Gen 7 Latias-Mega GP 2/2

[Deleted User [433215]]

[OVERVIEW]
Mega Latias is a metagame staple thanks to its bulk, movepool, and defensive profile. It can come in on common Pokemon like Heatran, Kartana, Rotom-W, Landorus-T, Zapdos, Rockium Z Garchomp, Mega Lopunny, and Battle Bond Greninja using Water-type moves consistently throughout a game. Mega Latias also outspeeds many of these Pokemon, notably Kartana, forcing them out with attacks like Ice Beam, Hidden Power, and Psychic. It's also one of the few Pokemon that can take any one move from Mega Medicham and threaten it back, giving faster-paced teams a decent answer to a Pokemon that usually requires a more passive switch-in. It's also the easiest answer to Swords Dance Gliscor to fit on teams. Mega Latias also has other options like Thunder Wave, Defog, and Calm Mind; its devastating Calm Mind set can outlast many offensive teams and threaten common balance and stall staples, including Toxapex, a common Haze user. However, Mega Latias struggles with four-moveslot syndrome. If its standard set drops Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, then Heatran, Excadrill, and Tyranitar can switch into it without much fear, while the same is true for Toxapex if it drops Psychic. It has some nasty weaknesses to Fairy, Ice, and Dark, being forced out by strong attackers like Tapu Lele and Mega Latios and Pursuit trapped by Tyranitar and Weavile. Mega Latias is vulnerable to poison and paralysis from Pokemon like Heatran, Toxapex, defensive Kommo-o, Zapdos, and Defog Gliscor, which can make it more difficult to check these Pokemon in the long run. It also struggles to break through threats like Magearna and Jirachi regardless of its set, and bulky foes like Clefable and Reuniclus sufficiently wall the utility set.

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Psychic / Hidden Power Fighting / Thunder Wave / Defog
move 3: Thunder Wave / Defog
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Ice Beam hits many prominent threats hard, including Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Latios, Mega Latias, Tornadus-T, Serperior, Zapdos, Tapu Bulu, and Kartana. Hidden Power Ground threatens Heatran and Magnezone while also hitting Mega Mawile, offensive Magearna, Excadrill, and Tyranitar for decent damage. Psychic OHKOes Fighting-types like Mega Lopunny, Hawlucha, and offensive Kommo-o after Stealth Rock and threatens Toxapex and neutral targets like Mega Medicham. Hidden Power Fighting OHKOes Kartana and Weavile, heavily damages Tyranitar, and deals decent damage to Steel-types like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran. Thunder Wave cripples offensive Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, Kyurem-B, Greninja, Magearna, and Volcarona while making defensive staples like Magearna, Reuniclus, Clefable, and Toxapex easier to pressure for teammates. Mega Latias is also a good Defogger due to its great natural bulk and good matchup against common Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Heatran lacking Toxic, and Landorus-T. However, it should avoid using Defog against status users and Ferrothorn. Thunder Wave and Defog can be used together, but this leaves Mega Latias unable to threaten Stealth Rock setters that can tank Ice Beam, like Heatran packing Toxic and Mega Tyranitar.

Hidden Power Fire threatens Kartana, offensive Magearna, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor. However, Hidden Power Ground and Fighting have a wider range of targets while still hitting most of these Pokemon adequately. Thunder gives Mega Latias excellent neutral coverage in tandem with Ice Beam while hitting Water- and Flying-types like Manaphy, Greninja, Tornadus-T, Celesteela, and Tapu Fini hard, but it lets most Steel-types check Mega Latias and is weaker than Psychic on neutral targets. Earthquake can be used over Hidden Power Ground; it 2HKOes Heatran and hits Magearna, Mega Diancie, Excadrill, and Tyranitar harder, but Grassy Terrain and burn weaken it significantly, the latter being common from Pokemon like Toxapex, Lava Plume Heatran, and Rotom-W. Surf hits Heatran, Excadrill, and Mega Diancie harder than Hidden Power Fighting or Ground while also doing decent damage to Volcarona, but other coverage moves overshadow it, and it leaves Mega Latias at the mercy of most Steel-types.

Keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can check threats consistently throughout the game. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would normally pivot into, mainly Heatran and Gliscor. Use Thunder Wave or Defog, as needed, when Mega Latias forces out a foe.

Team Options
========
Mega Latias fits well on bulky offense and balance teams. Spikers like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Greninja make excellent partners to chip down foes, since Mega Latias can force a lot of switches; Tyranitar and Heatran are notable targets, as they can pivot around Mega Latias depending on its coverage moves. Ferrothorn checks Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja and further solidifies the rain matchup, while Mega Latias can check Kartana, Heatran, and Ground-types. Skarmory is a secondary answer to Ground-types and a better answer to physical attackers like Mega Lopunny and Tyranitar. Greninja is a fast Spikes setter that threatens offensive teams and benefits from Mega Latias coming in on Grass-types. Heatran is able to set up Stealth Rock, check Fairy-types and Tornadus-T, counter Volcarona and Steel-types, spread Toxic for more residual damage, and trap potential checks with Magma Storm, while Mega Latias can check Ground-types and Water-types like Rotom-W and Manaphy. Toxapex can check Fairy- and Dark-types while also spreading poison and burn with Toxic, Scald, and Toxic Spikes to gradually damage Pursuit users, while Mega Latias covers Ground- and Electric-types and Mega Alakazam lacking Calm Mind. Other Water-types, like Rotom-W and Tapu Fini, check Heatran should Mega Latias lack appropriate coverage, and Mega Latias answers Grass-types in return. Also, Rotom-W can pivot Mega Latias in and Tapu Fini can check Dark-types. Fairy-types like Clefable and Magearna pivot into Dark-type moves for Mega Latias; the former can set up Stealth Rock, while the latter can neutralize bulky setup sweepers with Heart Swap. Meanwhile, Mega Latias can check Heatran, Kartana, and Gliscor. Gliscor and defensive Landorus-T pressure Steel-types and Toxapex, with Gliscor able to absorb status moves and sweep with Swords Dance, while Landorus-T can set up Stealth Rock. Mega Latias benefits both by checking Water- and Grass-types. Magnezone can trap Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Mega Mawile, Kartana, Mega Scizor, and Magearna that wall Mega Latias without Hidden Power Ground or Fighting. Defensive Kommo-o can set up Stealth Rock and check Heatran, Ash-Greninja, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power / Psyshock
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Stored Power helps Mega Latias snowball, overwhelming Unaware users and opposing Calm Mind users like Clefable and Tapu Fini. Psyshock is much stronger out of the gate, which makes it much more difficult for Haze Toxapex and opposing Calm Mind users like Magearna and Magic Guard Clefable to stop Mega Latias's sweep. It also lets Mega Latias immediately threaten Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Medicham, and Kommo-o. Ice Beam hits Dark- and Steel-types like Excadrill, Greninja, and Ferrothorn and directly threatens prominent Pokemon like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Kartana, Tapu Bulu, and opposing Mega Latias. Thunderbolt can be used over Stored Power or Psyshock to threaten Water-types like Toxapex, Greninja, and Tapu Fini and provide good neutral coverage with Ice Beam. Substitute can be used over Ice Beam to punish switches, evade status from Pokemon like Toxapex and Heatran, and use passive checks like Leech Seed Ferrothorn and defensive Clefable as setup fodder. However, it leaves Mega Latias completely walled by Dark-types and unable to check Pokemon such as Gliscor, Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Kartana. Reflect Type can also be used; Mega Latias can set up on poisoned Pursuit Tyranitar, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Magearna while also evading Toxic from Heatran and Toxapex. However, it has the same issues as Substitute while being even less consistent.

Set up on forced switches and passive Pokemon like defensive Tornadus-T, defensive Clefable lacking Thunder Wave, Gliscor lacking Toxic, and Zapdos. Keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can set up more freely and pivot into attackers like Kartana more consistently. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would otherwise set up on, mainly Gliscor. Keep entry hazards up to KO checks with fewer boosts. Psyshock sets can be used for quicker damage, while Stored Power sets generally needs to find opportunities to set up multiple Calm Minds in a row.

Team Options
========
This set enjoys entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Heatran, and Greninja to KO its checks with fewer boosts. Ferrothorn checks Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja; Skarmory is a secondary answer to Ground-types and a better answer to physical attackers so Mega Latias doesn't get overwhelmed; Heatran checks Fairy-types and Steel-types while crippling checks like Tyranitar and Greninja with Toxic, and it traps and takes out Toxapex with Magma Storm so Mega Latias can more freely run Stored Power. Toxapex spreads residual damage with Toxic and Toxic Spikes and checks Pokemon that give this set a hard time, like Magearna, Jirachi, Weavile, and Tyranitar. Toxic Spikes Toxapex is also an essential partner for single-attack Mega Latias, since it cripples the Dark-types that would stone wall Stored Power or Psyshock. Mega Latias in turn can answer threatening Ground-types for Toxapex. Ground-types like Gliscor and Landorus-T can take out Steel-types and pressure Toxapex, since the Stored Power set can struggle to take them out early-game. Gliscor can pivot into status moves and be a potential secondary wincon with Swords Dance alongside Mega Latias, while Landorus-T can run Stealth Rock, pivot Mega Latias in on desirable setup targets with U-turn, or take out a bulky target with a Z-Move so Mega Latias can sweep more easily. Wallbreakers like the aforementioned Z-Move Landorus-T, Choice Specs Tapu Lele, and Swords Dance or Choice Band Kartana can threaten bulky targets and appreciate the defensive utility Mega Latias provides. Both Clefable and Magearna can pivot into Dark-type moves; Clefable is able to set up Stealth Rock and cripple Toxapex and Heatran with Knock Off, while Magearna can neutralize opposing setup sweepers with Heart Swap and get Mega Latias in safely against Tapu Fini and Clefable with Volt Switch. Defensive Kommo-o can set up Stealth Rock and check Heatran, Ash-Greninja, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U.

Other Options
========
Wish could be used on the utility set alongside Roost to heal teammates. However, Roost's 16 PP suffices for most games, and its teammates will usually already have reliable recovery. Reflect Type can also be used on the utility set to evade Pursuit or Toxic from Heatran and Toxapex; however, it's very niche and Mega Latias can run coverage moves to hit these Pokemon. Roar can rack up entry hazard damage and stop setup sweepers, but it's situational and Thunder Wave usually suffices in this regard. Toxic cripples Pokemon like Tyranitar, Greninja, Rotom-W, and Tapu Lele; however, it makes Mega Latias worse against Steel-types. Although Choice Scarf Latias is a fast revenge killer that can provide Healing Wish, it is not strong, lacks the defensive utility that Mega Latias offers, and is overshadowed by other Choice Scarf users like Kartana, Rotom-W, Greninja, and Landorus-T.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Chansey**: Chansey doesn't take much damage from anything Mega Latias can throw at it, and it stays healthy with Soft-Boiled and Natural Cure while crippling Mega Latias with Toxic or Thunder Wave.

**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Z-Move Tornadus-T, Choice Scarf Kartana, Choice Scarf Blacephalon, and Greninja can outspeed and threaten Mega Latias with super effective coverage. However, they're crippled by Thunder Wave, (add comma) and Mega Latias can often take at least one hit from them.

**Dark-types**: Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Weavile can trap and remove Mega Latias, stopping the Calm Mind set particularly easily. However, they should be careful to not switch into Hidden Power Fighting or Thunder Wave against the utility set, and Reflect Type can play around them. Ash-Greninja outspeeds Mega Latias, which makes it better at stopping the Calm Mind set from getting out hand. However, it must avoid Hidden Power Fighting, Thunder, and Thunder Wave.

**Steel-types**: Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Heatran can switch into Mega Latias easily and set entry hazards on it, pivot with U-turn or Volt Switch, set up, and cripple it with status. However, most of these answers are susceptible to repeated damage due to lacking reliable recovery, super effective coverage moves, the Calm Mind set, and being trapped by Magnezone.

**Status**: Poison severely cuts into Mega Latias's longevity, and it can come from Pokemon it should be able to switch into, like Heatran, Kommo-o, and Toxapex. Paralysis is also threatening, especially if Mega Latias can't stay healthy due to full paralysis on Roost turns.

**Fairy-types**: Mega Diancie, Mega Mawile, Magearna, Tapu Fini, and Clefable are all able to take Mega Latias's attacks, threaten it with their super effective STAB moves, and take advantage of it to get up Stealth Rock or set up. However, they can be hindered by Thunder Wave, and Assault Vest Magearna and Tapu Fini are setup fodder for the Calm Mind set.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ophion, 433215]]
- Quality checked by: [[Skypenguin, 462413], [ausma, 360720]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [dex, 277988]]

 

[Skypenguin]

[OVERVIEW]
Mega Latias is a staple of the metagame as a result of its bulk, movepool, and defensive profile. These traits as well as its access to reliable recovery let it come in on common Pokemon like Gliscor, Heatran, Kartana, Z-Move Rotom-W no real need to specify Z, since that's the set psychic- and toxic-less lati struggles with (due to pain split), Landorus-T, Zapdos, Continental Crush Garchomp, Mega Lopunny, and Battle Bond Greninja's Water-type STAB consistently throughout a game and grant it an immunity to Spikes, making it more difficult to passively wear down. Mega Latias also outspeeds many of these Pokemon, namely Kartana, which lets it force them out with coverage moves like Ice Beam, Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, and Psychic. It's also one of the few Pokemon that can take any one move from Mega Medicham and outspeed and threaten it, giving faster paced teams a decent answer to a Pokemon that's often very difficult to switch into without a more passive option. Mega Latias also has a good utility movepool that includes moves like Thunder Wave and Defog, which make it able to punish many offensive threats regardless of its coverage and help its team's longevity, respectively. It can also use these traits to run a devestating Calm Mind set that can outlast many offensive teams and threaten common balance and stall team staples, including a common anti-setup tool for these teams in Toxapex. However, Mega Latias struggles with four-moveslot syndrome due to it being unable to actually hurt what it comes in depending on what move it drops, even if it chooses to run Thunder Wave to cripple said switch-ins. If it drops Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, then Heatran, Excadrill, and Tyranitar can come in without much fear while the same is true for Toxapex and dropping Psychic. It has some nasty weaknesses to Fairy- and Ghost-type moves that make it unable to easily come in common moves like Moonblast and Shadow Ball maybe a bit misleading, since lati is often used to stall turns vs moonblast fini, and twave sets are used as zam counterplay on FerroTran balances while its weakness to Pursuit that leaves it vulnerable to trapping from Pokemon like Tyranitar and Weavile. Mega Latias is also very vulnerable to status like Toxic and paralysis from Pokemon like Heatran, Toxapex, defensive Kommo-o, Zapdos, and Defog Gliscor since they impede its ability to check what it's supposed to reliably. While Mega Latias isn't at all passive, it can struggle to break through threats like Magearna and Jirachi regardless of its set while its utility set is also sufficiently walled by bulky threats like Clefable and Reuniclus.

good overview, a big role I'd mention though is being literally the only splashable sd gliscor counter in the tier

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Psychic / Hidden Power Fighting / Thunder Wave / Defog
move 3: Thunder Wave / Defog
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Ice Beam hits prominant Ground- and Dragon-types like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Latios, and Mega Latias while also hitting Tornadus-T, Serperior, Zapdos, Tapu Bulu, and Kartana hard. Hidden Power Ground really threatens Heatran and Magnezone while also hitting Mega Mawile, offensive Magearna, Excadrill, and Tyranitar for decent damage. Psychic OHKOes Fighting-types like Mega Lopunny, Hawlucha, and offensive Kommo-o after Stealth Rock while also threatening Toxapex and neutral targets like Mega Medicham more than other options. Hidden Power Fighting does a lot of damage to Tyranitar, OHKOes Kartana and Weavile, and decent damage to other Steel-types like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran. Thunder Wave cripples offensive Pokemon like Alakazam, Tapu Lele, Kyurem-B, Greninja, Magearna, and Volcarona while also making defensive staples like Magearna, Clefable, and Toxapex easier to pressure for teammates I'd also mention reuni and opposing lati here, especially cm variants of those two + clef. Mega Latias also makes for a good Defog user due to its good matchup against common Stealth Rock users like Heatran, Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Kommo-o and its great natural bulk letting it take a hit as it clears the entry hazards. This is probably the only area in the whole analysis that I'd fully disagree with — while serviceable, lati is generally a poor defogger since tran and kommo pressure heavily with toxic, and without either zone or a spiker, it's easy to lose the hazard war to ferro. Thunder Wave and Defog can be used together with Psychic over Ice Beam to get both moves utility while Psychic gives Mega Latias a good offensive tool against most of the metagame. You can't really ever drop ice beam on defensive latias; idt this has been used in tour (the more common set is ice/psychic/roost/twave). I was unclear about this one, it'd be psychic/ice/twave/roost if we're mentioning the offensive presence

ignore this now

However, Ice Beam + Twave/HP Fight (generally the former unless it's from zom paste) + Roost + Defog is the most common defog set, with ground coverage generally being used with twave/thunder over defog as in the friso team above; I think I did a poor job of conveying that on discord. Here are all the other games I found where fog was revealed from recent spl/stour (ommitting a blargh game since the now commonly used version drops eq):
vileman vs gama, relous vs empo, relous vs omfuga, robjr vs quaze (rob's should be thunder, quaze has hp ground), z0mog vs sabella (paste), ima vs giannis (toxic fog), abr vs corazan, gama vs frisoeva, relous vs gondra

Hidden Power Fire can be used if hitting all of Kartana, offensive Magearna, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor as hard as possible is desirable. However, Hidden Power Ground and Fighting have a wider range of targets while also hitting most of these Pokemon anyway. Thunder is also usable to give Mega Latias excellent neutral coverage in tandem with Ice Beam while hitting Water and Flying-types like Manaphy, Greninja, Tornadus-T, Celesteela, and Tapu Fini hard. However, it leaves Mega Latias unable to significantly damage most Steel-types and isn't as strong on neutral targets as Psychic is. Surf hits Heatran, Excadrill, Mega Diancie, and Tyranitar harder than Hidden Power Fighting or Ground while also doing decent damage to Volcarona, but it doesn't hit much else other coverage moves can't, and leaves Mega Latias at the mercy of most Steel-types. Earthquake is worth a mention as an option over hp ground, hitting both magearna and heatran for an additional 20% (notably 2hkoing tran). Example replays: jyt vs sw, friso vs xray (public team) (its usage is close to hidden power's) Drawbacks would be gterrain and burn from rotom/pex (ig plume tran too).

Attempt to keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can check what it needs to consistently throughout the game. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would normally pivot into, mainly Heatran and Gliscor. Keep in mind what Mega Latias can defeat with the coverage you chose so it doesn't come into a matchup it can't fight back very well in. Thunder Wave as the opponent switches out or on offensive Pokemon that can't significantly cripple it comes in while the same applies to Defog.

Team Options
========
Mega Latias fits well on bulky offense and balance teams. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Greninja make excellent partners since Mega Latias can force a lot of switches to make the opponent take a lot of residual damage. Ferrothorn is able to check Fairy- and Dark-types like Mega Mawile, Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja and further solidify a team's matchup against rain while Mega Latias can check Kartana, Heatran, and Fighting- and Ground-types, and keep Spikes off the field with Defog so Ferrothorn is harder to wear down this feels kinda counterintuitive since you're setting spikes with your own ferro. Usually on lati ferro builds, the latias is cm or defogless. Skarmory can be used to act as a secondary answer to Ground-types and better answer to physical attackers. Greninja can be used as a faster Spikes setter that threatens offensive teams and benefits from Mega Latias being able to come in on Fighting- and Grass-types it's only really bulu (lop 2hkos with rocks). Heatran is able to set up Stealth Rock, check Fairy-types and Tornadus-T, counter Volcarona and Steel-types, spread Toxic for more residual damage, and trap potential checks to with Megma Storm while Mega Latias can check Water-types like Rotom-W and Manaphy as well as Fighting- and Ground-types. Toxapex can check Fairy- and Dark-types while also spreading poison and burn with Toxic, Toxic Spikes I'd emphasize this hitting pursuit mons, and Scald for more residual damage while Mega Latias can check answers to Toxapex like Ground- and Electric-types as well as Mega Alakazam lacking Shadow Ball probably can change to lacking cm, or make note of pivoting into a move other than sball (0.4% chance to 2HKO without rocks). Other Water-types, like Rotom-W and Tapu Fini, can also be good partners thanks to their ability to check Heatran should Mega Latias lack appropriate coverage and provide other support like pivoting with Volt Switch and checking Dark-types while Mega Latias can answer Grass-types effectively. Fairy-types like Clefable and Magearna pivot into Dark-type moves and set up Stealth Rock and neutralize bulky set-up sweepers with Heart Swap, respectively, while Mega Latias can check Heatran, Rotom-W, Kartana, Gliscor, and can come in on Battle Bond Greninja locked into a Water-type move. Gliscor and defensive Landorus-T are good partners due to their ability to pressure Steel-types and Toxapex. Gliscor is able to absorb status moves and set up Swords Dance to act as a wincon while benefitting from Mega Latias checking Water- and Grass-types while Landorus-T can set up Stealth Rock. Weavile and Tyranitar are able to Pursuit trap Reuniclus, a great check to Mega Latias, as well as Blacephalon while Mega Latias answers the Fighting-types that plague them and keep entry hazards off the field with Defog so they're not as easily worn down. while attacking pp in a cm war is a valid concern, reuni tends to run from both latias sets anyway since it gets stalled out and hates taking twave, and idt blace is significant enough to mention Magnezone can trap Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Mega Mawile, Kartana, Mega Scizor, and Magearna that would wall Mega Latias, making it more able to drop Hidden Power Ground and Fighting while Mega Latias can switch into Ground- and Fighting-types.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power / Psyshock
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Stored Power lets Mega Latias have more potential to snowball in the mid- and late-game while also letting it beat Unaware and other Pokemon that try to go into a Calm Mind war. Psyshock, on the other hand, is much stronger out the gate, not requiring as many boosts to get its desired KOes, which makes it much more difficult for Haze Toxapex to stop the set while also still beating Pokemon that may try to win in a Calm Mind War. you also have a move that can actually do damage to mons like lop/medi/kommo/zard/etc Ice Beam makes you not totally walled by Dark and Steel-types while also hitting prominant Pokemon like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Kartana, and Tapu Bulu hard. It also hits opposing Mega Latias harder than Stored Power, making you able to threaten in a mirror. Thunderbolt can be used over Stored Power or Psychock for good neutral coverage on most of the metagame and hit Water-types like Toxapex, Greninja, and Tapu Fini harder. Substitute can be used over Ice Beam to punish switches, evade status from Pokemon like Toxapex and Heatran, and make passive checks like Leech Seed Ferrothorn and defensive Clefable into setup fodder. However, it leaves Mega Latias completely walled by Dark-types and unable to function defensively vs pokemon such as gliscor, garchomp, lando, and kart less passive answers can still beat it. Reflect Type can also be used to give it an easier time setting up on Pursuit Tyranitar should it be poisoned as well as Heatran, Leech Seed Ferrothorn, and Magearna while also evading Toxic if it uses Reflect Type against common Toxic users Heatran or Toxapex. However, it has the same issues as Substitute while being even less consistent.

Set up on forced switches and passive Pokemon like defensive Tornadus-T, defensive Clefable lacking twave/toxic, Ferrothorn lacking Leech Seed would be on rain and have toxic > leech, Heatran Gliscor (you'll get taunted and waste pp vs tran) lacking Toxic, and Zapdos. Attempt to keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can setup more freely and act as a pivot into attackers like Kartana more consistently. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would set up on, mainly Heatran and Gliscor tran's not really a mon you set up on unless you have sub/reflect type, in which case you want them to have toxic. Attempt to keep entry hazards up if possible to checks can be worn down and more quickly defeated with fewer boosts. Identify the pace you should go with trying to set Mega Latias up, depending on the matchup offered with you given moveset. Psyshock sets can generally attempt to do more damage in a shorter period of time while the opposite is true for Stored Power sets.

Team Options
========
This set enjoys entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Heatran, and Greninja so potential checks can be worn down into range of Mega Latias's attacks. Ferrothorn is able to check Fairy- and Dark-types like Mega Mawile, Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja while Skarmory can be used to act as a secondary answer to Ground-types and better answer to phsyical attackers so Mega Latias isn't easy to overwhelm. Heatran checks Fairy-types, threatens Steel-types, and can spread Toxic to cripple checks like Tyranitar and Greninja while trapping and taking out Toxapex with Magma Storm so Mega Latias can more freely run Stored Power. Toxapex spreads residual damage well with Toxic and Toxic Spikes and checking Pokemon like Magearna, Jirachi, Weavile, and Tyranitar that give this set a hard time. Toxic Spikes Toxapex is also an essential partner should Mega Latias choose to run Stored Power or Psyshock as its only attacking move, since it helps cripple the Dark-types that would stone wall Mega Latias while Mega Latias can also answer threatening Ground-types for Toxapex. Ground-types like Gliscor and Landorus-T can take out Steel-types as well as pressure Toxapex, since this set can struggle to take it out if it's running Stored Power early-game. Gliscor can pivot into status moves and act as a potential wincon alongside Mega Latias with Swords Dance while Landorus-T can run Stealth Rock, pivot Mega Latias in on desirable setup targets with U-turn, or take out a bulky target with a Z-move set so Mega Latias can more easily sweep. Wallbreakers like the aforementioned Z-move Landorus-T as well as Choice Specs Tapu Lele and Swords Dance or Choice Band Kartana can threaten bulky targets and wear them down and like the defensive utility Mega Latias still provides. Both Clefable and Magearna can pivot into Dark-type moves, while Clefable able to set up Stealth Rock and use Knock Off to remove Toxapex and Heatran's passive recovery while Magearna can neutralize opposing setup sweepers with Heart Swap and get Mega Latias in safely with Volt Switch.
a common partner for both utility and cm latias is defensive kommo-o, which switches into dark moves from ash gren and hoopa and checks fires like heatran and volc while setting rocks

Other Options
========
Wish could be used on the utility set as a way to provide more recovery than just Roost and let Mega Latias pass healing to teammates. However, Roost's 16 PP suffices for most games, and many Pokemon the utility set partners up with have recovery of their own anyway. Reflect Type can also be used on the support set to evade being Pursuit trapped or Toxic poisoned by Heatran and Toxapex. However, it usually doesn't help enough to make it worth running different options and coverage can be ran to hit these Pokemon anyway. Roar can also be ran to rack up entry hazard damage and stop setup sweepers, but it also suffers from not being as consistently useful as other options and it's utilimately better to just handle setup sweepers with Thunder Wave or teammates. Toxic can also be run to cripple and wear down Pokemon like Tyranitar, Greninja, Rotom-W, and Tapu Lele. However, it doesn't do anything against the Steel-types that are often switched into on Mega Latias. Choice Scarf on regular Latias could be run to free a team's mega slot and act as a fast revenge killer that can restore a weakened teammate with Healing Wish. However, it's not very strong, lacks much of the defensive utility Mega Latias offers, and it's generally better to run different Choice Scarf users with more power and utility, like Kartana, Rotom-W, Greninja, and Landorus-T.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Chansey**: Chansey doesn't take much damage from anything Mega Latias can throw at it and can heal itself with Soft-Boiled and cure itself of status with Natural Cure while crippling Mega Latias with Toxic or Thunder Wave.

**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Z-move Tornadus-T, Choice Scarf Kartana and Blacephalon, and Greninja can outspeed and threaten Mega Latias with powerful and super effective coverage. However, they're crippled by Thunder Wave and Mega Latias can often take at least any one hit from them.

**Dark-types**: Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Weavile can trap and remove Mega Latias from the match and stop the Calm Mind set easily. However, they should be careful to not switch into Hidden Power Fighting or Thunder Wave against the utility set and can be played around if Reflect Type is ran. Ash-Greninja outspeeds Mega Latias, which makes it better able to stop the Calm Mind set from getting out hand. However, it must make sure to not come in on Hidden Power Fighting, Thunder, or Thunder Wave.

**Steel-types**: Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Heatran can switch easily and set up entry hazards, pivot with U-turn and Volt Switch, set up with boosting moves, and cripple Mega Latias with status. However, most of these answers are suseptiable to repeated damage due to lacking reliable recovery, can be hit super effectively should the correct Hidden Power type be ran, set up on by the Calm Mind set, and trapped by a potential Magnezone partner.

**Status**: Poison severely cuts into Mega Latias's longevity, and can be inflicted by Pokemon it should be able to switch into, like Heatran, Kommo-o, and Toxapex. Paralysis leaves it outsped by a majority of the metagame and prone to being unable to heal when it needs to.

**Fairy-types**: Mega Diancie, Mega Mawile, Magearna, Tapu Fini, and Clefable are all able to take Mega Latias's attacks and threaten it with their super effective STAB and take advantage of it to get up Stealth Rock or set up with their boosting moves. However, they can be hindered by Thunder Wave and defensive Clefable can be used as setup fodder for the Calm Mind set kinda iffy since twave is common, it's safer to set up vs offensive/av mag or fini.

 

[ausma]

comments in orange
additions/changes in purple
removals will be striked

[OVERVIEW]
Mega Latias is a staple of the metagame as a result of its natural bulk, movepool, and defensive profile. These traits as well as its access to reliable recovery let it come in on common Pokemon like Heatran, Kartana, Rotom-W, Landorus-T, Zapdos, Continental Crush Garchomp, Mega Lopunny, and Battle Bond Greninja's Water-type STAB consistently throughout a game and grant it an immunity to Spikes, making it more difficult to passively wear down. The content here is great but holy cow this is a mouthful. A suggestion I have is to instead mention Levitate as a footnote of its defensive profile, saying something like "accented by Levitate which grants it a Ground-type move and Spikes immunity". Mega Latias also outspeeds many of these Pokemon, namely Kartana, which lets it force them out with coverage moves like Ice Beam, Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, and Psychic. It's also one of the few Pokemon that can take any one move from Mega Medicham and can outspeed and threaten it, giving faster paced teams a decent answer to a Pokemon that's often very difficult to switch into without a more passive option. It's similarly the best and most splashable answer to Swords Dance Gliscor in the entire tier. Mega Latias also has a good utility movepool that includes Thunder Wave and Defog, which make it able to punish many offensive threats regardless of its coverage and help its team's longevity, respectively. It can also use these traits to run a devestating Calm Mind set that can outlast many offensive teams and threaten common balance and stall team staples, including a common anti-setup tool for these teams in Toxapex. However, Mega Latias struggles with four-moveslot syndrome due to it being unable to actually hurt its switch-ins depending on what move it drops, even if it chooses to run Thunder Wave. If it drops Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, then Heatran, Excadrill, and Tyranitar can come in without much fear while the same is true for Toxapex and dropping Psychic. It has some nasty weaknesses to Fairy- and Ice-type moves that make it unable to take stronger Moonblasts from Tapu Lele or Ice Beams from Mega Latios while its weakness to Pursuit leaves it vulnerable to trapping from Pokemon like Tyranitar and Weavile. Mega Latias is also very vulnerable to status like poison and paralysis from Pokemon like Heatran, Toxapex, defensive Kommo-o, Zapdos, and Defog Gliscor since they impede its ability to check what it's supposed to. Nitpicking but this could probably given a bit more flow, saying something like "which can make it more difficult to check these Pokemon in the long run" or something like that rolls off the tongue better. While Mega Latias isn't at all passive, it can struggle to break through threats like Magearna and Jirachi regardless of its set while its utility set is also sufficiently walled by bulky threats like Clefable and Reuniclus.

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Psychic / Hidden Power Fighting / Thunder Wave / Defog
move 3: Thunder Wave / Defog
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Ice Beam hits prominant Ground- and Dragon-types like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Latios, and Mega Latias while also hitting Tornadus-T, Serperior, Zapdos, Tapu Bulu, and Kartana hard. Hidden Power Ground really threatens Heatran and Magnezone while also hitting Mega Mawile, offensive Magearna, Excadrill, and Tyranitar for decent damage. Psychic OHKOes Fighting-types like Mega Lopunny, Hawlucha, and offensive Kommo-o after Stealth Rock while also threatening Toxapex and neutral targets like Mega Medicham better more than other options. Hidden Power Fighting does a lot of damage to Tyranitar, decent damage to Steel-types like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran, and OHKOes Kartana and Weavile. Thunder Wave cripples offensive Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, Kyurem-B, Greninja, Magearna, and Volcarona while also making defensive staples like Magearna, Reuniclus, Clefable, and Toxapex easier to pressure for teammates. Mega Latias also makes for a good Defog user due to its good matchup against common Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Heatran lacking Toxic, and Landorus-T and its great natural bulk letting it take a hit as it clears the entry hazards. It should avoid using Defog against status users and Ferrothorn, however. Thunder Wave and Defog can be used together to get both moves' utility. List the opportunity cost of this since it can be really major in the wrong mus

Hidden Power Fire can be used if hitting all of Kartana, offensive Magearna, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor as hard as possible is desirable. However, Hidden Power Ground and Fighting have a wider range of targets while still hitting most of these Pokemon. Thunder is also usable to give Mega Latias excellent neutral coverage in tandem with Ice Beam while hitting Water- and Flying-types like Manaphy, Greninja, Tornadus-T, Celesteela, and Tapu Fini hard. However, it leaves Mega Latias unable to significantly damage most Steel-types and isn't as strong on neutral targets as Psychic. Earthquake can be used over Hidden Power Ground to hit Magearna, Mega Diancie, Excadrill, and Tyranitar harder while also 2HKOing Heatran. However, it gets significantly weakened in Grassy Terrain and if Mega Latias takes a burn, which it often will against Pokemon like Toxapex, Lava Plume Heatran, and Rotom-W. Surf hits Heatran, Excadrill, and Mega Diancie harder than Hidden Power Fighting or Ground while also doing decent damage to Volcarona, but it doesn't hit much else other coverage moves can't and leaves Mega Latias at the mercy of most Steel-types.

Attempt to keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can check what it needs to consistently throughout the game. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would normally pivot into, mainly Heatran and Gliscor. Keep in mind what Mega Latias can defeat with the coverage you chose so it doesn't come into a matchup it can't fight back very well in. Thunder Wave as the opponent switches out or on offensive Pokemon that can't significantly cripple it comes in while the same applies to Defog. Really weird wording here, mostly because of the "significantly cripple it comes in while the same applies to Defog", can you clear this up? I know what you mean but it's just kinda awkward to read.

Team Options
========
Mega Latias fits well on bulky offense and balance teams. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Greninja make excellent partners since Mega Latias can force a lot of switches to make the opponent take a lot of residual damage. Ferrothorn is able to check Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja and further solidify a team's matchup against rain while Mega Latias can check Kartana, Heatran, and and Ground-types. Skarmory can be used to act as a secondary answer to Ground-types and better answer to physical attackers. Examples of Pokemon Skarmory can help it check? Greninja can be used as a faster Spikes setter that threatens offensive teams and benefits from Mega Latias being able to come in on Grass-types. Spikes can also be pretty nifty if using a Hidden Power variant that covers less bases against Steel-types, mainly with Hidden Power Fire/Fighting which aren't as nuclear against Heatran/Magnezone or Ground with Tyranitar. Heatran is able to set up Stealth Rock, check Fairy-types and Tornadus-T, counter Volcarona and Steel-types, spread Toxic for more residual damage, and trap potential checks to with Megma Storm while Mega Latias can check Water-types like Rotom-W and Manaphy as well as Ground-types. I don't feel entirely comfortable calling Heatran a bonafide counter due to Hidden Power Ground, though you can contest this if you don't agree since it's mostly just a nitpick and idrc too much. Toxapex can check Fairy- and Dark-types while also spreading poison and burn with Toxic, Scald burns, and Toxic Spikes to hit Pursuit users for more residual damage while Mega Latias can check answers to Toxapex, including like Ground- and Electric-types and as well as Mega Alakazam lacking Calm Mind. Other Water-types, like Rotom-W and Tapu Fini, can also be good partners thanks to their ability to check Heatran should Mega Latias lack appropriate coverage and provide other support like pivoting with Volt Switch and checking Dark-types while Mega Latias can answer Grass-types effectively. A bit wordy here, if you can break up Rotom-W's Volt Switch with Tapu Fini's Dark-type checking to be a bit more clear that would be ideal. Fairy-types like Clefable and Magearna pivot into Dark-type moves, (AC) and set up Stealth Rock and neutralize bulky set-up sweepers with Heart Swap, respectively, while Mega Latias can check Heatran, Rotom-W, Kartana, Gliscor, and can come in on Battle Bond Greninja locked into a Water-type move. Gliscor and defensive Landorus-T are good partners due to their ability to pressure Steel-types and Toxapex. Gliscor is able to absorb status moves and set up Swords Dance to act as a wincon while benefitting from Mega Latias checking Water- and Grass-types while Landorus-T can set up Stealth Rock. Magnezone can trap Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Mega Mawile, Kartana, Mega Scizor, and Magearna that would wall Mega Latias, making it more able to drop Hidden Power Ground and Fighting while Mega Latias can switch into Ground- and Fighting-types. Defensive Kommo-o switches into Dark-type moves from Ash-Greninja, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U as well as Heatran and Volcarona while setting up Stealth Rock.

I feel like this section overall is really wordy. The content is fantastic but I feel like some of the more super situational things, like Mega Latias checking Ground/Fightings for Magnezone can probably be omitted to give this a more digestible read.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power / Psyshock
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Stored Power lets Mega Latias have more potential to snowball in the mid- and late-game while also letting it beat Unaware and other Pokemon that try to go into a Calm Mind war. What Pokemon would contest it in a Calm Mind war that Stored Power can let it beat? Psyshock, on the other hand, is much stronger out the gate, not requiring as many boosts to get its desired KOes, which makes it much more difficult for Haze Toxapex to stop the set while also still beating Pokemon that may try to win in a Calm Mind War. Again like what? This may have different examples due to how Psyshock nukes most things with boosts but Stored Power gives it power against Unaware Clefable for example. It also lets Mega Latias immediately threaten Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Medicham, and Kommo-o more than Stored Power so it can check them more reliably. It already checks them either way, but this distinguishes the tradeoffs a tad better. Ice Beam makes you not totally walled by Dark and Steel-types while also hitting prominant Pokemon like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Kartana, and Tapu Bulu hard. The only Steel-types that you rly care about with Ice Beam versus your Psychic STAB are Excadrill, Ferrothorn, sometimes Skarmory, Kartana with Psyshock, and Celesteela, two/three of which are only really situationally threatening. It may be good to clarify the specific Steels you hit harder w/ Ice Beam, basically It also hits opposing Mega Latias harder than Stored Power, making you able to threaten it in a mirror match. Thunderbolt can be used over Stored Power or Psychock for good neutral coverage on most of the metagame and hit Water-types like Toxapex, Greninja, and Tapu Fini harder. Substitute can be used over Ice Beam to punish switches, evade status from Pokemon like Toxapex and Heatran, and make passive checks like Leech Seed Ferrothorn and defensive Clefable into setup fodder. However, it leaves Mega Latias completely walled by Dark-types and unable to function defensively against Pokemon such as Gliscor, Garchomp, Landorus-T, Kartana while less passive answers can still beat it. Reflect Type can also be used to give it an easier time setting up on Pursuit Tyranitar should it be poisoned as well as Heatran, Leech Seed Ferrothorn, and Magearna while also evading Toxic if it uses Reflect Type against common Toxic users Heatran or Toxapex. However, it has the same issues as Substitute while being even less consistent.

Set up on forced switches and passive Pokemon like defensive Tornadus-T, defensive Clefable lacking Thunder Wave, Gliscor lacking Toxic, and Zapdos. Attempt to keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can setup more freely and act as a pivot into attackers like Kartana more consistently. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would otherwise set up on, mainly Gliscor. Attempt to keep entry hazards up if possible to checks can be worn down and more quickly defeated with fewer boosts. Identify the pace you should go with trying to set Mega Latias up, depending on the matchup offered with you given moveset. For example, Psyshock sets can generally attempt to do more damage in a shorter period of time while the opposite is true for Stored Power sets.

Team Options
========
This set enjoys entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Heatran, and Greninja so potential checks can be worn down into range of Mega Latias's attacks. Ferrothorn is able to check Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja while Skarmory can be used to act as a secondary answer to Ground-types and better answer to phsyical attackers so Mega Latias isn't easy to overwhelm. Heatran checks Fairy-types, threatens Steel-types, and can spread Toxic to cripple checks like Tyranitar and Greninja while trapping and taking out Toxapex with Magma Storm so Mega Latias can more freely run Stored Power. Toxapex spreads residual damage well with Toxic and Toxic Spikes and checking Pokemon like Magearna, Jirachi, Weavile, and Tyranitar that give this set a hard time. Toxic Spikes Toxapex is also an essential partner should Mega Latias choose to run Stored Power or Psyshock as its only attacking move, since it helps cripple the Dark-types that would stone wall Mega Latias while Mega Latias can also answer threatening Ground-types for Toxapex. Ground-types like Gliscor and Landorus-T can take out Steel-types as well as pressure Toxapex, since this set can struggle to take it out if it's running Stored Power early-game. Gliscor can pivot into status moves and act as a potential wincon alongside Mega Latias with Swords Dance while Landorus-T can run Stealth Rock, pivot Mega Latias in on desirable setup targets with U-turn, or take out a bulky target with a Z-move set so Mega Latias can more easily sweep. Wallbreakers like the aforementioned Z-move Landorus-T as well as Choice Specs Tapu Lele and Swords Dance or Choice Band Kartana can threaten bulky targets and wear them down and like the defensive utility Mega Latias still provides with its natural bulk and defensive profile. Both Clefable and Magearna can pivot into Dark-type moves. (AP) , while Clefable is able to set up Stealth Rock and use Knock Off to remove Toxapex and Heatran's passive recovery while Magearna can neutralize opposing setup sweepers with Heart Swap and get Mega Latias in safely with Volt Switch. Against what Defensive Kommo-o switches into Dark-type moves from Ash-Greninja, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U as well as Heatran and Volcarona while setting up Stealth Rock.

Other Options
========
Wish could be used on the utility set as a way to provide more recovery than just Roost and let Mega Latias pass healing to teammates. However, Roost's 16 PP suffices for most games, and many Pokemon the utility set partners up with have recovery of their own anyway. Reflect Type can also be used on the support set to evade being Pursuit trapped or Toxic poisoned by Heatran and Toxapex. However, it usually doesn't help enough to make it worth running different options and coverage can be ran to hit these Pokemon anyway. Roar can also be ran to rack up entry hazard damage and stop setup sweepers, but it also suffers from not being as consistently useful as other options and it's utilimately better to just handle setup sweepers with Thunder Wave or teammates. Toxic can also be run to cripple and wear down Pokemon like Tyranitar, Greninja, Rotom-W, and Tapu Lele. However, it doesn't do anything against the Steel-types that are often switched into on Mega Latias. Choice Scarf on regular Latias could be run to free a team's mega slot and act as a fast revenge killer that can restore a weakened teammate with Healing Wish. However, it's not very strong, lacks much of the defensive utility Mega Latias offers, and it's generally better to run different Choice Scarf users with more power and utility, like Kartana, Rotom-W, Greninja, and Landorus-T.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Chansey**: Chansey doesn't take much damage from anything Mega Latias can throw at it and can heal itself with Soft-Boiled and cure itself of status with Natural Cure while crippling Mega Latias with Toxic or Thunder Wave.

**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Z-move Tornadus-T, Choice Scarf Kartana and Blacephalon, and Greninja can outspeed and threaten Mega Latias with powerful and super effective coverage. However, they're crippled by Thunder Wave and Mega Latias can often take at least any one hit from them.

**Dark-types**: Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Weavile can trap and remove Mega Latias from the match and stop the Calm Mind set easily. However, they should be careful to not switch into Hidden Power Fighting or Thunder Wave against the utility set and can be played around if Reflect Type is ran. Ash-Greninja outspeeds Mega Latias, which makes it better able to stop the Calm Mind set from getting out hand. However, it must make sure to not come in on Hidden Power Fighting, Thunder, or Thunder Wave.

**Steel-types**: Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Heatran can switch easily and set up entry hazards, pivot with U-turn and Volt Switch, set up with boosting moves, and cripple Mega Latias with status. However, most of these answers are suseptiable to repeated damage due to lacking reliable recovery, can be hit super effectively should the correct Hidden Power type be ran, set up on by the Calm Mind set, and trapped by a potential Magnezone partner.

**Status**: Poison severely cuts into Mega Latias's longevity, and can be inflicted by Pokemon it should be able to switch into, like Heatran, Kommo-o, and Toxapex. Paralysis leaves it outsped by a majority of the metagame and prone to being unable to heal when it may needs to.

**Fairy-types**: Mega Diancie, Mega Mawile, Magearna, Tapu Fini, and Clefable are all able to take Mega Latias's attacks and threaten it with their super effective STAB and take advantage of it to get up Stealth Rock or set up with their boosting moves. However, they can be hindered by Thunder Wave and Assault Vest Magearna and Tapu Fini can be used as setup fodder for the Calm Mind set.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ophion, 433215]]
- Quality checked by: [[Skypenguin, 462413], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

great work, qc 2/2

 

[xapx]

amgp
add/fix remove comments
you use way too much "however"; I changed some to "but" and "although"

Big Bulky Cute Dragon Twin

[OVERVIEW]
Mega Latias is a staple of the metagame as a result of its bulk, movepool, and defensive profile. These traits as well as its access to reliable recovery and immunity to Ground-type moves and Spikes let it It can come in on common Pokemon like Heatran, Kartana, Rotom-W, Landorus-T, Zapdos, Continental Crush Rockium Z Garchomp, Mega Lopunny, and Battle Bond Greninja's Water-type STAB moves consistently throughout a game.(imo "defensive profile" should already include its immunities and having recovery) Mega Latias also outspeeds many of these Pokemon, namely notably Kartana, which lets it forcing them out with coverage moves like Ice Beam, Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, and Psychic. It's also one of the few Pokemon that can take any one move from Mega Medicham and can outspeed and threaten it, giving faster-paced(hyphen) teams a decent answer to a Pokemon that's often very difficult to switch into without a more passive option. It's also similarly the best and most splashable answer to Swords Dance Gliscor in the entire tier. Mega Latias also has a good utility movepool that includes Thunder Wave and Defog(I don't really see anything other than these two on the main sets, since the others are very team specific), which make it able to punish many offensive threats regardless of its coverage and help its the team's longevity(-comma) respectively.(its team's reads really clunky) It can also use these traits to run a devestating Calm Mind set that can outlast many offensive teams and threaten common balance and stall team staples, including a common anti-setup tool for these teams in Toxapex Toxapex, a common Haze user.

However, Mega Latias struggles with four-moveslot syndrome due to it being unable to actually hurt its switch-ins depending on what move it drops(-comma) even if it chooses to run Thunder Wave. If it drops Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, then Heatran, Excadrill, and Tyranitar can come in without much fear while the same is true for Toxapex and dropping if it drops Psychic. It has some nasty weaknesses to Fairy- and Ice-type moves that make it unable to take stronger Moonblasts from Tapu Lele or Ice Beams from Mega Latios while its weakness to Pursuit leaves it vulnerable to trapping from Pokemon like Tyranitar and Weavile Fairy, Ice, and Dark, being forced out by strong attackers like Tapu Lele and Mega Latios and Pursuit trapped by Tyranitar and Weavile. Mega Latias is also very vulnerable to status like poison and paralysis from Pokemon like Heatran, Toxapex, defensive Kommo-o, Zapdos, and Defog Gliscor, which can make it more difficult to check these Pokemon in the long run. While Mega Latias isn't at all passive, it can struggle to break through Mega Latias struggles to break through threats like Magearna and Jirachi regardless of its set while its utility set is also sufficiently walled by bulky threats like Clefable and Reuniclus.

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Psychic / Hidden Power Fighting / Thunder Wave / Defog
move 3: Thunder Wave / Defog
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Ice Beam hits prominent Ground- and Dragon-types like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Latios, and Mega Latias while also hitting Tornadus-T, Serperior, Zapdos, Tapu Bulu, and Kartana hard many prominent threats hard, including Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Latios, Mega Latias, Tornadus-T, Serperior, Zapdos, Tapu Bulu, and Kartana. Hidden Power Ground really threatens Heatran and Magnezone while also hitting Mega Mawile, offensive Magearna, Excadrill, and Tyranitar for decent damage. Psychic OHKOes Fighting-types like Mega Lopunny, Hawlucha, and offensive Kommo-o after Stealth Rock while also threatening and threatens Toxapex and neutral targets like Mega Medicham better than other options. Hidden Power Fighting does a lot of damage to OHKOes Kartana and Weavile, heavily damages Tyranitar, and deals decent damage to Steel-types like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran and OHKOes Kartana and Weavile. Thunder Wave cripples offensive Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, Kyurem-B, Greninja, Magearna, and Volcarona while also making defensive staples like Magearna, Reuniclus, Clefable, and Toxapex easier to pressure for teammates. Mega Latias also makes for is a good Defog user due to its great natural bulk and good matchup against common Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Heatran lacking Toxic, and Landorus-T and its great natural bulk letting it take a hit as it clears the entry hazards. However, It should avoid using Defog against status users and Ferrothorn(-comma) however. Thunder Wave and Defog can be used together to get both moves' utility, but it leaves Mega Latias lacking a coverage option to threaten Pokemon not as threatened by Ice Beam while also being a major handicap if it faces a Stealth Rock setter it can't reliably keep them off against Stealth Rock setters that can tank Ice Beam, like Heatran packing Toxic and Mega Tyranitar.

Hidden Power Fire can be used if hitting all of best threatens Kartana, offensive Magearna, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor as hard as possible is desirable. However, Hidden Power Ground and Fighting have a wider range of targets while still hitting most of these Pokemon. Thunder is also usable to gives Mega Latias excellent neutral coverage in tandem with Ice Beam while hitting Water- and Flying-types like Manaphy, Greninja, Tornadus-T, Celesteela, and Tapu Fini hard, but it leaves Mega Latias checked by most Steel-types and is weaker than Psychic on neutral targets. However, it leaves Mega Latias unable to significantly damage most Steel-types and isn't as strong on neutral targets as Psychic. Earthquake can be used over Hidden Power Ground;(+semicolon) to although it 2HKOes Heatran and hits Magearna, Mega Diancie, Excadrill, and Tyranitar harder while also 2HKOing Heatran. However, it gets significantly weakened in Grassy Terrain and if Mega Latias takes a burn, which it often will against Pokemon like Toxapex, Lava Plume Heatran, and Rotom-W. Surf hits Heatran, Excadrill, and Mega Diancie harder than Hidden Power Fighting or Ground while also doing decent damage to Volcarona, but it doesn't hit much else other coverage moves can't its usefulness is overshadowed by other coverage moves and leaves Mega Latias at the mercy of most Steel-types.

Attempt to keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can check what it needs to threats consistently throughout the game. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would normally pivot into, mainly Heatran and Gliscor. Keep in mind what coverage moves Mega Latias can defeat with the coverage you chose so it doesn't come into a matchup it can't fight back very well in has so it can avoid unfavourable matchups. Use Thunder Wave as the opponent switches into or against Pokemon that don't threaten Mega Latias too greatly or Defog, if needed, when Mega Latias threatens out a foe. Defog should be used in the same way.

Team Options
========
Mega Latias fits well on bulky offense and balance teams. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Greninja make excellent partners to chip down foes since Mega Latias can force a lot of switches;(+semicolon) Tyranitar and Heatran are notable targets as they can pivot around Mega Latias depending on its coverage moves. to make the opponent take a lot of residual damage. Spikes also wear down Pokemon hit less hard by Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, namely Tyranitar if Hidden Power Ground is run or Heatran if Hidden Power Fighting is chosen. Ferrothorn is able to check Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja and further solidify a team's matchup against rain while Mega Latias can check Kartana, Heatran, and Ground-types. Skarmory can be used to act as a secondary answer to Ground-types and a better answer to physical attackers like Mega Lopunny and Tyranitar. Greninja can be used as a faster is a fast Spikes setter that threatens offensive teams and benefits from Mega Latias being able to come in on Grass-types. Heatran is able to set up Stealth Rock, check Fairy-types and Tornadus-T, counter Volcarona and Steel-types, spread Toxic for more residual damage, and trap potential checks to with Magma Storm while Mega Latias can check Ground-types and Water-types like Rotom-W and Manaphy as well as Ground-types. Toxapex can check Fairy- and Dark-types while also spreading poison and burn with Toxic, Scald burns, and Toxic Spikes to hit Pursuit users for more residual damage while Mega Latias can check answers to Toxapex, including covers Ground- and Electric-types as well as Mega Alakazam lacking Calm Mind. Other Water-types, like Rotom-W and Tapu Fini,(+comma) check Heatran should Mega Latias lack appropriate coverage and Mega Latias answers Grass-types in return. They also provide other support(-comma,+semicolon); with Rotom-W able to can pivot Mega Latias in while and Tapu Fini can check Dark-types. Mega Latias can answer Grass-types effectively in return. Fairy-types like Clefable and Magearna pivot into Dark-type moves for Mega Latias;(+semicolon,-comma) the formers can set up Stealth Rock(-comma) and the latter can neutralize bulky setup sweepers with Heart Swap(-comma) respectively. Meanwhile, Mega Latias can check Heatran, Kartana, and Gliscor. Gliscor and defensive Landorus-T pressure Steel-types and Toxapex, with Gliscor being able to absorb status moves and set up Swords Dance to act as a wincon while Landorus-T can set up Stealth Rock. Mega Latias benefits both by checking Water- and Grass-types. Magnezone can trap Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Mega Mawile, Kartana, Mega Scizor, and Magearna that would wall Mega Latias, making it more able to drop if it drops Hidden Power Ground and Fighting. Defensive Kommo-o switches into Dark-type moves from can set up Stealth Rock and check Heatran, Ash-Greninja, Volcarona, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U as well as Heatran and Volcarona while setting up Stealth Rock.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power / Psyshock
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Stored Power lets Mega Latias have more potential to potentially snowball in the mid- and late-game,(+comma) while also letting it beat Unaware and other Pokemon that try to go into a Calm Mind war, like Unaware and Magic Guard Clefable as well as Tapu Fini overwhelming Unaware users and opposing Calm Mind users like Clefable and Tapu Fini. Psyshock, on the other hand, is much stronger out the gate, not requiring as many boosts to get its desired KOes, which makes it much more difficult for Haze Toxapex to stop the set while also still beating Pokemon that may try to win in a Calm Mind War, like Magearna and Magic Guard Clefable Mega Latias' sweep and opposing Calm Mind users like Magearna and Magic Guard Clefable to beat it one-on-one. It also lets an unboosted Mega Latias immediately threaten check Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Medicham, and Kommo-o more than Stored Power so it can check them more reliably. Ice Beam makes you not totally walled by hits Dark- and Steel-types like Excadrill and Ferrothorn(where's the dark-type?) while also hitting and directly threatens prominant Pokemon like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Kartana, and Tapu Bulu, and opposing Mega Latias hard. It also hits opposing Mega Latias harder than Stored Power, making you able to threaten it in a mirror match. Thunderbolt can be used over Stored Power or Psychock to threaten Water-types like Toxapex, Greninja, and Tapu Fini and provide for good neutral coverage with Ice Beam on most of the metagame and hit Water-types like Toxapex, Greninja, and Tapu Fini harder. Substitute can be used over Ice Beam to punish switches, evade status from Pokemon like Toxapex and Heatran, and make use passive checks like Leech Seed Ferrothorn and defensive Clefable into as setup fodder. However, it leaves Mega Latias completely walled by Dark-types and unable to function defensively against check Pokemon such as Gliscor, Garchomp, Landorus-T, Kartana while less passive answers can still beat it. Reflect Type can also be used;(+semicolon) to give it an easier time setting up Mega Latias can set up on a poisoned Pursuit Tyranitar should it be poisoned,(+comma) as well as Heatran, Leech Seed Ferrothorn(I mean, Ferro doesn't do anything vs its own typing except Twave), and Magearna while also evading Toxic if it uses Reflect Type against common Toxic users from Heatran or Toxapex. However, it has the same issues as Substitute while being even less consistent.

Set up on forced switches and passive Pokemon like defensive Tornadus-T, defensive Clefable lacking Thunder Wave, Gliscor lacking Toxic, and Zapdos. Attempt to keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can set up more freely and act as a pivot into attackers like Kartana more consistently. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would otherwise set up on, mainly Gliscor. Attempt to keep entry hazards up if possible to wear down checks can be worn down and more quickly defeated and KO them with fewer boosts. Identify the pace you should go with trying to set Mega Latias up, depending on the matchup offered with you given the chosen moveset. For example, Psyshock sets can generally attempt to do more damage in a shorter period of time while the opposite is true for Stored Power sets.

Team Options
========
This set enjoys entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Heatran, and Greninja so potential checks can be worn down into range of Mega Latias's attacks. Ferrothorn is able to check checks Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja;(+semicolon) while Skarmory can be used to acts as a secondary answer to Ground-types and a better answer to phsyical attackers so Mega Latias isn't easy to overwhelm won't be easily overwhelmed;(+semicolon,-fullstop) Heatran checks Fairy- and Steel-types, threatens Steel-types, and can spreads Toxic to cripple checks like Tyranitar and Greninja with Toxic,(+comma) while trapping and taking out and traps and takes out Toxapex with Magma Storm so Mega Latias can more freely run Stored Power. Toxapex spreads residual damage well with Toxic and Toxic Spikes and checks Pokemon that give Calm Mind Latias a hard time, like Magearna, Jirachi, Weavile, and Tyranitar that give this set a hard time. Toxic Spikes Toxapex is also an essential partner should Mega Latias choose to run Stored Power or Psyshock as its only attacking move, since it helps cripples the Dark-types that would stone wall Mega Latias while Mega Latias can also answer threatening Ground-types for Toxapex. Ground-types like Gliscor and Landorus-T can take out Steel-types as well as and pressure Toxapex, since this set can struggle to take it out early-game if it's running Stored Power early-game(you can't change moves during a game). Gliscor can pivot into status moves and act as a potential secondary wincon with Swords Dance alongside Mega Latias with Swords Dance while Landorus-T can run Stealth Rock, pivot Mega Latias in on desirable setup targets with U-turn, or take out a bulky target with a Z-Move set so Mega Latias can more easily sweep more easily. Wallbreakers like the aforementioned Z-Move Landorus-T,(+comma) as well as Choice Specs Tapu Lele,(+comma) and Swords Dance or Choice Band Kartana can threaten bulky targets and wear them down and like appreciates the defensive utility Mega Latias still provides with its natural bulk and defensive profile. Both Clefable and Magearna can pivot into Dark-type moves;(+semicolon,-comma) while Clefable is able to set up Stealth Rock and use Knock Off to remove Toxapex and Heatran passive recovery while Magearna can neutralize opposing setup sweepers with Heart Swap and get Mega Latias in safely against Tapu Fini and Clefable with Volt Switch. Defensive Kommo-o switches into Dark-type moves from can set up Stealth Rock and check Heatran, Ash-Greninja, Volcarona, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U as well as Heatran and Volcarona while setting up Stealth Rock.

Other Options
========
Wish could be used on the utility set as a way to provide more recovery than just Roost and let Mega Latias pass healing to alongside Roost to heal teammates. However, Roost's 16 PP suffices for most games, and many Pokemon the utility set partners up with have recovery of their own anyway its teammates will usually already have reliable recovery. Reflect Type can also be used on the support utility set to evade being Pursuit trapped or Toxic poisoned by Heatran and Toxapex;(+semicolon,-fullstop) however, it usually doesn't help enough to make it worth running different options and coverage can be ran to hit these Pokemon anyway it is very niche and Mega Latias can run other coverage moves to hit these Pokemon. Roar can also be ran to rack up entry hazard damage and stop setup sweepers, but it also suffers from not being as consistently useful as other options and it's utilimately ultimately better to just handle setup sweepers with Thunder Wave or another teammates. Toxic can also be run to cripple and wear down Pokemon like Tyranitar, Greninja, Rotom-W, and Tapu Lele. but it worsens Mega Latias' ability against Steel-types. However, it doesn't do anything against the Steel-types that are often switched into on Mega Latias. Choice Scarf on regular Latias could be run to free a team's mega slot and act as a fast revenge killer that can restore a weakened teammate with Healing Wish. However, it's not very strong, lacks much of the defensive utility Mega Latias offers, and it's generally better to run different Choice Scarf users with more power and utility, like Kartana, Rotom-W, Greninja, and Landorus-T. Although Choice Scarf Latias is a fast revenge killer that can provide Healing Wish, it is not strong, lacks the defensive utility that Mega Latias offers, and is overshadowed by other Choice Scarf users like Kartana, Rotom-W, Greninja, and Landorus-T.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Chansey**: Chansey doesn't take much damage from anything Mega Latias can throw at it and can heal itself with Soft-Boiled and cure itself of status with Natural Cure while crippling Mega Latias with Toxic or Thunder Wave.

**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Z-Move Tornadus-T, Choice Scarf Kartana,(+comma) and Choice Scarf Blacephalon, and Greninja can outspeed and threaten Mega Latias with powerful and super effective coverage. However, they're crippled by Thunder Wave and Mega Latias can often take at least any one hit from them.

**Dark-types**: Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Weavile can trap and remove Mega Latias from the match and stop the Calm Mind set easily. However, they should be careful to not switch into Hidden Power Fighting or Thunder Wave against the utility set and can be played around if Mega Latias runs Reflect Type is ran. Ash-Greninja outspeeds Mega Latias, which makes it better able to stop the Calm Mind set from getting out hand. However, it must make sure to not come in on avoid Hidden Power Fighting, Thunder, or Thunder Wave.

**Steel-types**: Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Heatran can switch easily and set up entry hazards, pivot with U-turn and or Volt Switch, set up with boosting moves, and cripple Mega Latias with status. However, most of these answers are suseptiable susceptible to repeated damage due to lacking reliable recovery, can be hit super effectively should the correct Hidden Power type be ran super effective coverage moves, being set up on by the Calm Mind set, and being trapped by a potential Magnezone partner.

**Status**: Poison severely cuts into Mega Latias's longevity, and can be inflicted by Pokemon it should be able to switch into, like Heatran, Kommo-o, and Toxapex. Paralysis leaves it outsped by a majority of the metagame and prone to being unable to heal when it needs to leaves Mega Latias in an unfavourable situation with a full paralysis.

**Fairy-types**: Mega Diancie, Mega Mawile, Magearna, Tapu Fini, and Clefable are all able to take Mega Latias's attacks,(+comma) and threaten it with their super effective STAB moves,(+comma) and take advantage of it to get up Stealth Rock or set up with their boosting moves. However, they can be hindered by Thunder Wave and Assault Vest Magearna and Tapu Fini can be used as setup fodder for the Calm Mind set.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ophion, 433215]]
- Quality checked by: [[Skypenguin, 462413], [Ausma, 360720]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

 

[Deleted User [433215]]

amgp
add/fix remove comments
you use way too much "however"; I changed some to "but" and "although"

Big Bulky Cute Dragon Twin

[OVERVIEW]
Mega Latias is a staple of the metagame as a result of its bulk, movepool, and defensive profile. These traits as well as its access to reliable recovery and immunity to Ground-type moves and Spikes let it It can come in on common Pokemon like Heatran, Kartana, Rotom-W, Landorus-T, Zapdos, Continental Crush Rockium Z Garchomp, Mega Lopunny, and Battle Bond Greninja's Water-type STAB moves consistently throughout a game.(imo "defensive profile" should already include its immunities and having recovery) Mega Latias also outspeeds many of these Pokemon, namely notably Kartana, which lets it forcing them out with coverage moves like Ice Beam, Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, and Psychic. It's also one of the few Pokemon that can take any one move from Mega Medicham and can outspeed and threaten it, giving faster-paced(hyphen) teams a decent answer to a Pokemon that's often very difficult to switch into without a more passive option. It's also similarly the best and most splashable answer to Swords Dance Gliscor in the entire tier. Mega Latias also has a good utility movepool that includes Thunder Wave and Defog(I don't really see anything other than these two on the main sets, since the others are very team specific), which make it able to punish many offensive threats regardless of its coverage and help its the team's longevity(-comma) respectively.(its team's reads really clunky) It can also use these traits to run a devestating Calm Mind set that can outlast many offensive teams and threaten common balance and stall team staples, including a common anti-setup tool for these teams in Toxapex Toxapex, a common Haze user.

However, Mega Latias struggles with four-moveslot syndrome due to it being unable to actually hurt its switch-ins depending on what move it drops(-comma) even if it chooses to run Thunder Wave. If it drops Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, then Heatran, Excadrill, and Tyranitar can come in without much fear while the same is true for Toxapex and dropping if it drops Psychic. It has some nasty weaknesses to Fairy- and Ice-type moves that make it unable to take stronger Moonblasts from Tapu Lele or Ice Beams from Mega Latios while its weakness to Pursuit leaves it vulnerable to trapping from Pokemon like Tyranitar and Weavile Fairy, Ice, and Dark, being forced out by strong attackers like Tapu Lele and Mega Latios and Pursuit trapped by Tyranitar and Weavile. Mega Latias is also very vulnerable to status like poison and paralysis from Pokemon like Heatran, Toxapex, defensive Kommo-o, Zapdos, and Defog Gliscor, which can make it more difficult to check these Pokemon in the long run. While Mega Latias isn't at all passive, it can struggle to break through Mega Latias struggles to break through threats like Magearna and Jirachi regardless of its set while its utility set is also sufficiently walled by bulky threats like Clefable and Reuniclus.

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Psychic / Hidden Power Fighting / Thunder Wave / Defog
move 3: Thunder Wave / Defog
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Ice Beam hits prominent Ground- and Dragon-types like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Latios, and Mega Latias while also hitting Tornadus-T, Serperior, Zapdos, Tapu Bulu, and Kartana hard many prominent threats hard, including Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Latios, Mega Latias, Tornadus-T, Serperior, Zapdos, Tapu Bulu, and Kartana. Hidden Power Ground really threatens Heatran and Magnezone while also hitting Mega Mawile, offensive Magearna, Excadrill, and Tyranitar for decent damage. Psychic OHKOes Fighting-types like Mega Lopunny, Hawlucha, and offensive Kommo-o after Stealth Rock while also threatening and threatens Toxapex and neutral targets like Mega Medicham better than other options. Hidden Power Fighting does a lot of damage to OHKOes Kartana and Weavile, heavily damages Tyranitar, and deals decent damage to Steel-types like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran and OHKOes Kartana and Weavile. Thunder Wave cripples offensive Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, Kyurem-B, Greninja, Magearna, and Volcarona while also making defensive staples like Magearna, Reuniclus, Clefable, and Toxapex easier to pressure for teammates. Mega Latias also makes for is a good Defog user due to its great natural bulk and good matchup against common Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Heatran lacking Toxic, and Landorus-T and its great natural bulk letting it take a hit as it clears the entry hazards. However, It should avoid using Defog against status users and Ferrothorn(-comma) however. Thunder Wave and Defog can be used together to get both moves' utility, but it leaves Mega Latias lacking a coverage option to threaten Pokemon not as threatened by Ice Beam while also being a major handicap if it faces a Stealth Rock setter it can't reliably keep them off against Stealth Rock setters that can tank Ice Beam, like Heatran packing Toxic and Mega Tyranitar.

Hidden Power Fire can be used if hitting all of best threatens Kartana, offensive Magearna, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor as hard as possible is desirable. However, Hidden Power Ground and Fighting have a wider range of targets while still hitting most of these Pokemon. Thunder is also usable to gives Mega Latias excellent neutral coverage in tandem with Ice Beam while hitting Water- and Flying-types like Manaphy, Greninja, Tornadus-T, Celesteela, and Tapu Fini hard, but it leaves Mega Latias checked by most Steel-types and is weaker than Psychic on neutral targets. However, it leaves Mega Latias unable to significantly damage most Steel-types and isn't as strong on neutral targets as Psychic. Earthquake can be used over Hidden Power Ground;(+semicolon) to although it 2HKOes Heatran and hits Magearna, Mega Diancie, Excadrill, and Tyranitar harder while also 2HKOing Heatran. However, it gets significantly weakened in Grassy Terrain and if Mega Latias takes a burn, which it often will against Pokemon like Toxapex, Lava Plume Heatran, and Rotom-W. Surf hits Heatran, Excadrill, and Mega Diancie harder than Hidden Power Fighting or Ground while also doing decent damage to Volcarona, but it doesn't hit much else other coverage moves can't its usefulness is overshadowed by other coverage moves and leaves Mega Latias at the mercy of most Steel-types.

Attempt to keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can check what it needs to threats consistently throughout the game. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would normally pivot into, mainly Heatran and Gliscor. Keep in mind what coverage moves Mega Latias can defeat with the coverage you chose so it doesn't come into a matchup it can't fight back very well in has so it can avoid unfavourable matchups. Use Thunder Wave as the opponent switches into or against Pokemon that don't threaten Mega Latias too greatly or Defog, if needed, when Mega Latias threatens out a foe. Defog should be used in the same way.

Team Options
========
Mega Latias fits well on bulky offense and balance teams. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Greninja make excellent partners to chip down foes since Mega Latias can force a lot of switches;(+semicolon) Tyranitar and Heatran are notable targets as they can pivot around Mega Latias depending on its coverage moves. to make the opponent take a lot of residual damage. Spikes also wear down Pokemon hit less hard by Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, namely Tyranitar if Hidden Power Ground is run or Heatran if Hidden Power Fighting is chosen. Ferrothorn is able to check Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja and further solidify a team's matchup against rain while Mega Latias can check Kartana, Heatran, and Ground-types. Skarmory can be used to act as a secondary answer to Ground-types and a better answer to physical attackers like Mega Lopunny and Tyranitar. Greninja can be used as a faster is a fast Spikes setter that threatens offensive teams and benefits from Mega Latias being able to come in on Grass-types. Heatran is able to set up Stealth Rock, check Fairy-types and Tornadus-T, counter Volcarona and Steel-types, spread Toxic for more residual damage, and trap potential checks to with Magma Storm while Mega Latias can check Ground-types and Water-types like Rotom-W and Manaphy as well as Ground-types. Toxapex can check Fairy- and Dark-types while also spreading poison and burn with Toxic, Scald burns, and Toxic Spikes to hit Pursuit users for more residual damage while Mega Latias can check answers to Toxapex, including covers Ground- and Electric-types as well as Mega Alakazam lacking Calm Mind. Other Water-types, like Rotom-W and Tapu Fini,(+comma) check Heatran should Mega Latias lack appropriate coverage and Mega Latias answers Grass-types in return. They also provide other support(-comma,+semicolon); with Rotom-W able to can pivot Mega Latias in while and Tapu Fini can check Dark-types. Mega Latias can answer Grass-types effectively in return. Fairy-types like Clefable and Magearna pivot into Dark-type moves for Mega Latias;(+semicolon,-comma) the formers can set up Stealth Rock(-comma) and the latter can neutralize bulky setup sweepers with Heart Swap(-comma) respectively. Meanwhile, Mega Latias can check Heatran, Kartana, and Gliscor. Gliscor and defensive Landorus-T pressure Steel-types and Toxapex, with Gliscor being able to absorb status moves and set up Swords Dance to act as a wincon while Landorus-T can set up Stealth Rock. Mega Latias benefits both by checking Water- and Grass-types. Magnezone can trap Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Mega Mawile, Kartana, Mega Scizor, and Magearna that would wall Mega Latias, making it more able to drop if it drops Hidden Power Ground and Fighting. Defensive Kommo-o switches into Dark-type moves from can set up Stealth Rock and check Heatran, Ash-Greninja, Volcarona, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U as well as Heatran and Volcarona while setting up Stealth Rock.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power / Psyshock
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Stored Power lets Mega Latias have more potential to potentially snowball in the mid- and late-game,(+comma) while also letting it beat Unaware and other Pokemon that try to go into a Calm Mind war, like Unaware and Magic Guard Clefable as well as Tapu Fini overwhelming Unaware users and opposing Calm Mind users like Clefable and Tapu Fini. Psyshock, on the other hand, is much stronger out the gate, not requiring as many boosts to get its desired KOes, which makes it much more difficult for Haze Toxapex to stop the set while also still beating Pokemon that may try to win in a Calm Mind War, like Magearna and Magic Guard Clefable Mega Latias' sweep and opposing Calm Mind users like Magearna and Magic Guard Clefable to beat it one-on-one. It also lets an unboosted Mega Latias immediately threaten check Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Medicham, and Kommo-o more than Stored Power so it can check them more reliably. Ice Beam makes you not totally walled by hits Dark- and Steel-types like Excadrill and Ferrothorn(where's the dark-type?) while also hitting and directly threatens prominant Pokemon like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Kartana, and Tapu Bulu, and opposing Mega Latias hard. It also hits opposing Mega Latias harder than Stored Power, making you able to threaten it in a mirror match. Thunderbolt can be used over Stored Power or Psychock to threaten Water-types like Toxapex, Greninja, and Tapu Fini and provide for good neutral coverage with Ice Beam on most of the metagame and hit Water-types like Toxapex, Greninja, and Tapu Fini harder. Substitute can be used over Ice Beam to punish switches, evade status from Pokemon like Toxapex and Heatran, and make use passive checks like Leech Seed Ferrothorn and defensive Clefable into as setup fodder. However, it leaves Mega Latias completely walled by Dark-types and unable to function defensively against check Pokemon such as Gliscor, Garchomp, Landorus-T, Kartana while less passive answers can still beat it. Reflect Type can also be used;(+semicolon) to give it an easier time setting up Mega Latias can set up on a poisoned Pursuit Tyranitar should it be poisoned,(+comma) as well as Heatran, Leech Seed Ferrothorn(I mean, Ferro doesn't do anything vs its own typing except Twave), and Magearna while also evading Toxic if it uses Reflect Type against common Toxic users from Heatran or Toxapex. However, it has the same issues as Substitute while being even less consistent.

Set up on forced switches and passive Pokemon like defensive Tornadus-T, defensive Clefable lacking Thunder Wave, Gliscor lacking Toxic, and Zapdos. Attempt to keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can set up more freely and act as a pivot into attackers like Kartana more consistently. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would otherwise set up on, mainly Gliscor. Attempt to keep entry hazards up if possible to wear down checks can be worn down and more quickly defeated and KO them with fewer boosts. Identify the pace you should go with trying to set Mega Latias up, depending on the matchup offered with you given the chosen moveset. For example, Psyshock sets can generally attempt to do more damage in a shorter period of time while the opposite is true for Stored Power sets.

Team Options
========
This set enjoys entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Heatran, and Greninja so potential checks can be worn down into range of Mega Latias's attacks. Ferrothorn is able to check checks Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja;(+semicolon) while Skarmory can be used to acts as a secondary answer to Ground-types and a better answer to phsyical attackers so Mega Latias isn't easy to overwhelm won't be easily overwhelmed;(+semicolon,-fullstop) Heatran checks Fairy- and Steel-types, threatens Steel-types, and can spreads Toxic to cripple checks like Tyranitar and Greninja with Toxic,(+comma) while trapping and taking out and traps and takes out Toxapex with Magma Storm so Mega Latias can more freely run Stored Power. Toxapex spreads residual damage well with Toxic and Toxic Spikes and checks Pokemon that give Calm Mind Latias a hard time, like Magearna, Jirachi, Weavile, and Tyranitar that give this set a hard time. Toxic Spikes Toxapex is also an essential partner should Mega Latias choose to run Stored Power or Psyshock as its only attacking move, since it helps cripples the Dark-types that would stone wall Mega Latias while Mega Latias can also answer threatening Ground-types for Toxapex. Ground-types like Gliscor and Landorus-T can take out Steel-types as well as and pressure Toxapex, since this set can struggle to take it out early-game if it's running Stored Power early-game(you can't change moves during a game). Gliscor can pivot into status moves and act as a potential secondary wincon with Swords Dance alongside Mega Latias with Swords Dance while Landorus-T can run Stealth Rock, pivot Mega Latias in on desirable setup targets with U-turn, or take out a bulky target with a Z-Move set so Mega Latias can more easily sweep more easily. Wallbreakers like the aforementioned Z-Move Landorus-T,(+comma) as well as Choice Specs Tapu Lele,(+comma) and Swords Dance or Choice Band Kartana can threaten bulky targets and wear them down and like appreciates the defensive utility Mega Latias still provides with its natural bulk and defensive profile. Both Clefable and Magearna can pivot into Dark-type moves;(+semicolon,-comma) while Clefable is able to set up Stealth Rock and use Knock Off to remove Toxapex and Heatran passive recovery while Magearna can neutralize opposing setup sweepers with Heart Swap and get Mega Latias in safely against Tapu Fini and Clefable with Volt Switch. Defensive Kommo-o switches into Dark-type moves from can set up Stealth Rock and check Heatran, Ash-Greninja, Volcarona, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U as well as Heatran and Volcarona while setting up Stealth Rock.

Other Options
========
Wish could be used on the utility set as a way to provide more recovery than just Roost and let Mega Latias pass healing to alongside Roost to heal teammates. However, Roost's 16 PP suffices for most games, and many Pokemon the utility set partners up with have recovery of their own anyway its teammates will usually already have reliable recovery. Reflect Type can also be used on the support utility set to evade being Pursuit trapped or Toxic poisoned by Heatran and Toxapex;(+semicolon,-fullstop) however, it usually doesn't help enough to make it worth running different options and coverage can be ran to hit these Pokemon anyway it is very niche and Mega Latias can run other coverage moves to hit these Pokemon. Roar can also be ran to rack up entry hazard damage and stop setup sweepers, but it also suffers from not being as consistently useful as other options and it's utilimately ultimately better to just handle setup sweepers with Thunder Wave or another teammates. Toxic can also be run to cripple and wear down Pokemon like Tyranitar, Greninja, Rotom-W, and Tapu Lele. but it worsens Mega Latias' ability against Steel-types. However, it doesn't do anything against the Steel-types that are often switched into on Mega Latias. Choice Scarf on regular Latias could be run to free a team's mega slot and act as a fast revenge killer that can restore a weakened teammate with Healing Wish. However, it's not very strong, lacks much of the defensive utility Mega Latias offers, and it's generally better to run different Choice Scarf users with more power and utility, like Kartana, Rotom-W, Greninja, and Landorus-T. Although Choice Scarf Latias is a fast revenge killer that can provide Healing Wish, it is not strong, lacks the defensive utility that Mega Latias offers, and is overshadowed by other Choice Scarf users like Kartana, Rotom-W, Greninja, and Landorus-T.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Chansey**: Chansey doesn't take much damage from anything Mega Latias can throw at it and can heal itself with Soft-Boiled and cure itself of status with Natural Cure while crippling Mega Latias with Toxic or Thunder Wave.

**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Z-Move Tornadus-T, Choice Scarf Kartana,(+comma) and Choice Scarf Blacephalon, and Greninja can outspeed and threaten Mega Latias with powerful and super effective coverage. However, they're crippled by Thunder Wave and Mega Latias can often take at least any one hit from them.

**Dark-types**: Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Weavile can trap and remove Mega Latias from the match and stop the Calm Mind set easily. However, they should be careful to not switch into Hidden Power Fighting or Thunder Wave against the utility set and can be played around if Mega Latias runs Reflect Type is ran. Ash-Greninja outspeeds Mega Latias, which makes it better able to stop the Calm Mind set from getting out hand. However, it must make sure to not come in on avoid Hidden Power Fighting, Thunder, or Thunder Wave.

**Steel-types**: Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Heatran can switch easily and set up entry hazards, pivot with U-turn and or Volt Switch, set up with boosting moves, and cripple Mega Latias with status. However, most of these answers are suseptiable susceptible to repeated damage due to lacking reliable recovery, can be hit super effectively should the correct Hidden Power type be ran super effective coverage moves, being set up on by the Calm Mind set, and being trapped by a potential Magnezone partner.

**Status**: Poison severely cuts into Mega Latias's longevity, and can be inflicted by Pokemon it should be able to switch into, like Heatran, Kommo-o, and Toxapex. Paralysis leaves it outsped by a majority of the metagame and prone to being unable to heal when it needs to leaves Mega Latias in an unfavourable situation with a full paralysis.

**Fairy-types**: Mega Diancie, Mega Mawile, Magearna, Tapu Fini, and Clefable are all able to take Mega Latias's attacks,(+comma) and threaten it with their super effective STAB moves,(+comma) and take advantage of it to get up Stealth Rock or set up with their boosting moves. However, they can be hindered by Thunder Wave and Assault Vest Magearna and Tapu Fini can be used as setup fodder for the Calm Mind set.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ophion, 433215]]
- Quality checked by: [[Skypenguin, 462413], [Ausma, 360720]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

Implemented what I agreed with (which is like 95% of it)

 

[Adeleine]

Add/Fix Remove Comment
(AC): Add Comma

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[OVERVIEW]
Mega Latias is a staple of the metagame as a result of thanks to its bulk, movepool, and defensive profile. It can come in on common Pokemon like Heatran, Kartana, Rotom-W, Landorus-T, Zapdos, Rockium Z Garchomp, Mega Lopunny, and Battle Bond Greninja's Water-type STAB Greninja using Water-type moves consistently throughout a game. Mega Latias also outspeeds many of these Pokemon, notably Kartana, forcing them out with coverage moves attacks like Ice Beam, Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, and Psychic. It's also one of the few Pokemon that can take any one move from Mega Medicham and threaten it back, giving faster-paced teams a decent answer to a Pokemon that's often very difficult to switch into without a more passive option. that usually requires a more passive switch-in. It's also the most splashable easiest answer to Swords Dance Gliscor in the entire tier. Mega Latias also has Thunder Wave and Defog, which punish many offensive threats and help the team's longevity respectively. It can also run a devestating Calm Mind that can to fit on teams. Mega Latias also has other options like Thunder Wave, Defog, and Calm Mind: its devastating Calm Mind set can outlast many offensive teams and threaten common balance and stall team staples, including Toxapex, a common Haze user. However, Mega Latias struggles with four-moveslot syndrome even if it chooses to run Thunder Wave. (if there's a specific importance here i'm not seeing, then maybe explain in paragraph or to me) If its standard set drops Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, then Heatran, Excadrill, and Tyranitar can come in without much fear, (AC) while the same is true for Toxapex if it drops Psychic. It has some nasty weaknesses to Fairy, Ice, and Dark, being forced out by strong attackers like Tapu Lele and Mega Latios and Pursuit trapped by Tyranitar and Weavile. Mega Latias is vulnerable to status like poison and paralysis from Pokemon like Heatran, Toxapex, defensive Kommo-o, Zapdos, and Defog Gliscor, which can make it more difficult to check these Pokemon in the long run. Mega Latias It also struggles to break through threats like Magearna and Jirachi regardless of its set, (AC) while its utility set is also sufficiently walled by bulky threats like Clefable and Reuniclus. and bulky threats like Clefable and Reuniclus sufficiently wall the utility set.

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Psychic / Hidden Power Fighting / Thunder Wave / Defog
move 3: Thunder Wave / Defog
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Ice Beam hits many prominent threats hard, including Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Latios, Mega Latias, Tornadus-T, Serperior, Zapdos, Tapu Bulu, and Kartana. Hidden Power Ground threatens Heatran and Magnezone while also hitting Mega Mawile, offensive Magearna, Excadrill, and Tyranitar for decent damage. Psychic OHKOes Fighting-types like Mega Lopunny, Hawlucha, and offensive Kommo-o after Stealth Rock and threatens Toxapex and neutral targets like Mega Medicham. Hidden Power Fighting OHKOes Kartana and Weavile, heavily damages Tyranitar, and deals decent damage to Steel-types like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran. Thunder Wave cripples offensive Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, Kyurem-B, Greninja, Magearna, and Volcarona while also making defensive staples like Magearna, Reuniclus, Clefable, and Toxapex easier to pressure for teammates. Mega Latias is also a good Defog user due to its great natural bulk and good matchup against common Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Heatran lacking Toxic, and Landorus-T. However, it should avoid using Defog against status users and Ferrothorn. Thunder Wave and Defog can be used together, but it this leaves Mega Latias lacking a coverage option unable to threaten Stealth Rock setters that can tank Ice Beams, like Heatran packing Toxic and Mega Tyranitar.

Hidden Power Fire best threatens Kartana, offensive Magearna, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor. However, Hidden Power Ground and Fighting have a wider range of targets while still hitting most of these Pokemon adequately. Thunder gives Mega Latias excellent neutral coverage in tandem with Ice Beam while hitting Water- and Flying-types like Manaphy, Greninja, Tornadus-T, Celesteela, and Tapu Fini hard, but it leaves Mega Latias checked by most Steel-types lets most Steel-types check Mega Latias and is weaker than Psychic on neutral targets. Earthquake can be used over Hidden Power Ground; although it 2HKOes Heatran and to hits Magearna, Mega Diancie, Excadrill, and Tyranitar harder, it gets significantly weakened in Grassy Terrain and if Mega Latias takes a burn, which it often will against but Grassy Terrain and burn weaken it significantly, the latter being common from Pokemon like Toxapex, Lava Plume Heatran, and Rotom-W. Surf hits Heatran, Excadrill, and Mega Diancie harder than Hidden Power Fighting or Ground while also doing decent damage to Volcarona, but its usefulness is overshadowed by other coverage moves and other coverage moves overshadow it, and it leaves Mega Latias at the mercy of most Steel-types. (added period)

Attempt to Keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can check threats consistently throughout the game. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would normally pivot into, mainly Heatran and Gliscor. Keep in mind what coverage moves Mega Latias has so it can avoid unfavorable matchups. (seems pretty intuitive) Use Thunder Wave or Defog, as needed, when Mega Latias threatens forces out a foe.

Team Options
========
Mega Latias fits well on bulky offense and balance teams. Spikes setters like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Greninja make excellent partners to chip down foes, (AC) since Mega Latias can force a lot of switches; Tyranitar and Heatran are notable targets, (AC) as they can pivot around Mega Latias depending on its coverage moves. Ferrothorn checks Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja and further solidify a team's matchup against rain solidifies the rain matchup, while Mega Latias can check Kartana, Heatran, and Ground-types. Skarmory can be used to act as is a secondary answer to Ground-types and a better answer to physical attackers like Mega Lopunny and Tyranitar. Greninja is a fast Spikes setter that threatens offensive teams and benefits from Mega Latias being able to come coming in on Grass-types. Heatran is able to set up Stealth Rock, check Fairy-types and Tornadus-T, counter Volcarona and Steel-types, spread Toxic for more residual damage, and trap potential checks with Magma Storm, (AC) while Mega Latias can check Ground-types and Water-types like Rotom-W and Manaphy. Toxapex can check Fairy- and Dark-types while also spreading poison and burn with Toxic, Scald burns, and Toxic Spikes to hit Pursuit users for more residual damage gradually damage Pursuit users, while Mega Latias covers Ground- and Electric-types as well as and Mega Alakazam lacking Calm Mind. Other Water-types, like Rotom-W and Tapu Fini, check Heatran should Mega Latias lack appropriate coverage, (AC) and Mega Latias answers Grass-types in return. They also provide other support; Also, Rotom-W can pivot Mega Latias in and Tapu Fini can check Dark-types. Fairy-types like Clefable and Magearna pivot into Dark-type moves for Mega Latias; the former can set up Stealth Rock and the latter can neutralize bulky setup sweepers with Heart Swap. Meanwhile, Mega Latias can check Heatran, Kartana, and Gliscor. Gliscor and defensive Landorus-T pressure Steel-types and Toxapex, with Gliscor being able to absorb status moves and set up Swords Dance to act as a wincon be a wincon with Swords Dance, while Landorus-T can set up Stealth Rock. Mega Latias benefits both by checking Water- and Grass-types. Magnezone can trap Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Mega Mawile, Kartana, Mega Scizor, and Magearna that would wall Mega Latias if it drops without Hidden Power Ground and or Fighting. Defensive Kommo-o can set up set up Stealth Rock and check Heatran, Ash-Greninja, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power / Psyshock
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Stored Power lets Mega Latias potentially snowball mid- and late-game, helps Mega Latias snowball, overwhelming Unaware users and opposing Calm Mind users like Clefable and Tapu Fini. Psyshock is much stronger out of the gate, not requiring as many boosts to get its desired KOes, which makes it much more difficult for Haze Toxapex to stop Mega Latias' sweep and opposing Calm Mind users like Magearna and Magic Guard Clefable to beat it one-on-one. stop Mega Latias's sweep. It also lets an unboosted Mega Latias immediately threaten Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Medicham, and Kommo-o. Ice Beam hits Dark- and Steel-types like Excadrill, Greninja, and Ferrothorn and directly threatens prominant prominent Pokemon like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Kartana, Tapu Bulu, and opposing Mega Latias. Thunderbolt can be used over Stored Power or Psyshock to threaten Water-types like Toxapex, Greninja, Greninja (assume this makes sense bc pex is psychic-weak?) and Tapu Fini and provide good neutral coverage with Ice Beam. Substitute can be used over Ice Beam to punish switches, evade status from Pokemon like Toxapex and Heatran, and use passive checks like Leech Seed Ferrothorn and defensive Clefable as setup fodder. However, it leaves Mega Latias completely walled by Dark-types and unable to check Pokemon such as Gliscor, Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Kartana. Reflect Type can also be used; Mega Latias can set up on a poisoned Pursuit Tyranitar, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Magearna while also evading Toxic from Heatran or and Toxapex. However, it has the same issues as Substitute while being even less consistent.

Set up on forced switches and passive Pokemon like defensive Tornadus-T, defensive Clefable lacking Thunder Wave, Gliscor lacking Toxic, and Zapdos. Attempt to Keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can set up more freely and act as a pivot into attackers like Kartana more consistently. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would otherwise set up on, mainly Gliscor. Attempt to Keep entry hazards up to wear down checks and KO them KO checks with fewer boosts. Identify the pace you should go with trying to set Mega Latias up, depending on the matchup offered with the chosen moveset. For example, Psyshock sets can generally attempt to do more damage in a shorter period of time while the opposite is true for Stored Power sets. Psyshock sets can be used for quicker damage, while Stored Power sets generally need (all X pokemon to be eliminated? team support? something else entirely? fill in the blank)

Team Options
========
This set enjoys entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Heatran, and Greninja so potential checks can be worn down into range of Mega Latias's attacks. to KO its checks with fewer boosts. Ferrothorn checks Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja; Skarmory acts as is a secondary answer to Ground-types and a better answer to physical attackers so Mega Latias won't be easily gets less overwhelmed; Heatran checks Fairy-types and Steel-types cripple while crippling checks like Tyranitar and Greninja with Toxic, and it traps and takes out Toxapex with Magma Storm so Mega Latias can more freely run Stored Power. Toxapex spreads residual damage well with Toxic and Toxic Spikes and checks Pokemon that give this set a hard time, like Magearna, Jirachi, Weavile, and Tyranitar. Toxic Spikes Toxapex is also an essential partner should Mega Latias choose to run Stored Power or Psyshock as its only attacking move, for single-attack Mega Latias, since it cripples the Dark-types that would stone wall Mega Latias while Mega Latias can also Stored Power or Psyshock. Mega Latias in turn can answer threatening Ground-types for Toxapex. Ground-types like Gliscor and Landorus-T can take out Steel-types and pressure Toxapex, since this the Stored Power set can struggle to take it them out early-game if it's running Stored Power early-game. Gliscor can pivot into status moves and act as be a potential secondary wincon with Swords Dance alongside Mega Latias, (AC) while Landorus-T can run Stealth Rock, pivot Mega Latias in on desirable setup targets with U-turn, or take out a bulky target with a Z-Move so Mega Latias can sweep more easily. Wallbreakers like the aforementioned Z-Move Landorus-T, Choice Specs Tapu Lele, and Swords Dance or Choice Band Kartana can threaten bulky targets and appreciates the defensive utility Mega Latias provides. Both Clefable and Magearna can pivot into Dark-type moves; Clefable is able to set up Stealth Rock and Knock Off cripple Toxapex and Heatran with Knock Off, while Magearna can neutralize opposing setup sweepers with Heart Swap and get Mega Latias in safely against Tapu Fini and Clefable with Volt Switch. Defensive Kommo-o can set up set up Stealth Rock and check Heatran, Ash-Greninja, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U.

Other Options
========
Wish could be used on the utility set alongside Roost to heal teammates. However, Roost's 16 PP suffices for most games, and its teammates will usually already have reliable recovery. Reflect Type can also be used on the utility set to evade Pursuit or Toxic poisoned by from Heatran and Toxapex; however, it's very niche and Mega Latias can run other coverage moves to hit these Pokemon. Roar can also be ran to rack up entry hazard damage and stop setup sweepers, but it also suffers from not being as consistently useful as other options and it's ultimately better to just handle setup sweepers with Thunder Wave or another teammate. it's situational and Thunder Wave can handle many sweepers. Toxic can also be run to cripple and wear down cripples Pokemon like Tyranitar, Greninja, Rotom-W, and Tapu Lele. However, it worsens Mega Latias' ability against Steel-types. Although Choice Scarf Latias is a fast revenge killer that can provide Healing Wish, it is not strong, lacks the defensive utility that Mega Latias offers, and is overshadowed by other Choice Scarf users like Kartana, Rotom-W, Greninja, and Landorus-T.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Chansey**: Chansey doesn't take much damage from anything Mega Latias can throw at it, (AC) and can heal itself with Soft-Boiled and cure itself of status with it stays healthy with Soft-Boiled and Natural Cure while crippling Mega Latias with Toxic or Thunder Wave.

**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Z-Move Tornadus-T, Choice Scarf Kartana, Choice Scarf Blacephalon, and Greninja can outspeed and threaten Mega Latias with super effective coverage. However, they're crippled by Thunder Wave and Mega Latias can often take at least one hit from them.

**Dark-types**: Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Weavile can trap and remove Mega Latias from the match and stop Latias, stopping the Calm Mind set particularly easily. However, they should be careful to not switch into Hidden Power Fighting or Thunder Wave against the utility set, (AC) and can be played around if Mega Latias runs Reflect Type. Reflect Type can play around them. Ash-Greninja outspeeds Mega Latias, which makes it better able to stop at stopping the Calm Mind set from getting out hand. However, it must avoid Hidden Power Fighting, Thunder, or and Thunder Wave.

**Steel-types**: Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Heatran can switch into Mega Latias easily and set up entry hazards, pivot with U-turn or Volt Switch, set up with boosting moves, and cripple Mega Latias it with status. However, most of these answers are susceptible to repeated damage (due to lacking reliable recovery), super effective coverage moves, being set up on by the Calm Mind set, and being trapped by Magnezone.

**Status**: Poison severely cuts into Mega Latias's longevity, and can be inflicted by it can come from Pokemon it should be able to switch into, like Heatran, Kommo-o, and Toxapex. Paralysis leaves it outsped by a majority of the metagame and leaves Mega Latias in an unfavourable situation with a full paralysis. is also threatening, especially if Mega Latias can't stay healthy due to full paralysis on Roost turns. (I imagine? if not, pls give a better specific example)

**Fairy-types**: Mega Diancie, Mega Mawile, Magearna, Tapu Fini, and Clefable are all able to take Mega Latias's attacks, threaten it with their super effective STAB moves, and take advantage of it to get up Stealth Rock or set up with their boosting moves. However, they can be hindered by Thunder Wave, (AC) and Assault Vest Magearna and Tapu Fini can be used as are setup fodder for the Calm Mind set.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ophion, 433215]]
- Quality checked by: [[Skypenguin, 462413], [Ausma, 360720]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [, ]]

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[dex]

GP Check
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red = delete
green = comments

GP Check

[OVERVIEW]
Mega Latias is a staple of the metagame staple thanks to its bulk, movepool, and defensive profile. It can come in on common Pokemon like Heatran, Kartana, Rotom-W, Landorus-T, Zapdos, Rockium Z Garchomp, Mega Lopunny, and Battle Bond Greninja using Water-type moves consistently throughout a game. Mega Latias also outspeeds many of these Pokemon, notably Kartana, forcing them out with attacks like Ice Beam, Hidden Power, and Psychic. It's also one of the few Pokemon that can take any one move from Mega Medicham and threaten it back, giving faster-paced teams a decent answer to a Pokemon that usually requires a more passive switch-in. It's also the easiest answer to Swords Dance Gliscor to fit on teams. Mega Latias also has other options like Thunder Wave, Defog, and Calm Mind; (colon->semicolon) its devastating Calm Mind set can outlast many offensive teams and threaten common balance and stall staples, including Toxapex, a common Haze user. However, Mega Latias struggles with four-moveslot syndrome. If its standard set drops Hidden Power Ground or Fighting, then Heatran, Excadrill, and Tyranitar can come in switch into it without much fear, while the same is true for Toxapex if it drops Psychic. It has some nasty weaknesses to Fairy, Ice, and Dark, being forced out by strong attackers like Tapu Lele and Mega Latios and Pursuit trapped by Tyranitar and Weavile. Mega Latias is vulnerable to poison and paralysis from Pokemon like Heatran, Toxapex, defensive Kommo-o, Zapdos, and Defog Gliscor, which can make it more difficult to check these Pokemon in the long run. It also struggles to break through threats like Magearna and Jirachi regardless of its set, and bulky threats foes like Clefable and Reuniclus sufficiently wall the utility set.

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Psychic / Hidden Power Fighting / Thunder Wave / Defog
move 3: Thunder Wave / Defog
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Ice Beam hits many prominent threats hard, including Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Latios, Mega Latias, Tornadus-T, Serperior, Zapdos, Tapu Bulu, and Kartana. Hidden Power Ground threatens Heatran and Magnezone while also hitting Mega Mawile, offensive Magearna, Excadrill, and Tyranitar for decent damage. Psychic OHKOes Fighting-types like Mega Lopunny, Hawlucha, and offensive Kommo-o after Stealth Rock and threatens Toxapex and neutral targets like Mega Medicham. Hidden Power Fighting OHKOes Kartana and Weavile, heavily damages Tyranitar, and deals decent damage to Steel-types like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Heatran. Thunder Wave cripples offensive Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, Kyurem-B, Greninja, Magearna, and Volcarona while making defensive staples like Magearna, Reuniclus, Clefable, and Toxapex easier to pressure for teammates. Mega Latias is also a good Defog user Defogger due to its great natural bulk and good matchup against common Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Heatran lacking Toxic, and Landorus-T. However, it should avoid using Defog against status users and Ferrothorn. Thunder Wave and Defog can be used together, but this leaves Mega Latias unable to threaten Stealth Rock setters that can tank Ice Beams Beam, like Heatran packing Toxic and Mega Tyranitar.

Hidden Power Fire best threatens Kartana, offensive Magearna, Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor. However, Hidden Power Ground and Fighting have a wider range of targets while still hitting most of these Pokemon adequately. Thunder gives Mega Latias excellent neutral coverage in tandem with Ice Beam while hitting Water- and Flying-types like Manaphy, Greninja, Tornadus-T, Celesteela, and Tapu Fini hard, but it lets most Steel-types check Mega Latias and is weaker than Psychic on neutral targets. Earthquake can be used over Hidden Power Ground; it 2HKOes Heatran and hits Magearna, Mega Diancie, Excadrill, and Tyranitar harder, but Grassy Terrain and burn weaken it significantly, the latter being common from Pokemon like Toxapex, Lava Plume Heatran, and Rotom-W. Surf hits Heatran, Excadrill, and Mega Diancie harder than Hidden Power Fighting or Ground while also doing decent damage to Volcarona, but other coverage moves overshadow it, and it leaves Mega Latias at the mercy of most Steel-types.

Keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can check threats consistently throughout the game. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would normally pivot into, mainly Heatran and Gliscor. Use Thunder Wave or Defog, as needed, when Mega Latias forces out a foe.

Team Options
========
Mega Latias fits well on bulky offense and balance teams. Spikes setters Spikers like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Greninja make excellent partners to chip down foes, since Mega Latias can force a lot of switches; Tyranitar and Heatran are notable targets, as they can pivot around Mega Latias depending on its coverage moves. Ferrothorn checks Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja and further solidifies the rain matchup, while Mega Latias can check Kartana, Heatran, and Ground-types. Skarmory is a secondary answer to Ground-types and a better answer to physical attackers like Mega Lopunny and Tyranitar. Greninja is a fast Spikes setter that threatens offensive teams and benefits from Mega Latias coming in on Grass-types. Heatran is able to set up Stealth Rock, check Fairy-types and Tornadus-T, counter Volcarona and Steel-types, spread Toxic for more residual damage, and trap potential checks with Magma Storm, while Mega Latias can check Ground-types and Water-types like Rotom-W and Manaphy. Toxapex can check Fairy- and Dark-types while also spreading poison and burn with Toxic, Scald, and Toxic Spikes to gradually damage Pursuit users, while Mega Latias covers Ground- and Electric-types and Mega Alakazam lacking Calm Mind. Other Water-types, like Rotom-W and Tapu Fini, check Heatran should Mega Latias lack appropriate coverage, and Mega Latias answers Grass-types in return. Also, Rotom-W can pivot Mega Latias in and Tapu Fini can check Dark-types. Fairy-types like Clefable and Magearna pivot into Dark-type moves for Mega Latias; the former can set up Stealth Rock, (add comma) and while the latter can neutralize bulky setup sweepers with Heart Swap. Meanwhile, Mega Latias can check Heatran, Kartana, and Gliscor. Gliscor and defensive Landorus-T pressure Steel-types and Toxapex, with Gliscor able to absorb status moves and be a wincon sweep with Swords Dance, while Landorus-T can set up Stealth Rock. Mega Latias benefits both by checking Water- and Grass-types. Magnezone can trap Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Mega Mawile, Kartana, Mega Scizor, and Magearna that wall Mega Latias without Hidden Power Ground or Fighting. Defensive Kommo-o can set up Stealth Rock and check Heatran, Ash-Greninja, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Stored Power / Psyshock
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Roost
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========
Stored Power helps Mega Latias snowball, overwhelming Unaware users and opposing Calm Mind users like Clefable and Tapu Fini. Psyshock is much stronger out of the gate, which makes it much more difficult for Haze Toxapex and opposing Calm Mind users like Magearna and Magic Guard Clefable to stop Mega Latias's sweep. It also lets Mega Latias immediately threaten Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Medicham, and Kommo-o. Ice Beam hits Dark- and Steel-types like Excadrill, Greninja, and Ferrothorn and directly threatens prominent Pokemon like Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp, Kartana, Tapu Bulu, and opposing Mega Latias. Thunderbolt can be used over Stored Power or Psyshock to threaten Water-types like Toxapex, Greninja, and Tapu Fini and provide good neutral coverage with Ice Beam. Substitute can be used over Ice Beam to punish switches, evade status from Pokemon like Toxapex and Heatran, and use passive checks like Leech Seed Ferrothorn and defensive Clefable as setup fodder. However, it leaves Mega Latias completely walled by Dark-types and unable to check Pokemon such as Gliscor, Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Kartana. Reflect Type can also be used; Mega Latias can set up on poisoned Pursuit Tyranitar, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Magearna while also evading Toxic from Heatran and Toxapex. However, it has the same issues as Substitute while being even less consistent.

Set up on forced switches and passive Pokemon like defensive Tornadus-T, defensive Clefable lacking Thunder Wave, Gliscor lacking Toxic, and Zapdos. Keep Mega Latias healthy whenever possible so it can set up more freely and pivot into attackers like Kartana more consistently. Scout for status moves from Pokemon it would otherwise set up on, mainly Gliscor. Keep entry hazards up to KO checks with fewer boosts. Psyshock sets can be used for quicker damage, while Stored Power sets generally needs to find opportunities to set up multiple Calm Minds in a row.

Team Options
========
This set enjoys entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Heatran, and Greninja to KO its checks with fewer boosts. Ferrothorn checks Fairy- and Dark-types like Tapu Lele, Magearna, Tapu Fini, Weavile, Tyranitar, and Ash-Greninja; Skarmory is a secondary answer to Ground-types and a better answer to physical attackers so Mega Latias gets less doesn't get overwhelmed; Heatran checks Fairy-types and Steel-types while crippling checks like Tyranitar and Greninja with Toxic, and it traps and takes out Toxapex with Magma Storm so Mega Latias can more freely run Stored Power. Toxapex spreads residual damage well with Toxic and Toxic Spikes and checks Pokemon that give this set a hard time, like Magearna, Jirachi, Weavile, and Tyranitar. Toxic Spikes Toxapex is also an essential partner for single-attack Mega Latias, since it cripples the Dark-types that would stone wall Stored Power or Psyshock. Mega Latias in turn can answer threatening Ground-types for Toxapex. Ground-types like Gliscor and Landorus-T can take out Steel-types and pressure Toxapex, since the Stored Power set can struggle to take them out early-game. Gliscor can pivot into status moves and be a potential secondary wincon with Swords Dance alongside Mega Latias, while Landorus-T can run Stealth Rock, pivot Mega Latias in on desirable setup targets with U-turn, or take out a bulky target with a Z-Move so Mega Latias can sweep more easily. Wallbreakers like the aforementioned Z-Move Landorus-T, Choice Specs Tapu Lele, and Swords Dance or Choice Band Kartana can threaten bulky targets and appreciate the defensive utility Mega Latias provides. Both Clefable and Magearna can pivot into Dark-type moves; Clefable is able to set up Stealth Rock and cripple Toxapex and Heatran with Knock Off, while Magearna can neutralize opposing setup sweepers with Heart Swap and get Mega Latias in safely against Tapu Fini and Clefable with Volt Switch. Defensive Kommo-o can set up Stealth Rock and check Heatran, Ash-Greninja, Tyranitar, and Hoopa-U.

Other Options
========
Wish could be used on the utility set alongside Roost to heal teammates. However, Roost's 16 PP suffices for most games, and its teammates will usually already have reliable recovery. Reflect Type can also be used on the utility set to evade Pursuit or Toxic from Heatran and Toxapex; however, it's very niche and Mega Latias can run coverage moves to hit these Pokemon. Roar can rack up entry hazard damage and stop setup sweepers, but it's situational and Thunder Wave can handle many sweepers usually suffices in this regard. Toxic cripples Pokemon like Tyranitar, Greninja, Rotom-W, and Tapu Lele; (period->semicolon) however, it makes Mega Latias worse against Steel-types. Although Choice Scarf Latias is a fast revenge killer that can provide Healing Wish, it is not strong, lacks the defensive utility that Mega Latias offers, and is overshadowed by other Choice Scarf users like Kartana, Rotom-W, Greninja, and Landorus-T.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Chansey**: Chansey doesn't take much damage from anything Mega Latias can throw at it, and it stays healthy with Soft-Boiled and Natural Cure while crippling Mega Latias with Toxic or Thunder Wave.

**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon like Mega Alakazam, Z-Move Tornadus-T, Choice Scarf Kartana, Choice Scarf Blacephalon, and Greninja can outspeed and threaten Mega Latias with super effective coverage. However, they're crippled by Thunder Wave, (add comma) and Mega Latias can often take at least one hit from them.

**Dark-types**: Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Weavile can trap and remove Mega Latias, stopping the Calm Mind set particularly easily. However, they should be careful to not switch into Hidden Power Fighting or Thunder Wave against the utility set, and Reflect Type can play around them. Ash-Greninja outspeeds Mega Latias, which makes it better at stopping the Calm Mind set from getting out hand. However, it must avoid Hidden Power Fighting, Thunder, and Thunder Wave.

**Steel-types**: Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Heatran can switch into Mega Latias easily and set entry hazards on it, pivot with U-turn or Volt Switch, set up, and cripple it with status. However, most of these answers are susceptible to repeated damage due to lacking reliable recovery, super effective coverage moves, the Calm Mind set, and being trapped by Magnezone.

**Status**: Poison severely cuts into Mega Latias's longevity, and it can come from Pokemon it should be able to switch into, like Heatran, Kommo-o, and Toxapex. Paralysis is also threatening, especially if Mega Latias can't stay healthy due to full paralysis on Roost turns.

**Fairy-types**: Mega Diancie, Mega Mawile, Magearna, Tapu Fini, and Clefable are all able to take Mega Latias's attacks, threaten it with their super effective STAB moves, and take advantage of it to get up Stealth Rock or set up. However, they can be hindered by Thunder Wave, and Assault Vest Magearna and Tapu Fini are setup fodder for the Calm Mind set.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ophion, 433215]]
- Quality checked by: [[Skypenguin, 462413], [Ausma, 360720]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [dex, 277988]]

2/2, I promise chomp will get done soon