Latias (Dual Screens)

Latias is so useful



http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/latias

QC - 2/2, GP - 2/2


[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Healing Wish
move 4: Dragon Pulse / Wish / Recover
item: Light Clay / Soul Dew
nature: Timid
evs: 220 HP / 36 SpA / 252 Spe

[Set Comments]
<p>With her massive Special Defense, Latias can set up both Reflect and Light Screen with little trouble against many Pokemon in the Ubers environment. After set up, she can then sacrifice herself to pass this long-lasting protection to a much more dangerous threat such as Rock Polish Groudon, Rayquaza, Swords Dance Lucario, and Dragon Dance Salamence, to name a few. Dual Screens Latias is usually best used mid- to late-game, when the recipient has already done significant damage to the opposing team but is unable to continue. Healing Wish gives it a "second chance" at sweeping, allowing the recipient to re-enter the battle at full health and free of any status ailment that it might have received during its first sweep attempt.</p>

<p>Reflect, Light Screen, and Healing Wish are obviously the crux of the set. The last slot is up to the user. Dragon Pulse allows Latias to deal damage and not be completely crippled by Taunt. Wish can be used if one wants to give the recipient a relatively safe switch in without sacrificing Latias in the process. Recover allows Latias to heal herself, allowing her to switch in repeatedly and set up screens throughout the game.</p>

[Additional Comments]

<p>Light Clay is preferred to extend the duration of Light Screen and Reflect. However, Soul Dew is also acceptable since it allows Latias to serve as an emergency check to Palkia, allowing her to survive a Spacial Rend and OHKO with Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage. It also prevents Latias from being 2HKOed by Choice Scarf Kyogre's Water Spout, allowing Latias to set up screens in its face. The loss of turns for Reflect and Light Screen are not overly detrimental either, since most Ubers do not require much time to set up and set up and sweep anyway.</p>

<p>The EVs are there to make Latias as fast as possible. The Special Attack EVs allow Latias to OHKO Palkia after Stealth Rock damage, provided that Soul Dew is equipped. The rest are placed in HP to give Latias the optimum amound of bulk.</p>

<p>When they're behind the protection of dual screens, the many absurdly deadly sweepers of the Uber tier become a whole lot more threatening. Rock Polish + Swords Dance Groudon is possibly the best recipient of dual screens support. If Groudon can set up both Rock Polish and Swords Dance (which becomes a lot easier behind dual screens), it is pretty much checkmate for the opponent. Latias can switch into Kyogre and Giratina that threaten to end Groudon's sweep and scare them out, and then proceed to set up Dual Screens. Rayquaza, Dragon Dance Salamence, Swords Dance Lucario, and Darkrai are all extremely deadly sweepers that benefit from dual screens support, as they have more chances to set up as well as becoming harder to revenge kill. Mew is also a great Pokemon to run alongside Dual Screens Latias. Should the opponent somehow stop Mew's first Baton Pass recipient, Mew would generally find it difficult to pass a set of boosts to a second one, due to the fact that it would have been heavily damaged. However, with dual screens and Healing Wish support, Mew can easily pass boosts a second time, since Healing Wish allows it to come back at full health to perform its role again, which almost always results in a win.</p>

<p>Pokemon that carry Taunt are always annoyances to Latias and her team. Common Taunt users in the Uber tier are Mewtwo, Mew, and Heatran. Kyogre can take on all three with relative ease, dousing them all with its overpowered Water-type attacks. Tyranitar can also defeat all three, being able to survive a non-Life Orb Calm Mind Mewtwo's Aura Sphere and defeat it with Crunch. Pokemon that provide entry hazards for dual screens recipients are also appreciated. Deoxys-S is the most efficient entry hazard user in the Uber tier, being able to set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes with blistering Speed. Groudon can set up Stealth Rock while stopping Tyranitar and Scizor that often cause Latias problems. Forretress can set up all three kinds of entry hazards while resisting all of Latias's weaknesses.</p>

Few things, what does this set present over Latios? He arguably has a better sacrificing move in Momento, which almost forces a switch since the opponent is at -6/-6. He does more damage with Draco meteor. I've tried screens Latias in my earlier testing and found it almost inferior to Latios, due to not having Momento. Screens are meant as a one time set up, not multiple times, as Latias' bulk would usually allocate, especially if the set has wish. Taunt is really only common on Deoxys and maybe Mewtwo. Also soul dew seems to misconstrue the true purpose of the set by attempting to check Kyogre, but without thunder, Latias doesn't stand a chance, and without pulse, Latias can't beat Palkia. Also 334 beats non scarf chomp, not scarf which is 499.

I can't attest to whether this set is worth a spot on site as of yet, but since the Smogon supported simulator now has Arceus (whether fully functional or not), I would rather use 140 HP EVs. 140 HP EVs ensure a non-STAB Ice Beam off an Arceus with 100 SpA investment and a neutral nature will do 33.3% max, preventing a 3HKO (sure it's not with SR but it's handy). I would also sort of prefer max Speed; this set's purpose is not sweeping, it's support. The extra Speed can (and has for me and others I know that use it) come in handy quite a bit. However, if it would be more useful to be slower than the opponent and take a hit before using Healing Wish to get the Pokemon in for free for Healing Wish, then no Speed should be used. Just my 2 cents, I'll try to test this soon although I'm rather busy so no promises :(.

tripe said:

Few things, what does this set present over Latios? He arguably has a better sacrificing move in Momento, which almost forces a switch since the opponent is at -6/-6. He does more damage with Draco meteor. I've tried screens Latias in my earlier testing and found it almost inferior to Latios, due to not having Momento. Screens are meant as a one time set up, not multiple times, as Latias' bulk would usually allocate, especially if the set has wish. Taunt is really only common on Deoxys and maybe Mewtwo. Also soul dew seems to misconstrue the true purpose of the set by attempting to check Kyogre, but without thunder, Latias doesn't stand a chance, and without pulse, Latias can't beat Palkia. Also 334 beats non scarf chomp, not scarf which is 499.

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1) Healing Wish has completely different perks to Memento. Yes, Memento allows for an even better transition to the recipient, but Healing Wish has the ability to allow your sweeper to sweep first, then come back later (Provided it's alive) and sweep again. I think I have in there that Mew is an excellent receiver of Healing Wish. While passing +2/+2 off will let you rip through a huge part of the opponent's team, it's not going to guarantee you a win, since good players are always going to be able to stop you somehow. After they stop you, you are at quite a disadvantage since Mew can't pass off boosts any more (You'd be lucky passing off one boost). However, with Healing Wish, you can easily bring Mew back for round 2 to seal the game. Basically, Healing Wish allows you to be a bit more slack during your first sweep, so long as you don't get your Pokemon killed, then bring it back to seal off the game.

2) Latias' bulk is important, since Latios finds it hard to switch in a lot of the time. Soul Dew plays a part in this since it still lets Latias switch into any version of Kyogre, which Soul Dewless fails to do (And by extension, Latios). Screens aren't always a one time use, if possible, I'd always preserve my Dual Screener if possible.

3) @ firecape: Yeah, I could try another spread. Taking in your suggestions, 220 HP/36 SpA/252 Spe Timid, since 36 SpA allows Latias to OHKO Palkia with SR up, max Speed is max Speed and 220 HP gives Latias maximum bulk.

This hasn't been touched for a while so lets get it done.

IMO make Light Clay the primary slash in the item spot as this set's main job is setting up screens.

This set is pretty sweet, basically a faster but less bulky Cresselia that can actually hit things and has better healing.

QC APPROVED (1/2)

Changes made. I was a bit hesitant on Light Clay > Soul Dew, but whatever, it doesn't matter.

Approved 2/2.

Yay. GP check time =D.

This is a GP CHECK from Lord Nergal

I await you
on the Dread Isle





I mean

Done, thanks Fatecrashers.

Still doing the Time Warp

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Just a couple things.

1. When referring to Ubers, it's either the Uber tier, or Ubers. It's, according to R_D, not Ubers tier.

2. When referring to dual screens, it isn't capitalized unless when using it as a proper noun, such as Dual Screens Latias.

3. Awesome write-up.

GP 2/2

Oglemi said:

It's, according to R_D, not Ubers tier.

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It's actually not just according to me, it's by site definition. I'm just one of the few people that care enough to enforce it. :P

Done, thanks for the check, Oglemi.

Uploaded.