I tried maxing both attack stats and it's really underwhelming in terms of longevity. 60/50/50 bulk is very fragile, so most of the time if you're not OHKOing your opponent and it can hit you neutrally, it will OHKO you back.
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Pokémon Aegislash
- Thread starter ArkWelder
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The 252 Atk / 252 SpA Quiet build is for switching in on something you know you can take (IE: Scizor locked into Bullet Punch), and then hitting it's switchin hard with Shadow Ball+Shadow Sneak, then switching out. The first time you won't have to take a hit. Later, however, you might have to stomach Breloom's Rock Tomb or the aforementioned Scizor's Bullet Punch in order to get kills, but you can take those weak hits regardless of bulk.
And it's not like Aegislash has any viable recovery options...
I think that gives you even more reason to want to preserve your HP - it's not coming back, so you better hang onto as much as you can before you die.
The goal of the mixed set is to take out one and possibly two of your opponent's walls. It's longevity is built around taking only resisted hits on the switch and knocking out the switch in without taking damage at all. And then either sacrificing yourself to prevent setup or switching out to do the same thing all over again. Investing in hp is going to reduce the amount of 2hkos you get with shadow ball + sneak. If you want a bulky tank set, go with kings shield+ 3 attacks
The mixed set has DEFINITELY caught on. Last week I saw maybe 1 or 2 at 2k+ now EVERY Aegis seems to be running it lol. It also has made it less effective as people have stopped switching into things that can't take a Shadow ball ;(
Aegislash is very versatile, no one knows what build they're facing until it's potentially too late.
I myself run Weakness Policy with Quiet Nature, 252 HP/4 Atk/252 SpA and with Shadow Ball/Shadow Sneak/Sacred Sword/King's Shield. You can easily bluff a pivot set with Shadow Ball, and then KS when they think you don't have it. Not saying it's the best in the world, but it's decently effective.
I myself run Weakness Policy with Quiet Nature, 252 HP/4 Atk/252 SpA and with Shadow Ball/Shadow Sneak/Sacred Sword/King's Shield. You can easily bluff a pivot set with Shadow Ball, and then KS when they think you don't have it. Not saying it's the best in the world, but it's decently effective.
I really think Weakness Policy is the best choice for the mixed set
Agreed, what's a reliable counter or check for it? Can't send out a wall for it since it has very high attacking stats on both sides, the things that can WoW it are usually ripe to get set up on by SD, there's Taunt I guess but that's really a meh check since it only prolongs the problem and it doesn't keep him from actually attacking you. Plus it can scout you with King's Shield
I've been running mixed attacker non-stop, and its gotten to the point where I think I might just run Special Automize or Special King's Shield, because I almost always am just tossing out Shadow Balls, its so powerful. Iron Head sees little use and Sacred Sword nearly never does anything, so I'm thinking Shadow Ball / Flash Cannon / Automize or King's Shield / Filler or Shadow Sneak, depending on the third moveslot.
This may be cliche but neither is a better set. They both accomplish different goals. The mixed set is a hit-and-run wall breaker set that can get threats such as skarmory, blissey, defensive hippowdon, and gliscor out of the way. The kings shield set plays the roll of a bulky attacker that can check a lot of physical threats with good prediction. The decision really comes down to what you need more, a wallbreaker or tank.
Weakness Policy is a bad item for the mixed set. Taking a super effective hit in order to activate Weakness Policy and OHKO the opponent back while then getting forced out isn't the job of the mixed set. It's role is to wallbreaker, for which it needs either Spooky Plate or Life Orb. If you want to use Weakness Policy do it either on Swords Dance sets, which have enough power to actually OHKO faster Pokemon at +4 (+2 from Swords Dance and +2 from Weakness Policy), or on Autotomize sets. In general, Weakness Policy's best use is on Autotomize sets, which can easily clean teams late-game with +2 Atk / +2 SpA / +2 Speed. On all other sets it's a gimmick item at best.
From my experience, Unaware Quagsire (Relaxed 252HP/Def) is one of the best counters for Aegislash. Ignoring stat boosts and resistant to Iron Head while Shadow Sneak and Sacred Sword do minimal damage. Just Quake and Recover, Quake and Recover.
252+ SpA Spooky Plate Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Quagsire: 271-321 (68.7 - 81.4%)
252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Quagsire: 228-268 (57.8 - 68%)
Guaranteed 2HKO on the two best sets means it isn't a great counter.
and just for giggles:
252+ SpA Spooky Plate Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Quagsire: 180-213 (45.6 - 54%)
The fact that you have to invest in SpD to win most of the time isn't worth it. What else is he gonna check going SpD? Quagsire can only counter the physical versions, and I'm not sure if that is worth having him on an OU team, at least as your main Aegislash check
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Food for Thought:
Kasib Berry w/ Brave and 0 Speed IVs is a pretty good set Aegislash as it allows your Aegislash to stay in shield form and check opposing Aegislash, notably boosted ones (Shield Kasib Aegislash w/ 252 HP can take a +4 LO Blade Aegislash's Shadow Sneak).
100 Defense EVs are worth considering for standard Aegislash as it allows it to take a +2 LO Blade Aegislash's Shadow Sneak (Stealth Rock damage not taken into consideration).
Shuca Berry and Air Balloon are also decent items for Aegislash as it allows it to take EQs and whatnot rather well,but they're not as useful with Mega Khan's ban. (Mega Khan is banned on PO but I'm not entirely sure if Smogon has banned it yet. If it isn't banned yet then Shuca/Balloon Aegislash check Mega Khan)
Kasib Berry w/ Brave and 0 Speed IVs is a pretty good set Aegislash as it allows your Aegislash to stay in shield form and check opposing Aegislash, notably boosted ones (Shield Kasib Aegislash w/ 252 HP can take a +4 LO Blade Aegislash's Shadow Sneak).
100 Defense EVs are worth considering for standard Aegislash as it allows it to take a +2 LO Blade Aegislash's Shadow Sneak (Stealth Rock damage not taken into consideration).
Shuca Berry and Air Balloon are also decent items for Aegislash as it allows it to take EQs and whatnot rather well,
It can't switch into Aegislash, and Aegislash can just switch out of it when it shows up. Plus CB Adamant is a bad set in this current meta, most people run something like LO Agility or Scarf or at least Jolly CB.
Plus Sash Dugtrio beats Aegislash just as well as Diggersby. EQ+Sucker Punch is really unexpected, and most people don't seem to know how Dugtrio works, lol.
People think Dugtrio can't do damage to it.
They click Shadow Sneak and think it will kill. They are right but...
Some people don't know how Sash Dugtrio is played. :P
BurningMan
fueled by beer
Every half way decent player knows that dugtrio always carrys sash so they just use iron head/shadow ball take the weak ass EQ and finish it off with shadow sneak.
EQ+Sucker Punch KOes Aegislash after one layer of Spikes.
That's what I've been noticing.
I've been keeping tabs on this thread for a week or so now, and the general consensus seems to be having a lower speed IV to win the Aegislash mirror matchup. It really comes down to what you'd rather deal with - Aegislash v Aegislash or Blissey and her fat slow friends that will out speed you.
Since when do people run SpA Aegislash? I have honestly seen it once since the OU beta started. Quagsire also counters Talonflame and Scizor as well. He's got a spot on my OU team.
So I tried this out and it works pretty well. Early game pivot and after threats and priority users are gone mid to late game sweeping isn't that difficult. That being said I like the spatt autotomize set the best but I just so happened to get a perfect adamant and decided to give it some use.
Mixed Aeiglsash is actually the best set right now. People always forget that Aegi has an equally high SpAtk stat and that Ghost Types were buffed. Hitting from his special side, Aegislash can nail common switch-ins like Skarmory, Landorus-I, Scizor, and other steel types.
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