Shadow Mewtwo in PvP: The Many Nuances of a Acquainted Monster

Shadow Mewtwo is again, and for the primary time, you may get your self not only one or two by battling Giovanni, however as many as you need within the new Shadow Raids. Gotta act quick if you need it, although, as it’s out there solely from Might twenty seventh at 10:00am to Might twenty eighth at 8:00pm. However do you actually need it? Is it price grinding for a hundo (or near-hundo)?

Is it price even holding as a Shadow, or ought to we simply purify it and transfer on? The solutions to all of that and extra are beneath, however first let’s do a fast abstract with our Backside Line Up Entrance:

B.L.U.F.

• Mewtwo stays a viable software in Grasp League play, and the Shadow model represents a stable sidegrade if you will discover one with near-hundo IVs… although it’s VERY costly.
• As with non-Shadow, Shadow Mewtwo has a number of viable movesets, often counting on Legacy transfer Psystrike after which a trio of viable secondary cost strikes. (We evaluate a number of down beneath.)
• Mewtwo is extra of a spice play in decrease leagues (and never low degree sufficient to slot in Nice League anyway when caught at raid degree), however Shadow does once more arise as a good sidegrade choice.

Make sure that to learn by way of our associated studying articles Shadow Mewtwo Raid Information and Grasp Information to Defeat Shadow Mewtwo: Put together your Counters!.

(SHADOW) MEWTWO Stats and Strikes

Mewtwo (Shadow)

Psychic

Nice League Stats

Extremely League Stats

Grasp League Stats

Mewtwo is a fairly well-known commodity to Pokémon GO gamers by now. Psychic Pokémon like Mewtwo are famously weak to Ghost and Darkish harm, much less famously susceptible to Bug harm as properly, and resist Preventing and Psychic strikes.

Common Mewtwo is already removed from tanky, however has satisfactory bulk, roughly on par with Gyarados and Swampert at Grasp League degree the place you’re most probably to see it present up in PvP. As we’ll see later, its relative lack of bulk holds it again in Extremely League — the place the bulkier Armored Mewtwo is the model you CAN anticipate to generally run throughout — and common and this raid-level model of Shadow Mewtwo can’t even slot in Nice League.

The well-known tradeoff with any Shadow, nevertheless, is that to perform its buff to Assault, Protection is slashed to compensate. And whereas which means Shadow Mewtwo has a completely insane Assault stat (properly over 300 if you issue within the Shadow enhance), when you think about the slashed Protection, it’s the glassiest of cannons, roughly the identical as Haunter in Nice League, Gengar and Alakazam in Extremely League, and worse than Machamp and even Gardevoir in Grasp League. It hits like a truck, little question, however it may’t stand as much as a whole lot of punishment. Nonetheless, in all probability nothing you didn’t already know. Shifting on… to the strikes.

Quick Strikes

• Confusion – Psychic sort, 4.0 DPT, 3.0 EPT, 2.0 CoolDown
• Psycho Lower – Psychic sort, 1.5 DPT, 4.5 EPT, 1.0 CD

In order devastating as Confusion is, particularly with Mewtwo’s loopy excessive Assault, it’s as a substitute Psycho Lower that you simply often need, as you want that prime vitality technology to fireplace off as many cost strikes as doable earlier than the shortage of bulk catches as much as Mewtwo (particularly with the Shadow model). And contemplating that prime Assault, even Psycho Lower harm provides up… in Grasp League, for instance, Mewtwo can take out Machamp with Psycho Lower alone!

However once more, the principle cause to make use of Lower is to cost up strikes. Like these!

ᴸ – Legacy/Elite TM Transfer

ᴾ – Purified-only Transfer

Cost Strikes

• Psystrikeᴸ – Psychic sort, 90 harm, 45 vitality
• Ice Beam – Ice sort, 90 harm, 55 vitality
• Thunderbolt – Electrical sort, 90 harm, 55 vitality
• Flamethrower – Hearth sort, 90 harm, 55 vitality
• Psychic – Psychic sort, 90 harm, 55 vitality, 10% Likelihood: Scale back Opponent Protection -1 Stage
• Shadow Ballᴸ – Ghost sort, 100 harm, 55 vitality
• Returnᴾ – Regular sort, 130 harm, 70 vitality
• Focus Blast – Preventing sort, 140 harm, 75 vitality
• Hyper Beamᴸ – Regular sort, 150 harm, 80 vitality

Lotta strikes there, however I’m going to try to concentrate on those which have probably the most actual potential. Once more, attempting to maintain this easy!

So first off, Psystrike is just about vital. It’s by far Mewtwo’s most cost-effective cost transfer, and the one STAB one you actually wish to be utilizing. It pairs notably properly with Psycho Lower, as each 5 Cuts is the same as precisely the 45 vitality Psystrike requires. Like it if you don’t have to fret about wasted vitality! Psychic harm is resisted by Steels, Psychics, and Darks, however thankfully there are only a few of the latter two (actually simply Yveltal, Lugia, and the occasional Zarude… and the mirror), leaving solely Steels as an actual drawback.

The uncooked energy of Psycho Cut into Psystrike blows previous a number of issues that don’t resist Psychic harm, like Swampert, Gyarados, Landorus, Mamoswine, Xerneas, the key Charmers, and even scary issues like Snorlax and its tremendous efficient Lick, and Psychic-resistant Excadrill and with just a little luck in your facet, presumably even Dialga! However clearly, you’re going to wish to tote round a second transfer. So which one of many many out there is greatest?

Let’s begin with the league the place Mewtwo has had (and can doubtless all the time proceed to have) its best influence….

MASTER LEAGUE

So first let’s set up our baseline, with non-Shadow Mewtwo.

First off, no, you don’t actually wish to preserve Return in case you purify a Shadow Mewtwo. It just doesn’t offer much, although it DOES not less than include the knockout energy so as to add Zacian to the win checklist. However you are able to do significantly better. Heck, even massive fats Legacy Regular transfer Hyper Beam is far higher than that!

As a fast apart whereas we’re on the subject, although… purifying a Shadow Mewtwo is NOT a foul thought, IMO. Needless to say Mewtwo, like all Pokémon, requires 296 XL Sweet to succeed in Degree 50. However a purified one requires “solely” 272. Won’t be a large distinction, however each bit helps, proper?

Conversely, a Shadow Mewtwo requires 360 XL Sweet to hit Degree 50. Sure, I’m going to spend a lot of this text later exhibiting the nice that comes with Shadow Mewtwo, however DO preserve that additional value in thoughts. It’s important!

Anyway, so Return is out, however there are nonetheless loads of different strikes to select from. Psychic is sort of fully redundant (identical harm as Psystrike for 10 extra vitality, and even its debuff may be very low odds). Thunderbolt and Flamethrower simply don’t do sufficient at this degree (the latter being notably disappointing versus these Steels… massive sads). In order that leaves us with three choices, which I’ll shortly checklist together with their main benefits:

• Legacy Shadow Ball is fairly tepid on common Mewtwo, actually simply flipping different Psychics (learn as: Lugia and Mewtwo) to wins. We’ll revisist this one with Shadow Mewtwo, although, the place it turns into a bit extra fascinating.
• Ice Beam is by far the very best “elemental” protection at this degree. I’ve written a number of occasions previously about how potent Ice might be in Grasp League with so many good Flyers, Grounds, and particularly Dragons to focus on, and on this particular case, Ice Beam means wins versus Dragonite, Garchomp, Zekrom, and humorous sufficient, the identical Lugia and even enemy Mewtwo that Shadow Ball can obtain. That is one I recommned giving a protracted look.
• However the total “greatest” is Focus Blast, which does fall flat versus the Psychics and issues like Dragonite and Garchomp, however does nonetheless take down Zekrom, in addition to Reshiram and Kyogre, PLUS Preventing-weak Mamoswine, Melmetal, and sure, Dialga! The enchantment is apparent, no?
• I do know I stated earlier that Psystrike is a transfer you mainly all the time need, however I’d be remiss to not level out the potential that comes with Focus Blast/Ice Beam. In some methods, it’s thw better of each worlds, holding down all of the wins that include Focus Blast AND these with Ice Beam, although with two very notable exceptions. Opposing Mewtwo have the benefit because of the bait-and-outrace potential of Psystrike, and worse, you’re often going to lose to Zacian with out the sheer velocity and unresisted harm of Psystrike. Typically the numbers aren’t as vital as the small print of what losses particularly present up. I DO suppose this moveset may be very viable in case you can’t (or don’t wish to) burn an Elite TM on Psystrike, although.

Alright, in order that’s all for normal/purified Mewtwo. What in regards to the Shadow ones we’re attempting to find this weekend? Protecting in thoughts that we now have that 360 XL Sweet value to sort out, in addition to the speedy concern of being caught with Frustration till the following Crew GO Rocket occasion (since Niantic for some cause determined to maintain it locked throughout THIS Shadow occasion ), let’s see how the Shadow model WILL look as soon as we will really construct one up with two usable cost strikes.

As earlier than, I’m pushing issues like Psychic (the transfer), Thunderbolt, and Flamethrower off the raft. Thunderbolt actually isn’t bad, however we will do higher.

• Shadow Ball makes for a greater exhibiting this time round, although it nonetheless takes third prize total. The 2 largest standouts are opposing Mewtwo (as earlier than), however be aware that it is ready to punch out Origin Forme Giratina, which is sort of spectacular. The uncooked energy of Shadow-boosted Shadow Ball additionally topples Metagross (weak to Ghost, so not too stunning) and even Melmetal. Not unhealthy in any respect!
• Ice Beam nonetheless stays barely higher total, although the wins are fairly totally different. Out are Melmetal, Metagross, Mewtwo, and Giratina, and in as a substitute are Ice-weak Dragonite, Zekrom, Garchomp, and Groudon, the final of which non-Shadow Mewtwo was by no means in a position to fairly knock out, in order that’s neat.
• The reigning champ, nevertheless, stays Focus Blast, regardless of how worryingly sluggish it’s to return for flimsy Shadow Mewtwo. Like Shadow Ball, it blows away Metmetal and Metagross, and Zekrom as properly. And uniquely, it additionally blasts by way of Reshiram, Kyogre, and Diagla, in that final case, earlier than Dialga can attain ANY second cost transfer. So long as Mewtwo has a defend and suckers Dialga into shielding Psystrike (each fairly doubtless), Shadow Mewtwo has each benefit.
• Ice Beam/Focus Blast does NOT come as really useful right here because it did for non-Shadow Mewtwo, although… primarily as a result of it’ll now sometimes lose to Diagla!

So to recap: purely by the numbers, the “greatest” three strikes are Focus Blast, Ice Beam, after which Shadow Ball, in that order. However all three are viable and usually have their very own distinctive standout wins, so it actually comes all the way down to group composition on which transfer you need.

That stated, there are different shielding eventualities to contemplate as properly. With shields down, Focus Blast remains the best with distinctive wins versus Kyogre, Palkia, and Swampert, however Shadow Ball barely surpasses Ice Beam now, beating Melmetal (as does Focus Blast), Metagross, and opposing Mewtwo, none of which Ice Beam can replicate. Beam as a substitute beats Zekrom and Dragonite. None of these are in all probability stunning, nevertheless it’s price noting all of it.

Additionally, in 2v2 shielding, Focus Blast nonetheless will get distinctive wins versus Melmetal and now Zarude as properly, and each it and Shadow Ball overcome Metagross. Ball will get its personal distinctive win versus opposing Mewtwo, whereas Ice Beam now has no distinctive wins.

All that to say… yeah, Focus Blast remains to be total greatest, however there are circumstances for Shadow Ball and Ice Beam too. Simply wished you to have the full story.

Final piece… what are the massive variations between Shadow and non-Shadow? Effectively I already highlighted a pair, however the massive ones are:

• Shadow Mewtwo’s skill to beat Origin Giratina. Non-Shadow simply doesn’t have the knockout energy to realistically replicate this.
• Shadow additionally beats Mamoswine with Psystrike alone, whereas non-Shadow simply can’t fairly get there with out Focus Blast, and its wins in opposition to Metagross with Shadow Ball or Focus Blast are one thing that non-Shadow can’t replicate both. Ice Beam Shadow Mewtwo can also be the one technique to reliably overcome Groudon.
• On the flipside, the additional bulk of non-Shadow permits it to hold in there and beat Lugia (with Shadow Ball), reliably outlast Garchomp, and as talked about earlier than, overcome Zacian, one thing Shadow Mewtwo struggles with it doesn’t matter what strikes it’s operating.

Received all that? Hope so, as a result of I will not be saying all that again!

So briefly, let’s take a look at Extremely.

ULTRA & GREAT LEAGUE

So uh… here’s the high bar for non-Shadow Mewtwo, and for the very-slightly-worse Shadow Mewtwo, each with Focus Blast. Nothing doing, of us. The Mewtwo you need in Extremely League is heavily Armored. And uh… when’s that coming again, Niantic?

Once more, no technique to get raid-level Mewtwo in Nice League, however even in case you might, it could be super niche.

HOW GOOD IS GOOD ENOUGH?

Final query I do know is on many peoples’ thoughts is… does Mewtwo HAVE to have 15-15-15 IVs to work in Grasp League? Clearly I’d advocate you maintain out for that, however in case you get to the tip of this raid weekend and may’t discover it, you CAN contemplate different choices. I’m going to stay with Focus Blast Shadow Mewtwo right here for simplicity.

• In 1v1 shielding, you’ll be able to go as little as 14-15-14 IVs with out lacking a beat. Something beneath that (to incorporate the same 14-14-15 loses Gyarados.
• With shields down, a 15-14-15 or 14-15-15 are nonetheless positive, however frustratingly, the 14-15-14 we famous in 1v1 shielding (and something with worse IVs than that) loses Kyogre.
• And in 2v2 shielding, a 15-14-15 holds up okay, however anything lower begins shedding wins like Palkia, and can start shedding the mirror match as properly.

Truthfully, something decrease than that’s in all probability not price powering up. If in case you have, like, a 13-13-13 although, I WOULD give critical thought to purifying it. Do not forget that, for no matter cause, this specific Shadow occasion does NOT give the choice to take away Frustration from Shadow Pokémon, so even an amazing Shadow Mewtwo will probably be caught with it for who is aware of how lengthy and due to this fact unusable for some time. A purified Mewtwo might be double moved instantly (and as talked about a lot earlier, I believe you’ll be able to safely TM away Return for a greater transfer as a substitute), and is cheaper to energy up… a very good choice for gamers who don’t have already got a maxed Mewtwo.

IN CONCLUSION

Alright, so let’s see. We coated Grasp League… Shadow vs non-Shadow… greatest strikes… IVs… a peek at decrease Leagues… yep, I believe that about does it!

If there IS something you suppose I missed, please do hit me with a reply or DM and we will chat about it. Not against modifying this if want be! In any other case, gonna name this one a wrap and allow you to get your purified gems and groups prepped for what appears like a frightening raid problem. Good luck!

Till subsequent time, you will discover me on Twitter for near-daily PvP evaluation nuggets, or Patreon. And please, be happy to remark right here with your personal ideas or questions and I’ll attempt to get again to you!

Thanks once more for studying, and should all of your Shadow Mewtwo be simply subdued this weekend. Catch you subsequent time, Pokéfriends!

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