Pokemon GO: How to use Mightyena in Battles

With Pokemon GO's Brilliant Diamond event currently taking place, players may notice an increase in the spawn rate of Poochyena. With the sudden abundance of this Pokemon, players have the opportunity to catch as many as they can. This might earn them enough candy to evolve their best Poochyena into Mightyena.

Mightyena was first introduced in the third generation of Pokemon games, Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. In these games, Poochyena could be caught very early by the player, because they appeared on the first route.

Before putting in the effort towards leveling up a Pokemon to use in Pokemon GO, it is always helpful to know how well it can perform in the current state of the metagame, as well as what roles it can serve on a team. Knowing its strengths and weaknesses can also give players the upper hand in a battle.

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Can Mightyena be useful in any Pokemon GO battle scenarios?

Mightyena in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Mightyena's biggest strength in Pokemon GO is its vast number of coverage options, using both fast and charged attacks. With access to Bite, it can take advantage of the "same-type attack bonus", and it also has access to Fire, Ice, and Thunder Fang. Mightyena can adapt to any sort of battle team for almost any kind of coverage that team may require.

Mightyena also has access to Poison Fang, Crunch, and Play Rough for charged attacks. Poison Fang can be used to surprise weakened Fairy-type Pokemon that might switch in against Mightyena. Crunch can be used to maximize damage output and Play Rough can be used to take down weakened Fighting-types.

Mightyena has the arsenal to take on any situation, but where it falls short is in its stats. Mightyena's highest stat in Pokemon GO is its stamina, sitting at 172, but its attack stat sits incredibly close at 171. Mightyena also only has a maximum combat power of 2,177 meaning that it only has viability in the Great League. Its maximum combat power is simply too low to give it a fighting chance in any other tier of Pokemon GO's Battle League.

While Mightyena may not have the best stats in Pokemon GO, this does not mean it doesn't have any uses. In the right hands, almost any Pokemon can be useful. Mightyena's sheer utility, brought on by its huge movepool, can make it a great Pokemon for finishing weaker Pokemon in the late-game portion of a fight. Great League's abundance of Steel-type Pokemon also enables Mightyena an upperhand, if it has Fire Fang assigned for a fast attack.

There are also the many seasonal cups that Pokemon GO introduces from time to time. The recent Halloween Cup is a great example of this. The Pokemon franchise is notorious for its power creep, so the reduced pool of Pokemon that are allowed to participate can often greatly boost a Pokemon's viability.

While Mightyena may not be metagame-shattering Pokemon in Pokemon GO, a Pocket Monster with as much utility as Mightyena definitely has its uses in the right hands. Great League will be the best place for Mightyena to shine, due to its low combat power.