Latias (Life Orb Tank) [QC 0/3]

[dice]

U r a q t

[SET]
name: Life Orb Tank
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Roost
move 4: Surf / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 192 HP / 64 SpA / 252 Spe


Why this deserves to be on-site:

• With the new BW2 threats released, Life Orb Latias now needs to run Maximum speed to help check these threats, such as Keldeo, Thundurus-T, and non-scarfed Genesect. Just using 300 speed will not cut it now.
• In the current Latias analysis Shrang has QC Approved, it has Life Orb slashed with Choice Specs with max SpA investment. I will quote Colonel_M's RMT:
  
  

  For one thing, using max SpA makes Latias look like a much weaker, yet slightly bulkier Latios. For example, Latias takes 61.25 - 71.52% from LO Starmie's Ice Beam. Latios takes 69.86 - 81.78%. Now that's roughly a 10% difference on the SpD side. Now, instead of maximizing SpA, let's maximize HP. 50.82 - 59.34%. While that is definitely a 2HKO, that is a difference of roughly 10% increase in taking special attacks from min HP Latias. As for Latios, that's roughly a 20% increase.

• Latias's bulk allows it to switch-in easily to many more powerhouse threats that Latios cannot as well, like Band'd Breloom, Specs Keldeo, Life Orb Thundurus-T, etc.
• I believe this plays differently from Choice Specs, and this set should be written up separately with different EV's as well.

Additional Comments:

• "The EV's allow you to guarantee the OHKO on Thundurus-T after one round of LO recoil - in other words, it'll never get the chance to 2HKO you after Agility. It also gets the OHKO on 0/4 Terrakion with Surf if rain is up, and it takes your HP to a nice LO number so that recoil rounds down".
• Draco Meteor is the obligatory STAB, nailing pretty most of the metagame for good damage.
• Psyshock is the secondary STAB used allowing Latias to OHKO Terrakion, Breloom, and Keldeo and most other fighters, and providing a reliable move if you don't want the -2 from Draco Meteor.
• Recover makes Latias last a while, as HP investment gives it nice bulk and allows Latias to repeatedly switch-in to common attacks coming from strong water-types, Thundurus-T, Breloom, etc.
• The last slot is the coverage move of Choice-- Surf prevents Latias from being completely walled by certain Pokemon like Heatran and Tyranitar (though it doesn't do much damage to both), it also can 2HKO Genesect and Scizor with Rain up. Hidden Power Fire hits steel-types better- like Ferrothorn and Genesect, however if Rain is up it won't be doing much damage. Refresh is also an option so it can get rid of status from Pokemon it commonly switches into like Rotom-W and Politoed.
• Thunder is a fantastic choice to use in rain alongside Surf so you can hit the common Pokemon like bulky-waters and Tornadus-T, while still nailing Keldeo.

Teammates & Counters

• Good teammates are fighting-type Pokemon that can switch into Pokemon that wall this set. Terrakion decimates the pink blobs, can 2HKO Jirachi, is a solid switch into Genesect, etc. Latias can lure out Scizor with HP Fire so it no longer plagues Terrakion.
• This set has the same counters and most other Latias sets -- Tyranitar, Pink Blobs, SpDef Celebi, Jirachi, Metagross, Bronzong, Genesect, opposing scarfed dragons, etc.

 

[yee]

Life Orb Lati@s are without a doubt two of the most valuable pokemon in the metagame so this certainly needs attention- for one thing max speed is absolutely required and I think everyone will agree on that.

The way I differentiate the two is that Latias loses 20 base spA (which it doesn't need) for 10 extra defense and 20 more spD. What this means in practice is that you can switch into Life Orb Keldeo's Hidden Power and Recover without the risk of getting worn down too much, or actually check Rock Polish Landorus- in sand with Stealth Rock it is super easy to wear down Latios to the point where it gets KOed. Latias simply has a better distribution of stats for the job in my experience so there's no need to worry about EV'ing it like it would be outclassed.

The spread I've been using for over 100 games on suspect ladder is 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe Timid. There's no significant reason to make it much different from that, I'd be fine with something like 32 HP / 224 SpA / 252 Spe Timid but if the power level goes below that you're hurting yourself. The best set is without a doubt IMO Draco / Surf / Psyshock / Roost (no HP Fire because Lati@s will be on tons of high level teams and you want the speed tie). With Latias's speed, you need to OHKO Terrakion in sand, and with any pokemon holding STAB Draco Meteor you need max special attack to make the most of it. Hidden Power Fire and Recover can go in OO, I'll give further justification if anyone wants it- make these changes and

QC Approved 1/3

 

[Tressed]

U r a q t

[SET]
name: Life Orb Tank
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Roost
move 4: Surf / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 192 HP / 64 SpA / 252 Spe

I've been using LO Latias for a little while, and found that running 252 Timid was a bit of a waste. Go for 240 Speed Timid instead, which will bring your Speed up to 347, enough to outspeed the 108s by a single point. There's really nothing relevant that you lose to with this spread, besides HP Fire Espeon. (No one is staying in to Speed tie Latios, I would hope.) Instead, put those EVs into Sp Attack to buff up your attacks.
Also, Recover > Roost. You can keep that nice Ground immunity, which can prove helpful.
That's all, I would think.

 

[Woodchuck]

Roost does not remove the ground immunity...

 

[jc104]

It doesn't, but the fact that some people think it does always makes it the better option lol.

 

[Pocket]

shrang already has an offensive set in his revamp: Latiashttp://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3469878

 

[Seven Deadly Sins]

Yeah, this set basically already exists in Shrang's update.