Latios - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

This is a strategy guide for using Latios in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, and Held Items to use with Latios, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Latios - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Latios

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Latios
Abilities
Levitate	Gives immunity to Ground type moves.

Latios Weaknesses and Resistances

	Type
Takes 4x damage	-
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage	-
Takes 0x damage

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Latios

Singles Movesets for Latios

Choice Specs Sweeper Moveset & Best Build

A combination of high special attack and speed, as well as great natural bulk, make Latios a threatening Choice Specs sweeper in the metagame. While it faces competition from faster Dragon-types, such as Dragapult, the sheer power behind its moves is enough to warrant it a spot in many teams!

About Latios' Moves

Draco Meteor is Latios' strongest move, punching holes in teams and outright KOing Pokemon that don't resist it or are not immune to Dragon-type moves. Psyshock is its secondary STAB move, and allows it to threaten Special Walls by hitting their weaker defensive stat.

It's remaining two moves are for coverage. Thunderbolt hits bulky waters hard, as well as specially defensive Flying-type Pokemon such as Corviknight. Surf, on the other hand, hits Fire-types and Ground-types hard.

About Latios' EV Spread

We're using a straightforward EV spread with full investment in Speed and Special Attack. It's remaining EVs are placed in Special Defense to further boost its naturally high special defense stat.

About Latios' Ability

Levitate is Latios' only ability. While it doesn't provide any offensive utility, it does allow Latios to switch into Ground-type moves and Spikes and Toxic Spikes without taking any damage.

About Latios' Held Item

We're giving Latios Choice Specs for this build. This item boosts the power of Latios' special moves by 50% but it can only use the initial move it used on its turn.

Other Viable Moves

Stored Power Sweeper Moveset & Best Build

Access to Calm Mind and Stored Power allow Latios to function as a threatening setup sweeper that can easily sweep entire teams if given the chance!

About Latios's Moves

Calm Mind boosts Latios' special attack and special defense by one stage. This works in conjunction with Stored Power, which gets a +20 increase in base power for every positive boost Latios gets.

Dragon Pulse is its secondary STAB move, and while relatively weak, can hit hard if enough Calm Mind boosts is accumulated. It's last move is Recover, which increases Latios' survivability and staying power.

About Latios's EV Spread

We're using a straightforward EV spread with full investment in Speed and Special Attack. It's remaining EVs are placed in Special Defense to further boost its naturally high special defense stat.

About Latios's Ability

Levitate is Latios' only ability. While it doesn't provide any offensive utility, it does allow Latios to switch into Ground-type moves and Spikes and Toxic Spikes without taking any damage.

About Latios's Held Item

We're giving Latios Life Orb for this build. This boosts the power of all its attacks by 30% at the cost of some residual damage.

Other Viable Moves

Weakness Policy Moveset & Best Build

This Latios build is more of a tankier take on the Eon Pokemon. Tank supper effective moves using Weakness Policy and try and revenge sweep the rest of your opponent's team.

How to Use Latios Effectively

A Hard-Hitting Special Sweeper

Latios sets itself apart from other special sweepers by having the special attack stat to back up its attacks. While Dragapult and Starmie are faster, they have relatively low special attack stats that can leave them walled by defensive Pokemon.

Latios, on the other hand, has an excellent special attack stat and utility moves like Psyshock that allow it to target a special wall's weaker defensive stat. This makes the Eon Pokemon an overall more reliable special sweeper than its competition.

How to Build a Team with Latios

Latios is a versatile Pokemon that is easy to fit in many teams in both the Singles and Doubles format.

A Hyper Offense Setup Sweeper

Latios is an excellent choice for a setup sweeper in Offensive teams. Unlike other sweepers, Latios doesn't necessarily need to set up with Calm Mind to hit hard thanks to its naturally high special attack stat.

That said, Latios is one of the strongest setup sweepers in the game thanks to Stored Power and its high speed. If left unchecked, it can easily sweep entire teams!

Check out our article below to learn more about Hyper Offense teams.
How to Build an Offensive Team | Best Hyper Offense Team

Counters for Latios

Weakness

Wall it with Pokemon that Resists its STAB

For all its immediate power, Latios is easily walled by Fairy-type Pokemon as it lacks any coverage move that can hit them reliably hard. This means that even non-defensive Pokemon can wall Choice Specs variants if they're locked in a Dragon-type move.

Steel-type Pokemon are another good choice to send out to counter a rampaging Latios as the Eon Pokemon lacks a reliable coverage move that can hit them for super effective damage.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Grimmsnarl	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Immune to Latios' Dragon and Psychic STAB ・Can KO Latios with Spirit Break, which also has a chance to lower its Special Attack Moveset & Best Build for Grimmsnarl
Scizor	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resists Latios' Dragon and Psychic STAB ・Can easily knock out Latios with Choice Band boosted U-Turn Moveset & Best Build for Scizor
Clefable	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Immune to Latios' Dragon-type STAB ・Takes little damage from Psychock thanks to its great mixed bulk ・Its Unware ability ignores Calm Mid and Stored Power boosts Moveset & Best Build for Clefable

Use Fast Pokemon

Pokemon	Description
Cinderace	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Cinderace is a strong attacking Pokemon that has high speed Cinderace - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Dragapult	Ranking: ★★★★ ・A faster Dragon-type Pokemon that can OTK Latios Dragapult - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
Naganadel	Ranking: ★★★★ ・A faster Dragon-type Pokemon that can OTK Latios Naganadel - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

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