Approved by unfixable
QC: Kl4ng / Lcass4919 / -Grim
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack / P Squared
[OVERVIEW]
Aegislash can check most of the Almost Any Ability metagame very well due to its good bulk and defensive typing, which allow it to resist common forms of priority and check every priority move user except Entei. Its main niche in the tier is as a mixed attacker, and it fills the role well. It sets itself apart from Doublade by being able to hold an item other than Eviolite, such as Leftovers.
However, Aegislash is outclassed by Doublade in most other areas due to its inability to effectively run an ability other than Stance Change. It's fairly slow as well, although that can be used as an advantage, as it can avoid taking a hit in its much frailer Blade forme. Also, Aegislash can get worn down throughout the match due to its lack of reliable recovery outside of Leftovers, which the opponent can always remove with Knock Off. Aegislash also relies on mind games with King's Shield to succeed, which means it is vulnerable to being outpredicted.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: King's Shield
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Sacred Sword
item: Leftovers / Weakness Policy
ability: Stance Change
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shadow Ball gives Aegislash a good, powerful STAB move that hits most threats neutrally and for good damage. King's Shield allows Aegislash to regain its very good defenses and provides it with an extra turn of Leftovers recovery. Flash Cannon can be used over King's Shield to check Fairy-types, but Shadow Ball usually does enough damage. Shadow Sneak picks off weakened foes and is useful for its priority. Finally, Sacred Sword hits the Dark- and Normal-types that will switch in on Aegislash's Ghost-type moves.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack gives Aegislash as much power as possible, while maximum HP adds a significant amount of bulk. A Quiet nature is used to boost the power of Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon if it is used, and 0 Speed IVs allow Aegislash to underspeed the majority of the metagame and take hits in Shield forme. Leftovers is the item of choice for more durability, which is one of Aegislash's advantages over Doublade, and allows Aegislash to tank more hits while in Shield forme. Weakness Policy is an alternative that takes advantage of Aegislash going last and taking hits in Shield forme by giving a huge boost to its attacking stats if it's hit with a super effective move. However, this means Aegislash will go down much quicker, effectively eliminating one of its main advantages over Doublade. An alternate spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpA allows Aegislash to hit harder with Sacred Sword and Shadow Sneak but decreases Aegislash's bulk significantly.
Usage Tips
========
Aegislash is best used as a pivot, as it is able to switch in on moves that it resists and fire off strong hits in return. It can also be used as a late-game cleaner due to its high attacking stats. To get Aegislash in safely, bring it in on resisted hits, on passive walls, or with the use of a slow Volt Switch or U-turn. Try to use King's Shield cautiously, as the opponent will very easily catch on and play around Aegislash. If it is needed to check something, make sure Aegislash isn't worn down too much, as the Pokemon it can check are all very powerful. It can wallbreak reasonably well, as it has a lot of raw power.
Team Options
========
Due to its unique properties, Aegislash fits best on balanced teams that can make use of both its offensive and defensive capabilities. Goodra and Latios can counter special Fire-types such as Moltres. They can also weaken the opposition for Aegislash, enabling it to come in and clean up, while Aegislash can switch in on the Ice-, Fairy-, and Dragon-type moves that they detest. Strong and fast attackers such as Shaymin-S, Latios, Victini, and Tornadus-T are very helpful, as they soften up Aegislash's potential switch-ins, such as RegenVest users like Goodra and Meloetta, while also luring in priority move users such as Lucario, Genesect, Braviary, and Staraptor, giving Aegislash a free opportunity to switch in. Entry hazard setters such as Deoxys-S, whose blistering Speed makes it all but guaranteed to set up entry hazards, and Ferrothorn, which, due to having Flash Fire, is able to counter problematic Fire-types such as Victini and Moltres or at least cripple them with Knock Off, allowing Aegislash to secure OHKOs on important threats such as Chansey. In turn, Aegislash can block Rapid Spin, keeping entry hazards up. Even though Aegislash is immune to Toxic Spikes and has a Stealth Rock resistance, it appreciates entry hazard removal, as the residual damage can offset Leftovers recovery; therefore, Pokemon that can remove entry hazards, either with Defog or with Rapid Spin, such as Latias, which can switch in on Ground-type moves, and Tentacruel and Mega Blastoise, which can reliably switch in on Fire-type moves, work well with Aegislash. Wish passers such as Chansey and Vaporeon can keep Aegislash healthy with Wish and Heal Bell. Because Aegislash can counter Poison Heal Snorlax, Pokemon that are countered by Snorlax, such as Genesect and Shaymin-S, make for good teammates.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Aegislash can use a Swords Dance set with three attacks, but it faces competition from Doublade due to the latter being free to run a better ability. Aegislash, however, has a lot of raw initial power as a result of its investment in Attack and is able to beat Mandibuzz with Head Smash. Similarly, a Swords Dance set with King's Shield can be used, but it is fairly subpar due to Aegislash's need to set up right away, and again, it faces competition from Doublade. A Substitute + Toxic set with Prankster can be frustrating to take down; however, it has a hard time against Pokemon with Magic Bounce due to Aegislash's inability to deal any meaningful damage without Stance Change. Head Smash can be used to get around Mandibuzz, but it deals huge recoil, which is an issue considering Aegislash's less-than-stellar HP, and it isn't very useful anywhere else. Choice Band or Choice Specs seems like a good option on paper because it lets Aegislash hit ridiculously hard. However, it isn't viable because Aegislash has to switch out very frequently to regain Shield forme after firing off an attack, making it extremely susceptible to entry hazard damage. A mixed set with four attacks running Life Orb and Speed investment can be used to overwhelm Aegislash's conventional counters with sheer power. However, this Aegislash variant doesn't last very long due to Life Orb recoil.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Heatran and Moltres can switch in on most of Aegislash's attacks and KO it with Fire Blast; however, they all have a very hard time switching in safely.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Tyranitar and Mandibuzz can switch into and cripple Aegislash. Tyranitar can outright KO it with Crunch or use Pursuit should Aegislash attempt to switch out. Mandibuzz, especially with Poison Heal, can easily wall Aegislash and cripple it with its STAB Knock Off, removing its only form of recovery. However, Mandibuzz loses to Head Smash variants.
**Poison Heal Users**: The only Poison Heal user Aegislash can counter is Snorlax. The other ones can safely switch in on Aegislash and start setting up, as most of them can take at least one hit from Aegislash and activate their Toxic Orb.
**Ground-types**: Ground-type Pokemon such as Landorus, Landorus-T, and Rhyperior can easily cripple Aegislash heavily with a super effective STAB move.
**Bulletproof Users**: While rare, Pokemon with Bulletproof, such as Gliscor and Scizor, are immune to Shadow Ball, aren't hit too hard by Flash Cannon, and can easily set up and KO Aegislash with Knock Off.
**RegenVest Users**: Pokemon with Regenerator that often have an Assault Vest, such as Meloetta, can easily switch into every move on Aegislash's mixed set and cripple it with Knock Off, removing its Leftovers.
**Super Effective Coverage**: Pokemon that Aegislash could normally counter can carry moves to lure and cripple it. Examples include Heracross with Knock Off and Shaymin-S with Earth Power.
QC: Kl4ng / Lcass4919 / -Grim
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack / P Squared
[OVERVIEW]
Aegislash can check most of the Almost Any Ability metagame very well due to its good bulk and defensive typing, which allow it to resist common forms of priority and check every priority move user except Entei. Its main niche in the tier is as a mixed attacker, and it fills the role well. It sets itself apart from Doublade by being able to hold an item other than Eviolite, such as Leftovers.
However, Aegislash is outclassed by Doublade in most other areas due to its inability to effectively run an ability other than Stance Change. It's fairly slow as well, although that can be used as an advantage, as it can avoid taking a hit in its much frailer Blade forme. Also, Aegislash can get worn down throughout the match due to its lack of reliable recovery outside of Leftovers, which the opponent can always remove with Knock Off. Aegislash also relies on mind games with King's Shield to succeed, which means it is vulnerable to being outpredicted.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: King's Shield
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Sacred Sword
item: Leftovers / Weakness Policy
ability: Stance Change
nature: Quiet
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shadow Ball gives Aegislash a good, powerful STAB move that hits most threats neutrally and for good damage. King's Shield allows Aegislash to regain its very good defenses and provides it with an extra turn of Leftovers recovery. Flash Cannon can be used over King's Shield to check Fairy-types, but Shadow Ball usually does enough damage. Shadow Sneak picks off weakened foes and is useful for its priority. Finally, Sacred Sword hits the Dark- and Normal-types that will switch in on Aegislash's Ghost-type moves.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack gives Aegislash as much power as possible, while maximum HP adds a significant amount of bulk. A Quiet nature is used to boost the power of Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon if it is used, and 0 Speed IVs allow Aegislash to underspeed the majority of the metagame and take hits in Shield forme. Leftovers is the item of choice for more durability, which is one of Aegislash's advantages over Doublade, and allows Aegislash to tank more hits while in Shield forme. Weakness Policy is an alternative that takes advantage of Aegislash going last and taking hits in Shield forme by giving a huge boost to its attacking stats if it's hit with a super effective move. However, this means Aegislash will go down much quicker, effectively eliminating one of its main advantages over Doublade. An alternate spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpA allows Aegislash to hit harder with Sacred Sword and Shadow Sneak but decreases Aegislash's bulk significantly.
Usage Tips
========
Aegislash is best used as a pivot, as it is able to switch in on moves that it resists and fire off strong hits in return. It can also be used as a late-game cleaner due to its high attacking stats. To get Aegislash in safely, bring it in on resisted hits, on passive walls, or with the use of a slow Volt Switch or U-turn. Try to use King's Shield cautiously, as the opponent will very easily catch on and play around Aegislash. If it is needed to check something, make sure Aegislash isn't worn down too much, as the Pokemon it can check are all very powerful. It can wallbreak reasonably well, as it has a lot of raw power.
Team Options
========
Due to its unique properties, Aegislash fits best on balanced teams that can make use of both its offensive and defensive capabilities. Goodra and Latios can counter special Fire-types such as Moltres. They can also weaken the opposition for Aegislash, enabling it to come in and clean up, while Aegislash can switch in on the Ice-, Fairy-, and Dragon-type moves that they detest. Strong and fast attackers such as Shaymin-S, Latios, Victini, and Tornadus-T are very helpful, as they soften up Aegislash's potential switch-ins, such as RegenVest users like Goodra and Meloetta, while also luring in priority move users such as Lucario, Genesect, Braviary, and Staraptor, giving Aegislash a free opportunity to switch in. Entry hazard setters such as Deoxys-S, whose blistering Speed makes it all but guaranteed to set up entry hazards, and Ferrothorn, which, due to having Flash Fire, is able to counter problematic Fire-types such as Victini and Moltres or at least cripple them with Knock Off, allowing Aegislash to secure OHKOs on important threats such as Chansey. In turn, Aegislash can block Rapid Spin, keeping entry hazards up. Even though Aegislash is immune to Toxic Spikes and has a Stealth Rock resistance, it appreciates entry hazard removal, as the residual damage can offset Leftovers recovery; therefore, Pokemon that can remove entry hazards, either with Defog or with Rapid Spin, such as Latias, which can switch in on Ground-type moves, and Tentacruel and Mega Blastoise, which can reliably switch in on Fire-type moves, work well with Aegislash. Wish passers such as Chansey and Vaporeon can keep Aegislash healthy with Wish and Heal Bell. Because Aegislash can counter Poison Heal Snorlax, Pokemon that are countered by Snorlax, such as Genesect and Shaymin-S, make for good teammates.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Aegislash can use a Swords Dance set with three attacks, but it faces competition from Doublade due to the latter being free to run a better ability. Aegislash, however, has a lot of raw initial power as a result of its investment in Attack and is able to beat Mandibuzz with Head Smash. Similarly, a Swords Dance set with King's Shield can be used, but it is fairly subpar due to Aegislash's need to set up right away, and again, it faces competition from Doublade. A Substitute + Toxic set with Prankster can be frustrating to take down; however, it has a hard time against Pokemon with Magic Bounce due to Aegislash's inability to deal any meaningful damage without Stance Change. Head Smash can be used to get around Mandibuzz, but it deals huge recoil, which is an issue considering Aegislash's less-than-stellar HP, and it isn't very useful anywhere else. Choice Band or Choice Specs seems like a good option on paper because it lets Aegislash hit ridiculously hard. However, it isn't viable because Aegislash has to switch out very frequently to regain Shield forme after firing off an attack, making it extremely susceptible to entry hazard damage. A mixed set with four attacks running Life Orb and Speed investment can be used to overwhelm Aegislash's conventional counters with sheer power. However, this Aegislash variant doesn't last very long due to Life Orb recoil.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Heatran and Moltres can switch in on most of Aegislash's attacks and KO it with Fire Blast; however, they all have a very hard time switching in safely.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Tyranitar and Mandibuzz can switch into and cripple Aegislash. Tyranitar can outright KO it with Crunch or use Pursuit should Aegislash attempt to switch out. Mandibuzz, especially with Poison Heal, can easily wall Aegislash and cripple it with its STAB Knock Off, removing its only form of recovery. However, Mandibuzz loses to Head Smash variants.
**Poison Heal Users**: The only Poison Heal user Aegislash can counter is Snorlax. The other ones can safely switch in on Aegislash and start setting up, as most of them can take at least one hit from Aegislash and activate their Toxic Orb.
**Ground-types**: Ground-type Pokemon such as Landorus, Landorus-T, and Rhyperior can easily cripple Aegislash heavily with a super effective STAB move.
**Bulletproof Users**: While rare, Pokemon with Bulletproof, such as Gliscor and Scizor, are immune to Shadow Ball, aren't hit too hard by Flash Cannon, and can easily set up and KO Aegislash with Knock Off.
**RegenVest Users**: Pokemon with Regenerator that often have an Assault Vest, such as Meloetta, can easily switch into every move on Aegislash's mixed set and cripple it with Knock Off, removing its Leftovers.
**Super Effective Coverage**: Pokemon that Aegislash could normally counter can carry moves to lure and cripple it. Examples include Heracross with Knock Off and Shaymin-S with Earth Power.
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