First off, I apologize for all of the suffering I've been causing on the ladder by introducing Shedinja-based fat teams. I understand that this strategy is stupid to face and only worsens the match-up issue we already deal with on a regular basis. That being said, I'm honestly surprised that it took over half a year for Shedinja to start seeing some use in ORAS OU. With the addition of the new ORAS mega evolutions, a few dominating forces were introduced to the OU metagame such as Metagross, Altaria, Lopunny and Diancie. On the defensive side of the mega evolution spectrum, we got Mega Sableye - a pokemon known for its ability to control the hazard game. In one way or another each of these new megas actually made Shedinja more viable than ever before. For what it's worth, Shedinja has always been one of my favorite pokemon and its unique type/stats/ability have always been intriguing to me.
Alts: 1 percent evil, 99 percent hot gas, audino spumoni, mole breaker, talonphlegm, hp fat
Don't ask me why I used the same team on multiple accounts. That's just how I ladder lol
Don't ask me why I used the same team on multiple accounts. That's just how I ladder lol
The Team
It looks like someone already beat me to posting a successful Shedinja team in OU. Although our teams share four of the same members by pure coincidence, there are a lot of subtle yet significant differences that make both of our teams unique from one another. This team fares pretty well against all kinds of teams ranging from full stall to cancer pass to hyper offense, while being particularly effective against rain offense. Like any team it has a fair share of weaknesses and most likely has room for improvement, so rates and feedback are always appreciated. Even with the team's shortcomings, I've managed to top the ladder multiple times and get many accounts to top 10. I'd even go far enough to say that the combination of Shedinja, Sableye and Dugtrio is borderline broken, but that's a discussion for another time.
Team Building Process
The idea of creating a foundation for a team using Shedinja, Sableye and Dugtrio didn't come spontaneously. The team actually started off as a semi-stall team without Shedinja that kept getting destroyed by Manaphy amongst a few other common threats. I ended up replacing something with Shedinja out of desperation, and quickly realized that I needed specific support roles if I wanted Shedinja to be anything but a liability. Dugtrio was a given, being able to pick off Tyranitar while proving to be a surprisingly manipulative force in any given match. Mega Sableye was somewhat of an obvious choice as well, being as it is by far the best option for hazard control. This has been proven by my previous Sableye team, as well as the appropriately-named Sableye team "Hazard Control" by our fellow based lord tele.
The rest of the team-building process was a matter of finding the right partners for the trio. I figured it would be best to start off by using non-specific blanket checks, so I threw Chansey, Skarmory and Heatran on the team and tested it out on the ladder. Admittedly, not much thought went into this part lol.
As always, Chansey was far too passive and I couldn't expect to win just by bringing fatmons. So I decided to replace it with fellow fatmon Clefable for less-passive cleric support. Still too passive though.
At this point the team wasn't terrible, and it got a bit of publicity by annoying Jamvad during one of his recording sessions. Though, that particular match only showed that the team is still pressured by common hazard leads such as SD chomp. I ended up replacing Skarmory with Togekiss as a near fool-proof way of beating Garchomp in the hazard game. Furthermore, Skarmory was too passive and was often unable to perform its job of clearing hazards while setting its own.
Next, Clefable was replaced by Ferrothorn who assumed the role as a special wall and hazard setter. In terms of defensive coverage, its purpose was to sponge electric and water attacks aimed at Togekiss and Heatran respectively.
Heatran and Ferrothorn's resistances were a bit redundant, so I ended up switching Heatran with something more self-sufficient and less prone to being walled and whittled down. I figured that the same specially defensive Manaphy set from my previous Sableye team would fit in perfectly by being a solid special wall with good utility.
From there, the team didn't really need more changes to be effective. I considered replacing Manaphy with Politoed or SpDef Sap Sipper Azumarill to better handle Zard Y, but both just allow the team to be steamrolled by SD Talonflame which seems to be even more common.
I eventually ended up making changes to the team anyway. Manaphy and Ferrothorn made a decent specially defensive core but left the team weak to some relatively common OU threats.
The rest of the team-building process was a matter of finding the right partners for the trio. I figured it would be best to start off by using non-specific blanket checks, so I threw Chansey, Skarmory and Heatran on the team and tested it out on the ladder. Admittedly, not much thought went into this part lol.
As always, Chansey was far too passive and I couldn't expect to win just by bringing fatmons. So I decided to replace it with fellow fatmon Clefable for less-passive cleric support. Still too passive though.
At this point the team wasn't terrible, and it got a bit of publicity by annoying Jamvad during one of his recording sessions. Though, that particular match only showed that the team is still pressured by common hazard leads such as SD chomp. I ended up replacing Skarmory with Togekiss as a near fool-proof way of beating Garchomp in the hazard game. Furthermore, Skarmory was too passive and was often unable to perform its job of clearing hazards while setting its own.
Next, Clefable was replaced by Ferrothorn who assumed the role as a special wall and hazard setter. In terms of defensive coverage, its purpose was to sponge electric and water attacks aimed at Togekiss and Heatran respectively.
Heatran and Ferrothorn's resistances were a bit redundant, so I ended up switching Heatran with something more self-sufficient and less prone to being walled and whittled down. I figured that the same specially defensive Manaphy set from my previous Sableye team would fit in perfectly by being a solid special wall with good utility.
From there, the team didn't really need more changes to be effective. I considered replacing Manaphy with Politoed or SpDef Sap Sipper Azumarill to better handle Zard Y, but both just allow the team to be steamrolled by SD Talonflame which seems to be even more common.
I eventually ended up making changes to the team anyway. Manaphy and Ferrothorn made a decent specially defensive core but left the team weak to some relatively common OU threats.
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Team Breakdown
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Shedinja
Item: Focus Sash / Safety Goggles
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 Spe
Nature: Lonely (+Atk, -Def)
IVs: 0 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD
• Shadow Sneak
• Will-O-Wisp
• Protect
• Baton Pass
Although the team is primarily built around Shedinja, the rest of the team benefits equally from Shedinja's immunities. For example, common threats like standard Manaphy, Mega Metagross, Mega "unresisted stab" Lopunny, Latios and NP Thundurus would otherwise be difficult to wall. Other common threats such as Clefable and Altaria have to choose between fire coverage, instant healing and/or setup moves which means that my team would be able to handle any given set. I chose Focus Sash over Safety Goggles, and I believe the latter option is too situational considering the structure and weaknesses of the team. The most common weather setter at the moment is Tyranitar, who also happens to be one of the best pursuit trappers in the tier, thus mitigating Shedinja's ability to deal with Tyranitar regardless. Hippowdon, however, is really the only prevalent downside to running Focus Sash, though seeing Hippowdon on the opposing team doesn't necessarily make Shedinja useless. More often than not, Focus Sash allows me a free turn to land wisp on something like Knock Off BD Azumarill and SD Scizor. Furthermore, Focus Sash ensures that I cannot get pursuit trapped twice by stuff like Bisharp and Weavile, both of which are handled by Dugtrio if they manage to break Shedinja's sash. I still slashed sash with Safety Goggles, because it is a viable option that can make a huge difference if you expect the opponent to use Hippowdon or any other dangerous weather setter.
Shadow Sneak - Useful priority that allows Shedinja to deal the most damage possible against opponents capable of breaking its focus sash. Obviously it should be used with caution in the face of Garchomp, Ferrothorn or any potential Rocky Helmet users. Secret Power isn't an awful option if you would rather use that, but usually when Ferro/Garchomp is alive there isn't anything stopping me from spamming wisp. Generally, it's the best attack to have when Shedinja and/or the rest of the team is in a pinch.
Will-O-Wisp - Shedinja's best option for crippling opponents, whether or not they are able to hit Shedinja. This is extremely useful when Shedinja forces switches, as well as when the rest of my team relies on Shedinja to halt a potential sweep.
Protect - Simply useful for scouting and taking advantage of burn damage.
Baton Pass - Especially useful for catching Pursuit trappers like Bisharp, Weavile and Tyranitar, all of which can be trapped and KO'd by Dugtrio. Also incredibly useful for maintaining switch initiative.
EV/IV Spread - Maximizes attack while making Shedinja one point slower than Clefable. This allows Shedinja to freely Baton Pass against any CM mono-attacking Clefable that would otherwise be very troublesome for the rest of my team. Defense was reduced as much as possible to ensure a 100% chance to KO opposing Ditto with Shadow Sneak. The remaining 100 EVs were put into HP for um....bulk.
252+ Atk Shedinja Shadow Sneak vs. 252 HP / 0- Def Ditto: 308-366 (102.6 - 122%)
252+ Atk Shedinja Shadow Sneak vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gengar: 168-200 (64.8 - 77.2%)
252+ Atk Shedinja Shadow Sneak vs. 32 HP / 0 Def Mega Alakazam: 158-188 (61 - 72.5%)
252+ Atk Shedinja Shadow Sneak vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gengar: 168-200 (64.8 - 77.2%)
252+ Atk Shedinja Shadow Sneak vs. 32 HP / 0 Def Mega Alakazam: 158-188 (61 - 72.5%)
Dugtrio
Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Hasty (+Spe, -Def)
IVs: 20 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
• Earthquake
• Reversal
• Stone Edge
• Toxic
The pursuit-trapper-trapper. Dugtrio is as amazing as it is awful. Its fearsome STAB earthquake often fails to OHKO stuff like Raikou and Bisharp, while Reversal doesn't even come close to KOing Kyurem-B or Chansey at max base power. Futhermore it just loves getting flinched by stuff like sand excadrill Iron Head and Weavile Icicle Crashes because it recognizes its own worthlessness in this tier. On the other hand, Dugtrio is incredibly manipulative and capable of clearing a path to victory for Shedinja and the rest of my team. Tissue paper defenses are more of a blessing than anything, because of how easy it is to maximize the power of Reversal with Focus Sash.
Earthquake - "powerful" STAB
Reversal - Excellent for ensuring a KO on Tyranitar and other Steel/Ice/Normal types. It's the only move that can really touch Chansey.
Stone Edge - Stone Edge was chosen over HP Ice as a way to threaten Zard Y, Talonflame and Mega Pinsir in a pinch. With Dugtrio's pitiful attack I can't afford to run Rock Slide because it isn't going to KO anything.
Toxic - Chosen over Substitute as a way for Dugtrio to wear down most opponents that normally don't fear any of Dugtrio's moves. It also helps me deal with Chansey by ensuring damage prior to hitting it with Reversal. If Chansey for has its own Toxic for some reason then Dugtrio is screwed, but that set is definitely uncommon.
EV/IV Spread -
252 Atk Dugtrio Reversal (200 BP) vs. 4 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 418-492 (65.1 - 76.6%)
252 Atk Dugtrio Reversal (200 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kyurem-B: 316-372 (80.8 - 95.1%)
rip
252 Atk Dugtrio Reversal (200 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kyurem-B: 316-372 (80.8 - 95.1%)
rip
Shedinja and Dugtrio are able to use their respective abilities to force an opponent to lose switch initiative if they use any pokemon that is unable to touch Shedinja. Take sub CM Keldeo for example: If the opponent has any pokemon that discourages the use of Shadow Sneak (ie rocky helmet/chomp/ferro) it is difficult for the Shedinja user to actually beat Keldeo. Using Baton Pass however, gives you switch initiative and a safe switch to Dugtrio. Since Dugtrio traps Keldeo, you can use this turn to hard-switch back to Shedinja and repeat the cycle until Keldeo switches out. When Keldeo does switch out, you will have used Baton Pass and can take full advantage of the momentum. Baton Pass + Dugtrio has an effective 128 PP without taking Shedinja's other moves into consideration, which allows it to out-stall almost anything.
Sableye
Item: Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Nature: Impish (+Def, -SpA)
• Fake Out
• Foul Play
• Will-O-Wisp
• Recover
In terms of supporting Shedinja, Sableye is an absolute necessity for hazard control and keeping momentum in the presence of common hazard setters like Garchomp, Landorus-T and Ferrothorn. Considering the majority of hazard setters with the exception of Heatran are physical attackers, I figured a fully physically defensive spread would make Sableye's job as easy as possible. This means that its set has to facilitate mega evolution in the face of strong special attackers like Mega Diancie and Gardevoir, all while needing partners that can take on these powerful threats. The CM Mega Sableye hype seems to have died down and people are beginning to realize how much of a nuisance Sableye is with Knock Off/Foul Play.
Fake Out - Mega evolving Sableye is crucial to my team's success, and Fake Out allows me to achieve mega evolution against anything that isn't LO Inner Focus Alakazam with Dazzling Gleam. Believe it or not, Fake Out is useful as a damaging priority move in plenty of situations. Highly preferred over Protect, because it prevents stuff like Talonflame from grabbing free boosts.
Foul Play - Excellent for preventing SD/DD setup sweepers like Talonflame, Lando-T, Gliscor and Zard X from running through my team. With the exception of Zard X and maybe +2 Earth Plate Lando-T, Sableye can take a boosted attack and hit back hard. While Knock Off is essential for this kind of team, I replaced it with Foul Play knowing I could give Knock Off to Seismitoad instead.
Will-O-Wisp - A given for most Sableye sets. Burns are excellent for crippling most hazard setters while making it easier to wear down the many special attackers that switch into Sableye.
Recover - Useful for being fat.
EV Spread - Maximum defense to deal with most hazard setters. A few points are invested in speed to safely deal with any Ferrothorn lacking Gyro Ball. You'll notice most of my EV spreads have 248 HP, which is for reducing passive damage from hazards and status. Having an odd number HP is better in most cases - correct me if I'm wrong.
252+ Atk Earth Plate Landorus-T Earthquake vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Mega Sableye: 144-171 (47.5 - 56.4%)
Unfortunately can't afford to switch into this :(
Unfortunately can't afford to switch into this :(
Togekiss
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Nature: Bold (+SpD, -Atk)
IVs: 0 Atk
• Air Slash
• Heal Bell
• Defog
• Roost
Togekiss is my defogger of choice, as it counters one of the most common hazard setters: Garchomp. It seems that standard and common Garchomp teams are fully prepared to deal with Sableye, whether by being paired with Gardevoir or running Lum SD. In the latter situation, Togekiss has nothing to fear and can Defog away the hazards even in the face of Bisharp. When I am forced to Defog on Bisharp, I can sacrifice a member of my team (usually Ferrothorn) to reliably revenge kill +2 Bisharp with Dugtrio, often clearing a path for Shedinja to do whatever it wants. Togekiss is also a reliable check to HP Fire Latios and plenty of other physical and special attackers like non-banded Azumarill and non-specs Keldeo. Considering my team cannot simply plow through opposing stall, cleric support is an absolute necessity making it very difficult for the rest of the team to be worn down. Togekiss in itself is actually a fairly decent stall-breaker with nothing more than an uninvested Air Slash.
Air Slash - Trusty STAB with 400% flinch rate. Works excellently in tandem with my team's ability to spread burns against slower pokemon.
Heal Bell - Nice for healing off Scald burns that cripple Sableye and Ferrothorn, as well as curing Manaphy when it is forced to Rest without using Rain Dance.
Defog - Necessary because Sableye can't always prevent hazards. This set is more or less Clefable with wings and the ability to clear hazards.
Roost - Good for stalling out SD Knock Off Gliscor and being fat.
EV/IV Spread - Almost the same defense spread as that of Sableye, but minimizes attack for reduced Foul Play damage. Togekiss makes a surprisingly effective physical wall capable of sponging Bullet Punches from Scizor, Ice Punches from Conkeldurr, and Stone Edges from Landorus-T.
252+ Atk Technician Mega Scizor Bullet Punch vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Togekiss: 180-212 (48.2 - 56.8%)
252 Atk Landorus-T Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Togekiss: 178-210 (47.7 - 56.3%)
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Ice Punch vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Togekiss: 142-168 (38 - 45%)
252+ Atk Mega Heracross Rock Blast (5 hits) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Togekiss: 300-360 (80.4 - 96.5%)
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Psyshock vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Togekiss: 129-152 (34.5 - 40.7%)
252 Atk Landorus-T Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Togekiss: 178-210 (47.7 - 56.3%)
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Ice Punch vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Togekiss: 142-168 (38 - 45%)
252+ Atk Mega Heracross Rock Blast (5 hits) vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Togekiss: 300-360 (80.4 - 96.5%)
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Psyshock vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Togekiss: 129-152 (34.5 - 40.7%)
Talonflame
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 248 SpD / 12 Spe
Nature: Careful (+SpD, -SpA)
• Brave Bird
• Will-O-Wisp
• Taunt
• Roost
Ferrothorn
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Nature: Sassy (+SpD, -Spe)
IVs: 0 Spe
• Gyro Ball
• Power Whip
• Leech Seed
• Stealth Rock
The previous four members of my team are physical walls paired with the least bulky pokemon in the game, so it makes sense that the last two members are special walls. Ferrothorn is a standard yet necessary bulky steel type, chosen over Heatran for being less easily worn down and being able to check a few common water types. Its typing covers my team's weaknesses to Fairy and Electric, while maintaining decent offensive presence with powerful STABs and the crucial ability to lay hazards. I did not want to delegate the hazard-setting role to Dugtrio, whose sole priority is to eliminate key threats with every chance it can get.
Gyro Ball - Usually Ferrothorn's strongest STAB for nailing opposing Gardevoirs and Gengars after surviving a Focus Blast.
Power Whip - Reliable secondary STAB that really helps against Knock Off Azumarill and plenty of other water and ground types that take minimal damage from Gyro Ball.
Leech Seed - This is useful for two things. First, it makes Ferrothorn a really difficult pivot to wear down, especially when it catches a switch-in with Leech Seed. Secondly, it offers an additional way to deal passive damage to dangerous setup sweepers like SD Knock Off Scizor.
Stealth Rock - The best move in the game. Ferrothorn gets many more opportunities to use this than Dugtrio does.
EV/IV Spread - Though there may be a more optimal spread for Ferrothorn, I chose to maximize special defense to give it the highest chance of living Focus Blasts and Heat Waves. Ferrothorn's purpose is to be a consistent line of defense against special attackers. 0 IVs and a -speed nature to maximize Gyro Ball's base power.
252+ SpA Mega Gardevoir Focus Blast vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Ferrothorn: 224-264 (63.8 - 75.2%)
252 SpA Life Orb Gengar Focus Blast vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Ferrothorn: 221-263 (62.9 - 74.9%)
252 SpA Tornadus-T Heat Wave vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Ferrothorn: 240-284 (68.3 - 80.9%)
252 SpA Life Orb Gengar Focus Blast vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Ferrothorn: 221-263 (62.9 - 74.9%)
252 SpA Tornadus-T Heat Wave vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Ferrothorn: 240-284 (68.3 - 80.9%)
Seismitoad
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Nature: Sassy (+SpD, -Spe)
• Scald
• Knock Off
• Stealth Rock
• Rest
Manaphy
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Hydration
EVs: 248 HP / 4 Def / 240 SpD / 16 Spe
Nature: Calm (+SpD, -Atk)
• Scald
• U-turn / Tail Glow
• Rain Dance
• Rest
This set was pulled straight from my most recent RMT, and it happens to fit amazingly on this team as a special wall, pivot and lure. As a wall, it checks dangerous special attackers like Keldeo, Tornadus-T and Gengar with its raw bulk, while being self-sufficient in terms of healing status and having semi-reliable recovery. Mono water is an excellent type for a wall, because it automatically comes with Scald plus key resistances to opposing Scalds and fire-type attacks aimed at Shedinja/Ferrothorn. As a lure, Manaphy is especially difficult to handle when paired with Dugtrio, because it lures stuff like Raikou and Chansey. These key assets are why I chose Manaphy over the plenty of other bulky water types. Even though Rotom-W can handle birds more easily, Manaphy still survives a +2 Sharp Beak BB from jolly Talonflame without investment in defense.
Scald - The second best attack in the game.
U-Turn - Excellent for maintaining switch initiative and dealing some chip damage. An odd choice for Manaphy, but this team isn't designed to support a Manaphy sweep regardless. I've considered replacing this with Tail Glow solely for CM MG Clefable with Flamethrower and CM Shadow Ball Reuniclus, but U-Turn seems to be more useful in general.
Tail Glow - I usually don't slash moves in my RMT sets, but it's appropriate to make an exception in this case. Tail Glow is really only good for dealing with the aforementioned Clefable set which is VERY rarely seen on the high end of the ladder and in tournament play. It's also just a generally decent option for Manaphy and if you feel U-Turn isn't necessary for easing prediction then this option is for you.
Rain Dance - Allows Manaphy to cure its own status, while giving it access to instant 100% recovery. It has the added benefits of increasing the power of Scald, eliminating sand/hail and lessening Ferrothorn's weakness to fire.
Rest - Rain Dance + Rest is the best mode of recovery for Manaphy. Rest in itself is more useful than it is crippling, as long as I'm able to cure sleep with Togekiss.
EV Spread - Max special defense with one point in defense to survive +2 Brave Bird from Talonflame, and 16 EVs in speed to beat Adamant Bisharp by one point. While taking minimal damage from Foul Play would be nice, I kept the attack IVs because Manaphy can actually deal decent damage with U-Turn to stuff like Latis and Alakazam.
+2 252 Atk Sharp Beak Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 248 HP / 4 Def Manaphy: 340-402 (84.3 - 99.7%)
252 SpA Tornadus-T Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 240+ SpD Manaphy: 117-138 (29 - 34.2%)
252 SpA Life Orb Gengar Sludge Wave vs. 248 HP / 240+ SpD Manaphy: 148-175 (36.7 - 43.4%)
252 SpA Life Orb Gengar Shadow Ball vs. 248 HP / 240+ SpD Manaphy: 125-148 (31 - 36.7%)
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Draco Meteor vs. 248 HP / 240+ SpD Manaphy: 200-238 (49.6 - 59%)
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Psyshock vs. 248 HP / 4 Def Manaphy: 169-200 (41.9 - 49.6%
252 SpA Tornadus-T Hurricane vs. 248 HP / 240+ SpD Manaphy: 117-138 (29 - 34.2%)
252 SpA Life Orb Gengar Sludge Wave vs. 248 HP / 240+ SpD Manaphy: 148-175 (36.7 - 43.4%)
252 SpA Life Orb Gengar Shadow Ball vs. 248 HP / 240+ SpD Manaphy: 125-148 (31 - 36.7%)
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Draco Meteor vs. 248 HP / 240+ SpD Manaphy: 200-238 (49.6 - 59%)
252 SpA Life Orb Latios Psyshock vs. 248 HP / 4 Def Manaphy: 169-200 (41.9 - 49.6%
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Threats
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I recently changed the team to accommodate for a lot of past threats, so the list is definitely shorter now. Feel free to point out some things I may have overlooked. Also keep in mind that every team has its weaknesses. A lot of the threats listed below are highly specific and not too common.
Never carries rest, so I can wear it down by burning it and revenge killing it with Dugtrio if necessary. It usually has Energy Ball, but Seismitoad can still force its user to make predictions.
Assuming RD Manaphy has Energy Ball, my only real answer is Shedinja. When paired with TTar instead of Hippo, I have a chance to break the core with Dugtrio. The best way of dealing with Manaphy is to wear it down to KO range of Reversal.
Click X
I have no reliable switch-ins for this. Mega Sableye, Togekiss and Talonflame are capable of winning 1v1, and most Heracross users don't expect Togekiss to survive a Rock Blast.
Also no switch-ins, but it's even worse this time because Mega Pinsir can just spam Return. I can win by limiting Pinsir's switch-in opportunities.
Not an instant loss, but usually too overwhelming considering I lack a flying resist.
These often rely on a misplay on my behalf to set up a free sub or SD. They need Earth Plate to have a chance of OHKOing Sableye at +2, and they need Stone Edge or Smack Down to beat Togekiss.
+2 Foul Play from Sableye does pitiful damage and everything else just dies.
Really tough to play around, especially considering the unpredictability factor.
This is one of the only relevant SR setters that can easily 1v1 Sableye without fearing Dugtrio or Togekiss. Especially difficult if it carries T-Wave (usually does), though I can gain an edge by bouncing back T-Wave with Sableye.
Sableye cannot beat this 1v1 unless it lands a critical hit with Foul Play, though Talonflame needs multiple turns of setup and recovery to actually beat Sableye. Dugtrio can inflict toxic at the cost of its sash, but this particular Talonflame set often comes with cleric support.
Gothitelle is obviously very manipulative against any kind of stall. The biggest problem is that Gothitelle doesn't necessarily need to trick a Scarf to Togekiss to stall it out. Unfortunately there is no way to stop goth from messing with the team besides hard switching every time you suspect Gothitelle to come in.
Replays
With Manaphy/Ferrothorn
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-243844916
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-241844809
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-243594604
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-243848284
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-242503443
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-242987598
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-243570336
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-243084107
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-242682683
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-242511903
With Seismitoad/Talonflame
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-257728314 (dealing with RD mana/hippo)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-259810479 (taking full advantage of the "switch-trap loop")
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-259804666 (i'm not actually weak to ttar/keldeo)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-259525913 (why sash is necessary on shedinja)
Have fun if you try this team out! I encourage you all to experiment with Shedinja cores to see if you can come up with something even more effective. :)
Seismitoad @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Scald
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
- Rest
Shedinja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 Spe
Lonely Nature
IVs: 0 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD
- Shadow Sneak
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect
- Baton Pass
Togekiss @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Air Slash
- Heal Bell
- Defog
- Roost
Dugtrio @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
IVs: 20 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
- Earthquake
- Reversal
- Stone Edge
- Toxic
Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Fake Out
- Foul Play
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
Talonflame @ Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 248 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Brave Bird
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Roost
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
- Scald
- Knock Off
- Stealth Rock
- Rest
Shedinja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 100 HP / 252 Atk / 156 Spe
Lonely Nature
IVs: 0 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD
- Shadow Sneak
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect
- Baton Pass
Togekiss @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Air Slash
- Heal Bell
- Defog
- Roost
Dugtrio @ Focus Sash
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
IVs: 20 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
- Earthquake
- Reversal
- Stone Edge
- Toxic
Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Fake Out
- Foul Play
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
Talonflame @ Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 248 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Brave Bird
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Roost
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