Alright, lets get the Latias show on the road.
http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/latias
[Overview]
<p>Since Latias was unbanned in Black and White, her performance in the usage stats has generally been much lower than what it should be. It is not hard to see why, however, since her brother Latios and newcomer Hydreigon are the general go-to Pokemon for "powerful special attacking Dragon-type". What a lot of people overlook is Latias's higher defenses, which allow her to play a more effective support role. With new threats such as Thundurus-T and Keldeo being introduced in Black and White 2, Latias is one of the few Pokemon that can take them on while still remaining an offensive threat in the long run. Her resistances to common attacking types, namely Water, Electric, Grass, Fire, Psychic, and Fighting, as well as an excellent Ground immunity, allow her to switch in easily and put a stop to many potential threats. When her counters are removed, she can easily sweep late game. However, problems do still exist. Her Psychic typing, which grants her the excellent Fighting-type resistance, is a double-edged sword, as it makes her vulnerable to Pursuit. Her inability to hurt common Spikers such as Ferrothorn outside of weak Hidden Powers make her a big target for Spike-stacking teams as well. Still, as long as you play Latias carefully, there will generally be a place for her on virtually any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Recover
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Substitute / Hidden Power Fire / Psyshock
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is probably the one that takes the most advantage of Latias's fabulous qualities. Her respectable Special Attack, base 110 Speed, and fantastic Special Defense allow her to switch in repeatedly over the course of a match to either take hard hits or to set up for a sweep. She is probably the only Pokemon in OU that can check all of Keldeo, Breloom, Virizion, Infernape, Thundurus-T, and a variety of sun and rain sweepers at the same time, all the while remaining a long-term offensive threat. One thing to always remember is that Latias is not a Pokemon that you would pull out and immediately try to sweep with, but is instead used to defend against the aforementioned threats and only attempt to sweep when all her counters have been eliminated. Unlike Latios, who specializes in immediate firepower, Latias is better known for her role as a supporting sweeper. Calm Mind and Recover allow Latias to switch in constantly into many threats while boosting her Special Attack as well as her already massive Special Defense repeatedly. Dragon Pulse is her main STAB attack. The last move is extremely variable, and depends on what role Latias is playing in the team and what kind of EV spread she is running.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Calm Mind Latias is one of those sets that can have all sorts of variation, depending on what role she is playing on the team. The set shown above presents the most balanced option. The EV spread used allows Latias to take two Choice Specs-boosted Icy Winds from Keldeo after Stealth Rock damage, while maintaining maximum Speed to outspeed all the Pokemon in the base 108 Speed tier. Substitute is the preferred option in the last slot, not only to avoid status and Leech Seed, but also to protect herself from Pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Scizor. It also gives her a layer of protection against Choice Scarf Genesect, as well as potentially stalling out Gyro Ball from Ferrothorn, allowing her to set up with relative impunity. Hidden Power Fire allows Latias to deal a lot of damage to both Scizor and Genesect, who both give her a lot of trouble. Be aware that the imperfect IV used for Hidden Power Fire would mean she can no longer speed-tie with other Pokemon that sit on 110 base Speed. Psyshock, on the other hand, allows Latias to deal with Fighting-types, especially Keldeo in a Calm Mind war, more easily. While Latias has no problem against Choice-locked Keldeo, she may run into problems against Calm Mind Keldeo if she does not run Psyshock, as Secret Sword bypasses Latias's special bulk, and will be able to take her down if Keldeo has obtained enough boosts.</p>
<p>Latias can also use a more defensive set. With an EV spread of 252 HP / 228 Def / 28 Spe and a Bold nature, she can take Fighting-types on a lot more easily, especially Breloom and Choice Band Terrakion. The EV spread allows her to outspeed max speed Pokemon with a base 70 Speed using a positive nature, such as Timid Politoed and Jolly Breloom. If you do decide to use this spread, decent options in the last slot are generally support moves. Reflect allows Latias to cushion Pursuit, as well as potentially set up on Tyranitar that do not use Crunch and do not invest much in Attack. Substitute is again a very good option on physically defensive Calm Mind Latias, as well as Roar to force out set-up sweepers such as Calm Mind Reuniclus. Refresh is another option, as it allows Latias to heal status such as burns from switching into Scald, as well as allowing her to set up on Blissey and Chansey much more easily. However, being unable to block Leech Seed, while not giving her Pursuit and U-turn protection generally makes Refresh an inferior option to Substitute. The main reason that such a spread is not as recommended as the primary spread shown above is because Latias is generally too slow with this spread. The metagame has many fast threats that Latias desperately needs to outspeed in order to defeat them, such as Nasty Plot Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Sheer Force Landorus.</p>
<p>Another way to run Calm Mind Latias is to run a fully offensive set. With an EV spread of 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe, a Timid nature and a moveset of Calm Mind / Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Fire / Grass Knot can be used. While this may be completely outclassed by Latios, this set really shines when used in tandem with her brother. There are two ways to use such a set. One is to use Latios to severely weaken Latias's counters so Latias can roll through later, or to equip a Colbur Berry on Latias, allowing her to deal major damage to Latios's counters, namely Tyranitar, Jirachi, Ferrothorn, Genesect, and Scizor. This would allow Latios to follow up and sweep unimpeded. Obviously, there are downsides to such a strategy, since both Latias and Latios share the same typing and very similar stats, making your team doubly weak to whatever counters both Latias and Latios.</p>
<p>Pursuit is definitely Latias's worst enemy, and generally comes from either Tyranitar or Scizor. Even with Substitute, it is difficult to avoid getting Latias trapped consistently, since prediction does go both ways. This is why Fighting-types are excellent teammates to use alongside Latias to set up on Pursuit users. Lucario, Terrakion, Keldeo, Breloom, Infernape, Virizion, and Conkeldurr are all excellent contenders. Intimidate users are also good, as well as physically bulky set-up sweepers and Steel-types, such as Gyarados, Landorus-T, Salamence, Garchomp, Gliscor, and Scizor. In exchange, Latias resists most of their weaknesses and tanks special hits without much trouble at all.</p>
<p>Other Pokemon that give Latias trouble are bulky Steel-types, as well as Blissey and Chansey. The aforementioned Scizor is already one big threat, but BW2 decided to introduce Scizor on steroids&mdashGenesect. Fortunately, it cannot use Pursuit, but its fast U-turns will always cause headaches for any team. Ferrothorn is the next biggest culprit, as it takes little from any of Latias's moves, even Hidden Power Fire if it is raining, and can respond with Leech Seed and Gyro Ball while setting up hazards at will. If Latias has Substitute, she can, with good prediction, PP stall out Gyro Ball and set up in Ferrothorn's face, but this is rather risky play all the same. Specially defensive Jirachi takes very little from Latias's attacks and can use Body Slam to paralyze her, then take her out with Iron Head. If Latias lacks Surf, Heatran also resists most of her options, while being able to phaze her with Roar or cripple her with Toxic. For this reason, Dugtrio and Magnezone are good teammates for Latias in order to trap and remove the Steel-types that most trouble her and her team. Dugtrio can OHKO Heatran and heavily damage Jirachi, as well as taking out Tyranitar. Magnezone, on the other hand, can trap and OHKO Scizor and Skarmory, and as long as it avoids Leech Seed or Thunder Wave, it can trap and set up on Ferrothorn using Substitute and Charge Beam. Since many of these bulky Steel-types pack entry hazards, Rapid Spin users are also good teammates. Tentacruel is a Rapid Spin user that synergizes well with Latias, as it resists Latias's Ice-type and Bug-type weaknesses, while Latias resists or is immune to all of Tentacruel's weaknesses. Forretress also synergizes well with Latias due to its resistance to physical Dragon-type attacks, as well as U-turn and Crunch. Other decent Rapid Spin users include Donphan, Starmie, and Sandslash, if you are using Latias on a sand team. As for Blissey and Chansey, the aforementioned physical attackers can easily set up on them.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psyshock / Thunder
move 3: Surf / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Recover / Trick / Dragon Pulse
item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set may seem more suited for Latios, which sports a much higher Special Attack stat. However, Latias's higher bulk allows her to come into play more often and dish out powerful hits. While Latios is a powerful wallbreaker, Latias is more of an offensive pivot and special tank. Even without investing in Special Defense, Latias is still bulky enough to take special attacks without much fear. She can easily take a Hidden Power Ice from Life Orb Thundurus-T and OHKO with Draco Meteor. One common complaint is that Latias is too weak initially, needing at least two Calm Minds to hit relatively hard. However, with maximum investment to Special Attack and holding a Life Orb or Choice Specs, Latias is still extremely powerful. Do not forget that it was her Choice Specs set that got her banned in DPP&mdashDraco Meteor smashes everything that does not resist it. Psyshock is the preferred move in the second slot as it KOes Fighting-types, most notably Keldeo. However, if you are using a rain team, Thunder is a very powerful alternative, as it does a lot of damage to bulky Water-types and many Steel-types as well as still doing heaps of damage to Keldeo without having to resort to Psyshock. It also carries a 30% paralysis rate. Surf is the generally the best coverage move in the third slot, as it gets pseudo-STAB in the rain, as well as letting Latias KO Landorus without having to resort to Draco Meteor. However, Hidden Power Fire is also perfectly acceptable, as it lets Latias OHKO Genesect and Scizor when it's not raining and allows Latias to deal lots of damage to Ferrothorn. It works even better if you are using a sun team, since it gets a boost in the sun.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb is generally the preferred item since it allows her to switch attacks and use Recover to stick around for longer. However, the extra power that Choice Specs brings is hard to ignore. For example, with Choice Specs equipped, Latias has a very high chance of OHKOing offensive Dragonite through Multiscale with Draco Meteor, as well as OHKOing Conkeldurr with Draco Meteor. It also allows Latias to cripple walls with Trick.</p>
<p>The last moveslot should depend on what item Latias is equipped with. Recover is Latias's best option if Life Orb is used, since it would allow her to switch in repeatedly and recover lost health. Trick is the preferred move if Choice Specs is equipped, to allow Latias to cripple walls. If neither of these moves appeal to you, Dragon Pulse can be used as a reliable Dragon-type STAB attack. In terms of other coverage moves, Thunderbolt can be used if you don't find Thunder reliable enough, while Hidden Power Fighting can be used to hurt Tyranitar.</p>
<p>The EV spread used is just a simple 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe spread, with a Timid nature to outspeed all the Fighting-types that sit at base 108 Speed, as well as Thundurus-T, Landorus, and all the Pokemon on base 100 Speed, while still hitting as hard as possible. Max Speed and a Timid nature is essential to outpace all those threatening Pokemon, but Latias can slide some her Special Attack into HP depending on how bulky you want her to be, all the way up to a spread of 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe.</p>
<p>Tyranitar, Scizor, and Genesect still cause huge problems for Latias, especially after a Special Attack drop from Draco Meteor, although Scizor and Genesect need to watch out for Hidden Power Fire as well as rain-boosted Surf and Thunder. Specially defensive Steel-types such as Jirachi and Ferrothorn (especially in the rain) can give Latias trouble as well. Chansey can take Psyshock all day and stall Latias out, but must watch out for Trick. Garchomp is an excellent Pokemon to take on all of the aforementioned threats, especially Jirachi. Other physical attackers that can take out Chansey and most of Latias's threats include Landorus-T, Terrakion, and Gyarados. Heatran is also a good Pokemon to switch into the aforementioned Steel-types. Magnezone is useful for trapping Ferrothorn with Substitute and Charge Beam, while Dugtrio does a better job at trapping and dealing heavy damage to Jirachi. Since many bulky Steel-types in OU carry entry hazards, Rapid Spin users are always welcome on a team with Latias, including Tentacruel, Forretress, Starmie, Donphan, and Sandslash.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Healing Wish
move 4: Draco Meteor
item: Light Clay
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Latias's natural bulk and speed make her a solid dual screen user. While some people may again question why not use Latios due to his ability to soften blows further with Memento, Healing Wish differentiates Latias from her twin brother. With Healing Wish, Latias can sacrifice herself to bring back a crippled sweeper to give it a second chance at sweeping. As long as you don't end up getting said sweeper KOed, you can usually attempt a sweep earlier in the game with one sweeper, hopefully crippling or KOing its counter, then switching it out once crippled. Later in the game, Latias can set up Reflect and Light Screen and then sacrifice herself so that same sweeper can rampage through the opposing team unhindered. Essentially, Latias is a faster, slightly less bulky version of Cresselia, but unlike Cresselia, Latias has a bunch of very nice resistances, as well as offenses that are a threat in their own right. Apart from the three compulsory moves (Reflect, Light Screen, and Healing Wish), Draco Meteor is probably the best fit in the last slot so that Latias is not utter setup fodder. Even without investment, the move is powerful enough to deter frailer set-up sweepers from setting up on Latias.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Apart from Draco Meteor, Latias has a number of options she can run in the last slot. Roar can be used to prevent setup, while Wish can be used to give a sweeper a relatively safe switch-in if you are ready to sacrifice Latias at the time. Thunder Wave can also be used to cripple potential revenge killers, or even give your sweeper an easier time in setting up with potential paralysis.</p>
<p>Good teammates to Dual Screens Latias fall into two categories: sweepers and Pokemon that can take full advantage of dual screens and Healing Wish, and Pokemon that synergize well with Latias in general. Swords Dance Terrakion, Garchomp, Lucario, Breloom, Dragon Dance Salamence, Dragonite, Gyarados, Nasty Plot Thundurus-T, and Quiver Dance Volcarona are all excellent recipients of dual screens and Healing Wish. Shell Smash passers are also extremely deadly with Healing Wish support. When something like Gorebyss pulls off a successful Shell Smash pass, skilled opponents would generally be able to stop the recipient in some way or another, leaving Gorebyss too damaged to be able to Baton Pass another set of Shell Smash boosts. However, with dual screens and Healing Wish bringing Gorebyss back up to full health, it is a lot easier to pass off a second set of boosts to another sweeper that can easily finish off the opponent's weakened team. General Pokemon that work well with Latias are Pokemon that can switch into her weaknesses, especially Pursuit. Heatran pretty much synergizes perfectly with Latias, while Fighting-types are generally first on call when it comes to switching into Pursuit.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Latias can run a pure support set with Wish and Roar, but her relatively low HP stat means she's generally outclassed in such a set by Blissey, Chansey, Jirachi, and Vaporeon. Latias can also use a Choice Scarf set, but is such a set is largely outclassed by Latios, who boasts the higher firepower required for revenge killing various Pokemon. If Latias is to use a Choice Scarf, it is a good idea to use Healing Wish on it to differentiate herself from Latios, allowing her to pull of a fast revival of a crippled teammate in a pinch. Latias can even run a very gimmicky physical set with Hone Claws / Outrage / Earthquake / Sucker Punch, but is outclassed by pretty much every physical Dragon-type in OU.</p>
<p>Latias has a number of other moves she could use. Hidden Power Fighting can be used to hit Tyranitar harder than all of her other moves, but since it still doesn't do that much to the T-rex, Latias is better off with her other options. Psycho Shift and a Flame Orb can be used to spread burns, but Latias generally has better things to do than that. Similary, Latias can use Rain Dance or Sunny Day as a backup weather inducer, but this is generally unnecessary. Reflect Type is an interesting option to put on the Calm Mind set, as it allows Latias to copy the typings of her counters and hopefully resist their attacks, but is very easily played around. Safeguard can be used to block status, but Substitute and Refresh are generally better options because they are not turn-limited.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Tyranitar is definitely Latias's number one enemy. It takes little from any of her attacks, even Hidden Power Fighting, and checkmates her with Crunch and Pursuit. Even if Latias uses Reflect and invests heavily in her physical defense, she will generally lose to the T-rex. Blissey and Chansey are probably the next on the list, since they do not take much from any of Latias's attacks and can cripple her with Toxic. They will need to watch out Trick, though. Specially defensive Jirachi laughs at Latias's assualts and can paralyze her with Body Slam or Thunder Wave, then proceed to flinch her to death with Iron Head. Ferrothorn easily takes on any Latias that doesn't use Hidden Power Fire (which won't even do much in rainy weather) and can use Leech Seed and Gyro Ball to take her out. Be aware of Substitute + Calm Mind variants, however, since skilled Latias players would be able to stall out Gyro Ball and then proceed to set up in Ferrothorn's face. If Latias lacks Hidden Power Fire, Scizor will make Latias cry by checkmating her with U-turn and Pursuit. Choice Scarf Genesect can outspeed and OHKO Latias with U-turn. Aside from Hidden Power Fire, both will also have to watch out for a rain-boosted Surf or Thunder from the offensive set, as they hurt substantially. If Latias lacks Surf, Heatran can use Roar to force Latias out or cripple it with Toxic, while Skarmory can do a similar job if she uses Substitute or Psyshock as her secondary moves.</p>
<p>Latias is generally difficult to revenge kill on the special side due to her huge special bulk. Physically, however, she is much more vulnerable, which means she can be revenge killed by Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Genesect, Garchomp, Salamence, and Haxorus. Mamoswine can pick off weakened Latias with Ice Shard, while the rare Weavile can checkmate her with any of Ice Punch, Night Slash, or Pursuit.</p>
http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/latias
[Overview]
<p>Since Latias was unbanned in Black and White, her performance in the usage stats has generally been much lower than what it should be. It is not hard to see why, however, since her brother Latios and newcomer Hydreigon are the general go-to Pokemon for "powerful special attacking Dragon-type". What a lot of people overlook is Latias's higher defenses, which allow her to play a more effective support role. With new threats such as Thundurus-T and Keldeo being introduced in Black and White 2, Latias is one of the few Pokemon that can take them on while still remaining an offensive threat in the long run. Her resistances to common attacking types, namely Water, Electric, Grass, Fire, Psychic, and Fighting, as well as an excellent Ground immunity, allow her to switch in easily and put a stop to many potential threats. When her counters are removed, she can easily sweep late game. However, problems do still exist. Her Psychic typing, which grants her the excellent Fighting-type resistance, is a double-edged sword, as it makes her vulnerable to Pursuit. Her inability to hurt common Spikers such as Ferrothorn outside of weak Hidden Powers make her a big target for Spike-stacking teams as well. Still, as long as you play Latias carefully, there will generally be a place for her on virtually any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Recover
move 3: Dragon Pulse
move 4: Substitute / Hidden Power Fire / Psyshock
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is probably the one that takes the most advantage of Latias's fabulous qualities. Her respectable Special Attack, base 110 Speed, and fantastic Special Defense allow her to switch in repeatedly over the course of a match to either take hard hits or to set up for a sweep. She is probably the only Pokemon in OU that can check all of Keldeo, Breloom, Virizion, Infernape, Thundurus-T, and a variety of sun and rain sweepers at the same time, all the while remaining a long-term offensive threat. One thing to always remember is that Latias is not a Pokemon that you would pull out and immediately try to sweep with, but is instead used to defend against the aforementioned threats and only attempt to sweep when all her counters have been eliminated. Unlike Latios, who specializes in immediate firepower, Latias is better known for her role as a supporting sweeper. Calm Mind and Recover allow Latias to switch in constantly into many threats while boosting her Special Attack as well as her already massive Special Defense repeatedly. Dragon Pulse is her main STAB attack. The last move is extremely variable, and depends on what role Latias is playing in the team and what kind of EV spread she is running.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Calm Mind Latias is one of those sets that can have all sorts of variation, depending on what role she is playing on the team. The set shown above presents the most balanced option. The EV spread used allows Latias to take two Choice Specs-boosted Icy Winds from Keldeo after Stealth Rock damage, while maintaining maximum Speed to outspeed all the Pokemon in the base 108 Speed tier. Substitute is the preferred option in the last slot, not only to avoid status and Leech Seed, but also to protect herself from Pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Scizor. It also gives her a layer of protection against Choice Scarf Genesect, as well as potentially stalling out Gyro Ball from Ferrothorn, allowing her to set up with relative impunity. Hidden Power Fire allows Latias to deal a lot of damage to both Scizor and Genesect, who both give her a lot of trouble. Be aware that the imperfect IV used for Hidden Power Fire would mean she can no longer speed-tie with other Pokemon that sit on 110 base Speed. Psyshock, on the other hand, allows Latias to deal with Fighting-types, especially Keldeo in a Calm Mind war, more easily. While Latias has no problem against Choice-locked Keldeo, she may run into problems against Calm Mind Keldeo if she does not run Psyshock, as Secret Sword bypasses Latias's special bulk, and will be able to take her down if Keldeo has obtained enough boosts.</p>
<p>Latias can also use a more defensive set. With an EV spread of 252 HP / 228 Def / 28 Spe and a Bold nature, she can take Fighting-types on a lot more easily, especially Breloom and Choice Band Terrakion. The EV spread allows her to outspeed max speed Pokemon with a base 70 Speed using a positive nature, such as Timid Politoed and Jolly Breloom. If you do decide to use this spread, decent options in the last slot are generally support moves. Reflect allows Latias to cushion Pursuit, as well as potentially set up on Tyranitar that do not use Crunch and do not invest much in Attack. Substitute is again a very good option on physically defensive Calm Mind Latias, as well as Roar to force out set-up sweepers such as Calm Mind Reuniclus. Refresh is another option, as it allows Latias to heal status such as burns from switching into Scald, as well as allowing her to set up on Blissey and Chansey much more easily. However, being unable to block Leech Seed, while not giving her Pursuit and U-turn protection generally makes Refresh an inferior option to Substitute. The main reason that such a spread is not as recommended as the primary spread shown above is because Latias is generally too slow with this spread. The metagame has many fast threats that Latias desperately needs to outspeed in order to defeat them, such as Nasty Plot Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Sheer Force Landorus.</p>
<p>Another way to run Calm Mind Latias is to run a fully offensive set. With an EV spread of 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe, a Timid nature and a moveset of Calm Mind / Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Fire / Grass Knot can be used. While this may be completely outclassed by Latios, this set really shines when used in tandem with her brother. There are two ways to use such a set. One is to use Latios to severely weaken Latias's counters so Latias can roll through later, or to equip a Colbur Berry on Latias, allowing her to deal major damage to Latios's counters, namely Tyranitar, Jirachi, Ferrothorn, Genesect, and Scizor. This would allow Latios to follow up and sweep unimpeded. Obviously, there are downsides to such a strategy, since both Latias and Latios share the same typing and very similar stats, making your team doubly weak to whatever counters both Latias and Latios.</p>
<p>Pursuit is definitely Latias's worst enemy, and generally comes from either Tyranitar or Scizor. Even with Substitute, it is difficult to avoid getting Latias trapped consistently, since prediction does go both ways. This is why Fighting-types are excellent teammates to use alongside Latias to set up on Pursuit users. Lucario, Terrakion, Keldeo, Breloom, Infernape, Virizion, and Conkeldurr are all excellent contenders. Intimidate users are also good, as well as physically bulky set-up sweepers and Steel-types, such as Gyarados, Landorus-T, Salamence, Garchomp, Gliscor, and Scizor. In exchange, Latias resists most of their weaknesses and tanks special hits without much trouble at all.</p>
<p>Other Pokemon that give Latias trouble are bulky Steel-types, as well as Blissey and Chansey. The aforementioned Scizor is already one big threat, but BW2 decided to introduce Scizor on steroids&mdashGenesect. Fortunately, it cannot use Pursuit, but its fast U-turns will always cause headaches for any team. Ferrothorn is the next biggest culprit, as it takes little from any of Latias's moves, even Hidden Power Fire if it is raining, and can respond with Leech Seed and Gyro Ball while setting up hazards at will. If Latias has Substitute, she can, with good prediction, PP stall out Gyro Ball and set up in Ferrothorn's face, but this is rather risky play all the same. Specially defensive Jirachi takes very little from Latias's attacks and can use Body Slam to paralyze her, then take her out with Iron Head. If Latias lacks Surf, Heatran also resists most of her options, while being able to phaze her with Roar or cripple her with Toxic. For this reason, Dugtrio and Magnezone are good teammates for Latias in order to trap and remove the Steel-types that most trouble her and her team. Dugtrio can OHKO Heatran and heavily damage Jirachi, as well as taking out Tyranitar. Magnezone, on the other hand, can trap and OHKO Scizor and Skarmory, and as long as it avoids Leech Seed or Thunder Wave, it can trap and set up on Ferrothorn using Substitute and Charge Beam. Since many of these bulky Steel-types pack entry hazards, Rapid Spin users are also good teammates. Tentacruel is a Rapid Spin user that synergizes well with Latias, as it resists Latias's Ice-type and Bug-type weaknesses, while Latias resists or is immune to all of Tentacruel's weaknesses. Forretress also synergizes well with Latias due to its resistance to physical Dragon-type attacks, as well as U-turn and Crunch. Other decent Rapid Spin users include Donphan, Starmie, and Sandslash, if you are using Latias on a sand team. As for Blissey and Chansey, the aforementioned physical attackers can easily set up on them.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psyshock / Thunder
move 3: Surf / Hidden Power Fire
move 4: Recover / Trick / Dragon Pulse
item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set may seem more suited for Latios, which sports a much higher Special Attack stat. However, Latias's higher bulk allows her to come into play more often and dish out powerful hits. While Latios is a powerful wallbreaker, Latias is more of an offensive pivot and special tank. Even without investing in Special Defense, Latias is still bulky enough to take special attacks without much fear. She can easily take a Hidden Power Ice from Life Orb Thundurus-T and OHKO with Draco Meteor. One common complaint is that Latias is too weak initially, needing at least two Calm Minds to hit relatively hard. However, with maximum investment to Special Attack and holding a Life Orb or Choice Specs, Latias is still extremely powerful. Do not forget that it was her Choice Specs set that got her banned in DPP&mdashDraco Meteor smashes everything that does not resist it. Psyshock is the preferred move in the second slot as it KOes Fighting-types, most notably Keldeo. However, if you are using a rain team, Thunder is a very powerful alternative, as it does a lot of damage to bulky Water-types and many Steel-types as well as still doing heaps of damage to Keldeo without having to resort to Psyshock. It also carries a 30% paralysis rate. Surf is the generally the best coverage move in the third slot, as it gets pseudo-STAB in the rain, as well as letting Latias KO Landorus without having to resort to Draco Meteor. However, Hidden Power Fire is also perfectly acceptable, as it lets Latias OHKO Genesect and Scizor when it's not raining and allows Latias to deal lots of damage to Ferrothorn. It works even better if you are using a sun team, since it gets a boost in the sun.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb is generally the preferred item since it allows her to switch attacks and use Recover to stick around for longer. However, the extra power that Choice Specs brings is hard to ignore. For example, with Choice Specs equipped, Latias has a very high chance of OHKOing offensive Dragonite through Multiscale with Draco Meteor, as well as OHKOing Conkeldurr with Draco Meteor. It also allows Latias to cripple walls with Trick.</p>
<p>The last moveslot should depend on what item Latias is equipped with. Recover is Latias's best option if Life Orb is used, since it would allow her to switch in repeatedly and recover lost health. Trick is the preferred move if Choice Specs is equipped, to allow Latias to cripple walls. If neither of these moves appeal to you, Dragon Pulse can be used as a reliable Dragon-type STAB attack. In terms of other coverage moves, Thunderbolt can be used if you don't find Thunder reliable enough, while Hidden Power Fighting can be used to hurt Tyranitar.</p>
<p>The EV spread used is just a simple 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe spread, with a Timid nature to outspeed all the Fighting-types that sit at base 108 Speed, as well as Thundurus-T, Landorus, and all the Pokemon on base 100 Speed, while still hitting as hard as possible. Max Speed and a Timid nature is essential to outpace all those threatening Pokemon, but Latias can slide some her Special Attack into HP depending on how bulky you want her to be, all the way up to a spread of 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe.</p>
<p>Tyranitar, Scizor, and Genesect still cause huge problems for Latias, especially after a Special Attack drop from Draco Meteor, although Scizor and Genesect need to watch out for Hidden Power Fire as well as rain-boosted Surf and Thunder. Specially defensive Steel-types such as Jirachi and Ferrothorn (especially in the rain) can give Latias trouble as well. Chansey can take Psyshock all day and stall Latias out, but must watch out for Trick. Garchomp is an excellent Pokemon to take on all of the aforementioned threats, especially Jirachi. Other physical attackers that can take out Chansey and most of Latias's threats include Landorus-T, Terrakion, and Gyarados. Heatran is also a good Pokemon to switch into the aforementioned Steel-types. Magnezone is useful for trapping Ferrothorn with Substitute and Charge Beam, while Dugtrio does a better job at trapping and dealing heavy damage to Jirachi. Since many bulky Steel-types in OU carry entry hazards, Rapid Spin users are always welcome on a team with Latias, including Tentacruel, Forretress, Starmie, Donphan, and Sandslash.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Healing Wish
move 4: Draco Meteor
item: Light Clay
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Latias's natural bulk and speed make her a solid dual screen user. While some people may again question why not use Latios due to his ability to soften blows further with Memento, Healing Wish differentiates Latias from her twin brother. With Healing Wish, Latias can sacrifice herself to bring back a crippled sweeper to give it a second chance at sweeping. As long as you don't end up getting said sweeper KOed, you can usually attempt a sweep earlier in the game with one sweeper, hopefully crippling or KOing its counter, then switching it out once crippled. Later in the game, Latias can set up Reflect and Light Screen and then sacrifice herself so that same sweeper can rampage through the opposing team unhindered. Essentially, Latias is a faster, slightly less bulky version of Cresselia, but unlike Cresselia, Latias has a bunch of very nice resistances, as well as offenses that are a threat in their own right. Apart from the three compulsory moves (Reflect, Light Screen, and Healing Wish), Draco Meteor is probably the best fit in the last slot so that Latias is not utter setup fodder. Even without investment, the move is powerful enough to deter frailer set-up sweepers from setting up on Latias.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Apart from Draco Meteor, Latias has a number of options she can run in the last slot. Roar can be used to prevent setup, while Wish can be used to give a sweeper a relatively safe switch-in if you are ready to sacrifice Latias at the time. Thunder Wave can also be used to cripple potential revenge killers, or even give your sweeper an easier time in setting up with potential paralysis.</p>
<p>Good teammates to Dual Screens Latias fall into two categories: sweepers and Pokemon that can take full advantage of dual screens and Healing Wish, and Pokemon that synergize well with Latias in general. Swords Dance Terrakion, Garchomp, Lucario, Breloom, Dragon Dance Salamence, Dragonite, Gyarados, Nasty Plot Thundurus-T, and Quiver Dance Volcarona are all excellent recipients of dual screens and Healing Wish. Shell Smash passers are also extremely deadly with Healing Wish support. When something like Gorebyss pulls off a successful Shell Smash pass, skilled opponents would generally be able to stop the recipient in some way or another, leaving Gorebyss too damaged to be able to Baton Pass another set of Shell Smash boosts. However, with dual screens and Healing Wish bringing Gorebyss back up to full health, it is a lot easier to pass off a second set of boosts to another sweeper that can easily finish off the opponent's weakened team. General Pokemon that work well with Latias are Pokemon that can switch into her weaknesses, especially Pursuit. Heatran pretty much synergizes perfectly with Latias, while Fighting-types are generally first on call when it comes to switching into Pursuit.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Latias can run a pure support set with Wish and Roar, but her relatively low HP stat means she's generally outclassed in such a set by Blissey, Chansey, Jirachi, and Vaporeon. Latias can also use a Choice Scarf set, but is such a set is largely outclassed by Latios, who boasts the higher firepower required for revenge killing various Pokemon. If Latias is to use a Choice Scarf, it is a good idea to use Healing Wish on it to differentiate herself from Latios, allowing her to pull of a fast revival of a crippled teammate in a pinch. Latias can even run a very gimmicky physical set with Hone Claws / Outrage / Earthquake / Sucker Punch, but is outclassed by pretty much every physical Dragon-type in OU.</p>
<p>Latias has a number of other moves she could use. Hidden Power Fighting can be used to hit Tyranitar harder than all of her other moves, but since it still doesn't do that much to the T-rex, Latias is better off with her other options. Psycho Shift and a Flame Orb can be used to spread burns, but Latias generally has better things to do than that. Similary, Latias can use Rain Dance or Sunny Day as a backup weather inducer, but this is generally unnecessary. Reflect Type is an interesting option to put on the Calm Mind set, as it allows Latias to copy the typings of her counters and hopefully resist their attacks, but is very easily played around. Safeguard can be used to block status, but Substitute and Refresh are generally better options because they are not turn-limited.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Tyranitar is definitely Latias's number one enemy. It takes little from any of her attacks, even Hidden Power Fighting, and checkmates her with Crunch and Pursuit. Even if Latias uses Reflect and invests heavily in her physical defense, she will generally lose to the T-rex. Blissey and Chansey are probably the next on the list, since they do not take much from any of Latias's attacks and can cripple her with Toxic. They will need to watch out Trick, though. Specially defensive Jirachi laughs at Latias's assualts and can paralyze her with Body Slam or Thunder Wave, then proceed to flinch her to death with Iron Head. Ferrothorn easily takes on any Latias that doesn't use Hidden Power Fire (which won't even do much in rainy weather) and can use Leech Seed and Gyro Ball to take her out. Be aware of Substitute + Calm Mind variants, however, since skilled Latias players would be able to stall out Gyro Ball and then proceed to set up in Ferrothorn's face. If Latias lacks Hidden Power Fire, Scizor will make Latias cry by checkmating her with U-turn and Pursuit. Choice Scarf Genesect can outspeed and OHKO Latias with U-turn. Aside from Hidden Power Fire, both will also have to watch out for a rain-boosted Surf or Thunder from the offensive set, as they hurt substantially. If Latias lacks Surf, Heatran can use Roar to force Latias out or cripple it with Toxic, while Skarmory can do a similar job if she uses Substitute or Psyshock as her secondary moves.</p>
<p>Latias is generally difficult to revenge kill on the special side due to her huge special bulk. Physically, however, she is much more vulnerable, which means she can be revenge killed by Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Genesect, Garchomp, Salamence, and Haxorus. Mamoswine can pick off weakened Latias with Ice Shard, while the rare Weavile can checkmate her with any of Ice Punch, Night Slash, or Pursuit.</p>
