Level 50 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
130
|
- |
205 |
237 |
- |
| Atk |
85
|
94 |
105 |
137 |
150 |
| Def |
80
|
90 |
100 |
132 |
145 |
| SpA |
85
|
94 |
105 |
137 |
150 |
| SpD |
95
|
103 |
115 |
147 |
161 |
| Spe |
60
|
72 |
80 |
112 |
123 |
Overview
Lapras has lain in the depths of NU since DPP, and it's a mystery why. Being one of the few specially defensive Water-types in the tier, Lapras has a niche in countering Shell Smash Gorebyss with ease. Lapras's secondary Ice typing is somewhat of a letdown, but don't let this put you off; STAB Ice Beam coming from a base 85 Special Attack is nothing short of scary. Unfortunately, Lapras is cursed with a Stealth Rock weakness and no way to heal itself outside of Rest and Water Absorb, but thanks to its decent typing it has many opportunities to switch in. Lapras has a rather large movepool consisting of oddities such as Dragon Dance, Perish Song, and even Curse. If it wasn't weak to Stealth Rock and its Speed was a bit higher, Lapras would be a top-tier threat, but for now it'll stay with its NU friends.
This set attempts to wall some of NU's common Water-types. Thanks to Water Absorb and Heal Bell, Lapras can take on powerful attackers, such as Gorebyss, as well as bulkier opponents, such as Alomomola. Ice Beam provides Lapras with a reliable STAB move, while Thunderbolt grants it great coverage with the BoltBeam combo. Roar prevents Calm Mind users from setting up on Lapras, though Surf can be used if you prefer secondary STAB. The last move is down to personal preference; Heal Bell provides a safety net against status and supports Lapras's teammates, while Toxic can be used to wear down opposing Water-types, such as Alomomola.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs give Lapras optimal special bulk; with 248 HP and 252 Special Defense EVs, Lapras can survive powerful hits from the likes of Shell Smash Gorebyss. Furthermore, Lapras will survive four switch-ins to Stealth Rock. Rest can be used alongside a Chesto Berry to act as a pseudo-recovery move, but after using its Chesto Berry, Lapras is forced to sleep or have a cleric teammate. Perish Song is another decent option to force switches and KO the opponent's last Pokemon, but it's largely pointless. Hydro Pump can be used for its higher Base Power, but the accuracy drop can be fatal in some situations.
Support from Rapid Spin goes a long way when using Lapras, making Torkoal an excellent teammate. Torkoal's massive Defense and and access to Will-O-Wisp help it tank hits and soften physical attackers, respectfully. Lapras doesn't have a reliable recovery move outside of Rest, making Wish support an excellent option. Audino and Leafeon are two excellent Wish supporters, but unfortunately Audino shares a Fighting-type weakness with Lapras. Torterra is an excellent teammate as it can switch into Rock- and Electric-type moves aimed at Lapras and support it with Stealth Rock. Altaria can switch into Fighting-type moves and form part of a defensive core, while Parasect can switch into Electric- and Bug-types and cripple slower opponents with Spore. Lastly, Pokemon that take care of specially defensive Pokemon, such as Audino, are great teammates. Sawk and Gurdurr can power their through the majority of special walls, while SubSplit Rotom-S can drain them slowly and painfully.
This set goes on the offensive and attempts to sweep with boosted physical attacks. Lapras is one of the few Water-type Pokemon with Dragon Dance in the tier, and is a fairly good one at that; after a boost or two, Lapras has enough Speed and power to knock the opponent off its feet. Thanks to its decent typing and massive HP stat, Lapras has no shortage of opportunities to set up. Substitute helps Lapras avoid status and provides extra time to set up, while Waterfall and Return grant it near-perfect type coverage.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs are somewhat specialized for this set; 16 HP EVs allow Lapras to create 101 HP Substitutes and help it survive four switch-ins to Stealth Rock. 240 Speed EVs and an Adamant nature give Lapras 219 Speed, allowing it to outspeed base 98 Speed Pokemon, such as Swanna, after a single boost, and Choice Scarf base 80 Pokemon, such as Braviary, after two. Ice Beam can be used over Substitute to hit Tangela and Torterra super effectively—don't worry about the negative nature, as Lapras's Special Attack is high enough already. Finally, Zen Headbutt can be used to hit Gurdurr and Sawk super effectively, but Lapras requires three Dragon Dance boosts to outrun Choice Scarf Sawk.
Lapras's Ice typing leaves it with an unfortunate weakness to Stealth Rock; as such, Rapid Spin support is extremely helpful for keeping it alive. Torkoal can set up Stealth Rock of its own and burn physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp, and the ever-so-gimmicky Spinda can do the job too. Entry hazards help Lapras weaken bulky physical walls upon switching in, while spinblockers keep them on the field. Cacturne, Whirlipede, and Probopass can set up Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Stealth Rock, respectively. Bulky Water- and Grass-types give this set problems, especially Alomomola, Frillish, Tangela, and Leafeon. Grass-types, such as Leafeon, can take on Alomomola and Frillish, while Fire-types such as Charizard can light up the sky with their Fire-type STAB moves. Due to Lapras's average Speed, a Pokemon that can switch into Choice Scarf users is recommended.
Thanks to its massive HP and Special Defense, Lapras is an ideal candidate for a Curse set. After a few boosts from Curse, Lapras becomes an unstoppable tank and a potent sweeper. Furthermore, Lapras's ability, Water Absorb, makes it easy to set up against the likes of Gorebyss and Alomomola, Resting off any damage taken. The idea is to switch into a resisted or weak attack, set up a Curse or two, then proceed to sweep with boosted Avalanche. Rest and Sleep Talk provide semi-reliable recovery and safety from status, while Avalanche receives a STAB boost and doubles in power when Lapras moves last.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs are very simple; 248 HP EVs and maximum Special Defense investment give Lapras immense bulk. 248 HP EVs are used over 252 as they allow Lapras to survive four switch-ins to Stealth Rock without fainting. A more offensive spread can be used if you want more immediate power, but this makes Lapras more susceptible to special attackers. This set becomes more effective once the opponent's defensive core has been broken, making it an excellent late-game sweeper. A combination of Toxic Spikes and residual damage will cripple the likes of Alomomola and Tangela, so a teammate that can set them up is recommended. Tentacool and Whirlipede are two excellent choices: the former can remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin, while the latter has access to Spikes in addition to Toxic Spikes.
Alomomola can also stall Lapras with Wish and Toxic, though boosted Avalanches will wear it down. Grass- and Electric-types, such as Tangela and Ampharos, can be used to deal with Water-types. A cleric can be used to wake up Lapras, making Audino, Lickilicky, or Leafeon an excellent teammate.
Other Options
Substitute can be used to avoid status and ease prediction, while powerful STAB moves pummel the opponent. Outrage has a high Base Power and receives a boost from Dragon Dance, but it doesn't provide any additional type coverage. Bulldoze can be used to hit Steel-types super effectively, but its average Base Power means that STAB Surf hits harder in most cases. Hydration can be used alongside Rain Dance and Rest to restore Lapras to full health, but its common weaknesses and poor Speed make it difficult to pull off. A mixed Dragon Dance set can be used to catch the opponent off guard, but splitting Lapras's average offensive stats isn't recommended.
Checks and Counters
Stealth Rock is Lapras's arch enemy, stripping it of 25% of its health upon switching in. Bulky Fighting-types, such as Gurdurr and Throh, can switch into any unboosted attack and threaten Lapras with their STAB moves. Tangela cripples Lapras with a combination of Leech Seed and Sleep Powder, though sets with Ice Beam will KO it swiftly. Choice Specs Exeggutor can switch into Lapras's Water-type attacks and OHKO it with STAB Leaf Storm, while Leafeon can set up against physical sets and KO Lapras with Leaf Blade. Ampharos is bulky enough to take a hit and KO Lapras with STAB Thunderbolt, while dual screens and Thunder Wave can be used to slow it down. Regice and Hypno can take on special sets, but neither of them deal significant damage in return. Weezing can take on the Dragon Dance and Curse sets with ease, though boosted attacks will wipe it out. Rotom-F can switch into Lapras's BoltBeam coverage and threaten it with STAB Thunderbolt, while Eelektross can switch into Thunderbolt and hit Lapras with its own. Lapras is only difficult to counter when you're unsure of its moveset, but after you figure it out, Lapras is easy to KO.
