Minior Movesets & Competitive Sets

Minior is a colorful setup sweeper with its decent offensive stats, unrivaled Speed once boosted, and access to one of the best setup moves in the game: Shell Smash. Minior's unique ability can make it easier to set up with its Meteor forme's higher bulk and immunity to status moves, though it can be unreliable when trying to change to base forme and sweep. With Acrobatics and Earthquake having near-perfect neutral coverage, Stone Edge offers a secondary STAB move that hits foes that resist these moves such as Rotom-H and Kilowattrel as well as dealing more damage to certain walls like Altaria and Houndstone. Alternatively, Substitute helps Minior find turns to set up, makes it harder to revenge kill, and punishes moves like Sucker Punch from Skuntank and Bombirdier. 30 HP IVs activates Minior's Shields Down after two Substitutes, allowing it to be much more self-sufficient. An Adamant nature gives Minior an easier time sweeping, as once boosted and in its base forme, Minior outspeeds the entire metagame. However, a Jolly nature makes Minior slightly less reliant on setting up, since unboosted Adamant Minior's base forme Speed ties with base 105 Speed foes like Zoroark and Pawmot and is outsped by Pokemon like Salazzle, Virizion, and Whimsicott. Furthermore, a Jolly nature means its Meteor forme after a Shell Smash no longer Speed ties with Hisuian Electrode and isn't outsped by Choice Scarf users like Flamigo and Rotom-C. Tera Flying eases Minior's matchup against walls like Mudsdale and Milotic while sweeping and is preferred if not running Stone Edge for a stronger way to hit Altaria and Rotom-H. Tera Flying also allows Minior to tank certain priority moves like Pawmot's Mach Punch and Bruxish's Aqua Jet when at 50% HP. Alternatively, Tera Ground allows Minior to break through Flying-resistant foes such as Bellibolt, Hisuian Avalugg, and Duraludon. It can also give Minior chances to set up when baiting Electric- and Rock-type moves like Bellibolt's Volt Switch, Kilowattrel's Thunderbolt, and Coalossal's Power Gem. Both of these options come at the cost of Minior's resistance to priority moves like Staraptor's Quick Attack and Arcanine's Extreme Speed. Minior fits well on offensive teams as a secondary sweeper, since it lacks the raw strength needed to break healthy walls and often relies on having low HP to win. Defensive walls that can tank its boosted attacks like Mudsdale, Houndstone, and Bronzong should be worn down with their checks like Decidueye and Paldean Tauros-F and special wallbreakers like Toxtricity. If not running Stone Edge, Pokemon like Rotom-H and Kilowattrel can also tank a hit, so their own checks like Tatsugiri and Duraludon can come in handy. Pokemon like Rotom-C and Scyther can also lure in many of these walls in, and while they don't do much damage, they can eventually put these threats in range for Minior. The wide array of priority move users like Skuntank, Bombirdier, Hariyama, and Paldean Tauros-W should also be accounted for, especially if not running Substitute for the former two, as they easily KO Minior in its base forme, immediately putting a stop to its sweep. Encore and Trick users like Delphox, Calm Mind Scream Tail, and Rotom-C can help Minior come in safely and get an opportunity to set up. Offensive pivots like Decidueye and Kilowattrel can give Minior setup opportunities by luring in setup bait like Altaria and Gligar.

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 Hitmontop, Basculin, and Lycanroc, and can turn interactions against Clawitzer and Arboliva 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. 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 Weezing, as setup opportunities, so Pokemon that bring them in, such as Arboliva and Primeape, 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.

Shell Smash Minior is a great sweeper for Rock teams due to its great Speed, being able to take out Choice Scarf users like Iron Valiant, Sneasler, and Meowscarada after a boost. Minior is also appreciated on Rock teams as a Ground-immune Pokemon. Stone Edge at +2 is able to take out targets like Pelipper and Landorus. Acrobatics after a Shell Smash + White Herb boost is a hard-hitting STAB move, which allows Minior to take out Sneasler, Iron Valiant, and Ogerpon-W. Earthquake deals with weakened Poison- and Steel-types like Toxapex, Alolan Muk, and Hisuian Goodra at +2. White Herb allows Minior to revert its negative stats back to neutral after a Shell Smash. It is also the easiest way to boost the Base Power of Acrobatics when compared to other items. Shields Down allows Minior to survive a Close Combat from Choice Scarf Great Tusk when above 50 of its HP, allowing it to be able to set up a Shell Smash afterwards; Minior also can't be statused when above 50 percent of its HP, which makes it very safe to set up against Toxapex or Clodsire. Swords Dance Ogerpon-C is an amazing teammate, being able to take out Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types like Primarina, Azumarill, Garganacl, and Ursaluna at +2. Choice Band Hisuian Arcanine provides immediate wallbreaking power for Minior by being able to take out Corviknight and Skarmory with Flare Blitz. Alternatively, a defensive Hisuian Arcanine can handle the Steel matchup more effectively, notably taking out Scizor. Choice Scarf Iron Boulder outspeeds and takes out fast threats if Minior has not gotten the opportunity to set up, notably eliminating Greninja and Meowscarada with Close Combat. Furthermore, Minior complements Iron Boulder by weakening Iron Hands, which allows Iron Boulder to pick it off with Zen Headbutt. Glimmora, with its coverage options, takes out a plethora of threats like Archaludon, Hatterene, and Quagsire. With Toxic Debris, Glimmora also sets Toxic Spikes upon being hit, putting foes on timers. Furthermore, Glimmora removes Stealth Rock for Minior while also poisoning non-Steel- and Poison-types with Mortal Spin. IronPress Garganacl is a great stallbreaker that can set up on passive Water and Steel teams and wearing them down over time with Salt Cure. Coalossal is a nice wall for Minior, removing entry hazards with Rapid Spin and checking threats like Scizor, Bisharp, and Weavile with Flamethrower and Body Press. In return, Minior takes out Iron Valiant, Sneasler, and Meowscarada with Acrobatics after a Shell Smash. Rhyperior is able to take out Scizor with Fire Punch.