Mew
[Overview]
<p>Mew is easily the most versatile Pokemon in the entire metagame. Thanks to its balanced stats and immense movepool, Mew is capable of using an assortment of sets. With many key support moves, including Will-O-Wisp and Taunt, it comes as no surprise that Mew is primarily seen taking the role of a supporter. When it comes to Baton Passing, Mew is up there with the best of the best, sporting awesome durability and a plethora of boosting moves, including the ever-coveted Nasty Plot. Don't be mistaken, though; while Mew is usually seen as a supporter, it can pose as a major offensive threat as well. It has awesome coverage moves like Fire Blast and Aura Sphere to be used in conjunction with Nasty Plot, making Mew a potentially formidable sweeper. Although Mew doesn't have any particular flaws, its lack of distinct strengths causes it to be often ignored in favor of more specialized Pokemon. Reuniclus, will often be viewed as a superior Psychic-type sweeper while Gorebyss's Shell Break Baton Passing gives Mew stiff competition on Baton Pass-based teams. Nevertheless, Mew is second to none when it comes to versatility, and if you're looking for a Pokemon who keeps your opponent second guessing him or herself over and over, then Mew's the Pokemon for you.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Softboiled
move 4: Psychic / Seismic Toss
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Mew is an invaluable support Pokemon due to its excellent defenses, decent typing, and plethora of support options. Seeing as Mew's Psychic-typing lures out Pokemon like Scizor and Tyranitar, it makes for a respectable defensive pivot due to its ability to cripple them with Will-O-Wisp, effectively reducing their offensive capabilities. Taunt allows Mew to shut down defensive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Blissey, and Jellicent as well as preventing Pokemon like Reuniclus from setting up. Will-O-Wisp sets Mew apart from other bulky Psychic-types like Celebi and Jirachi, making it arguably the most important move on this set. Softboiled is obligatory on Mew, as it replenishes its health, giving Mew the durability it needs to thwart off dangerous threats. Psychic is Mew's STAB move of choice and enables it to damage the likes of Conkeldurr and Terrakion. On the other hand, Seismic Toss lets Mew deal consistent damage, regardless of typing; however, it makes Mew a sitting duck against Ghost-types. As mentioned before, many Pokemon who would ordinarily switch into Mew are absolutely ruined by a burn, making Mew an excellent lure. Will-O-Wisp, when used alongside Taunt, turns Mew into a fearsome stallbreaker. Pokemon like Blissey or Ferrothorn, for example, can't even touch Mew, nor can they use any of their support moves due to Taunt, and are thus forced to switch out.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Lum Berry could be used if you want Mew to momentarily avoid status, however this seriously compromises Mew's overall staying power. Max HP EVs are used to maximize bulk and 220 Defense EVs are used to help Mew check a variety of physical threats such as Terrakion and Air Balloon Excadrill. 32 Speed EVs allow Mew to outrun max Speed Tyranitar. A Bold nature is used to further increase Mew's physical bulk, however a Calm nature with Special Defense EV investment may be used to balance Mew's defenses and let it handle both physical and special threats.</p>
<p>Mew has a plethora of optional moves to choose from, each useful, largely depending on your team. Aura Sphere can be used to get some good damage against Tyranitar and Steel-types, while Flamethrower lets Mew roast Steel-types, especially those that are severely weak to Fire like Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Forretress. Shadow Ball allows Mew to get decent damage against Latios and Latias, although Calm Mind variants are still capable of setting up. Mew is prone to causing switches, making U-turn a solid choice, especially if entry hazards are in play. It should be noted that without investment, all of these coverage moves are quite weak. Each moveslot is really important to Mew, so make sure you consider carefully before replacing one of Mew's moves.</p>
<p>While this variant of Mew is incredibly durable, it still has trouble dealing with a select few Pokemon. Both Latias and Latios are capable of using Mew as setup fodder, completely disregarding most of its moves. Heatran is capable of completely walling Mew, only fearing the rare Aura Sphere. Tyranitar is a fantastic partner, as it can easily dispose of both Latios and Latias and is capable of walling Heatran with his gargantuan Special Defense stat in the sand. Trick Room Reuniclus is a troublesome foe, as not only does it wall Mew, it's also immune to status and cleanly 2HKOes Mew with Shadow Ball. Scizor happens to counter Reuniclus and can even take on Latios and Latias to a certain extent. Hydreigon can easily switch into Mew and obliterate it with its Dark STAB moves. Chansey is a phenomenal partner, as it can counter Hydreigon and almost every Special Attacker, most notably Latios and Latias. Chansey shares decent synergy with Mew, because between the two of them, they are capable of walling the majority of the metagame.<p>
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Psyshock / Psychic
move 3: Aura Sphere
move 4: Fire Blast / Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Mew is capable of taking the offensive with Nasty Plot, making it incredibly difficult to counter due to its fantastic coverage and power. Nasty Plot skyrockets Mew's Special Attack to 598 which gives Mew enough power to OHKO most of the metagame. Psyshock is Mew's standard STAB move, and is incredibly strong after a boost. Psyshock also allows Mew to beat to Chansey & Blissey, two of heaviest special walls in the metagame. Keep in mind however, that because it targets Defense, physically defensive Pokemon like Gliscor and Hippowdon are capable of surviving a boosted Psyshock. Psychic, on the other hand, OHKOes both the aforementioned Pokemon and its higher base power allows it to score more OHKOes in general. Aura Sphere provides Mew with incredible coverage, as very few Pokemon resist the Psychic & Fighting combination. In particular, Aura Sphere allows Mew to beat Tyranitar, one of the most common and prominent special tanks in the metagame.</p>
<p>The final slot is up to you and mainly dependent on what your team can handle. Shadow Ball lets Mew take down opposing Psychic-types, like Latias, Latios, and Reuniclus, while Fire Blast lets Mew KO Steel-types neutral to Fighting-type moves. Jirachi, Metagross, Scizor and Skarmory are all OHKOed by Fire Blast at +2. Fire Blast also lets you OHKO standard Gliscor and deal heavy damage to Hippowdon after a boost, which effectively eliminates Psyshock's weakness. The biggest advantage to using Nasty Plot Mew over any other special sweeper is its unpredictability. Its counters are mainly based on the final coverage move. For example, Latias and Reuniclus can check Mew if it's using Fire Blast, while bulky Steel-types like Scizor and Jirachi can just as easily counter Mew if it's using Shadow Ball. That bit of knowledge is Mew's biggest trump card and it can cost your opponent the game if they're not careful.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>To show the power that Mew can bring to the table, here are some calculations, assuming Mew has one Nasty Plot boost:</p>
<ul class="damage_calculations">
<li>+2 LO Psyshock vs 252 HP / 252 Def Bold Blissey: 72% - 84.9%</li>
<li>+2 LO Psyshock vs 252 HP / 252 Def Bold Chansey: 53.3% - 62.8%</li>
<li>+2 LO Aura Sphere vs 252 HP / 252 SpD Sassy Tyranitar: 101% - 118.8%</li>
<li>+0 LO Fire Blast vs 252 HP / 216 SpD Sassy Ferrothorn: 109.1% - 128.4%</li>
<li>+2 LO Shadow Ball vs 248 HP / 216 Def Bold Jellicent: 89.8% - 106.2%</li>
<li>+2 LO Fire Blast vs 252 HP / 0 Impish Gliscor: 101.4% - 119.5%</li>
<li>+2 LO Fire Blast vs 252 HP / 0 Impish Hippowdon: 88.1% - 103.8%</li>
<li>+2 LO Fire Blast vs 252 HP / 252 SpD Careful Jirachi: 103% - 121.3%</li>
</ul>
<p>Leftovers is an alternative to Life Orb, increasing Mew's overall survivability, but at the cost of some firepower. A Lum Berry is useful as it allows you to avoid status once, which helps in taking out Pokemon that rely on status to beat Mew. The EVs are pretty standard fare, max Speed EVs are used to tie with Pokemon that have base 100 Speed and max Special Attack EVs are used to attain the highest possible Special Attack. A Modest nature with 220 HP / 252 SpA / 36 Spe may be used to increase Mew's bulk and further boost its damage potential, securing a few more OHKOes at +2, however this noticeably reduces Mew's Speed and its ability to outspeed certain threats. Specifically, Mew loses the ability to outspeed Haxorus and Hydreigon, and Speed tie with opposing base 100 Speed Pokemon such as Salamence, Volcarona, Celebi, and Jirachi. Just like in the previous set, Mew has a ton of move options to choose from. Baton Pass is an interesting move to use on Nasty Plot Mew. It weakens Mew's ability to sweep by replacing a coverage move, but it allows Mew to make a hasty retreat should a counter switch into it. Mew can simply pass along those Nasty Plot boosts, making it a hybrid sweeper and team player. Baton Pass also helps Mew differentiate itself from other powerful Nasty Plot users like Thundurus. Softboiled gives Mew reliable recovery and is effective against Stall teams that rely on wearing down opposing sweepers. Softboiled works particularly well with Life Orb, because it allows Mew to keep its power without compromising its bulk. Unfortunately, just like Baton Pass it cuts down on Mew's sweeping ability by eating up a coverage move.</p>
<p>Just like any other sweeper, Mew appreciates the presence of entry hazards to achieve several OHKOes. Blissey is typically OHKOed by a boosted Psyshock if Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes are on the field. Reliable entry hazard users like Deoxys-S and Ferrothorn are good partners to Mew for this very reason. While Nasty Plot Mew is incredibly difficult to outright counter, it has several checks that keep it from demolishing teams. The Pokemon that can check Mew are completely dependent on Mew's coverage moves. Specially defensive Jirachi is a strong counter if Mew isn't carrying Fire Blast while Reuniclus is very reliable Mew isn’t carrying Shadow Ball. Faster Pokemon like Latias, Latios and Gengar can switch into a resisted attack or Nasty Plot and force Mew out with their powerful STAB attacks. Tyranitar is a solid partner for Mew because it can counter Latias and Latios and check Reuniclus. Bulky Scizor is capable of checking Latias and Latios as well as outright countering Reuniclus. Unlike Tyranitar, it doesn't summon sandstorm, keeping Mew from taking unnecessary sandstorm damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Rock Polish
move 3: Swords Dance / Nasty Plot
move 4: Taunt
item: Lum Berry
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With good enough bulk, Speed, and access to a variety of boosting moves, Mew is a perfect candidate for Baton Pass. Mew is easily capable of turning its Baton Pass recipient into an ultimate killing machine with proper setup. A successful Baton Pass can drastically change the flow of the match, possibly deciding the match right there because the right Baton Pass recipient is nearly unstoppable. While Mew faces serious competition as a Baton Passer from the Shell Smash users, Gorebyss, Huntail, and Smeargle, it still has a few perks over them, namely access to Taunt over the former two and significantly more bulk over the latter. Rock Polish lets Mew outspeed most of the metagame, giving Mew more options like Baton Passing in the face of Pokemon who are normally faster. The choice between Swords Dance and Nasty Plot is obviously team dependant. Strong physical attackers like Landorus and Terrakion will naturally appreciate Swords Dance, while special attackers like Latios are bolstered by Nasty Plot. Finally, Taunt allows you to shut down defensive Pokemon who may attempt to plague Mew or its Baton Pass recipients with status. This set absolutely requires dual screen support in order to succeed. With dual screens in play, Mew is nearly impossible to OHKO, giving it ample time to set up. You should bring Mew in after one of your Pokemon have been KOed, preferably your dual screener. Directly switching into Pokemon is unwise because Mew should remain in tip top condition to maximize its chances of successfully pulling off a Baton Pass.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Lum Berry momentarily allows Mew to dodge harmful status like paralysis and sleep, and is very useful in conjunction with Synchronize and Taunt. Leftovers can be used to increase Mew's overall bulk and it can lessen entry hazard damage, however it should be noted that Mew cannot take any sort of status, increasing the importance of Taunt. Leftovers isn't recommended because there are times when status is unavoidable. The EVs on this set attempt to give Mew the maximum amount of bulk, while still giving it enough Speed to outspeed most of the metagame after a Rock Polish. HP EVs are maxed out, while the leftover EVs are placed in Defense, providing Mew with extra insurance against the likes of Tyranitar and Scizor. 68 Speed EVs specifically allow Mew to outspeed Deoxys-S. A Special Defense oriented spread may be used should you want Mew to survive powerful special threats like Choice Specs Latios and Thundurus without Light Screen support.</p>
<p>A dual screen user is required to get the best use out of Baton Pass Mew because Reflect and Light Screen halve all forms of damage, allowing Mew to take more hits before Baton Passing. Deoxys-S is the perfect candidate for a dual screen user. Its ridiculously high Speed gives it a quick Taunt and allows it it to quickly setup both Reflect and Light Screen. Uxie and Latios also deserve a mention because they can set up dual screens and are capable of using Memento, which lets Mew safely switch into the battlefield and it makes Mew nearly indestructible. Bronzong is a decent dual screener, as its excellent typing and bulk gives it excellent staying power allowing it to repeatedly set up dual screens. It can also use Explosion to safely bring Mew into the fray.</p>
<p>Mew has a variety of Baton Pass recipients to choose from, however the right recipient is required to win matches. It should be able to outspeed Jolly Excadrill after a Rock Polish boost, have excellent natural bulk, decent coverage, the ability to OHKO most of the metagame, and resistances to common priority moves. Lucario fits the bill for most of these categories and is hands down one of the best recipient in the entire metagame. At +2/+2, it can easily 1-2HKO the entire metagame, and is extremely difficult to counter. Lucario's typing makes it immune to Toxic Spikes and resistant to Stealth Rock, making hard for defensive teams to wear it down. Lucario also excellent synergy with Mew defensively and it even has its own priority move. Latios is the perfect recipient on the special side as it's almost impossible to counter at +2/+2, resists common forms of priority and is even immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes.</p>
<p>While this variant of Mew is almost impossible to counter due to the nature of Baton Pass, there are a few Pokemon who give it trouble. Whimsicott is capable of switching in and stopping Mew's Baton Passing attempts with priority Encore. Priority Taunt users like Tornadus and Thundurus can also put a complete stop to Mew's Baton Passing attempts. Trick users like Choiced Latios and Rotom-W can cripple Mew or its Baton Pass recipients. Because this Mew lacks any offensive moves, it is a sitting duck against faster Pokemon, so powerful sweepers like Terrakion and Landlos can set up on Mew if it hasn't used Rock Polish. Dragon Tail users are a pain, because the move itself is unaffected by Taunt, completely ruining all Baton Pass attempts. Substitute can bypass Dragon Tail, however it comes at the cost of a boosting move or Taunt. Furthermore, there are some attacks that are simply too strong for Mew to handle, even with dual screens. Choice Band Tyranitar for example, can still 2HKO Mew even with Reflect up. Mew isn't limited to passing offensive boosts; it can also pass a variety of defensive boosts as well, like Iron Defense and Amnesia. Entry hazard users like Ferrothorn and Forretress are acceptable teammates because they help bypass Pokemon with the abilities Sturdy and Multiscale, and grant your sweepers even more OHKOs.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Mew is the king of options and it's no exaggeration to say that Mew can do just about anything. It has one of the largest movepools in the entire game, second only to Smeargle, however unlike Smeargle it has the stats to actually pull off a wide variety of sets. Even so, it can be difficult to find sets Mew can run without being outclassed. A stand-alone Swords Dance set is possible, but Mew is still too weak even after a Swords Dance and that set is typically outclassed by the Nasty Plot set, a far greater wall breaker. Mew can run an effective Calm Mind set similar to Reuniclus but with more bulk and Speed at the cost of power and a superior ability. Mew has a ton of other move options for the Baton Pass set including but not limited to: Bulk Up, Amnesia, Iron Defense, and Calm Mind. The support set can utilize either Roar or Dragon Tail for phazing or Hypnosis to temporarily incapacitate a foe. Mew can also use a Transform set, which can be handy when dealing with a boosting sweeper. To sum it up, Mew gets nearly everything so go nuts, pick four moves and see what works for you. If you can imagine it, Mew can probably make it happen.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Countering Mew can be a difficult task due to its staggering versatility. Scouting out its moveset instead of blindly switching in is recommended. Support sets are hard countered by Heatran, who resists Psychic and is immune to Will-O-Wisp. In fact, if Heatran switches into a Will-O-wisp it can easily cripple Mew and its teammates with its boosted Fire-type moves. Both Latias and Latios can switch in with little to no trouble and fire off their powerful STAB attacks, however, Mew can actually stall out Choiced variants with Softboiled. Calm Mind Latios, and Latias on the other hand, can use Mew as set-up fodder. Hydreigon can switch into Mew without worry and fire off its powerful Dark STAB moves. Reuniclus that carry Shadow Ball can make short work of Mew and it's even immune to status moves. Nasty Plot sets are significantly harder to counter due to their incredible power and coverage. Nasty Plot Mew's counters are separated into 2 groups: Those who can counter Mew if it lacks Fire Blast and those who can counter Mew if it lacks Shadow Ball. Specially defensive Jirachi for example, is a hard counter to Mew if it doesn’t have Fire Blast. It can switch in and cripple Mew with Body Slam, and outstall Mew with a combination of Iron Head and Wish. Bulky Swords Dance Scizor can switch into Mew and hit it with a strong Bug Bite which easily brings Mew into Bullet Punch's KO range. Choice Band Metagross can switch into just about anything and crush Mew with a Choice Band boosted Meteor Mash.</p>
<p>On the other side, Mew that lack Shadow Ball can be countered by Latias and Latios. Choice Specs versions can easily switch in and hit Mew with a STAB Draco Meteor. Bulky Choice Band Spiritomb is an unconventional yet highly effective counter that can actually deal with both of Mew’s coverage moves. Choice Band Spiritomb can finish it off with a super effective STAB Sucker Punch or snag a fleeing Mew with Pursuit. Baton Pass is the hardest to counter considering Mew can just Baton Pass away at any time. However there are several precautions you can take to assure that Mew doesn't pull off a Baton Pass. Team preview allows you to scout your opponent's team, determine who Mew's dual screen user is and devise a way to stop it. A fast Taunt user like Deoxys-S can put a stop to most dual screeners. Unfortunately, Deoxys-S itself is a common screener and relying on a speed tie to stop it isn't exactly recommended. Strong priority users like Scizor and Mamoswine will only allow Deoxys-S to setup one half of dual screens, giving you an easier time when dealing with Mew. Keep in mind that if you fail to stop screens, it's almost impossible to stop Mew from Baton Passing due to its incredible bulk. Fortunately, unlike Gorebyss, Huntail, and Smeargle, Mew typically takes three turns to set up its Baton Pass recipient, so keep that in mind and find a way to stop it before it Baton Passes.</p>
