http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/latios
Took this over for Twash since he was too busy.
What I did:
-Rewrote the first two sets
-Added Team comments to sets
-Added Team Options
-Moved mono-Dragon sweeper to OO, Latias is much better at that with her superior bulk.
______________________________________________________________________________
[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Grass Knot / Thunder
move 4: Recover / Hidden Power Fire
item: Soul Dew
nature: Timid
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Latios is an amazingly powerful sweeper in the Uber enviroment. After a single Calm Mind, Latios reaches a jaw-dropping 808 Special Attack stat, and is capable of OHKOing or 2HKOing most of the commonly seen Uber Pokemon. This combined with a base 110 Speed stat gives you one frightening sweeper.</p>
<p>Dragon Pulse is a crushingly powerful attack, 2HKOing literally any Pokémon who is not Blissey or a Steel-type. Grass Knot’s Base Power climbs to 120 against Kyogre and Groudon, easily OHKOing them both. Grass Knot also 2HKOes Tyranitar, a popular counter to this set. Thunder is also an excellent option over Grass Knot, if one does not fear Tyranitar. Thunder allows Latios to OHKO Lugia and most Scizor, Ho-oh, and Forretress after Stealth Rock damage and one Calm Mind. You also have the ability to 2HKO Metagross and Heatran without any boosts at all. Most Groudon are OHKOed by Dragon Pulse after one Calm Mind as well. Recover is the preferred option in the last slot so Latios can heal himself while setting up Calm Minds. If one would prefer to OHKO Scizor in the sunlight, one may use Hidden Power Fire over Recover if they wish. However, Latios will not get as many chances to set up without Recover to help it stay alive, and the drop in its Speed IV will make it slower than other Latios lacking Hidden Power Fire. If one does not fear Kyogre or Lugia, one may use Hidden Power Fire over Grass Knot or Thunder as well.</p>
<p>Latios will run into roadblocks against most Steel-types, such as Scizor, Forretress, Bronzong, and Metagross; however, all of these Steel-types hate boosted Thunders. All of them have a super effective attack with which they can hit Latios with, but Latios needs to watch out for Scizor and Metagross in particular because of Pursuit, which will assuredly KO Latios if he tries to switch out. Specially Defensive Tyranitar can switch in and OHKO Latios with Crunch, and has the defenses to take one boosted Grass Knot at full HP. Blissey can wall Latios, thanks to her huge HP and Special Defense stats, and can wear him down with Toxic or cripple him with Thunder Wave. Darkrai won’t like switching into an attack, but can come in on anything else, send Latios to sleep with Dark Void, and then set up for a sweep using Nasty Plot. Deoxys-D can hamper Latios’ ability to sweep and take hits by Knocking Off his Soul Dew and inflicting him with Toxic status. Mewtwo and Darkrai commonly carry Trick, which will take away Latios’ Soul Dew and cripple his ability to sweep effectively. Finally, Choice Scarf users, such as Garchomp, Dialga, and Palkia, can easily revenge kill Latios with their powerful STAB Dragon-type strikes. Kyogre is a good teammate for Latios because it can easily check most Steel-types, thanks to it resisting their STAB moves, and being able to smash them with powerful STAB Surfs. Kyogre can also destroy Tyranitar quite easily with Surf, and a Rest + Sleep Talk set with Calm Mind is able to set up on Blissey and Deoxys-D, take status attacks aimed at Latios, and can absorb Darkrai's sleep and do fatal damage back with Surf. Kyogre also provides rain support should Latios want to use Thunder. Scizor is also a good answer to Darkrai, OHKOing it with U-turn (Just be careful because Scizor cant stand up to a +2 Focus Blast). Furthermore, since Scizor usually carries a Choice item itself, it can come in on Darkrai and Mewtwo who are using Trick and can force them out, also while dealing good damage with Pursuit (This is not always worth it, however, because losing your Choice Band hampers your attacking power.). Scizor can also come in on any of Latios’ weaknesses, and is capable of dealing with Tyranitar via Bullet Punch and Blissey via Superpower. Wobbuffet can revenge kill any Choice Scarfer, sans Darkrai, by trapping them with his Shadow Tag ability and sending their attacks back at them with Mirror Coat and/or Counter. Wobbuffet can also use Encore to help create an opportunity for Latios to come in and set up. Should Latios get KOed by Pursuit, Lucario can switch in and set up for practically free, since it has a 4x resistance to Dark-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: All Out Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Grass Knot
move 3: Thunder
move 4: Recover / Hidden Power Fire / Dragon Pulse
item: Soul Dew
nature: Timid
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set eschews Calm Mind in lieu of being capable of posing an offensive threat right from the start. Draco Meteor is a ridiculously strong attack, as it severely hurts any Pokémon who do not resist it (except Blissey) and is capable of OHKOing Mewtwo without any prior damage. Grass Knot easily OHKOes Groudon and most Kyogre while also doing significant damage to Tyranitar. Thunder covers Lugia, Ho-oh, and Manaphy, and also 2HKOes most of the Steel-types in Ubers. Recover allows Latios to live longer to deal more damage. Hidden Power Fire is also a usable option, as it easily OHKOes Scizor and Forretress while giving Latios a way to reliably hurt Steel-types in the sun; however you must watch out, as the drop in Speed will make you lose to other Latios. Dragon Pulse may also used if you want a STAB attack that deals consistent damage, making Latios more usable as a late-game sweeper.</p>
<p>This set is very, very hard to switch into due to Latios’ sheer power and excellent type coverage. Unfortunately, Blissey can still switch into this set with impunity and throw a debilitating Toxic or Thunder Wave at Latios. Tyranitar can come into any attack , except Grass Knot, and OHKO Latios with Crunch, or it can use Pursuit to KO Latios should it flee from the field of battle. Without Hidden Power Fire, Scizor can come in and 2HKO Latios with a Choice Band Bullet Punch or OHKO with U-turn while not being OHKOed in return by Thunder. (Scizor can’t switch in on Thunder however, as it is 2HKOed.) Scizor has Pursuit with which to chase down Latios as well. After using Draco Meteor once, Wobbuffet can hop in and trap Latios with Shadow Tag, rendering Latios trapped and easy pickings for Mirror Coat. Lucario is an excellent counter to Blissey, as it takes little damage from most of her attacks and is immune to Toxic, and can set up on Blissey using Swords Dance. Lucario can also switch in on Tyranitar’s Dark-type attacks, thanks to its 4x resistance, and drop it with one Close Combat. (Keep in mind that Lucario is pretty frail.) Groudon is an excellent answer to Blissey, Tyranitar, and Scizor, fearing nothing at all from them, thanks to its great defenses and can destroy all three of them with a powerful STAB Earthquake. Wobbuffet is uncounterable thanks to its Shadow Tag ability, which stops your Pokémon from switching out. However, a mixed Expert Belt Dialga or Lustrous Orb Palkia can help you out, as they are able to bluff a Choice item, which will lure Wobbuffet in, giving you an opportunity to wipe it out with an attack from the opposite side of the spectrum.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screen Memento
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Memento
move 4: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
item: Light Clay
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 6 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set, contrary to the other Latios sets, is not based on sweeping; instead, it is based on Latios' ability to set up another Pokémon for a sweep. This set works exactly how you would think : you bring in Latios and then set up both Reflect and Light Screen. With Light Clay the two moves will each last 8 turns, including the turn in which you used it. After Reflect and Light Screen are up you have the option to use Memento, which causes your Latios to faint, but also lowers your opponent's Attack and Special Attack by two stages each. After your opponent’s Pokémon is completely crippled, you’re free to bring in a brand new Pokémon. In most cases bringing in a sweeper or a Baton Pass Pokémon to set up a sweep is a good strategy.</p>
<p>The EVs and nature should be fairly straightforward. Timid with 252 EVs in Speed will make sure that you're fast enough to set up on most Pokémon, while the 252 HP EVs give Latios the bulk he needs to run this set. Light Clay is the best option for an item, as it greatly extends the duration of the two screens. An attacking move is used in the last slot so that Latios isn't rendered useless by a faster Taunt -user. Even with no Special Attack investment, Latios' Draco Meteor off its impressive base Special Attack stat will dent most Pokémon who don't resist it. The Special Attack drop is not too worrying as this Latios set likes to switch in and out a lot anyway. If you prefer more consistent damage, Dragon Pulse is also another STAB move that you can use, if you don't want to lower your Special Attack. Similarly, if you would like to lure in and remove Scizor, Hidden Power Fire is a useable option too. Safeguard is also a viable option to prevent your switch-in from being hit with a status infliction.</p>
<p>This set works best on an offensive team with powerful, hard to stop sweepers who take advantage of the added protection of the Dual Screens. Mew is an excellent teammate for this Latios. With the added protection of Latios’ screens and the attack-lowering effects of Memento, Mew can easily boost it stats with Rock Polish and Swords Dance/Nasty Plot, and then pass them to a deadly sweeper, such as Groudon or Dialga, turning them into nigh impossible-to-stop offensive juggernauts. Substitute users, such as Mewtwo and Giratina-O, who only need one turn to pose an enormous threat to your opponent. Pokémon such as Rayquaza, Lucario, or Darkrai will work excellently alongside this set, as the added protection of Reflect and Light Screen allows them more opportunities to stat up as well as making them tougher to revenge kill.</p>
<p>This set tends to force a lot of switches, so having entry hazard support alonside this Latios is a great idea. Stealth Rock can be provided by Groudon (Who can also stop Scizor and Tyranitar they may want to Pursuit you.) Deoxys-S is a great lead for a team with this set that provides Stealth Rock and Spikes. Forretress can provide all three of the entry hazards and also resists all of Latios' weaknesses.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hidden Power Fire is good with Dragon Pulse for an unresisted type combination (expect by Heatran). It helps hit Metagross and Forretress, and gains power in the sun.</p>
<p>Roar could work on a Calm Mind or Psych Up set, but Latias is better for that , thanks to her higher Special Defense. Heal Block looks interesting on a set with Toxic to kill Blissey, but only use this with Aromatherapy or Safeguard to keep your opponent from killing you with a Toxic of their own. Heal Block can also be used with a set that just uses brute force against the opponent (like the all-out attacker set) to keep Blissey from walling you for long. Refresh can be used on the Calm Mind set to guard Latios against status. However, when using Refresh, Latias is usually better due to her superior bulk and ability to switch into more threats. </p>
<p>Dragon Dance can be very surprising for an unsuspecting team, but gets walled far too easily. You're almost always going to be better off with Rayquaza for your Dragon Dancing needs, but at least Latios isn't 4x weak to Ice-type attacks. You should probably use Hidden Power Fire in any set with Dragon Dance so Forretress and Skarmory don't easily stop your sweep.</p>
<p>Trick is possible with Choice Scarf, allowing Latios to become a revenge killer of sorts, especially helpful against common threats like Dragon Dance Rayquaza. Blissey will detest Choice Scarf, which could well open a sweep for the likes of Kyogre easier. However, Latios won't like being without Soul Dew.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Usually Latios is going to want max Speed with a Speed-boosting nature, as it needs to be as fast as possible to sweep effectively. However, you can run less Speed if you want. There really is no Latios that should be used with lower than 307 Speed. In fact, Latios generally shouldn’t be used with lower than 330 Speed. However, if the user feels that Palkia is no threat at all, and would like to conserve Latios' EVs and nature for something else, he/she may want to go with 307 Speed, which requires 204 EVs if Latios has a neutral Speed nature. Next is max Speed with a neutral nature (319 Speed, 252 EVs). This allows Latios to outrun maximum Speed Jolly Rayquaza and tie with other max Speed neutral Speed natured Latios and Latias. After that, one might as well go to 330 Speed, which requires 176 Speed EVs with Timid nature to outspeed a max Speed Hasty or Timid Palkia. 320 Speed does absolutely nothing but outspeed an opposing neutral nature Latias or Latios. Next is 334 Speed, which requires 192 Speed EVs with a positive nature, if one is paranoid of Garchomp in Ubers. This Speed also allows Latios to outrun a max Speed Adamant Choice Scarf Tyranitar. Latios can also outspeed a neutral max Speed Arceus with 216 EVs in Speed, putting him at 341 Speed in the stat.</p>
<p>Most Latios will want to put 252 EVs in Special Attack to maximize the damage it can deal, and then stick all remaining EVs in HP. The Dual Screen set needs max HP to take hits more effectively while setting up.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As an offensive Pokemon, Latios really enjoys entry hazard support to help turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs. Stealth Rock is usually all Latios really needs, due to his sheer power. Groudon is the perfect choice for this role since it can deal with most of Latios’ counters quite well. Deoxys-S is also a reliable lead who can set up Stealth Rock. When not using Calm Mind to boost his Special Attack stat, Latios will appreciate extra entry hazards in the form of Spikes and Toxic Spikes to give him an edge in his damage dealing potential. Spikes can be laid down by Deoxys, Forretress, or Skarmory, while Toxic Spikes will require help from Forretress. Dual Screen support is also massively helpful for the sweeping sets, as it allows Latios to take more hits while setting up. It also decreases his vulnerability to being revenge killed quite a bit. Mewtwo, Bronzong, Deoxys-S, and Lugia can all provide Dual Screen support. Bronzong gets special mention as it can use Gyro Ball to deal with Tyranitar and can take Dragon- and Ice-type attacks directed at Latios. When using Thunder or Hidden Power Fire, it is beneficial to have the corresponding weather support so as to not limit the move's usefulness. Kyogre provides rain support for Thunder, while Groudon provides sun support for Hidden Power Fire.</p>
<p>While Latios is one of the most powerful special sweepers in the game, it still cannot overpower Blissey. With her base 255 HP and base 135 Special Defense stats, she will easily shrug off any of Latios’ attacks and will eventually wear him down with Toxic. Tyranitar can come in to anything, bar Grass Knot, and maul Latios with Crunch or Pursuit. Scizor and Metagross can also come in and OHKO Latios with a Choice Band U-turn or Meteor Mash, respectively. Forretress can set up entry hazards against Latios, if he lacks Hidden Power Fire and Thunder, and can wear Latios down with Payback. Darkrai will hate coming into an attack, but is fine against anything else and can put Latios to sleep with Dark Void, set up with Nasty Plot, and tear Latios in two with Dark Pulse. Latios also needs to watch out for Choice Scarfers, such as Palkia, Dialga, and Garchomp, who may try to revenge kill it. Finally, Latios despises Trick and Knock Off, as they remove its Soul Dew, which will cripple it for the rest of the match. The most common users of these moves are Mewtwo, Darkrai, and Deoxys-D. Groudon is an excellent teammate for Latios, as it can easily switch into Scizor, Metagross, Blissey, or Tyranitar and destroy them all with Earthquake. Forretress is also vulnerable to Fire Punch. Groudon is also an excellent Choice Scarf Garchomp check, taking little from its attacks and 2HKOing it back with Dragon Claw. Scizor can easily dispose of Mewtwo (look out for Flamethrower), Darkrai (watch out for boosted Focus Blasts), and Deoxys-D with U-turn, and can also come in on Dragon-type attacks from Choice Scarf Dialga, Garchomp, and Palkia and can do severe damage to them all with Superpower, Bullet Punch, and U-turn, respectively. Scizor is also a nice Tyranitar check, as it resists Dark-type moves and can OHKO Tyranitar with Bullet Punch. Wobbuffet can take care of any Choice, thanks to Shadow Tag and Mirror Coat/Counter, and can also switch in on defensive Pokemon, such as Lugia and Giratina, and use a combination of Encore + Safeguard to give Latios an opportunity to come in and set up using Calm Mind. As for Pokemon with Trick, using a Choice Scarfer, such as Palkia or Dialga, is recommended as they won’t mind being tricked a Choice item. (Usually they will be tricked another Choice Scarf.) Giratina-O is immune to both Trick and Knock Off, and as such loves to come in on those moves to set up for a sweep.</p>
<p>Latios is plagued with weaknesses to Ghost-, Dark-, Bug-, Dragon-, and Ice-type attacks, all of which are some of the most common attack types in Ubers. Thankfully, Steel-types resist all of these attack types, and as such are great defensive partners for Latios. As mentioned before, Scizor is a great partner , as it can strike at many common users of these attack types, such as Garchomp, Dialga, Palkia, Darkrai, and Mewtwo, very hard with Bullet Punch, U-turn, and Superpower. Forretress enjoys coming in on these attacks to set up entry hazards, which will help Latios sweep more easily. Lucario can come in on these attack types as well (watch out for boosted hits) and set up for a sweep with Swords Dance. Bronzong can come in on Dragon- or Ice-type attacks and set up Dual Screens to aid Latios in sweeping. Groudon can handle most physical attacks and retaliate with Earthquake, Dragon Claw, or Thunder Wave. Blissey can take most special attacks and fight back with status moves, such as Toxic and Thunder Wave.</p>
<p>Latios’ main enemies - Blissey, Scizor, Metagross, Tyranitar, Darkrai, and Choice Scarfers , such as Dialga, Palkia, and Garchomp – usually team up with Mewtwo, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Lugia, Wobbuffet, and each other. Latios can handle Lugia on its own, so you do not need another teammate for it. Palkia is a good choice to handle Kyogre as Latios cannot switch into a Choice Specs variant of Kyogre. Palkia can switch in, however, and will swiftly dispose of Kyogre with Thunder. Rayquaza and Groudon are both easily taken care of by Lugia, thanks to Reflect, Roost, and Ice Beam. Scizor can easily switch into Mewtwo without a Fire-type attack and can OHKO it with U-turn. A mixed attacker, such as Dialga or Palkia, can lure Wobbuffet in since they commonly carry Choice items. The blue blob will switch in, thinking that you are Choiced, only to be KOed by a physical attack if you previously used a special attack and vice versa.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Latios is one amazing sweeper with Soul Dew boosting that already stupendous Special Attack. He has a decent typing (the Psychic-type hurts, making him weak to Dark-, Bug-, and Ghost-type moves, but the Dragon-type gives him great resistances), and a great movepool. He's moderately fast, and has a very high Special Defense stat with Soul Dew.</p>
[Counters]
<p>If Blissey has Toxic, she will always beat a Latios without Safeguard, Refresh, or Psycho Shift. Even if he has Safeguard, Icy Wind can allow Blissey to get in a Toxic before Latios can refresh the Safeguard after it expires the first time. Thunder Wave Blissey can be annoying, as being fully paralyzed can spell your doom if Blissey also has Seismic Toss. Psych Up / Calm Mind Blissey with Ice Beam has a high probability of beating Latios as well.</p>
<p>Metagross is a great counter, thanks to its resistance to Dragon Pulse, Grass Knot, and Ice Beam—meaning it really only has to worry about Thunder and Hidden Power Fire. It will OHKO Latios with a Choice Band Meteor Mash or a Choice Band Pursuit on the switch. Scizor works in much the same way as Metagross, though it is more vulnerable to Hidden Power Fire. Forretress can set up entry hazards against Latios if he lacks Hidden Power Fire. Bronzong can set up Light Screen to lessen the power of Latios’ attacks and it can wear the Eon Pokemon down with Payback. Dark- / Bug-type Arceus can stop Latios in much the same way, but Arceus needs to be wary of letting Latios get in too many Calm Minds. Steel-type Arceus will resist a lot of Latios' attacks, much in the same way Metagross does. Tyranitar's Special Defense is boosted thanks to Sand Stream, and it OHKOes Latios with Crunch.</p>
<p>Deoxys-A, although incapable of switching in to any offensive attack, can come in on Recover, Calm Mind, or any other non-damaging move, and OHKO with a Choice Band or Life Orb Ice Punch.</p>
<p>Knock Off and Trick in general really hurt Latios, as Soul Dew is a major part of his success. Deoxys-D commonly carries Knock Off, and Mewtwo and Darkrai are common users of Trick.</p>
Took this over for Twash since he was too busy.
What I did:
-Rewrote the first two sets
-Added Team comments to sets
-Added Team Options
-Moved mono-Dragon sweeper to OO, Latias is much better at that with her superior bulk.
______________________________________________________________________________
[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Grass Knot / Thunder
move 4: Recover / Hidden Power Fire
item: Soul Dew
nature: Timid
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Latios is an amazingly powerful sweeper in the Uber enviroment. After a single Calm Mind, Latios reaches a jaw-dropping 808 Special Attack stat, and is capable of OHKOing or 2HKOing most of the commonly seen Uber Pokemon. This combined with a base 110 Speed stat gives you one frightening sweeper.</p>
<p>Dragon Pulse is a crushingly powerful attack, 2HKOing literally any Pokémon who is not Blissey or a Steel-type. Grass Knot’s Base Power climbs to 120 against Kyogre and Groudon, easily OHKOing them both. Grass Knot also 2HKOes Tyranitar, a popular counter to this set. Thunder is also an excellent option over Grass Knot, if one does not fear Tyranitar. Thunder allows Latios to OHKO Lugia and most Scizor, Ho-oh, and Forretress after Stealth Rock damage and one Calm Mind. You also have the ability to 2HKO Metagross and Heatran without any boosts at all. Most Groudon are OHKOed by Dragon Pulse after one Calm Mind as well. Recover is the preferred option in the last slot so Latios can heal himself while setting up Calm Minds. If one would prefer to OHKO Scizor in the sunlight, one may use Hidden Power Fire over Recover if they wish. However, Latios will not get as many chances to set up without Recover to help it stay alive, and the drop in its Speed IV will make it slower than other Latios lacking Hidden Power Fire. If one does not fear Kyogre or Lugia, one may use Hidden Power Fire over Grass Knot or Thunder as well.</p>
<p>Latios will run into roadblocks against most Steel-types, such as Scizor, Forretress, Bronzong, and Metagross; however, all of these Steel-types hate boosted Thunders. All of them have a super effective attack with which they can hit Latios with, but Latios needs to watch out for Scizor and Metagross in particular because of Pursuit, which will assuredly KO Latios if he tries to switch out. Specially Defensive Tyranitar can switch in and OHKO Latios with Crunch, and has the defenses to take one boosted Grass Knot at full HP. Blissey can wall Latios, thanks to her huge HP and Special Defense stats, and can wear him down with Toxic or cripple him with Thunder Wave. Darkrai won’t like switching into an attack, but can come in on anything else, send Latios to sleep with Dark Void, and then set up for a sweep using Nasty Plot. Deoxys-D can hamper Latios’ ability to sweep and take hits by Knocking Off his Soul Dew and inflicting him with Toxic status. Mewtwo and Darkrai commonly carry Trick, which will take away Latios’ Soul Dew and cripple his ability to sweep effectively. Finally, Choice Scarf users, such as Garchomp, Dialga, and Palkia, can easily revenge kill Latios with their powerful STAB Dragon-type strikes. Kyogre is a good teammate for Latios because it can easily check most Steel-types, thanks to it resisting their STAB moves, and being able to smash them with powerful STAB Surfs. Kyogre can also destroy Tyranitar quite easily with Surf, and a Rest + Sleep Talk set with Calm Mind is able to set up on Blissey and Deoxys-D, take status attacks aimed at Latios, and can absorb Darkrai's sleep and do fatal damage back with Surf. Kyogre also provides rain support should Latios want to use Thunder. Scizor is also a good answer to Darkrai, OHKOing it with U-turn (Just be careful because Scizor cant stand up to a +2 Focus Blast). Furthermore, since Scizor usually carries a Choice item itself, it can come in on Darkrai and Mewtwo who are using Trick and can force them out, also while dealing good damage with Pursuit (This is not always worth it, however, because losing your Choice Band hampers your attacking power.). Scizor can also come in on any of Latios’ weaknesses, and is capable of dealing with Tyranitar via Bullet Punch and Blissey via Superpower. Wobbuffet can revenge kill any Choice Scarfer, sans Darkrai, by trapping them with his Shadow Tag ability and sending their attacks back at them with Mirror Coat and/or Counter. Wobbuffet can also use Encore to help create an opportunity for Latios to come in and set up. Should Latios get KOed by Pursuit, Lucario can switch in and set up for practically free, since it has a 4x resistance to Dark-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: All Out Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Grass Knot
move 3: Thunder
move 4: Recover / Hidden Power Fire / Dragon Pulse
item: Soul Dew
nature: Timid
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set eschews Calm Mind in lieu of being capable of posing an offensive threat right from the start. Draco Meteor is a ridiculously strong attack, as it severely hurts any Pokémon who do not resist it (except Blissey) and is capable of OHKOing Mewtwo without any prior damage. Grass Knot easily OHKOes Groudon and most Kyogre while also doing significant damage to Tyranitar. Thunder covers Lugia, Ho-oh, and Manaphy, and also 2HKOes most of the Steel-types in Ubers. Recover allows Latios to live longer to deal more damage. Hidden Power Fire is also a usable option, as it easily OHKOes Scizor and Forretress while giving Latios a way to reliably hurt Steel-types in the sun; however you must watch out, as the drop in Speed will make you lose to other Latios. Dragon Pulse may also used if you want a STAB attack that deals consistent damage, making Latios more usable as a late-game sweeper.</p>
<p>This set is very, very hard to switch into due to Latios’ sheer power and excellent type coverage. Unfortunately, Blissey can still switch into this set with impunity and throw a debilitating Toxic or Thunder Wave at Latios. Tyranitar can come into any attack , except Grass Knot, and OHKO Latios with Crunch, or it can use Pursuit to KO Latios should it flee from the field of battle. Without Hidden Power Fire, Scizor can come in and 2HKO Latios with a Choice Band Bullet Punch or OHKO with U-turn while not being OHKOed in return by Thunder. (Scizor can’t switch in on Thunder however, as it is 2HKOed.) Scizor has Pursuit with which to chase down Latios as well. After using Draco Meteor once, Wobbuffet can hop in and trap Latios with Shadow Tag, rendering Latios trapped and easy pickings for Mirror Coat. Lucario is an excellent counter to Blissey, as it takes little damage from most of her attacks and is immune to Toxic, and can set up on Blissey using Swords Dance. Lucario can also switch in on Tyranitar’s Dark-type attacks, thanks to its 4x resistance, and drop it with one Close Combat. (Keep in mind that Lucario is pretty frail.) Groudon is an excellent answer to Blissey, Tyranitar, and Scizor, fearing nothing at all from them, thanks to its great defenses and can destroy all three of them with a powerful STAB Earthquake. Wobbuffet is uncounterable thanks to its Shadow Tag ability, which stops your Pokémon from switching out. However, a mixed Expert Belt Dialga or Lustrous Orb Palkia can help you out, as they are able to bluff a Choice item, which will lure Wobbuffet in, giving you an opportunity to wipe it out with an attack from the opposite side of the spectrum.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screen Memento
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Memento
move 4: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
item: Light Clay
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 6 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set, contrary to the other Latios sets, is not based on sweeping; instead, it is based on Latios' ability to set up another Pokémon for a sweep. This set works exactly how you would think : you bring in Latios and then set up both Reflect and Light Screen. With Light Clay the two moves will each last 8 turns, including the turn in which you used it. After Reflect and Light Screen are up you have the option to use Memento, which causes your Latios to faint, but also lowers your opponent's Attack and Special Attack by two stages each. After your opponent’s Pokémon is completely crippled, you’re free to bring in a brand new Pokémon. In most cases bringing in a sweeper or a Baton Pass Pokémon to set up a sweep is a good strategy.</p>
<p>The EVs and nature should be fairly straightforward. Timid with 252 EVs in Speed will make sure that you're fast enough to set up on most Pokémon, while the 252 HP EVs give Latios the bulk he needs to run this set. Light Clay is the best option for an item, as it greatly extends the duration of the two screens. An attacking move is used in the last slot so that Latios isn't rendered useless by a faster Taunt -user. Even with no Special Attack investment, Latios' Draco Meteor off its impressive base Special Attack stat will dent most Pokémon who don't resist it. The Special Attack drop is not too worrying as this Latios set likes to switch in and out a lot anyway. If you prefer more consistent damage, Dragon Pulse is also another STAB move that you can use, if you don't want to lower your Special Attack. Similarly, if you would like to lure in and remove Scizor, Hidden Power Fire is a useable option too. Safeguard is also a viable option to prevent your switch-in from being hit with a status infliction.</p>
<p>This set works best on an offensive team with powerful, hard to stop sweepers who take advantage of the added protection of the Dual Screens. Mew is an excellent teammate for this Latios. With the added protection of Latios’ screens and the attack-lowering effects of Memento, Mew can easily boost it stats with Rock Polish and Swords Dance/Nasty Plot, and then pass them to a deadly sweeper, such as Groudon or Dialga, turning them into nigh impossible-to-stop offensive juggernauts. Substitute users, such as Mewtwo and Giratina-O, who only need one turn to pose an enormous threat to your opponent. Pokémon such as Rayquaza, Lucario, or Darkrai will work excellently alongside this set, as the added protection of Reflect and Light Screen allows them more opportunities to stat up as well as making them tougher to revenge kill.</p>
<p>This set tends to force a lot of switches, so having entry hazard support alonside this Latios is a great idea. Stealth Rock can be provided by Groudon (Who can also stop Scizor and Tyranitar they may want to Pursuit you.) Deoxys-S is a great lead for a team with this set that provides Stealth Rock and Spikes. Forretress can provide all three of the entry hazards and also resists all of Latios' weaknesses.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hidden Power Fire is good with Dragon Pulse for an unresisted type combination (expect by Heatran). It helps hit Metagross and Forretress, and gains power in the sun.</p>
<p>Roar could work on a Calm Mind or Psych Up set, but Latias is better for that , thanks to her higher Special Defense. Heal Block looks interesting on a set with Toxic to kill Blissey, but only use this with Aromatherapy or Safeguard to keep your opponent from killing you with a Toxic of their own. Heal Block can also be used with a set that just uses brute force against the opponent (like the all-out attacker set) to keep Blissey from walling you for long. Refresh can be used on the Calm Mind set to guard Latios against status. However, when using Refresh, Latias is usually better due to her superior bulk and ability to switch into more threats. </p>
<p>Dragon Dance can be very surprising for an unsuspecting team, but gets walled far too easily. You're almost always going to be better off with Rayquaza for your Dragon Dancing needs, but at least Latios isn't 4x weak to Ice-type attacks. You should probably use Hidden Power Fire in any set with Dragon Dance so Forretress and Skarmory don't easily stop your sweep.</p>
<p>Trick is possible with Choice Scarf, allowing Latios to become a revenge killer of sorts, especially helpful against common threats like Dragon Dance Rayquaza. Blissey will detest Choice Scarf, which could well open a sweep for the likes of Kyogre easier. However, Latios won't like being without Soul Dew.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Usually Latios is going to want max Speed with a Speed-boosting nature, as it needs to be as fast as possible to sweep effectively. However, you can run less Speed if you want. There really is no Latios that should be used with lower than 307 Speed. In fact, Latios generally shouldn’t be used with lower than 330 Speed. However, if the user feels that Palkia is no threat at all, and would like to conserve Latios' EVs and nature for something else, he/she may want to go with 307 Speed, which requires 204 EVs if Latios has a neutral Speed nature. Next is max Speed with a neutral nature (319 Speed, 252 EVs). This allows Latios to outrun maximum Speed Jolly Rayquaza and tie with other max Speed neutral Speed natured Latios and Latias. After that, one might as well go to 330 Speed, which requires 176 Speed EVs with Timid nature to outspeed a max Speed Hasty or Timid Palkia. 320 Speed does absolutely nothing but outspeed an opposing neutral nature Latias or Latios. Next is 334 Speed, which requires 192 Speed EVs with a positive nature, if one is paranoid of Garchomp in Ubers. This Speed also allows Latios to outrun a max Speed Adamant Choice Scarf Tyranitar. Latios can also outspeed a neutral max Speed Arceus with 216 EVs in Speed, putting him at 341 Speed in the stat.</p>
<p>Most Latios will want to put 252 EVs in Special Attack to maximize the damage it can deal, and then stick all remaining EVs in HP. The Dual Screen set needs max HP to take hits more effectively while setting up.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As an offensive Pokemon, Latios really enjoys entry hazard support to help turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs. Stealth Rock is usually all Latios really needs, due to his sheer power. Groudon is the perfect choice for this role since it can deal with most of Latios’ counters quite well. Deoxys-S is also a reliable lead who can set up Stealth Rock. When not using Calm Mind to boost his Special Attack stat, Latios will appreciate extra entry hazards in the form of Spikes and Toxic Spikes to give him an edge in his damage dealing potential. Spikes can be laid down by Deoxys, Forretress, or Skarmory, while Toxic Spikes will require help from Forretress. Dual Screen support is also massively helpful for the sweeping sets, as it allows Latios to take more hits while setting up. It also decreases his vulnerability to being revenge killed quite a bit. Mewtwo, Bronzong, Deoxys-S, and Lugia can all provide Dual Screen support. Bronzong gets special mention as it can use Gyro Ball to deal with Tyranitar and can take Dragon- and Ice-type attacks directed at Latios. When using Thunder or Hidden Power Fire, it is beneficial to have the corresponding weather support so as to not limit the move's usefulness. Kyogre provides rain support for Thunder, while Groudon provides sun support for Hidden Power Fire.</p>
<p>While Latios is one of the most powerful special sweepers in the game, it still cannot overpower Blissey. With her base 255 HP and base 135 Special Defense stats, she will easily shrug off any of Latios’ attacks and will eventually wear him down with Toxic. Tyranitar can come in to anything, bar Grass Knot, and maul Latios with Crunch or Pursuit. Scizor and Metagross can also come in and OHKO Latios with a Choice Band U-turn or Meteor Mash, respectively. Forretress can set up entry hazards against Latios, if he lacks Hidden Power Fire and Thunder, and can wear Latios down with Payback. Darkrai will hate coming into an attack, but is fine against anything else and can put Latios to sleep with Dark Void, set up with Nasty Plot, and tear Latios in two with Dark Pulse. Latios also needs to watch out for Choice Scarfers, such as Palkia, Dialga, and Garchomp, who may try to revenge kill it. Finally, Latios despises Trick and Knock Off, as they remove its Soul Dew, which will cripple it for the rest of the match. The most common users of these moves are Mewtwo, Darkrai, and Deoxys-D. Groudon is an excellent teammate for Latios, as it can easily switch into Scizor, Metagross, Blissey, or Tyranitar and destroy them all with Earthquake. Forretress is also vulnerable to Fire Punch. Groudon is also an excellent Choice Scarf Garchomp check, taking little from its attacks and 2HKOing it back with Dragon Claw. Scizor can easily dispose of Mewtwo (look out for Flamethrower), Darkrai (watch out for boosted Focus Blasts), and Deoxys-D with U-turn, and can also come in on Dragon-type attacks from Choice Scarf Dialga, Garchomp, and Palkia and can do severe damage to them all with Superpower, Bullet Punch, and U-turn, respectively. Scizor is also a nice Tyranitar check, as it resists Dark-type moves and can OHKO Tyranitar with Bullet Punch. Wobbuffet can take care of any Choice, thanks to Shadow Tag and Mirror Coat/Counter, and can also switch in on defensive Pokemon, such as Lugia and Giratina, and use a combination of Encore + Safeguard to give Latios an opportunity to come in and set up using Calm Mind. As for Pokemon with Trick, using a Choice Scarfer, such as Palkia or Dialga, is recommended as they won’t mind being tricked a Choice item. (Usually they will be tricked another Choice Scarf.) Giratina-O is immune to both Trick and Knock Off, and as such loves to come in on those moves to set up for a sweep.</p>
<p>Latios is plagued with weaknesses to Ghost-, Dark-, Bug-, Dragon-, and Ice-type attacks, all of which are some of the most common attack types in Ubers. Thankfully, Steel-types resist all of these attack types, and as such are great defensive partners for Latios. As mentioned before, Scizor is a great partner , as it can strike at many common users of these attack types, such as Garchomp, Dialga, Palkia, Darkrai, and Mewtwo, very hard with Bullet Punch, U-turn, and Superpower. Forretress enjoys coming in on these attacks to set up entry hazards, which will help Latios sweep more easily. Lucario can come in on these attack types as well (watch out for boosted hits) and set up for a sweep with Swords Dance. Bronzong can come in on Dragon- or Ice-type attacks and set up Dual Screens to aid Latios in sweeping. Groudon can handle most physical attacks and retaliate with Earthquake, Dragon Claw, or Thunder Wave. Blissey can take most special attacks and fight back with status moves, such as Toxic and Thunder Wave.</p>
<p>Latios’ main enemies - Blissey, Scizor, Metagross, Tyranitar, Darkrai, and Choice Scarfers , such as Dialga, Palkia, and Garchomp – usually team up with Mewtwo, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Lugia, Wobbuffet, and each other. Latios can handle Lugia on its own, so you do not need another teammate for it. Palkia is a good choice to handle Kyogre as Latios cannot switch into a Choice Specs variant of Kyogre. Palkia can switch in, however, and will swiftly dispose of Kyogre with Thunder. Rayquaza and Groudon are both easily taken care of by Lugia, thanks to Reflect, Roost, and Ice Beam. Scizor can easily switch into Mewtwo without a Fire-type attack and can OHKO it with U-turn. A mixed attacker, such as Dialga or Palkia, can lure Wobbuffet in since they commonly carry Choice items. The blue blob will switch in, thinking that you are Choiced, only to be KOed by a physical attack if you previously used a special attack and vice versa.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Latios is one amazing sweeper with Soul Dew boosting that already stupendous Special Attack. He has a decent typing (the Psychic-type hurts, making him weak to Dark-, Bug-, and Ghost-type moves, but the Dragon-type gives him great resistances), and a great movepool. He's moderately fast, and has a very high Special Defense stat with Soul Dew.</p>
[Counters]
<p>If Blissey has Toxic, she will always beat a Latios without Safeguard, Refresh, or Psycho Shift. Even if he has Safeguard, Icy Wind can allow Blissey to get in a Toxic before Latios can refresh the Safeguard after it expires the first time. Thunder Wave Blissey can be annoying, as being fully paralyzed can spell your doom if Blissey also has Seismic Toss. Psych Up / Calm Mind Blissey with Ice Beam has a high probability of beating Latios as well.</p>
<p>Metagross is a great counter, thanks to its resistance to Dragon Pulse, Grass Knot, and Ice Beam—meaning it really only has to worry about Thunder and Hidden Power Fire. It will OHKO Latios with a Choice Band Meteor Mash or a Choice Band Pursuit on the switch. Scizor works in much the same way as Metagross, though it is more vulnerable to Hidden Power Fire. Forretress can set up entry hazards against Latios if he lacks Hidden Power Fire. Bronzong can set up Light Screen to lessen the power of Latios’ attacks and it can wear the Eon Pokemon down with Payback. Dark- / Bug-type Arceus can stop Latios in much the same way, but Arceus needs to be wary of letting Latios get in too many Calm Minds. Steel-type Arceus will resist a lot of Latios' attacks, much in the same way Metagross does. Tyranitar's Special Defense is boosted thanks to Sand Stream, and it OHKOes Latios with Crunch.</p>
<p>Deoxys-A, although incapable of switching in to any offensive attack, can come in on Recover, Calm Mind, or any other non-damaging move, and OHKO with a Choice Band or Life Orb Ice Punch.</p>
<p>Knock Off and Trick in general really hurt Latios, as Soul Dew is a major part of his success. Deoxys-D commonly carries Knock Off, and Mewtwo and Darkrai are common users of Trick.</p>
