[OVERVIEW]
Lapras's STAB Blizzard and tremendous bulk give it positive matchups against many of the physical attackers of Ubers, namely Swords Dance Mew, Tauros, and Snorlax. Its Speed is just enough to outrun Chansey and Exeggutor, which it can potentially threaten with Sing, disrupting common sleep strategies. Because Lapras is so hard to wall as a result of BoltBeam coverage, absorbing its Sing with paralyzed Pokemon is also very difficult; it can blow past Pokemon like Alakazam and Starmie easily when they're paralyzed. Furthermore, Lapras is generally not concerned with taking paralysis itself, and when it's paralyzed it can potentially switch in on sleep moves from Pokemon like Exeggutor and threaten massive damage thereafter. Lapras's quadruple resistance to Ice and immunity to freeze lets it switch into certain Ice-type moves, notably against Chansey, softening a somewhat common Mewtwo removal strategy. Lapras's ability to trade hits favorably against almost the entirety of Kanto's finest allows it to clear the way for even stronger allies, positioning them for a quick beatdown.
However, Lapras's lack of reliability comes back to bite it very frequently. It's easily worn down over the course of a game, as its Speed often forces it to take a hit before it can make a move, and it crucially lacks reliable recovery. Being weak to Thunderbolt and neutral to Psychic doesn't help it either, and an untimely critical hit can significantly limit the impact it will have over the course of a game. Additionally, Lapras faces stiff Water-type competition in Cloyster and Starmie. Both are faster than Lapras, and Cloyster has access Clamp and Explosion, while Starmie has Recover and Thunder Wave. While they can't replicate its power or Sing access, they usually bring more consistent utility to a team, which often pushes Lapras out during teambuilding.
[SET]
name: Confuse Ray
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Confuse Ray
move 4: Body Slam
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Lapras's STAB Blizzard is no joke, OHKOing Dragonite and almost always OHKOing Rhydon and Golem. It also 2HKOes notable Pokemon like Zapdos, Exeggutor, Persian, and sometimes even Tauros. Tauros is a very notable use-case, as few Pokemon are capable of beating it in a head-on fight; not only can Lapras potentially 2HKO it, but it can also survive two Body Slams followed by Hyper Beam. Thunderbolt ensures Water-types like Cloyster, Starmie, and Slowbro can't wall Lapras, with it 2HKOing Cloyster and 3HKOing the others. Body Slam allows Lapras to be more self-sufficient in spreading paralysis, which also supports parafusion with Confuse Ray. It also gives Lapras an effective move against Jynx, rarely 3HKOing it.
Thanks to RBY's brutal confusion mechanics, when supported with paralysis, Lapras can position itself into a positive matchup against most Swords Dance Mew variants, including Reflect sets. A single +2 self-hit puts Mew into Blizzard 2HKO range, and from there, Lapras tends to win the interaction. Another application consists of disrupting paralyzed Mewtwo and Slowbro's Amnesia setup, but outside of this, it's generally quite weak.
Confuse Ray Lapras works best as a mid-game threat that disrupts conventional offensive strategies. Progress-makers like Snorlax and Mew tend to have trouble combatting Lapras, as they cannot KO it quickly, and it retaliates fiercely. However, this only works consistently from full HP: thus, Lapras should be kept for one single, favorable trade before going on its rampage. Lapras benefits from an allied Mew with Thunder Wave, which is one of the most consistent methods of landing paralysis against a myriad of threats, most notably opposing Mew. Other paralysis support options include Alakazam, Chansey, Jolteon, Zapdos, Dragonite, and Slowbro. Lapras teams tend to struggle against Zapdos, so Jolteon is a suitable partner, though Rhydon is also suitable for a more definitive answer.
[SET]
name: Sing Lead
move 1: Sing
move 2: Blizzard
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hyper Beam
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Thanks to the presence of Exeggutor and Tauros in the lead slot, Lapras is capable of being a decent lead itself. It possesses the ability to outspeed and 2HKO Exeggutor with its STAB Blizzard or land Sing before getting put to sleep itself. Against Tauros, it is able to stomach two Body Slams and a Hyper Beam and is virtually never KOed without critical hits. In return, it can attempt to put Tauros to sleep or fire off Blizzard, which will 2HKO a little over a quarter of the time. Lapras can use its excellent coverage and bulk to fire off Thunderbolts against Starmie and an unboosted Slowbro mid-game. It also completely stonewalls Cloyster, forcing it to use Explosion or switch out in fear of being 2HKOed by said Thunderbolt. Blizzard's 10.2% freeze chance also means Lapras can potentially flip a game on its head by securing a freeze on the likes of Chansey or Mewtwo. Hyper Beam is used in the last slot as a decent finishing tool against Chansey, KOing from about 40%.
While Lapras does have many qualities that make it enticing as a lead, it also suffers from some bad matchups. Jynx, Gengar, Jolteon, and Zapdos all are common leads and make the Lapras user start off on a terrible foot. Zapdos and Jolteon are massively threatening with their STAB Thunderbolt, which 2HKOes Lapras, and they have a good chance to OHKO outright thanks to their high critical hit rates. While Zapdos is 2HKOed in return with Blizzard, this is still a very favorable matchup for it. Jynx and Gengar both outspeed and carry their own more accurate sleep-inducing moves, threatening to put Lapras to sleep before it can do anything. Lapras also suffers from its lack of recovery, often being worn down very quickly while taking stray hits from Snorlax and Mew. This makes it quite difficult to facilitate Lapras, especially when such common Pokemon like Chansey and Thunderbolt Mewtwo can switch in repeatedly and shrug off the damage with their reliable recovery, only fearing being frozen.
Lapras and its traits make it somewhat matchup dependent, as it can be quite devastating against teams that rely on Exeggutor for sleep or Cloyster for their Snorlax check. It is best to maximize your gain early on, putting something to sleep and using Blizzard to shoot for a freeze. If these are achieved, then sacrificing Lapras to the likes of Sing Chansey is often optimal for a team. One additional benefit is the lack of Thunderbolt on Chansey in Ubers, meaning it is typically safe to stay in and fish for that freeze while Chansey tries to put it to sleep. Additionally, if threats such as Cloyster are revealed, Lapras should be kept healthy\ to repeatedly switch in and freely use Blizzard into incoming Chansey and Mewtwo.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lapras has a massive movepool that's worth delving into; however, Blizzard and Thunderbolt are generally undroppable. Hyper Beam can be used on Lapras's Confuse Ray set over Body Slam, providing a better matchup against Jynx, KOing it after it has been hit by Thunderbolt twice. Lapras has access to Psychic, which can trigger a Special drop overflow against a +5 Mewtwo with maximum investment, but it has little use outside of this. Ice Beam can be used for the additional PP and accuracy, but the drop in power noticeable—for example, Ice Beam fails to reliably 2HKO Exeggutor or come close to 2HKOing Tauros. Since Lapras wants to win a single notable KO through sheer bulk and power, it tends to be counterproductive.
Lapras can attempt to use a Rest set that allows it to try to repeatedly win trades, but this cedes momentum to the opponent's Mewtwo and Thunderbolt users like Zapdos. This can be used alongside Reflect to make Lapras a real pain for Swords Dance Mew, Tauros, and Snorlax to deal with, but this is performed more effectively by Pokemon like Zapdos and Aerodactyl. This set also ends up making it extremely weak against Mewtwo, which pressures the set effortlessly with its nuclear special attacks and ability to set up while Lapras is asleep.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: While Lapras deals massive damage to Zapdos, Jolteon, and Electrode, notably 2HKOing the former due to its Blizzard weakness, Lapras will quickly get forced out if it can't KO them outright. They deal massive damage with STAB Thunderbolt, with Jolteon and Zapdos 2HKOing it and Electrode doing so if Lapras has taken even minor damage. Additionally, their high critical hit rates can turn a 2HKO into an OHKO. Lapras should only attempt to win if they are paralyzed and the team lacks adequate switch-ins.
**Mewtwo**: Mewtwo frequently uses Thunderbolt, and while this can't 2HKO Lapras unboosted, Mewtwo will frequently be at +2 or more. Lapras struggles to damage Mewtwo at all, with an unboosted Mewtwo only taking around a quarter from Blizzard. The maximum damage Lapras can deal to it is 29.8% with Hyper Beam. The best shot Lapras has of winning is via parafusion tactics.
**Chansey**: While Lapras can use Hyper Beam to KO Chansey from a range of 37.9% to 44.6% and has the potential to freeze it or put it to sleep, Chansey has numerous ways to beat Lapras. A paralyzed Chansey is generally not afraid of non-Confuse Ray Lapras, stonewalling it, and Sing variants can fire off uncontested sleep with little Lapras can do. Light Screen variants designed to beat Mewtwo can also nullify Lapras's main strength, its powerful STAB Blizzard. Chansey can also threaten Lapras with a 3HKO from Thunderbolt. Sing Lapras teams should not paralyze Chansey and instead aim to use Lapras's faster Sing to force sleep onto the opposing team. This can be done through switching in on a predicted Seismic Toss or Ice Beam, both of which Lapras shrugs off.
**Amnesia Snorlax**: The minute Snorlax scores an Amnesia boost, Lapras is incapable of making any meaningful progress against it outside of a lucky freeze with Blizzard or a critical hit. In return, Snorlax can repeatedly Body Slam Lapras. Because Snorlax takes a chunk from Blizzard switching in or trying to set up on Lapras, it's not the worst matchup to begin with, but can quickly become unwinnable if left alone.
**Mew**: While not used often, Rock Slide Mew is a terrible matchup for Lapras, 2HKOing it at +2. Niche Mew variants may also use Thunderbolt to possibly 3HKO it. However, other sets are terrified of sustained assaults from Lapras, especially when paralyzed, as Lapras's Blizzard has a favorable chance to 3HKO Mew. Confuse Ray Lapras variants are very annoying for Swords Dance Mew to deal with, as confusion damage increases due to its Attack boosts. Confusion damage uses the opponent's Reflect in damage calculation, so if Mew has Reflect active, confusion damage will ignore it.
**Alakazam and Starmie**: While rarer in the Ubers landscape, these Pokemon can paralyze and trade blows with Lapras easily if not paralyzed themselves, mostly thanks to their access to Recover. Alakazam can 3HKO Lapras with Psychic if it lands a single Special drop or critical hit, which is likely in a prolonged interaction. Starmie is a particularly poor matchup, possessing Thunderbolt to potentially 3HKO Lapras.
**Gengar**: Gengar 3HKOes Lapras with Thunderbolt while only being 3HKOed by Blizzard, and it can switch into Lapras's Thunderbolt or Normal-type coverage and still win one-on-one. It also possesses a more accurate sleep-inducing move in Hypnosis.
**Sleep Leads**: When faced with a faster sleep lead, such as Gengar, Jynx, or Hypno, Sing Lapras tends to be nothing more than a free opportunity for the opponent to try to land sleep or KO Lapras, which is dissuaded from switching out and letting a teammate be put to sleep.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/plague-von-karma.236353/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ctown6.509438/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/enigami.233818/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Lapras's STAB Blizzard and tremendous bulk give it positive matchups against many of the physical attackers of Ubers, namely Swords Dance Mew, Tauros, and Snorlax. Its Speed is just enough to outrun Chansey and Exeggutor, which it can potentially threaten with Sing, disrupting common sleep strategies. Because Lapras is so hard to wall as a result of BoltBeam coverage, absorbing its Sing with paralyzed Pokemon is also very difficult; it can blow past Pokemon like Alakazam and Starmie easily when they're paralyzed. Furthermore, Lapras is generally not concerned with taking paralysis itself, and when it's paralyzed it can potentially switch in on sleep moves from Pokemon like Exeggutor and threaten massive damage thereafter. Lapras's quadruple resistance to Ice and immunity to freeze lets it switch into certain Ice-type moves, notably against Chansey, softening a somewhat common Mewtwo removal strategy. Lapras's ability to trade hits favorably against almost the entirety of Kanto's finest allows it to clear the way for even stronger allies, positioning them for a quick beatdown.
However, Lapras's lack of reliability comes back to bite it very frequently. It's easily worn down over the course of a game, as its Speed often forces it to take a hit before it can make a move, and it crucially lacks reliable recovery. Being weak to Thunderbolt and neutral to Psychic doesn't help it either, and an untimely critical hit can significantly limit the impact it will have over the course of a game. Additionally, Lapras faces stiff Water-type competition in Cloyster and Starmie. Both are faster than Lapras, and Cloyster has access Clamp and Explosion, while Starmie has Recover and Thunder Wave. While they can't replicate its power or Sing access, they usually bring more consistent utility to a team, which often pushes Lapras out during teambuilding.
[SET]
name: Confuse Ray
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Confuse Ray
move 4: Body Slam
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Lapras's STAB Blizzard is no joke, OHKOing Dragonite and almost always OHKOing Rhydon and Golem. It also 2HKOes notable Pokemon like Zapdos, Exeggutor, Persian, and sometimes even Tauros. Tauros is a very notable use-case, as few Pokemon are capable of beating it in a head-on fight; not only can Lapras potentially 2HKO it, but it can also survive two Body Slams followed by Hyper Beam. Thunderbolt ensures Water-types like Cloyster, Starmie, and Slowbro can't wall Lapras, with it 2HKOing Cloyster and 3HKOing the others. Body Slam allows Lapras to be more self-sufficient in spreading paralysis, which also supports parafusion with Confuse Ray. It also gives Lapras an effective move against Jynx, rarely 3HKOing it.
Thanks to RBY's brutal confusion mechanics, when supported with paralysis, Lapras can position itself into a positive matchup against most Swords Dance Mew variants, including Reflect sets. A single +2 self-hit puts Mew into Blizzard 2HKO range, and from there, Lapras tends to win the interaction. Another application consists of disrupting paralyzed Mewtwo and Slowbro's Amnesia setup, but outside of this, it's generally quite weak.
Confuse Ray Lapras works best as a mid-game threat that disrupts conventional offensive strategies. Progress-makers like Snorlax and Mew tend to have trouble combatting Lapras, as they cannot KO it quickly, and it retaliates fiercely. However, this only works consistently from full HP: thus, Lapras should be kept for one single, favorable trade before going on its rampage. Lapras benefits from an allied Mew with Thunder Wave, which is one of the most consistent methods of landing paralysis against a myriad of threats, most notably opposing Mew. Other paralysis support options include Alakazam, Chansey, Jolteon, Zapdos, Dragonite, and Slowbro. Lapras teams tend to struggle against Zapdos, so Jolteon is a suitable partner, though Rhydon is also suitable for a more definitive answer.
[SET]
name: Sing Lead
move 1: Sing
move 2: Blizzard
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hyper Beam
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Thanks to the presence of Exeggutor and Tauros in the lead slot, Lapras is capable of being a decent lead itself. It possesses the ability to outspeed and 2HKO Exeggutor with its STAB Blizzard or land Sing before getting put to sleep itself. Against Tauros, it is able to stomach two Body Slams and a Hyper Beam and is virtually never KOed without critical hits. In return, it can attempt to put Tauros to sleep or fire off Blizzard, which will 2HKO a little over a quarter of the time. Lapras can use its excellent coverage and bulk to fire off Thunderbolts against Starmie and an unboosted Slowbro mid-game. It also completely stonewalls Cloyster, forcing it to use Explosion or switch out in fear of being 2HKOed by said Thunderbolt. Blizzard's 10.2% freeze chance also means Lapras can potentially flip a game on its head by securing a freeze on the likes of Chansey or Mewtwo. Hyper Beam is used in the last slot as a decent finishing tool against Chansey, KOing from about 40%.
While Lapras does have many qualities that make it enticing as a lead, it also suffers from some bad matchups. Jynx, Gengar, Jolteon, and Zapdos all are common leads and make the Lapras user start off on a terrible foot. Zapdos and Jolteon are massively threatening with their STAB Thunderbolt, which 2HKOes Lapras, and they have a good chance to OHKO outright thanks to their high critical hit rates. While Zapdos is 2HKOed in return with Blizzard, this is still a very favorable matchup for it. Jynx and Gengar both outspeed and carry their own more accurate sleep-inducing moves, threatening to put Lapras to sleep before it can do anything. Lapras also suffers from its lack of recovery, often being worn down very quickly while taking stray hits from Snorlax and Mew. This makes it quite difficult to facilitate Lapras, especially when such common Pokemon like Chansey and Thunderbolt Mewtwo can switch in repeatedly and shrug off the damage with their reliable recovery, only fearing being frozen.
Lapras and its traits make it somewhat matchup dependent, as it can be quite devastating against teams that rely on Exeggutor for sleep or Cloyster for their Snorlax check. It is best to maximize your gain early on, putting something to sleep and using Blizzard to shoot for a freeze. If these are achieved, then sacrificing Lapras to the likes of Sing Chansey is often optimal for a team. One additional benefit is the lack of Thunderbolt on Chansey in Ubers, meaning it is typically safe to stay in and fish for that freeze while Chansey tries to put it to sleep. Additionally, if threats such as Cloyster are revealed, Lapras should be kept healthy\ to repeatedly switch in and freely use Blizzard into incoming Chansey and Mewtwo.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lapras has a massive movepool that's worth delving into; however, Blizzard and Thunderbolt are generally undroppable. Hyper Beam can be used on Lapras's Confuse Ray set over Body Slam, providing a better matchup against Jynx, KOing it after it has been hit by Thunderbolt twice. Lapras has access to Psychic, which can trigger a Special drop overflow against a +5 Mewtwo with maximum investment, but it has little use outside of this. Ice Beam can be used for the additional PP and accuracy, but the drop in power noticeable—for example, Ice Beam fails to reliably 2HKO Exeggutor or come close to 2HKOing Tauros. Since Lapras wants to win a single notable KO through sheer bulk and power, it tends to be counterproductive.
Lapras can attempt to use a Rest set that allows it to try to repeatedly win trades, but this cedes momentum to the opponent's Mewtwo and Thunderbolt users like Zapdos. This can be used alongside Reflect to make Lapras a real pain for Swords Dance Mew, Tauros, and Snorlax to deal with, but this is performed more effectively by Pokemon like Zapdos and Aerodactyl. This set also ends up making it extremely weak against Mewtwo, which pressures the set effortlessly with its nuclear special attacks and ability to set up while Lapras is asleep.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: While Lapras deals massive damage to Zapdos, Jolteon, and Electrode, notably 2HKOing the former due to its Blizzard weakness, Lapras will quickly get forced out if it can't KO them outright. They deal massive damage with STAB Thunderbolt, with Jolteon and Zapdos 2HKOing it and Electrode doing so if Lapras has taken even minor damage. Additionally, their high critical hit rates can turn a 2HKO into an OHKO. Lapras should only attempt to win if they are paralyzed and the team lacks adequate switch-ins.
**Mewtwo**: Mewtwo frequently uses Thunderbolt, and while this can't 2HKO Lapras unboosted, Mewtwo will frequently be at +2 or more. Lapras struggles to damage Mewtwo at all, with an unboosted Mewtwo only taking around a quarter from Blizzard. The maximum damage Lapras can deal to it is 29.8% with Hyper Beam. The best shot Lapras has of winning is via parafusion tactics.
**Chansey**: While Lapras can use Hyper Beam to KO Chansey from a range of 37.9% to 44.6% and has the potential to freeze it or put it to sleep, Chansey has numerous ways to beat Lapras. A paralyzed Chansey is generally not afraid of non-Confuse Ray Lapras, stonewalling it, and Sing variants can fire off uncontested sleep with little Lapras can do. Light Screen variants designed to beat Mewtwo can also nullify Lapras's main strength, its powerful STAB Blizzard. Chansey can also threaten Lapras with a 3HKO from Thunderbolt. Sing Lapras teams should not paralyze Chansey and instead aim to use Lapras's faster Sing to force sleep onto the opposing team. This can be done through switching in on a predicted Seismic Toss or Ice Beam, both of which Lapras shrugs off.
**Amnesia Snorlax**: The minute Snorlax scores an Amnesia boost, Lapras is incapable of making any meaningful progress against it outside of a lucky freeze with Blizzard or a critical hit. In return, Snorlax can repeatedly Body Slam Lapras. Because Snorlax takes a chunk from Blizzard switching in or trying to set up on Lapras, it's not the worst matchup to begin with, but can quickly become unwinnable if left alone.
**Mew**: While not used often, Rock Slide Mew is a terrible matchup for Lapras, 2HKOing it at +2. Niche Mew variants may also use Thunderbolt to possibly 3HKO it. However, other sets are terrified of sustained assaults from Lapras, especially when paralyzed, as Lapras's Blizzard has a favorable chance to 3HKO Mew. Confuse Ray Lapras variants are very annoying for Swords Dance Mew to deal with, as confusion damage increases due to its Attack boosts. Confusion damage uses the opponent's Reflect in damage calculation, so if Mew has Reflect active, confusion damage will ignore it.
**Alakazam and Starmie**: While rarer in the Ubers landscape, these Pokemon can paralyze and trade blows with Lapras easily if not paralyzed themselves, mostly thanks to their access to Recover. Alakazam can 3HKO Lapras with Psychic if it lands a single Special drop or critical hit, which is likely in a prolonged interaction. Starmie is a particularly poor matchup, possessing Thunderbolt to potentially 3HKO Lapras.
**Gengar**: Gengar 3HKOes Lapras with Thunderbolt while only being 3HKOed by Blizzard, and it can switch into Lapras's Thunderbolt or Normal-type coverage and still win one-on-one. It also possesses a more accurate sleep-inducing move in Hypnosis.
**Sleep Leads**: When faced with a faster sleep lead, such as Gengar, Jynx, or Hypno, Sing Lapras tends to be nothing more than a free opportunity for the opponent to try to land sleep or KO Lapras, which is dissuaded from switching out and letting a teammate be put to sleep.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/plague-von-karma.236353/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ctown6.509438/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/enigami.233818/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Last edited:
