QC: Sweep / Shrang / PROBLEMS
GP: Winry / GatoDelFuego
Overview
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Aegislash is a brilliant Xerneas check and a solid user of Pursuit that can trap Latios, Latias, Deoxys-A, and Mega Gengar, as well as an all-around solid wall. Aegislash also has a unique move in King's Shield, which drops an opposing Pokemon's Attack by two stages if their move makes contact. Aegislash also has the ability to punish its switch-ins with Toxic. However, many powerful Pokemon can overwhelm Aegislash. Another flaw is that Aegislash lacks reliable recovery outside of Leftovers, which can always be Knocked Off.
Defensive
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name: Defensive
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Gyro Ball
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Pursuit
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Sassy
Moves
========
King's Shield allows Aegislash to regain its solid defensive stats and scout for moves. An added benefit is that King's Shield can drop an opposing Pokemon's Attack if they use a contact move. Gyro Ball is the most powerful move Aegislash can use against offensive Xerneas. However, Iron Head can be used for its increased PP, the fact that it does not rely on Aegislash's Speed, and for its ability to hit defensive Fairy-types such as Clefable harder. Toxic is used to spread consistent damage and punish switch-ins. Pursuit is used to trap Pokemon such as Latias and Deoxys-A, but can also help prevent team members from being sniped by Mega Gengar. If your team doesn't require Pursuit support, then Shadow Sneak can be used as priority or as a method of KOing weakened sweepers.
Set Details
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A Sassy nature and 0 Speed IVs are used so that Gyro Ball does maximum damage. Maximum HP and Special Defense investment is so that Aegislash can fulfill its primary purpose of checking Geomancy Xerneas. The remaining EVs are thrown into Defense to help soften physical attacks. Leftovers is used so that Aegislash has a reliable method of recovering HP.
Usage Tips
========
Try not to switch in too aggressively against offensive Xerneas, as smart players will wear Aegislash down until it cannot check the Geomancy set. Use Toxic liberally, as it is the only move Aegislash has to punish switch-ins. Try not to take any hits in Blade forme, as its defenses are very low. However, don't use King's Shield too often; if the opponent predicts it, then they receive a free turn. Also remember that King's Shield fails against Shadow Force and its users will neither suffer the Attack drop nor have their attack blocked. Status effects, especially burns, compromise Aegislash's ability to check Xerneas, so it is best to avoid them. Try Pursuit trapping Latios, Latias, Mega Gengar, and Deoxys-A, but be careful if the opponent has both a Xerneas and one of the aforementioned threats, as this can lead to Aegislash becoming too weak to prevent Xerneas sweeping.
Team Options
========
Clerics such as Xerneas and Clefable can help cure status effects for Aegislash, while Aegislash can Pursuit trap threats such as Mega Gengar for them. Clefable can also provide Wish support, while both Xerneas and Clefable can help check Yveltal for Aegislash. A solid Primal Groudon check is a must, as all Aegislash can do to punish it is to Toxic Primal Groudon on the switch . Lugia and Ground Arceus can both take on Primal Groudon and Defog away entry hazards. Other options for entry hazard removal include Giratina-O and Tentacruel, while Mega Diancie's Magic Bounce ability can help prevent entry hazards going up altogether. Last but not least, remember that Aegislash is a utility Pokemon that should fit the needs of your team and so should not be built around.
Other Options
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Aegislash is very specialized, so it does not have many alternative options that are viable. Sacred Sword can be used to KO Heatran and Ferrothorn after luring them in . Head Smash can be used to OHKO Ho-Oh, but has large recoil damage. Rock Slide is an alternative to Head Smash that comes without the recoil, but fails to OHKO Ho-Oh without Stealth Rock damage. A RestTalk set can be used, however the recovery is unreliable, and Aegislash sorely misses Toxic. Shadow Ball hits Mewtwo and Primal Groudon for decent damage. A Choice Specs set with Shadow Ball / Flash Cannon / Head Smash / Gyro Ball can be used for the surprise factor, as well as its reasonable damage output.
Checks & Counters
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**Fire-types**: Heatran only fears the rare Sacred Sword, but can still outspeed and force out Aegislash. Primal Groudon hates Toxic, but takes Gyro Ball very well, forces Aegislash out, and can set up Stealth Rock or useRock Polish and proceed to sweep. Ho-Oh is very similar to Primal Groudon, but has Regenerator and Roost to heal off Toxic damage and can set up a Substitute as it forces Aegislash out. However, it needs to be wary of Rock Slide or Head Smash.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Poison Arceus and Tentacruel can burn Aegislash with Will-O-Wisp and Scald respectively. As these Pokemon are immune to Toxic, they can switch in and out without fearing any of Aegislash's moves. Poison Arceus can also burn Aegislash while not being affected by King's Shield, due to Will-O-Wisp being a status move.
**Gliscor**: Gliscor doesn't mind Toxic due to Poison Heal and has its STAB Earthquake to force Aegislash out. Once Aegislash is forced out, Gliscor can use U-turn to gain momentum or set up Stealth Rock. Gliscor has to be careful of U-turning right away, however, as it can receive an Attack drop from Kings's Shield.
**Dark-types**: Most Dark-types fear Toxic, but Dark Arceus can Refresh it off and set up Calm Mind as it forces out Aegislash with the threat of a super effective Judgement. Yveltal doesn't like Toxic either, but has Oblivion Wing to recover HP can Taunt Aegislash to prevent it from using King's Shield again, or fire off a super effective Dark Pulse. Darkrai can take a Toxic if need be, but its high Speed means that it won't appreciate coming in on a Gyro Ball or a Sacred Sword. It does force Aegislash out, however, and can set up a Nasty Plot or a Substitute on the switch.
**Steel-types**: Ferrothorn is immune to Toxic and only fears the rare Sacred Sword. It can set up entry hazards or sap Aegislash's health with Leech Seed. Dialga also fears nothing but Sacred Sword and can force Aegislash out with the threat of a Fire Blast, then proceed to set up Stealth Rock on the switch.
**Giratina-O**: Giratina-O doesn't like coming in on Toxic or Shadow Ball, but can hit Aegislash with its super effective STAB Shadow Force, which can't be blocked by King's Shield.
GP: Winry / GatoDelFuego
Overview
########
Aegislash is a brilliant Xerneas check and a solid user of Pursuit that can trap Latios, Latias, Deoxys-A, and Mega Gengar, as well as an all-around solid wall. Aegislash also has a unique move in King's Shield, which drops an opposing Pokemon's Attack by two stages if their move makes contact. Aegislash also has the ability to punish its switch-ins with Toxic. However, many powerful Pokemon can overwhelm Aegislash. Another flaw is that Aegislash lacks reliable recovery outside of Leftovers, which can always be Knocked Off.
Defensive
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name: Defensive
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Gyro Ball
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Pursuit
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Sassy
Moves
========
King's Shield allows Aegislash to regain its solid defensive stats and scout for moves. An added benefit is that King's Shield can drop an opposing Pokemon's Attack if they use a contact move. Gyro Ball is the most powerful move Aegislash can use against offensive Xerneas. However, Iron Head can be used for its increased PP, the fact that it does not rely on Aegislash's Speed, and for its ability to hit defensive Fairy-types such as Clefable harder. Toxic is used to spread consistent damage and punish switch-ins. Pursuit is used to trap Pokemon such as Latias and Deoxys-A, but can also help prevent team members from being sniped by Mega Gengar. If your team doesn't require Pursuit support, then Shadow Sneak can be used as priority or as a method of KOing weakened sweepers.
Set Details
========
A Sassy nature and 0 Speed IVs are used so that Gyro Ball does maximum damage. Maximum HP and Special Defense investment is so that Aegislash can fulfill its primary purpose of checking Geomancy Xerneas. The remaining EVs are thrown into Defense to help soften physical attacks. Leftovers is used so that Aegislash has a reliable method of recovering HP.
Usage Tips
========
Try not to switch in too aggressively against offensive Xerneas, as smart players will wear Aegislash down until it cannot check the Geomancy set. Use Toxic liberally, as it is the only move Aegislash has to punish switch-ins. Try not to take any hits in Blade forme, as its defenses are very low. However, don't use King's Shield too often; if the opponent predicts it, then they receive a free turn. Also remember that King's Shield fails against Shadow Force and its users will neither suffer the Attack drop nor have their attack blocked. Status effects, especially burns, compromise Aegislash's ability to check Xerneas, so it is best to avoid them. Try Pursuit trapping Latios, Latias, Mega Gengar, and Deoxys-A, but be careful if the opponent has both a Xerneas and one of the aforementioned threats, as this can lead to Aegislash becoming too weak to prevent Xerneas sweeping.
Team Options
========
Clerics such as Xerneas and Clefable can help cure status effects for Aegislash, while Aegislash can Pursuit trap threats such as Mega Gengar for them. Clefable can also provide Wish support, while both Xerneas and Clefable can help check Yveltal for Aegislash. A solid Primal Groudon check is a must, as all Aegislash can do to punish it is to Toxic Primal Groudon on the switch . Lugia and Ground Arceus can both take on Primal Groudon and Defog away entry hazards. Other options for entry hazard removal include Giratina-O and Tentacruel, while Mega Diancie's Magic Bounce ability can help prevent entry hazards going up altogether. Last but not least, remember that Aegislash is a utility Pokemon that should fit the needs of your team and so should not be built around.
Other Options
########
Aegislash is very specialized, so it does not have many alternative options that are viable. Sacred Sword can be used to KO Heatran and Ferrothorn after luring them in . Head Smash can be used to OHKO Ho-Oh, but has large recoil damage. Rock Slide is an alternative to Head Smash that comes without the recoil, but fails to OHKO Ho-Oh without Stealth Rock damage. A RestTalk set can be used, however the recovery is unreliable, and Aegislash sorely misses Toxic. Shadow Ball hits Mewtwo and Primal Groudon for decent damage. A Choice Specs set with Shadow Ball / Flash Cannon / Head Smash / Gyro Ball can be used for the surprise factor, as well as its reasonable damage output.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fire-types**: Heatran only fears the rare Sacred Sword, but can still outspeed and force out Aegislash. Primal Groudon hates Toxic, but takes Gyro Ball very well, forces Aegislash out, and can set up Stealth Rock or useRock Polish and proceed to sweep. Ho-Oh is very similar to Primal Groudon, but has Regenerator and Roost to heal off Toxic damage and can set up a Substitute as it forces Aegislash out. However, it needs to be wary of Rock Slide or Head Smash.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Poison Arceus and Tentacruel can burn Aegislash with Will-O-Wisp and Scald respectively. As these Pokemon are immune to Toxic, they can switch in and out without fearing any of Aegislash's moves. Poison Arceus can also burn Aegislash while not being affected by King's Shield, due to Will-O-Wisp being a status move.
**Gliscor**: Gliscor doesn't mind Toxic due to Poison Heal and has its STAB Earthquake to force Aegislash out. Once Aegislash is forced out, Gliscor can use U-turn to gain momentum or set up Stealth Rock. Gliscor has to be careful of U-turning right away, however, as it can receive an Attack drop from Kings's Shield.
**Dark-types**: Most Dark-types fear Toxic, but Dark Arceus can Refresh it off and set up Calm Mind as it forces out Aegislash with the threat of a super effective Judgement. Yveltal doesn't like Toxic either, but has Oblivion Wing to recover HP can Taunt Aegislash to prevent it from using King's Shield again, or fire off a super effective Dark Pulse. Darkrai can take a Toxic if need be, but its high Speed means that it won't appreciate coming in on a Gyro Ball or a Sacred Sword. It does force Aegislash out, however, and can set up a Nasty Plot or a Substitute on the switch.
**Steel-types**: Ferrothorn is immune to Toxic and only fears the rare Sacred Sword. It can set up entry hazards or sap Aegislash's health with Leech Seed. Dialga also fears nothing but Sacred Sword and can force Aegislash out with the threat of a Fire Blast, then proceed to set up Stealth Rock on the switch.
**Giratina-O**: Giratina-O doesn't like coming in on Toxic or Shadow Ball, but can hit Aegislash with its super effective STAB Shadow Force, which can't be blocked by King's Shield.
Overview
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SET NAME
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Moves
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Set Details
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Usage Tips
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Team Options
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Other Options
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Checks & Counters
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- Very good xern check
- Pursuit is cool
- Great defenses
- Priority
- Can punish Switchins with toxic
- Is setup bait/fodder for lots of things.
- Kings shield can drop physical attackers attack
- KS can be predicted and so used as setup bait
SET NAME
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name: SET NAME
move 1:
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Moves
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- King's shield gets you into defensive mode
- Gyro Ball hits geoxern hard
- Toxic to pressure switchins, such as Ho-oh and Ygod
- Pursuit is for two reasons, to trap things like lati@s/deoxys-a, and also to prevent things being trapped by gar.
- Shadow sneak for priority.
- Iron head does consistent damage to fairies, but doesn't hit geoxern as hard. More pp is also cool.
Set Details
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- Sassy so gyro ball does max damage
- Max special defense/HP so that xern is easier to take on.
- 4 defense to help with physical hits.
- Leftovers for recovery
- 0 speed ivs for gyro ball
Usage Tips
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- Don't be too aggressive against xern, since smart players will just moonblast on the switch and wear you down
- Toxic if you think the opponent will switch
- Don't take hits in blade form, because the defenses are terrible
- But don't use king's shield too much as players can use you as setup fodder
- Try not to get burnt, as your ability to take on xern becomes compromised
- You can pursuit lati@s, but they can deal solid damage to you which means the ability to check xern is a bit more shaky
- If the opponent has just xern(no latis) then be a bit more aggressive(not too much though)
- Be careful if opponent has both xern and lati@s
Team Options
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- Clerics are nice and you can pursuit for them
- Things to take care of ho-oh/ygod/pdon/ whatever comes in on you
- Wish support is good
- A secondary xern check is good, especially one that can beat subgeo variants
- Defog/spin is nice since you don't want hazards damage
- Don't build around this, it is a utility mon that should fit your teams needs.
Other Options
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- It's good at one thing
- Sacred sword can 2hko heatran/ferro with investment after rocks.
- Rest talk could work, is unreliable though
- Head smash to lure ho-oh
- Shadow ball for mixed attacking prowess, and to help beat stalltwo or mega-mewtwo-x.
- Rock slide does a fair bit to ho-oh and won't take away hp, but fails to Ko without rocks up.
- A specs set with shadow ball/flash cannon/ head smash / gyro ball can be used for its suprise factor, and hits reasonably hard(2hkos pdon with shadow ball)
Checks & Counters
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- Lot's of things can check it, but hate taking toxic
- heatran can force you out, and doesn't care about toxic
- Pdon can easily force aegislash out, and then setup. Hates toxic though
- Poison types like arc-poison and tentacruel can burn you, and are immune to toxic
- Gliscor evades toxic, and hits hard with earth quake
- Ho-oh can easily kill you, but they have to watch out for toxic and/or head smash
- dark types force you out, ygod hates toxic, but darkceus can refresh it off. Darkrai can take a toxic if need be, but won't like coming in on an attack
- Ferro uses you as hazard fodder, and can recover hp with leech seed
- Dialga can threaten to fire blast, and can set up rocks on the switch.
- Giratina-o hates switching in on a ghost type move/toxic but can shadow force through King's shield
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