The Flying Mew

Mew Box/Jirachi for San Diego and Mew Box w/o Jirachi at LAIC + Daytona Beach
Racking up those frequent flyer miles.

Hello to all SixPrizes readers! My last article was right before Latin America International Championships 🇧🇷 (LAIC) and since then some things have happened. I was able to make Top 64 at LAIC with a more aggressive version of Mew Box, which I ended up deciding to use just hours before the tournament.

Afterward, I made another last-minute decision—to travel to the USA to play Daytona Beach 🇺🇸 and San Diego Regionals 🇺🇸! As I write this article, I am on a plane leaving Orlando and heading to San Diego to play the second Regional with my friend, João Pedro Medeiros, who made Top 32 in Daytona Beach with ADP/Keldeo-GX.

I purposely waited to write this article on the plane as I thought it would be a good place to write about today’s subject. I want to dive a little deeper into Mew Box, talk about why I like the deck so much, and, as much as I find it inconsistent and unstable, explain why it will probably remain one of my favorite decks through the end of the UPR–CEC format.

My LAIC Mew Box

Pokémon (16)

3 Mewtwo & Mew-GX

3 Dedenne-GX

1 Charizard-GX HIF

1 Reshiram & Charizard-GX

1 Charizard & Braixen-GX

1 Espeon & Deoxys-GX

1 Latios-GX UNM

1 Naganadel-GX UNM

1 Solgaleo-GX SM104

1 Greninja-GX SM197

1 Mega Lopunny & Jigglypuff-GX

1 Marshadow UNB

Trainer (32)

4 Welder

2 Mallow & Lana

1 Cynthia & Caitlin

 

4 Acro Bike

4 Cherish Ball

3 Pokégear 3.0

2 Great Catcher

2 Reset Stamp

2 Switch

2 Tag Call

1 Energy Recycle System

1 Pal Pad

 

4 Giant Hearth

Energy (12)

8 R

2 P

1 Rainbow

1 W

 

Copy List

****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******

##Pokémon - 16

* 3 Mewtwo & Mew-GX UNM 71
* 3 Dedenne-GX UNB 57
* 1 Charizard-GX HIF 9
* 1 Reshiram & Charizard-GX UNB 20
* 1 Charizard & Braixen-GX CEC 22
* 1 Espeon & Deoxys-GX UNM 72
* 1 Latios-GX UNM 78
* 1 Naganadel-GX UNM 160
* 1 Solgaleo-GX PR-SM SM104
* 1 Greninja-GX PR-SM SM197
* 1 Mega Lopunny & Jigglypuff-GX CEC 165
* 1 Marshadow UNB 81

##Trainer Cards - 32

* 4 Welder UNB 189
* 2 Mallow & Lana CEC 198
* 1 Cynthia & Caitlin CEC 189
* 4 Acro Bike CES 123
* 4 Cherish Ball UNM 191
* 3 Pokégear 3.0 UNB 182
* 2 Tag Call CEC 206
* 2 Switch CES 147
* 2 Great Catcher CEC 192
* 2 Reset Stamp UNM 206
* 1 Energy Recycle System CES 128
* 1 Pal Pad UPR 132
* 4 Giant Hearth UNM 197

##Energy - 12

* 8 Fire Energy Energy 2
* 2 Psychic Energy Energy 5
* 1 Rainbow Energy CES 151
* 1 Water Energy Energy 3

Total Cards - 60

****** via SixPrizes: https://sixprizes.com/?p=78633 ******

One of the things I like most about my list is the fact that it doesn’t use Weakness Guard Energy, Guzma & Hala, or Stealthy Hood, yet it still has a game plan against Malamar decks. Taking these cards out of the deck was a difficult decision, as I tested the deck a lot with them. But a few hours before LAIC, I realized that there would not be much Malamar in the room and I didn’t necessarily need those cards to beat Malamar. If I was lucky enough to not to open with Mewtwo & Mew-GX, I’d be able to utilize Charizard & Braixen-GX and Reshiram & Charizard-GX instead, and leverage Mallow & Lana to heal damage. In this list, I used 2 Mallow & Lana, 1 Pal Pad, and 1 Cynthia & Caitlin, which allowed me to use up to 5 Mallow & Lana per game.

In theory, Weakness Guard Energy should help a lot during the Mew Box mirror match. But what I realized in practice was that it actually doesn’t do so much, unless you start the game with it. Searching for it in this matchup, which ends in a few turns, is never easy, even with Guzma & Hala. Charizard-GX HIF’s Flare Blitz-GX attack will Knock Out a Mewtwo, even with Weakness Guard Energy attached, and Mega Lopunny & Jigglypuff-GX can also hit for high numbers (without Weakness included) in this matchup.

Post-LAIC, I felt the need to add a 2nd Charizard & Braixen-GX because that would increase my odds against Malamar and decks that use Green’s Exploration, such as GardEon and GreenZard.

Changes for Daytona Beach

These were last-minute changes I decided to make because I knew ADP/Keldeo-GX lists were now playing Girafarig LOT to throw Greninja-GX into the Lost Zone. I tried to adapt by benching Greninja instead of discarding it, but it was too hard to make that happen. There was only one way to deal with Keldeo-GX: Turtonator DRM.

Matchups

ADP/Keldeo-GX: 50/50

If Mew Box was a consistent deck, this would probably be a favorable matchup. However, it is not, as it relies heavily on Welder, and consequently needs to do a lot of digging with cards like Dedenne-GX and Acro Bike to find Welder and Fire Energies.

The main idea is to Knock Out ADP with Flare Blitz-GX before it can attack and charge up Keldeo-GX. When that goes according to plan, you can simply finish the game with Turtonator.

However, if your opponent manages to use Altered Creation-GX and Ultimate Ray to energize Keldeo-GX, the plan changes. In this case, you will need to Knock Out ADP while saving Double Blaze-GX for a Keldeo. When the opponent benches a 2nd Keldeo, you hit it with Turtonator. That’s also the case if you realize your opponent is playing exclusively with Keldeo-GX: Double Blaze-GX followed by Turtonator.

GardEon: 65/35

In this match, Charizard & Braixen-GX is my main attacker along with 2 Mallow & Lana to heal. If possible, I also bench ReshiZard-GX for backup. I avoid using Mewtwo & Mew-GX because of the old “Reset Stamp + Power Plant” play and annoying Fairy Charms. But overall, Mewtwo’s strong attacks are not that necessary. All you need to do is to hit hard constantly and keep your healing resources in hand.

GreenZard: 50/50

This matchup is no longer as popular in the metagame, perhaps because of the success of the ADP, but the way it plays is quite similar to the strategy against GardEon. The match is just a little more difficult because BraixZard hits a little harder and can search for specific cards at the same time.

During this match, I let my opponent go first so they can’t use Volcanion UNB’s Flare Starter to power up their Bench.

Depending on the situation, Mewtwo & Mew-GX may have to be used. But always be careful with your Stadiums and keep Marshadow UNB on your Bench for when you get Stamped.

Blacephalon/Pidgeotto: 60/40

In this match, you have to be quick to use Cross Division-GX, but you also have to be quick to take Prizes starting T1, especially using Solgaleo-GX’s Turbo Strike to energize another attacker on the Bench. You can and should use Latios-GX as an attacker as soon as possible, so your opponent is forced to Knock Out 2 Mewtwo & Mew-GX, a Latios-GX, and Mewtwo & Mew-GX.

If you put enough pressure on in the beginning and manage to use Reset Stamp right after your Pokémon are Knocked Out, the matchup tends to be good. However, if you dead-draw and give your opponent time to set up, the match can get ugly.

Pidgeotto Control: 40/60

I see this match as a bad one for Mew Box. As time has gone on, has gotten worse and worse. Cross Division-GX is still the most effective way to win here, but I often don’t manage to pull it off, either because of Crushing Hammer, inconsistency, or Great Catcher + Articuno-GX. Just as against Baby Blowns, you need to be fast to get your first Prizes and then use Cross Division-GX. Some Pidgeotto Control decks may also use Girafarig, which can be annoying if your opponent puts Solgaleo-GX/basic Energies in the Lost Zone.

Florges/Dolls: 55/45

This is another match where a quick Cross Division-GX attack can save the day. In this case, I feel it’s a bit easier for Mewtwo & Mew-GX to use it, as the deck doesn’t play Hammers.

Doll Stall may play Latios-GX to Tag Purge to prevent the opponent from using their own GX attacks, namely Cross Division-GX. But in order for them to make this move, they will have to get their only copies of Latios and basic Energy with the help of Steven’s Resolve. When they do, their turn will immediately be over, and then you can use Reset Stamp to nullify their play, forcing them to have to use another yet Steven’s Resolve to get Latios-GX + Energy.

If you start the game, it’s faster and easier to use Cross Division-GX, as well as look for the Reset Stamp to nullify your opponent’s Steven’s Resolve. If the opponent starts the game, it will be more difficult, so in this matchup whoever starts first has a clear advantage.

Malamar/Giratina: 35/65

During LAIC I thought this match was 50/50, but in Daytona Beach I realized it got a lot worse. The Malamar/Giratina decks I faced at Daytona Beach were much more prepared to handle Mewtwo & Mew-GX, using strong techs like Garchomp & Giratina-GX and Mega Lopunny & Jigglypuff-GX. To improve your odds in this matchup, I recommend using a 2nd Charizard & Braixen-GX, which is a change that I’ve wanted to make for a long time, but never did because I never thought I’d be facing a lot of Malamar decks.

Because of ADP, I don’t think Malamar is a good call in the current metagame and I don’t remember the last time I saw a Mally deck winning a big event, such as Regional. It’s always a dangerous and popular deck though.

Mewtwo Mirror: 50/50

For both LAIC and Daytona Beach, I tried to find a Mew Box list that could have a significant advantage in the mirror, but in the end I simply didn’t. Mew Box mirror matches are extremely aggressive and fast and are often decided in favor of the player that can Knock Out the opponent’s Mewtwo & Mew-GX first and draw better cards.

Mega Lopunny & Jigglypuff-GX (LoPuffy) is very strong in this match as Mew Box relies heavily on Pokémon-GX. Its Jumping Balloon attack can be used with a Welder + Energy for turn, and in many cases this will result in a knockout, especially when the lists don’t use Weakness Guard Energy.

Fire Box: 65/35

At Worlds 2019 I’d say that this would be a 50/50 match or even favored for Fire Box due to its consistency, but over time it’s gotten so much worse for Fire Box, especially with the arrival of the Charizard-GX HIF, which allows Mew Box hit 300 on turn 2 without having to use 2 Welders in a row.

In this match you can play normally, focusing on Charizard-GX HIF to Knock Out the opponent’s Pokémon that gets Welder’s Energies, which will probably be Reshiram & Charizard-GX. Now that we have Great Catcher, it’s also much easier to hunt for your opponent’s Reshiram & Charizard-GX.

If your opponent goes first and consequently has the opportunity to Knock Out your Mewtwo & Mew-GX first, you can still make a comeback by using Reset Stamp and Knocking Out their Reshiram & Charizard-GX. Fire Box’s following move will probably be to attack with Victini p and Knock Out your 2nd Mewtwo & Mew-GX, but with Reset Stamp the opponent’s chances are significantly worse, perhaps lower than 50%. I can’t say the correct percentage, but the opponent must have a Victini p energized and 14 Energies in the discard. The fewer turns you give your opponent, the less chance they will have to make this move.

I don’t think Mew Box needs Wobbuffet to stop Fire Box in the current metagame.

Blacephalon-GX/Naganadel: 40/60

If Blacephalon-GX/Naganadel decks of the current metagame were not so inconsistent in the first turns, I would say this match would be much worse for Mew Box, around 30/70. Theoretically the advantage is still with Blacephalon-GX due to the ease that the deck has in Knocking Out Pokémon-GX.

Mew Box’s best chance of winning is to be extremely aggressive in the beginning, attacking with LoPuffy or Double Blaze-GX and praying that the opponent doesn’t find their Beast Rings. In the Worlds 2019 Final we had a clear example of how Mew Box can beat Blacephalon-GX, with Henry Brand putting a lot of initial pressure and Shintaro Ito having to turn to look for Beast Ring with an inconsistent start.

The longer it takes for you to take your first knockout, the easier it will be for Blacephalon-GX players to set up Naganadel FLI, Naganadel-GX UNM to draw cards, and even Oricorio-GX in some lists.

Mew Box with Jirachi

As crazy as it may sound, the first Mew Box I came up with had Jirachi TEU. At Worlds 2019, one of my students, Cássio Moraes, got Top 4 in the Junior Division with the list. But over time, I set aside Jirachi version to gain more space and consistency.

Currently, the version with Jirachi TEU is once again the most popular version of Mew Box and I decided to give it a chance in the League Cup after Daytona Beach. My idea was to add Jirachi to reduce the chances of starting with Mewtwo & Mew-GX, especially against Malamar. But in the League Cup I ended up facing two Malamar decks and started with Mewtwo & Mew-GX against both of them, unfortunately losing both games. The League Cup was Best-of-1 and I ended up 4-2-0.

Obviously, if you open with Jirachi, this version will be better, but if you don’t, it may be more inconsistent than usual. I also missed Acro Bike, and if I ever end up using this variant again, I will try to find spaces for Acro Bike.

List for San Diego

Pokémon (19)

4 Jirachi TEU

3 Mewtwo & Mew-GX

3 Dedenne-GX

1 Charizard-GX HIF

1 Reshiram & Charizard-GX

1 Espeon & Deoxys-GX

1 Latios-GX UNM

1 Naganadel-GX UNM

1 Solgaleo-GX SM104

1 Mega Lopunny & Jigglypuff-GX

1 Turtonator DRM

1 Marshadow UNB

Trainer (29)

4 Welder

1 Cynthia & Caitlin

 

4 Cherish Ball

3 Acro Bike

3 Mysterious Treasure

3 Switch

2 Great Catcher

2 Reset Stamp

1 Energy Recycle System

 

2 Escape Board

 

4 Giant Hearth

Energy (12)

9 R

2 P

1 Rainbow

 

Copy List

****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******

##Pokémon - 19

* 4 Jirachi TEU 99
* 3 Mewtwo & Mew-GX UNM 71
* 3 Dedenne-GX UNB 57
* 1 Charizard-GX HIF 9
* 1 Reshiram & Charizard-GX UNB 20
* 1 Espeon & Deoxys-GX UNM 72
* 1 Latios-GX UNM 78
* 1 Naganadel-GX UNM 160
* 1 Solgaleo-GX PR-SM SM104
* 1 Mega Lopunny & Jigglypuff-GX CEC 165
* 1 Turtonator DRM 50
* 1 Marshadow UNB 81

##Trainer Cards - 29

* 4 Welder UNB 189
* 1 Cynthia & Caitlin CEC 189
* 3 Acro Bike CES 123
* 4 Cherish Ball UNM 191
* 3 Mysterious Treasure FLI 113
* 3 Switch CES 147
* 2 Great Catcher CEC 192
* 2 Reset Stamp UNM 206
* 1 Energy Recycle System CES 128
* 2 Escape Board UPR 122
* 4 Giant Hearth UNM 197

##Energy - 12

* 9 Fire Energy Energy 2
* 2 Psychic Energy Energy 5
* 1 Rainbow Energy CES 151

Total Cards - 60

****** via SixPrizes: https://sixprizes.com/?p=78633 ******

I still believe in the deck and think it can be better adapted to handle the current metagame. I would like to increase its consistency and speed to be as aggressive as possible. We’ve gotten to the point where Cross Division-GX needs to be used as soon as possible, otherwise the opponent will have some way to stop it, be that Latios-GX’s Clear Vision-GX or Pidgeotto Control’s Crushing Hammers.

In addition, I think Mew Box needs to be faster to Knock Out ADP-GX ASAP, and in the mirror we need to be aggressive to Knock Out the opponent’s Mewtwo & Mew-GX first, too.

The current metagame doesn’t have many successful Green’s Exploration and Power Plant decks, which could allow Mew Box to play more aggressively without relying so much on Mallow & Lana.

Malamar/Giratina will always be annoying for Mew Box. In order to be as fast and aggressive as we want, we need to use less and less techs for this matchup, which can be dangerous to do in a meta where Malamar is popular. My thoughts on this are that you’re going have to gamble and choose between teching or not teching for Malamar. You may end up being very right or very wrong. But still, that’s the only option I see.

Final Thoughts

Even though I had a satisfactory result at LAIC and a horrible result at Daytona Beach, I still find Mew Box to be one of the best decks, even with the fluctuations of the metagame. It is clear to me that Mew Box needs to be even faster and more aggressive, perhaps having to accept an even worse matchup against Malamar. To be honest, I still don’t know how I will handle it. I’m considering other decks aside from Mew Box, but as I said, I want to keep it as my Plan B in case I can’t find any other decks that I feel confident in in time.

After San Diego, I’ll be back to tell you everything about my tournament experience. I will probably write my next article on my flight back to Brazil. I’ve been having a lot of fun doing that.

Apart from Pokémon TCG, my trip has been amazing and I love visiting the USA. There are so many cool things to do, places to visit, and delicious foods to eat. I actually took the opportunity to buy a Nintendo Switch + Pokémon Shield during my trip, but I still haven’t started playing it yet. I’ll save it for after the Regionals. For now, my focus is to give my best and do as well as possible this weekend.

I hope you liked my ideas, and see you next time!


…and that will conclude this Unlocked Underground article.

After 45 days, we unlock each Underground (UG/★) article for public viewing. New articles are reserved for Underground members.

Underground Members: Thank you for making this article possible!

Other Readers: Check out the FAQ if you are interested in joining Underground and gaining full access to our latest content.


Reader Interactions

1 reply

  1. nickseitler

    Any updated mewbox list post San Diego? Does charizard/Braixen have its place in the deck?

Leave a Reply

You are logged out. Register. Log in. Legacy discussion: 0