What is the obsession with shadow sneak? It doesn't really do enough damage to most pokemon, and while the priority is nice, it's also very risky for the average set, since if you don't KO with a 40BP move, you're dead, while an autotomize set, doesn't really need the priority.
Why does the sword dance set run shadow sneak? I've never really gotten it.
And as far as what set to use goes, I'm disappointed at the "only this set can work" talk. A choice scarf can be a solid choice, while lacking the pursuit threat T-Tar does, it does hit harder than T-Tar, with a typing that makes it easier to switch in with, while a choice band set isn't just about killing what is in front of it, it's about heavily damaging any switch in, allowing another physical pokemon to break through those weakened physical walls. You can even run a choice specs set, while lacking the coverage the physical set does, anyone wanting to send their physical wall out will be in for a bad time. Autotomize set gives it the speed to be a late game sweeper, while being a great pivot throughout the match, and there is a double dancer, which has everything it needs to succeed once anything that can hurt its defence form is gone...
And lastly to the sword dance with king's shield set... it doesn't just weaken pokemon, but it can almost guarantee multiple KO's before going down, it can switch in with ease, and hit anything harder than they can hit it.
No, it is not. Assuming +2 Life Orb (the best Aegislash can do):
Gliscor laughs with ~35% dmg from the Life Orb version. The earthquake threat forces you out, and Roost recovers the damage easily.
Gyarados laughs with ~33% damage from +1 Shadow Sneak (-1 from Intimidate). Waterfall OHKOs if you're in sword form, and you're walled if you try to lol Sacred Sword.
Garchomp takes 50% from Shadow Sneak, and outruns and OHKOs with Earthquake even in Shield Form.
Togekiss is 3HKOed... 4HKOed without Life Orb (and roosts off the damage easily)
Hippowdon takes 35%, 4HKOed
Hydregeon Resists Shadow Sneak at ~40% dmg, and outruns and OHKOs with Fire Blast if he stays in Shield Form.
Heatran survives Shadow Sneak, and outruns / OHKOs with Fire Blast in Shield Form.
Are these all correct? Bulky DD Gyarados takes 53.25 - 63.45% from a base 150, 252atk, brave LO shadow sneak at +1. A non shadow sneak set can either take a waterfall happily and likely KO back with Shadow claw at +1 (100% with rocks up), or it can expect the switch and hit it with 41.92 - 49.57% -1 shadow claw, which Gyarados will not be happy about taking.
Garchomp takes 60.89 - 71.78% at +2 shadow sneak, while if he switches in, he takes 52.51 - 62.56% from a +0 shadow claw set, meaning he can only threaten to counter Aegislash once, and only the CB garchomp can actually OHKO Aegislash, a non CB Garchomp switching into a +2, will EQ, fail to kill, and die to a +2 shadow claw, or the 2nd shadow claw.
Physically defensive Togekiss can only 5HKO, making him easy set up fodder for sword dance, and the shadow claw set dealing a massive 74.53 - 88.2% when at +2, while a SS can set up to +4 to 2HKO him.
Hippowdon can 2 hit KO with earthquake, however, if the Aegislash is running 0 IV's, he's slower than a Hippowdon, and can actually 2HKO with a +2 shadow claw (will involve king shielding to switch stances however, which can be predicted).
Hydregeon's mixed attacker Fire blast does 78.7 - 93.2% to 252HP Aegislash, while he dies to a Sacred sword at +0 (if he even dare switch into it... dead). A specs set can kill, but would have to be sure he won't switch in on a scared sword.
Heatrans offensive and scarf set can KO with respective fire moves, but also both die to a +0 Sacred sword after rocks, should they dare switch in on it.
Gliscor's sub toxic set takes 75.28 - 88.63% from + 2 shadow claw, but gliscors earthquake can do 45.06 - 53.7% back, and is the one true counter in that list so far, the defensive Gliscor takes even less damage.
That is why people are so afraid of Aegislash, on the SD set alone, he can kill so many of his so called counters. The add in the fact that the SD set is just ONE of the many sets he can run, and he gets even scarier since if you predict the wrong set, you've either lost a poke, or you've let your team get swept.