Pokemon GO Mienshao: Best moveset, counters, and is it any good?

In Pokemon GO, Mienshao is the evolution of Mienfoo once you've fed the latter 50 candies. It is a mono Fighting-type creature, and if you have one, it would help to know its best movesets for PvE and PvP battles. That said, if you're wondering what counters trouble Mienshao and if it is any good, it isn't a great choice in either PvE or PvP.

If you're looking to use Mienshao in Pokemon GO, it's worth knowing more about its best movesets and counters. This way, you can optimize this Fighting-type Pokemon as best as you can, especially with its prior form Mienfoo being featured during the 2024 Pokemon World Championships Celebration event from August 16 to 20, 2024.

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Pokemon GO Mienshao best moveset

Mienshao in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Mienshao's best moves can fluctuate depending on whether you're using it in PvE battles or the PvP arena. Its best movesets that balance energy generation, damage output, and type coverage can be found below:

Pokemon GO Mienshao best PvP moveset

• Fast Attack: Poison Jab
• Charged Attacks: Brick Break and Grass Knot/Stone Edge

Pokemon GO Mienshao best PvE moveset

• Fast Attack: Low Kick
• Charged Attack: Grass Knot

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Is Mienshao good in Pokemon GO PvP and PvE?

Unfortunately, while it does have a solid Attack stat of 258 and a maximum Combat Power (CP) of 3,064, Mienshao lacks quality learnable Fighting-type moves that can activate the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB). This limits its damage output to non-STAB moves, which isn't ideal in either PvP or PvE environments.

Low Kick and Brick Break, Mienshao's two STAB moves, are unimpressive Fighting-type moves in the game. While it does have access to a wide collection of moves of different types (Poison Jab, Blaze Kick, Grass Knot, Stone Edge), they simply don't help with damage or versatility. Moreover, Mienshao's lack of bulk doesn't serve it well at all in PvP.

Overall, there are too many Fighting-types that outperform Mienshao for it to be considered a threat in either PvE or PvP. It might be a niche gym attacker or defender, but it simply can't measure up against serious competition.

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Pokemon GO Mienshao: All moves and stats

Mienshao in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Fast Attacks

• Brick Break
• Poison Jab

Charged Attacks

• Brick Break
• Grass Knot
• Stone Edge
• Blaze Kick

Base Stats

• Attack: 258
• Defense: 127
• Stamina: 163
• Max CP: 3,064

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Pokemon GO Mienshao strengths and weaknesses

As a mono Fighting-type Pokemon, Mienshao has the following weaknesses and resistances that can increase or reduce incoming damage accordingly when hit by certain move types:

Weaknesses

• Fairy-type (160% damage)
• Flying-type (160%)
• Psychic (160%)

Resistances

• Bug-type (62.5%)
• Dark (62.5%)
• Rock (62.5%)

The following types will take super effective damage from Mienshao's Fighting-type STAB moves:

• Normal
• Rock
• Steel
• Ice
• Dark

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Best counters to Pokemon GO Mienshao

Great League Counters: Shadow Skarmory, Shadow Slowking, Shadow Latias, Shadow Girafarig, Shadow Golduck, Shadow Unfezant

Ultra League Counters: Shadow Skarmory, Shadow Donphan, Shadow Slowking, Shadow Latias, Shadow Lugia, Shadow Grumpig, Gothitelle

Master League Counters: Lunala, Shadow Mewtwo, Shadow Lugia, Shadow Latias, Shadow Ho-Oh, Shadow Donphan, Hoopa Unbound

PvE Counters

• Mega/standard Rayquaza with Air Slash and Dragon Ascent
• Shadow Mewtwo with Confusion and Psystrike
• Mega/Shadow Alakazam with Confusion and Psychic
• Mega/standard Latios with Zen Headbutt and Psychic
• Mega/Shadow Gardevoir with Confusion and Psychic
• Shadow Moltres with Wing Attack and Sky Attack
• Hoopa Unbound with Confusion and Psychic
• Shadow Metagross with Zen Headbutt and Psychic
• Shadow Staraptor with Gust and Fly

In addition to these Pokemon GO counters, most Flying, Psychic, and Fairy-type Pokemon should have a good chance of countering and defeating Mienshao in battle as long as they have the highest possible CP and IV stats.