
Bulbapedia - Serebii - Smogon
QC: TheCanadianWifier / Raseri / Dat Blast
GP: Metal Sonic / horyzhnz
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Mightyena has a unique ability in Moxie, which boosts its Attack every time it takes out a foe. This creates a snowball effect that can allow Mightyena to sweep weakened teams. Mightyena's low Speed does hold it back, although it does have a powerful priority STAB move in Sucker Punch to somewhat mitigate this. Mightyena was gifted with the move Play Rough this generation, which gives it much needed coverage to hit Fighting- and Dragon-type Pokemon hard. However, Mightyena has really bad overall stats; it is very frail and its Attack is pitiful without a Moxie boost. However, with the right support, it can become a very threatening late-game cleaner.
doge
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name: doge
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Play Rough
move 4: Fire Fang
ability: Moxie
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Sucker Punch is a strong priority move that allows Mightyena to mitigate its somewhat low Speed. Crunch is another STAB move, which might seem a bit redundant, but it is much more reliable than Sucker Punch and the better option versus slower Pokemon. Play Rough gets great coverage all-around, hitting Fighting-type switch-ins and other Dark-types. Fire Fang is useful because it 2HKOes Pawniard and nails Ferroseed.
Set Details
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Maximum Attack and Speed investment allows Mightyena to be as fast and powerful as possible. Investing in bulk is unwise because Mightyena's bulk is fairly pitiful, and if it invests in bulk, it is often too weak and outsped by many other Pokemon. Life Orb increases Mightyena's power, although Lum Berry is viable to avoid a crippling Will-O-Wisp or Toxic. Adamant is the nature of choice because it increases Mightyena's power, which it so desperately needs. A Jolly nature is not advised because nothing notable is outsped and this leaves Mightyena missing a lot of power.
Usage Tips
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Mightyena is a very simple Pokemon to use: use the appropriate coverage move to hit its foes super effectively. Don't attempt to sweep too early because Mightyena is too weak to sweep entire teams by itself. Mightyena should wait until its teammates wear down the opposing team until Mightyena has a shot at sweeping. Do not keep Mightyena in on bulkier Pokemon; it's not powerful enough to break through them. Finally, be very careful when using Sucker Punch, as the opponent might use a status move or set up a Substitute.
Team Options
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Sticky Web helps to make up for Mightyena's somewhat lacking Speed and allows an easier time for it to sweep; Pokemon such as Kricketune and Leavanny can both set up Sticky Web and take Fighting-type moves that threaten Mightyena. Pokemon that can wear down the opposing team such as Magmortar, Electivire, and Pangoro also make for good partners. Sawk has decent synergy with Mightyena and is a very powerful wallbreaker. Entry hazard support from Crustle and Omastar is great to wear down bulkier Pokemon throughout the match. Granbull is also a good partner, as it has good defensive synergy with Mightyena, can spread paralysis, and can keep Mightyena status-free with Heal Bell.
Other Options
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Mightyena's movepool is quite lacking, although there are a few other notable options. Substitute blocks status and eases prediction for Mightyena, while also forcing the opponent to attack to break Mightyena's Substitute, allowing it to use Sucker Punch without worry. Howl is Mightyena's only Attack boosting move, but it's a small boost and it takes up a valuable moveslot. Ice Fang or Thunder Fang can be used for coverage, hitting Grass- and Water-types respectively. Taunt seems viable, although Mightyena is too slow and not bulky enough to utilize it to its full potential. Facade is an interesting option to take advantage of status, but is fairly weak otherwise.
Checks & Counters
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**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types resist Crunch and Sucker Punch while also having super effective STAB moves to use against Mightyena. Most Fairy-types also have the bulk to take Mightyena's attacks.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Pokemon that have any reasonable bulk can simply shrug off Mightyena's attacks
as they are lacking in power before attaining boosts from Moxie.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting-types resist Crunch and can easily pick off Mightyena with their STAB moves. However, they must watch out for Play Rough.
**Status**: All kinds of status cripple it: Will-O-Wisp cripples it and cuts its Attack, Thunder Wave leaves it outsped by everything, and Toxic sets it on a timer. Some Pokemon that can inflict status include Spiritomb and Audino.
**Priority**: Any faster priority move causes Sucker Punch to fail and Mightyena lacks the bulk to take any strong priority.
Overview
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name: doge
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Play Rough
move 4: Fire Fang
ability: Moxie
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
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Set Details
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Usage Tips
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Team Options
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Checks & Counters
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- Pros:
- Moxie enables a snowball effect.
- STAB priority in Sucker Punch.
- Gained Play Rough for nice coverage.
- Cons:
- Not bulky at all.
- Somewhat weak pre-Moxie
- Low stats all-around.
- Not very fast.
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name: doge
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Crunch
move 3: Play Rough
move 4: Fire Fang
ability: Moxie
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant
Moves
========
- Sucker Punch is a strong priority move to pick off weakened foes, and faster foes.
- Crunch is for slower Pokemon and is much more reliable than Sucker Punch.
- Play Rough gets nice coverage all-around, hitting Fighting-type switch-ins and Dark-types.
- Fire Fang is for coverage, hitting Ferroseed and 2HKOes Pawniard.
Set Details
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- Max Attack and Speed enable it to be as fast as possible and powerful as possible.
- Investing in bulk is not wise because you can not survive many hits and are left outsped by quite a bit.
- Life Orb increases Mightyena's damage output, although Lum Berry could be used to shield it from a status move once.
- Adamant > Jolly because power is so needed on Mightyena.
Usage Tips
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- Very simple, attack with appropriate coverage.
- Don't try and start a sweep too soon, as a lot can stop Mightyena.
- Mightyena needs the opposing team to be worn down before it can actually go to town.
- Going off this, don't keep Mightyena in on bulkier Pokemon.
- Be careful when predicting Sucker Punch.
Team Options
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- Sticky Web is the best teammate: Kricketune / Leavanny
- Pokemon that can wear down opponent's easily like Electivire and Magmortar make for good teammates. Pangoro also can fulfill this role.
- Sawk is a powerful wallbreaker that has decent synergy.
- Hazard support from Omastar or Crustle is great to wear down bulkier Pokemon throughout the match.
- Granbull has nice synergy, can paralyze Pokemon to help mitigate Speed, and can keep it healthy by Heal Bell.
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- Substitute to block status
- Howl is its only means of boosting Attack
- Ice Fang / Thunder Fang for coverage
- Taunt is usable
- Facade is interesting
Checks & Counters
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- Fairy-types resist Crunch / SP and have SE moves to expose of Mightyena with
- Bulky Pokemon can tank Mightyena's hits because Mightyena's not that strong
- Fighting-types can pick off with Mach Punch, but have to be wary of boosted Play Roughs
- Status cripples it - W-o-W make's it weak, TW slows it down a ton, Toxic sets it on a timer
- Priority, especially faster priority, avoid SP and Mightyena doens't have the bulk to live a lot of it.
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