Lapras Analysis - PokéCheats Pokémon #131, Analysis, Movesets


01/15/25, 12:05
Lapras Analysis
#130 Gyarados Pokédex Strategy Moves Database Ditto #132

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This article gives you ideas of how to use Lapras in battle in the Pokémon Black, Pokémon White and Pokemon B2W2 Games. It lists popular movesets used by competitive battlers, as well as a description on how to use each set to help you understand why the moves were chosen. These popular sets are usually the best to use in battle and so reading this guide will help you in your team building.

Gen 5: Overview

With generation 5, Lapras gained numerous advantages. Firstly, thanks to Stealth Rock being less common, Lapras might not be taking any dreaded entry damage, as a result. Another buff is Lapras´s new Dream World ability; Hydration, which allows Lapras to prove it´s worth in Rain teams too. Lapras is a very versatile Pokemon, its stats are great defensively, especially that massive 130 HP stat; its offensive stats are just above average but don´t think that this is just a defensive poke. Physically, you can boost your attack with either Dragon Dance or Curse. Thanks to Lapras´s exceeding movepool, it can hit hard off the special side of the spectrum too. One of Lapras´s main disadvantages is its ice typing. It gives off that crucial Fighting and Rock weakness that stops Lapras from being a great wall. Surprisingly, Lapras can beat a lot of big UU threats like Arcanine, Milotic, Nidoking, Donphan, Houndoom, Yanmega and Mamoswine.


 
Ability Nature Item HP Atk. Def. SpAtk. SpDef. Speed
Water Absorb / Hydration Modest / Quiet leftovers / choice specs 152 0 104 252 0 0
There are no current set statistics analysed






The standard Gen 4 special attacking Lapras is back in action again. Item wise, you can use Leftovers to recover some HP and to have the freedom of switching moves, or you can use Choice Specs so that your special moves do 50% more damage. The EV´s are fairly simple; you want max Special Attack, for the increased power. The EV´s in HP are for desired bulk, and the defense EV´s are so that Lapras´s Defense and Special Defense stats are nearly equal. As for the nature, you can put Modest or Quiet. Both of them boost your Special Attack but if you decide to use Ice Shard, Quiet nature is the better option. As for the ability, if you are using a rain team, use Hydration, to help Lapras heal any status conditions that inflict it. If you are not using Hydration, then always use Water Absorb. Surf, Ice Beam and Thunderbolt give perfect coverage as they hit the entire G/F/W core (very common synergy for UU) for super effective damage. You can also use Hydro Pump instead of Surf if you want more power but the lessened accuracy might prove unreliable. Surf also hits Arcanine, Nidoking, Donphan, Darmatian, Terrakion, Houndoom, etc. super effectively. Ice Beam hits Roserade, Venusaur, Sceptile, Crobat, etc. super-effectively. Thunderbolt hits Milotic, Blastoise, Azumarill, Suicune, Empoleon, Swellow, etc. super-effectively. For the last move slot, it´s your choice. You can use Toxic to get some secondary damage in, and stop yourself from being completely walled by Chansey. Heal Bell can be used if you want Lapras to act as a cleric. Take note that Heal Bell is illegal with Hydration though. Ice Shard gives Lapras a decent priority move (and should be used if you´re using Choice Specs), but if you want to use Ice Shard successfully, ensure that a Quiet nature is used. Rest enables Lapras to restore its health, but should only be used if you have the support of rain and you´re using Hydration as your ability.

Surf vs 120/0/0 Arcanine: 87.7%-104.3% About 30% chance to OHKO.

Surf vs 0/4/0 Nidoking: 106.9%-126.7 OHKO

Surf vs 252/0/0 Donphan: 100.5% - 118.8% OHKO

Surf vs 4/0/0 Darmatian: I don´t have this one, but I am sure that it will OHKO.

Surf vs 0/0/0 Houndoom: 105.8% - 125.8% OHKO

Ice Beam vs 4/0/0 Roserade: 93.9% - 110.7% About 60% chance to OHKO

Choice Specs Thunderbolt vs 242/252/0 Milotic: 53.9% - 63.6% 2HKO

Thunderbolt vs 252/252/0 Blastoise: 45.3% - 53.6% 40% chance to 2HKO.

Counters and Teammates

If you don´t have toxic, then Chansey is the best counter to this set. It can take those special attacks all day. Terrakion is possibly the main threat, as it can outspeed and OHKO with Close Combat. Roserade and Heracross can 2HKO Lapras with Leaf Storm and Close Combat respectively. Clefable, Slowbro and Deoxys-D can also take this set´s attacks all day, making them effective counters. Take note that Clefable isn´t affected by Toxic, thanks to Magic Guard. Bronzong is a reliable teammate as it´s resistant to Grass, Rock and Fighting, it can also counter/wall the majority of the Pokemon listed above. Arcanine and Hitmontop are also great teammates to Lapras. Arcanine covers Grass types, and can deal with Chansey, Alakazam, sometimes Terrakion, Roserade, Heracross and Clefable. Hitmontop can manage Rock types and can also deal with Chansey, Terrakion and Clefable.

 
Ability Nature Item HP Atk. Def. SpAtk. SpDef. Speed
Water Absorb / Hydration Jolly leftovers / lum berry 12 252 0 0 0 244
There are no current set statistics analysed






Now that we have taken a look at the special capabilities of Lapras, this is a set that focuses on the physical capabilities of Lapras. Item wise, Leftovers is the main choice so you can recover some damage each turn. Another choice is Lum Berry so that you can heal a status condition that inflicts Lapras. As for the EV´s, you thave a choice to make. You can either to maximise your Attack and Speed (244 Ev´s are placed to outpeed base 110 pokemon after a DD boost) so that Lapras can outspeed threats, and do as much damage as possible, or, for a more bulky approach, you can maximise HP so that you get some decent bulk. For the nature, Jolly is the prime choice to outspeed threats like Espeon after a DD boost. The decision of choosing an ability, leaves you in the same situation as in the previous set. Dragon Dance is the key move of this set enabling you to boost the Attack and Speed stats of Lapras. Waterfall and Return get unlimited coverage (except for Empoleon). As for the last move slot, again, it´s your choice. You can use Substitute to scout what the opponent is going to do. Zen Headbutt is for hitting Hitmontop, Roserade and Weezing super-effectively or you can use Rest with combination with Hydration, and rain to receive full recovery. Take note that Zen Headbutt is illegal with Hydation though.

+1 Jolly Waterfall vs 120/0/0 Arcanine: 101.4% - 119.7% OHKO

+1 Jolly Waterfall vs Impish 252/252/0 Hitmontop: 35.9% - 42.8% 3HKO

+1 Adamant Waterfall vs 252/252/0 Chansey: 3HKO

+1 Jolly Waterfall vs 252/252/0 Donphan: 53.1% - 63% 2HKO

+1 Adamant Return vs Bold 252/252/0 Milotic: 29.3% - 34.6% About 80% chance 3HKO

+1 Adamant Zen Headbutt vs Bold 252/252/0 Weezing: 40.7% - 48.5% 3HKO (2HKO with SR)

Counters and Teammates

Milotic is a really good counter as you can see from the damage calculations. Even with a +1 boost, Lapras can only 4HKO it. If you don´t have Zen Headbutt, Weezing and Hitmontop can prove to be huge threats too, as you can see from the calculations. Like previously, Terrakion, Heracross and Roserade are still big threats OHKOing/2HKOing with Close Combat/Leaf Storm, respectively. Again, Slowbro and Deoxys-D are great counters because they can take Lapras´s hits all day. Unlike the previous set, Special Sweepers (psychic types are preferable) are what you want for a teammate. Alakazam is the perfect teammate cause it can deal with all of the counters on this list except for Slowbro and Deoxys-D. Other good teammates are Slowbro, Mismagius, Azelf, and Raikou.

 
Ability Nature Item HP Atk. Def. SpAtk. SpDef. Speed
Water Absorb / Hydration Sassy leftovers 252 0 4 0 252 0
There are no current set statistics analysed






This set takes a more bulky approach than the last set. In terms of the item, you want to use Leftovers so that you can recover some damage every turn. The EV´s are simple, with Curse boosted your Physical Defense, you want to maximise your Special Defense and HP stats to get the maximum bulk possible. For the decision regarding Lapras´s ability, it´s the same situation as the previous sets. Curse is to boost your Attack and Defense. Waterfall is your regular STAB move and combined with Return it has nearly perfect coverage. For the third slot, the preferable option is Ice Shard, for the reliable priority. Another option is Avalanche, since you will normally be slower than your opponent, it will be a 120BP move. Return is just if you are using Rest in the fourth slot. For the fourth slot, you can use Return as a coverage move or Rest in combination with Hydration to recover all of your HP. Remember to use Return on the third slot if you are using Rest.

Counters and Teammates

With Curse, boosting your defense, plus the investment in HP and Special Defense it makes it particularly harder for sweepers to counter/check Lapras. Otherwise it´s the same counters and teammates as the DD set.

 
Ability Nature Item HP Atk. Def. SpAtk. SpDef. Speed
Water Absorb Impish leftovers 252 0 156 0 100 0
There are no current set statistics analysed






The best trapping set you will ever find. Basically, you first want to use Block or Whirlpool (your choice depends if you want better accuracy or if you want that your opponent is still traped even if you switch out) to stop the opponent from switching out. If you can pull this off on a good match-up, you basically have a free KO. Then, you use Perish Song, the key move of this set. After that, you use Protect or Dive until the perish count goes down to 1 and finally, you switch out... and the opponent goes down. The item is gonna be leftovers to recover some HP every turn, further helping with the stall process, especially if you´re using Dive. The EV´s are simple, you just want the maximum bulk possible. With 156 EV´s invested in Defense, and 100 Special Defence EV´s, this leaves Lapras´s defenses roughly balanced and supported with considerably bulk thanks to the 252 EV´s in HP. Since we are not using Rest, don´t use Hydration, always use Water Absorb.

Counters and Teammates

The only real counters to this set are sweepers that can take care of Lapras in less than three turns (Terrakion, Alakazam, Roserade, etc). Those are basically the only counters to this set. A perfect teammate would be a mixed wall that can take those sweeper´s hits (Bronzong, etc.).

Team Mates

These are displayed within sets.

Other Options

Body Slam: It may be used if you want to inflict paralysis.

Rain Dance: If you really want to abuse HydraRest, go for it but remember, you will waste a precious move slot.

Blizzard: Power over accuracy.

Thunder: Power over accuracy, use it on rain sets.

Roar: Set-up sweepers are one of Lapras´s biggest weaknesses. If you want to phaze them out, Roar is an option.

Choice Scarf: If you don´t like Lapras´s horrible speed.

Confuse Ray: You can make a pretty good para-fusing set with this and Body Slam.

Aqua Tail: Power over accuracy and flinch chance.

Sing: This is a good status aliment alternative, but it isn´t particularly accurate.

Sleep Talk: You can combine this with Rest to get recovery and then attack immediately.

Life Orb: To do more damage but at the cost of some damage.

Damp Rock: You can use this in combination with Rain Dance, so that rain lasts longer.

Hidden Power Grass: For Quagsire, Aabagoura and Omastar.

Buldoze: if you want Lapras to have more type coverage, then go for this.

Also, please don´t use Dragon Pulse or Outrage. They don´t hit anything that Ice Beam can´t already hit harder. Don´t join the community of stupid people on PO (dragon pulse is one of the moves on the second most popular set).

Usual Counters

These are displayed within sets.

Opinion

In my opinion, Lapras is a pretty good UU Pokemon that can take care some of UU´s main threats. Lapras can fulfill a lot of roles thanks to its wide movepool, balanced stats, and stat boosting options.











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