[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price Range**: 13-14 points
**Overview**: Normally overshadowed by Latios, Latias can be an effective Pokemon for its price range. With solid stats more inclined to defensive play, it can struggle somewhat to make too much of an offensive splash in most battles. However, a deep utility movepool and a respectable offensive stats allows Latias to fill multiple roles in a Draft without necessitating a tremendous amount of support from other teammates.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Utility Support**: With access to a wide range of supportive moves, a fast 110 Base Speed, and solid defensive stats, Latias can provide a highly customizable set to meet its team needs. Screens, status, hazard removal, even Healing Wish are all options depending on Latias's teammates and potential opponents.
**Wallbreaker**: While traditionally more defensive, base 110 Special Attack and a dedicated item like Soul Dew, a Z-Crystal or other boosting item can pack a punch, allowing Latias to break holes through an opponent's team for teammates to clean up on.
**Revenge Killer / Cleaner**: With enough investment and perhaps a Choice Scarf to get around boosts, Latias can outspeed most opponents, removing them from the battle safely.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Psychic, Psyshock, Stored Power
**Setup Moves**: Calm Mind, Substitute
**Utility Moves**: Defog, Healing Wish, Light Screen, Recover, Reflect, Refresh, Roost, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Wish, Trick
**Coverage**: Energy Ball, Hidden Power, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Surf, Thunder, Thunderbolt
Niche Moves
========
**Roar**: With enough defenses, Latias can often take a hit from a boosted opponent that doesn't have super-effective coverage and phaze them out. Alternatively, Pokemon which intend to set up on a utility-focused Latias can be surprised by being phazed out on their setup turn.
**Trick**: For more offensive Latias, Trick can hamper a defensive check such as Chansey or Celesteela by limiting them to a Choice item.
**Grass Knot**: Depending on the expected defensive responses, Grass Knot can outdamage the normal other options available to Latias.
**Physical Coverage**: With Sucker Punch and Earthquake, Latias can surprise Pokemon weak on the Physical Defense side with significant damage.
**Tailwind**: While difficult to make use of, many teammates can appreciate the one or two turns of a boosted Speed, allowing Latias to provide one additional benefit right before being KOd.
**Reflect Type**: In certain matchups, such as against Tyranitar or Alolan Muk, Latias can make use of changing its type, as its typing is often the way its offensive checks can take advantage of Latias.
**Refresh**: For Latias sets that only need one attacking move after setting up, Refresh guards against status conditions that would ruin a sweep.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: With a Choice Scarf, Latias can outspeed anything unboosted and many boosted threats, removing them as a revenge killer or late-game cleaner.
**Leftovers**: With Latias's stellar defenses, it can often expect to stay alive for extended periods of time, in which Leftovers can become a meaningful source of healing over time.
**Choice Specs**: While not typically thought of being an offensive powerhouse, few Pokemon can withstand a Choice Specs-backed STAB from Latias, and a misprediction from an opponent can result in playing from behind for the rest of the game.
**Z-Crystals**: Whether using a Z-Crystal alongside a STAB or a coverage option on Calm Mind sets, Latias can serve as a legitimate user of Z-Crystals while also decreasing the effectiveness of Knock Off.
**Resistance Berries**: With notable weaknesses, berries like Yache and Colbur can ensure that Latias can take a specific hit, such as a Weavile's Ice Shard or a Tyranitar's Pursuit, and respond back in kind with a utility move like Healing Wish or a final powerful attack. Colbur Berry particularly helps tank Knock Off, surviving the hit and making it less effective as a move on future turns.
**Light Clay**: Should Latias be tasked with setting up Reflect and Light Screen for its teammates, Light Clay is the item of choice to ensure maximum effectiveness of the screens.
Niche Items
========
**Damage boosting items**: A wide range of items, such as Soul Dew and Life Orb, can be used to provide damage boosts without the major limitations that Choice Specs or a Z-Crystal have, ensuring preferable damage rolls and KOs.
**Sitrus / Pinch Berries**: For Latias sets that don't expect to survive for terribly long, such as wallbreakers, Sitrus Berry can provide an additional turn to set up or deal damage before fainting. With proper preparation, Pinch Berries can act as a more effective option, though with the risk associated with relying on a smaller activation range.
Draft Strategy
========
Latias is a versatile teammate, but should not be the lynchpin of a strategy. With a wide range of sets and moves it can use, Latias will often be your second best option for most things in the builder, with the potential exception of some utility options like screens setting. With a solid defensive profile and Levitate, Latias can provide its weight to the defensive backbone of a team, though it can often be locked into a specific lane if a draft is missing a key component.
**Wallbreakers**: While Latias can do damage, it is primarily a utility Pokemon and needs other Pokemon to deal significant damage. Should it take offensive sets, it appreciates Physical attackers like Landorus-T especially, as its own sets hit on the Special Attacking side and synchronizeses best with those. Special attackers like Tapu Koko and Mega Charizard Y can allow a more utility-focused Latias to supplement their significant damage output without a ton of investment.
**Entry Hazard Control**: While Latias can use Defog, it often wants to use many other moves, and it can't set its own entry hazards. Latias appreciates teammates that can chip in on the entry hazard removal, such as Scizor, Rotom-Wash, and Excadrill and more offensive sets can benefit greatly from the increased KO ranges from opponents taking entry hazard damage provided by Nidoqeen and Mega Diancie on switch-in.
**Speed Control**: While Latias is naturally fast, many Pokemon can outspeed it, and without a Choice Scarf it cannot outpace any boosted opponents. Teammates comfortable with using Choice Scarf, such as Weavile or Zeraora, or capable of boosting their Speed easily, like Greninja, make good partners with Latias to ensure that it isn't consistently outsped when Latias itslef isn't using Choice Scarf.
**Steel-type Removal**: Latias cannot do much against Steel-types, especially compared to the stronger Latias. Pokemon that can pressure and remove Steel-types, such as Landorus-I, Keldeo, and Mienshao, can reliably switch in on Steel-types and threaten them out or KO them, easing Latias' ability to contribute to a battle.
Checks and Counters
========
**Pursuit**: Pursuit is the bane of Latias, and can result in Latias being able to accomplish one thing throughout the course of a game if not properly prepared for. Even if expected, Pursuit greatly limits Latias inherently. While Colbur Berry can reduce the impact, Pokemon like Tyranitar and Weavile can make Latias feel very limited in a matchup.
**Steel- and Fairy-types**: While Latias can deal significant damage, it relies on its STAB options being mostly unresisted. Pokemon like Celesteela and Tapu Koko can easily switch in to Latias's attacks and force it out.
**Revenge Killers**: Without being prepared to be a revenge killer itself, Latias can easily be outsped and removed from the battle without much difficulty.
**Status Conditions**: The drop in Speed from Paralysis, especially on Choice item sets, can be a game-ender for Latias, while defensive, utility, or set-up sweeper sets greatly fear the inherent timer that comes with Toxic or Burn.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-fairy.57965/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
**Draft Order**: Round 3 onwards
**Price Range**: 13-14 points
**Overview**: Normally overshadowed by Latios, Latias can be an effective Pokemon for its price range. With solid stats more inclined to defensive play, it can struggle somewhat to make too much of an offensive splash in most battles. However, a deep utility movepool and a respectable offensive stats allows Latias to fill multiple roles in a Draft without necessitating a tremendous amount of support from other teammates.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Utility Support**: With access to a wide range of supportive moves, a fast 110 Base Speed, and solid defensive stats, Latias can provide a highly customizable set to meet its team needs. Screens, status, hazard removal, even Healing Wish are all options depending on Latias's teammates and potential opponents.
**Wallbreaker**: While traditionally more defensive, base 110 Special Attack and a dedicated item like Soul Dew, a Z-Crystal or other boosting item can pack a punch, allowing Latias to break holes through an opponent's team for teammates to clean up on.
**Revenge Killer / Cleaner**: With enough investment and perhaps a Choice Scarf to get around boosts, Latias can outspeed most opponents, removing them from the battle safely.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Psychic, Psyshock, Stored Power
**Setup Moves**: Calm Mind, Substitute
**Utility Moves**: Defog, Healing Wish, Light Screen, Recover, Reflect, Refresh, Roost, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Wish, Trick
**Coverage**: Energy Ball, Hidden Power, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Surf, Thunder, Thunderbolt
Niche Moves
========
**Roar**: With enough defenses, Latias can often take a hit from a boosted opponent that doesn't have super-effective coverage and phaze them out. Alternatively, Pokemon which intend to set up on a utility-focused Latias can be surprised by being phazed out on their setup turn.
**Trick**: For more offensive Latias, Trick can hamper a defensive check such as Chansey or Celesteela by limiting them to a Choice item.
**Grass Knot**: Depending on the expected defensive responses, Grass Knot can outdamage the normal other options available to Latias.
**Physical Coverage**: With Sucker Punch and Earthquake, Latias can surprise Pokemon weak on the Physical Defense side with significant damage.
**Tailwind**: While difficult to make use of, many teammates can appreciate the one or two turns of a boosted Speed, allowing Latias to provide one additional benefit right before being KOd.
**Reflect Type**: In certain matchups, such as against Tyranitar or Alolan Muk, Latias can make use of changing its type, as its typing is often the way its offensive checks can take advantage of Latias.
**Refresh**: For Latias sets that only need one attacking move after setting up, Refresh guards against status conditions that would ruin a sweep.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: With a Choice Scarf, Latias can outspeed anything unboosted and many boosted threats, removing them as a revenge killer or late-game cleaner.
**Leftovers**: With Latias's stellar defenses, it can often expect to stay alive for extended periods of time, in which Leftovers can become a meaningful source of healing over time.
**Choice Specs**: While not typically thought of being an offensive powerhouse, few Pokemon can withstand a Choice Specs-backed STAB from Latias, and a misprediction from an opponent can result in playing from behind for the rest of the game.
**Z-Crystals**: Whether using a Z-Crystal alongside a STAB or a coverage option on Calm Mind sets, Latias can serve as a legitimate user of Z-Crystals while also decreasing the effectiveness of Knock Off.
**Resistance Berries**: With notable weaknesses, berries like Yache and Colbur can ensure that Latias can take a specific hit, such as a Weavile's Ice Shard or a Tyranitar's Pursuit, and respond back in kind with a utility move like Healing Wish or a final powerful attack. Colbur Berry particularly helps tank Knock Off, surviving the hit and making it less effective as a move on future turns.
**Light Clay**: Should Latias be tasked with setting up Reflect and Light Screen for its teammates, Light Clay is the item of choice to ensure maximum effectiveness of the screens.
Niche Items
========
**Damage boosting items**: A wide range of items, such as Soul Dew and Life Orb, can be used to provide damage boosts without the major limitations that Choice Specs or a Z-Crystal have, ensuring preferable damage rolls and KOs.
**Sitrus / Pinch Berries**: For Latias sets that don't expect to survive for terribly long, such as wallbreakers, Sitrus Berry can provide an additional turn to set up or deal damage before fainting. With proper preparation, Pinch Berries can act as a more effective option, though with the risk associated with relying on a smaller activation range.
Draft Strategy
========
Latias is a versatile teammate, but should not be the lynchpin of a strategy. With a wide range of sets and moves it can use, Latias will often be your second best option for most things in the builder, with the potential exception of some utility options like screens setting. With a solid defensive profile and Levitate, Latias can provide its weight to the defensive backbone of a team, though it can often be locked into a specific lane if a draft is missing a key component.
**Wallbreakers**: While Latias can do damage, it is primarily a utility Pokemon and needs other Pokemon to deal significant damage. Should it take offensive sets, it appreciates Physical attackers like Landorus-T especially, as its own sets hit on the Special Attacking side and synchronizeses best with those. Special attackers like Tapu Koko and Mega Charizard Y can allow a more utility-focused Latias to supplement their significant damage output without a ton of investment.
**Entry Hazard Control**: While Latias can use Defog, it often wants to use many other moves, and it can't set its own entry hazards. Latias appreciates teammates that can chip in on the entry hazard removal, such as Scizor, Rotom-Wash, and Excadrill and more offensive sets can benefit greatly from the increased KO ranges from opponents taking entry hazard damage provided by Nidoqeen and Mega Diancie on switch-in.
**Speed Control**: While Latias is naturally fast, many Pokemon can outspeed it, and without a Choice Scarf it cannot outpace any boosted opponents. Teammates comfortable with using Choice Scarf, such as Weavile or Zeraora, or capable of boosting their Speed easily, like Greninja, make good partners with Latias to ensure that it isn't consistently outsped when Latias itslef isn't using Choice Scarf.
**Steel-type Removal**: Latias cannot do much against Steel-types, especially compared to the stronger Latias. Pokemon that can pressure and remove Steel-types, such as Landorus-I, Keldeo, and Mienshao, can reliably switch in on Steel-types and threaten them out or KO them, easing Latias' ability to contribute to a battle.
Checks and Counters
========
**Pursuit**: Pursuit is the bane of Latias, and can result in Latias being able to accomplish one thing throughout the course of a game if not properly prepared for. Even if expected, Pursuit greatly limits Latias inherently. While Colbur Berry can reduce the impact, Pokemon like Tyranitar and Weavile can make Latias feel very limited in a matchup.
**Steel- and Fairy-types**: While Latias can deal significant damage, it relies on its STAB options being mostly unresisted. Pokemon like Celesteela and Tapu Koko can easily switch in to Latias's attacks and force it out.
**Revenge Killers**: Without being prepared to be a revenge killer itself, Latias can easily be outsped and removed from the battle without much difficulty.
**Status Conditions**: The drop in Speed from Paralysis, especially on Choice item sets, can be a game-ender for Latias, while defensive, utility, or set-up sweeper sets greatly fear the inherent timer that comes with Toxic or Burn.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-fairy.57965/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
Last edited:
