AMNESIA IS 2 CALM MINDS
[OVERVIEW]
Ever since RBY's inception, Mewtwo has stood out as the most terrifying and dominant Pokemon in the entire game, and it's not hard to see why. Its combination of a titanic base 154 special, a blazing fast 130 base Speed, corresponding to a critical hit rate of 25.39%, and a superb movepool make it an extremely deadly offensive threat. Mewtwo is also great defensively, with decent HP and Defense, access to the coveted Recover, and a mono-Psychic typing giving it no practical weakness. It is nearly impossible to KO a healthy Mewtwo, forcing you to use status to take it down. Mewtwo's diverse movepool gives it incredible set variety. It can take an offensive role with moves such as Blizzard and Self-Destruct, a supportive role using Thunder Wave to spread paralysis, or a sweeping role with its setup options such as Amnesia and Barrier. This makes Mewtwo an extremely important Pokemon in all stages of a game, and its set can be tailored to what your team requires.
However, Mewtwo is not as untouchable as one might think. Mewtwo's STAB Psychic is resisted by many Pokemon, such as opposing Mewtwo, Mew, Alakazam, Exeggutor, and Starmie. Although an unparalyzed Mewtwo is extremely scary, a Paralyzed Mewtwo is much easier to take down, as Physical attackers such as Tauros, Snorlax, and Rhydon can break through it. This means even a boosted Mewtwo can be forced out by Thunder Wave users such as Alakazam, Chansey, and Mew. Mewtwo is also generally the best switch-in to itself, meaning one Mewtwo can force the other to switch in and paralyze it. In addition to physical attacks, a paralyzed Mewtwo is also vulnerable to Explosion; in RBY, Explosion ends the turn, meaning Mewtwo cannot use Recover on Explosion if it is slower.
Mewtwo's Special stat is so high that stat overflow may be an issue if you are not careful. In RBY, any stat above 1023 will overflow. The game caps stats at 999 for this reason. A Mewtwo at +4 special would have 1218 Special if it was not capped, which would overflow to 196, but due to the cap this is avoided and Mewtwo's Special remains at 999. If Mewtwo uses Amnesia again at +4, it boosts to +5 Special since the game drops Special by 1 if it boosts at 999 special. The problem with overflow arises if Mewtwo's special is dropped while it is at +5. Mewtwo drops to +4 special like normal, but this time there is no stat cap, causing overflow. If Mewtwo boosts again, since the game thinks Mewtwo is below 999 special, it will boost to +6. Overflow most commonly comes into play while two Mewtwo are PP stalling, so it is something to watch out for. The safest way to avoid overflow is to never click Amnesia at +3 or +4 special unless you know the opposing Mewtwo does not have Psychic.
[SET]
name: Assassin
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Blizzard
move 3: Psychic / Thunderbolt / Amnesia
move 4: Self-Destruct
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set aims to take advantage of Mewtwo's deadly offensive pressure to spread damage and paralysis throughout an opposing team. The main target of this set is the opposing Mewtwo. Since Mewtwo is typically the best switch-in to itself, this set is very effective at luring the opposing Mewtwo and paralyzing it. Once it paralyzes Mewtwo, it has several options. It can fish for critical hits with Blizzard, doing 40-47%, switch out to a physical attacker such as Mew or Snorlax to pressure the opposing Mewtwo, or just use Self-Destruct and revenge kill it with a teammate like Tauros, effectively removing both Mewtwo from the game. If the opposing Mewtwo also has Thunder Wave, the two Mewtwo will generally trade paralysis. In this case, the most common outcome is that the two Mewtwo simply trade.
Aside form Thunder Wave, the other defining move of this set is Self-Destruct. Self-Destruct synergizes extremely well with Thunder Wave, as it ensures your own Mewtwo is faster than the foe, and switching out in fear of Self-Destruct can allow Mewtwo to force paralysis on other Pokemon. Self-Destruct is used either to force a KO or when Mewtwo is at low HP. Mewtwo's target with Self-Destruct generally depends on what its teammates need the most. If its teammates are Pokemon such as Alakazam, Starmie, or Articuno, it is worth using Self-Destruct to remove an opposing Chansey, for example. The opposing Mewtwo is typically a great Self-Destruct target, removing both from the game.
Blizzard is the most important attacking move for this set. Its higher base power and neutrality against Psychic-types makes it one of Mewtwo's most effective tools at damaging Mewtwo and Mew. A critical hit Blizzard does a minimum of 40.4% to Mewtwo and 56.8% to Mew, which means paralysis any kind of chip damage makes Mewtwo's Blizzard extremely risky to switch into. Blizzard makes Mewtwo more effective at luring in foes since they generally have to be healthy to switch in, allowing Mew to paralyze them once they enter. Blizzard also 2HKOes Zapdos and Exeggutor, and has a 35.9% chance to OHKO Rhydon. Although Blizzard only has 8 PP, this should not be an issue, as this Mewtwo set lacks longevity.
Mewtwo's final move for this set is typically one of Psychic, Thunderbolt, or Amnesia. Psychic provides coverage while still helping break through opposing Mewtwo and Mew. Mewtwo can start by using Psychic for Special drops, then use Blizzard for increased damage. Blizzard does 43-51% on Mew at -1 special, meaning it is heavily favored to eventually KO once critical hits and full paralysis are factored in. Psychic also lets Mewtwo re-apply the speed drop from Paralysis. For example, if Mew boosts with Swords Dance while both Mew and Mewtwo are paralyzed, if Mewtwo drops Mew's special with Psychic, Mewtwo is faster again. Psychic is also Mewtwo's best move against the Normal-types of the tier, having a 76.2% chance to 2HKO Tauros before factoring in critical hits and special drops, and a near-guaranteed chance to 3HKO Snorlax. Special drops can also force Chansey out. Alternatively, Mewtwo can use Thunderbolt to break through Starmie and Slowbro. Slowbro in particular is troublesome for Mewtwo lacking Thunderbolt since it can boost with Amnesia and use Rest to remove paralysis, meaning Mewtwo has to either switch out or use Self-Destruct on Slowbro. Mewtwo can also use Amnesia to become extremely effective at forcing in healthy targets. If the opponent has no Chansey or Ice-resistant Pokemon, then a +2 Blizzard is nearly impossible to switch into safely. If the opposing Mewtwo is still healthy, it is almost always forced to switch in, then Mewtwo can paralyze it and potentially hit it for heavy damage. However, this limits Mewtwo to 8 attacking PP and zero coverage options. If the opponent has a Chansey or Ice-resistant Pokemon, this set is easy to handle. Cloyster in particular walls this set, though it is unlikely your opponent will switch Cloyster in until they know you are mono-Blizzard, as Cloyster is very weak to Mewtwo's coverage options.
Physical attackers, such as Tauros, Snorlax, Rhydon, and Mew are the primary teammates for this set. They are fantastic at exploiting the paralysis Mewtwo spreads, and really benefit from especially the opposing Mewtwo being paralyzed. Exeggutor is also a great teammate that has Explosion to help Mewtwo punch holes into opposing teams. However, using this Mewtwo set alongside Exeggutor and many Physical attackers makes your team quite weak to Ice-types such as Cloyster and Articuno. This means it is also worth running teammates such as Starmie, Slowbro, and Cloyster to improve these matchups. Since this Mewtwo set lacks longevity, Mew likes to run Soft-Boiled in order for the team to have some defensive stability. Alternatively, you can opt for a completely offensive team, using Mewtwo as one of several explosion users to enable a teammate lategame. Pokemon such as Zapdos, Starmie, Alakazam, and Articuno are great lategame cleaners for this teamstyle. Pokemon with Wrap, such as Victreebel and Dragonite, are also good at taking advantage of Paralysis.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Blizzard / Thunderbolt / Self-Destruct
move 4: Recover
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set aims to be the defensive and supportive backbone of a team. This set is very good at switching into opposing Mewtwo and forcing paralysis. From there, Mewtwo can switch out to a physical attacker to try to force the opposing Mewtwo out. If the opposing Mewtwo has Amnesia, you should generally switch to Mew right after paralyzing it. If Mewtwo used Thunder Wave as the opposing Mewtwo used Amnesia, then Mew came in on a second Amnesia, Mew is able to use Swords Dance then Explosion. Even if the opposing Mewtwo switched out, it is now paralyzed and lost its boosts, making it much easier for teammates to handle. If Mew switches in on an attack, it can use Soft-Boiled until the opposing Mewtwo fully paralyzes then proceed to boost.
- Same points about twave, great at forcing para on m2
- Psy is STAB, a more important here since longevity means u may need spc drops more
- Blizz hits egg/zap, tbolt hits waters, boom is boom
- Reco cuz its the defensive set
- Spread status early-midgame
- Physical attackers are great partners since they exploit paralyzed mewtwo
- Pairs well with phys attackers, exploders, and offensive mew sets since this set can be the defensive backbone of a team
- Wrap?
[SET]
name: Amnesia
move 1: Amnesia
move 2: Blizzard
move 3: Psychic / Thunderbolt
move 4: Recover / Self-Destruct
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
- The traditional set, since I don't use this someone else should prob write this section
[SET]
name: Barrier
move 1: Amnesia
move 2: Barrier
move 3: Recover
move 4: Ice Beam / Thunderbolt
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Barrier Mewtwo aims to be a lategame win condition. Once Mewtwo sets up both Barrier and Amnesia, it is nearly impossible to KO barring critical hits or freeze. If Mewtwo is paralyzed, it becomes immune to Freeze at the cost of being easier to break through with critical hits. Additionally, Barrier's 48 PP means Mewtwo is heavily favored to win any kind of PP stall war. The main downside to this set is that Mewtwo is limited to one attack, limiting its coverage and attacking PP.
Ice Beam is the most common attacking move for this set. It has no immunities, and hits a good amount of Pokemon, such as Exeggutor, Zapdos, and Rhydon, super effectively. The chance to freeze can let Mewtwo break through checks such as opposing Mewtwo, Chansey, and Slowbro, though Freeze clause means Mewtwo typically can only do this once. The disadvantages of Ice Beam are that it has only 16 PP and is resisted by a good amount of Pokemon, such as Starmie, Slowbro, and Cloyster. All three of them typically run recovery, and Slowbro can counter-boost with Amnesia. Cloyster in particular is nasty due to having a 4x resistance to Ice Beam and a freeze immunity. Good teammates for this set are Pokemon that can lure and defeat Ice-resistant pokemon. Thunderbolt variants of Tauros and Snorlax are capable of luring in Cloyster and Slowbro and defearing them.
Compared to Ice Beam, Thunderbolt has more PP, and very few viable pokemon resist the move. The few that do, such as Exeggutor, typically do not run recovery allowing Mewtwo to break through. However, this set is completely walled by Rhydon, as well as the less common Golem and Sandslash. Therefore, these Ground-types must be scouted for and dealt with before attempting to sweep with this set. This can be done with lures such as Toxic on Zapdos, or simply trading damage with a Pokemon like Snorlax.
There are also Pokemon that give Barrier Mewtwo trouble regardless of its attacking move. Opposing Mewtwo and Chansey can stall it out with their recovery moves, while Tauros has the potential to break through with critical hits. An unlucky critical hit Self-Destruct or Explosion from opposing Mewtwo or Mew can also OHKO Mewtwo.
If the opposing Mew has Swords Dance, Earthquake, and Explosion, it is capable of beating a paralyzed Barrier Mewtwo outright. If Mew boosts to 999 attack as Mewtwo boosts to 999 defense, Mew can use Earthquake to fish for critical hits and full paralysis. Once Mew lands a critical hit Earthquake that Mewtwo was unable to use Recover on, it can use Explosion. The critical hit Earthquake followed up by Explosion is heavily favored to KO Mewtwo. It does a minimum of 95.1%, meaning if Mewtwo survives, it can easily be revenge killed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- Slam + Beam
- Counter
- 3 Attacks + Boom
Mewtwo also has several moves specalized towards stalling out the opposing team. Flash can be used to drop the opposing Mewtwo's accuracy, often forcing it out regardless of boosts. However, it is unreliable at 70% accuracy, and is often a waste of a moveslot on Mewtwo who already has trouble fitting all the moves it wants. Teammates like Flash Chansey and Kinesis Alakazam are generally more effective in this role. Barrier Mewtwo can use Rest over Recover for stalling, as it does not burn PP on the two turns it spends burning sleep, giving it an effective 48 PP. Additionally, Rest cures paralysis. However, Barrier Mewtwo is the one Mewtwo set that sometimes likes being paralyzed, so this is a double-edged sword; if Mewtwo cures its Paralysis it will be vulnerable to sleep and freeze once again, and can no longer fully paralyze to delay burning PP. Additionally, while Mewtwo is sleeping, the opponent is free to try to fish for critical hits with a teammate like Tauros to break through Barrier. If Mewtwo was paralyzed beforehand, Pokemon like Mew and Snorlax can use Explosion or Self-Destruct on Mewtwo and damage it while also preventing burning sleep. Solar Beam is a very fringe attacking move on Barrier2. The one turn spent charging means it only burns 1 PP every two turns, giving it an effective 32 PP. It also does as much damage as Blizzard—devestating to most Pokemon, and has no immunities and few resistances—none of which have reliable recovery. However, Solar Beam makes a passive Mewtwo set even more passive, and it has zero offensive pressure until it is fully boosted. Additionally, it cannot break a team with Mewtwo and Chansey still alive, as they can switch stall and heal after getting hit by Solar Beam. These three moves are generally relics of a slower, stallier metagame, and struggle to exist in the current Ubers environment.
Defensive Amnesia sets such as Barrier Mewtwo can lower its special to 333 to prevent overflow—a set commonly referred to as "Safetwo". If Safetwo boosts to +5 special and its special is dropped down to +4, it will still have 999 special, preventing overflow. If Safetwo boosts again, it will still only boost to +5, also preventing potential issues from boosting to +6 and overflowing when dropped to +5. This lets Mewtwo safely click Amnesia when PP stalling. However, the drop in Special makes Safetwo extremely weak unboosted, while also doing less and taking more damage from critical hits. For example, Mewtwo's Blizzard does a minimum of 49.3% to Safetwo on a critical hit, while the minimum on regular Mewtwo is 40.4%. Additionally, Safewtwo misses out on a ton of damage tresholds unboosted, such as a 2HKO on Tauros and 3HKO on Snorlax with Psychic. As a result, Safetwo should generally be avoided.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Opposing Mewtwo**: Mewtwo is typically the best check to itself, especially if unparalyzed. Thunder Wave Mewtwo is able to switch into any Mewtwo set and force paralysis, allowing Mewtwo's teammates to pressure it better.
**Mew**:
**Paralysis**:
**Physical Attackers**:
**Explosion**:
**Stat-Lowering Moves**:
**Slowbro**:
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