tysequaine
80% sexy, 20% disgusting
Quality Control (3/3)
Uselesscrab ✓
Piccolo Daimao ✓
E4 Flint ✓
Grammar / Prose (2/2)
P Squared ✓
The Dutch Plumberjack ✓
[OVERVIEW]
Shedinja is an incredibly potent threat in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, able to endure virtually any direct hit and bring most foes down to their last breath in one fell swoop. Shedinja's almost infinite bulk comes from its unique hardcoded 1 HP stat in combination with the ability Sturdy, which allows it to tank any direct damage thrown at it that doesn't come from a Pokemon with Mold Breaker. From here it is able to use moves such as Endeavor and Pain Split to reduce the foe's HP without stat differences factoring into the equation or simply function as an extremely efficient defensive pivot to preserve your team's momentum, giving you the opportunity to easily switch in checks and counters for whatever the opponent attempts to throw at Shedinja.
Don't be fooled by its potential, however: Shedinja has defined the Balanced Hackmons metagame to the point that any successful team has multiple ways to deal with it, most of which function very well outside of countering Shedinja. Strategies include Mold Breaker, which becomes an almost infallible way of dealing with Shedinja if paired with Pursuit. Other methods include entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, which deal indirect damage or inflict status on Pokemon that switch into them; status infliction, as Shedinja will always lose 100% of its health from burn or poison; partial trapping moves, whose residual damage will also cause Shedinja to faint at the end of the turn; Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, which deal damage when their user is hit by a move that makes contact; and weather conditions such as sand and hail, which deal residual damage at the end of each turn. A well-played Shedinja will almost always be able to nullify the effects of these methods, though, either with proper team support or by adjusting its moveset to meet a compromise of safety and utility.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot (level 1)
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Pain Split
move 3: Whirlpool
move 4: Safeguard / Recycle / Endeavor
item: Safety Goggles / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs:
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Baton Pass is the safest switching move that Shedinja can use, as the only thing that stops it from working is the move Taunt, which is quite uncommon in the Balanced Hackmons metagame. Other switching moves all rely on your opponent not having a common item, type, ability, or move, such as Rocky Helmet, Ground-types with Mold Breaker, and Magic Bounce users, all of which can spell trouble for your Shedinja.
Pain Split shares the difference between Shedinja's HP and its foe's; because of Shedinja's hardcoded 1 HP stat, it will always cut the foe's HP in half. It's a slower method of knocking out foes than a move such as Endeavor, but it has the benefit of not making contact and being able to hit Ghost-types. The respectable 32 PP that Pain Split offers also means that any recovery on a defensive foe can be stalled out, securing Shedinja a KO or allowing teammates to sweep it with little trouble.
Whirlpool complements Pain Split very well, as it deals damage equal to one-eighth of the foe's maximum HP at the end of every turn while also preventing them from directly switching out, aside from Ghost-types and Shed Shell Pokemon. Whirlpool is less accurate than Infestation, but it has the benefit of not making contact, meaning that Shedinja's damaging potential is completely immune to the effects of Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, and abilities such as Rough Skin. Partial trapping is vital on this Shedinja set if you intend to score KOs with it, as Pain Split can only do so much damage before it ceases to work.
Safeguard and Recycle are both moves that reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja, and the move used depends on Shedinja's item; Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja an immunity to status as well as to residual weather damage, but even the turn used to set up Safeguard can be very risky for Shedinja. Conversely, Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used up to 16 times, making Shedinja virtually immune to status but leaving it vulnerable to weather damage and forcing Shedinja to go on the defensive when facing a foe that spams status moves.
Neither of these moves really needs be used if you have appropriate team support in Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, however, which would allow Shedinja to run Endeavor as a last-ditch attempt to bring a threat that your team can't deal with into the KO range of one of your other Pokemon. Another option is Shell Smash, which can be used in conjunction with Baton Pass to pass very powerful stat boosts to Shedinja's teammates.
Set Details
========
You might be wondering what the point of a Level 1 Shedinja is when its HP stat always remains the same, and the answer lies in what it can do in order to make its teammates' jobs easier. For defensive pivots, a slow Baton Pass is very important to ensure that you start the next turn with the upper hand; as a Level 1 Pokemon with a Speed-decreasing nature, this Shedinja set will almost assuredly go last, except against other Level 1 Pokemon.
Furthermore, the minimalized defenses guarantee that your team will be able to OHKO any Imposter Pokemon that copies this set as Shedinja uses Baton Pass, provided you have a Pokemon with Mold Breaker and Pursuit on your team. Even if not, many opponents don't pay attention to Shedinja's level, so they don't consider that their Imposter users will have only single-digit defenses after they transform, increasing the likelihood of opponents keeping their copied Shedinja in on any Pokemon that doesn't look like it will OHKO them.
Safety Goggles provides Shedinja with the optimum amount of passive damage avoidance when supported by teammates with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, allowing it to not be bothered by the occasional sand or hail team that you will encounter in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, as well as supplying a useful immunity to the omnipresent Spore.
Lum Berry, on the other hand, allows Shedinja to run more independently in regards to status when paired with the move Recycle to keep status away without switching out, with the compromise being that any sand or hail team will render Shedinja useless, as it will be knocked out as soon as it switches in.
Usage Tips
========
Above all else, this Shedinja set is a defensive pivot, so Baton Pass should really be the only move it uses to minimize the risk of it fainting and compromising your team's defensive synergy. In saying that, Shedinja can't be the only Pokemon capable of taking a hit on your team, as the methods of dealing with it are flexible enough to be applied to any Pokemon, sweepers and walls alike. If another Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit or two from a certain threat, switch into that before switching into Shedinja, as it will give you the opportunity to find out what moves the foe is running and whether or not Shedinja should be afraid of them. Directly switching into Shedinja should only be done when you know what your opponent is running or when no other Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit from a certain threat.
Furthermore, the use of slow switching strategies on Shedinja's teammates makes scouting for Shedinja's checks a lot easier. A slow switch into Shedinja not only keeps Shedinja safe from any attacks but also allows you to see whether or not the Pokemon you're facing is capable of dealing with Shedinja. Oftentimes if a certain Pokemon can't either KO or outheal Shedinja, it will switch out immediately. Shedinja will be able to safely Baton Pass away afterwards, and for the rest of the match you will know almost for sure that that certain Pokemon can be checked by Shedinja.
Be sure to keep an eye on the battle log when the opponent switches a Pokemon in. In Balanced Hackmons, anything can run Mold Breaker and its clones, Turboblaze and Teravolt, and often your only clue before Shedinja falls to a Sturdy-ignoring attack is the "X breaks the mold / is emitting a * aura!" text that will appear when an opposing Pokemon switches in. Be wary, and above all else, be careful. You want to keep Shedinja alive as long as possible; don't just sacrifice it in the beginning of the game because you see an opportunity for a KO.
Team Options
========
Shedinja's niche isn't hampered by many playstyles or team setups, so it is able to find a place on most teams. However, Shedinja isn't something that can be thrown on a team for an instant win; if you don't want Shedinja fainting very early, a large part of your team needs to be built around it or at least optimized for use with it. Use Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit Pokemon such as Groudon, Giratina, or Mega Gyarados to lure opposing Imposter Pokemon into your pivoting Shedinja and OHKO them every time.
Entry hazard removal is mandatory. Defog is the most reliable method, although Rapid Spin can be run if you're looking to only remove hazards from your own side of the field; however, keep in mind that Ghost-types are immune to Rapid Spin. Common Defog users include Registeel, Aegislash, and Lugia, but the move can be run on just about any defensive Pokemon with success so long as it doesn't hold a 4x weakness to Rock; even Lugia might have trouble with entry hazard removal if your opponent provides enough offensive pressure. Rapid Spin is usually reserved for Pokemon that run Assault Vest + Regenerator, which can include Regirock, Registeel, and Kyogre. Having multiple methods of hazard removal on different kinds of walls will also allow you more flexibility, especially against teams that provide a lot of offensive pressure.
Status curing is also very important, especially if you run Safety Goggles. Not only do the moves Aromatherapy and Heal Bell allow Shedinja to switch in after it's been inflicted with a status, but they also cure other members of your team. These moves can usually fit nicely into the moveset of a Pokemon that uses Defog, particularly ones with the Prankster ability.
To reduce risk, it's a good idea to have an Imposter teammate to scout the opponent's movesets before bringing Shedinja in on them if possible. Chansey is the obvious choice here, with its immense HP stat and the opportunity to use Eviolite to further increase its bulk, usually allowing you to scout every member of an opponent's team. Scouting can also be achieved by using VoltTurn strategies to determine movesets of the opponent's team, preserve your own momentum, and see what foes switch out of your Pokemon, letting you see what you can wall and what you can't.
The use of defensive Pokemon with Regenerator alongside Shedinja nullifies residual damage from Leech Seed and partial trapping that gets passed by Baton Pass, assuming they switch out afterwards, as well as providing an opportunity for slow VoltTurn strategies to assist in scouting for threats to Shedinja. Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro, Regirock, and Registeel are often effective users of Regenerator, as their typing or stats allow them to take multiple hits from physical or special attackers (except for Mega Slowbro in most cases, due to its poor Special Defense) before switching out to regain their health.
If you have any sweepers on your team that Shedinja can't wall, make sure that another Pokemon on your team can wall them. The omnipresence of Imposter Chansey means that you'll often be walling your own sweepers, so be sure to Imposter-proof your team if you can't Imposter-proof individual sweepers, usually by compromising coverage to ensure that one of your walls can hard wall them. Try to avoid using Mold Breaker setup sweepers without a Substitute, as these will make short work of Shedinja as well as its teammates.
[SET]
name: Endeavor
move 1: Endeavor
move 2: Ice Shard / Feint / Whirlpool
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Recycle / Safeguard
item: Lum Berry / Safety Goggles
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Endeavor is Shedinja's most powerful damaging move, instantly bringing anything that it can hit down to 1 HP. It's much quicker at minimizing the foe's HP than Pain Split, but it does make contact, meaning that Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, Rough Skin, and Iron Barbs instantly KO Shedinja upon use. It also only has 8 PP, meaning that it's much easier for defensive Pokemon with Leftovers to PP stall it than Pain Split is.
Ice Shard is used alongside Endeavor to ensure that a foe is knocked out before being able to heal, unless the foe is a Prankster user with more Speed than Shedinja, which isn't that difficult to achieve considering Shedinja's EV spread. Ice Shard's typing also allows it to deal a large amount of damage to common threats in the metagame such as Mega Rayquaza. Feint is a +2 priority move that has the benefit over Ice Shard of ignoring protection moves such as Protect and Spiky Shield.
Priority can be exchanged for a move such as Whirlpool to trap the foe if you'd like the slow switch and easy Imposter luring of a Level 1 Shedinja, as partial trapping deals consistent damage, regardless of Shedinja's attack stat. Whirlpool is used over Infestation, as it allows Shedinja to score damage on foes with Rocky Helmet without KOing itself.
Baton Pass allows Shedinja to fulfill the role of a pivot when you haven't scouted the opponent's team enough to know when Shedinja can start attacking other Pokemon. It also passes conditions such as confusion, Leech Seed, Gastro Acid, and partial trapping to its recipient, but the effects of these are more often than not nullified by proper team support. If you don't want to run Baton Pass, opt for Volt Switch instead of U-turn or Parting Shot. U-turn is affected by Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, while Parting Shot leaves Shedinja vulnerable to Magic Bounce users taking advantage of the move for a free switch into their own Mold Breaker user.
Safeguard and Recycle reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja; the choice depends on Shedinja's item. Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja immunity to status as well as to weather damage, whereas Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used many times, giving Shedinja an effective immunity to status.
Set Details
========
Defensive IVs and EVs are minimal, but Shedinja's Attack is maximized and its level must remain at 100 if using Ice Shard or Feint, to be able to break through Pokemon that carry Leftovers. Imposter Pokemon can still be taken out using this spread, but you should be careful if you pair this Shedinja set with a defensive Mold Breaker user, as their Pursuit might not always OHKO an Imposter with high HP such as Chansey or Blissey.
Both items protect Shedinja from passive damage. If you can't fit Aromatherapy on your team, opt for the Lum Berry to give Shedinja independence in its status-walling abilities. Otherwise, use Safety Goggles, as it is the only way to protect Shedinja from residual weather damage outside of gimmicks such as Magic Guard.
The Brave nature maximizes Shedinja's Attack, giving it a stronger finishing move while minimizing its Speed to preserve its slow pivoting abilities. It also maximizes the amount of damage that a move such as Foul Play will do to an Imposter user, should you choose not to run Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit user.
Usage Tips
========
This Shedinja set functions best as a defensive pivot, but it sacrifices minimal Speed and lack of contact moves and reduces its ability to lure in and deal with Imposter Pokemon in favor of a more consistent offensive presence. However, because this offensive presence requires the use of contact moves, be sure to scout the opponent's team for Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield users before attempting to cripple their Pokemon with Shedinja.
Slow switching via the use of Baton Pass is extremely helpful not only for Shedinja but also for any Balanced Hackmons team. Knowing your opponent's team is the key to being able to check and counter everything they have. While slow switching is not completely necessary on all Balanced Hackmons teams, you'll have a very difficult time getting Shedinja safely into play in the upper ladder without it, as you then open yourself up to surprise coverage or switching into a Mold Breaker user. Know what checks and counters each of your Pokemon, and you'll be able to wall virtually anything the opponent can throw at you. Paranoia is excellent when it comes to using Shedinja, so don't be surprised if most of the early-game sees Shedinja only using its switching move. Don't rush your offense either; safe switching and scouting with Shedinja not only is an excellent way to preserve your team's defenses but also allows your offensive Pokemon to come in at the moment they're needed most, providing excellent offensive pressure.
Team Options
========
A large part of Shedinja's utility comes from its teammates; don't expect to be able to throw it on any team without accommodating to its needs, or you'll find Shedinja fainting very early in the match. Many of these options are more than just things that can be done; they're mandatory if you want Shedinja to reach its potential.
A Mold Breaker user with Pursuit not only provides a near-guaranteed OHKO on any opposing Shedinja but also serves as an extremely capable Imposter counter if an Imposter Pokemon switches into your Shedinja as it pivots out. With this set in particular, an offensive Mold Breaker Pokemon is preferred, as a Pursuit coming off of a defensive Pokemon won't always OHKO an opposing Chansey.
Cleric support and entry hazard control are also a must if you want to ensure Shedinja's reliability throughout the match. Prankster users such as Registeel and Giratina perform this role very efficiently, especially when there's a high level of offensive pressure on your team. Be mindful of any Poison Heal Pokemon on your team when using Aromatherapy, as they can lose their immunity to status for the rest of the match if their Toxic Orb has already been removed.
An Imposter user of your own works wonders to ensure maximum knowledge of your opponent's team. Reliable Imposter Pokemon include Chansey, for its immense HP and access to Eviolite, and Blissey. However, other Pokemon can be used as Imposters if your team struggles against a specific threat. For example, a Pikachu holding a Light Ball transforms into a frail version of your opponent's Pokemon, but with doubled attacking stats to provide you with nuking potential, especially when copying an -ate user's set. Even very niche Pokemon such as Hoopa-U can be used to benefit from any setup that an opposing Hoopa utilizes. However, Chansey still offers the most reward with the lowest opportunity cost, especially when using it as a scout.
Team members that run Knock Off, such as Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Protean Mega Mewtwo X, and Regigigas, as well as defensive Pokemon such as Giratina, Regirock, and Registeel make Shedinja's job a lot easier by removing Rocky Helmet and Leftovers from the equation, giving Shedinja much greater freedom to use Endeavor and Ice Shard.
This Shedinja set also synergizes very well with sand and hail teams, provided it runs Safety Goggles. Shedinja can cripple the foe with Endeavor while the residual weather damage finishes them off, effectively KOing it in a single turn. This also allows Shedinja to stay in against a wider variety of threats, as the foe will faint before partial trapping moves or Leech Seed are able to KO Shedinja.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Magic Guard can be used to bluff a Sturdy set in Team Preview and not take damage from entry hazards or status, but once it's been found out all utility is lost, as it only takes one hit from any Pokemon to break the Focus Sash that is required on this set, and another to take Shedinja out.
Abilities such as the -ates and Scrappy also allow Shedinja to surprise Ghost-type switch-ins with an Endeavor. Consider running Pursuit on these sorts of sets to prevent the opponent from switching their Ghost-type out after realizing that your Shedinja isn't Sturdy.
Pursuit can also be used as a finishing move if priority isn't necessary, as it ensures a KO on an unprotected foe, even those that try to switch out after being hit by Endeavor.
Shedinja's niche of being immune to most forms of direct damage gives it the opportunity to run a large variety of moves as well. These can be very situational, as more often than not the foe won't be staying in on Shedinja long enough for it to do much to them anyway, but they can work with the right team support.
Spore can be useful on Safety Goggles sets, as you won't need to fear Magic Bounce users. Putting a threat to sleep will usually force them to switch out, which will allow Shedinja to switch into a check for that. It's good for momentum but comes at the cost of staying in the field longer. Spore also gives Shedinja the opportunity to switch out of Mold Breaker users lacking Safety Goggles, but that item and ability combination is rather common, so be sure to have Knock Off support if you are going to attempt this strategy.
Teeter Dance can also be used to force a 50% chance of survival against a Mold Breaker user that switches in. The risk is still there, but confusion is a high-risk, high-reward strategy, and a 50% chance of survival is better than nothing. Teeter Dance also bypasses Magic Bounce, making it more reliable than another confusion move such as Confuse Ray.
Foresight can be used, not only to hit Ghost-types that are immune to Endeavor but also to force Ghost-types out, allowing Shedinja's Endeavor to land on another Pokemon on the opponent's team. This won't help in situations where the opponent has multiple Ghost-types on their team, however.
Extreme Speed can be used as an alternative to Ice Shard or Feint for more power at the cost of making contact and being blocked by Protect clones and Ghost-types.
Perish Song can also be used to force switches when you come across a sweeper that the rest of your team can't handle or to use in tandem with partial trapping to deal with walls that your offensive Pokemon aren't able to break through.
Eject Button can also be used if you have trouble with partial trapping moves such as Magma Storm, Infestation, and Whirlpool. Eject Button also allows Shedinja to switch out of status inflicted via attacks such as Inferno, Sacred Fire, Scald, and Poison Fang.
Protect and all of its clones increase Shedinja's scouting abilities, but they make Shedinja more vulnerable to Mold Breaker if the opponent has it on their team.
Magic Coat can also be useful against foes that opt for status moves as their answer to Shedinja.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mold Breaker**: Common Mold Breaker users primarily include offensive Pokemon such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Gengar but also defensive Pokemon such as Giratina. More often than not, a Mold Breaker user will be carrying Pursuit, even if they are defensive, which is guaranteed to hit Shedinja, even if it switches out. Mold Breaker users also have the ability to set up entry hazards without fear of having them bounced back by Magic Bounce, which makes hazard removal on Shedinja's teammates absolutely mandatory.
**Entry Hazards**: The only entry hazard that Shedinja isn't afraid of is Sticky Web. The rest of them either KO Shedinja or inflict it with poison as it switches in, making Shedinja little more than a sacrifice unless your team carries Defog or Rapid Spin. Multiple methods of hazard removal can prove to be incredibly useful, allowing your team much greater flexibility when it needs to remove a Stealth Rock, even when faced with high offensive pressure.
**Status**: Poison and burns are quite common in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, and they either force a switch, take Shedinja out, or force it to go on the defensive and spam Recycle for its Lum Berry, all of which put a dead stop to its offensive capabilities until the next time it can come in, if there is a next time. Be wary of No Guard users, such as Mega Mewtwo X and Y, Mega Charizard Y, and the occasional Mega Manectric, as their Inferno deals damage to and burns anything that switches into it. Keep in mind that Poison Heal users occasionally run Psycho Shift to spread their status around your team as well.
**Partial Trapping**: Another common way to deal with Shedinja is the use of partial trapping moves such as Infestation and Magma Storm, either on a predicted Shedinja switch or against a Shedinja that is attempting to sweep. This damage can only be avoided if Shedinja runs Magic Guard over Sturdy. No Guard users will usually run Magma Storm as coverage, so a Lum Berry won't do you much good against them. Also be wary of Perish Song trappers such as Soundproof Arceus, Mega Aggron, and Mega Slowbro, as they will usually run partial trapping if they aren't running Block or Thousand Waves.
**No Guard**: No Guard gives Pokemon access to powerful and accurate moves that have a 100% chance of inflicting a status condition, such as Inferno and Zap Cannon, as well as a fully accurate Magma Storm. Shedinja doesn't like any of these things, so it should avoid switching in against No Guard whenever possible, only entering the field against it as a last resort to attempt to get the foe's HP down to the point where a teammate can deal with them.
**Confusion**: If Shedinja is confused, it has a 50% chance of KOing itself every time it attempts to move. Its Ghost typing allows it to avoid No Guard Dynamic Punch, arguably the most common confusion-inducing move, but you should be wary of Prankster Teeter Dance users such as Aegislash and Registeel. Teeter Dance also ignores Magic Bounce, making it even more dangerous.
**Leech Seed**: Leech Seed isn't obscure enough that it shouldn't be expected, especially coming from Kyogre or Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn.
**Passive Weather Damage**: Sand and hail make Shedinja completely deadweight unless it's running Safety Goggles, which is vulnerable to Knock Off. Common weather setters include Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Tyranitar, the latter of which also has a very powerful Knock Off, which will remove Safety Goggles and cause Shedinja to fall to weather damage.
**Knock Off**: Knock Off severely cripples Shedinja's ability to avoid passive damage, either by removing its Lum Berry and opening it up to status or by removing its Safety Goggles and making it vulnerable to passive weather damage and moves like Spore, which hamper its pivoting abilities as well. Common users of Knock Off include Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Mewtwo X, Giratina, and various Regenerator users such as Registeel, Regirock, and Kyogre. Try to have a Pokemon on your team with a non-removable item such as Griseous Orb Giratina, or simply an item that your Pokemon can live without to sponge these hits, as losing items can cripple an entire team, not just Shedinja.
**Poison Heal**: Poison Heal provides a hard check to Shedinja the majority of the time, unless used by a Pokemon with a particularly low Defense stat. Poison Heal outheals partial trapping unless Shedinja is running Binding Band, as well as making it very difficult to KO the Poison Heal user with Ice Shard or Feint. On top of that, many Poison Heal users, such as Kyogre and Giratina, also run moves specifically to counter Shedinja, such as Psycho Shift, Leech Seed, Trick, and Scald.
**Regenerator**: A slow Pokemon with Regenerator, such as Regirock or Registeel, is able to switch into any of Shedinja's moves and switch back out to heal, making it very difficult to knock out unless Shedinja is running Pursuit. A dual Regenerator core is nigh-unbeatable by Shedinja.
**Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield**: Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield are fatal for variants of Shedinja that use contact moves, knocking Shedinja out and often crippling your team's defensive core in the process. Scouting and Knock Off support remedy this, giving you the opportunity to know when Shedinja can attack and when it needs to pivot out.
**Curse**: A move that can be found on Ghost-type walls such as Giratina and Aegislash, Curse can spell trouble for Shedinja and its teammates as an unblockable move that deals damage equal to a quarter of the afflicted Pokemon's maximum health at the end of each turn.
Uselesscrab ✓
Piccolo Daimao ✓
E4 Flint ✓
Grammar / Prose (2/2)
P Squared ✓
The Dutch Plumberjack ✓
[OVERVIEW]
Shedinja is an incredibly potent threat in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, able to endure virtually any direct hit and bring most foes down to their last breath in one fell swoop. Shedinja's almost infinite bulk comes from its unique hardcoded 1 HP stat in combination with the ability Sturdy, which allows it to tank any direct damage thrown at it that doesn't come from a Pokemon with Mold Breaker. From here it is able to use moves such as Endeavor and Pain Split to reduce the foe's HP without stat differences factoring into the equation or simply function as an extremely efficient defensive pivot to preserve your team's momentum, giving you the opportunity to easily switch into checks and counters for whatever the opponent attempts to throw at Shedinja.
Don't be fooled by its potential, however: Shedinja has defined the Balanced Hackmons metagame to the point that any successful team has multiple ways to deal with it, most of which function very well outside of countering Shedinja. Strategies include Mold Breaker, which becomes an almost certain Shedinja counter if paired with the move Pursuit, which hits Pokemon as they switch out. Other methods include entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, which deal indirect damage or inflict status on Pokemon that switch into them; status infliction, as Shedinja will always lose 100% of its health from burn or poison; partial trapping moves, whose residual damage will also cause Shedinja to faint at the end of the turn; Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, which deal damage when their user is hit by a move that makes contact; and weather such as sand and hail, which deal residual damage at the end of each turn. A well-played Shedinja will almost always be able to nullify the effects of these methods, though, either with proper team support or by adjusting its moveset to meet a compromise of safety and utility.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Pain Split
move 3: Whirlpool
move 4: Safeguard / Recycle / Endeavor
level: 1
item: Safety Goggles / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Baton Pass is the safest switching move that Shedinja can use, as the only thing that stops it from working is the move Taunt, which is quite uncommon in the Balanced Hackmons metagame. Other switching moves all rely on your opponent not having a common item, type, ability, and/or move, such as Rocky Helmet, Ground-types with Mold Breaker, and Magic Bounce users, all of which can spell trouble for your Shedinja.
Pain Split shares the difference between Shedinja's HP and its foe's; because of Shedinja's hardcoded 1 HP stat it will always cut the foe's HP in half. It's a slower method of knocking out foes than a move such as Endeavor, but it has the benefit of not making contact and being able to hit Ghost-types. The respectable 32 PP that Pain Split offers also means that any recovery on a defensive foe can be stalled out, securing Shedinja a KO or allowing teammates to sweep it with little trouble.
Whirlpool compliments Pain Split very well, as it deals damage equal to 1/8 of the foe's maximum HP at the end of every turn while also preventing them from directly switching out, aside from Ghost-types and Shed Shell Pokemon. Whirlpool is less accurate than Infestation but has the benefit of not making contact, meaning that Shedinja's damaging potential is completely immune to the effects of Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, and abilities such as Rough Skin. Partial trapping is vital on this Shedinja set if you intend to score KOs with it, as Pain Split can only do so much damage before it ceases to work.
Safeguard and Recycle are both moves that reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja, and the move used depends on Shedinja's item; Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja an immunity to status as well as to residual weather damage, but even the turn used to set up Safeguard can be very risky for Shedinja. Conversely, Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used up to 16 times, making Shedinja virtually immune to status but leaving it vulnerable to weather damage and forcing Shedinja to go on the defensive when facing a foe that spams status moves.
Neither of these moves really needs be used if you have appropriate team support in Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, however, which would allow Shedinja to run Endeavor as a last-ditch attempt to bring a threat that your team can't deal with into the KO range of one of your other Pokemon. Another option is Shell Smash, which can be used in conjunction with Baton Pass to pass very powerful stat boosts to Shedinja's teammates.
Set Details
========
You might be wondering what the point of a Level 1 Shedinja is when its HP stat always remains the same, and the answer lies in what it can do in order to make its teammates' jobs easier. For defensive pivots, a slow Baton Pass is very important to ensure that you start the next turn with the upper hand; as a Level 1 Pokemon with a Speed-decreasing nature, this Shedinja set will almost assuredly go last, except against other Level 1 Pokemon.
Furthermore, the minimalized defenses guarantee that your team will be able to OHKO any Imposter Pokemon that copies this set as Shedinja uses Baton Pass, provided you have a Pokemon with Mold Breaker and Pursuit on your team. Even if not, many opponents don't pay attention to Shedinja's level, so they don't consider that their Imposter users will have only single-digit defenses after they transform, increasing the likelihood of opponents keeping their copied Shedinja in on any Pokemon that doesn't look like it will OHKO them.
Safety Goggles provides Shedinja with the optimum amount of passive damage avoidance when supported by teammates with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, allowing it to not be bothered by the occasional sand or hail team that you will encounter in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, as well as supplying a useful immunity to the omnipresent Spore.
Lum Berry, on the other hand, allows Shedinja to run more independently in regards to status when paired with the move Recycle to keep status away without switching out, with the compromise being that any sand or hail team will render Shedinja useless, as it will be knocked out as soon as it switches in.
Usage Tips
========
Above all else, this Shedinja set is a defensive pivot, so Baton Pass should really be the only move it uses to minimize the risk of it fainting and compromising your team's defensive synergy. In saying that, Shedinja can't be the only Pokemon capable of taking a hit on your team, as the methods of dealing with it are flexible enough to be applied to any Pokemon, sweepers and walls alike. If another Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit or two from a certain threat, switch into that before switching into Shedinja, as it will give you the opportunity to find out what moves the foe is running and whether or not Shedinja should be afraid of them. Directly switching into Shedinja should only be done when you know what your opponent is running or when no other Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit from a certain threat.
Furthermore, the use of slow switching strategies on Shedinja's teammates makes scouting for Shedinja's checks a lot easier. A slow switch into Shedinja not only keeps Shedinja safe from any attacks but also allows you to see whether or not the Pokemon you're facing is capable of dealing with Shedinja. Oftentimes if a certain Pokemon can't either KO or out-heal Shedinja, it will switch out immediately. Shedinja will be able to safely Baton Pass away afterwards, and for the rest of the match you will know almost for sure that that certain Pokemon can be checked by Shedinja.
Be sure to keep an eye on the battle log when the opponent switches a Pokemon in. In Balanced Hackmons, anything can run Mold Breaker and its clones, Turboblaze and Teravolt, and often your only clue before Shedinja falls to a Sturdy-ignoring attack is the "X breaks the mold / is emitting a * aura!" text that will appear when an opposing Pokemon switches in. Be wary, and above all else, be careful. You want to keep Shedinja alive as long as possible; (ASC) don't just sacrifice it in the beginning of the game because you see an opportunity for a KO.
Team Options
========
Shedinja's niche isn't hampered by many playstyles or team setups, so it is able to find a place on most teams. However, Shedinja isn't something that can be thrown on a team for an instant win; if you don't want Shedinja fainting very early, a large part of your team needs to be built around it or at least optimized for use with it. Use Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit Pokemon such as Groudon, Giratina, or Mega Gyarados to lure opposing Imposter Pokemon into your pivoting Shedinja and OHKO them every time.
Entry hazard removal is mandatory. Defog is the most reliable method, although Rapid Spin can be run if you're looking to only remove hazards from your own side of the field; however, keep in mind that Ghost-types are immune to Rapid Spin. Common Defog users include Registeel, Aegislash, and Lugia, but the move can be run on just about any defensive Pokemon with success so long as it doesn't hold a 4x weakness to Rock; even Lugia might have trouble with entry hazard removal if your opponent provides enough offensive pressure. Rapid Spin is usually reserved for Pokemon that run Assault Vest + Regenerator, which can include Regirock, Registeel, and Kyogre. Having multiple methods of hazard removal on different kinds of walls will also allow you more flexibility, especially against teams that provide a lot of offensive pressure.
Status curing is also very important, especially if you run Safety Goggles. Not only do the moves Aromatherapy and Heal Bell allow Shedinja to switch in after it's been inflicted with a status, but they also cure other members of your team. Be wary that Heal Bell won't affect Pokemon on your team that have the ability Soundproof. These moves can usually fit nicely into the moveset of a Pokemon that uses Defog, particularly ones with the Prankster ability.
To reduce risk, it's a good idea to have an Imposter teammate to scout the opponent's movesets before bringing Shedinja in on them if possible. Chansey is the obvious choice here, with its immense HP stat and the opportunity to use Eviolite to further increase its bulk, usually allowing you to scout every member of an opponent's team. Scouting can also be achieved by using VoltTurn strategies to determine movesets of the opponent's team, preserve your own momentum, and see what foes switch out of your Pokemon, letting you see what you can wall and what you can't.
The use of defensive Pokemon with Regenerator alongside Shedinja nullifies residual damage from Leech Seed and partial trapping that gets passed by Baton Pass, assuming they switch out afterwards, as well as providing an opportunity for slow VoltTurn strategies to assist in scouting for threats to Shedinja. Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro, Regirock, and Registeel are often effective users of Regenerator, as their typing or stats allow them to take multiple hits from physical or special attackers (except in Mega Slowbro in most cases, due to it's poor Special Defense) before switching out to regenerate their health.
If you have any sweepers on your team that Shedinja can't wall, make sure that another Pokemon on your team can wall them. The omnipresence of Imposter Chansey means that you'll often be walling your own sweepers, so be sure to Imposter-proof your team if you can't Imposter-proof individual sweepers, usually by compromising coverage to ensure that one of your walls can hard wall them. Try to avoid using Mold Breaker setup sweepers without a Substitute, as these will make short work of Shedinja as well as its teammates.
[SET]
name: Endeavor
move 1: Endeavor
move 2: Ice Shard / Feint / Whirlpool
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Recycle / Safeguard
item: Lum Berry / Safety Goggles
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Endeavor is Shedinja's most powerful damaging move, instantly bringing anything that it can hit down to 1 HP. It's much quicker at minimizing the foe's HP than Pain Split but does make contact , meaning that Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, Rough Skin, and Iron Barbs instantly KO Shedinja upon use. It also only has 8 PP, meaning that it's much easier for defensive Pokemon with Leftovers to PP stall it than Pain Split is.
Ice Shard is used alongside Endeavor to ensure that a foe is knocked out before being able to heal, unless the foe is a Prankster user with more Speed than Shedinja, which isn't that difficult to achieve considering Shedinja's EV spread. Ice Shard's typing also allows it to deal a large amount of damage to common threats in the metagame such as Mega Rayquaza. Feint is a +2 priority move that has the benefit over Ice Shard of ignoring protection moves such as Protect and Spiky Shield.
Priority can be exchanged for a move such as Whirlpool to trap the foe if you'd like the slow switch and easy Imposter luring of a Level 1 Shedinja, as partial trapping deals consistent damage, regardless of Shedinja's attack stat. Whirlpool is used over Infestation, as it allows Shedinja to score some damage on foes with Rocky Helmet without KOing itself.
Baton Pass allows Shedinja to fulfill the role of a pivot when you haven't scouted the opponent's team enough to know when Shedinja can start attacking other Pokemon. It passes conditions such as confusion, Leech Seed, Gastro Acid, and partial trapping to its recipient, but the effects of these are more often than not nullified by proper team support. If you don't want to run Baton Pass, opt for Volt Switch instead of U-turn or Parting Shot. U-turn is affected by Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, while Parting Shot leaves Shedinja vulnerable to Magic Bounce users taking advantage of the move for a free switch into their own Mold Breaker user.
Safeguard and Recycle reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja; the choice depends on Shedinja's item. Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja immunity to status as well as to weather damage, whereas Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used many times, giving Shedinja an effective immunity to status.
Set Details
========
Defensive IVs and EVs are minimal, but Shedinja's Attack is maximized and its level must remain at 100 if using Extreme Speed or Feint, to be able to break through Pokemon that carry Leftovers. Imposter Pokemon can still be taken out using this spread, but be careful if you pair this Shedinja set with a defensive Mold Breaker user, as their Pursuit might not always OHKO an Imposter with high HP such as Chansey or Blissey.
Both items protec Shedinja from passive damage. If you can't fit Aromatherapy on your team, opt for the Lum Berry to give Shedinja independence in its status-walling abilities. Otherwise, use Safety Goggles, as it is the only way to protect Shedinja from residual weather damage outside of gimmicks such as Magic Guard.
The Brave nature maximizes Shedinja's Attack, giving it a stronger finishing move while minimizing its Speed to preserve its slow pivoting abilities. It also maximizes the amount of damage that a move such as Foul Play will do to an Imposter user, should you choose not to run Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit user.
Usage Tips
========
This Shedinja set functions best as a defensive pivot, but it sacrifices minimal Speed and lack of contact moves and reduces its ability to lure in and deal with Imposter Pokemon in favor of a more consistent offensive presence. However, because this offensive presence requires the use of contact moves, be sure to scout the opponent's team for Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield users before attempting to cripple their Pokemon with Shedinja.
Slow switching via the use of Baton Pass is extremely helpful not only for Shedinja but also for any Balanced Hackmons team. Knowing your opponent's team is the key to being able to check and counter everything they have. While slow switching is not completely necessary on all Balanced Hackmons teams, you'll have a very difficult time getting Shedinja safely into play in the upper ladder without it, as you then open yourself up to surprise coverage or switching into a Mold Breaker user. Know what checks and counters each of your Pokemon and you'll be able to wall virtually anything the opponent can throw at you. Paranoia is excellent when it comes to using Shedinja, so don't be surprised if most of the early-game sees Shedinja only using its switching move. Don't rush your offense either; safe switching and scouting with Shedinja not only is an excellent way to preserve your team's defenses but also allows your offensive Pokemon to come in at the moment they're needed most, providing excellent offensive pressure.
Team Options
========
A large part of Shedinja's utility comes from its teammates; don't expect to be able to throw it on any team without accommodating to its needs, or you'll find Shedinja fainting very early in the match. Many of these options are more than just things that can be done; they're mandatory if you want Shedinja to reach its potential.
A Mold Breaker user with Pursuit not only provides a near-guaranteed OHKO on any opposing Shedinja but also serves as an extremely capable Imposter counter if an Imposter Pokemon switches into your Shedinja as it pivots out. With this set in particular, an offensive Mold Breaker Pokemon is preferred, as a Pursuit coming off of a defensive Pokemon won't always OHKO an opposing Chansey.
Cleric support and entry hazard control are also a must if you want to ensure Shedinja's reliability throughout the match. Prankster users such as Registeel and Giratina perform this role very efficiently, especially when there's a high level of offensive pressure on your team. Be mindful of any Poison Heal Pokemon on your team when using Aromatherapy, as they can lose their immunity to status for the rest of the match if their Toxic Orb has already been removed.
An Imposter user of your own works wonders to ensure maximum knowledge of your opponent's team. Reliable Imposter Pokemon include Chansey, for its immense HP and access to Eviolite, and Blissey. However, other Pokemon can be used as Imposters if your team struggles against a specific threat. For example, a Pikachu holding a Light Ball transforms into a frail version of your opponent's Pokemon, but with doubled attacking stats to provide you with nuking potential, especially when copying an -ate user's set. Even very niche Pokemon such as Hoopa-U can be used to benefit from any setup that an opposing Hoopa utilizes. However, Chansey still offers the most reward with the lowest opportunity cost, especially when using it as a scout.
Team members that run Knock Off, such as Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Protean Mega Mewtwo X, and Regigigas, as well as defensive Pokemon such as Giratina, Regirock, and Registeel make Shedinja's job a lot easier by removing Rocky Helmet and Leftovers from the equation, giving Shedinja much greater freedom to use Endeavor and Extreme Speed.
This Shedinja set also synergizes very well with sand and hail teams, provided it runs Safety Goggles. Shedinja can cripple the foe with Endeavor while the residual weather damage finishes them off, effectively KOing it in a single turn. This also allows Shedinja to stay in against a wider variety of threats, as the foe will faint before partial trapping moves or Leech Seed are able to KO Shedinja.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Magic Guard can be used to bluff a Sturdy set in Team Preview and not take damage from entry hazards or status, but once it's been found out all utility is lost, as it only takes one hit from any Pokemon to break the Focus Sash that is required on this set, and another to take Shedinja out.
Abilities such as the -ates and Scrappy also allow Shedinja to surprise Ghost-type switch-ins with an Endeavor. Consider running Pursuit on these sorts of sets to prevent the opponent from switching their Ghost-type out after realizing that your Shedinja isn't Sturdy.
Pursuit can also be used as a finishing move if priority isn't necessary, as it ensures a KO on an unprotected foe, even those that try to switch out after being hit by Endeavor.
Shedinja's niche of being immune to most forms of direct damage gives it the opportunity to run a large variety of moves as well. These can be very situational, as more often than not the foe won't be staying in on Shedinja long enough for it to do much to them anyway, but they can work with the right team support.
Spore can be useful on Safety Goggles sets, as you won't need to fear Magic Bounce users. Putting a threat to sleep will usually force them to switch out, which will allow Shedinja to switch into a check for that. It's good for momentum but at the cost of staying in the field longer. Spore also gives Shedinja the opportunity to switch out of Mold Breaker users lacking Safety Goggles, but that item and ability combination is rather common, so be sure to have Knock Off support if you are going to attempt this strategy.
Teeter Dance can also be used to force a 50% chance of survival against a Mold Breaker user that switches in. The risk is still there, but confusion is a high risk, high reward strategy, and a 50% chance of survival is better than nothing. Teeter Dance also bypasses Magic Bounce, making it more reliable than another confusion move such as Confuse Ray.
Foresight can be used, not only to hit Ghost-types that are immune to Endeavor but also to force Ghost-types out, allowing your Endeavor to land on another Pokemon on the opponent's team. This won't help in situations where the opponent has multiple Ghost-types on their team, however.
Extreme Speed can be used as an alternative to Ice Shard or Feint for more power at the cost of making contact and being blocked by Protect clones and Ghost-types.
Perish Song can also be used to force switches when you come across a sweeper that the rest of your team can't handle, or to use in tandem with partial trapping to deal with walls that your offensive Pokemon aren't able to break through.
Eject Button can also be used if you have trouble with partial trapping moves such as Magma Storm, Infestation, and Whirlpool. Eject Button also allows Shedinja to switch out of status inflicted via attacks such as Inferno, Sacred Fire, Scald, and Poison Fang.
Protect and all of its clones increase Shedinja's scouting abilities, but they make Shedinja more vulnerable to Mold Breaker if the opponent has it on their team.
Magic Coat can also be useful against foes that opt for status moves as their answer to Shedinja.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mold Breaker**: Common Mold Breaker users primarily include offensive Pokemon such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Gengar but also defensive Pokemon such as Giratina. More often than not, a Mold Breaker user will be carrying Pursuit, even if they are defensive, which is guaranteed to hit Shedinja, even if it switches out. Mold Breaker users also have the ability to set up entry hazards without fear of having them bounced back by Magic Bounce, which makes hazard removal on Shedinja's teammates absolutely mandatory.
**Entry Hazards**: The only entry hazard that Shedinja isn't afraid of is Sticky Web. The rest of them either KO Shedinja or inflict it with poison as it switches in, making Shedinja little more than a sacrifice unless your team carries Defog or Rapid Spin. Multiple methods of hazard removal can prove to be incredibly useful, allowing your team much greater flexibility when it needs to remove a Stealth Rock, even when faced with high offensive pressure.
**Status**: Poison and burns are quite common in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, and they either force a switch, take Shedinja out, or force it to go on the defensive and spam Recycle for its Lum Berry, all of which put a dead stop to its offensive capabilities until the next time it can come in, if there is a next time. Be wary of No Guard users, such as Mega Mewtwo X and Y, Mega Charizard Y, and the occasional Mega Manectric, as their Inferno deals damage to and burns anything that switches into it. Keep in mind that Poison Heal users occasionally run Psycho Shift to spread their status around your team as well.
**Partial Trapping**: Another common way to deal with Shedinja is the use of partial trapping moves such as Infestation and Magma Storm, either on a predicted Shedinja switch or against a Shedinja that is attempting to sweep. This damage can only be avoided if Shedinja runs Magic Guard over Sturdy. No Guard users will usually run Magma Storm as coverage, so a Lum Berry won't do you much good against them. Also be wary of Perish Song trappers such as Soundproof Arceus, Mega Aggron, and Mega Slowbro, as they will usually run partial trapping if they aren't running Block or Thousand Waves.
**No Guard**: No Guard gives Pokemon access to powerful and accurate moves that have a 100% chance of inflicting a status condition, such as Inferno and Zap Cannon, as well as a fully accurate Magma Storm. Shedinja doesn't like any of these things, so it should avoid switching in against No Guard whenever possible, only entering the field against it as a last resort to attempt to get the foe's HP down to the point where a teammate can deal with them.
**Confusion**: If Shedinja is confused, it has a 50% chance of KOing itself every time it attempts to move. Its Ghost typing allows it to avoid No Guard Dynamic Punch, arguably the most common confusion-inducing move, but be wary of Prankster Teeter Dance users such as Aegislash and Registeel. Teeter Dance also ignores Magic Bounce, making it even more dangerous.
**Leech Seed**: Leech Seed isn't obscure enough that it shouldn't be expected, especially coming from Kyogre or Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn.
**Passive Weather Damage**: Sand and hail make Shedinja completely redundant unless it's running Safety Goggles, which is vulnerable to Knock Off. Common weather setters include Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Tyranitar, the latter of which also has a very powerful Knock Off, which will remove Safety Goggles and cause Shedinja to fall to weather damage.
**Knock Off**: Knock Off severely cripples Shedinja's ability to avoid passive damage, either by removing its Lum Berry and opening it up to status or by removing its Safety Goggles and making it vulnerable to passive weather damage and moves like Spore, which hamper its pivoting abilities as well. Common users of Knock Off include Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Mewtwo X, Giratina, or various Regenerator users such as Registeel, Regirock and Kyogre. Try to have a Pokemon on your team with a non-removable item such as Griseous Orb Giratina, or simply an item that your Pokemon can live without to sponge these hits, as losing items can cripple an entire team, not just Shedinja.
**Poison Heal**: Poison Heal provides a hard check to Shedinja the majority of the time, unless used by a Pokemon with a particularly low Defense stat. Poison Heal outheals partial trapping (unless Shedinja is running Binding Band, which increases partial trapping damage to 1/6 of the target's maximum HP), as well as making it very difficult to KO the Poison Heal user with ExtremeSpeed or Feint. On top of that, many Poison Heal users, such as Kyogre and Giratina, also run moves specifically to counter Shedinja, such as Psycho Shift, Leech Seed, Trick, and Scald.
**Regenerator**: A slow Pokemon with Regenerator, such as Regirock or Registeel, is able to switch into any of Shedinja's moves and switch back out to heal, making it very difficult to knock out unless Shedinja is running Pursuit. A dual Regenerator core is nigh-unbeatable by Shedinja.
**Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield**: Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield are fatal for variants of Shedinja that use contact moves, knocking Shedinja out and often crippling your team's defensive core in the process. Scouting and Knock Off support remedy this, giving you the opportunity to know when Shedinja can attack and when it needs to pivot out.
**Curse**: A move that can be found on Ghost-type walls such as Giratina and Aegislash, Curse can spell trouble for Shedinja and its teammates as an unblockable move that deals damage equal to a quarter of the afflicted Pokemon's maximum health at the end of each turn.
Shedinja is an incredibly potent threat in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, able to endure virtually any direct hit and bring most foes down to their last breath in one fell swoop. Shedinja's almost infinite bulk comes from its unique hardcoded 1 HP stat in combination with the ability Sturdy, which allows it to tank any direct damage thrown at it that doesn't come from a Pokemon with Mold Breaker. From here it is able to use moves such as Endeavor and Pain Split to reduce the foe's HP without stat differences factoring into the equation or simply function as an extremely efficient defensive pivot to preserve your team's momentum, giving you the opportunity to easily switch into checks and counters for whatever the opponent attempts to throw at Shedinja.
Don't be fooled by its potential, however: Shedinja has defined the Balanced Hackmons metagame to the point that any successful team has multiple ways to deal with it, most of which function very well outside of countering Shedinja. Strategies include Mold Breaker, which becomes an almost certain Shedinja counter if paired with the move Pursuit, which hits Pokemon as they switch out. Other methods include entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, which deal indirect damage or inflict status on Pokemon that switch into them; status infliction, as Shedinja will always lose 100% of its health from burn or poison; partial trapping moves, whose residual damage will also cause Shedinja to faint at the end of the turn; Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, which deal damage when their user is hit by a move that makes contact; and weather such as sand and hail, which deal residual damage at the end of each turn. A well-played Shedinja will almost always be able to nullify the effects of these methods, though, either with proper team support or by adjusting its moveset to meet a compromise of safety and utility.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Pain Split
move 3: Whirlpool
move 4: Safeguard / Recycle / Endeavor
level: 1
item: Safety Goggles / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Baton Pass is the safest switching move that Shedinja can use, as the only thing that stops it from working is the move Taunt, which is quite uncommon in the Balanced Hackmons metagame. Other switching moves all rely on your opponent not having a common item, type, ability, and/or move, such as Rocky Helmet, Ground-types with Mold Breaker, and Magic Bounce users, all of which can spell trouble for your Shedinja.
Pain Split shares the difference between Shedinja's HP and its foe's; because of Shedinja's hardcoded 1 HP stat it will always cut the foe's HP in half. It's a slower method of knocking out foes than a move such as Endeavor, but it has the benefit of not making contact and being able to hit Ghost-types. The respectable 32 PP that Pain Split offers also means that any recovery on a defensive foe can be stalled out, securing Shedinja a KO or allowing teammates to sweep it with little trouble.
Whirlpool compliments Pain Split very well, as it deals damage equal to 1/8 of the foe's maximum HP at the end of every turn while also preventing them from directly switching out, aside from Ghost-types and Shed Shell Pokemon. Whirlpool is less accurate than Infestation but has the benefit of not making contact, meaning that Shedinja's damaging potential is completely immune to the effects of Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, and abilities such as Rough Skin. Partial trapping is vital on this Shedinja set if you intend to score KOs with it, as Pain Split can only do so much damage before it ceases to work.
Safeguard and Recycle are both moves that reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja, and the move used depends on Shedinja's item; Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja an immunity to status as well as to residual weather damage, but even the turn used to set up Safeguard can be very risky for Shedinja. Conversely, Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used up to 16 times, making Shedinja virtually immune to status but leaving it vulnerable to weather damage and forcing Shedinja to go on the defensive when facing a foe that spams status moves.
Neither of these moves really needs be used if you have appropriate team support in Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, however, which would allow Shedinja to run Endeavor as a last-ditch attempt to bring a threat that your team can't deal with into the KO range of one of your other Pokemon. Another option is Shell Smash, which can be used in conjunction with Baton Pass to pass very powerful stat boosts to Shedinja's teammates.
Set Details
========
You might be wondering what the point of a Level 1 Shedinja is when its HP stat always remains the same, and the answer lies in what it can do in order to make its teammates' jobs easier. For defensive pivots, a slow Baton Pass is very important to ensure that you start the next turn with the upper hand; as a Level 1 Pokemon with a Speed-decreasing nature, this Shedinja set will almost assuredly go last, except against other Level 1 Pokemon.
Furthermore, the minimalized defenses guarantee that your team will be able to OHKO any Imposter Pokemon that copies this set as Shedinja uses Baton Pass, provided you have a Pokemon with Mold Breaker and Pursuit on your team. Even if not, many opponents don't pay attention to Shedinja's level, so they don't consider that their Imposter users will have only single-digit defenses after they transform, increasing the likelihood of opponents keeping their copied Shedinja in on any Pokemon that doesn't look like it will OHKO them.
Safety Goggles provides Shedinja with the optimum amount of passive damage avoidance when supported by teammates with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, allowing it to not be bothered by the occasional sand or hail team that you will encounter in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, as well as supplying a useful immunity to the omnipresent Spore.
Lum Berry, on the other hand, allows Shedinja to run more independently in regards to status when paired with the move Recycle to keep status away without switching out, with the compromise being that any sand or hail team will render Shedinja useless, as it will be knocked out as soon as it switches in.
Usage Tips
========
Above all else, this Shedinja set is a defensive pivot, so Baton Pass should really be the only move it uses to minimize the risk of it fainting and compromising your team's defensive synergy. In saying that, Shedinja can't be the only Pokemon capable of taking a hit on your team, as the methods of dealing with it are flexible enough to be applied to any Pokemon, sweepers and walls alike. If another Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit or two from a certain threat, switch into that before switching into Shedinja, as it will give you the opportunity to find out what moves the foe is running and whether or not Shedinja should be afraid of them. Directly switching into Shedinja should only be done when you know what your opponent is running or when no other Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit from a certain threat.
Furthermore, the use of slow switching strategies on Shedinja's teammates makes scouting for Shedinja's checks a lot easier. A slow switch into Shedinja not only keeps Shedinja safe from any attacks but also allows you to see whether or not the Pokemon you're facing is capable of dealing with Shedinja. Oftentimes if a certain Pokemon can't either KO or out-heal Shedinja, it will switch out immediately. Shedinja will be able to safely Baton Pass away afterwards, and for the rest of the match you will know almost for sure that that certain Pokemon can be checked by Shedinja.
Be sure to keep an eye on the battle log when the opponent switches a Pokemon in. In Balanced Hackmons, anything can run Mold Breaker and its clones, Turboblaze and Teravolt, and often your only clue before Shedinja falls to a Sturdy-ignoring attack is the "X breaks the mold / is emitting a * aura!" text that will appear when an opposing Pokemon switches in. Be wary, and above all else, be careful. You want to keep Shedinja alive as long as possible; (ASC) don't just sacrifice it in the beginning of the game because you see an opportunity for a KO.
Team Options
========
Shedinja's niche isn't hampered by many playstyles or team setups, so it is able to find a place on most teams. However, Shedinja isn't something that can be thrown on a team for an instant win; if you don't want Shedinja fainting very early, a large part of your team needs to be built around it or at least optimized for use with it. Use Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit Pokemon such as Groudon, Giratina, or Mega Gyarados to lure opposing Imposter Pokemon into your pivoting Shedinja and OHKO them every time.
Entry hazard removal is mandatory. Defog is the most reliable method, although Rapid Spin can be run if you're looking to only remove hazards from your own side of the field; however, keep in mind that Ghost-types are immune to Rapid Spin. Common Defog users include Registeel, Aegislash, and Lugia, but the move can be run on just about any defensive Pokemon with success so long as it doesn't hold a 4x weakness to Rock; even Lugia might have trouble with entry hazard removal if your opponent provides enough offensive pressure. Rapid Spin is usually reserved for Pokemon that run Assault Vest + Regenerator, which can include Regirock, Registeel, and Kyogre. Having multiple methods of hazard removal on different kinds of walls will also allow you more flexibility, especially against teams that provide a lot of offensive pressure.
Status curing is also very important, especially if you run Safety Goggles. Not only do the moves Aromatherapy and Heal Bell allow Shedinja to switch in after it's been inflicted with a status, but they also cure other members of your team. Be wary that Heal Bell won't affect Pokemon on your team that have the ability Soundproof. These moves can usually fit nicely into the moveset of a Pokemon that uses Defog, particularly ones with the Prankster ability.
To reduce risk, it's a good idea to have an Imposter teammate to scout the opponent's movesets before bringing Shedinja in on them if possible. Chansey is the obvious choice here, with its immense HP stat and the opportunity to use Eviolite to further increase its bulk, usually allowing you to scout every member of an opponent's team. Scouting can also be achieved by using VoltTurn strategies to determine movesets of the opponent's team, preserve your own momentum, and see what foes switch out of your Pokemon, letting you see what you can wall and what you can't.
The use of defensive Pokemon with Regenerator alongside Shedinja nullifies residual damage from Leech Seed and partial trapping that gets passed by Baton Pass, assuming they switch out afterwards, as well as providing an opportunity for slow VoltTurn strategies to assist in scouting for threats to Shedinja. Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro, Regirock, and Registeel are often effective users of Regenerator, as their typing or stats allow them to take multiple hits from physical or special attackers (except in Mega Slowbro in most cases, due to it's poor Special Defense) before switching out to regenerate their health.
If you have any sweepers on your team that Shedinja can't wall, make sure that another Pokemon on your team can wall them. The omnipresence of Imposter Chansey means that you'll often be walling your own sweepers, so be sure to Imposter-proof your team if you can't Imposter-proof individual sweepers, usually by compromising coverage to ensure that one of your walls can hard wall them. Try to avoid using Mold Breaker setup sweepers without a Substitute, as these will make short work of Shedinja as well as its teammates.
[SET]
name: Endeavor
move 1: Endeavor
move 2: Ice Shard / Feint / Whirlpool
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Recycle / Safeguard
item: Lum Berry / Safety Goggles
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Endeavor is Shedinja's most powerful damaging move, instantly bringing anything that it can hit down to 1 HP. It's much quicker at minimizing the foe's HP than Pain Split but does make contact , meaning that Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, Rough Skin, and Iron Barbs instantly KO Shedinja upon use. It also only has 8 PP, meaning that it's much easier for defensive Pokemon with Leftovers to PP stall it than Pain Split is.
Ice Shard is used alongside Endeavor to ensure that a foe is knocked out before being able to heal, unless the foe is a Prankster user with more Speed than Shedinja, which isn't that difficult to achieve considering Shedinja's EV spread. Ice Shard's typing also allows it to deal a large amount of damage to common threats in the metagame such as Mega Rayquaza. Feint is a +2 priority move that has the benefit over Ice Shard of ignoring protection moves such as Protect and Spiky Shield.
Priority can be exchanged for a move such as Whirlpool to trap the foe if you'd like the slow switch and easy Imposter luring of a Level 1 Shedinja, as partial trapping deals consistent damage, regardless of Shedinja's attack stat. Whirlpool is used over Infestation, as it allows Shedinja to score some damage on foes with Rocky Helmet without KOing itself.
Baton Pass allows Shedinja to fulfill the role of a pivot when you haven't scouted the opponent's team enough to know when Shedinja can start attacking other Pokemon. It passes conditions such as confusion, Leech Seed, Gastro Acid, and partial trapping to its recipient, but the effects of these are more often than not nullified by proper team support. If you don't want to run Baton Pass, opt for Volt Switch instead of U-turn or Parting Shot. U-turn is affected by Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, while Parting Shot leaves Shedinja vulnerable to Magic Bounce users taking advantage of the move for a free switch into their own Mold Breaker user.
Safeguard and Recycle reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja; the choice depends on Shedinja's item. Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja immunity to status as well as to weather damage, whereas Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used many times, giving Shedinja an effective immunity to status.
Set Details
========
Defensive IVs and EVs are minimal, but Shedinja's Attack is maximized and its level must remain at 100 if using Extreme Speed or Feint, to be able to break through Pokemon that carry Leftovers. Imposter Pokemon can still be taken out using this spread, but be careful if you pair this Shedinja set with a defensive Mold Breaker user, as their Pursuit might not always OHKO an Imposter with high HP such as Chansey or Blissey.
Both items protec Shedinja from passive damage. If you can't fit Aromatherapy on your team, opt for the Lum Berry to give Shedinja independence in its status-walling abilities. Otherwise, use Safety Goggles, as it is the only way to protect Shedinja from residual weather damage outside of gimmicks such as Magic Guard.
The Brave nature maximizes Shedinja's Attack, giving it a stronger finishing move while minimizing its Speed to preserve its slow pivoting abilities. It also maximizes the amount of damage that a move such as Foul Play will do to an Imposter user, should you choose not to run Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit user.
Usage Tips
========
This Shedinja set functions best as a defensive pivot, but it sacrifices minimal Speed and lack of contact moves and reduces its ability to lure in and deal with Imposter Pokemon in favor of a more consistent offensive presence. However, because this offensive presence requires the use of contact moves, be sure to scout the opponent's team for Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield users before attempting to cripple their Pokemon with Shedinja.
Slow switching via the use of Baton Pass is extremely helpful not only for Shedinja but also for any Balanced Hackmons team. Knowing your opponent's team is the key to being able to check and counter everything they have. While slow switching is not completely necessary on all Balanced Hackmons teams, you'll have a very difficult time getting Shedinja safely into play in the upper ladder without it, as you then open yourself up to surprise coverage or switching into a Mold Breaker user. Know what checks and counters each of your Pokemon and you'll be able to wall virtually anything the opponent can throw at you. Paranoia is excellent when it comes to using Shedinja, so don't be surprised if most of the early-game sees Shedinja only using its switching move. Don't rush your offense either; safe switching and scouting with Shedinja not only is an excellent way to preserve your team's defenses but also allows your offensive Pokemon to come in at the moment they're needed most, providing excellent offensive pressure.
Team Options
========
A large part of Shedinja's utility comes from its teammates; don't expect to be able to throw it on any team without accommodating to its needs, or you'll find Shedinja fainting very early in the match. Many of these options are more than just things that can be done; they're mandatory if you want Shedinja to reach its potential.
A Mold Breaker user with Pursuit not only provides a near-guaranteed OHKO on any opposing Shedinja but also serves as an extremely capable Imposter counter if an Imposter Pokemon switches into your Shedinja as it pivots out. With this set in particular, an offensive Mold Breaker Pokemon is preferred, as a Pursuit coming off of a defensive Pokemon won't always OHKO an opposing Chansey.
Cleric support and entry hazard control are also a must if you want to ensure Shedinja's reliability throughout the match. Prankster users such as Registeel and Giratina perform this role very efficiently, especially when there's a high level of offensive pressure on your team. Be mindful of any Poison Heal Pokemon on your team when using Aromatherapy, as they can lose their immunity to status for the rest of the match if their Toxic Orb has already been removed.
An Imposter user of your own works wonders to ensure maximum knowledge of your opponent's team. Reliable Imposter Pokemon include Chansey, for its immense HP and access to Eviolite, and Blissey. However, other Pokemon can be used as Imposters if your team struggles against a specific threat. For example, a Pikachu holding a Light Ball transforms into a frail version of your opponent's Pokemon, but with doubled attacking stats to provide you with nuking potential, especially when copying an -ate user's set. Even very niche Pokemon such as Hoopa-U can be used to benefit from any setup that an opposing Hoopa utilizes. However, Chansey still offers the most reward with the lowest opportunity cost, especially when using it as a scout.
Team members that run Knock Off, such as Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Protean Mega Mewtwo X, and Regigigas, as well as defensive Pokemon such as Giratina, Regirock, and Registeel make Shedinja's job a lot easier by removing Rocky Helmet and Leftovers from the equation, giving Shedinja much greater freedom to use Endeavor and Extreme Speed.
This Shedinja set also synergizes very well with sand and hail teams, provided it runs Safety Goggles. Shedinja can cripple the foe with Endeavor while the residual weather damage finishes them off, effectively KOing it in a single turn. This also allows Shedinja to stay in against a wider variety of threats, as the foe will faint before partial trapping moves or Leech Seed are able to KO Shedinja.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Magic Guard can be used to bluff a Sturdy set in Team Preview and not take damage from entry hazards or status, but once it's been found out all utility is lost, as it only takes one hit from any Pokemon to break the Focus Sash that is required on this set, and another to take Shedinja out.
Abilities such as the -ates and Scrappy also allow Shedinja to surprise Ghost-type switch-ins with an Endeavor. Consider running Pursuit on these sorts of sets to prevent the opponent from switching their Ghost-type out after realizing that your Shedinja isn't Sturdy.
Pursuit can also be used as a finishing move if priority isn't necessary, as it ensures a KO on an unprotected foe, even those that try to switch out after being hit by Endeavor.
Shedinja's niche of being immune to most forms of direct damage gives it the opportunity to run a large variety of moves as well. These can be very situational, as more often than not the foe won't be staying in on Shedinja long enough for it to do much to them anyway, but they can work with the right team support.
Spore can be useful on Safety Goggles sets, as you won't need to fear Magic Bounce users. Putting a threat to sleep will usually force them to switch out, which will allow Shedinja to switch into a check for that. It's good for momentum but at the cost of staying in the field longer. Spore also gives Shedinja the opportunity to switch out of Mold Breaker users lacking Safety Goggles, but that item and ability combination is rather common, so be sure to have Knock Off support if you are going to attempt this strategy.
Teeter Dance can also be used to force a 50% chance of survival against a Mold Breaker user that switches in. The risk is still there, but confusion is a high risk, high reward strategy, and a 50% chance of survival is better than nothing. Teeter Dance also bypasses Magic Bounce, making it more reliable than another confusion move such as Confuse Ray.
Foresight can be used, not only to hit Ghost-types that are immune to Endeavor but also to force Ghost-types out, allowing your Endeavor to land on another Pokemon on the opponent's team. This won't help in situations where the opponent has multiple Ghost-types on their team, however.
Extreme Speed can be used as an alternative to Ice Shard or Feint for more power at the cost of making contact and being blocked by Protect clones and Ghost-types.
Perish Song can also be used to force switches when you come across a sweeper that the rest of your team can't handle, or to use in tandem with partial trapping to deal with walls that your offensive Pokemon aren't able to break through.
Eject Button can also be used if you have trouble with partial trapping moves such as Magma Storm, Infestation, and Whirlpool. Eject Button also allows Shedinja to switch out of status inflicted via attacks such as Inferno, Sacred Fire, Scald, and Poison Fang.
Protect and all of its clones increase Shedinja's scouting abilities, but they make Shedinja more vulnerable to Mold Breaker if the opponent has it on their team.
Magic Coat can also be useful against foes that opt for status moves as their answer to Shedinja.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mold Breaker**: Common Mold Breaker users primarily include offensive Pokemon such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Gengar but also defensive Pokemon such as Giratina. More often than not, a Mold Breaker user will be carrying Pursuit, even if they are defensive, which is guaranteed to hit Shedinja, even if it switches out. Mold Breaker users also have the ability to set up entry hazards without fear of having them bounced back by Magic Bounce, which makes hazard removal on Shedinja's teammates absolutely mandatory.
**Entry Hazards**: The only entry hazard that Shedinja isn't afraid of is Sticky Web. The rest of them either KO Shedinja or inflict it with poison as it switches in, making Shedinja little more than a sacrifice unless your team carries Defog or Rapid Spin. Multiple methods of hazard removal can prove to be incredibly useful, allowing your team much greater flexibility when it needs to remove a Stealth Rock, even when faced with high offensive pressure.
**Status**: Poison and burns are quite common in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, and they either force a switch, take Shedinja out, or force it to go on the defensive and spam Recycle for its Lum Berry, all of which put a dead stop to its offensive capabilities until the next time it can come in, if there is a next time. Be wary of No Guard users, such as Mega Mewtwo X and Y, Mega Charizard Y, and the occasional Mega Manectric, as their Inferno deals damage to and burns anything that switches into it. Keep in mind that Poison Heal users occasionally run Psycho Shift to spread their status around your team as well.
**Partial Trapping**: Another common way to deal with Shedinja is the use of partial trapping moves such as Infestation and Magma Storm, either on a predicted Shedinja switch or against a Shedinja that is attempting to sweep. This damage can only be avoided if Shedinja runs Magic Guard over Sturdy. No Guard users will usually run Magma Storm as coverage, so a Lum Berry won't do you much good against them. Also be wary of Perish Song trappers such as Soundproof Arceus, Mega Aggron, and Mega Slowbro, as they will usually run partial trapping if they aren't running Block or Thousand Waves.
**No Guard**: No Guard gives Pokemon access to powerful and accurate moves that have a 100% chance of inflicting a status condition, such as Inferno and Zap Cannon, as well as a fully accurate Magma Storm. Shedinja doesn't like any of these things, so it should avoid switching in against No Guard whenever possible, only entering the field against it as a last resort to attempt to get the foe's HP down to the point where a teammate can deal with them.
**Confusion**: If Shedinja is confused, it has a 50% chance of KOing itself every time it attempts to move. Its Ghost typing allows it to avoid No Guard Dynamic Punch, arguably the most common confusion-inducing move, but be wary of Prankster Teeter Dance users such as Aegislash and Registeel. Teeter Dance also ignores Magic Bounce, making it even more dangerous.
**Leech Seed**: Leech Seed isn't obscure enough that it shouldn't be expected, especially coming from Kyogre or Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn.
**Passive Weather Damage**: Sand and hail make Shedinja completely redundant unless it's running Safety Goggles, which is vulnerable to Knock Off. Common weather setters include Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Tyranitar, the latter of which also has a very powerful Knock Off, which will remove Safety Goggles and cause Shedinja to fall to weather damage.
**Knock Off**: Knock Off severely cripples Shedinja's ability to avoid passive damage, either by removing its Lum Berry and opening it up to status or by removing its Safety Goggles and making it vulnerable to passive weather damage and moves like Spore, which hamper its pivoting abilities as well. Common users of Knock Off include Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Mewtwo X, Giratina, or various Regenerator users such as Registeel, Regirock and Kyogre. Try to have a Pokemon on your team with a non-removable item such as Griseous Orb Giratina, or simply an item that your Pokemon can live without to sponge these hits, as losing items can cripple an entire team, not just Shedinja.
**Poison Heal**: Poison Heal provides a hard check to Shedinja the majority of the time, unless used by a Pokemon with a particularly low Defense stat. Poison Heal outheals partial trapping (unless Shedinja is running Binding Band, which increases partial trapping damage to 1/6 of the target's maximum HP), as well as making it very difficult to KO the Poison Heal user with ExtremeSpeed or Feint. On top of that, many Poison Heal users, such as Kyogre and Giratina, also run moves specifically to counter Shedinja, such as Psycho Shift, Leech Seed, Trick, and Scald.
**Regenerator**: A slow Pokemon with Regenerator, such as Regirock or Registeel, is able to switch into any of Shedinja's moves and switch back out to heal, making it very difficult to knock out unless Shedinja is running Pursuit. A dual Regenerator core is nigh-unbeatable by Shedinja.
**Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield**: Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield are fatal for variants of Shedinja that use contact moves, knocking Shedinja out and often crippling your team's defensive core in the process. Scouting and Knock Off support remedy this, giving you the opportunity to know when Shedinja can attack and when it needs to pivot out.
**Curse**: A move that can be found on Ghost-type walls such as Giratina and Aegislash, Curse can spell trouble for Shedinja and its teammates as an unblockable move that deals damage equal to a quarter of the afflicted Pokemon's maximum health at the end of each turn.
[OVERVIEW]
Shedinja is an incredibly potent threat in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, able to endure virtually any direct hit and bring most foes down to their last breath in one fell swoop. Shedinja's almost infinite bulk comes from its unique hardcoded 1 HP stat in combination with the ability Sturdy, which allows it to tank any direct damage thrown at it that doesn't come from a Pokemon with Mold Breaker. From here it is able to use moves such as Endeavor and Pain Split to reduce the foe's HP without stat differences factoring into the equation or simply function as an extremely efficient defensive pivot to preserve your team's momentum, giving you the opportunity to easily switch in checks and counters for whatever the opponent attempts to throw at Shedinja.
Don't be fooled by its potential, however: Shedinja has defined the Balanced Hackmons metagame to the point that any successful team has multiple ways to deal with it, most of which function very well outside of countering Shedinja. Strategies include Mold Breaker, which becomes an almost infallible way of dealing with Shedinja if paired with Pursuit. Other methods include entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, which deal indirect damage or inflict status on Pokemon that switch into them; status infliction, as Shedinja will always lose 100% of its health from burn or poison; partial trapping moves, whose residual damage will also cause Shedinja to faint at the end of the turn; Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, which deal damage when their user is hit by a move that makes contact; and weather conditions such as sand and hail, which deal residual damage at the end of each turn. A well-played Shedinja will almost always be able to nullify the effects of these methods, though, either with proper team support or by adjusting its moveset to meet a compromise of safety and utility.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot (level 1)
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Pain Split
move 3: Whirlpool
move 4: Safeguard / Recycle / Endeavor
item: Safety Goggles / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs:
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Baton Pass is the safest switching move that Shedinja can use, as the only thing that stops it from working is the move Taunt, which is quite uncommon in the Balanced Hackmons metagame. Other switching moves all rely on your opponent not having a common item, type, ability, or move, such as Rocky Helmet, Ground-types with Mold Breaker, and Magic Bounce users, all of which can spell trouble for your Shedinja.
Pain Split shares the difference between Shedinja's HP and its foe's; because of Shedinja's hardcoded 1 HP stat, it will always cut the foe's HP in half. It's a slower method of knocking out foes than a move such as Endeavor, but it has the benefit of not making contact and being able to hit Ghost-types. The respectable 32 PP that Pain Split offers also means that any recovery on a defensive foe can be stalled out, securing Shedinja a KO or allowing teammates to sweep it with little trouble.
Whirlpool complements Pain Split very well, as it deals damage equal to one-eighth of the foe's maximum HP at the end of every turn while also preventing them from directly switching out, aside from Ghost-types and Shed Shell Pokemon. Whirlpool is less accurate than Infestation, but it has the benefit of not making contact, meaning that Shedinja's damaging potential is completely immune to the effects of Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, and abilities such as Rough Skin. Partial trapping is vital on this Shedinja set if you intend to score KOs with it, as Pain Split can only do so much damage before it ceases to work.
Safeguard and Recycle are both moves that reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja, and the move used depends on Shedinja's item; Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja an immunity to status as well as to residual weather damage, but even the turn used to set up Safeguard can be very risky for Shedinja. Conversely, Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used up to 16 times, making Shedinja virtually immune to status but leaving it vulnerable to weather damage and forcing Shedinja to go on the defensive when facing a foe that spams status moves.
Neither of these moves really needs be used if you have appropriate team support in Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, however, which would allow Shedinja to run Endeavor as a last-ditch attempt to bring a threat that your team can't deal with into the KO range of one of your other Pokemon. Another option is Shell Smash, which can be used in conjunction with Baton Pass to pass very powerful stat boosts to Shedinja's teammates.
Set Details
========
You might be wondering what the point of a Level 1 Shedinja is when its HP stat always remains the same, and the answer lies in what it can do in order to make its teammates' jobs easier. For defensive pivots, a slow Baton Pass is very important to ensure that you start the next turn with the upper hand; as a Level 1 Pokemon with a Speed-decreasing nature, this Shedinja set will almost assuredly go last, except against other Level 1 Pokemon.
Furthermore, the minimalized defenses guarantee that your team will be able to OHKO any Imposter Pokemon that copies this set as Shedinja uses Baton Pass, provided you have a Pokemon with Mold Breaker and Pursuit on your team. Even if not, many opponents don't pay attention to Shedinja's level, so they don't consider that their Imposter users will have only single-digit defenses after they transform, increasing the likelihood of opponents keeping their copied Shedinja in on any Pokemon that doesn't look like it will OHKO them.
Safety Goggles provides Shedinja with the optimum amount of passive damage avoidance when supported by teammates with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, allowing it to not be bothered by the occasional sand or hail team that you will encounter in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, as well as supplying a useful immunity to the omnipresent Spore.
Lum Berry, on the other hand, allows Shedinja to run more independently in regards to status when paired with the move Recycle to keep status away without switching out, with the compromise being that any sand or hail team will render Shedinja useless, as it will be knocked out as soon as it switches in.
Usage Tips
========
Above all else, this Shedinja set is a defensive pivot, so Baton Pass should really be the only move it uses to minimize the risk of it fainting and compromising your team's defensive synergy. In saying that, Shedinja can't be the only Pokemon capable of taking a hit on your team, as the methods of dealing with it are flexible enough to be applied to any Pokemon, sweepers and walls alike. If another Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit or two from a certain threat, switch into that before switching into Shedinja, as it will give you the opportunity to find out what moves the foe is running and whether or not Shedinja should be afraid of them. Directly switching into Shedinja should only be done when you know what your opponent is running or when no other Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit from a certain threat.
Furthermore, the use of slow switching strategies on Shedinja's teammates makes scouting for Shedinja's checks a lot easier. A slow switch into Shedinja not only keeps Shedinja safe from any attacks but also allows you to see whether or not the Pokemon you're facing is capable of dealing with Shedinja. Oftentimes if a certain Pokemon can't either KO or outheal Shedinja, it will switch out immediately. Shedinja will be able to safely Baton Pass away afterwards, and for the rest of the match you will know almost for sure that that certain Pokemon can be checked by Shedinja.
Be sure to keep an eye on the battle log when the opponent switches a Pokemon in. In Balanced Hackmons, anything can run Mold Breaker and its clones, Turboblaze and Teravolt, and often your only clue before Shedinja falls to a Sturdy-ignoring attack is the "X breaks the mold / is emitting a * aura!" text that will appear when an opposing Pokemon switches in. Be wary, and above all else, be careful. You want to keep Shedinja alive as long as possible; don't just sacrifice it in the beginning of the game because you see an opportunity for a KO.
Team Options
========
Shedinja's niche isn't hampered by many playstyles or team setups, so it is able to find a place on most teams. However, Shedinja isn't something that can be thrown on a team for an instant win; if you don't want Shedinja fainting very early, a large part of your team needs to be built around it or at least optimized for use with it. Use Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit Pokemon such as Groudon, Giratina, or Mega Gyarados to lure opposing Imposter Pokemon into your pivoting Shedinja and OHKO them every time.
Entry hazard removal is mandatory. Defog is the most reliable method, although Rapid Spin can be run if you're looking to only remove hazards from your own side of the field; however, keep in mind that Ghost-types are immune to Rapid Spin. Common Defog users include Registeel, Aegislash, and Lugia, but the move can be run on just about any defensive Pokemon with success so long as it doesn't hold a 4x weakness to Rock; even Lugia might have trouble with entry hazard removal if your opponent provides enough offensive pressure. Rapid Spin is usually reserved for Pokemon that run Assault Vest + Regenerator, which can include Regirock, Registeel, and Kyogre. Having multiple methods of hazard removal on different kinds of walls will also allow you more flexibility, especially against teams that provide a lot of offensive pressure.
Status curing is also very important, especially if you run Safety Goggles. Not only do the moves Aromatherapy and Heal Bell allow Shedinja to switch in after it's been inflicted with a status, but they also cure other members of your team. These moves can usually fit nicely into the moveset of a Pokemon that uses Defog, particularly ones with the Prankster ability.
To reduce risk, it's a good idea to have an Imposter teammate to scout the opponent's movesets before bringing Shedinja in on them if possible. Chansey is the obvious choice here, with its immense HP stat and the opportunity to use Eviolite to further increase its bulk, usually allowing you to scout every member of an opponent's team. Scouting can also be achieved by using VoltTurn strategies to determine movesets of the opponent's team, preserve your own momentum, and see what foes switch out of your Pokemon, letting you see what you can wall and what you can't.
The use of defensive Pokemon with Regenerator alongside Shedinja nullifies residual damage from Leech Seed and partial trapping that gets passed by Baton Pass, assuming they switch out afterwards, as well as providing an opportunity for slow VoltTurn strategies to assist in scouting for threats to Shedinja. Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro, Regirock, and Registeel are often effective users of Regenerator, as their typing or stats allow them to take multiple hits from physical or special attackers (except for Mega Slowbro in most cases, due to its poor Special Defense) before switching out to regain their health.
If you have any sweepers on your team that Shedinja can't wall, make sure that another Pokemon on your team can wall them. The omnipresence of Imposter Chansey means that you'll often be walling your own sweepers, so be sure to Imposter-proof your team if you can't Imposter-proof individual sweepers, usually by compromising coverage to ensure that one of your walls can hard wall them. Try to avoid using Mold Breaker setup sweepers without a Substitute, as these will make short work of Shedinja as well as its teammates.
[SET]
name: Endeavor
move 1: Endeavor
move 2: Ice Shard / Feint / Whirlpool
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Recycle / Safeguard
item: Lum Berry / Safety Goggles
ability: Sturdy
nature: Brave
evs: 252 Atk
ivs: 0 Def / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Endeavor is Shedinja's most powerful damaging move, instantly bringing anything that it can hit down to 1 HP. It's much quicker at minimizing the foe's HP than Pain Split, but it does make contact, meaning that Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, Rough Skin, and Iron Barbs instantly KO Shedinja upon use. It also only has 8 PP, meaning that it's much easier for defensive Pokemon with Leftovers to PP stall it than Pain Split is.
Ice Shard is used alongside Endeavor to ensure that a foe is knocked out before being able to heal, unless the foe is a Prankster user with more Speed than Shedinja, which isn't that difficult to achieve considering Shedinja's EV spread. Ice Shard's typing also allows it to deal a large amount of damage to common threats in the metagame such as Mega Rayquaza. Feint is a +2 priority move that has the benefit over Ice Shard of ignoring protection moves such as Protect and Spiky Shield.
Priority can be exchanged for a move such as Whirlpool to trap the foe if you'd like the slow switch and easy Imposter luring of a Level 1 Shedinja, as partial trapping deals consistent damage, regardless of Shedinja's attack stat. Whirlpool is used over Infestation, as it allows Shedinja to score damage on foes with Rocky Helmet without KOing itself.
Baton Pass allows Shedinja to fulfill the role of a pivot when you haven't scouted the opponent's team enough to know when Shedinja can start attacking other Pokemon. It also passes conditions such as confusion, Leech Seed, Gastro Acid, and partial trapping to its recipient, but the effects of these are more often than not nullified by proper team support. If you don't want to run Baton Pass, opt for Volt Switch instead of U-turn or Parting Shot. U-turn is affected by Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, while Parting Shot leaves Shedinja vulnerable to Magic Bounce users taking advantage of the move for a free switch into their own Mold Breaker user.
Safeguard and Recycle reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja; the choice depends on Shedinja's item. Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja immunity to status as well as to weather damage, whereas Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used many times, giving Shedinja an effective immunity to status.
Set Details
========
Defensive IVs and EVs are minimal, but Shedinja's Attack is maximized and its level must remain at 100 if using Ice Shard or Feint, to be able to break through Pokemon that carry Leftovers. Imposter Pokemon can still be taken out using this spread, but you should be careful if you pair this Shedinja set with a defensive Mold Breaker user, as their Pursuit might not always OHKO an Imposter with high HP such as Chansey or Blissey.
Both items protect Shedinja from passive damage. If you can't fit Aromatherapy on your team, opt for the Lum Berry to give Shedinja independence in its status-walling abilities. Otherwise, use Safety Goggles, as it is the only way to protect Shedinja from residual weather damage outside of gimmicks such as Magic Guard.
The Brave nature maximizes Shedinja's Attack, giving it a stronger finishing move while minimizing its Speed to preserve its slow pivoting abilities. It also maximizes the amount of damage that a move such as Foul Play will do to an Imposter user, should you choose not to run Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit user.
Usage Tips
========
This Shedinja set functions best as a defensive pivot, but it sacrifices minimal Speed and lack of contact moves and reduces its ability to lure in and deal with Imposter Pokemon in favor of a more consistent offensive presence. However, because this offensive presence requires the use of contact moves, be sure to scout the opponent's team for Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield users before attempting to cripple their Pokemon with Shedinja.
Slow switching via the use of Baton Pass is extremely helpful not only for Shedinja but also for any Balanced Hackmons team. Knowing your opponent's team is the key to being able to check and counter everything they have. While slow switching is not completely necessary on all Balanced Hackmons teams, you'll have a very difficult time getting Shedinja safely into play in the upper ladder without it, as you then open yourself up to surprise coverage or switching into a Mold Breaker user. Know what checks and counters each of your Pokemon, and you'll be able to wall virtually anything the opponent can throw at you. Paranoia is excellent when it comes to using Shedinja, so don't be surprised if most of the early-game sees Shedinja only using its switching move. Don't rush your offense either; safe switching and scouting with Shedinja not only is an excellent way to preserve your team's defenses but also allows your offensive Pokemon to come in at the moment they're needed most, providing excellent offensive pressure.
Team Options
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A large part of Shedinja's utility comes from its teammates; don't expect to be able to throw it on any team without accommodating to its needs, or you'll find Shedinja fainting very early in the match. Many of these options are more than just things that can be done; they're mandatory if you want Shedinja to reach its potential.
A Mold Breaker user with Pursuit not only provides a near-guaranteed OHKO on any opposing Shedinja but also serves as an extremely capable Imposter counter if an Imposter Pokemon switches into your Shedinja as it pivots out. With this set in particular, an offensive Mold Breaker Pokemon is preferred, as a Pursuit coming off of a defensive Pokemon won't always OHKO an opposing Chansey.
Cleric support and entry hazard control are also a must if you want to ensure Shedinja's reliability throughout the match. Prankster users such as Registeel and Giratina perform this role very efficiently, especially when there's a high level of offensive pressure on your team. Be mindful of any Poison Heal Pokemon on your team when using Aromatherapy, as they can lose their immunity to status for the rest of the match if their Toxic Orb has already been removed.
An Imposter user of your own works wonders to ensure maximum knowledge of your opponent's team. Reliable Imposter Pokemon include Chansey, for its immense HP and access to Eviolite, and Blissey. However, other Pokemon can be used as Imposters if your team struggles against a specific threat. For example, a Pikachu holding a Light Ball transforms into a frail version of your opponent's Pokemon, but with doubled attacking stats to provide you with nuking potential, especially when copying an -ate user's set. Even very niche Pokemon such as Hoopa-U can be used to benefit from any setup that an opposing Hoopa utilizes. However, Chansey still offers the most reward with the lowest opportunity cost, especially when using it as a scout.
Team members that run Knock Off, such as Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Protean Mega Mewtwo X, and Regigigas, as well as defensive Pokemon such as Giratina, Regirock, and Registeel make Shedinja's job a lot easier by removing Rocky Helmet and Leftovers from the equation, giving Shedinja much greater freedom to use Endeavor and Ice Shard.
This Shedinja set also synergizes very well with sand and hail teams, provided it runs Safety Goggles. Shedinja can cripple the foe with Endeavor while the residual weather damage finishes them off, effectively KOing it in a single turn. This also allows Shedinja to stay in against a wider variety of threats, as the foe will faint before partial trapping moves or Leech Seed are able to KO Shedinja.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Magic Guard can be used to bluff a Sturdy set in Team Preview and not take damage from entry hazards or status, but once it's been found out all utility is lost, as it only takes one hit from any Pokemon to break the Focus Sash that is required on this set, and another to take Shedinja out.
Abilities such as the -ates and Scrappy also allow Shedinja to surprise Ghost-type switch-ins with an Endeavor. Consider running Pursuit on these sorts of sets to prevent the opponent from switching their Ghost-type out after realizing that your Shedinja isn't Sturdy.
Pursuit can also be used as a finishing move if priority isn't necessary, as it ensures a KO on an unprotected foe, even those that try to switch out after being hit by Endeavor.
Shedinja's niche of being immune to most forms of direct damage gives it the opportunity to run a large variety of moves as well. These can be very situational, as more often than not the foe won't be staying in on Shedinja long enough for it to do much to them anyway, but they can work with the right team support.
Spore can be useful on Safety Goggles sets, as you won't need to fear Magic Bounce users. Putting a threat to sleep will usually force them to switch out, which will allow Shedinja to switch into a check for that. It's good for momentum but comes at the cost of staying in the field longer. Spore also gives Shedinja the opportunity to switch out of Mold Breaker users lacking Safety Goggles, but that item and ability combination is rather common, so be sure to have Knock Off support if you are going to attempt this strategy.
Teeter Dance can also be used to force a 50% chance of survival against a Mold Breaker user that switches in. The risk is still there, but confusion is a high-risk, high-reward strategy, and a 50% chance of survival is better than nothing. Teeter Dance also bypasses Magic Bounce, making it more reliable than another confusion move such as Confuse Ray.
Foresight can be used, not only to hit Ghost-types that are immune to Endeavor but also to force Ghost-types out, allowing Shedinja's Endeavor to land on another Pokemon on the opponent's team. This won't help in situations where the opponent has multiple Ghost-types on their team, however.
Extreme Speed can be used as an alternative to Ice Shard or Feint for more power at the cost of making contact and being blocked by Protect clones and Ghost-types.
Perish Song can also be used to force switches when you come across a sweeper that the rest of your team can't handle or to use in tandem with partial trapping to deal with walls that your offensive Pokemon aren't able to break through.
Eject Button can also be used if you have trouble with partial trapping moves such as Magma Storm, Infestation, and Whirlpool. Eject Button also allows Shedinja to switch out of status inflicted via attacks such as Inferno, Sacred Fire, Scald, and Poison Fang.
Protect and all of its clones increase Shedinja's scouting abilities, but they make Shedinja more vulnerable to Mold Breaker if the opponent has it on their team.
Magic Coat can also be useful against foes that opt for status moves as their answer to Shedinja.
Checks and Counters
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**Mold Breaker**: Common Mold Breaker users primarily include offensive Pokemon such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Gengar but also defensive Pokemon such as Giratina. More often than not, a Mold Breaker user will be carrying Pursuit, even if they are defensive, which is guaranteed to hit Shedinja, even if it switches out. Mold Breaker users also have the ability to set up entry hazards without fear of having them bounced back by Magic Bounce, which makes hazard removal on Shedinja's teammates absolutely mandatory.
**Entry Hazards**: The only entry hazard that Shedinja isn't afraid of is Sticky Web. The rest of them either KO Shedinja or inflict it with poison as it switches in, making Shedinja little more than a sacrifice unless your team carries Defog or Rapid Spin. Multiple methods of hazard removal can prove to be incredibly useful, allowing your team much greater flexibility when it needs to remove a Stealth Rock, even when faced with high offensive pressure.
**Status**: Poison and burns are quite common in the Balanced Hackmons metagame, and they either force a switch, take Shedinja out, or force it to go on the defensive and spam Recycle for its Lum Berry, all of which put a dead stop to its offensive capabilities until the next time it can come in, if there is a next time. Be wary of No Guard users, such as Mega Mewtwo X and Y, Mega Charizard Y, and the occasional Mega Manectric, as their Inferno deals damage to and burns anything that switches into it. Keep in mind that Poison Heal users occasionally run Psycho Shift to spread their status around your team as well.
**Partial Trapping**: Another common way to deal with Shedinja is the use of partial trapping moves such as Infestation and Magma Storm, either on a predicted Shedinja switch or against a Shedinja that is attempting to sweep. This damage can only be avoided if Shedinja runs Magic Guard over Sturdy. No Guard users will usually run Magma Storm as coverage, so a Lum Berry won't do you much good against them. Also be wary of Perish Song trappers such as Soundproof Arceus, Mega Aggron, and Mega Slowbro, as they will usually run partial trapping if they aren't running Block or Thousand Waves.
**No Guard**: No Guard gives Pokemon access to powerful and accurate moves that have a 100% chance of inflicting a status condition, such as Inferno and Zap Cannon, as well as a fully accurate Magma Storm. Shedinja doesn't like any of these things, so it should avoid switching in against No Guard whenever possible, only entering the field against it as a last resort to attempt to get the foe's HP down to the point where a teammate can deal with them.
**Confusion**: If Shedinja is confused, it has a 50% chance of KOing itself every time it attempts to move. Its Ghost typing allows it to avoid No Guard Dynamic Punch, arguably the most common confusion-inducing move, but you should be wary of Prankster Teeter Dance users such as Aegislash and Registeel. Teeter Dance also ignores Magic Bounce, making it even more dangerous.
**Leech Seed**: Leech Seed isn't obscure enough that it shouldn't be expected, especially coming from Kyogre or Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn.
**Passive Weather Damage**: Sand and hail make Shedinja completely deadweight unless it's running Safety Goggles, which is vulnerable to Knock Off. Common weather setters include Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Tyranitar, the latter of which also has a very powerful Knock Off, which will remove Safety Goggles and cause Shedinja to fall to weather damage.
**Knock Off**: Knock Off severely cripples Shedinja's ability to avoid passive damage, either by removing its Lum Berry and opening it up to status or by removing its Safety Goggles and making it vulnerable to passive weather damage and moves like Spore, which hamper its pivoting abilities as well. Common users of Knock Off include Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Mewtwo X, Giratina, and various Regenerator users such as Registeel, Regirock, and Kyogre. Try to have a Pokemon on your team with a non-removable item such as Griseous Orb Giratina, or simply an item that your Pokemon can live without to sponge these hits, as losing items can cripple an entire team, not just Shedinja.
**Poison Heal**: Poison Heal provides a hard check to Shedinja the majority of the time, unless used by a Pokemon with a particularly low Defense stat. Poison Heal outheals partial trapping unless Shedinja is running Binding Band, as well as making it very difficult to KO the Poison Heal user with Ice Shard or Feint. On top of that, many Poison Heal users, such as Kyogre and Giratina, also run moves specifically to counter Shedinja, such as Psycho Shift, Leech Seed, Trick, and Scald.
**Regenerator**: A slow Pokemon with Regenerator, such as Regirock or Registeel, is able to switch into any of Shedinja's moves and switch back out to heal, making it very difficult to knock out unless Shedinja is running Pursuit. A dual Regenerator core is nigh-unbeatable by Shedinja.
**Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield**: Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield are fatal for variants of Shedinja that use contact moves, knocking Shedinja out and often crippling your team's defensive core in the process. Scouting and Knock Off support remedy this, giving you the opportunity to know when Shedinja can attack and when it needs to pivot out.
**Curse**: A move that can be found on Ghost-type walls such as Giratina and Aegislash, Curse can spell trouble for Shedinja and its teammates as an unblockable move that deals damage equal to a quarter of the afflicted Pokemon's maximum health at the end of each turn.
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