bw ubers - latios (qc 0/?)

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[Overview]

Latios is a devestating wallbreaker in BW Ubers. Soul Dew ensures Latios’ Special Attack soars above even Deoxys-Attack’s, while bolstering its Special Defense to help ward off Pokemon like Kyogre and Arceus-Fighting. Having higher Speed than most Pokemon used in Ubers also increases Latios’ utility. Latios has the right tools to make use of these raw stats: what its STAB Draco Meteor and Psyshock cannot finish off, its many phenomenal coverage options can. Latios’ access to Levitate further augments its potency: it can switch with abandon, disregarding Toxic Spikes, Spikes, and damage from Ground-type moves altogether.

Fortunately for a Latios user’s opponent, this Eon Pokemon has its drawbacks. Latios’ weak Physical bulk means that even a resisted Sacred Fire or Bolt Strike injures it. All its coverage options have significant opportunity cost, too - it cannot fit more than eight moves into four moveslots. It also is an inconsistent Kyogre counter as relative to Pokemon like Latias and Palkia. Lastly, because Draco Meteor’s Special Attack drop drastically weakens Latios, its user must be very careful when clicking it. Latios is a Pokemon that tends to reward prediction; though it has some shortcomings, it is definitely one of BW Ubers’ scariest Pokemon to switch into.

[SET]

name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psyshock / Surf
move 3: Thunder / Grass Knot / Surf / Hidden Power [Fire]
move 4: Hidden Power [Fire] / Roost / Roar
item: Soul Dew
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
EVs: 240 SpA / 16 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This is the most frightening Latios for stall teams to face. Draco Meteor is absurdly strong, cleanly OHKOing Pokemon like support Groudon, offensive Dialga, and Stalltwo after a layer of Spikes. Psyshock is a powerful option to hurt Arceus-Fighting, Ho-Oh, Tentacruel, and the uncommon Chansey and Blissey. Surf is Latios’ better option under Rain, where it cleanly OHKOs Heatran and Excadrill while still seriously damaging Ho-Oh and harming Jirachi. Thunder is a great move in Latios’ third slot to eviscerate Kyogre, Skarmory, Arceus-Water, Ho-Oh, and Genesect, but its miss chance is somewhat disappointing outside of Rain. Grass Knot is typically better for Sun teams because of this. It trades Thunder’s wonderful Paralysis rate and easy OHKO on Skarmory for a 2HKO on Tyranitar after Stealth Rock and guaranteed OHKO on support Groudon without Latios lowering its Special Attack. Surf is a viable alternative to Thunder or Grass Knot if Latios’ user is okay with hitting Kyogre less hard; Psyshock and Draco Meteor still cleanly 2HKO all offensive variants anyway. Hidden Power Fire nicely rounds out Latios’ coverage, massacring Ferrothorn, Genesect, Excadrill, and Skarmory while beating Latios’ best checks, Jirachi and Arceus-Steel, in Sun. The move’s most significant downside is Latios’ decreased speed IV, which prevents it from Speed tying with opposing Latios and some Latias. The move fits very well in either Latios’ third or fourth moveslot; choosing to use it depends entirely on the composition of one’s own team. Roost alternatively grants Latios longevity versus stall and some balance teams, but it will almost never want to use it versus offensive teams. Roar also is an intersting option for Latios. Its primary function is compensating for a -2 Special Attack Latios’ relative lack of attacking power. This is huge in offense versus offense matchups, where games can often come down to whether a Calm Mind or Swords Dance Arceus sets up at some point. The move also abuses Spikes very well, which pushes some things like Jirachi and support Arceus into HP ranges where Latios can finish them off.

This Latios has two notable alternative moves to toy with. Dragon Pulse is decent either over or in addition to Draco Meteor. It lets Latios function as a cleaner instead of simply a wallbreaker because, with it, it does not have to switch or Roar threats out at -2 Special Attack. However, running Dragon Pulse sacrifices some coverage and arguably is redundant alongside Draco Meteor. Memento is a fair option in Latios’ last moveslot. It functions similarly to Roar in that it prevents Latios from being setup bait, but it tends to grant more setup opportunities to one’s own Pokemon.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Latios’ spread is straightforward. 252 Speed and a Timid Nature are mandatory to ensure that it outpaces Garchomp, unscarfed Terrakion, Lugia, Palkia, and most Latias, while at worst tying with opposing Latios. 240 Special Attack permits Latios to hit as hard as possible. Its 16 Special Defense EVs prevent Choice Scarf or Haban Berry Palkia’s Spacial Rend from OHKOing Latios after Stealth Rock. If Latios’ user is okay with dropping another 12 EVs from Latios’ Special Attack, they can shift them to Defense. This prevents Adamant Life Orb Kabutops’ Stone Edge from ever KOing a fully healthy Latios, though it only has a 6.3% chance to OHKO a 0 Defense Latios anyway.

Because Latios forces many switches, Spikes users are its greatest allies. Therefore, strong teammates include suicide leads like Accelgor, Froslass, Cloyster, and Custap Forretress. A strong defensive Spikes user to pair with Latios is Specially Defensive Ferrothorn, which helps it check Choice Scarf Kyogre while whittling down Genesect’s health with Iron Barbs damage. Another strong defensive teammate is Specially Defensive Kyogre, which checks the Calm Mind Arceus forms and Darkrai that force this set out while helping Latios spam Thunder and Surf. Another weather setter Latios appreciates as a teammate is Groudon, which sets Stealth Rock for Latios, increases the power of Latios’ Hidden Power Fire, and checks Pokemon like Excadrill and Swords Dance Arceus that may bother this set. Latios, in return, can check Pokemon like Kyogre, Arceus-Water, and Gliscor that may trouble offensive Groudon variants. Lastly, strong special attackers make good teammates; Pokemon like Mewtwo and Darkrai can help overwhelm Pokemon like Arceus-Steel that may otherwise easily check this Latios.

name: Calm Mind
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Psyshock
move 4: Roost
item: Soul Dew
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
EVs: 240 SpA / 16 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

This Latios trades nearly unparalleled coverage for even more impressive power. Draco Meteor is frighteningly strong; with a boost up, it hits harder than even Choice Specs Kyurem-W’s Draco Meteor, one of the strongest Special attacks in Ubers. Calm Mind increases Latios’ Special Attack, but also grants it impressive Special Defense; the move enables Latios to begin a Calm Mind war with most Arceus forms. Psyshock is a powerful STAB move Latios can employ when it doesn’t wish to lower its Special Attack. It also damages the likes of Heatran, opposing Calm Mind Arceus, and Specially Defensive Kyogre. Roost gives Latios remarkable longevity, increasing its usefulness in matchups where it might take substantial chip damage from Pokemon like Tentacruel or Arceus-Water.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

Whether Latios’ user attacks or clicks Calm Mind first depends on which Pokemon they expect to switch into Latios’ attack. If anticipating a slow, passive Pokemon such as Excadrill, Ferrothorn, Skarmory, or Heatran, Calm Mind helps Latios muscle through them all. When expecting the opponent to switch in Genesect or Arceus, Latios should attack. Latios’ Draco Meteor nearly OHKOs Genesect and forces Arceus to Recover. It also wards off switch-ins like Giratina-O, which handle everything except one attack from Latios and tend to force it out.

Running a coverage option like Thunder or Surf over Roost may seem like a good idea. This, however, decreases Latios’ much-needed longevity for the ability to quickly hit things it mostly beats anyway in the long run. Therefore, it is inadvisable.

Like the All-out Attacker set, this Latios appreciates anything that sets Spikes. Skarmory, Deoxys-A, Deoxys-S, Cloyster, and more all help Latios muscle through bulky checks like Tyranitar and Ferrothorn. Strong attackers also are good allies. Physical powerhouses like Extreme Killer Arceus, Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, and Rock Polish Groudon appreciate this Latios’ wearing down Pokemon like specially defensive Skarmory, physically defensive Ferrothorn, and Arceus-Ghost. Strong special attackers like Calm Mind Arceus-Ghost, Kyogre, and mono-attacking Darkrai also partner well with Calm Mind Latios. Choice Specs Kyogre works especially well as a teammate because it overcomes all of Latios’ bulky checks. Even though this Latios typically has more longevity than its All-out-Attacker counterpart, auxiliary Choice Scarf Kyogre checks, such as Arceus-Water, Dialga, and Ferrothorn may be good teammates.

[Other Options]

Latios learns Light Screen and Reflect, but the only thing Latios has over Latias as a dual screens user is Memento. Latios has access to both Tailwind and Dragon Dance, but finding space for either proves difficult and Latios’ Speed is not one of its weak points. Magic Coat could surprise Spikes setters like Ferrothorn, but Latios can also run Hidden Power Fire, which is less prediction-reliant, to overcome that. Mimic serves a similar purpose to Magic Coat, but it trades a clear field on your side for the ability to set Spikes or Toxic Spikes multiple times with Latios. Safeguard isn’t a particularly useful move for Latios, which usually is checked by direct damage instead of status, but its teammates may benefit from it. Heal Block greatly perturbs slow Pokemon that think they can recover health versus a -2 Latios, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Chansey.

[Checks and Counters]

Arceus-Steel shrugs off almost all of Latios’ attacks and can easily defeat it in a Calm Mind war with Roar. It only must be wary of Thunder paralysis in Rain or Sun-boosted Hidden Power Fire. Jirachi functions equally well versus it, but it stalls out Calm Mind variants with Toxic or Paralysis and Iron Head. Genesect is Latios’ best offensive check, living all its attacks except Hidden Power Fire and U-turning out of Latios for either a guaranteed KO or momentum. Arceus-Dark is immune to Latios’ Psyshock, but it cannot switch into Draco Meteor too much. Bulky, passive checks such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, Tyranitar, specially defensive Skarmory, and specially defensive Excadrill may fare okay versus Latios but must be wary of its coverage moves or giving Calm Mind sets too many free turns. Arceus-Ghost loses outright to Calm Mind sets but handles the All-out Attacker set as well as Arceus-Dark does. Strong Pokemon faster than Latios, such as Choice Scarf Zekrom, Darkrai, and Choice Scarf Terrakion function well as revenge killers. Lastly, strong priority moves like Giratina-O’s Shadow Sneak and Arceus and Rayquaza’s Extreme Speed easily scare off a Latios that wishes to retain its health.
 
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