Ubers Latias

[OVERVIEW]

* Mega Latias has a niche as a check to Primal Groudon that has access to both Defog and Healing Wish, allowing it to provide powerful support to bulky offense teams. Healing Wish in particular can grant offensive threats a second chance to sweep, which sets Mega Latias apart from its competitors such as Mega Salamence, Giratina-O, and Arceus-Ground.
* Solid mixed bulk and the immunities and resistances granted by its typing and ability mean it can switch into both physical and special sets of Primal Groudon and use Defog to remove Stealth Rock or whittle down Primal Groudon with Toxic and attacks.
* Though using Mega Latias means that other powerful Mega Evolutions cannot be used on its team, it allows greater freedom in choosing the role of the team's Arceus forme, as Mega Latias utilizes Defog and checks Primal Groudon, a role that support Arceus formes typically perform.
* However, it is heavily threatened by many strong offensive threats such as Necrozma-DM, Yveltal, and Xerneas, often granting them a free turn to switch in and set up or fire off powerful attacks.
* Due to its reliance on Toxic for damage, Mega Latias also poses no threat to many support Pokemon that are immune to Toxic and not weak to its attacking moves such as Ferrothorn and Celesteela, giving them free turns to support their team.
* Mega Latias is unable to effectively keep Stealth Rock off the field against common Stealth Rock setters such as Necrozma-DM and Arceus-Fairy, and it struggles against Primal Groudon carrying Toxic or Dragon-type coverage.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Defog
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Healing Wish / Recover
move 4: Draco Meteor / Grass Knot
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 4 SpD / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Defog is mandatory, allowing Mega Latias to support its team by removing entry hazards. It is especially effective on Mega Latias, as it checks Primal Groudon, the most common Stealth Rock user in the tier, though it must be wary of Toxic.
* Toxic is Mega Latias's best method of dealing damage, crippling bulky support Pokemon such as Arceus-Ground and putting offensive Pokemon on a timer.
* Healing Wish allows Mega Latias to restore an ally to full health once it is no longer required, working well with sweepers such as Double Dance Primal Groudon, which can wear down or KO its own checks before being restored to full health to sweep. This combination is especially effective because many sweepers can set up on the Pokemon that Mega Latias invites in.
* Alternatively, Recover can be used to allow Mega Latias to stay healthy throughout the match and continue to use Defog. However, this requires giving up Healing Wish, which makes Mega Latias outclassed by Giratina-O and Mega Salamence.
* An attacking move is required to immediately damage the threats Mega Latias is supposed to check, since Mega Latias would be too passive otherwise.
* Draco Meteor is Mega Latias's strongest move against neutral targets and allows it to heavily damage or OHKO Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C. However, the Special Attack drop means that Mega Latias will be unable to deal consistent damage and may be forced to switch out.
* Grass Knot allows Mega Latias to stand up to offensive Primal Kyogre and maximum HP Arceus-Ground, having a good chance to 2HKO both after Stealth Rock damage, but leaves Mega Latias unable to threaten Dragon-types.


Set Details
========

* The given EVs and nature allow Mega Latias to outspeed all Pokemon up to and including fully invested base 100 Speed Pokemon. Most importantly, this allows Mega Latias to use Defog or Healing Wish before Yveltal can use Taunt or KO it and ensures it outspeeds Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Rayquaza, Kyurem-W, and Palkia.
* 252 HP EVs maximize Mega Latias's bulk, especially due to its comparatively lower HP stat.
* 4 Special Defense EVs ensure that an uninvested Ice Beam from Primal Kyogre will never 2HKO Mega Latias from full health without a critical hit.
* The rest of the EVs are placed in Defense to better tank powerful physical attacks like +2 Stone Edge from Primal Groudon.
* A slower EV spread of 252 HP / 156 Def / 4 SpD / 96 Spe with a Timid nature can be used to increase physical bulk while still outspeeding base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
* An alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 116 Def / 4 SpD / 136 Spe with a Timid Nature allows Mega Latias to outspeed base 95 Speed Pokemon like Rayquaza and Kyurem-W.
* A fully defensive EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD with a Bold nature or 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature can be used to maximize bulk. However, this requires Mega Latias to give up its valuable Speed tier, meaning it may not be able to use Defog or Healing Wish against threats it would otherwise outspeed such as Yveltal and can leave it outsped by many threats it needs to be faster than to check such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon.

Usage Tips
========

* Switch Mega Latias into the Pokemon it checks, such as Primal Groudon, and remove any entry hazards with Defog.
* Mega Evolve as soon as possible, as it grants Latias greater bulk and power.
* Use Healing Wish when the benefits of restoring a teammate to full health outweigh the benefits of keeping Mega Latias in play. Examples include restoring a weakened sweeper to full health if the opponent's team no longer has any checks to it and restoring a teammate such as Magearna in order to prevent a sweep from an opposing Pokemon such as Geomancy Xerneas.
* If running Healing Wish over Recover, be mindful of Mega Latias's limited health pool. If Mega Latias has too little health remaining to effectively check anything, it may be worth conserving for the sole purpose of Healing Wish.
* If running Recover, use it throughout the match to stay healthy enough to check what it needs to check. However, be careful about being too predictable with using Recover, as it may allow the opponent to switch in checks without fear of taking damage from an attack or Toxic.
* If Mega Latias can cripple or heavily damage the opposing Pokemon, or if using Defog or Recover is unnecessary or gives up too much momentum, use Toxic or an attacking move in order to wear down the opposing team and catch potential switch-ins such as Xerneas and Yveltal.
* Switch Mega Latias out if it finds itself facing one of the many Pokemon that threaten it out, and using Healing Wish is undesirable.
* If the opposing Stealth Rock setter is a Pokemon that Mega Latias cannot effectively use Defog against, such Necrozma-DM or Arceus-Fairy, it is often a better idea to allow Stealth Rock to remain on your side of the field and attempt to set Stealth Rock on the opposing side of the field with your own Stealth Rock setter. Otherwise, switching Mega Latias in to use Defog will simply result in the opposing Stealth Rock user switching back in to set up Stealth Rock again or your team taking a large amount of unnecessary damage from entry hazards and attacks.
* Against threats on offensive teams such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, Mega Latias may be forced to choose between sacrificing itself to clear entry hazards or taking down the opposing Pokemon while being left too low on health to be able to use Defog afterwards. Evaluate whether the entry hazards or the opposing Pokemon poses a greater threat to your team, and act accordingly.

Team Options
========

* Offensive Pokemon that can take full advantage of Healing Wish heavily benefit from Mega Latias's support. Examples include Double Dance Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM, both of which can set up on many typical switch-ins to Mega Latias.
* Mega Latias requires teammates that can check Fairy-types, which include Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn. In return, Mega Latias offers a switch-in to Ground- and Fire-type attacks and Defog support.
* Fire-types such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon also check Fairy-types and threaten out Steel-types, which Mega Latias cannot touch. Ho-Oh heavily appreciates Mega Latias keeping Stealth Rock off the field, and Mega Latias can switch into Ground-type moves for Primal Groudon.
* Checks to Dark-types are also required. Options include Fairy-types such as Magearna and Xerneas, which value Mega Latias's ability to check Primal Groudon and remove entry hazards.
* Several Arceus formes that perform poorly as Defoggers or checks to Primal Groudon, such as Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Rock, and Arceus-Electric, can be run, as Mega Latias can do these duties in their place.
* A switch-in to Ghost-types, such as Yveltal or Arceus-Dark, is necessary. Additionally, as Marshadow can bypass many conventional Ghost-type checks due to its strong Fighting-type attacks, Pokemon that resist Fighting such as Xerneas and Toxapex can be used to check Marshadow. In return, Mega Latias removes Stealth Rock and checks Primal Groudon.
* Pursuit support from the likes of Marshadow, Tyranitar, and Alolan Muk can aid Mega Latias against Shadow Tag users and Ghost-types.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Mega Latias has a large range of support moves, but choosing to run any of them over its standard moveset requires giving up a valuable moveslot, greatly diminishing Mega Latias's effectiveness at checking the threats it is supposed to check or giving up its niche of having both Defog and Healing Wish.
* Running both Recover and Healing Wish by giving up Toxic is a possibility, but this is counterproductive because Recover is a move that attempts to give Mega Latias longevity, while Healing Wish fits best on teams that do not care about staying power.
* Refresh allows Mega Latias to easily take on Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground that carry Toxic and generally act as a status absorber.
* Role Play can be run to escape trappers by copying their Shadow Tag, allowing Mega Latias to switch out. However, Mega Gengar can use Taunt or KO Mega Latias on the turn it uses the move, meaning that in practice, its use is limited to escaping only Gothitelle.
* Roar is an option to rack up entry hazard damage and force out setup sweepers to remove their boosts; however, this is only a short-term solution, as they can easily come in afterwards and threaten to set up again.
* Reflect and Light Screen can help Mega Latias and its teammates take powerful physical or special attacks better and aid sweepers in setting up, but they can be removed through Defog and only last for 5 turns because Mega Latias cannot hold Light Clay.
* Tailwind can allow slower, powerful attackers such as Primal Kyogre to outspeed their offensive checks and clean weakened teams, but it practically only lasts for two turns.
* Thunder Wave is an alternative status move that can cripple faster threats but does not affect Ground-types, which Mega Latias is supposed to check.

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

**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor are immune to Toxic and take little damage from Mega Latias's attacks. In return, they can threaten to sweep with boosting moves, fire off powerful attacks, support their team through status moves, or set up entry hazards, which Mega Latias cannot remove due to it being unable to threaten them out. However, Steel-types may find themselves setup fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates should Mega Latias choose to use Healing Wish.

**Dark-types**: Yveltal can threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with Dark-type STAB moves or maintain momentum with U-turn while still dealing considerable chip damage should Mega Latias choose to stay in. Arceus-Dark can set up Calm Mind on Mega Latias while shrugging off Toxic with Refresh or simply smack it with its super effective Judgment or Toxic. Mega Sableye can recover off any direct damage Mega Latias deals, bounces back Toxic so that Mega Latias cannot freely throw around status, and threatens Mega Latias with Toxic or Foul Play. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar take little damage from Mega Latias's direct attacks and can heavily damage Mega Latias as it attempts to switch out with Pursuit. Tyranitar can also set up Stealth Rock, which Mega Latias cannot safely clear away, but it must be wary of Toxic, which can quickly wear it down if it is not carrying Rest.

**Fairy-types**: Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, Mega Diancie, and Magearna can heavily damage or KO Mega Latias with their super effective STAB moves. Additionally, Xerneas can threaten to set up Geomancy or use a free turn to use Aromatherapy, Arceus-Fairy and Mega Diancie can set up Stealth Rock in front of Mega Latias, and Magearna can support its team through Heal Bell or maintain momentum through Volt Switch. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy must be wary of switching into a potential Toxic, however. Additionally, Fairy-types may find themselves setup fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates should Mega Latias choose to use Healing Wish.

**Ghost-types**: Marshadow can easily OHKO Mega Latias with its Ghost-type STAB moves, use Pursuit if Mega Latias attempts to switch out, or set up Bulk Up on a forced switch. Similarly, Arceus-Ghost can force out Mega Latias with its super effective STAB moves and set up Swords Dance. Lunala and Necrozma-DW threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with Moongeist Beam or use Mega Latias as setup fodder. None appreciate switching into Toxic, however, as it quickly wears them down and breaks Lunala's Shadow Shield.

**Shadow Tag**: Mega Gengar and Gothitelle are both able to trap Mega Latias with Shadow Tag. Although it has to be wary of a potential Draco Meteor, Mega Gengar can pick off Mega Latias with a super effective Shadow Ball or Hex. Gothitelle takes little damage from any of Mega Latias's attacks, can remove poison with Rest, and proceeds to PP stall Mega Latias's attacks so that Taunt forces it to use Struggle or so another threat can set up. Mega Latias can, however, use Healing Wish to disrupt a trapping attempt by allowing a powerful offensive teammate to come in and threaten to set up unexpectedly.

**Chansey and Blissey**: Chansey and Blissey can easily switch into any common move Mega Latias carries due to their immense special bulk and Natural Cure. They can then proceed to spread Toxic, support their team with Wish or Heal Bell, or set Stealth Rock,(AC) which Mega Latias cannot effectively remove. However, Chansey and Blissey may find themselves setup fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates if it chooses to use Healing Wish to bring them in.

**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh does not appreciate being hit with Toxic, but it can take any other move Mega Latias carries due to its high special bulk and retaliate with a Toxic of its own or fire off a powerful Brave Bird.

**Super Effective Coverage**: Although Mega Latias shrugs off Hidden Power Ice, Primal Groudon can surprise Mega Latias by running Dragon Tail, Dragon Claw, or Dragon Pulse, making Mega Latias a much less reliable switch-in. Though Mega Latias resists Psychic, Psychic-types such as Deoxys-A and Mega Mewtwo Y typically carry Ice Beam, which 2HKOes Mega Latias. Mega Latias is often unable to OHKO in return due to Deoxys-A's Focus Sash and Mega Mewtwo Y's special bulk.

**Ice-types**: Mega Latias is unable to use Defog against Cloyster's hazards due to the threat of getting OHKOed by Icicle Spear. Kyurem-W can also threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with its super effective STAB moves.

**Dragon-types**: Although Mega Latias can threaten to OHKO or deal heavy damage to many Dragon-types if running Draco Meteor, faster Dragon-types such as Nagadanel and Choice Scarf users can OHKO Mega Latias before it can retaliate. Additionally, Dialga can tank Mega Latias's Draco Meteor thanks to its Steel typing and OHKO with its own.

**Status**: Toxic is commonly carried by Stealth Rock Primal Groudon. Toxic damage quickly wears Mega Latias down if not carrying Recover or Refresh, and if it does run either move, Toxic forces it to play predictably and heal itself. Paralysis from Thunder Wave and Glare means that Mega Latias is outsped by many threats it needs to be faster than to check, such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, and makes it less reliable due to the chance of getting paralyzed.

**Primal Kyogre**: If Mega Latias is not carrying Grass Knot, Primal Kyogre can easily take Draco Meteor due to its high special bulk. Specially offensive sets 2HKO Mega Latias with Ice Beam, while defensive sets cure Toxic with Rest and threaten Mega Latias with either Ice Beam or Toxic. Physically offensive Kyogre sets struggle to deal with Mega Latias, however, as Ice Beam does not 2HKO.
o deal with Mega Latias, however, as Ice Beam does not 2HKO.
 
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It's been 3 days since this was reserved, so this has missed the deadline and it is still rather messy. I will err on the side of forgiveness and give this 24 hours to reach the QC stage before reassignment. Latias is fine for the title, to answer the above post.

Serial EKiller
 
Alright, thanks for the extension, and sorry for the delay
Due to holidays I wasn't able to get it ready for qc in time, and I forgot to ask for an extension in advance
I'll make sure to have it ready in 3 days next time
It shall be ready soon
 
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Minority

Numquam Vincar
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This is a pretty good analysis for this Pokemon, but unfortunately this Pokemon is borderline unviable. My reasoning is that it's an anti-hazard Pokemon that matches up poorly against most hazard setters in a tier where anti-hazard Pokemon are easier to fit than ever. I would like some examples of one or more good teams you or someone has built that integrates this Pokemon. If I can see one good team that justifies Mega Latias on it (i.e. only Mega Latias could possibly fill that role, Giratina-O, etc. wouldn't work as well), I'll consider it viable and approve this analysis, otherwise I'll be rejecting this in the future.
 
What if I move Healing Wish to the main option in the fourth moveslot, and add more focus to Healing Wish in the analysis? I agree that right now Mega Latias is pretty bad, but Healing Wish is a very poweful support tool that has limited distribution in Ubers, giving it a notable niche over other defoggers such as Support Arceus, Salamence and Giratina-O. Notably it allows Latias to somewhat function as an extra wallbreaker or sweeper by restoring an offensive teammate to full, in the slot of a defensive defogger. This does comes at a cost of being unable to check much outside of most Primal Groudon by itself.

I'll post a few teams of mine that have Mega Latias on it, most of which offensively rely on the combination of Double Dance Primal Groudon, which wears down or knocks out its checks while taking heavy damage in the process, and Healing Wish Mega Latias, which invites in many Pokemon that Primal Groudon can set up on after given a free switch-in and full health from Healing Wish, and proceed to sweep after its checks have been weakened or removed.
 
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Minority

Numquam Vincar
is a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Tutor Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
I've thought about this and I'll be willing to check the following set:

[SET]
name: Defog Support
move 1: Defog
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Healing Wish / Recover
move 4: Draco Meteor / Grass Knot
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 Spe

My reasoning is that I think a set with Defog and Healing Wish might be able to justify itself on maybe one or two bulky offenses. Healing Wish sets it apart from both Mega Salamence and Giratina-O, which are the Pokemon that largely invalidate this Pokemon's existence. Healing Wish and Recover together feel counterproductive. The latter is about trying to create a Mega Latias set with staying power, but running Healing Wish only really makes sense on a squad not so concerned about staying power. In practice there may be some situations where Recover is used intermittently before using Healing Wish later, but I'm not convinced. I'm leaving Recover slashed on the set only in the off chance someone can justify Mega Latias without Healing Wish, but I think they're hard pressed to do so. I think other combinations are possible (like something instead of Toxic), as are some other moves that aren't discussed.

My other reasoning is that Mega Latias is currently ranked on VR, and therefore there is some debate as to if it's viable or not. QC doesn't have a consensus either. I would rather pass this analysis now to be thrown away at a later time then rejected only to need it at a later time. It will be up to the other QC members if they agree with my two points.

Make the appropriate changes to the analysis and consider this:


QC: 1/3
 
This mon is another one that is somewhat questionable, but I suppose being inclusive doesn't hurt in times of doubt

This seems mostly fine, but Checks and Counters is a complete block of text that was a pain in the ass to read. Put some gaps between the categories please...

QC 2/3
 
Proofread and made some small changes (changed last line about generation shift in overview into talking about the matchup vs common stealth rock setters, made more mentions of Toxic Pdon, removed arceus-ice from ice types and added cloyster, expanded upon a few things in OO). This is now ready for GP.
 
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[OVERVIEW]

* Mega Latias has a niche as a check to Primal Groudon with access to both Defog and Healing Wish, allowing it to provide powerful support to bulky offense teams. Healing Wish in particular, which can grant offensive threats a second chance to sweep, this is what sets it apart from its competition such as Mega Salamence, Giratina-O,(AC) and Arceus-Ground.
* Solid mixed bulk and the immunities and resistances granted by its typing and ability means it can switch into both physical and special sets of from Primal Groudon and use Defog to remove Stealth Rock or whittle down Primal Groudon with Toxic and attacks.
* Whilst using Mega Latias means that other powerful Mega Evolutions cannot be used on its team, it allows greater freedom in choosing the role of the team's Arceus forme, as Mega Latias utilizes Defogs,(AC) and checks Primal Groudon, a role that support Arceus formes typically performs in on many teams.
* However, it is heavily threatened by many strong offensive threats in the tier such as Necrozma-DM, Yveltal,(AC) and Xerneas, and often allows grants them a free turn to switch in and set up,(AC) or fire off powerful attacks.
* Due to its reliance on Toxic for damage, Mega Latias also poses no threat to many support Pokemon that are immune to Toxic and not weak to its attacking moves, such as Ferrothorn and Celesteela, andit also gives them free turns to support their team such as by spreading status.(it only runs 1 attacking move, right?)
* Mega Latias is unable to effectively keep Stealth Rock off the field against common Stealth Rock setters such as Necrozma-DM and Arceus-Fairy, and struggles against Primal Groudon carrying Toxic or Dragon-type coverage.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Defog
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Healing Wish / Recover
move 4: Draco Meteor / Grass Knot
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 4 SpD / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Defog is mandatory, allowing Mega Latias to support its team by removing hazards. It is especially effective on Mega Latias as it checks Primal Groudon, the most common Stealth Rock user in the tier, though it must be wary of Toxic.
* Toxic is Mega Latias's best method of dealing damage, crippling bulky support Pokemon such as Arceus-Ground, and putting offensive Pokemon on a timer.
* Healing Wish allows Mega Latias to restore an ally to full health once it is no longer required, pairing well with sweepers such as Double Dance Primal Groudon which can wear down or knock out their own checks, before being restored to full health to sweep. This combination is especially effective as many sweepers can set up on the Pokemon that Mega Latias invites in.
* Alternatively, Recover can be used to allow Mega Latias to stay healthy throughout the match and continue to Defog. However, this requires giving up Healing Wish, since the two are counterproductive as Healing Wish is most effective on a team unconcerned about staying power, which Recover attempts to provide. Without Healing Wish, Mega Latias is largely outclassed by Giratina-O and Mega Salamence.
* An attacking move is required to immediately damage the threats it is supposed to check, otherwise,(AC) Mega Latias will be too passive.
* Draco Meteor is Mega Latias's strongest move against neutrally effective targets and allows it to heavily damage or OHKO Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C. However,(AC) the stat Special Attack drops means that Mega Latias will be unable to deal consistent damage and may be forced to switch out.
* Grass Knot allows Mega Latias to stand up to offensive Primal Kyogre and max HP Arceus-Ground, having a good chance to 2HKO both after Stealth Rock damage, but leaves Mega Latias unable to threaten opposing Dragon-types.(consistency)


Set Details
========

* Latiasite is required to mega evolve, greatly increasing Mega Latias's mixed bulk whilst also giving it a slight damage increase.
* The given EVs and nature allows Mega Latias to outspeed all Pokemon up and including those with fully invested base 100 Speed. Most importantly,(AC) this allows Mega Latias to use Defog or Healing Wish before Yveltal can Taunt or KO it, and ensures it outspeeds Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre,(AC) and Rayquaza, Kyurem-W and Palkia.
* 252 HP EVs maximise Mega Latias's mixed bulk especially due to its comparatively lower HP stat.
* 4 Special Defense EVs ensure that an uninvested Ice Beam from Primal Kyogre will never 2HKO Mega Mega Latias from full health without a critical hit.
* The rest of the EVs are placed in Defense to better tank powerful physical attacks better, such as +2 Stone Edge from Primal Groudon.
* An slower EV spread of 252 HP / 156 Def / 4 SpD / 96 Spe with a Timid Nature can be used to increase physical bulk whilst still outspeeding maximum speed base 90s base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
* An alternate spread of 252 HP / 116 Def / 4 SpD / 136 Spe with a Timid Nature allows Mega Latias to outspeed everything up to and including maximum speed base 95s base 95 Speed Pokemon such as Rayquaza and Kyurem-W.
* A fully defensive spread with 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD with a Bold nature, or 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm Nature can be used to maximise bulk. However,(AC) this requires Mega Latias to give up its valuable Speed tier, meaning it may not be able to use Defog or Healing Wish against threats it would otherwise outspeed,(AC) such as Yveltal, and can leave it outsped by many threats it needs to be faster than to check, such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon.

Usage Tips
========

* Switch Mega Latias into the Pokemon it checks, such as Primal Groudon, and remove any entry hazards with Defog.
* Mega Evolve as soon as possible, as it grants Mega Latias greater bulk and power, which is more desirable in almost every situation.
* Use Healing Wish when the benefits of restoring a teammate to full health outweighs the benefits of keeping Mega Latias in play. Examples include restoring a weakened sweeper to full health if the opponent's team no longer has any checks to it, or restoring a low health teammate such as Magearna to full in order to prevent a sweep from an opposing Pokemon such as Geomancy Xerneas.
* If running Healing Wish without Recover, be mindful of Mega Latias's limited health pool. If Mega Latias is has too little health remaining to effectively check anything, it may still be worth conserving it for the sole purpose of Healing Wish.
* If running Recover, use it throughout the match to stay healthy enough to check what it needs to check. However be careful about being too predictable with using Recover, as it may allow the opponent to switch in checks without fear of taking damage from an attack or Toxic.
* If Mega Latias can cripple or heavily damage the opposing Pokemon, or if using Defog or Recover is unnecessary or gives up too much momentum, use Toxic or an attacking move in order to wear down the opposing team and catch potential switch-ins such as Xerneas or Yveltal.
* Switch Mega Latias out into an appropriate teammate if it finds itself facing one of the many Pokemon that threaten it out, and using Healing Wish is undesirable.
* If the opposing Stealth Rock setter is a Pokemon that Mega Latias cannot effectively Defog against, such Necrozma-DM or Arceus-Fairy, it is often a better idea to allow Stealth Rock to remain on your side of the field and attempt to set Stealth Rock on your opponent the opposing side of the field with your own Stealth Rock setter. Otherwise, switching Mega Latias into Defog will simply result in the opposing Stealth Rock user switching back in to set up Stealth Rock again, or your team taking a large amount of unnecessary damage from entry hazards and attacks.
* Against threats on offensive teams such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, Mega Latias may be forced to choose between sacrificing itself to Defog away entry hazards, or taking down the opposing Pokemon whilst being left too low on health to be able to use Defog afterwards. Evaluate whether the entry hazards or the opposing Pokemon poses a greater threat to your team and act accordingly.

Team Options
========

* Offensive Pokemon that can take full advantage of Healing Wish heavily benefit from Mega Latias's support. Examples include Double Dance Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM, both of which can set up on many typical switch-ins to Mega Latias.
* Mega Latias requires teammates that can check Fairy-types, such Steel-types including Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn. In return,(AC) Mega Latias offers a switch-(RH)in into Ground-(AH) and Fire-type attacks and Defog support.
* Fire-types such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon also check Fairy-types whilst threatening out Steel-(AH)types, which Mega Latias cannot touch. (consistency) Ho-Oh heavily appreciates Mega Latias keeping Stealth Rock off the field whilst Mega Latias provides a Ground-type switch-in for Primal Groudon.
* Checks to Dark-types are also required. Options include Fairy-types such as Magearna and Xerneas, which value Mega Latias's ability to check Primal Groudon and remove hazards.
* Several Arceus formes that perform poorly as Defoggers or checks to Primal Groudon, such as Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Rock,(AC) and Arceus-Electric, can be run, as Mega Latias can do these duties in their place.
* A switch-in to Ghost-types, such as Yveltal or Arceus-Dark, is necessary. Additionally, as Marshadow can bypass many conventional Ghost-type checks due to its strong Fighting-(AH)type STAB, Fighting-(AH)type resists such as Xerneas and Toxapex can be used to check Marshadow. In return,(AC) Mega Latias removes Stealth Rock, and checks Primal Groudon.
* Pursuit support from the likes of Marshadow, Tyranitar,(AC) and Alolan Muk can aid Mega Latias against opposing Shadow Tag users and Ghost-types.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Mega Latias has a large range of support moves, however choosing to run any of these over its standard moveset requires giving up a valuable moveslot, greatly diminishing Mega Latias's effectiveness at checking the threats it is supposed to check, or giving up its niche of having both Defog and Healing Wish.
* Running both Recover and Healing Wish by giving up Toxic is a possibility, but is counterproductive as Recover is a move that attempts to give Mega Latias longevity while Healing Wish fits best on teams that do not care about staying power.
* Refresh allows Mega Latias to easily take on Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground that carry Toxic and generally act as a status absorber.
* Role Play can be run to escape trappers by copying their Shadow Tag, allowing Mega Latias to switch out. However, Mega Gengar can Taunt or KO Mega Latias inon the turn it takes to use the move, meaning that in practice, its use is limited to escaping only Gothitelle.
* Roar is an option to rack up hazard damage and force out setup sweepers to remove their boosts; however this is only a short-(AH)term solution, as they can easily come in afterwards and threaten to set up again.
* Reflect and Light Screen can help Mega Latias and its teammates take powerful physical or special attacks better and aid sweepers in setting up, but can be removed through Defog and only last for 5 turns as Mega Latias cannot hold Light Clay.
* Tailwind can allow slower,(AC) powerful attackers such as Primal Kyogre to outspeed their offensive checks and clean up against weakened teams, but only effectively lasts for two turns.
* Thunder Wave is an alternative status move that can cripple faster threats but does not affect Ground-types, which Mega Latias is supposed to check.
* Latias without a Mega Stone is completely unviable in Ubers to due to its lower bulk and the underwhelming effect of Soul Dew.

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

**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM, Ferrothorn,(AC) and Mega-Scizor are immune to Toxic and take little damage from Mega Latias's attacks. In return they can either threaten to sweep with boosting moves, fire off powerful attacks, support their team through status moves ,(AC) or set up entry hazards,(AC) which Mega Latias cannot remove through Defog due to Mega Latias being unable to threaten them out. However, Steel-types may find themselves set-(RH)up fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates should Mega Latias choose to use Healing Wish.

**Dark-types**: Yveltal can threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with Dark Aura boosted super effective STAB moves, or maintain momentum with U-turn whilst still dealing considerable chip damage,(AC) should Mega Latias choose to stay in. Arceus-Dark can set up Calm Mind on Mega Latias whilst shrugging off Toxic with Refresh, or simply smack it with its super effective Judgment or Toxic. Mega Sableye can recover off any direct damage Mega Latias deals, can bounce back Toxic meaning Mega Latias cannot freely throw around status, and threatens Mega Latias with Toxic or Foul Play. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar take little damage from Mega Latias's direct attacks and can heavily damage Mega Latias as it attempts to switch out with Pursuit. Additionally, Tyranitar can also set up Stealth Rock which Mega Latias cannot safely Defog away, but it must be wary of Toxic,(AC) which can quickly wear down Tyranitar if it is not carrying Rest.

**Fairy-types**: Xerneas, Arceus Fairy, Mega Diancie,(AC) and Magearna can heavily damage or KO Mega Latias with their powerful super effective STAB moves. Additionally, Xerneas can threaten to set up Geomancy or force a free turn to use Aromatherapy, Arceus-Fairy and Mega Diancie can set up Stealth Rock in front of Mega Latias, and Magearna can support its team through Heal Bell or maintain momentum through Volt Switch. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy must be wary of switching into a potential Toxic, however. Additionally, Fairy-types may find themselves set-(RH)up fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates,(AC) should Mega Latias choose to use Healing Wish.

**Ghost-types**: Marshadow can easily OHKO Mega Latias with its super effective Ghost-type STAB moves, use Pursuit if Mega Latias attempts to switch out, or set up Bulk Up on a forced switch. Similarly, Arceus-Ghost can force out Mega Latias with its super effective STAB moves and set up Swords Dance. Lunala and Necrozma-DW threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with Moongeist Beam or use Mega Latias as set-(RH)up fodder. None appreciate switching into Toxic,(RC) however, as it quickly wears them down, and also breaks Lunala's Shadow Shield.

**Shadow Tag**: Mega Gengar and Gothitelle are both able to trap Mega Latias with Shadow Tag. Although it has to be wary of a potential Draco Meteor or Psychic-type STAB, Mega Gengar can pick off Mega Latias with a super effective Shadow Ball or Hex. Gothitelle takes little damage from any of Mega Latias' attacks, can Rest off Toxic, and proceed to PP stall Latias before Taunting Mega Latias to Struggle to death or switching out to allow a free turn of setup for another threat. Mega Latias can,(AC) however,(AC) use Healing Wish to disrupt a trapping attempt by allowing a powerful offensive teammate to come in and threaten to set up unexpectedly in order to regain momentum at the cost of Mega Latias's own life.

**Chansey and Blissey**: Chansey and Blissey can easily switch into any common move Mega Latias carries due to their immense special bulk and Natural Cure. They can then proceed to spread Toxic, support their team with Wish or Heal Bell, or set Stealth Rock which Mega Latias cannot effectively Defog away. However,(AC) Chansey and Blissey may find themselves setup fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates if it chooses to use Healing Wish to bring them in.

**Ho-Oh**: Whilst Ho-Oh does not appreciate being hit with Toxic, it can take any other move Mega Latias carries due to its high special bulk and retaliate with a Toxic of its own, or fire off powerful Brave Birds.

**Super effective coverage**: Although Mega Latias shrugs off Hidden Power Ice, Primal Groudon can surprise Mega Latias by running Dragon Tail, Dragon Claw or Dragon Pulse, making Mega Latias a much less reliable switch-in as Dragon Tail can force it out whilst dealing considerable damage, and Dragon Claw,(AC) and Dragon Pulse 2HKO Mega Latias, forcing Mega Latias it to either switch out, attempt to stall with Recover spam, or sacrifice itself to get off a move. Whilst Mega Latias resists Psychic, Psychic-types such as Deoxys-A and Mega Mewtwo Y typically carry Ice Beam, which 2HKOs Mega Latias while Mega Latias is often unable to OHKO in return due to Deoxys-A's Focus Sash and Mega Mewtwo Y's special bulk.

**Ice-types**: Mega Latias is unable to use Defog against Cloyster's hazards due to the threat of getting OHKOed by Icicle Spear. Kyurem-W can also threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with its super effective STAB moves.

**Dragon-types**: Although Mega Latias can threaten to OHKO or deal heavy damage to many Dragon-types if running Draco Meteor, faster Dragon-(AH)types such as Nagadanel or Choice Scarf users can OHKO Mega Latias before it can retaliate. Additionally,(AC) Dialga can tank Mega Latias's Draco Meteor thanks to its Steel typing and OHKO with its own in return.

**Status**: Toxic is commonly carried by Stealth Rock Primal Groudon. Toxic damage quickly wears Mega Latias down if not carrying Recover or Refresh, and if it does run either move it forces Mega Latias to play predictably and heal itself. Paralysis from Thunder Wave and Glare means that Mega Latias is outsped by many threats it needs to be faster than to check, such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, whilst also making it less reliable due to the chance of full paralysis getting paralyzed.

**Primal Kyogre**: If Mega Latias is not carrying Grass Knot, Primal Kyogre can easily take Draco Meteor due to its high special bulk. Specially offensive sets 2HKO Mega Latias with Ice Beam, whilst defensive sets cure Toxic with Rest and threaten Mega Latias with either Ice Beam or Toxic. Physically offensive Kyogre sets struggle to deal with Mega Latias however, as Ice Beam does not 2HKO.
 

GP 1/2
remove add

[OVERVIEW]

* Mega Latias has a niche as a check to Primal Groudon with that has access to both Defog and Healing Wish, allowing it to provide powerful support to bulky offense teams. Healing Wish in particular can grant offensive threats a second chance to sweep, which sets it Mega Latias apart from its competition competitors such as Mega Salamence, Giratina-O, and Arceus-Ground.
* Solid mixed bulk and the immunities and resistances granted by its typing and ability means it can switch into both physical and special sets of Primal Groudon and use Defog to remove Stealth Rock or whittle down Primal Groudon with Toxic and attacks.
* Whilst Though using Mega Latias means that other powerful Mega Evolutions cannot be used on its team, it allows greater freedom in choosing the role of the team's Arceus forme, as Mega Latias utilises Defog, (comma) and checks Primal Groudon, a role that support Arceus typically performs in many teams.
* However, it is heavily threatened by many strong offensive threats in the tier such as Necrozma-DM, Yveltal, (comma) and Xerneas, and often grants granting them a free turn to switch in and set up, (comma) or fire off powerful attacks.
* Due to its reliance on Toxic for damage, Mega Latias also poses no threat to many support Pokemon that are immune to Toxic and not weak to its attacking move, moves such as Ferrothorn and Celesteela, and gives giving them free turns to support their team such as by spreading status.
* Mega Latias is unable to effectively keep Stealth Rock off the field against common Stealth Rock setters such as Necrozma-DM and Arceus-Fairy, and it struggles against Primal Groudon carrying Toxic or Dragon-type coverage.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Defog
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Healing Wish / Recover
move 4: Draco Meteor / Grass Knot
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 4 SpD / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Defog is mandatory, allowing Mega Latias to support its team by removing hazards. It is especially effective on Mega Latias, (comma) as it checks Primal Groudon, the most common Stealth Rock user in the tier, though it must be wary of Toxic.
* Toxic is Mega Latias's best method of dealing damage, crippling bulky support Pokemon such as Arceus-Ground, (comma) and putting offensive Pokemon on a timer.
* Healing Wish allows Mega Latias to restore an ally to full health once it is no longer required, paring working well with sweepers such as Double Dance Primal Groudon, (comma) which can wear down or knock out their KO its own checks, (comma) before being restored to full health to sweep. This combination is especially effective as because many sweepers can set up on the Pokemon that Mega Latias invites in.
* Alternatively, Recover can be used to allow Mega Latias to stay healthy throughout the match and continue to use Defog. However, this requires giving up Healing Wish, since the two are counterproductive as Healing Wish is most effective on a team unconcerned about staying power, which Recover attempts to provide. Without Healing Wish, which makes Mega Latias is largely outclassed by Giratina-O and Mega Salamence.
* An attacking move is required to immediately damage the threats it Mega Latias is supposed to check, otherwise since Mega Latias will would be too passive otherwise.
* Draco Meteor is Mega Latias's strongest move against neutrally effective targets and allows it to heavily damage or OHKO Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C. However, the Special Attack drop means that Mega Latias will be unable to deal consistent damage and may be forced to switch out.
* Grass Knot allows Mega Latias to stand up to offensive Primal Kyogre and maximum HP Arceus-Ground, having a good chance to 2HKO both after Stealth Rock damage, but leaves Mega Latias unable to threaten opposing Dragon-types.


Set Details
========

* Latiasite is required to mega evolve, greatly increasing Mega Latias's mixed bulk whilst also giving it a slight damage increase.
* The given EVs and nature allow Mega Latias to outspeed all Pokemon up and including those with fully invested base 100 Speed. Most importantly, this allows Mega Latias to use Defog or Healing Wish before Yveltal can use Taunt or KO it, (comma) and ensures it outspeeds Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Rayquaza, Kyurem-W, (comma) and Palkia.
* 252 HP EVs maximise maximize Mega Latias's mixed bulk, (comma) especially due to its comparatively lower HP stat.
* 4 Special Defense EVs ensure that an uninvested Ice Beam from Primal Kyogre will never 2HKO Mega Latias from full health without a critical hit.
* The rest of the EVs are placed in Defense to better tank powerful physical attacks better, such as like +2 Stone Edge from Primal Groudon.
* A slower EV spread of 252 HP / 156 Def / 4 SpD / 96 Spe with a Timid nature can be used to increase physical bulk whilst while still outspeeding maximum base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
* An alternate spread of 252 HP / 116 Def / 4 SpD / 136 Spe with a Timid nature allows Mega Latias to outspeed everything up to and including maximum base 95 Speed Pokemon including like Rayquaza and Kyurem-W.
* A fully defensive spread with of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD with a Bold nature, (comma) or 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature can be used to maximise maximize bulk. However, this requires Mega Latias to give up its valuable Speed tier, meaning it may not be able to use Defog or Healing Wish against threats it would otherwise outspeed, (comma) such as Yveltal, (comma) and can leave it outsped by many threats it needs to be faster than to check, (comma) such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon.

Usage Tips
========

* Switch Mega Latias into the Pokemon it checks, such as Primal Groudon, and remove any entry hazards with Defog.
* Mega Evolve as soon as possible, as it grants Mega Latias greater bulk and power, which is more desirable in almost every situation.
* Use Healing Wish when the benefits of restoring a teammate to full health outweigh the benefits of keeping Mega Latias in play. Examples include restoring a weakened sweeper to full health if the opponent's team no longer has any checks to it, (comma) or and restoring a low health teammate such as Magearna to full in order to prevent a sweep from an opposing Pokemon such as Geomancy Xerneas.
* If running Healing Wish without over Recover, be mindful of Mega Latias's limited health pool HP. If Mega Latias has too little health remaining to effectively check anything, it may be worth conserving it for the sole purpose of Healing Wish.
* If running Recover, use it throughout the match to stay keep Mega Latias healthy enough to check what it needs to check. However, (comma) be careful about being too predictable with using Recover, as it may allow the opponent to switch in checks without fear of taking damage from an attack or Toxic.
* If Mega Latias can cripple or heavily damage the opposing Pokemon, or if using Defog or Recover is unnecessary or gives up too much momentum, use Toxic or an attacking move in order to wear down the opposing team and catch potential switch-ins such as Xerneas or and Yveltal.
* Switch Mega Latias out into an appropriate teammate if it finds itself facing one of the many Pokemon that threaten it out, (comma) and using Healing Wish is undesirable.
* If the opposing Stealth Rock setter is a Pokemon that Mega Latias cannot effectively use Defog against, such Necrozma-DM or Arceus-Fairy, it is often a better idea to allow Stealth Rock to remain on your side of the field and attempt to set Stealth Rock on the opposing side of the field with your own Stealth Rock setter. Otherwise, switching Mega Latias in to use Defog will simply result in the opposing Stealth Rock user switching back in to set up Stealth Rock again, (comma) or your team taking a large amount of unnecessary damage from entry hazards and attacks.
* Against threats on offensive teams such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, Mega Latias may be forced to choose between sacrificing itself to Defog away clear entry hazards, (comma) or taking down the opposing Pokemon whilst and being left too low on health to be able to use Defog afterwards. Evaluate whether the entry hazards or the opposing Pokemon poses a greater threat to your team and act accordingly.

Team Options
========

* Offensive Pokemon that can take full advantage of Healing Wish heavily benefit from Mega Latias's support. Examples include Double Dance Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM, both of which can set up on many typical switch-ins to Mega Latias.
* Mega Latias requires teammates that can check Fairy-types, such which include Steel-types including like Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn. In return, Mega Latias offers a switch-in to into Ground- and Fire-type attacks and Defog support.
* Fire-types such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon also check Fairy-types whilst and threatening out Steel-types, which Mega Latias cannot touch. Ho-Oh heavily appreciates Mega Latias keeping Stealth Rock off the field, (comma) and whilst Mega Latias provides a Ground-type switch-in for to Primal Groudon.
* Checks to Dark-types are also required. Options include Fairy-types such as Magearna and Xerneas, which value Mega Latias's ability to check Primal Groudon and remove hazards.
* Several Arceus formes that perform poorly as Defoggers or checks to Primal Groudon, such as Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Rock, and Arceus-Electric, can be run, as Mega Latias can do these duties in their place.
* A switch-in to Ghost-types, such as Yveltal or Arceus-Dark, is necessary. Additionally, as Marshadow can bypass many conventional Ghost-type checks due to its strong Fighting-type STAB, Fighting-type resists attacks, Pokemon that resist Fighting such as Xerneas and Toxapex can be used to check Marshadow. In return, Mega Latias removes Stealth Rock, (comma) and checks Primal Groudon.
* Pursuit support from the likes of Marshadow, Tyranitar, and Alolan Muk can aid Mega Latias against opposing Shadow Tag users and Ghost-types.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Mega Latias has a large range of support moves, however but choosing to run any of these them over its standard moveset requires giving up a valuable moveslot, greatly diminishing Mega Latias's effectiveness at checking the threats it is supposed to check, (comma) or giving up its niche of having both Defog and Healing Wish.
* Running both Recover and Healing Wish by giving up Toxic is a possibility, but is counterproductive as because Recover is a move that attempts to give Mega Latias longevity, (comma) while Healing Wish fits best on teams that do not care about staying power.
* Refresh allows Mega Latias to easily take on Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground that carry Toxic and generally act as a status absorber.
* Role Play can be run to escape trappers by copying their Shadow Tag, allowing Mega Latias to switch out. However, Mega Gengar can use Taunt or KO Mega Latias on the turn it takes to use the move, meaning that in practice, its use is limited to escaping only Gothitelle.
* Roar is an option to rack up hazard damage and force out setup sweepers to remove their boosts; however, (comma) this is only a short-(hyphen)term solution, as they can easily come in afterwards and threaten to set up again.
* Reflect and Light Screen can help Mega Latias and its teammates take powerful physical or special attacks better and aid sweepers in setting up, but can be removed through Defog and only last for 5 turns as because Mega Latias cannot hold Light Clay.
* Tailwind can allow slower, powerful attackers such as Primal Kyogre to outspeed their offensive checks and clean weakened teams, but practically only effectively lasts for two turns.
* Thunder Wave is an alternative status move that can cripple faster threats but does not affect Ground-types, which Mega Latias is supposed to check.
* Latias without a Mega Stone is completely unviable in Ubers to due to its lower bulk and the underwhelming effect of Soul Dew.

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

**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM, Ferrothorn, and Mega-(hyphen)Scizor are immune to Toxic and take little damage from Mega Latias's attacks. In return, (comma) they can either threaten to sweep with boosting moves, fire off powerful attacks, support their team through status moves, or set up entry hazards, which Mega Latias cannot remove through Defog due to Mega Latias it being unable to threaten them out. However, Steel-types may find themselves setup fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates should Mega Latias choose to use Healing Wish.

**Dark-types**: Yveltal can threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with Dark Aura boosted super effective STAB Dark-type moves, (comma) or maintain momentum with U-turn whilst while still dealing considerable chip damage, (comma) should Mega Latias choose to stay in. Arceus-Dark can set up Calm Mind on Mega Latias whilst shrugging off Toxic with Refresh, (comma) or simply smack it with its super effective Judgment or Toxic. Mega Sableye can recover off any direct damage Mega Latias deals, can bounces back Toxic meaning so that Mega Latias cannot freely throw around status, and threatens Mega Latias with Toxic or Foul Play. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar take little damage from Mega Latias's direct attacks and can heavily damage Mega Latias as it attempts to switch out with Pursuit. Additionally, Tyranitar can also set up Stealth Rock, (comma) which Mega Latias cannot safely Defog clear away, but it must be wary of Toxic, which can quickly wear it down Tyranitar if it is not carrying Rest.

**Fairy-types**: Xerneas, Arceus-(hyphen)Fairy, Mega Diancie, and Magearna can heavily damage or KO Mega Latias with their powerful super effective STAB moves. Additionally, Xerneas can threaten to set up Geomancy or force use a free turn to use Aromatherapy,. (per) Arceus-Fairy and Mega Diancie can set up Stealth Rock in front of Mega Latias, and Magearna can support its team through Heal Bell or maintain momentum through Volt Switch. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy must be wary of switching into a potential Toxic, however. Additionally, Fairy-types may find themselves setup fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates, (comma) should Mega Latias choose to use Healing Wish.

**Ghost-types**: Marshadow can easily OHKO Mega Latias with its super effective Ghost-type STAB moves, use Pursuit if Mega Latias attempts to switch out, or set up Bulk Up on a forced switch. Similarly, Arceus-Ghost can force out Mega Latias with its super effective STAB moves and set up Swords Dance. Lunala and Necrozma-DW threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with Moongeist Beam or use Mega Latias as setup fodder. None appreciates switching into Toxic, (comma) however, as it quickly wears them down, (comma) and also breaks Lunala's Shadow Shield.

**Shadow Tag**: Mega Gengar and Gothitelle are both able to trap Mega Latias with Shadow Tag. Although it has to be wary of a potential Draco Meteor or Psychic-type STAB, Mega Gengar can pick off Mega Latias with a super effective Shadow Ball or Hex. Gothitelle takes little damage from any of Mega Latias' attacks, can Rest off remove Toxic poison with Rest, and proceeds to PP stall Latias before Taunting Mega Latias to Struggle to death or switching out to allow a free turn of setup for another threat Mega Latias's attacks so that Taunt forces it to use Struggle or so another threat can set up. Mega Latias can, however, use Healing Wish to disrupt a trapping attempt by allowing a powerful offensive teammate to come in and threaten to set up unexpectedly in order to regain momentum at the cost of Mega Latias's own life.

**Chansey and Blissey**: Chansey and Blissey can easily switch into any common move Mega Latias carries due to their immense special bulk and Natural Cure. They can then proceed to spread Toxic, support their team with Wish or Heal Bell, or set Stealth Rock which that Mega Latias cannot effectively Defog away remove. However, Chansey and Blissey may find themselves setup fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates if it chooses to use Healing Wish to bring them in.

**Ho-Oh**: Whilst Ho-Oh does not appreciate being hit with Toxic, but it can take any other move Mega Latias carries due to its high special bulk and retaliate with a Toxic of its own, (comma) or fire off a powerful Brave Birds.

**Super Effective Coverage**: Although Mega Latias shrugs off Hidden Power Ice, Primal Groudon can surprise Mega Latias by running Dragon Tail, Dragon Claw, (comma) or Dragon Pulse, making Mega Latias a much less reliable switch-in as Dragon Tail can force it out whilst dealing considerable damage, and Dragon Claw and Dragon Pulse 2HKO Mega Latias, forcing it to either switch out, attempt to stall with Recover spam, or sacrifice itself to get off a move. Whilst Though Mega Latias resists Psychic, Psychic-types such as Deoxys-A and Mega Mewtwo Y typically carry Ice Beam, which 2HKOes Mega Latias. (per) while Mega Latias is often unable to OHKO in return due to Deoxys-A's Focus Sash and Mega Mewtwo Y's special bulk.

**Ice-types**: Mega Latias is unable to use Defog against Cloyster's hazards due to the threat of getting OHKOed by Icicle Spear. Kyurem-W can also threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with its super effective STAB moves.

**Dragon-types**: Although Mega Latias can threaten to OHKO or deal heavy damage to many Dragon-types if running Draco Meteor, faster Dragon-types such as Nagadanel or and Choice Scarf users can OHKO Mega Latias before it can retaliate. Additionally, Dialga can tank Mega Latias's Draco Meteor thanks to its Steel typing and OHKO with its own in return.

**Status**: Toxic is commonly carried by Stealth Rock Primal Groudon. Toxic damage quickly wears Mega Latias down if not carrying Recover or Refresh, and if it does run either move, (comma) it Toxic forces Mega Latias it to play predictably and heal itself. Paralysis from Thunder Wave and Glare means that Mega Latias is outsped by many threats it needs to be faster than to check, such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, whilst also making and makes it less reliable due to the chance of getting paralyzed.

**Primal Kyogre**: If Mega Latias is not carrying Grass Knot, Primal Kyogre can easily take Draco Meteor due to its high special bulk. Specially offensive sets 2HKO Mega Latias with Ice Beam, whilst while defensive sets cure Toxic with Rest and threaten Mega Latias with either Ice Beam or Toxic. Physically offensive Kyogre sets struggle to deal with Mega Latias, (comma) however, as Ice Beam does not 2HKO.
 
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Fireflame

Silksong when
is a Top Contributoris a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnus
Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]

* Mega Latias has a niche as a check to Primal Groudon that has access to both Defog and Healing Wish, allowing it to provide powerful support to bulky offense teams. Healing Wish in particular can grant offensive threats a second chance to sweep, which sets Mega Latias apart from its competitors such as Mega Salamence, Giratina-O, and Arceus-Ground.
* Solid mixed bulk and the immunities and resistances granted by its typing and ability means mean it can switch into both physical and special sets of Primal Groudon and use Defog to remove Stealth Rock or whittle down Primal Groudon with Toxic and attacks.
* Though using Mega Latias means that other powerful Mega Evolutions cannot be used on its team, it allows greater freedom in choosing the role of the team's Arceus forme, as Mega Latias utilises utilizes Defog and checks Primal Groudon, a role that support Arceus formes typically performsperform. (Arceus = Arceus-Normal)
* However, it is heavily threatened by many strong offensive threats such as Necrozma-DM, Yveltal,(AC) and Xerneas, often granting them a free turn to switch in and set up or fire off powerful attacks.
* Due to its reliance on Toxic for damage, Mega Latias also poses no threat to many support Pokemon that are immune to Toxic and not weak to its attacking moves such as Ferrothorn and Celesteela, giving them free turns to support their team.
* Mega Latias is unable to effectively keep Stealth Rock off the field against common Stealth Rock setters such as Necrozma-DM and Arceus-Fairy, and it struggles against Primal Groudon carrying Toxic or Dragon-type coverage.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Defog
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Healing Wish / Recover
move 4: Draco Meteor / Grass Knot
item: Latiasite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 4 SpD / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Defog is mandatory, allowing Mega Latias to support its team by removing entry hazards. It is especially effective on Mega Latias, as it checks Primal Groudon, the most common Stealth Rock user in the tier, though it must be wary of Toxic.
* Toxic is Mega Latias's best method of dealing damage, crippling bulky support Pokemon such as Arceus-Ground and putting offensive Pokemon on a timer.
* Healing Wish allows Mega Latias to restore an ally to full health once it is no longer required, working well with sweepers such as Double Dance Primal Groudon, which can wear down or KO its own checks before being restored to full health to sweep. This combination is especially effective because many sweepers can set up on the Pokemon that Mega Latias invites in.
* Alternatively, Recover can be used to allow Mega Latias to stay healthy throughout the match and continue to use Defog. However, this requires giving up Healing Wish,(AC) which makes Mega Latias outclassed by Giratina-O and Mega Salamence.
* An attacking move is required to immediately damage the threats Mega Latias is supposed to check, since Mega Latias would be too passive otherwise.
* Draco Meteor is Mega Latias's strongest move against neutral targets and allows it to heavily damage or OHKO Dragon-types such as Mega Salamence and Zygarde-C. However, the Special Attack drop means that Mega Latias will be unable to deal consistent damage and may be forced to switch out.
* Grass Knot allows Mega Latias to stand up to offensive Primal Kyogre and maximum HP Arceus-Ground, having a good chance to 2HKO both after Stealth Rock damage, but leaves Mega Latias unable to threaten Dragon-types.


Set Details
========

* The given EVs and nature allow Mega Latias to outspeed all Pokemon up to and including those with fully invested base 100 Speed Pokemon. Most importantly, this allows Mega Latias to use Defog or Healing Wish before Yveltal can use Taunt or KO it and ensures it outspeeds Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Rayquaza, Kyurem-W, and Palkia.
* 252 HP EVs maximize Mega Latias's mixed bulk, especially due to its comparatively lower HP stat.
* 4 Special Defense EVs ensure that an uninvested Ice Beam from Primal Kyogre will never 2HKO Mega Latias from full health without a critical hit.
* The rest of the EVs are placed in Defense to better tank powerful physical attacks like +2 Stone Edge from Primal Groudon.
* A slower EV spread of 252 HP / 156 Def / 4 SpD / 96 Spe with a Timid nature can be used to increase physical bulk while still outspeeding base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
* An alternate alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 116 Def / 4 SpD / 136 Spe with a Timid Nature allows Mega Latias to outspeed base 95 Speed Pokemon like Rayquaza and Kyurem-W.
* A fully defensive EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD with a Bold nature,(RC) or 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD with a Calm nature can be used to maximize bulk. However, this requires Mega Latias to give up its valuable Speed tier, meaning it may not be able to use Defog or Healing Wish against threats it would otherwise outspeed such as Yveltal and can leave it outsped by many threats it needs to be faster than to check such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon.

Usage Tips
========

* Switch Mega Latias into the Pokemon it checks, such as Primal Groudon, and remove any entry hazards with Defog.
* Mega Evolve as soon as possible, as it grants Latias greater bulk and power.
* Use Healing Wish when the benefits of restoring a teammate to full health outweigh the benefits of keeping Mega Latias in play. Examples include restoring a weakened sweeper to full health if the opponent's team no longer has any checks to it and restoring a teammate such as Magearna in order to prevent a sweep from an opposing Pokemon such as Geomancy Xerneas.
* If running Healing Wish over Recover, be mindful of Mega Latias's limited health pool. If Mega Latias has too little health remaining to effectively check anything, it may be worth conserving for the sole purpose of Healing Wish.
* If running Recover, use it throughout the match to stay healthy enough to check what it needs to check. However, be careful about being too predictable with using Recover, as it may allow the opponent to switch in checks without fear of taking damage from an attack or Toxic.
* If Mega Latias can cripple or heavily damage the opposing Pokemon, or if using Defog or Recover is unnecessary or gives up too much momentum, use Toxic or an attacking move in order to wear down the opposing team and catch potential switch-ins such as Xerneas or and Yveltal.
* Switch Mega Latias out if it finds itself facing one of the many Pokemon that threaten it out,(RC) and using Healing Wish is undesirable.
* If the opposing Stealth Rock setter is a Pokemon that Mega Latias cannot effectively use Defog against, such Necrozma-DM or Arceus-Fairy, it is often a better idea to allow Stealth Rock to remain on your side of the field and attempt to set Stealth Rock on the opposing side of the field with your own Stealth Rock setter. Otherwise, switching Mega Latias in to use Defog will simply result in the opposing Stealth Rock user switching back in to set up Stealth Rock again or your team taking a large amount of unnecessary damage from entry hazards and attacks.
* Against threats on offensive teams such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, Mega Latias may be forced to choose between sacrificing itself to clear entry hazards or taking down the opposing Pokemon whilst while being left too low on health to be able to use Defog afterwards. Evaluate whether the entry hazards or the opposing Pokemon poses a greater threat to your team,(AC) and act accordingly.

Team Options
========

* Offensive Pokemon that can take full advantage of Healing Wish heavily benefit from Mega Latias's support. Examples include Double Dance Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM, both of which can set up on many typical switch-ins to Mega Latias.
* Mega Latias requires teammates that can check Fairy-types, which include Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn. In return, Mega Latias offers a switch-in to Ground- and Fire-type attacks and Defog support.
* Fire-types such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon also check Fairy-types and threaten out Steel-types, which Mega Latias cannot touch. Ho-Oh heavily appreciates Mega Latias keeping Stealth Rock off the field, and Mega Latias can switch into Ground-type moves for Primal Groudon.
* Checks to Dark-types are also required. Options include Fairy-types such as Magearna and Xerneas, which value Mega Latias's ability to check Primal Groudon and remove entry hazards.
* Several Arceus formes that perform poorly as Defoggers or checks to Primal Groudon, such as Arceus-Fairy, Arceus-Rock, and Arceus-Electric, can be run, as Mega Latias can do these duties in their place.
* A switch-in to Ghost-types, such as Yveltal or Arceus-Dark, is necessary. Additionally, as Marshadow can bypass many conventional Ghost-type checks due to its strong Fighting-type attacks, Pokemon that resist Fighting such as Xerneas and Toxapex can be used to check Marshadow. In return, Mega Latias removes Stealth Rock,(RC) and checks Primal Groudon.
* Pursuit support from the likes of Marshadow, Tyranitar, and Alolan Muk can aid Mega Latias against Shadow Tag users and Ghost-types.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Mega Latias has a large range of support moves, but choosing to run any of them over its standard moveset requires giving up a valuable moveslot, greatly diminishing Mega Latias's effectiveness at checking the threats it is supposed to check or giving up its niche of having both Defog and Healing Wish.
* Running both Recover and Healing Wish by giving up Toxic is a possibility, but this is counterproductive because Recover is a move that attempts to give Mega Latias longevity, while Healing Wish fits best on teams that do not care about staying power.
* Refresh allows Mega Latias to easily take on Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground that carry Toxic and generally act as a status absorber.
* Role Play can be run to escape trappers by copying their Shadow Tag, allowing Mega Latias to switch out. However, Mega Gengar can use Taunt or KO Mega Latias on the turn it takes to use uses the move, meaning that in practice, its use is limited to escaping only Gothitelle.
* Roar is an option to rack up entry hazard damage and force out setup sweepers to remove their boosts; however, this is only a short-term solution, as they can easily come in afterwards and threaten to set up again.
* Reflect and Light Screen can help Mega Latias and its teammates take powerful physical or special attacks better and aid sweepers in setting up, but they can be removed through Defog and only last for 5 turns because Mega Latias cannot hold Light Clay.
* Tailwind can allow slower, powerful attackers such as Primal Kyogre to outspeed their offensive checks and clean weakened teams, but it practically only lasts for two turns.
* Thunder Wave is an alternative status move that can cripple faster threats but does not affect Ground-types, which Mega Latias is supposed to check.
* Latias without a Mega Stone is completely unviable in Ubers to due to its lower bulk and the underwhelming effect of Soul Dew.(then it shouldn't be here)

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

**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Necrozma-DM, Ferrothorn, and Mega Scizor are immune to Toxic and take little damage from Mega Latias's attacks. In return, they can threaten to sweep with boosting moves, fire off powerful attacks, support their team through status moves, or set up entry hazards, which Mega Latias cannot remove due to it being unable to threaten them out. However, Steel-types may find themselves setup fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates should Mega Latias choose to use Healing Wish.

**Dark-types**: Yveltal can threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with Dark-Type Dark-type STAB moves or maintain momentum with U-turn while still dealing considerable chip damage should Mega Latias choose to stay in. Arceus-Dark can set up Calm Mind on Mega Latias whilst while shrugging off Toxic with Refresh or simply smack it with its super effective Judgment or Toxic. Mega Sableye can recover off any direct damage Mega Latias deals, bounces back back Toxic so that Mega Latias cannot freely throw around status, and threatens Mega Latias with Toxic or Foul Play. Alolan Muk and Tyranitar take little damage from Mega Latias's direct attacks and can heavily damage Mega Latias as it attempts to switch out with Pursuit. Tyranitar can also set up Stealth Rock,(AC) which Mega Latias cannot safely clear away, but it must be wary of Toxic, which can quickly wear it down if it is not carrying Rest.

**Fairy-types**: Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, Mega Diancie, and Magearna can heavily damage or KO Mega Latias with their super effective STAB moves. Additionally, Xerneas can threaten to set up Geomancy or use a free turn to use Aromatherapy, Arceus-Fairy and Mega Diancie can set up Stealth Rock in front of Mega Latias, and Magearna can support its team through Heal Bell or maintain momentum through Volt Switch. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy must be wary of switching into a potential Toxic, however. Additionally, Fairy-types may find themselves setup fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates should Mega Latias choose to use Healing Wish.

**Ghost-types**: Marshadow can easily OHKO Mega Latias with its Ghost-type STAB moves, use Pursuit if Mega Latias attempts to switch out, or set up Bulk Up on a forced switch. Similarly, Arceus-Ghost can force out Mega Latias with its super effective STAB moves and set up Swords Dance. Lunala and Necrozma-DW threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with Moongeist Beam or use Mega Latias as setup fodder. None appreciate switching into Toxic, however, as it quickly wears them down and breaks Lunala's Shadow Shield.

**Shadow Tag**: Mega Gengar and Gothitelle are both able to trap Mega Latias with Shadow Tag. Although it has to be wary of a potential Draco Meteor, Mega Gengar can pick off Mega Latias with a super effective Shadow Ball or Hex. Gothitelle takes little damage from any of Mega Latias' Latias's attacks, can remove poison with Rest, and proceeds to PP stall Mega Latias's attacks so that Taunt forces it to use Struggle or so another threat can set up. Mega Latias can, however, use Healing Wish to disrupt a trapping attempt by allowing a powerful offensive teammate to come in and threaten to set up unexpectedly.

**Chansey and Blissey**: Chansey and Blissey can easily switch into any common move Mega Latias carries due to their immense special bulk and Natural Cure. They can then proceed to spread Toxic, support their team with Wish or Heal Bell, or set Stealth Rock,(AC) which Mega Latias cannot effectively remove. However, Chansey and Blissey may find themselves setup fodder for one of Mega Latias's teammates if it chooses to use Healing Wish to bring them in.

**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh does not appreciate being hit with Toxic, but it can take any other move Mega Latias carries due to its high special bulk and retaliate with a Toxic of its own or fire off a powerful Brave Bird.

**Super Effective Coverage**: Although Mega Latias shrugs off Hidden Power Ice, Primal Groudon can surprise Mega Latias by running Dragon Tail, Dragon Claw,(AC) or Dragon Pulse, making Mega Latias a much less reliable switch-in. Though Mega Latias resists Psychic, Psychic-types such as Deoxys-A and Mega Mewtwo Y typically carry Ice Beam, which 2HKOes Mega Latias. Mega Latias is often unable to OHKO in return due to Deoxys-A's Focus Sash and Mega Mewtwo Y's special bulk.

**Ice-types**: Mega Latias is unable to use Defog against Cloyster's hazards due to the threat of getting OHKOed by Icicle Spear. Kyurem-W can also threaten to OHKO Mega Latias with its super effective STAB moves.

**Dragon-types**: Although Mega Latias can threaten to OHKO or deal heavy damage to many Dragon-types if running Draco Meteor, faster Dragon-types such as Nagadanel and Choice Scarf users can OHKO Mega Latias before it can retaliate. Additionally, Dialga can tank Mega Latias's Draco Meteor thanks to its Steel typing and OHKO with its own.

**Status**: Toxic is commonly carried by Stealth Rock Primal Groudon. Toxic damage quickly wears Mega Latias down if not carrying Recover or Refresh, and if it does run either move,(AC) Toxic forces it to play predictably and heal itself. Paralysis from Thunder Wave and Glare means that Mega Latias is outsped by many threats it needs to be faster than to check, such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon,(AC) and makes it less reliable due to the chance of getting paralyzed.

**Primal Kyogre**: If Mega Latias is not carrying Grass Knot, Primal Kyogre can easily take Draco Meteor due to its high special bulk. Specially offensive sets 2HKO Mega Latias with Ice Beam, while defensive sets cure Toxic with Rest and threaten Mega Latias with either Ice Beam or Toxic. Physically offensive Kyogre sets struggle to deal with Mega Latias, however, as Ice Beam does not 2HKO.
GP 2/2
 

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