[Overview]
Mew plays the role of a fast suicide lead on hyper offense teams thanks to its good Speed tier and support movepool. It is very potent in setting both Stealth Rock and Spikes against typical balance teams and then using Misty Explosion to prevent removal of either. Nevertheless, due to the ubiquity of Heavy-Duty Boots and Defog, Mew's impact in any given match can be negated as early as the teambuilder. It also faces stiff competition from other dedicated leads that can provide more for their team such as Sticky Web Slurpuff and Tailwind Aerodactyl.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Misty Explosion
item: Focus Sash / Red Card
ability: Synchronize
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Taunt is extremely valuable, as it stops common Defog users such as Ho-Oh and Yveltal from removing the entry hazards that Mew sets. It also stops any potential setup sweepers from using Mew as an opportunity to boost themselves. Taunt also stops slower entry hazard setters such as Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn from setting their own entry hazards. Misty Explosion allows Mew to remove itself from the field so that opposing Rapid Spin and Defog users don't get a chance to remove its hazards, and it also deals decent damage to the most common Defog user, Yveltal. Focus Sash guarantees that Mew will survive any one hit and thus set at least one entry hazard. Red Card can be utilized so that Mew forces a switch when it gets hit by an attack that doesn't OHKO it, allowing for more hazards to be set.
As Mew is only ever seen on hyper offense teams, fast wallbreakers such as Calyrex-S and Meteor Beam Eternatus are natural fits. Setup sweepers such as Dragon Dance Zekrom and Necrozma-DM appreciate the hazards softening up their checks; mixed Zekrom, for example, can guarantee an OHKO on Tangrowth with a Life Orb-boosted Draco Meteor after it has taken damage from Stealth Rock. Dual screens Grimmsnarl can provide even more utility for the sweepers that they both facilitate, often doubling down to set up with one potent sweeper and win the game.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Explosion with a Jolly nature can do more damage overall, but it leaves Mew complete fodder for the extremely common Ghost-types while still doing very little damage to Steel-types. Flare Blitz can work as a way for Mew to take itself out after activating its Focus Sash while also damaging Steel-types, but it's way more situational. Thunder Wave can be run over Stealth Rock to severely limit entry hazard removers and deter setup sweepers, but other leads like Froslass and Aerodactyl are better at setting a singular hazard up.
Checks and Counters
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**Ghost-types**: Calyrex-S, Marshadow, and Giratina-O can threaten to OHKO Mew if it doesn't have a Focus Sash, with the latter two often running Shadow Sneak to limit it to one entry hazard. Neither Marshadow nor Giratina-O like the damage that Misty Explosion can deal to them, though.
**Faster Leads**: Dedicated leads that can outspeed Mew, such as Aerodactyl, Galvantula, and Ribombee, will put a stop to its plans with Taunt or set their own entry hazards, something Mew tries to deter and its teammates dislike.
**Heavy-Duty Boots Users**: Pokemon such as Yveltal and Ho-Oh often hold Heavy-Duty Boots to completely ignore the entry hazards that Mew provides.
**Anti-hazard Pokemon**: Xatu has Magic Bounce to reverse Mew's entry hazard attempts, while Slurpuff can use Magic Coat for a similar effect or simply set Sticky Web, something the hyper offense teams that Mew lends itself to do not appreciate.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Lasen, 273339]]
- Quality checked by: [[Manaphy, 50695], [Minority, 222996]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Estronic, 240732]]
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