[OVERVIEW]
Latias is the only Dragon / Psychic type in the tier, which means that it's an answer to Fighting-, Fire-, Water-, Grass-, Electric-, and Psychic-types. The combination of all these resistances is unique to only Latias and allows it to answer potent wallbreakers like Infernape and Breloom, which very few Pokemon can do. Furthermore, it's completely immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes thanks to Levitate, and it's also not weak to Stealth Rock, which means it's more resistant to all entry hazards than most Pokemon. Latias has such a vast array of move options that it can perform many different roles. With all these traits, Latias boasts near-unparalleled role compression, allowing it to fit wonderfully on almost any team and pair well with almost every Pokemon individually. Its stats are also nothing to scoff at, with monstrous Special Defense as well as impressive Special Attack and Speed.
The main thing that holds Latias back is its susceptibility to Tyranitar, which can switch in, take Latias's Draco Meteor or even Surf, and trap it with Pursuit while threatening a powerful STAB-boosted Crunch. Latias's presence means Tyranitar is often equipped with increased Special Defense investment, which can allow it to take even a Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor when healthy and still survive another one. Latias can also have a very hard time versus many Steel-types like Jirachi, Bronzong, Metagross, Empoleon, and even Magnezone, which can take a Draco Meteor or Surf decently well provided that Latias doesn't hold Choice Specs. Even if Latias forces a KO with its strong Draco Meteor, Tyranitar can easily revenge kill it, or another Pokemon can take advantage of Latias's lowered Special Attack. Besides Tyranitar and Steel-types, bulky special walls like Blissey and Clefable can take any attack and have high potential to force Latias out with the threat of a status move or chip damage from Seismic Toss and Ice Beam.
It's not all black and white, however, because Latias's astronomical movepool enables creativity and counterplay to its common checks with moves like Trick and Thunder Wave. While Latias cannot avoid its biggest flaw, which is its susceptibility to some of the top threats in the OU metagame compared to other Pokemon, it has so many positive attributes that it's a fantastic fit on almost any team.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Fire
move 3: Surf
move 4: Sleep Talk / Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Latias's Draco Meteor is the strongest in DPP OU, and the Choice Specs set takes advantage of this by powering it up as much as possible without having to set up with Calm Mind. Anything that doesn't resist the move, excluding Blissey, will take a large chunk of damage; even some of the frailer Pokemon that resist it like Lucario can take upwards of 75% from just one.
Dragon Pulse is nice for taking advantage of Latias's devastating Dragon-type STAB without lowering its Special Attack with each use. Hidden Power Fire is an alternative to super effectively hit meddling Steel-types like Scizor, Jirachi, Metagross, and Bronzong for as much damage as possible. Also, when opting for Sleep Talk, Dragon Pulse should always be used instead of Hidden Power Fire because Sleep Talk fails after one use with a Choice item on hand in DPP, and it wants to use Dragon-type attacks as consistently as possible.
Surf hits most Steel-types with neutral damage, hits Heatran super effectively, and hits hard enough with Choice Specs to do decent damage to all offensive Jirachi variants, Metagross, and even Bronzong. Water- and Dragon-type attacks boast nearly perfect coverage; Empoleon is the only Pokemon that resists both types, and it will still take a ton of damage from Draco Meteor or even Dragon Pulse unless it is a specially defensive variant.
Sleep Talk fits wonderfully on Latias, as it resists the typical attacks from the most common sleep inducers in the metagame, Breloom and Roserade. This comes with a risk, however, of Breloom using Substitute before Spore or Roserade using Stun Spore; rarely, Roserade can use moves like Hidden Power Ice or even Sludge Bomb, which deal a decent amount of damage to Latias. Because Latias has such potent coverage via its Dragon-type attacks and Surf alone, it is still difficult to switch into even while it's asleep. Alternatively, if you don't need a sleep absorber, Trick is a wonderful option to cripple opposing Blissey and Clefable on the switch. It can also cripple threats like specially defensive Jirachi and bulkier variants of Bronzong.
Set Details
========
Special Attack and Speed are maximized to make Latias as powerful and as fast as possible, which maximizes its effectiveness as a Choice Specs user. A Timid nature is recommended to outspeed crucial threats like Infernape, Jirachi, Shaymin, and non-Choice Scarf Flygon; it can also let Latias Speed tie with Gengar, which is very significant. However, note that by opting for Hidden Power Fire, Latias will be slower than Gengar.
Alternatively, a Modest nature turns Latias into a terrifying powerhouse at the cost of being slower than Infernape, Gengar, and potentially other base 100 Speed Pokemon. Tyranitar needs to have great investment in bulk to survive two Draco Meteors from Modest Choice Specs Latias, especially after Stealth Rock damage. Clefable also can't switch in nearly as safely, as with a Modest nature, Draco Meteor is quite likely to 2HKO it. The increased damage rolls also are quite favorable versus many variants of Jirachi, so Modest Latias can actually function as a stallbreaker. Dragon Pulse becomes quite strong and can go as far as to 3HKO certain offensive variants of Jirachi. In reality, Infernape is the biggest loss when opting for Modest, so this nature can be fantastic if your team covers Infernape extremely well.
Usage Tips
========
Try to chip Tyranitar as much as possible with supporting teammates so it's more difficult for it to switch in safely and trap Latias with Pursuit. Use Latias's incredible typing to pivot into resisted attacks, and take advantage of double switches early-game to keep it safe from Tyranitar. Try to scout as much as possible before you unleash Draco Meteor, because after a Special Attack drop, Steel-types and even some bulkier sweepers like Dragon Dance Tyranitar can take advantage of Latias. Using Surf early on will allow Latias to hit Steel-types that switch in to eat a Dragon-type attack; this notably will often catch Heatran. When using Trick, you can consider using it early on versus noticeably bulky builds with Pokemon like Hippowdon and Clefable to catch your opponent by surprise and immediately cripple their long-lasting wall, but these builds can also have Choice Scarf Tyranitar, so you'll have to verify that it isn't in the picture if you don't want to risk getting trapped. Hidden Power Fire will often catch Jirachi, Metagross, and Bronzong off guard, especially early-game. Levitate is extremely useful, so take advantage of it by punishing bad locks like Earthquake from Choice Scarf Flygon or Choice Band Swampert. Because of its many resistances, Latias can also punish many locks like Thunderbolt from Choice Scarf Rotom-A and even Fire Punch from Choice Scarf Jirachi.
Team Options
========
Choice Specs Latias doesn't need too much support, but anything that assists in wearing down Tyranitar and Steel-types will be especially beneficial. Magnezone traps pesky Steel-types, which makes Latias's Draco Meteor that much more threatening. Also, Tyranitar will frequently switch into Magnezone to take its powerful Thunderbolt, which will put it in a good range for Latias to feel more comfortable staying in. Your own Tyranitar can support Latias wonderfully by using Pursuit to trap revenge killers like Choice Scarf Rotom-A and opposing Choice Scarf Latias. Swampert has strong offensive synergy with Latias, and it can also switch into Jirachi, Metagross, Bronzong, and Heatran and threaten them with its STAB Earthquake and Waterfall; Skarmory will also be baited in and pressured by Waterfall and even the occasional Hydro Pump. Latias in turn supports Swampert defensively, as it resists Grass-type attacks aimed at Swampert and can absorb sleep from Breloom and Roserade, two Pokemon that Swampert detests. Pokemon like Bronzong, Zapdos, and Gliscor are very effective versus Flygon, which can give Latias some trouble with its threatening Choice Scarf set. Steel-types pair very well with Latias by switching into Dragon-type attacks aimed at it, while Latias covers their Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type weaknesses. Dugtrio can trap Steel-types and Tyranitar, which gives Choice Specs Latias a lot more freedom to switch in and devastate the opposing team. Lucario has incredible offensive synergy with Latias, and the Choice Specs set assists Lucario by wearing down its checks and having Tyranitar lock itself into Pursuit so Lucario can set up Swords Dance freely.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Thunderbolt / Sleep Talk / Recover
move 3: Surf
move 4: Trick / Healing Wish
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
With a high Speed tier, excellent Special Attack, decent bulk, and great typing, Latias can function as a solid revenge killer. Draco Meteor is Latias's most powerful attack, which it needs in order to hit as hard as possible and to revenge kill Pokemon like Flygon, Dragonite, Kingdra, and even Gengar. Even without Choice Specs or Life Orb, Latias's Draco Meteor is still extremely powerful, and almost nothing will enjoy switching into it.
Thunderbolt is preferred in the second slot to revenge kill Dragon Dance Gyarados, and it makes for more consistency against Skarmory and Water-types like Suicune and Milotic. Be aware, however, that Thunderbolt can be an exploitable lock because Ground-types can come in and force Latias out. Alternatively, Sleep Talk can be used to make Choice Scarf Latias a sleep absorber, but it's significantly worse at this role than Choice Specs variants, as it needs to be awake to be an effective revenge killer, it loses important coverage in Thunderbolt, and it's weaker. Alternatively, after using Trick to give up its Choice Scarf, Latias can take advantage of Recover, which can be a cool option to improve its overall longevity.
Surf combines very well with Latias's Dragon-type STAB attack to give it almost completely unresisted offensive coverage that is resisted only by Empoleon. Surf also hits Heatran super effectively, which would otherwise come in on Choice Scarf Latias quite easily. Even then, Surf shouldn't do a large amount of damage to Heatran, especially bulkier ones, but it's Latias's best practical weapon against it.
Trick is a great choice on Choice Scarf Latias to cripple threats that otherwise completely wall it. Blissey, Clefable, bulkier Tyranitar variants, and even specially defensive Jirachi will all despise receiving a Choice Scarf. Sleep Talk + Trick is actually a nice combination because it allows Latias to use Sleep Talk again if it uses Trick during its first turn of sleep. Alternatively, Healing Wish is a fantastic option on Latias, especially for more offensive teams, to restore a weakened teammate. Since Choice Scarf Latias forces many switches, it can effectively use Healing Wish on the switch, allowing its teammate to come in safely.
Set Details
========
Latias's Special Attack and Speed are maximized to make it as powerful and as fast as possible with Choice Scarf, even outspeeding threats as fast as +2 Agility Metagross and +2 Dragon Dance Tyranitar; note, however, that Latias cannot properly revenge kill Tyranitar unless it's significantly weakened. If not using Trick, Latias can opt for some arbitrary bulk with a spread of 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe, but it may lose out on outspeeding +2 Agility Metagross. Although this isn't too big of a deal, since Latias cannot deal that much damage to it regardless, it's advised to not forego Trick on teams that may have difficulty with Metagross.
Usage Tips
========
Try to conserve Choice Scarf Latias for as long as possible so that it's around to revenge kill late-game Dragon Dance sweepers or even shut down other setup sweepers like Calm Mind Suicune and Calm Mind Clefable with Trick. Use double switches to your advantage to try to avoid Tyranitar Pursuit trapping Latias. Be particularly careful when using Draco Meteor, because after a Special Attack drop, Latias will be very weak and can be exploited by a large portion of the metagame. Try to wear down Steel-types with teammates so that it's harder for the opponent to play around Latias.
Team Options
========
Since Choice Scarf Latias cannot revenge kill Swords Dance Lucario and Dragon Dance Tyranitar and is susceptible to Dragon Dance Dragonite's Extreme Speed, some additional support to check these sweepers is very beneficial. Shuca Berry Jirachi can check all three with Fire Punch, Iron Head, and Ice Punch; it can even serve as a secondary check to Gyarados with Thunderbolt, allowing Latias to opt for a different move like Sleep Talk or Recover. Infernape with Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave can revenge kill Dragon Dance Tyranitar and Swords Dance Lucario and has nice offensive synergy with Latias. Lucario with Bullet Punch can function as a revenge killer for Dragon Dance Tyranitar and even use its Extreme Speed to give Dragonite trouble. Latias and Lucario are a wonderful offensive pair in general with immaculate type synergy, and they each give each other opportunities very well via locking a Tyranitar into Pursuit for Lucario and taking advantage of Tyranitar and chipping Jirachi for Latias. Anything that assists in wearing down Tyranitar will give Latias significantly more freedom to come in and revenge kill opposing Pokemon with less risk. Magnezone can both chip down Tyranitar with its Thunderbolt and trap Steel-types that check Latias, especially Scizor, which can come in and threaten to trap it with Pursuit or do massive damage with its powerful Bullet Punch. Rotom-A can use Will-O-Wisp to bait and cripple Tyranitar with a burn. Heatran can also do the same thing with Will-O-Wisp or even Toxic. Roserade and Nidoqueen can provide Toxic Spikes support, which can poison Tyranitar on the switch, giving Latias a bit more breathing room.
[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Roar / Refresh / Substitute
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Latias's natural bulk, incredible defensive typing, near-unresisted Dragon-type STAB coverage, and astronomical Special Defense allow it to effectively fill the niche of a defensive Calm Mind Pokemon. By increasing its Special Attack and Special Defense, Latias can better take attacks like Ice Beam and Shadow Ball from a myriad of Pokemon as well as more effectively shut down Zapdos and Water-types. Its Dragon Pulse, although not so strong with minimal Special Attack investment, will sting Pokemon that don't resist the attack, especially with a few boosts under its belt. Another downside to this move is its limited PP; however, it's the strongest choice for the set.
Roar is extremely effective at phazing Steel-types and Tyranitar that try to come in and give Latias trouble, forcing them to take damage from entry hazards. Also, opposing Calm Mind users like Clefable, Suicune, and Jirachi will have a much tougher time against Latias due to being phazed as they try to set up. Refresh is an interesting alternative that allows Latias to cure status like poison from Toxic and burns from Will-O-Wisp, but it may struggle to cure paralysis because of Pokemon that take advantage of paralysis like Jirachi that will switch in and counter this set if they pack Iron Head.
Substitute may be an interesting alternative to Refresh that directly blocks status moves from Pokemon like Heatran and slower variants of Celebi. Some Calm Mind boosts can also be enough to prevent Ice Beam from breaking Latias's Substitute, which reduces the threat of freeze. That said, Seismic Toss from Blissey and Clefable breaks Latias's Substitute, unlike other Substitute + Calm Mind users like Suicune and Jirachi. Although Substitute is better at blocking paralysis from slower Pokemon like bulky variants of Jirachi, Refresh does just as good of a job against a status-inducing Heatran, has more PP, and doesn't force Latias to use Recover as often. Recover is essential to keep it healthy and secure as many opportunities to set up and inflict pressure on the opposing team as possible.
Set Details
========
Defensive Calm Mind Latias wants as much HP as possible for its overall bulk. Significant Defense investment and a Bold nature combined with this will give Latias the ability to take physical hits decently well while it boosts with Calm Mind. 56 Speed EVs are used to outspeed Modest Kingdra and Modest Calm Mind + Roar Suicune, allowing Latias to strike Kingdra with a Dragon Pulse first, as well as using Roar on Suicune first before it potentially is phazed. Leftovers is used to grant Latias passive recovery and prevent it from constantly losing health in sand or hail.
Usage Tips
========
Calm Mind can be revealed early because it will likely be at the top of an opponent's suspicions if they notice that Latias has Leftovers. Latias can use it throughout the battle to consistently put pressure on the opponent with a strong Dragon Pulse or meddlesome Roar that can rack up entry hazard damage and allow you to scout the opposing team. Tyranitar will often switch into the battlefield, and chipping it with hazard damage will make it harder for it to safely enter, especially if Latias uses Calm Mind to boost its Special Attack. Although this Latias set has significant defensive investment, it will still be checked handily by Tyranitar via its powerful Crunch and Pursuit. Try to be somewhat conservative with Dragon Pulse's PP if you think you will need to enter a Calm Mind war later on. If you opt for Refresh, try to avoid paralysis, but feel free to stay in on moves like Toxic from Zapdos and Heatran. Use Recover throughout the battle to stay healthy so Latias can better utilize Calm Mind without the threat of being KOed.
Team Options
========
With Roar, Latias will love additional entry hazards like Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Skarmory and Nidoqueen have excellent defensive synergy with Latias, and they can lay down their respective entry hazards for Latias to take advantage of. Blissey and Clefable also pair great defensively with Latias, and they can slow down opposing threats with Thunder Wave; Clefable can also use Knock Off to remove a foe's item, adding on to chip damage from entry hazards. Dugtrio has potential to pair well with Latias by trapping some Steel-types and Tyranitar, which will make Latias more threatening offensively and also assists in preventing it from being trapped. Magnezone can be used to trap other Steel-types that Dugtrio can't trap like Bronzong and Choice Scarf Jirachi, which will also give Latias trouble. Rotom-A can be used to block Rapid Spin from Starmie or Forretress and can potentially bait in Tyranitar and cripple it with Will-O-Wisp. Choice Scarf Rotom-A can revenge kill setup sweepers like offensive Calm Mind Suicune and Taunt + Dragon Dance Gyarados. Heatran can thwart Scizor's attempt to damage Latias with Bullet Punch and set up Stealth Rock or cripple an opposing wall or Tyranitar with Toxic, which it does extremely effectively because its Fire-type attacks usually scare off opposing Steel-types. Roar variants can also take advantage of Spikes and Toxic Spikes alongside Latias, which assists in chipping Latias's checks.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind + 2 Attacks
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Surf
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers / Colbur Berry
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind + 2 Attacks Latias opts for an additional attacking move to give it better coverage. Calm Mind will boost its Special Attack and Special Defense, which makes it significantly harder for special attackers to take down with their super effective attacks. Dragon Pulse is recommended as the overall more consistent Dragon-type STAB attack, but Draco Meteor can be used for more immediate power to break threats like Rotom-A and Starmie. Draco Meteor has lower PP, however, and will require additional Calm Mind usage to compensate for the Special Attack drop.
Hidden Power Fire is recommended to super effectively hit Steel-types like Scizor, Jirachi, Bronzong, Skarmory, and Metagross for large chunks of damage after Calm Mind has been used, but Surf is a nice alternative for overall better coverage and super effective damage against Heatran. Recover keeps Latias healthy via instant healing and allows it to maximize its effectiveness as a Calm Mind user.
An alternate set with Thunderbolt + Ice Beam as attacking moves is also quite strong. BoltBeam coverage targets threats like Skarmory, Starmie, Gliscor, Dragon-types, and additional Water-types like Suicune and Milotic super effectively, which can be terrifying on the proper team. This set usually requires a bit more support, as it will not have as much power without a Dragon-type STAB attack, and it will be worse versus other Steel-types that are more likely to come in like Jirachi, Metagross, and Bronzong.
Set Details
========
Calm Mind + 2 Attacks Latias opts for maximum HP investment for overall bulk while maximizing Speed with a Timid nature to take advantage of its additional coverage and outspeed threats like Jirachi and Heatran. Leftovers is used for passive recovery and to offset sand damage, but Colbur Berry is a great alternative to take one Dark-type attack from Tyranitar or even a boosted Pursuit on the switch, which alleviates the pressure that Tyranitar puts on Latias only once.
Usage Tips
========
Try to conceal the coverage move of choice when using this Latias, because it won't be expected, and you can consistently bait in Steel-type foes. If holding a Colbur Berry, you can bluff a Choice item and conceal Latias's identity as a Calm Mind sweeper. Alternate between Calm Mind and Recover to gradually boost Latias's stats while keeping it healthy. Try to use Calm Mind at least once, if opting for Draco Meteor, before you unleash an attack. If using a Colbur Berry and you predict a Pursuit from Tyranitar, you can use the switch to send a Pokemon in unscathed, but this can be risky. If using Surf, try to use it on a predicted Tyranitar switch to burn its Passho Berry or deal a decent chunk of damage, which can allow more comfort in potentially winning the one-on-one matchup with your Colbur Berry still intact. Use Calm Mind throughout the battle if holding Leftovers to consistently put pressure on the opposing team.
Team Options
========
Dugtrio is a fantastic option to trap Steel-types like Empoleon, Magnezone, and Calm Mind Jirachi. Using Colbur Berry can also pair well with Dugtrio to capitalize on Tyranitar using Pursuit, allowing Dugtrio to potentially enter unscathed. Skarmory does an effective job at providing entry hazards for Latias to take advantage of, and it has nice defensive synergy with Latias with its ability to enter on Dark-, Dragon-, and Bug-type attacks aimed at Latias, while Latias comes in on Fire- and Electric-type attacks with ease. Tyranitar can deal with Choice Scarf Rotom-A and even trap it with Pursuit. Ground-immune Pokemon like Bronzong and Gliscor can do quite well versus Choice Scarf Flygon, which threatens to revenge kill Latias. Abomasnow provides coverage versus bulky Water-types like Swampert, Milotic, and Suicune, and it summons hail to negate passive Leftovers recovery from Steel-types, which will assist Latias in chipping them down with Hidden Power Fire or Surf. Zapdos also does a nice job at pressuring bulky Water-types and is a great answer to Flygon. Heatran can threaten Steel-types with its powerful Fire-type moves and has nice defensive synergy with Latias; Toxic variants can help cripple bulky Water-types and other bulky Pokemon like Hippowdon and opposing Latias.
[SET]
name: Expert Belt
move 1: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 2: Grass Knot
move 3: Surf
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Expert Belt
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Expert Belt allows Latias to bait in common checks, switch between its attacks, and use Grass Knot to take a huge chunk out of threats like the prevalent Swampert and the heavy Tyranitar. Draco Meteor is Latias's strongest attack, but it can be replaced with Dragon Pulse to give Latias more staying power. Draco Meteor, however, will be more effective versus Pokemon like Rotom-A, Celebi, and even more uncommon threats like Weavile.
Grass Knot is what makes Expert Belt a unique set because Choice item sets don't have the room to properly accommodate the move. Grass Knot will do significantly more damage to Tyranitar and also accounts for the common possibility of Passho Berry, which will heavily reduce Surf's damage output once. With some chip damage, Latias can even use two Grass Knots — one as Tyranitar comes in — to take out Tyranitar on its own. Swampert can usually take one of Latias's attacks, but Grass Knot will destroy it. Grass Knot is also helpful for bulky Water-types like Milotic, Suicune, and Starmie.
Surf goes incredibly well with Latias's Dragon-type STAB attack, and it's the best practical weapon versus Heatran, Infernape, and Gliscor. Water- and Dragon-type coverage is resisted only by Empoleon, which further supports Surf as a potent offensive option.
Hidden Power Fire is a nasty surprise to catch Scizor on the switch, and it also deals significant damage to other Steel-types like Jirachi, Magnezone, Lucario, Metagross, and Bronzong. Sleep Talk can be used over Hidden Power Fire to make Latias a sleep absorber that can use Sleep Talk more than once, but missing out on the additional coverage to hit Steel-types is unfortunate and fails to maximize Expert Belt Latias's effectiveness.
Set Details
========
Special Attack and Speed are maximized to make this offensive Latias as fast and as powerful as possible. A Timid nature is used so that it outspeeds crucial threats like Jirachi, Shaymin, Infernape, and non-Choice Scarf Flygon, all of which Latias hits super effectively. Expert Belt takes advantage of the immaculate coverage from this four attack set and boosts damage for each super effective hit. Note that by opting for Hidden Power Fire, Latias will not Speed tie with Gengar.
Usage Tips
========
Try to conceal Latias's moves for as long as possible. Use Expert Belt to your advantage to bluff a Choice item. This Latias isn't as afraid of Tyranitar as Choice item variants because it can sting Tyranitar harder with Grass Knot, effectively wearing it down. Like touched on before, Latias can even come out on top if it catches Tyranitar switching in with Grass Knot, especially with Stealth Rock support wearing Tyranitar down each time it enters. By bluffing a Choice item, Latias will be able to more consistently remove threats like Scizor and heavily damage foes like Heatran, Jirachi, Metagross, Bronzong, Magnezone, and Tyranitar with powerful, super effective moves. Use Latias's great typing to your advantage by pivoting it into the many attacks it resists. This Latias can especially take advantage of bad locks like Earthquake from Choice Scarf Flygon and Thunderbolt from Choice Scarf Rotom-A with its incredible coverage, staying power, and ability to alternate between super effective moves.
Team Options
========
Expert Belt Latias misses out on hitting a few Pokemon super effectively: Empoleon, Zapdos, Gyarados, and Rotom-A. Even though Latias can still do quite decently versus all these Pokemon, a little bit of extra support will assist it in wearing these threats down. Strong Electric-type attacks from Magnezone, Zapdos, and your own Rotom-A will do well versus all four of these Pokemon; your own Rotom-A in particular will appreciate Expert Belt Latias's ability to bait in and sting opposing Tyranitar with Grass Knot. Tyranitar's support is appreciated for removing threats like fast offensive Starmie and revenge killers like Choice Scarf Rotom-A or even sometimes a Choice Scarf Flygon locked into the wrong move, which all give Latias trouble. Magnezone can assist in wearing down Jirachi and can even trap Bronzong, which Latias will appreciate even with its Hidden Power Fire. Lucario makes for a potent teammate that takes huge advantage of Latias's great coverage. Hidden Power Fire will wear down Jirachi and Choice Scarf Metagross, which both outspeed Lucario and resist its priority moves. Metagross appreciates Latias wearing down bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Milotic through its Grass Knot, and the Electric-types that go well with Latias also make for great Metagross support. Overall, Expert Belt Latias is more of a team supporter than a Pokemon that requires support from its other teammates. It fits well with almost every Pokemon in the metagame.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Hidden Power Fire / Thunder Wave / Healing Wish
move 3: Surf
move 4: Recover
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Life Orb Latias takes a different approach as an offensive variant and seeks to use its nice coverage and Recover to be a longer-lasting sweeper capable of destroying an opposing team with its powerful Life Orb-boosted Draco Meteor, which it uses to hit everything as hard as possible.
Hidden Power Fire with Life Orb will assist in wearing down Steel-types like Jirachi, Metagross, Lucario, Magnezone, and Bronzong, and it denies momentum from Scizor by baiting it in and removing it in one hit. Alternatively, Thunder Wave is a solid option to paralyze Steel-types, notably Jirachi, that come in to take Draco Meteor, which will further assist in stunting offense. Healing Wish is another creative option that can be used in a pinch if Latias is low on HP and there isn't a reliable way to recover its health.
Surf is a given, forming near-perfect coverage with Latias's powerful Dragon-type STAB Draco Meteor and devastating Heatran, Infernape, and Gliscor. Because this Latias may not opt for another attacking move alongside Draco Meteor, Surf is even more important.
Recover directly supports Life Orb Latias by allowing it to have more staying power and to survive as long as possible, making it a more oppressive presence for offensive teams to overcome. As it loses HP each time it uses an attack via Life Orb, and likely even more from sand damage, Recover can be used in a pinch to compensate for this set's health loss.
Set Details
========
Special Attack and Speed are maximized to make this Latias as fast and as powerful as possible. Life Orb is used as more of a general powerup for each attack, and the recoil is offset by Recover. A Timid nature is preferred to outspeed threats like Jirachi, Shaymin, Infernape, and non-Choice Scarf Flygon, but a Modest nature can be used if your team has these threats sufficiently covered, which will boost Latias's power to a new level and allow it to do significantly more damage to offensive variants of Pokemon like Jirachi, Bronzong, and Tyranitar. Note that when using Hidden Power Fire, Latias will not Speed tie with Gengar; however, by opting for Thunder Wave or even Healing Wish, it can maintain its ability to Speed tie.
Usage Tips
========
Even with Life Orb, Passho Berry Tyranitar still needs to be played around, so use double switching to your advantage to keep Latias safe. If Latias sustains chip damage, try to scout out opposing movesets to plan opportunities to come in and heal up with Recover. You can also use Recover to scout Choice item Pokemon like Choice Scarf Heatran and, though this is much riskier, even Choice Band Swampert if you predict it to not use Ice Punch. If using Thunder Wave, wait until Jirachi enters the field, and make sure it's not holding a Choice Scarf before you attempt to cripple it. If you opt for Hidden Power Fire instead, however, you can try to nail Jirachi on the predicted switch if you're sure a Tyranitar won't switch in. Use Healing Wish in a pinch if you determine that it would be more beneficial to restore a teammate's health than attempt to preserve or heal Latias, but beware that the incoming teammate has to survive Stealth Rock damage first and will also potentially sustain damage from an enemy attack.
Team Options
========
This Latias requires a bit more support and wants to stay around for as long as possible, so it especially appreciates support to deal with Tyranitar, which is easily its largest threat. Dugtrio will remove Tyranitar and other burdensome checks like non-Choice Scarf Jirachi and bulkier variants of Heatran. Magnezone is another trapper that can assist Life Orb Latias by removing Steel-types that resist Draco Meteor like Bronzong, some variants of Metagross, Choice Scarf Jirachi, and Skarmory. A Skarmory of your own can lay down Spikes to support Latias as well as provide more insurance versus threats like Choice Band and Dragon Dance Tyranitar, as well as Scizor, making it a strong teammate. Your own Jirachi can also force Scizor out with the threat of Fire Punch and can serve as a Lucario check if it's a faster variant. Jirachi also serves as a nice pivot versus opposing Latias, and specially defensive variants can deal with threats like Gengar, Starmie, and Rotom-A as well. Choice Scarf Tyranitar can effectively trap and remove Gengar, Starmie, and Choice Scarf Rotom-A, which can all threaten Life Orb Latias by outspeeding it and dealing massive damage with their super effective attacks.
[SET]
name: Bulky Reflect
move 1: Thunder Wave / Wish
move 2: Dragon Pulse / Psywave
move 3: Reflect
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
This set takes advantage of Latias's incredible defensive typing and promotes longevity and supporting its teammates with moves like Thunder Wave, Wish, and Reflect. Thunder Wave is great for slowing down many offensive threats like Jirachi, Metagross, Infernape, Rotom-A, and Zapdos. It can also support slower stallbreakers like Breloom, Metagross, Machamp, and Swampert, which compensates for this set's overall weakness to defensive Pokemon like Clefable and Skarmory. Wish is an alternative option on some balanced cores to keep teammates healthy and help them pivot in more easily.
Dragon Pulse is Latias's most reliable STAB attack on bulkier sets and will dent Dragon-types like Dragonite, Flygon, and Kingdra while only being resisted by Steel-types. Psywave is an interesting alternative for more consistent damage to Steel-types, particularly Metagross and Bronzong, which in combination with Reflect can actually allow Latias to win the one-on-one matchup versus these Pokemon. The big downside to Psywave is the loss of large damage versus opposing Dragon-types and frailer offensive threats like Infernape and Breloom, and Dark-types like Tyranitar are completely immune to it.
Reflect is fantastic to support your team against powerful physical attackers like Lucario, Infernape, Flygon, and Tyranitar. By using Reflect, Latias has much more counterplay against Tyranitar, allowing it to potentially paralyze Tyranitar and have an easier time escaping, thus allowing itself to take advantage of its wonderful typing longer.
Recover is a staple to this set to keep Latias healthy for as long as possible via instant recovery. In tandem with Wish, Latias can recover massive amounts of health in a single turn; when used in combination with Thunder Wave, Latias can fish for full paralysis, which can allow it to get its health back a bit more easily.
Set Details
========
Latias wants as much HP as possible to give it maximum general bulk. 96 Speed EVs are used to outpace Heatran and Adamant Lucario, allowing Latias to cripple two crucial threats with Thunder Wave. If opting for Wish, Latias should use Reflect versus Lucario first, but Thunder Wave is significantly more effective against it. The remaining EVs are poured into Defense with a Bold nature, which helps Latias take Close Combat from Infernape and Lucario as well as Tyranitar's attacks through Reflect as well as possible. Leftovers is used to grant Latias passive recovery to stay healthy for as long as possible. A spread of 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 Spe with a Timid nature is an option that sacrifices considerable physical bulk for outspeeding Pokemon like non-Choice Scarf Rotom-A, Impish Gliscor, neutral-natured Flygon and Zapdos, and potentially other bulky Latias. This sacrifices considerable physical bulk, however.
Usage Tips
========
This Latias can be extremely effective early-game by spreading status and forcing unexpected switches, which enables great scouting and facilitates opportunities to gain momentum. Paralyzing Tyranitar will be helpful if possible to increase Latias's survivability. You are nearly required to use Reflect if Tyranitar is in to give Latias the highest chance of successfully escaping. Try to target Metagross and Jirachi with Thunder Wave, but be careful with using it on Bronzong, as it makes Gyro Ball more powerful; however, using Reflect + Psywave in tandem is a great way to make life difficult for Bronzong. Beware of Explosion, however. Use Recover throughout the game to stay healthy. If opting for Wish, alternating between Wish and Recover is an effective way to keep Latias as healthy as possible. Use smart switches to take advantage of Wish support. You can bring Latias in on Swampert very easily, but you should be careful of an incoming Ice Punch or even Ice Beam.
Team Options
========
This Latias appreciates teammates that can help compensate for its weakness to defensive teams, Steel-types, and Tyranitar. Breloom is a great teammate that does well versus Tyranitar and can take advantage of Latias's paralysis support with its potent Superpower and Seed Bomb. Substitute + Focus Punch variants of Breloom can fish for paralysis and gain a positional advantage. Swampert is another fantastic teammate for its wonderful typing synergy and great offensive pressure with its STAB Water- and Ground-type attacks, as well as taking huge advantage of paralyzed foes. Gengar provides a nice Fighting-type immunity and an additional countermeasure to Infernape, and Substitute variants can fish for paralysis, much like Breloom. Metagross is a great pairing with Latias, as it has solid matchups versus Jirachi and Magnezone; in addition, Choice Scarf sets can threaten Lucario, many variants of Heatran, and even Skarmory with Trick. After using Trick, Metagross can still take advantage of Latias's paralysis support. Your own Lucario can opt for Ice Punch and take advantage of paralyzed targets like Zapdos and Jirachi. Latias and Lucario have immaculate synergy, and Latias really appreciates Lucario's support as a powerful end-game cleaner. Your own Tyranitar, particularly slower and bulkier variants like Choice Band and Custap Berry, will be very beneficial for trapping troublesome threats like Rotom-A and Starmie.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Latias has one of the largest movepools in the tier, and combined with its incredible typing and stats, it has the potential to utilize a tremendous number of different strategies. A Trick + Flame Orb set can be extremely effective in the lead slot for its longevity, good lead matchups versus Pokemon like Machamp and Metagross, and its unexpected first-turn Trick that will often cripple a foe from the get-go. A Calm Mind + 3 Attacks set can be used with Dragon Pulse, Surf, and Hidden Power Fire, but the lack of recovery and utility is tough and makes this set hard to use. Latias is a great option for setting up Rain Dance thanks to its great role compression and typing. It can utilize Thunder alongside Rain Dance to do as much damage to Skarmory as possible. Latias can also use Sunny Day, but it won't be able to run Surf or Thunder alongside it, and other Pokemon are probably better at using it. Latias can be a dedicated support slot by opting for a Light Screen + Reflect set to support setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Dragonite, Gyarados, and Tyranitar, as well as Calm Mind users like Suicune and Jirachi. Psychic is an alternative STAB move, but this will probably require additional support from Dugtrio and Magnezone because Steel-types resist it, and Tyranitar is immune to it, and other coverage moves are usually better. A Safeguard + Calm Mind set has some potential with support from both Dugtrio and Magnezone, but it's unreliable because it still has issues beating Jirachi and Clefable. Toxic can be used to inflict a surprise status ailment on Hippowdon, Tyranitar, Milotic, and Zapdos, but it's usually not worth the slot. Charge Beam is a possible alternative to Calm Mind to make room for additional coverage, but it's not guaranteed to increase Latias's Special Attack, making it inferior to Calm Mind. Dragon Breath is an interesting choice on a bulky set to compress both Thunder Wave and Dragon Pulse together while also granting additional PP, but it's significantly weaker than Dragon Pulse and also only has a 30% chance to inflict paralysis. Protect can be used, potentially alongside Wish, to scout Choice item Pokemon like Tyranitar, Flygon, and Rotom.
Some of the crazier options available are quite interesting. Sucker Punch can be used as a surprise priority move that hits Choice Scarf Rotom-A, offensive Starmie, and Gengar; using this move with Hidden Power Fire can actually make the opponent believe Gengar will always outspeed Latias, so it can work as an interesting bait. Whirlpool can be used to trap Tyranitar, Jirachi, and Heatran for a few turns, which may enable Latias to pivot out to a trapper like Dugtrio or Magnezone, but this move is extremely gimmicky. Mist Ball is an alternative to Psychic that has a 50% chance to lower the opposing Pokemon's Special Attack, but it only has 8 PP, which makes it significantly less viable. Shadow Ball can be used to hit Rotom-A as hard as possible without reducing Latias's Special Attack, but it's inferior to stronger coverage moves. Latias can opt for some physical moves like Earthquake and Outrage to catch Heatran and Clefable by surprise, but every other Dragon-type is better at doing this. Psycho Shift can be used on Sleep Talk sets to pass its status to another Pokemon, but Latias usually prefers a more consistent option, since Sleep Talk can only be used once while holding a Choice item. Finally, Role Play is a bizarre option that copies a foe's ability, which is best used on Pokemon like Clefable, Suicune, Zapdos, and Heatran to copy either Magic Guard, Pressure, or Flash Fire, but it's very difficult to fit onto a moveset in favor of other utility moves.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar has tremendous special bulk that it can use to take any of Latias's attacks most of the time and can threaten Latias with Pursuit and Crunch.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Jirachi, Metagross, Heatran, Bronzong, Magnezone, and Empoleon can all take a Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse quite well and threaten Latias with a variety of attacks. Hidden Power Fire and Surf are Latias's best overall weapons to hit Steel-types consistently, so usually Latias will have trouble versus teams with multiple Steel-types. However, it can still use a variety of moves that may harm these Pokemon.
**Blissey and Clefable**: Blissey and Clefable have tremendous special bulk and can take even a Draco Meteor quite well and potentially cripple Latias with Thunder Wave. Blissey may also use Toxic, and Clefable can remove Latias's item with Knock Off or hinder its setup with Encore. Both of these Pokemon have to be cautious about Trick, since receiving a Choice item completely cripples them. Clefable will be extremely unreliable versus Modest Latias, which has a much more powerful Draco Meteor that is likely to 2HKO it.
**Faster Offensive Pokemon**: Pokemon like Choice Scarf Rotom-A, Choice Scarf Flygon, Gengar, Starmie, and even Weavile can give Latias some issues by outspeeding and threatening it with powerful, super effective moves. Starmie won't be able to OHKO Latias but can cripple it with Thunder Wave. Choice Scarf Rotom-A usually wants some chip damage before it uses Shadow Ball on Latias and also needs to be careful of Tyranitar.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Excal, 456373]]
- Quality checked by: [[DeepBlueC, 307789], [Emeral, 72767]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
Latias is the only Dragon / Psychic type in the tier, which means that it's an answer to Fighting-, Fire-, Water-, Grass-, Electric-, and Psychic-types. The combination of all these resistances is unique to only Latias and allows it to answer potent wallbreakers like Infernape and Breloom, which very few Pokemon can do. Furthermore, it's completely immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes thanks to Levitate, and it's also not weak to Stealth Rock, which means it's more resistant to all entry hazards than most Pokemon. Latias has such a vast array of move options that it can perform many different roles. With all these traits, Latias boasts near-unparalleled role compression, allowing it to fit wonderfully on almost any team and pair well with almost every Pokemon individually. Its stats are also nothing to scoff at, with monstrous Special Defense as well as impressive Special Attack and Speed.
The main thing that holds Latias back is its susceptibility to Tyranitar, which can switch in, take Latias's Draco Meteor or even Surf, and trap it with Pursuit while threatening a powerful STAB-boosted Crunch. Latias's presence means Tyranitar is often equipped with increased Special Defense investment, which can allow it to take even a Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor when healthy and still survive another one. Latias can also have a very hard time versus many Steel-types like Jirachi, Bronzong, Metagross, Empoleon, and even Magnezone, which can take a Draco Meteor or Surf decently well provided that Latias doesn't hold Choice Specs. Even if Latias forces a KO with its strong Draco Meteor, Tyranitar can easily revenge kill it, or another Pokemon can take advantage of Latias's lowered Special Attack. Besides Tyranitar and Steel-types, bulky special walls like Blissey and Clefable can take any attack and have high potential to force Latias out with the threat of a status move or chip damage from Seismic Toss and Ice Beam.
It's not all black and white, however, because Latias's astronomical movepool enables creativity and counterplay to its common checks with moves like Trick and Thunder Wave. While Latias cannot avoid its biggest flaw, which is its susceptibility to some of the top threats in the OU metagame compared to other Pokemon, it has so many positive attributes that it's a fantastic fit on almost any team.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Fire
move 3: Surf
move 4: Sleep Talk / Trick
item: Choice Specs
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Latias's Draco Meteor is the strongest in DPP OU, and the Choice Specs set takes advantage of this by powering it up as much as possible without having to set up with Calm Mind. Anything that doesn't resist the move, excluding Blissey, will take a large chunk of damage; even some of the frailer Pokemon that resist it like Lucario can take upwards of 75% from just one.
Dragon Pulse is nice for taking advantage of Latias's devastating Dragon-type STAB without lowering its Special Attack with each use. Hidden Power Fire is an alternative to super effectively hit meddling Steel-types like Scizor, Jirachi, Metagross, and Bronzong for as much damage as possible. Also, when opting for Sleep Talk, Dragon Pulse should always be used instead of Hidden Power Fire because Sleep Talk fails after one use with a Choice item on hand in DPP, and it wants to use Dragon-type attacks as consistently as possible.
Surf hits most Steel-types with neutral damage, hits Heatran super effectively, and hits hard enough with Choice Specs to do decent damage to all offensive Jirachi variants, Metagross, and even Bronzong. Water- and Dragon-type attacks boast nearly perfect coverage; Empoleon is the only Pokemon that resists both types, and it will still take a ton of damage from Draco Meteor or even Dragon Pulse unless it is a specially defensive variant.
Sleep Talk fits wonderfully on Latias, as it resists the typical attacks from the most common sleep inducers in the metagame, Breloom and Roserade. This comes with a risk, however, of Breloom using Substitute before Spore or Roserade using Stun Spore; rarely, Roserade can use moves like Hidden Power Ice or even Sludge Bomb, which deal a decent amount of damage to Latias. Because Latias has such potent coverage via its Dragon-type attacks and Surf alone, it is still difficult to switch into even while it's asleep. Alternatively, if you don't need a sleep absorber, Trick is a wonderful option to cripple opposing Blissey and Clefable on the switch. It can also cripple threats like specially defensive Jirachi and bulkier variants of Bronzong.
Set Details
========
Special Attack and Speed are maximized to make Latias as powerful and as fast as possible, which maximizes its effectiveness as a Choice Specs user. A Timid nature is recommended to outspeed crucial threats like Infernape, Jirachi, Shaymin, and non-Choice Scarf Flygon; it can also let Latias Speed tie with Gengar, which is very significant. However, note that by opting for Hidden Power Fire, Latias will be slower than Gengar.
Alternatively, a Modest nature turns Latias into a terrifying powerhouse at the cost of being slower than Infernape, Gengar, and potentially other base 100 Speed Pokemon. Tyranitar needs to have great investment in bulk to survive two Draco Meteors from Modest Choice Specs Latias, especially after Stealth Rock damage. Clefable also can't switch in nearly as safely, as with a Modest nature, Draco Meteor is quite likely to 2HKO it. The increased damage rolls also are quite favorable versus many variants of Jirachi, so Modest Latias can actually function as a stallbreaker. Dragon Pulse becomes quite strong and can go as far as to 3HKO certain offensive variants of Jirachi. In reality, Infernape is the biggest loss when opting for Modest, so this nature can be fantastic if your team covers Infernape extremely well.
Usage Tips
========
Try to chip Tyranitar as much as possible with supporting teammates so it's more difficult for it to switch in safely and trap Latias with Pursuit. Use Latias's incredible typing to pivot into resisted attacks, and take advantage of double switches early-game to keep it safe from Tyranitar. Try to scout as much as possible before you unleash Draco Meteor, because after a Special Attack drop, Steel-types and even some bulkier sweepers like Dragon Dance Tyranitar can take advantage of Latias. Using Surf early on will allow Latias to hit Steel-types that switch in to eat a Dragon-type attack; this notably will often catch Heatran. When using Trick, you can consider using it early on versus noticeably bulky builds with Pokemon like Hippowdon and Clefable to catch your opponent by surprise and immediately cripple their long-lasting wall, but these builds can also have Choice Scarf Tyranitar, so you'll have to verify that it isn't in the picture if you don't want to risk getting trapped. Hidden Power Fire will often catch Jirachi, Metagross, and Bronzong off guard, especially early-game. Levitate is extremely useful, so take advantage of it by punishing bad locks like Earthquake from Choice Scarf Flygon or Choice Band Swampert. Because of its many resistances, Latias can also punish many locks like Thunderbolt from Choice Scarf Rotom-A and even Fire Punch from Choice Scarf Jirachi.
Team Options
========
Choice Specs Latias doesn't need too much support, but anything that assists in wearing down Tyranitar and Steel-types will be especially beneficial. Magnezone traps pesky Steel-types, which makes Latias's Draco Meteor that much more threatening. Also, Tyranitar will frequently switch into Magnezone to take its powerful Thunderbolt, which will put it in a good range for Latias to feel more comfortable staying in. Your own Tyranitar can support Latias wonderfully by using Pursuit to trap revenge killers like Choice Scarf Rotom-A and opposing Choice Scarf Latias. Swampert has strong offensive synergy with Latias, and it can also switch into Jirachi, Metagross, Bronzong, and Heatran and threaten them with its STAB Earthquake and Waterfall; Skarmory will also be baited in and pressured by Waterfall and even the occasional Hydro Pump. Latias in turn supports Swampert defensively, as it resists Grass-type attacks aimed at Swampert and can absorb sleep from Breloom and Roserade, two Pokemon that Swampert detests. Pokemon like Bronzong, Zapdos, and Gliscor are very effective versus Flygon, which can give Latias some trouble with its threatening Choice Scarf set. Steel-types pair very well with Latias by switching into Dragon-type attacks aimed at it, while Latias covers their Fire-, Fighting-, and Ground-type weaknesses. Dugtrio can trap Steel-types and Tyranitar, which gives Choice Specs Latias a lot more freedom to switch in and devastate the opposing team. Lucario has incredible offensive synergy with Latias, and the Choice Specs set assists Lucario by wearing down its checks and having Tyranitar lock itself into Pursuit so Lucario can set up Swords Dance freely.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Thunderbolt / Sleep Talk / Recover
move 3: Surf
move 4: Trick / Healing Wish
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
With a high Speed tier, excellent Special Attack, decent bulk, and great typing, Latias can function as a solid revenge killer. Draco Meteor is Latias's most powerful attack, which it needs in order to hit as hard as possible and to revenge kill Pokemon like Flygon, Dragonite, Kingdra, and even Gengar. Even without Choice Specs or Life Orb, Latias's Draco Meteor is still extremely powerful, and almost nothing will enjoy switching into it.
Thunderbolt is preferred in the second slot to revenge kill Dragon Dance Gyarados, and it makes for more consistency against Skarmory and Water-types like Suicune and Milotic. Be aware, however, that Thunderbolt can be an exploitable lock because Ground-types can come in and force Latias out. Alternatively, Sleep Talk can be used to make Choice Scarf Latias a sleep absorber, but it's significantly worse at this role than Choice Specs variants, as it needs to be awake to be an effective revenge killer, it loses important coverage in Thunderbolt, and it's weaker. Alternatively, after using Trick to give up its Choice Scarf, Latias can take advantage of Recover, which can be a cool option to improve its overall longevity.
Surf combines very well with Latias's Dragon-type STAB attack to give it almost completely unresisted offensive coverage that is resisted only by Empoleon. Surf also hits Heatran super effectively, which would otherwise come in on Choice Scarf Latias quite easily. Even then, Surf shouldn't do a large amount of damage to Heatran, especially bulkier ones, but it's Latias's best practical weapon against it.
Trick is a great choice on Choice Scarf Latias to cripple threats that otherwise completely wall it. Blissey, Clefable, bulkier Tyranitar variants, and even specially defensive Jirachi will all despise receiving a Choice Scarf. Sleep Talk + Trick is actually a nice combination because it allows Latias to use Sleep Talk again if it uses Trick during its first turn of sleep. Alternatively, Healing Wish is a fantastic option on Latias, especially for more offensive teams, to restore a weakened teammate. Since Choice Scarf Latias forces many switches, it can effectively use Healing Wish on the switch, allowing its teammate to come in safely.
Set Details
========
Latias's Special Attack and Speed are maximized to make it as powerful and as fast as possible with Choice Scarf, even outspeeding threats as fast as +2 Agility Metagross and +2 Dragon Dance Tyranitar; note, however, that Latias cannot properly revenge kill Tyranitar unless it's significantly weakened. If not using Trick, Latias can opt for some arbitrary bulk with a spread of 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe, but it may lose out on outspeeding +2 Agility Metagross. Although this isn't too big of a deal, since Latias cannot deal that much damage to it regardless, it's advised to not forego Trick on teams that may have difficulty with Metagross.
Usage Tips
========
Try to conserve Choice Scarf Latias for as long as possible so that it's around to revenge kill late-game Dragon Dance sweepers or even shut down other setup sweepers like Calm Mind Suicune and Calm Mind Clefable with Trick. Use double switches to your advantage to try to avoid Tyranitar Pursuit trapping Latias. Be particularly careful when using Draco Meteor, because after a Special Attack drop, Latias will be very weak and can be exploited by a large portion of the metagame. Try to wear down Steel-types with teammates so that it's harder for the opponent to play around Latias.
Team Options
========
Since Choice Scarf Latias cannot revenge kill Swords Dance Lucario and Dragon Dance Tyranitar and is susceptible to Dragon Dance Dragonite's Extreme Speed, some additional support to check these sweepers is very beneficial. Shuca Berry Jirachi can check all three with Fire Punch, Iron Head, and Ice Punch; it can even serve as a secondary check to Gyarados with Thunderbolt, allowing Latias to opt for a different move like Sleep Talk or Recover. Infernape with Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave can revenge kill Dragon Dance Tyranitar and Swords Dance Lucario and has nice offensive synergy with Latias. Lucario with Bullet Punch can function as a revenge killer for Dragon Dance Tyranitar and even use its Extreme Speed to give Dragonite trouble. Latias and Lucario are a wonderful offensive pair in general with immaculate type synergy, and they each give each other opportunities very well via locking a Tyranitar into Pursuit for Lucario and taking advantage of Tyranitar and chipping Jirachi for Latias. Anything that assists in wearing down Tyranitar will give Latias significantly more freedom to come in and revenge kill opposing Pokemon with less risk. Magnezone can both chip down Tyranitar with its Thunderbolt and trap Steel-types that check Latias, especially Scizor, which can come in and threaten to trap it with Pursuit or do massive damage with its powerful Bullet Punch. Rotom-A can use Will-O-Wisp to bait and cripple Tyranitar with a burn. Heatran can also do the same thing with Will-O-Wisp or even Toxic. Roserade and Nidoqueen can provide Toxic Spikes support, which can poison Tyranitar on the switch, giving Latias a bit more breathing room.
[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Roar / Refresh / Substitute
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Latias's natural bulk, incredible defensive typing, near-unresisted Dragon-type STAB coverage, and astronomical Special Defense allow it to effectively fill the niche of a defensive Calm Mind Pokemon. By increasing its Special Attack and Special Defense, Latias can better take attacks like Ice Beam and Shadow Ball from a myriad of Pokemon as well as more effectively shut down Zapdos and Water-types. Its Dragon Pulse, although not so strong with minimal Special Attack investment, will sting Pokemon that don't resist the attack, especially with a few boosts under its belt. Another downside to this move is its limited PP; however, it's the strongest choice for the set.
Roar is extremely effective at phazing Steel-types and Tyranitar that try to come in and give Latias trouble, forcing them to take damage from entry hazards. Also, opposing Calm Mind users like Clefable, Suicune, and Jirachi will have a much tougher time against Latias due to being phazed as they try to set up. Refresh is an interesting alternative that allows Latias to cure status like poison from Toxic and burns from Will-O-Wisp, but it may struggle to cure paralysis because of Pokemon that take advantage of paralysis like Jirachi that will switch in and counter this set if they pack Iron Head.
Substitute may be an interesting alternative to Refresh that directly blocks status moves from Pokemon like Heatran and slower variants of Celebi. Some Calm Mind boosts can also be enough to prevent Ice Beam from breaking Latias's Substitute, which reduces the threat of freeze. That said, Seismic Toss from Blissey and Clefable breaks Latias's Substitute, unlike other Substitute + Calm Mind users like Suicune and Jirachi. Although Substitute is better at blocking paralysis from slower Pokemon like bulky variants of Jirachi, Refresh does just as good of a job against a status-inducing Heatran, has more PP, and doesn't force Latias to use Recover as often. Recover is essential to keep it healthy and secure as many opportunities to set up and inflict pressure on the opposing team as possible.
Set Details
========
Defensive Calm Mind Latias wants as much HP as possible for its overall bulk. Significant Defense investment and a Bold nature combined with this will give Latias the ability to take physical hits decently well while it boosts with Calm Mind. 56 Speed EVs are used to outspeed Modest Kingdra and Modest Calm Mind + Roar Suicune, allowing Latias to strike Kingdra with a Dragon Pulse first, as well as using Roar on Suicune first before it potentially is phazed. Leftovers is used to grant Latias passive recovery and prevent it from constantly losing health in sand or hail.
Usage Tips
========
Calm Mind can be revealed early because it will likely be at the top of an opponent's suspicions if they notice that Latias has Leftovers. Latias can use it throughout the battle to consistently put pressure on the opponent with a strong Dragon Pulse or meddlesome Roar that can rack up entry hazard damage and allow you to scout the opposing team. Tyranitar will often switch into the battlefield, and chipping it with hazard damage will make it harder for it to safely enter, especially if Latias uses Calm Mind to boost its Special Attack. Although this Latias set has significant defensive investment, it will still be checked handily by Tyranitar via its powerful Crunch and Pursuit. Try to be somewhat conservative with Dragon Pulse's PP if you think you will need to enter a Calm Mind war later on. If you opt for Refresh, try to avoid paralysis, but feel free to stay in on moves like Toxic from Zapdos and Heatran. Use Recover throughout the battle to stay healthy so Latias can better utilize Calm Mind without the threat of being KOed.
Team Options
========
With Roar, Latias will love additional entry hazards like Spikes and Toxic Spikes. Skarmory and Nidoqueen have excellent defensive synergy with Latias, and they can lay down their respective entry hazards for Latias to take advantage of. Blissey and Clefable also pair great defensively with Latias, and they can slow down opposing threats with Thunder Wave; Clefable can also use Knock Off to remove a foe's item, adding on to chip damage from entry hazards. Dugtrio has potential to pair well with Latias by trapping some Steel-types and Tyranitar, which will make Latias more threatening offensively and also assists in preventing it from being trapped. Magnezone can be used to trap other Steel-types that Dugtrio can't trap like Bronzong and Choice Scarf Jirachi, which will also give Latias trouble. Rotom-A can be used to block Rapid Spin from Starmie or Forretress and can potentially bait in Tyranitar and cripple it with Will-O-Wisp. Choice Scarf Rotom-A can revenge kill setup sweepers like offensive Calm Mind Suicune and Taunt + Dragon Dance Gyarados. Heatran can thwart Scizor's attempt to damage Latias with Bullet Punch and set up Stealth Rock or cripple an opposing wall or Tyranitar with Toxic, which it does extremely effectively because its Fire-type attacks usually scare off opposing Steel-types. Roar variants can also take advantage of Spikes and Toxic Spikes alongside Latias, which assists in chipping Latias's checks.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind + 2 Attacks
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Dragon Pulse / Draco Meteor
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Surf
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers / Colbur Berry
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind + 2 Attacks Latias opts for an additional attacking move to give it better coverage. Calm Mind will boost its Special Attack and Special Defense, which makes it significantly harder for special attackers to take down with their super effective attacks. Dragon Pulse is recommended as the overall more consistent Dragon-type STAB attack, but Draco Meteor can be used for more immediate power to break threats like Rotom-A and Starmie. Draco Meteor has lower PP, however, and will require additional Calm Mind usage to compensate for the Special Attack drop.
Hidden Power Fire is recommended to super effectively hit Steel-types like Scizor, Jirachi, Bronzong, Skarmory, and Metagross for large chunks of damage after Calm Mind has been used, but Surf is a nice alternative for overall better coverage and super effective damage against Heatran. Recover keeps Latias healthy via instant healing and allows it to maximize its effectiveness as a Calm Mind user.
An alternate set with Thunderbolt + Ice Beam as attacking moves is also quite strong. BoltBeam coverage targets threats like Skarmory, Starmie, Gliscor, Dragon-types, and additional Water-types like Suicune and Milotic super effectively, which can be terrifying on the proper team. This set usually requires a bit more support, as it will not have as much power without a Dragon-type STAB attack, and it will be worse versus other Steel-types that are more likely to come in like Jirachi, Metagross, and Bronzong.
Set Details
========
Calm Mind + 2 Attacks Latias opts for maximum HP investment for overall bulk while maximizing Speed with a Timid nature to take advantage of its additional coverage and outspeed threats like Jirachi and Heatran. Leftovers is used for passive recovery and to offset sand damage, but Colbur Berry is a great alternative to take one Dark-type attack from Tyranitar or even a boosted Pursuit on the switch, which alleviates the pressure that Tyranitar puts on Latias only once.
Usage Tips
========
Try to conceal the coverage move of choice when using this Latias, because it won't be expected, and you can consistently bait in Steel-type foes. If holding a Colbur Berry, you can bluff a Choice item and conceal Latias's identity as a Calm Mind sweeper. Alternate between Calm Mind and Recover to gradually boost Latias's stats while keeping it healthy. Try to use Calm Mind at least once, if opting for Draco Meteor, before you unleash an attack. If using a Colbur Berry and you predict a Pursuit from Tyranitar, you can use the switch to send a Pokemon in unscathed, but this can be risky. If using Surf, try to use it on a predicted Tyranitar switch to burn its Passho Berry or deal a decent chunk of damage, which can allow more comfort in potentially winning the one-on-one matchup with your Colbur Berry still intact. Use Calm Mind throughout the battle if holding Leftovers to consistently put pressure on the opposing team.
Team Options
========
Dugtrio is a fantastic option to trap Steel-types like Empoleon, Magnezone, and Calm Mind Jirachi. Using Colbur Berry can also pair well with Dugtrio to capitalize on Tyranitar using Pursuit, allowing Dugtrio to potentially enter unscathed. Skarmory does an effective job at providing entry hazards for Latias to take advantage of, and it has nice defensive synergy with Latias with its ability to enter on Dark-, Dragon-, and Bug-type attacks aimed at Latias, while Latias comes in on Fire- and Electric-type attacks with ease. Tyranitar can deal with Choice Scarf Rotom-A and even trap it with Pursuit. Ground-immune Pokemon like Bronzong and Gliscor can do quite well versus Choice Scarf Flygon, which threatens to revenge kill Latias. Abomasnow provides coverage versus bulky Water-types like Swampert, Milotic, and Suicune, and it summons hail to negate passive Leftovers recovery from Steel-types, which will assist Latias in chipping them down with Hidden Power Fire or Surf. Zapdos also does a nice job at pressuring bulky Water-types and is a great answer to Flygon. Heatran can threaten Steel-types with its powerful Fire-type moves and has nice defensive synergy with Latias; Toxic variants can help cripple bulky Water-types and other bulky Pokemon like Hippowdon and opposing Latias.
[SET]
name: Expert Belt
move 1: Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
move 2: Grass Knot
move 3: Surf
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Expert Belt
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Expert Belt allows Latias to bait in common checks, switch between its attacks, and use Grass Knot to take a huge chunk out of threats like the prevalent Swampert and the heavy Tyranitar. Draco Meteor is Latias's strongest attack, but it can be replaced with Dragon Pulse to give Latias more staying power. Draco Meteor, however, will be more effective versus Pokemon like Rotom-A, Celebi, and even more uncommon threats like Weavile.
Grass Knot is what makes Expert Belt a unique set because Choice item sets don't have the room to properly accommodate the move. Grass Knot will do significantly more damage to Tyranitar and also accounts for the common possibility of Passho Berry, which will heavily reduce Surf's damage output once. With some chip damage, Latias can even use two Grass Knots — one as Tyranitar comes in — to take out Tyranitar on its own. Swampert can usually take one of Latias's attacks, but Grass Knot will destroy it. Grass Knot is also helpful for bulky Water-types like Milotic, Suicune, and Starmie.
Surf goes incredibly well with Latias's Dragon-type STAB attack, and it's the best practical weapon versus Heatran, Infernape, and Gliscor. Water- and Dragon-type coverage is resisted only by Empoleon, which further supports Surf as a potent offensive option.
Hidden Power Fire is a nasty surprise to catch Scizor on the switch, and it also deals significant damage to other Steel-types like Jirachi, Magnezone, Lucario, Metagross, and Bronzong. Sleep Talk can be used over Hidden Power Fire to make Latias a sleep absorber that can use Sleep Talk more than once, but missing out on the additional coverage to hit Steel-types is unfortunate and fails to maximize Expert Belt Latias's effectiveness.
Set Details
========
Special Attack and Speed are maximized to make this offensive Latias as fast and as powerful as possible. A Timid nature is used so that it outspeeds crucial threats like Jirachi, Shaymin, Infernape, and non-Choice Scarf Flygon, all of which Latias hits super effectively. Expert Belt takes advantage of the immaculate coverage from this four attack set and boosts damage for each super effective hit. Note that by opting for Hidden Power Fire, Latias will not Speed tie with Gengar.
Usage Tips
========
Try to conceal Latias's moves for as long as possible. Use Expert Belt to your advantage to bluff a Choice item. This Latias isn't as afraid of Tyranitar as Choice item variants because it can sting Tyranitar harder with Grass Knot, effectively wearing it down. Like touched on before, Latias can even come out on top if it catches Tyranitar switching in with Grass Knot, especially with Stealth Rock support wearing Tyranitar down each time it enters. By bluffing a Choice item, Latias will be able to more consistently remove threats like Scizor and heavily damage foes like Heatran, Jirachi, Metagross, Bronzong, Magnezone, and Tyranitar with powerful, super effective moves. Use Latias's great typing to your advantage by pivoting it into the many attacks it resists. This Latias can especially take advantage of bad locks like Earthquake from Choice Scarf Flygon and Thunderbolt from Choice Scarf Rotom-A with its incredible coverage, staying power, and ability to alternate between super effective moves.
Team Options
========
Expert Belt Latias misses out on hitting a few Pokemon super effectively: Empoleon, Zapdos, Gyarados, and Rotom-A. Even though Latias can still do quite decently versus all these Pokemon, a little bit of extra support will assist it in wearing these threats down. Strong Electric-type attacks from Magnezone, Zapdos, and your own Rotom-A will do well versus all four of these Pokemon; your own Rotom-A in particular will appreciate Expert Belt Latias's ability to bait in and sting opposing Tyranitar with Grass Knot. Tyranitar's support is appreciated for removing threats like fast offensive Starmie and revenge killers like Choice Scarf Rotom-A or even sometimes a Choice Scarf Flygon locked into the wrong move, which all give Latias trouble. Magnezone can assist in wearing down Jirachi and can even trap Bronzong, which Latias will appreciate even with its Hidden Power Fire. Lucario makes for a potent teammate that takes huge advantage of Latias's great coverage. Hidden Power Fire will wear down Jirachi and Choice Scarf Metagross, which both outspeed Lucario and resist its priority moves. Metagross appreciates Latias wearing down bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Milotic through its Grass Knot, and the Electric-types that go well with Latias also make for great Metagross support. Overall, Expert Belt Latias is more of a team supporter than a Pokemon that requires support from its other teammates. It fits well with almost every Pokemon in the metagame.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Hidden Power Fire / Thunder Wave / Healing Wish
move 3: Surf
move 4: Recover
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Life Orb Latias takes a different approach as an offensive variant and seeks to use its nice coverage and Recover to be a longer-lasting sweeper capable of destroying an opposing team with its powerful Life Orb-boosted Draco Meteor, which it uses to hit everything as hard as possible.
Hidden Power Fire with Life Orb will assist in wearing down Steel-types like Jirachi, Metagross, Lucario, Magnezone, and Bronzong, and it denies momentum from Scizor by baiting it in and removing it in one hit. Alternatively, Thunder Wave is a solid option to paralyze Steel-types, notably Jirachi, that come in to take Draco Meteor, which will further assist in stunting offense. Healing Wish is another creative option that can be used in a pinch if Latias is low on HP and there isn't a reliable way to recover its health.
Surf is a given, forming near-perfect coverage with Latias's powerful Dragon-type STAB Draco Meteor and devastating Heatran, Infernape, and Gliscor. Because this Latias may not opt for another attacking move alongside Draco Meteor, Surf is even more important.
Recover directly supports Life Orb Latias by allowing it to have more staying power and to survive as long as possible, making it a more oppressive presence for offensive teams to overcome. As it loses HP each time it uses an attack via Life Orb, and likely even more from sand damage, Recover can be used in a pinch to compensate for this set's health loss.
Set Details
========
Special Attack and Speed are maximized to make this Latias as fast and as powerful as possible. Life Orb is used as more of a general powerup for each attack, and the recoil is offset by Recover. A Timid nature is preferred to outspeed threats like Jirachi, Shaymin, Infernape, and non-Choice Scarf Flygon, but a Modest nature can be used if your team has these threats sufficiently covered, which will boost Latias's power to a new level and allow it to do significantly more damage to offensive variants of Pokemon like Jirachi, Bronzong, and Tyranitar. Note that when using Hidden Power Fire, Latias will not Speed tie with Gengar; however, by opting for Thunder Wave or even Healing Wish, it can maintain its ability to Speed tie.
Usage Tips
========
Even with Life Orb, Passho Berry Tyranitar still needs to be played around, so use double switching to your advantage to keep Latias safe. If Latias sustains chip damage, try to scout out opposing movesets to plan opportunities to come in and heal up with Recover. You can also use Recover to scout Choice item Pokemon like Choice Scarf Heatran and, though this is much riskier, even Choice Band Swampert if you predict it to not use Ice Punch. If using Thunder Wave, wait until Jirachi enters the field, and make sure it's not holding a Choice Scarf before you attempt to cripple it. If you opt for Hidden Power Fire instead, however, you can try to nail Jirachi on the predicted switch if you're sure a Tyranitar won't switch in. Use Healing Wish in a pinch if you determine that it would be more beneficial to restore a teammate's health than attempt to preserve or heal Latias, but beware that the incoming teammate has to survive Stealth Rock damage first and will also potentially sustain damage from an enemy attack.
Team Options
========
This Latias requires a bit more support and wants to stay around for as long as possible, so it especially appreciates support to deal with Tyranitar, which is easily its largest threat. Dugtrio will remove Tyranitar and other burdensome checks like non-Choice Scarf Jirachi and bulkier variants of Heatran. Magnezone is another trapper that can assist Life Orb Latias by removing Steel-types that resist Draco Meteor like Bronzong, some variants of Metagross, Choice Scarf Jirachi, and Skarmory. A Skarmory of your own can lay down Spikes to support Latias as well as provide more insurance versus threats like Choice Band and Dragon Dance Tyranitar, as well as Scizor, making it a strong teammate. Your own Jirachi can also force Scizor out with the threat of Fire Punch and can serve as a Lucario check if it's a faster variant. Jirachi also serves as a nice pivot versus opposing Latias, and specially defensive variants can deal with threats like Gengar, Starmie, and Rotom-A as well. Choice Scarf Tyranitar can effectively trap and remove Gengar, Starmie, and Choice Scarf Rotom-A, which can all threaten Life Orb Latias by outspeeding it and dealing massive damage with their super effective attacks.
[SET]
name: Bulky Reflect
move 1: Thunder Wave / Wish
move 2: Dragon Pulse / Psywave
move 3: Reflect
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
This set takes advantage of Latias's incredible defensive typing and promotes longevity and supporting its teammates with moves like Thunder Wave, Wish, and Reflect. Thunder Wave is great for slowing down many offensive threats like Jirachi, Metagross, Infernape, Rotom-A, and Zapdos. It can also support slower stallbreakers like Breloom, Metagross, Machamp, and Swampert, which compensates for this set's overall weakness to defensive Pokemon like Clefable and Skarmory. Wish is an alternative option on some balanced cores to keep teammates healthy and help them pivot in more easily.
Dragon Pulse is Latias's most reliable STAB attack on bulkier sets and will dent Dragon-types like Dragonite, Flygon, and Kingdra while only being resisted by Steel-types. Psywave is an interesting alternative for more consistent damage to Steel-types, particularly Metagross and Bronzong, which in combination with Reflect can actually allow Latias to win the one-on-one matchup versus these Pokemon. The big downside to Psywave is the loss of large damage versus opposing Dragon-types and frailer offensive threats like Infernape and Breloom, and Dark-types like Tyranitar are completely immune to it.
Reflect is fantastic to support your team against powerful physical attackers like Lucario, Infernape, Flygon, and Tyranitar. By using Reflect, Latias has much more counterplay against Tyranitar, allowing it to potentially paralyze Tyranitar and have an easier time escaping, thus allowing itself to take advantage of its wonderful typing longer.
Recover is a staple to this set to keep Latias healthy for as long as possible via instant recovery. In tandem with Wish, Latias can recover massive amounts of health in a single turn; when used in combination with Thunder Wave, Latias can fish for full paralysis, which can allow it to get its health back a bit more easily.
Set Details
========
Latias wants as much HP as possible to give it maximum general bulk. 96 Speed EVs are used to outpace Heatran and Adamant Lucario, allowing Latias to cripple two crucial threats with Thunder Wave. If opting for Wish, Latias should use Reflect versus Lucario first, but Thunder Wave is significantly more effective against it. The remaining EVs are poured into Defense with a Bold nature, which helps Latias take Close Combat from Infernape and Lucario as well as Tyranitar's attacks through Reflect as well as possible. Leftovers is used to grant Latias passive recovery to stay healthy for as long as possible. A spread of 252 HP / 188 Def / 68 Spe with a Timid nature is an option that sacrifices considerable physical bulk for outspeeding Pokemon like non-Choice Scarf Rotom-A, Impish Gliscor, neutral-natured Flygon and Zapdos, and potentially other bulky Latias. This sacrifices considerable physical bulk, however.
Usage Tips
========
This Latias can be extremely effective early-game by spreading status and forcing unexpected switches, which enables great scouting and facilitates opportunities to gain momentum. Paralyzing Tyranitar will be helpful if possible to increase Latias's survivability. You are nearly required to use Reflect if Tyranitar is in to give Latias the highest chance of successfully escaping. Try to target Metagross and Jirachi with Thunder Wave, but be careful with using it on Bronzong, as it makes Gyro Ball more powerful; however, using Reflect + Psywave in tandem is a great way to make life difficult for Bronzong. Beware of Explosion, however. Use Recover throughout the game to stay healthy. If opting for Wish, alternating between Wish and Recover is an effective way to keep Latias as healthy as possible. Use smart switches to take advantage of Wish support. You can bring Latias in on Swampert very easily, but you should be careful of an incoming Ice Punch or even Ice Beam.
Team Options
========
This Latias appreciates teammates that can help compensate for its weakness to defensive teams, Steel-types, and Tyranitar. Breloom is a great teammate that does well versus Tyranitar and can take advantage of Latias's paralysis support with its potent Superpower and Seed Bomb. Substitute + Focus Punch variants of Breloom can fish for paralysis and gain a positional advantage. Swampert is another fantastic teammate for its wonderful typing synergy and great offensive pressure with its STAB Water- and Ground-type attacks, as well as taking huge advantage of paralyzed foes. Gengar provides a nice Fighting-type immunity and an additional countermeasure to Infernape, and Substitute variants can fish for paralysis, much like Breloom. Metagross is a great pairing with Latias, as it has solid matchups versus Jirachi and Magnezone; in addition, Choice Scarf sets can threaten Lucario, many variants of Heatran, and even Skarmory with Trick. After using Trick, Metagross can still take advantage of Latias's paralysis support. Your own Lucario can opt for Ice Punch and take advantage of paralyzed targets like Zapdos and Jirachi. Latias and Lucario have immaculate synergy, and Latias really appreciates Lucario's support as a powerful end-game cleaner. Your own Tyranitar, particularly slower and bulkier variants like Choice Band and Custap Berry, will be very beneficial for trapping troublesome threats like Rotom-A and Starmie.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Latias has one of the largest movepools in the tier, and combined with its incredible typing and stats, it has the potential to utilize a tremendous number of different strategies. A Trick + Flame Orb set can be extremely effective in the lead slot for its longevity, good lead matchups versus Pokemon like Machamp and Metagross, and its unexpected first-turn Trick that will often cripple a foe from the get-go. A Calm Mind + 3 Attacks set can be used with Dragon Pulse, Surf, and Hidden Power Fire, but the lack of recovery and utility is tough and makes this set hard to use. Latias is a great option for setting up Rain Dance thanks to its great role compression and typing. It can utilize Thunder alongside Rain Dance to do as much damage to Skarmory as possible. Latias can also use Sunny Day, but it won't be able to run Surf or Thunder alongside it, and other Pokemon are probably better at using it. Latias can be a dedicated support slot by opting for a Light Screen + Reflect set to support setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Dragonite, Gyarados, and Tyranitar, as well as Calm Mind users like Suicune and Jirachi. Psychic is an alternative STAB move, but this will probably require additional support from Dugtrio and Magnezone because Steel-types resist it, and Tyranitar is immune to it, and other coverage moves are usually better. A Safeguard + Calm Mind set has some potential with support from both Dugtrio and Magnezone, but it's unreliable because it still has issues beating Jirachi and Clefable. Toxic can be used to inflict a surprise status ailment on Hippowdon, Tyranitar, Milotic, and Zapdos, but it's usually not worth the slot. Charge Beam is a possible alternative to Calm Mind to make room for additional coverage, but it's not guaranteed to increase Latias's Special Attack, making it inferior to Calm Mind. Dragon Breath is an interesting choice on a bulky set to compress both Thunder Wave and Dragon Pulse together while also granting additional PP, but it's significantly weaker than Dragon Pulse and also only has a 30% chance to inflict paralysis. Protect can be used, potentially alongside Wish, to scout Choice item Pokemon like Tyranitar, Flygon, and Rotom.
Some of the crazier options available are quite interesting. Sucker Punch can be used as a surprise priority move that hits Choice Scarf Rotom-A, offensive Starmie, and Gengar; using this move with Hidden Power Fire can actually make the opponent believe Gengar will always outspeed Latias, so it can work as an interesting bait. Whirlpool can be used to trap Tyranitar, Jirachi, and Heatran for a few turns, which may enable Latias to pivot out to a trapper like Dugtrio or Magnezone, but this move is extremely gimmicky. Mist Ball is an alternative to Psychic that has a 50% chance to lower the opposing Pokemon's Special Attack, but it only has 8 PP, which makes it significantly less viable. Shadow Ball can be used to hit Rotom-A as hard as possible without reducing Latias's Special Attack, but it's inferior to stronger coverage moves. Latias can opt for some physical moves like Earthquake and Outrage to catch Heatran and Clefable by surprise, but every other Dragon-type is better at doing this. Psycho Shift can be used on Sleep Talk sets to pass its status to another Pokemon, but Latias usually prefers a more consistent option, since Sleep Talk can only be used once while holding a Choice item. Finally, Role Play is a bizarre option that copies a foe's ability, which is best used on Pokemon like Clefable, Suicune, Zapdos, and Heatran to copy either Magic Guard, Pressure, or Flash Fire, but it's very difficult to fit onto a moveset in favor of other utility moves.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar has tremendous special bulk that it can use to take any of Latias's attacks most of the time and can threaten Latias with Pursuit and Crunch.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Jirachi, Metagross, Heatran, Bronzong, Magnezone, and Empoleon can all take a Draco Meteor or Dragon Pulse quite well and threaten Latias with a variety of attacks. Hidden Power Fire and Surf are Latias's best overall weapons to hit Steel-types consistently, so usually Latias will have trouble versus teams with multiple Steel-types. However, it can still use a variety of moves that may harm these Pokemon.
**Blissey and Clefable**: Blissey and Clefable have tremendous special bulk and can take even a Draco Meteor quite well and potentially cripple Latias with Thunder Wave. Blissey may also use Toxic, and Clefable can remove Latias's item with Knock Off or hinder its setup with Encore. Both of these Pokemon have to be cautious about Trick, since receiving a Choice item completely cripples them. Clefable will be extremely unreliable versus Modest Latias, which has a much more powerful Draco Meteor that is likely to 2HKO it.
**Faster Offensive Pokemon**: Pokemon like Choice Scarf Rotom-A, Choice Scarf Flygon, Gengar, Starmie, and even Weavile can give Latias some issues by outspeeding and threatening it with powerful, super effective moves. Starmie won't be able to OHKO Latias but can cripple it with Thunder Wave. Choice Scarf Rotom-A usually wants some chip damage before it uses Shadow Ball on Latias and also needs to be careful of Tyranitar.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Excal, 456373]]
- Quality checked by: [[DeepBlueC, 307789], [Emeral, 72767]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
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