[Balanced Hackmons] Shedinja [QC: 3/3] [GP: 2/2]

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[OVERVIEW]
Shedinja is an incredibly potent threat in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, able to endure virtually any direct hit and bring most foes down to their last breath in one fell swoop. Shedinja's almost infinite bulk comes from its unique hardcoded 1 HP stat in combination with the ability Sturdy, which allows it to tank any direct damage thrown at it that doesn't come from a Pokemon with Mold Breaker. From here it is able to use moves such as Endeavor and Pain Split to reduce the foe's HP without stat differences factoring into the equation or simply function as an extremely efficient defensive pivot to preserve your team's momentum, giving you the opportunity to easily switch into checks and counters for whatever the opponent attempts to throw at Shedinja.

Don't be fooled by its potential, however: Shedinja has defined the Balanced Hackmons metagame to the point that any successful team has multiple ways to deal with it, most of which function very well outside of countering Shedinja. Strategies include Mold Breaker, which becomes an almost certain Shedinja counter if paired with the move Pursuit, which hits Pokemon as they switch out. Other methods include entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, which deal indirect damage or inflict status on Pokemon that switch into them; status infliction, as Shedinja will always lose 100% of its health from burn or poison; partial trapping moves, whose residual damage will also cause Shedinja to faint at the end of the turn; Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, which deal damage when their user is hit by a move that makes contact; and weather such as sand and hail, which deal residual damage at the end of each turn. A well-played Shedinja will almost always be able to nullify the effects of these methods, though, either with proper team support or by adjusting its moveset to meet a compromise of safety and utility.

[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Pain Split
move 3: Whirlpool
move 4: Safeguard / Recycle / Endeavor
level: 1
item: Safety Goggles / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Baton Pass is the safest switching move that Shedinja can use, as the only thing that stops it from working is the move Taunt, which is quite uncommon in the Balanced Hackmons metagame. Other switching moves all rely on your opponent not having a common item, type, ability, and/or move, such as Rocky Helmet, Ground-types with Mold Breaker, and Magic Bounce users, all of which can spell trouble for your Shedinja.

Pain Split shares the difference between Shedinja's HP and its foe's; because of Shedinja's hardcoded 1 HP stat it will always cut the foe's HP in half. It's a slower method of knocking out foes than a move such as Endeavor, but it has the benefit of not making contact and being able to hit Ghost-types. The respectable 32 PP that Pain Split offers also means that any recovery on a defensive foe can be stalled out, securing Shedinja a KO or allowing teammates to sweep it with little trouble.

Whirlpool compliments Pain Split very well, as it deals damage equal to 1/8 of the foe's maximum HP at the end of every turn while also preventing them from directly switching out, aside from Ghost-types and Shed Shell Pokemon. Whirlpool is less accurate than Infestation but has the benefit of not making contact, meaning that Shedinja's damaging potential is completely immune to the effects of Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, and abilities such as Rough Skin. Partial trapping is vital on this Shedinja set if you intend to score KOs with it, as Pain Split can only do so much damage before it ceases to work.

Safeguard and Recycle are both moves that reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja, and the move used depends on Shedinja's item; Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja an immunity to status as well as to residual weather damage, but even the turn used to set up Safeguard can be very risky for Shedinja. Conversely, Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used up to 16 times, making Shedinja virtually immune to status but leaving it vulnerable to weather damage and forcing Shedinja to go on the defensive when facing a foe that spams status moves.

Neither of these moves really needs be used if you have appropriate team support in Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, however, which would allow Shedinja to run Endeavor as a last-ditch attempt to bring a threat that your team can't deal with into the KO range of one of your other Pokemon. Another option is Shell Smash, which can be used in conjunction with Baton Pass to pass very powerful stat boosts to Shedinja's teammates.

Set Details
========

You might be wondering what the point of a Level 1 Shedinja is when its HP stat always remains the same, and the answer lies in what it can do in order to make its teammates' jobs easier. For defensive pivots, a slow Baton Pass is very important to ensure that you start the next turn with the upper hand; as a Level 1 Pokemon with a Speed-decreasing nature, this Shedinja set will almost assuredly go last, except against other Level 1 Pokemon.

Furthermore, the minimalized defenses guarantee that your team will be able to OHKO any Imposter Pokemon that copies this set as Shedinja uses Baton Pass, provided you have a Pokemon with Mold Breaker and Pursuit on your team. Even if not, many opponents don't pay attention to Shedinja's level, so they don't consider that their Imposter users will have only single-digit defenses after they transform, increasing the likelihood of opponents keeping their copied Shedinja in on any Pokemon that doesn't look like it will OHKO them.

Safety Goggles provides Shedinja with the optimum amount of passive damage avoidance when supported by teammates with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, allowing it to not be bothered by the occasional sand or hail team that you will encounter in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, as well as supplying a useful immunity to the omnipresent Spore.

Lum Berry, on the other hand, allows Shedinja to run more independently in regards to status when paired with the move Recycle to keep status away without switching out, with the compromise being that any sand or hail team will render Shedinja useless, as it will be knocked out as soon as it switches in.

Usage Tips
========

Above all else, this Shedinja set is a defensive pivot, so Baton Pass should really be the only move it uses to minimize the risk of it fainting and compromising your team's defensive synergy. In saying that, Shedinja can't be the only Pokemon capable of taking a hit on your team, as the methods of dealing with it are flexible enough to be applied to any Pokemon, sweepers and walls alike. If another Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit or two from a certain threat, switch into that before switching into Shedinja, as it will give you the opportunity to find out what moves the foe is running and whether or not Shedinja should be afraid of them. Directly switching into Shedinja should only be done when you know what your opponent is running or when no other Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit from a certain threat.

Furthermore, the use of slow switching strategies on Shedinja's teammates makes scouting for Shedinja's checks a lot easier. A slow switch into Shedinja not only keeps Shedinja safe from any attacks but also allows you to see whether or not the Pokemon you're facing is capable of dealing with Shedinja. Oftentimes if a certain Pokemon can't either KO or out-heal Shedinja, it will switch out immediately. Shedinja will be able to safely Baton Pass away afterwards, and for the rest of the match you will know almost for sure that that certain Pokemon can be checked by Shedinja.

Be sure to keep an eye on the battle log when the opponent switches a Pokemon in. In Balanced Hackmons, anything can run Mold Breaker and its clones, Turboblaze and Teravolt, and often your only clue before Shedinja falls to a Sturdy-ignoring attack is the "X breaks the mold / is emitting a * aura!" text that will appear when an opposing Pokemon switches in. Be wary, and above all else, be careful. You want to keep Shedinja alive as long as possible; (ASC) don't just sacrifice it in the beginning of the game because you see an opportunity for a KO.

Team Options
========

Shedinja's niche isn't hampered by many playstyles or team setups, so it is able to find a place on most teams. However, Shedinja isn't something that can be thrown on a team for an instant win; if you don't want Shedinja fainting very early, a large part of your team needs to be built around it or at least optimized for use with it. Use Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit Pokemon such as Groudon, Giratina, or Mega Gyarados to lure opposing Imposter Pokemon into your pivoting Shedinja and OHKO them every time.

Entry hazard removal is mandatory. Defog is the most reliable method, although Rapid Spin can be run if you're looking to only remove hazards from your own side of the field; however, keep in mind that Ghost-types are immune to Rapid Spin. Common Defog users include Registeel, Aegislash, and Lugia, but the move can be run on just about any defensive Pokemon with success so long as it doesn't hold a 4x weakness to Rock; even Lugia might have trouble with entry hazard removal if your opponent provides enough offensive pressure. Rapid Spin is usually reserved for Pokemon that run Assault Vest + Regenerator, which can include Regirock, Registeel, and Kyogre. Having multiple methods of hazard removal on different kinds of walls will also allow you more flexibility, especially against teams that provide a lot of offensive pressure.

Status curing is also very important, especially if you run Safety Goggles. Not only do the moves Aromatherapy and Heal Bell allow Shedinja to switch in after it's been inflicted with a status, but they also cure other members of your team. Be wary that Heal Bell won't affect Pokemon on your team that have the ability Soundproof. These moves can usually fit nicely into the moveset of a Pokemon that uses Defog, particularly ones with the Prankster ability.

To reduce risk, it's a good idea to have an Imposter teammate to scout the opponent's movesets before bringing Shedinja in on them if possible. Chansey is the obvious choice here, with its immense HP stat and the opportunity to use Eviolite to further increase its bulk, usually allowing you to scout every member of an opponent's team. Scouting can also be achieved by using VoltTurn strategies to determine movesets of the opponent's team, preserve your own momentum, and see what foes switch out of your Pokemon, letting you see what you can wall and what you can't.

The use of defensive Pokemon with Regenerator alongside Shedinja nullifies residual damage from Leech Seed and partial trapping that gets passed by Baton Pass, assuming they switch out afterwards, as well as providing an opportunity for slow VoltTurn strategies to assist in scouting for threats to Shedinja. Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro, Regirock, and Registeel are often effective users of Regenerator, as their typing or stats allow them to take multiple hits from physical or special attackers (except in Mega Slowbro in most cases, due to it's poor Special Defense) before switching out to regenerate their health.

If you have any sweepers on your team that Shedinja can't wall, make sure that another Pokemon on your team can wall them. The omnipresence of Imposter Chansey means that you'll often be walling your own sweepers, so be sure to Imposter-proof your team if you can't Imposter-proof individual sweepers, usually by compromising coverage to ensure that one of your walls can hard wall them. Try to avoid using Mold Breaker setup sweepers without a Substitute, as these will make short work of Shedinja as well as its teammates.


[SET]
name: Endeavor
move 1: Endeavor
move 2: Ice Shard / Feint / Whirlpool
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Recycle / Safeguard
item: Lum Berry / Safety Goggles
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Endeavor is Shedinja's most powerful damaging move, instantly bringing anything that it can hit down to 1 HP. It's much quicker at minimizing the foe's HP than Pain Split but does make contact , meaning that Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, Rough Skin, and Iron Barbs instantly KO Shedinja upon use. It also only has 8 PP, meaning that it's much easier for defensive Pokemon with Leftovers to PP stall it than Pain Split is.

Ice Shard is used alongside Endeavor to ensure that a foe is knocked out before being able to heal, unless the foe is a Prankster user with more Speed than Shedinja, which isn't that difficult to achieve considering Shedinja's EV spread. Ice Shard's typing also allows it to deal a large amount of damage to common threats in the metagame such as Mega Rayquaza. Feint is a +2 priority move that has the benefit over Ice Shard of ignoring protection moves such as Protect and Spiky Shield.

Priority can be exchanged for a move such as Whirlpool to trap the foe if you'd like the slow switch and easy Imposter luring of a Level 1 Shedinja, as partial trapping deals consistent damage, regardless of Shedinja's attack stat. Whirlpool is used over Infestation, as it allows Shedinja to score some damage on foes with Rocky Helmet without KOing itself.

Baton Pass allows Shedinja to fulfill the role of a pivot when you haven't scouted the opponent's team enough to know when Shedinja can start attacking other Pokemon. It passes conditions such as confusion, Leech Seed, Gastro Acid, and partial trapping to its recipient, but the effects of these are more often than not nullified by proper team support. If you don't want to run Baton Pass, opt for Volt Switch instead of U-turn or Parting Shot. U-turn is affected by Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, while Parting Shot leaves Shedinja vulnerable to Magic Bounce users taking advantage of the move for a free switch into their own Mold Breaker user.

Safeguard and Recycle reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja; the choice depends on Shedinja's item. Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja immunity to status as well as to weather damage, whereas Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used many times, giving Shedinja an effective immunity to status.

Set Details
========

Defensive IVs and EVs are minimal, but Shedinja's Attack is maximized and its level must remain at 100 if using Extreme Speed or Feint, to be able to break through Pokemon that carry Leftovers. Imposter Pokemon can still be taken out using this spread, but be careful if you pair this Shedinja set with a defensive Mold Breaker user, as their Pursuit might not always OHKO an Imposter with high HP such as Chansey or Blissey.

Both items protec Shedinja from passive damage. If you can't fit Aromatherapy on your team, opt for the Lum Berry to give Shedinja independence in its status-walling abilities. Otherwise, use Safety Goggles, as it is the only way to protect Shedinja from residual weather damage outside of gimmicks such as Magic Guard.

The Brave nature maximizes Shedinja's Attack, giving it a stronger finishing move while minimizing its Speed to preserve its slow pivoting abilities. It also maximizes the amount of damage that a move such as Foul Play will do to an Imposter user, should you choose not to run Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit user.

Usage Tips
========

This Shedinja set functions best as a defensive pivot, but it sacrifices minimal Speed and lack of contact moves and reduces its ability to lure in and deal with Imposter Pokemon in favor of a more consistent offensive presence. However, because this offensive presence requires the use of contact moves, be sure to scout the opponent's team for Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield users before attempting to cripple their Pokemon with Shedinja.

Slow switching via the use of Baton Pass is extremely helpful not only for Shedinja but also for any Balanced Hackmons team. Knowing your opponent's team is the key to being able to check and counter everything they have. While slow switching is not completely necessary on all Balanced Hackmons teams, you'll have a very difficult time getting Shedinja safely into play in the upper ladder without it, as you then open yourself up to surprise coverage or switching into a Mold Breaker user. Know what checks and counters each of your Pokemon and you'll be able to wall virtually anything the opponent can throw at you. Paranoia is excellent when it comes to using Shedinja, so don't be surprised if most of the early-game sees Shedinja only using its switching move. Don't rush your offense either; safe switching and scouting with Shedinja not only is an excellent way to preserve your team's defenses but also allows your offensive Pokemon to come in at the moment they're needed most, providing excellent offensive pressure.

Team Options
========

A large part of Shedinja's utility comes from its teammates; don't expect to be able to throw it on any team without accommodating to its needs, or you'll find Shedinja fainting very early in the match. Many of these options are more than just things that can be done; they're mandatory if you want Shedinja to reach its potential.

A Mold Breaker user with Pursuit not only provides a near-guaranteed OHKO on any opposing Shedinja but also serves as an extremely capable Imposter counter if an Imposter Pokemon switches into your Shedinja as it pivots out. With this set in particular, an offensive Mold Breaker Pokemon is preferred, as a Pursuit coming off of a defensive Pokemon won't always OHKO an opposing Chansey.

Cleric support and entry hazard control are also a must if you want to ensure Shedinja's reliability throughout the match. Prankster users such as Registeel and Giratina perform this role very efficiently, especially when there's a high level of offensive pressure on your team. Be mindful of any Poison Heal Pokemon on your team when using Aromatherapy, as they can lose their immunity to status for the rest of the match if their Toxic Orb has already been removed.

An Imposter user of your own works wonders to ensure maximum knowledge of your opponent's team. Reliable Imposter Pokemon include Chansey, for its immense HP and access to Eviolite, and Blissey. However, other Pokemon can be used as Imposters if your team struggles against a specific threat. For example, a Pikachu holding a Light Ball transforms into a frail version of your opponent's Pokemon, but with doubled attacking stats to provide you with nuking potential, especially when copying an -ate user's set. Even very niche Pokemon such as Hoopa-U can be used to benefit from any setup that an opposing Hoopa utilizes. However, Chansey still offers the most reward with the lowest opportunity cost, especially when using it as a scout.

Team members that run Knock Off, such as Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Protean Mega Mewtwo X, and Regigigas, as well as defensive Pokemon such as Giratina, Regirock, and Registeel make Shedinja's job a lot easier by removing Rocky Helmet and Leftovers from the equation, giving Shedinja much greater freedom to use Endeavor and Extreme Speed.

This Shedinja set also synergizes very well with sand and hail teams, provided it runs Safety Goggles. Shedinja can cripple the foe with Endeavor while the residual weather damage finishes them off, effectively KOing it in a single turn. This also allows Shedinja to stay in against a wider variety of threats, as the foe will faint before partial trapping moves or Leech Seed are able to KO Shedinja.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Magic Guard can be used to bluff a Sturdy set in Team Preview and not take damage from entry hazards or status, but once it's been found out all utility is lost, as it only takes one hit from any Pokemon to break the Focus Sash that is required on this set, and another to take Shedinja out.

Abilities such as the -ates and Scrappy also allow Shedinja to surprise Ghost-type switch-ins with an Endeavor. Consider running Pursuit on these sorts of sets to prevent the opponent from switching their Ghost-type out after realizing that your Shedinja isn't Sturdy.

Pursuit can also be used as a finishing move if priority isn't necessary, as it ensures a KO on an unprotected foe, even those that try to switch out after being hit by Endeavor.

Shedinja's niche of being immune to most forms of direct damage gives it the opportunity to run a large variety of moves as well. These can be very situational, as more often than not the foe won't be staying in on Shedinja long enough for it to do much to them anyway, but they can work with the right team support.

Spore can be useful on Safety Goggles sets, as you won't need to fear Magic Bounce users. Putting a threat to sleep will usually force them to switch out, which will allow Shedinja to switch into a check for that. It's good for momentum but at the cost of staying in the field longer. Spore also gives Shedinja the opportunity to switch out of Mold Breaker users lacking Safety Goggles, but that item and ability combination is rather common, so be sure to have Knock Off support if you are going to attempt this strategy.

Teeter Dance can also be used to force a 50% chance of survival against a Mold Breaker user that switches in. The risk is still there, but confusion is a high risk, high reward strategy, and a 50% chance of survival is better than nothing. Teeter Dance also bypasses Magic Bounce, making it more reliable than another confusion move such as Confuse Ray.

Foresight can be used, not only to hit Ghost-types that are immune to Endeavor but also to force Ghost-types out, allowing your Endeavor to land on another Pokemon on the opponent's team. This won't help in situations where the opponent has multiple Ghost-types on their team, however.

Extreme Speed can be used as an alternative to Ice Shard or Feint for more power at the cost of making contact and being blocked by Protect clones and Ghost-types.

Perish Song can also be used to force switches when you come across a sweeper that the rest of your team can't handle, or to use in tandem with partial trapping to deal with walls that your offensive Pokemon aren't able to break through.

Eject Button can also be used if you have trouble with partial trapping moves such as Magma Storm, Infestation, and Whirlpool. Eject Button also allows Shedinja to switch out of status inflicted via attacks such as Inferno, Sacred Fire, Scald, and Poison Fang.

Protect and all of its clones increase Shedinja's scouting abilities, but they make Shedinja more vulnerable to Mold Breaker if the opponent has it on their team.

Magic Coat can also be useful against foes that opt for status moves as their answer to Shedinja.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Mold Breaker**: Common Mold Breaker users primarily include offensive Pokemon such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Gengar but also defensive Pokemon such as Giratina. More often than not, a Mold Breaker user will be carrying Pursuit, even if they are defensive, which is guaranteed to hit Shedinja, even if it switches out. Mold Breaker users also have the ability to set up entry hazards without fear of having them bounced back by Magic Bounce, which makes hazard removal on Shedinja's teammates absolutely mandatory.

**Entry Hazards**: The only entry hazard that Shedinja isn't afraid of is Sticky Web. The rest of them either KO Shedinja or inflict it with poison as it switches in, making Shedinja little more than a sacrifice unless your team carries Defog or Rapid Spin. Multiple methods of hazard removal can prove to be incredibly useful, allowing your team much greater flexibility when it needs to remove a Stealth Rock, even when faced with high offensive pressure.

**Status**: Poison and burns are quite common in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, and they either force a switch, take Shedinja out, or force it to go on the defensive and spam Recycle for its Lum Berry, all of which put a dead stop to its offensive capabilities until the next time it can come in, if there is a next time. Be wary of No Guard users, such as Mega Mewtwo X and Y, Mega Charizard Y, and the occasional Mega Manectric, as their Inferno deals damage to and burns anything that switches into it. Keep in mind that Poison Heal users occasionally run Psycho Shift to spread their status around your team as well.

**Partial Trapping**: Another common way to deal with Shedinja is the use of partial trapping moves such as Infestation and Magma Storm, either on a predicted Shedinja switch or against a Shedinja that is attempting to sweep. This damage can only be avoided if Shedinja runs Magic Guard over Sturdy. No Guard users will usually run Magma Storm as coverage, so a Lum Berry won't do you much good against them. Also be wary of Perish Song trappers such as Soundproof Arceus, Mega Aggron, and Mega Slowbro, as they will usually run partial trapping if they aren't running Block or Thousand Waves.

**No Guard**: No Guard gives Pokemon access to powerful and accurate moves that have a 100% chance of inflicting a status condition, such as Inferno and Zap Cannon, as well as a fully accurate Magma Storm. Shedinja doesn't like any of these things, so it should avoid switching in against No Guard whenever possible, only entering the field against it as a last resort to attempt to get the foe's HP down to the point where a teammate can deal with them.

**Confusion**: If Shedinja is confused, it has a 50% chance of KOing itself every time it attempts to move. Its Ghost typing allows it to avoid No Guard Dynamic Punch, arguably the most common confusion-inducing move, but be wary of Prankster Teeter Dance users such as Aegislash and Registeel. Teeter Dance also ignores Magic Bounce, making it even more dangerous.

**Leech Seed**: Leech Seed isn't obscure enough that it shouldn't be expected, especially coming from Kyogre or Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn.

**Passive Weather Damage**: Sand and hail make Shedinja completely redundant unless it's running Safety Goggles, which is vulnerable to Knock Off. Common weather setters include Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Tyranitar, the latter of which also has a very powerful Knock Off, which will remove Safety Goggles and cause Shedinja to fall to weather damage.

**Knock Off**: Knock Off severely cripples Shedinja's ability to avoid passive damage, either by removing its Lum Berry and opening it up to status or by removing its Safety Goggles and making it vulnerable to passive weather damage and moves like Spore, which hamper its pivoting abilities as well. Common users of Knock Off include Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Mewtwo X, Giratina, or various Regenerator users such as Registeel, Regirock and Kyogre. Try to have a Pokemon on your team with a non-removable item such as Griseous Orb Giratina, or simply an item that your Pokemon can live without to sponge these hits, as losing items can cripple an entire team, not just Shedinja.

**Poison Heal**: Poison Heal provides a hard check to Shedinja the majority of the time, unless used by a Pokemon with a particularly low Defense stat. Poison Heal outheals partial trapping (unless Shedinja is running Binding Band, which increases partial trapping damage to 1/6 of the target's maximum HP), as well as making it very difficult to KO the Poison Heal user with ExtremeSpeed or Feint. On top of that, many Poison Heal users, such as Kyogre and Giratina, also run moves specifically to counter Shedinja, such as Psycho Shift, Leech Seed, Trick, and Scald.

**Regenerator**: A slow Pokemon with Regenerator, such as Regirock or Registeel, is able to switch into any of Shedinja's moves and switch back out to heal, making it very difficult to knock out unless Shedinja is running Pursuit. A dual Regenerator core is nigh-unbeatable by Shedinja.

**Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield**: Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield are fatal for variants of Shedinja that use contact moves, knocking Shedinja out and often crippling your team's defensive core in the process. Scouting and Knock Off support remedy this, giving you the opportunity to know when Shedinja can attack and when it needs to pivot out.

**Curse**: A move that can be found on Ghost-type walls such as Giratina and Aegislash, Curse can spell trouble for Shedinja and its teammates as an unblockable move that deals damage equal to a quarter of the afflicted Pokemon's maximum health at the end of each turn.


[OVERVIEW]
Shedinja is an incredibly potent threat in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, able to endure virtually any direct hit and bring most foes down to their last breath in one fell swoop. Shedinja's almost infinite bulk comes from its unique hardcoded 1 HP stat in combination with the ability Sturdy, which allows it to tank any direct damage thrown at it that doesn't come from a Pokemon with Mold Breaker. From here it is able to use moves such as Endeavor and Pain Split to reduce the foe's HP without stat differences factoring into the equation or simply function as an extremely efficient defensive pivot to preserve your team's momentum, giving you the opportunity to easily switch in checks and counters for whatever the opponent attempts to throw at Shedinja.

Don't be fooled by its potential, however: Shedinja has defined the Balanced Hackmons metagame to the point that any successful team has multiple ways to deal with it, most of which function very well outside of countering Shedinja. Strategies include Mold Breaker, which becomes an almost infallible way of dealing with Shedinja if paired with Pursuit. Other methods include entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, which deal indirect damage or inflict status on Pokemon that switch into them; status infliction, as Shedinja will always lose 100% of its health from burn or poison; partial trapping moves, whose residual damage will also cause Shedinja to faint at the end of the turn; Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, which deal damage when their user is hit by a move that makes contact; and weather conditions such as sand and hail, which deal residual damage at the end of each turn. A well-played Shedinja will almost always be able to nullify the effects of these methods, though, either with proper team support or by adjusting its moveset to meet a compromise of safety and utility.

[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot (level 1)
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Pain Split
move 3: Whirlpool
move 4: Safeguard / Recycle / Endeavor
item: Safety Goggles / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs:
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Baton Pass is the safest switching move that Shedinja can use, as the only thing that stops it from working is the move Taunt, which is quite uncommon in the Balanced Hackmons metagame. Other switching moves all rely on your opponent not having a common item, type, ability, or move, such as Rocky Helmet, Ground-types with Mold Breaker, and Magic Bounce users, all of which can spell trouble for your Shedinja.

Pain Split shares the difference between Shedinja's HP and its foe's; because of Shedinja's hardcoded 1 HP stat, it will always cut the foe's HP in half. It's a slower method of knocking out foes than a move such as Endeavor, but it has the benefit of not making contact and being able to hit Ghost-types. The respectable 32 PP that Pain Split offers also means that any recovery on a defensive foe can be stalled out, securing Shedinja a KO or allowing teammates to sweep it with little trouble.

Whirlpool complements Pain Split very well, as it deals damage equal to one-eighth of the foe's maximum HP at the end of every turn while also preventing them from directly switching out, aside from Ghost-types and Shed Shell Pokemon. Whirlpool is less accurate than Infestation, but it has the benefit of not making contact, meaning that Shedinja's damaging potential is completely immune to the effects of Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, and abilities such as Rough Skin. Partial trapping is vital on this Shedinja set if you intend to score KOs with it, as Pain Split can only do so much damage before it ceases to work.

Safeguard and Recycle are both moves that reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja, and the move used depends on Shedinja's item; Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja an immunity to status as well as to residual weather damage, but even the turn used to set up Safeguard can be very risky for Shedinja. Conversely, Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used up to 16 times, making Shedinja virtually immune to status but leaving it vulnerable to weather damage and forcing Shedinja to go on the defensive when facing a foe that spams status moves.

Neither of these moves really needs be used if you have appropriate team support in Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, however, which would allow Shedinja to run Endeavor as a last-ditch attempt to bring a threat that your team can't deal with into the KO range of one of your other Pokemon. Another option is Shell Smash, which can be used in conjunction with Baton Pass to pass very powerful stat boosts to Shedinja's teammates.

Set Details
========

You might be wondering what the point of a Level 1 Shedinja is when its HP stat always remains the same, and the answer lies in what it can do in order to make its teammates' jobs easier. For defensive pivots, a slow Baton Pass is very important to ensure that you start the next turn with the upper hand; as a Level 1 Pokemon with a Speed-decreasing nature, this Shedinja set will almost assuredly go last, except against other Level 1 Pokemon.

Furthermore, the minimalized defenses guarantee that your team will be able to OHKO any Imposter Pokemon that copies this set as Shedinja uses Baton Pass, provided you have a Pokemon with Mold Breaker and Pursuit on your team. Even if not, many opponents don't pay attention to Shedinja's level, so they don't consider that their Imposter users will have only single-digit defenses after they transform, increasing the likelihood of opponents keeping their copied Shedinja in on any Pokemon that doesn't look like it will OHKO them.

Safety Goggles provides Shedinja with the optimum amount of passive damage avoidance when supported by teammates with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, allowing it to not be bothered by the occasional sand or hail team that you will encounter in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, as well as supplying a useful immunity to the omnipresent Spore.

Lum Berry, on the other hand, allows Shedinja to run more independently in regards to status when paired with the move Recycle to keep status away without switching out, with the compromise being that any sand or hail team will render Shedinja useless, as it will be knocked out as soon as it switches in.

Usage Tips
========

Above all else, this Shedinja set is a defensive pivot, so Baton Pass should really be the only move it uses to minimize the risk of it fainting and compromising your team's defensive synergy. In saying that, Shedinja can't be the only Pokemon capable of taking a hit on your team, as the methods of dealing with it are flexible enough to be applied to any Pokemon, sweepers and walls alike. If another Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit or two from a certain threat, switch into that before switching into Shedinja, as it will give you the opportunity to find out what moves the foe is running and whether or not Shedinja should be afraid of them. Directly switching into Shedinja should only be done when you know what your opponent is running or when no other Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit from a certain threat.

Furthermore, the use of slow switching strategies on Shedinja's teammates makes scouting for Shedinja's checks a lot easier. A slow switch into Shedinja not only keeps Shedinja safe from any attacks but also allows you to see whether or not the Pokemon you're facing is capable of dealing with Shedinja. Oftentimes if a certain Pokemon can't either KO or outheal Shedinja, it will switch out immediately. Shedinja will be able to safely Baton Pass away afterwards, and for the rest of the match you will know almost for sure that that certain Pokemon can be checked by Shedinja.

Be sure to keep an eye on the battle log when the opponent switches a Pokemon in. In Balanced Hackmons, anything can run Mold Breaker and its clones, Turboblaze and Teravolt, and often your only clue before Shedinja falls to a Sturdy-ignoring attack is the "X breaks the mold / is emitting a * aura!" text that will appear when an opposing Pokemon switches in. Be wary, and above all else, be careful. You want to keep Shedinja alive as long as possible; don't just sacrifice it in the beginning of the game because you see an opportunity for a KO.

Team Options
========

Shedinja's niche isn't hampered by many playstyles or team setups, so it is able to find a place on most teams. However, Shedinja isn't something that can be thrown on a team for an instant win; if you don't want Shedinja fainting very early, a large part of your team needs to be built around it or at least optimized for use with it. Use Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit Pokemon such as Groudon, Giratina, or Mega Gyarados to lure opposing Imposter Pokemon into your pivoting Shedinja and OHKO them every time.

Entry hazard removal is mandatory. Defog is the most reliable method, although Rapid Spin can be run if you're looking to only remove hazards from your own side of the field; however, keep in mind that Ghost-types are immune to Rapid Spin. Common Defog users include Registeel, Aegislash, and Lugia, but the move can be run on just about any defensive Pokemon with success so long as it doesn't hold a 4x weakness to Rock; even Lugia might have trouble with entry hazard removal if your opponent provides enough offensive pressure. Rapid Spin is usually reserved for Pokemon that run Assault Vest + Regenerator, which can include Regirock, Registeel, and Kyogre. Having multiple methods of hazard removal on different kinds of walls will also allow you more flexibility, especially against teams that provide a lot of offensive pressure.

Status curing is also very important, especially if you run Safety Goggles. Not only do the moves Aromatherapy and Heal Bell allow Shedinja to switch in after it's been inflicted with a status, but they also cure other members of your team. These moves can usually fit nicely into the moveset of a Pokemon that uses Defog, particularly ones with the Prankster ability.

To reduce risk, it's a good idea to have an Imposter teammate to scout the opponent's movesets before bringing Shedinja in on them if possible. Chansey is the obvious choice here, with its immense HP stat and the opportunity to use Eviolite to further increase its bulk, usually allowing you to scout every member of an opponent's team. Scouting can also be achieved by using VoltTurn strategies to determine movesets of the opponent's team, preserve your own momentum, and see what foes switch out of your Pokemon, letting you see what you can wall and what you can't.

The use of defensive Pokemon with Regenerator alongside Shedinja nullifies residual damage from Leech Seed and partial trapping that gets passed by Baton Pass, assuming they switch out afterwards, as well as providing an opportunity for slow VoltTurn strategies to assist in scouting for threats to Shedinja. Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro, Regirock, and Registeel are often effective users of Regenerator, as their typing or stats allow them to take multiple hits from physical or special attackers (except for Mega Slowbro in most cases, due to its poor Special Defense) before switching out to regain their health.

If you have any sweepers on your team that Shedinja can't wall, make sure that another Pokemon on your team can wall them. The omnipresence of Imposter Chansey means that you'll often be walling your own sweepers, so be sure to Imposter-proof your team if you can't Imposter-proof individual sweepers, usually by compromising coverage to ensure that one of your walls can hard wall them. Try to avoid using Mold Breaker setup sweepers without a Substitute, as these will make short work of Shedinja as well as its teammates.

[SET]
name: Endeavor
move 1: Endeavor
move 2: Ice Shard / Feint / Whirlpool
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Recycle / Safeguard
item: Lum Berry / Safety Goggles
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Endeavor is Shedinja's most powerful damaging move, instantly bringing anything that it can hit down to 1 HP. It's much quicker at minimizing the foe's HP than Pain Split, but it does make contact, meaning that Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, Rough Skin, and Iron Barbs instantly KO Shedinja upon use. It also only has 8 PP, meaning that it's much easier for defensive Pokemon with Leftovers to PP stall it than Pain Split is.

Ice Shard is used alongside Endeavor to ensure that a foe is knocked out before being able to heal, unless the foe is a Prankster user with more Speed than Shedinja, which isn't that difficult to achieve considering Shedinja's EV spread. Ice Shard's typing also allows it to deal a large amount of damage to common threats in the metagame such as Mega Rayquaza. Feint is a +2 priority move that has the benefit over Ice Shard of ignoring protection moves such as Protect and Spiky Shield.

Priority can be exchanged for a move such as Whirlpool to trap the foe if you'd like the slow switch and easy Imposter luring of a Level 1 Shedinja, as partial trapping deals consistent damage, regardless of Shedinja's attack stat. Whirlpool is used over Infestation, as it allows Shedinja to score damage on foes with Rocky Helmet without KOing itself.

Baton Pass allows Shedinja to fulfill the role of a pivot when you haven't scouted the opponent's team enough to know when Shedinja can start attacking other Pokemon. It also passes conditions such as confusion, Leech Seed, Gastro Acid, and partial trapping to its recipient, but the effects of these are more often than not nullified by proper team support. If you don't want to run Baton Pass, opt for Volt Switch instead of U-turn or Parting Shot. U-turn is affected by Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, while Parting Shot leaves Shedinja vulnerable to Magic Bounce users taking advantage of the move for a free switch into their own Mold Breaker user.

Safeguard and Recycle reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja; the choice depends on Shedinja's item. Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja immunity to status as well as to weather damage, whereas Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used many times, giving Shedinja an effective immunity to status.

Set Details
========

Defensive IVs and EVs are minimal, but Shedinja's Attack is maximized and its level must remain at 100 if using Ice Shard or Feint, to be able to break through Pokemon that carry Leftovers. Imposter Pokemon can still be taken out using this spread, but you should be careful if you pair this Shedinja set with a defensive Mold Breaker user, as their Pursuit might not always OHKO an Imposter with high HP such as Chansey or Blissey.

Both items protect Shedinja from passive damage. If you can't fit Aromatherapy on your team, opt for the Lum Berry to give Shedinja independence in its status-walling abilities. Otherwise, use Safety Goggles, as it is the only way to protect Shedinja from residual weather damage outside of gimmicks such as Magic Guard.

The Brave nature maximizes Shedinja's Attack, giving it a stronger finishing move while minimizing its Speed to preserve its slow pivoting abilities. It also maximizes the amount of damage that a move such as Foul Play will do to an Imposter user, should you choose not to run Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit user.

Usage Tips
========

This Shedinja set functions best as a defensive pivot, but it sacrifices minimal Speed and lack of contact moves and reduces its ability to lure in and deal with Imposter Pokemon in favor of a more consistent offensive presence. However, because this offensive presence requires the use of contact moves, be sure to scout the opponent's team for Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield users before attempting to cripple their Pokemon with Shedinja.

Slow switching via the use of Baton Pass is extremely helpful not only for Shedinja but also for any Balanced Hackmons team. Knowing your opponent's team is the key to being able to check and counter everything they have. While slow switching is not completely necessary on all Balanced Hackmons teams, you'll have a very difficult time getting Shedinja safely into play in the upper ladder without it, as you then open yourself up to surprise coverage or switching into a Mold Breaker user. Know what checks and counters each of your Pokemon, and you'll be able to wall virtually anything the opponent can throw at you. Paranoia is excellent when it comes to using Shedinja, so don't be surprised if most of the early-game sees Shedinja only using its switching move. Don't rush your offense either; safe switching and scouting with Shedinja not only is an excellent way to preserve your team's defenses but also allows your offensive Pokemon to come in at the moment they're needed most, providing excellent offensive pressure.

Team Options
========

A large part of Shedinja's utility comes from its teammates; don't expect to be able to throw it on any team without accommodating to its needs, or you'll find Shedinja fainting very early in the match. Many of these options are more than just things that can be done; they're mandatory if you want Shedinja to reach its potential.

A Mold Breaker user with Pursuit not only provides a near-guaranteed OHKO on any opposing Shedinja but also serves as an extremely capable Imposter counter if an Imposter Pokemon switches into your Shedinja as it pivots out. With this set in particular, an offensive Mold Breaker Pokemon is preferred, as a Pursuit coming off of a defensive Pokemon won't always OHKO an opposing Chansey.

Cleric support and entry hazard control are also a must if you want to ensure Shedinja's reliability throughout the match. Prankster users such as Registeel and Giratina perform this role very efficiently, especially when there's a high level of offensive pressure on your team. Be mindful of any Poison Heal Pokemon on your team when using Aromatherapy, as they can lose their immunity to status for the rest of the match if their Toxic Orb has already been removed.

An Imposter user of your own works wonders to ensure maximum knowledge of your opponent's team. Reliable Imposter Pokemon include Chansey, for its immense HP and access to Eviolite, and Blissey. However, other Pokemon can be used as Imposters if your team struggles against a specific threat. For example, a Pikachu holding a Light Ball transforms into a frail version of your opponent's Pokemon, but with doubled attacking stats to provide you with nuking potential, especially when copying an -ate user's set. Even very niche Pokemon such as Hoopa-U can be used to benefit from any setup that an opposing Hoopa utilizes. However, Chansey still offers the most reward with the lowest opportunity cost, especially when using it as a scout.

Team members that run Knock Off, such as Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Protean Mega Mewtwo X, and Regigigas, as well as defensive Pokemon such as Giratina, Regirock, and Registeel make Shedinja's job a lot easier by removing Rocky Helmet and Leftovers from the equation, giving Shedinja much greater freedom to use Endeavor and Ice Shard.

This Shedinja set also synergizes very well with sand and hail teams, provided it runs Safety Goggles. Shedinja can cripple the foe with Endeavor while the residual weather damage finishes them off, effectively KOing it in a single turn. This also allows Shedinja to stay in against a wider variety of threats, as the foe will faint before partial trapping moves or Leech Seed are able to KO Shedinja.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Magic Guard can be used to bluff a Sturdy set in Team Preview and not take damage from entry hazards or status, but once it's been found out all utility is lost, as it only takes one hit from any Pokemon to break the Focus Sash that is required on this set, and another to take Shedinja out.

Abilities such as the -ates and Scrappy also allow Shedinja to surprise Ghost-type switch-ins with an Endeavor. Consider running Pursuit on these sorts of sets to prevent the opponent from switching their Ghost-type out after realizing that your Shedinja isn't Sturdy.

Pursuit can also be used as a finishing move if priority isn't necessary, as it ensures a KO on an unprotected foe, even those that try to switch out after being hit by Endeavor.

Shedinja's niche of being immune to most forms of direct damage gives it the opportunity to run a large variety of moves as well. These can be very situational, as more often than not the foe won't be staying in on Shedinja long enough for it to do much to them anyway, but they can work with the right team support.

Spore can be useful on Safety Goggles sets, as you won't need to fear Magic Bounce users. Putting a threat to sleep will usually force them to switch out, which will allow Shedinja to switch into a check for that. It's good for momentum but comes at the cost of staying in the field longer. Spore also gives Shedinja the opportunity to switch out of Mold Breaker users lacking Safety Goggles, but that item and ability combination is rather common, so be sure to have Knock Off support if you are going to attempt this strategy.

Teeter Dance can also be used to force a 50% chance of survival against a Mold Breaker user that switches in. The risk is still there, but confusion is a high-risk, high-reward strategy, and a 50% chance of survival is better than nothing. Teeter Dance also bypasses Magic Bounce, making it more reliable than another confusion move such as Confuse Ray.

Foresight can be used, not only to hit Ghost-types that are immune to Endeavor but also to force Ghost-types out, allowing Shedinja's Endeavor to land on another Pokemon on the opponent's team. This won't help in situations where the opponent has multiple Ghost-types on their team, however.

Extreme Speed can be used as an alternative to Ice Shard or Feint for more power at the cost of making contact and being blocked by Protect clones and Ghost-types.

Perish Song can also be used to force switches when you come across a sweeper that the rest of your team can't handle or to use in tandem with partial trapping to deal with walls that your offensive Pokemon aren't able to break through.

Eject Button can also be used if you have trouble with partial trapping moves such as Magma Storm, Infestation, and Whirlpool. Eject Button also allows Shedinja to switch out of status inflicted via attacks such as Inferno, Sacred Fire, Scald, and Poison Fang.

Protect and all of its clones increase Shedinja's scouting abilities, but they make Shedinja more vulnerable to Mold Breaker if the opponent has it on their team.

Magic Coat can also be useful against foes that opt for status moves as their answer to Shedinja.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Mold Breaker**: Common Mold Breaker users primarily include offensive Pokemon such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Gengar but also defensive Pokemon such as Giratina. More often than not, a Mold Breaker user will be carrying Pursuit, even if they are defensive, which is guaranteed to hit Shedinja, even if it switches out. Mold Breaker users also have the ability to set up entry hazards without fear of having them bounced back by Magic Bounce, which makes hazard removal on Shedinja's teammates absolutely mandatory.

**Entry Hazards**: The only entry hazard that Shedinja isn't afraid of is Sticky Web. The rest of them either KO Shedinja or inflict it with poison as it switches in, making Shedinja little more than a sacrifice unless your team carries Defog or Rapid Spin. Multiple methods of hazard removal can prove to be incredibly useful, allowing your team much greater flexibility when it needs to remove a Stealth Rock, even when faced with high offensive pressure.

**Status**: Poison and burns are quite common in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, and they either force a switch, take Shedinja out, or force it to go on the defensive and spam Recycle for its Lum Berry, all of which put a dead stop to its offensive capabilities until the next time it can come in, if there is a next time. Be wary of No Guard users, such as Mega Mewtwo X and Y, Mega Charizard Y, and the occasional Mega Manectric, as their Inferno deals damage to and burns anything that switches into it. Keep in mind that Poison Heal users occasionally run Psycho Shift to spread their status around your team as well.

**Partial Trapping**: Another common way to deal with Shedinja is the use of partial trapping moves such as Infestation and Magma Storm, either on a predicted Shedinja switch or against a Shedinja that is attempting to sweep. This damage can only be avoided if Shedinja runs Magic Guard over Sturdy. No Guard users will usually run Magma Storm as coverage, so a Lum Berry won't do you much good against them. Also be wary of Perish Song trappers such as Soundproof Arceus, Mega Aggron, and Mega Slowbro, as they will usually run partial trapping if they aren't running Block or Thousand Waves.

**No Guard**: No Guard gives Pokemon access to powerful and accurate moves that have a 100% chance of inflicting a status condition, such as Inferno and Zap Cannon, as well as a fully accurate Magma Storm. Shedinja doesn't like any of these things, so it should avoid switching in against No Guard whenever possible, only entering the field against it as a last resort to attempt to get the foe's HP down to the point where a teammate can deal with them.

**Confusion**: If Shedinja is confused, it has a 50% chance of KOing itself every time it attempts to move. Its Ghost typing allows it to avoid No Guard Dynamic Punch, arguably the most common confusion-inducing move, but you should be wary of Prankster Teeter Dance users such as Aegislash and Registeel. Teeter Dance also ignores Magic Bounce, making it even more dangerous.

**Leech Seed**: Leech Seed isn't obscure enough that it shouldn't be expected, especially coming from Kyogre or Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn.

**Passive Weather Damage**: Sand and hail make Shedinja completely deadweight unless it's running Safety Goggles, which is vulnerable to Knock Off. Common weather setters include Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Tyranitar, the latter of which also has a very powerful Knock Off, which will remove Safety Goggles and cause Shedinja to fall to weather damage.

**Knock Off**: Knock Off severely cripples Shedinja's ability to avoid passive damage, either by removing its Lum Berry and opening it up to status or by removing its Safety Goggles and making it vulnerable to passive weather damage and moves like Spore, which hamper its pivoting abilities as well. Common users of Knock Off include Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Mewtwo X, Giratina, and various Regenerator users such as Registeel, Regirock, and Kyogre. Try to have a Pokemon on your team with a non-removable item such as Griseous Orb Giratina, or simply an item that your Pokemon can live without to sponge these hits, as losing items can cripple an entire team, not just Shedinja.

**Poison Heal**: Poison Heal provides a hard check to Shedinja the majority of the time, unless used by a Pokemon with a particularly low Defense stat. Poison Heal outheals partial trapping unless Shedinja is running Binding Band, as well as making it very difficult to KO the Poison Heal user with Ice Shard or Feint. On top of that, many Poison Heal users, such as Kyogre and Giratina, also run moves specifically to counter Shedinja, such as Psycho Shift, Leech Seed, Trick, and Scald.

**Regenerator**: A slow Pokemon with Regenerator, such as Regirock or Registeel, is able to switch into any of Shedinja's moves and switch back out to heal, making it very difficult to knock out unless Shedinja is running Pursuit. A dual Regenerator core is nigh-unbeatable by Shedinja.

**Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield**: Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield are fatal for variants of Shedinja that use contact moves, knocking Shedinja out and often crippling your team's defensive core in the process. Scouting and Knock Off support remedy this, giving you the opportunity to know when Shedinja can attack and when it needs to pivot out.

**Curse**: A move that can be found on Ghost-type walls such as Giratina and Aegislash, Curse can spell trouble for Shedinja and its teammates as an unblockable move that deals damage equal to a quarter of the afflicted Pokemon's maximum health at the end of each turn.
 
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Hey man, great work so far. However, this has to be in bullet form, not in paragraphs until you've hit two QC checks. Please edit accordingly.
 

tysequaine

80% sexy, 20% disgusting
Really sorry about that. I should have read more thoroughly, but mistakes are usually the best way to learn.

It should be fixed now, I'm not quite sure whether order matters all that much in regards to the sets, but if it does, let me know where to put the IVs and Levels and I'll fix that up.
 
Really sorry about that. I should have read more thoroughly, but mistakes are usually the best way to learn.

It should be fixed now, I'm not quite sure whether order matters all that much in regards to the sets, but if it does, let me know where to put the IVs and Levels and I'll fix that up.
You have IVs correct. :)

I'm not sure about level, I've never seen it used before. I'd look for an Aron analysis somewhere, but I'm not sure if you'll find one for Gen 6.

Sets should be in order of viability.

Thanks for fixing man!
 

tysequaine

80% sexy, 20% disgusting
You have IVs correct. :)

I'm not sure about level, I've never seen it used before. I'd look for an Aron analysis somewhere, but I'm not sure if you'll find one for Gen 6.

Sets should be in order of viability.

Thanks for fixing man!
No worries, I'll look for that Aron analysis.

Regarding viability, I used the most popular version of the set first as it's usually the easiest to use, but I'll swap it with the defensive pivot version as that one is a lot safer to use, especially in the upper ladder.

Edit: The Aron sets are for LC and don't show any level changes, so this would probably need to be addressed in the descriptions or the formatting changed to accompany the level change.
 
Really, really nice work. I'm impressed.

Set 1:

Set Details: This is debatable, but I think you can just remove mentions of Lagging Tail, Full Incense, and Stall. Instead just say something like "almost assuredly" go last, except against other Level 1's. Also explain the point of minimized defenses (killing Imposters easily).

Usage Tips: Remember, we're talking to BH beginners. Add a little bit about when to switch in Shedinja and when not to. You should probably mention something about scouting for opponents' Shedinja counters.

Team Options: Mention the importance of hazard removal and supply a few good Defoggers as examples. Remember, this might not be obvious to someone reading the analysis. I'm also not sure about the phrase "able to find a place on any team"; it seems a bit too broad.

Set 2:

Change the name, maybe to just "Endeavor." It's not really a sweeper.

Set Comments: I'm not sure why using Parting Shot on this is any better than using it on the first set. If you're going to add it here, you can't say in Set 1 that Baton Pass is the only one worth using.

Other Options: This is the section that needs the most work. You can put more obscure moves and items here, too, not just abilities. I'd recommend mentioning a few lesser-known moves of Shedinja's here that can see use, like Spore (for Safety Goggles sets, can sometimes be helpful), Foresight (it certainly surprises Ghosts), Ice Shard (if you want to hit Ghosts with your priority and finish off random stuff at low health), and maybe even Perish Song, which is pretty good for forcing stuff out. You covered all the viable items, I think.

I'm pretty sure Prankster is not viable, so just delete any mention of that. Magic Guard is still pretty stupid but I've seen it work on very rare occasions, so I'll leave that up to the discretion of my fellow QC members.

Checks and Counters: Be more specific. Give examples of common Mold Breakers (Gyarados-Mega, Giratina, Mega Gengar). Also give examples of stuff that runs partial trapping, weather, and Knock Off. (It's not as important for status, I think). I think you forgot to finish this sentence:
  • Passive Weather Damage: Sand and Hail also make Shedinja completely redundant unless it's running Safety Goggles, which are vulnerable to-
I put a lot of stuff here but the analysis is very good.

QC 1/3
 

tysequaine

80% sexy, 20% disgusting
I think you forgot to finish this sentence:
  • Passive Weather Damage: Sand and Hail also make Shedinja completely redundant unless it's running Safety Goggles, which are vulnerable to-
That was an attempt at humour with Knock Off sitting just below it, but yeah, I've adjusted that a bit. I also added No Guard, Confusion and Leech Seed to the checks & counters list, as well as examples for most things. If I've missed any huge ones, let me know, but I think it's pretty comprehensive as it is.

Cheers heaps though.
 
That was an attempt at humour with Knock Off sitting just below it, but yeah, I've adjusted that a bit. I also added No Guard, Confusion and Leech Seed to the checks & counters list, as well as examples for most things. If I've missed any huge ones, let me know, but I think it's pretty comprehensive as it is.

Cheers heaps though.
Oh, got it. Sorry about that. Nice work!
 
Yeah as UC said, this is a great analysis.
In the Overview, you might want to mention weather (I know you mentioned it in Checks and Counters, but I think it should go there too)
From your Endeavor set, you should remove Extreme Speed because it's outclassed by Feint (they're both +2 priority and Extreme Speed is contact)
In Other Options, add an Aerilate/Scrappy set for dealing with Ghost types. It's another gimmick that, like Magic Guard, is easy to kill after it's discovered, but I'd say it's even more useful than Magic Guard as it allows you to kill the Ghost switchin quite often (Pursuit might be worth mentioning on this set)
Besides that, looks great!
QC 2/3
 

tysequaine

80% sexy, 20% disgusting
Yeah as UC said, this is a great analysis.
In the Overview, you might want to mention weather (I know you mentioned it in Checks and Counters, but I think it should go there too)
From your Endeavor set, you should remove Extreme Speed because it's outclassed by Feint (they're both +2 priority and Extreme Speed is contact)
In Other Options, add an Aerilate/Scrappy set for dealing with Ghost types. It's another gimmick that, like Magic Guard, is easy to kill after it's discovered, but I'd say it's even more useful than Magic Guard as it allows you to kill the Ghost switchin quite often (Pursuit might be worth mentioning on this set)
Besides that, looks great!
QC 2/3
I must've cut that ExtremeSpeed sentence down, my reasoning for having it over Feint is that it gives Shedinja a much better shot at killing Pokemon that run Leftovers. If you'd still prefer I change it, I will, but the fact that it has almost 3x the BP of Feint, I feel like it deserves to be slashed next to it at the very least.

Other than that, I'll put those changes in now.
 

EV

Banned deucer.
Sanctuary now that you have 2 QC checks you'll put it in the full analyses mode. After you do that you'll get your 3rd and then GP checks. (If you were still re-writing then ignore this.)
 
I must've cut that ExtremeSpeed sentence down, my reasoning for having it over Feint is that it gives Shedinja a much better shot at killing Pokemon that run Leftovers. If you'd still prefer I change it, I will, but the fact that it has almost 3x the BP of Feint, I feel like it deserves to be slashed next to it at the very least.

Other than that, I'll put those changes in now.
Fair enough. I also forgot to mention that you might want to add Red Card in Other Options, as it is great for dealing with things like Magma Storm and Infestation.

Also,

(thanks unfixable for making this!)
 
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tysequaine

80% sexy, 20% disgusting
Sanctuary now that you have 2 QC checks you'll put it in the full analyses mode. After you do that you'll get your 3rd and then GP checks. (If you were still re-writing then ignore this.)
Fair enough. I also forgot to mention that you might want to add Red Card in Other Options, as it is great for dealing with things like Magma Storm and Infestation.

Also,

(thanks unfixable for making this!)
Thanks guys. I have a production meeting tonight and I've got things to do tomorrow, so it may not be put into full analyses for a couple of days, but I'll get to it when I can. It won't be difficult though, especially since it's all in bullet points, it just comes down to making it long form. I may even be able to get it done on the train tonight, but yeah, we'll see.
 
isn't infestation just better than whirlpool? doesn't miss, no immunities. unless i'm missing something.
 

tysequaine

80% sexy, 20% disgusting
guess i coulda read the analysis haha!
u silly goose :-)


Uselesscrab, Piccolo Daimao, I'm wondering how I should approach the Usage Tips and Team Options for Set 2. They're incredibly similar to the original set, so should it mostly just reference that or should I copy and paste, or just bite the bullet and reword Set 1's to provide variety in the text?

I've also added Infestation as a slash for Set 2, as the nature of the set doesn't take Rocky Helmet or Spiky Shield into account anyway, and allows Shedinja to knock out bulky Normal-type resistant Leftovers users that it wouldn't have been able to before. How do you guys feel about that?

EDIT: unfixable would probably know about what to do here too, so tagging.
 
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Hey, I was asked to comment on what to do. So, basically, when the sets are very, very similar, you do have to rewrite them. Don't put "See Team Options for Set #1," that is not allowed and is not the proper format. However, do not copy paste. What I would do is rewrite what you've said but in a different manner and with a new thing added, or a new thing removed, just so it's not repetitive.

Sanctuary also asked how the Moves section is handled in BH. You mention everything on the set, and then one or two viable options that are better than the options in OO.
 

tysequaine

80% sexy, 20% disgusting
Hey, I was asked to comment on what to do. So, basically, when the sets are very, very similar, you do have to rewrite them. Don't put "See Team Options for Set #1," that is not allowed and is not the proper format. However, do not copy paste. What I would do is rewrite what you've said but in a different manner and with a new thing added, or a new thing removed, just so it's not repetitive.

Sanctuary also asked how the Moves section is handled in BH. You mention everything on the set, and then one or two viable options that are better than the options in OO.
Thank you very much for answering that :)

The analysis is complete, so re-tagging E4 Flint for the final QC check.

I've also removed Focus Sash as an option from the Sturdy sets, as I did some testing with it and found that the sash activates before Sturdy, even against Pokemon that don't have Mold Breaker, meaning the only reliable way to use it would be with Recycle, which makes very little sense having to recycle your sash when other hits won't even kill you, all for the sake of saving yourself from a Mold Breaker.
 

E4 Flint

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Hey sorry for taking so long, I was away for a while. I'm going to go ahead and check this right now but that means some of the stuff I write may already have been addressed by Piccolo and UC, so apologies for that as well.

Set 1 Details:
Solid, would change last line to something more explicit like "...switching out at the cost of not being able to come in on Hail and Sand because of the instant KO", since "render it useless" seems to refer to the recycling instead of Shedinja.

Set 1 Usage tips:
"use of slow Volt Switch / [Baton Pass]" instead of U-turn, just a minor issue

Rephrase: "The use of defensive pokemon with regenerator [and switch moves] nullifies both partial trapping and leech seed residual damage upon switching out and are therefore a good target to pass to"

Set 2:
Would move Extremspeed to Other Options on the niche of beating Pranksters (which even then, Feint fills the niche better), and keep Ice Shard as the number one prio move, with Feint possibly as second.Ice Shard is the number 1 option imo because it is physical and can make use of Shedinja's usable attack stat, while also being a good general typing hitting a lot of 'mons that may just need a finishing blow. It can even provide strong hits because of its type to common threats that may decide to stay in, in case you want to bypass the leech seed and just go for the kill.
252+ Atk Shedinja Ice Shard vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Mega Rayquaza: 152-180 (43.3 - 51.2%) (obvious 4x weakness but still pretty good damage)

I feel no reason to use Infestation here even though Endeavor is being used. Many times it may be possible to trap and get some damage off of something that has Rocky Helm for free, because the opponent tries to switch in expecting Endeavor. Would change back to Whirlpool imo.

Set 2 Set Details:
Would also add in a note about how a max attack stat simultaneously allows to hit harder, while also making Foul Play (though used less now) hit around half to the Impostor.

Set 2 Usage Tips:
Would not make use of Parting Shot as it can be easily exploited via Magic Bounce to a Mold Breaker for the opponent. It is an uncommon but major risk and good enough to not use it imo. Would possibly make an explicit note about this as well.

I like what you wrote in Slow Switching. In addition, I would say something like "Do not be surprised if most of your early game with Shedinja will primarily be using its switching move. It is best not to rush to an attack and safe switch Shedinja is a great way to scout, especially when partnered with Impostor as the switch target"
I know you wrote this in Team options but it's probably important enough to mention in passing here as well.

Set 2 Team Options:
Although I agree with your opening line's sentiment, I think it is more of a case that a person must be willing to accommodate Shedinja into his or her teams without it just fainting very early. This is in contrast to your "can be optimised" which makes it sound a little optional. Shedinja is such a pokemon that you have to put in extra effort for it to truly "fit into any team". I'm making special note of this because sometimes new players read "fit into any team" and just flippantly toss it into the team and expect to block anything.

I would make a note in any of the two sets of how Endeavor can also work very well with Safety Goggles Shedinja in a Sand or Hail based team, as it can force KO's from the weather passive damage even when the opponent uses something like Leech Seed or Infestation on Shedinja on the same turn. This allows for some quick Endeavor instant KOs.

Other Options:
Spore is especially helpful if an opponent has a Mold Breaker without Safety Goggles. Unfortunately, this is pretty common so either a previous Knock Off from the team or a flat switch would be advised.

On a similar note, Teeter Dance is another way to status a switch in instantly and which can also make an instant 50/50 against an incoming Mold Breaker (which is still risky, but better than a 0% chance to live) and has the added benefit of not being affected by Magic Bounce.

I think the use of Shields such as Spiky and King's can also prove beneficial, as it increases scouting abilities. The obvious trade off is that it can make you more vulnerable to Mold Breaker if your opponent still has it.

Eject Button is an interesting idea, but I would remove Red Card in case something is switched in carelessly like an opponent's Mold Breaker or (in case of no Safety Goggles) a Sand/Hail setter which would spell instant doom.

Would remove Fell Stinger, not only because it is extremely situational (it is very unlikely that you will have an opponent who is in the range to KO with a base 30 BP move, who will not switch out, and also not have a resist to Bug, which almost every popular BH pokemon does), but also because it is contact. It is probably better just to use Swords Dance or Shell Smash which allow Shedinja to hit harder itself, helps vs Impostor (especially SS, since the defense drops do not affect you), and also can be passed easily to another teammate.

Although archaic, Shedinja can also run Magic Coat and Defog itself if you feel that is worth a mention.

Would add the Pursuit idea you have earlier in your set ideas, here.

Would add Extremspeed here as mentioned as well as its risks and the fact that Feint is often better for the same role.

Checks and Counters:

Mention how a slow regenerator can shrug off one single Endeavor, or the partial trapping, and switch out to heal, which is a decent switch in check.

Would make special mention Mold Breaker pokemon also have the ability to lay hazards past Magic Bounce along with Pursuit. Incidentally, you do not have Hazards in Checks and Counters at all.

As a minor point, curse can sometimes be problematic for Shedinja as well as things that is passes to.

A mention of the presence of Rocky Helmet on a non-Mold Breaker as a lure for Shedinja

Misc:
Although I'm sure this will probably be covered in Prose/Grammar checks, but sometimes it seems a bit wordy and like you are repeating yourself. E.g. "slow switching via the switching moves of Bpass/Uturn" can just be condensed to "slow switching via Bpass" etc.

Verdict:
Overall pretty good and props for being pretty thorough. It's only fair that the three of us were just as thorough even if sometimes it may seem like minor complaints because this write up will be a solid resource for new players to come. Good work

Hope I was able to help

E4

QC3
 

tysequaine

80% sexy, 20% disgusting
Hey sorry for taking so long, I was away for a while. I'm going to go ahead and check this right now but that means some of the stuff I write may already have been addressed by Piccolo and UC, so apologies for that as well. ...
No worries, cheers heaps for going through all of my drivel. I've made changes accordingly, and while I do disagree with ExtremeSpeed being moved to the Other Options section, I can't argue with Ice Shard's utility in killing stuff like Mega Ray.

I also put Magic Coat in that section, but not Defog. Defog on SR-weak Pokemon can be reliable when they have access to recovery, but Shedinja is knocked out instantly, so having Defog on the set would just seem hurtful to look at if all of your hazard removal has been knocked out and there are rocks about.

Also that Curse pun is shameless and wonderful and I will delete this entire analysis if anyone tries to have it removed.
 

P Squared

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GP 1/2 :]
there's a lot of fluff and things that seem like they apply to every Pokemon/team/battle in this metagame, whereas this should focus on Shedinja. idk. read the comments!
[OVERVIEW]
Shedinja is an incredibly potent threat in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, able to endure virtually any direct hit and bring most opponents foes down to their last breath in one fell swoop. Shedinja's almost infinite bulk comes from its unique hardcoded 1 HP stat in combination with the ability Sturdy, which allows it to tank any direct damage thrown at it that doesn't come from a Pokemon with Mold Breaker. From here it is able to use moves such as Endeavor or and Pain Split to reduce the opponent's foe's HP without stat differences factoring into the equation, (RC) or simply function as an extremely efficient defensive pivot to preserve your team's momentum, giving you the opportunity to easily switch into checks and counters for whatever the opponent attempts to throw at Shedinja.

Don't be fooled by its potential, however: Shedinja has defined the Balanced Hackmons metagame to the point that any successful team has multiple ways to deal with it, most of which function very well outside of countering Shedinja. Strategies such as include Mold Breaker, as mentioned above, which becomes an almost certain Shedinja counter if paired with the move Pursuit, which hits Pokemon as they switch out. Other methods include entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, which deal indirect damage or cause inflict status on Pokemon that switch into them; status infliction, as Shedinja will always lose 100% of its health from burn or poison; partial trapping moves, whose residual damage will also cause Shedinja to faint at the end of the turn; the Rocky Helmet item and Spiky Shield move, which deal damage when their user is hit by a move that makes contact; and weather such as sand and hail Sandstorm and Hail, which deal residual damage at the end of each turn. A well-played Shedinja will almost always be able to nullify the effects of these methods, (AC) though, either with proper team support or by adjusting its moveset to meet a compromise of safety and utility.

[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Pain Split
move 3: Whirlpool
move 4: Safeguard / Recycle / Endeavor
level: 1
item: Safety Goggles / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs: (just making sure, no EVs?)
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Moves
========

Baton Pass is the safest switching move that Shedinja can use, as the only thing that stops it from working is the move Taunt, which is currently quite uncommon in the Balanced Hackmons metagame. Other switching moves all rely on your opponent not having a common item, type, ability, and/or move, such as Rocky Helmet, Ground-types Types with Mold Breaker, and the Magic Bounce users ability, all of which can spell trouble for your Shedinja if they are used against you.

Pain Split shares the difference between Shedinja's HP and its foe's; your opponent's, meaning that coming off of a because of Shedinja's hardcoded 1 HP stat it will always cut the foe's your opponent's HP in half every time it's used. It's a slower method of knocking out foes opponents out than a move such as Endeavor, but it has the benefit of not making contact and being able to hit Ghost-types. The respectable 32 PP that Pain Split offers also means that any recovery on a defensive opponent foe can be stalled out, securing Shedinja a KO or allowing teammates to sweep it with little trouble.

Whirlpool compliments Pain Split very well, as it deals damage equal to 1/8 of the foe's maximum your opponent's HP at the end of every turn, (RC) while also preventing them from dry directly switching out, aside from Ghost-types and Shed Shell Pokemon holding the Shed Shell item. Whirlpool is less accurate than Infestation, (RC) but has the benefit of not making contact, keeping Shedinja safe from meaning that Shedinja's damaging potential is completely immune to the effects of the (if you strongly prefer the underlined, you can keep it instead of "keeping Shedinja safe from") Rocky Helmet item, the move Spiky Shield, and abilities such as Rough Skin. Partial trapping is vital on this Shedinja set if you intend to score KOs with it, as Pain Split can only do so much damage before it ceases to work.

Safeguard and Recycle are both moves that reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja, and the move used depends on the Shedinja's item you choose to have Shedinja carry; Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give you Shedinja an immunity to status as well as to residual weather damage, but even the turn used in setting to set up Safeguard can be very risky for Shedinja. Conversely, Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used up to 16 times, making Shedinja virtually immune to status, (RC) but leaving it vulnerable to weather damage and forcing Shedinja to go on the defensive when facing an opponent foe that spams status moves.

Neither of these moves really needs be used if you have appropriate team support in Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, however, which would allow Shedinja to run Endeavor as a last-ditch attempt to bring a threat that your team can't deal with into fainting territory by the KO range of one of your other Pokemon, or even. Another option is Shell Smash, which can be used in conjunction with Baton Pass to pass very powerful stat boosts to Shedinja's teammates.

Set Details
========

You may might be wondering what the point of a Level 1 Shedinja is when its HP stat always remains the same, and the answer lies in what it can do in order to make its teammates' your teammate's jobs easier. As a For defensive pivots, a slow Baton Pass is very important to ensure that you start the next turn with the upper hand:; (ASC) as a Level 1 Pokemon with a Speed-decreasing -Speed nature, this Shedinja set will almost assuredly go last, except against other Level 1's Pokemon.

Furthermore, the minimalized defenses guarantee that your team will be able to OHKO any Imposter Pokemon that copies this set as you Shedinja uses Baton Pass away, provided you have use a Pokemon with Mold Breaker and Pursuit on your team. Even if not, many Imposter users opponents don't pay attention to Shedinja's level, so they don't consider that they their Imposter users will only have a defensive spread of only ~5 / ~5 (this looks kinda clunky; is "they don't consider that their Imposter users will have only single-digit defenses" fine?) when after they transform, increasing the likelihood of them opponents keeping their copied Shedinja in on any Pokemon that doesn't look like it will OHKO them.

Safety Goggles provides Shedinja with the optimum amount of passive damage avoidance when supported by teammates that know with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, allowing it to not be bothered by the occasional sandstorm or hail team that you will encounter in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, as well as supplying a useful immunity to the omnipresent Spore.

Lum Berry, on the other hand, allows Shedinja to run more independently in regards to status, (RC) when paired with the move Recycle to keep status away without switching out, with the compromise being that any sand or hail Sandstorm or Hail team will render Shedinja useless, as it will be knocked out as soon as it switches in.

Usage Tips
========

Above all else, this Shedinja set is a defensive pivot, so Baton Pass should really be the only move it uses to minimize the risk of it fainting and compromising your team's defensive synergy. In saying that, Shedinja can't be the only Pokemon capable of taking a hit on your team, as the methods of dealing with it are flexible enough to be applied to any Pokemon, sweepers and walls alike. If another Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit or two from a certain threat, switch into that before switching into Shedinja, as it will give you the opportunity to find out what moves the foe your opponent is running and whether or not Shedinja should be afraid of them. Directly switching Dry switching (switching without the use of a move) into Shedinja should only be done when you know what your opponent is running, (RC) or when no other Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit from a certain threat.

Furthermore, the use of slow switching strategies on Shedinja's teammates makes scouting for Shedinja's checks a lot easier. A slow switch into Shedinja not only keeps Shedinja safe from any attacks, (RC) but also allows you to see whether or not the Pokemon you're facing is capable of dealing with Shedinja. Oftentimes if a certain Pokemon can't either KO or out-heal Shedinja, it will switch out immediately, either dry or through the use of a switching move. Either way, your Shedinja will be able to safely Baton Pass away afterwards, and for the rest of the match you will know almost for sure that that certain Pokemon can be checked by Shedinja.

Be sure to keep an eye on the battle log when the opponent switches a Pokemon your opponents switch in. In Balanced Hackmons, anything can run Mold Breaker and its clones, Turboblaze and Teravolt, and often your only clue before Shedinja falls falling to a Sturdy-ignoring attack is often the "X breaks the mold / is emitting a * aura!" text that will appear when an opposing Pokemon switches in. Be wary, and above all else, be careful. You want to keep Shedinja alive as long as possible,; (ASC) don't just sack sacrifice it in the beginning of the game because you see an opportunity for a KO.

Team Options
========

Shedinja's niche isn't hampered by many playstyles or team setups, so it is able to find a place on most teams. In saying that, However, Shedinja isn't something that can be thrown on a team for an instant win:; (ASC) if you don't want Shedinja fainting very early, a large part of your team needs to be built around it, (RC) or at least optimized for use with it. Use Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit Pokemon such as Groudon, Giratina, (AC) or Mega Gyarados to lure opposing Imposters Pokemon into your pivoting Shedinja and OHKO them every time.

Entry hazard removal is mandatory. Defog is the most reliable method status-removal move, although Rapid Spin can be run if you're looking to only remove hazards from your own side of the field, but; however, keep in mind that Ghost-types are immune to Rapid Spin. Common Defog users include Registeel, Aegislash, and Lugia, but the move can be run on just about any defensive Pokemon with success, (RC) so long as it doesn't hold a 4x weakness to Rock weakness; even Lugia may might have trouble with it (clarify what "it" is) if your opponent provides enough offensive pressure. Rapid Spin is usually reserved for Pokemon that run Assault Vest + Regenerator, which can include Regirock, Registeel, (AC) and Kyogre. Having multiple methods of hazard removal on different kinds of walls will also allow you more flexibility in, especially against teams that provide a lot of offensive pressure.

Status curing is also very important, especially if you run Safety Goggles. Not only do the moves Aromatherapy and Heal Bell allow Shedinja to switch in after it's been inflicted with a status, but they also cure other members of your team. Be wary when running Heal Bell that it Heal Bell won't affect Pokemon on your team that have the ability Soundproof. These moves can usually fit nicely into the moveset of a Pokemon that uses Defog, particularly ones with the Prankster ability.

To reduce risk, it's a good idea to have an Imposter teammate to scout the opponent's movesets before bringing Shedinja in on them if possible, to reduce risk. Chansey is the obvious choice here, with its immense HP stat and the opportunity to use Eviolite to further increase its bulk, usually allowing you to scout every member of an opponent's team with just a single Chansey. Scouting can also be achieved by using Volt Switch / U-turn VoltTurn strategies to determine movesets of the opponent's team, (AC) as well preserve your own momentum, while also providing you with the opportunity to and see what foes Pokemon the opponent is using switch out of your Pokemon own team, letting you see what you can wall and what you can't.

The use of defensive Pokemon with Regenerator alongside Shedinja nullifies residual damage from Leech Seed (curiosity - how?) and partial trapping that gets passed by Baton Pass, as well as providing an opportunity for slow VoltTurn Volt Switch / U-turn strategies to assist in scouting for threats to Shedinja threats. Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro, Regirock, (AC) and Registeel are often effective users of Regenerator, as their typing and/or stats allow them to take multiple hits from physical or special attackers (except in Mega Slowbro in most cases) (what does that mean?) before switching out to regenerate their health.

If you have any sweepers on your team that Shedinja can't wall, make sure that another Pokemon on your team can wall them. The omnipresence of Imposter Chansey means that you'll often be walling your own sweepers, so be sure to Imposter-proof your team if you can't Imposter-proof individual sweepers, usually by compromising coverage to ensure that one of your walls can hard wall them. Try to avoid using set-up Mold Breaker setup sweepers without a Substitute, as these will make short work of your Shedinja as well as its teammates as well as Shedinja.

(many of the changes in the next set were made for the same reason, which is that it refers to things in the previous set. you have to assume that the reader hasn't read the previous set. so no "like in the above set" or "still the same")
[SET]
name: Endeavor
move 1: Endeavor
move 2: Ice Shard / Feint / Whirlpool
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Recycle / Safeguard
item: Lum Berry / Safety Goggles
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Endeavor is Shedinja's the most powerful damaging move that Shedinja can use, instantly bringing anything that it can hit down to 1 HP. It's much quicker at minimizing the opponent's foe's HP than Pain Split in the above set, but does make contact comes with the risk of being a contact move, meaning that the Rocky Helmet item, Spiky Shield move, Rough Skin, and / Iron Barbs abilities instantly KO Shedinja upon use. It also only has 8 PP, meaning that it's much easier to PP stall for defensive Pokemon with Leftovers to PP stall it than Pain Split is.

Ice Shard is used alongside Endeavor to ensure that an opponent foe is knocked out before being able to heal, unless the opponent foe is a Prankster user with more Speed than Shedinja, which isn't that difficult to achieve considering the Shedinja's EV spread. Ice Shard's typing also allows it to deal a large amount of damage to common threats in the metagame such as Mega Rayquaza. Feint is a +2 priority move that has the benefit over Ice Shard of ignoring protection moves such as Protect and Spiky Shield. Ice Shard's typing also allows it to deal a large amount of damage against common threats in the meta such as Mega Rayquaza.

Priority can be exchanged for a move such as Whirlpool to trap the foe your opponent if you'd like the slow switch and easy Imposter luring of a Level 1 Shedinja. (kinda confused about this; clarify?) In this case, Whirlpool is still used over Infestation, (AC) as it allows Shedinja to score some damage on foes with opponents that haven't had their Rocky Helmet removed by teammates yet without KOing itself.

Baton Pass is is still infinitely useful, even on a more offensively oriented set such as this. It allows Shedinja to fulfill the role of a pivot when you haven't scouted the opponent's team enough to know when Shedinja can start attacking other Pokemon. It passes conditions such as things like confusion, Leech Seed, Gastro Acid, and partial trapping to its recipient the selected Pokemon, but the effects of these are more often than not nullified by proper team support. If you don't want to run Baton Pass still isn't your thing, opt for Volt Switch instead of U-turn or Parting Shot. U-turn is affected by Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, while Parting Shot leaves Shedinja vulnerable to Magic Bouncers abusing users taking advantage of the move for a free switch into their own Mold Breaker user.

Much like in the above set, Safeguard and Recycle reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja; the choice depends depending on the Shedinja's item you choose to have Shedinja carry;. (AP) Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja you an immunity to status as well as to weather damage, and whereas Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used many times, giving Shedinja an effective immunity to status immunity.

Set Details
========

This set is very similar to the defensive pivot set mentioned above, but has a few necessary differences, with each set having their own pros and cons. Defensive IVs and EVs are still minimal, but Shedinja's Attack is maximized and its the level must remain at 100 for Shedinja if using Extreme Speed or Feint, to be able to break through Pokemon that carry the Leftovers item, as its finishing move relies on its Attack stat. Imposter (if you mean Imposter Pokemon in general say so, if you mean Chansey specifically say Imposter Chansey) can still be taken out using this spread, but be careful if you pair this Shedinja set with a defensive Mold Breaker user, as their Pursuit might may not always OHKO an Imposter Chansey or Blissey.

The Both items still serve their primary purpose: protecting Shedinja from passive damage. The one used depends on team support: if If you can't fit Aromatherapy on your team, opt for the Lum Berry to give Shedinja independence in its status-walling abilities. Otherwise, use Safety Goggles, as it is the only way to protect Shedinja from residual weather damage outside of gimmicks like such as Magic Guard.

The Brave nature maximizes Shedinja's Attack, giving it a stronger finishing move, (RC) while minimizing its Speed to preserve its slow pivoting abilities. It also maximizes the amount of damage that a move such as Foul Play will do to an Imposter user, should you choose not to run Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit user.

Usage Tips
========

This Shedinja set still functions best better as a defensive pivot than anything else, but the set itself it sacrifices compromises some of the more favourable aspects of the defensive pivot set (minimal Speed, (RC) and lack of contact moves and reduces the its ability to lure in and deal with Imposters) in favour Pokemon in favor of a more consistent offensive presence. However, because this offensive presence requires the use of contact moves, so still be sure to scout the opponent's team for Rocky Helmets and Spiky Shields users before attempting to cripple their Pokemon with Shedinja. Knock Off as team support can be invaluable for this set, as it not only paves the way for Shedinja to use Endeavor, (RC) but also removes any recovery items such as Leftovers or and Black Sludge, which would allow allowing Shedinja to use Feint or even Pursuit over Extreme Speed, either hitting through protection moves or taking out a switching Pokemon, respectively. (this sentence seems more Team Options-y though)

Slow switching via the use of Baton Pass is still extremely helpful not only for not only Shedinja, (RC) but also for any Balanced Hackmons team. Knowing your opponent('s team? if not, knowing the person you're playing against hardly seems feasible) is the key to being able to check and counter everything they have. While slow switching is not completely necessary on all Balanced Hackmons teams, you'll have a very difficult time getting Shedinja safely into play in the upper ladder without it slow switching, as you then opening yourself up to surprise coverage or switching into a Mold Breaker user. Know what checks and counters each of your Pokemon and you'll be able to wall virtually anything the opponent can throw at you. Paranoia is excellent when it comes to using Shedinja (o_O), so don't be surprised if most of the early-game sees Shedinja only using its switching move. Don't rush your offense either,; (ASC) safe switching and scouting with Shedinja is not only is an excellent way to preserve your team's defenses, (RC) but also allows your offensive Pokemon to come in at the moment they're needed most, providing excellent offensive pressure.

Team Options
========

A large part of Shedinja's utility comes from its teammates:; (ASC) don't expect to be able to throw it on any team without accommodating to its needs, or you'll find Shedinja fainting very early in the match. Many of these options are more than just things that can be done,; (ASC) they're mandatory if you want Shedinja to reach its potential.

A Mold Breaker user with the move Pursuit not only provides serves as a near-guaranteed OHKO to on any opposing Shedinja the opponent has, but also serves as an extremely capable Imposter counter if an Imposter Pokemon switches into your Shedinja as it pivots out. With this set in particular, an offensive Mold Breaker Pokemon is preferred, as a Pursuit coming off of a defensive Pokemon won't always OHKO an opposing Chansey.

Clerical team support and entry in hazard control and status curing are also a must if you want to ensure Shedinja's reliability throughout the match. Prankster users such as Registeel or and Giratina perform this role very efficiently, especially when there's a high level of offensive pressure on your team. Be mindful of any Poison Heal Pokemon on your team when using Aromatherapy, as they may can lose their status-immunity to status for the rest of the match if your their Toxic Orb has already been removed.

A friendly An Imposter user of your own works wonders to ensure maximum knowledge of your opponent's team. Reliable Imposters Pokemon include Chansey, for its immense HP and access to Eviolite, and Blissey. However, other Pokemon can be used as Imposters if your team struggles against a specific threat(s). For example, a Pikachu holding a Light Ball transforms into a frail version of your opponent's Pokemon, but with doubled attacking stats to provide you with nuking potential, especially when copying an -ate user's set. Even very niche Pokemon such as Unbound Hoopa-U can be used to benefit from any setup that an opposing Hoopa utilizes. However, Chansey still offers the most reward with the lowest opportunity cost, especially when using it as a scout.

Team members that run Knock Off, such as Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Protean Mega Mewtwo X, and Regigigas, as well as defensive Pokemon such as like Giratina, Regirock, (AC) and Registeel make Shedinja's job a lot easier by removing Rocky Helmets and Leftovers from the equation, giving Shedinja much greater freedom to use Endeavor and Extreme Speed until its heart is content.

This Shedinja set also synergizes very well with sand and hail Sandstorm and Hail teams, provided it runs has Safety Goggles as the item. They allow Shedinja to can cripple the foe opponent with Endeavor while the residual weather damage finishes them off, effectively KO'ing opponents KOing it in a single turn. This also allows Shedinja to stay in against a wider variety of threats, as the opponent foe will faint before partial trapping moves or Leech Seed are able to KO Shedinja.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Magic Guard can be used to bluff a Sturdy set in Team Preview and not take damage from entry hazards or status, but once it's been found out all utility is lost, (AC) as it only takes one hit from any Pokemon to break the Focus Sash that is required on this set, and another to take it Shedinja out.

Abilities such as the -ates and Scrappy also allow Shedinja to surprise Ghost-type switch-ins with an Endeavor. Consider running Pursuit on these sorts of sets to prevent the opponent from switching their Ghost-type out after realizing that your Shedinja isn't Sturdy.

Pursuit can also be used as a finishing move if priority isn't necessary, as it ensures a kill KO on an unprotected foe opponent, even those that try to switch out after being hit by Endeavor.

Shedinja's niche of being immune to most forms of direct damage gives it the opportunity to run a large variety of moves as well. These can be very situational, as more often than not your opponent the foe won't be staying in on Shedinja long enough for you it to do much to them anyway, but they can work with the right team support.

Spore can be useful on Safety Goggles sets, as you won't need to fear Magic Bounce users. Putting a threat to sleep will usually force them to switch out, which will allow Shedinja to switch into a check for that. It's good for momentum, (RC) but at the cost of staying in the field longer. Spore also gives Shedinja the opportunity to switch out of Mold Breaker users lacking without Safety Goggles that switch in, but that item/ and ability combination is rather common, so be sure to have Knock Off support if you are going to attempt this strategy.

Teeter Dance is a move that can also be used to force a 50% 50/50 chance of survival against a Mold Breaker user that switches in. The risk is still there, but confusion is a high risk, high reward strategy, and a 50% chance of survival is better than nothing. Teeter Dance also bypasses Magic Bounce, making it more reliable than another confusion move such as Confuse Ray.

Foresight can be used, not only to hit Ghost-types that are immune to Endeavor, (RC) but also to force Ghost-types out, allowing your Endeavor to land on another Pokemon on the opponent's team. This won't help in situations where the opponent has multiple Ghost-types on their team, however.

Extreme Speed can be used as an alternative to Ice Shard or Feint for more power as a harder-hitting version of each, at the cost of making contact and being a contact move that is blocked by Protect clones and Ghost-types.

Perish Song can also be used to force switches when you come across a sweeper that the rest of your team can't handle, or to use in tandem with partial trapping to deal with walls that your offensive Pokemon aren't able to break through.

Eject Button can also be used as an item if you have trouble with partial trapping moves such as Magma Storm, Infestation, (AC) and Whirlpool. Eject Button also allows Shedinja you to switch out of status inflicted via attacks such as (Inferno, Sacred Fire, Scald, and Poison Fang, etc.) while you switch in.

Protect and all of its clones increase Shedinja's scouting abilities, but they makes Shedinja more vulnerable to Mold Breaker if the opponent (still) has it on their team.

Magic Coat can also be useful against foes that opt for status moves as their answer to Shedinja, bouncing things back at the opponent.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Mold Breaker**: one of the most common Shedinja counters, the move Pursuit hits targets before they switch out, so if one gets a switch into Shedinja and it can't kill it before it uses Pursuit, Shedinja is gone without a Focus Sash. (this is supposed to be about Mold Breaker, you should at least start by talking about Mold Breaker) Common Mold Breaker users in the tier include primarily include offensive Pokemon such as Mega Gyarados, Mega Gengar, (AC) and Primal Groudon, or even but also defensive Pokemon such as Giratina. More It's a versatile ability, and more often than not, (AC) a Mold Breaker user will be carrying Pursuit, even if they are defensive. Mold Breakers users also have the ability to set up entry lay hazards without fear of having them bounced back by Magic Bounce, which makes hazard removal on Shedinja's teammates absolutely mandatory.

**Entry Hazards**: The only entry hazard that Shedinja isn't afraid of is Sticky Web. The rest of them either kill KO Shedinja or inflict it with poison as it switches in upon switch-in, making Shedinja little more than a sack sacrifice unless your team carries Defog or Rapid Spin. Multiple methods of hazard removal can prove to be incredibly useful, allowing your team much greater flexibility when it needs to remove a Stealth Rock set by a Mold Breaker Deoxys-S lead, (is this specific-ness necessary?) even when faced with high offensive pressure.

**Status**: Poison and burns are quite common in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, and they either force a switch, take Shedinja out, (AC) or force it to go on the defensive and spam Recycle for its Lum Berry, all of which put a dead stop to its offensive capabilities until the next time it can come in, if there is a next time. Be wary of No Guard users, such as Mega Mewtwo X and Y X/Y, Mega Charizard Y, and the occasional Mega Manectric, as their Inferno deals damage to and burns anything that switches is switched into it, except for when abilities such as Flash Fire and Primordial Sea are used. (if Shedinja doesn't run these, I think they're irrelevant. might as well just say "burns anything that switches into it". aren't there Fire-types too, anyways?) Keep in mind that Poison Heal users occasionally run Psycho Shift to spread their status around your team as well.

**Partial Trapping**: Another common way to deal with Shedinja is the use of partial trapping moves such as Infestation, (RC) and Magma Storm, etc., on sweepers or walls, either used on a predicted Shedinja switch, (RC) or against a Shedinja that is attempting to sweep. This damage can only be avoided if Shedinja runs Magic Guard over Sturdy. No Guard users such as the ones mentioned above will usually run Magma Storm as coverage, so a Lum Berry won't do you much good against them. Also be wary of Perish Song trappers such as Soundproof Arceus, Mega Aggron, and Mega Slowbro, as they will usually run partial trapping if they aren't running Block or Thousand Waves.

**No Guard**: No Guard gives Pokemon access to powerful and accurate moves that have a 100% chance of inflicting a status condition, such as in Inferno and Zap Cannon, as well as a fully accurate Magma Storm. Shedinja doesn't like any of these things, and so it should avoid switching in against No Guard whenever possible, only entering the field against it as a last resort to attempt to get its the foe's HP down to the point where a teammate another Pokemon on your team can deal with them.

**Confusion**: If Shedinja is confused, Confusion causes a Pokemon to hit themselves instead of the target 50% of the time. For Shedinja, this means that every time it attempts to move, it has a 50% chance of KOing itself every time it attempts to move falling. Its Ghost typing allows it to avoid No Guard Dynamic Punch, arguably the most common confusion-inducing move, but also be wary of Prankster Teeter Dance users such as Aegislash and Registeel. Teeter Dance also ignores Magic Bounce, making it even more dangerous for your team.

**Leech Seed**: Leech Seed is another move that isn't obscure enough that it shouldn't be expected, especially coming from Primal Kyogre or Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur or and Ferrothorn.

**Passive Weather Damage: Sand and hail also make Shedinja completely redundant unless it's running Safety Goggles, which are is vulnerable to Knock Off. Common weather setters include Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Tyranitar, the latter of which also has a very powerful Knock Off, which will remove Safety Goggles and cause Shedinja to fall to weather damage.

**Knock Off**: Knock Off severely cripples Shedinja's ability to avoid passive damage, either by removing its Lum Berry and opening it up to status, (RC) or by removing its Safety Goggles and making it vulnerable to passive weather damage and moves like Spore, which hamper its pivoting abilities as well. Knock Off is a move that can work on a variety of different sets, from offensive item removal and damage dealing with Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar and Protean Mega Mewtwo X, to extra utility on Pokemon such as Giratina, Regigigas (with quite a bit of damage backing it too) and Assault Vest Regenerator Registeel / Regirock / Kyogre. (a lot of this seems irrelevant. the point is that they have Knock Off; I don't really see how it matters why they run it. something like "Common users of Knock Off include __" seems good enough imo, so replace this with that if it works) Try to have a Pokemon on your team with a non-removable item such as Griseous Orb Giratina, or simply an item that your Pokemon can live without to sponge these hits, as losing items can cripple an entire team, not just Shedinja.

**Poison Heal**: Poison Heal provides a hard check to Shedinja 99% the majority (arbitrary number lol) of the time, unless used by a Pokemon with a particularly low Defense stat. Poison Heal outheals partial trapping (unless Shedinja is running a Binding Band item, which increases partial trapping damage to 1/6 of the target's maximum HP), as well as making it very difficult to KO the Poison Heal user with ExtremeSpeed and or Feint very difficult to kill it with. On top of that, many Poison Heal users, such as Primal Kyogre, (RC) and Giratina, etc., also run moves specifically to counter Shedinja, (AC) countering moves such as Psycho Shift, Leech Seed, Trick (to give Shedinja a Toxic Orb), and Scald, which all give Shedinja a very hard time.

**Regenerator**: A slow Pokemon with Regenerator, such as Regirock or Registeel, is able to switch into any of Shedinja's moves and switch back out to heal, making them it very difficult to knock out unless Shedinja is running Pursuit. A dual Regenerator core is nigh-unbeatable by Shedinja.

**Rocky Helmet / and Spiky Shield**: Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield are fatal for variants of Shedinja that use contact moves, as they instantly deal damage back when a move hits them, (self-explanatory imo) knocking Shedinja out and often crippling your team's defensive core in the process. Scouting and Knock Off support remedy this, giving you the opportunity to know when Shedinja can attack and when it needs to pivot out.

**Curse**: A move that can be found on Ghost-type walls such as Giratina and Aegislash, Curse can spell trouble for Shedinja and its teammates as an unblockable move that deals damage equal to a quarter of the inflicted afflicted Pokemon's maximum health at the end of each turn. Be sure that Shedinja's teammates have some way of recovering their HP. (this should be about Shedinja, so this is irrelevant)
 
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