Pokemon Sword and Shield: How to Beat Mewtwo in Max Raid Battles

Pokemon Sword and Shield offers players a real challenge, thanks to the appearance of Mewtwo in Max Raid Battles. Earlier this week, the Pokemon Company unleashed Mewtwo on Pokemon Sword and Shield players in the form of special Max Raid Battles. While Mewtwo can't be caught in the Max Raid Battles, the Legendary Pokemon drops some very impressive items when beaten, including berries that drop EVs and Bottle Caps that can be used to Hyper Train your Pokemon. There's only one problem with the Mewtwo Max Raid Battles - they're extremely hard. Mewtwo is at Level 100, has stronger shields to block moves than usual, and has a pool of six moves instead of the usual four. Several of those moves are specifically geared towards countering the Pokemon that would usually stand a chance against Mewtwo, so battles can get really frustrating in a hurry.

This is the first Max Raid Battle that players can't just overpower in Pokemon Sword and Shield, so be prepared to use a bit of strategy, and be sure to bring in a full team of human players. A Pokemon with Reflect or Light Screen is critical to help your team survive, even if Mewtwo uses Break Brick to bust through your defenses. Players will also want to prioritize staying alive over hoping to get off one more move before you faint. Since players can only collectively faint four times before Mewtwo automatically wins, getting back to full health can be critical especially if Mewtwo doesn't target you during that round.

One very solid Pokemon to use against Mewtwo is Marshadow, who can steal away Mewtwo's buffs thanks to Spectral Thief. Mewtwo will likely use one of its attacks to buff using Nasty Plot or Bulk Up, so taking them away and dealing some super effective damage will help out your team a ton.

Other successful strategies include using Taunt to block Mewtwo from giving itself buffs (and potentially causing it to waste a move), or hitting it with status effects like Sleep or Paralysis. Remember that Taunt and status effects can't be used on Mewtwo when it has a shield up, so you'll have to time your attack right.

Mewtwo is a difficult fight, but its not impossible. Plus, the rewards for beating Mewtwo even once is definitely worth it.

Mewtwo will remain in Max Raid Battles through March 1st.