Aegislash

Overview
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In Shield forme, Aegislash has outstanding 60 / 150 / 150 defensive stats, allowing it to take many hits and proceed to retaliate powerfully in Blade forme. On top of its natural bulk, Aegislash has a great Steel / Ghost defensive typing, and although Steel-types no longer resist Dark- and Ghost-type moves, Aegislash resists nine types and is immune to three. Thanks to its Ghost typing, it doesn't have to worry about Fake Out, thus easing prediction on your behalf. King's Shield, Aegislash's signature move, acts like Protect by blocking attacking moves, but lets through status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Taunt. King's Shield also halves an attacker's Attack stat when Aegislash is hit by a contact move. Aegislash has a STAB priority move in Shadow Sneak, which is beneficial in a metagame focused on Speed. Because it is so bulky, Aegislash is an ideal user of Weakness Policy, which allows it to double both its attacking stats when hit by a super effective move.

Outside of switching out, King's Shield is the only way that Aegislash can change back to its bulkier Shield forme. However, the move is quite predictable and can set your other Pokemon up to be double-targeted. Furthermore, it lets status moves through, making Aegislash vulnerable to Will-O-Wisp and Taunt. The former weakens Aegislash's physical attacks and saps its HP, while the latter completely shuts it down, forcing it to switch or be KOed. Aegislash's viable movepool is small and this makes it quite predictable. A bad prediction can leave Aegislash in its frailer Blade forme, setting it up to be KOed by super effective moves, such as Fire- and Ground-type moves. Due to Aegislash's highly temperamental ability, it faces stiff competition for the role of the offensive Steel-type from Ferrothorn, Mawile, and Scizor.


Special Attacker
########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers / Weakness Policy
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
nature: Quiet
ivs: 0 Spe

Moves
========

This is Aegislash's most common set, and for good reason, as it isn't completely dependent on using King's Shield every other turn. When behind a Substitute, Aegislash can attack on multiple turns in succession, and by correctly using King's Shield, it can maintain Substitute due to its great natural bulk. The attacking moves on this set are Aegislash's two main special STAB options. Running a fully special set might be advisable due to the omnipresence of Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate to check many of this generation's biggest threats, thereby limiting their impact on Aegislash.

Set Details
========

Maximum investment in HP allows Aegislash in Shield forme to take just about any move other than a STAB super effective hit, while the Special Attack EVs grant it more power. A Quiet nature boosts the strength of Aegislash's special moves and lowers its Speed, allowing it to attack after the opponent and tank hits in Shield forme. Leftovers improves Aegislash's longevity and can potentially allow it to get more than four Substitutes or stop it being 2HKOed. However, Aegislash can also run Weakness Policy to pick up extra KOs at +2.

Usage Tips
========

This set plays best towards the end of the match, as once Aegislash's checks and counters are removed, it can win matches by itself thanks to its great natural bulk. An ideal point to set up a Substitute is when facing Pokemon whose only means to hit Aegislash is with Sucker Punch, as this means it can get up a free Substitute unhindered. When Aegislash is behind a Substitute, King's Shield should still be used to weaken physical attackers and maintain the Substitute when appropriate, though it cannot be used twice in a row.

Team Options
========

Aegislash's main weaknesses to Fire- and Ground-type attacks are well covered by Garchomp and Rotom-W. Garchomp is better at clearing the field for Aegislash to come in later, as using Earthquake is counterproductive due to Aegislash's Steel typing. However, Rock Slide is very useful when it comes to removing Charizard from the field. Rotom-W supports Aegislash by weakening physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp and taking on many of its checks and counters with Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt. Dual screens support makes this set very hard to take down, as few attacks can break Aegislash's Substitute when it is in Shield forme. Dual screens also help to turn attacks from OHKOs and 2HKOs into 2HKOs or 3HKOs, respectively. Mega Kangaskhan has good offensive synergy with Aegislash, and can use Fake Out to help it set up a Substitute with greater ease.


Mixed Attacker
########
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword
item: Weakness Policy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
nature: Quiet
ivs: 0 Spe

Moves
========

King's Shield is a must on all sets to allow Aegislash to capitalize on both its offensive and defensive stats. The move also allows Aegislash to halve an opponent's Attack when it is hit by a contact move. Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are this set's main attacking moves. Shadow Sneak allows Aegislash to finish off faster weakened opponents, though the move is risky as it changes Aegislash into Blade forme at the start of the turn. Aegislash can run Sacred Sword instead, allowing it to attain perfect coverage in tandem with its Ghost-type moves.

Set Details
========

A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs ensure that Aegislash will usually move last, allowing it to tank an attack in Shield forme. Maximum investment in HP and Special Attack allows Aegislash to take many of the common super effective hits in the format and hit back hard with a boosted move. For example, Aegislash can survive a Sucker Punch from both Mega Mawile and Mega Kangaskhan as well as a Crunch or Dark Pulse from Tyranitar. After Weakness Policy is activated, Aegislash can utilize a +2 Flash Cannon or Shadow Ball to take down many of the most common Pokemon in the format and finish off weakened threats with Shadow Sneak. On the other hand, Lum Berry can be run to shield Aegislash from a status move, giving it slightly more room for error with King's Shield.

Usage Tips
========

Aegislash is effective in all stages of the game due to its huge bulk and high offensive stats. This being said, Aegislash should not be brought in prematurely, as although it is bulky, it cannot shrug off multiple super effective or boosted hits. Once certain threats have been taken care of, Aegislash can run rampant through the opposing team. As a result, you will often find that Aegislash is most useful late in the game. However, if you think that the opposing team cannot deal with Aegislash, it can function as a devastating lead, severely denting opposing Pokemon and allowing the rest of your team to clean up later.

Team Options
========

Aegislash needs Fire- and Ground-types to be taken down before it can function successfully. Because of this, Rotom-W, Tyranitar, and Garchomp are very good partners, as they all have good bulk and can take down the Pokemon that threaten it. Fighting-types such as Scrafty, Mienshao, and Conkeldurr are also good partners that can take on Dark-types.


Other Options
########

An alternative STAB option for Aegislash is Gyro Ball, which can be very strong against faster opponents. However, it is generally worse than Iron Head and Flash Cannon due to its inconsistent damage output. Rock Slide can be used, but it comes at the cost of coverage or priority, and tempts you to act recklessly against Fire-types, which hinders Aegislash's survivability. Aegislash gets Wide Guard and Destiny Bond, both of which are interesting support options. Wide Guard was buffed greatly this generation, as it no longer fails when used in succession. Wide Guard blocks Heat Wave and Earthquake, two of the most threatening moves to Aegislash, whereas Destiny Bond can be used to take down an opposing Pokemon. However, this may be difficult given Aegislash's low Speed stat. Head Smash is a powerful single-target move that provides additional coverage, but induces heavy recoil and suffers from the same problems as Rock Slide does. Hidden Power Ice can be used as well, but the move is very situational and is most likely a waste of a moveslot due to its low Base Power. Minimum Speed isn't a requirement, and with some investment, Aegislash can outspeed Mawile and Azumarill. However, Speed investment can be risky as it means that Aegislash might need to tank an attack in Blade forme.


Checks and Counters
########

**Strong Super Effective Moves**: Super effective hits from Fire-, Ground-, and Dark-type Pokemon will either 2HKO or OHKO Aegislash in Shield forme, and definitely OHKO it in Blade forme. Mega Charizard Y can OHKO Aegislash with a sun-boosted Overheat, and with some bulk investment, doesn't take too much damage from Shadow Ball.

**Taunt**: Taunt renders King's Shield unusable, forcing Aegislash to switch out or tank attacks in Blade forme.

**Assault Vest**: Equipped with an Assault Vest, Pokemon such as Ludicolo and Clawitzer can comfortably take Aegislash's special moves. Clawitzer can 2HKO Aegislash with a Mega Launcher-boosted Dark Pulse.


[Pros]


  • Great mixed bulk, and mixed attack if played correctly
  • Access to a STAB priority move in Shadow Sneak
  • Steel and Ghost is a great defensive typing with nine resistances and three immunities
  • King’s Shield provides utility crippling physical attackers
  • Immunity to Fake Out eases first turn prediction
  • Can use Weakness Policy to boost its attacks even higher

[Cons]


  • Stance Change is situational
  • A small move pool makes for quite predictable play
  • Weak to four common offensive types, especially fire and ground
  • Burn, and opposing Intimidate weakens it physical attacks
  • A bad prediction can leave you very frail and susceptible to being easily KO’d
  • King’s Shield doesn’t block status moves
  • Taunt completely shuts down Aegislash leaving it very frail
  • Scizor and Ferrothorn are more reliable options, for an offensive steel type a lot of the time

    [Set Recommendations]

    Set Name: Special Attacker
    Aegislash @ Leftovers / Weakness Policy
    Ability: Stance Change
    EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
    IVs: 0 Spe
    Quiet Nature
    - King’s Shield
    - Shadow Ball
    - Flash Cannon
    - Substitute


    Moves

    ========
    • Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are Aegislash’s only real special options, STAB or otherwise
    • King’s Shield is a necessity on all set to return to the bulkier shield forme
    • Substitute lessens Aegislash dependence on King’s Shield and blocks status unlike King’s Shield


    Set Details

    ========
    • Max HP and SpA allow for both bulk and strength, as speed isn’t preferable to run as it means you may be in the far frailer forme to take an attack. Aegislash lives most hits in shield forme without more bulk
    • Leftovers complements Substitute allowing it to potentially set up four, as well as increasing Aegislash’s longevity.
    • Substitute blocks Will-o-Wisp unlike King’s Sheild which it will just pass through.
    • At +2 Aegislash has a 50% chance to OHKO Mega-Kangaskhan with Flash Canon


    Usage Tips

    ========
    • Once the opponents checks and/or counters have been taken down nearly impossible to take down
    • Substitute is a low risk option a lot of the time because many Pokemon either can’t touch it or only have Sucker Punch to hit it
    • When behind substitute despite the ability to hit twice in a row King’s Shield should still be used to weaken physical attackers when appropriate


    Team Options

    ========
    • Pokemon which handle fire, ground, and dark type are all appreciated
    • Garchomp is very good at clearing the field for Aegislash, however Earthquake is counter productive used in conjunction with Aegislash.
    • Rotom-Wash takes care of the fire and ground which cause problems and spreads burns
    • Dual Screens help with the set-up and longevity of Substitutes
    • Fake Out support from Mega-Kangaskhan is appreciated as it aids in setting up substitutes and generally has good offensive synergy with Aegislash

    Set Name: Mixed Attacker
    Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
    Ability: Stance Change
    EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
    IVs: 0 Spe
    Quiet Nature
    - King’s Shield
    - Shadow Ball
    - Flash Canon
    - Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword


    Moves

    ========
    • King’s Shield is a must on all sets
    • Shadow ball is this sets main attacking move as it has decent power and hits ghost and psychic types for super effective damage
    • Flash Cannon can be used for a secondary STAB option to hit fairy types at the cost of coverage or priority
    • Shadow Sneak gives you a priority option to finish of weakened pokemon at the risk of being in blade forme at the start of the turn
    • Sacred Sword can be used to hit pokemon like Tyranitar and Kangaskhan for super effective damage however at +2 Flash Cannon can OHKO both of these pokemon


    Set Details

    ========
    • Flash Canon has a 50% chance to OHKO Mega-Kangaskhan at +2 and is guaranteed to OHKO Mega-Mawile with either Flash Canon or Shadow Ball.
    • Lives Sucker Punches from Mega-Mawile and Mega-Kangaskhan and other super effective moves Tyranitars Crunch/Dark Pulse for instance
    • The cobination of a +2 Flash Canon or Shadow Ball with Shadow Sneak will take down many of the most common Pokemon in the format.


    Usage Tips

    ========
    • Do not bring in prematurely as limits it damage output over the entire game
    • The set play well as a lead against less prepared teams, but most of the time will be playing clean up.


    Team Options

    ========
    • Rotom-Wash and Garchomp as above.
    • Fighting types like Scrafty and Mienshao are useful taking on dark types, in Mienshao’s case fast Rock Slide is beneficial
    • Tyranitar helps with fire types




    Other Options
    ########
    • Gyro Ball incosistant damage due speed mechanic Flash Canon and Iron head Better options.
    • A fully physical set could be run with moves like Shadow Claw, Iron Head, Sacred Sword, and Shadow Sneak all in it’s movepool, however with Intimidate and Will-o-Wisp being on almost every team it may be hard to run effectively.
    • Absolute minimum speed is not essential, with some speed EV’s you can out speed Mawile and Azumarril and hit both relatively hard with a Shadow Ball, however this only advisable on the substitute variants.
    • Rock Slide situational, shouldn’t be staying or attacking around fire types.
    • Head Smash as above without spread or flinch chance, plus recoil
    • Wide guard could be used block spread moves, like Earthquake and Heatwave. this generation it was given a buff in that it doesn’t fail when used in repeatedly. However can be hard to fit onto a set as it faces competition from over moves.
    • Destiny Bond too slow to use effectively.
    • Hidden Power Ice weak and situational.


    Checks and Counters
    ########
    • Strong super effective hits from the likes of fire, ground, and dark types will either 2HKO or OHKO Aegislash in shield forme and definitely will OHKO in blade forme
    • Mega-Chaizard-Y can OHKO Aegislash with overheat in the sun, with some investment in bulk it doesn’t take to much damage from Shadow Ball
    • Taunt in general forces Aegislash to switch or get stuck in blade forme to be attacked.
    • Assault Vest Pokemon like Ludicolo and Clawitzer can quite comfortably take Aegislash’s special moves. In the case of Clawitzer it can hit it with a Mega Launcher boosted Dark Pusle to 2HKO
    • Bad prediction will almost always hugely limit Aegislash’s longevity, often will set-up itself up to be taken down.
 
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At a glance, I like what I'm seeing. That said, please put your analysis into the proper Gen 6 analysis format. Also, you shouldn't have a written version of your analysis ready yet; first QC needs to view your content as bulleted points, then you write it up once QC is done.
 
Alright, some input:

  • Being able to completely ignore Mega Kangaskhan while you Sub / KS is really cool. I'd make it a little clearer just how nifty that is in your analysis
  • Slash Weakness Policy alongside the main set, if not make it the primary option. Modest Max Special Attack still has a 50% chance to KO 4 HP Kanga.
  • On the subject of Kangaskhan, Fake Out support is very nice to get up a sub so I'd throw it a mention as a team mate. The two actually have pretty good offensive synergy.
  • I have heard bad things about Swords Dance sets and have been thoroughly unimpressed fighting against them. Unless you have some logs to back up its inclusion and it really working, I want to scrap it to OO and mention how low base power attacks + having to KS to preserve your boost in a format where Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate are everywhere is pretty unimpressive.
  • I might condense the checks and counters to "strong super effective attacks" since everything you've listed for the first half basically does that. I'm no sure if Mega Kanga and Meega Mawile can really be considered a counter since unless it has crunch you can use it as a set up opportunity.
  • I'd also like just generally bad prediction and being naked without a sub in blade forum to be huge problems for Aegislash that can be taken advantage of.

Everything else looks pretty good to be honest, nice job. Once these are implemented, I'll be willing to give a QC check.
 

Biosci

Danger!?
is a Tiering Contributoris a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnuswon the 3rd Smogon VGC Tournamentis a Past SCL Champion
First, fix the set formatting, there shouldn't be all of those extra line breaks.

Second, I still really dislike Iron Head on Aegislash. Flash Cannon is better in most situations, and it lets you invest more in SpA. Sacred Swords / Shadow Sneak should be the slashes for the last move on the second set. Take away Lum as an item slash too, it's pretty useless. Otherwise the sets all look good.

With what TM said about C&C, it's good for the most part but take out Scrafty as a check/counter. It is far from one as it hardly carries Taunt and you can Kings Shield on the Crunch nbd. I would just leave the mention of Taunt though, because once you're Taunted you're either forced to switch, take a hit while in blade form, and cannot avoid Sucker Punch from Mega Kanga any more.

Also can you clarify what you mean here:

  • Wide Guard blocks many of the common moves used against Aegislash does fail when used in succession, hard to fit onto a set.
I think you're trying to say something about not being able to use Kings Shield right after using Wide Guard right? Wide Guard is infinite this generation, which I'm assuming you know, the wording just seems awkward here.

Other than that, this looks good for now. I'll give it another look once you fix things up
 
I think Wide Guard should be bumped from OO into a set imo, but your call there. Im really sick so I'll look at the rest later. Agree with everything Biosci stated.
 
Okay mention Zard-Y Sun separately in checks/counters Overheat in sun OHKOs imo, bulky ones can take Shadow Ball not terribly. Mention that it doesn't need min speed 0 IVs in OO, thats only for trick room really. Like you can run speed to beat Mawile among other things, Azumarill too. Message in usage tips WoW goes through Kings Shield, and not to Kings Shield all the time cause its obvious af.

Assault Vest mons are pretty good checks too, like I think Ludicolo takes idk 35-45% from Shadow Ball with AV.
 
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Aelita

Return To The Past, Now~
is a Community Contributoris a Battle Simulator Moderator
This is an amcheck. Please do note the placement of the commas, as there are quite a few run-on sentences in the analysis.

Aegislash in sShield fForme has outstanding mixed bulk (50/150/150), allowing it to take many hits, and hit back hard in bBlade fForme. On top of this natural bulk, Aegislash has a great defensive typing in sSteel and gGhost, and even with sSteel no longer resisting dDark and gGhost. R, it resistings nine types and beingis immune to three. Thanks to its gGhost typing, it doesn’t have to worry about being Fake Out’d on the first turn, thius easing prediction on your behalf. King’s Shield, Aegislash’s signature move, acts like pProtect in blocking attacking moves, h. However, it does let through status moves like Will-o-Wisp and Taunt. On top of blocking attacks if hit by a physical contact move, it halves the aAttack of the user. Aegislash has a contact to STAB priority in Shadow Sneak, which is beneficial in a meta-game dominated by speed. Because it is so bulky Aegislash is the Iideal user of Weakness Policy, allowing it to double both its attacking stats.

King’s Shield is the only way that Aegislash can change back to its bulkier Shield Forme t. This, however, is quite predictable and can set your other pPokemon up to be double targeted. Not only that, but it still lets status moves through, allowing Aegislash to get bBurnted or Taunted. The latter option completely shuts down Aegislash, forcing it to switch or to be KO’d. Aegislash’s viable movepool is small, and this makes it quite predictable as it has only a few options. A bad prediction can leave Aegislash in its frailer Blade Forme, setting itself up to be KO’d by one of its four common weakness, including fFire and gGround. Due to Aegislash’s highly temperamental ability it faces stiff competition for the role of the offensive sSteel type from: Ferrothorn, Mawile, and Scizor.


[Set Recommendations]

Set Name: Special Attacker
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Substitute


Moves
========

This is Aegislash’s most common set for a good reason as it isn’t completely dependent on King’s Shielding every other turn as. When behind a Substitute, you can attack multiple turns in succession, and by correctly using King’s Shield, you can keep up a Substitute thanks to Aegislash’s great natural bulk. The attacking moves on this set are Aegislash’s main two sSpecial STAB options, r. Running a fully special set canmay be advisable dubecause tof the omnipresence of Will-o-Wisp and Intimidate to check many of this season’generation's biggest threats and thereby limits their impact on Aegislash.


Set Details
========

DuBecause tof this set’s aim to haveof both longevity and hit hard,power, after maxing out HP and Special Attack in Shield Forme, it can take just about anything other than a STAB super -effective hit. Leftovers really helps with the longevity to potentially allow it to get more than four sSubstitutes or stop it being two hit 2HKO’d. However, you can run Weakness Policy can be run to pick up KOs at plus two+2, which are otherwise missed out on.


Usage Tips
========

This set plays best towards the end of the match, as once it checks and counters are removed thanks to Aegislash’s great natural bulk, it can win matches single -handedly. An ideal point to set up a Substitute is when facing Pokemon whose only means to hit Aegislash is with Sucker Punch, as this means Aegislash gets up a free sSubstitute unhindered. When behind sSubstitute, despite the ability to hit twice in a row, King's Shield should still be used to weaken pPhysical attackers and maintain the Substitute when appropriate.

Team Options
========

Aegislash’s main weaknesses, Fire and Ground, are well covered by Garchomp and Rotom-Wash. Garchomp is better at clearing the field for Aegislash, as Earthquake is a counterproductive move to use in conjunction with its Steel typing, h. However, Rock Slide is very useful when comes down to removing Charizards from the field. Rotom-Wash supports it by weakening physical attackers with Will-o-Wisp and being able to take on many of Aegislash’s checks and counters with its STAB Hydrop Pump and Thunderbolt. Dual sScreens make this set very hard to take down as few attacks will be able to breake a Substitute in Shield fForme and attacks which were OHKOs or 2HKOs are now either 2HKOs or 3HKOs respectively. Fake Out support from Mega- Kangaskhan allows you to set up a Substitute with greater ease, and generally has good offensive synergy alongside Aegislash.


Set Name: Mixed Attacker
Aegislash @ Weakness Policy / Lum Berry
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
IVs: 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Canon
- Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword


Moves
========


King's Shield is a must on all sets to allow Aegislash to capitalize on both its aAttack and dDefense by changing fForme, not only that but it. It also allows you to potentially halve the opponent's physical attacks of your opponent. Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon isare this set's main attacking moves, and a Quiet Nature allows you to usually move last and thereby allows you to not take an attack in bBlade fForme. Shadow Sneak allows you to finish off faster Pokemon who have already taken a large amount of damage, although this is not without its risks as it changes you to bBlade fForme at the start of the turn. Sacred Sword can be run as it gives you perfect coverage alongside ghost type moves.


Set Details
========

Due to Aegislash’s great bulk it can take many of the common super -effective hits in the format and hit back hard with a plus two+2 move of choice. Aegislash lives Sucker Punches from Mega-Mawile and Mega-Kangaskhan and other super -effective moves such as Tyranitars Crunch or Dark Pulse. A +2 Flash Cannon or Shadow Ball will take down many of the most common Pokemon in the format, but for those it doesn’t they can be finished off with a Shadow Sneak.


Usage Tips
========


Aegislash is effective in all stages of the game due to its huge bulk and attack. This being said that you must make sure you don't bring Aegislash in prematurely as although it is bulky it can't shrug off multiple super effective or boosted hits. Once its threats have been taken care of Aegislash can run rampant through the rest of the opposing team. Due to this, you will often find Aegislash most useful late in the game. However if you think nothing on the opposing team you think can really deal with Aegislash, it can be a devastating lead, severely denting the opposing team, allowing the rest of your team to just clean up what's left.


Team Options
========


Aegislash really needs for fFire and gGround -types to be taken down before it can function successfully b. Because of this, Rotom-W, Tyranitar, and Garchomp are very good partners for Aegislash as they all have good bulk and attacking capabilities. Fighting types such as Scrafty, Mienshao, and Conkeldurr are also good partners taking on dDark -types.



Other Options
########

Another stabSTAB option is Gyro Ball although this generally worse than Iron Head or Flash Cannon just due to its inconsistent damage. Rock Slide could be used however, but it is generally not beneficial to run it as you lose coverage or priority and tempts you to act too recklessly around fFire -types, which hinders your survivability. In terms of eEgg moves, Aegislash gets Wide Guard and Destiny Bond, and both of these give you interesting support options. Wide gGuard was hugely buffed this generation as it can no longer fail when used in succession. Wide Guard blocks Heat Wave and Earthquake two of the most threatening moves to Aegislash., and Destiny Bond could also be used in order to take down an opposing Pokemon, h. However this may be difficult given Aegislash low sSpeed stat. Head Smash has large recoil and suffers from the same problems as Rock Slide h. However, it isn’t a spread move. Hidden Power Ice could be used however, but it is very situational and are moreis very likely a waste of a move slot as it is a very weak move. Absolute minimum speed isn’t a requirement, and with some investment it can outspeed Mawile and Azumarill, t. This can also be risky as it places you in bBlade fForme before opposing Pokemon can attack it.


Checks and Counters
########

Strong super -effective hits from the likes of fFire-, gGround-, and dDark -types will either 2HKO or OHKO Aegislash in sShield fForme and definitely will OHKO in blade fForme. Mega- Charizard- Y can OHKO Aegislash with oOverheat in the sSun, and with some investment in bulk it doesn't take too much damage from Shadow Ball. Taunt in general forces Aegislash to switch or get stuck in bBlade fForme to be attacked. Assault Vest Pokemon like Ludicolo and Clawitzer can quite comfortably take Aegislash's special moves. In the case of Clawitzer it can hit it with a Mega Launcher boosted Dark Pulse to 2HKO. Bad prediction will almost always hugely limit Aegislash's longevity, often and will often set-up itself up to be taken down.


Copypasting Amchecked Analysis

Aegislash in Shield Forme has outstanding mixed bulk (50/150/150), allowing it to take many hits, and hit back hard in Blade Forme. On top of this natural bulk, Aegislash has a great defensive typing in Steel and Ghost, and even with Steel no longer resisting Dark and Ghost, it resists nine types and is immune to three. Thanks to its Ghost typing, it doesn’t have to worry about being Fake Out’d on the first turn, thus easing prediction on your behalf. King’s Shield, Aegislash’s signature move, acts like Protect in blocking attacking moves. However, it does let through status moves like Will-o-Wisp and Taunt. On top of blocking attacks if hit by a physical contact move, it halves the Attack of the user. Aegislash has a contact STAB priority in Shadow Sneak, which is beneficial in a metagame dominated by speed. Because it is so bulky Aegislash is the ideal user of Weakness Policy, allowing it to double both its attacking stats.

King’s Shield is the only way that Aegislash can change back to its bulkier Shield Forme. This, however, is quite predictable and can set your other Pokemon up to be double targeted. Not only that, but it still lets status moves through, allowing Aegislash to get Burned or Taunted. The latter option completely shuts down Aegislash, forcing it to switch or to be KO’d. Aegislash’s viable movepool is small and this makes it quite predictable as it has only a few options. A bad prediction can leave Aegislash in its frailer Blade Forme, setting itself up to be KO’d by one of its four common weakness, including Fire and Ground. Due to Aegislash’s highly temperamental ability it faces stiff competition for the role of the offensive Steel type from Ferrothorn, Mawile, and Scizor.


[Set Recommendations]

Set Name: Special Attacker
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Substitute


Moves
========

This is Aegislash’s most common set for a good reason as it isn’t completely dependent on King’s Shielding every other turn. When behind a Substitute, you can attack multiple turns in succession, and by correctly using King’s Shield, you can keep up a Substitute thanks to Aegislash’s great natural bulk. The attacking moves on this set are Aegislash’s main two Special STAB options. Running a fully special set may be advisable because of the omnipresence of Will-o-Wisp and Intimidate to check many of this generation's biggest threats and thereby limit their impact on Aegislash.


Set Details
========

Because of this set’s aim of both longevity and power, after maxing out HP and Special Attack in Shield Forme, it can take just about anything other than a STAB super-effective hit. Leftovers really helps with the longevity to potentially allow it to get more than four Substitutes or stop it being 2HKO’d. However, you can run Weakness Policy to pick up KOs at +2, which are otherwise missed out on.


Usage Tips
========

This set plays best towards the end of the match, as once it checks and counters are removed thanks to Aegislash’s great natural bulk, it can win matches single-handedly. An ideal point to set up a Substitute is when facing Pokemon whose only means to hit Aegislash is with Sucker Punch, as this means Aegislash gets up a free Substitute unhindered. When behind Substitute, despite the ability to hit twice in a row, King's Shield should still be used to weaken Physical attackers and maintain the Substitute when appropriate.

Team Options
========

Aegislash’s main weaknesses, Fire and Ground, are well covered by Garchomp and Rotom-Wash. Garchomp is better at clearing the field for Aegislash, as Earthquake is a counterproductive move to use in conjunction with its Steel typing. However, Rock Slide is very useful when comes down to removing Charizard from the field. Rotom-Wash supports it by weakening physical attackers with Will-o-Wisp and being able to take on many of Aegislash’s checks and counters with its STAB Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt. Dual Screens make this set very hard to take down as few attacks will be able to break a Substitute in Shield Forme and attacks which were OHKOs or 2HKOs are now either 2HKOs or 3HKOs respectively. Fake Out support from Mega Kangaskhan allows you to set up a Substitute with greater ease, and generally has good offensive synergy alongside Aegislash.


Set Name: Mixed Attacker
Aegislash @ Weakness Policy / Lum Berry
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
IVs: 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Canon
- Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword


Moves
========


King's Shield is a must on all sets to allow Aegislash to capitalize on both its Attack and Defense by changing Forme. It also allows you to potentially halve the opponent's physical attacks. Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are this set's main attacking moves, and a Quiet Nature allows you to usually move last and thereby allows you to not take an attack in Blade Forme. Shadow Sneak allows you to finish off faster Pokemon who have already taken a large amount of damage, although this is not without its risks as it changes you to Blade Forme at the start of the turn. Sacred Sword can be run as it gives you perfect coverage alongside ghost type moves.


Set Details
========

Due to Aegislash’s great bulk it can take many of the common super-effective hits in the format and hit back hard with a +2 move of choice. Aegislash lives Sucker Punches from Mega-Mawile and Mega-Kangaskhan and other super-effective moves such as Tyranitars Crunch or Dark Pulse. A +2 Flash Cannon or Shadow Ball will take down many of the most common Pokemon in the format, but for those it doesn’t they can be finished off with a Shadow Sneak.


Usage Tips
========


Aegislash is effective in all stages of the game due to its huge bulk and attack. This being said that you must make sure you don't bring Aegislash in prematurely as although it is bulky it can't shrug off multiple super effective or boosted hits. Once its threats have been taken care of Aegislash can run rampant through the rest of the opposing team. Due to this, you will often find Aegislash most useful late in the game. However if you think nothing on the opposing team can really deal with Aegislash, it can be a devastating lead, severely denting the opposing team, allowing the rest of your team to just clean up what's left.


Team Options
========


Aegislash really needs Fire and Ground-types to be taken down before it can function successfully. Because of this, Rotom-W, Tyranitar, and Garchomp are very good partners for Aegislash as they all have good bulk and attacking capabilities. Fighting types such as Scrafty, Mienshao, and Conkeldurr are also good partners taking on Dark-types.



Other Options
########

Another STAB option is Gyro Ball although this generally worse than Iron Head or Flash Cannon just due to its inconsistent damage. Rock Slide could be used, but it is generally not beneficial to run it as you lose coverage or priority and tempts you to act too recklessly around Fire-types, which hinders your survivability. In terms of Egg moves, Aegislash gets Wide Guard and Destiny Bond, and both of these give you interesting support options. Wide Guard was hugely buffed this generation as it can no longer fail when used in succession. Wide Guard blocks Heat Wave and Earthquake two of the most threatening moves to Aegislash, and Destiny Bond could also be used in order to take down an opposing Pokemon. However this may be difficult given Aegislash low Speed stat. Head Smash has large recoil and suffers from the same problems as Rock Slide. However, it isn’t a spread move. Hidden Power Ice could be used, but it is very situational and is very likely a waste of a moveslot as it is a very weak move. Absolute minimum speed isn’t a requirement, and with some investment it can outspeed Mawile and Azumarill. This can also be risky as it places you in Blade Forme before opposing Pokemon can attack it.


Checks and Counters
########

Strong super-effective hits from the likes of Fire-, Ground-, and Dark-types will either 2HKO or OHKO Aegislash in Shield Forme and definitely will OHKO in blade Forme. Mega Charizard Y can OHKO Aegislash with Overheat in the Sun, and with some investment in bulk it doesn't take too much damage from Shadow Ball. Taunt in general forces Aegislash to switch or get stuck in Blade Forme to be attacked. Assault Vest Pokemon like Ludicolo and Clawitzer can quite comfortably take Aegislash's special moves. In the case of Clawitzer it can hit it with a Mega Launcher boosted Dark Pulse to 2HKO. Bad prediction will almost always hugely limit Aegislash's longevity and will often set itself up to be taken down.
 

Electrolyte

Wouldn't Wanna Know
is a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
+ADD
-REMOVE
Capitalization
FixApostraphe
(COMMENTS)

(Spacing is a bit funky. Paragraphs should have exactly one space between there should be exactly one space in front of and behind every paragraph. I will edit it in, make sure yours looks exactly like mine.)

Overview
########


Aegislash in Shield Forme has outstanding mixed bulk of 50 / 150 / 150, (50/150/150), (unnecessary parenthesis and no spacing between slashes) allowing it to take many hits and retaliate powerfully , and hit back hard in Blade Forme. (phrasing) On top of this natural bulk, Aegislash has a great defensive typing in Steel and Ghost, and despite the fact that even with Steel-types no longer resist resisting Dark- and Ghost-type, it sill resists nine other types and is immune to three. Thanks to its Ghost typing, it doesn't doesn’t (careful about those slanted commas. please fix them all.) have to worry about facing Fake Out being Fake Out’d on the first turn, thus easing prediction on your behalf. King's Shield, Aegislash's signature move, acts like Protect by in blocking attacking moves. However, it does let through status moves like Will-o-Wisp and Taunt. On top of blocking attacks,(AC) it also halves the Attack stat of the attacker if hit by a physical contact move. , it halves the Attack of the user. Aegislash also has a contact (unnecessary) STAB priority in Shadow Sneak, which is beneficial in a metagame dominated by Speed. Because it is so bulky,(AC) Aegislash is the ideal user of Weakness Policy, allowing it to double both its attacking stats.

King’s Shield is the only way that Aegislash can change back to its bulkier Shield Forme. This, however, is quite predictable and can set your other Pokemon up to be double targeted. Not only that, but it still lets status moves through, making Aegislash vulnerable to being burned or Taunted. allowing Aegislash to get Burnt or Taunted. The latter option completely shuts down Aegislash, forcing it to switch or to be KO’d. (do you maybe mean the former option? WoW hurts it much more than Taunt) Aegislash’s viable movepool is small and this makes it quite predictable as it has only a few options. A bad prediction can leave Aegislash in its frailer Blade Forme, setting itself up to be KO’d by one of its four common weakness, including Fire and Ground. Due to Aegislash’s highly temperamental ability,(AC) it faces stiff competition for the role of the offensive Steel-(+Hyph.)type from Ferrothorn, Mawile, and Scizor.

[Set Recommendations]
Special Attacker

########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Substitute
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
nature: Quiet
Set Name: Special Attacker
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
IVs: 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Substitute


(please refer to this for analysis structure format.)
Moves
========

This is Aegislash’s most common set for, and for a good reason,(AC) as it isn’t completely dependent on King’s Shielding every other turn. When behind a Substitute, you can attack multiple turns in succession, and by correctly using King’s Shield, you can keep up a Substitute thanks to Aegislash’s great natural bulk. The attacking moves on this set are Aegislash’s main two Special two main special STAB options. Running a fully special set may be advisable because of the omnipresence of Will-o-Wisp and Intimidate to check many of this generation's biggest threats and thereby limit their impact on Aegislash.

Set Details
========

Because of this set’s aim of both longevity and power, After maxing out HP and Special Attack investment in Shield Forme, it can take just about anything other than a STAB super-(-Hyph.)effective hit, fulfilling this set's goal of both longevity and power. Leftovers really helps with the longevity to potentially allow it to get more than four Substitutes or stop it being 2HKO’d. However, you can also run Weakness Policy instead to pick up KOs at +2, which are otherwise missed out on.

Usage Tips
========

This set plays best towards the end of the match, as once its checks and counters are removed thanks to Aegislash’s great natural bulk, it can win matches single-handedly. An ideal point to set up a Substitute is when facing Pokemon whose only means to hit Aegislash is with Sucker Punch, as this means Aegislash gets can get up a free Substitute unhindered. When behind Substitute, despite the inability to be used hit twice in a row, King's Shield should still be used to weaken physical attackers and maintain the Substitute when appropriate.

Team Options
========

Aegislash’s main weaknesses, Fire- and Ground-type attacks, are well covered by Garchomp and Rotom-Wash. Garchomp is better at clearing the field for Aegislash to come in later, as Earthquake is a counterproductive move to use in conjunction with its Steel typing. However, Rock Slide is very useful when it comes down to removing Charizard from the field. Rotom-Wash supports it by weakening physical attackers with Will-o-Wisp and being able to take on many of Aegislash’s checks and counters with its STAB Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt. Dual Screens make this set very hard to take down as few attacks will be able to break a Substitute in Shield Forme and attacks which were once OHKOs or 2HKOs are now either 2HKOs or 3HKOs respectively. Fake Out support from Mega Kangaskhan allows you to set up a Substitute with greater ease, and the Mega Pokemon generally has good offensive synergy alongside Aegislash.

Mixed Attacker
########
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword
ability: Stance Change
item: Weakness Policy / Lum Berry
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
nature: Quiet
ivs: 0 Spe


Set Name: Mixed Attacker
Aegislash @ Weakness Policy / Lum Berry
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
IVs: 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Canon
- Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword



Moves
========


King's Shield is a must on all sets to allow Aegislash to capitalize on both its Attack and Defense by changing Forme. It also allows you to potentially halve the opponent's physical attacks. Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are this set's main attacking moves, and a Quiet Nature allows you to usually move last and thereby allows you to not take an attack in Blade Forme. Shadow Sneak allows you to finish off faster Pokemon who have already taken a large amount of damage, although this is not without its risks as it changes you to Blade Forme at the start of the turn. Sacred Sword can be run as it gives you perfect coverage alongside ghost type moves.


Set Details
========

Due to Aegislash’s great bulk it can take many of the common super-effective hits in the format and hit back hard with a +2 move of choice. Aegislash lives Sucker Punches from Mega-Mawile and Mega-Kangaskhan and other super-effective moves such as Tyranitars Crunch or Dark Pulse. A +2 Flash Cannon or Shadow Ball will take down many of the most common Pokemon in the format, but for those it doesn’t they can be finished off with a Shadow Sneak.


Usage Tips
========


Aegislash is effective in all stages of the game due to its huge bulk and attack. This being said that you must make sure you don't bring Aegislash in prematurely as although it is bulky it can't shrug off multiple super effective or boosted hits. Once its threats have been taken care of Aegislash can run rampant through the rest of the opposing team. Due to this, you will often find Aegislash most useful late in the game. However if you think nothing on the opposing team can really deal with Aegislash, it can be a devastating lead, severely denting the opposing team, allowing the rest of your team to just clean up what's left.


Team Options
========


Aegislash really needs Fire and Ground-types to be taken down before it can function successfully. Because of this, Rotom-W, Tyranitar, and Garchomp are very good partners for Aegislash as they all have good bulk and attacking capabilities. Fighting types such as Scrafty, Mienshao, and Conkeldurr are also good partners taking on Dark-types.



Other Options
########

Another STAB option is Gyro Ball although this generally worse than Iron Head or Flash Cannon just due to its inconsistent damage. Rock Slide could be used, but it is generally not beneficial to run it as you lose coverage or priority and tempts you to act too recklessly around Fire-types, which hinders your survivability. In terms of Egg moves, Aegislash gets Wide Guard and Destiny Bond, and both of these give you interesting support options. Wide Guard was hugely buffed this generation as it can no longer fail when used in succession. Wide Guard blocks Heat Wave and Earthquake two of the most threatening moves to Aegislash, and Destiny Bond could also be used in order to take down an opposing Pokemon. However this may be difficult given Aegislash low Speed stat. Head Smash has large recoil and suffers from the same problems as Rock Slide. However, it isn’t a spread move. Hidden Power Ice could be used, but it is very situational and is very likely a waste of a moveslot as it is a very weak move. Absolute minimum speed isn’t a requirement, and with some investment it can outspeed Mawile and Azumarill. This can also be risky as it places you in Blade Forme before opposing Pokemon can attack it.


Checks and Counters
########

Strong super-effective hits from the likes of Fire-, Ground-, and Dark-types will either 2HKO or OHKO Aegislash in Shield Forme and definitely will OHKO in blade Forme. Mega Charizard Y can OHKO Aegislash with Overheat in the Sun, and with some investment in bulk it doesn't take too much damage from Shadow Ball. Taunt in general forces Aegislash to switch or get stuck in Blade Forme to be attacked. Assault Vest Pokemon like Ludicolo and Clawitzer can quite comfortably take Aegislash's special moves. In the case of Clawitzer it can hit it with a Mega Launcher boosted Dark Pulse to 2HKO. Bad prediction will almost always hugely limit Aegislash's longevity and will often set itself up to be taken down.


Please implement all of the changes I put in so far. Then, read over the Sixth Gen Analysis Format as well as Smogon Spelling and Grammar Standards. There are many, many errors in this analysis that can be fixed really easily so long as you know what the standard procedure and rules are, so please take the time to fix it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Electrolyte said:
(do you maybe mean the former option? WoW hurts it much more than Taunt)
No, I do very much mean the latter. Aegislash is slow and generally attacks last and although Will-o-Wisp limits Substitutes taunt keeps it Blade Forme to be KO'd by just about anything faster than it. Anyway I've implemented your changes.
 
Last edited:

blitzlefan

shake it off!
Done! I made various changes throughout the analysis, and added in text where needed, especially in "set details". Also, no ability is listed is the Pokemon only has one - in this case, Stance Change.
Overview
########

In Shield forme, Aegislash has outstanding 60 / 150 / 150 defensive stats, allowing it to take many hits and proceed to retaliate powerfully in Blade forme. On top of its natural bulk, Aegislash has a great Steel / Ghost defensive typing, and although Steel-types no longer resist Dark- and Ghost-type moves, Aegislash resists nine types and is immune to three. Thanks to its Ghost typing, it doesn't have to worry about Fake Out, thus easing prediction on your behalf. King's Shield, Aegislash's signature move, acts like Protect by blocking attacking moves, but lets through status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Taunt. King's Shield also halves an attacker's Attack stat when Aegislash is hit by a contact move. Aegislash has a STAB priority move in Shadow Sneak, which is beneficial in a metagame focused on Speed. Because it is so bulky, Aegislash is an ideal user of Weakness Policy, which allows it to double both its attacking stats when hit by a super effective move.

Outside of switching out, King's Shield is the only way that Aegislash can change back to its bulkier Shield forme. However, the move is quite predictable and can set your other Pokemon up to be double-targeted. Furthermore, it lets status moves through, making Aegislash vulnerable to Will-O-Wisp and Taunt. The former weakens Aegislash's physical attacks and saps its HP, while the latter completely shuts it down, forcing it to switch or be KOed. Aegislash's viable movepool is small and this makes it quite predictable. A bad prediction can leave Aegislash in its frailer Blade forme, setting it up to be KOed by super effective moves, such as Fire- and Ground-type moves. Due to Aegislash's highly temperamental ability, it faces stiff competition for the role of the offensive Steel-type from Ferrothorn, Mawile, and Scizor.


Special Attacker
########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
nature: Quiet

Moves
========

This is Aegislash's most common set, and for good reason, as it isn't completely dependent on using King's Shield every other turn. When behind a Substitute, Aegislash can attack on multiple turns in succession, and by correctly using King's Shield, it can maintain Substitute due to its great natural bulk. The attacking moves on this set are Aegislash's two main special STAB options. Running a fully special set might be advisable due to the omnipresence of Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate to check many of this generation's biggest threats, thereby limiting their impact on Aegislash.

Set Details
========

Maximum investment in HP allows Aegislash in Shield forme to take just about any move other than a STAB super effective hit, while the Special Attack EVs grant it more power. A Quiet nature boosts the strength of Aegislash's special moves and lowers its Speed, allowing it to attack after the opponent and tank hits in Shield forme. Leftovers improves Aegislash's longevity and can potentially allow it to get more than four Substitutes or stop it being 2HKOed. However, Aegislash can also run Weakness Policy to pick up extra KOs at +2.

Usage Tips
========

This set plays best towards the end of the match, as once Aegislash's checks and counters are removed, it can win matches by itself thanks to its great natural bulk. An ideal point to set up a Substitute is when facing Pokemon whose only means to hit Aegislash is with Sucker Punch, as this means it can get up a free Substitute unhindered. When Aegislash is behind a Substitute, King's Shield should still be used to weaken physical attackers and maintain the Substitute when appropriate, though it cannot be used twice in a row.

Team Options
========

Aegislash's main weaknesses to Fire- and Ground-type attacks are well covered by Garchomp and Rotom-W. Garchomp is better at clearing the field for Aegislash to come in later, as using Earthquake is counterproductive due to Aegislash's Steel typing. However, Rock Slide is very useful when it comes to removing Charizard from the field. Rotom-W supports Aegislash by weakening physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp and taking on many of its checks and counters with Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt. Dual screens support makes this set very hard to take down, as few attacks can break Aegislash's Substitute when it is in Shield forme. Dual screens also help to turn attacks from OHKOs and 2HKOs into 2HKOs or 3HKOs, respectively. Mega Kangaskhan has good offensive synergy with Aegislash, and can use Fake Out to help it set up a Substitute with greater ease.


Mixed Attacker
########
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword
item: Weakness Policy / Lum Berry
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
nature: Quiet
ivs: 0 Spe

Moves
========

King's Shield is a must on all sets to allow Aegislash to capitalize on both its offensive and defensive stats. The move also allows Aegislash to halve an opponent's Attack when it is hit by a contact move. Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are this set's main attacking moves. Shadow Sneak allows Aegislash to finish off faster weakened opponents, though the move is risky as it changes Aegislash into Blade forme at the start of the turn. Aegislash can run Sacred Sword instead, allowing it to attain perfect coverage in tandem with its Ghost-type moves.

Set Details
========

A Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs ensure that Aegislash will usually move last, allowing it to tank an attack in Shield forme. Maximum investment in HP and Special Attack allows Aegislash to take many of the common super effective hits in the format and hit back hard with a boosted move. For example, Aegislash can survive a Sucker Punch from both Mega Mawile and Mega Kangaskhan as well as a Crunch or Dark Pulse from Tyranitar. After Weakness Policy is activated, Aegislash can utilize a +2 Flash Cannon or Shadow Ball to take down many of the most common Pokemon in the format and finish off weakened threats with Shadow Sneak. On the other hand, Lum Berry can be run to shield Aegislash from a status move, giving it slightly more room for error with King's Shield.

Usage Tips
========

Aegislash is effective in all stages of the game due to its huge bulk and high offensive stats. This being said, Aegislash should not be brought in prematurely, as although it is bulky, it cannot shrug off multiple super effective or boosted hits. Once certain threats have been taken care of, Aegislash can run rampant through the opposing team. As a result, you will often find that Aegislash is most useful late in the game. However, if you think that the opposing team cannot deal with Aegislash, it can function as a devastating lead, severely denting opposing Pokemon and allowing the rest of your team to clean up later.

Team Options
========

Aegislash needs Fire- and Ground-types to be taken down before it can function successfully. Because of this, Rotom-W, Tyranitar, and Garchomp are very good partners, as they all have good bulk and can take down the Pokemon that threaten it. Fighting-types such as Scrafty, Mienshao, and Conkeldurr are also good partners that can take on Dark-types.


Other Options
########

An alternative STAB option for Aegislash is Gyro Ball, which can be very strong against faster opponents. However, it is generally worse than Iron Head and Flash Cannon due to its inconsistent damage output. Rock Slide can be used, but it comes at the cost of coverage or priority, and tempts you to act recklessly against Fire-types, which hinders Aegislash's survivability. Aegislash gets Wide Guard and Destiny Bond, both of which are interesting support options. Wide Guard was buffed greatly this generation, as it no longer fails when used in succession. Wide Guard blocks Heat Wave and Earthquake, two of the most threatening moves to Aegislash, whereas Destiny Bond can be used to take down an opposing Pokemon. However, this may be difficult given Aegislash's low Speed stat. Head Smash is a powerful single-target move that provides additional coverage, but induces heavy recoil and suffers from the same problems as Rock Slide does. Hidden Power Ice can be used as well, but the move is very situational and is most likely a waste of a moveslot due to its low Base Power. Minimum Speed isn't a requirement, and with some investment, Aegislash can outspeed Mawile and Azumarill. However, Speed investment can be risky as it means that Aegislash might need to tank an attack in Blade forme.


Checks and Counters
########

**Strong Super Effective Moves**: Super effective hits from Fire-, Ground-, and Dark-type Pokemon will either 2HKO or OHKO Aegislash in Shield forme, and definitely OHKO it in Blade forme. Mega Charizard Y can OHKO Aegislash with a sun-boosted Overheat, and with some bulk investment, doesn't take too much damage from Shadow Ball.

**Taunt**: Taunt renders King's Shield unusable, forcing Aegislash to switch out or tank attacks in Blade forme.

**Assault Vest**: Equipped with an Assault Vest, Pokemon such as Ludicolo and Clawitzer can comfortably take Aegislash's special moves. Clawitzer can 2HKO Aegislash with a Mega Launcher-boosted Dark Pulse.

Aegislash iOverview
########

I
n Shield Fforme, Aegislash has outstanding mixed bulk 560 / 150 / 150 defensive stats, allowing it to take many hits, and anproceed to retaliate powerfully in Blade Fforme. On top of ithis natural bulk, Aegislash has a great Steel / Ghost defensive typing in Steel and Ghost, and despite the fact thatalthough Steel-types no longer resist Dark- and Ghost-type moves, itAegislash resists nine types and is immune to three. Thanks to its Ghost typing, it doesn't have to worry about facing Fake Out on the first turn, thus easing prediction on your behalf. King's Shield, Aegislash's signature move, acts like Protect by blocking attacking moves. However, ibut does lets through status moves likesuch as Will-oO-Wisp and Taunt. On top of blockKing attacks, it's Shield also halves thean attacker's Attack stat of twhen Aegislash is hit by a contackert move. Aegislash also has a STAB priority move in Shadow Sneak, which is beneficial in a metagame dominatfocused byon Speed. Because it is so bulky, Aegislash, is thean ideal user of Weakness Policy, which allowings it to double both its attacking stats when hit by a super effective move.

Outside of switching out, King's Shield is the only way that Aegislash can change back to its bulkier Shield Fforme. This, hHowever, the move is quite predictable and can set your other Pokemon up to be double -targeted. Not only that, butFurthermore, it still lets status moves through, making Aegislash vulnerable to being burned orWill-O-Wisp and Taunted. The former weakens Aegislash's physical atter optionacks and saps its HP, while the latter completely shuts it down Aegislash, forcing it to switch or to be KOed. Aegislash's viable movepool is small and this makes it quite predictable as it has only a few options. A bad prediction can leave Aegislash in its frailer Blade Fforme, setting itself up to be KOed by one of its fouper common weakneseffective moves, includingsuch as Fire- and Ground-type moves. Due to Aegislash's highly temperamental ability, it faces stiff competition for the role of the offensive Steel-type from Ferrothorn, Mawile, and Scizor.


Special Attacker
########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Substitute
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
nature: Quiet

Moves
========

This is Aegislash's most common set, and for a good reason, as it isn't completely dependent on using King's Shielding every other turn. When behind a Substitute, youAegislash can attack on multiple turns in succession, and by correctly using King's Shield, youit can keep up amaintain Substitute thanksdue to Aegislash’its great natural bulk. The attacking moves on this set are Aegislash's two main two special STAB options. Running a fully special set mayight be advisable becausdue tof the omnipresence of Will-oO-Wisp and Intimidate to check many of this generation's biggest threats and, thereby limiting their impact on Aegislash.

Set Details
========

After maxMaximum investment ing out HP and Special Attack investmentllows Aegislash in Shield Fforme, it can to take just about anything move other than a STAB super effective hit, fulfillingwhile the Special Attack EVs grant it more power. A Quiet nature boosts the strength of Aegislash's special moves and lowers its goal of both longevitySpeed, allowing it to attack after the opponent and powertank hits in Shield forme. Leftovers really helps with theimproves Aegislash's longevity toand can potentially allow it to get more than four Substitutes or stop it being 2HKOed. However, youAegislash can also run Weakness Policy instead to pick up extra KOs at +2, which are otherwise missed out on.

Usage Tips
========

This set plays best towards the end of the match, as once itAegislash's checks and counters are removed, it can win matches by itself thanks to Aegislash’its great natural bulk, it can win matches single-handedly. An ideal point to set up a Substitute is when facing Pokemon whose only means to hit Aegislash is with Sucker Punch, as this means Aegislashit can get up a free Substitute unhindered. When Aegislash is behind a Substitute, despite the inability to be used twice in a row, King's Shield should still be used to weaken physical attackers and maintain the Substitute when appropriate, though it cannot be used twice in a row.

Team Options
========

Aegislash's main weaknesses, to Fire- and Ground- type attacks, are well covered by Garchomp and Rotom-Wash. Garchomp is better at clearing the field for Aegislash to come in later, as using Earthquake is a counterproductive move to use in conjunction with itdue to Aegislash's Steel typing. However, Rock Slide is very useful when it comes to removing Charizard from the field. Rotom-Wash supports itAegislash by weakening physical attackers with Will-oO-Wisp and being able to takeing on many of Aegislash’its checks and counters with its STAB Hydro Pump and Thunderbolt. Dual Sscreens support makes this set very hard to take down, as few attacks will be able tocan break Aegislash's Substitute when it is in Shield Fforme. Dual screens also help to turnd attacks which were oncefrom OHKOs orand 2HKOs are now eitherinto 2HKOs or 3HKOs, respectively. Fake Out support from Mega Kangaskhan hallows you to set up a Substitutegood offensive synergy with greater easeAegislash, and the Mega Pokemon generally has good offensive synergy alongside Aegislash.can use Fake Out to help it set up a Substitute with greater ease.


Mixed Attacker
########
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword
ability: Stance Change
item: Weakness Policy / Lum Berry
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
nature: Quiet
ivs: 0 Spe

Moves
========

King's Shield is a must on all sets to allow Aegislash to capitalize on both its Attackoffensive and Ddefensive by changing Forme. Itstats. The move also allows youAegislash to potentially halve thean opponent’s physical at's Attack when it is hit by a contackst move. Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are this set's main attacking moves, and a Quiet Nature allows you to usually move last and thereby allows you to not take an attack in Blade Forme. Shadow Sneak allows youAegislash to finish off faster Pokemon who have already taken a large amount of damageed opponents, although this is not without ite move is risksy as it changes you Aegislash into Blade Fforme at the start of the turn. Aegislash can run Sacred Sword can be run asinstead, allowing it gives youto attain perfect coverage in talongside gm with its Ghost -type moves.

Set Details
========

Due toA Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs ensure that Aegislash’s great bulk will usually move last, allowing it to tank an attack in Shield forme. Maximum investment in HP and Special Attack allows Aegislash to take many of the common super effective hits in the format and hit back hard with a +2boosted move of choice.. For example, Aegislash lcan survives a Sucker Punches from both Mega- Mawile and Mega- Kangaskhan and other super-effective moves sus well as a Crunch or Dark Pulse from Tyranitars Crunch or Dark Pulse.. After Weakness Policy is activated, Aegislash can utilize a +2 Flash Cannon or Shadow Ball willto take down many of the most common Pokemon in the format, but for and finish off weakened those reats with Shadoesn’t w Sneak. On the other hand, Lum Berry can be run to shield Aegislash from a status move, givinished offg it slightly more room for error with aKing's Shadow Sneakield.

Usage Tips
========

Aegislash is effective in all stages of the game due to its huge bulk and high offensive stattacks. This being said that you must make sure y, Aegislash should not be brou don’t bring Aegislasht in prematurely, as although it is bulky, it cannot shrug off multiple super effective or boosted hits. Once itscertain threats have been taken care of, Aegislash can run rampant through the rest of the opposing team. Due to thisAs a result, you will often find that Aegislash is most useful late in the game. However, if you think nothing onat the opposing team can reallynot deal with Aegislash, it can befunction as a devastating lead, severely denting the opposing team,Pokemon and allowing the rest of your team to just clean up what’s leftlater.

Team Options
========

Aegislash really needs Fire- and Ground-types to be taken down before it can function successfully. Because of this, Rotom-W, Tyranitar, and Garchomp are very good partners for Aegislash, as they all have good bulk and attacking capabilitiescan take down the Pokemon that threaten it. Fighting -types such as Scrafty, Mienshao, and Conkeldurr are also good partners that can takinge on Dark-types.


Other Options
########

Anoth alternative STAB option for Aegislash is Gyro Ball although th, which can be very strong against faster opponents. However, it is generally worse than Iron Head orand Flash Cannon just due to its inconsistent damage output. Rock Slide couldan be used, but it icomes generally not beneficial to run it as you losethe cost of coverage or priority, and tempts you to act too recklessly aroundgainst Fire-types, which hinders yourAegislash's survivability. In terms of Egg moves, Aegislash gets Wide Guard and Destiny Bond, and both of these give youwhich are interesting support options. Wide Guard was hugely buffed greatly this generation, as it can no longer fails when used in succession. Wide Guard blocks Heat Wave and Earthquake, two of the most threatening moves to Aegislash, andwhereas Destiny Bond could alsoan be used in order to take down an opposing Pokemon. However, this may be difficult given Aegislash's low Speed stat. Head Smash is a powerful single-target move that provides laradditional coverage, but induces heavy recoil and suffers from the same problems as Rock Slide. However, it isn’t a spread moves. Hidden Power Ice couldan be used as well, but ithe move is very situational and is verymost likely a waste of a moveslot as itdue to its a very weak move. Absolute mlow Base Power. Minimum sSpeed isn't a requirement, and with some investment it, Aegislash can outspeed Mawile and Azumarill. ThisHowever, Speed investment can also be risky as it places you in Blade Forme before opposing Pokemon cmeans that Aegislash might need to tank an attack it.n Blade forme.


Checks and Counters
########

**Strong Super Effective Moves**: Super effective hits from the likes of Fire-, Ground-, and Dark-types Pokemon will either 2HKO or OHKO Aegislash in Shield Fforme, and definitely will OHKO it in bBlade Fforme. Mega Charizard Y can OHKO Aegislash with a sun-boosted Overheat in the Sun, and with some bulk investment in bulk it, doesn't take too much damage from Shadow Ball.

**Taunt**: Taunt renders Kin generalg's Shield unusable, forcesing Aegislash to switch out or get stutank attacks in Blade Fforme to be attack.

**Assault Vest**: Equipp
ed or switch out.

**
an Assault Vest**:, Pokemon likesuch as Ludicolo and Clawitzer can quite comfortably take Aegislash's special moves, thanks to their Assault Vest. In the case of Clawitzer it can hit it2HKO Aegislash with a Mega Launcher -boosted Dark Pulse to 2HKO.

**Bad Prediction**: A miss prediction will almost always hugely limit Aegislash’s longevity and will often set itself up to be taken down
.

GP 2/2
 
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What about
name: Wall/ Attacker
move 1: King's Shield
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Swords Dance
item: Weakness Policy
evs: 4HP / 252 Att / 252 Def /
nature: Brave
 
Last edited:

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