Intro and Importable:
Fair warning, this is my first RMT ever, so I probably forgot something that I needed to include. Let me know if there's anything that needs revision!
While undeniably a niche pick, Shedinja brings a lot of unique things to the table that stall greatly appreciates. It functions as a hard counter to Choice locked opposing Pokémon not locked into super effective moves. It can also act as a status spreader and a late game carry once all of the opponent's sets have been revealed. This team is meant to both support Shedinja and capitalize off of what it offers.
The Sets:
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Shedinja @ Heavy-Duty Boots/ Safety Goggles
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
- Protect
- Toxic
- Shadow Sneak / Poltergeist
- Will-O-Wisp
This set is fairly self explanatory. Protect acts as an easy way to scout for moves that can threaten Shedinja. Toxic allows it to punish certain defensive Pokemon like Mandibuzz or Moltres that have STABs that hit Shedinja. Wisp lets it cripple physically offensive threats like Galarian Zapdos and Mold Breaker Excadrill that can also deal with it. As for the choice of attacking moves, I generally prefer to use Shadow Sneak over Poltergeist as it allows Shedinja to get the drop on low health Pokemon that expect to be able to outspeed and KO it, but I occasionally find myself in situations (IE vs. a 30% Heatran that wants to use Earth Power) where Poltergeist's higher base power would have been useful.
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Mandibuzz @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Overcoat
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Toxic/ U-Turn
- Foul Play
- Roost
Mandibuzz is this team's defogger and anti lead, utilizing Toxic to limit the amount of times an opposing Stealth Rock user can come in. Foul Play lets it threaten lead Excadrill and keeps it from becoming complete setup fodder against potentially offensive rockers like Landorus-Therian and Garchomp. Roost helps Mandibuzz's longevity and prevents it from becoming useless as a defogger if rocks are up. I generally like Toxic over U-Turn for the increased pressure on certain bulky Pokemon, but Mandibuzz's lack of speed investment gives it a slow U-Turn, allowing for safer pivoting.
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Heatran @ Leftovers / Air Balloon
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 124 SpD / 132 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
This is the generic specially defensive Heatran set on Smogon, but with a slight difference. It runs a bit more speed so that it is guaranteed to outspeed other Heatrans with the same set. This is something that I have found to generally be useful, since, apart from Ditto, this team struggles to reliably deal with opposing Heatrans. Leftovers feels better than Air Balloon since it allows Heatran to stick around longer in games, but Air Balloon allows it to temporarily completely wall opposing defensive Heatrans and Excadrill, another pokemon that this team struggles to deal with.
Heatran also helps this team deal with other bulky pokemon like Ferrothorn, Corviknight, and Toxapex, all of whom lose 1v1 to this Pokemon.
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Toxapex @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Knock Off
- Recover
- Toxic Spikes
Toxapex is this team's go-to physical wall. Combined with Mandibuzz, it can reliably wall most physical threats and scare them out with a potential burn or lost item. I like to run Toxic Spikes over Toxic as it generally forces the opponent to switch in their defogger, allowing for a Knock Off or pivot into something that can threaten it. I like Rocky Helmet over Black Sludge on Toxapex because of how well it punishes weak U-Turns.
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Sylveon @ Leftovers
Ability: Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Wish
- Yawn
- Protect
Sylveon is this team's go-to special wall since, unlike Heatran, it has access to more reliable recovery in the form of Wish. I run Sylveon over Clefable for several reasons. First off, Sylveon is more specially bulky, being able to live +2 Hydreigon Flash Cannons much more safely. Secondly, Sylveon does better against most setup sweepers, especially ones that use Substitute. Hyper Voice is a reasonably powerful STAB that bypasses Substitute, allowing it to beat things like Substitute Kyurem and Kommo-o. Yawn gives Sylveon a way to deal with setup sweepers that aren't immediately threatened by Hyper Voice. Wish can also be used to ensure that Heatran and Mandibuzz can remain healthy even after getting knocked off.
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Ditto @ Choice Scarf/ Quick Claw
Ability: Imposter
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
IVs: 30 Atk
Impish Nature
- Transform
Ditto serves two primary roles on this team. Initially, it acts as an early game moveset scout, revealing potential threats to a late game cleanup by Shedinja. Later on in the game, it serves as the last line of defense against setup threats and threatens a reverse sweep. Quick Claw on Ditto means that it functions less consistently as a check to setup Pokemon but gives Ditto much more utility against less setup oriented teams.
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Threatlist:
In my personal experience, this team struggles heavily against certain viable Pokemon, which is why I made this RMT post.
Life Orb Rillaboom gives this team a hard time, since it can threaten Toxapex with Wood Hammer and Shedinja+ Mandibuzz with Knock Off.
Blissey with Heavy Duty Boots is annoying when it is paired with a bulky Regenerator Pokemon, since it can switch out and remove status almost indefinitely if Heatran isn't kept healthy.
Sand in general gives this team the business, since I generally like to run HDB on Shedinja over Safety Goggles. (This team has a much easier time against hail as Toxapex+Heatran wall most of the threats hail has.)
+2 Hawlucha destroys this team if Mandibuzz isn't perfectly healthy, and Hawlucha sets up on most of this team without much concern.
I kind of talked about this already, but Heatran also gives this team a tough time if the wrong plays are made (Switching own Heatran out on Magma Storm, switching Heatran in on Earth Power).
Already included this guy under the umbrella of sand, but I feel like that doesn't do it enough justice. Mold Breaker Excadrill makes Shedinja useless as a wall and Sand Force/ Sand Rush Excadrill usually runs Rock Slide. (plus Shedinja doesn't work at all as a wall in hail or sand.)
