Note: This thread is also posted near the back of the "Past Gen Teams" section, and was one of the subjects of the mass moving of threads to said section. Since this team should be in the UU section, I have reposted it here. If anyone with the appropriate clearances wishes to delete the older version of this thread, please do so.
I used to play around with this team on Shoddy quite a lot, and for the longest time, this was my primary battling team, and arguably my best one. Since the 4th generation is now moving on, I thought that before the last whispers of it die out, I should post this team, as it's gone over quite a lot of revisions since I first started it.
One of my reasons for posting this team is that it is one of very few published examples of the effective usage of a Shedinja, at least in the 4th generation. I have seen only a handful of Shedinja over the time I have played, and not a single example I faced ever came across to me as a "serious" use of the Pokemon. Shedinja seems to be regarded as much of a joke by both the people who use it, and the people who face it, and find myself resenting this overall opinion of the Pokemon. While extremely difficult to use effectively, Shedinja, as I have learned over the year or so I have used this team, is perfectly viable to use while maintaining a consistent record, and while it's disadvantages are crippling, it's special Ability is more than capable of compensating for its handicaps.
I have a specific philosophy when using Shedinja, which is simply to treat it like any other Pokemon. Shedinja isn't something that you throw on a team to make unique, or to feel good about when you win. It isn't something that should work like an ultimate weapon, or a one-time gimmick that relies on surprise as its only method of winning. A Shedinja is chosen for a team the same reason as a player would choose a Milotic, a Blaziken, an Aggron, a Moltres or a Chansey. A Shedinja should be considered just as necessary an addition to the team as said Pokemon, but it shouldn't be expected to be any more useful than your other team members, and it's weaknesses must be accommodated for, just as you would prevent Stealth Rock for a Scyther, include Spikes abusers for a Spiker, or provide a Grass resist for a Quagsire. Shedinja is not to be overly valued, but conversely, if one is added to a team for no reason, then it is almost certain that you are better off using something else. However, after using a Shedinja myself, I can certainly attest that the species is capable of holding its own without relying on surprise value.
This team is largely based on taking advantage of immunities, and as result, my team few elemental resistances. Therefore, using this team requires proper judgement to not get wrecked, but the opponent also is forced to dedicate about the same amount of prediction, or else be easily worn away.
Back in the day, this team was called many things by many players in the past, ranging form "Gimmicks work only once," to "Oh crap, it's Double Electric." While it isn't exactly unbeatable, I have been able to maintain pretty consistent winning records with it during the time when I was more active. It was in fact, with this team, that I first kept hearing about something called a "leaderboard" from most of my opponents:
Qwilfish (Acne) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 6 HP, 252 Atk, 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Waterfall
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Explosion
Yes, I use what most people would call a "suicide lead," mostly because Shedinja is usually a bit underwhelming without the use of Spikes. I've noticed that many very good players seem to like Qwilfish, which is quite understandable. Note that I used to use a Froslass here when Froslass wasn't banned, which attests to how old this team really is. The Froslass ran basically the same set with a slight variation of attacks: Taunt, Shadow Ball, Icy Wind and Spikes, mostly as a way to counter other Froslass while still having a Special Attacking Ice move. (Use Icy wind, as the opponent taunts, then use shadow ball and surprise kill it.) This tactic started to die down though as opponents started using Shadow Ball + Ice Shard, although by that time, Froslass was bumped up to BL anyway. (I'll say that said Froslass worked pretty good against Deoxys in Ubers though).
But anyway, back on track--I used Qwilfish basically as the next best thing to Froslass (my first opponent when I started using it called it "unique," which is kind of amusing in retrospect.), with even a few advantages, namely the ability to absorb toxic spikes. With Qwilfish, Toxic Spikes become a blessing to my team instead of a horrible liability, because Clefable suddenly becomes immune to status and I can get rid of the spikes at will. Qwilfish can also explode on *really* nasty pokemon that Froslass would have before been unable to touch, such as the one and only Hariyama.
The Basic strategy with Qwilfish, as is widely known, is to spike as much as possible at the beginning of the match and taunt when I have to. It's main disadvantage over Froslass is that it is slower *and* it doesn't have any real tool for dealing with its own kind, whereas I had that neat trick back then with Froslass. However, it's basically as effective, and works the way it's supposed to.
Note that I try to leave Qwilfish alive if possible, even if it's only with 1HP, as my team places an extreme value on death fodder due to its lack of resistances. Usually, due to the network of immunities on my team, it isn't as overly difficult to switch out to something else.
There are a couple strategies I tend to exhibit depending on the lead:
Qwilfish - The first lead I always consider when using a somewhat well known lead is how it matches up against itself. In general, it depends on who I'm playing. I'm partial toward blowing myself up and Shadow Sneaking with Shedinja though, while the opponent only taunts. After the opposing Qwilfish is forced out, I start firing off random attacks that usually succeed in killing off that 1HP Spiker when the opponent tries to sneak it in somewhere. Some smart players will similarly explode, whereas I might take a risk and try to Spike. There's also the option of trying to Taunt like everyone else, but that's usually my last option.
Ambipom - I see this thing all the time. I personally have never used it, because I would usually switch out against seeing another Ambipom anyway. Unless I've battled the opponent before, they're just going to use Fake Out, so I will *usually* switch to Aggron and then switch around more until I can be sure it doesn't have Low Kick. My team is arguably different from most Shedinja teams in that it doesn't rely on not revealing team members, much less Shedinja, early. Ideally, a Shedinja team should work just as well, even if the opponent doesn't know the bug is there--but I digress. After counter-scouting Ambipom, dealing with it is usually just a matter of switching to something that isn't threatened by its moveset: Aggron can take advantage of those without Low Kick, Mismagius can take those without Pursuit or Payback, etc...
Alakazam - While rare, pretty much all Alakazam are notably helpless against Shedinja, so many tend to try to "set up" while Qwilfish spikes. Even if I've battled the opponent before, they're still pretty much at the same disadvantage, and I've discovered an early mark for immunity abusing.
Cloyster - I occasionally saw these things in the 4th generation, and I usually assumed them to be offensive. It's tricky, requires taunting, switching, improvising, explosion avoiding, but in the end, Mismagius usually pulls through against it, with Shadow Ball if nothing else. Otherwise, it probably blew up against something already, hopefully not Clefable or Blastoise. I take Spike leads very seriously, and essentially, some of the very best teams I have ever faced have led with either a Cloyster or another Qwilfish, and upon seeing each other on the battle screen, both of us would realize that this wasn't going to be an easy battle...
Omastar Omastar is basically the same thing as Cloyster. Taunting it is risky, because many leading Omastar are just plain attackers. Still, Shedinja can't switch in on Spikes, so Taunting is pretty much always justified. Omastar is a lot less threatening than Cloyster overall though, as it can't blow itself up.
Hippopotas - Dangerous pokemon, despite its NFE association. In the past, I sometimes went for a taunt, but smart players will pump this thing's, offense to the max, and with sandstream, Qwilfish will have taunted for nothing, and I'm still left with something that provides two deathblows to one of the most integral parts of my team. So... just waterfall it. It can flinch sometimes, sure, but the main reason to attack is simply because once Hippopotas is dead, Blastoise should eventually be able to remove everything it did with Rain Dance and Rapid Spin. From there, Focus Punch/whatever + Swords dancing Cacturne will have a much harder time against Clefable's Encore combined with all the pokemon I have waiting for it if it can't stay in outright.
Note that anything weak to water (Nidoking, Claydol, Entei, etc...) is usually best off taking direct attacks at the beginning, since water weak pokemon are usually huge threats to Shedinja.
Snover - Snover are usually offensive and Focus Sashed. Still, the best option is to set up as many Spikes as I dare (Waterfall is ineffective) and maybe switch to Aggron or something. Blastoise becomes pivotal at this point.
Hariyama - Oh my God, it's a Hariyama. Very dangerous. Hariyama can instantly kill Clefable, Aggron, Mismagius and Shedinja, and can maim everything else. The best remedy is exploding, but failing that, the next best thing is taking advantage of the immunities on my team + Shedinja's Focus Sash to wear it down with its own status orb. If I can't blow up against it, I have to play at my best to survive a Hariyama.
Uxie - Note that this section pretty much also applies to Mesprit. Uxie often depends on who I'm playing. Taunt works well on most of them, but some are specially built to make a fool of some attempts by using offensive attacks (If they trick a scarf, I consider it a blessing, since Clefable hates choice items). At least those Uxie usually only surprise me once.
Spiritomb - Spiritomb provides a couple opportunities. First of all, it's taunt bait. Second of all, I can scout it by switching around, and if it doesn't have Hidden Power Fighting, its Aggron bait. Also, if it doesn't have a choice item, it's usually also Clefable bait, especially Will-o-wisp. There were a couple times back in the day where Spiritomb would trick Clefable, only for Clefable to encore the trick right back. That sure got a reaction.
Registeel - Taunt usually works. Thunder Wave doesn't stop me from spiking. Earthquake won't kill me on turn one, and I'll keep that in mind for next time.
The rest of the pokemon, I can just list at the end.
Clefable (Gummybear) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP, 144 Def, 14 Spe, 100 SpD
Nature: Calm
-Encore
-Seismic Toss
-Softboiled
-Thunder Wave
Clefable is without a doubt, the centerpiece of my team, more important to its success than even Shedinja (Just being a Shedinja doesn't make it the team's focus). The speed EVs are just to outspeed some Pokemon, mostly older Pokemon, that were specially built to outrun normal Encore Clefable. Think extremely nasty bulky/offensive pokemon such as Rhyperior.
As far as team synergy is concerned, Clefable is immune to one of the types Shedinja is weak to, and greatly benefits from the status moves that would make Shedinja instantly drop dead. The switches it forces also make full use of Spikes.
I started using Clefable back when Raikou was allowed in UU, which is to say, an extremely long time ago. As a result, I'm very good at using it in the present, and Clefable finds its way onto many of my OU teams. Played right, it was effective enough against the then-standard Raikou, and basically worked like a more advanced version of Chansey (Harder to use, but potentially more useful). I don't know who designed the Encore set, but I dug it out of the analysis back when it was in the bowels of the page, somewhere under the Calm Mind set. Well trust me, the Encore set is worlds more useful than any Calm Mind set.
Clefable is basically my method of having a plan against nearly all non-fighting offensive Pokemon that aren't ridiculously strong. Any set up Pokemon is ultimately defeated if Clefable encores the set-up, and if they manage to attack, they will still fail as long as their attack isn't a 2HKO, which basically means anything less powerful than offensive Moltres or Rhyperior--in combination with Seismic Toss, almost any set-up sweeper or defensive pokemon without a fighting attack is automatically defeated by Clefable if they stay in--and if they for some reason are too powerful to Clefable, I simply switch to a Pokemon that happens to be immune to the attack they are using after Encoring them, which is to say, Aggron, Mismagius or Shedinja (or Blastoise for fire Pokemon). Most sweepers suffer a sure death once infected with Thunder Wave, since at that point, the sweeper is under Clefable's direct control, being unable to kill without a boost, but unable to boost without being Encored and then killed anyway. Clefable is extremely important to the use of my team's immunities, because it allows team members to switch in without instantly dying next turn, and covers the huge range of Pokemon that I would have to accomodate for if my team focused on resistances instead of immunities. Clefable is a Godsend, because my team is strapped for team slots, and often has only five pokemon to work with, sometimes four if I can't get rid of the opponent's entry hazards.
It's kind of hard to explain in words how to use a Clefable, because it's use requires experience to get the hang of. Most Clefables I've seen for example, are NOT used correctly. The moves listed on that set maximize any Encore Clefable's anti-set up proficiency, and are non-negotiable. Anything less, (Wish, Stealth Rock, Toxic, Protect, Trick) may be almost as effective, but they will never act as the nearly universal check that Clefable can potentially function as. Stall teams using Clefable can often get away with adding said moves while still maintaining a good level of use, but I rely on Clefable so heavily that I cannot afford to drop it's effectiveness without severely compromising the security of the rest of the team. Essentally, beyond very strong attacks or Fighting Pokemon, Clefable's only weakness is the limitations of its PP, *specific* Taunters, and the Ghost immunity to Seismic Toss.
Why do I not use a Flame Orb on this thing? The real answer is that if I've experimented for several stages of UU with leftovers, and the pros of having leftovers outweigh the cons of more reliable status immunity. Since I rely so much on Clefable (it is the #1 target of Explosions, strong attacks, etc... for people aiming to break what holds this team together), I need all the health I can get on it. Sleep Powder is annoying, but considering that I have a Suicide lead, a Pokemon that gets a lot of free turns (Shedinja) and a Heal Beller, I have gathered that I benefit a lot more from using leftovers indeed.
Blastoise (Bouncer) @ Wacan Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Def, 6 SpD or 252 HP, 226 Def and 32 Spe
Nature: Bold
- Surf
- Rapid Spin
- Rain Dance
- Rest
A pure utility Pokemon, and the reason why Shedinja is viable on this team. Rapid Spin and Rain Dance are my way of handling weather and entry hazards, and as a bonus, Rain Dance is sometimes a clever way of boosting Surf in one or two situations. Rest is applicable because of Mismagius's Heal Bell, and I *need* Blastoise to survive if the opponent's entry hazard setter is alive, provided I still care about Shedinja that game. While it would appear to be a sitting duck, many of the pokemon that switch in can be dealt with by my other Pokemon. Grass Pokemon are without a doubt, the most common switch in save for ghosts, which I'll get to. The thing is however, is that if a grass switches in, that means Stealth Rock is by definition, gone and any offensive grass pokemon will have to then deal with Shedinja, more so if Qwilfish absorbed Sleep Powder (Shedinja is candidate #2 for Sleep Powder absorption unless I've judged that Aggron isn't viable or someone else is low on health). Conversely, any Leech Seeder is effortlessly handled by Clefable. My job is usually to scout around to see which version of grass I'm facing, which is why one switch to Mismagius or something tends to comes in handy in that regard.
Spinblockers are deadly, but other than Rotom, all of them are handled by using Clefable to encore something and then something else to force them out. I'll cover the dreaded Rotom (and spinblockers in general) further down the line. There was a time that I used Foresight, but in general, Blastoise has to use Foresight on the switch to use Rapid Spin without being maimed, and it's usually best to keep Blastoise alive than sacrifice it to preserve Shedinja. This brings up another important philosophy of Shedinja teams: Don't work too hard to preserve it--your purpose in a match is to win, not play with Wonder Guard. As far as Foresight is concerned though, Spiritomb may seem like a useful canidate for the move, but I can turn the tables on most Spiritomb users in other ways, namely Aggron.
Blastoise is invaluable among my team, because Shedinja is weak to fire, and Arcanine and friends love to switch in on Shedinja. It also serves as a general taker of physical attacks if I don't want to make an unnecessary risk. Due to Rest + Heal Bell, it can keep this job up a lot longer than Blastoise is normally expected to as well, and let me tell you, it needs every second of time on the field. The balanced defenses are also important, because fire attacks are both special and physical. It also helps me use the Wacan berry.
"Bouncer" more or less just comes from Blastoise looking bouncy. The alternate EV Spread is occasionally used if I feel like outrunning maximum speed Donphan (which some clever opponents use) before it Rapid Spins away a bunch of Spikes. This is rare though, so I usually stick with maximum defense. One nice thing about Blastoise really, is that it's naturally extremely fast compared to most defensive Pokemon, getting the jump on pretty much any ground type before they can blow themselves up or hit it before it Rests or Rapid Spins.
The Wacan berry is a personal choice, and I consider occasionally having the extra turn to Rapid Spin or attack perfectly worth it, especially considering that I have Rest. There are a couple Pokemon with both Fire and Electric moves, such as Magmortar, which would be a lot more threatening if Blastoise couldn't take a Thunderbolt.
Mismagius (Lampshade) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP, 96 Spe, 162 SpD
Nature: Timid
- Will-o-wisp
- Shadow Ball
- Pain Split
- Heal Bell
My spinblocker has gone over a lot of EV and attack experimentation over the UU eras. What I have now is a very old spread, but it can't really function as a solid defensive Pokemon without that spread--otherwise, I might as well just make it a sweeper. Heracross is gone anyway.
The moves on this Mismagius are probably a bit more atypical. Heal Bell is used over Taunt, because Taunt is really just an optional thing to have, and Heal Bell is more useful on this team than the ability to stop Foresight or hit normal types (with a secondary attack) which I can usually hit with will-o-wisp anyway (Clefable and Chansey can try, but then there's Aggron...). One disadvantage of Heal Bell is the fact that it can remove any sleep immunity Clefable might have picked up and that it removes a hard earned sleep absorption I may have gotten on, say Qwilfish, but all things considered, Heal Bell helps more often than it hurts. A spinblocker is of course, obligatory on a team with a spikes lead, but it's main purpose is for the synergy with Aggron's "instant kill" weaknesses, whereas, Aggron covers Mismagius and Shedinja in turn. Add Clefable to the mix, and you've got a very useful network of immunities on your hands.
Shadow Ball is really the only attack it needs, and believe it or not, a spinblocking Mismagius's Shadow Ball will still kill most physically defensive Pokemon in the long run. Nearly all Rapid Spinners fail against Mismagius, with the only effective users being those who combine Rapid Spin with offense, such as Sandslash and Kabutops, who I usually stick with Blastoise or maybe Qwilfish against. Foresight doesn't work as well with Shedinja earning its bread as a secondary spinblocker (unless the Hitmontop user shows some Foresight himself and uses pursuit or something), and regardless, any Rapid Spinner will ultimately end up being burned.
Covering Earthquake and Fighting attacks is an enormous necessity on a team that uses an Aggron, and Mismagius is immune to said attacks. As far as spinblocking goes, only offensive spinners or really clever defensive spinners stand a chance at getting a spin in. Mismagius is still fragile however, and aside from Qwilfish and Shedinja, it's easily the frailest member of the team's immunity core. One example of a Pokemon that has managed to surprise Lampshade (momentarily) was a choice banded Donphan with Head Smash o_0.
Shedinja (Itchy) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Att, 252 Spe, 12 Def IV (and 6 SpD for the curious)
Nature: Lonely
- Will-o-wisp
- X-Scissor
- Shadow Sneak
- Swords Dance
Focus Sash is the only serious option a Shedinja should use. Even knowing that you have a Sash, most opponents really can't do anything about it anyway, and being able to take one attack is invaluable on a team that needs all the turns it can get.
Will-o-wisp risk gets ruined by Flash Fire Arcanine, but it's usually worth it nevertheless, because once burned, Clefable can often take care of some of the stronger physical attackers with little trouble, such as Torterra.
X-Scissor, Shadow Sneak and Swords Dance are time-tested. Shedinja in general needs to set up in most situation to ensure a quick win, or else you end up drawing the battle out, which pisses both players off. There really isn't any other option for Shedinja to take anyway. Yeah, Heal Block could force Chansey and Milotic to stop stalling the inevitable against Clefable, Toxic is better for water pokemon, etc... but all in all, Swords Dance isn't taking up any necessary spot on the list and Will-o-wisp is more useful for my team than toxic is, especially since it would grossly interfere with Clefable's Thunder Wave (A burn, on the other hand, tends to make Thunder Wave unnecessary).
Shedinja pairs excellently with Aggron, particulary with pursuiters, for obvious reasons. I'll get more into that in Aggron's section. Note though, that *every single* weakness of Shedinja is covered by my other Pokemon. This may seem obvious, but most people I've seen using Shedinja forget about this vital requirement when trying to use one. Remember, Shedinja puts an enormous amount of pressure on its teammates, forcing them to take all sorts of attacks, so it is vital that the targeted pokemon strongly resist said attacks, lest they are easily worn down--hence, if this rule is not followed, Shedinja becomes a real liability.
As I stated before, Blastoise is essentially Shedinja's lifeblood. I should note that if need be, I will abandon Shedinja, as while useful, if it's too much trouble to try to save it, I won't (although those cases are somewhat extreme).
A vital philosophy when using Shedinja is the importance of seeing it as just another team member, not some ultimate weapon, or NU deadweight that you're using for fun. It's just something you add onto the team to make it more effective, and believe me, it takes a lot of work to make that happen.
Aggron (Demolitions) @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 160 HP, 252 Atk, 98 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Head Smash
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Stealth Rock
Aggron is often brought out when my opponent starts going, OMFG NOT ANOTHER STALL TEAM!! Well, this Aggron may still be somewhat stallish, but unlike most of my other Pokemon, it is capable of making clean kills, and many pokemon who could have instantly killed Shedinja are absolutely helpless against Demolitions, which when facing this particular version, can be pretty lethal, especially with Spikes down.
Aggron pretty much ideally synergizes with both Shedinja and Mismagius, covering their instant-death weaknesses and vice versa. The most important difference between this set and the standard is the inclusion of Stealth Rock over Magnet Rise. Both moves, I will say, are invaluable. You don't know how much I would give to be able to set up on Rhyperior, for example--however, Shedinja has to be considered, and Shedinja *really* appreciates Stealth Rock on the opposing field.
Consider that Stealth Rock maims both Flying and Fire Pokemon, both of whom Shedinja will die to if hit twice. Also consider that Aggron can easily set up Stealth Rock on said Flyers. Think, a Swellow that decided to Brave Bird Qwilfish instead of U-turn like the other 90% of them do on turn one. Fire Types are more of a problem, but with Spikes, the unfair nature of Stealth Rock kicks in, and things like Arcanine end up losing 25-50% of their health every time they switch in.
All these Pokemon are horrible threats to Shedinja. While Magnet Rise sees some very nice application on Aggron, I need Stealth Rock somewhere on this team, and as I said before, Clefable is much less effective without that exact moveset.
Aggron is used over, say, Registeel, because it's extreme offenses provide me somewhat of a twist edge over people prepared for full blown stall. While a Registeel would probably work better against Rotom and friends, it is severely lacking in offense, whereas, Aggron allows me the opportunity to turn the tables on would-be stalemates, against say, very good opposing stall teams (Think, a Spike lead, Wish Chansey, Spiritomb, Stealth Rock Registeel, a Heal Beller, etc...) and in general, a Sub-Punching Aggron getting free turns is infinitely more useful than a Registeel getting free turns. Registeel does little more than Thunder Wave after Stealth Rock is down, but Aggron... Aggron kills, not stalls. I suppose one analogy to use is this: Chansey is to Clefable as Registeel is to Aggron--one is much easier to use, but the other has so much more potential if used right.
Threat List:
The leads were covered earlier, although I might mention them again down here.
Absol - Here's another tricky pokemon who I can't Encore with Clefable. Oftentimes, it just depends on the situation. Mismagius can will-o-wisp a lot of the time, and Blastoise will sometimes just be forced to tank. Qwilfish can Taunt Swords Dance and attack it outright. Shedinja will get in at least one hit on it with X-Scissor. Absol gives me trouble, but I don't remember it ever outright sweeping me earlygame.
Aggron - I don't know why Aggron is so rare, because it's one of the most overwhelming UU pokemon that exists. It may be hard to use, but it's hardly more difficult to use than a Rhyperior, really. In any case, Aggron is a little easier to deal with than Rhyperior, due to Thunder Wave actually hitting it on the switch (although Blastoise usually outspeeds it regardless). Head Smash is *not* something even Blastoise wants to switch into, however. I have to be on my toes when up against these, but most of the Aggron I face are pretty badly built generic vanilla attacking versions with no real strategy to defend against Aggron's jillion weaknesses.
Alakazam - Alakazam are Shedinja bait. Most psychics that can somehow hit Shedinja are going to die anyway, as Shedinja only needs one turn to defeat most of them.
Altaria - While Clefable has trouble surviving Outrage, Aggron doesn't and can get in a Substitute in the event that Outrage kills her. Shedinja though, is a prime choice as well.
Defensive versions can't do much to Clefable but stall and any version will fail if it's the last pokemon.
Arcanine/Entei - Blastoise is very useful here. Toxic/Will-o-wisp is not all too crippling, even for Aggron, thanks to Rest and/or Heal Bell.
If I figure out that the Arcanine I'm facing is a defensive variant, Clefable suddenly becomes an easy option with dealing with it. Stealth Rock is also very helpful.
Azumarill - The only Azumaril who aren't Shedinja bait are Toxic using Subpunchers who can't use Focus Punch due to Clefable's Encore. Poliwrath is much the same as Azumarill, and a sweeping Feraligatr can't break a Clefable either.
Blaziken - Yowch. Uh, sacrifice something and bring in Blastoise, Mismagius or possibly Qwilfish if applicable. Blaziken is very dangerous, so I have to take it seriously. At least it dies quickly once I can get a hit in on it. I also have to be very careful about Swords Dancers switching in on Shedinja.
Chansey/Clefable - Aggron loves these things. Thunder Wave is inconsequential in the long run, because Mismagius can always switch in for free against them as well and Heal Bell--she just can't attack them.
Clefable can also painfully defeat an enemy Chansey in the long run, if it is left as the last Pokemon, via Encore.
Donphan/Spinners - This thing usually switches in on Clefable's Thunder Wave. Mismagius was made to combat this thing, since all of its non-Earthquake attacks (save for a Choice Banded Head Smash) are ineffective--even Assurance doesn't do all that much. The same story is pretty much applicable to Hitmontop and Claydol. Enemy Blastoise can sometimes take down Mismagius with it, but it isn't spinning away any Spikes by the time I'm through with it. Blastoise can take most of these down as well, but then the enemy gets to spin.
Drapion - It's a blessing if I can get a Thunder Wave on it, since at that point, it's pretty much helpless against Clefable. Outside of Clefable and Blastoise though, it can honestly be pretty dangerous, especially Taunt versions.
Dugtrio - Dugtrio rarely gets the opportunity to kill Aggron, due to Substitute. I just have to not be a jackass about switching into Swellow U-turns. Also, the only way it can get past Clefable is if it's a Choice Band version, which my immunity-based team can subsequently take excellent advantage of.
Life-Orbers have their health easily eroded away via Clefable's Softboiled. Blastoise is a pretty foolproof option if I have a choice. Mismagius usually does decently too.
Hariyama - I mentioned Hariyama earlier. A guts lead can instantly defeat anyone except Qwilfish or Blastoise. It takes an Explosion or some careful switching to survive against a Hariyama. Hopefully, I'm able to use Explosion. Non-offensive Hariyama more manageable (and more rare), but any fighter without a dark attack is always a threat against my team. Any non-Guts Hariyama suddenly becomes manageable by Mismagius, as long as Will-o-wisp's accuracy isn't too unreasonable.
Hitmonlee/Primape/typical fighting types - Between Mismagius, Shedinja and Aggron, not to mention Blastoise, it's all about prediction if it's Choiced. Due to the nature of my team, I'm usually the one with the advantage in these situations. Life Orb + Substitute Variants can be pretty nasty though... The same pretty much went for Heracross as well, provided it was carrying Night Slash or Stone Edge. Heracross had the added bonus of usually either holding a Status orb if it wasn't already Choiced.
Houndoom - Flash Fire+Nasty Plot Houndoom can OHKO Clefable if it happens to be Modest and maximally pumped in Special Attack. If that's the case, I'm usually forced to break Shedinja's sash or use Blastoise. The problem with Blastoise though, is that in both cases where I faced a Modest Houndoom, Dark Pulse flinched me.
Non-steroid munching Houndoom are usually dealt with by Clefable's Thunder Wave and a strategic switch, usually to Blastoise--that is, if I don't feel like playing around with Softboiled to scout for Fire Blast miss or an ounce of full-paralysis while it wastes away due to its own Life Orb.
Kangaskhan - Will-o-wisp, Encore, tank and hit... just... something. Khangaskan is difficult, but it isn't so threatening as it can dismantle any team by itself.
Lanturn - Surf + Dischage + Toxic are pretty versatile, but Clefable still beats a Lanturn pretty handily.
Leafeon - Leafeon can be a threatening Swords Dancer, but only if Shedinja is gone and it doesn't try to set up on Clefable. Note that Blastoise can still at least Rapid Spin against it, if nothing else, making Shedinja a lot more viable against it, unlike, say, Rotom, who removes the option of Rapid Spin.
Magmortar - In the past, I recall that there was a glitch where Magmortar's Flame Body would always activate without fail, which made for a *very* dangerous threat against Shedinja. Even without Flame Body though, Magmortar is a tough Pokemon, and another reason why Stealth Rock is so pivotal. Switching around to weaken it's life orb, (Any scarfed Pokemon isn't as much of a threat against my team) and hit it with Blastoise or something. Blastoise has the advantage of absorbing Thunderbolt with its trusty Wacan berry.
Milotic - Milotic isn't really a threat, but it usually lasts until the bitter end due to its ability to recover health. For this reason, I usually just go ahead and paralyze it, because Aggron usually can't hurt Milotic that much anyway, and Shedinja either can or can't stay in due to Toxic. Haze Milotic can be a bother as well.
Clefable can easily defeat any Milotic once it's the last Pokemon.
Miltank - Aggron can usually get in an easy Stealth Rock against it, Blastoise can Rapid Spin away the Stealth Rock and hit it decently, and Clefable can Encore its Curses. Shedinja and Mismagius can also burn it and Qwilfish can Taunt or blow itself up. Miltank is more or less like Umbreon was back in the day--if I lose to one, I was probably fooling around and pretty much deserve it.
Mismagius - Clefable handles any Mismagius pretty well, although it requires switching to deal with them after they get Thunder Waved and/or Encored. I also have to be on the lookout for Trick. There used to be this popular misconception that Encore Clefables aren't able to deal with Nasty Plot Missy--well actually, they can. Lampshade's defenses allow it to finish off most of the offensive versions.
Moltres - Offensive Moltres is one of the reasons why Stealth Rock is extremely important on my team. Nothing can switch in against Moltres, which is why I'm usually really thankful for not killing Qwilfish off early--otherwise, I have to switch in something else, usually Mismagius or Shedinja to take the blow. Ultimately, my goal is to get in Clefable, who can use Thunder Wave, upon which, Blastoise and Aggron have worlds of a better chance against it.
Stalling versions of Moltres are effortlessly handled, for the most part, by Clefable. Also note that, so is Articuno, who is easier to handle, since it can't instantly kill Aggron (meaning it becomes viable to get Stealth Rock in). The trick to using Clefable against a Subrooster is to only use Encore when you absolutely need to. Eventually, you'll get that Thunder Wave in.
Nidoqueen - Blastoise handles this well with Surf and Rapid Spin, although if it leads, Qwilfish should usually go for the direct attack, as he should also against Nidoking.
Pinsir - The ability to hit Shedinja, Mismagius and Aggron (and Clefable) for massive damage makes Pinsir an enormous threat. However, it usually leads, which is why I place priority on blowing up on it and then forcing it out with Shadow Sneak with 1HP. Sometimes I'll just use Waterfall, but more often than not, it wins the following speed tie. Failing that, I have to resort to other measures (will-o-wisp, Blastoise, etc...) More often than not, I might tempt fate with trying for the speed tie with Qwilfish, but that usually doesn't work.
Porygon 2 - Porygon 2 gets a special mention for being able to trace Wonder Guard. However, no one with a Porygon 2 has ever beaten me, because Will-o-wisp + Encore + Aggron's Focus Punch + PP issues are pretty much enough to beat one on its own. I'd mention Gardevoir as well, but X-Scissor instantly kills it and it's vulnerable to Ghost attacks.
If it doesn't have Wonder Guard, it's helpless against Clefable.
Registeel - Annoying Stealth Rock user and a huge obstacle against any Shedinja user. Unless it has Earthquake though, its Aggron bait. If not, Mismagius can Will-o-wisp and Heal Bell its status, and when burned, some weaker Earthquake Registeel are *still* Aggron bait, believe it or not. After that, or even before, it's easily worn down by Clefable and friends. Registeel is one of the reasons why I'm thankful for having an Aggron in reserve, since it gets rid of the "Stalemate" condition that Registeel tends to promote.
Clefable effortlessly defeats any curse user. If Clefable and Aggron are gone though, it's going to be a long wait stalling out with Shedinja that might not even work if Registeel is a Sleep Talker.
Rhyperior - Rhyperior is barely an UU Pokemon. It is pretty much guaranteed to switch in against Clefable, so if I am fighting someone offensive who seems like he or she could use a Clefable, it occasionally pays off to pull a double switch to Blastoise. Switching is risky--Mismagius will be instantly killed by Stone Edge for example, but my ultimate goal is still to burn it (or anticipate the flash fire Houndoom that switches in from there). Blastoise is ultimately the prime switch in, though. Also note that my Clefable is EVed to outspeed most of the Rhyperior listed on the analysis, including the one that is EVed to outspeed normal Encore Clefable.
Rotom - Meet the #1 threat to my team. The Rotom I am talking about by the way, is Subchage Rotom. Anything without substitute is much less consequential, since Trick can be worked around with a bit of caution and a paralyzed Rotom suddenly has to worry about Aggron and Mismagius a whole lot more than before. All things considered though, SubRotom is the absolute Ideal Pokemon to face me with. He flawlessly spinblocks against Blastoise, who despite the Wacan berry cannot kill the Ghost in two turns, is immune to Clefable's Thunder Wave once substitute is set up, and an Encored Charge Beam cannot be directed toward Shedinja if Spikes or Stealth Rock is up. My best option is to switch to Mismagius and Shadow Ball against the Encored Charge Beam twice, which leaves Mismagius hurt pretty badly afterwards. Once Rotom is revealed, I have to be extremely cautious, or else risk a substitute variant blocking the majority of my team in one blow.
Although, if entry hazards are gone, it's very easy to just direct an Encored Charge Beam to Shedinja and play as normal.
Sceptile - The choice version is Shedinja bait, but the Leech seeder instantly kills it, meaning I prefer most of the time, to sacrifice Qwilfish. After that, Clefable's goal is to paralyze it. Once I'm sure it's a choice version, I can start blocking it with Shedinja. Swords Dancers can also pose a surprise threat, breaking Shedinja's sash with Rock Slide.
If I find that I'm facing a subseeder, Clefable has no trouble fighting a non-specs Sceptile.
Scyther - Very nasty, due to its ability to instantly kill Aggron. Will-o-wisping it helps but... Scyther is so powerful that it can usually OHKO or near OHKO Mismagius. The ultimate option is often just to let Blastoise get hit while it uses Surf. Another reason why Stealth Rock is pretty much required.
Sharpedo - Surprise switching these in on X-Scissor is a really unethical way of killing Shedinja. Still, Shedinja does kill it in return. It's a nasty Pokemon, no doubt, but it doesn't last long, and I will make sacrifices to get rid of it early. Will-o-wisp is very risky, because it only has one chance to hit.
Shedinja - I know how to counter my own Pokemon. Most people lead with Shedinja, which more or less indicates to me that most people aren't even trying when attempting to use one. In any case, opposing Shedinja are vulnerable to Taunt, my myriad of entry hazards and extremely efficient spin-blocking, my Ghost attacks, Will-o-wisp and of course, Aggron. Yeah, go Aggron.
Slaking - I both love and hate Slaking. I have to be careful though, because there are lot of people who don't equip it with a Choice item.
Slowbro - Clefable tends to work very well against these. Mismagius sometimes has to Heal Bell away the paralysis. Thunder Wave versions also happen to be helpless against Shedinja.
Spiritomb - Usually Aggron bait. It's still workable if it has Hidden Power Fighting. I have to make sure that it can't trick me before I start sending in Clefable. Even then, Clefable can only Paralyze and Encore it, since Seismic Toss doesn't do anything. This is another situation where I would be in a stalemate without Aggron.
Steelix - I'll generally hit the ones that switch in on Shedinja with Will-o-wisp. Regardless, Blastoise does very well against it. Mismagius can too if it Will-o-wisps before Steelix can Gyro Ball or something.
Swellow - Swellow users are obsessed with using U-turn, which often means they're a lot about predicting whether to Softboiled or Seismic Toss. If it decides to attack on the Seismic Toss however, Aggron is pretty much immune to their assaults.
Torterra - My main goal against a Torterra is to burn it, which makes it a bit threatening, because it can badly hurt Mismagius and Leech Seed makes using Shedinja as a pivot risky. Once burned though, it's absolutely useless against me.
Defensive variants of Torterra are helpless against Clefable, although I usually end up having to use Rapid Spin frequently.
Toxicroak - Toxicroak requires a bit of judgement to play against. Playing around with Clefable's Encore can work unless it's wielding Low Kick. Substitute + Sucker Punch makes Will-o-wisp difficult. The really threatening Toxicroaks are the Taunt versions with Sucker Punch+Substitute, since Shedinja can't will-o-wisp them and Clefable can't Encore them. It's possible to defeat them, but it takes a long time and a Toxicroak with Taunt can certainly predict right back at me.
Venusaur - Venusaur is much like Sceptile, except Sleep Powder makes it about twice as threatening. Once the sleep is absorbed though, either Clefable or Shedinja (or both) can handle it effortlessly.
Ursaring - Ursaring is a very scary Pokemon. Predicting around its attacks and wearing it down with its status orb is pretty much the way to go. If Blastoise happens to survive Facade, getting in a Surf is very useful.
Walrein - Rule #1 when fighting Wallrein with a Clefable: Don't paralyze it. Note that Walrein isn't as helpless against Clefable as most people assume it is. It can make 101+ HP substitutes and still takes forever to kill, even if it's losing health, meaning I have to be conservative with my Encore PP. Oftentimes, it's also naturally faster, and Thunder Waving it is just stupid because you give it extra turns. Still, that doesn't really change the fact that it's ultimately going to lose, especially if it's the last Pokemon. It has a slim hope of freezing Clefable with Blizzard, but even this is often foiled by the fact that Hail teams are often run with Toxic Spikes. Rain Dance of course, speeds up Walrein's inevitable doom considerably.
Weezing - Weezing can be a pain against Shedinja, but it isn't doing anything against Clefable without blowing itself up. It also grants Clefable status immunity.
Rain Dance in General - Only the most elite Rain Dance team is getting past an opponent who uses a Shedinja, not to mention that I have Blastoise and Clefable to take down at least two more members. I may be in a bit of trouble if Will-o-wisp misses Kabutops twice and my opponent gets very lucky with the Swords Dance prediction and Stone Edge criticals on top of that. Unfortunatly, Aggron pretty much is relegated to death fodder, but that's inconsequential when you're basically assured a quick win... unless I'm facing someone extremely clever, of course.
Sunny Day teams in general - Quite honeslty, most Sunny Day attackers can't can't past Clefable without Sleep Powder and the ones that do tend to get Thunder Waved before they can kill her. Still, weather teams not made of rain aren't to be underestimated under any means. Blastoise, as always, is useful against the fire Pokemon.
Hail teams in general - I mentioned before that I tend to just Spike a bit against Snover and then switch to something that will kill it--maybe Aggron to get some Stealth Rock in, although Aggron is *extremely* valuable against a hail team for obvious reasons, and it doesn't recover health during Hail. Blastoise becomes a vital team member, since Walrein is pretty worthless without Hail to to keep it going. Toxic Spikes are taken advantage of by Clefable and removed by Qwilfish, who I am sure to keep at least barely alive.
Clefable is in general, extremely helpful, espcially against Walrein. It's important, however, to get that Rain Dance off and kill off Snover before revealing I have Rain Dance, because Glaceon absolutely always screws over my Thunder Waves and Walrein (and even Glalie) take a long time to defeat even *with* Clefable.
Sandstorm teams in general - Sandstorm teams are more dangerous than Hail teams due to the fact that they aren't as predictable and have an easier time compensating for their weaknesses. The one advantage I have against them is the ability to get an early hit in on Hippopotas. The real priority is to get a rain dance in, and possibly a Rapid Spin if Hippopotas managed to get a Stealth Rock up. With no sand up, Cacturne stops being such a cheap shot, and in general, the entire strategy of the opposing team is ruined.
Trick in general - Honestly anything other than Clefable and to an extent, Blastoise, isn't horribly crippled by Trick, although Aggron dislikes receiving Scarfs (The opponent gets quite spooked though, if it's a Choice Band). Qwilfish is my first priority, obviously, and failing that, Mismagius or Shedinja will usually take one for the team. Clefable, however, is the one Pokemon who, 9 times out of 10, cannot function while Tricked, meaning I have to exercise an unusual amount of caution when switching Clefable into Trickers. Encoring a Band back at a Spiritomb is funny, but it doesn't work more than once against the same opponent.
Anyway, that's my threat list for the moment.
This team isn't perfect, but it's definitely solid, and demonstrates a functional and consistently viable method of using a Shedinja. It also shows what an excellent Pokemon Clefable was in the 4th Generation UU metagame.
Shedinja is a very risky Pokemon to use, and this team is very risky in general. If I play badly for instance, I can end up losing two Pokemon for pretty much nothing if Qwilfish's Spikes are spun away and the opponent sets up Stealth Rock. This problem is compounded even more if the Opponent has a Rotom or uses a lot of wall-breakers. This team also has difficulties with Taunting set-up sweepers.
Still, when used effectively, this team is certainly viable. Sometimes, I even took to "accidentally" bringing it into Ubers and surprising unsuspecting players who overly rely on certain Ubers with it. I'm posting it because I don't play as much as I once did and because the 4th generation is now being replaced by yet another. I'd hope though, that this team was helpful in some regard, and I will note that I quite enjoyed playing with it when I was more active.
I used to play around with this team on Shoddy quite a lot, and for the longest time, this was my primary battling team, and arguably my best one. Since the 4th generation is now moving on, I thought that before the last whispers of it die out, I should post this team, as it's gone over quite a lot of revisions since I first started it.
One of my reasons for posting this team is that it is one of very few published examples of the effective usage of a Shedinja, at least in the 4th generation. I have seen only a handful of Shedinja over the time I have played, and not a single example I faced ever came across to me as a "serious" use of the Pokemon. Shedinja seems to be regarded as much of a joke by both the people who use it, and the people who face it, and find myself resenting this overall opinion of the Pokemon. While extremely difficult to use effectively, Shedinja, as I have learned over the year or so I have used this team, is perfectly viable to use while maintaining a consistent record, and while it's disadvantages are crippling, it's special Ability is more than capable of compensating for its handicaps.
I have a specific philosophy when using Shedinja, which is simply to treat it like any other Pokemon. Shedinja isn't something that you throw on a team to make unique, or to feel good about when you win. It isn't something that should work like an ultimate weapon, or a one-time gimmick that relies on surprise as its only method of winning. A Shedinja is chosen for a team the same reason as a player would choose a Milotic, a Blaziken, an Aggron, a Moltres or a Chansey. A Shedinja should be considered just as necessary an addition to the team as said Pokemon, but it shouldn't be expected to be any more useful than your other team members, and it's weaknesses must be accommodated for, just as you would prevent Stealth Rock for a Scyther, include Spikes abusers for a Spiker, or provide a Grass resist for a Quagsire. Shedinja is not to be overly valued, but conversely, if one is added to a team for no reason, then it is almost certain that you are better off using something else. However, after using a Shedinja myself, I can certainly attest that the species is capable of holding its own without relying on surprise value.
This team is largely based on taking advantage of immunities, and as result, my team few elemental resistances. Therefore, using this team requires proper judgement to not get wrecked, but the opponent also is forced to dedicate about the same amount of prediction, or else be easily worn away.
Back in the day, this team was called many things by many players in the past, ranging form "Gimmicks work only once," to "Oh crap, it's Double Electric." While it isn't exactly unbeatable, I have been able to maintain pretty consistent winning records with it during the time when I was more active. It was in fact, with this team, that I first kept hearing about something called a "leaderboard" from most of my opponents:
Qwilfish (Acne) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 6 HP, 252 Atk, 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
- Waterfall
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Explosion
Yes, I use what most people would call a "suicide lead," mostly because Shedinja is usually a bit underwhelming without the use of Spikes. I've noticed that many very good players seem to like Qwilfish, which is quite understandable. Note that I used to use a Froslass here when Froslass wasn't banned, which attests to how old this team really is. The Froslass ran basically the same set with a slight variation of attacks: Taunt, Shadow Ball, Icy Wind and Spikes, mostly as a way to counter other Froslass while still having a Special Attacking Ice move. (Use Icy wind, as the opponent taunts, then use shadow ball and surprise kill it.) This tactic started to die down though as opponents started using Shadow Ball + Ice Shard, although by that time, Froslass was bumped up to BL anyway. (I'll say that said Froslass worked pretty good against Deoxys in Ubers though).
But anyway, back on track--I used Qwilfish basically as the next best thing to Froslass (my first opponent when I started using it called it "unique," which is kind of amusing in retrospect.), with even a few advantages, namely the ability to absorb toxic spikes. With Qwilfish, Toxic Spikes become a blessing to my team instead of a horrible liability, because Clefable suddenly becomes immune to status and I can get rid of the spikes at will. Qwilfish can also explode on *really* nasty pokemon that Froslass would have before been unable to touch, such as the one and only Hariyama.
The Basic strategy with Qwilfish, as is widely known, is to spike as much as possible at the beginning of the match and taunt when I have to. It's main disadvantage over Froslass is that it is slower *and* it doesn't have any real tool for dealing with its own kind, whereas I had that neat trick back then with Froslass. However, it's basically as effective, and works the way it's supposed to.
Note that I try to leave Qwilfish alive if possible, even if it's only with 1HP, as my team places an extreme value on death fodder due to its lack of resistances. Usually, due to the network of immunities on my team, it isn't as overly difficult to switch out to something else.
There are a couple strategies I tend to exhibit depending on the lead:
Qwilfish - The first lead I always consider when using a somewhat well known lead is how it matches up against itself. In general, it depends on who I'm playing. I'm partial toward blowing myself up and Shadow Sneaking with Shedinja though, while the opponent only taunts. After the opposing Qwilfish is forced out, I start firing off random attacks that usually succeed in killing off that 1HP Spiker when the opponent tries to sneak it in somewhere. Some smart players will similarly explode, whereas I might take a risk and try to Spike. There's also the option of trying to Taunt like everyone else, but that's usually my last option.
Ambipom - I see this thing all the time. I personally have never used it, because I would usually switch out against seeing another Ambipom anyway. Unless I've battled the opponent before, they're just going to use Fake Out, so I will *usually* switch to Aggron and then switch around more until I can be sure it doesn't have Low Kick. My team is arguably different from most Shedinja teams in that it doesn't rely on not revealing team members, much less Shedinja, early. Ideally, a Shedinja team should work just as well, even if the opponent doesn't know the bug is there--but I digress. After counter-scouting Ambipom, dealing with it is usually just a matter of switching to something that isn't threatened by its moveset: Aggron can take advantage of those without Low Kick, Mismagius can take those without Pursuit or Payback, etc...
Alakazam - While rare, pretty much all Alakazam are notably helpless against Shedinja, so many tend to try to "set up" while Qwilfish spikes. Even if I've battled the opponent before, they're still pretty much at the same disadvantage, and I've discovered an early mark for immunity abusing.
Cloyster - I occasionally saw these things in the 4th generation, and I usually assumed them to be offensive. It's tricky, requires taunting, switching, improvising, explosion avoiding, but in the end, Mismagius usually pulls through against it, with Shadow Ball if nothing else. Otherwise, it probably blew up against something already, hopefully not Clefable or Blastoise. I take Spike leads very seriously, and essentially, some of the very best teams I have ever faced have led with either a Cloyster or another Qwilfish, and upon seeing each other on the battle screen, both of us would realize that this wasn't going to be an easy battle...
Omastar Omastar is basically the same thing as Cloyster. Taunting it is risky, because many leading Omastar are just plain attackers. Still, Shedinja can't switch in on Spikes, so Taunting is pretty much always justified. Omastar is a lot less threatening than Cloyster overall though, as it can't blow itself up.
Hippopotas - Dangerous pokemon, despite its NFE association. In the past, I sometimes went for a taunt, but smart players will pump this thing's, offense to the max, and with sandstream, Qwilfish will have taunted for nothing, and I'm still left with something that provides two deathblows to one of the most integral parts of my team. So... just waterfall it. It can flinch sometimes, sure, but the main reason to attack is simply because once Hippopotas is dead, Blastoise should eventually be able to remove everything it did with Rain Dance and Rapid Spin. From there, Focus Punch/whatever + Swords dancing Cacturne will have a much harder time against Clefable's Encore combined with all the pokemon I have waiting for it if it can't stay in outright.
Note that anything weak to water (Nidoking, Claydol, Entei, etc...) is usually best off taking direct attacks at the beginning, since water weak pokemon are usually huge threats to Shedinja.
Snover - Snover are usually offensive and Focus Sashed. Still, the best option is to set up as many Spikes as I dare (Waterfall is ineffective) and maybe switch to Aggron or something. Blastoise becomes pivotal at this point.
Hariyama - Oh my God, it's a Hariyama. Very dangerous. Hariyama can instantly kill Clefable, Aggron, Mismagius and Shedinja, and can maim everything else. The best remedy is exploding, but failing that, the next best thing is taking advantage of the immunities on my team + Shedinja's Focus Sash to wear it down with its own status orb. If I can't blow up against it, I have to play at my best to survive a Hariyama.
Uxie - Note that this section pretty much also applies to Mesprit. Uxie often depends on who I'm playing. Taunt works well on most of them, but some are specially built to make a fool of some attempts by using offensive attacks (If they trick a scarf, I consider it a blessing, since Clefable hates choice items). At least those Uxie usually only surprise me once.
Spiritomb - Spiritomb provides a couple opportunities. First of all, it's taunt bait. Second of all, I can scout it by switching around, and if it doesn't have Hidden Power Fighting, its Aggron bait. Also, if it doesn't have a choice item, it's usually also Clefable bait, especially Will-o-wisp. There were a couple times back in the day where Spiritomb would trick Clefable, only for Clefable to encore the trick right back. That sure got a reaction.
Registeel - Taunt usually works. Thunder Wave doesn't stop me from spiking. Earthquake won't kill me on turn one, and I'll keep that in mind for next time.
The rest of the pokemon, I can just list at the end.
Clefable (Gummybear) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP, 144 Def, 14 Spe, 100 SpD
Nature: Calm
-Encore
-Seismic Toss
-Softboiled
-Thunder Wave
Clefable is without a doubt, the centerpiece of my team, more important to its success than even Shedinja (Just being a Shedinja doesn't make it the team's focus). The speed EVs are just to outspeed some Pokemon, mostly older Pokemon, that were specially built to outrun normal Encore Clefable. Think extremely nasty bulky/offensive pokemon such as Rhyperior.
As far as team synergy is concerned, Clefable is immune to one of the types Shedinja is weak to, and greatly benefits from the status moves that would make Shedinja instantly drop dead. The switches it forces also make full use of Spikes.
I started using Clefable back when Raikou was allowed in UU, which is to say, an extremely long time ago. As a result, I'm very good at using it in the present, and Clefable finds its way onto many of my OU teams. Played right, it was effective enough against the then-standard Raikou, and basically worked like a more advanced version of Chansey (Harder to use, but potentially more useful). I don't know who designed the Encore set, but I dug it out of the analysis back when it was in the bowels of the page, somewhere under the Calm Mind set. Well trust me, the Encore set is worlds more useful than any Calm Mind set.
Clefable is basically my method of having a plan against nearly all non-fighting offensive Pokemon that aren't ridiculously strong. Any set up Pokemon is ultimately defeated if Clefable encores the set-up, and if they manage to attack, they will still fail as long as their attack isn't a 2HKO, which basically means anything less powerful than offensive Moltres or Rhyperior--in combination with Seismic Toss, almost any set-up sweeper or defensive pokemon without a fighting attack is automatically defeated by Clefable if they stay in--and if they for some reason are too powerful to Clefable, I simply switch to a Pokemon that happens to be immune to the attack they are using after Encoring them, which is to say, Aggron, Mismagius or Shedinja (or Blastoise for fire Pokemon). Most sweepers suffer a sure death once infected with Thunder Wave, since at that point, the sweeper is under Clefable's direct control, being unable to kill without a boost, but unable to boost without being Encored and then killed anyway. Clefable is extremely important to the use of my team's immunities, because it allows team members to switch in without instantly dying next turn, and covers the huge range of Pokemon that I would have to accomodate for if my team focused on resistances instead of immunities. Clefable is a Godsend, because my team is strapped for team slots, and often has only five pokemon to work with, sometimes four if I can't get rid of the opponent's entry hazards.
It's kind of hard to explain in words how to use a Clefable, because it's use requires experience to get the hang of. Most Clefables I've seen for example, are NOT used correctly. The moves listed on that set maximize any Encore Clefable's anti-set up proficiency, and are non-negotiable. Anything less, (Wish, Stealth Rock, Toxic, Protect, Trick) may be almost as effective, but they will never act as the nearly universal check that Clefable can potentially function as. Stall teams using Clefable can often get away with adding said moves while still maintaining a good level of use, but I rely on Clefable so heavily that I cannot afford to drop it's effectiveness without severely compromising the security of the rest of the team. Essentally, beyond very strong attacks or Fighting Pokemon, Clefable's only weakness is the limitations of its PP, *specific* Taunters, and the Ghost immunity to Seismic Toss.
Why do I not use a Flame Orb on this thing? The real answer is that if I've experimented for several stages of UU with leftovers, and the pros of having leftovers outweigh the cons of more reliable status immunity. Since I rely so much on Clefable (it is the #1 target of Explosions, strong attacks, etc... for people aiming to break what holds this team together), I need all the health I can get on it. Sleep Powder is annoying, but considering that I have a Suicide lead, a Pokemon that gets a lot of free turns (Shedinja) and a Heal Beller, I have gathered that I benefit a lot more from using leftovers indeed.
Blastoise (Bouncer) @ Wacan Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Def, 6 SpD or 252 HP, 226 Def and 32 Spe
Nature: Bold
- Surf
- Rapid Spin
- Rain Dance
- Rest
A pure utility Pokemon, and the reason why Shedinja is viable on this team. Rapid Spin and Rain Dance are my way of handling weather and entry hazards, and as a bonus, Rain Dance is sometimes a clever way of boosting Surf in one or two situations. Rest is applicable because of Mismagius's Heal Bell, and I *need* Blastoise to survive if the opponent's entry hazard setter is alive, provided I still care about Shedinja that game. While it would appear to be a sitting duck, many of the pokemon that switch in can be dealt with by my other Pokemon. Grass Pokemon are without a doubt, the most common switch in save for ghosts, which I'll get to. The thing is however, is that if a grass switches in, that means Stealth Rock is by definition, gone and any offensive grass pokemon will have to then deal with Shedinja, more so if Qwilfish absorbed Sleep Powder (Shedinja is candidate #2 for Sleep Powder absorption unless I've judged that Aggron isn't viable or someone else is low on health). Conversely, any Leech Seeder is effortlessly handled by Clefable. My job is usually to scout around to see which version of grass I'm facing, which is why one switch to Mismagius or something tends to comes in handy in that regard.
Spinblockers are deadly, but other than Rotom, all of them are handled by using Clefable to encore something and then something else to force them out. I'll cover the dreaded Rotom (and spinblockers in general) further down the line. There was a time that I used Foresight, but in general, Blastoise has to use Foresight on the switch to use Rapid Spin without being maimed, and it's usually best to keep Blastoise alive than sacrifice it to preserve Shedinja. This brings up another important philosophy of Shedinja teams: Don't work too hard to preserve it--your purpose in a match is to win, not play with Wonder Guard. As far as Foresight is concerned though, Spiritomb may seem like a useful canidate for the move, but I can turn the tables on most Spiritomb users in other ways, namely Aggron.
Blastoise is invaluable among my team, because Shedinja is weak to fire, and Arcanine and friends love to switch in on Shedinja. It also serves as a general taker of physical attacks if I don't want to make an unnecessary risk. Due to Rest + Heal Bell, it can keep this job up a lot longer than Blastoise is normally expected to as well, and let me tell you, it needs every second of time on the field. The balanced defenses are also important, because fire attacks are both special and physical. It also helps me use the Wacan berry.
"Bouncer" more or less just comes from Blastoise looking bouncy. The alternate EV Spread is occasionally used if I feel like outrunning maximum speed Donphan (which some clever opponents use) before it Rapid Spins away a bunch of Spikes. This is rare though, so I usually stick with maximum defense. One nice thing about Blastoise really, is that it's naturally extremely fast compared to most defensive Pokemon, getting the jump on pretty much any ground type before they can blow themselves up or hit it before it Rests or Rapid Spins.
The Wacan berry is a personal choice, and I consider occasionally having the extra turn to Rapid Spin or attack perfectly worth it, especially considering that I have Rest. There are a couple Pokemon with both Fire and Electric moves, such as Magmortar, which would be a lot more threatening if Blastoise couldn't take a Thunderbolt.
Mismagius (Lampshade) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP, 96 Spe, 162 SpD
Nature: Timid
- Will-o-wisp
- Shadow Ball
- Pain Split
- Heal Bell
My spinblocker has gone over a lot of EV and attack experimentation over the UU eras. What I have now is a very old spread, but it can't really function as a solid defensive Pokemon without that spread--otherwise, I might as well just make it a sweeper. Heracross is gone anyway.
The moves on this Mismagius are probably a bit more atypical. Heal Bell is used over Taunt, because Taunt is really just an optional thing to have, and Heal Bell is more useful on this team than the ability to stop Foresight or hit normal types (with a secondary attack) which I can usually hit with will-o-wisp anyway (Clefable and Chansey can try, but then there's Aggron...). One disadvantage of Heal Bell is the fact that it can remove any sleep immunity Clefable might have picked up and that it removes a hard earned sleep absorption I may have gotten on, say Qwilfish, but all things considered, Heal Bell helps more often than it hurts. A spinblocker is of course, obligatory on a team with a spikes lead, but it's main purpose is for the synergy with Aggron's "instant kill" weaknesses, whereas, Aggron covers Mismagius and Shedinja in turn. Add Clefable to the mix, and you've got a very useful network of immunities on your hands.
Shadow Ball is really the only attack it needs, and believe it or not, a spinblocking Mismagius's Shadow Ball will still kill most physically defensive Pokemon in the long run. Nearly all Rapid Spinners fail against Mismagius, with the only effective users being those who combine Rapid Spin with offense, such as Sandslash and Kabutops, who I usually stick with Blastoise or maybe Qwilfish against. Foresight doesn't work as well with Shedinja earning its bread as a secondary spinblocker (unless the Hitmontop user shows some Foresight himself and uses pursuit or something), and regardless, any Rapid Spinner will ultimately end up being burned.
Covering Earthquake and Fighting attacks is an enormous necessity on a team that uses an Aggron, and Mismagius is immune to said attacks. As far as spinblocking goes, only offensive spinners or really clever defensive spinners stand a chance at getting a spin in. Mismagius is still fragile however, and aside from Qwilfish and Shedinja, it's easily the frailest member of the team's immunity core. One example of a Pokemon that has managed to surprise Lampshade (momentarily) was a choice banded Donphan with Head Smash o_0.
Shedinja (Itchy) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Att, 252 Spe, 12 Def IV (and 6 SpD for the curious)
Nature: Lonely
- Will-o-wisp
- X-Scissor
- Shadow Sneak
- Swords Dance
Focus Sash is the only serious option a Shedinja should use. Even knowing that you have a Sash, most opponents really can't do anything about it anyway, and being able to take one attack is invaluable on a team that needs all the turns it can get.
Will-o-wisp risk gets ruined by Flash Fire Arcanine, but it's usually worth it nevertheless, because once burned, Clefable can often take care of some of the stronger physical attackers with little trouble, such as Torterra.
X-Scissor, Shadow Sneak and Swords Dance are time-tested. Shedinja in general needs to set up in most situation to ensure a quick win, or else you end up drawing the battle out, which pisses both players off. There really isn't any other option for Shedinja to take anyway. Yeah, Heal Block could force Chansey and Milotic to stop stalling the inevitable against Clefable, Toxic is better for water pokemon, etc... but all in all, Swords Dance isn't taking up any necessary spot on the list and Will-o-wisp is more useful for my team than toxic is, especially since it would grossly interfere with Clefable's Thunder Wave (A burn, on the other hand, tends to make Thunder Wave unnecessary).
Shedinja pairs excellently with Aggron, particulary with pursuiters, for obvious reasons. I'll get more into that in Aggron's section. Note though, that *every single* weakness of Shedinja is covered by my other Pokemon. This may seem obvious, but most people I've seen using Shedinja forget about this vital requirement when trying to use one. Remember, Shedinja puts an enormous amount of pressure on its teammates, forcing them to take all sorts of attacks, so it is vital that the targeted pokemon strongly resist said attacks, lest they are easily worn down--hence, if this rule is not followed, Shedinja becomes a real liability.
As I stated before, Blastoise is essentially Shedinja's lifeblood. I should note that if need be, I will abandon Shedinja, as while useful, if it's too much trouble to try to save it, I won't (although those cases are somewhat extreme).
A vital philosophy when using Shedinja is the importance of seeing it as just another team member, not some ultimate weapon, or NU deadweight that you're using for fun. It's just something you add onto the team to make it more effective, and believe me, it takes a lot of work to make that happen.
Aggron (Demolitions) @ Leftovers
Ability: Rock Head
EVs: 160 HP, 252 Atk, 98 Spe
Nature: Adamant
- Head Smash
- Substitute
- Focus Punch
- Stealth Rock
Aggron is often brought out when my opponent starts going, OMFG NOT ANOTHER STALL TEAM!! Well, this Aggron may still be somewhat stallish, but unlike most of my other Pokemon, it is capable of making clean kills, and many pokemon who could have instantly killed Shedinja are absolutely helpless against Demolitions, which when facing this particular version, can be pretty lethal, especially with Spikes down.
Aggron pretty much ideally synergizes with both Shedinja and Mismagius, covering their instant-death weaknesses and vice versa. The most important difference between this set and the standard is the inclusion of Stealth Rock over Magnet Rise. Both moves, I will say, are invaluable. You don't know how much I would give to be able to set up on Rhyperior, for example--however, Shedinja has to be considered, and Shedinja *really* appreciates Stealth Rock on the opposing field.
Consider that Stealth Rock maims both Flying and Fire Pokemon, both of whom Shedinja will die to if hit twice. Also consider that Aggron can easily set up Stealth Rock on said Flyers. Think, a Swellow that decided to Brave Bird Qwilfish instead of U-turn like the other 90% of them do on turn one. Fire Types are more of a problem, but with Spikes, the unfair nature of Stealth Rock kicks in, and things like Arcanine end up losing 25-50% of their health every time they switch in.
All these Pokemon are horrible threats to Shedinja. While Magnet Rise sees some very nice application on Aggron, I need Stealth Rock somewhere on this team, and as I said before, Clefable is much less effective without that exact moveset.
Aggron is used over, say, Registeel, because it's extreme offenses provide me somewhat of a twist edge over people prepared for full blown stall. While a Registeel would probably work better against Rotom and friends, it is severely lacking in offense, whereas, Aggron allows me the opportunity to turn the tables on would-be stalemates, against say, very good opposing stall teams (Think, a Spike lead, Wish Chansey, Spiritomb, Stealth Rock Registeel, a Heal Beller, etc...) and in general, a Sub-Punching Aggron getting free turns is infinitely more useful than a Registeel getting free turns. Registeel does little more than Thunder Wave after Stealth Rock is down, but Aggron... Aggron kills, not stalls. I suppose one analogy to use is this: Chansey is to Clefable as Registeel is to Aggron--one is much easier to use, but the other has so much more potential if used right.
Threat List:
The leads were covered earlier, although I might mention them again down here.
Absol - Here's another tricky pokemon who I can't Encore with Clefable. Oftentimes, it just depends on the situation. Mismagius can will-o-wisp a lot of the time, and Blastoise will sometimes just be forced to tank. Qwilfish can Taunt Swords Dance and attack it outright. Shedinja will get in at least one hit on it with X-Scissor. Absol gives me trouble, but I don't remember it ever outright sweeping me earlygame.
Aggron - I don't know why Aggron is so rare, because it's one of the most overwhelming UU pokemon that exists. It may be hard to use, but it's hardly more difficult to use than a Rhyperior, really. In any case, Aggron is a little easier to deal with than Rhyperior, due to Thunder Wave actually hitting it on the switch (although Blastoise usually outspeeds it regardless). Head Smash is *not* something even Blastoise wants to switch into, however. I have to be on my toes when up against these, but most of the Aggron I face are pretty badly built generic vanilla attacking versions with no real strategy to defend against Aggron's jillion weaknesses.
Alakazam - Alakazam are Shedinja bait. Most psychics that can somehow hit Shedinja are going to die anyway, as Shedinja only needs one turn to defeat most of them.
Altaria - While Clefable has trouble surviving Outrage, Aggron doesn't and can get in a Substitute in the event that Outrage kills her. Shedinja though, is a prime choice as well.
Defensive versions can't do much to Clefable but stall and any version will fail if it's the last pokemon.
Arcanine/Entei - Blastoise is very useful here. Toxic/Will-o-wisp is not all too crippling, even for Aggron, thanks to Rest and/or Heal Bell.
If I figure out that the Arcanine I'm facing is a defensive variant, Clefable suddenly becomes an easy option with dealing with it. Stealth Rock is also very helpful.
Azumarill - The only Azumaril who aren't Shedinja bait are Toxic using Subpunchers who can't use Focus Punch due to Clefable's Encore. Poliwrath is much the same as Azumarill, and a sweeping Feraligatr can't break a Clefable either.
Blaziken - Yowch. Uh, sacrifice something and bring in Blastoise, Mismagius or possibly Qwilfish if applicable. Blaziken is very dangerous, so I have to take it seriously. At least it dies quickly once I can get a hit in on it. I also have to be very careful about Swords Dancers switching in on Shedinja.
Chansey/Clefable - Aggron loves these things. Thunder Wave is inconsequential in the long run, because Mismagius can always switch in for free against them as well and Heal Bell--she just can't attack them.
Clefable can also painfully defeat an enemy Chansey in the long run, if it is left as the last Pokemon, via Encore.
Donphan/Spinners - This thing usually switches in on Clefable's Thunder Wave. Mismagius was made to combat this thing, since all of its non-Earthquake attacks (save for a Choice Banded Head Smash) are ineffective--even Assurance doesn't do all that much. The same story is pretty much applicable to Hitmontop and Claydol. Enemy Blastoise can sometimes take down Mismagius with it, but it isn't spinning away any Spikes by the time I'm through with it. Blastoise can take most of these down as well, but then the enemy gets to spin.
Drapion - It's a blessing if I can get a Thunder Wave on it, since at that point, it's pretty much helpless against Clefable. Outside of Clefable and Blastoise though, it can honestly be pretty dangerous, especially Taunt versions.
Dugtrio - Dugtrio rarely gets the opportunity to kill Aggron, due to Substitute. I just have to not be a jackass about switching into Swellow U-turns. Also, the only way it can get past Clefable is if it's a Choice Band version, which my immunity-based team can subsequently take excellent advantage of.
Life-Orbers have their health easily eroded away via Clefable's Softboiled. Blastoise is a pretty foolproof option if I have a choice. Mismagius usually does decently too.
Hariyama - I mentioned Hariyama earlier. A guts lead can instantly defeat anyone except Qwilfish or Blastoise. It takes an Explosion or some careful switching to survive against a Hariyama. Hopefully, I'm able to use Explosion. Non-offensive Hariyama more manageable (and more rare), but any fighter without a dark attack is always a threat against my team. Any non-Guts Hariyama suddenly becomes manageable by Mismagius, as long as Will-o-wisp's accuracy isn't too unreasonable.
Hitmonlee/Primape/typical fighting types - Between Mismagius, Shedinja and Aggron, not to mention Blastoise, it's all about prediction if it's Choiced. Due to the nature of my team, I'm usually the one with the advantage in these situations. Life Orb + Substitute Variants can be pretty nasty though... The same pretty much went for Heracross as well, provided it was carrying Night Slash or Stone Edge. Heracross had the added bonus of usually either holding a Status orb if it wasn't already Choiced.
Houndoom - Flash Fire+Nasty Plot Houndoom can OHKO Clefable if it happens to be Modest and maximally pumped in Special Attack. If that's the case, I'm usually forced to break Shedinja's sash or use Blastoise. The problem with Blastoise though, is that in both cases where I faced a Modest Houndoom, Dark Pulse flinched me.
Non-steroid munching Houndoom are usually dealt with by Clefable's Thunder Wave and a strategic switch, usually to Blastoise--that is, if I don't feel like playing around with Softboiled to scout for Fire Blast miss or an ounce of full-paralysis while it wastes away due to its own Life Orb.
Kangaskhan - Will-o-wisp, Encore, tank and hit... just... something. Khangaskan is difficult, but it isn't so threatening as it can dismantle any team by itself.
Lanturn - Surf + Dischage + Toxic are pretty versatile, but Clefable still beats a Lanturn pretty handily.
Leafeon - Leafeon can be a threatening Swords Dancer, but only if Shedinja is gone and it doesn't try to set up on Clefable. Note that Blastoise can still at least Rapid Spin against it, if nothing else, making Shedinja a lot more viable against it, unlike, say, Rotom, who removes the option of Rapid Spin.
Magmortar - In the past, I recall that there was a glitch where Magmortar's Flame Body would always activate without fail, which made for a *very* dangerous threat against Shedinja. Even without Flame Body though, Magmortar is a tough Pokemon, and another reason why Stealth Rock is so pivotal. Switching around to weaken it's life orb, (Any scarfed Pokemon isn't as much of a threat against my team) and hit it with Blastoise or something. Blastoise has the advantage of absorbing Thunderbolt with its trusty Wacan berry.
Milotic - Milotic isn't really a threat, but it usually lasts until the bitter end due to its ability to recover health. For this reason, I usually just go ahead and paralyze it, because Aggron usually can't hurt Milotic that much anyway, and Shedinja either can or can't stay in due to Toxic. Haze Milotic can be a bother as well.
Clefable can easily defeat any Milotic once it's the last Pokemon.
Miltank - Aggron can usually get in an easy Stealth Rock against it, Blastoise can Rapid Spin away the Stealth Rock and hit it decently, and Clefable can Encore its Curses. Shedinja and Mismagius can also burn it and Qwilfish can Taunt or blow itself up. Miltank is more or less like Umbreon was back in the day--if I lose to one, I was probably fooling around and pretty much deserve it.
Mismagius - Clefable handles any Mismagius pretty well, although it requires switching to deal with them after they get Thunder Waved and/or Encored. I also have to be on the lookout for Trick. There used to be this popular misconception that Encore Clefables aren't able to deal with Nasty Plot Missy--well actually, they can. Lampshade's defenses allow it to finish off most of the offensive versions.
Moltres - Offensive Moltres is one of the reasons why Stealth Rock is extremely important on my team. Nothing can switch in against Moltres, which is why I'm usually really thankful for not killing Qwilfish off early--otherwise, I have to switch in something else, usually Mismagius or Shedinja to take the blow. Ultimately, my goal is to get in Clefable, who can use Thunder Wave, upon which, Blastoise and Aggron have worlds of a better chance against it.
Stalling versions of Moltres are effortlessly handled, for the most part, by Clefable. Also note that, so is Articuno, who is easier to handle, since it can't instantly kill Aggron (meaning it becomes viable to get Stealth Rock in). The trick to using Clefable against a Subrooster is to only use Encore when you absolutely need to. Eventually, you'll get that Thunder Wave in.
Nidoqueen - Blastoise handles this well with Surf and Rapid Spin, although if it leads, Qwilfish should usually go for the direct attack, as he should also against Nidoking.
Pinsir - The ability to hit Shedinja, Mismagius and Aggron (and Clefable) for massive damage makes Pinsir an enormous threat. However, it usually leads, which is why I place priority on blowing up on it and then forcing it out with Shadow Sneak with 1HP. Sometimes I'll just use Waterfall, but more often than not, it wins the following speed tie. Failing that, I have to resort to other measures (will-o-wisp, Blastoise, etc...) More often than not, I might tempt fate with trying for the speed tie with Qwilfish, but that usually doesn't work.
Porygon 2 - Porygon 2 gets a special mention for being able to trace Wonder Guard. However, no one with a Porygon 2 has ever beaten me, because Will-o-wisp + Encore + Aggron's Focus Punch + PP issues are pretty much enough to beat one on its own. I'd mention Gardevoir as well, but X-Scissor instantly kills it and it's vulnerable to Ghost attacks.
If it doesn't have Wonder Guard, it's helpless against Clefable.
Registeel - Annoying Stealth Rock user and a huge obstacle against any Shedinja user. Unless it has Earthquake though, its Aggron bait. If not, Mismagius can Will-o-wisp and Heal Bell its status, and when burned, some weaker Earthquake Registeel are *still* Aggron bait, believe it or not. After that, or even before, it's easily worn down by Clefable and friends. Registeel is one of the reasons why I'm thankful for having an Aggron in reserve, since it gets rid of the "Stalemate" condition that Registeel tends to promote.
Clefable effortlessly defeats any curse user. If Clefable and Aggron are gone though, it's going to be a long wait stalling out with Shedinja that might not even work if Registeel is a Sleep Talker.
Rhyperior - Rhyperior is barely an UU Pokemon. It is pretty much guaranteed to switch in against Clefable, so if I am fighting someone offensive who seems like he or she could use a Clefable, it occasionally pays off to pull a double switch to Blastoise. Switching is risky--Mismagius will be instantly killed by Stone Edge for example, but my ultimate goal is still to burn it (or anticipate the flash fire Houndoom that switches in from there). Blastoise is ultimately the prime switch in, though. Also note that my Clefable is EVed to outspeed most of the Rhyperior listed on the analysis, including the one that is EVed to outspeed normal Encore Clefable.
Rotom - Meet the #1 threat to my team. The Rotom I am talking about by the way, is Subchage Rotom. Anything without substitute is much less consequential, since Trick can be worked around with a bit of caution and a paralyzed Rotom suddenly has to worry about Aggron and Mismagius a whole lot more than before. All things considered though, SubRotom is the absolute Ideal Pokemon to face me with. He flawlessly spinblocks against Blastoise, who despite the Wacan berry cannot kill the Ghost in two turns, is immune to Clefable's Thunder Wave once substitute is set up, and an Encored Charge Beam cannot be directed toward Shedinja if Spikes or Stealth Rock is up. My best option is to switch to Mismagius and Shadow Ball against the Encored Charge Beam twice, which leaves Mismagius hurt pretty badly afterwards. Once Rotom is revealed, I have to be extremely cautious, or else risk a substitute variant blocking the majority of my team in one blow.
Although, if entry hazards are gone, it's very easy to just direct an Encored Charge Beam to Shedinja and play as normal.
Sceptile - The choice version is Shedinja bait, but the Leech seeder instantly kills it, meaning I prefer most of the time, to sacrifice Qwilfish. After that, Clefable's goal is to paralyze it. Once I'm sure it's a choice version, I can start blocking it with Shedinja. Swords Dancers can also pose a surprise threat, breaking Shedinja's sash with Rock Slide.
If I find that I'm facing a subseeder, Clefable has no trouble fighting a non-specs Sceptile.
Scyther - Very nasty, due to its ability to instantly kill Aggron. Will-o-wisping it helps but... Scyther is so powerful that it can usually OHKO or near OHKO Mismagius. The ultimate option is often just to let Blastoise get hit while it uses Surf. Another reason why Stealth Rock is pretty much required.
Sharpedo - Surprise switching these in on X-Scissor is a really unethical way of killing Shedinja. Still, Shedinja does kill it in return. It's a nasty Pokemon, no doubt, but it doesn't last long, and I will make sacrifices to get rid of it early. Will-o-wisp is very risky, because it only has one chance to hit.
Shedinja - I know how to counter my own Pokemon. Most people lead with Shedinja, which more or less indicates to me that most people aren't even trying when attempting to use one. In any case, opposing Shedinja are vulnerable to Taunt, my myriad of entry hazards and extremely efficient spin-blocking, my Ghost attacks, Will-o-wisp and of course, Aggron. Yeah, go Aggron.
Slaking - I both love and hate Slaking. I have to be careful though, because there are lot of people who don't equip it with a Choice item.
Slowbro - Clefable tends to work very well against these. Mismagius sometimes has to Heal Bell away the paralysis. Thunder Wave versions also happen to be helpless against Shedinja.
Spiritomb - Usually Aggron bait. It's still workable if it has Hidden Power Fighting. I have to make sure that it can't trick me before I start sending in Clefable. Even then, Clefable can only Paralyze and Encore it, since Seismic Toss doesn't do anything. This is another situation where I would be in a stalemate without Aggron.
Steelix - I'll generally hit the ones that switch in on Shedinja with Will-o-wisp. Regardless, Blastoise does very well against it. Mismagius can too if it Will-o-wisps before Steelix can Gyro Ball or something.
Swellow - Swellow users are obsessed with using U-turn, which often means they're a lot about predicting whether to Softboiled or Seismic Toss. If it decides to attack on the Seismic Toss however, Aggron is pretty much immune to their assaults.
Torterra - My main goal against a Torterra is to burn it, which makes it a bit threatening, because it can badly hurt Mismagius and Leech Seed makes using Shedinja as a pivot risky. Once burned though, it's absolutely useless against me.
Defensive variants of Torterra are helpless against Clefable, although I usually end up having to use Rapid Spin frequently.
Toxicroak - Toxicroak requires a bit of judgement to play against. Playing around with Clefable's Encore can work unless it's wielding Low Kick. Substitute + Sucker Punch makes Will-o-wisp difficult. The really threatening Toxicroaks are the Taunt versions with Sucker Punch+Substitute, since Shedinja can't will-o-wisp them and Clefable can't Encore them. It's possible to defeat them, but it takes a long time and a Toxicroak with Taunt can certainly predict right back at me.
Venusaur - Venusaur is much like Sceptile, except Sleep Powder makes it about twice as threatening. Once the sleep is absorbed though, either Clefable or Shedinja (or both) can handle it effortlessly.
Ursaring - Ursaring is a very scary Pokemon. Predicting around its attacks and wearing it down with its status orb is pretty much the way to go. If Blastoise happens to survive Facade, getting in a Surf is very useful.
Walrein - Rule #1 when fighting Wallrein with a Clefable: Don't paralyze it. Note that Walrein isn't as helpless against Clefable as most people assume it is. It can make 101+ HP substitutes and still takes forever to kill, even if it's losing health, meaning I have to be conservative with my Encore PP. Oftentimes, it's also naturally faster, and Thunder Waving it is just stupid because you give it extra turns. Still, that doesn't really change the fact that it's ultimately going to lose, especially if it's the last Pokemon. It has a slim hope of freezing Clefable with Blizzard, but even this is often foiled by the fact that Hail teams are often run with Toxic Spikes. Rain Dance of course, speeds up Walrein's inevitable doom considerably.
Weezing - Weezing can be a pain against Shedinja, but it isn't doing anything against Clefable without blowing itself up. It also grants Clefable status immunity.
Rain Dance in General - Only the most elite Rain Dance team is getting past an opponent who uses a Shedinja, not to mention that I have Blastoise and Clefable to take down at least two more members. I may be in a bit of trouble if Will-o-wisp misses Kabutops twice and my opponent gets very lucky with the Swords Dance prediction and Stone Edge criticals on top of that. Unfortunatly, Aggron pretty much is relegated to death fodder, but that's inconsequential when you're basically assured a quick win... unless I'm facing someone extremely clever, of course.
Sunny Day teams in general - Quite honeslty, most Sunny Day attackers can't can't past Clefable without Sleep Powder and the ones that do tend to get Thunder Waved before they can kill her. Still, weather teams not made of rain aren't to be underestimated under any means. Blastoise, as always, is useful against the fire Pokemon.
Hail teams in general - I mentioned before that I tend to just Spike a bit against Snover and then switch to something that will kill it--maybe Aggron to get some Stealth Rock in, although Aggron is *extremely* valuable against a hail team for obvious reasons, and it doesn't recover health during Hail. Blastoise becomes a vital team member, since Walrein is pretty worthless without Hail to to keep it going. Toxic Spikes are taken advantage of by Clefable and removed by Qwilfish, who I am sure to keep at least barely alive.
Clefable is in general, extremely helpful, espcially against Walrein. It's important, however, to get that Rain Dance off and kill off Snover before revealing I have Rain Dance, because Glaceon absolutely always screws over my Thunder Waves and Walrein (and even Glalie) take a long time to defeat even *with* Clefable.
Sandstorm teams in general - Sandstorm teams are more dangerous than Hail teams due to the fact that they aren't as predictable and have an easier time compensating for their weaknesses. The one advantage I have against them is the ability to get an early hit in on Hippopotas. The real priority is to get a rain dance in, and possibly a Rapid Spin if Hippopotas managed to get a Stealth Rock up. With no sand up, Cacturne stops being such a cheap shot, and in general, the entire strategy of the opposing team is ruined.
Trick in general - Honestly anything other than Clefable and to an extent, Blastoise, isn't horribly crippled by Trick, although Aggron dislikes receiving Scarfs (The opponent gets quite spooked though, if it's a Choice Band). Qwilfish is my first priority, obviously, and failing that, Mismagius or Shedinja will usually take one for the team. Clefable, however, is the one Pokemon who, 9 times out of 10, cannot function while Tricked, meaning I have to exercise an unusual amount of caution when switching Clefable into Trickers. Encoring a Band back at a Spiritomb is funny, but it doesn't work more than once against the same opponent.
Anyway, that's my threat list for the moment.
This team isn't perfect, but it's definitely solid, and demonstrates a functional and consistently viable method of using a Shedinja. It also shows what an excellent Pokemon Clefable was in the 4th Generation UU metagame.
Shedinja is a very risky Pokemon to use, and this team is very risky in general. If I play badly for instance, I can end up losing two Pokemon for pretty much nothing if Qwilfish's Spikes are spun away and the opponent sets up Stealth Rock. This problem is compounded even more if the Opponent has a Rotom or uses a lot of wall-breakers. This team also has difficulties with Taunting set-up sweepers.
Still, when used effectively, this team is certainly viable. Sometimes, I even took to "accidentally" bringing it into Ubers and surprising unsuspecting players who overly rely on certain Ubers with it. I'm posting it because I don't play as much as I once did and because the 4th generation is now being replaced by yet another. I'd hope though, that this team was helpful in some regard, and I will note that I quite enjoyed playing with it when I was more active.