GODSPEED MEN, TAILWIND
Overview
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With a combination of high Special Attack and Speed, Latios is a force to be reckoned with in the Doubles metagame. Boasting high power, Latios can severely damage or even KO a significant portion of the metagame with Draco Meteor alone. For an attacker, Latios sports good defensive typing, making it a good switch-in for notable Special attacks such as Mega Charizard Y's Heat Wave and Keldeo's Hydro Pump. Latios can also provide invaluable support by providing speed control in the form of Tailwind. However, Latios only has average bulk and is notably physically frail. Its strongest move, Draco Meteor, also has the nasty drawback of weakening Latios's power, meaning Latios is much less threatening once it's fired off the move. Lastly, Latios is easily switched in on and beaten by the numerous Steel- and Fairy-types in the metagame, such as Mega Metagross, Sylveon, and Mega Mawile.
Special Attacker
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psyshock / Psychic
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Protect
ability: Levitate
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Draco Meteor is Latios's most powerful STAB move and is able to KO or at least deal significant damage to most targets. However, it has the drawback of lowering Latios's Special Attack by two stages, so Draco Meteor has to be used carefully or else Latios will easily become setup bait for switch-ins that resist or are immune to Dragon. Psyshock is a secondary STAB move that hits does not lower Latios's power. As Psyshock tagets physical defense, it can also hit foes with lower Defense than Special Defense, such as Mega Charizard Y, and Pokemon holding an Assault Vest harder. Psychic can be used instead for its higher Base Power to hit threats such as standard Amoonguss and Landorus-T harder. Tailwind lets Latios support its teammates by doubling their Speed, helping them outspeed and KO threats they couldn't safely otherwise. Using Tailwind also lets Latios act while ignoring opposing Sucker Punch, essentially gaining a free turn to set up while avoiding getting KOed. The final move, Protect, is a staple move, letting Latios stall out field conditions, shield itself from damage, and give teammates room to do work.
Set Details
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Life Orb boosts Latios's damage output to higher levels, letting it easily get more KOs. Draco Plate is a usable alternative to still boost Draco Meteor's power but without the recoil, but its lower power boost and limit to Dragon-type moves make it unappealing. The given EV investment maximizes power and Speed. With Timid, Latios outruns many notable threats such as Terrakion, Keldeo, and Mega Charizard Y.
Usage Tips
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With Latios's high power, it is recommended to blast holes in the opposing team early-game with Draco Meteor. Be wary of using Draco Meteor, however, if the opponent still has healthy Steel- or Fairy-type Pokemon to switch in. Due to Draco Meteor's drawbacks and Life Orb recoil, it's recommended to play Latios as a hit-and-run attacker, switching out after a successful hit in order to shake off the Special Attack drop. In cases when using Draco Meteor is not preferred, such as when Latios doesn't want to incur the Special Attack drop, it can attack with Psyshock instead.
Thanks to its nice defensive typing along with Levitate, Latios can function as a switch-in for numerous notable attacks, especially special ones such as Hydro Pump and Heat Wave. It's useful to set Tailwind in cases when Latios can safely do so, such as when it can take any move the opposing Pokemon have or when Latios can threaten to KO. Doing so can maintain momentum and let Latios's teammates be much more dangerous, getting KOs on threats they wouldn't be able to otherwise. Using Tailwind can also let Latios avoid opposing Sucker Punch in a pinch while still being helpful to its team. In the late-game, Latios can function effectively as a cleaner thanks to its high power and Speed.
Team Options
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As Latios is an offensive Pokemon, it greatly appreciates teammates that can beat or at least switch in on opposing Pokemon that check it. Steel-types such as Mega Metagross and Heatran make for good partners, as they can switch in on opposing Dragon- and Fairy-type moves safely. Pokemon that can reliably switch in and beat opposing Dark-types are also recommended. Terrakion matches up well against Dark-type Pokemon, as it is able to get an Attack boost by switching in on Dark-type attacks thanks to Justified, while Mega Kangaskhan can nab KOs on a number of Dark-types and at the same time boost its Attack by using Power-Up Punch. Other Fighting-types such as Breloom and Scrafty can also fare well against Dark-type Pokemon, though Scrafty must be wary of giving opposing Bisharp a Defiant boost with its Intimidate. Latios also appreciates Quick Guard to block strong priority attacks such as Sucker Punch and Talonflame's Gale Wings Brave Bird. Again, Terrakion makes a good teammate because it can beat opposing Dark-types while being able to support Latios with Quick Guard.
Fake Out support is useful to give Latios a free turn to set Tailwind or get a free turn to hit with Draco Meteor. Mega Kangaskhan has access to Fake Out and is a very strong attacker overall, and Scrafty can provide additional support with Intimidate. Pokemon that work well in Tailwind appreciate Latios as a partner as well. Breloom works well in Tailwind, as the Speed boost allows it to neuter almost any active threat with Spore. Strong attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Charizard Y also appreciate being able to attack with less risk of being outrun and damaged.
Other Options
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Substitute can be run to play around Sucker Punch and to avoid powerful attacks and status. Hidden Power Fire is an option to nab KOs on common Steel-type switch-ins such as Scizor and Ferrothorn, but it can't get past Heatran due to being nullified by Flash Fire and it forces Latios to give up one Speed IV, leaving it outsped by fully invested base 100s. Hidden Power Ground is also usable if you want to bait and KO Heatran while still hitting some Steel-types such as Aegislash and Mega Metagross, but outside of those threats it's essentially useless. A Mega set can be run, but it's outclassed by the Life Orb variant, which hits harder while having less of an opportunity cost. Recover is an option to give Latios longevity, recovering back health lost so it can stay in play longer. Thunderbolt can be run in order to 2HKO Togekiss while also hitting bulky Water-types such as Gyarados and Politoed super effectively. While seen on some Latios, Ice Beam is not recommended because it has redundant coverage with Draco Meteor, which is stronger and already gets the KO on threats Ice Beam hits super effectively, such as Landorus-T.
Checks & Counters
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**Typing Advantage**: Dark-type Pokemon such as Bisharp and Darkrai can easily KO Latios with their respective STAB moves, the former being able to switch in on Latios's STAB moves and hit back with a priority Sucker Punch. Bug-types such as Mega Scizor and Volcarona hit Latios hard, though some have to be wary of Hidden Power Fire. Fairy-types can switch in on Draco Meteor safely and KO back with their STAB moves. Mega Mawile also has Sucker Punch to bypass its low Speed and get the jump on Latios for the KO. Steel-type Pokemon such as Aegislash, Ferrothorn, Mega Metagross, and Heatran can switch in on a majority of Latios's attacks and significantly or, in Heatran's case, gradually damage it. Choice Scarf Genesect outruns Latios and hits hard with U-turn, and Mega Scizor can easily set up Swords Dance and deal significant damage with Bullet Punch. However, most Steel-types have to be wary of Hidden Power Fire bar Heatran, which has to watch out for Hidden Power Ground instead. Mega Kangaskhan deals significant damage with its Normal-type STAB moves while also packing Sucker Punch to bypass Latios's Speed. Choice Scarf Landorus-T outruns Latios and deals notable damage with U-turn. Mega Gengar traps Latios and has a high chance to OHKO with Shadow Ball. Mega Sceptile outruns Latios and OHKOes with Dragon Pulse.
**Speed Control**: As Latios is faster than a majority of the metagame, Trick Room puts it at a disadvantage by making it slower than most Pokemon and highlighting its only average bulk. Cresselia can reliably set Trick Room while taking everything Latios has. Aromatisse can also set Trick Room without fearing Draco Meteor. Opposing Tailwind takes advantage of Latios's average bulk by making the majority of the opposing team move first. Life Orb Talonflame can set it while hitting Latios hard, and Suicune can tank a Draco Meteor and hit back with Ice Beam. Thunder Wave takes away Latios's precious Speed. Thundurus can paralyze Latios with Thunder Wave while being near-guaranteed to get it off thanks to Prankster. Icy Wind lowers Latios's Speed to manageable levels while also hitting super effectively. Politoed is able to hit with Icy Wind while being bulky enough to take a Draco Meteor.
**Miscellaneous**: Follow Me users Togekiss and Jirachi can redirect Latios's attacks while being able to take them reliably, the latter completely walling Latios's standard moveset.
Overview
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psyshock / Psychic
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Protect
ability: Levitate
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Other Options
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Checks & Counters
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- Its combination of high Special Attack and Speed makes it a force in the metagame.
- Can severely damage or even KO a significant portion of the meta with just Draco Meteor alone.
- Nice defensive typing which lets it switch in on notable Special attacks such as Mega Charizard Y's Heat Wave and Keldeo's Hydro Pump.
- Can support its team with Tailwind
- Only average bulk, notably being frail on the physical side.
- Its strongest move Draco Meteor also has the nasty drawback of weakening its power, meaning it can't really stay in and remain as useful once it uses it.
- Easily switched in on and beaten by the numerous Steel- and Fairy-types in the metagame such as Mega Metagross, Sylveon, and Mega Mawile.
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name: Special Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Psyshock / Psychic
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Protect
ability: Levitate
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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- Draco Meteor is Latios' most powerful STAB move, getting a KO or putting significant damage on most targets.
- However, it has a drawback of lowering its Special Attack by two stages so it needs to be used carefully as it becomes set-up bait otherwise.
- Psyshock is a secondary STAB move that hits foes without lowering its power. It hits threats with low Defense such as Mega Charizard Y and Sylveon, and Pokemon equipped with an Assault Vest harder.
- However, if that is not a concern, Psychic can be used for its higher Base Power.
- Tailwind lets it support its teammates by doubling their Speed, effectively making them outspeed and nab KO on threats they couldn't otherwise.
- Using Tailwind also lets Latios act while ignoring opposing Sucker Punch
- Protect is a staple move, letting it stall out field conditions, protect itself from damage, and give teammates room to do work.
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- Life Orb is used to boost Latios's damage output to higher levels.
- Draco Plate can be used to still boost Draco Meteor's power without the recoil. However, the power increase is less and it also loses out on power for the non-Dragon-type moves.
- The listed EV investment maximizes power and Speed as much as possible.
- With Timid, it outruns many notable threats such as Terrakion, Keldeo, and Mega Charizard Y.
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- Blast holes early-game with Draco Meteor. Draco Meteor easily gets in significant damage if not a KO on most foes so it's recommended to use it to soften up threats for its teammates
- Be wary of using it when the opponent still has Steel- or Fairy-type Pokemon switch-ins healthy, however.
- Due to the drawbacks Draco Meteor has, paired with the Life Orb recoil, it's recommended to play Latios as a hit-and-run attacker, switching it out after a successful hit with Draco Meteor in order to efficiently do its role.
- In cases when using Draco Meteor is not preferred such as when Latios doesn't want to incur the Special Attack drop, it can use its Psychic-type STAB move instead.
- Thanks to its nice defensive typing along with Levitate, it can function as a switch-in on for numerous notable attacks, especially Special ones such as Hydro Pump and Heat Wave.
- Set Tailwind whenever Latios can afford it, such as taking most of its opponents attacks or forcing Protects.
- Doing so can let its team be much more dangerous by getting KOs on threats it wouldn't otherwise and maintain momentum.
- Using Tailwind can also let Latios avoid opposing Sucker Punch in a pinch while still being helpful to its team.
- Doing so can let its team be much more dangerous by getting KOs on threats it wouldn't otherwise and maintain momentum.
- Late in the game, Latios can function effectively as a cleaner thanks to its high power and Speed.
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- Steel-types: switch-in for opposing Dragon- or Fairy-type foes.
- Aegislash, Bisharp, Scizor
- Things that beat opposing Dark-types (Bisharp, Darkrai)
- Terrakion
- Mega Kangaskhan
- Breloom
- Scrafty, activates Bisharp's Defiant though :[
- Quick Guard because Talon BB + Kang / Bisharp Sucker Punch
- Terrakion
- Fake Out: always good to help set up Tailwind or get a free turn to hit with Draco Meteor
- Mega Kangaskhan
- Scrafty
- Things that appreciate Tailwind (i.e. strong attackers)
- KING BRELOOM - Spores lots of things o,o
- Mega Kangaskhan
- Mega Charizard Y
- Things that can switch in on attacks for it
- Keldeo can take opposing Dark-type attacks and fares well against Dark-type foes. Can also beat Steel-types.
- Both Rotom-W and Rotom-H can take a Brave Bird. The former beats Heatran while the latter beats majority of Steels. They also appreciate having an increased number of targets to safely burn thanks to Tailwind.
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- Mega Set
- Scarf
- Specs
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
- Light Screen + Reflect
- Recover is an option to give Latios longevity, recovering back health lost so it can stay in play longer.
- Hidden Power Fire is an option on this slot to be nab KOs on common Steel-type switchins such as Scizor and Ferrothorn. It can't get past Heatran due to being nullified by Flash Fire, however. It also loses out on a point on Speed due to forced IVs.
- Hidden Power Ground is also usable if baiting Heatran for a KO is desired while still hitting Steel-types Aegislash and Metagross, but outside of those threats it's essentially useless.
- Can carry manual weather-setting moves such as Rain Dance and Sunny Day to maintain a favorable field presence for its teammates.
- DONT USE ICE BEAM. It has redundant coverage with Draco Meteor, which is stronger and already gets the KO on Landorus-T.
Checks & Counters
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- Typing Advanatage
- Dark-type Pokemon such as Bisharp and Darkrai can easily nab a KO with their respective STAB moves. The former can also take both of Latios's STAB moves and hit back with a priority Sucker Punch
- Bug-types such as Scizor and Volcarona. Most except Volcarona have to watch out for HP Fire though.
- FAIRIES. Can switch in on its Dragon-type STAB and KO back with their STAB moves. Mega Mawile also has Sucker Punch to bypass its low Speed, improving the match-up.
- Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Mega Metagross, and Heatran, can switch in on majority of Latios's attacks and significantly or, in Heatran's casem gradually damage it. Choice Scarf Genesect outruns Latios and hits it with U-Turn, and Mega Scizor can easily set up a Swords Dance and deal significant damage with Bullet Punch. All bar Heatran have to watch out for Hidden Power Fire, while Heatran needs to be careful of Hidden Power Ground.
- Mega Kangaskhan deals significant damage with its STAB moves while also packing Sucker Punch to bypass its Speed.
- Choice Scarf Landorus-T outspeeds and deals notable damage with U-Turn
- Mega Gengar traps it and has a high chance to OHKO with Shadow Ball.
- Mega Sceptile outruns and easily OHKOs with Dragon Pulse
- Speed Control
- TWave takes its precious Speed away
- Thundurus
- Trick Room turns the tables on it
- Cresselia
- Aromatisse, doesn't fear Draco Meteor.
- Opposing Tailwind takes advantage of its average bulk when its not going first
- Talonflame, also has Brave Bird to significantly damage Latios
- Suicune, also has Ice Beam
- Icy Wind lowers its Speed to manageable levels
- Politoed
- TWave takes its precious Speed away
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