Studying in the Cerulean Cave: Maedhros's Comprehensive Guide to Mewtwo

Directory:

Use Ctrl + F to find a certain section

Introduction: Mission and Reading Track

Section 1: How to Play and Directory
Section 2: Moveset Analysis
Section 3: Movement and Neutral
Section 4: Combos and Kill Percents
Section 5: Off-Stage and Playstyles
Section 6: Advanced and Miscellaneous Topics
Section 7: Counterplay, How to Beat Mewtwo
Section 8: Terms, Discussion Topics and Update Log

(Note: The updates section is just an archiving of old versions, the most up-to-date one is the main one, not the one under the updates tab.)

Introduction:
Mission:



This guide is rather comprehensive, and thus, difficult to understand. Because of this, I decided to make a Suggested Read Track. It breaks my guide up into three "levels," eventually leading up to proficiency with Mewtwo. This Schedule will give my thoughts on how to read through the guide, as well as why I suggest it. Hope this helps!

Suggested Reading Track:

Level 1:

Level 2:

Level 3:
Final Words:

After finishing this reading track, continue practicing your techs and combos and building your knowledge of the character. After finishing this, you are relatively proficient with Mewtwo, to the extent where you know his options, his combos, and most of his metagame. Good luck on improving on your own!




1.1: How to Play: A General Introduction To Mewtwo

Mewtwo's History in Smash 4:
Mewtwo is an interesting character. He is currently ranked top 10 on the 4BR tier list and widely considered to be top 10 by the general public.His combination of combos, speed, projectile and anti-projectile game mixed with a great airdodge, long, fast tilts and an amazing recovery is enough to make anyone cringe when they see one in their bracket. Although Mewtwo is currently considered great, this was not always the case.

Upon release, Mewtwo was met with mixed reviews. His hitboxes where weird, he seemingly had no combos and no grab combos and he was incredibly light, weighing 72 units. Luckily, a select few stuck with the character. On Smashboards, we had Metalex, Raykz, Meleebrawler, Raynoire, Browny, 420Quickscoper and myself all working towards furthering Mewtwo's metagame. While some of them have fallen away from Mewtwo a bit, a few still remain. As time went on, Mewsquared picked up the psychic pokemon. Mewsquared (At one point ranked #1 in DFW, currently an HM for being inactive.) started the first inklings in peoples minds that maybe Mewtwo wasn't quite as bad as everyone thought he was. As June dragged on, Mewsquared started placing higher and higher over the summer months. Although he didn't win his first Shockwave until February of the next year, he was still a constant threat, and furthered Mewtwo's metagame.

The real start of Mewtwo's rise to prominence was in October, 2015. In that time period, both Rich Brown and LoF l Blue picked up the Legendary pokemon. Rich Brown switching from his previous main, Olimar and Blue switching from Sonic. Before this, we were used to seeing the occasional Mewtwo from Japanese tri-main Ginko and Mewsquareds. Mewsquared had an extremely aggressive Mewtwo, and ginko only utilized Mewtwo against campy characters like Villager. So seeing Blue's incredibly defensive Mewtwo and Rich Browns punish oriented one was quite a shock. They really raised Mewtwo's potential to another level by simply playing the character how they thought he should be played. It was at this time that Mewtwo's metagame really started to bloom.With the big 3, Mewsquared, Blue and Rich Brown all innovating and taking names, people were able to see that Mewtwo might possibly be a mid tier instead of his usual 55th position. Then, when everything was going right, things got better. While most of the smash community was groaning on December 15, 2015, a select few were leaping for joy. Mewtwo had been patched. Not only did they increase his combo potential, they made him faster and gave him more options. This patch caused Abadango to start practicing him more, doing lab streams focused on Mewtwo. (Note: Abadango played Mewtwo from day 1, Pac-man and Metaknightt were just better.) On January 4th, KillerJawz (No. X in London) released an in-depth Mewtwo analysis, bringing himself and the full affect of the recent patch into prominence.

While the hype eventually died down, Mewtwo's kept on innovating and pushing the character to his limits. A plethora of new options and combos were being discovered. Advanced techniques like Phasing, Ledge-Cancelling and Perfect Pivots were being explored, and then, Patch 1.1.5 hit. This was the kicker. Mewtwo was now as fast as Sheik. He received less lag on his Usmash. His Nair got increased size on it's hitboxes, and Mewtwo got a weight buff. Granted he know dies 2% later (Woot!) but hey!

March and April were a big months for Mewtwo. Mewsquared 6 stocked Mew2king's Cloud and Abadango confirmed that he was going to go Mewtwo at Pound. April 3rd rolled around, and Abadango managed to beat Marss, Ally, Void, Larry Lurr and Dabuz to claim Pound 6. This was the true start of the "Mewtwo Revolution" After this, Void started experimenting with the character, and now counts him as a secondary. Abadango would go on to get 3rd at Midwest Mayhem 2, 2nd at BAM8, 5th at Smash n' Splash 2, 4th at CEO and 5th at Evo. He has also traveled to Europe and took out there best at PPT, and he won Clutch City Clash. While Abadango has definitely stolen the spotlight, Rich Brown has had some success as well. As of July, 2016, he is ranked 7th on the extremely stacked SoCal PR. He also boasts 17th at Evo, Ktar Saga and SSC, as well as 25th at CEO and 7th at Fresh Saga. Definitely a player on the rise.

As of August 22nd, Mewtwo officially became a top tier, being placed in the 8-11 section. This is in stark contrast to his bottom 10 placement on the previous tier list.

Mewtwo remains a top tier, and currently has three top level players.
Rich Brown: SoCal 6, PGR V2 l 23
WaDi: MDVA #1, PGR V2 l 21
Abadango: Japan #12 PGR V2 l 7

Mewtwo as a Character:

Mewtwo is characterized by many attributes, however, I will get into those in detail later. Mewtwo is a tall character with a large frame and tail. Thankfully, he doesn't have the Melee attribute of the entire tail being a hurtbox. Instead, only a 1/5th of it is, basically the base. His attacks fall into 2 categories, Psychic and Tail. Mewtwo uses his tail as a blunt force weapon, while he enhances the reach of his legs and arms with his psychic ability. All of his specials revolve around his Psychic aspect. In a less abstract way, Mewtwo is a interesting character. He has an excellent punish game, great movement/options and amazing reach on tilts. What really sets him apart from most of the cast is his complete and utter lack of throw combos. Nothing even links. It just doesn't work. Thus, Mewtwo relies on his throws as a finisher or a possible extender over a combo starter.

Aspects:

1: Glass Cannon

Mewtwo is best classified as a Glass Cannon character. The theory behind the term Glass Cannon is that the character is extremely powerful, but dies very early. This is the trade off. High reward, but that high reward comes at a risk. Another example of a Glass Cannon is Pichu from Melee. He is the perfect example of how badly balanced a Glass Cannon can be. While Pichu has incredible power, he has gigantic drawbacks in his weight plus his self-harming tendencies. Mewtwo is an example of a finely tuned Glass Cannon. He has a lot of power, combos and speed, but one mistake could mean 50% or a stock.

2: Floaty

Mewtwo is also classified as a "Floaty" character, although this is technically not true. Kurogane Hammer puts the cut-off for the "Floaty" description at Charizard, a few places below Mewtwo, calling Mewtwo fairly floaty. The main reason this is such a detriment in his case is that it is a combination of mediocre fall speed and poor landing options. Now, a "Floaty" character is a character that has mediocre/bad fall speed, and usually has bad aerial speed. For example, Peach is a "Floaty" character in both Melee and Smash 4, however, it is much more prevalent in Melee. In any match, you can see Peach get juggled by faster characters like Fox and Marth, who have far better fall speed and air speed.

3: Speed

Although Mewtwo is quite large, he is also quite fast. He has mediocre frame data, but this is off-set by his insane range. Take Cloud for instance. His frame data leaves a lot to be desired, but he is still considered great because of his amazing autocancel windows and range. The majority of Mewtwo's speed lies in his run speed. Currently, he has the 7th fastest run speed. This is coupled with a great PP, LC and foxtrot game, allowing Mewtwo to quickly and precisely move anywhere.
1.2: Attributes:
Weight: 74 (57th)

Gravity: 0.082 (38th)

Air Acceleration: 0.03 (50-53)

Jumpsquat: 5 (14-42)

Run Speed: 2.05 (7th)

Walk Speed: 1.2 (15-17)

Air Speed: 1.25 (3rd)

Fall Speed: (32-35)

Skid Frames: 23 Frames (46th)

Victory Screen Inputs:

Coming soon????


Pros:



Cons:



1.3: Is Mewtwo Right For You?





2.1: Moveset Analysis:

Attacks:

Smash Attacks:

Forward Smash:



Up Smash:



Down Smash:



Aerials:

Special Attacks:


Grabs:

Miscellaneous:



3.1: Movement:

Walking:

Running:
Phasing:


Movement Options:

Movement Options Overview:

Teleport:

Teleport can be used in many ways. Ledge-Canceling, Recovering and for quickly moving from one place to another.

Ledge-Canceling: By teleporting at the edge of the stage/platform can cancel the endlag Mewtwo would usually suffer. This is done by aiming for the edge of a platform/stage, and using the near max distance of a teleport. Mewtwo will fall off the platform and be able to do whatever he wants, even teleport again. This is obviously beneficial for landing and avoiding a ledge trap scenario.

Recovering: Teleport has sizable range and renders Mewtwo invisible for most of it. Teleport also has some invincibility frames which are considerably helpful. It can go in any direction and sweetspotting the ledge is not difficult after a little practice. You can snap to the ledge from above a horizontal level in order to remove any chance of a 2 frame punish due to weird mechanics.

Moving quickly: This mainly pertains to ledge cancelling. Mewtwo regains his double jump after a ledge cancel. This allows him to have a large amount of control and many options for landing and moving around utilizing the platforms. You can also teleport without a ledge cancel as it is a relatively safe mix up. Relatively.

Confusion:

Confusion is mainly used as a Mix-up and a way of recovering

Mix-up: Since confusion has so many variations in it's movement, full forward, pull back and b-reverse, it can be used to trick up your opponent and reach the stage. The fact that you lose your hop the second time you use it in the air can also be beneficial, as the opponent may not see it coming.

Recovering: Due to Confusions "hop," Mewtwo gains an extra jump. This extra boost is great at moving horizontally towards the stage to avoid using a double jump or get into reach of the ledge. Remember, you only get the hop the first time you use it. The second time, you will fall. However, this resets as soon as you grab the ledge or touch the ground.

Shadowball:

Uncharged: Uncharged Shadowball(or SB) can be used as a bait and a movement option.


Full Charged: This move, in conjunction with B-Reverse can be used as a Movement Option.

AT Movement Options:

AT Movement Overview:

Perfect Pivoting (PP):

Refer to the article in Section 6.

Foxtrot:

A foxtrot is a technique involving the first part of a dash, the section where Mewtwo cannot stop or shield. After this action, there is a small time frame where you can dash again without experiencing any lag. You can dash forward or backwards, without experiencing the turn-around animation. You can do this action repeatedly to move around the stage. While this method is inherently slower then running, as well as harder, it is not without upsides. A foxtrot can be used to move quicker then a walk with some of the options of walking. A foxtrot can be cancelled into another foxtrot, a perfect pivot or a dash dance.

Dash Dancing (DD):

Dash dancing relies on the fact that on the first frame of a dash, you can cancel it and dash the other direction. A repeated use of this technique is called dash dancing. This technique is far more prevalent and easier in Melee. In Smash 4, it is useful, but not essential. It is mainly used as a mix-up option to trick the opponent into shielding or behaving defensively.

Ledge-Cancelling:

Ledge-Cancelling (LC) is one of Mewtwo's best character specific AT's. Considering he has about five in total, this is not surprising.LC is mainly used to aid in landing and quickly move around the stage.

Movement and Positions:

As said above, LC's best use is to aid in landing, or to quickly move around the stage. In the image below, you can see the approximate positions where ledge cancelling is possible. I also have a video on it, which is linked in the Advanced Techniques Section (Section 6).

Ground to Ledge- If Mewtwo is running then teleport right before Mewtwo goes under the platform. If Mewtwo is not running then teleport while Mewtwo is slightly under the platform.

Input- + (towards ledge)

Platform to Ledge- While standing on the platform, teleport and then point the joystick down while facing the ledge.

Input- +

Air to Platform-

Interesting Properties of LC-
Practicing LC:

In the beginning, you will want to simply learn the zones. By zones, I mean the general area in which you can ledge-cancel. Practice ledge-cancelling on the stage first, as it is the easiest. Then, when you are comfortable with the inputs, start practicing on the platforms. Eventually, you will be able to do this on the fly. It just takes time and practice.

3.2: Neutral:

Overview:
The Neutral is a rather abstract core foundation of Smash. By abstract, I mean that it has many intricacies, it is vastly different from character to character, and it is extremely hard to explain. In short, the Neutral is a time in which neither character has advantage, or inversely, disadvantage. It is the time when both players are carefully calculating their options so as to get the advantage state.
Now that I have talked in mystical terms, let me explain myself. The advantage state comes about when one character is in an advantageous position over the other. Thus, one player has advantage, the other has disadvantage. Mewtwo is an advantage when the opponent is off-stage, or on the ledge. He is also in advantage when the opponent is hit by a Nair, or launched by a Dtilt. Positions in which one character is in an opportune spot, ready to punish the opponent, is considered advantage. For an explanation of disadvantage, imagine the previous scenarios, except reverse them.

Moving on, I can now discuss the Neutral. The neutral is the most important part of a game. While one may know every single option and combo available to them, they are useless if you can't hit the opponent. That is why neutral is so important. The Neutral is usually a series of safe, low risk strategies used by both opponents. Walking around the stage. Camping with bombs or shadowballs. Using banana. All of these are safe and optimal neutral strategies. The goal of neutral is to hit your opponent, and put them into a disadvantageous position. Thus, I can use Mewtwo as a prime example.

Mewtwo's neutral game revolves around careful usage of his options. Dtilt is one of his best options because of this. Dtilt is rather safe, being very long and only -3 on shield drop. Because of this, you can carefully space Dtilt so that it is unpunishable. However, if it is to hit, Mewtwo will have the opportunity to unleash a combo and gain advantage. Other good options include phasing, Fair, shadowball, Utilt and - to an extent - Nair. I go into detail on these moves below.

Winning Neutral is key to securing the victory. However, knowing when to reset to Neutral is just as important. When you don't reset to Neutral at the proper time, you are doing something called "overextending" or going too far. This usually happens when one goes too far off-stage, or they go for an untrue option. Overextending may not seem "that" bad, but that is not all there is to it. When you overextend, you are putting yourself in an unfavorable position. You go to far off-stage and then the opponent gets on to the stage and can now ledge trap you. You go for an untrue option, and now the opponent can hit you and trigger their own combo. This does not always happen when you overextend, but the main problem is that it can happen. This is all very abstract, I know. It's not an easy thing to get a good grasp on. However, this is a core component of fighting games, and is essential in order to reach a high level.
Moves In Neutral:
Tech in Neutral:


Combo Game:

Check out the Combo Compendium for a character specific list!

4.1: Mewtwo's Combo Game: Overview

True Combo:

A combo is slang for a combination of various moves, also called strings of moves. A true combo is an inescapable combination of strings. For example, Dtilt-Fair is a true combo, while Cloud doing a Nair-Dash Attack is a string, as it can be avoided. In a more technical sense, a true combo cannot be escaped. You cannot attack, airdodge or jump out of it.

The easiest way to tell if a combo is a true combo is Training Mode. Their are various things that can "break" the combo meter, but for the most part it is correct. Furthermore, some things that actually will true combo will not appear on the meter, and this is due to the fact that the opponent has 1 frame to escape. As there are very few 1 frame escape options, this means that the combo actually can work. Sadly, the meter will tell you it doesn't. For clarification, you can one frame to do an option, but as soon as you input that option, you are hit again. This is a large factor in people losing jumps, as you can input it, and then immediately lose it.

Strings:

Strings are a series of moves that do not necessarily true combo, but can work. This concept is most often seen with Bayonetta and Sheik. Sheik has a plethora of moves she can use to keep you in the air and stuck in her combos. While you can eventually airdodge her Ftilt strings, she can simply punish your airdodge with a Dtilt and continue her string. In other words, even though you can do an escape option, the combo can still work.

Strings are also formed around reads. If you correctly read an opponents option, you can punish accordingly. For example, if you read an airdodge, you can finish off a Dtilt > DJ Uair combo with a Dair instead of a Fair, spiking them. Or if you Dtilt > Fair and read the jump, you could DJ Uair after the fair to try and catch their jump and continue the combo. This form is also very prevalent in Sheiks gameplay, as a lot of her combos can be escaped. However, while they can be escaped, she has 3 options that can cover your escape option and continue her string.

Overview:


4.2: Mewtwo's Combo Game: Guide:

Introduction:
Dtilt:
Utilt:
Jab:
Nair:
FF Uair:
Fair:
Confusion:


Platform Combo Extensions: ADD

Overview:
Example:
Possible Combo List: ADD

General Guide:

Specific Combo Overview:

Dtilt Combos:

Dtilt > Fair

Descriptor: Bread n' Butter
Damage: 15-18%
Use: Damage
Commentary:
Dtilt > Bair

Descriptor: Situational
Damage: 15-20%
Use: Damage, positioning
Commentary:

Dtilt > Uair

Descriptor: Bread n' Butter
Damage: 13-16%
Use: Damage
Commentary:

Dtilt > Usmash

Info:
Damage: 20-21%
Use: Damage
Range:
Commentary:
Dtilt > Utilt

Info:
Damage: 8-9%
Use: Combo
Range:
Commentary:
Dtilt > Utilt > Uair

Info:
Damage: 21%
Use: Damage
Range:
Commentary:
Dtilt > Nair

Info:
Damage: 16-17%
Use: Combo
Range:
Commentary:
Dtilt > Nair > Fair/Bair/Uair

Info:
Damage: 29-30%/26-32%/24-28%
Use: Damage, Killing/Damage/Combo
Range:
Commentary:

Dtilt > Forward hit of Bair > Fair/DJ Uair > Fair

Info:
Damage: 31%/42%
Use: Damage, Kill Confirm
Range:
Commentary:
Dtilt > Nair > DJ Uair > Fair/Bair/Uair

Info:
Damage: 40%/40%/38%
Use: Damage, Killing
Range:
Commentary:
Dtilt > Dash Attack

Info:
Damage: 14%/11%, 27%/24% with Fair follow-up.
Use: Damage
Range:
Commentary:

Utilt Combos:

Utilt > Utilt

Info:
Damage: 9%
Use: Damage
Range:
Commentary:

Utilt > SH Bair

Info:
Damage: 19%
Use: Damage
Range:
Commentary:
Utilt > SH Uair

Info:
Damage: 17%
Use: Damage
Range:
Commentary:

Sourspot Utilt Combos:

Utilt > Usmash

Info:
Damage: 22%
Use: Damage, Killing
Range: 10-140%
Commentary:

Utilt > Jab > Utilt Chain

Info:
Damage: Varies
Use: Damage
Range:
Commentary:

Utilt > Dtilt

Info:
Damage: 11%
Use: Damage, Combo Starter
Range:
Commentary:

Utilt > Grab

Info:
Damage: Varies
Use: Damage
Range:
Commentary:



Jab-Utilt-Usmash:

Variation:

Dair Reads:
Dtilt-Fair (Ledge):

Rising Dair > Fair

4.3: Infinite:

What it is:

Methods:

Method 1: SH Nair > FF
Method 2: Dtilt > SH Nair
Method 3: hooo, boy! I like this one!

(Note: For a detailed description of the Nair manipulations, as well as videos, chech out my Nair guide here.)

How to Beat it:

SDI:

Method 1 SDI:
Method 2 SDI:
Method 3 SDI:
DI:

Method 1 DI:
Method 2 DI:
Method 3 DI:
Human Error:

Information:

Things to Note:
1: Moving your thumb from to is literally too slow. It is possible, but ten times harder then switching a button to special or a bumper to jump.

2: Some characters require a small change in input. Remember that pressing while doing the initial jump will mess up the combo. Wait until the Disable input.

Works without / input:


Only works with / input:


Never works:


4.4: Kill Percents:
(Note: These were done on Mario, FD. For vertical kills, it was tested in the middle of the stage. For horizontal, the edge.)

(Not applicable for 3DS)

Example:

Move:
Without DI
With DI




4.5: How to Lab

Overview:
This section covers information on how to accurately lab out combos, and lab in general. I decided to include this here as combos are the most labbed portion of any character, and a good understanding of labbing's requirements is necessary.

Training Room:
You may have been told to never trust the Combo Meter in Training Room, but this is not the case. The combo meter works, but it does have a few drawbacks. I will go into detail on each of the following points, so don't worry if they do not make sense.

1. It counts any combo with a 1 frame opening as "not true"

2. Hitstun Cancelling is not taken into account

3. Grabs and Grab Releases are actually broken

1 Frame Openings:

A 1 frame opening is when the opponent has 1 frame in which they are not in hitstun. During this frame, they can attack, airdodge or jump. You see characters like Pikachu and Duck Hunt escape combos due to this. Pikachu's Thunder, Bayonetta's Bat Within and Duck Hunt's Can are all frame 1 options, meaning that they can come out and hit the opponent even if they are hit the following frame. Besides these cases, no one else has an option to escape, as the fastest aerials are frame three and the fastest airdodge is frame 2. Basically, even if the meter says a combo is not true, it could actually work. I would suggest asking a friend or someone online to help you go over a combo, and see if they can escape it multiple times. If they can't, then it is most likely true.

Small point, but this 1 frame opening is actually a big reason many people lose their jumps during a combo. If you mash jump, and a 1 frame opening happens, then you will actually lose your jump and have no indication that it's gone. This is good to keep in mind when developing combos and set-ups with a 1 frame opening.

Hitstun Cancelling:

Coming Soon!

Grabs and Grab Release Jank:

Grab someone, let them break out of the grab, wait an hour and then hit them with Dtilt. It will be a true combo. Now, this is obviously not a true combo, but training room counts it as one due to a glitch. This does mean that you cannot trust the meter when it comes to grab releases.

Also, keep in mind that nothing will ever true into grab. The meter cannot gauge it, probably due to the fact that it doesn't deal damage or hitstun. Because of this, you need to manually test whether something true combos into a grab, or use math to figure it out. For example, if a Fastfall Fair combos into another Fair at lower percents, then it will also combo into a grab due to how the frames line up.

Labbing:




5.1: Off-Stage:

Mewtwo has many recovery options.

1. Teleport
2. DJ
3. Confusion
4. B-Reverse FC SB/Confusion
5. Disable (stalling)

Teleport sends Mewtwo into freefall, forcing it to be the last means of recovery, however, as it makes Mewtwo disappear and gives him invincibility frames it is still quite good.

Double Jump sends Mewtwo in a rolling motion through the air, Mewtwo cannot grab the ledge in the middle of his DJ only at the end. DJ can be cancelled by any special making it a great positioning move and it is also a way to get closer to the ledge. Be careful, if you get footstooled out of your DJ, then it is almost certain that you are going to die.

Confusion sends Mewtwo in a little hopping motion when used for the first time in the air. If used a second time he will not get the same momentum boost. Confusion has moderate horizontal recovery and is good for setting up teleport or DJ. If Mewtwo is being ledge-guarded after a failed ledge-guard attempt then he needs to B-reverse confusion to get the desired distance.

FC SB has enough KB to make a b-reverse afterwards have a rather dramatic change in direction, while not as useful as pre-1.1.3 SB, it still has it's uses.

Disable should mainly be used to mix-up Mewtwo's falling speed and to avoid an opponents ledge-guard. Disable will halt Mewtwo's aerial momentum for a small amount of time but it is still enough to be used as a mix-up.

Gimping/Edge-Guarding

Edge-Guarding, or the slang term Gimping, is when Mewtwo successfully kills an opponent off-stage. This is very different from kill combos, and has some exceptions for the off-stage portion. To gimp someone, you cannot use a true combo. It can be a combo, but not one like Dtilt > DJ Uair > Fair. A Gimp is more like this, Dtilt > Fair > Airdodge Read > Dair. It isn't a true combo, but it still kills the opponent.
There are three main paths of Edge-Guarding,

1: Aggravation
2: Supplies!
3: Frame Traps


Wall-Jump:

A Wall-Jump is performed by pressing away from the wall while extremely close to it. After the input is made, Mewtwo will jump off of the wall, giving him a sizable vertical and horizontal boost. The main use for this movement option is recovery. This will allow Mewtwo to recover even if he doesn't have a DJ and is off the screen. Other options include anti-edge-guards and ledge mix-ups. You can only wall-jump once in a certain period of time. Once set criteria have been met, land on stage, time, moves used, Mewtwo can wall-jump again.


Ledge-Options:


5.2: Playstyle:

Defense Oriented:

Punish Oriented:
Playstyle:

Tech in Playstyles:

Explanation:
Implementation:





Advanced and Miscellaneous Topics:


6.1: Patch 1.1.1 Shieldstun Analysis and how it affects Mewtwo
Shieldstun has been changed and everyone is freaking out.

Note: I used the method chosen when the patch was release, and then updated it for the better method. I have also checked these numbers with the Smash Calculator and they pretty much coincide.

Explanation:

Perfect Shield: 1-3
Shield Lock (Can Jump, grab, roll and other OoS options): 4-11
Shield Drop (Time when the shield is gone and Mewtwo is experiencing lag): 12-18/19?

Shieldstun starts as soon as someones shield is hit. So if someone is hit on frame four of their shield by Mewtwo's Dsmash, then he cannot do any OoS options for about 10 frames. so it would then look like this.

1-3 Perfect Shield
4-11 Shield Lock
4-14 Shieldstun
15-22 Shield Drop Lag.

As you can see, shieldstun overlaps with shield lock. Causing shield lock to be meaningless.

If Mewtwo hits someone on frame 30 of their shield it will look like this.

1-3 Perfect Shield
4-11 Shield Lock
12-29 Shield
30-40 Shieldstun
41-48 shield drop

Any questions, please ask.

(Note: This assumes that the opponent just lets go as soon as they are hit to try to punish with an OoS option.)

In general, this change affects OoS options and punishing. Making the game more aggressive and shieldbreak combos a thing.

They also changed some Hitstun mechanics so that both the attacker and defender have Hitstun and they decreased shield HP so they will break easier and it takes about 10 seconds to fully charge from almost broken.


Shieldstun Compendium: (OLD NUMBERS)

Safe on Shield?: (Up to Date)

Attacks:

Ftilt-
Dtilt-

Utilt-

Dash Attack-
Jab-
Fsmash-
Dsmash-
Usmash-


Specials:

FC ShadowBall-

Half-charged ShadowBall-
Uncharged ShadowBall-

Aerials

Nair-

Fair-
Dair-
Uair-
Bair-


6.2: Advanced Techniques:

Special Move AT's:

Shadowball Cancel:

Description:

Input:

Ranking:

Shadowball Buffer Shield Drop:
Video:

Description:
Input:
Ranking:

B-Reverse Shadowball:
Video:

Description:

Input:

Ranking:

Wavebounce Shadowball:
Video:

Description:

Input:

Ranking:

Wave Shadowball:
Video:

Description:
Input:
Ranking:

DJCSBCBSD:
Video:

Description:
Input:

Ranking:

B-Reverse Confusion:
Video:

Description:
Input:

Ranking:

Ledge-Cancelling:
Video:

Description:
Input:

Ranking:

Instant Teleport Ledge-Cancel Trump:
Video:

Description:
Input: + + +

Ranking:

Shadowball Get-Up:

Description:
Input: +

Ranking:

Disable Get-Up:

Description:
Input: +

Ranking:

Mechanic Related Advanced Techniques:

DACG/Boost Grab (Dash Attack Cancelled Grab):
Video:

Description:
Input: + (Immediate)

Ranking:

RCG (Roll Cancelled Grab):
Video:

Description:
Input: (Immediate)(Immediate)

Ranking:

A-Landing:
Video:

Description:
Input: (Aerial)

Ranking:

Bounce Tech:
Video:

Description:
Input:

Ranking:

Momentum Cancelling:
Video:

Smashboards Thread: http://smashboards.com/threads/hurtbox-shifting-instant-momentum-cancel.423544/

Description:
Input: (Varying)

Ranking:

Crouch Cancelling:
Video:

Description:
Input:

Ranking:

Movement Related Advanced Techniques:

Perfect Pivots:
Video 1:

Video 2:

Description:
Input: + +

Ranking:

U-Turn:
Video:

Description:
Input: + + (Not necessary to always hold right, you can let go for a bit and use the tilt)

Ranking:

Super Pivot:
Video 1:

Video 2:

Description:

Input:

Ranking:

Rising Aerials:

Description:
Input: +

Ranking:

DJC (Double Jump Cancel):
Video 1:

Video 2:

Description:
Input: ++/

Ranking:

Special Extended Jump:
Video:

Description:
Input: ++/

Ranking:

Lagless Ledge Get-Up:
Video:

Description:
Input:++

Ranking:

JCIT (Jump Cancelled Item Toss):
Video:

Description:
Input: +

Ranking:

DITCIT (Dash Item Cancelled Item Toss):
Video:

Description:

Ranking:

6.3: Dthrow Platform Locking:


Percents:

Stage (Platform)
Min %
Max %

Mario:

Battlefield:

No DI:
49%
71%

Down DI:
53%
77%

Up DI:
46%
68%

Forward DI:
67%
92%

Back DI:
40%
61%

Dreamland:

No DI:
66%
86%

Down DI:

Up DI:

Forward DI:
84%
107%

Back DI:

Smashville:

No DI:
76%
92%

Down DI:

Up DI:

Forward DI:

Back DI:

Town and City (Up and Down):

No DI:
70%
90%

Down DI:

Up DI:

Forward DI:

Back DI:

Town and City (Side to Side):

No DI:
75%
92%

Down DI:

Up DI:

Forward DI:

Back DI:

Lylat Cruise (Center):

No DI:
68%
91%

Down DI:

Up DI:

Forward DI:

Back DI:

Lylat Cruise (Side):

No DI:
32%
58%

Down DI:

Up DI:

Forward DI:

Back DI:

Can it Kill?

Dreamland:

Battlefield:

Forward DI:

6.4: Perfect Pivots:

Perfect Pivoting is the second hardest Advanced Technique in Smash 4. It is done by pressing in one direction, and then the other, letting the stick return to neutral the frame after.

So, the Left input can be held until 5, but needs to be canceled by Right on Frame 6. If you don't get the Neutral input on Frame 7, Mewtwo will perform a half dashdance. In a nutshell, the Left input isn't frame perfect, but the Right > Neutral input is.

The longer you hold Left/Right, the farther Mewtwo will slide. Same for the opposite. A long one is almost as far as a Fox? Wavedash, while the short version is almost as small as a Jigglypuff Wavedash. being able to accurately and consistently choose which PP length one wants is almost impractical. The time/reward ratio is off as of right now, but eventually, the metagame will progress enough that PP is almost a standard tech and lengthening/shortening it is common.

Usually, a PP makes you look back at where you came. This, however, is not always the case. By gently sliding the stick forward a bit after hitting Neutral, you can make Mewtwo change direction. This is useful for C-stick Dtilts and Utilts. At the level of tech-skill in the current Metagame, this isn't utilized often even by the best.

Perfect Pivoting:
PP's use in general is as a spacing, micro-spacing, defensive, zoning and combo aiding tool. I will cover general PP usage, and then give my thoughts on Mewtwo specific PP.

Example: Void vs. K9sBruce (MSM)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjEzzPdeUjE

General:
Mewtwo:
Training Videos:

Step Dash:

Characters beside rankings are listed by alphabetical order.

This list puts Mewtwo in the middle of the pack, and currently, I am not impressed. The only characters I see getting anything out of it are at least the 13 and up crowd. Metaknight gets a ton out of it.

Explanation:

The best way to explain Step Dashing is through this video:

Step Dashing is a great technique. It has tons of potential, and isn't extraordinarily hard to do. However, Mewtwo doesn't get a lot out of it. His Step Dash and Perfect Pivot length are about the same, and PP has more use then Step Dash. However, this is still super early in Step Dashing's meta, so don't quote me on this.



6.5: Introduction:


Pros:
1: Platform
Cons:
1: Small Stage
2: Other characters like it a lot more
Analysis:

Data:




Pros:
1: Long Stage
2: Multi-Platform format
3: Low Ceiling

Cons:
1: Low Ceiling

Analysis:

Data:




Pros:
1: Platform Layout
2: Large Blastzones
3: Wall-Jump

Cons:
None really.

Analysis:

Data:





Pros:
1: Platform Layout
2: Large Stage
3: Large Blastzones
4: Wall-Jump

Cons:
1: Wind
2: LC is janky on DL
3: Limited Sweetspot help

Analysis:

Data:






Pros:
1: Long Stage
2: Big Blastzones
3: Wall Jump
4: Very ample Sweetspot help

Cons:
1: Size pro is MU specific

Analysis:
Data:




Pros:
1: Longest Stage
2: Big Blastzones
3: Wall Jump
4: Shrub

Cons:
1: Ducks
2: Tree

Analysis:

Data:




Pros:
1: Platforms Layout is Perfect
2: Long Stage

Cons:
1: Tilting Stage

Analysis:

Data:


Extra:

Esam did a video on stages for Mewtwo. Thankfully, he asked Rich Brown for advice.


Overview:


6.6: Platform Pressure:

What is Platform Pressure?
Platform Pressure is when you utilize a combination of options to keep the opponent on the platform and scared. These options include Nair, Uair, empty hops and practically all the other moves as well. The reason for using platform pressure is tri-fold, possibility of chip damage, conditioning and shield pressure.

Chip Damage:
This is the primary use of Shield pressure as it connects with the other two uses. Let me give an example. An opponent is shielding on a Platform and Mewtwo SH Nairs and immediately Fast Falls after the Nair. Upoon lnading, the opponents shield is low enough that Utilt will often shield poke. The Utilt is chip damage, icing on the cake. You only get 4%, but it is still 4%. Basically, Chip Damage is a nice side effect.

Conditioning:
Condition is a bit more advanced. In the previous example, Mewtwo went for an Utilt that shield poked the opponent. However, wouldn't a Usmash be more optimal? The thing is, that while the opponent can escape Utilt with a PS Jump, they can easily escape Usmash with just a Jump OoS. This negates the viability of Usmash as a follow-up as it can be punished.

Let us continue the scenario. After a couple of matches/times, the opponent gets annoyed with your chip damage and decides to beat it, by spot-dodging the Utilt and punishing with their own fast option. However, the Mewtwo sees it coming, and instead of using Utilt, charges Usmash.

In this scenario, the Mewtwo slowly conditioned the opponent. He made the opponent believe that a Utilt was definitely coming, but instead the Mewtwo read the option and Usmashed. This is an actual in game scenario. Other options include Disable, Uair to catch jumps and charge SB into SC Usmash.

Shield Pressure:
Shield pressure is when you whittle away at the opponents shield. A FC Shadowball > DA does insane shield damage, but noting more. What is the use? Why is this useful? The answer is simple. It keeps the opponent from using shield for a set period of time, about 10 seconds. To use Shield during this time risks a Shield-Break, something that they definitely do not want.
Shield pressure with Nair and Utilt as well as other options forces the opponent to be more wary about shielding for a little while, allowing you to discount that option for a few seconds, something that could grant you a combo or even the stock.

6.7: Dtilt Whiffbox
Coming soon!

6.8: Training Regimens
Coming soon!



6.9: Match Analysis Archives:




6.10: Match-Ups Information

Intro:




























































7.1: How to DI Fthrow:

Special Cases:

Fox:

Yoshi:

Bowser:
Greninja:
Shulk:
Special Thanks:
@Zapp Branniglen For doing some research and finding out info on Greninja and Shulk, as well as Yoshi bomber trick!

7.2: How to Correctly DI Mewtwo's Combos:

Dtilt > Nair:

Nair is one of Mewtwo's best combo moves, leading into seemingly unavoidable 30-50% combos, however, these combos are quite easy to break.

Mewtwo must DJ in order to get Bair and Fair to combo. At lower percents, the height gained from Double Jump will often cause the Aerials to miss.. In order to ensure this, simply DI Down and away from Mewtwo. To find the best way to DI, watch what the Mewtwo is doing. Is he moving Forward, Backwards or not moving?

The DI option for Forward is DI behind Mewtwo and Down, so that the Bair will whistle harmlessly over your head.

For Backwards and Still, the Mewtwo is probably trying to get a Fair off, Thus, the best option is to DI in front of Mewtwo and Down. If the Nair sends you backwards then you won't need to worry about Bair until higher percents. Bair takes awhile to come out, giving you some leeway.

The golden rule is to NEVER DI up. DI'ing up will allow Fair and Bair to combo much later then otherwise otherwise possible, up to 15%. Instead, DI away or Down. Away sends Mewtwo far, losing stage control and Down has a possibilty of being hit. So, it is really dependent on the situation. Is it worth losing stage control and would I rather have a chance at being hit?

Dtilt > DJ Uair > Fair/Bair/Uair:

This combo is simpler, but relies on knowledge of percents. At an earlier percent spectrum, it is best to DI Down and Away in front of Mewtwo. At low enough percents (35%?), the Fair will whiff and only a Bair would have a chance at connecting. (Note: In this case, Bair relies on a back hit of Uair.) Mewtwo's only options at this point are to FF Fair, which sometimes trues, or to read the airdodge and Dair or to FF Nair. FF Nair can lead into other options, but is easily to fall out of by pressing buttons. At higher percents (60%?), the best DI option is to DI up and away from Mewtwo. This will get you out of Fair and Uairs range, escaping the combo and all potential follow-ups.

Jab Set-Ups:

7.3: How to DI Mewtwo's Killing Moves:

Shadowball:

Fsmash:

Usmash:
Dsmash:

Fair:
Bair:

Uair:

Dair:
Uthrow:
Bthrow:


Terms, Useful Topics and Update Log:

8.1: Terms:
FF: Fast Fall
SH: Short Hop
FH: Full Hop
SHAD: Short Hop Air Dodge
FAF: First Actable/Actionable Frame
IASA: Interrupt as soon as
D-Move: Down move/grab
U-Move: Up move/grab
F-Move: Forward move/grab
DA: Dash Attack
AT: Advanced Technique
DJ: Double Jump
DJC: Double Jump Cancel
LC/TC: Ledge/Teleport-Cancel
SB: ShadowBall
MU: Match-Ups
FG: For Glory
T&C: Town and City
BF: Battlefield
FD: Final Destination
DH: Duck Hunt
SV: Smashville
TO: Tournament Organizer
GOAT: ZeRo and Mango
FC: Full-Charged
KB: Knock Back
ATM: At This Moment
ASAP: As Soon As Possible
OP: OverPowered or Original Post (this post!)
IIRC: If I Remember Correctly
PP: Perfect Pivoting
DD: Dash Dancing
EDD:Extended Dash Dancing
OoS: Out of Shield
B&B: Bread and Butter
Phasing: SHAD for Mewtwo, it's so good with him we might as well give it a cool name
Base: Mewtwo's sweetspot, the base of the tail, used for combo purposes
Tail: Mewtwo's sourspot, the tail used for combo purposes
Tip: Mewtwo's second sourspot, the tip of the tail, used for combo purposes
Move.B: The base of a move, sweetspot
Move.T: The tail of a move, sourspot 1
Move.t/tip: The tip of a move, sourspot 2

8.2: Discussion Topics:

Mini Shadowball, Half-Charged Shadowball or Full-Charged Shadowball?

Advantages for Mini SB:
Mini SB is great for frame traps, comboing into Grab, and abusing the 50 frame no ledge grab window. Mini SB covers your approach, and allows you to safely retreat as well. Mini SB also allows you more movement options, in the form of Wave SB and B-Reverse SB.

Disadvantages for Mini SB:
Mini SB doesn't kill, can't stuff approaches and only does 3%.

Advantages for HC SB:
HC SB allows Mewtwo to still have limited access to B-reverse movement, and have a 18% projectile with some killing potential. It is also easy to charge into it's full charged form and doesn't show the opponent how charged it is.

Disadvantages for HC SB:
None really. Sorta a middle-grounds.It has some of the disadvantages of Mini, and some of FC. However, it has some of the advantages of Mini, and of FC.

Advantages for FC SB:
Kills stupidly early, does 26%, travels fast, pressures the opponent, catches techs and rolls, insane shield damage. It has a lot going for it.

Disadvantages for FC SB:
It takes approximately ?? seconds to charge, in which you usually have to give up stage control or advantage to get. Cannot frame trap as well, and shows the opponent that you have it full-charged through his glowing hands.

Consensus:
They are all good, but IMO, it is best to HC, and then get the FC through movement and such. Mini's are great for frame trapping and edge-guarding, but HC has a ton of uses and can easily and quickly be charged into FC, or released to get a mini SB. Consensus: HC when possible, otherwise, Mini's work great.

Patches, how good were they???

Patch 1.1.3:
Patch 1.1.5:
Patch 1.1.6:
No nerfs...
We still have the infinite...
Stiiiiillll Gooood.

8.3: Mewtwo's Infinite:

First off, it works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG5U1RKGPww
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSFuHOCSViI

One of these belongs to a Japanese player, the other is mine. I discovered this combo on the 6th, but the Mewtwo boards and I decided to keep it on the down low to try and avoid patching. I will be updating this thread through ought the day with new stuff.

How to do it:

What we can do with it:

What we are doing about it:
This is probably going to be patched, but I am adding it for posterity.

8.4: Useful Threads:

Match-ups Discussion-

General Match-up Discussion-

Combo Compendium-
Nair Knockback Guide-
Frame Data-
ShadowBall Guide-

Mewtwo's Hurtbox-

In Depth LC/TC Guide-
Mewtwo Jab-Utilt-Usmash Percents-
Jab-Lock Guide-
8.5: Update Log:

(Note: A General Update is just spelling errors, slight corrections, rewrites of old sections. Maybe a few new small things, etc.)

Final Note:

Big thanks to everyone that helped in any way, shape or form. Shoutout to the old mains, Metalex, Raykz and Meleebrawler, definitely would have dropped Mewtwo if you guys hadn't helped me get this guide and the Metagame thread set-up.

Thanks to the proof readers, Mew2Chainz, 420quickscoper and Kamtheman.

Make sure to check out my Youtube and twitter for insights on Mewtwo and Smash content!

https://twitter.com/sonicninja115
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXoY5d08dVI7DXFrFWeOZ3g