[OVERVIEW]
With Soul Dew, Latias is a versatile Pokemon offensively and defensively. Its typing, Levitate, and good Speed let it check Kyogre and Groudon, the strongest attackers in the tier, while avoiding Spikes damage. Latias can also answer many special attackers thanks to Soul Dew's Special Defense boost. Unfortunately for Latias, its typing leaves it weak to common Ice- and Ghost-type attacks. It also dislikes status, especially paralysis, even on sets with Refresh. Finally, Latias is often outclassed by Latios, which boasts a higher Special Attack stat to immediately pressure foes more. Nevertheless, Latias is a better Calm Mind sweeper and a more consistent check to aforementioned threats, as its bulk gives it more resilience to a critical hit or full paralysis turn. Generally, Latias is only worth a teamslot over Latios on bulky teams that need its long-term efficacy or a wincon.
[SET]
name: BoltBeam
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Recover
move 4: Refresh
item: Soul Dew
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 116 SpA / 140 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set primarily acts as a check to powerful Pokemon such as Groudon, Kyogre, and Latios. Refresh helps Latias consistently check threats, but Latias should still avoid status, as a full paralysis will severely hinder it. Recover lets Latias take multiple hits from super effective coverage moves, mainly Kyogre's Ice Beam and Groudon's Hidden Power Ghost. Thunder and Ice Beam hit Kyogre, Groudon, and Latios super effectively and almost the entire tier for at least neutral damage. 140 Speed EVs with a Timid nature let Latias outspeed Modest Latios and any unboosted Groudon or Kyogre. 252 HP leverages its advantage in bulk over Latios.
Dragon Claw is an option over Ice Beam, trading power against Groudon for extra damage against Latios; this is best for teams that already have significant Groudon countermeasures. It is also possible to use Calm Mind over Refresh for Latias to double as a wincon, but this will hamper its matchup against Thunder Wave variants of Groudon and Kyogre, and Latias will still lose to Blissey. Dropping Refresh generally requires a Blissey on one's team to heal status and counter Thunder Wave Kyogre. Furthermore, if opting for Dragon Claw over Ice Beam, one can switch Latias's Special Attack and HP investments to use it as a lead. With this spread, Latias can 2HKO Mewtwo and has enough bulk to take two Ice Beams from Mewtwo, forcing it to use Self-Destruct. However, Calm Mind variants of Mewtwo can use Latias as setup fodder. Finally, a spread of 192 HP / 176 SpA / 140 Spe with a Timid nature retains the ability to survive Spell Tag Deoxys-A's Shadow Ball from full health and hits foes harder, but this spread particularly is often outclassed by Latios, which can survive the same hit with more offensive presence.
This set's biggest flaw is that it suffers in comparison to Latios. Latios's significantly higher offensive presence pressures Groudon and Kyogre much more effectively, most notably securing the 2HKO on Kyogre even when switching in on its Calm Mind. As such, careful thought should be given if Latias's bulk is needed over Latios's power.
Team Options
========
Although a good check to Groudon and Kyogre, Latias should not be the sole check to either threat. If SubSalac Groudon can find a turn to set up, including from full paralysis, it can OHKO Latias with +2 Hidden Power Ghost. Therefore, another check to Groudon such as Lugia or Ho-Oh is necessary. Similarly, it is generally wise to have a backup check to opposing Kyogre, such as a Blissey or your own Kyogre with Thunder.
Pokemon that commonly switch into Latias include Snorlax, Blissey, and Ho-Oh. The former two can generally be handled with a Steel-type that can set up Spikes, such as Skarmory or Forretress, or hit hard physically, such as Metagross. Ho-Oh is checked by physical walls that are not overly concerned with sun-boosted Sacred Fire or burn, such as a Lugia backed up by cleric Blissey or a physically defensive Ho-Oh of one's own.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Dragon Claw
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Recover
move 4: Refresh
item: Soul Dew
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 240 HP / 172 Def / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
The set acts as a wincon that can beat Blissey with Recover, Refresh, and Calm Mind. Calm Mind allows Latias to overwhelm its defensive answers and clean a weakened team; Dragon Claw is a powerful STAB attack alongside it with few sturdy resistant foes. Refresh cleanses Toxic from Blissey and paralysis from Groudon's and Kyogre's Thunder Wave, and possibly Snorlax's Body Slam. Another option is using Reflect over Refresh, making this Latias much more effective at checking and setting up on physical attackers. The given HP and Defense EVs complement Latias's extraordinary Special Defense, especially with Calm Mind, and help it take attacks from weaker physical attackers such as uninvested Ho-Oh. They also let Latias take Choice Band Deoxys-A's Shadow Ball from full health. The Speed investment is important to beat neutral base 90s, namely Kyogre and Groudon.
252 HP / 116 Def / 140 Spe with a Timid nature lets Latias outspeed Modest Latios at the cost of being weaker to physical attackers. It is also possible to use a spread of 172 HP / 240 Def / 96 Spe, retaining the Bold nature, to still outspeed most Groudon and Kyogre while tanking Groudon's +2 Hidden Power Ghost, allowing it to act as a backup check to SubSalac Groudon; this will cut into Latias's special bulk noticeably, however.
Team Options
========
This set is somewhat self-sufficient, being able to beat most of Latias's defensive answers, namely Blissey, Ho-Oh without significant Attack investment, and some Snorlax lacking Curse and Shadow Ball. Although Latias can take a hit from Deoxys-A, it is prone to chip damage and cannot afford to spam Recover. Therefore, checks to these threats, often a Steel-type like Metagross or Forretress, are necessary. Pokemon like Groudon and Kyogre can check Steel-types that can use Latias as fodder, like Spikes Forretress, Calm Mind Jirachi, and Metagross. Furthermore, as this set is less effective at taking on opposing Groudon and Kyogre, other answers to those are important, such as a Lugia + Blissey core.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Running Thunderbolt over Thunder on sun-based teams may seem appealing, but the loss of damage output against Ho-Oh and Kyogre is significant, generally causing Latias to lose the latter matchup while not meaningfully improving the former. Roar is an interesting option with a couple of purposes. On the Calm Mind set, it can be used to set up against an opposing Calm Mind user that would otherwise beat it and phaze the foe afterwards, gaining a significant advantage. On the BoltBeam set, it can be used as insurance against Calm Mind users that can set up to take on Latias. On both sets, Roar is also general insurance against setup Pokemon that can threaten the bulkier teams on which Latias naturally fits. Dropping a move for Roar is difficult, however; the most plausible option is Refresh, which will leave Latias much weaker against status from Groudon, Kyogre, and Blissey. Safeguard is an option over Refresh, but it's unable to prevent Latias from taking status while switching in, which broadly makes it a much less desirable option.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Special Walls**: Blissey's incredible special bulk can generally take on Latias indefinitely. However, the Calm Mind set can defeat most Blissey, although there are specialized Blissey sets that can beat this Latias set with Snatch, Psych Up, or Calm Mind. Even standard Blissey can force Latias to use Recover or Refresh, allowing an offensive answer such as Deoxys-A to switch in. Snorlax can take Latias's attacks and hit hard back with Shadow Ball or Body Slam, threaten a Body Slam paralysis, or even set up Curse. Deoxys-D can switch in and threaten to remove Soul Dew with Knock Off or set up Spikes. +6 Latias can overpower it even lacking Soul Dew, although a faster Deoxys-D with Taunt can prevent it from boosting. Ho-Oh's massive Special Defense and Recover allow it to take most of Latias's attacks comfortably and hit back hard with Shadow Ball; however, offensive Ho-Oh fears Thunder in rain, and defensive Ho-Oh may not be able to do sufficient damage to prevent a physically defensive Latias from setting up. Jirachi can usually beat Latias thanks to its bulk and resistances to Ice and Dragon. Jirachi can paralyze Latias with Body Slam, Thunder, or Thunder Wave, hit it hard with Shadow Ball, or set up on it with Calm Mind.
**Offensive Checks**: Deoxys-A can heavily damage Latias, but it will be OHKOed by any of Latias's attacks and cannot guarantee an OHKO on even non-physically defensive Latias without a Choice Band. Metagross can switch into Dragon Claw or Ice Beam and threaten to hit Latias hard or use Explosion. Heracross can also usually check Latias, surviving even a +1 Dragon Claw and threatening to KO it back with Megahorn given minimal chip damage.
**Setup Sweepers**: Calm Mind Kyogre will usually beat Calm Mind Latias one-on-one, and even Thunder Latias will be hard-pressed as it cannot 2HKO Kyogre if Latias switches in as Kyogre uses Calm Mind. Groudon can generate a free turn by forcing Latias to use Refresh as it switches into Thunder Wave multiple times, eventually resulting in a full paralysis, using the opportunity to set up a Swords Dance and then usually OHKO Latias with +2 Hidden Power Ghost.
**Niche Checks**: Umbreon can take a couple attacks from Latias, trap it with Mean Look, and pivot with Baton Pass to a counter; Regice can take multiple hits with its massive Special Defense stat and retaliate with Explosion or STAB Ice Beam; Registeel has incredible special bulk and a fantastic typing, using Latias to set up with Curse or removing it with Explosion; Steelix can switch into Dragon Claw and Thunder to hit Latias hard; and Shedinja takes no damage whatsoever from any of Latias's attacks barring the obscure Hidden Power Fire and retaliates with STAB Shadow Ball. None of these Pokemon are generally recommended, however.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ajencis, 479200]]
- Quality checked by: [[SuperEpicAmpharos, 306959], [Inspirited, 127823]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [UT, 523866]]
With Soul Dew, Latias is a versatile Pokemon offensively and defensively. Its typing, Levitate, and good Speed let it check Kyogre and Groudon, the strongest attackers in the tier, while avoiding Spikes damage. Latias can also answer many special attackers thanks to Soul Dew's Special Defense boost. Unfortunately for Latias, its typing leaves it weak to common Ice- and Ghost-type attacks. It also dislikes status, especially paralysis, even on sets with Refresh. Finally, Latias is often outclassed by Latios, which boasts a higher Special Attack stat to immediately pressure foes more. Nevertheless, Latias is a better Calm Mind sweeper and a more consistent check to aforementioned threats, as its bulk gives it more resilience to a critical hit or full paralysis turn. Generally, Latias is only worth a teamslot over Latios on bulky teams that need its long-term efficacy or a wincon.
[SET]
name: BoltBeam
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Recover
move 4: Refresh
item: Soul Dew
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 116 SpA / 140 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
This set primarily acts as a check to powerful Pokemon such as Groudon, Kyogre, and Latios. Refresh helps Latias consistently check threats, but Latias should still avoid status, as a full paralysis will severely hinder it. Recover lets Latias take multiple hits from super effective coverage moves, mainly Kyogre's Ice Beam and Groudon's Hidden Power Ghost. Thunder and Ice Beam hit Kyogre, Groudon, and Latios super effectively and almost the entire tier for at least neutral damage. 140 Speed EVs with a Timid nature let Latias outspeed Modest Latios and any unboosted Groudon or Kyogre. 252 HP leverages its advantage in bulk over Latios.
Dragon Claw is an option over Ice Beam, trading power against Groudon for extra damage against Latios; this is best for teams that already have significant Groudon countermeasures. It is also possible to use Calm Mind over Refresh for Latias to double as a wincon, but this will hamper its matchup against Thunder Wave variants of Groudon and Kyogre, and Latias will still lose to Blissey. Dropping Refresh generally requires a Blissey on one's team to heal status and counter Thunder Wave Kyogre. Furthermore, if opting for Dragon Claw over Ice Beam, one can switch Latias's Special Attack and HP investments to use it as a lead. With this spread, Latias can 2HKO Mewtwo and has enough bulk to take two Ice Beams from Mewtwo, forcing it to use Self-Destruct. However, Calm Mind variants of Mewtwo can use Latias as setup fodder. Finally, a spread of 192 HP / 176 SpA / 140 Spe with a Timid nature retains the ability to survive Spell Tag Deoxys-A's Shadow Ball from full health and hits foes harder, but this spread particularly is often outclassed by Latios, which can survive the same hit with more offensive presence.
This set's biggest flaw is that it suffers in comparison to Latios. Latios's significantly higher offensive presence pressures Groudon and Kyogre much more effectively, most notably securing the 2HKO on Kyogre even when switching in on its Calm Mind. As such, careful thought should be given if Latias's bulk is needed over Latios's power.
Team Options
========
Although a good check to Groudon and Kyogre, Latias should not be the sole check to either threat. If SubSalac Groudon can find a turn to set up, including from full paralysis, it can OHKO Latias with +2 Hidden Power Ghost. Therefore, another check to Groudon such as Lugia or Ho-Oh is necessary. Similarly, it is generally wise to have a backup check to opposing Kyogre, such as a Blissey or your own Kyogre with Thunder.
Pokemon that commonly switch into Latias include Snorlax, Blissey, and Ho-Oh. The former two can generally be handled with a Steel-type that can set up Spikes, such as Skarmory or Forretress, or hit hard physically, such as Metagross. Ho-Oh is checked by physical walls that are not overly concerned with sun-boosted Sacred Fire or burn, such as a Lugia backed up by cleric Blissey or a physically defensive Ho-Oh of one's own.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Dragon Claw
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Recover
move 4: Refresh
item: Soul Dew
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 240 HP / 172 Def / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
The set acts as a wincon that can beat Blissey with Recover, Refresh, and Calm Mind. Calm Mind allows Latias to overwhelm its defensive answers and clean a weakened team; Dragon Claw is a powerful STAB attack alongside it with few sturdy resistant foes. Refresh cleanses Toxic from Blissey and paralysis from Groudon's and Kyogre's Thunder Wave, and possibly Snorlax's Body Slam. Another option is using Reflect over Refresh, making this Latias much more effective at checking and setting up on physical attackers. The given HP and Defense EVs complement Latias's extraordinary Special Defense, especially with Calm Mind, and help it take attacks from weaker physical attackers such as uninvested Ho-Oh. They also let Latias take Choice Band Deoxys-A's Shadow Ball from full health. The Speed investment is important to beat neutral base 90s, namely Kyogre and Groudon.
252 HP / 116 Def / 140 Spe with a Timid nature lets Latias outspeed Modest Latios at the cost of being weaker to physical attackers. It is also possible to use a spread of 172 HP / 240 Def / 96 Spe, retaining the Bold nature, to still outspeed most Groudon and Kyogre while tanking Groudon's +2 Hidden Power Ghost, allowing it to act as a backup check to SubSalac Groudon; this will cut into Latias's special bulk noticeably, however.
Team Options
========
This set is somewhat self-sufficient, being able to beat most of Latias's defensive answers, namely Blissey, Ho-Oh without significant Attack investment, and some Snorlax lacking Curse and Shadow Ball. Although Latias can take a hit from Deoxys-A, it is prone to chip damage and cannot afford to spam Recover. Therefore, checks to these threats, often a Steel-type like Metagross or Forretress, are necessary. Pokemon like Groudon and Kyogre can check Steel-types that can use Latias as fodder, like Spikes Forretress, Calm Mind Jirachi, and Metagross. Furthermore, as this set is less effective at taking on opposing Groudon and Kyogre, other answers to those are important, such as a Lugia + Blissey core.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Running Thunderbolt over Thunder on sun-based teams may seem appealing, but the loss of damage output against Ho-Oh and Kyogre is significant, generally causing Latias to lose the latter matchup while not meaningfully improving the former. Roar is an interesting option with a couple of purposes. On the Calm Mind set, it can be used to set up against an opposing Calm Mind user that would otherwise beat it and phaze the foe afterwards, gaining a significant advantage. On the BoltBeam set, it can be used as insurance against Calm Mind users that can set up to take on Latias. On both sets, Roar is also general insurance against setup Pokemon that can threaten the bulkier teams on which Latias naturally fits. Dropping a move for Roar is difficult, however; the most plausible option is Refresh, which will leave Latias much weaker against status from Groudon, Kyogre, and Blissey. Safeguard is an option over Refresh, but it's unable to prevent Latias from taking status while switching in, which broadly makes it a much less desirable option.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Special Walls**: Blissey's incredible special bulk can generally take on Latias indefinitely. However, the Calm Mind set can defeat most Blissey, although there are specialized Blissey sets that can beat this Latias set with Snatch, Psych Up, or Calm Mind. Even standard Blissey can force Latias to use Recover or Refresh, allowing an offensive answer such as Deoxys-A to switch in. Snorlax can take Latias's attacks and hit hard back with Shadow Ball or Body Slam, threaten a Body Slam paralysis, or even set up Curse. Deoxys-D can switch in and threaten to remove Soul Dew with Knock Off or set up Spikes. +6 Latias can overpower it even lacking Soul Dew, although a faster Deoxys-D with Taunt can prevent it from boosting. Ho-Oh's massive Special Defense and Recover allow it to take most of Latias's attacks comfortably and hit back hard with Shadow Ball; however, offensive Ho-Oh fears Thunder in rain, and defensive Ho-Oh may not be able to do sufficient damage to prevent a physically defensive Latias from setting up. Jirachi can usually beat Latias thanks to its bulk and resistances to Ice and Dragon. Jirachi can paralyze Latias with Body Slam, Thunder, or Thunder Wave, hit it hard with Shadow Ball, or set up on it with Calm Mind.
**Offensive Checks**: Deoxys-A can heavily damage Latias, but it will be OHKOed by any of Latias's attacks and cannot guarantee an OHKO on even non-physically defensive Latias without a Choice Band. Metagross can switch into Dragon Claw or Ice Beam and threaten to hit Latias hard or use Explosion. Heracross can also usually check Latias, surviving even a +1 Dragon Claw and threatening to KO it back with Megahorn given minimal chip damage.
**Setup Sweepers**: Calm Mind Kyogre will usually beat Calm Mind Latias one-on-one, and even Thunder Latias will be hard-pressed as it cannot 2HKO Kyogre if Latias switches in as Kyogre uses Calm Mind. Groudon can generate a free turn by forcing Latias to use Refresh as it switches into Thunder Wave multiple times, eventually resulting in a full paralysis, using the opportunity to set up a Swords Dance and then usually OHKO Latias with +2 Hidden Power Ghost.
**Niche Checks**: Umbreon can take a couple attacks from Latias, trap it with Mean Look, and pivot with Baton Pass to a counter; Regice can take multiple hits with its massive Special Defense stat and retaliate with Explosion or STAB Ice Beam; Registeel has incredible special bulk and a fantastic typing, using Latias to set up with Curse or removing it with Explosion; Steelix can switch into Dragon Claw and Thunder to hit Latias hard; and Shedinja takes no damage whatsoever from any of Latias's attacks barring the obscure Hidden Power Fire and retaliates with STAB Shadow Ball. None of these Pokemon are generally recommended, however.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ajencis, 479200]]
- Quality checked by: [[SuperEpicAmpharos, 306959], [Inspirited, 127823]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [UT, 523866]]
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