Competitive Battling Spotlight #27: Move One

        The first Competitive Move analysis of the Psychic type move, Calm Mind.  

           What it does:

            Calm Mind gives the user a +1 (50%) boost to both the Special Attack and Special Defense stat, making it a uniquely offensive and defensive setup move all in one.

            The Calmest Minds:

            Many Pokemon can utilize Calm Mind effectively, but the most prominent users are bulkier threats with a good HP stat and preferably good Defense and Special Attack as well. The reason high Defense is ideal is because Calm Mind boosts the Special Defense stat, meaning that users with natural physical bulk will be able to take hits from virtually any offensive threat (Special or Physical) after only a boost or two. Below is a listing of the best Calm Minders in any and every tier. This is not meant to be a complete list, and only lists a few examples of good Calm Mind abusers. You should definitely try out any Pokemon that has Calm Mind and fits the above criteria that is not listed here.

            Playing Calm Mind Defensively:

            Though I’ve described it as being both an offensive and defensive move in one, certain abusers are built inherently to take hits, as opposed to dishing them out. This means that most of these Pokemon won’t be doing too much outright damage and must rely on having several boosts before doing too much. A lot of these also have access to instant recovery and focus on withstanding turns in battle before they can make a dent in teams. Below are a few that make use of this strategy.

          

           Reuniclus

The supreme Calm Minder of OU, Reuniclus has it all; gargantuan HP, monstrous Special Attack, a well-rounded offensive (and defensive) movepool, and Magic Guard. Be weary of this little guy setting up some CMs against you, as it could very easily put away your team thereafter.

 

            Jirachi

In the rain, with 60% paralysis Thunder and 60% confusion Water Pulse, Calm Mind Jirachi becomes one of the most annoyingly effective set-uppers out there. Its naturally well-rounded stats perfect this strategy, making it a true staple of CM abuse.

Suicune

Arguably the best of his trio for possessing good typing, reasonably mixed stats and massive bulk, Suicune makes for one of the best CM set-uppers in the Underused tier. The fact that its veteran “CroCune” set (CM+RestTalk) is enhanced now with the new 30% burn chance move Scald only makes for more reason for Cune to celebrate.  

Slowbro

The premier physical wall of the UU tier, Slowbro’s ability to utilize Calm Mind is often times overlooked due to the popularity of a straight walling set. However, with 110 HP, 80 Special Defense, and 100 base Special Attack, along with recovery in Slack Off and STAB Water moves, Slowbro might just be one of the most underrated CM abusers in the game.

           

Playing Offensively:

Taking hits and restoring damage is not the only way to play. Some Pokemon are naturally fast and capable of a high initial damage output, but resort to Calm Mind for means of getting past threats that would otherwise absorb and shrug off their powerful attacks. These are the offensive users of Calm Mind, and are no more or less threatening than their hefty counterparts.

Lati@s

The Lati twins are built to abuse Calm Mind, what with their amazing offensive stats (Latios moreso), high Speed and reasonably good bulk (Latias moreso). Their movepools and STAB Dragon typing, along with base 80 HP, further compliment their idealization of making use of the +1 Special Attack and Special Defense boosts.

Alakazam

Alakazam has abysmal bulk and for that reason is only an amazing CM’er due to its base 135 Sp.Atk and 120 Speed, making it one of the fastest, most deadly offensive threats in the entire metagame. Oh, what’s that? It has Magic Guard too? Yea, Zam is an absolute beast when it comes to picking apart unprepared teams. However, because it lacks any significant amount of bulk without any Calm Mind boosts, its main reason for using CM is because this is its only means of boosting its already deadly Special Attack. Truly one of the best offensive users of the move.

Raikou

Much like Alakazam, Raikou has not the best bulk out there, but a moderate HP stat and good overall offensive stats make this one deadly sweeper in the upper tiers. Access to STAB Thunder in the rain also makes this an extremely underrated, yet highly competent, threat.

Espeon

Speed, power, and immunity to direct status moves and Taunt thanks to Magic Bounce make Espeon a great candidate for this setup move as well. With naturally high Speed and Special Attack, after just one boost Espeon will be hurting a lot of things. Also, with access to Baton Pass, she can share in the boosts with any of her teammates, making her an ideal support Pokemon.

            Playing in the Lower Tiers:

            OU and UU aren’t the only tiers to have some Calm Mind fun in! A number of usable threats in RU and even NU stand out as effective in utilizing the setup move to do some damage. Here are a few potent choices:

Mesprit

The King of NU (probably soon to be moved to RU), Mesprit serves as a perfectly balanced Pokemon with good power and bulk alike. This, as you might guess, allows it to make perfect use of the +1 Special boosts. With excellent coverage as well, Mesprit becomes a deadly sweeper after only a few turns of setup.

 

Beheeyem

Beheeyem isn’t too far off its Psychic-type counterpart Reuniclus. They both have decent Defenses, 125 Special Attack, and pretty good movepools. But even though Beheeyem has a lower HP stat and Synchronize instead of Magic Guard, it still has potential to make use of all its assets by setting up. Try CM Beheeyem in the lower tiers. You might be surprised.  

Duosion

With Eviolite equipped, the only thing that makes Duosion even minimally worse than its evolution is its much lower HP stat. Still, the retention of 125 Sp.Atk and Magic Guard, as well as higher defenses than Reuniclus (thanks to Eviolite) makes for a lower-tier mini-sweeper just as devastating as its cousin.

           

Other Notable Users:

Here are a few other Pokemon to consider and their attributions to a Calm Mind set:

-Chandelure; The highest Special Attack stat in the entire non-Uber metagame + decent bulk make Chandelure a wonderfully scary threat in UU and above.

-Serperior; Natural defensive capabilities, great Speed and access to Leech Seed for a support-ish set all help alongside STAB Giga Drain and HP Fire for coverage.

-Cofagrigus; Cofagrigus can take hits very well. It has defensive potential on par with Skarmory and an excellent Special Attack stat for a wall, making Calm Mind abuse very viable.

-Cresselia; Not the most powerful out there, but being one of the most bulky definitely helps. Cresselia will always be the epitome of annoying defensive threat (think weaker Blissey), and CM abuse makes it no less so.

-Cobalion; After +1 Special Attack and +1 Special Defense, Cobalion becomes a very balanced, very effective threat. Max out HP and Speed, and watch as foes crumble to your powerfully boosted attacks and fail to take you down with all but the most powerful Super Effective hits.

-Virizion; Essentially the same as Cobalion, but with a different typing. STAB Giga Drain as means of pseudo-recovery makes this set fifteen times better than its musketeer brethren, though.

            Conclusion:

            It is definitely not the most popular setup move, nor is it the most offensively contributory. Calm Mind requires patience and strategy in order to work more effectively, especially as it is not as outright successful as something like Nasty Plot or Growth. Still, on the right Pokemon, it can become the key to finishing teams and winning games.

Apologies

I am currently in the process of editing my Competitive Move analysis that I was supposed to have posted yesterday. I apologize for not doing so, as I was busy with midterms. A Competitive Item analysis will be posted later today, as planned.

Competitive Battling Spotlight #26: Old Pokemon Seven

Medicham, An oddity in both appearance and Competitive potential.

The Meditate Pokemon

H.P.: 60

Attk: 60

Def.: 75

Sp.A: 60

Sp.D: 75

Spe: 80

Tier: RU (as of October 2011)

Abilities:

Pure Power: Doubles the Pokemon's Attack stat. If you didn't know what this ability did before reading this, just know that it is the only thing that makes Medicham even remotely viable in the current metagame, and for good reason. Doubling the meager base 60 Attack gives this Pokemon usability that bottom-feeder NU monsters would kill to have. Such a wonderful ability on such a would-be godawful Pokemon.

Telepathy:  Takes no damage from teammates' attacks in a Double or Triple Battle. When given; a) Medicham's other options for ability, b) The fact that it would suck horrendously with any ability other than Pure Power, and c) The fact that no one would use Medicham in Doubles and Triples anyway, it should be apparent that Telepathy is a waste on this Pokemon. Stick with Pure Power.

Analysis:  

        Medicham is perhaps one of the most interesting Pokemon competitively, with awful stats across the board that naturally do nothing to compliment its good typing. However, thanks to Pure Power, Medicham's viability receives a welcomed aid, giving it essentially one of the best outright Attack stats in the game. Still, with a below average Speed and quite low defenses, Cham has always been relegated to the lower end of the usage curve, standing out only to some.

        There is hope for it still, though. 80 base Speed, while nothing in particular to gawk over, is idealized with a Scarf set, backed by 438 Attack with a Jolly nature and great coverage overall. These assets are also made much more profound with a Choice Band equipped, giving Cham the potential to destroy top threats in virtually any tier.

Potential Sets: 

     1. MediChoice Band
         6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
         Adamant/Jolly @ Choice Band
         -Bullet Punch
         -Hi Jump Kick
         -Ice Punch
         -Rock Slide/Psycho Cut/Drain Punch

        Pure Power gives Medicham a raw Attack stat higher than the likes of even Haxorus and Darmanitan, meaning that with a Choice Band, it has potential to hit harder than nearly anything unboosted in the current metagame. This is only made greater by the fact that Fighting is an excellent STAB type to have. Add in the fact that Ice Punch and Rock Slide give it near-perfect coverage, and you have one very promising offensive powerhouse on your hands.
        Unfortunately, with lack of good Speed and bulk, this set is optimized through use of forcing and predicting switches, but if you are actually able to connect with the right move, you will not be sorry. Your opponent might, though.

   2. Leadicham
       6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
       Jolly @ Life Orb
       -Fake Out

       -Bullet Punch

       -Hi Jump Kick

       -Rock Slide/Ice Punch/Recover

        With its natural strength and access to Fake Out and some good coverage options, Cham makes a reliable choice for a lead slot, threatening a lot of common first-turn foes. Fake Out is a staple on this set, scoring loads of damage on frailer opponents and working to generally scout your opponent's next move. STAB Hi Jump Kick rounds off coverage nicely, and destroys anything weak or neutral to it, while Bullet Punch is for added priority after using the first-turn Fake Out. The last slot is there to fill up coverage holes, as both Rock Slide and Ice Punch work well with Hi Jump Kick. Recover may also be selected to increase longevity and nullify Life Orb damage, though the opportunities to get up a free Recover without being hit and KO-ed by an opponent's move are slim.

   3. Bulk Up
       252 HP/6 Atk/252 Sp.Def
       Careful @ Leftovers
       -Bulk Up

       -Bullet Punch/Substitute/Recover

       -Drain Punch

       -Ice Punch/Rock Slide


        Although Medicham is quite notably frail, it does have usable bulk when used as the focus for a set. That, and access to Bullk Up as means of increasing its already-superb Attack to even greater heights (with no investment at all, it has 312 Attack initially). With STAB Drain Punch for recovery, this set really has a lot going for it if played correctly. Rock Slide is great for coverage in OU, while Ice Punch yields better coverage against the threats of the lower tiers. Priority in the form of Bullet Punch is nice here, as without any Speed Cham will be much slower than usual, but if you'd like to go for a safer, more bulky route, Substitute may also be employed. Also, if you'd prefer brute power over the ability to recover some HP, you may choose Hi Jump Kick over Drain Punch and Recover over Bullet Punch/Sub.


4. ScarfCham

       6 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
       Jolly/Adamant @ Choice Scarf

       -Hi Jump Kick

       -Rock Slide

       -Ice Punch

       -Psycho Cut/Drain Punch



      With Choice Scarf, Medicham becomes noticeably faster, becomeing able to outspeed countless threats it would not otherwise and smack them with a powerful hit. Bullet Punch is a bit unnecessary here, so the best optimal coverage is displayed above. Psycho Cut may be used for powerful STAB, while Drain Punch is good for pseudo-recovery. It should be recognized that this set, with a Jolly nature and the given EVs, hits 400+ with both its Attack and Speed stats, making it a very underrated revenge killer in OU, UU and RU alike.


Conclusion: 


        Medicham has always fallen victim to its own list of flaws, which accounts for its very low tiering placement since its introduction in Ruby and Sapphire. The good news about this, however, is that Medicham can be used in virtually any tier (bar NU) thanks to its low usage, making it effective in even the upper tiers. So while many are laughing in Cham's face for its "sucky" potential, you should be giving it a shot on one of your teams. It's really one of the most underrated competitively competent Monsters in today's game.


  Competitive Usability: 

Pros- 

•  An Attack stat of over 400 with Pure Power. 
• STAB Fighting 
• A decent physical movepool, including Rock Slide and Ice Punch for coverage 

Cons- 

• Lack of bulk and support options. 
• Below average Speed.
  

Verdict:  8 out of 10 

         Design-wise, Medicham isn't pretty. It's a Fighting type, which means it has a starkly humanoid shape, but its skinny body and odd posture keep you from wishing it was anything close. It also has big lips and some odd headpiece thing that resemble a woopie-cushion or a flattened fish screaming for help. Its got a cool coloration on both the normal and shiny sprites, and the concept is cool, but otherwise that's as far as Medicham goes for me in the appeal factor.

        

        Aesthetic Design: 6 out of 10

Competitive Battling Spotlight #25: Ability One

            In accordance with the new posting schedule, today accounts for our first day of the week, as well as the first Competitive Ability Spotlight. Today’s ability is Mold Breaker.

            Description (What it Does):

Mold Breaker “breaks the mold” of the opponent’s ability, allowing it to ignore certain abilities when attacking.

Examples:

 Haxorus with Mold Breaker can hit Flygon, Rotom-W, Bronzong, and other Pokemon with Earthquake, despite them having the Levitate ability.

Pinsir (and all other Mold Breakers) can cause a flinch on Crobat, despite it having Inner Focus.

            Who Has It Now:

-Pinsir; Excellent offensive presence, decent Speed and a pretty good physical movepool make this currently Pinsir’s best choice.  

-Rampardos; The second best Attack stat in the entire game! That’s Pardos’s selling point; all the rest of its stats are garbage. 58 Speed is, however, decent for a Choice Scarf or Rock Polish set to start ripping holes through teams with Mold Breaker.

-Haxorus; Powerful, kinda fast, STAB Dragon. Mold Breaker gives Haxorus perfect coverage on everything in the metagame with just Outrage and Earthquake, bar a particularly annoying metal bird.

Who Gets It Through Dream World:

-Excadrill; The ability to hit Bronzong with your STAB Earthquakes is tempting, but I think everyone can agree that Sand Rush is superior. Still, the now-Uber mole might find breaking Lugia’s Multiscale (when released) to be very useful…

-Sawk; Though Mold Breaker is an ideally offensive ability, it might garner some usability on this pretty bulky Fighting type.

-Throh; With similar offensive stats to Heracross, Mold Breaker can serve its purpose against Sturdy abusers like Donphan, and Snow Cloak Frosslass in UU.

-Basculin; Cool! This sub-par Sharpedo knock-off can hit Water Absorbers on the switch without healing off their damage!

-Druddigon; As a Dragon type with great power and reasonable bulk, Dragon Tailing out annoying Suction Cuppers like Cradily might definitely come in handy.

What Abilities Does it Break?:

     

    Battle Armor

    Big Pecks

    Clear Body

    Contrary

    Damp

    Dry Skin

    Filter

    Flash Fire

    Flower Gift

    Heatproof

    Heavy Metal

    Hyper Cutter

    Immunity

    Inner Focus

    Insomnia

    Keen Eye

    Leaf Guard

    Levitate

    Light Metal

    Lightningrod

    Limber

    Magic Bounce

    Magma Armor

    Marvel Scale

    Motor Drive

    Multiscale

    Oblivious

    Own Tempo

    Sand Veil

    Shell Armor

    Shield Dust

    Simple

    Snow Cloak

    Solid Rock

    Soundproof

    Sticky Hold

    Storm Drain

    Sturdy

    Suction Cups

    Tangled Feet

    Telepathy

    Thick Fat

    Unaware

    Vital Spirit

    Volt Absorb

    Water Absorb

    Water Veil

    White Smoke

    Wonder Guard

    Wonder Skin

Why It’s Good:

Mold Breaker is excellent because it gives its holders a very prominent offensive presence that they might not otherwise secure. The ability to hit certain threats that would otherwise shrug off a move or garner a benefit from it for themselves is nearly unrivaled in the Pokemon Kingdom. It also helps greatly that just about every single user of Mold Breaker has a strong Attack stat, which bolsters Mold Breaker’s usability near twofold.

Generally, this ability provides some edge over other offensive threats, and usually serves to distinguish its holders as prominent offensive threats in their respective tiers. Haxorus is indeed the best user of it at the moment, but I recommend trying out some of the lower tier guys like Pinsir and Throh to see how they play around certain opponents that rely solely on their abilities to make a difference.

How It Could Be Better:

While it is no doubt a blessing, I think Mold Breaker could take its ability-stopping a bit further, perhaps even to the point where it negates all abilities upon attacking the opponent. This could come in serious handy this generation, with the dawn of highly-impenetrable Weather abusers like Swift Swim Kingdra or Chlorophyll Venusaur. Imagine being able to outspeed them with your Choice Banded Haxorus and score the OHKO you might otherwise desperately need? Stopping them, the annoying-as-hell Serene Grace abuser Jirachi, and countless others would make Mold Breaker a true ability of the gods, but for now we can marvel in the fact that it still gives us more competitive benefit than an ability like Keen Eye or Big Pecks.

Conclusion:

Mold Breaker is a quite underrated trait in the current metagame, owing to the fact that the majority of its current holders are not strong competitive choices, being outclassed by superior threats. This overshadowing should not mean that these Pokemon suck, however. Surely things could be better, but as they are now, Mold Breaker remains as one of the most uniquely successful abilities in the entire game, and should be considered as such. Go ahead and try it for yourself!

Blog Update: New Posting Schedule

        In an attempt to bring more order and reliability to my blog, I have decided to enact an official posting schedule so that any of the readers here will know what to expect from me on any given day of the week. This schedule will be strictly weekly, so readers can anticipate particular posts without having to wait a week or two for the next one, as is the case right now.

It is my hope that this demanding list will force me to stay on top of things more, instead of leaving my blog dormant for days or weeks at a time. So, without further adieu, here is my new post schedule, in effect today (October 29, 2011).

Schedule for posting: 

Monday - Competitive Battling Spotlight: Ability (i.e. Regenerator, Levitate, etc)

Wednesday - Competitive Battling Spotlight: Pokemon 

Thursday - Competitive Battling Spotlight: Move (i.e. Dragon Dance, Earthquake, etc)

*Saturday - Competitive Battling Spotlight: Item (i.e. Life Orb, Choice Specs, etc)

This will provide a more organized, prolific structure for this blog, and I hope it will increase your enjoyment and the duration of your stay here. Also, please note that I will continue to post other non-competitive related articles, such as stories and artwork, on any given day. This means that these "Fun" posts will be in addition to the above mentioned schedule. Thanks for your time!


*An Item analysis will be posted every other Saturday, as opposed to a weekly article like the rest.

**This schedule is subject to change.

N's Story (awaiting tentative title)

   

          So the poll results are in (Would you read/be interested in a Pokemon Black and White story from N's perspective?), and it looks like the idea of a literary interpretation of everyone's favorite Pokemon anti-hero was generally well received!  Here is an excerpt of the piece, with a link to the full thread.

          Keep in mind this chapter is not 100% complete yet, so I'm open to suggestions as to how to do the battle scene (should it be a detailed, turn-by-turn battle or just a hazy flash-forward kind of thing to avoid redundancy of the two Pokemon beating the $%*# out of one another?). I've started work on the second chapter too, so let me know if you'd like to see it soon! Hope you enjoy.

The Speech 

            In the central courtyard of the gray town, two benches sat, warped by the season’s rainfall and covered in a haze of dust. They had been inoccupied for centuries, though their surroundings bustled and thrived with eager people all around them. Ideally, they came to serve as a landmark, and in their distance apart sat a flock of dark doves, pecking at worms and roots beneath the wet moss of the benches’ shadows. The birds’ coos were drowned out by the hum of peoples’ voices as they went about their daily lives. Some walked quickly through the streets, distinct as those who had somewhere important to be, and others tended to their shops and houses, sweeping and cleaning and scrubbing away as a dense morning fog formed above them. With it came a cold breeze that shook a nearby field of trees, from which a small brown fruit fell to the ground. Immediately a dark shadow, who had been lying underneath the tree, reached forward and picked up the piece. He stood up now and stepped out from the shade of the tree and into the gray morning, revealing a thin face with delicate features, large gray eyes and a mane of light green hair that swayed behind him as he moved.

         

           He stopped at the flock of birds in the courtyard, who now groomed themselves beneath the two benches, and broke the fruit into an even number of pieces, tossing one to each of them. They ate and gave thanks with soft cries of delight, looking up at the young man who smiled back. Read More

Competitive Battling Spotlight #24: Old Pokemon Six

The Eon Pokemon

 Tier: OU (as of January 2012)

H.P.: 80

Attk: 90

Def.: 80

Sp.A: 130

Sp.D: 110

Spe: 110

Abilities: 

Levitate: The Pokemon is immune to Ground type attacks. An additional immunity in the form of this ability is a blessing for Latios, as it allows you to come in on Earthquakes, Spikes and Toxic Spikes and take no damage at all. A great ability for a great Pokemon.

    

Analysis:

            Among all Dragons currently present in OU, Latios is definitely a king, being the fastest and most hard-hitting from the Special side. And since it has yet to be banned, nor has it shown many signs of being banned any time soon, it is safe to say that Latios, in all its supremacy, is here to stay.

            There is really not much else to say about the Eon Pokemon that hasn’t already been said or assumed, but its extreme offensive presence, excellent all-around stats and pretty good typing all vouch for its consistent appearance in the top ten usage statistics for OU every single month. A main reason for it not being banned, along with its twin Latias, is that Soul Dew has yet to be incorporated into the game this generation. This means that the Latis lose a great portion of their Uber swag in the generation shift, but really does nothing to make them less dominant than they already are. Expect to see a lot of Latios in OU, and bring a good Special Wall, too. Otherwise, a good percentage of your team just might fall to its blue might.

Potential Sets:

11.      SubCM

4 HP/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Timid @ Leftovers

-Substitute

-Calm Mind

-Dragon Pulse

-Surf/Thunderbolt/Ice Beam/Psyshock…

            Any set that utilizes Latios’ high Speed and gargantuan Special Attack is going to have potential. This set is no different at all, and allows a chance to boost that already massive Spec. Attack as well as the very above average Special Defense. In all its power and glory, Latios can easily come in on a weakened threat and force a switch out, resulting in a free Substitute. Once behind a Sub, you may begin to fire off powerful STAB or set up to demolish everything. The first three moves are very self-explanatory, and it is obvious to see why Draco Meteor is not a great option here. The last moveslot is for coverage purposes, and Surf fills that role very nicely (especially with Drizzle support), being only resisted by Ferrothorn in OU. Thunderbolt is another excellent option, while Ice Beam and Psyshock are less potent, though still quite usable; the latter retaining further STAB and being able to hit physically weak threats, such as Tentacruel.

            As far as item choice goes here, Leftovers are indeed ideal, though if you’d like more power at the cost of longevity, Life Orb will work nicely as well. Furthermore, if you’re feeling rather bold, you may replace Dragon Pulse for Draco Meteor, and Lefties for White Herb. That might be an interesting set.

22.      Bulky Calm Mind

252 HP/4 Def/252 Spe

Timid @ Leftovers

-Calm Mind

- Recover

-Roar/Reflect/Thunder Wave/Toxic  

-Dragon Pulse

            You may have seen this set run on Latias before, as with outstanding stats and typing this becomes one of the best bulky setup sweepers/semi-support Pokemon in OU. Latios is no different, and with a tradeoff of some bulk for more power, it is easy to see why this set is such a marvel.

            Calm Mind and Dragon Pulse are the offensive crux of this set, and with the former’s additional Special Defense boost, coupled with Latios’ astounding base 110 Sp. Def stat and rather high 364 HP (with 252 EVs), hits from non-super-effective monsters are merely shrugged off and laughed at. Recover and Leftovers work brilliantly with this bulk to ensure Latios stays alive and gets up as many Calm Minds as possible before Pulsing away. The remaining moveslot is up to you here. Roar is a great way of stopping Stall, and with efficient entry hazard support, you can really rack up residual damage on opposing threats. Reflect works well with Calm Mind and Max HP, ensuring Latios and teammates take hits better from nearly anything. If you’d like a greater edge over your opponent, however, Thunder Wave and Toxic can be used to subjugate faster and bulkier switch-ins, respectively.

            Because D-Pulse is the only offensive move on this set, you’ll want a proper means of removing Steel types from your opponent’s team, let they wall you entirely. Magnezone is a nearly perfect partner with this set, as with any Latios set, and can trap and destroy the likes of Skarmory, Forretress and Ferrothorn, all of which can give Latios a very hard time.

33.      Dragon Dance

252 Atk/4 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Lonely/Hasty @ Life Orb/Leftovers 

-Dragon Dance

-Outrage/Dragon Claw 

-Earthquake 

-Draco Meteor/Recover/Substitute

            One thing Latios has over nearly every single Dragon type in the game is its base 110 Speed. And while the Lati twins share this blisteringly fast stat, Latios can essentially make better use of it with Dragon Dance, a move Latias hasn’t received.

            Even though Latios is best used with its amazing Special Attack and great special movepool, the aforementioned speed and a decent base 90 Attack, as well as STAB Outrage really bolster this set to unbelievable heights, resulting in a sweep if played well.

            Outrage (or Dragon Claw) and Earthquake yield pretty good coverage overall, but this set still has some very prominent counters, most notably Gliscor and Skarmory (and nearly all Steel types, excluding Heatran without Air Balloon). For this reason, Draco Meteor may be used in the last slot to take care of the former, and also to hit other Specially weak things. Additionally, Recover may be used nicely in tandem with Life Orb to ensure Latios sticks around longer to destroy things. Substitute is also an excellent move choice to pull on a switch, to guarantee a hard hit (as most things that switch into Latios are Steel types and Special walls), or a free DD.

            As I have mentioned, Skarmory (and Ferrothorn, if you have no boosts and are not running Substitute) is a real problem for this set, so carrying appropriate team support, i.e. a powerful Special Attacker or Fire type Pokemon to take care of these threats, is highly necessary for this set to be successful. You may also be wondering, “Why choose Latios over Dragonite, Haxorus or Salamence, all of which can run a much more effective, harder hitting, Dragon Dance set?”  The answer to this is twofold: First, the fact that Latios is the fastest Dragon type in OU allows for more opportunity to get a Dragon Dance boost in situations that Mence or Dragonite would not otherwise be able to. Substitute is also an excellent means of taking advantage of that high Speed, as it prevents Status ailments and other crippling facors that Mence and Nite cry over (90 base Attack also isn’t really that bad). Second, and perhaps a little more important, is the element of surprise. Latios nearly 100% of the time runs a Special Offense set (Life Orb, Choice Specs, Calm Mind, etc), so by running Dragon Dance and two very powerful physical moves you are bound to force your opponent into a corner at times. Simply switch Latios in on something that it would normally scare out, like Terrakion or Gliscor, and proceed to setup. A special wall like Chansey or Jellicent will likely come in, to which you can answer with a boosted Outrage, shifting the moment violently in your favor. It may take a lot of prediction, but if used correctly with superb team support, you can have yourself a deadly unorthodox Dragon Dance threat.

           

44.      Rain Abuse Latios

4 HP/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Timid @ Leftovers

-Calm Mind

- Dragon Pulse

-Thunder

-Surf

            With the Eon Pokemon’s perfect coverage and nearly limitless movepool, this set is nearly unmatched in the Rain now that Thundurus is gone. 100% accurate Thunder from 359 Special Attack (and perhaps even after a Calm Mind or two) will destroy everything but a dedicated Speciall wall, and Rain-boosted Surf with STAB Dragon Pulse optimize coverage here, making Ferrothorn the only Pokemon capable of resisting the wrath of this set.

            If you’d like to see a recorded battle with this set in action, please click here.

55.      Special Offense

4 HP/252 Sp.Atk/252 Spe

Timid @ Choice Specs/Choice Scarf/Life Orb/Expert Belt

-Draco Meteor

-Dragon Pulse 

-Ice Beam/Surf/Psyshock/Hidden Power Fire 

-Thunderbolt/Surf/Psyshock/Hidden Power Fire 

The most standard/commonly seen use of Latios’ stats is seen with any of the above items and a combination of the aforementioned moves. This is arguably his best spread, and each item provides innumerous benefits over the others. The gist of this is simple; switch Latios in and hit hard, then switch out and do it again. Draco Meteor is the prime move on any of these offensive Latios sets, while Dragon Pulse is to hit weaker threats without having your stat dropped by two stages. The last two slots are for preference, and for what you’d like to hit more efficiently. BoltBeam yields excellent coverage with the Dragon moves, but Ferrothorn will still have his way with you. Psyshock is for hitting Special Walls for still great damage, while Hidden Power Fire makes quick work of Ferro, Forretress and Scizor switch-ins, though at the cost of some power and a Speed point (HP Fire requires 30 Speed IVs, as opposed to 31).

The item you use with this set will determine essentially what role you’d like your Latios to play. If you want your Draco Meteors to hit as hard as they possibly can, Life Orb or Choice Specs may be employed, both with their own share of pros. For an unstoppably fast revenge killer with gargantuan power, Choice Scarf is the item for you. and lastly, Expert Belt works quite well with Latios’ phenomenal coverage, and will allow you to fake your opponent out by acting as a Choice set, then destroying them with a Super Effective move when they think they’ve had you beat.  

 Conclusion:

            With a slew of nigh-unstoppable moves and terrific stats across the board, Latios excels in just about everything and anything it sets out to do. Despite all its glory, however, its arch-nemesis remains Tyranitar, or any powerful Pursuiter or fast Dragon for that matter. But if you can see that these threats are taken care of before switching Latios in, you shall be good to go. If you lack a quick, heavy-hitter on any one of your teams, go ahead and throw Latios in; you won’t regret it.

 Competitive Usability:  9.5 out of 10 

            Latios resembles a jet, has a unique typing, and is the raddest shade of blue imaginable. Its design is one of the coolest since the Ruby and Sapphire games from which it came. It may share a vast number of similarities with its sister Latias, but that makes the Blue Eon Pokemon no less amazing or viable.

Aesthetic Design:  9 out of 10