Well, I've been playing around with Mightyena for a while, and I'm actually surprised by the results. While he lacks the raw power of the other Dark-types of UU, his Speed (surprisingly enough, (thanks to Quick Feet)) is what separates him from the pack (no pun intended).
<woof>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/mightyena
Plans:
- Complete overhaul
- Remove Choice Band (?)
- Remove Howl, add to other options
- Add Quick Feet Abuser Set
[Overview]
<p>Mightyena scavenges the DPP battlefield as arguably the worst fully evolved Dark-type in the game. Aside from its Attack (which is just decent) Mightyena's stats are awful, and its movepool, which somehow lacks Pursuit (even more perplexing considering that Mightyena is based on a hyena), is horrid. Its only saving grace is its access to two great abilities, Quick Feet and Intimidate, that allow it to at least function in the UU metagame. When it comes down to it, if you're looking for a Dark-type for your team, you're probably better off choosing one that does what Mightyena can and then some, such as Absol, Drapion, or Skuntank.</p>
[SET]
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Super Fang
move 3: Crunch / Rest
move 4: Sucker Punch / Toxic
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
ability: Intimidate
evs: 248 HP / 116 Atk / 144 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Mightyena has just enough Speed, a satisfactory movepool, and the (Intimidate-enhanced) bulk to function as a usable stallbreaker. Super Fang and Taunt form the crux of the set, and when combined completely shut down many of the common walls found on stall teams, such as Chansey and Registeel. The idea when using this Mightyena is to switch in on a wall as it uses a harmless move, such as Softboiled, and Taunt them. Mightyena is then free to use Super Fang to immediately strip the wall of half of their health, and because of Taunt, they are unable to recover HP. Crunch is recommended for a reliable STAB move; however, Rest can be used in its place to ensure stall teams can't wear down Mightyena with repeated attacks, and heals any status Mightyena may have been exposed to. Sucker Punch is used in the last slot to pick off faster threats and Choice Scarf users, such as Rotom (who is commonly seen on stall teams). Finally, Toxic can be used in place of Sucker Punch to bring down Milotic and Spiritomb when combined with Rest and Taunt.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Intimidate is used as it allows Mightyena to soften the hard-hitters of UU, and allow another teammate, such as Rhyperior, to switch in and set up with greater ease. This usually comes into play when facing more offensive teams, against which Mightyena is more of a liability. However, Mightyena is still able to pick off faster threats, such as Mismagius and Alakazam, with Sucker Punch, so don't throw Mightyena under the bus too soon. The EV spread is designed to allow Mightyena to outpace Adamant Torterra before a Rock Polish, OHKO Rotom, Mismagius, and Alakazam with Sucker Punch, and give Mightyena the most bulk it can get out of the remaining EVs.</p>
<p>Without Quick Feet, Mightyena is not immune to status, so including a partner who can absorb or heal them is highly recommended. Clefable makes the perfect teammate in this regard, as it is able to absorb all forms of status, and cure Mightyena of any status trouble with Heal Bell. Be aware though that they both share a weakness to Fighting-type attacks, so include a Ghost-type on your team to easily remedy this problem. An amazing partner to stallbreaker Mightyena is SubSplit Rotom, as they are able to cover each other's weaknesses almost perfectly, and can beat each other's counters reasonably well. Finally, bulky Psychic-types, such as Uxie and Claydol, make good teammates due to their ability to set up Stealth Rock and absorb any Fighting-type attacks aimed at Mightyena.</p>
[SET]
name: Quick Feet
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Facade
move 4: Howl / Taunt
item: Toxic Orb
nature: Jolly / Adamant
ability: Quick Feet
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>After Toxic Orb activates Quick Feet, Mightyena reaches a blistering Speed stat of 393, enough to outspeed the entire unboosted UU metagame (bar Electrode) while keeping the ability to switch between moves. This would make Mightyena the quintessential revenge killer, if it weren't for Mightyena's lack of offensive power. With a status condition inflicted, Facade becomes Mightyena's strongest attack, which is highly disappointing as it doesn't even get STAB. Fortunately, Mightyena is still powerful enough to KO many frail UU threats with what it has; however, it requires Stealth Rock support to secure several of these KOs. The main idea when using Mightyena mid-game is to bring it in on a Pokemon it can revenge kill with Sucker Punch, such as Rotom, Mismagius, and Alakazam, and eliminate them. After this, Mightyena's Toxic Orb will activate, firing its Speed stat up to blazing levels.</p>
<p>Crunch is used so Mightyena doesn't have to rely on the oftentimes unreliable Sucker Punch for STAB (not to mention that Mightyena's movepool is really poor). The last slot comes down to personal preference. As Mightyena's Attack stat is quite lackluster, Howl can be used to raise it, which will allow Mightyena to 2HKO bulkier threats, such as Venusaur and Uxie. Taunt can be used in its place to shut down walls that will inevitably switch into Mightyena, like Registeel, and it can also prevent specific threats from setting up on Mightyena as it switches out, such as Rhyperior and Aggron.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Some other options that can be used in the last slot include Protect, Super Fang, and Yawn. Protect allows Mightyena to activate its Toxic Orb scott-free while scouting your opponent's switch-in; however, Howl and Taunt are hard to replace, and so are Mightyena's attacking moves. Super Fang strips bulky walls, such as Weezing and Rhyperior, of half their health, allowing Mightyena's teammates to eliminate them more easily. Yawn can cause switches to help Mightyena activate its Toxic Orb.</p>
<p>Toxic Orb is the chosen item for this set as it activates Quick Feet with no drawbacks (other than inflicting poison on Mightyena). Flame Orb cannot be used as, unlike the ability Guts, Quick Feet will not cancel out the Attack drop caused by the burn condition. Finally, Mightyena can switch into Thunder Wave safely, as Quick Feet will still activate and Mightyena will receive the Speed boost as normal. Unfortunately, there is a chance that full paralysis will occur, so don't play too loosely with Mightyena.</p>
<p>In order for Mightyena to be successful, it needs some heavy duty team support. U-turn users are amazing partners, particularly slow users such as Uxie, as they can get Mightyena in safely and activate its Toxic Orb without the need for Protect or utilizing the Sucker Punch strategy described above. Mightyena is easily walled by Registeel, Milotic, Rhyperior, and Weezing, so including a powerful special sweeper on your team will allow Mightyena to bypass these threats. Life Orb Milotic and Physical Sweeper Venusaur make great teammates as they can handle the aforementioned Pokemon quite nicely, and they appreciate Mightyena's ability to pick off faster sweepers, such as Swellow, Sceptile, and Rotom.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Bulky Psychic-types, such as Slowbro, Exeggutor, and Uxie, make great partners as they can absorb Fighting-type attacks aimed at Mightyena, and provide dual screen support to compensate for Mightyena's poor defenses. Additionaly, Uxie has the added benefit of providing Stealth Rock support and a slow U-turn to get Mightyena onto the battlefield safely. Mightyena is capable of causing many switches, so Stealth Rock and Spikes support is highly recommended. Great teammates to supply these entry hazards include Claydol, Qwilfish, and Omastar. Moltres and Altaria are awesome partners as well, as they can blow right through the walls that stand in Mightyena's way, and absorb any incoming Bug- and Fighting-type attacks.</p>
<p>Bulky Grass-types that can easily eliminate Milotic, such as Venusaur and Tangrowth, are invaluable teammates for Mightyena, as Milotic is one of the hardest stops to any Mightyena set. Finally, Ghost-types, particularly Mismagius, Rotom, and Dusclops, have perfect synergy with Mightyena, covering each other's weaknesses perfectly.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>A Choice Band set is conceivable; however, Mightyena's lack of a strong STAB move and utterly horrible physical movepool puts that idea to rest. Fire Fang is Mightyena's most powerful attack against Tangrowth and Registeel, but even then Mightyena is unable to 3HKO them without Stealth Rock and Spikes support. Rock Smash is Mightyena's alternative answer to Steel- and Rock-types, especially Aggron, but has no use outside of that. Finally, Toxic can be used alongside Protect and Wish support to effectively stall out the enemy; unfortunately, Mightyena is almost directly outclassed by Arcanine in this regard thanks to the latter's access to reliable recovery in Morning Sun.</p>
[Counters]
<p>There is no shortage of counters to this poor mutt, as its mediocre Attack stat and low defenses make the hyenas from the Lion King seem more intimidating. Spiritomb is an excellent counter thanks to its immunity to Super Fang and Facade, and it can rip Mightyena to shreds with Hidden Power Fighting. Registeel, Aggron, and Steelix take almost no damage from any of Mightyena's attacks outside of Super Fang, and can easily retaliate with Earthquake, and in Aggron's case, Head Smash. Weezing easily outstalls any Mightyena thanks to Pain Split and its immunity to Toxic. Rhyperior takes little damage from anything Mightyena can dish out, and can proceed to use it as set-up fodder. Bulky Fighting-types, such as Hariyama and Hitmontop, can easily pound Mightyena into the dust with their STAB moves. Tangrowth, Leafeon, Milotic, Blastoise, and Miltank can soak up any attack Mightyena throws at them and eliminate it. Basically, when dealing with Mightyena, use a bulky Pokemon, avoid Super Fang, and you've countered it.</p>
<woof>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/mightyena
Plans:
- Complete overhaul
- Remove Choice Band (?)
- Remove Howl, add to other options
- Add Quick Feet Abuser Set
[Overview]
<p>Mightyena scavenges the DPP battlefield as arguably the worst fully evolved Dark-type in the game. Aside from its Attack (which is just decent) Mightyena's stats are awful, and its movepool, which somehow lacks Pursuit (even more perplexing considering that Mightyena is based on a hyena), is horrid. Its only saving grace is its access to two great abilities, Quick Feet and Intimidate, that allow it to at least function in the UU metagame. When it comes down to it, if you're looking for a Dark-type for your team, you're probably better off choosing one that does what Mightyena can and then some, such as Absol, Drapion, or Skuntank.</p>
[SET]
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Super Fang
move 3: Crunch / Rest
move 4: Sucker Punch / Toxic
item: Leftovers
nature: Adamant
ability: Intimidate
evs: 248 HP / 116 Atk / 144 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Mightyena has just enough Speed, a satisfactory movepool, and the (Intimidate-enhanced) bulk to function as a usable stallbreaker. Super Fang and Taunt form the crux of the set, and when combined completely shut down many of the common walls found on stall teams, such as Chansey and Registeel. The idea when using this Mightyena is to switch in on a wall as it uses a harmless move, such as Softboiled, and Taunt them. Mightyena is then free to use Super Fang to immediately strip the wall of half of their health, and because of Taunt, they are unable to recover HP. Crunch is recommended for a reliable STAB move; however, Rest can be used in its place to ensure stall teams can't wear down Mightyena with repeated attacks, and heals any status Mightyena may have been exposed to. Sucker Punch is used in the last slot to pick off faster threats and Choice Scarf users, such as Rotom (who is commonly seen on stall teams). Finally, Toxic can be used in place of Sucker Punch to bring down Milotic and Spiritomb when combined with Rest and Taunt.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Intimidate is used as it allows Mightyena to soften the hard-hitters of UU, and allow another teammate, such as Rhyperior, to switch in and set up with greater ease. This usually comes into play when facing more offensive teams, against which Mightyena is more of a liability. However, Mightyena is still able to pick off faster threats, such as Mismagius and Alakazam, with Sucker Punch, so don't throw Mightyena under the bus too soon. The EV spread is designed to allow Mightyena to outpace Adamant Torterra before a Rock Polish, OHKO Rotom, Mismagius, and Alakazam with Sucker Punch, and give Mightyena the most bulk it can get out of the remaining EVs.</p>
<p>Without Quick Feet, Mightyena is not immune to status, so including a partner who can absorb or heal them is highly recommended. Clefable makes the perfect teammate in this regard, as it is able to absorb all forms of status, and cure Mightyena of any status trouble with Heal Bell. Be aware though that they both share a weakness to Fighting-type attacks, so include a Ghost-type on your team to easily remedy this problem. An amazing partner to stallbreaker Mightyena is SubSplit Rotom, as they are able to cover each other's weaknesses almost perfectly, and can beat each other's counters reasonably well. Finally, bulky Psychic-types, such as Uxie and Claydol, make good teammates due to their ability to set up Stealth Rock and absorb any Fighting-type attacks aimed at Mightyena.</p>
[SET]
name: Quick Feet
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Facade
move 4: Howl / Taunt
item: Toxic Orb
nature: Jolly / Adamant
ability: Quick Feet
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>After Toxic Orb activates Quick Feet, Mightyena reaches a blistering Speed stat of 393, enough to outspeed the entire unboosted UU metagame (bar Electrode) while keeping the ability to switch between moves. This would make Mightyena the quintessential revenge killer, if it weren't for Mightyena's lack of offensive power. With a status condition inflicted, Facade becomes Mightyena's strongest attack, which is highly disappointing as it doesn't even get STAB. Fortunately, Mightyena is still powerful enough to KO many frail UU threats with what it has; however, it requires Stealth Rock support to secure several of these KOs. The main idea when using Mightyena mid-game is to bring it in on a Pokemon it can revenge kill with Sucker Punch, such as Rotom, Mismagius, and Alakazam, and eliminate them. After this, Mightyena's Toxic Orb will activate, firing its Speed stat up to blazing levels.</p>
<p>Crunch is used so Mightyena doesn't have to rely on the oftentimes unreliable Sucker Punch for STAB (not to mention that Mightyena's movepool is really poor). The last slot comes down to personal preference. As Mightyena's Attack stat is quite lackluster, Howl can be used to raise it, which will allow Mightyena to 2HKO bulkier threats, such as Venusaur and Uxie. Taunt can be used in its place to shut down walls that will inevitably switch into Mightyena, like Registeel, and it can also prevent specific threats from setting up on Mightyena as it switches out, such as Rhyperior and Aggron.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Some other options that can be used in the last slot include Protect, Super Fang, and Yawn. Protect allows Mightyena to activate its Toxic Orb scott-free while scouting your opponent's switch-in; however, Howl and Taunt are hard to replace, and so are Mightyena's attacking moves. Super Fang strips bulky walls, such as Weezing and Rhyperior, of half their health, allowing Mightyena's teammates to eliminate them more easily. Yawn can cause switches to help Mightyena activate its Toxic Orb.</p>
<p>Toxic Orb is the chosen item for this set as it activates Quick Feet with no drawbacks (other than inflicting poison on Mightyena). Flame Orb cannot be used as, unlike the ability Guts, Quick Feet will not cancel out the Attack drop caused by the burn condition. Finally, Mightyena can switch into Thunder Wave safely, as Quick Feet will still activate and Mightyena will receive the Speed boost as normal. Unfortunately, there is a chance that full paralysis will occur, so don't play too loosely with Mightyena.</p>
<p>In order for Mightyena to be successful, it needs some heavy duty team support. U-turn users are amazing partners, particularly slow users such as Uxie, as they can get Mightyena in safely and activate its Toxic Orb without the need for Protect or utilizing the Sucker Punch strategy described above. Mightyena is easily walled by Registeel, Milotic, Rhyperior, and Weezing, so including a powerful special sweeper on your team will allow Mightyena to bypass these threats. Life Orb Milotic and Physical Sweeper Venusaur make great teammates as they can handle the aforementioned Pokemon quite nicely, and they appreciate Mightyena's ability to pick off faster sweepers, such as Swellow, Sceptile, and Rotom.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Bulky Psychic-types, such as Slowbro, Exeggutor, and Uxie, make great partners as they can absorb Fighting-type attacks aimed at Mightyena, and provide dual screen support to compensate for Mightyena's poor defenses. Additionaly, Uxie has the added benefit of providing Stealth Rock support and a slow U-turn to get Mightyena onto the battlefield safely. Mightyena is capable of causing many switches, so Stealth Rock and Spikes support is highly recommended. Great teammates to supply these entry hazards include Claydol, Qwilfish, and Omastar. Moltres and Altaria are awesome partners as well, as they can blow right through the walls that stand in Mightyena's way, and absorb any incoming Bug- and Fighting-type attacks.</p>
<p>Bulky Grass-types that can easily eliminate Milotic, such as Venusaur and Tangrowth, are invaluable teammates for Mightyena, as Milotic is one of the hardest stops to any Mightyena set. Finally, Ghost-types, particularly Mismagius, Rotom, and Dusclops, have perfect synergy with Mightyena, covering each other's weaknesses perfectly.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>A Choice Band set is conceivable; however, Mightyena's lack of a strong STAB move and utterly horrible physical movepool puts that idea to rest. Fire Fang is Mightyena's most powerful attack against Tangrowth and Registeel, but even then Mightyena is unable to 3HKO them without Stealth Rock and Spikes support. Rock Smash is Mightyena's alternative answer to Steel- and Rock-types, especially Aggron, but has no use outside of that. Finally, Toxic can be used alongside Protect and Wish support to effectively stall out the enemy; unfortunately, Mightyena is almost directly outclassed by Arcanine in this regard thanks to the latter's access to reliable recovery in Morning Sun.</p>
[Counters]
<p>There is no shortage of counters to this poor mutt, as its mediocre Attack stat and low defenses make the hyenas from the Lion King seem more intimidating. Spiritomb is an excellent counter thanks to its immunity to Super Fang and Facade, and it can rip Mightyena to shreds with Hidden Power Fighting. Registeel, Aggron, and Steelix take almost no damage from any of Mightyena's attacks outside of Super Fang, and can easily retaliate with Earthquake, and in Aggron's case, Head Smash. Weezing easily outstalls any Mightyena thanks to Pain Split and its immunity to Toxic. Rhyperior takes little damage from anything Mightyena can dish out, and can proceed to use it as set-up fodder. Bulky Fighting-types, such as Hariyama and Hitmontop, can easily pound Mightyena into the dust with their STAB moves. Tangrowth, Leafeon, Milotic, Blastoise, and Miltank can soak up any attack Mightyena throws at them and eliminate it. Basically, when dealing with Mightyena, use a bulky Pokemon, avoid Super Fang, and you've countered it.</p>
