[SET]
Shell Smash (Minior) @ White Herb
Ability: Shields Down
Tera Type: Grass / Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
IVs: 30 HP
- Shell Smash
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge / Substitute
[SET COMMENTS]
Minior serves as a late-game setup sweeper, providing teams a self-sufficient cleaner via Shell Smash and Shields Down to outspeed the entire metagame once in base forme with Jolly, in addition to hitting hard off of its boosted Attack. Acrobatics synergizes with the White Herb consumption after a Shell Smash, Earthquake provides a strong attack against Flying-resistant Pokemon like Regirock and Jolteon, and Stone Edge overpowers Rock-weak threats like Articuno, Beartic, and Vikavolt. Substitute provides a way of reaching Core forme safely at the cost of needing to make contact to hit Pokemon such as Mesprit and Weezing. Jolly is used if Minior needs to outspeed certain Pokemon when unboosted, such as Timid Whimsicott and neutral base 110s if Minior is in Meteor forme, but Adamant can be used for the additional power instead, such as to assure a 2HKO on Regirock and confirming an OHKO on Spiritomb without Stealth Rock. Tera Grass can be used to tank a hit from Pokemon like Clawitzer, Jolteon, and Lycanroc and KO them, is the best typing against common moves from priority users like Thwackey, Basculin, and Lycanroc, and can turn interactions against Lanturn and Rotom-C into setup opportunities. Alternatively, Tera Ground can be used for extra power for breaking through Regirock, as well as providing Minior with an accurate, non-contact STAB move. However, this option leaves Minior vulnerable to Basculin's Aqua Jet and Thwackey's Grassy Glide.
Minior works best either on snow teams alongside Abomasnow setting Aurora Veil, where Minior can provide an answer to Charizard and other Fire-types. Minior serves as a cleaner on more bulkier teams at the end once its teammates have weakened the opposing team over time, and it can also work on defensive teams as a primary wincon in a similar fashion. Wallbreakers like Clawitzer, Jolteon, Arboliva, and Magmortar all can appreciate Minior, as they deal significant damage to walls like Weezing and Regirock over the course of a game, allowing for Minior to clean up late-game. Hisuian Sneasel or Beartic in snow can serve as a bit of a double-threat option alongside Minior, where defensive structures are often able to take on one major threat but find themselves insufficient to wall both threats over the course of a game. Minior cannot sweep if strong priority from Pokemon like Hitmontop and Lycanroc remain in play, so removing those with teammates before sweeping is a necessity. Minior can take advantage of Pokemon that do not carry super effective coverage, such as Charizard and Snorlax, as setup opportunities, so Pokemon that bring them in, such as Shaymin and Weezing, can help enable Minior to set up. Pokemon with access to entry hazard removal, such as Hitmontop on more offensive teams and Sandslash elsewhere, can remove Stealth Rock, which otherwise poses a serious threat to Minior's sweep. Taunt can also accomplish this task, with Alolan Persian on more offensive teams and faster Weezing elsewhere , but this risks Stealth Rock going up if outplayed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A special set can be run with moves like Meteor Beam, Power Gem, and Earth Power, but the reduced power and lack of Acrobatics can make this an inferior option beyond the surprise factor. Minior also has access to some utility moves, such as Stealth Rock and U-turn, but it is better off as a sweeper because its poor defensive typing leaves any support role it could play done better by other entry hazard setters like Mesprit, Sandslash, and Regirock.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Even when boosted, physical walls like Regirock, Alolan Persian and physically defensive Mesprit can tank a hit or two from Minior and respond with significant damage. Alolan Persian can serve as a strong defensive response, tanking hits with Fur Coat and KOing Minior with Foul Play.
**Priority**: Without expending Terastallization, Minior has no way to play around priority, and moves like Basculin's Aqua Jet and Lycanroc's Accelerock both can easily KO Minior once it is in Core forme. With few resistances to common priority in ZU, Minior can often be KOed by a revenge killer ignoring Speed boosts entirely. While Thwackey and Hitmontop do not carry super effective priority, they can KO a sufficiently weakened Minior.
**Faster Threats**: Even at +2, Meteor forme Minior can often by outsped and KOed by a revenge killer like Jolteon or Choice Scarf Rotom-C.
**Encore**: Slower Encore users like Mesprit can disrupt Minior as it tries to set up. If Prankster Encore users like Whimsicott, Sableye, and Grafaiai switch in as Minior uses Shell Smash, they can lock Minior into repeated uses of the move, forcing a switch out and wasting its White Herb.
**Haze and Phazing**: Pokemon like Weezing, Cryogonal, and Articuno can remove Minior's boosts entirely, forcing it to deal unboosted damage or attempt a predictions game on trying to get boosts back, with the added problem of the Defense drops. The latter two, however, need to watch out for Stone Edge if not Terastallized. Alternatively, Charizard, Dipplin, and Hippopotas can use Roar, Dragon Tail, and Whirlwind to remove Minior from the battlefield entirely.
**Stealth Rock*: Minior prefers being in control of when it changes formes when possible, and Stealth Rock dealing unignorable chip just for switching in can significantly impede its ability to manage the forme transformation, on top of it making Minior much easier to KO.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-fairy.57965/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/yo-cho.610452/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Shell Smash (Minior) @ White Herb
Ability: Shields Down
Tera Type: Grass / Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
IVs: 30 HP
- Shell Smash
- Acrobatics
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge / Substitute
[SET COMMENTS]
Minior serves as a late-game setup sweeper, providing teams a self-sufficient cleaner via Shell Smash and Shields Down to outspeed the entire metagame once in base forme with Jolly, in addition to hitting hard off of its boosted Attack. Acrobatics synergizes with the White Herb consumption after a Shell Smash, Earthquake provides a strong attack against Flying-resistant Pokemon like Regirock and Jolteon, and Stone Edge overpowers Rock-weak threats like Articuno, Beartic, and Vikavolt. Substitute provides a way of reaching Core forme safely at the cost of needing to make contact to hit Pokemon such as Mesprit and Weezing. Jolly is used if Minior needs to outspeed certain Pokemon when unboosted, such as Timid Whimsicott and neutral base 110s if Minior is in Meteor forme, but Adamant can be used for the additional power instead, such as to assure a 2HKO on Regirock and confirming an OHKO on Spiritomb without Stealth Rock. Tera Grass can be used to tank a hit from Pokemon like Clawitzer, Jolteon, and Lycanroc and KO them, is the best typing against common moves from priority users like Thwackey, Basculin, and Lycanroc, and can turn interactions against Lanturn and Rotom-C into setup opportunities. Alternatively, Tera Ground can be used for extra power for breaking through Regirock, as well as providing Minior with an accurate, non-contact STAB move. However, this option leaves Minior vulnerable to Basculin's Aqua Jet and Thwackey's Grassy Glide.
Minior works best either on snow teams alongside Abomasnow setting Aurora Veil, where Minior can provide an answer to Charizard and other Fire-types. Minior serves as a cleaner on more bulkier teams at the end once its teammates have weakened the opposing team over time, and it can also work on defensive teams as a primary wincon in a similar fashion. Wallbreakers like Clawitzer, Jolteon, Arboliva, and Magmortar all can appreciate Minior, as they deal significant damage to walls like Weezing and Regirock over the course of a game, allowing for Minior to clean up late-game. Hisuian Sneasel or Beartic in snow can serve as a bit of a double-threat option alongside Minior, where defensive structures are often able to take on one major threat but find themselves insufficient to wall both threats over the course of a game. Minior cannot sweep if strong priority from Pokemon like Hitmontop and Lycanroc remain in play, so removing those with teammates before sweeping is a necessity. Minior can take advantage of Pokemon that do not carry super effective coverage, such as Charizard and Snorlax, as setup opportunities, so Pokemon that bring them in, such as Shaymin and Weezing, can help enable Minior to set up. Pokemon with access to entry hazard removal, such as Hitmontop on more offensive teams and Sandslash elsewhere, can remove Stealth Rock, which otherwise poses a serious threat to Minior's sweep. Taunt can also accomplish this task, with Alolan Persian on more offensive teams and faster Weezing elsewhere , but this risks Stealth Rock going up if outplayed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A special set can be run with moves like Meteor Beam, Power Gem, and Earth Power, but the reduced power and lack of Acrobatics can make this an inferior option beyond the surprise factor. Minior also has access to some utility moves, such as Stealth Rock and U-turn, but it is better off as a sweeper because its poor defensive typing leaves any support role it could play done better by other entry hazard setters like Mesprit, Sandslash, and Regirock.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Even when boosted, physical walls like Regirock, Alolan Persian and physically defensive Mesprit can tank a hit or two from Minior and respond with significant damage. Alolan Persian can serve as a strong defensive response, tanking hits with Fur Coat and KOing Minior with Foul Play.
**Priority**: Without expending Terastallization, Minior has no way to play around priority, and moves like Basculin's Aqua Jet and Lycanroc's Accelerock both can easily KO Minior once it is in Core forme. With few resistances to common priority in ZU, Minior can often be KOed by a revenge killer ignoring Speed boosts entirely. While Thwackey and Hitmontop do not carry super effective priority, they can KO a sufficiently weakened Minior.
**Faster Threats**: Even at +2, Meteor forme Minior can often by outsped and KOed by a revenge killer like Jolteon or Choice Scarf Rotom-C.
**Encore**: Slower Encore users like Mesprit can disrupt Minior as it tries to set up. If Prankster Encore users like Whimsicott, Sableye, and Grafaiai switch in as Minior uses Shell Smash, they can lock Minior into repeated uses of the move, forcing a switch out and wasting its White Herb.
**Haze and Phazing**: Pokemon like Weezing, Cryogonal, and Articuno can remove Minior's boosts entirely, forcing it to deal unboosted damage or attempt a predictions game on trying to get boosts back, with the added problem of the Defense drops. The latter two, however, need to watch out for Stone Edge if not Terastallized. Alternatively, Charizard, Dipplin, and Hippopotas can use Roar, Dragon Tail, and Whirlwind to remove Minior from the battlefield entirely.
**Stealth Rock*: Minior prefers being in control of when it changes formes when possible, and Stealth Rock dealing unignorable chip just for switching in can significantly impede its ability to manage the forme transformation, on top of it making Minior much easier to KO.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-fairy.57965/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/yo-cho.610452/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/adorluigi.528364/
Last edited by a moderator: