Ability Guide for AAA: Defensive Edition

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Introduction

Almost Any Ability (AAA) is an Other Metagame where Pokémon can have the ability of your choice! With over 150 abilities to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. In the second part of this two-part series, I will highlight some of the better defensive abilities, why they are good, and common sets they work well on.

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The Abilities

Regenerator

Regenerator is one of the most universally beneficial abilities in Pokémon, and it is by far the most used ability in AAA. It provides an important source of recovery to Pokémon that lack it and lets others recover health while pivoting to maintain momentum. Many AAA teams are built around so-called Regen cores, two Pokémon that can soft check a wide variety of threats together and work in tandem to scout, wall, and pivot.

The list of Regenerator applications in AAA is almost as long as the list of viable Pokémon. Choice Scarf users such as Genesect and Mew can switch into a wide range of threats like Tapu Lele and Terrakion, stomach an attack, and fast pivot to the appropriate check while losing little-to-no health in the process. Specially defensive pivots like Jirachi and Swampert can benefit from Assault Vest without sacrificing recovery. Bulky tanks like Ferrothorn, Tapu Fini, and Swampert, which lack any form of instant recovery, are suddenly blessed with extra health every time they switch out. Blissey and Chansey, the famous momentum sinks from standard play, are turned into fantastic momentum generators, as they can simply use Teleport as the special attacker switches out to recover HP and bring a teammate into an advantageous position in one turn. Regenerator even has offensive applications, such as giving Garchomp and Galarian Zapdos some staying power and offsetting recoil.

Regenerator is largely the reason that the 2 Ability Clause, which states that you can have no more than two of the same ability per team, exists. If it did not, it is not hard to imagine teams with four or more Regenerator users existing, as the number of Pokémon that benefit from it is truly astounding. If you are building an AAA team and are not using two Regenerator users, it is good to double check that you have good reason for leaving such a powerful ability on the table.

Sample Sets

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Magic Bounce

Magic Bounce is one of the most unique abilities in Pokémon; it takes most of your foes' status moves and throws them right back at them. Crucially, this includes entry hazards, which makes Magic Bounce one of the best forms of entry hazard control, as it prevents them from even going up in the first place. It is also useful for blocking most status moves and Taunt, which would otherwise hamper many walls.

If you're looking for good users of Magic Bounce, look no further than everyone's favorite blobs: Blissey and Chansey. They both love to block Toxic, Taunt, and entry hazards and pivot to a teammate with Teleport. Magic Bounce also finds a home on bulky setup sweepers like Latias and Volcarona, as it allows them to stop Taunt, phazing, and status moves that would normally cripple them; it also gives them good early-game utility, as they are able to switch into common entry hazard setters like Heatran and Ferrothorn. Teams looking to run attackers weak to Rock like Desolate Land Cinderace and Sheer Force Volcarona appreciate the extra security that comes from having a sturdy and reliable Magic Bounce user to block Stealth Rock.

Sample Sets

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Dauntless Shield / Intimidate

Some of the more powerful Defense-boosting abilities, like Fur Coat and Fluffy, are banned, leaving Dauntless Shield and Intimidate as the most powerful catch-all physically defensive abilities. While they appear similar at first glance, there are some important exceptions to know about. Primarily, Dauntless Shield is preferred by Body Press users like Mew to provide a free 50% boost to their main attack and Pokémon that often spend multiple turns on the field, such as Skarmory, as it is not reset when the foe switches out. It also provides protection against Psyshock and Body Press. Intimidate, on the other hand, is generally more useful on pivots like Corviknight to help incoming teammate square off against a weakened foe. Intimidate users can also cycle in-and-out against bulky threats to activate Intimidate multiple times to deter setup. Lastly, Intimidate is better for checking Zarude, as Darkest Lariat ignores Defense boosts but not Attack drops.

When compared to the most splashable offensive abilities like Adaptability, Sheer Force, and Tough Claws, which offer boosts between 30% and 33%, Dauntless Shield and Intimidate offer a larger effective boost of 50%. This allows users such as Corviknight to withstand attacks they would not normally be able to, like Choice Band Terrakion's Close Combat, which has a 90% chance to 2HKO in standard play but only a 2% chance in AAA. Especially given the fierce competition for Regenerator slots, these abilities are great alternatives for physically defensive Pokémon that have reliable recovery such as Hippowdon, Mew, and Corviknight. They also serve a similar role to Assault Vest, providing a flat 50% boost to its respective defensive stat, but without the move limitation. If your team feels a little physically weak, be sure to consider Dauntless Shield or Intimidate to patch it up!

Sample Sets

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Unaware

Unaware has been a staple ability on stall teams for years, checking dangerous setup sweepers even if you aren't able to prevent them from setting up. It has propped Pokémon with very mediocre base stat totals (looking at you, Quagsire) far above expectations. However, most of the users either offer relatively little utility if there are no setup sweepers to check or have poor bulk for the tier and can be overwhelmed by strong unboosted attackers. In AAA, it is now available to everyone, and in a metagame that features rampant and not always predictable setup sweepers, including Swords Dance Talonflame, Regenerator Swords Dance Garchomp, and Sheer Force Quiver Dance Volcarona, being able to reliably handle opposing setup sweepers is an amazing trait.

Unlike in standard play, where it is typically only found on stall, Unaware finds a place on balance and bulky offense teams in AAA on defensive Pokémon that offer solid role compression. Mandibuzz, for example, can handle most of the physical setup threats in the metagame while providing entry hazard removal and slow pivoting, allowing it to be useful even when there is no boosting attacker to handle. It also has Foul Play, which does not factor in Unaware, giving it far more offensive presence than a normal Unaware wall. Chansey, on the other hand, has the bulk to handle all common unboosted special attackers without the aid of an ability, meaning it can run Unaware to prevent setup users from taking advantage of its passivity. It even has enough physical bulk to still handle physical attackers like Garchomp. If your team is struggling with opposing setup sweepers, Unaware is a great way to patch up the weakness without fully rebuilding your team.

Sample Sets

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Immunity Abilities

There are two key differences to how immunity abilities like Flash Fire, Bulletproof, and Water Absorb work in AAA as opposed to standard tiers. Firstly, they can be used to patch up weaknesses, unlike in normal tiers where they are mostly found on Pokémon that already resist, or at worst are neutral to, the attack type in question. Secondly, immunity abilities are rarely a surprise in standard tiers; if you see a Volcanion, you know it will have Water Absorb, and it's a pretty good bet that Heatran is Flash Fire. In AAA, it can be very difficult on team preview to identify if that Corviknight is Volt Absorb or not, and until you see Regenerator activate, Ferrothorn could be Flash Fire, Bulletproof, or something else entirely.

Immunity abilities see two major applications in AAA. The most common application is removing a weakness on a wall to patch up not only an individual weakness, but a team-wide weakness. Bulletproof Heatran is a fantastic example of a Pokémon that makes the most of its immunity ability; it is now able to check Tapu Lele (Focus Blast), No Guard Genesect (Zap Cannon), and Primordial Sea users (Weather Ball). Corviknight is a great addition to teams that are weak to Fire or Electric, as it can run Flash Fire or Volt Absorb to stop common threats like Cinderace and Tapu Koko cold. Additionally, they can be used on bulky setup sweepers that want to eliminate common checks to them, like Levitate Calm Mind Tapu Koko, which turns Hippowdon from an impassable wall to easy setup fodder, and Bulk Up Flash Fire Corviknight. While they can be inconsistent, the right immunity ability at the right time can shore up a team or facilitate a devastating sweep.

Sample Sets

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Prankster

Prankster is only commonly seen on one Pokémon in AAA, but it is an important ability to be aware of due to how utterly infuriating it can be if you are unprepared for it. The great trickster of AAA is...Toxapex! That's right, it is somehow possible for Toxapex to have an even more annoying ability than Regenerator. Toxapex makes perfect use of Prankster thanks to its titanic bulk, excellent typing, immediate recovery, and Haze.

Thanks to Prankster, Toxapex is able to switch into powerful attacks and recover before taking a second hit. This allows it to switch out, even when weakened, as long as it is still outside of OHKO range. Haze prevents setup sweepers from taking advantage of its passivity. This allows Toxapex to serve as a complete roadblock to many setup sweepers like Swords Dance Talonflame, Cosmic Power Mew, and Volcarona lacking Psychic, as they will never be able to sweep as long as Toxapex is alive. Toxapex also has the tools to annoy virtually every possible switch-in with Knock Off, Toxic, Toxic Spikes, and Scald and the bulk and typing to flummox other common wallbreakers like Cinderace and Volcanion. It is prone to being PP stalled, as Toxapex often needs to recover frequently, but it can dramatically extend the game and bail teams out of tight spots.

Sample Set

• Toxapex @ Black Sludge
• Ability: Prankster
• EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
• IVs: 0 Spe
• Relaxed Nature
• - Haze
• - Recover
• - Knock Off
• - Scald / Toxic / Toxic Spikes

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Wandering Spirit

Wandering Spirit is the defensive ability that plays like an offensive ability. This may come as a shock to you, but many Pokémon in AAA rely quite heavily on their ability, and none moreso than Regenerator pivots. They are often asking to come in, sponge a hit, and pivot out immediately, counting on Regenerator to bring them back to full health. Magic Guard users also heavily depend on it protecting them from Life Orb, Rocky Helmet, and recoil moves, and they would lose a tremendous amount of health without it.

Enter Wandering Spirit. As a quick refresher, if a Pokémon with Wandering Spirit is hit with a contact move, it swaps abilities with the attacker. This makes it an incredibly potent weapon against Regenerator users, as Wandering Spirit Rocky Helmet Corviknight, for example, can switch in on a predicted U-turn and cripple the foe; instead of gaining 1/3rd of its health back, it loses 1/6th from Rocky Helmet, effectively a 50% swing that can leave it unable to switch in next time. Additionally, the formerly Wandering Spirit Corviknight now has Regenerator itself, allowing it to switch out and heal. This can also be used to punish Magic Guard users like Talonflame, Pixilate users like Tapu Koko, and wallbreakers that rely on their damage amplifying abilities like Tough Claws Zarude. While versatile, Wandering Spirit requires giving up more immediately useful abilities like Dauntless Shield and Regenerator, limiting its usefulness to bulky Pokémon that ideally have recovery of their own. They also usually need a strong defensive core to back them up, as they lack the same bulk their counterparts possess. A well-timed denial of Regenerator, however, can make it all worth it.

Sample Set

• Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
• Ability: Wandering Spirit
• EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
• Relaxed Nature
• IVs: 0 Spe
• - Brave Bird
• - Defog
• - Roost
• - U-turn

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Beginner Trap Abilities

These are abilities that sound good on paper and new players often attempt to use; however, for reasons I will explain shortly, they are generally poor abilities and should not be used.

Stamina

A free Defense boost every time the foe attacks sounds strong, and many new players attempt to run it on specially bulky walls like Chansey and Mew. However, in most cases, it is outclassed by Dauntless Shield, which offers +1 Defense on the switch, meaning you need to get hit at least three times before taking less damage by using Stamina. If your opponent is unable to meaningfully threaten you within the first three hits, they likely would not have been able to beat a Dauntless Shield version either.

Multiscale / Shadow Shield

First off, never use Multiscale, as it is directly outclassed by Shadow Shield, which ignores Mold Breaker abilities and moves that bypass abilities as well. Secondly, Shadow Shield is rarely useful as an ability due to the pivot- and wallbreaker-heavy nature of the metagame. If you switch your wall into a U-turn, Volt Switch, or Flip Turn, it now effectively has no ability facing the opponent's wallbreaker. Even if you correctly switch into a wallbreaker directly, taking one hit at half damage and a second hit at full damage is comparable to taking two hits at two-thirds damage, which is what Dauntless Shield or Assault Vest can do, without the stipulation of being at exactly full health. Shadow Shield also is not common on frail setup attackers, as Sturdy would be preferred to always live the hit; even then, Sturdy is not recommended either, as single-use sweepers are rarely successful in AAA, with one notable exception.

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Get out there!

Now that you have a general sense of what the good defensive abilities are in AAA, it's time to start playing! We have an abundance of resources to help you out, like our Viability Rankings and Setpedia, our good cores thread, and up-to-date sample teams! Also feel free to come to the OM room and ask questions!

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