[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 can pack a punch, allowing Latias to break holes through an opponent's team for teammates to clean up on.
**Revenge Killer**: 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, Tailwind
**Utility Moves**: Defog, Healing Wish, Light Screen, Recover, Reflect, Refresh, Roost, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Wish
**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.
Common Items (Remove the item sections if you are writing about a Mega Evolution)
========
**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.
**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.
**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.
**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.
**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.
**Sitrus Berry**: 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.
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 especially, as its own sets hit on the Special Attacking side and synchronizeses best with those.
**Entry Hazard Control**: While Latias can use Defog, it often wants to use many other moves, and it can't set its own entry hazard. Latias appreciates teammates that can chip in on the entry hazard removal, and more offensive sets can benefit greatly from the increased KO ranges from opponents taking entry hazard damage 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 or capable of boosting their Speed easily make good partners with Latias to ensure that it isn't consistently outsped when Latias itslef isn't using Choice Scarf.
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 like dead weight on Team Preview.
**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.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-fairy.57965/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.200000
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
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 can pack a punch, allowing Latias to break holes through an opponent's team for teammates to clean up on.
**Revenge Killer**: 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, Tailwind
**Utility Moves**: Defog, Healing Wish, Light Screen, Recover, Reflect, Refresh, Roost, Thunder Wave, Toxic, Wish
**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.
Common Items (Remove the item sections if you are writing about a Mega Evolution)
========
**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.
**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.
**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.
**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.
**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.
**Sitrus Berry**: 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.
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 especially, as its own sets hit on the Special Attacking side and synchronizeses best with those.
**Entry Hazard Control**: While Latias can use Defog, it often wants to use many other moves, and it can't set its own entry hazard. Latias appreciates teammates that can chip in on the entry hazard removal, and more offensive sets can benefit greatly from the increased KO ranges from opponents taking entry hazard damage 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 or capable of boosting their Speed easily make good partners with Latias to ensure that it isn't consistently outsped when Latias itslef isn't using Choice Scarf.
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 like dead weight on Team Preview.
**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.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-fairy.57965/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.200000
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
Last edited: