Major Changes
-Scarf set added (plays differently to Specs so made its own set)
-Utility removed with the agreement of several people and Other Options'd
-A few rewrites of the CM sets where they were outdated
-Several grammar changes, although I probably missed plenty as I was more focused on my part!
-Sets reordered (Offensive CM, Defensive CM, Specs, LO, Dual Screener, then the Ubers sets) based on popularity, logical flow, and relativity to other sets
[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Surf
move 4: Recover / Grass Knot / Hidden Power Fire
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Base 110 Special Attack and Speed is nothing to laugh at, especially considering Latias's bulk and ability to boost its already-high special stats. Add to this the fact that Latias's STAB is only resisted by one type and it can Recover away damage before being hit again, and you have an effective sweeper that can be hard to take down.</p>
<p>Offensive Calm Mind Latias is very simple to use. Simply bring it in on one of the many Pokémon which cannot hurt it badly or after a teammate dies, use Calm Mind, and sweep. If its HP gets too low then you can have it Recover off the damage.</p>
<p>The fourth move can be hard to choose from, with several good options available. Recover is the best because Latias can still take a beating with 80/90/130 defenses, and is even more useful if you decide to use Life Orb. Latias is even more dangerous with a third attack, however; it depends on whether you want to beat Tyranitar or Scizor. With Life Orb, Grass Knot always 2HKOs 252/0 Tyranitar. Hidden Power Fire eliminates Scizor, and, with a Calm Mind, OHKOs Skarmory and Metagross (although Modest must be run to OHKO the latter). It comes at a cost, though, lowering Latias's Speed by one point.</p>
<p>Like all sweepers, this Latias likes having Stealth Rock up. While it can deal with Steel-types to an extent, Magnezone and Latias work well together. Magnezone eliminates Scizor, Skarmory, and other Steel-types blocking Latias's path, and Latias can come in on all of Magnezone's weaknesses with impunity, with immunity to Ground and resistances to Fire and Fighting. Likewise, Magnezone can come in on Latias's own weaknesses and deal with them. Heatran is also capable of performing the same job. Scizor comes in on Dragons and Ice-types using their STABs and overcomes them with its strong priority attacks, and Lucario and Machamp beat Tyranitar, most people's main counter to Latias.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Recover
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Refresh / Hidden Power Fire / Reflect
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 128 HP / 128 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Latias is quite fast and powerful, its defensive capability cannot be overlooked. With a monstrous base 130 Special Defense and a decent 80 base HP, Latias takes nearly all special hits with ease, and has the Speed to support itself before it can be attacked. Although Latias won't hit nearly as hard without several CMs, it can take more hits while it stats up and Recover off damage it takes during the process.</p>
<p>Refresh is the recommended option because it allows Latias to rid itself of any bothersome status, although Reflect can be used to guard it from powerful Pursuiters such as Scizor and Tyranitar. Alternately, Hidden Power Fire can be used, mainly to OHKO Scizor, although it drops Latias's Speed; you can rectify this by running four more Speed EVs.</p>
<p>You can EV this according to preference. The main spread is standard and fairly self-explanatory, with a little power investment and HP for bulk. If you want a bulkier spread at the cost of power and Speed, you can try 204 HP / 128 Def / 176 Spe with Timid or 252 HP / 72 SpD / 184 Spe with Calm. The first spread hits 330 Speed with Timid, enough to outspeed positive-natured base 100s (for example, Salamence), and maximizes Leftovers recovery. The second is more specially defensive, outspeeding neutral-natured base 100s and anything attempting to outspeed the same group.</p>
<p>This Latias needs Scizor and Tyranitar out of the way before it begins to set up. You can bring it in early game to scout and switch out while they bring their counter in, or play it later on after taking out physical hard-hitters. Magnezone and Heatran work excellently for getting rid of Scizor, and Scizor, Machamp, and Lucario beat Tyranitar easily. However, all of these Pokémon benefit from Zapdos and Infernape out of the way, something Latias is almost serendipitously able to provide for them. Latias is also a pain for its fellow Dragon-types, which many Pokémon offensively and defensively can take advantage of.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Surf
move 3: Dragon Pulse / Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Reminiscent of Specs Salamence, without the Stealth Rock weakness and with higher Speed and Trick, Specs Latias combines the power behind Draco Meteor with a constant and reliable second STAB for cleaning up. Surf is for Steel-types which would otherwise mostly wall it; keep in mind that a neutral STAB Draco Meteor does more than a 2x super effective Surf. Thunderbolt can be used in the third slot as another move to hit Steel-types neutrally and Pokémon that can take a Draco Meteor and a Surf (Empoleon and Vaporeon). When Latias no longer needs Specs and needs to switch attacks, it can Trick its Specs away, especially onto an unsuspecting special wall.</p>
<p>Modest is the best nature as, with Specs, the power increase compared to Timid is extremely noticeable. Timid is always an option, though, for outspeeding positive-natured max Speed base 100s (vitally, Salamence) and beating other Latias who run Modest or lower amounts of Speed. As for the moves, there is no need to change them, despite Latias having a huge arsenal of moves. Draco Meteor does plenty to Swampert and Hippowdon, and Surf offers superior coverage to Grass Knot. It also gets STAB Psychic, but being locked into STAB Psychic makes Latias incredibly vulnerable without any real non-circumstantial uses.</p>
<p>While Specs Latias hurts almost anything, it suffers from most of the problems all Latias sets encounter. Unsurprisingly, Scizor and Tyranitar are the first to come to mind. Tyranitar lacking defensive investments are overcome though, and Scizor is 2HKO’d by Surf. It still cannot beat Blissey except through Trick, and without Thunderbolt is forced out by Empoleon. Draco Meteor does a sizeable amount to Blissey though, and with Stealth Rock and Sandstorm, it will have to heal itself so it can come back in. Through this, Latias can utilize ‘trappers’ (Magnezone for Steel-types and strong CB Pursuiters for Blissey) to great effect. It also opens up opportunities for others to sweep by ripping holes in the opponent’s team. An offensively-inclined team will have little that can come in without fainting, and a defensively-inclined team will have holes torn in it before Latias goes down, allowing other sweepers to take advantage of their enemies’ weakened state and go for the kill. While Latias might not make it to the lategame phase with Tyranitar and Scizor running rampant and various priority users picking it off, it serves its team well and sweepers such as Infernape and Lucario which work better lategame will appreciate its presence.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Surf
move 3: Dragon Pulse / Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Latias is naturally very fast, its Speed becomes tremendous when boosted by Choice Scarf, outspeeding every non-boosted Pokémon in OU. It can be used to revenge kill Dragon Dancers, most notably Salamence, take care of other Scarfers, and generally cover a team’s weakness to fast sweepers. It can also Trick its Scarf onto walls, shutting them down and giving it the versatility to change attacks.</p>
<p>Although the moveset is the same as the Specs set, Scarf Latias plays much differently. Although it can come in on its many resists, it also makes an effective revenge killer. You can play it safe and bring it in after DDMence KOs something else, or bring it in on the Dragon Dance. Scarf also makes for a safer item to Trick. Draco Meteor is still your main form of offense, although Surf and Dragon Pulse make nice accompanying moves. Thunderbolt is also usable, although it lacks the raw power against Water-types that Specs Latias can boast. In general, you should use Modest, because this Latias lacks power and has a ridiculous amount of Speed anyway. Timid can be used to outspeed +Speed Dragon Dancers and anything below 262 Speed that carries Agility, which is quite a high threshold. It is up to preference and should be changed based on what your team needs.</p>
<p>Scarf Latias is a good addition to any team with a Dragon Dancer weakness and gives security against fast sweepers which might otherwise rampage through a team. While this Latias can shut down Blissey with Trick, it isn’t the most reliable solution, and so your team should always be able to beat Blissey independently. Additionally, Choiced Psychic Pokémon are especially vulnerable to Pursuit, and so Pokémon that can take care of Scizor and Tyranitar are imperative. It is difficult to find anything that stops Scizor and Tyranitar together, although there are Pokémon that can accomplish this, such as mixed Metagross and Substitute Gengar with HP Fire (set up a Substitute on something Gengar forces out while they switch to Scizor/Tyranitar and then take them out with the respective super effective move). On a positive note, there are other sweepers, such as Lucario and Scizor, that can take advantage of Latias going down to something locked into Pursuit and get rid of Tyranitar (and to an extent, Scizor itself). Lastly, Steel-types in general complement Latias’s resistances and weaknesses.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb + Three Attacks
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Surf
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Recover
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb Latias takes the destructive power of the Choice Specs set and combines it with the ability to freely change attacks; although at the cost of some power and ten percent of Latias' health after each attack. Draco Meteor is Latias' strongest attack, capable of dealing 75.00% - 88.54% to max HP Zapdos, an OHKO when factoring in Stealth Rock damage. Draco Meteor even does 38.89% - 45.68% to min HP Heatran.</p>
<p>Surf pairs perfectly with Draco Meteor, giving Latias almost unresisted type coverage. Even with Sandstorm boosting Tyranitar's massive Special Defense, a Timid Life Orb Surf will deal 39.11% - 46.53% to a Tyranitar with max HP. If Latias predicts correctly and Surfs on the turn Tyranitar switches in, it can 2HKO Tyranitar before it has the chance to retaliate, factoring in Stealth Rock damage. Surf also deals 43.11% - 50.90% to max HP Scizor, a 97% chance to 2HKO if Scizor has taken Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>Thunderbolt deals with the few threats that don't mind taking Draco Meteor or Surf; namely, Suicune, Vaporeon, and especially Empoleon. Thunderbolt 2HKOes all the aforementioned Pokemon while providing Latias with another attack to hit Steel-types for neutral damage if it predicts incorrectly. Thunderbolt has the added advantage of KOing min HP Salamence if it has switched into Stealth Rock twice, without resorting to the Special Attack lowering Draco Meteor.</p>
<p>Timid secures all the OHKOs or 2HKOs that Modest accomplishes after Stealth Rock is taken into account, meaning Timid is almost always the superior option. With a Timid nature, Latias can switch in on Infernape, utilizing its resistances to Fire and Fighting, and KO it with Surf before it has the chance to launch another attack. It also allows Latias to outspeed all Salamence (except those with Choice Scarf) and KO them with Draco Meteor.</p>
<p>This set has much less trouble with Scizor and Tyranitar, as Surf does plenty of damage on the switch-in. In fact, Latias can deal much damage to most of its usual foes, except Blissey, so bring the usual physical sweepers. Metagross and Scizor work well here to take the incoming Ice attacks aimed at Latias, and to come in after Latias Draco Meteors and needs to switch. Metagross can blow up on any problems (although Meteor Mash should do a lot to any special walls) and Scizor can smash Mamoswine and put a dent in Dragon Dancing Salamence. Max HP Metagross can be a problem, as while Surf does on average around 38%, it only 3HKOs. Rotom-A cripples it and hacks away at it with Thunderbolt, while Magnezone traps and kills (although it has to beware of Life Orb Earthquake).</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screen
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Wish
move 4: Roar / Dragon Pulse / Safeguard
item: Light Clay
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Latias is perfect for pseudo-passing, with access to both screens and Wish. The fact that most players will expect a sweeper set and switch out is also helpful. The strategy here is to set up Reflect and Light Screen on a foe that is likely to attack, and then switch out to pass those defensive boosts to either a stat-up sweeper or a Baton Passer. Wish will ensure that whatever comes in next will start out with full health, and Roar will both prevent your opponent from setting up while you set the screens, and allow you to search for a better Pokemon to send your sweeper or Baton Passer out against.</p>
<p>Dragon Pulse (or even Draco Meteor) is an option over Roar if you want Latias to be able to attack directly, or if you fear being Taunted. However, this set’s primary goal involves being a team player, and staying in to attack is often a waste of the eight turns of screens. Still, you should not be afraid to let Latias receive its own Wish, as this will allow it to possibly set up screens again later in the match for a second sweeper or another Baton Pass. Safeguard can also be used to protect your sweeper as it switches it and sets up; however, it is often redundant to pass this to a Baton Passer since it will likely know Taunt and / or Substitute anyway.</p>
<p>This Latias is good support for its teammates. Any sort of frail setup sweeper (Lucario, Infernape, and to an extent things like Gyarados) loves screens, allowing it to set up its Substitutes and/or stat-up moves relatively invincible until it is ready to rampage. They also can come in again and again with Wish support. Baton Pass teams, especially ones utilizing strategies such as Screens passed to Gliscor, which Rock Polishes, Taunts phazers, Swords Dances, then passes to Metagross or another Pokémon, also might consider Latias to fulfil the role of dual screener, as it is fast, sturdy, and reliable.</p>
<p>This Latias does not fear Tyranitar and Scizor much at all with Reflect up, and can Roar them out before they cause it troubles. In fact, it is in essence purely a team player and does not require support at all. Thus, slot it in on frailer teams which need a fast screener.</p>
[SET]
Name: Ubers Calm Minder
Move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Recover / Roost
move 4: Grass Knot / Thunder / Refresh
item: Soul Dew
EVs: 112 HP / 192 Spe / 204 SpA
Nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Latias returns from the Advance generation into the treacherous grounds of the 4th generation Uber battling. In the faces of Kyogre and Palkia, she stands in their way from completely ripping apart an Uber team. With her incredible hold item, Soul Dew, Palkia’s Life Orbed Spacial Rend also fails to OHKO. Using her Speed, she can threaten an OHKO on Palkia with Dragon Pulse before Palkia delivers a finishing blow (Watch out for Choice Scarf versions). As for Kyogre, she stands without fear as its Ice Beam only does approximately 48% maximum, allowing Latias to Calm Mind and then Grass Knot or Thunder Kyogre into oblivion. With the help of Recover or Roost, Latias restores her health back into usability, and thus shines again in the battlefield, ready to take something else down. If the user is satisfied with only one offensive move, Refresh rids it of annoying status conditions like Toxic that malevolent beasts such as Fighting Arceus and Blissey enjoy inflicting on Latias, and the paralysis she might face when trying to switch into Kyogre's or Palkia's Thunder. Although Safeguard cannot stop any status it switches in on, it supports its team and keeps it safe for five turns, so is a decent alternative to Refresh. It can also make decent use of Substitute, although these variants of Latias are rare, and generally you will want to run the other suggested moves.</p>
<p>Thunderbolt is not mentioned anywhere in this set for a reason: Thunder does better. Yes, sunlight can appear to ruin Thunder’s accuracy, but one should know that the main reason Thunder is used is for Kyogre, Metagross, and the 30% paralysis chance. All Thunderbolt does is 2HKO Metagross after a Calm Mind, which isn't enough to prevent a Choice Banded Meteor Mash from crashing down on Latias.</p>
<p>Without Refresh or Safeguard, Latias goes down fast to Toxic and other statuses. Blissey carrying Aromatherapy solves this problem and is well worth considering. Although Thunder can deal with Metagross, Steel-types (mainly Scizor, as the others are relatively rare) are perennially problematic for it and can be trapped and obliterated by Magnezone, which also can come in on Dark, Dragon, Bug, Ice, and Ghost attacks, all of which Latias is weak to and are seen regularly enough in Ubers. It can also lure in Blissey and Explode it into oblivion. Tyranitar, Blissey, and Metagross make Latias’s life much harder, and in Ubers, unlike OU, it also struggles against Dialga. Choice Band Adamant Dugtrio ensnares these with Arena Trap and takes every single one out, although it generally has to revenge kill. Neither Wobbuffet nor Latias like Scizor, but Wobbuffet can often grab a free turn for Latias once Scizor’s gone.</p>
[SET]
Name: Ubers Wishpasser
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect / Recover
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Toxic / Grass Knot / Thunder / Calm Mind
item: Soul Dew
EVs: 112 HP / 192 Spe / 204 SpA
Nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A set exclusive to Latias. One may prefer this set over the previous set if his/her team is loaded with Pokémon that pack no recovery moves. Wish allows them to be healed. Protect allows Wish to heal Latias and scout for Choice Banded moves, but Recover’s instant recovery will be handy if you are facing a slow Pokémon with low health. Toxic works nicely in conjunction with Protect and Wish, while Grass Knot or Thunder gives more diversity in attacking. Calm Mind ensures that Latias is not defeated by other Calm Minders such as Kyogre. </p>
<p>Anything which will take a beating in the course of the battle, be it from Stealth Rock and Spikes or from general switching in, that cannot Recover away damage welcomes a Wishpasser, and Latias does this job well. It can help out almost anything, from Wobbuffet to Life Orbers such as Groudon. When working out what to place with this Latias, you should be instead working out what Latias can do for your other teammates, as this variant is only for support and thus does not really need any dedicated support of its own.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Although Latias has particularly good partners in both OU and Ubers, there are some universal things to consider. The first is that Steel-types and Fighting-types both make great offensive teammates. Steel-types are especially good because they shrug off every single type Latias is weak to, and Latias comes in on all their weaknesses with impunity.</p>
<p>Secondly, Scizor and Tyranitar are the main obstacles in Latias’s course. Scizor is easier to beat, as some sets have Hidden Power Fire as an option, and Reflect can be set up against Tyranitar. While Latias may eventually go down to both of them, there are Pokémon which can take advantage of the enemy being locked in or at least force them out—again, mainly Steel-types, such as Heatran, Lucario, and Scizor.</p>
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Latias is quite versatile, and fitting Latias in on a team depends on what you want Latias to do for it. For instance, the Specs set opens up holes in the opponent’s team for other sweepers to come in and tidy up, so lategame sweepers like Infernape work well with it. The Scarf set covers weaknesses to Dragon Dancers and other Scarfers. The Dual Screener is useful for a Baton Pass team or any kind of setup sweeper. The CM sets require more support from its teammates than the others, however, and so partnering them should be based on a combination of support options and the ability to counter each other’s weaknesses.</p>
<p>Most sets require some way of getting around Blissey, Tyranitar, and Scizor. Lucario, Substitute HP Fire Gengar, and other Scizor are all excellent partners therefore; Lucario loves coming in on a Choiced Dark attack and snatching a free Swords Dance, and Scizor resists Latias’s weaknesses and softens up the enemy, opening up opportunities to bring it in with STAB CB U-turn. Magnezone always helps, as it eliminates any Steel-types which are walling Latias’s Dragon-type attacks.</p>
<p>Latias does not enjoy Choice Banded priority (Bullet Punch and Ice Shard are the main problems), although neither of these can OHKO it from any of its users, as these attacks nullify its Speed and deal heavy damage. Therefore, it is recommended your team have a good check for these users, especially Mamoswine, and, as covered, Scizor. Gyarados is another good partner, with Intimidate, neutrality to Ice, and resistances against Bug and Steel.</p>
<p>Rotom-A definitely deserves a mention, as while it suffers from the Dark and Ghost weaks Latias does, it can cripple both Scizor and Tyranitar with Will-O-Wisp. Rotom-A does not really hurt Tyranitar without Hydro Pump, but can set up Reflect as well, and Thunderbolt does plenty to Scizor as it is.</p>
<h4>Ubers</h4>
<p>Latias’s main boast in Ubers is that it can switch in on Kyogre and support the team, as it is mostly outclassed in Calm Minding by Pokémon such as Mewtwo. With Soul Dew, however, it is still exceptional. Focus more on the team as a whole rather than supporting Latias itself. If your team is full of Life Orbers that cannot recover or Pokémon weak to Stealth Rock (such as Rayquaza), Latias helps out with Wish, and for more stallish teams, Latias can phaze and Thunder Wave.</p>
<p>Scizor is the main Steel-type used in Ubers, and Tyranitar pops up occasionally, so you will still need ways of getting around these. Blissey is just as omnipresent as well, and Ubers Blissey are even more specially defensive. Magnezone can trap Scizor and blow up on Blissey, and Pokémon like Dialga have problems with none of these.</p>
[Other Options]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Psycho Shift is a decent option on any of the sets besides Choice Specs/Scarf. Opponents will frequently try to take down Latias with poison or paralysis, and Psycho Shift is a great way to turn the tables on any team that employs this strategy. Beware, though, as Psycho Shift will not clear your status if the foe is already afflicted by a status of their own, so it is probably not a good idea to have Latias take a Thunder Wave or Toxic from something that is already paralyzed or poisoned.</p>
<p>Latias has access to both Ice Beam and Thunderbolt, which complement each other nicely. However, Ice Beam is almost totally redundant due to Latias’ STAB Dragon Pulse, and Thunderbolt has pretty lackluster coverage by itself. Still, if your team has trouble with Gyarados or Empoleon, you may want to try out Thunderbolt, as it is Latias’ best option against both of those foes.</p>
<p>Latias’ STAB Psychic can sometimes be useful to deal with Fighting-types such as Machamp and Heracross, and its neutral damage is the same as that of Dragon Pulse. However, Psychic has notoriously poor type coverage, and it makes Latias even more vulnerable to the already troublesome Tyranitar and Scizor. Surf or Hidden Power Fire are almost always more useful, since they deal reasonable damage to the Steel-types that frequently switch into Latias.</p>
<p>Latias is also a good supporter, and utility sets can be constructed according to a team’s needs. Latias can fulfil the role of bulky and speedy Thunder Waver, phaze with Roar, set up screens, and protect its partners with Safeguard. While these are all good moves, you may struggle to find a free moveslot for them on the more offensive sets.</p>
<h4>Ubers</h4>
<p>Roar allows Latias to phaze other Calm Minders trying to set up on her, such as Blissey and Arceus. Psycho Shift allows Latias to transfer status inflicted on her to the opponent, but as an anti-status move, it pales in comparison to Refresh and Safeguard. Speaking of Safeguard, it is an option over Refresh since it protects Latias and the entire team from all status for five turns. However, it should be noted that an Icy Wind/Toxic Blissey can run over Safeguard, as Icy Wind will chill Latias’ Speed into pieces, and then Blissey can proceed to Toxic Latias before a Safeguard is set up. Hidden Power Fire and Dragon Pulse are unresisted by anything but Heatran, and will help Latias fend off those nasty Steels such as Metagross, Scizor and Forretress. However, Latias will lose the ability to beat Calm Mind / Rest Kyogre one on one. Psychic allows Latias to hurt Fighting Arceus. Finally, Draco Meteor is always available as an option if one wants to score some KOs where Dragon Pulse cannot, but it should generally be left to Latios, where he can use his higher Special Attack to score an instant OHKO on Mewtwo. Don’t bother with Ice Beam—it fails to OHKO Groudon so one might as well use Dragon Pulse for the better coverage in the Uber metagame.</p>
<p>Latias is fairly adept at setting up a Light Screen with her massive Special Defense, allowing her to take special attacks like they’re banana peels flung at her. Reflect is also an option, but her significantly lower Defense does not help with that. Lugia sets up Reflect better thanks to its much higher Defense. Healing Wish is quite gimmicky, as most of the time, sacrificing Latias is not worth it. Finally, Latias learns Charm, but Reflect is generally superior to it because the opponent could switch out of Charm, and the fact that Charm fails to touch Metagross thanks to Clear Body.</p>
<p>Trick is viable, allowing Latias to become a revenge killer of sorts with Choice Scarf, which is 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, Latias won't like being without Soul Dew, and often enough Latios is slightly better at drawing in Blissey.</p>
[EVs]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>On the offensive sets, with Timid you should always use either 252 or 176 Speed EVs. The former will outspeed anything with lower Speed than Latias, and will allow Latias to Speed tie with other Latias and Gengar. The latter will allow Latias to outspeed any base 100 Speed Pokemon, and will give you some extra EVs to improve Latias’ attacking power or its bulk. If your Latias is Modest, it should be given at least 204 Speed EVs to outrun +Speed Lucario and Porygon-Z. 252 Speed EVs can also be used, but the only even remotely common Pokemon this will really allow you to outspeed is Electivire.</p>
<p>The defensive sets should always run at least 28 Speed EVs. This allows Latias to outspeed any Metagross, +Speed Tyranitar, or Breloom, as well as Adamant Gyarados. If you are using a specially defensive set, then 112 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature will let Latias switch into Stealth Rock and take two Dragon Pulses from Modest Heatran. On a physically defensive set, your best bet is to simply max out Latias’ HP, put 28 points in Speed, and everything else into Defense, as Latias’ Special Defense is high enough that Latias can easily take a Special hit even without any EV investment.</p>
<h4>Ubers</h4>
<p>There really is no Latias that should be used with lower than 307 Speed. In fact, Latias 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 Latias' EVs and nature for something else, he/she may want to go with 307 Speed, which requires 204 EVs if Latias has a neutral Speed nature. Next is max Speed with a neutral nature (319 Speed, 252 EVs). This allows Latias 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 and Latios. Next is 334 Speed, which requires 192 Speed, if one is paranoid of Garchomp in Ubers. Due to Garchomp's presence, this Speed setting is highly recommended. Latias can outspeed a neutral max Speed Arceus with 216 EVs in Speed, putting her at 341 Speed in the stat. Finally, there’s max Speed as an option. With absolute max Speed, Latias can outspeed every single aforementioned threat, neutral max Speed Darkrai, and Hidden Power Fire Latios or Latias, all of them topping at 349 as opposed to Latias’ 350.</p>
<p>When Latias’ Speed is built to outspeed Palkia and Garchomp, she must carry at least 307 Special Attack (204 EVs with a non boosting nature) to guarantee an OHKO against Palkia with Dragon Pulse. 307 Special Attack means that Dragon Pulse does 324 damage minimum against Palkia. Another option available is to drop her Special Attack down to 265 (36 EVs). This will leave Latias with plenty of EVs to spare, while still OHKOing Palkia with Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage. Be aware that she loses the ability to 2HKO Groudon with Dragon Pulse, as well as 2HKOing Scizor with Thunder.</p>
<p>With no Defense EVs at all, Latias needs at least 120 EVs in HP to guarantee survival against a Choice Banded Meteor Mash from a Metagross with 375 Attack.</p>
[Opinion]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Latias is in no way a Pokemon to be taken lightly. With excellent all-around stats, two powerful STAB attacks which are resisted by very few Pokemon, and a huge usable movepool, Latias is both an offensive and defensive powerhouse. Although it generally does not have the unpredictability of mixed sweepers such as Salamence and Infernape, Latias more than makes up for it with its superior overall defenses and its far superior Speed stat. Latias is the only bulky Pokemon in OU with over 100 base Speed, a title previously held solely by Garchomp.</p>
<p>Latias’ biggest pitfall is its weakness to Dark and Bug-type attacks. It is very difficult for Latias to avoid being taken out or at least crippled by Choice Band Tyranitar, and Scizor’s U-turn will force Latias to switch out, giving the opponent the upper hand with the advantageous U-turn switch. Reflect can handle this to an extent, but Latias will still likely lose more than half its health against either of these Pokemon even with Reflect up, unless it is running a very defensive EV spread.</p>
<h4>Ubers</h4>
<p>Latias is an amazing Pokémon. With her high Special Attack, Speed and Special Defense, she is regarded as one of the best Kyogre counters. This makes Latias fit easier into a team compared to Latios for many players. Even with Latios’ boosted Special Attack, he can’t even touch Blissey, something that both twins often note as their nemesis. One thing Latios has over Latias is the ability to 2HKO Metagross with Thunder without any Calm Minds, but at the same time, Latias is capable of surviving a Choice Banded Meteor Mash, almost neutralizing that advantage. Latios' other advantages are OHKOing Mewtwo with Draco Meteor and 2HKOing Tyranitar with an unboosted Grass knot. Let’s not forget that Latias packs handy resistances and an Earthquake immunity, allowing her to switch in on many moves in the Uber metagame. Her job in the metagame is done through the item Soul Dew, boosting her already massive special stats even higher.</p>
[Counters]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Tyranitar is Latias’ single greatest counter. Only the Specs set even has a chance to 2HKO Tyranitar, and if it invests in Special Defense then Latias cannot 2HKO without Grass Knot. Even if you feel uncomfortable switching Tyranitar in for fear of a Surf, it can easily revenge kill any Latias with Pursuit.</p>
<p>Scizor is probably the second most popular Latias counter. While it cannot switch into Surf or Hidden Power Fire, many Latias run only a Dragon-type attack or Choice Specs, meaning that Scizor can often come in and U-turn or Pursuit while taking under 30% damage.</p>
<p>Just about any Steel-type Pokemon can easily switch into Latias, as long as it is careful to avoid Hidden Power Fire or a Choice Specs Surf. Metagross is especially good among these, since its powerful physical attacks and decent Special Defense will usually force Latias to switch or be KOed. Metagross can also use Pursuit to take out Latias even if it switches. Because of Latias' naturally high Speed, Bronzong can do large amounts of damage with Gyro Ball, while its own high Special Defense means it can take Latias' Surfs a lot easier.</p>
<p>Blissey makes an excellent counter to almost any Latias set, either by taking it out with Toxic or by crippling it with Thunder Wave to let a teammate finish the job. Anything with high Special Defense and Toxic, such as Vaporeon or Cresselia, can beat Latias similarly. However, if Latias is using Refresh, then these Pokemon will be nothing but set-up bait, so it is strongly recommended that you pack an additional counter. Blissey also must watch out for Trick coming from the Choice Specs set.</p>
<p>Latias does not enjoy taking Ice Shards, as they hit its weaker Defense stat and bypass its excellent speed. Still, Latias cannot be OHKOed by any Pokemon’s Ice Shard, so if you are revenge killing with Mamoswine or Donphan be sure it has taken some prior damage.</p>
<h4>Ubers</h4>
<p>If Blissey has Toxic, it will always beat Latias without Safeguard, Refresh, or Psycho Shift. Even if it has Safeguard, Icy Wind can allow Blissey to get in a Toxic before Latias 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 they also have Seismic Toss. Tyranitar and its massive Special Defense will allow it to easily switch into Latias and beat her down with a Choice Banded Crunch. Even a Soul Dew boosted Grass Knot is incapable of 2HKOing Tyranitar (assuming that he is carrying Special Defense EVs). If Latias is not packing Thunder or Hidden Power Fire, Scizor can switch in and deal massive damage with U-turn, or punish a fleeing Latias with Pursuit.</p>
<p>Metagross is a great check thanks to resistance to Dragon Pulse, Grass Knot, and Ice Beam, meaning it really only has to worry about Thunder and Hidden Power Fire. It has a chance to OHKO Latias with a Choice Band Meteor Mash (guaranteed after Stealth Rock damage), and a Choice Band Pursuit will do even more on the switch. Dark / Bug Arceus can Calm Mind alongside Latias and eventually beat her down with a super effective Judgment. Ghost Arceus takes less than 50% from an unboosted Dragon Pulse and 2HKOs back with Shadow Claw. Steel Arceus will resist a lot of Latias's attacks, much in the same way Metagross does. Registeel’s massive Special Defense allows it to take anything but Thunder and Hidden Power Fire (unless the weather is favorable for Registeel), and beat Latias with Ice Punch.</p>
<p>As for the revenge killing, Deoxys-A and its high attack will OHKO Latias with a Choice Banded Ice Punch. A Choice Scarfed Heracross can Megahorn Latias before she does anything.</p>
<p>The move Knock Off really hurts Latias, as Soul Dew is her key to success. However, it should be not much of a worry, as the only notable user of Knock Off is Deoxys-D, who is quite uncommon.</p>
-Scarf set added (plays differently to Specs so made its own set)
-Utility removed with the agreement of several people and Other Options'd
-A few rewrites of the CM sets where they were outdated
-Several grammar changes, although I probably missed plenty as I was more focused on my part!
-Sets reordered (Offensive CM, Defensive CM, Specs, LO, Dual Screener, then the Ubers sets) based on popularity, logical flow, and relativity to other sets
[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Surf
move 4: Recover / Grass Knot / Hidden Power Fire
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Base 110 Special Attack and Speed is nothing to laugh at, especially considering Latias's bulk and ability to boost its already-high special stats. Add to this the fact that Latias's STAB is only resisted by one type and it can Recover away damage before being hit again, and you have an effective sweeper that can be hard to take down.</p>
<p>Offensive Calm Mind Latias is very simple to use. Simply bring it in on one of the many Pokémon which cannot hurt it badly or after a teammate dies, use Calm Mind, and sweep. If its HP gets too low then you can have it Recover off the damage.</p>
<p>The fourth move can be hard to choose from, with several good options available. Recover is the best because Latias can still take a beating with 80/90/130 defenses, and is even more useful if you decide to use Life Orb. Latias is even more dangerous with a third attack, however; it depends on whether you want to beat Tyranitar or Scizor. With Life Orb, Grass Knot always 2HKOs 252/0 Tyranitar. Hidden Power Fire eliminates Scizor, and, with a Calm Mind, OHKOs Skarmory and Metagross (although Modest must be run to OHKO the latter). It comes at a cost, though, lowering Latias's Speed by one point.</p>
<p>Like all sweepers, this Latias likes having Stealth Rock up. While it can deal with Steel-types to an extent, Magnezone and Latias work well together. Magnezone eliminates Scizor, Skarmory, and other Steel-types blocking Latias's path, and Latias can come in on all of Magnezone's weaknesses with impunity, with immunity to Ground and resistances to Fire and Fighting. Likewise, Magnezone can come in on Latias's own weaknesses and deal with them. Heatran is also capable of performing the same job. Scizor comes in on Dragons and Ice-types using their STABs and overcomes them with its strong priority attacks, and Lucario and Machamp beat Tyranitar, most people's main counter to Latias.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Recover
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Refresh / Hidden Power Fire / Reflect
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 128 HP / 128 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Latias is quite fast and powerful, its defensive capability cannot be overlooked. With a monstrous base 130 Special Defense and a decent 80 base HP, Latias takes nearly all special hits with ease, and has the Speed to support itself before it can be attacked. Although Latias won't hit nearly as hard without several CMs, it can take more hits while it stats up and Recover off damage it takes during the process.</p>
<p>Refresh is the recommended option because it allows Latias to rid itself of any bothersome status, although Reflect can be used to guard it from powerful Pursuiters such as Scizor and Tyranitar. Alternately, Hidden Power Fire can be used, mainly to OHKO Scizor, although it drops Latias's Speed; you can rectify this by running four more Speed EVs.</p>
<p>You can EV this according to preference. The main spread is standard and fairly self-explanatory, with a little power investment and HP for bulk. If you want a bulkier spread at the cost of power and Speed, you can try 204 HP / 128 Def / 176 Spe with Timid or 252 HP / 72 SpD / 184 Spe with Calm. The first spread hits 330 Speed with Timid, enough to outspeed positive-natured base 100s (for example, Salamence), and maximizes Leftovers recovery. The second is more specially defensive, outspeeding neutral-natured base 100s and anything attempting to outspeed the same group.</p>
<p>This Latias needs Scizor and Tyranitar out of the way before it begins to set up. You can bring it in early game to scout and switch out while they bring their counter in, or play it later on after taking out physical hard-hitters. Magnezone and Heatran work excellently for getting rid of Scizor, and Scizor, Machamp, and Lucario beat Tyranitar easily. However, all of these Pokémon benefit from Zapdos and Infernape out of the way, something Latias is almost serendipitously able to provide for them. Latias is also a pain for its fellow Dragon-types, which many Pokémon offensively and defensively can take advantage of.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Surf
move 3: Dragon Pulse / Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Reminiscent of Specs Salamence, without the Stealth Rock weakness and with higher Speed and Trick, Specs Latias combines the power behind Draco Meteor with a constant and reliable second STAB for cleaning up. Surf is for Steel-types which would otherwise mostly wall it; keep in mind that a neutral STAB Draco Meteor does more than a 2x super effective Surf. Thunderbolt can be used in the third slot as another move to hit Steel-types neutrally and Pokémon that can take a Draco Meteor and a Surf (Empoleon and Vaporeon). When Latias no longer needs Specs and needs to switch attacks, it can Trick its Specs away, especially onto an unsuspecting special wall.</p>
<p>Modest is the best nature as, with Specs, the power increase compared to Timid is extremely noticeable. Timid is always an option, though, for outspeeding positive-natured max Speed base 100s (vitally, Salamence) and beating other Latias who run Modest or lower amounts of Speed. As for the moves, there is no need to change them, despite Latias having a huge arsenal of moves. Draco Meteor does plenty to Swampert and Hippowdon, and Surf offers superior coverage to Grass Knot. It also gets STAB Psychic, but being locked into STAB Psychic makes Latias incredibly vulnerable without any real non-circumstantial uses.</p>
<p>While Specs Latias hurts almost anything, it suffers from most of the problems all Latias sets encounter. Unsurprisingly, Scizor and Tyranitar are the first to come to mind. Tyranitar lacking defensive investments are overcome though, and Scizor is 2HKO’d by Surf. It still cannot beat Blissey except through Trick, and without Thunderbolt is forced out by Empoleon. Draco Meteor does a sizeable amount to Blissey though, and with Stealth Rock and Sandstorm, it will have to heal itself so it can come back in. Through this, Latias can utilize ‘trappers’ (Magnezone for Steel-types and strong CB Pursuiters for Blissey) to great effect. It also opens up opportunities for others to sweep by ripping holes in the opponent’s team. An offensively-inclined team will have little that can come in without fainting, and a defensively-inclined team will have holes torn in it before Latias goes down, allowing other sweepers to take advantage of their enemies’ weakened state and go for the kill. While Latias might not make it to the lategame phase with Tyranitar and Scizor running rampant and various priority users picking it off, it serves its team well and sweepers such as Infernape and Lucario which work better lategame will appreciate its presence.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Surf
move 3: Dragon Pulse / Thunderbolt
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Latias is naturally very fast, its Speed becomes tremendous when boosted by Choice Scarf, outspeeding every non-boosted Pokémon in OU. It can be used to revenge kill Dragon Dancers, most notably Salamence, take care of other Scarfers, and generally cover a team’s weakness to fast sweepers. It can also Trick its Scarf onto walls, shutting them down and giving it the versatility to change attacks.</p>
<p>Although the moveset is the same as the Specs set, Scarf Latias plays much differently. Although it can come in on its many resists, it also makes an effective revenge killer. You can play it safe and bring it in after DDMence KOs something else, or bring it in on the Dragon Dance. Scarf also makes for a safer item to Trick. Draco Meteor is still your main form of offense, although Surf and Dragon Pulse make nice accompanying moves. Thunderbolt is also usable, although it lacks the raw power against Water-types that Specs Latias can boast. In general, you should use Modest, because this Latias lacks power and has a ridiculous amount of Speed anyway. Timid can be used to outspeed +Speed Dragon Dancers and anything below 262 Speed that carries Agility, which is quite a high threshold. It is up to preference and should be changed based on what your team needs.</p>
<p>Scarf Latias is a good addition to any team with a Dragon Dancer weakness and gives security against fast sweepers which might otherwise rampage through a team. While this Latias can shut down Blissey with Trick, it isn’t the most reliable solution, and so your team should always be able to beat Blissey independently. Additionally, Choiced Psychic Pokémon are especially vulnerable to Pursuit, and so Pokémon that can take care of Scizor and Tyranitar are imperative. It is difficult to find anything that stops Scizor and Tyranitar together, although there are Pokémon that can accomplish this, such as mixed Metagross and Substitute Gengar with HP Fire (set up a Substitute on something Gengar forces out while they switch to Scizor/Tyranitar and then take them out with the respective super effective move). On a positive note, there are other sweepers, such as Lucario and Scizor, that can take advantage of Latias going down to something locked into Pursuit and get rid of Tyranitar (and to an extent, Scizor itself). Lastly, Steel-types in general complement Latias’s resistances and weaknesses.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb + Three Attacks
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Surf
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Recover
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb Latias takes the destructive power of the Choice Specs set and combines it with the ability to freely change attacks; although at the cost of some power and ten percent of Latias' health after each attack. Draco Meteor is Latias' strongest attack, capable of dealing 75.00% - 88.54% to max HP Zapdos, an OHKO when factoring in Stealth Rock damage. Draco Meteor even does 38.89% - 45.68% to min HP Heatran.</p>
<p>Surf pairs perfectly with Draco Meteor, giving Latias almost unresisted type coverage. Even with Sandstorm boosting Tyranitar's massive Special Defense, a Timid Life Orb Surf will deal 39.11% - 46.53% to a Tyranitar with max HP. If Latias predicts correctly and Surfs on the turn Tyranitar switches in, it can 2HKO Tyranitar before it has the chance to retaliate, factoring in Stealth Rock damage. Surf also deals 43.11% - 50.90% to max HP Scizor, a 97% chance to 2HKO if Scizor has taken Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>Thunderbolt deals with the few threats that don't mind taking Draco Meteor or Surf; namely, Suicune, Vaporeon, and especially Empoleon. Thunderbolt 2HKOes all the aforementioned Pokemon while providing Latias with another attack to hit Steel-types for neutral damage if it predicts incorrectly. Thunderbolt has the added advantage of KOing min HP Salamence if it has switched into Stealth Rock twice, without resorting to the Special Attack lowering Draco Meteor.</p>
<p>Timid secures all the OHKOs or 2HKOs that Modest accomplishes after Stealth Rock is taken into account, meaning Timid is almost always the superior option. With a Timid nature, Latias can switch in on Infernape, utilizing its resistances to Fire and Fighting, and KO it with Surf before it has the chance to launch another attack. It also allows Latias to outspeed all Salamence (except those with Choice Scarf) and KO them with Draco Meteor.</p>
<p>This set has much less trouble with Scizor and Tyranitar, as Surf does plenty of damage on the switch-in. In fact, Latias can deal much damage to most of its usual foes, except Blissey, so bring the usual physical sweepers. Metagross and Scizor work well here to take the incoming Ice attacks aimed at Latias, and to come in after Latias Draco Meteors and needs to switch. Metagross can blow up on any problems (although Meteor Mash should do a lot to any special walls) and Scizor can smash Mamoswine and put a dent in Dragon Dancing Salamence. Max HP Metagross can be a problem, as while Surf does on average around 38%, it only 3HKOs. Rotom-A cripples it and hacks away at it with Thunderbolt, while Magnezone traps and kills (although it has to beware of Life Orb Earthquake).</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screen
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Wish
move 4: Roar / Dragon Pulse / Safeguard
item: Light Clay
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Latias is perfect for pseudo-passing, with access to both screens and Wish. The fact that most players will expect a sweeper set and switch out is also helpful. The strategy here is to set up Reflect and Light Screen on a foe that is likely to attack, and then switch out to pass those defensive boosts to either a stat-up sweeper or a Baton Passer. Wish will ensure that whatever comes in next will start out with full health, and Roar will both prevent your opponent from setting up while you set the screens, and allow you to search for a better Pokemon to send your sweeper or Baton Passer out against.</p>
<p>Dragon Pulse (or even Draco Meteor) is an option over Roar if you want Latias to be able to attack directly, or if you fear being Taunted. However, this set’s primary goal involves being a team player, and staying in to attack is often a waste of the eight turns of screens. Still, you should not be afraid to let Latias receive its own Wish, as this will allow it to possibly set up screens again later in the match for a second sweeper or another Baton Pass. Safeguard can also be used to protect your sweeper as it switches it and sets up; however, it is often redundant to pass this to a Baton Passer since it will likely know Taunt and / or Substitute anyway.</p>
<p>This Latias is good support for its teammates. Any sort of frail setup sweeper (Lucario, Infernape, and to an extent things like Gyarados) loves screens, allowing it to set up its Substitutes and/or stat-up moves relatively invincible until it is ready to rampage. They also can come in again and again with Wish support. Baton Pass teams, especially ones utilizing strategies such as Screens passed to Gliscor, which Rock Polishes, Taunts phazers, Swords Dances, then passes to Metagross or another Pokémon, also might consider Latias to fulfil the role of dual screener, as it is fast, sturdy, and reliable.</p>
<p>This Latias does not fear Tyranitar and Scizor much at all with Reflect up, and can Roar them out before they cause it troubles. In fact, it is in essence purely a team player and does not require support at all. Thus, slot it in on frailer teams which need a fast screener.</p>
[SET]
Name: Ubers Calm Minder
Move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Recover / Roost
move 4: Grass Knot / Thunder / Refresh
item: Soul Dew
EVs: 112 HP / 192 Spe / 204 SpA
Nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Latias returns from the Advance generation into the treacherous grounds of the 4th generation Uber battling. In the faces of Kyogre and Palkia, she stands in their way from completely ripping apart an Uber team. With her incredible hold item, Soul Dew, Palkia’s Life Orbed Spacial Rend also fails to OHKO. Using her Speed, she can threaten an OHKO on Palkia with Dragon Pulse before Palkia delivers a finishing blow (Watch out for Choice Scarf versions). As for Kyogre, she stands without fear as its Ice Beam only does approximately 48% maximum, allowing Latias to Calm Mind and then Grass Knot or Thunder Kyogre into oblivion. With the help of Recover or Roost, Latias restores her health back into usability, and thus shines again in the battlefield, ready to take something else down. If the user is satisfied with only one offensive move, Refresh rids it of annoying status conditions like Toxic that malevolent beasts such as Fighting Arceus and Blissey enjoy inflicting on Latias, and the paralysis she might face when trying to switch into Kyogre's or Palkia's Thunder. Although Safeguard cannot stop any status it switches in on, it supports its team and keeps it safe for five turns, so is a decent alternative to Refresh. It can also make decent use of Substitute, although these variants of Latias are rare, and generally you will want to run the other suggested moves.</p>
<p>Thunderbolt is not mentioned anywhere in this set for a reason: Thunder does better. Yes, sunlight can appear to ruin Thunder’s accuracy, but one should know that the main reason Thunder is used is for Kyogre, Metagross, and the 30% paralysis chance. All Thunderbolt does is 2HKO Metagross after a Calm Mind, which isn't enough to prevent a Choice Banded Meteor Mash from crashing down on Latias.</p>
<p>Without Refresh or Safeguard, Latias goes down fast to Toxic and other statuses. Blissey carrying Aromatherapy solves this problem and is well worth considering. Although Thunder can deal with Metagross, Steel-types (mainly Scizor, as the others are relatively rare) are perennially problematic for it and can be trapped and obliterated by Magnezone, which also can come in on Dark, Dragon, Bug, Ice, and Ghost attacks, all of which Latias is weak to and are seen regularly enough in Ubers. It can also lure in Blissey and Explode it into oblivion. Tyranitar, Blissey, and Metagross make Latias’s life much harder, and in Ubers, unlike OU, it also struggles against Dialga. Choice Band Adamant Dugtrio ensnares these with Arena Trap and takes every single one out, although it generally has to revenge kill. Neither Wobbuffet nor Latias like Scizor, but Wobbuffet can often grab a free turn for Latias once Scizor’s gone.</p>
[SET]
Name: Ubers Wishpasser
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect / Recover
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Toxic / Grass Knot / Thunder / Calm Mind
item: Soul Dew
EVs: 112 HP / 192 Spe / 204 SpA
Nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A set exclusive to Latias. One may prefer this set over the previous set if his/her team is loaded with Pokémon that pack no recovery moves. Wish allows them to be healed. Protect allows Wish to heal Latias and scout for Choice Banded moves, but Recover’s instant recovery will be handy if you are facing a slow Pokémon with low health. Toxic works nicely in conjunction with Protect and Wish, while Grass Knot or Thunder gives more diversity in attacking. Calm Mind ensures that Latias is not defeated by other Calm Minders such as Kyogre. </p>
<p>Anything which will take a beating in the course of the battle, be it from Stealth Rock and Spikes or from general switching in, that cannot Recover away damage welcomes a Wishpasser, and Latias does this job well. It can help out almost anything, from Wobbuffet to Life Orbers such as Groudon. When working out what to place with this Latias, you should be instead working out what Latias can do for your other teammates, as this variant is only for support and thus does not really need any dedicated support of its own.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Although Latias has particularly good partners in both OU and Ubers, there are some universal things to consider. The first is that Steel-types and Fighting-types both make great offensive teammates. Steel-types are especially good because they shrug off every single type Latias is weak to, and Latias comes in on all their weaknesses with impunity.</p>
<p>Secondly, Scizor and Tyranitar are the main obstacles in Latias’s course. Scizor is easier to beat, as some sets have Hidden Power Fire as an option, and Reflect can be set up against Tyranitar. While Latias may eventually go down to both of them, there are Pokémon which can take advantage of the enemy being locked in or at least force them out—again, mainly Steel-types, such as Heatran, Lucario, and Scizor.</p>
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Latias is quite versatile, and fitting Latias in on a team depends on what you want Latias to do for it. For instance, the Specs set opens up holes in the opponent’s team for other sweepers to come in and tidy up, so lategame sweepers like Infernape work well with it. The Scarf set covers weaknesses to Dragon Dancers and other Scarfers. The Dual Screener is useful for a Baton Pass team or any kind of setup sweeper. The CM sets require more support from its teammates than the others, however, and so partnering them should be based on a combination of support options and the ability to counter each other’s weaknesses.</p>
<p>Most sets require some way of getting around Blissey, Tyranitar, and Scizor. Lucario, Substitute HP Fire Gengar, and other Scizor are all excellent partners therefore; Lucario loves coming in on a Choiced Dark attack and snatching a free Swords Dance, and Scizor resists Latias’s weaknesses and softens up the enemy, opening up opportunities to bring it in with STAB CB U-turn. Magnezone always helps, as it eliminates any Steel-types which are walling Latias’s Dragon-type attacks.</p>
<p>Latias does not enjoy Choice Banded priority (Bullet Punch and Ice Shard are the main problems), although neither of these can OHKO it from any of its users, as these attacks nullify its Speed and deal heavy damage. Therefore, it is recommended your team have a good check for these users, especially Mamoswine, and, as covered, Scizor. Gyarados is another good partner, with Intimidate, neutrality to Ice, and resistances against Bug and Steel.</p>
<p>Rotom-A definitely deserves a mention, as while it suffers from the Dark and Ghost weaks Latias does, it can cripple both Scizor and Tyranitar with Will-O-Wisp. Rotom-A does not really hurt Tyranitar without Hydro Pump, but can set up Reflect as well, and Thunderbolt does plenty to Scizor as it is.</p>
<h4>Ubers</h4>
<p>Latias’s main boast in Ubers is that it can switch in on Kyogre and support the team, as it is mostly outclassed in Calm Minding by Pokémon such as Mewtwo. With Soul Dew, however, it is still exceptional. Focus more on the team as a whole rather than supporting Latias itself. If your team is full of Life Orbers that cannot recover or Pokémon weak to Stealth Rock (such as Rayquaza), Latias helps out with Wish, and for more stallish teams, Latias can phaze and Thunder Wave.</p>
<p>Scizor is the main Steel-type used in Ubers, and Tyranitar pops up occasionally, so you will still need ways of getting around these. Blissey is just as omnipresent as well, and Ubers Blissey are even more specially defensive. Magnezone can trap Scizor and blow up on Blissey, and Pokémon like Dialga have problems with none of these.</p>
[Other Options]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Psycho Shift is a decent option on any of the sets besides Choice Specs/Scarf. Opponents will frequently try to take down Latias with poison or paralysis, and Psycho Shift is a great way to turn the tables on any team that employs this strategy. Beware, though, as Psycho Shift will not clear your status if the foe is already afflicted by a status of their own, so it is probably not a good idea to have Latias take a Thunder Wave or Toxic from something that is already paralyzed or poisoned.</p>
<p>Latias has access to both Ice Beam and Thunderbolt, which complement each other nicely. However, Ice Beam is almost totally redundant due to Latias’ STAB Dragon Pulse, and Thunderbolt has pretty lackluster coverage by itself. Still, if your team has trouble with Gyarados or Empoleon, you may want to try out Thunderbolt, as it is Latias’ best option against both of those foes.</p>
<p>Latias’ STAB Psychic can sometimes be useful to deal with Fighting-types such as Machamp and Heracross, and its neutral damage is the same as that of Dragon Pulse. However, Psychic has notoriously poor type coverage, and it makes Latias even more vulnerable to the already troublesome Tyranitar and Scizor. Surf or Hidden Power Fire are almost always more useful, since they deal reasonable damage to the Steel-types that frequently switch into Latias.</p>
<p>Latias is also a good supporter, and utility sets can be constructed according to a team’s needs. Latias can fulfil the role of bulky and speedy Thunder Waver, phaze with Roar, set up screens, and protect its partners with Safeguard. While these are all good moves, you may struggle to find a free moveslot for them on the more offensive sets.</p>
<h4>Ubers</h4>
<p>Roar allows Latias to phaze other Calm Minders trying to set up on her, such as Blissey and Arceus. Psycho Shift allows Latias to transfer status inflicted on her to the opponent, but as an anti-status move, it pales in comparison to Refresh and Safeguard. Speaking of Safeguard, it is an option over Refresh since it protects Latias and the entire team from all status for five turns. However, it should be noted that an Icy Wind/Toxic Blissey can run over Safeguard, as Icy Wind will chill Latias’ Speed into pieces, and then Blissey can proceed to Toxic Latias before a Safeguard is set up. Hidden Power Fire and Dragon Pulse are unresisted by anything but Heatran, and will help Latias fend off those nasty Steels such as Metagross, Scizor and Forretress. However, Latias will lose the ability to beat Calm Mind / Rest Kyogre one on one. Psychic allows Latias to hurt Fighting Arceus. Finally, Draco Meteor is always available as an option if one wants to score some KOs where Dragon Pulse cannot, but it should generally be left to Latios, where he can use his higher Special Attack to score an instant OHKO on Mewtwo. Don’t bother with Ice Beam—it fails to OHKO Groudon so one might as well use Dragon Pulse for the better coverage in the Uber metagame.</p>
<p>Latias is fairly adept at setting up a Light Screen with her massive Special Defense, allowing her to take special attacks like they’re banana peels flung at her. Reflect is also an option, but her significantly lower Defense does not help with that. Lugia sets up Reflect better thanks to its much higher Defense. Healing Wish is quite gimmicky, as most of the time, sacrificing Latias is not worth it. Finally, Latias learns Charm, but Reflect is generally superior to it because the opponent could switch out of Charm, and the fact that Charm fails to touch Metagross thanks to Clear Body.</p>
<p>Trick is viable, allowing Latias to become a revenge killer of sorts with Choice Scarf, which is 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, Latias won't like being without Soul Dew, and often enough Latios is slightly better at drawing in Blissey.</p>
[EVs]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>On the offensive sets, with Timid you should always use either 252 or 176 Speed EVs. The former will outspeed anything with lower Speed than Latias, and will allow Latias to Speed tie with other Latias and Gengar. The latter will allow Latias to outspeed any base 100 Speed Pokemon, and will give you some extra EVs to improve Latias’ attacking power or its bulk. If your Latias is Modest, it should be given at least 204 Speed EVs to outrun +Speed Lucario and Porygon-Z. 252 Speed EVs can also be used, but the only even remotely common Pokemon this will really allow you to outspeed is Electivire.</p>
<p>The defensive sets should always run at least 28 Speed EVs. This allows Latias to outspeed any Metagross, +Speed Tyranitar, or Breloom, as well as Adamant Gyarados. If you are using a specially defensive set, then 112 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature will let Latias switch into Stealth Rock and take two Dragon Pulses from Modest Heatran. On a physically defensive set, your best bet is to simply max out Latias’ HP, put 28 points in Speed, and everything else into Defense, as Latias’ Special Defense is high enough that Latias can easily take a Special hit even without any EV investment.</p>
<h4>Ubers</h4>
<p>There really is no Latias that should be used with lower than 307 Speed. In fact, Latias 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 Latias' EVs and nature for something else, he/she may want to go with 307 Speed, which requires 204 EVs if Latias has a neutral Speed nature. Next is max Speed with a neutral nature (319 Speed, 252 EVs). This allows Latias 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 and Latios. Next is 334 Speed, which requires 192 Speed, if one is paranoid of Garchomp in Ubers. Due to Garchomp's presence, this Speed setting is highly recommended. Latias can outspeed a neutral max Speed Arceus with 216 EVs in Speed, putting her at 341 Speed in the stat. Finally, there’s max Speed as an option. With absolute max Speed, Latias can outspeed every single aforementioned threat, neutral max Speed Darkrai, and Hidden Power Fire Latios or Latias, all of them topping at 349 as opposed to Latias’ 350.</p>
<p>When Latias’ Speed is built to outspeed Palkia and Garchomp, she must carry at least 307 Special Attack (204 EVs with a non boosting nature) to guarantee an OHKO against Palkia with Dragon Pulse. 307 Special Attack means that Dragon Pulse does 324 damage minimum against Palkia. Another option available is to drop her Special Attack down to 265 (36 EVs). This will leave Latias with plenty of EVs to spare, while still OHKOing Palkia with Dragon Pulse after Stealth Rock damage. Be aware that she loses the ability to 2HKO Groudon with Dragon Pulse, as well as 2HKOing Scizor with Thunder.</p>
<p>With no Defense EVs at all, Latias needs at least 120 EVs in HP to guarantee survival against a Choice Banded Meteor Mash from a Metagross with 375 Attack.</p>
[Opinion]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Latias is in no way a Pokemon to be taken lightly. With excellent all-around stats, two powerful STAB attacks which are resisted by very few Pokemon, and a huge usable movepool, Latias is both an offensive and defensive powerhouse. Although it generally does not have the unpredictability of mixed sweepers such as Salamence and Infernape, Latias more than makes up for it with its superior overall defenses and its far superior Speed stat. Latias is the only bulky Pokemon in OU with over 100 base Speed, a title previously held solely by Garchomp.</p>
<p>Latias’ biggest pitfall is its weakness to Dark and Bug-type attacks. It is very difficult for Latias to avoid being taken out or at least crippled by Choice Band Tyranitar, and Scizor’s U-turn will force Latias to switch out, giving the opponent the upper hand with the advantageous U-turn switch. Reflect can handle this to an extent, but Latias will still likely lose more than half its health against either of these Pokemon even with Reflect up, unless it is running a very defensive EV spread.</p>
<h4>Ubers</h4>
<p>Latias is an amazing Pokémon. With her high Special Attack, Speed and Special Defense, she is regarded as one of the best Kyogre counters. This makes Latias fit easier into a team compared to Latios for many players. Even with Latios’ boosted Special Attack, he can’t even touch Blissey, something that both twins often note as their nemesis. One thing Latios has over Latias is the ability to 2HKO Metagross with Thunder without any Calm Minds, but at the same time, Latias is capable of surviving a Choice Banded Meteor Mash, almost neutralizing that advantage. Latios' other advantages are OHKOing Mewtwo with Draco Meteor and 2HKOing Tyranitar with an unboosted Grass knot. Let’s not forget that Latias packs handy resistances and an Earthquake immunity, allowing her to switch in on many moves in the Uber metagame. Her job in the metagame is done through the item Soul Dew, boosting her already massive special stats even higher.</p>
[Counters]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>Tyranitar is Latias’ single greatest counter. Only the Specs set even has a chance to 2HKO Tyranitar, and if it invests in Special Defense then Latias cannot 2HKO without Grass Knot. Even if you feel uncomfortable switching Tyranitar in for fear of a Surf, it can easily revenge kill any Latias with Pursuit.</p>
<p>Scizor is probably the second most popular Latias counter. While it cannot switch into Surf or Hidden Power Fire, many Latias run only a Dragon-type attack or Choice Specs, meaning that Scizor can often come in and U-turn or Pursuit while taking under 30% damage.</p>
<p>Just about any Steel-type Pokemon can easily switch into Latias, as long as it is careful to avoid Hidden Power Fire or a Choice Specs Surf. Metagross is especially good among these, since its powerful physical attacks and decent Special Defense will usually force Latias to switch or be KOed. Metagross can also use Pursuit to take out Latias even if it switches. Because of Latias' naturally high Speed, Bronzong can do large amounts of damage with Gyro Ball, while its own high Special Defense means it can take Latias' Surfs a lot easier.</p>
<p>Blissey makes an excellent counter to almost any Latias set, either by taking it out with Toxic or by crippling it with Thunder Wave to let a teammate finish the job. Anything with high Special Defense and Toxic, such as Vaporeon or Cresselia, can beat Latias similarly. However, if Latias is using Refresh, then these Pokemon will be nothing but set-up bait, so it is strongly recommended that you pack an additional counter. Blissey also must watch out for Trick coming from the Choice Specs set.</p>
<p>Latias does not enjoy taking Ice Shards, as they hit its weaker Defense stat and bypass its excellent speed. Still, Latias cannot be OHKOed by any Pokemon’s Ice Shard, so if you are revenge killing with Mamoswine or Donphan be sure it has taken some prior damage.</p>
<h4>Ubers</h4>
<p>If Blissey has Toxic, it will always beat Latias without Safeguard, Refresh, or Psycho Shift. Even if it has Safeguard, Icy Wind can allow Blissey to get in a Toxic before Latias 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 they also have Seismic Toss. Tyranitar and its massive Special Defense will allow it to easily switch into Latias and beat her down with a Choice Banded Crunch. Even a Soul Dew boosted Grass Knot is incapable of 2HKOing Tyranitar (assuming that he is carrying Special Defense EVs). If Latias is not packing Thunder or Hidden Power Fire, Scizor can switch in and deal massive damage with U-turn, or punish a fleeing Latias with Pursuit.</p>
<p>Metagross is a great check thanks to resistance to Dragon Pulse, Grass Knot, and Ice Beam, meaning it really only has to worry about Thunder and Hidden Power Fire. It has a chance to OHKO Latias with a Choice Band Meteor Mash (guaranteed after Stealth Rock damage), and a Choice Band Pursuit will do even more on the switch. Dark / Bug Arceus can Calm Mind alongside Latias and eventually beat her down with a super effective Judgment. Ghost Arceus takes less than 50% from an unboosted Dragon Pulse and 2HKOs back with Shadow Claw. Steel Arceus will resist a lot of Latias's attacks, much in the same way Metagross does. Registeel’s massive Special Defense allows it to take anything but Thunder and Hidden Power Fire (unless the weather is favorable for Registeel), and beat Latias with Ice Punch.</p>
<p>As for the revenge killing, Deoxys-A and its high attack will OHKO Latias with a Choice Banded Ice Punch. A Choice Scarfed Heracross can Megahorn Latias before she does anything.</p>
<p>The move Knock Off really hurts Latias, as Soul Dew is her key to success. However, it should be not much of a worry, as the only notable user of Knock Off is Deoxys-D, who is quite uncommon.</p>
