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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 | |
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Evolution and Learnset | Build for Ranked Battle |
List of Contents
Pokemon | Type 1 | Type 2 |
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Abilities | ||
Levitate | Gives immunity to Ground type moves. |
Type | |
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Takes 4x damage |
|
Takes 2x damage | |
Takes 0.5x damage | |
Takes 1/4x damage |
|
Takes 0x damage |
HP | Attack | Defense | Sp. Atk | Sp. Def | Speed |
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80 | 90 | 80 | 130 | 110 | 110 |
Best Natures | ||
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Timid (+Spd, -Atk) |
Nature | Timid (+Spd, -Atk) |
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EV Spread | Sp.Atk 252 / Sp.Def 4 / Spd 252 |
Final Stat Values | HP 155 / Def 101 / Sp.Atk 182 / Sp.Def 130 / Spd 178 |
Ability | Levitate |
Held Item | Choice Specs |
Moveset | ・Draco Meteor ・Psyshock ・Mystical Fire ・Trick |
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Psychic | A stronger alternative to Psyshock but doesn't target the Defense stat. |
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Aura Sphere | A priority move that allows Latios to have coverage against Rock and Steel-type Pokemon. |
Shadow Ball | Another strong coverage move against Ghost and Psychic-type Pokemon. |
Air Slash | A strong coverage Flying-type move. |
Surf | Again, another strong coverage move against Ground, Fire, and Rock-type Pokemon. |
Nature | Timid(+Spd, -Atk) |
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EV Spread | Sp.Atk 252 / Sp.Def 4 / Spd 252 |
Final Stat Values | HP 155 / Def 100 / Sp.Atk 182 / Sp.Def 131 / Spd 178 |
Ability | Levitate |
Held Item | Life Orb |
Moveset | ・Calm Mind ・Stored Power ・Dragon Pulse ・Recover |
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt can replace Dragon Pulse so that Latios can hit Bulky Water-types better and is a great neutral move in general. |
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Safeguard | Can be used instead of Recover to prevent Latios from getting worn down by Burns or Poison. |
Reflect | An alternative to Recover that allows Latios to patch up its weaker defense stat for five turns, increasing its overall bulk. |
Nature | Modest(+Sp. Atk, -Atk) |
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EV Spread | HP 232 / Def 124 / Sp.Atk 36 / Sp.Def 4 / Spd 108 |
Final Stat Values | HP 185 / Def 116 / Sp.Atk 170 / Sp.Def 131 / Spd 144 |
Ability | Levitate |
Held Item | Weakness Policy |
Moveset | ・Psychic ・Mystical Fire ・Air Slash ・Draco Meteor |
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.
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.
Latios is a versatile Pokemon that is easy to fit in many teams in both the Singles and Doubles format.
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
Weakness |
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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.
Pokemon | Description |
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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 |
Pokemon | Description |
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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 |
All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle
Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides | |||||
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Tier List | Best Builds | Series 10 List of Contenders | |||
Doubles Tier List | Team Building | Rental Teams |
Latios - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle
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