UU Latias (Revamp)

ehT

:dog:
is a Contributor Alumnus
[OVERVIEW]

Latias's combination of typing, good offensive stats, bulk, coverage, and reliable recovery makes it one of the most dangerous and metagame-defining offensive presences in the tier. Access to Calm Mind as well as multiple usable Z-Moves takes this offensive prowess to the next level, allowing it to break through the majority of its potential checks, all while capitalizing on the defensive utility afforded by its good typing and high bulk for a fast offensive Pokemon. It also has access to key support moves in Defog and Healing Wish to allow it to serve certain utility purposes as needed. All of this versatility makes Latias extremely flexible and team friendly and forces opponents to be on their toes until Latias has revealed its set to gauge their response accordingly. The tier has responded to Latias's presence, however, with a wide array of offensive and defensive counterplay: most faster Pokemon can heavily damage or outright KO it, it is vulnerable to common priority users like Scizor, Mamoswine, and Bisharp, and perhaps most importantly, it is weak to Pursuit trappers such as Mega Aerodactyl and Krookodile. Furthermore, despite Latias's key resistances letting it exploit a good number of Pokemon, Dragon / Psychic does have its flaws as a defensive typing, as with six common weaknesses, Latias is forced out or Pursuit trapped by a large portion of the tier depending on its set. It is also heavily reliant on Z-Moves and the easily punishable Draco Meteor to do significant damage, as it is rather weak unboosted and can be easily pressured to fire off predictable attacks. Lastly, Latias's STAB combination is walled by Steel-types, meaning that it must either burn its Z-Move or sacrifice one of Calm Mind, Roost, or a Psychic-type attack to stand a chance against the likes of Empoleon, Mega Aggron, and Klefki on its own. These shortcomings open up Latias to relatively straightforward methods to minimize its impact on the game, meaning that while it is rare for any Latias set to be dead weight in a given matchup, there are many in which it will not be as devastating as it might otherwise be.

[SET]

name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Roost
item: Dragonium Z / Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Draco Meteor's high Base Power alongside Latias's ability to boost with Calm Mind makes Draco Meteor worthwhile despite its drawback of lowering Special Attack. This power is necessary to gain crucial 2HKOs at +1 on Hippowdon, Alomomola, and Suicune, as well as OHKOs on bulkier offensive Pokemon such as Mamoswine and Moltres. Using Psyshock as Latias's Psychic-type STAB move over Psychic allows it to target the lower Defense stats of Pokemon such as Blissey, Florges, and Sylveon. However, Psychic can be used for its noteworthy bump in power to break through physically defensive targets such as Suicune, defensive Mega Altaria, Cobalion, and Hippowdon without using Draco Meteor. Determine which move's benefits you would want for your team over the other. Roost provides Latias with reliable recovery and keeps it healthy throughout the game, which allows Latias to consistently keep up offensive pressure, sweep late-game, and be generally more self-sufficient. This is key for teams that rely on its defensive utility long-term. It can be exchanged, however, for Hidden Power Fire with Life Orb to reliably OHKO Scizor as well as do passable damage to other Steel-types not named Empoleon. The cost in longevity is quite steep, though, so it should be reserved for more offensive teams that already have a Z-Move user and don't need Latias to be around for long.

Set Details
========

The neutral nuke provided by Dragonium Z is ideal for sweeping, as well as for supporting teammates that need certain walls removed. At +1, for example, Devastating Drake will OHKO 0 HP Scizor with minimal chip damage, as well as Alomomola, Hippowdon, and Celebi from full health. Unboosted, it will OHKO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it. Life Orb is preferable over a Z-Crystal in certain scenarios, as the power boost lets Latias achieve key 2HKOs at +1, most notably on Blissey, Sylveon, and Florges with Psyshock. It can also OHKO Cobalion and 2HKO Hippowdon at +1 if it opts for Psychic. Do note, though, that this cost in longevity is somewhat risky, as Latias is very reliant on its defensive utility to consistently come in and set up, meaning it should generally only be considered over a Z-Crystal if the aforementioned damage output is necessary or if your team already has a Z-Move user. As an alternative, Psychium Z gives Latias a more specialized Z-Move that allows sets carrying Roost to nuke Fairy-types as well as Cobalion, but a regular Psychic-type move is usually enough to do this on its own. For this reason, Psychium Z gives it an edge versus balance teams that rely on Fairy-types to check Latias. Levitate is extremely useful for exploiting bulky Ground-types such as Gligar lacking U-turn and Hippowdon. It also allows Latias to pivot in on offensive Ground-types such as Nidoking and Choice-locked Krookodile in a pinch, as well as avoid all grounded entry hazards.

Usage Tips
========

Use Latias's stellar defensive utility to your advantage by using the tier's many Ground-, Fire-, Water-, and Grass-types as setup fodder. Passive Ground-types like Hippowdon are generally good candidates for this, though Latias must be mindful of Toxic or phazing moves. Don't be afraid to set up on more passive Fairy-types such as Florges and Togekiss, either, as Latias's combination of Speed and special bulk allows it to set up on and break through them even in the face of super effective special attacks. This is extremely unique for a Dragon-type and allows Fairy-weak teammates such as Hydreigon and Krookodile to follow up by spamming their attacks much more freely. Latias can win most Calm Mind wars thanks to its reliable recovery, access to Psyshock, and nuking ability with Devastating Drake, so don't be afraid to stay in if an opposing Pokemon starts using Calm Mind alongside it. With careful prediction, Suicune, Slowbro, and Reuniclus all lose one-on-one to Latias if they choose to do this. Sets carrying Roost get to set up early and often, but you should nevertheless be discerning with which foes you choose to set up on, as it will only realistically get to do so once or twice. For example, Latias may be Toxic poisoned when attempting to set up on Hippowdon or bulky Water-types or take a big hit if it attempts to set up on offensive Pokemon such as Nidoking. Be careful when using Draco Meteor, as even with Calm Mind boosts, its main drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack can prove extremely punishable in the face of opposing setup Pokemon like Scizor and Bisharp. Also be mindful of defensive checks such as Klefki, Empoleon, and Alolan Muk waiting in the wings, as even with the proper coverage, Latias can be crippled by Thunder Wave, Toxic, or Pursuit, respectively, if they are healthy enough to chew a boosted attack. Most of these Pokemon are heavily damaged by Devastating Drake at +1, however, and are quite easy to wear down.

Team Options
========

Calm Mind Latias with Roost fits best on balance and bulky offense teams looking for a late-game sweeper that can exploit bulky offense and balance staples like Swampert, Hippowdon, Celebi, and Rotom-H. This set also greatly appreciates Pokemon that can pressure Steel-types and Pursuit trappers as well as put bulky Pokemon into range of its attacks. Moltres is a stellar check to most Steel-types by virtue of its typing and is capable of wearing down Pokemon that check Latias such as Mega Aerodactyl and Alolan Muk by forcing them to switch into its high-powered STAB moves. Due to Latias's Pursuit weakness and the ubiquity of Pursuit trappers, teammates capable of punishing such Pokemon are crucial for keeping them at bay. Kommo-o, Heracross, and Mamoswine can all deter Choice Scarf Krookodile from locking itself into Pursuit or Alolan Muk from entering the field at all. Swords Dance Cobalion and Nasty Plot Infernape are both effective means of punishing Steel-types that need bulky Water- and Psychic-types worn down before they can do work, giving them great offensive synergy with Latias. Nihilego greatly appreciates Latias's ability to punish Ground- and Water-types, and can assist in Latias's matchup versus bulky teams with Toxic Spikes. Bulky Stealth Rock users such as Hippowdon, Mega Aggron, and Empoleon are very effective starting points for a defensive backbone alongside Latias, as they are capable of keeping most of Latias's offensive checks at bay, can put its defensive checks into KO range with Stealth Rock, and appreciate Latias's ability to threaten out Electric-, Fire-, Water-, Grass-, and Ground-types in return.

[SET]

name: Electrium Z
move 1: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Draco Meteor / Ice Beam
move 4: Psyshock / Roost
item: Electrium Z
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

An Electric move in conjunction with Electrium Z turns Calm Mind Latias into an extremely dangerous early- to mid-game wallbreaker that can beat down most key Steel-types with Gigavolt Havoc. Thunder provides the benefit of OHKOing bulkier Electric-weak Pokemon such as Moltres and Primarina, but Thunderbolt can be used if you do not opt for a STAB move, as Thunder's shaky accuracy makes it extremely unreliable as a primary attack. Draco Meteor provides Latias with crucial STAB coverage and general nuking power it would otherwise lack, allowing it to KO bulkier offensive Pokemon not weak to Electric + Ice coverage, such as Mamoswine, Terrakion, and Rotom-H. Ice Beam can be used over Draco Meteor to provide Latias with near-perfect neutral coverage alongside Thunder or Thunderbolt, but this comes at a drastic drop in power due to the lack of a strong nuke and should only be used on teams that can afford to give such a set the space to set up, as it is extremely weak until it has accrued a few boosts and tough to set up versus teams that aren't as passive. Though generally not recommended alongside Ice Beam, Psyshock or Psychic grants Latias additional STAB coverage in exchange for Roost that allows it to more reliably damage Fighting-, Fairy-, and Poison-types, which lets it support Pokemon such as Zeraora and Crawdaunt by reliably damaging checks such as Mega Altaria, Amoonguss, and Kommo-o.

Set Details
========

The Ground immunity provided by Levitate greatly expands Latias's setup opportunities, allowing it to make passive Ground-types such as Hippowdon and Gligar into setup fodder and making it immune to grounded entry hazards.

Usage Tips
========

Electrium Z Latias is incredibly effective at applying heavy offensive pressure early-game for offensive teams. Set up early to lure in an unsuspecting Steel-type and free up a teammate walled by Steel-types to win late-game. If you opt to run Electric + Ice coverage over a STAB move, the pool of Pokemon Latias sets up on and the support it requires change greatly. As it is geared more to long-term sweeping than outright wallbreaking, it needs a lot more free turns to become threatening and should generally only set up on Pokemon that can't touch it and that lack a status move, such as Primarina Choice-locked into a Water move, Rotom-C, and Chesnaught.

Team Options
========

Electrium Z Latias works extremely well on hyper offense teams in need of an early-game wallbreaker capable of blasting through bulky cores as well as luring in and heavily damaging Steel-types. Such Pokemon include physical wallbreakers such as Terrakion and Crawdaunt and sweepers such as Swords Dance Scizor, Mega Sharpedo, and Trick Room Stakataka. Hyper offense teams can also get away with Electrium Z Latias lacking recovery because they are dependent on overwhelming the opponent quickly before they are themselves overwhelmed, meaning that the burst damage gained versus key defensive foes is worth the trade-off of lacking longevity. Spikes support from Klefki is crucial to put Steel-types into KO range from +1 Gigavolt Havoc. Klefki's defensive utility also allows hyper offensive teams to fall back in the face of Pokemon capable of revenge killing Latias such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Mega Beedrill. This set is particularly good at exploiting Spikes due to its ability to punish the majority of the tier's entry hazard removers. Bisharp is another beneficiary of Spikes stacking strategies that has excellent offensive synergy with Latias due to its weakness to Fighting-types that Latias forces out and ability to cripple defensive Pokemon with boosted Knock Off. Revenge killers such as Mega Aerodactyl, Choice Scarf Hydreigon, and Mega Manectric can follow up on holes punched by Latias early on while in return doing an excellent job keeping off offensive pressure by virtue of their high Speed and pivoting ability. Other attackers such as Togekiss or Mamoswine that are walled or offensively checked by Steel-types greatly appreciate Latias's ability to cripple Steel-types so they can freely set up or go for Ice-type attacks. Bulky offense teams also appreciate Electrium Z Latias variants carrying Roost, as the combination of Calm Mind and BoltBeam is very conducive to sweeping, and they are able to compensate for non-STAB move Latias's lack of power unboosted. Spikes Chesnaught is an excellent deterrent to Pursuit trappers such as Choice Scarf Krookodile and Mega Aerodactyl lacking Wing Attack and appreciates Latias's ability to exploit Poison- and Fire-types such as Amoonguss and Rotom-H. The chip damage provided by Spikes is also extremely crucial for putting Pokemon such as Empoleon and Scizor into KO range of a boosted Thunder if Gigavolt Havoc has already been used. Choice Scarf Krookodile is an excellent addition to bulky offense teams for its ability to revenge kill threats such as Nidoking, Terrakion, and opposing Latias, which Latias lacking a STAB move cannot do remotely reliably. Choice Band Scizor is similarly capable of revenge killing or Pursuit trapping such threats while providing the team with reliable priority. Reliable Scizor checks such as Cobalion, Rotom-H, and Moltres are necessary to give this set the breathing room to reliably set up, as bulkier variants of Scizor are only reliably damaged by boosted Gigavolt Havoc. The aforementioned examples also make for passable checks to Fairy-types.

[SET]

name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Thunderbolt
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Draco Meteor is a high-powered Dragon-type STAB move that hits most targets for neutral damage, giving Latias decent general firepower and the ability to threaten opposing slower Dragon-types. This firepower comes with the drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack, however, making it a risky move to go for. Psychic grants Latias Psychic-type STAB coverage and a move that can threaten the tier's many Fighting-types, 2HKOing key physically defensive targets such as Cobalion and defensive Mega Altaria after Stealth Rock. Psyshock is not used because even with a Life Orb boost, it cannot 2HKO Blissey, Sylveon, or Florges, even after Stealth Rock. Hidden Power Fire gives Latias coverage versus most Steel-types, cleanly OHKOing Scizor and doing a decent chunk to Klefki with a Life Orb boost. However, Thunderbolt can be used for neutral coverage against most Steel-types in exchange for the ability to hit Empoleon and Togekiss for solid damage, giving Latias an edge versus balance teams that rely on them to check Dragon-types. Roost keeps Latias consistently healthy throughout the game and negates the main drawback of using a Life Orb, making its defensive abilities much more reliable. Lastly, Defog can be used over a coverage move to make Latias a decent entry hazard remover, but it is mostly outclassed in this role by Hydreigon, and losing out on the ability to hit Steel-types is very risky.

Set Details
========

Levitate is Latias's only option for an ability, granting it a key immunity to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Sticky Web, and Ground-type attacks.

Usage Tips
========

Latias checks a broad array of Pokemon by virtue of its typing and bulk. Use this to take advantage of these Pokemon to either fire off attacks or heal up as needed. Passive Ground-types such as Swampert as well as predicted Fire-type attacks from the likes of Volcanion and Rotom-H make for great opportunities to come in. Predict obvious switches to Steel-types early on to wear them down quickly with Hidden Power Fire, but be discerning with your predictions, as reading incorrectly versus Pokemon such as Terrakion, Moltres, or Nidoking can prove deadly. Though Latias can be tough to wear down thanks to its resistances and immunity to most entry hazards, be careful with its health while threats that it checks are still active, and be careful to position yourself so that Latias can use Roost for free. Be selective with the use of Draco Meteor, as even with a Life Orb boost a -2 Latias is extremely easy to exploit with Pokemon such as Scizor and Cobalion, though they still take non-negligible damage from -2 Hidden Power Fire.

Team Options
========

This set is best used as a generalist attacker for bulky offense teams that already have wallbreaking power but still need Latias's defensive utility to keep Fighting-, Grass-, and Electric-types consistently in check. Offensive Moltres is a potent attacker for bulky offense and does an excellent job checking Steel-types as well as pressuring other checks to Latias such as Blissey, Stakataka, and Mamoswine. In return, Latias maintains decent pressure on Nihilego, non-Life Orb Starmie, Electric-types, and opposing Dragon-types that keep Moltres at bay. A means of punishing Pursuit trappers is crucial to allow Latias to reliably switch in and out throughout the game, as being trapped without recourse can prove devastating. Kommo-o, Mamoswine, and Cobalion are all viable means of deterring Pursuit, especially from Choice Scarf Krookodile. Though Latias is a decent switch-in to Electric-types, it can nevertheless forfeit momentum by switching into Volt Switch from Mega Manectric, Rotom-C, and Rotom-H. For this reason, it should be used as a secondary switch-in to such Pokemon in favor of an Electric-immune teammate such as Hippowdon, Choice Scarf Krookodile, or Swampert. Steel-types pair extremely well with such Pokemon, as they are effective defensive checks to the Grass- and Dragon-types commonly used to punish them and benefit from Latias's ability to check Electric- and Fire-types. Klefki can wear down Latias's defensive checks into KO range thanks to Spikes as well as shut out most of Latias's offensive checks bar Scizor and Mamoswine thanks to its typing. Mega Aggron is a reliable Stealth Rock setter, a powerful tank, and a consistent hard check to Pokemon such as Scizor, Mega Aerodactyl, and opposing Latias.

[SET]

name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Trick / Defog
move 4: Healing Wish
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Draco Meteor's high Base Power lets Choice Scarf Latias serve its role as a revenge killer, taking out weakened threats like Infernape, Crawdaunt, and Zeraora with little to no chip damage. Psychic is used over Psyshock to more reliably revenge kill Fighting-types, as this set is extremely weak and needs all the power it can get. It also cannot do meaningful damage to special walls even with Psyshock. Trick allows Latias to cripple a switch-in such as Blissey, Empoleon, Scizor, or Klefki for the duration of the game, which gives it an edge in stall and balance matchups that most Choice Scarf users lack. Defog can be used, though, as emergency hazard removal for more offensive teams that have a good enough matchup versus bulky teams. This is far from ideal, though, as Latias loses to most defensive entry hazard setters. Healing Wish is crucial to Latias's success as a Choice Scarf user, as it allows you to play much more aggressively with a given teammate and bring it back later in exchange for Latias's life.

Set Details
========

Despite the Speed boost provided by Choice Scarf, Latias needs a Timid nature over Modest to outspeed other Choice Scarf users as well as Speed-boosting threats like Mega Sharpedo, Kommo-o, and Haxorus. Levitate makes Latias immune to Spikes and deters opponents from freely spamming Ground-type attacks, both of which are key for the frail teams that best utilize Choice Scarf Latias.

Usage Tips
========

Hold onto Latias to revenge kill offensive threats as well as bring a teammate back late-game with Healing Wish. If you don't find Choice Scarf Latias's Speed important for winning the game, feel free to use Trick early on to cripple obvious switch-ins. Taking a threat such as Blissey or Swords Dance Scizor out of the equation can prove an extremely powerful tool for supporting the team. Both of Latias's attacks are very easy to punish with Dark-types, Fairy-types, and Steel-types. Compensate for this by playing aggressively with your teammates and predicting how your opponent will react: for example, it is generally better to double switch out on a predicted switch to Empoleon than to give it a free turn. If using Defog over Trick, opportunities to use it are harder to come by than with normal Defoggers due to the nature of Choice items. Choice Scarf Latias will generally only get chances to Defog if it forces out an opposing Pokemon or if you are OK with it taking an incoming attack.

Team Options
========

As the fastest Pokemon in the tier, Choice Scarf Latias does well on offensive teams in need of a means for revenge killing Fighting-types, frailer offensive threats, and opposing Choice Scarf users. Certain balance teams that rely on slower wallbreakers also appreciate these attributes. Many setup sweepers as well as entry hazard-vulnerable offensive Pokemon appreciate Latias's ability to heal them up late-game, which enables much more aggressive gameplans. Scizor, Lucario, Heracross, Bisharp, Nidoking, and Crawdaunt are all potent offensive Pokemon that are easily worn down and revenge killed, making them prime candidates for Healing Wish. They also compensate for Choice Scarf Latias's unreliable matchup against defensive teams by taking advantage of walls Latias has shut down with Trick on top of being fantastic wallbreakers in their own right. Since Choice Scarf Latias is not a reliable check to Water- or Ground-types, a solid means of breaking defensive cores reliant on such Pokemon is needed. Mixed attacking Zeraora sets are very capable of this, as they compensate for Latias's lack of pivoting ability with Volt Switch and can serve as a backup fast Pokemon if Latias goes down.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

Choice Scarf Latias can run a stray coverage move such as Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, or Hidden Power Fire in place of Trick or Defog to get last-ditch damage versus crucial targets for your team. This is generally inferior, though, to the support provided by those utility options, as being locked into a weak coverage move can prove extremely punishable. Colbur Berry allows Latias to circumvent mind games versus Pursuit users once and punish teams that rely on Dark-types to check it offensively. This also allows it to much more easily support teammates that are also weak to Pursuit trapping, such as Gengar and Mega Sceptile. However, this comes at an extreme cost in power due to the loss of a Z-Crystal or Life Orb, relegating it to teams that are desperate to have the likes of Choice Scarf Krookodile and Alolan Muk removed. Reflect Type is also a viable method of circumventing Latias's Pursuit weakness, as well as potentially set up on Steel-types, but this comes at the steep cost of sacrificing a moveslot, leaving it with only a single attack and making it very easy to wall. It is also very prediction reliant, as once Reflect Type is revealed, a competent opponent will attempt to position themselves with a Pokemon that will hit Latias's current typing super effectively. Choice Specs Latias can act as a faster alternative to Choice Specs Kyurem or Choice Specs Hydreigon, but the drop in power is extremely noticeable, and unlike those aforementioned Pokemon, Latias sorely lacks a spammable STAB move, making being Choice-locked much more easily punishable.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Though they must be mindful of Gigavolt Havoc, Steel-types wall Latias's STAB combination and are generally bulky enough to do so consistently unless they are heavily weakened or Latias has the appropriate coverage. Klefki, Mega Aggron, Bronzong, Empoleon, and Scizor are all capable of forcing out or crippling Latias in some capacity, either with status, Pursuit trapping, or strong attacks. Scizor must be careful, though, not to be put in KO range of a boosted Z-Move. A special mention goes to Mega Steelix, which is immune to Gigavolt Havoc on top of its resistance to Latias's STAB moves and only has to watch out for Life Orb Hidden Power Fire.

** Dark-types and Pursuit**: Dark-types are immune to Latias's Psychic-type moves and can heavily damage or eliminate it with their STAB moves. Though uncommon, Umbreon in particular counters all Latias variants unless it is given a Choice Scarf with Trick. The tier is also littered with Pursuit trappers, Dark-type or otherwise, capable of putting Latias in a checkmate position. Such Pokemon include Choice Scarf Krookodile, Mega Aerodactyl, Scizor, and Alolan Muk.

**Status**: Though Latias doesn't care much about burn, poison and paralysis both ruin its day: the former greatly limits its longevity and threatens to put it in range of opposing attacks, and paralysis leaves it outsped and eliminated by the majority of the tier. Toxic poison ruins any chance Latias might have at cleanly sweeping, though it can easily switch in and out to minimize poison damage racking up.

**Revenge Killers**: Latias's Speed tier is above average, but it's not enough to prevent it from being greatly threatened by faster offensive threats. Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Sceptile, Mega Beedrill, and Choice Scarf users such as Krookodile and Hydreigon are capable of outspeeding and eliminating Latias with little to no chip damage regardless of Calm Mind boosts. It is also vulnerable to three of the most common priority moves in the tier in Scizor's Bullet Punch, Bisharp's Sucker Punch, and Mamoswine's Ice Shard, taking super effective damage from the latter two.

**Special Bulky Pokemon**: Even with boosted Psyshock, Latias struggles to break through most special walls without significant chip damage. Blissey is never 2HKOed by anything except +1 Life Orb Psyshock and can hit Latias with Toxic, Curse Snorlax can beat it one-on-one with properly timed attacks and recovery, and Umbreon counters it completely. They must all be wary of being given a Choice Scarf with Trick, however, as this will cripple them almost entirely.

[CREDITS]

- Written by: [[eht, 237235]]
- Quality checked by: [[A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157], [Hilomilo, 313384], [Eyan, 226777]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157]]
 
Last edited:

Surgeon

venice bitch
is a Contributor Alumnus
hi am check

overview

* Access to Calm Mind as well as multiple usable Z-Moves takes this offensive prowess to the next level, allowing it to set up on and break through virtually any potential check of its choosing, all while capitalizing on the defensive utility afforded by its unique typing and high bulk for a fast offensive Pokemon.
Would also mention that this means that Latias doesn't require as much support as most other Pokemon in the tier, which solidifies its current place in the meta. It's a relatively straightforward Pokemon to use with easy-to-identify checks.

* All of this versatility makes Latias extremely flexible and team-friendly, and allows it to function effectively as a sweeper, wallbreaker, revenge killer, or general attacker.
I don't think this is very accurate, because its versatility doesn't have much, or anything at all, to do with how well it performs its role(s). If anything I'd say that the amount of sets that Latias can run forces the opponent to guess which set it's most likely using through team composition at team preview, which is obviously a huge benefit for the Latias player.

* The tier has responded to Latias's presence, however, with a wide array of offensive and defensive counterplay: common Choice Scarf users such as Hydreigon and Krookodile can outspeed and do heavy damage to it, it is vulnerable to common priority users like Scizor and Mamoswine, and perhaps most importantly, it is weak to Pursuit trappers such as Mega Aerodactyl and Krookodile.
Instead of common Choice Scarf users, I'd just say faster Pokemon, since in reality there are only one or two common scarfers in the tier that can actually threaten a +1 Latias in certain scenarios, so restricting it to that specific group doesn't make much sense to me. You'll then have a lot more options to choose from like Mega Aerodactyl, Sharpedo, etc.

* Further, despite its key resistances, Dragon / Psychic is a somewhat flawed defensive typing, leaving it with six common weaknesses, most notably to Pursuit, meaning it is forced out and / or trapped by a large portion of the tier depending on its set.
I don't get where this is coming from, since you briefly mentioned its defensive typing as a positive earlier on the section, but I don't agree with any of this. In fact, if I was gonna bring up its defensive typing, I'd talk about it as an added plus, and how it allows it to have a decent matchup against so many common typings in the tier like Electric, Fighting, Water, etc, consequently providing it with a lot of setup opportunities. The only weakness that is particularly troublesome is Dark, and you already mentioned the Pursuit weakness in the previous sentence, so this seems to be very redundant as well. I'd remove this sentence entirely.

* All of these shortcomings open up Latias to relatively straightforward methods to minimize its impact on the game, meaning that while it is rare for any Latias set to be dead weight in a given matchup, there are many in which it will have a tough time.
Although the fact that Steel-types and Pursuit are two very prominent aspects in this meta and are relatively easy-to-fit on most teams is true, I don't think you should be using this as a negative point to say that it can have a tough time in certain matchups, because in actuality, even when it does seem to have a tough matchup at team preview and the chances of it setting up and sweeping are somewhat slim, it will still support its team in various scenarios. Could be something as simple as weakening the opposing team's Steel-type to pave the way for another Pokemon to sweep later on, or encouraging the opponent to click Volt Switch as to not give it a free turn (making it easier to play around with your ground), or keeping big threats like Terrakion and Kommo-O in check. Point is, it'll almost always contribute to the team's success in some way or another, so either mention that as a positive, or remove this point.

Another point I'd add is how its over reliance on Z-Moves and nukes like Draco Meteor can be easily exploited, as stuff like Scizor and Krookodile can take advantage of it after it has either wasted its Z-Move or is down to -1/2 due to using draco.

cm z draco

moves

* Roost can be exchanged, however, for Hidden Power Fire to OHKO or 2HKO most Steel-types at +1. The cost of longevity is quite steep, however, and should only be reserved for more offensive teams that don't need Latias to be around for long.
It actually does pitiful damage to any Steel besides Scizor, so I'd specifically mention that as a target.

I'd also slash Psychic over Psyshock (or even simply make Psyshock a mention), because not you can't even 2HKO the only notable target in Blissey, and it can proceed to easily win the 1v1 with Toxic/Soft Boiled. Even if it's holding Life Orb, a simple Toxic is enough for the team's that Blissey is commonly found in to play around it.

set details

* Life Orb provides Latias with a consistent 1.3x boost to all of its attacks, which is preferable over a Z Crystal in certain scenarios, as this lets it achieve key 2HKOes at +1, most notably Blissey, Sylveon, and Florges with Psyshock. It can also OHKO Cobalion and 2HKO Hippowdon at +1 if it opts for Psychic. Do note, though, that this cost in longevity is extremely risky, as Latias is very reliant on its defensive utility to consistently come in and set up, making a Z Crystal generally a better choice.
The biggest reason to use Life Orb > a Z-Move is because another team member is already using one, the rest is just an added benefit, so mention that first.

usage tips

This section actually looks fine imo, I'd just add a point talking about how the player can form a gameplan at team preview and either use Latias as a wincon or as a way to weaken the opposing team or remove a specific target depending on the given matchup, paving the way for something else to potentially sweep.

team options

* Swords Dance Cobalion and Nasty Plot Infernape are both effective means of punishing Steel-types that need bulky Water- and Psychic-types worn down before they can do work, giving them great offensive synergy with Latias.
I'd generalize this into Fighting-types, since honestly you could replace these examples with any other one of them, and I'd also mention that they can punish Pokemon like Scizor and Krookodile from choice-locking themselves into Pursuit, especially the Justified crowd.

cm z thunder

This is obviously up to QC, but I'd be way more willing to use something like cm / thunder / beam / roost rather than the current set displayed. The only added benefit that Draco has in this particular set is the ability to hit Mamoswine and the higher accuracy in comparison to Thunder, which could be somewhat appealing in certain scenarios vs Pokemon like Terrakion, but otherwise I'd never consider using it. Draco also makes you way more susceptible to being used as setup fodder.

usage tips

I don't know if this was done purposefully or not, but this is missing a lot of important stuff, like when to set up/vs what to set up against, when to use the Z-Move, expanding on the point about when to use it as a breaker/wincon, etc. Most of this was said in the other set so there shouldn't be any issues regarding this, the only different and important thing to note is that with Z-Thunder, the Latias player can be a lot more careless about setting up when there're Pokemon like Empoleon and Scizor on the other side of the field.

team options

* Spikes support from Klefki is crucial to put Steel-types into KO range from +1 Gigavolt Havoc. Klefki's defensive utility also allows hyper offensive teams to fall back in the face of Pokemon capable of revenge killing Latias such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Mega Beedrill.
Also mention that Latias is able to beat a lot of common hazard removers in the tier like Empoleon, Tentacruel, Rotom-H, etc, which further solidifies its place on Spikes stacking builds.

I'd also refrain from restricting this set to Hyper Offense builds, because I could easily see this set being used in a variety of teams, from stuff like Hippo/Empo balance that needs a wincon and something to round off the defensive synergy with a Fighting resist of sorts, to extremely offensive/spikes stacking oriented type of stuff that want a way to prevent removal.

Would also add physical breakers that would help pressuring special walls like Blissey (unless that's what you meant in that first sentence? should be worded better btw)

3 atks + roost

I don't think this should be a set, since I can't find a situation where I'd find this useful enough to put on a team, so I'm not gonna go over it. If I ever wanted Latias to be able to beat Scizor, while also being able to act as a soft check to fightings/waters throughout a match, I'd just run the Z-Thunder/Roost set. Defog is not enough of a reason to make this a set either imo. Not that it's a terrible defogger, but why waste the opportunity to run such a devastating Pokemon to face like CM Lati when more reliable foggers aren't hard to come by and fit onto teams.

choice scarf

usage tips

* Hold onto Latias to revenge kill offensive threats as well as bring a teammate back late-game with Healing Wish.
I'd expand on the Healing Wish point, and talk about how it should be preserved as to when a key Pokemon to the team's success is running low on health and that having this assurance in the back allows the Latias player to be a lot more careless/aggressive in most matchups.

checks and counters

**Steel-Types**: Steel-types wall Latias's STAB combination, and are generally bulky enough to do so consistently unless they are heavily weakened or Latias has the appropriate coverage move. Klefki, Mega Aggron, Empoleon, and Scizor are all capable of forcing out or crippling Latias to some capacity, either with status or with strong attacks.
Mention that Empoleon and Scizor have to be wary of a +1 Z-Thunder.

I'd also add a point about status since being paralyzed or toxic'd is a big bummer for any Latias set.

nice read, implement w.e or wait for qc :psyglad:
 

A Cake Wearing A Hat

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Random Battle Lead
Keep orb 3 attacks as a set, because it's still effective in the metagame in situations where you need HP fire or whatever without sacrificing the set's integrity. It's not as good as CM, but that's why it's not set 1.

Do not generalize the CM team option Surg talked about into Fighting-types.

That team preview game plan suggestion is kinda vague and i'm having slight difficulty trying to understand what it means in a concrete "this is what you do" sense, but if you can somehow make it intuitive it's fine to implement ig

Keep Psyshock slashed in CM. It doesn't 2HKO Blissey from full but it at least allows Latias to not be hard-walled by it. I also still personally prefer it.

We discussed the Z-thunder set and the resulting set was what we came up with, Draco Meteor is very helpful in order to not be forced to use the Z-move to actually deal significant damage to terrakion and any other neutral foe. Beam is still listed, both sets work, it's fine.

Otherwise, you're free to implement any of surg's points that i didn't touch on here.

-Standard CM-
Moves:

List some specific KOs that Draco Meteor gets that makes it worthwhile.

Instead of messing with the slash order just say that psychic and psyshock are pretty close in terms of viability and it's up to what you need more.

Generally HP fire works best with Life Orb. I'd state that.

Set Details:
List some DDrake KOes, too.

Usage Tips:
I'd be more specific in terms of the mons that Lati sets up on. It doesn't necessarily set up on all the tier's Ground-types, for instance, it just sets up on the more passive ones.

Team Options:

Add some more mons that punish Pursuit trappers to this, it's pretty important to Lati's role.

-Z-Thunder-
Moves:

You're going to want to add a point for Draco Meteor here as well as Psyshock and Psychic (in other words, Psychic should be a moves mention). Draco Meteor isn't entirely intuitive, especially considering the mindset that it doesn't do much over beam. State the specific reasons why having a strong, neutral attack is useful. Psyshock and Psychic will also want their things to state why you'd use 'em over Roost. Mention not to use psy stab + beam.

Also, make Ice Beam sound less bad if you can.

Set Details:
If you're gonna include Levitate in the set details of standard CM, include it here too. Consistency, and all. Mention some specific grounds it helps with like hippo and stuff to prevent it from being dead info.

Usage Tips:
yeah expand this.

Team Options:
The beam variant functions well on some of the bulkier playstyles like balance and BO too. Mention that.

You will also want to mention here some mons that can check or at least take advantage of the various Pursuit users.

-3 Attacks-
Set/Moves:

Psyshock's good on CM, but Life Orb Psyshock actually can't 2HKO blissey after stealth rock, and Latias has no business staying on on the fat fairies w this set. Remove psyshock, just entirely, and make Psychic the only move 2 slash.

Usage Tips:

Try to expand this a bit if you can, it's rather bare-bones. As a couple suggestions, you could consider a line about being careful with Draco Meteor 'cause of the setup opportunities and such that can generate, and maybe some stuff about what to come in on

Team Options:
You will also want to mention some mons that can check or at least take advantage of the various Pursuit users, esp. Krook.

-Choice Scarf-
Set Details:

Mention levitate for consistency, list some specific mons levitate helps with to prevent it from being useless info.

-Other Options-
Mention some other potential fourth moves on Scarf, like bolt and hp fire, that are niche for hitting specific targets but are otherwise outclassed by the other potential fillers.

Mention Soul Dew as an option on sets that only use STAB moves but state that the extra damage from life orb still matters for some mons e.g. chandy and other examples i can't think of, and that the life orb recoil doesn't matter much with roost.

-Checks and Counters-

Mention Mamoswine in revenge killers or something because that does a lot a lot.

when this is all done consider this a 1/3, ask me on disc if you have any questions or concerns.
 

Hilomilo

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Overview
* "allowing it to set up on and break through virtually any potential check of its choosing" - I would change the wording here to 'the vast majority of its potential checks' or something along those lines since there are still answers like Mega Steelix and Registeel that can usually win out regardless of Latias's Z-Move selection. I'd also remove that it can set up on these Pokemon since it's far too risky setting up against a lot of its Z-Move targets, like Scizor and Mega Aggron.
* While it's true that Steel-types resist Latias's STAB combination, it can actually OHKO uninvested Scizors with a +1 Devastating Drake, so I'd either change that example or modify the wording a bit.
* "there are many in which it will be relegated to a lesser role rather than taking games on its own." - I'd still argue that there are very many scenarios in which Latias can take control of the game until the player using it wins, and that this makes Latias sound a little less potent than it really is. I'd change this phrasing here to sound more like "in several matchups it will require some foes to be significantly weakened or removed in order to effectively perform." or something along those lines. Basically I just don't think Latias is really capable of being crippled from reaching its full potential for the entire game like this phrasing seems to suggest.

Set: Standard Calm Mind
Set/Moves
* You can probably just name this set 'Calm Mind'
* Find a more currently relevant example than Swampert in your Draco Meteor line, just since it's fallen off a fair amount lately.
* When mentioning Psychic's uses, remove Cobalion as a target since it takes relatively minimal chip to get 2HKOed by +1 Psyshock, and replace the Swampert example with Alomomola.
* Deslash Hidden Power Fire but keep it as a Moves mention. Consensus here was basically that Recover is usually so important on this specific set that it doesn't really have room for HP Fire often enough for a slash to be warranted. It's still good enough to get a small mention, though.

Set Details
* Use Gligar as your Ground-type example over Swampert in your Levitate line.

Usage Tips
* I would expand on its ability to win Calm Mind wars a little bit more in listing Suicune as a Pokemon it could engage with in a situation like that and also in saying that it can overpower both Slowbro formes with Devastating Drake.
* Considering that 0 SpA Florges doesn't have a chance to 2HKO +1 Latias and Sylveon does, I'd replace the Sylveon example with Florges when talking about more passive Fairy-types it can attempt to set up on. Also specify that it can only begin setting up on them if it's relatively healthy.

Team Options
* Give some examples in your second line.

Set: Calm Mind + Electrium Z
Set/Moves
* I'd just name this set "Electrium Z"
* Give examples of both Steel- and Water-types in the Thunder line.

Set Details
* Include Gligar as an example in the Levitate line.

Usage Tips
* This section is just a bit barren, so I'd expand more on its setup targets and would also consider adding in a line on specific scenarios in which Ice Beam can come into play for Latias.
* "and should generally only set up on Pokemon that can't touch it and that lack a status move, such as defensive Moltres, Rotom formes, and Chesnaught" - I don't quite understand this logic. If it's running a set geared more towards long-term sweeping, it would likely run Roost, which would mean that it can more easily afford to set up on targets that may damage it for around 40ish%. Consider rephrasing this, and also remove defensive Moltres as an example, it commonly runs either one of Toxic or Will-o-Wisp.

Set: 3 Attacks + Roost
Set/Moves
* Cobalion doesn't need to be listed as a HP Fire target since Psychic does more to it.
* I would include in the Roost line that it patches up longevity issues Life Orb may bring along.

Set Details
* 'The damage boost provided by Life Orb is worth this drawback because the lack of a boosting move means that Latias would be extremely weak without it.' - not really sure this sentence is necessary, as you already cover that it has increased power in the line before. I'd remove it.

Set: Choice Scarf
Set/Moves
* Give some examples of Trick targets.

Usage Tips
* Talk more here about when and how to use Defog (a good example being when forcing out a foe).
* Consider saying something here about how it's generally better to try doubling out of a predicted switch into a Steel-type than to give them a free turn unless it's crucial that Latias uses a move like Defog or Healing Wish.

Checks and Counters
* I'd mention in the Steel-type section that Scizor can also threaten Latias with Pursuit but should be wary of Z-Moves, since most can OHKO when Latias is boosted.
* Absolutely mention Bronzong in Steel-types a special example, since it resists Latias's STAB combination, wears it down with Toxic and Gyro Ball, and only fears a boosted Gigavolt Havoc. Mega Steelix also deserves a special mention for doing all of this with the added benefit of its Electric-type immunity.

Great work. Sorry for the lengthy check, but good read overall :) 2/3
 
Last edited:

Eyan

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Calm Mind
Draco Meteor is a high-powered STAB move that allows Latias to break through bulkier targets. Its high Base Power alongside the ability to boost with Calm Mind makes Draco Meteor worthwhile despite its drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack two stages
The first sentence is unnecessary and can be compounded with the second in order to minimise obvious sentences, so like "Draco Meteor's high Base Power alongside the ability to boost with Calm Mind makes it worthwhile despite <...>"

Psyshock is generally preferred as Latias's Psychic-type STAB move over Psychic, as it allows it to target the lower Defense stats of Pokemon such as Blissey, Florges, and Sylveon. However, Psychic can be used for its noteworthy bump in power to break through physically defensive targets without using Draco Meteor.
Okay ngl if my only other offensive move was Draco Meteor, I'd opt for Psychic over Psyshock 99% of the time unless I was criminally weak to Blissey. At +1, Sylveon and Florges can't beat Latias anyway outside of crits or Toxic and Psychic doesn't do that much less than Psyshock to them. I think the ability to actually 2HKO stuff like Cobalion without boosts is way more important in most situations than beating Blissey. So I wouldn't say Psyshock is generally preferred.

Electrium Z
Thunder turns Calm Mind Latias into an extremely dangerous early- to mid-game wallbreaker that can beat down most key Steel-types early in the game. It provides the benefit of OHKOing bulkier Electric-weak Pokemon such as Moltres and Primarina.
Thunderbolt is a valid option for this if you're running BoltBeam CM Roost, considering it's the offensive move you're using the most so you wouldn't really want to risk Thunder every single time if you don't have to. Obviously, if it's like Draco Thunder Psyshock CM, then yeah Thunder always.

Electrium Z is key for this set serving its role, as the sheer power of Gigavolt Havoc at +1 is necessary for Latias to KO or cripple the likes of Scizor, Empoleon, Klefki, and Mega Aggron.
No need to elaborate on Electrium Z here. Gigavolt Havoc explanation should go in the Moves section. I left the part about Devastating Drake alone for the previous set since you're comparing Dragonium Z with Life Orb, but since this is the only item, you don't need to explain it here.

As it is geared more to long-term sweeping that outright wallbreaking, it needs a lot more free turns to become threatening, and should generally only set up on Pokemon that can't touch it and that lack a status move, such as Primarina Choice-locked into a Water move, Rotom formes, and Chesnaught.
Specify Rotom-H and Rotom-C imo; otherwise, you're talking about every single forme, including the Ghost-type Rotom (FYI if you're referring to all formes use Rotom-A).

Other Options
Soul Dew can make for a decent compromise between the consistent power of a Life Orb and the wallbreaking ability of a Z Crystal. However, despite the power difference between Soul Dew and Life Orb being small, it is still quite crucial: Soul Dew fails to net guaranteed OHKOes on several offensive threats such as Mamoswine and Chandelure with Draco Meteor, as well as 2HKO defensive Moltres or Primarina with Psychic.
I honestly don't see the niche in Soul Dew at this point compared to other items.

Lastly, Calm Mind Latias can run Adrenaline Orb to catch ever-present Intimidate users in Krookodile and Mega Manectric off-guard, but this is extremely matchup reliant, meaning that for every match in which it punishes an opposing Krookodile, there will be several others in which it will accomplish nothing.
There's somewhat of a niche but absolutely needing a Krookodile in the opposing team (or Manectric but most people aren't gonna bring Manectric in against a Latias they can't hit hard) in order for the item to be remotely relevant is a huge bummer. I'd rather run Colbur Berry as mentioned earlier in the paragraph if I wanted to catch that and use the other teammates to deal with other faster Pokemon that could threaten a set-up Latias (and there aren't many). Just generally iffy about this one.

QC 3/3
 

Lumari

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GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

Latias's unique combination of typing, good offensive stats, bulk, coverage, and reliable recovery make makes it one of the most dangerous and metagame-defining offensive presences in the tier. Access to Calm Mind as well as multiple usable Z-Moves takes this offensive prowess to the next level, allowing it to break through the majority of its potential checks, all while capitalizing on the defensive utility afforded by its unique typing and high bulk for a fast offensive Pokemon. If this wasn’t enough, it also has access to key support moves in Defog and Healing Wish to allow it to serve certain utility purposes as needed. All of this versatility makes Latias extremely flexible and team friendly (RC, RH) and forces opponents to be on their toes until Latias has revealed its set and gauge their response accordingly. The tier has responded to Latias's presence, however, with a wide array of offensive and defensive counterplay: most faster Pokemon can heavily damage or outright KO it, it is vulnerable to common priority users like Scizor, Mamoswine, and Bisharp, and perhaps most importantly, it is weak to Pursuit trappers such as Mega Aerodactyl and Krookodile. Further, despite Latias's key resistances letting it exploit a good number of Pokemon, Dragon / Psychic does have its flaws as a defensive typing, as with six common weaknesses, it Latias is forced out and / or Pursuit trapped by a large portion of the tier depending on its set. It is also heavily reliant on Z-Moves and the easily punishable Draco Meteor to do significant damage, as it is rather weak unboosted and can be easily pressured to fire off predictable attacks. Lastly, Latias's STAB combination is walled by Steel-types, meaning that it must either burn its Z-Move (AH) or sacrifice one of Calm Mind, Roost, or a Psychic-type attack to stand a chance against the likes of Empoleon, Mega Aggron, and Klefki on its own. These shortcomings open up Latias to relatively straightforward methods to minimize its impact on the game, meaning that while it is rare for any Latias set to be dead weight in a given matchup, there are many in which it will not be as devastating as it might otherwise be.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Roost
item: Dragonium Z / Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Draco Meteor's high Base Power alongside the Latias's ability to boost with Calm Mind makes it worthwhile despite its drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack two stages. (removing some dex info, will be cutting out some more of this stuff as i come across it) This power is necessary to gain crucial 2HKOes 2HKOs at +1 on Hippowdon, Alomomola, and Suicune (RC) as well as OHKOes OHKOs on bulkier offensive Pokemon such as Mamoswine and Moltres. Using Psyshock as Latias's Psychic-type STAB move over Psychic allows it to target the lower Defense stats of Pokemon such as Blissey, Florges, and Sylveon. However, Psychic can be used for its noteworthy bump in power to break through physically defensive targets such as Suicune, defensive Mega Altaria, Cobalion, and Hippowdon without using Draco Meteor in exchange for doing a bit less damage to special walls. Such targets include Suicune, defensive Mega Altaria, Cobalion, and Hippowdon. Determine which move's benefits you would want for your team over the other. Roost provides Latias with reliable recovery and keeps it healthy throughout the game, which allows Latias to consistently keep up offensive pressure, sweep late-game, and be generally more self-sufficient. This is key for teams that rely on its defensive utility long-term. Roost It can be exchanged, however, for Hidden Power Fire with Life Orb to reliably OHKO Scizor (RC) as well as do passable damage to other Steel-types not named Empoleon. The cost in longevity is quite steep, however, and so it should only be reserved for more offensive teams that already have a Z-Move (AH) user and don't need Latias to be around for long.

Set Details
========

The neutral nuke provided by Dragonium Z is ideal for ideal for sweeping, as well as for supporting teammates that need certain walls removed. At +1, for example, Devastating Drake will OHKO offensive Scizor with minimal chip damage, as well as Alomomola, Hippowdon, and Celebi from full health. Unboosted, it will OHKO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it. Life Orb provides Latias with a consistent 1.3x boost to all of its attacks, which is preferable over a Z-Crystal (AH) in certain scenarios, as this the power boost lets it Latias achieve key 2HKOes 2HKOs at +1, most notably on Blissey, Sylveon, and Florges with Psyshock. It can also OHKO Cobalion and 2HKO Hippowdon at +1 if it opts for Psychic. Do note, though, that this cost in longevity is extremely risky, as Latias is very reliant on its defensive utility to consistently come in and set up, meaning it should generally only be considered over a Z-Crystal (AH) if the aforementioned damage output is necessary or if your team already has a Z-Move (AH) user. As an alternative, Psychium Z gives Latias a more specialized Z-Move (AH) that allows sets carrying Roost to nuke Fairy-types as well as Cobalion, but a regular Psychic-type move is usually enough to do this on its own. This (what's this referring to) gives it an edge versus balance teams that rely on Fairy-types to check Latias. Levitate is Latias's only option for an ability, but is extremely useful for exploiting bulky Ground-types such as Gligar lacking U-turn and Hippowdon. It also allows Latias to pivot in on offensive Ground-types such as Nidoking and Choice-locked Krookodile in a pinch, as well as avoid all grounded entry hazards.

Usage Tips
========

Use Latias's stellar defensive utility to your advantage and use the tier's many Ground-, Fire-, Water-, and Grass-types as setup fodder. Passive Ground-types like Hippowdon are generally good candidates for setup fodder, though Latias must be mindful of Toxic or phazing moves. Don't be afraid to set up on more passive Fairy-types such as Florges and Togekiss, either, as Latias's combination of Speed and special bulk allow it to set up on and break through them even in the face of super effective special attacks. This is extremely unique for a Dragon-type (RC) and allows Fairy-weak teammates such as Hydreigon and Krookodile to follow up by spamming their attacks much more freely. Latias can win most Calm Mind wars thanks to its reliable recovery, access to Psyshock, and nuking ability with Devastating Drake, so don't be afraid to stay in if an opponent opposing Pokemon starts using Calm Mind alongside you it. With careful prediction, Suicune, Slowbro, and Reuniclus all lose one-on-one to Latias if they choose to do this. Sets carrying Roost get to set up early and often, but for other sets, (if i understood "do not" properly) you should be discerning with which foes you choose to set up on if you do not, as it they will only realistically get to do so once or twice. For example, it Latias may be Toxic poisoned when attempting to set up on Hippowdon or bulky Water-types (RC) or take a big hit if it attempts to set up on offensive Pokemon such as Nidoking. Be careful when using Draco Meteor, as even with Calm Mind boosts, its main drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack can prove extremely punishable in the face of opposing setup Pokemon like Scizor and Bisharp. Also be mindful of defensive checks such as Klefki, Empoleon, or and Alolan Muk waiting in the wings, as even with the proper coverage, it Latias can be crippled by Thunder Wave, Toxic, or Pursuit, respectively, if they are healthy enough to chew a boosted attack. Most of these Pokemon are heavily damaged by Devastating Drake at +1, however, and are quite easy to wear down.

Team Options
========

Calm Mind Latias with Roost fits best on balance and bulky offense teams looking for a win condition late-game sweeper that can exploit bulky offense and balance staples like Swampert, Hippowdon, Celebi, and Rotom formes. This set also greatly appreciates Pokemon that can pressure Steel-types and Pursuit trappers (RC) as well as put bulky Pokemon into range of its attacks. Moltres is a stellar check to most Steel-types by virtue of its typing (RC) and is capable of wearing down Pokemon that check Latias such as Mega Aerodactyl and Alolan Muk by forcing them to switch into its high-powered STAB moves. Due to Latias's Pursuit weakness and the ubiquity of Pursuit trappers, teammates capable of punishing such Pokemon are crucial for keeping them at bay. Kommo-o, Heracross, and Mamoswine can all deter Choice Scarf Krookodile from locking itself into Pursuit (RC) or Alolan Muk from entering the field at all. Swords Dance Cobalion and Nasty Plot Infernape are both effective means of punishing Steel-types that need bulky Water- and Psychic-types worn down before they can do work, giving them great offensive synergy with Latias. Nihilego greatly appreciates Latias's ability to punish Ground- and Water-types, and can assist in Latias's matchup versus bulky teams with Toxic Spikes. Bulky Stealth Rock users such as Hippowdon, Mega Aggron, and Empoleon are very effective starting points for a defensive backbone alongside Latias, as they are capable of keeping most of Latias's offensive checks at bay, can put its defensive checks into KO range with Stealth Rock, and appreciate Latias's ability to threaten out Electric-, Fire-, Water-, Grass-, and Ground-types in return.

[SET]
name: Electrium Z
move 1: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Draco Meteor / Ice Beam
move 4: Psyshock / Roost
item: Electrium Z
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

An Electric move in conjunction with Electrium Z turns Calm Mind Latias into an extremely dangerous early- to mid-game wallbreaker that can beat down most key Steel-types early in the game with Gigavolt Havoc. Thunder provides the benefit of OHKOing bulkier Electric-weak Pokemon such as Moltres and Primarina, but Thunderbolt can be used if you do not opt for a STAB move, as Thunder's shaky accuracy makes it extremely unreliable as a primary attacking move. Draco Meteor provides Latias with crucial STAB coverage and general nuking power it would otherwise lack, allowing it to KO bulkier offensive Pokemon not weak to BoltBeam coverage, such as Mamoswine, Terrakion, and Rotom-H. Ice Beam can be used over Draco Meteor to provide Latias with near-perfect (AH) neutral coverage alongside Thunder, but this comes at a drastic drop in power due to the lack of a strong nuke (RC) and should only be used on teams that can afford to give such a set the space to set up. Roost can be used over a STAB move to make Latias capable of sweeping with Thunder + Ice Beam Electric + Ice (bolt anyways if i understood stuff properly till here) coverage, but such a set is extremely weak until it has accrued a few boosts, making it tough to set up versus teams that aren't as passive. Though generally inadvisable alongside Ice Beam, Psyshock or Psychic grants Latias additional STAB coverage in exchange for Roost that allows it to more reliably damage Fighting-, Fairy-, and Poison-types, allowing it to support Pokemon such as Zeraora or Crawdaunt by reliably damaging checks such as Mega Altaria, Amoonguss, and Kommo-o.

Set Details
========

The Ground immunity provided by Levitate greatly expands Latias's setup opportunities, allowing it to make passive Ground-types such as Hippowdo Hippowdon and Gligar into setup fodder and making it immune to grounded entry hazards.

Usage Tips
========

Electrium Z Latias is incredibly effective at applying heavy offensive pressure early-game for offensive teams. Set up early to lure in an unsuspecting Steel-type and free up a teammate walled by Steel-types to win late-game. If opting you opt to run Thunder + Ice Beam Electric + Ice coverage over a STAB move, the pool of Pokemon Latias sets up on and the support it requires alter change greatly. As it is geared more to long-term sweeping that outright wallbreaking, it needs a lot more free turns to become threatening (RC) and should generally only set up on Pokemon that can't touch it and that lack a status move, such as Primarina Choice-locked into a Water move, Rotom-H, Rotom-C, and Chesnaught.

Team Options
========

Electrium Z Latias works extremely well on hyper offense teams in need of an early-game wallbreaker capable of blasting through bulky cores as well as luring in and heavily damaging Steel-types. Such Pokemon include physical wallbreakers such as Terrakion, and Crawdaunt and sweepers such as Swords Dance Scizor, Mega Sharpedo, and Trick Room Stakataka. Spikes support from Klefki is crucial to put Steel-types into KO range from +1 Gigavolt Havoc. Klefki's defensive utility also allows hyper offensive teams to fall back in the face of Pokemon capable of revenge killing Latias such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Mega Beedrill. Electrium Z Latias is a particularly good abuser of at exploiting Spikes due to its ability to punish the majority of the tier's entry hazard removers. Bisharp is another excellent abuser beneficiary of Spike Spikes (or just "Spikes attacker" I guess) stacking strategies that has excellent offensive synergy with Latias due to its weakness to Fighting-types that Latias forces out and ability to cripple defensive Pokemon with boosted Knock Off. Revenge killers such as Mega Aerodactyl, Choice Scarf Hydreigon, and Mega Manectric that can follow up on holes punched by Latias early on (RC) while in return doing an excellent job keeping off ofensive offensive pressure by virtue of their high Speed and pivoting ability. Other attackers walled or offensively checked by Steel-types such as Togekiss and Mamoswine greatly appreciate Latias's ability to cripple them so they can freely set up or go for Ice-type attacks, respectively. Hyper offense teams can get away with Electrium Z Latias lacking recovery because they are dependent on overwhelming the opponent quickly before they are themselves overwhelmed, meaning that the burst damage gained versus key defensive foes is worth the trade-off of lacking longevity. Bulky offense teams also appreciate Electrium Z Latias variants carrying Roost, as the combination of Calm Mind and BoltBeam is very conducive to sweeping, and bulky offense teams they are able to compensate for non-STAB move Latias's lacking a STAB move's weakness of power unboosted. Spikes Chesnaught is an excellent deterrent to Pursuit trappers such as Choice Scarf Krookodile and Mega Aerodactyl lacking Wing Attack (RC) and appreciates Latias's ability to exploit Poison- and Fire-types such as Amoonguss and Rotom-H. The chip damage provided by Spikes is also extremely crucial for putting Pokemon such as Empoleon and Scizor into KO range of a boosted Thunder if Gigavolt Havoc has already been used. Choice Scarf Krookodile is an excellent addition to bulky offense teams for its ability to revenge kill threats such as Nidoking, Terrakion, and opposing Latias, which Latias lacking a STAB move cannot do remotely reliably. Choice Band Scizor is similarly capable of revenge killing and / or Pursuit trapping such threats while providing the team with reliable priority. Reliable Scizor checks such as Cobalion and Moltres are necessary to give this set the breathing room to reliably set up, as bulkier variants of Scizor are only reliably damaged by boosted Gigavolt Havoc. The aforementioned examples also make for passable checks to Fairy-types.

[SET]
name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Thunderbolt
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Draco Meteor is a high-powered Dragon-type STAB move that hits most targets for neutral damage, giving Latias the decent general firepower and the ability to threaten opposing slower Dragon-types. This firepower comes, however, with the drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack by two stages, however, making it a risky move to go for. (or just "Its drawback makes it a risky move to go for, however" ig) Psychic grants Latias Psychic-type STAB coverage and a move that can threaten the tier's many Fighting-types, and 2HKOes 2HKOing key physically defensive targets such as Cobalion and defensive Mega Altaria after Stealth Rock. Psyshock is not used because even with a Life Orb boost, it cannot 2HKO Blissey, Sylveon, or Florges, even after Stealth Rock. Hidden Power Fire gives Latias coverage versus most Steel-types, (comma) With a Life Orb boost, Hidden Power Fire cleanly OHKOes OHKOing Scizor and does doing a decent chunk to Klefki with a Life Orb boost. However, Thunderbolt can be used for neutral coverage against most Steel-types in exchange for the ability to hit Empoleon and Togekiss for solid damage, giving Latias an edge versus balance teams that rely on Empoleon as their primary Steel-type. Roost keeps Latias consistently healthy throughout the game and negates the main drawback of using a Life Orb, making its defensive capabilities much more reliable. Lastly, Defog can alternatively be used over a coverage move to make Latias a decent entry hazard remover, but it is often outclassed in this role by Hydreigon, and losing out on the ability to hit Steel-types is very risky.

Set Details
========

Levitate is Latias's only option for an ability, and grants granting it a key immunity to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Sticky Web, and Ground-type attacks.

Usage Tips
========

Latias checks a broad array of Pokemon by virtue of its typing and bulk. Use this to take advantage of these Pokemon to either fire off attacks or heal up as needed. Passive Ground-types such as Swampert as well as predicted Fire-type attacks from the likes of Volcanion and Rotom-H make for great opportunities to come in. Predict obvious switches to Steel-types early on with Hidden Power Fire to wear them down quickly with Hidden Power Fire, but be discerning with your predictions, as reading incorrectly versus Pokemon such as Terrakion, Moltres, or Nidoking can prove deadly. Though Latias can be tough to wear down thanks to its resistances and immunity to most entry hazards, be careful with its health while threats that it checks are still active, and be careful to position yourself so that Latias can use Roost for free. Be selective with the use of Draco Meteor, as even with a Life Orb boost a -2 Latias is extremely easy to exploit with Pokemon such as Scizor or and Cobalion, though they still take non-negligible damage from -2 Hidden Power Fire.

Team Options
========

This set is best used as a generalist attacker for bulky offense teams that already have wallbreaking power (RC) but still need Latias's defensive utility to keep Fighting-, Grass-, and Electric-types consistently in check. Offensive Moltres is a potent attacker for bulky offense and does an excellent job checking Steel-types (RC) as well as pressuring other checks to Latias such as Blissey, Stakataka, and Mamoswine. In return, Latias maintains decent pressure on Nihilego, non-Life Orb Starmie, Electric-types, and opposing Dragon-types that keep Moltres at bay. A means of punishing Pursuit trappers is crucial to allow Latias to reliably switch in and out throughout the game, as being trapped without recourse could prove devastating. Kommo-o, Mamoswine, and Cobalion are all viable means of deterring Pursuit, especially from Choice Scarf Krookodile. Though Latias is a decent switch-in to Electric-types, it can nevertheless forfeit momentum by switching into Volt Switch from Mega Manectric, Rotom-C, and Rotom-H. For this reason, it should be used as a secondary switch-in to such Pokemon in favor of an Electric immunity Electric-immune teammate such as Hippowdon, Choice Scarf Krookodile, or Swampert. Steel-types pair extremely well with such Pokemon, as they are effective defensive checks to the Grass- and Dragon-types commonly used to punish them (RC) and appreciate Latias's ability to check Electric- and Fire-types. Klefki can wear down Latias's defensive checks into KO range thanks to Spikes (RC) as well as shut out most of Latias's offensive checks bar Scizor and Mamoswine thanks to its typing. Mega Aggron is a reliable Stealth Rock setter, a powerful tank, and a consistent hard check to Pokemon such as Scizor, Mega Aerodactyl, and opposing Latias.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Trick / Defog
move 4: Healing Wish
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Draco Meteor's high Base Power lets Choice Scarf Latias serve its role as a revenge killer, taking out weakened threats like Infernape, Crawdaunt, and Zeraora with little to no chip damage. Psychic is used over Psyshock to more reliably revenge kill Fighting-types, as this set is extremely weak and needs all the power it can get. It also cannot do meaningful damage to special walls even with Psyshock. Trick allows Latias to cripple a switch-in such as Blissey, Empoleon, Scizor, or Klefki for the duration of the game, which gives it an edge in stall and balance matchups that most Choice Scarf users lack. Blissey, Empoleon, Scizor, and Klefki are common switch-ins to Latias that are effectively neutered by being given a Choice Scarf. Defog can be used, though, as emergency hazard removal for more offensive teams that have a good enough matchup versus bulky teams. This is far from ideal, though, as Latias loses to most defensive entry hazard setters. Healing Wish is crucial to Latias's success as a Choice Scarf user, as it allows you to play much more aggressively with a given teammate and then bring it back later in exchange for Latias's life.

Set Details
========

Despite the Speed boost provided by Choice Scarf, Latias still needs a Timid nature over Modest to outspeed other Choice Scarf users (RC) as well as Speed-boosting threats like Mega Sharpedo, Kommo-o, and Haxorus. Levitate provides Latias with a key Ground immunity, making it makes Latias immune to Spikes and deterring deters opponents from freely spamming Ground-type attacks, both of which are key for the frail teams that best utilize Choice Scarf Latias.

Usage Tips
========

Hold onto Latias to revenge kill offensive threats as well as bring a teammate back late-game with Healing Wish. If you don't find Choice Scarf Latias's Speed important for winning the game, feel free to use Trick early on to cripple obvious switch-ins. Taking a threat such as Blissey or Swords Dance Scizor out of the equation can prove an extremely powerful tool for supporting the team. Both of Latias's attacks are very easy to punish with Dark-types, Fairy-types, and Steel-types. Compensate for this by playing aggressively with your teammates and predicting how your opponent will react: for example, it is generally better to double switch out on a predicted switch to Empoleon than to give it a free turn. If using Defog over Trick, opportunities to use it are harder to come by than with normal Defoggers due to the nature of Choice items. Choice Scarf Latias will generally only get chances to Defog on Pokemon it forces out, if it forces out an opposing Pokemon (phrasing consistency) or if you are OK with sacrificing it to an incoming attack.

Team Options
========

As the fastest Pokemon in the tier, Choice Scarf Latias does well on offensive teams in need of a means to revenge Fighting-types, frailer offensive threats, and opposing Choice Scarf users. Certain balance teams that rely on slower wallbreakers also appreciate these attributes. Many setup sweepers as well as entry hazard-vulnerable prone offensive Pokemon appreciate Latias's ability to heal them up late-game, which allows for enables much more aggressive gameplans. Scizor, Lucario, Heracross, Bisharp, Nidoking, and Crawdaunt are all potent offensive Pokemon that are easily worn down and revenge killed, making them prime candidates for Healing Wish. They also compensate for Choice Scarf Latias's unreliable matchup against defensive teams by abusing taking advantage of walls that have been Tricked Latias has shut down with Trick on top of being fantastic wallbreakers in their own right. Since Choice Scarf Latias is not a reliable check to Water- or Ground-types, a solid means of breaking defensive cores reliant on such Pokemon is needed. Mixed attacking Zeraora sets are very capable of this, as they compensate for Latias's lack of pivoting ability with Volt Switch and can serve as a backup Speed fast Pokemon if Latias goes down.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Choice Scarf Latias can run a stray coverage move such as Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, or Hidden Power Fire in place of Trick or Defog to get last-ditch damage versus crucial targets for your team. This is generally inferior, though, to the support provided by those utility options, as being locked into a weak coverage move can prove extremely punishable. Colbur Berry allows Latias to circumvent mind games (RH) versus Pursuit users once and punish teams that rely on Dark-types to check it offensively. This also allows it to much more easily support teammates that are also weak to Pursuit trapping, such as Gengar and Mega Sceptile. However, this eliminates but this comes at an extreme cost in power due to the loss of a Z-Crystal (AH) or Life Orb, relegating it to teams that are desperate to have the likes of Choice Scarf Krookodile and Alolan Muk removed. Reflect Type is also a viable method of circumventing Latias's Pursuit weakness, as well as potentially set up on Steel-types, but this comes at the steep cost of sacrificing a moveslot, leaving it with only a single attack and making it very easy to wall. It is also very prediction reliant, (RH) as once Reflect Type is revealed, a competent opponent will attempt to position themselves with a Pokemon that will hit Latias's current typing super effectively. Choice Specs Latias can act as a faster alternative to Choice Specs Kyurem or Choice Specs Hydreigon, but the drop in power is extremely noticeable, and unlike those aforementioned Pokemon, Latias sorely lacks a spammable STAB move, making being Choice-locked much more easily punishable.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Though they must be mindful of Gigavolt Havoc, Steel-types wall Latias's STAB combination (RC) and are generally bulky enough to do so consistently unless they are heavily weakened or Latias has the appropriate coverage. Klefki, Mega Aggron, Bronzong, Empoleon, and Scizor are all capable of forcing out or crippling Latias in some capacity, either with status, Pursuit trapping, or with strong attacks. Scizor must be careful, though, not to be put in KO range of a boosted Z-Move. (AH) A Special mention goes to Mega Steelix, which is immune to Gigavolt Havoc on top of its resistance to Latias's STAB moves (RC) and only has to watch out for Life Orb-boosted Hidden Power Fire.

** Dark-types and Pursuit**: Dark-types are immune to Latias's Psychic moves and can heavily damage or eliminate it with their STAB moves. Though uncommon, Umbreon in particular hard counters all Latias variants indefinitely unless it is Tricked a Choice Scarf. The tier is also littered with Pursuit trappers, Dark-type or otherwise, capable of putting Latias in a checkmate position. Such Pokemon include Choice Scarf Krookodile, Mega Aerodactyl, Scizor, and Alolan Muk.

**Status**: Though Latias doesn't care much about burn, poison and paralysis both ruin its day: the former greatly limits its longevity and threatens to put it in range of opposing attacks, and paralysis means it outsped and eliminated by the majority of the tier. Toxic poison ruins any chance Latias might have at cleanly sweeping, though it can easily switch in and out to minimize poison damage racking up.

**Revenge Killers**: Latias's Speed tier is above average, but it's not enough to prevent it from being greatly threatened by faster offensive threats. Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Sceptile, Mega Beedrill, and Choice Scarf users such as Krookodile and Hydreigon are capable of outspeeding and eliminating Latias with little to no chip damage regardless of Calm Mind boosts. It is also vulnerable to two three of the most common priority moves in the tier in Scizor's Bullet Punch, Bisharp's Sucker Punch, and Mamoswine's Ice Shard, the latter of which KOes it is KOed by after Stealth Rock.

**Special Bulky Pokemon**: Even with boosted Psyshock, Latias struggles to break through most special walls without significant chip damage. Blissey is never 2HKOed by anything except +1 Life Orb Psyshock and can hit Latias with Toxic, Curse Snorlax can beat it one-on-one with properly timed attacks and recovery, and Umbreon hard counters it indefinitely. They must all be wary of being Tricked a Choice Scarf, however, as this will cripple them almost entirely.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[eht, 237235]]
- Quality checked by: [[A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157], [Hilomilo, 313384], [Eyan, 226777]]
- Grammar checked by: [[*, *], [*, *]]
 
Last edited:

A Cake Wearing A Hat

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[OVERVIEW]

Latias's combination of typing, good offensive stats, bulk, coverage, and reliable recovery makes it one of the most dangerous and metagame-defining offensive presences in the tier. Access to Calm Mind as well as multiple usable Z-Moves takes this offensive prowess to the next level, allowing it to break through the majority of its potential checks, all while capitalizing on the defensive utility afforded by its unique good (technically while the typing is unique in uu it's not actually unique as a whole) typing and high bulk for a fast offensive Pokemon. If this wasn’t enough, it It (fluff) also has access to key support moves in Defog and Healing Wish to allow it to serve certain utility purposes as needed. All of this versatility makes Latias extremely flexible and team friendly and forces opponents to be on their toes until Latias has revealed its set to gauge their response accordingly. The tier has responded to Latias's presence, however, with a wide array of offensive and defensive counterplay: most faster Pokemon can heavily damage or outright KO it, it is vulnerable to common priority users like Scizor, Mamoswine, and Bisharp, and perhaps most importantly, it is weak to Pursuit trappers such as Mega Aerodactyl and Krookodile. Further Furthermore, despite Latias's key resistances letting it exploit a good number of Pokemon, Dragon / Psychic does have its flaws as a defensive typing, as with six common weaknesses, Latias is forced out or Pursuit trapped by a large portion of the tier depending on its set. It is also heavily reliant on Z-Moves and the easily punishable Draco Meteor to do significant damage, as it is rather weak unboosted and can be easily pressured to fire off predictable attacks. Lastly, Latias's STAB combination is walled by Steel-types, meaning that it must either burn its Z-Move or sacrifice one of Calm Mind, Roost, or a Psychic-type attack to stand a chance against the likes of Empoleon, Mega Aggron, and Klefki on its own. These shortcomings open up Latias to relatively straightforward methods to minimize its impact on the game, meaning that while it is rare for any Latias set to be dead weight in a given matchup, there are many in which it will not be as devastating as it might otherwise be.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Psyshock / Psychic
move 4: Roost
item: Dragonium Z / Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Draco Meteor's high Base Power alongside Latias's ability to boost with Calm Mind makes Draco Meteor worthwhile despite its drawback of lowering Special Attack. This power is necessary to gain crucial 2HKOs at +1 on Hippowdon, Alomomola, and Suicune, as well as OHKOs on bulkier offensive Pokemon such as Mamoswine and Moltres. Using Psyshock as Latias's Psychic-type STAB move over Psychic allows it to target the lower Defense stats of Pokemon such as Blissey, Florges, and Sylveon. However, Psychic can be used for its noteworthy bump in power to break through physically defensive targets such as Suicune, defensive Mega Altaria, Cobalion, and Hippowdon without using Draco Meteor. Determine which move's benefits you would want for your team over the other. Roost provides Latias with reliable recovery and keeps it healthy throughout the game, which allows Latias to consistently keep up offensive pressure, sweep late-game, and be generally more self-sufficient. This is key for teams that rely on its defensive utility long-term. It can be exchanged, however, for Hidden Power Fire with Life Orb to reliably OHKO Scizor as well as do passable damage to other Steel-types not named Empoleon. The cost in longevity is quite steep, though, so it should be reserved for more offensive teams that already have a Z-Move user and don't need Latias to be around for long.

Set Details
========

The neutral nuke provided by Dragonium Z is ideal for sweeping, as well as for supporting teammates that need certain walls removed. At +1, for example, Devastating Drake will OHKO 0 HP Scizor with minimal chip damage, as well as Alomomola, Hippowdon, and Celebi from full health. Unboosted, it will OHKO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it. Life Orb is preferable over a Z-Crystal in certain scenarios, as the power boost lets Latias achieve key 2HKOs at +1, most notably on Blissey, Sylveon, and Florges with Psyshock. It can also OHKO Cobalion and 2HKO Hippowdon at +1 if it opts for Psychic. Do note, though, that this cost in longevity is somewhat risky, as Latias is very reliant on its defensive utility to consistently come in and set up, meaning it should generally only be considered over a Z-Crystal if the aforementioned damage output is necessary or if your team already has a Z-Move user. As an alternative, Psychium Z gives Latias a more specialized Z-Move that allows sets carrying Roost to nuke Fairy-types as well as Cobalion, but a regular Psychic-type move is usually enough to do this on its own. For this reason, Psychium Z gives it an edge versus balance teams that rely on Fairy-types to check Latias. Levitate is extremely useful for exploiting bulky Ground-types such as Gligar lacking U-turn and Hippowdon. It also allows Latias to pivot in on offensive Ground-types such as Nidoking and Choice-locked Krookodile in a pinch, as well as avoid all grounded entry hazards.

Usage Tips
========

Use Latias's stellar defensive utility to your advantage and use by using the tier's many Ground-, Fire-, Water-, and Grass-types as setup fodder. Passive Ground-types like Hippowdon are generally good candidates for this, though Latias must be mindful of Toxic or phazing moves. Don't be afraid to set up on more passive Fairy-types such as Florges and Togekiss, either, as Latias's combination of Speed and special bulk allow allows it to set up on and break through them even in the face of super effective special attacks. This is extremely unique for a Dragon-type and allows Fairy-weak teammates such as Hydreigon and Krookodile to follow up by spamming their attacks much more freely. Latias can win most Calm Mind wars thanks to its reliable recovery, access to Psyshock, and nuking ability with Devastating Drake, so don't be afraid to stay in if an opposing Pokemon starts using Calm Mind alongside it. With careful prediction, Suicune, Slowbro, and Reuniclus all lose one-on-one to Latias if they choose to do this. Sets carrying Roost get to set up early and often, but you should nevertheless be discerning with which foes you choose to set up on, as it will only realistically get to do so once or twice. For example, Latias may be Toxic poisoned when attempting to set up on Hippowdon or bulky Water-types or take a big hit if it attempts to set up on offensive Pokemon such as Nidoking. Be careful when using Draco Meteor, as even with Calm Mind boosts, its main drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack can prove extremely punishable in the face of opposing setup Pokemon like Scizor and Bisharp. Also be mindful of defensive checks such as Klefki, Empoleon, and Alolan Muk waiting in the wings, as even with the proper coverage, Latias can be crippled by Thunder Wave, Toxic, or Pursuit, respectively, if they are healthy enough to chew a boosted attack. Most of these Pokemon are heavily damaged by Devastating Drake at +1, however, and are quite easy to wear down.

Team Options
========

Calm Mind Latias with Roost fits best on balance and bulky offense teams looking for a late-game sweeper that can exploit bulky offense and balance staples like Swampert, Hippowdon, Celebi, and Rotom-H. This set also greatly appreciates Pokemon that can pressure Steel-types and Pursuit trappers as well as put bulky Pokemon into range of its attacks. Moltres is a stellar check to most Steel-types by virtue of its typing and is capable of wearing down Pokemon that check Latias such as Mega Aerodactyl and Alolan Muk by forcing them to switch into its high-powered STAB moves. Due to Latias's Pursuit weakness and the ubiquity of Pursuit trappers, teammates capable of punishing such Pokemon are crucial for keeping them at bay. Kommo-o, Heracross, and Mamoswine can all deter Choice Scarf Krookodile from locking itself into Pursuit or Alolan Muk from entering the field at all. Swords Dance Cobalion and Nasty Plot Infernape are both effective means of punishing Steel-types that need bulky Water- and Psychic-types worn down before they can do work, giving them great offensive synergy with Latias. Nihilego greatly appreciates Latias's ability to punish Ground- and Water-types, and it can assist in Latias's matchup versus bulky teams with Toxic Spikes. Bulky Stealth Rock users such as Hippowdon, Mega Aggron, and Empoleon are very effective starting points for a defensive backbone alongside Latias, as they are capable of keeping most of Latias's offensive checks at bay, can put its defensive checks into KO range with Stealth Rock, and appreciate Latias's ability to threaten out Electric-, Fire-, Water-, Grass-, and Ground-types in return.

[SET]
name: Electrium Z
move 1: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Draco Meteor / Ice Beam
move 4: Psyshock / Roost
item: Electrium Z
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

An Electric move in conjunction with Electrium Z turns Calm Mind Latias into an extremely dangerous early- to mid-game wallbreaker that can beat down most key Steel-types early in the game with Gigavolt Havoc. Thunder provides the benefit of OHKOing bulkier Electric-weak Pokemon such as Moltres and Primarina, but Thunderbolt can be used if you do not opt for a STAB move, as Thunder's shaky accuracy makes it extremely unreliable as a primary attack. Draco Meteor provides Latias with crucial STAB coverage and general nuking power it would otherwise lack, allowing it to KO bulkier offensive Pokemon not weak to Electric + Ice coverage, such as Mamoswine, Terrakion, and Rotom-H. Ice Beam can be used over Draco Meteor to provide Latias with near-perfect neutral coverage alongside Thunder or Thunderbolt, but this comes at a drastic drop in power due to the lack of a strong nuke and should only be used on teams that can afford to give such a set the space to set up, as it is extremely weak until it has accrued a few boosts and tough to set up versus teams that aren't as passive. Though generally not recommended alongside Ice Beam, Psyshock or Psychic grants Latias additional STAB coverage in exchange for Roost that allows it to more reliably damage Fighting-, Fairy-, and Poison-types, allowing it to which lets it (less repetitive) support Pokemon such as Zeraora or and Crawdaunt by reliably damaging checks such as Mega Altaria, Amoonguss, and Kommo-o.

Set Details
========

The Ground immunity provided by Levitate greatly expands Latias's setup opportunities, allowing it to make passive Ground-types such as Hippowdon and Gligar into setup fodder and making it immune to grounded entry hazards.

Usage Tips
========

Electrium Z Latias is incredibly effective at applying heavy offensive pressure early-game for offensive teams. Set up early to lure in an unsuspecting Steel-type and free up a teammate walled by Steel-types to win late-game. If you opt to run Electric + Ice coverage over a STAB move, the pool of Pokemon Latias sets up on and the support it requires change greatly. As it is geared more to long-term sweeping than outright wallbreaking, it needs a lot more free turns to become threatening and should generally only set up on Pokemon that can't touch it and that lack a status move, such as Primarina Choice-locked into a Water move, Rotom-C, and Chesnaught.

Team Options
========

Electrium Z Latias works extremely well on hyper offense teams in need of an early-game wallbreaker capable of blasting through bulky cores as well as luring in and heavily damaging Steel-types. Such Pokemon include physical wallbreakers such as Terrakion, and Crawdaunt and sweepers such as Swords Dance Scizor, Mega Sharpedo, and Trick Room Stakataka. Hyper offense teams can also get away with Electrium Z Latias lacking recovery because they are dependent on overwhelming the opponent quickly before they are themselves overwhelmed, meaning that the burst damage gained versus key defensive foes is worth the trade-off of lacking longevity. Spikes support from Klefki is crucial to put Steel-types into KO range from +1 Gigavolt Havoc. Klefki's defensive utility also allows hyper offensive teams to fall back in the face of Pokemon capable of revenge killing Latias such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Mega Beedrill. This set is particularly good at exploiting Spikes due to its ability to punish the majority of the tier's entry hazard removers. Bisharp is another beneficiary of Spikes stacking strategies that has excellent offensive synergy with Latias due to its weakness to Fighting-types that Latias forces out and ability to cripple defensive Pokemon with boosted Knock Off. Revenge killers such as Mega Aerodactyl, Choice Scarf Hydreigon, and Mega Manectric can follow up on holes punched by Latias early on, (RC) while in return doing an excellent job keeping off offensive pressure by virtue of their high Speed and pivoting ability. Other attackers such as Togekiss and Mamoswine that are walled or offensively checked by Steel-types such as Togekiss and Mamoswine (assures that this can't be read to mean togek is a steel) greatly appreciate Latias's ability to cripple them Steel-types so they can freely set up or go for Ice-type attacks. Bulky offense teams also appreciate Electrium Z Latias variants carrying Roost, as the combination of Calm Mind and BoltBeam is very conducive to sweeping, and they are able to compensate for non-STAB move Latias's lack of power unboosted. Spikes Chesnaught is an excellent deterrent to Pursuit trappers such as Choice Scarf Krookodile and Mega Aerodactyl lacking Wing Attack and appreciates Latias's ability to exploit Poison- and Fire-types such as Amoonguss and Rotom-H. The chip damage provided by Spikes is also extremely crucial for putting Pokemon such as Empoleon and Scizor into KO range of a boosted Thunder if Gigavolt Havoc has already been used. Choice Scarf Krookodile is an excellent addition to bulky offense teams for its ability to revenge kill threats such as Nidoking, Terrakion, and opposing Latias, which Latias lacking a STAB move cannot do remotely reliably. Choice Band Scizor is similarly capable of revenge killing or Pursuit trapping such threats while providing the team with reliable priority. Reliable Scizor checks such as Cobalion, Rotom-H, and Moltres are necessary to give this set the breathing room to reliably set up, as bulkier variants of Scizor are only reliably damaged by boosted Gigavolt Havoc. The aforementioned examples also make for passable checks to Fairy-types.

[SET]
name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Thunderbolt
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Draco Meteor is a high-powered Dragon-type STAB move that hits most targets for neutral damage, giving Latias decent general firepower and the ability to threaten opposing slower Dragon-types. This firepower comes with the drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack, however, making it a risky move to go for. Psychic grants Latias Psychic-type STAB coverage and a move that can threaten the tier's many Fighting-types, 2HKOing key physically defensive targets such as Cobalion and defensive Mega Altaria after Stealth Rock. Psyshock is not used because even with a Life Orb boost, it cannot 2HKO Blissey, Sylveon, or Florges, even after Stealth Rock. Hidden Power Fire gives Latias coverage versus most Steel-types, cleanly OHKOing Scizor and doing a decent chunk to Klefki with a Life Orb boost. However, Thunderbolt can be used for neutral coverage against most Steel-types in exchange for the ability to hit Empoleon and Togekiss for solid damage, giving Latias an edge versus balance teams that rely on them to check Dragon-types. Roost keeps Latias consistently healthy throughout the game and negates the main drawback of using a Life Orb, making its defensive abilities much more reliable. Lastly, Defog can be used over a coverage move to make Latias a decent entry hazard remover, but it is mostly outclassed in this role by Hydreigon, and losing out on the ability to hit Steel-types is very risky.

Set Details
========

Levitate is Latias's only option for an ability, granting it a key immunity to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Sticky Web, and Ground-type attacks.

Usage Tips
========

Latias checks a broad array of Pokemon by virtue of its typing and bulk. Use this to take advantage of these Pokemon to either fire off attacks or heal up as needed. Passive Ground-types such as Swampert as well as predicted Fire-type attacks from the likes of Volcanion and Rotom-H make for great opportunities to come in. Predict obvious switches to Steel-types early on to wear them down quickly with Hidden Power Fire, but be discerning with your predictions, as reading incorrectly versus Pokemon such as Terrakion, Moltres, or Nidoking can prove deadly. Though Latias can be tough to wear down thanks to its resistances and its immunity to most entry hazards, be careful with its health while threats that it checks are still active, and be careful to position yourself so that Latias can use Roost for free. Be selective with the use of Draco Meteor, as even with a Life Orb boost, (AC) a -2 Latias is extremely easy to exploit with Pokemon such as Scizor and Cobalion, though they still take non-negligible damage from -2 Hidden Power Fire.

Team Options
========

This set is best used as a generalist attacker for bulky offense teams that already have wallbreaking power but still need Latias's defensive utility to keep Fighting-, Grass-, and Electric-types consistently in check. Offensive Moltres is a potent attacker for bulky offense and does an excellent job checking Steel-types as well as pressuring other checks to Latias such as Blissey, Stakataka, and Mamoswine. In return, Latias maintains decent pressure on Nihilego, non-Life Orb Starmie, Electric-types, and opposing Dragon-types that keep Moltres at bay. A means of punishing Pursuit trappers is crucial to allow Latias to reliably switch in and out throughout the game, as being trapped without recourse can prove devastating. Kommo-o, Mamoswine, and Cobalion are all viable means of deterring Pursuit, especially from Choice Scarf Krookodile. Though Latias is a decent switch-in to Electric-types, it can nevertheless forfeit momentum by switching into Volt Switch from Mega Manectric, Rotom-C, and Rotom-H. For this reason, it should be used as a secondary switch-in to such Pokemon in favor of an Electric-immune teammate such as Hippowdon, Choice Scarf Krookodile, or Swampert. Steel-types pair extremely well with such Pokemon, as they are effective defensive checks to the Grass- and Dragon-types commonly used to punish them and benefit from Latias's ability to check Electric- and Fire-types. Klefki can wear down Latias's defensive checks into KO range thanks to Spikes as well as shut out most of Latias's offensive checks bar Scizor and Mamoswine thanks to its typing. Mega Aggron is a reliable Stealth Rock setter, a powerful tank, and a consistent hard check to Pokemon such as Scizor, Mega Aerodactyl, and opposing Latias.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Trick / Defog
move 4: Healing Wish
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Draco Meteor's high Base Power lets Choice Scarf Latias serve its role as a revenge killer, taking out weakened threats like Infernape, Crawdaunt, and Zeraora with little to no chip damage. Psychic is used over Psyshock to more reliably revenge kill Fighting-types, as this set is extremely weak and needs all the power it can get. It also cannot do meaningful damage to special walls even with Psyshock. Trick allows Latias to cripple a switch-in such as Blissey, Empoleon, Scizor, or Klefki for the duration of the game, which gives it an edge in stall and balance matchups that most Choice Scarf users lack. Defog can be used, though, as emergency hazard removal for more offensive teams that have a good enough matchup versus bulky teams. This is far from ideal, though, as Latias loses to most defensive entry hazard setters. Healing Wish is crucial to Latias's success as a Choice Scarf user, as it allows you to play much more aggressively with a given teammate and bring it back later in exchange for Latias's life causing Latias to faint.

Set Details
========

Despite the Speed boost provided by Choice Scarf, Latias needs a Timid nature over Modest to outspeed other Choice Scarf users as well as Speed-boosting threats like Mega Sharpedo, Kommo-o, and Haxorus. Levitate makes Latias immune to Spikes and deters opponents from freely spamming Ground-type attacks, both of which are key for the frail teams that best utilize Choice Scarf Latias.

Usage Tips
========

Hold onto Latias to revenge kill offensive threats as well as bring a teammate back late-game with Healing Wish. If you don't find Choice Scarf Latias's Speed important for winning the game, feel free to use Trick early on to cripple obvious switch-ins. Taking a threat such as Blissey or Swords Dance Scizor out of the equation can prove an extremely powerful tool for supporting the team. Both of Latias's attacks are very easy to punish with Dark-types, Fairy-types, and Steel-types. Compensate for this by playing aggressively with your teammates and predicting how your opponent will react: for example, it is generally better to double switch out on a predicted switch to Empoleon than to give it a free turn. If using Defog over Trick, opportunities to use it are harder to come by than with normal Defoggers due to the nature of Choice items. Choice Scarf Latias will generally only get chances to Defog if it forces out an opposing Pokemon or if you are OK with it taking an incoming attack.

Team Options
========

As the fastest Pokemon in the tier, Choice Scarf Latias does well on offensive teams in need of a means for revenge killing Fighting-types, frailer offensive threats, and opposing Choice Scarf users. Certain balance teams that rely on slower wallbreakers also appreciate these attributes. Many setup sweepers as well as entry hazard-vulnerable offensive Pokemon appreciate Latias's ability to heal them up late-game, which enables much more aggressive gameplans. Scizor, Lucario, Heracross, Bisharp, Nidoking, and Crawdaunt are all potent offensive Pokemon that are easily worn down and revenge killed, making them prime candidates for Healing Wish. They also compensate for Choice Scarf Latias's unreliable matchup against defensive teams by taking advantage of walls Latias has shut down with Trick on top of being fantastic wallbreakers in their own right. Since Choice Scarf Latias is not a reliable check to Water- or Ground-types, a solid means of breaking defensive cores reliant on such Pokemon is needed. Mixed attacking Zeraora sets are very capable of this, as they can compensate for Latias's lack of pivoting ability with Volt Switch and can serve as a backup fast Pokemon if Latias goes down.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Choice Scarf Latias can run a stray coverage move such as Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, or Hidden Power Fire in place of Trick or Defog to get last-ditch damage versus crucial targets for your team. This is generally inferior, though, to the support provided by those utility options, as being locked into a weak coverage move can prove extremely punishable. Colbur Berry allows Latias to circumvent mind games versus Pursuit users once and punish teams that rely on Dark-types to check it offensively. This also allows it to much more easily support teammates that are also weak to Pursuit trapping, such as Gengar and Mega Sceptile. However, this comes at an extreme cost in power due to the loss of a Z-Crystal or Life Orb, relegating it to teams that are desperate to have the likes of Choice Scarf Krookodile and Alolan Muk removed. Reflect Type is also a viable method of circumventing Latias's Pursuit weakness, as well as letting it potentially set up on Steel-types, but this comes at the steep cost of sacrificing a moveslot, leaving it with only a single attack and making it very easy to wall. It is also very prediction reliant, as once Reflect Type is revealed, a competent opponent will attempt to position themselves with a Pokemon that will hit Latias's current typing super effectively. Choice Specs Latias can act as a faster alternative to Choice Specs Kyurem or Choice Specs Hydreigon, but the drop in power is extremely noticeable, and unlike those aforementioned Pokemon, Latias sorely lacks a spammable STAB move, making being Choice-locked much more easily punishable.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Though they must be mindful of Gigavolt Havoc, Steel-types wall Latias's STAB combination and are generally bulky enough to do so consistently unless they are heavily weakened or Latias has the appropriate coverage. Klefki, Mega Aggron, Bronzong, Empoleon, and Scizor are all capable of forcing out or crippling Latias in some capacity, either with status, Pursuit trapping, or strong attacks. Scizor must be careful, though, not to be put in KO range of a boosted Z-Move. A special mention goes to Mega Steelix, which is immune to Gigavolt Havoc on top of its resistance to Latias's STAB moves, (RC) and only has to watch out for Life Orb Hidden Power Fire.

** Dark-types and Pursuit**: Dark-types are immune to Latias's Psychic Psychic-type moves and can heavily damage or eliminate it with their STAB moves. Though uncommon, Umbreon in particular hard counters all Latias variants indefinitely unless it is Tricked given a Choice Scarf with Trick. The tier is also littered with Pursuit trappers, Dark-type or otherwise, capable of putting Latias in a checkmate position. Such Pokemon include Choice Scarf Krookodile, Mega Aerodactyl, Scizor, and Alolan Muk.

**Status**: Though Latias doesn't care much about burn, poison and paralysis both ruin its day: the former greatly limits its longevity and threatens to put it in range of opposing attacks, and paralysis leaves it outsped and eliminated by the majority of the tier. Toxic poison ruins any chance Latias might have at cleanly sweeping, though it can easily switch in and out to minimize poison damage racking up.

**Revenge Killers**: Latias's Speed tier is above average, but it's not enough to prevent it from being greatly threatened by faster offensive threats. Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Sceptile, Mega Beedrill, and Choice Scarf users such as Krookodile and Hydreigon are capable of outspeeding and eliminating Latias with little to no chip damage regardless of Calm Mind boosts. It is also vulnerable to three of the most common priority moves in the tier in Scizor's Bullet Punch, Bisharp's Sucker Punch, and Mamoswine's Ice Shard, taking super effective damage from the latter two.

**Special Bulky Pokemon**: Even with boosted Psyshock, Latias struggles to break through most special walls without significant chip damage. Blissey is never 2HKOed by anything except +1 Life Orb Psyshock and can hit Latias with Toxic, Curse Snorlax can beat it one-on-one with properly timed attacks and recovery, and Umbreon hard counters it indefinitely completely. They must all be wary of being Tricked given a Choice Scarf with Trick, however, as this will cripple them almost entirely.

[CREDITS]

- Written by: [[eht, 237235]]
- Quality checked by: [[A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157], [Hilomilo, 313384], [Eyan, 226777]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157]]

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