National Dex Aegislash

[astralydia]

[OVERVIEW]

Aegislash is an excellent bulky attacker due to its great offensive and defensive stats, Stance Change, and King's Shield. Its Ghost / Steel typing offers a myriad of crucial resistances for a team, including to Psychic, Fighting, and Fairy, which gives it numerous chances to switch into Tapu Lele, Mega Metagross lacking Earthquake, and passive Pokemon such as Corviknight and Clefable. Aegislash's capability of using Toxic is enhanced greatly with its access to King's Shield and Substitute, which allows it to rack up damage quickly on targets that would otherwise be capable of forcing it out easily, such as Hydreigon and Greninja. Aegislash is also a capable user of Z-Moves, which allow it to overwhelm its would-be checks such as Toxapex and Gliscor. A priority move in Shadow Sneak also works well with Swords Dance, as it cleans up worn-down revenge killers. Despite all of these positives, a lack of recovery outside of Leftovers can leave much to be desired for Aegislash as a tank, as it is easily worn down by Pokemon with strong coverage such as Mega Metagross and Galarian Darmanitan. A meager base 60 Speed heavily impacts Aegislash, as its offensive sets tend to get easily revenge killed by Hydreigon and Landorus-T. However, it can also help Aegislash by allowing it to take hits in its Shield forme first. Stance Change can be a double-edged sword for Aegislash at times, however; attacking could put it at risk of being knocked out, and using King's Shield at the wrong time could invite Pokemon to exploit Aegislash. Furthermore, Aegislash's weakness to Pursuit and Knock Off can also hinder Aegislash if it opts out of certain moves, as the likes of Tyranitar can finish it off early, especially if Aegislash does not carry King's Shield. If it does have King's Shield, Tyranitar may be able to chip it heavily if it does not have Close Combat.

[SET]
name: SubToxic
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: King's Shield
item: Leftovers
ability: Stance Change
nature: Quiet
ivs: 0 Spe
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

A negative Speed nature and 0 IVs in Speed are used to make Aegislash tank hits in its Shield forme. Toxic is a great move to punish checks that would otherwise be able to take on Aegislash such as Garchomp (RC) and Hydreigon and has excellent synergy with Substitute, which is utilized to take advantage of passive Pokemon like Clefable and Toxapex and further stall out Toxic damage alongside King's Shield, on foes attempting to answer Aegislash. An EV spread of 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SpA with a Relaxed nature can be used to take two Earthquakes from Mega Metagross if King's Shield is used before the second one.

Usage Tips
========

Use Substitute on predicted switches or on passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Slowbro. Toxic can cripple Tyranitar, and Rotom-H and prevent them from reliably answering Aegislash, as they will take at least three rounds of Toxic damage before being able to break Aegislash's Substitute. In stalemate cases against foes like Toxapex and Corviknight, spamming Shadow Ball for a Special Defense drop can be advisable to likely make them incapable of taking the next attack. Avoid getting hit by Knock Off from targets such as Kartana and Ferrothorn, which are proficient users of it that would otherwise be checked by Aegislash; Clefable and Toxapex are also capable of surprising Aegislash with the move.

Team Options
========
Toxic Aegislash does well on bulky offense and balance builds as a tanky threat that can help check the likes of Kartana, Mega Metagross, Clefable, and Tapu Lele without being passive in nature. Pokemon that resist Dark and Ghost such as Z-Move Hydreigon and Mega Tyranitar pair excellently with Aegislash, as they can tackle threats that would otherwise easily force it out such as Greninja, Dragapult, and Gengar. Hydreigon is also capable of punishing Ground-types that lock into their STAB move through scouting with King's Shield. Cleaners such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny, and Dragapult make for fine partners with Aegislash, as they appreciate their checks being inflicted with Toxic or getting free switches into Aegislash's checks: Pokemon like Heatran, Mega Tyranitar, and Landorus-T are a few examples of these checks. Fire-type checks such as Zygarde, Gliscor, and Tapu Fini pair nicely with Aegislash, as they provide momentum for it either through soaking up hits from Heatran and pivoting out or forcing in Pokemon that Aegislash takes advantage of, like Clefable and Tapu Lele. Lastly, Ground-type checks such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu help out Toxic Aegislash, as they can deal with softer checks such as Landorus-T and Garchomp.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Claw
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Shadow Sneak
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Stance Change
nature: Adamant
evs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

Close Combat gives Aegislash perfect neutral coverage and allows it to severely damage Steel- and Dark-types like Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Mega Tyranitar, while Shadow Sneak allows Aegislash to pick off important targets that would revenge kill it otherwise such as Dragapult. 176 Speed EVs allow Aegislash to outspeed neutral-natured base 50s such as Mega Mawile and Azumarill.

Usage Tips
========

Aegislash should be utilized as a mid-game wallbreaker, taking down weakened checks like Garchomp and Landorus-T. Make sure to preserve Aegislash's HP by getting it on the field through double switches or pivoting moves, as it is able to tank a few super effective hits in its Shield forme and set up or attack in a pinch. Make sure to weaken faster targets that can tank a +2 Shadow Sneak before setting up, as they can potentially end a sweep, and preserve Aegislash's Z-Move unless taking down a particular check is desired, such as Toxapex.

Team Options
========

Swords Dance Aegislash requires a much faster-paced playstyle to help support its potential as a wallbreaker, and thus it fits better on faster-paced teams. Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan pairs well with Aegislash due to its ability to revenge kill common checks like Landorus-T and provide momentum for Aegislash, and other cleaners such as Mega Lopunny work with Aegislash to finish off a team, pressure shared checks like Landorus-T, and draw in passive targets like Clefable and Tapu Fini. Pokemon that take advantage of Toxapex and Heatran such as Gliscor, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Latios pair nicely with Aegislash, as they help to keep situations where Aegislash's Z-Move does not need to be utilized and make progress elsewhere. Mega Latios, in particular, deserves a mention for being able to check Kartana, something Aegislash may unwillingly need to switch into. Other Steel-types such as Corviknight can also help to reduce pressure on Aegislash by checking Psychic-types like Tapu Lele and Mega Alakazam.

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

Close Combat can be used over Substitute on the SubToxic set to hit Dark- and Steel-types that Aegislash would otherwise struggle with, such as Heatran and Hydreigon. However, it fails to provide the same utility as Substitute, as Aegislash cannot utilize Toxic with King's Shield as well, making it more prediction reliant. A Choice Specs set is an option to consider, as it can 2HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame, but it tends to struggle with being Choice-locked into the wrong moves. It also struggles with checks faster than it, such as Garchomp. Finally, Choice Band is another option that gives Aegislash a much more powerful Shadow Sneak than its Swords Dance set and also makes it a decent user of Pursuit, but it tends to be outclassed by the latter in practically every way outside of this.

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

**Toxic-immune Pokemon**: Gliscor and Corviknight can all tank hits from Toxic Aegislash without much of a problem and are immune to its Toxic. However, due to Aegislash's resistance to Flying, Corviknight may not be able to take on Aegislash if it gets a Special Defense drop.

**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Certain specially bulky Pokemon such as Assault Vest Tangrowth and Chansey can tank Shadow Balls and can either respond with a Knock Off or Earthquake or stall out Toxic via Natural Cure + Heal Bell. However, these Pokemon cannot deal with Swords Dance Aegislash, and it must be scouted for.

**Fire-types**: Rotom-H and Heatran are both capable of tanking hits from both sets and responding back with a powerful Fire-type move. Rotom-H must watch out for Toxic, however, and Heatran must watch out for Close Combat.

**Ground-types**: Certain Ground-types such as Garchomp and Landorus-T can scare out Swords Dance sets but are much more harshly punished by Toxic.

**Dark-types**: Greninja and Hydreigon are decent checks to Toxic Aegislash, as they are capable of tanking Shadow Ball and 2HKOing it at worst. Hydreigon has Roost to offset Toxic damage on predicted King's Shields. However, both must watch out for Close Combat, as they are OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Chazm, 376369]]
- Quality checked by: [[Guardsweeper, 360582], [Jordy, 395754], [SputnikGT, 475916]]
- Grammar checked by: [[bigtalk, 466663], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]

 

[Ginger Princess]

Chazm be sure to get this out of WIP in 28 hours

 

[astralydia]

This is ready for QC

 

[Guard]

add remove comment

[OVERVIEW]

- Aegislash is an excellent bulky attacker with great 140/140 defenses along with effective 140/140 offenses due to its great offensive and defensive stats and typing, Stance Change and King's Shield.
We know its stats, there is no need to mention them.

- Its Ghost/Steel typing offers a myriad of crucial resists for a team, including Psychic, Fighting, and Fairy, which gives it numerous chances to switch in into which Pokemon? Examples are needed here
This should be part of the first bullet point by the way, as its resistances are part of the reason why it is so resilient.

- King's Shield is capable of creating mind games with opponents, making it much more punishing alongside Toxic. You would be best off mentioning King's Shield as a part of the first bullet point too, and mentioning Toxic separately for giving Aegislash the ability to overwhelm its checks in the long run. Right now, this sentence is in a weird limbo.

- Aegislash is a capable user of Z moves, making it difficult to wall with a single target which allow it to overwhelm, as traditional resistances checks such as Toxapex more examples are taken down by with a Swords Dance boosted Never-Ending Nightmare.
The focus should be on Aegislash itself, not on the Pokemon attempting to wall it. Also, you seem to be utilizing the word 'resistance' instead of 'check'. These have different meanings so be careful with that.

- Access to Close Combat and Shadow Sneak give it perfect coverage alongside priority, meaning that most resistances need to be naturally bulky. This part is really weird, as there are no resistances for Ghost-Fighting. You should remove this altogether, as it is something I'd expect in Set Details and not in the General Overview.

- However, a meager 60 Speed heavily impacts Aegislash as its offensive sets tend to get easily revenge killed. Examples of revenge killers? Also, while this is true, its speed does allow it to take hits in Shield form most of the time, so it's more of a double-edged sword if anything.

- It is also weak to common Pokemon in the metagame, such as Zygarde and Greninja, and Pokemon tend to carry coverage for it, such as Mega Metagross and Galarian Darmanitan.

Name its lack of recovery outside of Leftovers, and its weakness to Knock Off if it is running Leftovers. Also mention the disadvantages of the Stance Change/King's Shield mindgames, its versatility in general and its weakness to Pursuit if it doesn't run Fighting coverage.

[SET]
name: SubToxic
move 1: Shadow Ball 3rd spot
move 2: Toxic
move 3: King's Shield 4rth spot
move 4: Substitute 1st spot
item: Leftovers
ability: Stance Change
nature: Quiet
IVs: 0 Spe
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

- The EVs on this spread aim to maximize bulk and power.
- A negative Speed nature and 0 IVs in Speed are used to make Aegislash tank hits in its Shield forme.
- Toxic is a great move to punish resists checks that would otherwise be able to take on Aegislash such as Zygarde, Garchomp and Hydreigon.
- Substitute is utilized to further stall out Toxic alongside King's Shield, which racks up poison damage on opponents attempting to answer it. Substitute's main goal is to take advantage of passive Pokemon. Stalling Toxic turns is secondary, as that would wear you down quickly if you were to do it against something that can break its Sub in one hit.
- Close Combat can be used over Substitute to have more direct responses to Heatran, Ferrothorn and Mega Lopunny. This should be in Other Options. Also mention what move to drop if running Close Combat.
- A spread of 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SpA with a Relaxed nature can be used to take two Mega Metagross Earthquakes after a King's Shield.
- A further defensive spread of 252 HP / 244 Def / 12 SpA with a Relaxed nature can be used to take two Mega Metagross Earthquakes after Stealth Rock, allowing it to respond immediately. No need to mention both of these spreads; the former should suffice

Usage Tips
========

- Aegislash is an excellent check to wallbreakers such as Kartana and Mega Medicham. Switching it onto these Pokemon is ideal to keep momentum. You really shouldn't be switching Aegislash into wallbreakers unless it is absolutely necessary, or if it hard checks said wallbreakers, as it greatly values its HP. Rather, you should switch it into passive Pokemon like Slowbro and Tapu Fini, set up a Substitute and try to make progress from there through poisoning its checks/wearing them down with Shadow Ball.
- Use Substitute on predicted switches.
- If the target is not poison immune, using Toxic can cripple them from reliably answering Aegislash, as they will take at least 3 rounds of Toxic damage before being able to break Aegislash's Substitute.
- In stalemate cases, spamming Shadow Ball for a Special Defense drop can be advisable. Give examples of stalemate cases
Mention the fact that you have to avoid Knock Off at all costs and that this set is primarily used early- to midgame.

Team Options
========

- Toxic Aegislash does well as a tanky threat on bulky offense and balance builds that can help check the likes of Kartana not a good Kartana check, as it detests Knock Off (mention the likes of Mega Metagross and Clefable)and Tapu Lele, whilst being non-passive in nature and punishing to switch into.
The last two basically amount to the same thing
- Spikes support from the likes of Ferrothorn and Greninja can help Toxic Aegislash wear down its checks much faster. In the case of Ferrothorn, it also appreciates Aegislash being a check to Fighting types and Pokemon with Fighting type coverage. Everything benefits from Spikes and the interaction with Aegislash isn't necessarily special enough to warrant a mention.
- Cleaners such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny and Dragapult make for fine partners with Aegislash as they appreciate their checks being inflicted with Toxic or getting free switchins from Aegislash's checks.
- Heatran checks such as Zygarde, Gliscor and Slowbro pair nicely with Aegislash as they provide momentum for it either through soaking up hits from Heatran and pivoting out or forcing in Pokemon that Aegislash abuses. Generalize this into Fire-types
- Ground checks such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu help out Toxic Aegislash as they can deal with softer checks such as Landorus-Therian and Choice Band Zygarde.

Name Knock Off absorbers and Dark resists in general.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Shadow Claw
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Swords Dance 1st slot, others should move down by one
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Stance Change
nature: Adamant
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

- Close Combat gives Aegislash perfect coverage and allows it to severely damage Steel-types and Dark-types.
- Shadow Sneak allows for Aegislash to pick off important targets that would revenge kill it otherwise such as Dragapult.
Describe what its Spe EVs does

Usage Tips
========

- Make sure to preserve Aegislash's HP by getting it on the field through doubles or pivoting as it is able to tank a few super-effective hits in its Shield form and set up or attack in a pinch.
- Weaken other faster targets that can tank a +2 Shadow Sneak before setting up as they can potentially end a sweep.
- Preserve Aegislash's Z move unless taking down a particular resist check is desired, such as Toxapex or Zygarde.
Mention that this set should primarily be used as a late-game cleaner or mid-game wallbreaker.

Team Options
========

- Swords Dance Aegislash is a more offensive alternative to Toxic that requires a much faster paced playstyle to help support its potential as a wallbreaker.
- Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan pairs well with Aegislash due to its ability to revenge kill common checks like Zygarde and Landorus-T and provide momentum for Aegislash.
- Abusers of Toxapex and Heatran such as Gliscor, Mega Alakazam and Mega Latios pair nicely with Aegislash as they help to keep situations where Aegislash's Z move does not need to be utilized, and make progress elsewhere. Mega Latios in particular deserves a mention for keeping pressure off of Kartana, something Aegislash may unwillingly need to switch into.
- Other Steel types such as Corviknight can also help to reduce pressure on Aegislash as its bulk is valued and should only be switching in sparingly.
Mention cleaners that can take advantage of it late-game after it does its wallbreaking

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

- Choice Specs is an option to consider as it can 2HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame but it tends to struggle with being choice locked into the wrong moves. It also struggles with checks faster than it, such as Zygarde.
- Choice Band is another option which has a much more powerful Shadow Sneak than Swords Dance but tends to be outclassed by it in practically every way outside of this.

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

**Status Toxic-immune Pokemon**: Toxapex and Gliscor can all tank hits from Toxic Aegislash without much of a problem, and are immune to its Toxic. Aegislash puts more pressure on Toxapex in the long run than vice versa, so I don't think Toxapex is a particularly good check.

**Fire-types**: Rotom-Heat and Heatran are both capable of tanking hits from both sets, and responding back with a powerful Fire move. Rotom-Heat must watch out for Toxic, and Heatran must watch out for Close Combat.

**Ground-types**: Certain Ground types such as Zygarde and Landorus-Therian can scare out Swords Dance sets but are much harder punished by Toxic.

**Dark-types**: Greninja and Hydreigon are decent checks to Toxic Aegislash as they are capable of tanking Shadow Ball and 2HKOing at least. Hydreigon has Roost to offset Toxic damage on predicted King's Shields. However, both must watch out for Close Combat, as they are OHKO'd after Stealth Rock.

**Specially-bulky Pokemon**: Certain specially-bulky Pokemon such as Tangrowth and Chansey can tank Shadow Balls and aren't too heavily effected by status, and can either respond back with a Knock Off / Earthquake or can stall out Toxic via Natural Cure + Heal Bell. This should be second bullet point.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Chazm, 376369]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]

Good job overall
Implement for QC 1/3

 

[astralydia]

Implemented, ready for QC 2

 

[Jordy]

comments in purple things to remove in red

[OVERVIEW]

- Aegislash is an excellent bulky attacker due to its great offensive and defensive stats, Stance Change and King's Shield. Its Ghost/Steel typing offers a myriad of crucial resists for a team, including Psychic, Fighting, and Fairy, which gives it numerous chances to switch into Tapu Lele, Mega Metagross lacking Earthquake, and passive Pokemon such as Corviknight and Clefable.
- Aegislash's capability of using Toxic is enhanced greatly with its access to King's Shield and Substitute, which allows it to rack up damage quickly on targets that would otherwise be capable of forcing it out easily. A couple of examples would be useful.
- Aegislash is a capable user of Z moves, which allows it to overwhelm traditional checks such as Toxapex, Zygarde, and Gliscor with a Swords Dance boosted Never-Ending Nightmare.
- A lack of recovery outside of Leftovers can leave much to be desired for Aegislash as a tank, as is easily worn down by Pokemon with strong coverage such as Mega Metagross and Galarian Darmanitan.
- A meager 60 Speed heavily impacts Aegislash as its offensive sets tend to get easily revenge killed by Hydreigon, Dragapult and Zygarde. Dragapult's not a good example because of Shadow Sneak. Mentioning another Pokemon such as Greninja'd make more sense. However, it can also help Aegislash by making it take hits in its Shield forme first. You should explicitly state what you mean by this, as it is not imminently clear what advantage this provides to everyone.
- King's Shield and Stance Change can be a double-edged sword for Aegislash at times; attacking could risk being knocked out, and using King's Shield could invite Pokemon to exploit Aegislash.
- A weakness to Pursuit and Knock Off can also hinder Aegislash if it opts out of certain moves as the likes of Tyranitar can finish it off early, especially if Aegislash does not carry King's Shield, and if it does have King's Shield, it may be able to chip it heavily if it does not have Close Combat.
- It is also weak to common Pokemon in the metagame, such as Zygarde and Greninja, and Pokemon tend to carry coverage for it, such as Mega Metagross and Galarian Darmanitan. There's no need to state what boilds down to the same thing twice.

[SET]
name: SubToxic
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: King's Shield
item: Leftovers
ability: Stance Change
nature: Quiet
IVs: 0 Spe
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

- The EVs on this spread aim to maximize bulk and power. If it doesn't provide the analysis with anything substantial, such as this, there is no point in mentioning it.
- A negative Speed nature and 0 IVs in Speed are used to make Aegislash tank hits in its Shield forme.
- Toxic is a great move to punish checks that would otherwise be able to take on Aegislash such as Zygarde, Garchomp and Hydreigon.
- Substitute is utilized to abuse passive Pokemon like Clefable and Toxapex, and further stall out Toxic alongside King's Shield, which racks up poison damage on opponents attempting to answer it.
- A spread of 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SpA with a Relaxed nature can be used to take two Mega Metagross Earthquakes after a King's Shield.

Usage Tips
========

- Use Substitute on predicted switches, or on passive Pokemon such as Clefable and Slowbro. I'm not sure if Clefable's really the best example here. It's not immediately forced out by Aegislash and can cripple Aegislash with Thunder Wave. A paralyzed Aegislash is much, much less efficient. Another Pokemon such as Ferrothorn makes more sense as an example.
- If the target is not poison immune, using Toxic can cripple them from reliably answering Aegislash, as they will take at least 3 rounds of Toxic damage before being able to break Aegislash's Substitute. We know Toxic doesn't affect Pokemon that are immune to poison. What does "them" refer to? You should mention a couple of examples.
- In stalemate cases, spamming Shadow Ball for a Special Defense drop can be advisable. For example, in the case of Toxapex, a Special Defense drop would likely put make it incapable of walling the next attack.
- Avoid getting hit by Knock Off from passive targets earlygame, as both Clefable and Toxapex are capable of using it and thus severely crippling Aegislash's best form of recovery. The correlation between the statement that you should avoid getting hit by Knock Off from passive targets early-game and Clefable and Toxapex isn't very clear because of the way you've worded this. On top of that, I don't really see why you specifically mention passive targets; Aegislash doesn't want to get hit by Knock Off in general.

Team Options
========

- Toxic Aegislash does well as a tanky threat on bulky offense and balance builds that can help check the likes of Kartana, Mega Metagross, Clefable and Tapu Lele, whilst being non-passive in nature.
- Dark resists such as Z-move Hydreigon and Mega Tyranitar pair excellently with Aegislash as they can tackle threats that would otherwise easily force it out whilst both being unphazed by Knock Off. What Pokemon can they tackle that'd easily force Aegislash out? The fact they're not phazed by Knock Off is useless when taking the common users of the move into consideration.
- Cleaners such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny and Dragapult make for fine partners with Aegislash as they appreciate their checks being inflicted with Toxic or getting free switchins from Aegislash's checks. What checks in particular are you refering to?
- Fire-type checks such as Zygarde, Gliscor and Slowbro Tapu Fini pair nicely with Aegislash as they provide momentum for it either through soaking up hits from Heatran and pivoting out or forcing in Pokemon that Aegislash abuses. Slowbro's a mediocre check to Fire-types. Tapu Fini still baits in the Pokemon you're talking about and is an actually good check to Fire-types.
- Ground checks such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu help out Toxic Aegislash as they can deal with softer checks such as Landorus-Therian and Choice Band Zygarde.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Claw
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Shadow Sneak
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Stance Change
nature: Adamant
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

- Close Combat gives Aegislash perfect coverage and allows it to severely damage Steel-types and Dark-types. Be specific. What Steel- and Dark-types are actually important?
- Shadow Sneak allows for Aegislash to pick off important targets that would revenge kill it otherwise such as Dragapult.
- 176 Speed EVs allow Aegislash to outspeed Adamant base 50s such as Mega Mawile and Azumarill.

Usage Tips
========

- Aegislash should be utilized as a mid-game breaker, taking down worn down checks like Zygarde and Landorus-Therian.
- Make sure to preserve Aegislash's HP by getting it on the field through doubles or pivoting as it is able to tank a few super-effective hits in its Shield form and set up or attack in a pinch.
- Weaken faster targets that can tank a +2 Shadow Sneak before setting up as they can potentially end a sweep.
- Preserve Aegislash's Z move unless taking down a particular check is desired, such as Toxapex or Zygarde.

Adding onto these usage tips, you could also point out the dynamics between Aegislash and Substitute Zygarde.

Team Options
========

- Swords Dance Aegislash is a more offensive alternative to Toxic that requires a much faster paced playstyle to help support its potential as a wallbreaker. Cross-referencing sets isn't something we do in analyses. Just say that Aegislash fits on faster-paced teams.
- Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan pairs well with Aegislash due to its ability to revenge kill common checks like Zygarde and Landorus-T and provide momentum for Aegislash.
- Other cleaners such as Mega Lopunny work with Aegislash to finish off a team and pressure checks like Landorus-Therian and draw in passive targets like Clefable and Tapu Fini.
- Abusers of Toxapex and Heatran such as Gliscor, Mega Alakazam and Mega Latios pair nicely with Aegislash as they help to keep situations where Aegislash's Z move does not need to be utilized, and make progress elsewhere. Mega Latios in particular deserves a mention for keeping pressure off of Kartana, something Aegislash may unwillingly need to switch into. What does keeping pressure off of Kartana mean? Do you mean to say that it can check Kartana, which Aegislash cannot do consistently instead?
- Other Steel types such as Corviknight can also help to reduce pressure on Aegislash as its bulk is valued and should only be switching in sparingly. This almost sounds like a usage tip and doesn't focus on what other Steel-types provide for Aegislash as it should.

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

- Close Combat can be used over Substitute on the SubToxic set to hit Dark and Steel types that it would otherwise struggle with, such as Heatran and Hydreigon.
- Choice Specs is an option to consider as it can 2HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame but it tends to struggle with being choice locked into the wrong moves. It also struggles with checks faster than it, such as Zygarde.
- Choice Band is another option which has a much more powerful Shadow Sneak than Swords Dance but tends to be outclassed by it in practically every way outside of this. It can Pursuit trap Mega Metagross!!

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

**Toxic-immune Pokemon**: Gliscor and Corviknight can all tank hits from Toxic Aegislash without much of a problem, and are immune to its Toxic.

**Specially-bulky Pokemon**: Certain specially-bulky Pokemon such as Tangrowth and Chansey can tank Shadow Balls and aren't too heavily effected by status, and can either respond back with a Knock Off / Earthquake or can stall out Toxic via Natural Cure + Heal Bell. They're overwhelmed by Swords Dance sets, though.

**Fire-types**: Rotom-Heat and Heatran are both capable of tanking hits from both sets, and responding back with a powerful Fire move. Rotom-Heat must watch out for Toxic, and Heatran must watch out for Close Combat.

**Ground-types**: Certain Ground types such as Zygarde and Landorus-Therian can scare out Swords Dance sets but are much harder punished by Toxic.

**Dark-types**: Greninja and Hydreigon are decent checks to Toxic Aegislash as they are capable of tanking Shadow Ball and 2HKOing at least. Hydreigon has Roost to offset Toxic damage on predicted King's Shields. However, both must watch out for Close Combat, as they are OHKO'd after Stealth Rock.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Chazm, 376369]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]

Good job, 2/3.

 

[Ginger Princess]

Chazm implement this in the next 24 hours

 

[astralydia]

Implemented. Ready for QC 3

 

[Sputnik]

Add Comment Delete

[OVERVIEW]

Aegislash is an excellent bulky attacker due to its great offensive and defensive stats, Stance Change and King's Shield. Its Ghost/Steel typing offers a myriad of crucial resists for a team, including Psychic, Fighting, and Fairy, which gives it numerous chances to switch into Tapu Lele, Mega Metagross lacking Earthquake, and passive Pokemon such as Corviknight and Clefable. Aegislash's capability of using Toxic is enhanced greatly with its access to King's Shield and Substitute, which allows it to rack up damage quickly on targets that would otherwise be capable of forcing it out easily, such as Hydreigon and Greninja. Aegislash is also a capable user of Z moves, which allows it to overwhelm traditional checks such as Toxapex, Zygarde, and Gliscor with a Swords Dance boosted Never-Ending Nightmare. Reword this to state that it is a capable breaker that uses Z moves to break would be checks rather than just mentioning the Z move. Powerful priority in shadow sneak is useful as well. Despite all of these positives, a lack of recovery outside of Leftovers can leave much to be desired for Aegislash as a tank, as is easily worn down by Pokemon with strong coverage such as Mega Metagross and Galarian Darmanitan. A meager 60 Speed heavily impacts Aegislash as its offensive sets tend to get easily revenge killed by Hydreigon, Landorus-Therian and Zygarde. However, it can also help Aegislash by making it take hits in its Shield forme first (implement pls). Access to its signature move King's Shield and ability Stance Change can be a double-edged sword for Aegislash at times; attacking could risk being knocked out, and using King's Shield at the wrong time could invite Pokemon to exploit Aegislash. Furthermore, this amplifies Aegislash's weakness to Pursuit and Knock Off can also hinder Aegislash if it opts out of certain moves as the likes of Tyranitar can finish it off early, especially if Aegislash does not carry King's Shield, and if it does have King's Shield, it may be able to chip it heavily if it does not have Close Combat.

This is getting slightly into GP stuff but the whole analysis in general is extremely hard to read thanks to a lot of run-ons and sentences that contradict each other. I recommend proofreading this and ironing this out before it gets sent to GP.

[SET]
name: SubToxic
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: King's Shield
item: Leftovers
ability: Stance Change
nature: Quiet
IVs: 0 Spe
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

A negative Speed nature and 0 IVs in Speed are used to make Aegislash tank hits in its Shield forme. Toxic is a great move to punish checks that would otherwise be able to take on Aegislash such as Zygarde, Garchomp and Hydreigon, which has excellent synergy with Substitute, utilized to abuse passive Pokemon like Clefable and Toxapex, and further stall out Toxic alongside King's Shield, which racks up poison damage on opponents attempting to answer it. A spread of 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SpA with a Relaxed nature can be used to take two Mega Metagross Earthquakes after a King's Shield.

Usage Tips
========

Use Substitute on predicted switches, or on passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Slowbro. Using Toxic can cripple Zygarde, Tyranitar, and Rotom-Heat from reliably answering Aegislash, as they will take at least 3 rounds of Toxic damage before being able to break Aegislash's Substitute. In stalemate cases, spamming Shadow Ball for a Special Defense drop can be advisable; for example, in the case of Toxapex, a Special Defense drop would likely put make it incapable of walling the next attack. Mention Corviknight as a target for SpDef drops as well. Avoid getting hit by Knock Off from targets earlygame Aegislash really doesn't want to get hit by Knock Off at all- targets such as Kartana and Ferrothorn are proficient users of it that would otherwise be checked by Aegislash and Clefable and Toxapex are also capable of surprising Aegislash with the move.

Team Options
========

Toxic Aegislash does well as a tanky threat on bulky offense and balance builds that can help check the likes of Kartana, Mega Metagross, Clefable and Tapu Lele, whilst being non-passive in nature. Dark and Ghost resists such as Z-move Hydreigon and Mega Tyranitar pair excellently with Aegislash as they can tackle threats that would otherwise easily force it out such as Greninja, Dragapult and Gengar. It's worth emphasizing that Drei also has a useful Ground immunity. Cleaners such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny and Dragapult make for fine partners with Aegislash as they appreciate their checks being inflicted with Toxic or getting free switchins from Aegislash's checks: Pokemon alike Heatran, Mega Tyranitar, and Landorus-Therian are a few examples of this. Fire-type checks such as Zygarde, Gliscor and Tapu Fini pair nicely with Aegislash as they provide momentum for it either through soaking up hits from Heatran and pivoting out or forcing in Pokemon that Aegislash abuses. add some examples. Lastly, Ground checks such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu help out Toxic Aegislash as they can deal with softer checks such as Landorus-Therian and Choice Band Zygarde.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Claw
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Shadow Sneak
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Stance Change
nature: Adamant
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

Close Combat gives Aegislash perfect coverage and allows it to severely damage Steel-types and Dark-types like Ferrothorn and Heatran add a dark type example too, whilst Shadow Sneak allows for Aegislash to pick off important targets that would revenge kill it otherwise such as Dragapult. 176 Speed EVs allow Aegislash to outspeed Adamant base 50s such as Mega Mawile and Azumarill.

Usage Tips
========

Aegislash should be utilized as a mid-game breaker, taking down worn down checks like Zygarde and Landorus-Therian. Substitute Zygarde takes advantage of this by inflicting status effects on Tangrowth and Landorus-Therian, whilst giving Aegislash chances to switch into Clefable. Make sure to preserve Aegislash's HP by getting it on the field through doubles or pivoting as it is able to tank a few super-effective hits in its Shield form and set up or attack in a pinch. Make sure to weaken faster targets that can tank a +2 Shadow Sneak before setting up as they can potentially end a sweep, and preserve Aegislash's Z move unless taking down a particular check is desired, such as Toxapex or Zygarde.

Team Options
========

Swords Dance Aegislash requires a much faster paced playstyle to help support its potential as a wallbreaker, and thus it fits better on faster-paced teams. Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan pairs well with Aegislash due to its ability to revenge kill common checks like Zygarde and Landorus-T and provide momentum for Aegislash, and other cleaners such as Mega Lopunny work with Aegislash to finish off a team and pressure checks like Landorus-Therian and draw in passive targets like Clefable and Tapu Fini. Abusers of Toxapex and Heatran such as Gliscor, Mega Alakazam and Mega Latios pair nicely with Aegislash as they help to keep situations where Aegislash's Z move does not need to be utilized, and make progress elsewhere. Mega Latios in particular deserves a mention for being able to check Kartana, something Aegislash may unwillingly need to switch into.
Other Steel types such as Corviknight can also help to reduce pressure on Aegislash by checking Psychic types like Tapu Lele and Mega Alakazam.

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

Close Combat can be used over Substitute on the SubToxic set to hit Dark and Steel types that it would otherwise struggle with, such as Heatran and Hydreigon. However, it fails to provide the same utility as Substitute as Aegislash cannot utilize Toxic with King's Shield as well, making it more prediction reliant. Choice Specs is an option to consider as it can 2HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame but it tends to struggle with being choice locked into the wrong moves. It also struggles with checks faster than it, such as Zygarde. Finally, Choice Band is another option which has a much more powerful Shadow Sneak than Swords Dance, and is also a decent user of Pursuit, but tends to be outclassed by it in practically every way outside of this.

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

**Toxic-immune Pokemon**: Gliscor and Corviknight can all tank hits from Toxic Aegislash without much of a problem, and are immune to its Toxic. Mention that Corviknight really can't do much in return and can be forced out if Aegislash picks up a Special Defense drop.

**Specially-bulky Pokemon**: Certain specially-bulky Pokemon such as AV Tangrowth and Chansey can tank Shadow Balls and aren't too heavily effected by status, Tangrowth really doesn't like toxic, so either make that clear or find a different example and can either respond back with a Knock Off / Earthquake or can stall out Toxic via Natural Cure + Heal Bell. However, these Pokemon cannot deal with Swords Dance Aegislash, and it must be scouted for.

**Fire-types**: Rotom-Heat and Heatran are both capable of tanking hits from both sets, and responding back with a powerful Fire move. Rotom-Heat must watch out for Toxic, and Heatran must watch out for Close Combat.

**Ground-types**: Certain Ground types such as Zygarde and Landorus-Therian can scare out Swords Dance sets but are much harder punished by Toxic.

**Dark-types**: Greninja and Hydreigon are decent checks to Toxic Aegislash as they are capable of tanking Shadow Ball and 2HKOing at least. Hydreigon has Roost to offset Toxic damage on predicted King's Shields. However, both must watch out for Close Combat, as they are OHKO'd after Stealth Rock.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Chazm, 376369]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2], [username3, userid3]] Make sure to do these
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]

Good stuff, 3/3

 

[Ginger Princess]

Chazm please implement this check in the next 24 hours

 

[astralydia]

QC check 3 implemented.

 

[bigtalk]

add remove (comment)
(AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; AH=add hyphen; RH=remove hyphen)

check

[OVERVIEW]

Aegislash is an excellent bulky attacker due to its great offensive and defensive stats, Stance Change, (AC) and King's Shield. Its Ghost(space)/(space)Steel typing offers a myriad of crucial resistances for a team, including to Psychic, Fighting, and Fairy, which gives it numerous chances to switch into Tapu Lele, Mega Metagross lacking Earthquake, and passive Pokemon such as Corviknight and Clefable. Aegislash's capability of using Toxic is enhanced greatly with its access to King's Shield and Substitute, which allows it to rack up damage quickly on targets that would otherwise be capable of forcing it out easily, such as Hydreigon and Greninja. Aegislash is also a capable user of Z moves Z-Moves, which allows it to overwhelm its would-be checks such as Toxapex, Zygarde, and Gliscor. A priority move in Shadow Sneak also works well with Swords Dance, (AC) as it cleans up worn-(AH)down revenge killers. Despite all of these positives, a lack of recovery outside of Leftovers can leave much to be desired for Aegislash as a tank, as it is easily worn down by Pokemon with strong coverage such as Mega Metagross and Galarian Darmanitan. A meager base 60 Speed heavily impacts Aegislash, (AC) as its offensive sets tend to get easily revenge killed by Hydreigon, Landorus-Therian, (AC) and Zygarde. However, it can also help Aegislash by making allowing it to take hits in its Shield forme first. Access to its signature move King's Shield and ability Stance Change can be a double-edged sword for Aegislash at times; attacking could put it at risk of being knocked out, and using King's Shield at the wrong time could invite Pokemon to exploit Aegislash. Furthermore, this amplifies (not sure what you meant by this, but i read it as "access to kings shield/stance change amplifies a weakness to pursuit/knock off" which is obviously not true) Aegislash's weakness to Pursuit and Knock Off can also hinder Aegislash if it opts out of certain moves, (AC) as the likes of Tyranitar can finish it off early, especially if Aegislash does not carry King's Shield. (period) and If it does have King's Shield, it Tyranitar may be able to chip it heavily if it does not have Close Combat.

[SET]
name: SubToxic
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: King's Shield
item: Leftovers
ability: Stance Change
nature: Quiet
ivs: 0 Spe
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

A negative Speed nature and 0 IVs in Speed are used to make Aegislash tank hits in its Shield forme. Toxic is a great move to punish checks that would otherwise be able to take on Aegislash such as Zygarde, Garchomp, (AC) and Hydreigon (RC) which and has excellent synergy with Substitute, which is utilized to abuse take advantage of passive Pokemon like Clefable and Toxapex (RC) and further stall out Toxic damage alongside King's Shield, which racks up poison damage (repeated info) on opponents foes attempting to answer it Aegislash. An EV spread of 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SpA with a Relaxed nature can be used to take two Earthquakes from Mega Metagross Earthquakes after a if King's Shield is used before the second one (i assume this is what you meant).

Usage Tips
========

Use Substitute on predicted switches (RC) or on passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Slowbro. Using Toxic can cripple Zygarde, Tyranitar, and Rotom-Heat and prevent them from reliably answering Aegislash, as they will take at least 3 rounds of Toxic damage before being able to break Aegislash's Substitute. In stalemate cases, spamming Shadow Ball for a Special Defense drop can be advisable; for example, in the case of Toxapex and Corviknight, a Special Defense drop would likely make them incapable of walling taking (pokemon are walled, not moves) the next attack. Avoid getting hit by Knock Off from targets such as Kartana and Ferrothorn, (AC) which are proficient users of it that would otherwise be checked by Aegislash; (SC) and Clefable and Toxapex are also capable of surprising Aegislash with the move.

Team Options
========

Toxic Aegislash does well as a tanky threat on bulky offense and balance builds as a tanky threat (moved; ambiguity) that can help check the likes of Kartana, Mega Metagross, Clefable, (AC) and Tapu Lele (RC) whilst while being non-passive in nature. Dark and Ghost resistances such as Z-Move Hydreigon and Mega Tyranitar pair excellently with Aegislash, (AC) as they can tackle threats that would otherwise easily force it out such as Greninja, Dragapult, (AC) and Gengar. Hydreigon is also capable of punishing Ground-(AH)types that lock into their Ground ("Ground-type" or just remove this) STAB move through scouting with King's Shield. Cleaners such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny, (AC) and Dragapult make for fine partners with Aegislash, (AC) as they appreciate their checks being inflicted with Toxic or getting free switchins from switches into Aegislash's checks: Pokemon alike Heatran, Mega Tyranitar, and Landorus-Therian are a few examples of this these checks. Fire-type checks such as Zygarde, Gliscor, (AC) and Tapu Fini pair nicely with Aegislash, (AC) as they provide momentum for it either through soaking up hits from Heatran and pivoting out or forcing in Pokemon that Aegislash abuses takes advantage of, like Clefable and Tapu Lele. Lastly, Ground-(AH)type checks such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu help out Toxic Aegislash, (AC) as they can deal with softer checks such as Landorus-Therian and Choice Band Zygarde.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Claw
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Shadow Sneak
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Stance Change
nature: Adamant
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

Close Combat gives Aegislash perfect neutral coverage and allows it to severely damage Steel-types and Dark-types like Ferrothorn, Heatran, (AC) and Mega Tyranitar, (AC) whilst while Shadow Sneak allows for Aegislash to pick off important targets that would revenge kill it otherwise such as Dragapult. 176 Speed EVs allow Aegislash to outspeed Adamant base 50s such as Mega Mawile and Azumarill.

Usage Tips
========

Aegislash should be utilized as a mid-game wallbreaker, taking down worn down weakened (repetition) checks like Zygarde and Landorus-Therian. Substitute Zygarde takes advantage of this by inflicting status effects on Tangrowth and Landorus-Therian, whilst while giving Aegislash chances to switch into Clefable. Make sure to preserve Aegislash's HP by getting it on the field through doubles double switches or pivoting moves, (AC) as it is able to tank a few super (RH)effective hits in its Shield forme and set up or attack in a pinch. Make sure to weaken faster targets that can tank a +2 Shadow Sneak before setting up, (AC) as they can potentially end a sweep, and preserve Aegislash's Z-(AH)Move unless taking down a particular check is desired, such as Toxapex or Zygarde.

Team Options
========

Swords Dance Aegislash requires a much faster-(AH)paced playstyle to help support its potential as a wallbreaker, and thus it fits better on faster-paced teams. Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan pairs well with Aegislash due to its ability to revenge kill common checks like Zygarde and Landorus-T and provide momentum for Aegislash, and other cleaners such as Mega Lopunny work with Aegislash to finish off a team, (AC) and pressure shared checks like Landorus-Therian, (AC) and draw in passive targets like Clefable and Tapu Fini. Abusers Pokemon that take advantage of Toxapex and Heatran such as Gliscor, Mega Alakazam, (AC) and Mega Latios pair nicely with Aegislash, (AC) as they help to keep situations where Aegislash's Z-(AH)Move does not need to be utilized (RC) and make progress elsewhere. Mega Latios, (AC) in particular, (AC) deserves a mention for being able to check Kartana, something Aegislash may unwillingly need to switch into. (remove line break) Other Steel-(AH)types such as Corviknight can also help to reduce pressure on Aegislash by checking Psychic-(AH)types like Tapu Lele and Mega Alakazam.

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

Close Combat can be used over Substitute on the SubToxic set to hit Dark-(AH) and Steel-(AH)types that it Aegislash would otherwise struggle with, such as Heatran and Hydreigon. However, it fails to provide the same utility as Substitute, (AC) as Aegislash cannot utilize Toxic with King's Shield as well, making it more prediction reliant. Choice Specs is an option to consider, (AC) as it can 2HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame, (AC) but it tends to struggle with being Choice-(AH)locked into the wrong moves. It also struggles with checks faster than it, such as Zygarde. Finally, Choice Band is another option which has that gives Aegislash a much more powerful Shadow Sneak than its Swords Dance set (RC) and is also makes it a decent user of Pursuit, but it tends to be outclassed by it the latter in practically every way outside of this.

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

**Toxic-immune Pokemon**: Gliscor and Corviknight can all tank hits from Toxic Aegislash without much of a problem (RC) and are immune to its Toxic. However, due to its Aegislash's resistance to Flying, Corviknight may not be able to take on Aegislash if it gets a Special Defense drop.

**Specially (RH)Bulky Pokemon**: Certain specially (RH)bulky Pokemon such as Assault Vest Tangrowth and Chansey can tank Shadow Balls and can either respond back with a Knock Off or Earthquake or can stall out Toxic via Natural Cure + Heal Bell. However, these Pokemon cannot deal with Swords Dance Aegislash, and it must be scouted for.

**Fire-types**: Rotom-Heat and Heatran are both capable of tanking hits from both sets (RC) and responding back with a powerful Fire-type move. Rotom-Heat must watch out for Toxic, however, and Heatran must watch out for Close Combat.

**Ground-types**: Certain Ground-(AH)types such as Zygarde and Landorus-Therian can scare out Swords Dance sets but are much harder more harshly punished by Toxic.

**Dark-types**: Greninja and Hydreigon are decent checks to Toxic Aegislash, (AC) as they are capable of tanking Shadow Ball and 2HKOing it at least worst. Hydreigon has Roost to offset Toxic damage on predicted King's Shields. However, both must watch out for Close Combat, as they are OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Chazm, 376369]]
- Quality checked by: [[Guardsweeper, 360582], [Jordy, 395754], [SputnikGT, 475916]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]

GP 1/2

 

[Ginger Princess]

Chazm pls implement this check in the next 24 hours

 

[astralydia]

Implemented, but removed mentions of Zygarde.

 

[idea]

amcheck
Add Delete Comment

Aegislash is an excellent bulky attacker due to its great offensive and defensive stats, Stance Change, and King's Shield. Its Ghost / Steel typing offers a myriad of crucial resistances for a team, including to Psychic, Fighting, and Fairy, which gives it numerous chances to switch into Tapu Lele, Mega Metagross lacking Earthquake, and passive Pokemon such as Corviknight and Clefable. Aegislash's capability of using Toxic is enhanced greatly with its access to King's Shield and Substitute, which allows it to rack up damage quickly on targets that would otherwise be capable of forcing it out easily, such as Hydreigon and Greninja. Aegislash is also a capable user of Z-Moves, which allow it to overwhelm its would-be checks such as Toxapex, (RC) and Gliscor. A priority move in Shadow Sneak also works well with Swords Dance, as it cleans up worn-down revenge killers. Despite all of these positives, a lack of recovery outside of Leftovers can leave much to be desired for Aegislash as a tank, as it is easily worn down by Pokemon with strong coverage such as Mega Metagross and Galarian Darmanitan. A meager base 60 Speed heavily impacts Aegislash, as its offensive sets tend to get easily revenge killed by Hydreigon and Landorus-T. However, it can also help Aegislash by making allowing it to take hits in its Shield forme first. Access to its signature move King's Shield and ability Stance Change can be a double-edged sword for Aegislash at times; attacking could put it at risk of being knocked out, and using King's Shield at the wrong time could invite Pokemon to exploit Aegislash. Furthermore, Aegislash's weakness to Pursuit and Knock Off can also hinder Aegislash if it opts out of certain moves, as the likes of Tyranitar can finish it off early, especially if Aegislash does not carry King's Shield. If it does have King's Shield, Tyranitar may be able to chip it heavily if it does not have Close Combat.

[SET]
name: SubToxic
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: King's Shield
item: Leftovers
ability: Stance Change
nature: Quiet
ivs IVs: 0 Spe
evs EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

A negative Speed nature and 0 IVs in Speed are used to make Aegislash tank hits in its Shield forme. Toxic is a great move to punish checks that would otherwise be able to take on Aegislash such as Garchomp, (RC) and Hydreigon and has excellent synergy with Substitute, which is utilized to take advantage of passive Pokemon like Clefable and Toxapex and further stall out Toxic damage alongside King's Shield, (RC) on foes attempting to answer Aegislash. An EV spread of 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SpA with a Relaxed nature can be used to take two Earthquakes from Mega Metagross Earthquakes after a if King's Shield is used before the second one.

Usage Tips
========

Use Substitute on predicted switches or on against passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Slowbro. Using Toxic can cripple Tyranitar, (RC) and Rotom-Heat and prevent them from reliably answering Aegislash, (RC) as they will take at least 3 rounds of Toxic damage before being able to break Aegislash's Substitute. In stalemate cases, spamming Shadow Ball for a Special Defense drop can be advisable; for example, in the case of Toxapex and Corviknight, a Special Defense drop would likely make them incapable of taking the next attack. Avoid getting hit by Knock Off from targets such as Kartana and Ferrothorn, which are proficient users of it that would otherwise be checked by Aegislash; and Clefable and Toxapex are also capable of surprising Aegislash with the move.

Team Options
========
Toxic Aegislash does well on bulky offense and balance builds as a tanky threat that can help check the likes of Kartana, Mega Metagross, Clefable, and Tapu Lele while being non-passive in nature. Dark and Ghost resistances such as Z-Move Hydreigon and Mega Tyranitar pair excellently with Aegislash, as they can tackle threats that would otherwise easily force it out such as Greninja, Dragapult, and Gengar. Hydreigon is also capable of punishing Ground-types that lock into their STAB move through scouting with King's Shield. Cleaners such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny, and Dragapult make for fine partners with Aegislash, as they appreciate their checks being inflicted with Toxic or getting free switches into Aegislash's checks: Pokemon like Heatran, Mega Tyranitar, and Landorus-T are a few examples of these checks. Fire-type checks such as Zygarde, Gliscor, (RC) and Tapu Fini pair nicely with Aegislash, as they provide momentum for it either through soaking up hits from Heatran and pivoting out or forcing in Pokemon that Aegislash takes advantage of, like Clefable and Tapu Lele. Lastly, Ground-type checks such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu help out Toxic Aegislash, as they can deal with softer checks such as Landorus-T and Choice Band Zygarde.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Claw
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Shadow Sneak
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Stance Change
nature: Adamant
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

Close Combat gives Aegislash perfect neutral coverage and allows it to severely damage Steel and Dark-types like Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Mega Tyranitar, while Shadow Sneak allows for Aegislash to pick off important targets that would revenge kill it otherwise such as Dragapult. 176 Speed EVs allow Aegislash to outspeed Adamant base 50s such as Mega Mawile and Azumarill.

Usage Tips
========

Aegislash should be utilized as a mid-game wallbreaker, taking down weakened checks like Zygarde and Landorus-T. Make sure to preserve Aegislash's HP by getting it on the field through double switches or pivoting moves, as it is able to tank a few super effective hits in its Shield forme and set up or attack in a pinch. Make sure to weaken faster targets that can tank a +2 Shadow Sneak before setting up, as they can potentially end a sweep, and preserve Aegislash's Z-Move unless taking down a particular check is desired, such as Toxapex.

Team Options
========

Swords Dance Aegislash requires a much faster-paced playstyle to help support its potential as a wallbreaker, and thus it fits better on faster-paced teams. Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan pairs well with Aegislash due to its ability to revenge kill common checks like Landorus-T and provide momentum for Aegislash, and other cleaners such as Mega Lopunny work with Aegislash to finish off a team, pressure shared checks like Landorus-T, and draw in passive targets like Clefable and Tapu Fini. Pokemon that take advantage of Toxapex and Heatran such as Gliscor, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Latios pair nicely with Aegislash, as they help to keep situations where Aegislash's Z-Move does not need to be utilized and make progress elsewhere. Mega Latios, in particular, deserves a mention for being able to check Kartana, something Aegislash may unwillingly need to switch into. Other Steel-types such as Corviknight can also help to reduce pressure on Aegislash by checking Psychic-types like Tapu Lele and Mega Alakazam.

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

Close Combat can be used over Substitute on the SubToxic set to hit Dark- and Steel-types that it Aegislash would otherwise struggle with, such as Heatran and Hydreigon. However, it fails to provide the same utility as Substitute, as Aegislash cannot utilize Toxic with King's Shield as well, making it more prediction reliant. Choice Specs is an option to consider, as it can 2HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame, but it tends to struggle with being Choice-locked into the wrong moves. It also struggles with checks faster than it, such as Zygarde. Finally, Choice Band is another option that gives Aegislash a much more powerful Shadow Sneak than its Swords Dance set and is also makes it a decent user of Pursuit, but it tends to be outclassed by the latter in practically every way outside of this.

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

**Toxic-immune Pokemon**: Gliscor and Corviknight can all tank hits from Toxic Aegislash without much of a problem (RC) and are immune to its Toxic. However, due to its Aegislash's resistance to Flying, Corviknight may not be able to take on Aegislash if it gets a Special Defense drop.

**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Certain specially (RH)bulky Pokemon such as Assault Vest Tangrowth and Chansey (While Chansey is certainly bulky enough to take Shadow Balls, it is also immune to them; you might want to try to rephrase that sentence somehow) can tank Shadow Balls and can either respond back with a Knock Off or Earthquake or can stall out Toxic via Natural Cure + Heal Bell. However, these Pokemon cannot deal with Swords Dance Aegislash, and it must be scouted for.

**Fire-types**: Rotom-H and Heatran are both capable of tanking hits from both sets (RC) and responding back with a powerful Fire-type move. Rotom-H must watch out for Toxic, however, and Heatran must watch out for Close Combat.

**Ground-types**: Certain Ground-(AH)types such as Zygarde and Landorus-T can scare out Swords Dance sets but are much harder more harshly punished by Toxic.

**Dark-types**: Greninja and Hydreigon are decent checks to Toxic Aegislash, (AC) as they are capable of tanking Shadow Ball and 2HKOing it at worst. Hydreigon has Roost to offset Toxic damage on predicted King's Shields. However, both must watch out for Close Combat, as they are OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Chazm, 376369]]
- Quality checked by: [[Guardsweeper, 360582], [Jordy, 395754], [SputnikGT, 475916]]
- Grammar checked by: [[bigtalk, 466663], [username2, userid2]]

You also seem to have forgotten to remove some of bigtalk's additions near the end of the analysis (i.e., (RC), (AC), and (AH) still appear in the analysis and a few words are crossed out in the Other Options section).

 

[Lumari]

remove add / fix (comment); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
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Aegislash is an excellent bulky attacker due to its great offensive and defensive stats, Stance Change, and King's Shield. Its Ghost / Steel typing offers a myriad of crucial resistances for a team, including to Psychic, Fighting, and Fairy, which gives it numerous chances to switch into Tapu Lele, Mega Metagross lacking Earthquake, and passive Pokemon such as Corviknight and Clefable. Aegislash's capability of using Toxic is enhanced greatly with its access to King's Shield and Substitute, which allows it to rack up damage quickly on targets that would otherwise be capable of forcing it out easily, such as Hydreigon and Greninja. Aegislash is also a capable user of Z-Moves, which allow it to overwhelm its would-be checks such as Toxapex (RC) and Gliscor. A priority move in Shadow Sneak also works well with Swords Dance, as it cleans up worn-down revenge killers. Despite all of these positives, a lack of recovery outside of Leftovers can leave much to be desired for Aegislash as a tank, as it is easily worn down by Pokemon with strong coverage such as Mega Metagross and Galarian Darmanitan. A meager base 60 Speed heavily impacts Aegislash, as its offensive sets tend to get easily revenge killed by Hydreigon and Landorus-T. However, it can also help Aegislash by making allowing it to take hits in its Shield forme first. Access to its signature move King's Shield and ability Stance Change can be a double-edged sword for Aegislash at times, however; attacking could put it at risk of being knocked out, and using King's Shield at the wrong time could invite Pokemon to exploit Aegislash. Furthermore, Aegislash's weakness to Pursuit and Knock Off can also hinder Aegislash if it opts out of certain moves, as the likes of Tyranitar can finish it off early, especially if Aegislash does not carry King's Shield. If it does have King's Shield, Tyranitar may be able to chip it heavily if it does not have Close Combat.

[SET]
name: SubToxic
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: King's Shield
item: Leftovers
ability: Stance Change
nature: Quiet
ivs: 0 Spe
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

A negative Speed nature and 0 IVs in Speed are used to make Aegislash tank hits in its Shield forme. Toxic is a great move to punish checks that would otherwise be able to take on Aegislash such as Garchomp (RC) and Hydreigon and has excellent synergy with Substitute, which is utilized to take advantage of passive Pokemon like Clefable and Toxapex and further stall out Toxic damage alongside King's Shield, on foes attempting to answer Aegislash. An EV spread of 252 HP / 76 Def / 180 SpA with a Relaxed nature can be used to take two Earthquakes from Mega Metagross Earthquakes after a if King's Shield is used before the second one.

Usage Tips
========

Use Substitute on predicted switches or on passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Slowbro. Using Toxic can cripple Tyranitar, and Rotom-Heat and prevent them from reliably answering Aegislash, as they will take at least three rounds of Toxic damage before being able to break Aegislash's Substitute. In stalemate cases against foes like Toxapex and Corviknight, spamming Shadow Ball for a Special Defense drop can be advisable; for example, in the case of Toxapex and Corviknight, a Special Defense drop would to likely make them incapable of taking the next attack. Avoid getting hit by Knock Off from targets such as Kartana and Ferrothorn, which are proficient users of it that would otherwise be checked by Aegislash; and Clefable and Toxapex are also capable of surprising Aegislash with the move.

Team Options
========
Toxic Aegislash does well on bulky offense and balance builds as a tanky threat that can help check the likes of Kartana, Mega Metagross, Clefable, and Tapu Lele while being non- without being passive in nature. Pokemon that resist Dark and Ghost resistances such as Z-Move Hydreigon and Mega Tyranitar pair excellently with Aegislash, as they can tackle threats that would otherwise easily force it out such as Greninja, Dragapult, and Gengar. Hydreigon is also capable of punishing Ground-types that lock into their STAB move through scouting with King's Shield. Cleaners such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny, and Dragapult make for fine partners with Aegislash, as they appreciate their checks being inflicted with Toxic or getting free switches into Aegislash's checks: Pokemon like Heatran, Mega Tyranitar, and Landorus-T are a few examples of these checks. Fire-type checks such as Zygarde, Gliscor, and Tapu Fini pair nicely with Aegislash, as they provide momentum for it either through soaking up hits from Heatran and pivoting out or forcing in Pokemon that Aegislash takes advantage of, like Clefable and Tapu Lele. Lastly, Ground-type checks such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu help out Toxic Aegislash, as they can deal with softer checks such as Landorus-T and Choice Band Zygarde.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Claw
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Shadow Sneak
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Stance Change
nature: Adamant
evs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
========

Close Combat gives Aegislash perfect neutral coverage and allows it to severely damage Steel- (AH) and Dark-types like Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Mega Tyranitar, while Shadow Sneak allows for Aegislash to pick off important targets that would revenge kill it otherwise such as Dragapult. 176 Speed EVs allow Aegislash to outspeed Adamant neutral-natured base 50s such as Mega Mawile and Azumarill.

Usage Tips
========

Aegislash should be utilized as a mid-game wallbreaker, taking down weakened checks like Zygarde and Landorus-T. Make sure to preserve Aegislash's HP by getting it on the field through double switches or pivoting moves, as it is able to tank a few super effective hits in its Shield forme and set up or attack in a pinch. Make sure to weaken faster targets that can tank a +2 Shadow Sneak before setting up, as they can potentially end a sweep, and preserve Aegislash's Z-Move unless taking down a particular check is desired, such as Toxapex.

Team Options
========

Swords Dance Aegislash requires a much faster-paced playstyle to help support its potential as a wallbreaker, and thus it fits better on faster-paced teams. Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan pairs well with Aegislash due to its ability to revenge kill common checks like Landorus-T and provide momentum for Aegislash, and other cleaners such as Mega Lopunny work with Aegislash to finish off a team, pressure shared checks like Landorus-T, and draw in passive targets like Clefable and Tapu Fini. Pokemon that take advantage of Toxapex and Heatran such as Gliscor, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Latios pair nicely with Aegislash, as they help to keep situations where Aegislash's Z-Move does not need to be utilized and make progress elsewhere. Mega Latios, in particular, deserves a mention for being able to check Kartana, something Aegislash may unwillingly need to switch into. Other Steel-types such as Corviknight can also help to reduce pressure on Aegislash by checking Psychic-types like Tapu Lele and Mega Alakazam.

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

Close Combat can be used over Substitute on the SubToxic set to hit Dark- and Steel-types that it Aegislash would otherwise struggle with, such as Heatran and Hydreigon. However, it fails to provide the same utility as Substitute, as Aegislash cannot utilize Toxic with King's Shield as well, making it more prediction reliant. A Choice Specs set is an option to consider, as it can 2HKO almost every Pokemon in the metagame, but it tends to struggle with being Choice-locked into the wrong moves. It also struggles with checks faster than it, such as Zygarde. Finally, Choice Band is another option that gives Aegislash a much more powerful Shadow Sneak than its Swords Dance set and is also makes it a decent user of Pursuit, but it tends to be outclassed by the latter in practically every way outside of this.

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

**Toxic-immune Pokemon**: Gliscor and Corviknight can all tank hits from Toxic Aegislash without much of a problem (RC) and are immune to its Toxic. However, due to its Aegislash's resistance to Flying, Corviknight may not be able to take on Aegislash if it gets a Special Defense drop.

**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Certain specially (RH)bulky Pokemon such as Assault Vest Tangrowth and Chansey can tank Shadow Balls and can either respond back with a Knock Off or Earthquake or can stall out Toxic via Natural Cure + Heal Bell. However, these Pokemon cannot deal with Swords Dance Aegislash, and it must be scouted for.

**Fire-types**: Rotom-H and Heatran are both capable of tanking hits from both sets (RC) and responding back with a powerful Fire-type move. Rotom-H must watch out for Toxic, however, and Heatran must watch out for Close Combat.

**Ground-types**: Certain Ground-(AH)types such as Zygarde and Landorus-T can scare out Swords Dance sets but are much harder more harshly punished by Toxic.

**Dark-types**: Greninja and Hydreigon are decent checks to Toxic Aegislash, (AC) as they are capable of tanking Shadow Ball and 2HKOing it at worst. Hydreigon has Roost to offset Toxic damage on predicted King's Shields. However, both must watch out for Close Combat, as they are OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Chazm, 376369]]
- Quality checked by: [[Guardsweeper, 360582], [Jordy, 395754], [SputnikGT, 475916]]
- Grammar checked by: [[bigtalk, 466663], [username2, userid2]]