[OVERVIEW]
Tailwind is an excellent form of Speed control and Latias sets itself apart thanks to its wonderful typing helping it out with prominent DOU Pokemon such as Kartana, Mega Charizard Y, Landorus-T, and Zapdos. Heal Pulse and Ally Switch are also great support moves that can make Latias’s allies really shine. However, even with a Z-move to help it out, Latias can be overly passive at times. Latias is also pretty vulnerable to some big names in DOU—namely Incineroar, Mega Metagross, Genesect, and Trick Room—and really can’t do much to punish those.
[SET]
name: Tailwind Support
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Heal Pulse / Ally Switch
item: Psychium Z
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 84 HP / 172 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Psychic hits plenty of the metagame neutrally and is, thus, the preferred STAB move, hitting miscellaneous Pokémon it checks mostly all across the board, especially when powered up into a Shattered Psyche. Ice Beam is quite important for the matchup against Kartana, Landorus-T, and Zygarde. Icy Wind is an option over Ice Beam for yet another form of Speed control that behaves differently to that of Tailwind, but the added power of Ice Beam is valuable, especially for the likes of Kartana and Mega Salamence. Tailwind is one of Latias’s main selling points, and provides invaluable support. The choice between Heal Pulse and Ally Switch mostly comes down to team composition. The former can help allies like Tapu Fini or Landorus-T get some health back whereas the latter gives offensive teammates like Kartana get opportunities to attack or set up a Substitute.
Set Details
========
Psychium Z remedies part of Latias’s passivity and makes it more immediate of a threat to the Pokémon it’s supposed to take care of. Wiki Berry is also a good item choice alongside an EV spread of 216 HP / 80 Def / 76 SpA / 136 Spe with a Timid nature. This set has enough Speed for Kyurem-B, can OHKO uninvested Mega Salamence with Ice Beam and tanks a Draco Meteor from Modest Kingdra at full. The remainder of EVs are invested on Defense for a better Kartana matchup. Levitate is its only ability, but it notably makes Latias immune to Landorus-T’s Tectonic Rage. The EV spread lets Latias KO bulky Landorus-T lacking Yache Berry with Ice Beam. Full Speed investment is important alongiside a Timid nature to outrun Kartana. But if Kartana isn’t too much of an issue to your team, 136 Speed EVs can be used instead to outrun Hasty Kyurem-B. The rest of the EVs are pooled into HP for added bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Latias’s main intent is to set up Tailwind to support its allies, thus, unless you’re paired against a Trick Room team or damage is preferred over Speed control, Latias should go for Tailwind as soon as it can in most scenarios. Heal Pulse or Ally Switch should also be used for supportive means, but more often than not, Tailwind is the top priority. Latias can often switch into powerful offensive behemoths such as Kartana and Mega Charizard Y courtesy of its typing, so take full advantage of these situations to bring Latias in. However, whenever Latias is on field you should be mindful of threats like Incineroar or Mega Metagross, and try to keep an ally capable of punishing the aforementioned whenever Latias is on field. Latias’s Z-move should be used to make up for its passiveness, for an immediate hit to Pokémon it’s supposed to handle, like Mega Manectric and Mega Charizard Y. If not packing a Z-move try to make it so Latias gets to eat consume Wiki Berry by pivoting it on weaker moves tl get it to 25% if it's close to such range.
Team Options
========
Tyranitar is a notable ally, as it tackles Incineroar and appreciates Latias taking care of Kartana and providing Heal Pulse support. Volcanion covers Mega Metagross and appreciates all three of Latias’s support moves, especially Ally Switch on a Stomping Tantrum of the aforementioned Mega Metagross. Incineroar is also notable, providing Fake Out to help Latias set up Tailwind, and taking care of the Steel-types that wall Latias and being capable of pivoting into other teammates to make use of Latias’s Tailwind. Speaking of making use of Tailwind. Hard hitting allies like Kyurem-B and Mega Charizard Y greatly appreciate the added turns, and the same is true for users of spread moves such as Landorus-T, Zygarde, and the aforementioned Tyranitar. Lastly, Trick Room countermeasures like Taunt users, Fake Out users, and Amoongus pair nicely, as Latias is completely helpless against this playstyle.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Helping Hand can bestow teammates with a powerful strike to make up for Latias passiveness. Toxic enables Latias to cripple Chansey, making it so it can't Soft-Boiled stall special attacking allies. Healing Wish is an option to give teammates a second chance once Latias is already low at health.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Incineroar completely walls Latias and can freely come in whenever Latias is out on the field. Hoopa-U and formes of Tyranitar also don’t mind anything Latias can throw at them.
**Steel-types**: The combo of Psychic and Ice is evidently resisted by Steel-types, thus the likes of Mega Metagross and Genesect really don’t mind Latias and can get ample opportunities to come in if Latias’s ally can’t take care of them.
**Trick Room**: Not only does Latias struggle to do anything to the Trick Room setters: Stakataka, Bronzong, Cresselia, and even Porygon2 to a smaller extent; but it also is completely vulnerable to the speed-inverted condition.
**Taunt**: Latias is extremely vulnerable to this move as it completely shuts down Latias's supportive options and Latias is already very passive so it can't punish it. Users of the move include most notably Tapu Koko, which outspeeds, but also Gothitelle, Scarfty, and Tapu Lele.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Name, ID]]
- Quality checked by: [[name, ID], [name, ID]]
- Grammar checked by: [[name, ID], [name, ID]]
Tailwind is an excellent form of Speed control and Latias sets itself apart thanks to its wonderful typing helping it out with prominent DOU Pokemon such as Kartana, Mega Charizard Y, Landorus-T, and Zapdos. Heal Pulse and Ally Switch are also great support moves that can make Latias’s allies really shine. However, even with a Z-move to help it out, Latias can be overly passive at times. Latias is also pretty vulnerable to some big names in DOU—namely Incineroar, Mega Metagross, Genesect, and Trick Room—and really can’t do much to punish those.
[SET]
name: Tailwind Support
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Heal Pulse / Ally Switch
item: Psychium Z
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 84 HP / 172 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Psychic hits plenty of the metagame neutrally and is, thus, the preferred STAB move, hitting miscellaneous Pokémon it checks mostly all across the board, especially when powered up into a Shattered Psyche. Ice Beam is quite important for the matchup against Kartana, Landorus-T, and Zygarde. Icy Wind is an option over Ice Beam for yet another form of Speed control that behaves differently to that of Tailwind, but the added power of Ice Beam is valuable, especially for the likes of Kartana and Mega Salamence. Tailwind is one of Latias’s main selling points, and provides invaluable support. The choice between Heal Pulse and Ally Switch mostly comes down to team composition. The former can help allies like Tapu Fini or Landorus-T get some health back whereas the latter gives offensive teammates like Kartana get opportunities to attack or set up a Substitute.
Set Details
========
Psychium Z remedies part of Latias’s passivity and makes it more immediate of a threat to the Pokémon it’s supposed to take care of. Wiki Berry is also a good item choice alongside an EV spread of 216 HP / 80 Def / 76 SpA / 136 Spe with a Timid nature. This set has enough Speed for Kyurem-B, can OHKO uninvested Mega Salamence with Ice Beam and tanks a Draco Meteor from Modest Kingdra at full. The remainder of EVs are invested on Defense for a better Kartana matchup. Levitate is its only ability, but it notably makes Latias immune to Landorus-T’s Tectonic Rage. The EV spread lets Latias KO bulky Landorus-T lacking Yache Berry with Ice Beam. Full Speed investment is important alongiside a Timid nature to outrun Kartana. But if Kartana isn’t too much of an issue to your team, 136 Speed EVs can be used instead to outrun Hasty Kyurem-B. The rest of the EVs are pooled into HP for added bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Latias’s main intent is to set up Tailwind to support its allies, thus, unless you’re paired against a Trick Room team or damage is preferred over Speed control, Latias should go for Tailwind as soon as it can in most scenarios. Heal Pulse or Ally Switch should also be used for supportive means, but more often than not, Tailwind is the top priority. Latias can often switch into powerful offensive behemoths such as Kartana and Mega Charizard Y courtesy of its typing, so take full advantage of these situations to bring Latias in. However, whenever Latias is on field you should be mindful of threats like Incineroar or Mega Metagross, and try to keep an ally capable of punishing the aforementioned whenever Latias is on field. Latias’s Z-move should be used to make up for its passiveness, for an immediate hit to Pokémon it’s supposed to handle, like Mega Manectric and Mega Charizard Y. If not packing a Z-move try to make it so Latias gets to eat consume Wiki Berry by pivoting it on weaker moves tl get it to 25% if it's close to such range.
Team Options
========
Tyranitar is a notable ally, as it tackles Incineroar and appreciates Latias taking care of Kartana and providing Heal Pulse support. Volcanion covers Mega Metagross and appreciates all three of Latias’s support moves, especially Ally Switch on a Stomping Tantrum of the aforementioned Mega Metagross. Incineroar is also notable, providing Fake Out to help Latias set up Tailwind, and taking care of the Steel-types that wall Latias and being capable of pivoting into other teammates to make use of Latias’s Tailwind. Speaking of making use of Tailwind. Hard hitting allies like Kyurem-B and Mega Charizard Y greatly appreciate the added turns, and the same is true for users of spread moves such as Landorus-T, Zygarde, and the aforementioned Tyranitar. Lastly, Trick Room countermeasures like Taunt users, Fake Out users, and Amoongus pair nicely, as Latias is completely helpless against this playstyle.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Helping Hand can bestow teammates with a powerful strike to make up for Latias passiveness. Toxic enables Latias to cripple Chansey, making it so it can't Soft-Boiled stall special attacking allies. Healing Wish is an option to give teammates a second chance once Latias is already low at health.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Incineroar completely walls Latias and can freely come in whenever Latias is out on the field. Hoopa-U and formes of Tyranitar also don’t mind anything Latias can throw at them.
**Steel-types**: The combo of Psychic and Ice is evidently resisted by Steel-types, thus the likes of Mega Metagross and Genesect really don’t mind Latias and can get ample opportunities to come in if Latias’s ally can’t take care of them.
**Trick Room**: Not only does Latias struggle to do anything to the Trick Room setters: Stakataka, Bronzong, Cresselia, and even Porygon2 to a smaller extent; but it also is completely vulnerable to the speed-inverted condition.
**Taunt**: Latias is extremely vulnerable to this move as it completely shuts down Latias's supportive options and Latias is already very passive so it can't punish it. Users of the move include most notably Tapu Koko, which outspeeds, but also Gothitelle, Scarfty, and Tapu Lele.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Name, ID]]
- Quality checked by: [[name, ID], [name, ID]]
- Grammar checked by: [[name, ID], [name, ID]]
Last edited:
