How Good is the New Psystrike Mewtwo?

On the afternoon of September 16, 2019, Mewtwo is set to make its return to the raid scene, this time with its signature move: Psystrike. This move has long been in the game’s data and has long been known to be a bad move, on a par with its existing STAB Charge move; Psychic. However, because Niantic loves making changes pre-release, Psystrike saw a tweak. It lost 10 base power as well as roughly half of its horribly slow animation. So how does this change Mewtwo’s standing? Let’s take a look.

Not much needs to be said beyond this. Mewtwo now surpasses even the DPS-juggernaut that is Deoxys-Attack as a Psychic-type attacker with its updated Psystrike, and that’s with roughly five times the TDO to boot, putting the DNA Pokemon to absolute shame. 

Mewtwo is, without a doubt, the single strongest Psychic Type Pokemon in Go, and is very likely to retain this title throughout the generations. Its nearest competition is likely in the form of the Psychic/Dragon-type Ultra Necrozma in Generation 7, and this is only if it receives a terribly powerful Psychic-type move out of its signature attacks.

In Trainer Battles/PvP, Psystrike is identical to Shadow Ball. Given that Shadow Ball is one of the best attacks in PvP, Psystrike is clearly a powerful move as well. However, the deck is stacked against Psystrike Mewtwo. Given Mewtwo’s stats, it’s only viable in the Master League. The Master League is currently dominated by Dialga (Steel-type) and Giratina (Ghost-type). As a result, it would be wiser for Mewtwo to carry Shadow Ball over Psystrike. Why not both? Unfortunately, Shadow Ball is also an exclusive attack. If your Mewtwo isn’t carrying Shadow Ball, then you’re better off looking for another Pokemon for the Master League. If there ever comes a time where Mewtwo could have both, it would be a powerful option.

Mewtwo is a refreshing way to end the Summer and a great opportunity for those who have missed out to get their very first Mewtwo. On top of that, we now get its signature move Psystrike and its shiny forme! While Psystrike isn’t as rad as other exclusive attacks, it is still a slight upgrade for Psychic attacking Mewtwo out there. With its update, Psystrike makes Mewtwo the overall strongest Pokemon in the game once again. It is now strong enough to be a second-tier choice even in select raids where it’s not dealing Super Effective damage, single-handedly allowing it to facilitate a second look at the Generalist approach to the game. That said, it won’t become the end-all-be-all that it was when first introduced with Shadow Ball, but it is obscenely powerful as it sits now, and an insanely good investment, as it will be the supreme counter to anything weak to Psychic, and will once again take its throne as the best overall Pokemon in the game. If you don’t even need a new Mewtwo this will still be an excellent time to farm some Mewtwo candy.