|
-
Sturdy
- If the wielder is at full HP, it will survive any attack. OHKO moves will fail.
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Soundproof
- Unaffected by sound moves.
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Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
30
|
- |
19 |
22 |
- |
| Atk |
42
|
9 |
10 |
13 |
14 |
| Def |
118
|
16 |
18 |
21 |
23 |
| SpA |
42
|
9 |
10 |
13 |
14 |
| SpD |
88
|
13 |
15 |
18 |
19 |
| Spe |
30
|
8 |
9 |
12 |
13 |
Overview
At first glance, Shieldon appears to be an unappealing choice for a team, sporting poor offenses and Speed. His typing also gives him three common weaknesses, two of which are 4x weaknesses. Even with sky high defenses, these shortcomings severely limit Shieldon's usefulness, making him almost completely incapable of performing any offensive role. Not all is lost for this poor dinosaur, though, as he was blessed with a great ability in Sturdy, which almost always allows him to set up Stealth Rock. With ten resistances and access to Metal Burst, Shieldon can be quite formidable if used correctly.
Thanks to Sturdy, which was improved this generation, Shieldon is almost guaranteed to survive long enough to set up Stealth Rock. When not setting up Stealth Rock, Shieldon can use Metal Burst to punish opponents who may have been able to OHKO him last generation. Fire Blast is used for its high chance to OHKO Ferroseed and Magnemite and 2HKO Eviolite Cottonee. Earthquake can be used for Aron and opposing Shieldon. An Oran Berry helps prevent residual damage from rendering Sturdy useless.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
It's important to note that the Oran Berry will never get Shieldon back to Sturdy range once he has taken an attack, but it is still an asset to get around residual damage from hail or entry hazards. An Eviolite can give Shieldon more bulk, but with the abundance of Fighting-type priority from Croagunk and Timburr, Shieldon usually won't be lasting very long anyway. Taunt is another option in the second or fourth slot, but due to Shieldon's low Speed, it should only be used for opponents that are switching in or for Trick Room users. 0 Speed IVs and a Sassy nature make Shieldon's Speed as low as possible, which is necessary due to Metal Burst's lack of negative priority.
Natu is a good teammate as it can reflect opposing entry hazards and status that could break Shieldon's Sturdy ability on the switch in. Hippopotas gets rid of Snover's hail, but be aware that he cannot take a Blizzard or Giga Drain. Diglett is another great partner, as he gets rid of Magnemite and Nosepass, who can trap Shieldon with Magnet Pull.
Other Options
Even though Shieldon's offensive stats are laughably horrible, his exceptional offensive movepool can still contribute to his supporting role. Rock Slide and Stone Edge are powerful STAB moves that hit Dwebble that can be used over Earthquake, but it is often better to have the coverage against other Ground-types. Rock Blast breaks through Substitutes, but similar to the aforementioned STAB moves, it has less merit than Ice Beam. Flamethrower is more reliable than Fire Blast, but Shieldon really needs the extra power to dent Cottonee and Magnemite. Shieldon can also make use of Thunder or Thunderbolt against bulky waters, but he will usually either lose to them anyway or take them down with Metal Burst.
Shieldon's other support moves are mostly inferior to Stealth Rock and Metal Burst, but do have their uses. Shieldon's most useful support moves outside the aforementioned Stone Edge and Thunderbolt are Toxic, Roar, and Torment. Toxic stops bulky Water-types like Slowpoke while Roar helps Shieldon abuse Stealth Rock damage. However, aside from these choices, Shieldon's other moves have little to offer. Rock Polish and Curse are not very reliable due to Shieldon's low offenses and common weaknesses. Counter works well against most Fighting-types such as Timburr, but Metal Burst is more useful because it gives Shieldon a way to defeat specially based Pokemon. Magnet Rise helps Shieldon avoid Ground-type moves, but his low Speed and the prevalence of Fighting-types make it difficult for him to set up.
Checks and Counters
There are few opponents who can stand up against a Metal Burst from Shieldon at full health, but there are a number that Shieldon must be wary of. Though Magnemite can outspeed Shieldon and revenge kill him with Thunderbolt. Priority, such as Fake Out, and Hail from Snover render Sturdy useless. Fighting-types and bulky Water-types such as Slowpoke can easily take Shieldon out, but must be wary of Metal Burst. Dwebble and other Sturdy users can survive a Metal Burst and rip through Shieldon with an unboosted Earthquake.
