QC: p2 / Hootie / bludz
GP: P Squared / The Dutch Plumberjack
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Recover
move 3: Psyshock / Stored Power
move 4: Surf / Thunderbolt
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind gives Mega Latias a way to boost its already good Special Attack and Special Defense stats further and become a very threatening wincon. Recover is used in the next slot to keep Mega Latias alive as it boosts and consistently take hits from the likes of Keldeo and Thundurus. The rest of its moveset is very customizable based on what the team needs. Psyshock is a STAB move with decent immediate power that gives Mega Latias the ability to deal physical damage. It is Mega Latias's best option for taking on the likes of Keldeo before boosting, which is especially useful if Mega Latias is not using Thunderbolt, and helps it win Calm Mind wars against pokemon such as Clefable because it does not take into account the target's Special Defense. Stored Power is an alternative that has very low initial power but hits incredibly hard after several boosts and turns Mega Latias into a massive threat. It has the added bonus of breaking through Unaware users like Quagsire and Clefable due to its increased Base Power after every boost, something Unaware can't negate. Surf provides great coverage alongside Latias's Psychic-type STAB move due to its ability to deal large sums of damage to several Pokemon that would otherwise wall Mega Latias like Tyranitar, Heatran, specially defensive Excadrill, and Bisharp. Thunderbolt is another option that helps Mega Latias revenge kill the likes of Manaphy, Azumarill, and Volcanion while providing neutral coverage on most of the same Pokemon as Surf, and it is especially useful for hitting Water-types like Keldeo hard right off the bat if Mega Latias opts for Stored Power over Psyshock. It also helps to break Calm Mind Slowbro and Slowking with more ease than any of Mega Latias's other options because it hits both of these super effectively, and to discourage Mega Gyarados from setting up.
Dragon Pulse can be used over Surf or Thunderbolt and is a decently powerful move with good neutral coverage on most Psychic-types and Dark-types in the tier while also dealing good damage to opposing Dragon-types, but it leaves Mega Latias easily taken advantage of by the many prominent Steel-types in OU such as Heatran, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory. Substitute and Refresh are additional options to help Mega Latias manage status and, in the case of Substitute, Pursuit better, but they force Mega Latias to run a mono-attacking Psyshock or Stored Power set, which leaves it as bait for the tier's Dark-types. Additionally, Reflect Type is an option in the final moveslot to help against Pursuit trappers and to set up more easily on Pokemon like Heatran and Ferrothorn, but it struggles to be effective for the same reasons as Substitute and Refresh: being forced to run single-move coverage. Reflect Type sets are also unable to reliably shield themselves from status, as in order to be immune to Toxic Mega Latias must first use Reflect Type on a Steel- or Poison-type Pokemon, and in order to be immune to burns Mega Latias must first use Reflect Type on a Fire-type Pokemon, and so on.
Set Details
========
Calm Mind Mega Latias is a defensive sweeper, so maximum HP investment is used to make it take hits as comfortably as possible while setting up. Mega Latias has a great Speed tier, so maximum investment with a Timid nature is vital to take full advantage of it. This lets it outspeed threats like Terrakion, Keldeo, Garchomp, and Mega Pinsir while tying with Gengar, opposing Latias, Latios, and Mega Diancie. Latiasite is the chosen item to let Latias Mega Evolve and get a gargantuan boost in both Defense and Special Defense, making it much more effective as a Calm Mind sweeper.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Latias does not need to boost every time it is sent out. Pivoting Mega Latias in and out on the attackers it checks like Volcanion, Keldeo, Thundurus, and Mega Charizard Y while dealing some damage to its checks and counters as they come in with its Psyshock, Surf, or Thunderbolt is generally best as long as the opponent is capable of stopping a Mega Latias sweep. Sometimes it is also best to just Recover off the damage from the attackers that Mega Latias walls as they switch out so that Mega Latias does not get too worn down and put in the KO range of hits like Keldeo's Icy Wind or Thundurus's Hidden Power Ice. Being badly poisoned or paralyzed is extremely crippling for Mega Latias, the former leaving it unable to sweep effectively and the latter leaving it easily revenge killed, so it is best to avoid these status conditions at all costs. Burns are also frustrating for Mega Latias, forcing it to use Recover much more often and thus reducing how effective it is at carrying out its job. When boosting with Calm Mind, make sure not to boost more than is necessary to win the game. The more Mega Latias boosts, the more likely it is to be struck by a critical hit, potentially ending a sweep before it begins. Without Reflect Type or Substitute, this set is very vulnerable to Pursuit trappers, so it is important to be wary of Pokemon that commonly run Pursuit like Weavile and Tyranitar. The latter becomes significantly more deadly if equipped with a Choice Band, always 2HKOing Mega Latias with Pursuit even if it does not attempt to switch and OHKOing if it does.
Team Options
========
This Mega Latias set is best as a wincon for balanced and bulky offensive teams that appreciate the defensive utility it brings to the table. Many of its partners appreciate its ability to check powerful attackers like Mega Charizard Y, Keldeo, Volcanion, Thundurus, Tornadus-T, and Mega Manectric while checking some of the Pokemon capable of halting a Mega Latias sweep. Gliscor can be a good partner, as it poses a threat to Clefable, Bisharp, and Mega Diancie while absorbing status for Mega Latias thanks to Poison Heal. Fighting-types like Terrakion and Keldeo are good partners as well for their ability to check threatening Dark-types like Bisharp and Tyranitar. Terrakion has the bonus of taking advantage of Pursuit trappers with Justified, especially when holding a Choice Band, while Keldeo can reliably switch into Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Weavile and also checks Mega Scizor. Suicune threatens Pokemon like Weavile, Mega Scizor, and Bisharp while being able to phaze them with Roar if they attempt to set up and absorb status with Rest. Clefable can check Pokemon like Kyurem-B, Mega Diancie, Latios, and Weavile while spreading paralysis to many of their shared checks like Jirachi and Bisharp with Thunder Wave. Skarmory and Ferrothorn check threats like Mega Diancie, Mega Gardevoir, and Latios while setting up Spikes to wear down several Pokemon like Tyranitar and Bisharp that check Mega Latias. Skarmory has the advantage of handling Weavile, Bisharp, and Mega Scizor, while Ferrothorn can check Choice Band Azumarill.
Heatran is a viable partner that can beat Ferrothorn, Clefable, and Mega Scizor while setting Stealth Rock and is able to take Will-O-Wisp and Toxic for Mega Latias. Zapdos checks Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, Mega Pinsir, and Jirachi while more reliably checking Life Orb Tornadus-T and providing Defog support. Tyranitar is another Pokemon that partners well with Mega Latias due to it checking Mega Charizard X, Talonflame, and opposing Latios and Latias. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Tyranitar also becomes able to check Mega Gardevoir, revenge kill Bisharp with Superpower, and Pursuit trap Gengar. Sand Rush Excadrill with Sand Stream support brings offensive presence to the table in the form of a dangerous revenge killer capable of taking on threats like Mega Diancie, Clefable, Mega Gardevoir, Kyurem-B, and Weavile for Mega Latias and as such is a fantastic choice for a partner. Hippowdon can check Mega Charizard X, Bisharp, and Mega Lopunny while also setting Stealth Rock to wear down the opposing team. Amoonguss alleviates some pressure from Mega Latias to take on Keldeo + Pursuit cores and checks Choice Band Azumarill, Mega Altaria, Clefable, and maximum Special Attack variants of Mega Diancie, and it can help to halt a Mega Gyarados sweep with Spore. Finally, Choice Scarf Landorus-T is a partner with offensive presence that provides a way to revenge kill various physical attackers like Mega Lopunny, Mega Metagross, and Jirachi for Mega Latias while grabbing momentum for the team with U-turn.
GP: P Squared / The Dutch Plumberjack
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Recover
move 3: Psyshock / Stored Power
move 4: Surf / Thunderbolt
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Calm Mind gives Mega Latias a way to boost its already good Special Attack and Special Defense stats further and become a very threatening wincon. Recover is used in the next slot to keep Mega Latias alive as it boosts and consistently take hits from the likes of Keldeo and Thundurus. The rest of its moveset is very customizable based on what the team needs. Psyshock is a STAB move with decent immediate power that gives Mega Latias the ability to deal physical damage. It is Mega Latias's best option for taking on the likes of Keldeo before boosting, which is especially useful if Mega Latias is not using Thunderbolt, and helps it win Calm Mind wars against pokemon such as Clefable because it does not take into account the target's Special Defense. Stored Power is an alternative that has very low initial power but hits incredibly hard after several boosts and turns Mega Latias into a massive threat. It has the added bonus of breaking through Unaware users like Quagsire and Clefable due to its increased Base Power after every boost, something Unaware can't negate. Surf provides great coverage alongside Latias's Psychic-type STAB move due to its ability to deal large sums of damage to several Pokemon that would otherwise wall Mega Latias like Tyranitar, Heatran, specially defensive Excadrill, and Bisharp. Thunderbolt is another option that helps Mega Latias revenge kill the likes of Manaphy, Azumarill, and Volcanion while providing neutral coverage on most of the same Pokemon as Surf, and it is especially useful for hitting Water-types like Keldeo hard right off the bat if Mega Latias opts for Stored Power over Psyshock. It also helps to break Calm Mind Slowbro and Slowking with more ease than any of Mega Latias's other options because it hits both of these super effectively, and to discourage Mega Gyarados from setting up.
Dragon Pulse can be used over Surf or Thunderbolt and is a decently powerful move with good neutral coverage on most Psychic-types and Dark-types in the tier while also dealing good damage to opposing Dragon-types, but it leaves Mega Latias easily taken advantage of by the many prominent Steel-types in OU such as Heatran, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory. Substitute and Refresh are additional options to help Mega Latias manage status and, in the case of Substitute, Pursuit better, but they force Mega Latias to run a mono-attacking Psyshock or Stored Power set, which leaves it as bait for the tier's Dark-types. Additionally, Reflect Type is an option in the final moveslot to help against Pursuit trappers and to set up more easily on Pokemon like Heatran and Ferrothorn, but it struggles to be effective for the same reasons as Substitute and Refresh: being forced to run single-move coverage. Reflect Type sets are also unable to reliably shield themselves from status, as in order to be immune to Toxic Mega Latias must first use Reflect Type on a Steel- or Poison-type Pokemon, and in order to be immune to burns Mega Latias must first use Reflect Type on a Fire-type Pokemon, and so on.
Set Details
========
Calm Mind Mega Latias is a defensive sweeper, so maximum HP investment is used to make it take hits as comfortably as possible while setting up. Mega Latias has a great Speed tier, so maximum investment with a Timid nature is vital to take full advantage of it. This lets it outspeed threats like Terrakion, Keldeo, Garchomp, and Mega Pinsir while tying with Gengar, opposing Latias, Latios, and Mega Diancie. Latiasite is the chosen item to let Latias Mega Evolve and get a gargantuan boost in both Defense and Special Defense, making it much more effective as a Calm Mind sweeper.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Latias does not need to boost every time it is sent out. Pivoting Mega Latias in and out on the attackers it checks like Volcanion, Keldeo, Thundurus, and Mega Charizard Y while dealing some damage to its checks and counters as they come in with its Psyshock, Surf, or Thunderbolt is generally best as long as the opponent is capable of stopping a Mega Latias sweep. Sometimes it is also best to just Recover off the damage from the attackers that Mega Latias walls as they switch out so that Mega Latias does not get too worn down and put in the KO range of hits like Keldeo's Icy Wind or Thundurus's Hidden Power Ice. Being badly poisoned or paralyzed is extremely crippling for Mega Latias, the former leaving it unable to sweep effectively and the latter leaving it easily revenge killed, so it is best to avoid these status conditions at all costs. Burns are also frustrating for Mega Latias, forcing it to use Recover much more often and thus reducing how effective it is at carrying out its job. When boosting with Calm Mind, make sure not to boost more than is necessary to win the game. The more Mega Latias boosts, the more likely it is to be struck by a critical hit, potentially ending a sweep before it begins. Without Reflect Type or Substitute, this set is very vulnerable to Pursuit trappers, so it is important to be wary of Pokemon that commonly run Pursuit like Weavile and Tyranitar. The latter becomes significantly more deadly if equipped with a Choice Band, always 2HKOing Mega Latias with Pursuit even if it does not attempt to switch and OHKOing if it does.
Team Options
========
This Mega Latias set is best as a wincon for balanced and bulky offensive teams that appreciate the defensive utility it brings to the table. Many of its partners appreciate its ability to check powerful attackers like Mega Charizard Y, Keldeo, Volcanion, Thundurus, Tornadus-T, and Mega Manectric while checking some of the Pokemon capable of halting a Mega Latias sweep. Gliscor can be a good partner, as it poses a threat to Clefable, Bisharp, and Mega Diancie while absorbing status for Mega Latias thanks to Poison Heal. Fighting-types like Terrakion and Keldeo are good partners as well for their ability to check threatening Dark-types like Bisharp and Tyranitar. Terrakion has the bonus of taking advantage of Pursuit trappers with Justified, especially when holding a Choice Band, while Keldeo can reliably switch into Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Weavile and also checks Mega Scizor. Suicune threatens Pokemon like Weavile, Mega Scizor, and Bisharp while being able to phaze them with Roar if they attempt to set up and absorb status with Rest. Clefable can check Pokemon like Kyurem-B, Mega Diancie, Latios, and Weavile while spreading paralysis to many of their shared checks like Jirachi and Bisharp with Thunder Wave. Skarmory and Ferrothorn check threats like Mega Diancie, Mega Gardevoir, and Latios while setting up Spikes to wear down several Pokemon like Tyranitar and Bisharp that check Mega Latias. Skarmory has the advantage of handling Weavile, Bisharp, and Mega Scizor, while Ferrothorn can check Choice Band Azumarill.
Heatran is a viable partner that can beat Ferrothorn, Clefable, and Mega Scizor while setting Stealth Rock and is able to take Will-O-Wisp and Toxic for Mega Latias. Zapdos checks Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, Mega Pinsir, and Jirachi while more reliably checking Life Orb Tornadus-T and providing Defog support. Tyranitar is another Pokemon that partners well with Mega Latias due to it checking Mega Charizard X, Talonflame, and opposing Latios and Latias. With a Choice Scarf equipped, Tyranitar also becomes able to check Mega Gardevoir, revenge kill Bisharp with Superpower, and Pursuit trap Gengar. Sand Rush Excadrill with Sand Stream support brings offensive presence to the table in the form of a dangerous revenge killer capable of taking on threats like Mega Diancie, Clefable, Mega Gardevoir, Kyurem-B, and Weavile for Mega Latias and as such is a fantastic choice for a partner. Hippowdon can check Mega Charizard X, Bisharp, and Mega Lopunny while also setting Stealth Rock to wear down the opposing team. Amoonguss alleviates some pressure from Mega Latias to take on Keldeo + Pursuit cores and checks Choice Band Azumarill, Mega Altaria, Clefable, and maximum Special Attack variants of Mega Diancie, and it can help to halt a Mega Gyarados sweep with Spore. Finally, Choice Scarf Landorus-T is a partner with offensive presence that provides a way to revenge kill various physical attackers like Mega Lopunny, Mega Metagross, and Jirachi for Mega Latias while grabbing momentum for the team with U-turn.
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