Skeleton is up.
QC [2/2] (Diana, Elevator Music)
GP [0/2] Writing in Progress.
[Overview]
<p>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. Yet not all is lost for this poor dinosaur, as he was blessed with a great ability in Sturdy, which almost always allows him to do something before he goes down. With ten resistances given to him by his Rock/Steel typing and access to Metal Burst, this dinosaur can be quite formidable if used correctly.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Metal Burst
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Ice Beam / Earthquake
item: Oran Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Sassy
evs: 196 HP / 20 Atk / 56 Def / 20 SpA / 212 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to Sturdy, which was improved this generation, Shieldon is almost guarenteed to survive long enough to set up Stealth Rock. If not setting up Stealth Rock, Shieldon can use Metal Burst to punish opponents who may have previously been able to OHKO him last generation. Fire Blast is used for its high chance to OHKO Ferroseed and Magnemite and 2HKO Eviolite Cottonee. Ice Beam hits Ground-types like Gligar and Hippopotas harder than Fire Blast, but Earthquake can be used for Aron and opposing Shieldon, who aren't afraid of Ice Beam. However, Ice Beam is still the recommended option as the aforementioned Pokemon hit by Earthquake aren't very common. An Oran Berry helps prevent residual damage from rendering Sturdy useless.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>It is important to note that the Oran Berry will almost never get Shieldon back to Sturdy range once it has taken an attack, but it is still an asset to get around residual damage from hail or entry hazards if Shieldon is not being used as a lead. An Eviolite can give Shieldon more bulk, but with the abundance of Fighting-type priority from Meditite 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 switching in and Trick Room users. 0 Speed IVs and a Sassy nature make Shieldon's Speed as low as possible due to Metal Burst's lack of negative priority.</p>
<p>Good teammates include Gligar and Misdreavus, who like having Stealth Rock set up and can take Fighting-type and Ground-type attacks aimed at Shieldon. Natu is another good teammate can reflect opposing entry hazards and status that could cripple Shieldon 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 asset as he gets rid of Magnemite and Nosepass, who can trap Shieldon with Magnet Pull.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Even though Shieldon's offensive stats are laughably horrible, his exceptional offensive movepool can still contribute to his supportive role. Rock Slide and Stone Edge are powerful STAB moves that hit Dwebble and can be used over Earthquake or Ice Beam, but it is often better to have the coverage against other leads like Gligar. Rock Blast breaks through Substitutes, but like 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 hit 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.</p>
<p>Shieldon's other supportive moves are mostly inferior to Stealth Rock and Metal Burst, but some do have their uses. Shieldon's most useful supportive moves outside the aforementioned two are Toxic, Roar, and Torment. Toxic stops bulky waters like Slowpoke while Roar helps Shieldon abuse Stealth Rock when wielding an Eviolite. Torment stops Choice users and Acrobatics Gligar. 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 defends from both sides of the spectrum. Magnet Rise helps Shieldon avoid Ground-type moves, but his low Speed and the prevelance of Fighting-types make it difficult for him to set up.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>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 weary of. Though Magnemite fails to defeat him with Hidden Power Fire, it can outspeed Shieldon and revenge kill him with Thunderbolt if he lacks the rare Shed Shell. Priority like Fake Out and Hail from Snover render Sturdy useless after Shieldon's Oran Berry has been used. Fighting types and bulky waters such as Slowpoke can easily take Shieldon out, but must be careful of Metal Burst. Dwebble and other Sturdy users can live through a Metal Burst and rip through Shieldon with even an unboosted Earthquake.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Shieldon receives Soundproof from the Dream World, which prevents Shieldon from being hit by sound-based moves like Perish Song and Roar. It is not released yet, but it is useless compared to Sturdy.</p>
