[OVERVIEW]
Latias is able to serve either as a late-game sweeper or as a check to an array of foes such as slower Dragons or physical attackers, with its better defensive stats, which allow it to take a Shadow Ball from Mega Gengar, and access to Healing Wish giving it a niche over the generally preferred Latios. Mega Latias's bulk emphasizes these differences even further, giving stall teams an immense amount of trouble once Tyranitar has been eliminated and making Latias more versatile than Latios. Furthermore, in combination with the recovery granted by Roost, Latias is able to stick around for extended periods of time, which resistances to common types and a Ground immunity help with. Its high base Speed allows it to outpace the majority of threats in the metagame, often giving it the initiative. This is particularly advantageous for outspeeding most Dragons, such as Garchomp and Mega Salamence, the latter of which often does not use a Speed-boosting nature. A wide offensive movepool, including moves such as Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball, gives Latias the means to deal with a variety of foes, making it somewhat unpredictable. For example, Azumarill, while ordinarily problematic, is 2HKOed by a Choice Specs-boosted Thunderbolt.
Latias does still, however, face competition from Latios offensively, as the latter can take advantage of a higher Special Attack stat in that role. Latios is also not the only Dragon-type it faces competition from. Hydreigon, for example, is another special attacking Dragon-type that hits hard. Being walled by both Dark- and Fairy-types can create some unfavorable match-ups straight from Team Preview. Steel-types also resist both of Latias's STAB moves, making foes such as Mega Mawile, Aegislash, Ferrothorn, and Scizor equally problematic. Overall, Latias is very versatile and can therefore perform well on many different types of teams, but you should ensure it's not outclassed in doing so.
[SET]
name: Mega Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Roost
move 4: Substitute / Draco Meteor
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind boosts Mega Latias's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage, giving it the means to set up on the foe. Psyshock is the STAB move of choice, as it deals a consistent amount of damage at high accuracy. It also has the quirk of hitting the target's Defense stat, which is part of the reason why it generally outclasses Psychic, as it therefore threatens Calm Mind Suicune more. Roost can help keep Mega Latias healthy by recovering 50% of its HP, compensating for health lost by damage taken from foes and Substitute. Substitute is most effective against defensive threats, giving Mega Latias the option of blocking crippling status, such as poison, paralysis, and burn, from inhibiting its sweep. It also provides a means to prevent the use of Sucker Punch from foes such as Mega Kangaskhan. Draco Meteor can be used instead to provide Latias with some mid-game wallbreaking potential.
Set Details
========
Latiasite allows Latias to Mega Evolve, which significantly improves its stats and its ability to sweep through teams. Levitate grants it an immunity to Ground-type moves, which provides more opportunities for Mega Latias to set up. The Speed EVs and Timid nature make Mega Latias as fast as possible. The remaining EVs are invested into HP to boost Mega Latias's general bulk as much as possible. While 56 EVs can be moved out of Speed to improve Mega Latias's bulk but still outspeed Garchomp, this is not recommended, as it's generally counterproductive to sweeping.
Usage Tips
========
This set aims to begin setting up to close out the battle once any problematic foes have been eliminated. After gaining a few boosts, Mega Latias is dangerous, and special attackers such as Aegislash, Greninja, and Sylveon will no longer be able to 2HKO it. However, don't try to force this; leave Mega Latias on the bench if you don't believe setting up to be a reasonable expectation. Focus on bringing checks to Steel-, Fairy-, and Dark-types, as they will be the most problematic for Latias. Mega Charizard Y and Rotom-W are good examples of setup fodder, as Latias can stall out Mega Charizard Y's Drought and takes little damage from any of Rotom-W's attacks. Defensive Pokemon such as Cresselia, Porygon2, Zapdos, and Slowbro also make good targets to set up on. Suicune is another example, but bear in mind that Roar is reasonably common, which allows it to phaze Latias. Be sure to Mega Evolve as soon as possible to take advantage of Mega Latias's higher defensive stats. Try to keep Substitute up as much as possible in order to block crippling status from ruining your game plan. It's also recommended to do this as a way of preventing critical hits from OHKOing Latias through its Special Defense boosts.
Team Options
========
As this set is walled by Dark-types, teammates that can remove them for Mega Latias are essential. Using a second Mega Evolution such as Mega Mawile, Mega Heracross, or Mega Scizor can offer alternatives for when Mega Latias faces a very poor match-up, as each handles the majority of foes Latias struggles against such as Sylveon and Tyranitar. Azumarill has a great match-up against Dark-types, as it resists their STAB moves and can hit the majority of them super effectively with Play Rough. Blaziken can likewise handle Dark-types well and, in return, appreciates Latias as a defensive switch-in due to its frailty. Protean Greninja gets STAB Low Kick to similarly threaten Dark-types, amongst a variety of other coverage, such as Gunk Shot and Ice Beam, that allow it to threaten other foes that threaten Mega Latias. Non-Mega Scizor, as a Bug-type, also makes a great partner, as it deals with both Dark- and Fairy-types excellently. Physically defensive Scizor makes a particularly good partner, as it can handle physical attackers in general. Ferrothorn accomplishes the same in handling Fairy-types and serves as a great check to physical attackers. Intimidate users such as Landorus-T and Gyarados equally help to keep physical attackers in check by lowering their Attack stat. Landorus-T also has access to Stealth Rock, which breaks Focus Sash and therefore helps boosted Latias pick up OHKOs against Focus Sash users such as Breloom. Will-O-Wisp users such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Rotom-W can halve the foe's Attack. The former two, being Fire-types, also provide the benefit of resisting Fairy-type attacks and have the ability to check Steel-types.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Trick
move 4: Surf / Healing Wish
item: Choice Specs
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Draco Meteor is Latias's hardest-hitting attack, dealing massive damage when combined with the boost from Choice Specs. It does, however, come with the drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack by two stages. Psychic is a STAB move that deals consistent damage at a reasonable Base Power and high accuracy. Alternatively, Psyshock can be used instead if you'd prefer to have the option of hitting a foe's potentially lower Defense. For example, Psychic hits foes like Mega Venusaur harder, but Psyshock deals with Assault Vest users such as Conkeldurr better. Trick can disable a defensive foe by locking them into a single move, making them easy to eliminate. Surf hits many of the targets that Latias struggles against, such as Tyranitar and Heatran, super effectively. Alternatively, Healing Wish differentiates Latias from Latios and can be used over Surf to give Latias more late-game utility by healing up a strong partner such as Mega Mawile or Mega Kangaskhan, should you find that more valuable.
Set Details
========
Choice Specs provides the largest increase to Latias's damage output, albeit while locking it into a single move. Levitate is Latias's only ability, but the immunity to Ground-type moves it grants is great for giving it more opportunities to switch in and deal damage. The Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Latias to outpace as many threats as possible. The remaining EVs are invested into Latias's Special Attack, improving damage output. A Modest nature may be used to deal even more damage, allowing it to OHKO foes, such as 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan, with Draco Meteor. However, it then misses out on outspeeding key threats around the base 100 Speed mark such as Garchomp, generally making it the poorer option.
Usage Tips
========
This set aims to deal as much damage as possible, not necessarily focusing on super effective hits. This is because a Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor deals a lot of damage even on neutral hits. As Draco Meteor will often be the best choice of move, Latias will be switching in and out a lot to reset the stat drops associated with it. Its superior defenses when compared to Latios and its plentiful resistances complement this strategy, as they make switching in much easier. Do try to think a turn ahead when using Draco Meteor however, as it's easy to fall into the trap of losing too much momentum. If you're running Psyshock, get familiar with predicting foes with high Special Defense to switch in, as it can often 2HKO them. Sylveon, for example, would normally be a safe switch-in against Latias, but is 2HKOed by Psyshock. Chansey is an exception, as it can take a Psyshock relatively easily and would be better crippled by the use of Trick. If using Healing Wish, wait until Latias is no longer useful, or if a crippled ally could better close out the battle.
Team Options
========
Teammates that can deal with Pokemon that resist Latias's STAB moves, such as Dark- and Fairy-types, are appreciated. Mega Mawile and Scizor are great examples of this, as they can check both of those types with their STAB moves. Physical Greninja can use a combination of Low Kick and Gunk Shot to accomplish something similar. However, it does have difficulty switching into Fairy-types directly, as it's natively a Dark-type. Azumarill is another Fairy-type that does a good job at checking Dark-types. Fairies being immune to Dragon-type attacks also makes them easy to switch into opposing Dragons. Ferrothorn makes another good Steel-type partner, as it is able to deal well with opposing Fairy-types. Fighting-types such as Blaziken and Mega Heracross are also useful for beating Dark-types, and they are further able to beat Steel-types, which are problematic due to them resisting both of Latias's STAB moves. Fire-types such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Rotom-H equally beat Steel-types and provide a resistance to Fairy. Talonflame is additionally useful as a check against Blaziken, which Latias struggles against because of its combination of Speed Boost and Knock Off. Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Mamoswine likewise hit Steel-types super effectively, although the latter is admittedly hit super effectively by them too. Both can also provide Stealth Rock support, which is useful for breaking the Focus Sash of Pokemon such as Breloom.
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Psychic / Draco Meteor
move 2: Reflect
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Psychic is used to provide Latias with a consistent STAB move with reasonable power and high accuracy. Draco Meteor has the ability to pick up OHKOs against foes such as Garchomp, but use of the move is incredibly risky because of the Special Attack decrease. Reflect reduces the damage Latias's team takes for five turns, making it better able to wall physical attackers. Thunder Wave provides a form of speed control and reduces the chance the foe has to move by 25%. This is useful for crippling threats such as Blaziken, which, while ordinarily very fast thanks to Speed Boost, struggles once that advantage has been taken away. Toxic could be used in place of Thunder Wave if your team particularly struggles against defensive threats like Cresselia and Porygon2. Roost recovers 50% of Latias's HP, which allows it to continue racking up chip damage with Rocky Helmet. Healing Wish could be used over Roost if you'd prefer Latias simply went down after doing its job. This synergizes particularly well with Draco Meteor, as it allows Latias to safely exit the match after its stats have been lowered.
Set Details
========
Rocky Helmet inflicts chip damage against foes that use contact moves, primarily physical attackers, such as Mega Kangaskhan, which takes double the damage due to Parental Bond. Levitate, while being Latias's only ability, gives it an immunity to Ground-type moves, providing Latias with even more opportunities to safely switch in. The Speed EVs and a Timid nature are used to allow Latias to get off its moves, particularly Reflect, before as many foes as possible. The remaining EVs are used to bolster Latias's overall bulk as much as possible, allowing it an easier time of walling foes.
Usage Tips
========
This set aims to beat non-Dark-type physical attackers while also providing support for Latias's teammates. You should mostly pick Latias at Team Preview when you want to bring a setup sweeper that would benefit from Latias's support. Another example is when a specially defensive partner needs Latias to defeat the physical attackers that it cannot alone. This is because a Latias without Trick or much offensive presence otherwise struggles to accomplish much outside of these scenarios. This set deals especially well with Mega Kangaskhan because of Parental Bond forcing it to take two rounds of Rocky Helmet damage, particularly if you can switch it in on a weak attack such as Fake Out. Try to Reflect as early as possible and keep it up, as Latias's Defense stat is merely average without it. An exception is if you anticipate the opponent bringing in a special attacker, in which case you should instead opt to cripple them with Thunder Wave. If Healing Wish is chosen, use it when Latias is no longer useful and when an ally can better close out the battle.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Mega Mawile and Scizor make the best partners, as Reflect helps them get off their setup moves and Thunder Wave consequently helps them sweep by ensuring they outspeed their potential threats. They're also useful against defensive foes such as Cresselia, Porygon2, Zapdos, and Calm Mind Suicune, and they both resist many of the types Latias is weak to, making them able to switch in extra safely. Power-Up Punch Mega Kangaskhan is another notable example, as Thunder Wave helps it outspeed foes around its very crowded base 100 Speed tier. Calm Mind Raikou is also a fantastic teammate, as Latias needs help to beat opposing bulky Water-types. Likewise, Electric-types in general such as Thundurus and Zapdos are good options, as they also provide a means of dealing with them.
Specially defensive Pokemon and Assault Vest users also complement this set well, as they can often wall the attackers that Latias cannot. Assault Vest Mamoswine appreciates the speed control Latias provides and can check Steel- and Dragon-types in return. Azumarill also makes a good Assault Vest user, and it can counter most Dark- and Dragon-types easily. Heatran functions very well with a specially defensive variant of its stall set, and its typing complements Latias's well. Pokemon that deal with the Dark- and Steel-types that wall Latias's only attacking move make good offensive partners. Fighting-types such as Blaziken and Mega Heracross are able to deal with said Dark- and Steel-types, for example. Mega Heracross particularly enjoys the speed control provided by Thunder Wave due to its merely average Speed. Fire-types such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Rotom-H provide a resistance to Fairy and can beat Steel-types. Landorus-T also beats Steel-types handily, and its Intimidate ability further improves Latias's bulk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are individual options for the excellent coverage they provide or as a pair to complete the popular BoltBeam combination. Shadow Ball helps Latias beat opposing Psychic-types, such as Cresselia, that it can otherwise struggle with. It also helps handle Aegislash, which, while otherwise problematic, is 2HKOed with a Choice Specs-boosted Shadow Ball. Energy Ball is an alternative to Thunderbolt that also beats Ground-types like Swampert. Grass Knot could also be used for this purpose, but it does little damage to lighter foes such as Rotom-W and Gastrodon. However, a particular quirk of Grass Knot is that +1 Mega Latias can OHKO maximum HP Mega Tyranitar with it. Hidden Power Fire can be used to deal with Steel-types like Scizor and Ferrothorn. Stored Power can be used in place of Psyshock on the Calm Mind set for the potential to hit even harder once Mega Latias has set up, though it comes at the cost of dealing very poor damage without consecutive boosts. This can work particularly well if you have teammates to Baton Pass boosts so that Latias is less dependent on accumulating them itself. Charm is an alternative to Reflect on the physically defensive set, as the ability to use it multiple times allows Latias to wall a single target harder; however, Reflect is generally more consistent and isn't reset when the opponent switches out. Life Orb can be used over Choice Specs to boost Latias's power while retaining the ability to change moves; however, such a set requires running another coverage move or Roost instead of Trick. Notably, a big selling point of Life Orb is that Latias can use Healing Wish immediately after using Draco Meteor, which can be great for momentum. Choice Scarf is another alternative to Choice Specs that trades power for the ability to outspeed faster foes. Lum Berry can help to check users of crippling status such as Thunder Wave Thundurus and Spore Breloom. Latiasite can be used in the physically defensive set if your team doesn't have a Mega Pokemon already, but note that this means it can't chip at Mega Kangaskhan with Rocky Helmet. Safety Goggles can be used specifically for users of powder moves such as Breloom and Venusaur to help beat them one-on-one.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dragon-type Pokemon**: Although Latias can outspeed and hit most of them super effectively, many Dragons are still situationally problematic for it. Garchomp, for example, more often than not uses either Focus Sash or Choice Scarf, both of which allow it to trade positively with Latias. Salamence can outspeed Latias after Mega Evolving if it uses a Jolly nature and can then fire off a strong Dragon-type move to OHKO it. Dragonite's Multiscale allows it to take a single hit from Latias and then proceed to either Dragon Dance or OHKO it back. However, note that a Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor can still OHKO Dragonite through its Multiscale.
**Dark-type Pokemon**: Dark-types are immune to Latias's Psychic-type moves and can hit it super effectively with their STAB attacks. Choice Scarf Hydreigon is common and has a chance to OHKO even bulkier Latias sets with a high-powered Draco Meteor. Tyranitar takes little damage from any of Latias's attacks thanks to the sand boosting its Special Defense, and its access to Pursuit means Latias cannot switch out safely against it. Mega Sableye is one of the few defensive Pokemon capable of taking on the Choice Specs set thanks to its immunity to Trick and ability to deal good damage with either Foul Play or Snarl.
**Fairy-type Pokemon**: Fairy-types are immune to Dragon-type attacks, and their access to high-powered moves means they can deal a lot of damage to Latias. Mega Mawile resists Psychic thanks to its Steel typing and can use Sucker Punch to strike first. Gardevoir also resists Psychic and can deal massive damage even through Substitute with Hyper Voice. Sylveon likewise gets access to Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice, and it has an equally as high Special Defense stat it can use to wall Latias. However, it does need to be wary of a Choice Specs-boosted Psyshock, which can still 2HKO it. Mega Altaria also gets Hyper Voice, and its high defenses means it's difficult to 2HKO. Klefki takes little damage from either of Latias's STAB moves, and it can whittle away at it with a combination of Swagger and Foul Play.
**Steel-type Pokemon**: As Steel-types resist both Dragon- and Psychic-type attacks, they're able to easily wall Latias. Aegislash's high defenses in Shield forme and its Ghost typing allow it to both take hits well and strike back hard. Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball deals a lot of damage to Latias as a result of it being so fast. Heatran, particularly the Choice Specs variant, can dish out good damage with Flash Cannon. It should beware of a Choice Specs-boosted Surf, however, as this can 2HKO even bulkier variants. Mega Lucario outspeeds Latias and can deal large damage with Iron Tail, OHKOing it after a Swords Dance boost. Scizor takes little damage from either of Latias's STAB moves and easily OHKOes even bulky sets with Bug Bite.
**Speed Control**: Almost all variants of Latias rely on their high Speed, which makes them vulnerable to various forms of speed control. Thunder Wave from Pokemon such as Thundurus, Rotom-W, and Cresselia quarters Latias's Speed. The latter two should be wary against Calm Mind variants however, as they can merely end up as setup fodder. Icy Wind from users such as Gengar and Suicune hits Latias super effectively and lowers its Speed by one stage. Trick Room set by Pokemon such as Cresselia, Porygon2, and Slowbro allows slower Pokemon to move first.
Latias is able to serve either as a late-game sweeper or as a check to an array of foes such as slower Dragons or physical attackers, with its better defensive stats, which allow it to take a Shadow Ball from Mega Gengar, and access to Healing Wish giving it a niche over the generally preferred Latios. Mega Latias's bulk emphasizes these differences even further, giving stall teams an immense amount of trouble once Tyranitar has been eliminated and making Latias more versatile than Latios. Furthermore, in combination with the recovery granted by Roost, Latias is able to stick around for extended periods of time, which resistances to common types and a Ground immunity help with. Its high base Speed allows it to outpace the majority of threats in the metagame, often giving it the initiative. This is particularly advantageous for outspeeding most Dragons, such as Garchomp and Mega Salamence, the latter of which often does not use a Speed-boosting nature. A wide offensive movepool, including moves such as Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball, gives Latias the means to deal with a variety of foes, making it somewhat unpredictable. For example, Azumarill, while ordinarily problematic, is 2HKOed by a Choice Specs-boosted Thunderbolt.
Latias does still, however, face competition from Latios offensively, as the latter can take advantage of a higher Special Attack stat in that role. Latios is also not the only Dragon-type it faces competition from. Hydreigon, for example, is another special attacking Dragon-type that hits hard. Being walled by both Dark- and Fairy-types can create some unfavorable match-ups straight from Team Preview. Steel-types also resist both of Latias's STAB moves, making foes such as Mega Mawile, Aegislash, Ferrothorn, and Scizor equally problematic. Overall, Latias is very versatile and can therefore perform well on many different types of teams, but you should ensure it's not outclassed in doing so.
[SET]
name: Mega Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Roost
move 4: Substitute / Draco Meteor
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind boosts Mega Latias's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage, giving it the means to set up on the foe. Psyshock is the STAB move of choice, as it deals a consistent amount of damage at high accuracy. It also has the quirk of hitting the target's Defense stat, which is part of the reason why it generally outclasses Psychic, as it therefore threatens Calm Mind Suicune more. Roost can help keep Mega Latias healthy by recovering 50% of its HP, compensating for health lost by damage taken from foes and Substitute. Substitute is most effective against defensive threats, giving Mega Latias the option of blocking crippling status, such as poison, paralysis, and burn, from inhibiting its sweep. It also provides a means to prevent the use of Sucker Punch from foes such as Mega Kangaskhan. Draco Meteor can be used instead to provide Latias with some mid-game wallbreaking potential.
Set Details
========
Latiasite allows Latias to Mega Evolve, which significantly improves its stats and its ability to sweep through teams. Levitate grants it an immunity to Ground-type moves, which provides more opportunities for Mega Latias to set up. The Speed EVs and Timid nature make Mega Latias as fast as possible. The remaining EVs are invested into HP to boost Mega Latias's general bulk as much as possible. While 56 EVs can be moved out of Speed to improve Mega Latias's bulk but still outspeed Garchomp, this is not recommended, as it's generally counterproductive to sweeping.
Usage Tips
========
This set aims to begin setting up to close out the battle once any problematic foes have been eliminated. After gaining a few boosts, Mega Latias is dangerous, and special attackers such as Aegislash, Greninja, and Sylveon will no longer be able to 2HKO it. However, don't try to force this; leave Mega Latias on the bench if you don't believe setting up to be a reasonable expectation. Focus on bringing checks to Steel-, Fairy-, and Dark-types, as they will be the most problematic for Latias. Mega Charizard Y and Rotom-W are good examples of setup fodder, as Latias can stall out Mega Charizard Y's Drought and takes little damage from any of Rotom-W's attacks. Defensive Pokemon such as Cresselia, Porygon2, Zapdos, and Slowbro also make good targets to set up on. Suicune is another example, but bear in mind that Roar is reasonably common, which allows it to phaze Latias. Be sure to Mega Evolve as soon as possible to take advantage of Mega Latias's higher defensive stats. Try to keep Substitute up as much as possible in order to block crippling status from ruining your game plan. It's also recommended to do this as a way of preventing critical hits from OHKOing Latias through its Special Defense boosts.
Team Options
========
As this set is walled by Dark-types, teammates that can remove them for Mega Latias are essential. Using a second Mega Evolution such as Mega Mawile, Mega Heracross, or Mega Scizor can offer alternatives for when Mega Latias faces a very poor match-up, as each handles the majority of foes Latias struggles against such as Sylveon and Tyranitar. Azumarill has a great match-up against Dark-types, as it resists their STAB moves and can hit the majority of them super effectively with Play Rough. Blaziken can likewise handle Dark-types well and, in return, appreciates Latias as a defensive switch-in due to its frailty. Protean Greninja gets STAB Low Kick to similarly threaten Dark-types, amongst a variety of other coverage, such as Gunk Shot and Ice Beam, that allow it to threaten other foes that threaten Mega Latias. Non-Mega Scizor, as a Bug-type, also makes a great partner, as it deals with both Dark- and Fairy-types excellently. Physically defensive Scizor makes a particularly good partner, as it can handle physical attackers in general. Ferrothorn accomplishes the same in handling Fairy-types and serves as a great check to physical attackers. Intimidate users such as Landorus-T and Gyarados equally help to keep physical attackers in check by lowering their Attack stat. Landorus-T also has access to Stealth Rock, which breaks Focus Sash and therefore helps boosted Latias pick up OHKOs against Focus Sash users such as Breloom. Will-O-Wisp users such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Rotom-W can halve the foe's Attack. The former two, being Fire-types, also provide the benefit of resisting Fairy-type attacks and have the ability to check Steel-types.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psychic / Psyshock
move 3: Trick
move 4: Surf / Healing Wish
item: Choice Specs
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Draco Meteor is Latias's hardest-hitting attack, dealing massive damage when combined with the boost from Choice Specs. It does, however, come with the drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack by two stages. Psychic is a STAB move that deals consistent damage at a reasonable Base Power and high accuracy. Alternatively, Psyshock can be used instead if you'd prefer to have the option of hitting a foe's potentially lower Defense. For example, Psychic hits foes like Mega Venusaur harder, but Psyshock deals with Assault Vest users such as Conkeldurr better. Trick can disable a defensive foe by locking them into a single move, making them easy to eliminate. Surf hits many of the targets that Latias struggles against, such as Tyranitar and Heatran, super effectively. Alternatively, Healing Wish differentiates Latias from Latios and can be used over Surf to give Latias more late-game utility by healing up a strong partner such as Mega Mawile or Mega Kangaskhan, should you find that more valuable.
Set Details
========
Choice Specs provides the largest increase to Latias's damage output, albeit while locking it into a single move. Levitate is Latias's only ability, but the immunity to Ground-type moves it grants is great for giving it more opportunities to switch in and deal damage. The Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Latias to outpace as many threats as possible. The remaining EVs are invested into Latias's Special Attack, improving damage output. A Modest nature may be used to deal even more damage, allowing it to OHKO foes, such as 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan, with Draco Meteor. However, it then misses out on outspeeding key threats around the base 100 Speed mark such as Garchomp, generally making it the poorer option.
Usage Tips
========
This set aims to deal as much damage as possible, not necessarily focusing on super effective hits. This is because a Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor deals a lot of damage even on neutral hits. As Draco Meteor will often be the best choice of move, Latias will be switching in and out a lot to reset the stat drops associated with it. Its superior defenses when compared to Latios and its plentiful resistances complement this strategy, as they make switching in much easier. Do try to think a turn ahead when using Draco Meteor however, as it's easy to fall into the trap of losing too much momentum. If you're running Psyshock, get familiar with predicting foes with high Special Defense to switch in, as it can often 2HKO them. Sylveon, for example, would normally be a safe switch-in against Latias, but is 2HKOed by Psyshock. Chansey is an exception, as it can take a Psyshock relatively easily and would be better crippled by the use of Trick. If using Healing Wish, wait until Latias is no longer useful, or if a crippled ally could better close out the battle.
Team Options
========
Teammates that can deal with Pokemon that resist Latias's STAB moves, such as Dark- and Fairy-types, are appreciated. Mega Mawile and Scizor are great examples of this, as they can check both of those types with their STAB moves. Physical Greninja can use a combination of Low Kick and Gunk Shot to accomplish something similar. However, it does have difficulty switching into Fairy-types directly, as it's natively a Dark-type. Azumarill is another Fairy-type that does a good job at checking Dark-types. Fairies being immune to Dragon-type attacks also makes them easy to switch into opposing Dragons. Ferrothorn makes another good Steel-type partner, as it is able to deal well with opposing Fairy-types. Fighting-types such as Blaziken and Mega Heracross are also useful for beating Dark-types, and they are further able to beat Steel-types, which are problematic due to them resisting both of Latias's STAB moves. Fire-types such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Rotom-H equally beat Steel-types and provide a resistance to Fairy. Talonflame is additionally useful as a check against Blaziken, which Latias struggles against because of its combination of Speed Boost and Knock Off. Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Mamoswine likewise hit Steel-types super effectively, although the latter is admittedly hit super effectively by them too. Both can also provide Stealth Rock support, which is useful for breaking the Focus Sash of Pokemon such as Breloom.
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Psychic / Draco Meteor
move 2: Reflect
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Psychic is used to provide Latias with a consistent STAB move with reasonable power and high accuracy. Draco Meteor has the ability to pick up OHKOs against foes such as Garchomp, but use of the move is incredibly risky because of the Special Attack decrease. Reflect reduces the damage Latias's team takes for five turns, making it better able to wall physical attackers. Thunder Wave provides a form of speed control and reduces the chance the foe has to move by 25%. This is useful for crippling threats such as Blaziken, which, while ordinarily very fast thanks to Speed Boost, struggles once that advantage has been taken away. Toxic could be used in place of Thunder Wave if your team particularly struggles against defensive threats like Cresselia and Porygon2. Roost recovers 50% of Latias's HP, which allows it to continue racking up chip damage with Rocky Helmet. Healing Wish could be used over Roost if you'd prefer Latias simply went down after doing its job. This synergizes particularly well with Draco Meteor, as it allows Latias to safely exit the match after its stats have been lowered.
Set Details
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Rocky Helmet inflicts chip damage against foes that use contact moves, primarily physical attackers, such as Mega Kangaskhan, which takes double the damage due to Parental Bond. Levitate, while being Latias's only ability, gives it an immunity to Ground-type moves, providing Latias with even more opportunities to safely switch in. The Speed EVs and a Timid nature are used to allow Latias to get off its moves, particularly Reflect, before as many foes as possible. The remaining EVs are used to bolster Latias's overall bulk as much as possible, allowing it an easier time of walling foes.
Usage Tips
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This set aims to beat non-Dark-type physical attackers while also providing support for Latias's teammates. You should mostly pick Latias at Team Preview when you want to bring a setup sweeper that would benefit from Latias's support. Another example is when a specially defensive partner needs Latias to defeat the physical attackers that it cannot alone. This is because a Latias without Trick or much offensive presence otherwise struggles to accomplish much outside of these scenarios. This set deals especially well with Mega Kangaskhan because of Parental Bond forcing it to take two rounds of Rocky Helmet damage, particularly if you can switch it in on a weak attack such as Fake Out. Try to Reflect as early as possible and keep it up, as Latias's Defense stat is merely average without it. An exception is if you anticipate the opponent bringing in a special attacker, in which case you should instead opt to cripple them with Thunder Wave. If Healing Wish is chosen, use it when Latias is no longer useful and when an ally can better close out the battle.
Team Options
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Setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Mega Mawile and Scizor make the best partners, as Reflect helps them get off their setup moves and Thunder Wave consequently helps them sweep by ensuring they outspeed their potential threats. They're also useful against defensive foes such as Cresselia, Porygon2, Zapdos, and Calm Mind Suicune, and they both resist many of the types Latias is weak to, making them able to switch in extra safely. Power-Up Punch Mega Kangaskhan is another notable example, as Thunder Wave helps it outspeed foes around its very crowded base 100 Speed tier. Calm Mind Raikou is also a fantastic teammate, as Latias needs help to beat opposing bulky Water-types. Likewise, Electric-types in general such as Thundurus and Zapdos are good options, as they also provide a means of dealing with them.
Specially defensive Pokemon and Assault Vest users also complement this set well, as they can often wall the attackers that Latias cannot. Assault Vest Mamoswine appreciates the speed control Latias provides and can check Steel- and Dragon-types in return. Azumarill also makes a good Assault Vest user, and it can counter most Dark- and Dragon-types easily. Heatran functions very well with a specially defensive variant of its stall set, and its typing complements Latias's well. Pokemon that deal with the Dark- and Steel-types that wall Latias's only attacking move make good offensive partners. Fighting-types such as Blaziken and Mega Heracross are able to deal with said Dark- and Steel-types, for example. Mega Heracross particularly enjoys the speed control provided by Thunder Wave due to its merely average Speed. Fire-types such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Rotom-H provide a resistance to Fairy and can beat Steel-types. Landorus-T also beats Steel-types handily, and its Intimidate ability further improves Latias's bulk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are individual options for the excellent coverage they provide or as a pair to complete the popular BoltBeam combination. Shadow Ball helps Latias beat opposing Psychic-types, such as Cresselia, that it can otherwise struggle with. It also helps handle Aegislash, which, while otherwise problematic, is 2HKOed with a Choice Specs-boosted Shadow Ball. Energy Ball is an alternative to Thunderbolt that also beats Ground-types like Swampert. Grass Knot could also be used for this purpose, but it does little damage to lighter foes such as Rotom-W and Gastrodon. However, a particular quirk of Grass Knot is that +1 Mega Latias can OHKO maximum HP Mega Tyranitar with it. Hidden Power Fire can be used to deal with Steel-types like Scizor and Ferrothorn. Stored Power can be used in place of Psyshock on the Calm Mind set for the potential to hit even harder once Mega Latias has set up, though it comes at the cost of dealing very poor damage without consecutive boosts. This can work particularly well if you have teammates to Baton Pass boosts so that Latias is less dependent on accumulating them itself. Charm is an alternative to Reflect on the physically defensive set, as the ability to use it multiple times allows Latias to wall a single target harder; however, Reflect is generally more consistent and isn't reset when the opponent switches out. Life Orb can be used over Choice Specs to boost Latias's power while retaining the ability to change moves; however, such a set requires running another coverage move or Roost instead of Trick. Notably, a big selling point of Life Orb is that Latias can use Healing Wish immediately after using Draco Meteor, which can be great for momentum. Choice Scarf is another alternative to Choice Specs that trades power for the ability to outspeed faster foes. Lum Berry can help to check users of crippling status such as Thunder Wave Thundurus and Spore Breloom. Latiasite can be used in the physically defensive set if your team doesn't have a Mega Pokemon already, but note that this means it can't chip at Mega Kangaskhan with Rocky Helmet. Safety Goggles can be used specifically for users of powder moves such as Breloom and Venusaur to help beat them one-on-one.
Checks and Counters
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**Dragon-type Pokemon**: Although Latias can outspeed and hit most of them super effectively, many Dragons are still situationally problematic for it. Garchomp, for example, more often than not uses either Focus Sash or Choice Scarf, both of which allow it to trade positively with Latias. Salamence can outspeed Latias after Mega Evolving if it uses a Jolly nature and can then fire off a strong Dragon-type move to OHKO it. Dragonite's Multiscale allows it to take a single hit from Latias and then proceed to either Dragon Dance or OHKO it back. However, note that a Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor can still OHKO Dragonite through its Multiscale.
**Dark-type Pokemon**: Dark-types are immune to Latias's Psychic-type moves and can hit it super effectively with their STAB attacks. Choice Scarf Hydreigon is common and has a chance to OHKO even bulkier Latias sets with a high-powered Draco Meteor. Tyranitar takes little damage from any of Latias's attacks thanks to the sand boosting its Special Defense, and its access to Pursuit means Latias cannot switch out safely against it. Mega Sableye is one of the few defensive Pokemon capable of taking on the Choice Specs set thanks to its immunity to Trick and ability to deal good damage with either Foul Play or Snarl.
**Fairy-type Pokemon**: Fairy-types are immune to Dragon-type attacks, and their access to high-powered moves means they can deal a lot of damage to Latias. Mega Mawile resists Psychic thanks to its Steel typing and can use Sucker Punch to strike first. Gardevoir also resists Psychic and can deal massive damage even through Substitute with Hyper Voice. Sylveon likewise gets access to Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice, and it has an equally as high Special Defense stat it can use to wall Latias. However, it does need to be wary of a Choice Specs-boosted Psyshock, which can still 2HKO it. Mega Altaria also gets Hyper Voice, and its high defenses means it's difficult to 2HKO. Klefki takes little damage from either of Latias's STAB moves, and it can whittle away at it with a combination of Swagger and Foul Play.
**Steel-type Pokemon**: As Steel-types resist both Dragon- and Psychic-type attacks, they're able to easily wall Latias. Aegislash's high defenses in Shield forme and its Ghost typing allow it to both take hits well and strike back hard. Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball deals a lot of damage to Latias as a result of it being so fast. Heatran, particularly the Choice Specs variant, can dish out good damage with Flash Cannon. It should beware of a Choice Specs-boosted Surf, however, as this can 2HKO even bulkier variants. Mega Lucario outspeeds Latias and can deal large damage with Iron Tail, OHKOing it after a Swords Dance boost. Scizor takes little damage from either of Latias's STAB moves and easily OHKOes even bulky sets with Bug Bite.
**Speed Control**: Almost all variants of Latias rely on their high Speed, which makes them vulnerable to various forms of speed control. Thunder Wave from Pokemon such as Thundurus, Rotom-W, and Cresselia quarters Latias's Speed. The latter two should be wary against Calm Mind variants however, as they can merely end up as setup fodder. Icy Wind from users such as Gengar and Suicune hits Latias super effectively and lowers its Speed by one stage. Trick Room set by Pokemon such as Cresselia, Porygon2, and Slowbro allows slower Pokemon to move first.
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