[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]]
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]]
Last edited by a moderator:
