become even stronger with the combination of Choice Band, Reckless, and High Jump Kick.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Close Combat, High Jump Kick
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Brick Break, Taunt, Knock Off, U-turn
**Coverage**: Stone Edge, Triple Axel, Ice Spinner, Poison Jab, Grass Knot, Aerial Ace
Niche Moves
========
**Dig**: Mienshao is typically unable to hit Poison-types effectively, so Dig can be used to surprise these Pokemon when they're hoping to switch in safely.
**Vacuum Wave**: Mienshao has a usable Special Attack stat, and Vacuum Wave is its strongest form of priority.
**Fake Out**: Like Vacuum Wave, Fake Out can be used for a priority attack, chipping away at and potentially picking off very weakened, faster foes.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Mienshao appreciates the Speed boost from Choice Scarf to outrun all opposing unboosted Pokemon, allowing it to more effectively pivot around opposing teams.
**Life Orb**: Mienshao is able to heal off the recoil damage from Life Orb with Regenerator, making it an effective choice on more power-focused sets.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Band**: If a stronger damage boost than Life Orb is required for specific damage rolls, Mienshao can use Choice Band.
**Assault Vest**: Although Mienshao's bulk is poor, its access to Regenerator alongside its resistances to Rock and Dark makes Assault Vest useful against some special attackers.
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash allows Mienshao to gain safer setup opportunities with its poor bulk.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: While Regenerator makes Heavy-Duty Boots hardly necessary, it can still be useful against particular entry hazard-stacking teams or if Mienshao opts to use Reckless.
Tera
========
Mienshao is typically not the best choice for a Tera Captain. Its movepool allows it to naturally hit most opposing Pokemon strongly enough, and its poor bulk means it gains very little from defensively Terastallizing. Mienshao's price also presents the opportunity cost of preventing one from choosing a higher-tier Tera Captain with it. If chosen as a Tera Captain, Tera types such as Tera Fighting, Dark, and Poison can be chosen to boost its existing moves, while Tera types such as Tera Ground, Psychic, and Fairy can patch holes in its movepool with Tera Blast.
Draft Strategy
========
Mienshao is a strong Pokemon, but it can struggle to fit onto teams in part due to competition from many other Fighting-types and offensive pivots. It is best used on teams that appreciate its ability to keep up momentum throughout the course of a game better than other Fighting-types.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types like Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Iron Treads can deal with the Poison- and Fairy-types Mienshao struggles with while also providing entry hazard support that it can take advantage of.
**Bulky Pivots**: Mienshao provides nearly no defensive value thanks to its awful bulk, and it requires support from bulky teammates that don't mind taking hits to enter the field safely. Both formes of Slowking and Uxie are particularly valuable support, as they provide a slow pivot combined with Future Sight support for Mienshao.
**Fast Pokemon**: While Mienshao is quick when given a Choice Scarf, the presence of many other fast Pokemon capable of running Choice Scarf or Booster Energy makes it best to have additional speedy partners such as Darkrai, Ogerpon,
**Cleaners**: Mienshao can effectively weaken walls and pivot to get cleaners like Greninja, Meowscarada, and Thundurus set up to win games.
Checks and Counters
========
**Faster Pokemon**: Mienshao's paper-thin bulk means it cannot take a hit from faster Pokemon such as Iron Valiant, Ogerpon, and Sneasler, particularly when Pokemon like these are further equipped with a Choice Scarf or Booster Energy.
**Physical Walls**: Mienshao can struggle to get past general physical walls such as Great Tusk, Scream Tail, and Alomomola, limiting its ability to break through bulkier teams.
**Poison-types**: Mienshao is unable to hit Poison-types super effectively, which means bulky Poison-types such as Galarian Weezing, Fezandipiti, and Muk can stonewall it.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
