Latias Movesets & Competitive Sets

Set Description Calm Mind is Latias's flagship set, fitting on a wide variety of teams ranging from hyper offense to balance. Latias's solid natural bulk and defensive profile afford it many opportunities to set up with Calm Mind and unleash its boosted STAB attacks against opposing teams. Recover allows Latias to remain healthy over the course of a longer game, letting it shrug off stray attacks and granting it even more opportunities to use Calm Mind. This set can be flexible in how it can be used in battle; early-game, it can be used as a wallbreaker courtesy of Latias's strong, boosted STAB moves, while late-game, it can be used as a sweeper that can tear apart weakened teams with ease. Leftovers can be run instead of Soul Dew for passive recovery and to let Latias absorb Rotom-Wash's Will-O-Wisp more easily, though the drop in damage is significant and can make it more difficult for Latias to break past foes such as Clefable and Mew. Stored Power can be run over Psychic on bulkier Calm Mind sets, letting Latias muscle past more passive teams and letting it clean up late-game. The lower initial power and need for multiple Calm Mind boosts makes such a set more matchup dependent compared to the standard Calm Mind set, as standard teams can more easily play around it. Team Options Fire-types such as Heatran and Infernape are great partners for Calm Mind Latias, since they threaten Steel-types such as Scizor while also providing support in the form of entry hazards, or in the case of the latter, pivoting support with U-turn. They're also good checks to Weavile, which is a massive threat towards Latias. Magnezone is another solid partner for Latias, as thanks to its Magnet Pull ability, it can trap Scizor and other Steel-types and force large amounts of damage against them, rendering them unable to withstand Latias's attacks. Magnezone is also able to greatly threaten Unaware Clefable, another solid check to Calm Mind Latias, with its STAB Flash Cannon. Offensive Pokemon such as Weavile and Alakazam can be paired with Latias in order to overwhelm shared checks such as Scizor, Clefable, and Heatran, making it easier for Latias to snowball late-game. Physical Water-type wallbreakers like Azumarill and Crawdaunt can threaten Scizor, Clefable, and Heatran directly for Latias while also acting as checks to Weavile and Fire-types; in return, Latias handles Rotom-Wash for them. Defensive Pokemon such as Gliscor, Scizor, Clefable, and Milotic make for good partners, as they are able to check revenge killers such as Weavile, Alakazam, and Choice Scarf users like Garchomp. Skarmory and Roserade can lay down Spikes, which make Latias's attacks more difficult to withstand, while also checking Fairy-types such as Clefable, Azumarill, and Togekiss, which can prove to be annoyances for Latias. Skarmory can also check Scizor, Weavile, and Choice Scarf Garchomp for Latias, while Roserade can check bulky Water-types and absorb Trick from Rotom-Wash that would try and shut Latias down.

Set Description Latias is an effective Choice Scarf user on offensive teams thanks to its superb Speed stat letting it outspeed the entire metagame when boosted. Its naturally strong STAB Draco Meteor allows it to revenge kill a wide array of faster Pokemon with minimal chip damage such as Starmie, Alakazam, and Weavile; Speed-boosting sweepers such as Dragonite and Feraligatr; and other Choice Scarf users such as Garchomp and Infernape. Psychic lets Latias hit Fairy-type Pokemon such as Togekiss and Azumarill for solid damage as well as letting it OHKO Psychic-weak Pokemon such as Infernape, Breloom, and Nidoking without needing to drop its Special Attack using Draco Meteor. Psychic is also an effective move for cleaning up weakened teams late-game. Healing Wish allows Latias to support its team by fully healing a weakened teammate, letting Latias have value even if it can no longer fulfill its offensive duties. Surf lets Latias hit Steel-types such as Scizor for neutral damage as well as Heatran for super effective damage. Thunderbolt can be considered in order to more reliably revenge kill Belly Drum Azumarill as well as dealing a strong hit against other Water-types without the need of Draco Meteor. Lastly, Choice Scarf Latias can consider running Defog in order to provide even more support in the form of entry hazard removal if its team is in need. Team Options Strong setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Scizor, Lucario, and Garchomp make for solid partners for Choice Scarf Latias. Not only can they threaten to overwhelm Latias checks such as Scizor, Blissey, and Clefable, allowing for Latias to clean up late-game more effectively, but they greatly appreciate its Healing Wish giving them a second chance at threatening the opposing team. Magnezone is an effective partner for Choice Scarf Latias, as its strong matchups against common Steel- and Fairy-type Pokemon like Scizor and Clefable is extremely beneficial to Latias, which cannot break past them as effectively compared to other sets. Entry hazards set up by Custap Berry Skarmory and Azelf can make up for Latias's lesser damage output when running Choice Scarf and can prove beneficial for the rest of Latias's teammates.

Set Description Wielding a Choice Specs as its item, Latias becomes a devastating wallbreaker for offense and bulky offense teams courtesy of its high-powered STAB moves that few Pokemon are able to reliably switch into multiple times. Draco Meteor is able to OHKO most neutral foes with ease, while Psychic covers Fairy-types such as physically defensive Clefable and Togekiss that would otherwise blank Draco Meteor. Surf is Latias's main coverage move, hitting Steel-types such as Scizor for solid neutral damage as well as reliably 2HKOing Heatran. Thunderbolt is another coverage option that hits Steel-types for neutral damage, but it also hits Flying- and Water-types such as Skamory, Togekiss, and Starmie for super effective damage. Healing Wish can provide support to Latias's teammates if its health gets too low for it to function. Roost allows Latias to heal off any damage it has taken from entry hazards and stray attacks, though this can be exploited by the opponent, as Latias is locked into a non-damaging move and must immediately switch out afterwards. Sleep Talk can be considered in the fourth move slot in order to absorb sleep from the likes of Roserade, Tangrowth, and Breloom and still be able to threaten them in return. However, in matchups where none of these Pokemon are present, it can present itself as a useless moveslot. The luck-dependent nature of Sleep Talk and sleep's inconsistent duration also make it unreliable as an offensive option. Defog can be run on more offensive teams, giving them a means of hazard removal without needing to run a more passive Pokemon, but it is still usually better to run Defog on something else instead. Team Options Seeing as Choice Specs Latias lacks recovery, it appreciates Pokemon such as Rotom-Wash, Scizor, and Infernape that are able to bring it in as safely as possible with their pivot moves. These Pokemon are also often able to check Pokemon that threaten Latias such as Scizor, Weavile, and Alakazam. Magnezone is a useful partner for Latias, as it can trap Scizor, which would otherwise present itself as an obstacle for Choice Specs Latias to overcome. Strong physical wallbreakers such as Crawdaunt, Mamoswine, and the aforementioned Infernape are necessary alongside Choice Specs Latias, as it is incapable of breaking past Blissey and its teammates otherwise. Checks to Fairy-types are also highly recommended, as they can punish a Latias that is locked into Draco Meteor. Heatran, Roserade, and Nidoking are good examples, with the former two also being able to provide entry hazard support that can make Latias's attacks even more difficult to withstand, while Nidoking can lure Blissey for Latias with a well-timed Focus Punch.

Draco Meteor is Latias's strongest STAB attack and allows it to revenge kill opposing Dragon-types like Hydreigon, boosted Dragonite, and Kyurem while also heavily denting physically defensive walls like Hippowdon and Mandibuzz. Psychic is a more reliable STAB option that allows Latias to take care of troublesome Fighting- and Poison-types like Terrakion, Galarian Weezing, and Choice Specs Gengar. Healing Wish can be used to fully heal threatening setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Dragapult. Levitate lets Latias come in on Ground-type attacks from Pokemon like Hippowdon and makes it immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes. 252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Latias to outpace Choice Scarf users like Terrakion and Buzzwole, Speed tie with Choice Scarf Latios, and outpace naturally faster threats like Dragapult and Weavile. All teammates appreciate Latias's Healing Wish and Defog support. Hydreigon greatly helps against troublesome Steel-types such as Aegislash, Excadrill, and Skarmory. Garchomp is useful for Stealth Rock support to secure the OHKO on Terrakion and Heracross. Garchomp can also take care of Steel-types such as Excadrill and Heatran, wall Regieleki, and take out Volcarona with Stone Edge or a boosted Scale Shot. Dragapult is very helpful in the Ghost and Psychic matchups, as it handles Gengar, Spectrier, and Tapu Lele. It can also sweep in the Dragon mirror matchup after one Dragon Dance. Kyurem is a notable partner, as it tears apart Water- and Ground-types that Latias has trouble beating, like Tapu Fini, Slowbro, Hippowdon, and Gastrodon. Dragonite is a fearsome setup sweeper that greatly helps with troublesome Fairy-, Flying-, Steel-, and Dark-types like Tapu Koko, Mantine, Heatran, and Drapion. In return, Dragonite loves Latias's ability to take care of Terrakion and Buzzwole. Dragalge is great in the Fairy and Water matchups, as it can come in on Fairy-type attacks from Tapu Fini and Tapu Koko and use Toxic Spikes to make the Fairy and Normal matchups much easier. Dracovish excels at forcing switches and tearing apart defensive cores that Latias fails to do much against, such as Blissey + Porygon2 and Celesteela + Mantine + Zapdos, with its powerful STAB attacks and coverage moves like Stone Edge. In return, Latias threatens Keldeo and Toxicroak, which give it problems. Duraludon is also an option to provide Stealth Rock and take care of troublesome Fairy-types such as Mimikyu and Clefable. Kommo-o is an excellent partner that can greatly help in the Dark and Steel matchups that Latias cannot do much in.

Latias cements itself on Psychic teams over Latios thanks to its Healing Wish support, which fits great into a Choice Scarf set, allowing it to also revenge kill foes such as Regieleki, Dragapult, and fast Choice Scarf users such as Buzzwole and Blacephalon. Draco Meteor is Latias's strongest attack, nailing foes such as Thundurus-T, non-Choice Scarf Dragapult, and Hydreigon. Psychic is Latias's second attack of choice, as it 2HKOes Tapu Koko and Toxapex. Psyshock can also be used over Psychic to pick off Volcarona after Quiver Dance and Nihilego. Defog removes entry hazards for its teammates such as Victini and Galarian Slowking, which eases pressure on them. Healing Wish in tandem with Choice Scarf allows Latias to fully heal a teammate such as Hatterene without fear of being outpaced. Victini helps Latias by beating Steel-types that Latias can't beat, such as Ferrothorn, Excadrill, and Aegislash, and appreciates Latias's Healing Wish. Hatterene can help defeat Dark-type Pokemon such as Zarude and Galarian Moltres thanks to its Fairy typing, Calm Mind, and Trick Room, while Latias can use Healing Wish to let it set up again if need be. Choice Scarf Tapu Lele is also a Fairy-type, and it revenge kills Pokemon such as non-Choice Scarf Weavile and Zarude for Psychic teams, alongside setting Psychic Terrain to help defeat Bisharp. Choice Specs Tapu Lele can also work alongside Latias to help defeat Pokemon such as Slowking and Landorus-T. Slowbro switches into Excadrill and Cinderace, alongside taking on Dragapult or Weavile if it's holding Kasib Berry or Colbur Berry, respectively. Galarian Slowking helps by switching into special attackers that can threaten Latias, such as Kingdra and opposing Tapu Lele. Jirachi provides an entry hazard for Psychic in Stealth Rock, can help combat Ice-types that threaten Psychic teams such as SubRoost Kyurem, and can take Dragon-type attacks such as Kingdra's Draco Meteor. While not directly supporting Latias, Mew provides strong general utility for Psychic teams by debilitating foes with Knock Off and Will-O-Wisp, which helps its teammates break through teams more easily. Indeedee can also be a niche teammate to help switch into Ghost-type moves, notably from Spectrier and Blacephalon.

The near-perfect coverage of Ice Beam and Thunder makes it incredibly hard to switch into Mega Latias, especially once it is boosted. It also gives it better defensive utility, as it checks foes like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Manaphy, and Rockium Z Garchomp. Thanks to its defensive profile, it can be run alongside offensive Pokemon like Weavile, Greninja, or Kartana. Thunder is preferred over Thunderbolt, as despite its inaccuracy, its increased chance to paralyze lets Latias potentially beat Pokemon like Clefable, Reuniclus, and Toxapex. However, it's unfortunately very weak against neutral foes when unboosted, which causes it to require more support in terms of entry hazards and status effects. Due to the lack of Psyshock, it struggles against opposing Calm Mind users. Due to Latias's lack of immediate power, entry hazard support from teammates like Clefable, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory can help it wear down checks like Heatran, Gastrodon, and Mega Tyranitar. Other bulky sweepers such as Calm Mind Clefable, Bulk Up Corviknight, and Swords Dance Gliscor appreciate Latias's ability to spread paralysis with Thunder to defensive Pokemon such as Toxapex, Heatran, and Ferrothorn, allowing these teammates to find more setup opportunities to devastate opposing teams. Teammates like Toxapex, Gliscor, and Clefable appreciate Latias's ability to check Manaphy and offensive Ground-types like Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Garchomp, making them stellar teammates.

Mega Latias is incredibly hard to knock out thanks to its good defensive typing, which lets it check multiple threatening Pokemon, notably Rillaboom, Mega Charizard Y, and Urshifu-R, access to Levitate, and amazing base stats; notably, it packs a stellar Speed stat for a defensive Pokemon, outspeeding common threats such as Kartana, Mega Medicham, and Tapu Lele. These traits allow it to find multiple opportunities to set up Calm Mind throughout a match. This, in tandem with its diverse movepool, makes it a fantastic sweeper on bulky teams. Psyshock is the preferred Psychic-type move, as it's able to hit Chansey and Blissey and also allows Mega Latias to beat opposing Calm Mind users such as Clefable, Tapu Fini, and Reuniclus by hitting their unboosted Defense stat. It's nicely complemented by Aura Sphere, which hits Steel- and Dark-types that resist Psyshock, like Heatran, Weavile, and Mega Tyranitar. Mystical Fire can also be used, as it hits Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn harder, as well as giving it a way to hit Mega Sableye. However, with enough boosts, Latias can break through the former two, and without Aura Sphere, Pokemon like Mega Tyranitar, Heatran, and Hydreigon are able to freely come in on Latias and beat it. Mega Latias fits incredibly well on balance teams, where its defensive qualities can be supported by other Pokemon, like Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Corviknight, to create incredibly tough defensive cores. They also help check Pokemon that threaten Latias, like Ash-Greninja, Weavile, and Mega Garchomp. Offensive teammates such as Weavile, Swords Dance Gliscor, and Calm Mind Clefable are also useful for pressuring Pokemon that check Latias, like Reuniclus, Heatran, Toxapex, and Weavile. Dark-types such as Mega Tyranitar, Weavile, and Ash-Greninja can pivot into Mega Latias and threaten it with their STAB attacks. As such pairing it up with Pokemon that resist Dark like Buzzwole, Clefable, and Tapu Fini is greatly appreciated. Mega Latias is also incredibly prone to being chipped down long term, either by status from foes like Toxapex, Blissey, and Heatran, or by Stealth Rock. As such, teammates that can help mitigate these weaknesses are incredibly useful. Status absorbers such as Chansey, Clefable, and Gliscor are incredibly potent teammate for Latias; the former two are also able to provide Latias with cleric support, which can relieve it of any status conditions. Defog support from teammates like Corviknight, Tapu Fini, and Gliscor is also incredibly valuable for removing Stealth Rock, which bothers Latias.

Stored Power Mega Latias trades immediate power and defensive utility for the potential to become a devastating Calm Mind sweeper, capable of breaking through every non-Dark-type Pokemon in the tier. This set forgoes a secondary coverage move in favor of utility moves that help Latias with some of its biggest issues and can even allow it to use status-reliant checks like Gastrodon, Heatran, and Ferrothorn as setup fodder. Substitute lets it dodge status conditions; however, it has to play more carefully around them, as it cannot directly switch into them. It also comes with the added benefit of allowing Latias to dodge critical hits and pesky secondary effects from foes like Greninja, Kyurem, and Tapu Lele while also allowing it to escape from Weavile and Tyranitar's Pursuit. Refresh allows Latias to shrug off status conditions from foes like Toxapex, Clefable, Heatran, and Landorus-T. This lets it stay healthy and not force it to Roost as much, making it more efficient at sweeping; it also makes it easier to set up on the aforementioned foes, as Latias doesn't have to worry about getting crippled by status. Reflect Type can be used to copy the type from foes like Heatran, Toxapex, and Ferrothorn, allowing it to ignore their status moves and resist their and other foes', like Mega Mawile, Ash-Greninja, and Hydreigon, attacks. Because Mega Latias needs time to set up in order to be threatening, and it is practically useless until it sets up, pairing it with other setup sweepers like Swords Dance Gliscor or Calm Mind Reuniclus help should Mega Latias fail to find a setup opportunity. Teammates such as Choice Band Weavile and Heatran that present an immediate offensive presence complement Latias nicely. Due to this set's complete inability to hurt Dark-types like Weavile, Mega Tyranitar, Hydreigon, and Ash-Greninja, pairing it with status spreaders like Heatran, Gliscor, and Toxic Spikes from Toxapex is near mandatory; furthermore, teammates that can deal with these Dark-types, like Tapu Fini, Buzzwole, and Clefable, make for stellar teammates. Since it needs to boost to function properly, Latias is completely walled by Haze Toxapex, and as such, teammates that can take advantage of it like Tapu Lele, Gliscor, and Whirlpool Tapu Fini make for good teammates.

Latias cements itself as a bulky attacker with Regenerator, repeatedly pivoting into threats like Barraskewda and opposing Choice Scarf + Trick users such as Mew and Jirachi. Draco Meteor is a powerful STAB move that can revenge kill Garchomp, Zygarde-10%, and Latios. Mystical Fire not only reliably damages Intimidate Corviknight and Regenerator Ferrothorn, but also weakens strong special attackers like Desolate Land Heatran and Tapu Lele. With Future Sight, Latias can prevent Terrakion and Galarian Zapdos from taking advantage of free switches into Latias' teammates like Mandibuzz, Zarude, and Mew. Trick means Latias can debilitate RegenVest users, walls and other Pokemon that try to pivot into its attacking moves. Choice Scarf allows it to outpace Barraskewda and boosted setup sweepers like Scale Shot Garchomp, as well as making Trick potent. However, losing Choice Scarf stops Latias from revenge killing Dragon-types and weakened foes. Latias benefits from special walls such as RegenVest Swampert and Landorus-T that can switch into Tapu Lele, Zapdos, and Togekiss, which Latias is not able to check. It offensively pairs well with physical attackers such as Terrakion, Galarian Zapdos, and Zarude, which break through Mew and Jirachi after Future Sight baits them in. Physically defensive partners such as Intimidate Corviknight reliably switch into physical attackers that Latias struggles against, such as Dhelmise, Zarude, and Terrakion. Latias can pair with Heatran, Tapu Fini, and Garchomp to form aggressive Regenerator cores. Heatran is particularly noteworthy as a partner because it counters Tapu Koko, Latias's biggest offensive threat.

Draco Meteor is Latias's strongest move, letting Latias revenge kill frailer Pokemon such as Greninja after Stealth Rock and Blacephalon as well as opposing Dragon-types such as Hydreigon. Psychic is reliable and does consistent damage to threats weak to it, such as Mega Lopunny, Mega Venusaur, Kommo-o, and Galarian Weezing, while also being able to clean up late-game. Healing Wish restores weakened important teammates, like a worn down Mega Altaria against Dark, which could lead to a late-game sweep. Levitate provides immunity to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web, allowing Latias to clear them easily with Defog. Choice Scarf and a Timid nature ensure Latias can provide speed control. All of Latias's teammates benefit from its speed control, removal of entry hazards, and Healing Wish utility. Garchomp is a great lead to pair with Latias, since it can reliably set entry hazards and wear physical attackers down with Rough Skin or set up with Swords Dance, which enables Latias to clean late-game. Duraludon provides a Fairy-type neutrality, sets entry hazards, and cripples foes with Thunder Wave. Dragonite benefits from Defog and Healing Wish keeping Multiscale intact, and it is also the only Dragon-type with access to priority in the form of Extreme Speed, which can be used to clean up threats to Dragon teams such as Greninja and Weavile. Latias also benefits from pairing with Mega Altaria, which prevents the opponent from spamming Dragon-type moves in the Dragon mirror. Mega Altaria also assists in the Dark matchup against Greninja after a Dragon Dance, Hydreigon, Urshifu, and Mega Sableye. Kommo-o is helpful in the Steel and Dark matchups but also can help break down Normal's walls, such as Blissey and Porygon2. Hydreigon can deal with Ghost-, Steel-, and Psychic-type threats that check Latias, such as Ferrothorn, Aegislash, and Jirachi. Kyurem provides a valuable Ice-type neutrality and handles walls that Latias struggles with, such as Mandibuzz and Gliscor, while also dealing with bulky Water-types thanks to Freeze-Dry. Also, with Latias filling the need for speed control, you are free to run Choice Specs Latios or Mega Latios. Both are potent wallbreakers, breaking through specially defensive walls that Latias and other teammates struggle with breaking, such as Mantine.

A decent defensive typing, above-average speed tier, access to great utility moves in Defog, Healing Wish, and Trick, and good offensive and defensive stats makes Latias a premier Choice Scarf user and revenge killer on Psychic-type teams. Despite the downside of the Special Attack drop, forcing Latias to switch out more often than not, Draco Meteor acts as Latias's strongest STAB move, allowing it to revenge kill major threats to Psychic-type teams such as Mega Sharpedo and Blacephalon while also aiding greatly in the Dragon-type matchup. Psychic acts as Latias's secondary STAB option, preventing it from being completely shut down by Fairy-types, while also dealing with common Poison- and Fighting-types such as Nidoking, Toxapex, and Terrakion. Defog removes troublesome entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, easing pressure off of other offensive teammates like Tapu Lele and Victini. Healing Wish sets Latias apart from Latios, and it especially benefits strong wallbreakers such as Choice Band Victini and Choice Specs Tapu Lele, giving them a second round of breaking through opposing teams. Maximum Speed EVs along with a Timid nature and Choice Scarf allow Latias to outspeed key threats such as +1 Mega Sharpedo, Choice Scarf Blacephalon, and Mega Lopunny. Levitate is Latias' only ability, providing immunity against Ground-type attacks, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web. Latias appreciates teammates like Mega Gallade and Victini, as they help deal with troublesome Steel-types and special walls such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, Blissey, and Mantine. Mega Gallade also helps in the Dark matchup, dealing with key threats like Hydreigon and Tyranitar, while Victini helps against Bug-types such as Scizor and Volcarona. Latias in return can revenge kill threats to them such as Mega Lopunny, Tapu Koko, and Blacephalon and also provide Healing Wish support. Victini also appreciates Latias playing the role of Choice Scarf user, which allows Victini to utilize other sets such as Heavy-Duty Boots, Z-Celebrate, and Choice Band. Latias also benefits from teammates like Tapu Lele and Hatterene that deal with opposing Dragon-types and are capable of switching into Dragon-type moves due to their Fairy typing. They also help greatly in the Dark matchup, OHKOing threats like Hydreigon and Weavile. Slowbro provides a good defensive pivot that sponges physical attacks from Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Garchomp directed at Latias, and it can safely bring Latias into the game thanks to Teleport. Slowbro also provides an Ice resistance against opposing Pokemon such as Cloyster and Galarian Darmanitan. Steel-type teammates like Metagross and Jirachi resist common Dragon-, Ice-, and Fairy-type moves directed at Latias while also providing Stealth Rock support, which allows Latias to secure crucial OHKOs, against Pokemon such as Terrakion, Blacephalon, and Mega Sharpedo. Furthermore, Jirachi can cripple offensive and defensive threats to Latias such as Greninja and Mantine with Thunder Wave and Toxic, respectively. Magic Guard + Focus Sash Alakazam and Colbur Berry Celebi can help deal with common threats like Bisharp, Mega Scizor, and Mega Sharpedo that Latias struggles against.

Mega Latias can be a very potent wincon on Dragon teams due to its fantastic combination of bulk, Speed, and the notorious famous BoltBeam coverage, which allows it to be effective in many matchups such as Flying, Water, Ground, and Dragon. Calm Mind enables Mega Latias to clean weakened teams and handle Mega Diancie and Greninja after a few boosts, which otherwise threaten it. Roost is to boost its longevity so it can use Calm Mind throughout the match. Thunderbolt threatens a majority of Water-types and Flying-types, making said matchups easier. Ice Beam hits Ground-types and opposing Dragon-types super effectively. Try to use Mega Latias conservatively early-game to damage key threats weak to either Ice Beam or Thunderbolt. Only attempt a sweep once all of its checks are weakened. Levitate is Mega Latias's only ability and can be incredibly helpful in the Ground matchup. Maximum investment in Speed and HP in tandem with a Timid nature allows Mega Latias to become as fast as possible, outpacing threats like Landorus and Keldeo, while taking advantage of its fantastic bulk to set up Calm Mind more easily. Mega Latias is most used as a wincon, so teammates that can help it sweep are appreciated. Dragalge provides Toxic Spikes support to help wear down Mega Latias's checks for it to sweep late-game and can also switch into Fairy-type attacks for it. Stealth Rock support from Duraludon or Garchomp is similarly helpful to weaken the few checks Mega Latias has. Mega Latias is walled by the majority of Steel-types; therefore, Pokemon that can defeat Steel-types such as Hydreigon and Kommo-o are useful. In particular, Kommo-o can form a sweeping core while taking on types that Mega Latias can't do much against, such as by taking on Blissey on Normal and Tyranitar on Dark. Hydreigon also notably helps in Ghost-type matchups. Latios can outspeed threats faster than Mega Latias and blow away hazards with Defog. Dragonite can beat fast threats to Mega Latias such as Gengar and Greninja, as it provides a priority move in Extreme Speed and Multiscale.

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 attack 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 heavily damage 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 take 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-Heat. 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. Cobalion, 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.

Moves An Electric-type 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. Ice Beam provides 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, so it fits best on teams that can afford to give it the space to set up. Draco Meteor can be run over Ice Beam to provide 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-Heat. 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 Terrakion. 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-type move, Rotom-Mow, and Chesnaught. Team Options Bulky offense teams 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-Heat. 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-Heat, 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. Electrium Z Latias running Draco Meteor also 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 and Mega Sharpedo. Hyper offense teams can also get away with running Electrium Z Latias sets 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 and 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.

Moves Draco Meteor's high Base Power lets Choice Scarf Latias serve its role as a revenge killer, taking out 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, 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 and Haxorus at +1. Levitate makes Latias immune to Spikes and deters foes 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-, Fairy-, and Steel-types, and they can also be taken advantage of by Pursuit trappers such as Krookodile and Mega Aerodactyl. 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 use 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.

Moves Draco Meteor is Latias's strongest STAB move, which is capable of OHKOing Krookodile and 2HKOing Hippowdon and Gligar when boosted by Choice Specs. Psyshock is Choice Specs Latias's preferred Psychic-type move due to its ability to hit special walls such as Blissey and Sylveon much harder than Psychic. Surf allows Latias to hit one of its main counters in Mega Steelix super effectively, as well as Aggron prior to Mega Evolution if it attempts to swap in. Surf is also Latias's most powerful attack versus most Steel-types, notably 2HKOing bulky Scizor after Stealth Rock damage. Thunderbolt is an alternative to Surf that allows Latias to hit Empoleon and is its best option against Calm Mind Slowbro, while still retaining the same power as Surf versus Scizor. It is, however, a very dangerous move to lock into, as it allows Choice Scarf Krookodile to freely Pursuit trap Latias, and Trick can instead be used to cripple Empoleon. Hidden Power Fire is another option that lets Latias OHKO all Scizor variants, 2HKO Mega Steelix after Stealth Rock, and deal decent damage to Mega Aggron. However, it has a low damage output in general and faces competition for the moveslot from Surf, which does more damage against neutral targets and is less easily taken advantage of by setup sweepers such as Terrakion and Pursuit trappers such as Mega Aerodactyl and Krookodile. Trick allows Latias to potentially cripple a switch-in such as Empoleon, Blissey, or Sylveon by giving them Choice Specs. Healing Wish allows Latias to trade its life in order to fully heal a teammate and cure them of status, allowing Latias to potentially change the outcome of a game. This permits Latias's teammates to play more aggressively earlier in the match. Set Details Levitate is Latias's only ability, giving it an immunity to Spikes and Toxic Spikes. This provides it with more longevity in the absence of any recovery moves and an immunity to Ground-type moves that allows it to come in on Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Choice Scarf Krookodile locked into Earthquake. Usage Tips Choice Specs Latias is best used to break holes in the opposing team due to its strong coverage options limiting its switch-ins. In particular, it can lure in Mega Steelix and hit it hard with Surf and dent other Steel-types such as Scizor and Mega Aggron. Latias can take advantage of its resistances and special bulk to swap in on Pokemon such as Infernape and Nihilego, which it can either OHKO or force out. It should, however, be wary of switching in repeatedly due to its lack of recovery allowing it to be easily put into range of attacks from Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl. It should also be careful of physical Infernape sets, as U-turn or Choice Band-boosted attacks will do considerable damage to Latias. It is therefore ideal to bring Latias in on free switches or predicted double switches in order to preserve its HP. Latias should be careful about locking itself into its STAB moves, as being locked into Draco Meteor can provide free turns for Pokemon such as Swords Dance Scizor, Primarina, and Mimikyu, while being locked into Psyshock allows Pokemon such as Assault Vest Bisharp and Choice Scarf Krookodile to Pursuit trap Latias for free. Therefore, in matches against teams with bulkier Pursuit trappers such as Bisharp and Alolan Muk, it is often better to make double switches to rack up entry hazard chip damage on the opposing Pokemon until they are in range of Latias's Choice Specs-boosted attacks. Against bulkier teams featuring Pokemon that wall Latias's STAB moves, such as Sylveon and Mega Aggron, Latias can be played either in a high-risk, high-reward manner through careful prediction or more safely by using Trick earlier in the match to provide some immediate value via potentially disrupting part of the opponent's defensive core at the cost of reducing Latias's power throughout the match. Using Trick against more offensive teams is often not ideal due to the drop in power, as it allows Pokemon such as Scizor to swap into and set up on Latias more easily and causes Latias to lose the ability to revenge kill Pokemon such as Nasty Plot Celebi after a small amount of chip damage. If running Healing Wish, Latias should aim to use it if healing a teammate is important to winning the match. This is particularly valuable when used at the right moment, as Healing Wish offers the chosen target a free switch in, providing valuable momentum especially for more offensive teams. Latias can also use Healing Wish if its HP is too low for it to come in anymore, or if it is no longer useful and restoring a teammate's health would be of more benefit. Team Options Choice Specs Latias fits best on bulky offense and balance teams thanks to its wallbreaking prowess and ability to soft check various offensive Pokemon such as Infernape and Nihilego. Entry hazard setters are essential in allowing Choice Specs Latias to secure various KOs, such as 2HKOing bulky Scizor with Surf after Stealth Rock damage. Cobalion is a particularly good choice, as it can punish Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Krookodile for locking themselves into Dark-type moves and act as a strong offensive check to Scizor. Nidoqueen is another good choice that can set either Stealth Rock or Toxic Spikes, provide a pivot into Zeraora, which threatens to OHKO Latias after Stealth Rock with Knock Off, and help Latias check Pokemon such as Terrakion. It also helps to break bulky Steel- and Fairy-types, allowing Latias to spam its STAB attacks more freely. Tsareena is a solid hazard control option to pair with Choice Specs Latias, as it is able to pressure bulky Water-types that Latias struggles against, such as Suicune, while being able to provide Latias momentum with U-turn on predicted switches into Pokemon such as Amoonguss, giving Latias more opportunities to wallbreak. Empoleon and Sludge Bomb Tentacruel are also good choices for hazard removal, as they can help to check Primarina, which can punish Latias for being locked into Draco Meteor or Surf. Tentacruel can also help check Scizor and set up Toxic Spikes to wear down the opposing team. Due to Choice Specs Latias's weakness to Pursuit trappers, teammates that can discourage Choice Scarf Krookodile from locking itself into Pursuit such as Cobalion, Terrakion, and Lucario pair nicely, as they can use it doing so as an opportunity to set up. The former two and Swords Dance Lucario variants can also punish other Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Hydreigon for using Dark Pulse due to the threat of a potential Justified boost, while Nasty Plot Lucario variants can help break stall teams. They can also help to break Steel-types, allowing Latias to more freely use its STAB attacks. Other offensive pivots such as Mienshao and Scizor synergize well with Choice Specs Latias, getting it in safely with U-turn, which offers it more opportunities to break holes in the enemy team. Assault Vest Mienshao in particular can repeatedly swap into Choice Scarf Hydreigon due to Regenerator, which is notable because Hydreigon easily forces Latias out every time it comes in. Pokemon such as Mega Altaria and Scizor greatly appreciate Choice Specs Latias luring in and weakening Mega Steelix for them, as well as wearing down other Steel-types such as Doublade and Mega Aggron. Mega Manectric appreciates Latias's ability to pivot into and remove Ground-types such as Hippowdon, allowing it to more freely use Volt Switch. It also appreciates Latias helping to break through specially defensive Pokemon such as Blissey and Florges or potentially crippling them with Trick. In return, Mega Manectric is able to bring Latias in through Volt Switch against Pokemon such as Rotom-Heat to provide it with more wallbreaking opportunities. Moltres can help Latias take on Steel-types such as Mega Aggron and Scizor thanks to its Fire-type moves and access to Flame Body, which allows it to punish contact moves such as Bullet Punch. In return, Moltres appreciates Latias being able to use Trick on defensive Pokemon such as Blissey that would otherwise indefinitely wall it.

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 its ability to hit Empoleon and Togekiss for solid damage and decent neutral coverage against most Steel-types, 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-Heat make for great opportunities for Latias 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, and 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 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. Terrakion, 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-Mow, and Rotom-Heat. 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.

Moves Calm Mind allows Mega Latias to tank moves better from special attackers like Primarina, non-Taunt Tapu Fini, and Magnezone while also letting it defeat opposing setup Pokemon like Iron Defense + Calm Mind Necrozma and Type: Null in conjunction with STAB Stored Power. Roost allows Mega Latias to heal damage taken from specially attacking Pokemon like Mega Altaria while boosting its Special Defense to eventually take negligible damage from them. Draco Meteor allows Mega Latias to OHKO many prevalent Pokemon like Zygarde, Greninja, Blacephalon, and Garchomp. Reflect Type can be another option instead of Draco Meteor to take on Pokemon Mega Latias would normally struggle against like non-Taunt Mega Aggron, Mega Metagross, and Magearna while also solidifying matchups such as against Substitute stalling Venusaur and Ferrothorn. Charm is another option that allows Mega Latias to defeat physical attackers like bulky Flame Charge Mega Charizard X and Buzzwole. Set Details Mega Latias has a great ability in Levitate, which allows it to defeat Ground-reliant attackers like Tectonic Rage Landorus-T, Donphan, and Golem, which some other bulky setup Pokemon like Registeel would struggle against. 32 HP and 12 Special Defense EVs allow Mega Latias to tank neutral-natured Choice Specs Greninja's Ice Beam. 232 Speed EVs and a Timid nature let Mega Latias outspeed Modest Greninja and Blacephalon, which would otherwise OHKO it. 232 Special Attack EVs allow Mega Latias to OHKO specially defensive Kommo-o, Blacephalon, and Greninja using Draco Meteor. If you run Charm or Reflect Type, use an EV spread of 184 HP / 72 Def / 252 Spe with a Timid nature to maximize physical bulk and to defeat Mega Lopunny, Supersonic Skystrike Landorus-T, Magearna, Mega Aggron, and Mega Metagross, as well as Mega Gyarados and Mega Charizard X without Taunt and Dragon Dance, respectively. Usage Tips Against Steel-types that learn Metal Sound like Magnezone and Heatran, Mega Latias should first use Calm Mind two times, then use Stored Power followed by Draco Meteor. The Normalium Z Porygon-Z matchup is a risky one, on account of mind games between using Reflect Type on Porygon-Z to become a Normal-type before it uses Z-Conversion to transform into a Ghost-type and using Calm Mind in anticipation of Breakneck Blitz. Team Options Pokemon with a Steel / Fairy typing like Mega Mawile and Magearna make for good teammates, as they can deal with Fairy- and Dark-types, as well as bulky offensive threats like Tapu Lele, Mega Gardevoir, Crustle, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Heracross, while Mega Latias can cover their weaknesses to foes like Zygarde, Donphan, and Magnezone. Heatran serves as a uniquely good partner for Mega Latias. Mega Latias appreciates Heatran's ability to deal with Fairy-types like Gardevoir and Tapu Lele, Steel-types like Mega Mawile and Mega Metagross, and other threats to Mega Latias like offensive Mega Charizard X, Substitute stalling Serperior, and Porygon-Z. Heatran in return appreciates Mega Latias's ability to OHKO threats like Greninja, Zygarde, Kommo-o, and Garchomp as well as outstall Water-types like Primarina and non-Taunt Tapu Fini. Shell Smash users with Sturdy like Crustle and Carracosta make for good teammates, as they can deal with offensive Pokemon like Porygon-Z, Mega Gardevoir, and both formes of Mega Charizard. Crustle and Carracosta in return appreciate Mega Latias's ability to deal with certain Sturdy users like Magnezone and Donphan as well as bulky Dragon-types like Zygarde and Kommo-o. Physically bulky Pokemon like Mega Slowbro and Mega Tyranitar make for good teammates, as they are able to deal with strong physical hitters; otherwise, Mega Latias would not be able to deal with foes like Crustle, Mega Charizard X, and Dragonite. They in return appreciate Mega Latias's ability to beat special attackers like Primarina, non-Taunt Tapu Fini, and Greninja.

Moves Defog is mandatory, allowing Mega Latias to support its team by removing entry hazards. It is especially effective on Mega Latias, as it checks Primal Groudon, the most common Stealth Rock user in the tier, though it must be wary of Toxic. Toxic is Mega Latias's best method of dealing damage, crippling bulky support Pokemon such as Arceus-Ground and putting offensive Pokemon on a timer. Healing Wish allows Mega Latias to restore an ally to full health once it is no longer required, working well with sweepers such as Double Dance Primal Groudon, which can wear down or KO its own checks before being restored to full health to sweep. This combination is especially effective because many sweepers can set up on the Pokemon that Mega Latias invites in. Alternatively, Recover can be used to allow Mega Latias to stay healthy throughout the match and continue to use Defog. However, this requires giving up Healing Wish, which makes Mega Latias outclassed by Giratina-O and Mega Salamence. An attacking move is required to immediately damage the threats Mega Latias is supposed to check, since Mega Latias would be too passive otherwise. Draco Meteor is Mega Latias's strongest move against neutral targets and allows it to heavily damage or OHKO Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C. However, the Special Attack drop means that Mega Latias will be unable to deal consistent damage and may be forced to switch out. Grass Knot allows Mega Latias to stand up to offensive Primal Kyogre and maximum HP Arceus-Ground, having a good chance to 2HKO both after Stealth Rock damage, but leaves Mega Latias unable to threaten Dragon-types. Set Details The given EVs and nature allow Mega Latias to outspeed all Pokemon up to and including fully invested base 100 Speed Pokemon. Most importantly, this allows Mega Latias to use Defog or Healing Wish before Yveltal can use Taunt or KO it and ensures it outspeeds Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Rayquaza, Kyurem-W, and Palkia. 252 HP EVs maximize Mega Latias's bulk, especially due to its comparatively lower HP stat. 4 Special Defense EVs ensure that an uninvested Ice Beam from Primal Kyogre will never 2HKO Mega Latias from full health without a critical hit. The rest of the EVs are placed in Defense to better tank powerful physical attacks like +2 Stone Edge from Primal Groudon. A slower EV spread of 252 HP / 156 Def / 4 SpD / 96 Spe with a Timid nature can be used to increase physical bulk while still outspeeding base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre. An alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 116 Def / 4 SpD / 136 Spe with a Timid Nature allows Mega Latias to outspeed base 95 Speed Pokemon like Rayquaza and Kyurem-W. A fully defensive EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD with a Bold nature or 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature can be used to maximize bulk. However, this requires Mega Latias to give up its valuable Speed tier, meaning it may not be able to use Defog or Healing Wish against threats it would otherwise outspeed such as Yveltal and can leave it outsped by many threats it needs to be faster than to check such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon. Usage Tips Switch Mega Latias into the Pokemon it checks, such as Primal Groudon, and remove any entry hazards with Defog. Mega Evolve as soon as possible, as it grants Latias greater bulk and power. Use Healing Wish when the benefits of restoring a teammate to full health outweigh the benefits of keeping Mega Latias in play. Examples include restoring a weakened sweeper to full health if the opponent's team no longer has any checks to it and restoring a teammate such as Magearna in order to prevent a sweep from an opposing Pokemon such as Geomancy Xerneas. If running Healing Wish over Recover, be mindful of Mega Latias's limited health pool. If Mega Latias has too little health remaining to effectively check anything, it may be worth conserving for the sole purpose of Healing Wish. If running Recover, use it throughout the match to stay healthy enough to check what it needs to check. However, be careful about being too predictable with using Recover, as it may allow the opponent to switch in checks without fear of taking damage from an attack or Toxic. If Mega Latias can cripple or heavily damage the opposing Pokemon, or if using Defog or Recover is unnecessary or gives up too much momentum, use Toxic or an attacking move in order to wear down the opposing team and catch potential switch-ins such as Xerneas and Yveltal. Switch Mega Latias out if it finds itself facing one of the many Pokemon that threaten it out, and using Healing Wish is undesirable. If the opposing Stealth Rock setter is a Pokemon that Mega Latias cannot effectively use Defog against, such Necrozma-DM or Arceus-Fairy, it is often a better idea to allow Stealth Rock to remain on your side of the field and attempt to set Stealth Rock on the opposing side of the field with your own Stealth Rock setter. Otherwise, switching Mega Latias in to use Defog will simply result in the opposing Stealth Rock user switching back in to set up Stealth Rock again or your team taking a large amount of unnecessary damage from entry hazards and attacks. Against threats on offensive teams such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, Mega Latias may be forced to choose between sacrificing itself to clear entry hazards or taking down the opposing Pokemon while being left too low on health to be able to use Defog afterwards. Evaluate whether the entry hazards or the opposing Pokemon poses a greater threat to your team, and act accordingly. Team Options Offensive Pokemon that can take full advantage of Healing Wish heavily benefit from Mega Latias's support. Examples include Double Dance Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM, both of which can set up on many typical switch-ins to Mega Latias. Mega Latias requires teammates that can check Fairy-types, which include Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn. In return, Mega Latias offers a switch-in to Ground- and Fire-type attacks and Defog support. Fire-types such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon also check Fairy-types and threaten out Steel-types, which Mega Latias cannot touch. Ho-Oh heavily appreciates Mega Latias keeping Stealth Rock off the field, and Mega Latias can switch into Ground-type moves for Primal Groudon. Checks to Dark-types are also required. Options include Fairy-types such as Magearna and Xerneas, which value Mega Latias's ability to check Primal Groudon and remove entry hazards. Several Arceus formes that perform poorly as Defoggers or checks to Primal Groudon, such as Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Rock, and Arceus-Electric, can be run, as Mega Latias can do these duties in their place. A switch-in to Ghost-types, such as Yveltal or Arceus-Dark, is necessary. Additionally, as Marshadow can bypass many conventional Ghost-type checks due to its strong Fighting-type attacks, Pokemon that resist Fighting such as Xerneas and Toxapex can be used to check Marshadow. In return, Mega Latias removes Stealth Rock and checks Primal Groudon. Pursuit support from the likes of Marshadow, Tyranitar, and Alolan Muk can aid Mega Latias against Shadow Tag users and Ghost-types.

Moves Calm Mind increases Mega Latias's power and bulk as it sets up to become a powerful sweeper. Recover helps gives Mega Latias a form of reliable recovery that it can use while it sets up with Calm Mind. Stored Power is a Psychic-type STAB attack that combines well with Calm Mind due to how naturally bulky Mega Latias is and how it gains 40 Base Power from each Calm Mind. This allows Mega Latias to beat common walls like Porygon2 and Zapdos. Refresh is used to keep status off of Mega Latias so it can beat walls such as Chansey and Cradily, which all usually carry a status-inducing move, and keep it healthy longer without having to be swapped out, since it can cure itself of status conditions. This allows Mega Latias to set up with Calm Mind and KO the walls in return with Stored Power. Thunderbolt can be run over Refresh to not be completely walled by Dark-type Pokemon. It also helps with Celesteela and Slowbro as well as common Haze users and phazers such as Mantine, Toxapex, and Skarmory. The downside to running Thunderbolt is that Mega Latias cannot get rid of status and will be put on a timer. Set Details A Timid nature is run with maximum Speed investment to outspeed common Pokemon such as Keldeo, Mega Charizard Y, and Cobalion. 252 HP EVs are run in order to make Mega Latias as bulky as possible to offer it more setup opportunities. Levitate allows Mega Latias to come in on Ground-type attacks for free and avoid entry hazards like Toxic Spikes, Spikes, and Sticky Web. Latiasite allows Latias to Mega Evolve. Usage Tips Mega Latias is a sweeper with Calm Mind and Stored Power, so it should set up mid- or late-game when its checks and counters, such as Diggersby and Excadrill, are weakened or KOed. Be wary of Pursuit users like Alolan Muk and Scizor, as they threaten to do a lot of damage, leaving Mega Latias in range for another Pokemon to KO it. Set up Mega Latias against walls that do not threaten it such as Gastrodon, Chansey, and Porygon2. Mega Latias can also set up on special attackers that do not carry super effective coverage like Zapdos, Mega Charizard Y, and Landorus. Make sure to keep Mega Latias as healthy as possible with Recover while setting up with Calm Mind. Mega Latias can be brought in on resisted attacks and on Pokemon that are Choice-locked into non-super effective attacks. Avoid Toxic if not running Refresh, as it cripples Mega Latias and can put it on a timer, preventing it from effectively setting up and sweeping. Be careful not to set up on wallbreakers that can take an attack and 2HKO Mega Latias in return, such as Mega Diancie and Diggersby. Team Options Garchomp can aid with Stealth Rock, which wears down foes and breaks Focus Sashes so Latias can more easily sweep. Focus Sash variants of Garchomp can also take care of Pokemon such as Mega Diancie, which Mega Latias appreciates. It also aids in the Steel matchup, which Mega Latias struggles in, thanks to Fire Blast and Earthquake. Latios is the ideal Choice Scarf user for Dragon, as it helps with fast threats that Mega Latias struggles with such as Hydreigon and Blacephalon. It also provides Defog support to keep Stealth Rock off of the field for Mega Latias. Hydreigon is another option; the main way it supports Mega Latias is by threatening Steel- and Ghost-types that Mega Latias struggles to beat thanks to Fire Blast and Dark Pulse. It is a great special wallbreaker and weakens threats to Mega Latias thanks to the boost from Choice Specs. Kyurem-B is a great mixed wallbreaker with Life Orb that can be paired with Latias to help break Water and Flying teams, and it takes on Toxapex and Alolan Muk, which Mega Latias can struggle against. Kyurem-B can also run a Choice Scarf to help check Mega Altaria in the Dragon mirror. Dragonite is another good physical wallbreaker that can use Extreme Speed to snipe frail Pokemon such as Greninja. Its Fire Punch and Superpower help KO Steel- and Dark-type Pokemon such as Tyranitar, and Ferrothorn. Kommo-o is a great mixed sweeper that can deal with Steel-, Ice-, and Dark-types like Heatran, Mamoswine, and Alolan Muk that Mega Latias has trouble dealing with.

Moves Psychic is the best Psychic STAB move for Latias to have, as it allows it to take on Fighting-type Pokemon like Terrakion and Heracross and provides reliable, consistent power. It also helps against bulky Pokemon like Toxapex and Mega Venusaur and Fairy-types like Azumarill and Tapu Koko. Draco Meteor is a hard-hitting move that can help take down physically defensive Pokemon like Mandibuzz, Hippowdon, and Swampert. Defog allows Latias to provide entry hazard removal that can greatly improve its teammates' longevity. Healing Wish is the sole benefit of using Latias over Latios, as this allows Latias to fully heal a Pokemon that is severely weakened or statused that is still needed like Kyurem-B in the Water and Flying matchup or Hydreigon or Kommo-o in the Steel matchup, but it comes at the cost of losing Latias. Set Details Choice Scarf with a Timid nature allows Latias to effectively keep faster foes in check and outspeed common Choice Scarf users like Blacephalon and faster Pokemon like Mega Lopunny and Mega Latios. Levitate allows Latias to come in on Ground-type attacks, allowing it to avoid damage from entry hazards bar Stealth Rock. Usage Tips Utilize Latias's high Speed to revenge kill fast threats and setup sweepers such as Mega Lopunny, Mega Charizard X, and Cloyster. Make sure to keep Latias away from Pursuit users like Bisharp, Alolan Muk, and Tyranitar, as these can KO it. These Pokemon can also take advantage of Latias OHKOing a Pokemon or come in when it is locked into Defog to Pursuit trap it. Latias can be used to come in on predicted Ground-type attacks from the likes of Hippowdon and Landorus thanks to Levitate. Use Defog on more passive Pokemon or Pokemon locked into moves that don't threaten Latias, but be careful, as the Choice lock means that Latias has to switch out right after it uses Defog, which opens up plenty of opportunities for your opponent to take advantage of by either setting up or switching to another Pokemon to threaten or Pursuit trap Latias. Use Healing Wish once a Pokemon that is needed is too worn down and Latias is no longer needed for removing entry hazards or revenge killing; it should only be used on Pokemon that are super beneficial to the matchup like Kyurem-B in the Flying and Water matchup or Kommo-o in the Dark or Steel matchup. Latias can also use Healing Wish to sacrifice itself for momentum, but Healing Wish should only be used like this to gain momentum that is needed for the matchup at hand either because of Mega Sableye or for the Steel matchup because of Bisharp or Mega Scizor. Team Options Teammates like Kyurem-B and Dragonite appreciate Latias's Defog support as this allows the latter to keep its Multiscale intact and the former to come in without losing 1/4 of its HP due to Stealth Rock. Latias's Healing Wish also is important for Dragonite in the Normal and Steel matchup, and Kyurem-B also appreciates it, as this allows it to get back to full health in important matchups such as the Water and Flying matchup. Kyurem-B is a great Pokemon to pair Latias with in general due to how Kyurem-B can take care of Pokemon that Latias struggles with like Alolan Muk, Celesteela, Greninja, and Azumarill and how well it breaks balance build thanks to its coverage. Garchomp is a must-have for Dragon teams, as it is the only good Stealth Rock user that Dragon has. This can help secure KOs with Latias like against Terrakion and Heracross. Dragonite is a powerful wallbreaker to help with Pokemon that Latias struggles with, like taking out Chansey with Superpower. It can also take care of threats like Greninja thanks to Multiscale and Extreme Speed and Mega Scizor thanks to Fire Punch. Hydreigon is another great Pokemon to pair with Latias because it can take care of Ghost-types like Gengar and Blacephalon that Latias can struggle with. Mega Altaria is the ideal Mega Pokemon to pair with Latias because of its Fairy typing to help with Dark-types like Mega Sableye and Hydreigon. Furthermore, it can relieve pressure off of Latias in the Dragon mirror matchup thanks to hard stopping the opponent from spamming Dragon-type moves. It can also utilize a support set, as it is another Defog user that can freely use its moves thanks to not being Choiced-locked. Kommo-o can also be used to help with Steel-, Normal-, and Dark-types thanks to its Fighting typing and to become a setup sweeper thanks to Kommonium Z omniboosting Kommo-o's stats. This allows Latias some relief when facing Dark-types like Bisharp and Sharpedo and furthers helps with walls that Latias struggles to break in the Normal matchup like Porygon2 and Chansey. By using Choice Scarf Latias, Latios is free to run a more offensive set like Soul Dew or Life Orb with Calm Mind to break through walls that Latias cannot, such as Chansey, Porygon2, and Mantine.

Moves Calm Mind boosts Mega Latias's Special Attack and Special Defense, rendering it more powerful offensively and allowing it to take on strong special attackers such as Greninja and Mega Diancie after a few boosts. Recover restores Mega Latias's HP, allowing it to safely set up Calm Mind throughout the match. Stored Power scales with all of Mega Latias's stat boosts, which gives Mega Latias a powerful wallbreaking tool that has great synergy with Calm Mind. Thunderbolt hits Steel- and Dark-type Pokemon such as Celesteela and Mega Sableye that take little to no damage from Stored Power and allows Latias to deal some damage in matches where it cannot set up. Set Details 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature maximize Mega Latias's speed, allowing it to Speed tie with the crowded base 110 Speed tier and outpace threats such as Garchomp, Blacephalon, and Alolan Ninetales. 252 HP EVs maximize Mega Latias's mixed bulk. Latiasite is required for Latias to transform into Mega Latias and receive key buffs to its bulk and damage output. Levitate is the only ability available to Latias, but it's handy to take on Ground-type Pokemon such as Landorus-T and avoid Toxic Spikes. Usage Tips Avoid sending Latias in until any Dark-type Pokemon on the opposing team have been weakened or KOed, as Mega Latias is reliant on uninvested Thunderbolt to deal any damage to them. Bring Mega Latias in on Pokemon it walls such as Mega Charizard Y and Keldeo to safely set up; setting up on special attackers is generally preferable to physical attackers, as Calm Mind's Special Defense boosts mean Latias needs to use Recover less often. Avoid Toxic, as the rapidly increasing passive damage prevents Latias from effectively setting up or sweeping; while Latias does not enjoy the passive damage, getting Latias burned by Will-O-Wisp or Scald can be helpful to protect it from Toxic in the Water- and Ghost-type matchups. Even if Mega Latias cannot sweep in a matchup, it can still act as a solid defensive tank and take on threats such as Heatran and Choice Scarf Excadrill. Keep Mega Latias healthy until it needs to set up in matchups like Electric and Flying, where it plays a pivotal role in Psychic's victory. Team Options Victini pairs extremely well with Mega Latias, being able to take on Steel- and Bug-type Pokemon that give Mega Latias trouble; in return, Mega Latias can take on Water- and Ground-type Pokemon like Seismitoad and Rotom-Wash that threaten Victini. Alakazam checks threatening offensive Pokemon such as Alolan Muk, Mega Diancie, and Choice Scarf Heracross for Mega Latias with its attacks and Counter and appreciates Mega Latias's ability to take on defensive Pokemon that easily sponge Alakazam's attacks, such as Mantine and Porygon2. Jirachi covers Mega Latias's weaknesses to Dragon- and Ice-type attacks, while Mega Latias takes on most Fire- and Ground-type Pokemon for Jirachi; Jirachi can also give Latias a second chance to sweep with Healing Wish. Mew can take on phazers and Toxic users that Mega Latias hates with its stallbreaker set, which Latias can then use to make a clean sweep. Latios acts as an effective Choice Scarf user, taking on fast threats such as Life Orb Greninja, and makes up for the lack of a Dragon-type STAB move on Mega Latias in the Dragon-type matchup. Slowbro can take on Ice-type attacks for Latias and appreciates Latias checking Electric- and Grass-type Pokemon. It can also serve as an effective check to physical wallbreakers like Mamoswine that give Mega Latias trouble and bluff being the team's Mega Evolution.

Moves Draco Meteor is Latias's strongest STAB move and its best option for revenge killing healthy Pokemon such as Mega Sharpedo, but its Special Attack drops mean Latias must often switch out after using it. Psychic is a weaker but more reliable secondary STAB move that hits Fairy-type Pokemon and doesn't force Latias to switch out. Defog clears entry hazards off the field, taking pressure off hazard-weak teammates such as Victini and preventing Toxic Spikes from putting the entire team on a timer. Trick allows Latias to punish defensive switch-ins such as Alolan Muk, Chansey, and Mantine by removing their item and locking them into a single attack, while Healing Wish is another option to breathe life back into an injured teammate, allowing them another chance to sweep; this is particularly beneficial for the likes of Mega Gallade and Victini, which often get too worn down when breaking their checks to fully fulfill their role. Set Details 252 Speed EVs, Choice Scarf, and a Timid nature are used to maximize Latias's Speed, allowing it to outpace the entire unboosted metagame and most Choice Scarf users or Speed-boosting attackers, most notably Victini and Mega Sharpedo. 252 Special Attack EVs are used to maximize Latias's damage output and allow it to threaten as many Pokemon as possible. Levitate is Latias's only ability, but it provides a useful immunity to Ground-type attacks and allows Latias to freely Defog away Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web, the last of which is particularly useful against Bug-type teams to check the likes of Choice Scarf Heracross. Usage Tips Thanks to its Choice Scarf, Latias can revenge kill fast threats such as Life Orb Greninja, Mega Lopunny, +1 Mega Sharpedo, and Landorus, forcing them out or picking up the KO. Draco Meteor hits extremely hard even without a boosting item, making it Latias's best choice against most neutral targets such as Mega Charizard Y and Hippowdon; should the opponent have a Fairy-type Pokemon such as Azumarill or Tapu Koko, however, Psychic is often a better pick, since it doesn't offer a free opportunity to switch in. Be prepared to switch out Latias frequently after using Draco Meteor, as the drop in Special Attack makes it relatively easy to set up on. Choice Scarf renders Defog a risky play, as it gives the foe two turns to set up or even simply KO Latias, but it's usually still worthwhile to remove multiple hazard layers or to improve the longevity of your wincon, particularly on free turns such as forced switches or against passive Pokemon like Mantine. Refrain from using Trick until the threats Latias is needed for, such as Tapu Koko and Landorus-T, are dealt with; when the time to use Trick comes, aim to catch special walls such as Chansey and Celesteela on the switch. Similarly, it's important to wait to use Healing Wish until Latias is no longer needed or it becomes necessary to bring back a teammate from the brink, such as Mega Gallade against Poison. Team Options Mega Gallade pairs well with Latias; it takes on Steel- and Dark-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Alolan Muk, while Latias deals with the faster attackers that threaten Gallade such as Life Orb Greninja and can cripple defensive walls with Trick or give Mega Gallade a second chance to sweep with Healing Wish. Victini appreciates Choice Scarf Latias freeing up its item slot, allowing it to run a different set such as Z-Celebrate or Choice Band. Victini also appreciates the fact that Latias checks threatening Ground- and Water-type Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Keldeo. Deoxys-S sets entry hazards, which make it more costly to switch to a defensive answer and slowly wear down any opposing walls looking to absorb Latias's attacks. Nasty Plot Mew likes Latias's ability to cripple specially defensive walls that give it trouble such as Chansey; in return, Mew can blow past the likes of Heatran with Focus Blast. Jirachi can take on Ice-, Dragon-, and Fairy-type Pokemon for Latias as well as set Stealth Rock to make it harder for the foe to switch, while Latias acts as a deterrent to Fire- and Ground-type attacks and reduces the pressure on Jirachi to use Thunder Wave to cripple fast attackers. Latios enjoys the freedom to run items other than Choice Scarf without worry, and both enjoy having the other to wear down shared answers such as Celesteela and Heatran. Alakazam is helpful to revenge kill threats that Latias cannot, such as healthy Mega Gyarados, Scolipede, and Bisharp, with Magic Guard + Focus Sash. Slowbro is useful to sponge attacks after Latias has to switch out, such as after using Draco Meteor, especially for Ice-type attacks. Mega Slowbro in particular also appreciates Latias's ability to bluff being a Mega Evolution.

Moves Psyshock is chosen over Psychic to ease Mega Latias's time against Tapu Fini and Chansey and give Mega Latias better chances of winning Calm Mind wars against Tapu Fini and Cresselia. Ice Beam turns Mega Latias into a sturdy check to the likes of Landorus-T and Zygarde. Calm Mind allows Mega Latias to act as a sweeper and generally boosts its offensive presence. Roost lets Mega Latias check various threats more consistently and gives it more setup opportunities. Set Details The given EV spread and a Timid nature allow Mega Latias to outpace Kyurem-B and OHKO most Zygarde variants with an unboosted Ice Beam, while the leftover EVs are dumped into Defense. Maximizing its Speed will make Mega Latias an even better check to Kartana by outspeeding it; however, this comes at the cost of bulk. Usage Tips Mega Latias's aim is to pull of a sweep late-game when its answers like Incineroar, Mega Metagross, and Aegislash are severely weakened or completely eliminated. However, you can use Mega Latias to check the likes of Landorus-T and Mega Salamence at any point of the battle. Keep Mega Latias healthy so it can check various threats more consistently and secure more setup opportunities. Avoid status from the likes of Chansey and Porygon2 at all costs, since it prevents Mega Latias from successfully checking threats and sweeping the opposing team. Team Options Ground-types like Landorus-T and Zygarde are amazing teammates because they put a lot of pressure on Mega Latias's anwers like Incineroar and Mega Metagross; additionally, Landorus-T provides Intimidate support to Mega Latias. Fire-types such as Incineroar and Volcanion can break past Steel-types as well, with the former also boasting Intimidate to help Mega Latias further, while Fairy-types like Tapu Fini threaten Dark-types. Speed control from the likes of Zapdos and Kartana helps Mega Latias set up and sweep the opposing team. Fake Out support from Pokemon such as Incineroar and Zeraora gives Mega Latias more setup opportunities and free turns, as does Intimidate support.

Mega Latias makes for a very bulky user of Calm Mind, while having a good amount of power behind its attacks as well. Psyshock does a great job of dealing with Chansey, so it's the preferred STAB. Shadow Ball 2HKOes Mega Metagross and Aegislash after a boost, though they are risky to stay in on if they aren't weakened. Thunderbolt deals the most damage to Celesteela and Skarmory, while Surf hits Heatran and Excadrill hard. Substitute may seem a bit strange, but avoiding status can be huge against slower-paced teams, though it does make Mega Latias useless against Dark-types such as Tyranitar and Hydreigon. If Ferrothorn is especially problematic, Hidden Power Fire is also a reasonable option.

While Latias is usually inferior to Latios when it comes to choiced sets, Latias has an ace up its sleeve: access to Healing Wish, which can restore a sweeper such as Mega Blaziken or Mega Kangaskhan's health, giving them a second chance at sweeping. Shadow Ball is useful for hitting Aegislash and Mega Metagross, while Thunderbolt is the best Latias can do against Celesteela and Skarmory. Surf is good for dealing with Heatran and Excadrill, but Hidden Power Fire is the ticket for preventing Ferrothorn from walling Latias.

This is a much more offensive approach to using Calm Mind, making good use of Mega Latias's Special Attack. Draco Meteor may seem at odds with using Calm Mind, but it deals much more damage than any other attack, especially after a boost. Shadow Ball deals the most damage to Mega Metagross and Aegislash, while Surf deals plenty of damage to Heatran and Excadrill. If Celesteela is a chief concern, Thunderbolt is a reasonable move to consider. Hidden Power Fire is the best option for getting rid of Ferrothorn, who walls Mega Latias otherwise. While Latiasite is recommended for the extra bulk it gives Latias after Mega Evolving, Ghostium Z allows Latias to get a surprise OHKO on Aegislash with Z-Shadow Ball after a Calm Mind, which can make it a good lure.

Moves This set revolves around Latias's ability to provide excellent Defog support while serving as a blanket check to several threats. Using Latias as a Defogger also has the advantage of not forfeiting your Arceus to a support set, allowing you to be more flexible when building with Pokemon such as Ho-Oh. For balance and defensive teams, Roost is mandatory as you will need Latias to have staying power. Draco Meteor is the strongest STAB move Latias can use, and it hits opposing Dragon-types as well as offensive Primal Groudon sets for huge damage. Grass Knot lets Latias hit Arceus-Ground, Arceus-Water, Tyranitar, and Mega Diancie, but it makes her weaker against Pokemon such as Calm Mind Primal Kyogre and Ho-Oh. Psyshock is Latias's best option for a Psychic-type STAB move if the added effectiveness against Primal Kyogre and Ho-Oh is necessary. Set Details 176 Speed EVs and a Timid nature are used to ensure that Latias is faster than Pokemon with base 100 Speed, such as Palkia and Mega Kangaskhan. 120 Special Attack EVs allow Latias to 2HKO offensive Primal Kyogre with Psyshock and 2HKOes Primal Groudon that lack significant Special Defense investment. All other investment for this set goes into HP, allowing Latias to escape the 2HKO from Primal Kyogre's Ice Beam. An alternate spread of 160 HP / 52 Def / 120 SpA / 176 Spe still checks Kyogre but gives up some special bulk to better tank Dragon Claw from Adamant Primal Groudon. 96 Speed EVs and a Timid nature will beat Pokemon with base 90 Speed, while 136 Speed EVs and a Timid nature will beat max Speed Rayquaza. Lastly, max Speed is an option to Speed tie with opposing Latias, Latios, Gengar before Mega Evolution, and Mega Diancie. Usage Tips This set despises Pursuit, so the best way to help combat this is to double switch into appropriate teammates when you see potential Pursuit users in Team Preview. In addition to Pursuit, this set also dislikes status in general, so use tactics such as sending a status absorber into a Klefki that attempts to Toxic or Thunder Wave Latias. Fairy-types also like to come into Latias, so effective use of Grass Knot or Psyshock can punish those obvious switch-ins, especially if they are from offensive teams. Team Options When using Defog Latias on an offensive team, you will want an entry hazard setter that is not a suicide lead such as Groudon or Dialga. This is because offensive teams with suicide leads are focused on keeping entry hazards up for the duration of the match, which is counterproductive when running Defog. For balance and defensive teams, your Arceus is now free to run a stallbreaker set rather than a Defog support set. Ho-Oh in general is an excellent teammate for this Latias set because it threatens a variety of the Pokemon that like to switch into Latias, while Ho-Oh benefits from the anti-hazard support and Latias's ability to check Pokemon such as Kyogre and Primal Groudon. Primal Groudon is also a great partner, as it can usually comfortably switch into the Fairy-types and Steel-types that come into Latias, and can absorb Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave. Mega Scizor is a good partner for a similar reason and can also come into Toxic, has reliable recovery and thus reduced switching cost, and can threaten opposing Lugia with Toxic; Mega Scizor can also Pursuit trap Shadow Ball Gengar. An offensive or defensive Fairy-type is also a good choice, as Arceus-Dark completely walls this Latias, while Darkrai and Yveltal pose a great threat. Mega Salamence and Yveltal, like Ho-Oh, also greatly appreciate the Defog support Latias provides. An emergency cleric such as Xerneas or Mega Diancie on an offensive team can also be of great utility for Latias, as Toxic is very detrimental to this set, while more defensive clerics such as Blissey or Clefable suffice for balance and stall teams.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Moves Defog is necessary to remove entry hazards and support Latias's teammates, allowing Pokemon like Ho-Oh and Mega Rayquaza to come in easily. Recover keeps Latias healthy enough to effectively check Pokemon such as Primal Groudon that could otherwise wear it down over time. Draco Meteor is the main offensive move for Latias to use. However, the Special Attack drop it causes alongside the fact that it is walled by Xerneas, Ho-Oh, and offensive Arceus makes it far from perfect. Psyshock allows Latias to hit the aforementioned Pokemon reasonably well, while Grass Knot can be run over Psyshock to hit Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and some Arceus formes such as Arceus-Ground harder. Set Details Soul Dew makes Latias usable, as it boosts both its Special Attack and Special Defense. Levitate allows Latias to reliably check Primal Groudon despite its attacks mostly targeting Latias's weaker Defense stat. 176 Speed EVs with a Timid nature let Latias outspeed Adamant Mega Rayquaza, allowing it to be taken out with a Draco Meteor before it gets any boosts. 196 HP EVs allow Latias to avoid the 2HKO from Primal Kyogre's Ice Beam, and bulk is generally useful against a number of Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Arceus. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Attack, allowing Latias to hit targets as hard as possible with Draco Meteor. Usage Tips While Latias offers a reasonable amount of firepower, its first priority is to support the team with Defog. Keeping Stealth Rock off the field is often more important than weakening a foe, so if in doubt, use Defog over another move. It's also often worthwhile to recover health rather than simply attack, as otherwise Latias can be worn down relatively easily by the Pokemon it's supposed to check. Be wary of letting Latias become setup bait for the opponent—try to use Psyshock over Draco Meteor if it would do enough damage, and avoid letting Pokemon such as Xerneas, Klefki, and Darkrai switch in on attacks they're immune to. Draco Meteor can be very useful for making holes in an opposing team so that another Pokemon can sweep, so don't be afraid to sacrifice Latias to make a dent in something important. Team Options Latias fits best on bulky offense teams that require a Defogger to work well, as its offensive pressure can allow it to use Defog with less loss of momentum than other hazard removers. Good teammates include Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock such as Ho-Oh, Mega Rayquaza, and Yveltal. Teams with Latias appreciate a solid Stealth Rock setter, as many Pokemon that check Latias such as Ho-Oh and Yveltal dislike Stealth Rock. However, the setter needs to be able to come in multiple times, as Latias will remove Stealth Rock from both sides of the field, so avoid setters like Deoxys formes. Latias appreciates a solid core to support it in order to deal with the Pokemon that gain free turns from coming in on it. Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon are good options. Checks to Pokemon such as Klefki, Bronzong, Ferrothorn, and other Steel-types that completely wall Latias are also needed. Finally, checks to setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Arceus, Calm Mind Arceus, Darkrai, and Xerneas are required due to Latias being relatively easy to use as setup bait.

Moves Ice Beam is used over a Dragon-type STAB move because it has more utility, hitting both Thundurus and Landorus-T for super effective damage; Draco Meteor will deal minuscule damage with little Special Attack investment. Psychic is Latias's Psychic-type STAB move and is used over Psyshock because Battle Spot Doubles is much more physically oriented, so defensive Pokemon such as Amoonguss and Mega Venusaur will tend to run more Defense investment. Tailwind is a form of speed control that gives Latias a niche over other bulky Psychic-types. Helping Hand allows Latias to support its teammate and compensate for its average offenses by boosting the power of its partner's attack, while Roost provides longevity. Set Details Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Latias to take advantage of its Speed, which sets it apart from other bulky Psychic-types. 244 HP EVs provide good general bulk, while 12 Special Attack EVs allow Latias to OHKO bulky non-Assault Vest Landorus-T with Ice Beam and 2HKO standard Amoonguss and Mega Venusaur with Psychic. Sitrus Berry increases Latias's longevity without having to use Roost. Usage Tips Latias's Psychic / Dragon typing allows it to switch into a lot of common Pokemon, such as Mega Charizard Y, Rotom-W, and Thundurus, fairly easily. Latias's blistering Speed can allow it to set up Tailwind more easily than most support Pokemon, such as Togekiss. Team Options Landorus-T is a great partner for Latias, as it is able to use Earthquake without damaging Latias and can remove Steel-types that Latias has trouble breaking through, such as Aegislash and Heatran. Mamoswine greatly benefits from Tailwind and can also remove Steel-types, such as Heatran, that Latias cannot touch. Terrakion is also a nice partner due to its ability to hit Steel-types hard, while Latias can check Fighting-types and Amoonguss, which threaten Terrakion. Latias's ability to semi-check Landorus-T also greatly benefits Terrakion. Steel-types have great synergy with Latias, as they are able to remove Fairy-types as well as switch into Dragon- and Fairy-type moves aimed at Latias with ease. Specifically, Pokemon such as Aegislash, which can provide Wide Guard to block Hyper Voice from Mega Gardevoir and Sylveon, and Heatran, which can remove opposing Steel-types that wall Latias and also greatly benefits from Tailwind and Latias's ability to check opposing Fighting-types, are great partners for Latias. Mega Metagross checks opposing Fairy- and Ice-types and enjoys Helping Hand support as well as Latias's ability to check Landorus-T; however, both it and Latias are helpless against Aegislash and Bisharp.

Moves Draco Meteor is Latias's hardest-hitting attack, dealing massive damage when combined with the boost from Choice Specs. It does, however, come with the drawback of lowering Latias's Special Attack by two stages. Psychic is a STAB move that deals consistent damage at a reasonable Base Power and high accuracy. Alternatively, Psyshock can be used instead if you'd prefer to have the option of hitting a foe's potentially lower Defense. For example, Psychic hits foes like Mega Venusaur harder, but Psyshock deals with Assault Vest users such as Conkeldurr better. Trick can disable a defensive foe by locking them into a single move, making them easy to eliminate. Surf hits many of the targets that Latias struggles against, such as Tyranitar and Heatran, super effectively. Alternatively, Healing Wish differentiates Latias from Latios and can be used over Surf to give Latias more late-game utility by healing up a strong partner such as Mega Mawile or Mega Kangaskhan, should you find that more valuable. Set Details Choice Specs provides the largest increase to Latias's damage output, albeit while locking it into a single move. Levitate is Latias's only ability, but the immunity to Ground-type moves it grants is great for giving it more opportunities to switch in and deal damage. The Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Latias to outpace as many threats as possible. The remaining EVs are invested into Latias's Special Attack, improving damage output. A Modest nature may be used to deal even more damage, allowing it to OHKO foes, such as 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan, with Draco Meteor. However, it then misses out on outspeeding key threats around the base 100 Speed mark such as Garchomp, generally making it the poorer option. Usage Tips This set aims to deal as much damage as possible, not necessarily focusing on super effective hits. This is because a Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor deals a lot of damage even on neutral hits. As Draco Meteor will often be the best choice of move, Latias will be switching in and out a lot to reset the stat drops associated with it. Its superior defenses when compared to Latios and its plentiful resistances complement this strategy, as they make switching in much easier. Do try to think a turn ahead when using Draco Meteor however, as it's easy to fall into the trap of losing too much momentum. If you're running Psyshock, get familiar with predicting foes with high Special Defense to switch in, as it can often 2HKO them. Sylveon, for example, would normally be a safe switch-in against Latias, but is 2HKOed by Psyshock. Chansey is an exception, as it can take a Psyshock relatively easily and would be better crippled by the use of Trick. If using Healing Wish, wait until Latias is no longer useful, or if a crippled ally could better close out the battle. Team Options Teammates that can deal with Pokemon that resist Latias's STAB moves, such as Dark- and Fairy-types, are appreciated. Mega Mawile and Scizor are great examples of this, as they can check both of those types with their STAB moves. Physical Greninja can use a combination of Low Kick and Gunk Shot to accomplish something similar. However, it does have difficulty switching into Fairy-types directly, as it's natively a Dark-type. Azumarill is another Fairy-type that does a good job at checking Dark-types. Fairies being immune to Dragon-type attacks also makes them easy to switch into opposing Dragons. Ferrothorn makes another good Steel-type partner, as it is able to deal well with opposing Fairy-types. Fighting-types such as Blaziken and Mega Heracross are also useful for beating Dark-types, and they are further able to beat Steel-types, which are problematic due to them resisting both of Latias's STAB moves. Fire-types such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Rotom-H equally beat Steel-types and provide a resistance to Fairy. Talonflame is additionally useful as a check against Blaziken, which Latias struggles against because of its combination of Speed Boost and Knock Off. Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Mamoswine likewise hit Steel-types super effectively, although the latter is admittedly hit super effectively by them too. Both can also provide Stealth Rock support, which is useful for breaking the Focus Sash of Pokemon such as Breloom.

Moves Calm Mind boosts Mega Latias's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage, giving it the means to set up on the foe. Psyshock is the STAB move of choice, as it deals a consistent amount of damage at high accuracy. It also has the quirk of hitting the target's Defense stat, which is part of the reason why it generally outclasses Psychic, as it therefore threatens Calm Mind Suicune more. Roost can help keep Mega Latias healthy by recovering 50% of its HP, compensating for health lost by damage taken from foes and Substitute. Substitute is most effective against defensive threats, giving Mega Latias the option of blocking crippling status, such as poison, paralysis, and burn, from inhibiting its sweep. It also provides a means to prevent the use of Sucker Punch from foes such as Mega Kangaskhan. Draco Meteor can be used instead to provide Latias with some mid-game wallbreaking potential. Set Details Latiasite allows Latias to Mega Evolve, which significantly improves its stats and its ability to sweep through teams. Levitate grants it an immunity to Ground-type moves, which provides more opportunities for Mega Latias to set up. The Speed EVs and Timid nature make Mega Latias as fast as possible. The remaining EVs are invested into HP to boost Mega Latias's general bulk as much as possible. While 56 EVs can be moved out of Speed to improve Mega Latias's bulk but still outspeed Garchomp, this is not recommended, as it's generally counterproductive to sweeping. Usage Tips This set aims to begin setting up to close out the battle once any problematic foes have been eliminated. After gaining a few boosts, Mega Latias is dangerous, and special attackers such as Aegislash, Greninja, and Sylveon will no longer be able to 2HKO it. However, don't try to force this; leave Mega Latias on the bench if you don't believe setting up to be a reasonable expectation. Focus on bringing checks to Steel-, Fairy-, and Dark-types, as they will be the most problematic for Latias. Mega Charizard Y and Rotom-W are good examples of setup fodder, as Latias can stall out Mega Charizard Y's Drought and takes little damage from any of Rotom-W's attacks. Defensive Pokemon such as Cresselia, Porygon2, Zapdos, and Slowbro also make good targets to set up on. Suicune is another example, but bear in mind that Roar is reasonably common, which allows it to phaze Latias. Be sure to Mega Evolve as soon as possible to take advantage of Mega Latias's higher defensive stats. Try to keep Substitute up as much as possible in order to block crippling status from ruining your game plan. It's also recommended to do this as a way of preventing critical hits from OHKOing Latias through its Special Defense boosts. Team Options As this set is walled by Dark-types, teammates that can remove them for Mega Latias are essential. Using a second Mega Evolution such as Mega Mawile, Mega Heracross, or Mega Scizor can offer alternatives for when Mega Latias faces a very poor match-up, as each handles the majority of foes Latias struggles against such as Sylveon and Tyranitar. Azumarill has a great match-up against Dark-types, as it resists their STAB moves and can hit the majority of them super effectively with Play Rough. Blaziken can likewise handle Dark-types well and, in return, appreciates Latias as a defensive switch-in due to its frailty. Protean Greninja gets STAB Low Kick to similarly threaten Dark-types, amongst a variety of other coverage, such as Gunk Shot and Ice Beam, that allow it to threaten other foes that threaten Mega Latias. Non-Mega Scizor, as a Bug-type, also makes a great partner, as it deals with both Dark- and Fairy-types excellently. Physically defensive Scizor makes a particularly good partner, as it can handle physical attackers in general. Ferrothorn accomplishes the same in handling Fairy-types and serves as a great check to physical attackers. Intimidate users such as Landorus-T and Gyarados equally help to keep physical attackers in check by lowering their Attack stat. Landorus-T also has access to Stealth Rock, which breaks Focus Sash and therefore helps boosted Latias pick up OHKOs against Focus Sash users such as Breloom. Will-O-Wisp users such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Rotom-W can halve the foe's Attack. The former two, being Fire-types, also provide the benefit of resisting Fairy-type attacks and have the ability to check Steel-types.

Moves Psychic is used to provide Latias with a consistent STAB move with reasonable power and high accuracy. Draco Meteor has the ability to pick up OHKOs against foes such as Garchomp, but use of the move is incredibly risky because of the Special Attack decrease. Reflect reduces the damage Latias's team takes for five turns, making it better able to wall physical attackers. Thunder Wave provides a form of speed control and reduces the chance the foe has to move by 25%. This is useful for crippling threats such as Blaziken, which, while ordinarily very fast thanks to Speed Boost, struggles once that advantage has been taken away. Toxic could be used in place of Thunder Wave if your team particularly struggles against defensive threats like Cresselia and Porygon2. Roost recovers 50% of Latias's HP, which allows it to continue racking up chip damage with Rocky Helmet. Healing Wish could be used over Roost if you'd prefer Latias simply went down after doing its job. This synergizes particularly well with Draco Meteor, as it allows Latias to safely exit the match after its stats have been lowered. Set Details Rocky Helmet inflicts chip damage against foes that use contact moves, primarily physical attackers, such as Mega Kangaskhan, which takes double the damage due to Parental Bond. Levitate, while being Latias's only ability, gives it an immunity to Ground-type moves, providing Latias with even more opportunities to safely switch in. The Speed EVs and a Timid nature are used to allow Latias to get off its moves, particularly Reflect, before as many foes as possible. The remaining EVs are used to bolster Latias's overall bulk as much as possible, allowing it an easier time of walling foes. Usage Tips This set aims to beat non-Dark-type physical attackers while also providing support for Latias's teammates. You should mostly pick Latias at Team Preview when you want to bring a setup sweeper that would benefit from Latias's support. Another example is when a specially defensive partner needs Latias to defeat the physical attackers that it cannot alone. This is because a Latias without Trick or much offensive presence otherwise struggles to accomplish much outside of these scenarios. This set deals especially well with Mega Kangaskhan because of Parental Bond forcing it to take two rounds of Rocky Helmet damage, particularly if you can switch it in on a weak attack such as Fake Out. Try to Reflect as early as possible and keep it up, as Latias's Defense stat is merely average without it. An exception is if you anticipate the opponent bringing in a special attacker, in which case you should instead opt to cripple them with Thunder Wave. If Healing Wish is chosen, use it when Latias is no longer useful and when an ally can better close out the battle. Team Options Setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Mega Mawile and Scizor make the best partners, as Reflect helps them get off their setup moves and Thunder Wave consequently helps them sweep by ensuring they outspeed their potential threats. They're also useful against defensive foes such as Cresselia, Porygon2, Zapdos, and Calm Mind Suicune, and they both resist many of the types Latias is weak to, making them able to switch in extra safely. Power-Up Punch Mega Kangaskhan is another notable example, as Thunder Wave helps it outspeed foes around its very crowded base 100 Speed tier. Calm Mind Raikou is also a fantastic teammate, as Latias needs help to beat opposing bulky Water-types. Likewise, Electric-types in general such as Thundurus and Zapdos are good options, as they also provide a means of dealing with them. Specially defensive Pokemon and Assault Vest users also complement this set well, as they can often wall the attackers that Latias cannot. Assault Vest Mamoswine appreciates the speed control Latias provides and can check Steel- and Dragon-types in return. Azumarill also makes a good Assault Vest user, and it can counter most Dark- and Dragon-types easily. Heatran functions very well with a specially defensive variant of its stall set, and its typing complements Latias's well. Pokemon that deal with the Dark- and Steel-types that wall Latias's only attacking move make good offensive partners. Fighting-types such as Blaziken and Mega Heracross are able to deal with said Dark- and Steel-types, for example. Mega Heracross particularly enjoys the speed control provided by Thunder Wave due to its merely average Speed. Fire-types such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Rotom-H provide a resistance to Fairy and can beat Steel-types. Landorus-T also beats Steel-types handily, and its Intimidate ability further improves Latias's bulk.

Although Latias is traditionally defensive in nature, do not be deceived; she can act as an incredible offensive pivot in her own right. Excelling in the ability to switch into a multitude of threats, such as Kyogre and several Calm Mind Arceus, Latias immediately places offensive pressure in the form of either a possible Calm Mind or attack. Although she does not grab the greatest initial momentum out of all Latias sets, she has the potential to grab the most momentum due to Calm Mind and heavy offensive investment. After a single Calm Mind, Latias is capable of dealing more damage to the opponent than any other set while also giving her the potential to sweep. Dragon Pulse is a reliable STAB attack, dealing considerable damage thanks to her heavy Special Attack investment. Roost grants Latias reliable recovery, essential for maintaining her health and for checking threats. For her last slot, both options are useful for their utility against Kyogre. Thunder is the preferred option thanks to its superior coverage against Steel-type Pokemon such as Genesect and Scizor. However, if Latias needs to deal with opposing Calm Mind users, Psyshock will allow her to hit the opponent's unboosted Defense stat, winning any and all Calm Mind wars. It also allows her to beat Chansey, Blissey, and Terrakion more effectively. Being an offensive pivot, having as much Speed and Special Attack as possible is critical. The Speed is necessary for outspeeding the maximum number of threats, while the Special Attack is necessary for KOs and increasing overall offensive pressure. As such, Latias's EV spread emphasizes offense in favor of bulk, guaranteeing an OHKO on Palkia regardless of Stealth Rock as well as allowing her to Speed tie with opposing positive base 110 Speed Pokemon like Latios. Even with her weakened focus on bulk, she still possesses excellent special bulk; her special bulk is greater than support Arceus-Grass. Even in the constrained role of an offensive pivot, Latias remains flexible. EVs can easily be taken from Speed and invested in bulk depending on personal preference. 60 HP / 208 SpA / 240 Spe with a Timid nature can be run if outspeeding Terrakion is the only concern, while 100 HP / 216 SpA / 192 Spe with a Timid nature can be run for outspeeding Garchomp. Feel free to take away even more EVs from her Speed, but do recall that taking too much Speed away is counterproductive to her purpose. Likewise, EVs can be moved Special Attack to HP for increased bulk. However, it's largely counterproductive; the heavy Special Attack investment is crucial for increasing her offensive threat. Without the listed investment, not only is Dragon Pulse weakened, but she also loses some critical power on her coverage move. Notably, at least 204 EVs are required to OHKO Forretress with Thunder after Stealth Rock damage. If bulk is really at a premium, running the Defensive Calm Mind set may be more effective. Although Latias is offensively focused, her slots remain readily adaptable. If Calm Mind's offensive power isn't needed, Tailwind doubles the speed of the rest of the team. This allows her to possibly retain momentum even after she switches out. Hidden Power Fire loses utility against Kyogre, but incinerates opposing Steel-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Excadrill under sun. However, it's weather dependent, does negligible damage to Heatran and Ho-Oh, and comes at the cost of losing the Speed tie against other positive base 110s. Surf on the other hand maintains her ability to Speed tie with these Pokemon as well as having greater Base Power so that it still damages Steel-type Pokemon considerably. For example, Surf always 2HKOes specially defensive Scizor after Stealth Rock. However, it too is weather dependent as well as being ineffective against opposing Ferrothorn. For those seeking to maintain their utility against Kyogre, Grass Knot is a possible option while also being significantly more effective against Tyranitar and Groudon. However, its lesser coverage against Steel-type Pokemon in comparison with Thunder hurts its viability. Similarly, Thunderbolt can be used over Thunder for its greater accuracy outside of rain, but its lesser power along with the prevalence of rain makes it a situational option at best. Latias has two main issues as offensive pivot: low initial bulk and restraint on coverage. Due to her lowered bulk, Choice and Thunder Wave variants of Kyogre can prove problematic. Most notably, Choice Scarf Ice Beam is an almost guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock; this is a serious problem given that any Latias caught on the switch will hamper momentum. Similarly, a full power Choice Specs Water Spout forces a mindgame as Latias is only able to attack or Roost; Calm Mind is not an option due to the high risk of being 2HKOed. Her lack of bulk also hurts her ability to safely take on Calm Mind sweepers such as Arceus-Electric who heavily invest in Speed and Special Attack. Latias suffers from a lack of coverage. Although she can get past many of her checks with the right coverage move, she only gets one. As such, Latias will always be left helpless against certain checks. Even then, U-turn users such as Genesect will always force her to switch out, seriously harming her ability to sweep. To utilize Latias to her maximum potential, play to her strengths. Due to her offensive pivot nature, she fits best on teams with an offensive focus. Avoid placing her on teams with a more defensive focus or even balanced, as her lack of bulk against threats such as Choice Specs Kyogre will prove disappointing. Provided she is placed on an offensive team, Latias does not need to be used with any specific Pokemon. She acts as an amazing glue Pokemon by filling crucial gaps in teams. For instance, most offensive teams find Kyogre problematic and cannot afford to run Pokemon such as Gastrodon or Arceus-Grass due to their inferior offensive pressure. These teams greatly appreciate Latias's Speed, Special Attack, and still excellent special bulk, especially as she carries reliable recovery and Calm Mind unlike Palkia. However, Latias greatly dislikes switch-ins who carry super effective attacks, like Genesect, so Pokemon who resist her weaknesses make great teammates. Depending on the team, good choices might include Steel-types such as Arceus-Steel and Forretress, or it might include Pokemon with more situational typing like Ho-Oh and Arceus-Fighting. Speaking of switch-ins, many offensive Pokemon are capable of utilizing her forced switches to pose an immediate threat. Genesect, Kyogre, and Groudon are some of the many Pokemon who happen to be particularly good at this role. Similarly, entry hazard support is great for taking full advantage of her ability to force switches as well as increasing the chance of her KOs. Finally, make sure her coverage problem is addressed in some form. For instance, if Latias lacks Hidden Power Fire, have a method of dealing with Ferrothorn such as Xatu, who coincidentally also provides Magic Bounce support for the rest of the team.

An all out offensive Latias may seem inferior to Latios, but don't be fooled! Latias's excellent special bulk sets it apart from its more bloody thirsty brother. Casting aside the consistency of Dragon Pulse, Latias takes up her most powerful STAB option—Draco Meteor. By far her strongest immediate attack, it pulverizes any Pokemon lacking a resistance or great special bulk. No longer can bulky Dragon-types such as Giratina-O or Arceus-Dragon possibly survive; they are now OHKOed with ease. Even after the Special Attack drop, Draco Meteor is still powerful enough to discourage Dragon-type Pokemon, most notably Rayquaza, from seeking a free switch-in. Roost provides reliable recovery, increasing her lifespan so that she can better fulfill her purpose. Latias's remaining slots are dedicated towards maximizing coverage. One slot provides utility against Kyogre; the other slot provides weather dependent coverage against Steel-type Pokemon. Grass Knot and Hidden Power Fire is the preferred attacking combination for most teams, in particular those utilizing sun, due to a lesser reliance on weather, its ability to deal with all auto-weather inducers such as Groudon and Tyranitar, and its specialization against Latias's key checks, in particular Ferrothorn and Jirachi. For those using rain, Thunder and Surf are better options. Although it is highly reliant on rain and incapable of defeating opposing Ferrothorn, this combination is capable of defeating Manaphy, Lugia, and Heatran. It is also better suited for blasting holes or even sweeping thanks to superior overall coverage and power. When maximizing damage output, both Speed and Special Attack are crucial. Yet, with the increased power of Draco Meteor along with its inherent hit-and-run nature, Latias can afford to place more emphasis on bulk while still maintaining great offensive pressure. As such, her EV spread guarantees the 2HKO on specially defensive Giratina regardless of Stealth Rock, ensures that Timid Kyogre's Choice Scarf Ice Beam is unable to 2HKO after Stealth Rock, and allows her to outspeed opposing positive base 102 Speed Pokemon like Garchomp. If Latias lacks Hidden Power Fire, simply transfer 4 Speed EVs into Special Attack as the Speed compensation is unneeded. Although bulk is one of Latias's greatest strengths, it is advised to refrain from any further bulk investment. Lowering her Special Attack greatly weakens her damage output, while lowering her Speed hinders her ability to offensively force switches by outspeeding threats. This is unacceptable for a set geared towards strong initial offensive pressure. Diverting EVs from HP into Special Attack and Speed is always an option. For those running Hidden Power Fire, 148 HP / 164 SpA / 196 Spe with a Timid nature can be run if one wants to always OHKO Groudon after Spikes. 100 HP / 164 SpA / 244 Spe with a Timid Nature can be run if outspeeding Terrakion is the primary concern- the 100 HP EVs will still prevent the 2HKO from Choice Scarf Kyogre's Water Spout after Stealth Rock. Finally, if Hidden Power Fire is not used, a spread with Speed maximized is an option. 88 HP / 168 SpA / 252 Spe with a Timid Nature allows her to Speed tie with opposing positive base 110s. If at this point more power is still needed, consider using Latios instead. Despite her focus on strong coverage, her coverage slots can be configured to provide any desired utility. STAB Dragon Pulse inflicts consistent damage, bluffs, and allows her to more effectively sweep late-game should the opportunity arise. However, the loss of either utility against Kyogre or Steel-type Pokemon hurts its viability. Similarly, STAB Psyshock deals with Arceus-Fighting and possibly even Chansey or Blissey after some prior damage. If opposing Calm Mind users are an issue, Psych Up allows Latias to copy her opponent's current boosts. This recharges Draco Meteor for reuse and allows her to defeat any Calm Mind Kyogre. When paired with Psyshock, Latias becomes capable of taking on many Calm Mind Arceus formes. However, Psych Up is highly situational and cuts into coverage; it should only be considered if there is no other alternative for taking on Calm Mind users on the team. Thunderbolt can be used over Thunder for its greater accuracy outside of rain, but its lesser power along with her intended usage under rain makes it a situational option at best. The bane of this set is its vulnerability to setup sweepers. Although Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Rayquaza are still unable to set up after a Draco Meteor, dangerous sweepers such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Mewtwo, and Latios are capable. Left unchecked, these threats will prove particularly problematic; this issue is further exasperated by her inability to reliably boost. Latias is unable to check Calm Mind Kyogre without Psych Up; this problem is similarly seen against Calm Mind Arceus. Thunder Wave variants will also prove problematic, albeit to a lesser extent due to reduced Speed investment. Likewise, a full power Choice Specs Water Spout forces a mindgame as she is forced to either attack or Roost. Playing with this set is quite straightforward: find an opportunity to switch in, decide whether to attack or Roost, and then switch out if the situation turns undesirable. As such, despite her lean towards offense, she fits on almost any team. However, unlike other Latias sets, all-out attacker requires some specific team support in order to function at full capacity. It is critical that she is paired up with teammates who can deal with dangerous setup sweepers. For example, Wallceus takes on physical setup sweepers like Swords Dance Arceus while Ferrothorn deals with special setup sweepers such as Kyogre, Latias, and Manaphy. Otherwise, Latias will prove to be a great glue Pokemon, providing excellent balance between both offensive and defensive utility. However, should Latias mispredict using her coverage, switch-ins like Genesect who carry super effective attacks will be most disliked. As such, Pokemon who resist her weaknesses happen to be great teammates, in particular Steel-type Pokemon such as Arceus-Steel, Heatran, and Jirachi. As Latias's great offensive pressure tends to force a lot of switches, partnering her with offensive Pokemon such as Groudon, Kyogre, and Genesect is advised. Similarly, Pokemon who can set up entry hazards such as Skarmory and Forretress are excellent for punishing switches as well as increasing the chance of her KOs. Finally, because Latias still has a few coverage deficiencies, make sure these shortcomings are patched up in some form. For instance, should she lack Thunder, a Toxic user or very potent attacker such as Kyogre or Zekrom can help deal with troublesome Lugia.

While this Latias may lack good coverage and may not be as instantly powerful as most Uber Dragons, her excellent special bulk and speed make a defensive Calm Mind set very viable. For the short-term, Latias focuses on disruption, handling threats, and warring through attrition. Do not attempt to sweep early-game; she has too many checks who can stop her at this stage. Instead, focus on using her fantastic special bulk to easily come into threats such as Kyogre and Calm Mind Arceus. From there, proceed to wear the opponent's team down. Dragon Pulse acts as her reliable STAB attack, doing respectable damage despite the lack of investment. Calm Mind acts as her utility against opposing Calm Mind users, while Roost increases her longevity. Her last slot is an extension of her overall purpose. Roar handles opposing setup sweepers along with weakening most switch-ins, providing there is sufficient entry hazard support. Refresh maintains vitality by curing her of detrimental status, granting utility against status users like Gliscor. Substitute eases prediction, providing an opportunity to scout, damage, or switch regardless of Pursuit. Only when the time is right, when the opponent's team is sufficiently weakened, does Latias come in to finally sweep. Calm Mind acts as her win condition, dramatically increasing her potential so that she becomes a force to be reckoned with. Roar phazes any opposing Calm Mind user who dares set up Calm Mind alongside her, allowing her to proceed unheeded. Refresh crushes any team that now only has status to defeat Latias. Substitute protects her from most non-damaging moves as well as allowing her to stall out low PP attacks, which can enable her to defeat foes such as Ferrothorn. The longer Latias is able to last throughout the match, the better her chances of sweeping. As much bulk as possible is necessary for outlasting the opponent, setting up Calm Minds, and for using her non-attacking moves to their highest potential. Yet when Latias is finally able to sweep, she needs to be able to outspeed the maximum number of threats. As such, her EV spread provides the maximum amount of bulk possible while still maintaining the Speed necessary to Speed tie with opposing positive base 110 Speed Pokemon like Latios. The invested bulk also ensures that Kyogre's Choice Scarf Ice Beam is virtually unable to 2HKO after Stealth Rock. Just like the teams she can fit on, Latias's EV spread is flexible. EVs can be diverted from HP to Special Attack if more power is warranted. 216 HP / 40 SpA / 252 Spe with a Timid nature trades a bit of bulk for the ability to OHKO Palkia after Stealth Rock. However, taking too many EVs away from HP compromises her bulk, diminishing her ability to last throughout the match. Heavy investment in Special Attack will leave her with inadequate bulk, limited coverage, and a non-attacking move that is only situationally effective; a more offensive Latias set is the better option. Similarly, EVs can be diverted away from her Speed and into her power and bulk. 252 HP / 40 SpA / 24 SpD / 192 Spe with a Timid nature can be run if the only concern is outspeeding Garchomp, guaranteeing an OHKO on Palkia after Stealth Rock along with some extra special bulk. Feel free to take away even more Speed EVs, but note that the lesser Speed makes it more difficult to sweep; this is counterproductive for her purpose. If the team calls for a very bulky Latias, specially defensive is the superior option. Although Latias's other moves are mandatory for her sweeping purpose, her last slot can run a rather unique option—Reflect Type. By copying the opponent's typing, not only does it allow her to switch into Kyogre's Choice Specs Ice Beam after Stealth Rock, but also completely changes her checks. For example, Tyranitar is unable to Pursuit her effectively. A Genesect or Scizor switch-in will find their U-turn or Pursuit ineffective, instead granting momentum to Latias. Ferrothorn will now find its Leech Seed and other attacks useless, leaving it setup bait. However, Reflect Type is a situational move; more often than not will it be complete deadweight against teams that lack Pokemon who Latias can benefit from. Reflect Type can also backfire to disastrous results; once it has been revealed, it can be played around. Due to her emphasis in bulk, Latias has a deficiency in offense. This leaves her initial offensive pressure quite poor in comparison with her more offensive sets; she doesn't grab momentum nearly as easily. Do not expect any immediate results, for Latias needs to find the right time to set up Calm Minds for offensive impact. This problem is further augmented by her lack of coverage. Although this issue is worked around when she finally sweeps, this does not mean it is resolved in the short-term. Her checks are still as annoying as ever should they not be weakened and safely switched in, especially since she lacks the coverage to immediately get rid of them. For example, Genesect with its U-turn will always force Latias to switch out should she lack a Substitute. Certain issues against Kyogre remain despite the increased level of bulk. Although she is still capable of defeating Calm Mind Kyogre one-on-one, it's nowhere even close to the ease offensive pivot experiences. Should she lack Roar, significantly more time will be required, increasing her chance of losing to an unfortunate critical hit or detrimental status; this problem is similarly seen against other opposing Calm Mind users. Likewise, Thunder Wave Kyogre proves a hassle should she lack Refresh. What's more, Latias still suffers from the Choice Specs Kyogre mindgame, since though Water Spout is now manageable, Ice Beam is still far too powerful for Latias to handle without Reflect Type. Latias shines when she is used strategically for long-term benefit. She fits best on teams that take their time, such as stall, Spikes-stacking, and balanced. It is unwise to place her on teams that demand extreme offensive bias, as her initial offensive pressure is unable to keep up with their pace. Only entry hazard support is mandatory when using this set as they are crucial for capitalizing on her ability to force switches as well as wearing down the opponent's team. Otherwise, Latias doesn't require any other specific team support, instead acting as a fantastic glue Pokemon by providing both a win condition as well as considerable threat checking utility. However, as Latias is dependent on entry hazards, spinblockers such as Arceus-Ghost, Giratina, and Giratina-O can prove great teammates despite common weaknesses, especially since they provide a convenient resistance to Bug-type attacks. Early-game Latias still dislikes switch-ins who manage to switch in with super effective attacks, like Genesect, so Pokemon who resist her weaknesses are great teammates. Good choices can range from Jirachi to Heatran and Ferrothorn to Forretress, many of whom happen to provide valuable entry hazard support. Carrying a physical wall such as Wallceus or Skarmory is also wise for taking on physical threats like Swords Dance Arceus-Ghost. Finally, because she lacks offensive coverage, make sure to have a game plan against her checks in the short-term. For instance, should Ferrothorn safely switch in on a Latias lacking Substitute, Xatu and Forretress can help minimize its impact while providing Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin support respectively.

Looking for the best Kyogre counter in the game? Search no further, for in her most defensive role yet, Latias's special bulk is simply titanic—even specially defensive Giratina is outmatched. No other Latias set compares with her sheer utility, for she not only checks and counters the very same threats that they are capable of, but can accomplish feats that other Pokemon can only dream of. Following the use of Light Screen, Latias and her team becomes nigh impenetrable on the special side. No longer will she have to fear Kyogre's Choice Specs Ice Beam; any Kyogre is reduced to mere impotency. For as long as Light Screen remains active and she be at reasonable health, no special attacker in the game has the strength to overcome her. Not even Mewtwo's Psystrike, renowned for being the bane of special walls like Chansey, is capable of getting past Light Screen. In fact, Mewtwo will find itself checked by Latias, who can switch in with ease, possibly Light Screen, and then proceed to heal up with Roost or phaze with Roar. It's not just Mewtwo either: any Calm Mind Arceus, Deoxys-A, Dialga, other Latias, Manaphy, Omastar, Palkia, Reshiram, Shaymin-S—even Choice Specs Kyurem-W itself—will find themselves surprised by her sheer tenacity. Even wearing Latias down will prove difficult, for Roost provides reliable recovery and allows her to maintain long-term presence. Roar phazes any threat who tries to set up, weakening most switch-ins provided there is sufficient entry hazard support. Despite her lack of investment, Latias is no weakling; her last slot provides a potent STAB attack. Dragon Pulse is the preferred option for its high reliability. For those who desire more power, Draco Meteor is a better option. Its great power initially exceeds that of any Calm Mind Latias set, devastating opposing Dragon-type Pokemon. However, its Special Attack drop makes it inconsistent; Light Screen and Roar help minimize any serious repercussions. In the Uber metagame, the sheer number and power of its special attackers necessitate heavy investment in special bulk. But unlike other special walls, Latias can afford to place more emphasis on Speed while still maintaining titanic special bulk. As such, her EV spread provides the maximum special bulk possible while still allowing her to outspeed opposing neutral base 95 Speed Pokemon like Kyurem-W and Rayquaza. The invested bulk also ensures that Mewtwo's unboosted Life Orb Ice Beam is virtually unable to 2HKO after Stealth Rock. Latias's EVs can easily be tweaked depending on personal preference to more effectively take on certain special attackers. Feel free to take some EVs away from Speed and invest it in her bulk instead. 252 HP / 12 Def / 148 SpD / 96 Spe with a Calm Nature can be run if the only concern is outspeeding neutral base 90 Speed Pokemon like Kyogre and Reshiram; this allows her to better deal with threats such as Deoxys-A and Mewtwo. More Speed EVs can be removed, but note that lesser Speed makes it significantly more difficult for her to use Light Screen or Roost before a relatively slow hit, or out-phaze with Roar.Conversely, a greater investment in Speed is also possible. 252 HP / 52 SpD / 204 Spe with a Calm Nature can be run for the ability to outspeed positive base 90 Speed Pokemon, but it comes with a significant decrease in Special Defense. However, any further Speed investment is counterproductive due to compromising her ability to safely switch into Kyogre's Choice Specs Ice Beam after Stealth Rock; this is a significant incentive for her usage. Light Screen, Roost, and Roar are crucial to Latias's purpose. However, if Latias's Dragon STAB isn't necessary, Refresh can be run to alleviate status issues. Toxic allows Latias to more effectively take down opposing Pokemon who can no longer be forced out, such as last-Pokemon Calm Mind Arceus. It also deals significant damage to very bulky opponents like Lugia. However, both options leave her particularly vulnerable to Taunt users and fail to take advantage of Soul Dew's Special Attack boost; this hurts their viability. Because Latias places so much emphasis into her bulk, it is understandable that her offense suffers. Although she is no offensive deadweight thanks to Soul Dew and her STAB Dragon-type attacks, she still isn't very strong; she has the weakest overall offensive pressure out of all Latias sets. This problem is further augmented by her lack of coverage. Although any special checks are now ineffective, her physical checks remain troublesome. For example, Genesect with its U-turn will always force Latias to switch out. Her issue in offense has little effect on her performance against Kyogre. Latias's increased special bulk, Light Screen, and Roar gives her far more luxury; no longer will she have to play on Kyogre's terms—she comes in whenever she wants to. For instance, a Latias at full health is capable of switching into a full power, critical hit Choice Specs Water Spout. In every single relevant scenario, she will reliably and consistently counter Kyogre regardless of set. Her only possible issue, last-Pokemon Calm Mind Kyogre, is averted by getting in first and utilizing Roar to rack up entry hazard damage. Light Screen allows other teammates to deal with Kyogre more effectively, while she still has the ability to take it on in a pinch; she can successfully outstall the attacking moves of a +6 mono-attacker Kyogre despite the possible burn. Latias is great for teams that need extra reassurance against special threats. Despite her lean towards defense, she fits on all but the most offensive teams. As such, avoid placing her on teams like hyper offense, or her lack of strong offense will prove disappointing. The closest thing to a glue Pokemon out of all Latias sets is specially defensive. She isn't really used with specific teammates; she holds a team together by providing an answer to a wide range of threats. Latias is invaluable for supplying specific team support in phazing, Light Screen, and more. However, physical attackers who carry super effective attacks, like Genesect, are a huge hindrance, so physically bulky Pokemon who resist her weaknesses happen to be great teammates. In particular, physical walls such as Wallceus and Skarmory are fantastic partners, especially since they are better suited for taking on physical threats like Swords Dance Arceus-Ghost. Because Latias in turn is particularly good at taking on special attackers, entry hazards from the likes of Ferrothorn and Forretress can help make the most of her ability to force switches as well as compensating for her reduced offensive power. Latias also finds many last-Pokemon situations particularly bothersome, so Perish Song support from an Arceus forme is greatly appreciated. Cleric support from Blissey or Chansey is also wise for curing her of detrimental status like Toxic. Lastly, make sure to have some way of dealing with her non-special checks. For instance, should Ferrothorn manage to safely switch in, Xatu and Forretress are excellent solutions who can provide Magic Bounce and Rapid Spin support respectively.

Although it might seem counterproductive, using Calm Mind with Draco Meteor transforms Latias into an excellent Arceus-Ghost lure. A +1 Draco Meteor has enough power to cleanly OHKO an unboosted, 252 HP Arceus after Stealth Rock. On top of that, a +1 Psyshock can 2HKO the very same Arceus without any entry hazards necessary while an uninvested Ghost-type Judgment will always fail to 2HKO even with Stealth Rock support. This Latias variant is also extremely flexible. She can act similarly to the all-out attacker set by immediately attacking with strong Draco Meteors or increase her wallbreaking power with Calm Mind. Calm Mind also allows Latias to clean up late-game with her consistent Psyshock and Thunder. This versatility makes this set one of the best Kyogre checks as she will never run into issues her other sets might face, such as the inability to immediately punish the opposing team with powerful attacks or failing to stop Calm Mind Kyogre. Even when unboosted, Draco Meteor is a very strong attack that is capable of dealing 62% minimum to Choice Scarf Genesect, limiting it to a single switch-in. Psyshock is excellent for Calm Mind wars and for 2HKOing bulky Arceus at +1, but leaves Latias vulnerable to Spikes setters like Forretress. Because of that, Thunder can be used in its place as it still crushes Kyogre and Ho-Oh while potentially beating Calm Mind Arceus formes by crippling them with paralysis. Roost allows Latias to check Kyogre throughout the course of the match and to set up additional Calm Mind boosts when needed. The Special Attack EVs ensure that a +1 Draco Meteor will always OHKO 252 HP Arceus after Stealth Rock while the Speed EVs allow Latias to outspeed Garchomp. The remaining EVs are put into HP so Latias can avoid the 2HKO from Choice Scarf Kyogre's Water Spout after Stealth Rock. This, along with surviving Lustrous Orb Palkia's Spacial Rend after Stealth Rock, is why you should use this Latias instead of a similar Latios. Ferrothorn is a pest but it can only beat Latias if it runs Gyro Ball, as those with Power Whip as their attacking move are turned into setup fodder for Calm Mind. You can take advantage of this fact when considering teammates by using a Pokemon that loses to Ferrothorn only when it uses Power Whip, such as Calm Mind Kyogre. Regardless, you will want to use one of the typical Ferrothorn checks, such as Arceus-Fighting, to limit the number of turns it can use Spikes. You might also want to use a Rapid Spin user to remove the Spikes if Ferrothorn manages to set up. Tyranitar is another common problem for Latias, but not much can be done about it besides reserving Latias or indirectly pressuring Tyranitar with the threat of a weather sweeper, such as Kabutops. The beauty of this set is that it is extremely flexible and self-sufficient. It's more of a question of what Latias can do for your team rather than what team you need for her. If you find yourself in need of a reliable Kyogre switch-in, a solid Groudon punish, protection against the majority of Calm Mind Arceus formes, or just an additional check to Palkia, Calm Mind Draco Meteor Latias should fit easily on your team.

Latias has a great support movepool. Helping Hand is as always a top-notch supporting move in doubles, allowing Latias to help her partner deal more damage that turn. Dragon Pulse is a great move for Latias, preventing her from becoming Taunt bait while also hitting most other Pokemon for decent neutral damage. Icy Wind is another choice to consider, supporting slower Pokemon and hitting both opposing Pokemon to lower their Speed. Recover is great for Latias because she has some staying power; however, if you feel Protect is more useful, it is a good option. A Sitrus Berry is a useful item for Latias, allowing her to regain some HP without having to spend a turn Recovering. However, some may find this unnecessary because of Latias's access to the move Recover, so a Haban Berry is another option to consider. This allows Latias to take damage from opposing Dragon-types that threaten her, such as her speedier counterpart Latios, and hit back with Dragon Pulse. Yache Berry is another good resist berry for Latias, enabling her to live common Blizzards and other Ice-type attacks. Latias is best paired with Pokemon that deal heavy damage. Metagross is often a common partner because it resists Ice- and Dragon-type moves and hits with incredible power. Other Pokemon such as Mamoswine also complement Latias well because Helping Hand can boost its priority Ice Shard, and with Levitate, Latias is immune to Earthquake. Nearly all Earthquake users pair well with Latias because of Levitate and the Helping Hand boost. Heal Pulse is a new move for Latias, and is a very interesting one as well. Heal Pulse allows Latias to heal up her ally, but if that Pokemon faints before Heal Pulse lands, it will target the opposing side and benefit them. This makes Heal Pulse require some timing and prediction, because healing an opponent can be devastating. Pokemon who are decently bulky but lack recovery often benefit from Latias's Heal Pulse, although it's important to watch out for Follow Me or Rage Powder users, which can redirect Latias's attack and aid the opponent. As Tyranitar is one of the best Latias counters, great teammates for Latias are Steel- and Fighting-types. As mentioned before, Metagross makes a great partner because of its STAB Steel-type attacks that hit Tyranitar hard. Fighting-type Pokemon, particularly Hitmontop and Terrakion, also pair well with Latias because their STAB Fighting-type attacks will also remove Tyranitar. Hitmontop also has access to Sucker Punch, with which it can take down Latios, who is a bane to Latias as well. All in all, because Latias functions so well as a supporter, she can pair with almost any Pokemon. Every Pokemon can benefit from a Helping Hand boost or Heal Pulse recovery, so Latias is never short of options for teammates.

Throwing Latias into an offensive role may seem very odd considering her great supporting movepool, but Latias's attacking stats still enable her to pose a significant threat. Life Orb allows Latias to gain many OHKOs she would normally miss out on with a Timid nature, such as on both Latios and Garchomp with Dragon Pulse. Draco Meteor gains even more OHKOs, but comes at the price of a Special Attack drop, which might be unappealing. Psyshock gains STAB and hits common opponents such as Hitmontop for super effective damage, which can be devastating. In the third moveslot, Hidden Power Fire is recommended for extra coverage, especially against Steel-types, who resist both of Latias's STAB attacks. Protect is always a useful move in VGC 2012, providing a damage-free turn for Latias. There might not seem to be any reason to use offensive Latias over Latios, but the former's bulk can give her an edge against certain threats. For example, Latias can always survive a Mamoswine's Ice Gem Ice Shard, something Latios can't boast. Latias is also able to take Quiet Abomasnow's Blizzard, as well as hail damage at the end of the turn, which can be very useful. Yanmega's Bug Buzz won't OHKO Latias, but Latios might very well faint. Overall, Latias's bulk is able to get her out of quite a few sticky situations, while her attacking stats enable her to hit nearly as hard as her more offensively based counterpart. The EVs provided are the most efficient distribution when using Hidden Power Fire, outspeeding max Speed Infernape, Virizion, and Terrakion. However, if you wish to run max Speed to Speed tie with Latios and Gengar, other usable options include Thunderbolt, Surf, and supporting moves such as Helping Hand and Icy Wind. Latias's diverse movepool will leave you spoilt for choice even if you find Hidden Power Fire undesirable. Hidden Power Ground can also be used to hit Heatran while still maintaining super effective coverage on Steel-types. Steel- and Fighting-types are still some of Latias's greatest allies, so Pokemon such as Terrakion, Metagross, Hitmontop, and Heatran are excellent partners. Ground-types such as Mamoswine and Garchomp can also pair well as they are able to abuse strong Earthquakes without fear of hurting their partner. Latias's main issues are specially defensive walls, so Pokemon that hit on the physical side can overcome them and can prove to be a great aid. Great examples of these are Tyranitar, Breloom, and Terrakion which can take out Cresselia, Gastrodon, and Blissey, respectively. Latias can also use a Choice Scarf along with a Modest nature. Latias ordinarily Speed ties with her brother Latios, so a Choice Scarf can remove the luck factor of the tie. With the boost in Speed, Latias can run a Modest nature without worry in order to gain her offensive edge back. Unfortunately, with a Choice Scarf, Latias's versatility is severely limited, and since the Speed tie is very situational, winning it might not be of much use. Nonetheless, teams that have trouble with Latios might appreciate the surprise factor Latias can provide. If using Choice Scarf, Trick can be used instead of Protect in order to cripple support Pokemon. Tailwind is also an option on this set when not using Choice Scarf, as it can eliminate threats of Speed ties by simply boosting Latias and her teammates' Speed.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

With this set, Latias pieces together all of its positive traits to make the most out of itself as a fast supporter in the Doubles metagame. Tailwind is a fantastic support move, helping your team wreak havoc throughout the four turns that it lasts without fear of getting outpaced, but Thunder Wave is a perfectly viable alternative that permanently affects a Pokemon on the opponent's team's Speed. Draco Meteor might seem odd on a support Pokemon, and Dragon Pulse looks a bit more appealing on paper, but Draco Meteor provides fantastic utility by being able to OHKO many popular Dragon-types in Doubles and makes sure Latias can perform an alternative role as opposed to just being a fully support-oriented Pokemon. To show the benefit of using Draco Meteor over Dragon Pulse, here are some important damage calculations: Draco Meteor vs. 4 / 0 Salamence: 119.27 - 140.96% Draco Meteor vs. 4 / 0 Hydreigon: 109.2 - 129.44% Draco Meteor vs. 4 / 0 Garchomp: 104.46 - 124.02% Draco Meteor vs. 0 / 4 Latios: 100.33 - 118.27% The third slot is another move that prevents Latias from becoming dead weight after using Tailwind or Draco Meteor. Helping Hand is extremely useful, as it can boost Latias's teammates' moves after Tailwind has been set up, helping it fill the role of a supporter more effectively. Protect is very useful in the last slot for playing mindgames and is a general staple on many Pokemon in Doubles, but because Latias is as bulky as it is, Protect is not nearly as necessary as it would be on an offensive Pokemon. Psyshock is another viable option, as it hits common Fighting-types such as Hitmontop and Breloom for solid damage. The given spread allows Latias to use its amazing Speed tier to outpace key threats such as Terrakion, Salamence, and Garchomp. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD might look appealing for additional bulk, but Latias's Speed is what really sets it apart from Cresselia, and it is much harder to set Tailwind or use Thunder Wave if Latias is slow. Sitrus Berry is the main item, as it helps with Latias's overall longevity, but Haban Berry helps it deal with opposing Dragon-types much more effectively, as it can survive any Dragon-type attack and retaliate by either setting up Tailwind or hitting back hard with a Draco Meteor. Dragon Pulse could work over Draco Meteor, but it misses out on the important OHKOs listed above. Psychic is an option to hit Pokemon such as Breloom and Landorus-T for more damage, but Psyshock hits most Pokemon harder due to the metagame being more specially defensive in general. First and foremost when it comes to picking teammates, know that anything with middling to high Speed appreciates the speed control support from Latias. Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Heracross, and Victini are all good Pokemon to use on Tailwind teams and should therefore be considered for use alongside Latias. Even more notable Pokemon under this category are Ground-types that benefit from Tailwind. Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Mamoswine are all fantastic teammates, as they can freely use Earthquake due to Latias's immunity to it. Steel-types synergize extremely well with Latias, as they resist attacks that hit Latias for super effective damage, so Pokemon such as Scizor and Metagross are good teammates as well. Finally, teams weak to sun and rain appreciate the presence of Latias, as its presence alone will be a thorn in the side of those archetypes.