Overview
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Aegislash is one of the most dominant and influential Pokemon in OU for a good reason. Its bulk and power is nothing short of amazing, its typing is stellar, and its movepool, though small, gives it all the tools it needs to be threatening and diverse. Thanks to the Steel nerf that XY brought, Shadow Ball, backed by Aegislash's amazing base 150 Special Attack stat, is one of the most spammable moves in OU and a staple on most Aegislash sets. King's Shield allows Aegislash to cripple physical attackers that rely on contact moves and make it effectively a Pokemon with base 150 offense and defenses. Furthermore, thanks to its great bulk, power, and coverage, Aegislash can check almost any Pokemon without a super effective STAB attack against it, and even some that do have one. To top it all off, Aegislash can even take the role of a physical wallbreaker and sweeper with Swords Dance, a spinblocker with Air Balloon, and a trapper with Pursuit, all of which make it even harder to play against.
Thankfully, Aegislash does have some significant flaws that prevent it from being unbeatable. First, its low Speed means that it will almost always have to take a hit before attacking, making it very prone to any hard hitter that can hit it at least neutrally with its STAB moves, preferably ones that are unaffected by King's Shield. Second, Aegislash has very common weaknesses to Ground-, Fire-, and Dark-type moves, not to mention that the most common physical Ground-type move, Earthquake, is unaffected by King's Shield. Moving on, the prevalence of Knock Off is very troubling for Aegislash, not so much for its damage, as Aegislash can tank non-STAB Knock Offs pretty comfortably, but more because Knock Off robs it of its Leftovers, which Aegislash heavily relies on to do its job properly. Finally, even though King's Shield is a great move in Aegislash's arsenal and is essential to Aegislash's playstyle, it can often be predictable and taken advantage of with setup or status moves.
Tank
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name: Tank
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: King's Shield
move 3: Shadow Sneak / Iron Head
move 4: Sacred Sword / Iron Head / Pursuit
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
nature: Quiet
evs: 244 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA
Moves
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Shadow Ball is the single most important move of the set, possessing great power and neutral coverage, and thus being a very spammable move. King's Shield enables Aegislash to change formes and cripple physical attackers that rely on contact moves and is essential for Aegislash to become an effective tank. Shadow Sneak helps Aegislash 2HKO targets that switch in when used with Shadow Ball, as well as check offensive Pokemon. Shadow Ball + Shadow Sneak also 2HKOes Deoxys-D leads most of the time. Sacred Sword covers some of the Pokemon that resist or are immune to Shadow Ball, especially Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Mega Gyarados, OHKOing or 2HKOing all of them. Iron Head 2HKOes any Clefable variant, as it's a huge threat, and also allows Aegislash to get past Tyranitar (if not running Sacred Sword) and Sylveon. Pursuit is useful on any team that wants Latios and Latias removed, as Aegislash can easily switch into and eliminate them.
Set Details
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The EV spread lets Aegislash play to its strengths, making it a great tank that can take a lot of damage and hit back hard. 12 Def EVs are used to survive Adamant 252 Atk Landorus-T's Earthquake. Leftovers provide constant recovery and work very well with King's Shield. A Quiet nature is used to boost Aegislash's Special Attack whilst not compromising its bulk or power. Air Balloon can be used to spinblock against Excadrill if Aegislash is used on teams that rely on entry hazards, such as hyper offensive teams with Deoxys-D. Spell Tag can be used to power up both Shadow Ball and Shadow Sneak, and let Aegislash 2HKO specially defensive Hippowdon after one layer of Spikes, 2HKO Garchomp most of the time after one layer of Spikes, and OHKO Gengar with Shadow Sneak most of the time after Stealth Rock, amongst other KOs.
Usage Tips
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This set plays as a tank that can check multiple offensive Pokemon, while also being able to force a ton of switches, thanks to its good one-on-one match-ups against many Pokemon. If you realize that the opponent lacks an appropriate response to Aegislash, bring it in as fast as possible and start doing some work. If you see threats such as Latios, Deoxys-S, Breloom, and Latias, that Aegislash can check, make sure to keep Aegislash healthy enough so that it can actually check those Pokemon. If the opponent has a Bisharp, make sure to not give it a free switch in and spam Sacred Sword whenever possible in order to avoid getting into Pursuit or Knock Off mind games with Bisharp. Use King's Shield with caution, as it can give free switches to dangerous Pokemon or result in Pokemon that you thought were harmless getting free boosts (e.g., the Azumarill that you thought was locked into Waterfall using Belly Drum).
Team Options
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Teammates that can deal with Ground-types, Fire-types, and Bisharp are the most important ones. Such teammates include Keldeo, Mega Gyarados, Garchomp, and Greninja for offensive options, and Quagsire, Mega Charizard X, and Rotom-W for defensive options. Keldeo and Mega Gyarados can beat almost every single Fire- and Ground-type one on one, as well as Mandibuzz, and they are two of the best checks to Bisharp (though Gyarados prefers Moxie to take on Bisharp). Garchomp can provide Stealth Rock, check Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran, revenge kill Bisharp, and lure bulky Ground-types and Mandibuzz to cripple them with Toxic. Greninja struggles to switch in on anything, but it can beat most Pokemon that scare Aegislash out one-on-one if you manage to bring it in with a double switch. As for defensive teammates, Quagsire walls Mega Charizard X, Bisharp, non-Choice Band Talonflame, and most physical Ground-types, while bulky Mega Charizard X can check Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, and Bisharp, and Rotom-W can check most Ground- and Fire-types purely due to its typing advantage. If using Pursuit, Pokemon that appreciate Latios and Latias gone are good partners, so Mega Charizard Y, Landorus, and Keldeo are all good choices.
SubToxic
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name: SubToxic
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: King's Shield
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Substitute
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 244 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA
Moves
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Shadow Ball and Toxic are the main moves of this set, with Toxic covering anything that Shadow Ball can't, even including some typical counters to Aegislash's all-out attacking sets, such as Mandibuzz, Hippowdon, Zapdos, and Chesnaught. King's Shield serves a double purpose: to revert back to Shield forme and to rack up Toxic damage. Substitute protects Aegislash from the status that King's Shield can't, especially burns, and makes Aegislash more effective at Toxic stalling its foes. Sacred Sword or Iron Head can be used over Substitute, if Bisharp or Clefable are problematic for your team.
Set Details
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The EV spread maximizes bulk and power, while ensuring that Aegislash avoids the OHKO from Adamant 252 Atk Landorus-T's Earthquake. The EVs can be moved from Special Attack to Speed with a Timid nature in order to avoid Will-o-Wisp from Rotom-W and Leech Seed from Mega Venusaur with Substitute, outspeed Belly Drum Azumarill and finish it off before it can KO with Waterfall, and outspeed and OHKO Adamant Bisharp with Sacred Sword if you are using it. In addition, outspeeding Pokemon such as minimum Speed Landorus-T and Excadrill can come handy in certain occasions.
Usage Tips
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Make sure to identify if any Pokemon that can tank multiple Shadow Ball hits and threaten Aegislash back exist on the opposing team. If they do, either spam Toxic to catch them as they switch in, or use Substitute if they are already affected by Toxic, and start stalling them to death by alternating between Substitute and King's Shield. If the opponent has a Bisharp, the best course of action is to either use Substitute in case it switches in, allowing Aegislash to switch out and avoid the Pursuit, or double switch to a Pokemon that can handle Bisharp. Also, make sure to keep Aegislash away from Will-O-Wisp and Knock Off at all costs, as Leftovers is essential to Aegislash's Toxic stalling strategy and it can't be done without it. Other than that, Aegislash can be used to check any threatening Pokemon with Shadow Ball, as long as it's healthy enough. With this set, Aegislash is a mix of a tank, staller, and wallbreaker, so Aegislash can focus on any of those three roles you want, depending on the game.
Team Options
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An answer to Bisharp is one of the most important concerns regarding teammates. Keldeo checks Bisharp pretty well, as does Quagsire, bulky Mega Charizard X, and Mega Gyarados (preferably with Moxie on regular Gyarados). Ways of handling Ground- and Fire-types are also needed, and thankfully, Keldeo can do this too, as can most of the aforementioned Pokemon. However, Rotom-W and Landorus-T are also fine options for checking Fire- and Ground-types that can also use their pivoting moves to give Aegislash an advantageous match-up in order to set up a Substitute. Wish support is nice to have if you can fit it on your team, as Aegislash usually takes its time to do work, and reliable healing really helps a set that relies on the use of Substitute so often and lets Aegislash stall out multiple foes. Finally, Pokemon that appreciate the weakening of the threats that Toxic Aegislash lures and weakens, such as specially defensive Hippowdon, Mandibuzz, and Chesnaught, pair well with Aegislash. Good examples of such Pokemon are Mega Charizard Y (which can 2HKO Hippowdon with Toxic damage), Mega Charizard X (Mandibuzz is much easier to get into OHKO range of +1 Flare Blitz when affected with Toxic), and Mega Gyarados (Toxic makes Chesnaught's Leech Seed + Spiky Shield stalling tactics ineffective).
All-Out Attacker
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name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Sacred Sword
move 4: Flash Cannon / Pursuit
ability: Stance Change
item: Life Orb
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves
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Shadow Ball is Aegislash's most dangerous move, and the one that should be used most of the time, with anything else used to support this move. Flash Cannon 2HKOes Mandibuzz (100% of the time with the help of Stealth Rock), Tyranitar, Diggersby, and Chesnaught, and 2HKOes even Clefable with one Calm Mind boost, allowing Aegislash to act as a reliable check to it. Shadow Sneak 2HKOes many Pokemon in combination with Aegislash's other moves, and can also be used to check offensive Pokemon. Lastly, Sacred Sword OHKOes Bisharp, 2HKOes Chansey and Mega Gyarados (the former with Stealth Rock up), 2HKOes specially defensive Heatran in combination with Shadow Ball, and always 2HKOes physically defensive Tyranitar in combination with Shadow Ball and Stealth Rock, while OHKOing any other variant. Pursuit is an option over Sacred Sword for any team that wants Latios and Latias eliminated. King's Shield lets Aegislash stay in after KOing something, giving it more staying power, and can also check physical attackers that rely on contact moves to harm Aegislash, such as Talonflame, Mega Scizor, and Azumarill. However, King's Shield should be used with minimum Speed and max Attack, as Aegislash benefits more from moving second than first. With Attack investment, Iron Head also becomes a viable option in order to check Clefable regardless of Calm Mind boosts, but Aegislash misses out on 2HKOing Pokemon such as Mandibuzz and Chesnaught.
Set Details
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Maximum Speed with a positive nature is used to outrun Adamant Bisharp and OHKO it with Sacred Sword, as well as most Landorus-T, Heatran, Mandibuzz, and Mega Venusaur, 2HKOing all of them before they have a chance to react. A Hasty nature is preferred as Aegislash can still check specially offensive Pokemon such as Deoxys-S, Latios, Latias, and Mega Alakazam, but a Naive nature is viable if the extra physical bulk is more valuable to your team. 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpA with a Quiet nature is an alternative spread to have a stronger Shadow Sneak and Sacred Sword, and to be able to use Iron Head, which 2HKOes max HP / Bold max Def Clefable when used with Shadow Sneak. Spell Tag is an option on such a set, in order to take advantage of the fact that Aegislash will be moving last most of the time and to preserve its good bulk. However, a lot of wallbreaking power will be missed, resulting in Aegislash being unable to 2HKO specially defensive Hippowdon, Mandibuzz, and Chansey, amongst others. Air Balloon lets Aegislash spinblock against Excadrill, which is very useful for hyper offensive teams, making sure that Aegislash can protect any entry hazards that might have been set up. Checking Ground-types once is also very useful for such teams, as Garchomp, Landorus, and Excadrill can be very hard Pokemon to switch into.
Usage Tips
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The primary role of this Aegislash set is an early-game wallbreaker that softens up the opponent's team so that other Pokemon can clean up later. Due to this set's fantastic offensive prowess and lack of hard counters, bringing it out as fast as possible is advised, unless you need Aegislash to check a dangerous offensive threat, which shouldn't be the case anyway, as this set should be used as a wallbreaker first and foremost. It can also be used as a check to offensive Pokemon only when your primary checks are weakened or you don't want them to get weakened. You can even lead with it, as it has good match-ups against many common leads, such as Deoxys-S, Deoxys-D, and Terrakion, and can start its wallbreaking job immediately. This set can also surprise people that rely on slow or averagely fast Pokemon to check Aegislash, such as Heatran, Mega Venusaur, Mandibuzz, Landorus-T, and Bisharp, by OHKOing or 2HKOing them before they even get a chance to move, so use this to your advantage.
Team Options
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This set fits well on any kind of team that appreciates having the opponent's team softened up. Basically, any team with late-game cleaners with similar checks to Aegislash is a good fit with Aegislash. Some good teammates include Mega Gyarados, as Aegislash can weaken Mega Venusaur, Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Chesnaught, as well as Mega Charizard X, as Aegislash can weaken Heatran, Mandibuzz, Landorus-T, and Hippowdon, and also Deoxys-S, which cleans up games quite easily after sturdy walls have been weakened. In general, most good sweepers fit well with this set, as Aegislash can break through anything with good prediction, making it an asset to any team that struggles with breaking through defensive cores. This set can also fit in hyper offensive teams if carrying an Air Balloon, so Deoxys-D, Defiant Bisharp, and Defiant Thundurus are good teammates, the first to set up entry hazards for Aegislash to take advantage of and for it to spinblock, and the latter two for their ability to punish the Defog users that would be able to get rid of Deoxys-D's entry hazards. Lastly, a good Stealth Rock setter is appreciated in order to get certain 2HKOs, namely to 2HKO Mandibuzz with Flash Cannon, always 2HKO 252 HP Mega Venusaur with Shadow Ball or Flash Cannon, and always 2HKO Chansey with Sacred Sword. For this reason, Terrakion and Landorus-T are good teammates, and they can also check some of the Pokemon that threaten Aegislash, such as Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, Excadrill, and Garchomp.
Swords Dance
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name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Iron Head / Shadow Claw
move 4: Sacred Sword / Head Smash
ability: Stance Change
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moves
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Swords Dance allows Aegislash to wallbreak and OHKO frail offensive Pokemon with Shadow Sneak. Shadow Sneak is very useful against offensive teams, as it serves as both a strong revenge killing tool and a sweeping tool, being able to OHKO faster threats such as Thundurus, Mega Charizard Y, and Excadrill after a boost. Iron Head is Aegislash's best option against Hippowdon, OHKOing specially defensive variants at +2 with a layer of Spikes, while also being Aegislash's most reliable option against most defensive Pokemon, such as Mandibuzz, Landorus-T, Clefable, Gliscor, and Mega Venusaur. Shadow Claw is an option if you want to OHKO physically defensive Rotom-W and is also Aegislash's strongest and most reliable move against regular Gyarados, Manaphy, Keldeo, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory. Sacred Sword OHKOes Heatran and Ferrothorn, while also 2HKOing Skarmory, both after a boost, and OHKOes Bisharp and Greninja, as it is useful to hit them as they switch into Aegislash. Sacred Sword is also Aegislash's best option against Mega Gyarados. Lastly, Head Smash is able to OHKO any defensive Defog user, namely Mega Scizor, Mandibuzz, Skarmory, and Zapdos, some with Stealth Rock up, while still covering some of Aegislash's checks, such as Greninja, Mega Gyarados, Rotom-W, and Heatran.
Set Details
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Max Speed allows Aegislash to outspeed minimum Speed Mega Venusaur, Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, Excadrill, Landorus-T, Skarmory, and Heatran. A Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Adamant Bisharp and OHKO it with Sacred Sword, as well as Adamant Breloom. Spell Tag is an option if using Shadow Claw in order to preserve Aegislash's great natural bulk.
Usage Tips
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If the opponent has only one or two Pokemon that can take a +2 Shadow Sneak, it is wise to save Aegislash until late-game so that those Pokemon are weakened and Aegislash can sweep. Otherwise, just set up as soon as you get a chance and start creating some holes to the opponent's team. Keep in mind that Aegislash's Shadow Sneak is very strong, being able to OHKO Latios after Stealth Rock, so make sure to save Aegislash if you think you might need its priority. If using Head Smash, you can also sometimes lure and KO Mandibuzz, paving the way for Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X, Talonflame, and Dragonite to sweep. If you see Bisharp on the opposing team and you aren't using a Jolly nature, play very carefully, as after Aegislash uses an attack, Bisharp will be able to Pursuit trap and KO it effortlessly. Spam Sacred Sword or make double switches to avoid such situations. Finally, even though this may sound somewhat obvious, always check how much damage a +2 Shadow Sneak can do to the opponent, as if Aegislash doesn't OHKO its opponent with Shadow Sneak, it will get OHKOed in return.
Team Options
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Entry hazards are the best friends of this set, especially considering how well Aegislash is able to keep those entry hazards on the field, as it's able to OHKO every single Rapid Spin and Defog user after a boost, especially if it has Head Smash. Deoxys-D is the best candidate for this job, being able to set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes. Shuckle is another good partner, especially if Aegislash is using a Jolly nature, as with the help of Sticky Web, Aegislash can outspeed and OHKO Pokemon that could check it before, such as Keldeo, Garchomp, Jolly Tyranitar, Manaphy, and Terrakion. Aegislash also pairs well with physical sweepers that can take advantage of the holes that Aegislash creates to the opponent's team. Mega Tyranitar, Dragonite, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Charizard X all appreciate having Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Landorus-T, Skarmory, and Mega Scizor weakened or eliminated. Other good teammates are those that can check the Pokemon that give Aegislash trouble. Keldeo can deal with most Ground- and Fire-types and check Bisharp, making it a great partner, and the same goes for Mega Gyarados and Greninja.
Other Options
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Aegislash can use a specially based sweeping set with Autotomize and Life Orb, with Shadow Ball, Flash Cannon, and Hidden Power Ice, which should be used as a late game cleaner. A Choice Band set has a big surprise factor and can OHKO usual switch-ins such as Zapdos and Mandibuzz with Head Smash, packs a lot of revenge killing power with Shadow Sneak, and is quite strong in general, but it is very prone to getting Pursuit trapped without King's Shield. Furthermore, the speedy mixed set is often a better wallbreaker due to the ability to go mixed and switch moves. Metal Sound can be utilized on any specially based set, allowing Aegislash to beat usual checks such as specially defensive Hippowdon, specially defensive Mega Venusaur, and Mandibuzz, as Aegislash can 2HKO all of them after the Special Defense drop, meaning that they can no longer slowly wear it down while healing.
Checks & Counters
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**Dark-types**: Most Dark-type Pokemon can handle Aegislash pretty well, resisting its main STAB move and hitting it for super effective damage with their own STAB attacks. Mandibuzz is a hard counter to the tank set and can check all other sets, but it doesn't like any variant with Toxic, Flash Cannon, or Head Smash, as all of those can get past Mandibuzz one way or another. Krookodile can check any set except the mixed set with Flash Cannon, as most Aegislash sets can't 2HKO physically defensive Krookodile, while Krookodile can 2HKO back with either STAB move, and it also has Earthquake to avoid King's Shield's effect, and has Knock Off to cut down on Aegislash's longevity. Bisharp and Umbreon fear nothing from specially based sets other than Sacred Sword, and Umbreon straight up loses to Swords Dance sets while Bisharp can still check the Swords Dance set if it is faster. Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Greninja, Crawdaunt, Mega Absol, and Hydreigon all resist Shadow Ball and can hit Aegislash hard with STAB Dark-type moves, so they make for good or situational checks, depending on how well they can tank multiple Shadow Ball hits and how much they fear Sacred Sword. It is worth noting that Mega Gyarados resists Aegislash's STABs, so if it's not running Sacred Sword, then Mega Gyarados has an easy time against it. Regular Tyranitar can also check Aegislash, and even tank one Sacred Sword with a physically defensive spread, but can't do that much damage back, not to mention that Aegislash can lower Tyranitar's Attack stat with King's Shield. It is better to use Tyranitar as a pivot to lure the Sacred Sword and bring in something else that can threaten Aegislash more adequately.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types are usually great checks to Aegislash, especially if they have Will-O-Wisp or special Fire-type moves to avoid King's Shield's secondary effect. Heatran is the best example, having great special bulk to tank Shadow Ball, and strong Fire-type STAB moves and Will-O-Wisp to threaten Aegislash back. However, Sacred Sword 2HKOes or 3HKOes Heatran, and some Aegislash sets can outspeed specially defensive Heatran and 2HKO it before Heatran is able to do anything back, so it doesn't deal that well with Swords Dance or mixed variants. Mega Charizard Y easily OHKOes Aegislash with sun-boosted Fire Blast and can tank a few Shadow Balls with its good special bulk and access to Roost, but can't switch into Aegislash if Stealth Rock is up. Mega Charizard X is another check, especially specially bulky variants, which avoid the 2HKO from unboosted Shadow Ball and can cripple Aegislash back with Will-O-Wisp while slowly healing back to full health with Roost, or just 2HKOing Aegislash with Fire Punch. The same goes for Bulk Up Talonflame, which can beat Aegislash with the same tactic as Mega Charizard X. Other more niche Fire-types also check Aegislash, such as Entei (Sacred Fire doesn't make contact and thus doesn't activate King's Shield), Rotom-H, Volcarona, and Infernape, but most of them need Stealth Rock off of the field in order to do so, and Infernape can't even switch into Shadow Ball.
**Ground-types**: Hippowdon is one of the best checks to Aegislash, avoiding the 2HKO from an unboosted Shadow Ball, checking even the Swords Dance sets, and being able to OHKO Aegislash's Blade forme with Earthquake, thanks to Hippowdon being slower. However, Hippowdon loathes Toxic and can get 2HKOed by the mixed set. Diggersby, Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Landorus can all do huge damage to Aegislash if not straight out OHKO it, and most of them can tank a couple of Shadow Balls, such as bulky Landorus-T, bulky Excadrill, Diggersby, who is immune to it, and bulky Garchomp. Rhyperior works similarly with Hippowdon except it doesn't have reliable recovery and is weak to Iron Head and Flash Cannon, while Quagsire can counter the Swords Dance set but loses to any set with Shadow Ball. Finally, Zygarde can tank a few Shadow Balls and either immediately threaten Aegislash or start boosting with Coil or Dragon Dance.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Chansey and specially defensive Sylveon hard wall any Aegislash set without Life Orb Sacred Sword and a Steel-type move respectively, but can't do any immediate damage back (none in Chansey's case), and instead can only take advantage of Aegislash by supporting their team, with moves such as Stealth Rock, Wish, and Heal Bell / Aromatherapy. Other specially defensive Pokemon that can take multiple Shadow Balls are bulky Mega Scizor, though it can get 2HKOed with very little previous damage or with a Special Defense drop from Shadow Ball, specially defensive Zapdos, though it can't do much damage back to it and loathes Toxic, specially defensive Dragonite, which hates Toxic and is weak to Stealth Rock, specially defensive Mega Venusaur, which loses if a Special Defense drop occurs, to Swords Dance sets, and to SubToxic sets if lacking Hidden Power Fire. Assault Vest users such as Conkeldurr, Amoonguss, Tangrowth, Escavalier, and Slowking also work.
**Bisharp**: Bisharp deserves a special mention because it is the only Pokemon that can safely Pursuit trap Aegislash without fear of King's Shield, thanks to Defiant. In addition, Bisharp can easily switch into any of Aegislash's moves except Sacred Sword. The only things that Bisharp has to fear outside of Sacred Sword are speedy sets that can outspeed Adamant Bisharp by one point, and OHKO it with Sacred Sword if Bisharp goes for anything other than Sucker Punch.
**Knock Off**: Outside of Bisharp, this move hurts Aegislash the most not because of its damage output, as Aegislash usually tanks non-STAB Knock Off hits pretty easily, but for the removal of Leftovers, which is quintessential to Aegislash's playstyle. Without Leftovers, Aegislash's survivability drops dramatically and King's Shield is no longer such a great option, not to mention that Aegislash can no longer Toxic stall effectively.
**Miscellaneous**: Chesnaught can counter the tank set thanks to Bulletproof, but loses to any other set. Specially defensive Rotom-W can tank a couple of Shadow Balls, burn Aegislash, and slowly wear it down, while using Pain Split whenever necessary. However, this method is not reliable at all, as the opponent can easily switch into a Pokemon with low HP to make Rotom-W's Pain Split ineffective. Life Orb Gengar can revenge kill a slightly weakened max HP Aegislash (74.6 - 87.3%), provided that Gengar is at full health and Aegislash doesn't carry a Life Orb, as then, Shadow Sneak usually OHKOes Gengar. Pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Choice Band Scizor can trap and eliminate Aegislash variants without King's Shield, as long as they manage to get in safely.
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Aegislash is one of the most dominant and influential Pokemon in OU for a good reason. Its bulk and power is nothing short of amazing, its typing is stellar, and its movepool, though small, gives it all the tools it needs to be threatening and diverse. Thanks to the Steel nerf that XY brought, Shadow Ball, backed by Aegislash's amazing base 150 Special Attack stat, is one of the most spammable moves in OU and a staple on most Aegislash sets. King's Shield allows Aegislash to cripple physical attackers that rely on contact moves and make it effectively a Pokemon with base 150 offense and defenses. Furthermore, thanks to its great bulk, power, and coverage, Aegislash can check almost any Pokemon without a super effective STAB attack against it, and even some that do have one. To top it all off, Aegislash can even take the role of a physical wallbreaker and sweeper with Swords Dance, a spinblocker with Air Balloon, and a trapper with Pursuit, all of which make it even harder to play against.
Thankfully, Aegislash does have some significant flaws that prevent it from being unbeatable. First, its low Speed means that it will almost always have to take a hit before attacking, making it very prone to any hard hitter that can hit it at least neutrally with its STAB moves, preferably ones that are unaffected by King's Shield. Second, Aegislash has very common weaknesses to Ground-, Fire-, and Dark-type moves, not to mention that the most common physical Ground-type move, Earthquake, is unaffected by King's Shield. Moving on, the prevalence of Knock Off is very troubling for Aegislash, not so much for its damage, as Aegislash can tank non-STAB Knock Offs pretty comfortably, but more because Knock Off robs it of its Leftovers, which Aegislash heavily relies on to do its job properly. Finally, even though King's Shield is a great move in Aegislash's arsenal and is essential to Aegislash's playstyle, it can often be predictable and taken advantage of with setup or status moves.
Tank
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name: Tank
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: King's Shield
move 3: Shadow Sneak / Iron Head
move 4: Sacred Sword / Iron Head / Pursuit
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
nature: Quiet
evs: 244 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA
Moves
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Shadow Ball is the single most important move of the set, possessing great power and neutral coverage, and thus being a very spammable move. King's Shield enables Aegislash to change formes and cripple physical attackers that rely on contact moves and is essential for Aegislash to become an effective tank. Shadow Sneak helps Aegislash 2HKO targets that switch in when used with Shadow Ball, as well as check offensive Pokemon. Shadow Ball + Shadow Sneak also 2HKOes Deoxys-D leads most of the time. Sacred Sword covers some of the Pokemon that resist or are immune to Shadow Ball, especially Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Mega Gyarados, OHKOing or 2HKOing all of them. Iron Head 2HKOes any Clefable variant, as it's a huge threat, and also allows Aegislash to get past Tyranitar (if not running Sacred Sword) and Sylveon. Pursuit is useful on any team that wants Latios and Latias removed, as Aegislash can easily switch into and eliminate them.
Set Details
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The EV spread lets Aegislash play to its strengths, making it a great tank that can take a lot of damage and hit back hard. 12 Def EVs are used to survive Adamant 252 Atk Landorus-T's Earthquake. Leftovers provide constant recovery and work very well with King's Shield. A Quiet nature is used to boost Aegislash's Special Attack whilst not compromising its bulk or power. Air Balloon can be used to spinblock against Excadrill if Aegislash is used on teams that rely on entry hazards, such as hyper offensive teams with Deoxys-D. Spell Tag can be used to power up both Shadow Ball and Shadow Sneak, and let Aegislash 2HKO specially defensive Hippowdon after one layer of Spikes, 2HKO Garchomp most of the time after one layer of Spikes, and OHKO Gengar with Shadow Sneak most of the time after Stealth Rock, amongst other KOs.
Usage Tips
========
This set plays as a tank that can check multiple offensive Pokemon, while also being able to force a ton of switches, thanks to its good one-on-one match-ups against many Pokemon. If you realize that the opponent lacks an appropriate response to Aegislash, bring it in as fast as possible and start doing some work. If you see threats such as Latios, Deoxys-S, Breloom, and Latias, that Aegislash can check, make sure to keep Aegislash healthy enough so that it can actually check those Pokemon. If the opponent has a Bisharp, make sure to not give it a free switch in and spam Sacred Sword whenever possible in order to avoid getting into Pursuit or Knock Off mind games with Bisharp. Use King's Shield with caution, as it can give free switches to dangerous Pokemon or result in Pokemon that you thought were harmless getting free boosts (e.g., the Azumarill that you thought was locked into Waterfall using Belly Drum).
Team Options
========
Teammates that can deal with Ground-types, Fire-types, and Bisharp are the most important ones. Such teammates include Keldeo, Mega Gyarados, Garchomp, and Greninja for offensive options, and Quagsire, Mega Charizard X, and Rotom-W for defensive options. Keldeo and Mega Gyarados can beat almost every single Fire- and Ground-type one on one, as well as Mandibuzz, and they are two of the best checks to Bisharp (though Gyarados prefers Moxie to take on Bisharp). Garchomp can provide Stealth Rock, check Talonflame, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran, revenge kill Bisharp, and lure bulky Ground-types and Mandibuzz to cripple them with Toxic. Greninja struggles to switch in on anything, but it can beat most Pokemon that scare Aegislash out one-on-one if you manage to bring it in with a double switch. As for defensive teammates, Quagsire walls Mega Charizard X, Bisharp, non-Choice Band Talonflame, and most physical Ground-types, while bulky Mega Charizard X can check Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, and Bisharp, and Rotom-W can check most Ground- and Fire-types purely due to its typing advantage. If using Pursuit, Pokemon that appreciate Latios and Latias gone are good partners, so Mega Charizard Y, Landorus, and Keldeo are all good choices.
SubToxic
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name: SubToxic
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: King's Shield
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Substitute
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 244 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA
Moves
========
Shadow Ball and Toxic are the main moves of this set, with Toxic covering anything that Shadow Ball can't, even including some typical counters to Aegislash's all-out attacking sets, such as Mandibuzz, Hippowdon, Zapdos, and Chesnaught. King's Shield serves a double purpose: to revert back to Shield forme and to rack up Toxic damage. Substitute protects Aegislash from the status that King's Shield can't, especially burns, and makes Aegislash more effective at Toxic stalling its foes. Sacred Sword or Iron Head can be used over Substitute, if Bisharp or Clefable are problematic for your team.
Set Details
========
The EV spread maximizes bulk and power, while ensuring that Aegislash avoids the OHKO from Adamant 252 Atk Landorus-T's Earthquake. The EVs can be moved from Special Attack to Speed with a Timid nature in order to avoid Will-o-Wisp from Rotom-W and Leech Seed from Mega Venusaur with Substitute, outspeed Belly Drum Azumarill and finish it off before it can KO with Waterfall, and outspeed and OHKO Adamant Bisharp with Sacred Sword if you are using it. In addition, outspeeding Pokemon such as minimum Speed Landorus-T and Excadrill can come handy in certain occasions.
Usage Tips
========
Make sure to identify if any Pokemon that can tank multiple Shadow Ball hits and threaten Aegislash back exist on the opposing team. If they do, either spam Toxic to catch them as they switch in, or use Substitute if they are already affected by Toxic, and start stalling them to death by alternating between Substitute and King's Shield. If the opponent has a Bisharp, the best course of action is to either use Substitute in case it switches in, allowing Aegislash to switch out and avoid the Pursuit, or double switch to a Pokemon that can handle Bisharp. Also, make sure to keep Aegislash away from Will-O-Wisp and Knock Off at all costs, as Leftovers is essential to Aegislash's Toxic stalling strategy and it can't be done without it. Other than that, Aegislash can be used to check any threatening Pokemon with Shadow Ball, as long as it's healthy enough. With this set, Aegislash is a mix of a tank, staller, and wallbreaker, so Aegislash can focus on any of those three roles you want, depending on the game.
Team Options
========
An answer to Bisharp is one of the most important concerns regarding teammates. Keldeo checks Bisharp pretty well, as does Quagsire, bulky Mega Charizard X, and Mega Gyarados (preferably with Moxie on regular Gyarados). Ways of handling Ground- and Fire-types are also needed, and thankfully, Keldeo can do this too, as can most of the aforementioned Pokemon. However, Rotom-W and Landorus-T are also fine options for checking Fire- and Ground-types that can also use their pivoting moves to give Aegislash an advantageous match-up in order to set up a Substitute. Wish support is nice to have if you can fit it on your team, as Aegislash usually takes its time to do work, and reliable healing really helps a set that relies on the use of Substitute so often and lets Aegislash stall out multiple foes. Finally, Pokemon that appreciate the weakening of the threats that Toxic Aegislash lures and weakens, such as specially defensive Hippowdon, Mandibuzz, and Chesnaught, pair well with Aegislash. Good examples of such Pokemon are Mega Charizard Y (which can 2HKO Hippowdon with Toxic damage), Mega Charizard X (Mandibuzz is much easier to get into OHKO range of +1 Flare Blitz when affected with Toxic), and Mega Gyarados (Toxic makes Chesnaught's Leech Seed + Spiky Shield stalling tactics ineffective).
All-Out Attacker
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name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Sacred Sword
move 4: Flash Cannon / Pursuit
ability: Stance Change
item: Life Orb
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves
========
Shadow Ball is Aegislash's most dangerous move, and the one that should be used most of the time, with anything else used to support this move. Flash Cannon 2HKOes Mandibuzz (100% of the time with the help of Stealth Rock), Tyranitar, Diggersby, and Chesnaught, and 2HKOes even Clefable with one Calm Mind boost, allowing Aegislash to act as a reliable check to it. Shadow Sneak 2HKOes many Pokemon in combination with Aegislash's other moves, and can also be used to check offensive Pokemon. Lastly, Sacred Sword OHKOes Bisharp, 2HKOes Chansey and Mega Gyarados (the former with Stealth Rock up), 2HKOes specially defensive Heatran in combination with Shadow Ball, and always 2HKOes physically defensive Tyranitar in combination with Shadow Ball and Stealth Rock, while OHKOing any other variant. Pursuit is an option over Sacred Sword for any team that wants Latios and Latias eliminated. King's Shield lets Aegislash stay in after KOing something, giving it more staying power, and can also check physical attackers that rely on contact moves to harm Aegislash, such as Talonflame, Mega Scizor, and Azumarill. However, King's Shield should be used with minimum Speed and max Attack, as Aegislash benefits more from moving second than first. With Attack investment, Iron Head also becomes a viable option in order to check Clefable regardless of Calm Mind boosts, but Aegislash misses out on 2HKOing Pokemon such as Mandibuzz and Chesnaught.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed with a positive nature is used to outrun Adamant Bisharp and OHKO it with Sacred Sword, as well as most Landorus-T, Heatran, Mandibuzz, and Mega Venusaur, 2HKOing all of them before they have a chance to react. A Hasty nature is preferred as Aegislash can still check specially offensive Pokemon such as Deoxys-S, Latios, Latias, and Mega Alakazam, but a Naive nature is viable if the extra physical bulk is more valuable to your team. 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpA with a Quiet nature is an alternative spread to have a stronger Shadow Sneak and Sacred Sword, and to be able to use Iron Head, which 2HKOes max HP / Bold max Def Clefable when used with Shadow Sneak. Spell Tag is an option on such a set, in order to take advantage of the fact that Aegislash will be moving last most of the time and to preserve its good bulk. However, a lot of wallbreaking power will be missed, resulting in Aegislash being unable to 2HKO specially defensive Hippowdon, Mandibuzz, and Chansey, amongst others. Air Balloon lets Aegislash spinblock against Excadrill, which is very useful for hyper offensive teams, making sure that Aegislash can protect any entry hazards that might have been set up. Checking Ground-types once is also very useful for such teams, as Garchomp, Landorus, and Excadrill can be very hard Pokemon to switch into.
Usage Tips
========
The primary role of this Aegislash set is an early-game wallbreaker that softens up the opponent's team so that other Pokemon can clean up later. Due to this set's fantastic offensive prowess and lack of hard counters, bringing it out as fast as possible is advised, unless you need Aegislash to check a dangerous offensive threat, which shouldn't be the case anyway, as this set should be used as a wallbreaker first and foremost. It can also be used as a check to offensive Pokemon only when your primary checks are weakened or you don't want them to get weakened. You can even lead with it, as it has good match-ups against many common leads, such as Deoxys-S, Deoxys-D, and Terrakion, and can start its wallbreaking job immediately. This set can also surprise people that rely on slow or averagely fast Pokemon to check Aegislash, such as Heatran, Mega Venusaur, Mandibuzz, Landorus-T, and Bisharp, by OHKOing or 2HKOing them before they even get a chance to move, so use this to your advantage.
Team Options
========
This set fits well on any kind of team that appreciates having the opponent's team softened up. Basically, any team with late-game cleaners with similar checks to Aegislash is a good fit with Aegislash. Some good teammates include Mega Gyarados, as Aegislash can weaken Mega Venusaur, Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Chesnaught, as well as Mega Charizard X, as Aegislash can weaken Heatran, Mandibuzz, Landorus-T, and Hippowdon, and also Deoxys-S, which cleans up games quite easily after sturdy walls have been weakened. In general, most good sweepers fit well with this set, as Aegislash can break through anything with good prediction, making it an asset to any team that struggles with breaking through defensive cores. This set can also fit in hyper offensive teams if carrying an Air Balloon, so Deoxys-D, Defiant Bisharp, and Defiant Thundurus are good teammates, the first to set up entry hazards for Aegislash to take advantage of and for it to spinblock, and the latter two for their ability to punish the Defog users that would be able to get rid of Deoxys-D's entry hazards. Lastly, a good Stealth Rock setter is appreciated in order to get certain 2HKOs, namely to 2HKO Mandibuzz with Flash Cannon, always 2HKO 252 HP Mega Venusaur with Shadow Ball or Flash Cannon, and always 2HKO Chansey with Sacred Sword. For this reason, Terrakion and Landorus-T are good teammates, and they can also check some of the Pokemon that threaten Aegislash, such as Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, Excadrill, and Garchomp.
Swords Dance
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name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Iron Head / Shadow Claw
move 4: Sacred Sword / Head Smash
ability: Stance Change
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moves
========
Swords Dance allows Aegislash to wallbreak and OHKO frail offensive Pokemon with Shadow Sneak. Shadow Sneak is very useful against offensive teams, as it serves as both a strong revenge killing tool and a sweeping tool, being able to OHKO faster threats such as Thundurus, Mega Charizard Y, and Excadrill after a boost. Iron Head is Aegislash's best option against Hippowdon, OHKOing specially defensive variants at +2 with a layer of Spikes, while also being Aegislash's most reliable option against most defensive Pokemon, such as Mandibuzz, Landorus-T, Clefable, Gliscor, and Mega Venusaur. Shadow Claw is an option if you want to OHKO physically defensive Rotom-W and is also Aegislash's strongest and most reliable move against regular Gyarados, Manaphy, Keldeo, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory. Sacred Sword OHKOes Heatran and Ferrothorn, while also 2HKOing Skarmory, both after a boost, and OHKOes Bisharp and Greninja, as it is useful to hit them as they switch into Aegislash. Sacred Sword is also Aegislash's best option against Mega Gyarados. Lastly, Head Smash is able to OHKO any defensive Defog user, namely Mega Scizor, Mandibuzz, Skarmory, and Zapdos, some with Stealth Rock up, while still covering some of Aegislash's checks, such as Greninja, Mega Gyarados, Rotom-W, and Heatran.
Set Details
========
Max Speed allows Aegislash to outspeed minimum Speed Mega Venusaur, Mandibuzz, Rotom-W, Excadrill, Landorus-T, Skarmory, and Heatran. A Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Adamant Bisharp and OHKO it with Sacred Sword, as well as Adamant Breloom. Spell Tag is an option if using Shadow Claw in order to preserve Aegislash's great natural bulk.
Usage Tips
========
If the opponent has only one or two Pokemon that can take a +2 Shadow Sneak, it is wise to save Aegislash until late-game so that those Pokemon are weakened and Aegislash can sweep. Otherwise, just set up as soon as you get a chance and start creating some holes to the opponent's team. Keep in mind that Aegislash's Shadow Sneak is very strong, being able to OHKO Latios after Stealth Rock, so make sure to save Aegislash if you think you might need its priority. If using Head Smash, you can also sometimes lure and KO Mandibuzz, paving the way for Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X, Talonflame, and Dragonite to sweep. If you see Bisharp on the opposing team and you aren't using a Jolly nature, play very carefully, as after Aegislash uses an attack, Bisharp will be able to Pursuit trap and KO it effortlessly. Spam Sacred Sword or make double switches to avoid such situations. Finally, even though this may sound somewhat obvious, always check how much damage a +2 Shadow Sneak can do to the opponent, as if Aegislash doesn't OHKO its opponent with Shadow Sneak, it will get OHKOed in return.
Team Options
========
Entry hazards are the best friends of this set, especially considering how well Aegislash is able to keep those entry hazards on the field, as it's able to OHKO every single Rapid Spin and Defog user after a boost, especially if it has Head Smash. Deoxys-D is the best candidate for this job, being able to set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes. Shuckle is another good partner, especially if Aegislash is using a Jolly nature, as with the help of Sticky Web, Aegislash can outspeed and OHKO Pokemon that could check it before, such as Keldeo, Garchomp, Jolly Tyranitar, Manaphy, and Terrakion. Aegislash also pairs well with physical sweepers that can take advantage of the holes that Aegislash creates to the opponent's team. Mega Tyranitar, Dragonite, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Charizard X all appreciate having Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Landorus-T, Skarmory, and Mega Scizor weakened or eliminated. Other good teammates are those that can check the Pokemon that give Aegislash trouble. Keldeo can deal with most Ground- and Fire-types and check Bisharp, making it a great partner, and the same goes for Mega Gyarados and Greninja.
Other Options
########
Aegislash can use a specially based sweeping set with Autotomize and Life Orb, with Shadow Ball, Flash Cannon, and Hidden Power Ice, which should be used as a late game cleaner. A Choice Band set has a big surprise factor and can OHKO usual switch-ins such as Zapdos and Mandibuzz with Head Smash, packs a lot of revenge killing power with Shadow Sneak, and is quite strong in general, but it is very prone to getting Pursuit trapped without King's Shield. Furthermore, the speedy mixed set is often a better wallbreaker due to the ability to go mixed and switch moves. Metal Sound can be utilized on any specially based set, allowing Aegislash to beat usual checks such as specially defensive Hippowdon, specially defensive Mega Venusaur, and Mandibuzz, as Aegislash can 2HKO all of them after the Special Defense drop, meaning that they can no longer slowly wear it down while healing.
Checks & Counters
########
**Dark-types**: Most Dark-type Pokemon can handle Aegislash pretty well, resisting its main STAB move and hitting it for super effective damage with their own STAB attacks. Mandibuzz is a hard counter to the tank set and can check all other sets, but it doesn't like any variant with Toxic, Flash Cannon, or Head Smash, as all of those can get past Mandibuzz one way or another. Krookodile can check any set except the mixed set with Flash Cannon, as most Aegislash sets can't 2HKO physically defensive Krookodile, while Krookodile can 2HKO back with either STAB move, and it also has Earthquake to avoid King's Shield's effect, and has Knock Off to cut down on Aegislash's longevity. Bisharp and Umbreon fear nothing from specially based sets other than Sacred Sword, and Umbreon straight up loses to Swords Dance sets while Bisharp can still check the Swords Dance set if it is faster. Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Greninja, Crawdaunt, Mega Absol, and Hydreigon all resist Shadow Ball and can hit Aegislash hard with STAB Dark-type moves, so they make for good or situational checks, depending on how well they can tank multiple Shadow Ball hits and how much they fear Sacred Sword. It is worth noting that Mega Gyarados resists Aegislash's STABs, so if it's not running Sacred Sword, then Mega Gyarados has an easy time against it. Regular Tyranitar can also check Aegislash, and even tank one Sacred Sword with a physically defensive spread, but can't do that much damage back, not to mention that Aegislash can lower Tyranitar's Attack stat with King's Shield. It is better to use Tyranitar as a pivot to lure the Sacred Sword and bring in something else that can threaten Aegislash more adequately.
**Fire-types**: Fire-types are usually great checks to Aegislash, especially if they have Will-O-Wisp or special Fire-type moves to avoid King's Shield's secondary effect. Heatran is the best example, having great special bulk to tank Shadow Ball, and strong Fire-type STAB moves and Will-O-Wisp to threaten Aegislash back. However, Sacred Sword 2HKOes or 3HKOes Heatran, and some Aegislash sets can outspeed specially defensive Heatran and 2HKO it before Heatran is able to do anything back, so it doesn't deal that well with Swords Dance or mixed variants. Mega Charizard Y easily OHKOes Aegislash with sun-boosted Fire Blast and can tank a few Shadow Balls with its good special bulk and access to Roost, but can't switch into Aegislash if Stealth Rock is up. Mega Charizard X is another check, especially specially bulky variants, which avoid the 2HKO from unboosted Shadow Ball and can cripple Aegislash back with Will-O-Wisp while slowly healing back to full health with Roost, or just 2HKOing Aegislash with Fire Punch. The same goes for Bulk Up Talonflame, which can beat Aegislash with the same tactic as Mega Charizard X. Other more niche Fire-types also check Aegislash, such as Entei (Sacred Fire doesn't make contact and thus doesn't activate King's Shield), Rotom-H, Volcarona, and Infernape, but most of them need Stealth Rock off of the field in order to do so, and Infernape can't even switch into Shadow Ball.
**Ground-types**: Hippowdon is one of the best checks to Aegislash, avoiding the 2HKO from an unboosted Shadow Ball, checking even the Swords Dance sets, and being able to OHKO Aegislash's Blade forme with Earthquake, thanks to Hippowdon being slower. However, Hippowdon loathes Toxic and can get 2HKOed by the mixed set. Diggersby, Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Landorus can all do huge damage to Aegislash if not straight out OHKO it, and most of them can tank a couple of Shadow Balls, such as bulky Landorus-T, bulky Excadrill, Diggersby, who is immune to it, and bulky Garchomp. Rhyperior works similarly with Hippowdon except it doesn't have reliable recovery and is weak to Iron Head and Flash Cannon, while Quagsire can counter the Swords Dance set but loses to any set with Shadow Ball. Finally, Zygarde can tank a few Shadow Balls and either immediately threaten Aegislash or start boosting with Coil or Dragon Dance.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Chansey and specially defensive Sylveon hard wall any Aegislash set without Life Orb Sacred Sword and a Steel-type move respectively, but can't do any immediate damage back (none in Chansey's case), and instead can only take advantage of Aegislash by supporting their team, with moves such as Stealth Rock, Wish, and Heal Bell / Aromatherapy. Other specially defensive Pokemon that can take multiple Shadow Balls are bulky Mega Scizor, though it can get 2HKOed with very little previous damage or with a Special Defense drop from Shadow Ball, specially defensive Zapdos, though it can't do much damage back to it and loathes Toxic, specially defensive Dragonite, which hates Toxic and is weak to Stealth Rock, specially defensive Mega Venusaur, which loses if a Special Defense drop occurs, to Swords Dance sets, and to SubToxic sets if lacking Hidden Power Fire. Assault Vest users such as Conkeldurr, Amoonguss, Tangrowth, Escavalier, and Slowking also work.
**Bisharp**: Bisharp deserves a special mention because it is the only Pokemon that can safely Pursuit trap Aegislash without fear of King's Shield, thanks to Defiant. In addition, Bisharp can easily switch into any of Aegislash's moves except Sacred Sword. The only things that Bisharp has to fear outside of Sacred Sword are speedy sets that can outspeed Adamant Bisharp by one point, and OHKO it with Sacred Sword if Bisharp goes for anything other than Sucker Punch.
**Knock Off**: Outside of Bisharp, this move hurts Aegislash the most not because of its damage output, as Aegislash usually tanks non-STAB Knock Off hits pretty easily, but for the removal of Leftovers, which is quintessential to Aegislash's playstyle. Without Leftovers, Aegislash's survivability drops dramatically and King's Shield is no longer such a great option, not to mention that Aegislash can no longer Toxic stall effectively.
**Miscellaneous**: Chesnaught can counter the tank set thanks to Bulletproof, but loses to any other set. Specially defensive Rotom-W can tank a couple of Shadow Balls, burn Aegislash, and slowly wear it down, while using Pain Split whenever necessary. However, this method is not reliable at all, as the opponent can easily switch into a Pokemon with low HP to make Rotom-W's Pain Split ineffective. Life Orb Gengar can revenge kill a slightly weakened max HP Aegislash (74.6 - 87.3%), provided that Gengar is at full health and Aegislash doesn't carry a Life Orb, as then, Shadow Sneak usually OHKOes Gengar. Pursuit users such as Tyranitar and Choice Band Scizor can trap and eliminate Aegislash variants without King's Shield, as long as they manage to get in safely.
**Defensive advantage**: Any Pokemon that is able to tank Aegislash's Shadow Ball multiple times and sometimes Aegislash's coverage moves too, and either slowly wear it down or immediately threaten it, falls in this category. The best answers to Aegislash in this category are Mandibuzz, Krookodile, specially defensive Hippowdon, specially defensive Mega Venusaur, Chesnaught, and Umbreon. All of those wall Aegislash's common sets outside of Toxic, and are able to 2HKO-3HKO it back with their STAB moves, or slowly wear it down with Leech Seed in Chesnaught's and Mega Venusaur's case. Chansey and specially defensive Sylveon also hard wall any Aegislash set without Life Orb Sacred Sword and a Steel move respectively, but can't do any immediate damage back (none in Chansey's case), and instead can only take advantage by supporting their team, with moves such as Stealth Rock, Wish, and Heal Bell / Aromatherapy. Other Pokemon that can take multiple of Aegislash's assaults and take advantage of its presence are Mega Gyarados, though it can get 2HKOed by Sacred Sword and doesn't like Toxic, Diggersby, though it gets 2HKOed by Sacred Sword or any Steel move, Bisharp, though it gets OHKOed by Sacred Sword, specially defensive Heatran, though it gets 2HKOed by Sacred Sword, bulky Mega Scizor, though it can get 2HKOed with very little previous damage or with a Special Defense drop from Shadow Ball, specially defensive Zapdos, though it can't do much damage back to it and loathes Toxic, specially defensive Dragonite, which hates Toxic and is weak to Stealth Rock, Mega Tyranitar and Tyranitar, which get heavily crippled if not OHKOed by Sacred Sword, specially defensive Rhyperior, which can only check Aegislash once, and Hydreigon, which fears Sacred Sword. A special mention goes to Quagsire, which can only wall Aegislash's Swords Dance set, and to Assault Vest users, namely Conkeldurr, Amoonguss, Tangrowth, Escavalier, and Slowking.
**Offensive advantage**: Any Pokemon that can outspeed Aegislash, has a super effective STAB against it, and have decent power at least, falls in this category. The best checks in this category are those that either have the bulk to tank a couple of Shadow Balls, or resist / are immune to it, namely Garchomp, Heatran, Landorus-T, bulky Excadrill, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Charizard Y, bulky Mega Charizard X, Bisharp, Krookodile Diggersby, Hydreigon, and Zygarde. Out of those, Krookodile is the most effective, as it is able to counter at least once every single Aegislash set, and check multiple times sets with max HP. Other more frail Pokemon can check Aegislash too, but usually have to come in as Aegislash uses King's Shield or a coverage move as Shadow Ball does too much damage. Such Pokemon are Greninja, Landorus, offensive Excadrill, Crawdaunt, Mega Absol, Entei, and Volcarona.
**Offensive advantage**: Any Pokemon that can outspeed Aegislash, has a super effective STAB against it, and have decent power at least, falls in this category. The best checks in this category are those that either have the bulk to tank a couple of Shadow Balls, or resist / are immune to it, namely Garchomp, Heatran, Landorus-T, bulky Excadrill, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Charizard Y, bulky Mega Charizard X, Bisharp, Krookodile Diggersby, Hydreigon, and Zygarde. Out of those, Krookodile is the most effective, as it is able to counter at least once every single Aegislash set, and check multiple times sets with max HP. Other more frail Pokemon can check Aegislash too, but usually have to come in as Aegislash uses King's Shield or a coverage move as Shadow Ball does too much damage. Such Pokemon are Greninja, Landorus, offensive Excadrill, Crawdaunt, Mega Absol, Entei, and Volcarona.
Overview
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Tank
########
name: Tank
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword
move 3: King's Shield
move 4: Iron Head / Sacred Sword / Pursuit
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
nature: Quiet
evs: 244 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
SubToxic
########
name: SubToxic
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: King's Shield
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Substitute
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 244 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
All-Out Attacker
########
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flash Cannon / Sacred Sword
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Sacred Sword / Pursuit
ability: Stance Change
item: Life Orb / Spooky Plate
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
Swords Dance
########
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Iron Head / Shadow Claw
move 4: Head Smash / Sacred Sword
ability: Stance Change
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moves
========
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
Other Options
########
########
- Amazing bulk and power, which make it a great tank and wallbreaker.
- It has good boosting moves in Swords Dance and Autotomize, allowing it to take a sweeping role.
- It checks a ton of Pokemon, basically anything without a STAB super effective move, and even some that do have them.
- King's Shield helps check physical attackers that rely on contact moves.
- With Air Balloon, it can spinblock the only relevant spinner in OU, Excadrill.
- It is very slow.
- It is weak to common offensive types, namely Fire and Ground. Furthermore, Earthquake, the most common physical Ground-type attack, doesn't activate King's Shield's Attack-dropping effect.
- It is reliant on King's Shield to go into Shield forme, which can be taken advantage of.
Tank
########
name: Tank
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword
move 3: King's Shield
move 4: Iron Head / Sacred Sword / Pursuit
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
nature: Quiet
evs: 244 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA
Moves
========
- Shadow Ball is the nuke of this set, everything else on the set is a means of assisting it
- Sacred Sword covers Heatran, Excadrill, Tyranitar, Bisharp, Mega Lucario, Greninja, Mega Gyarados, and Blissey
- Iron Head takes care of most Fairy-types and 2HKOes Tyranitar
- Shadow Sneak can be used over Sacred Sword or Iron Head, depending on your team's needs, and is useful for picking off frail offensive Pokemon and getting 2HKOed against Pokemon that switch into you when combined with Shadow Ball. Shadow Sneak is also good to 2HKO Deo-S leads after hitting them with Shadow Ball
- Pursuit traps Latios, Latias, Deo-S, and Alakazam, providing useful support
- King's Shield is a must to be able to change formes reliably and check a ton of physical attackers
- Toxic on the last slot
Set Details
========
- The EV spread play Aegislash to its strengths, making it a great tank that can take a lot of damage and hit back hard. 12 Def EVs are there to secure survival against 252 Atk+ Landorus-T's Earthquake.
- Do i really need to explain why Lefties is there?
- SpA is maxed instead of Atk as Shadow Ball is the main source of damage, while the physical attacks do their job even with no investment. Also, a Quite nature is used to no jeopardize Aegislash's bulk or power
- Shadow Sneak + Iron Head + Sacred Sword + 252 Atk EVs + Adamant is an option if your team needs some strong priority and a way to get past bulky special walls easier (think Goodra and Chansey)
Usage Tips
========
- This set plays as a hit and run Pokemon, so make sure to bring it in whenever you can
- Excellent tank that can beat a ton of Pokemon 1 on 1
- Use King's Shield with caution, as it can give free switches to dangerous Pokemon or result in Pokemon which you thought were harmless getting free boosts (eg. The Azumarill you thought was locked into Waterfall using Belly Drum)
- If you see hard counters to Aegislash (SpD Hippo, Mandibuzz), you are better off double switching after bringing Aegislash in
Team Options
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- Use Pokemon that can deal with bulky Ground-types with this set, such as Rotom-W (which actually beats every single good switch-in to Aegislash) and Greninja
- Mega Venusaur checks Rotom-W and most Ground-types
SubToxic
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name: SubToxic
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: King's Shield
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Substitute
ability: Stance Change
item: Leftovers
nature: Modest
evs: 244 HP / 12 Def / 252 SpA
Moves
========
- King's Shield helps Toxic stall, cripple physical attackers, and revert to Shield Forme after attacking.
- Shadow Ball is your main source of damage, while also dealing good enough damage to most Steel-types, making sure that they can't switch in for free to block Toxic.
- Toxic cripples many of Aegislash's common switch-ins, such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mandibuzz, Hippowdon, and Zapdos.
- Substitute stalls for Toxic damage and protects from status.
- Sacred Sword and Iron Head can be used over Substitute, if Bisharp or Clefable respectively are threats to your team.
Set Details
========
- Max bulk and power, simple. 12 Def EVs are there to secure survival against 252 Atk+ Landorus-T's Earthquake.
- The EVs can be moved from Special Attack to Speed, with Timid nature, to avoid Will-o-Wisp from Rotom-W and Leech Seed from Mega Venusaur with Substitute, outspeed Belly Drum Azumarill, and is also useful to outspeed and OHKO Adamant Bisharp with Sacred Sword if you are using it. Also, outspeeding Pokemon such as Lando-T and defensive Excadrill can come handy in certain occasions.
Usage Tips
========
- Great tank, great wallbreaker, great staller.
- If the opponent's best answers to Aegislash are susceptible to Toxic, use it as they switch in, otherwise spam Shadow Ball.
- Use Substitute whenever needed to either avoid status moves or help Toxic stall the opponent.
Team Options
========
- Wish support is good to have. All the good Wish passers have great synergy with Aegislash, so pick whichever works best in your team (Clefable, Sylveon, or Chansey).
- Pokemon to cover Ground-types are needed. Rotom-W and Landorus-T can do this, and both also check some Fire-types that scare out Aegislash, such as Heatran and Talonflame.
- Pokemon to deal with Bisharp, opposing Aegislash, and other Dark- and Ghost-type Pokemon. Mandibuzz, physically defensive Skarmory, and specially defensive Hippowdon are good choices.
- Pokemon that like Hippowdon, Mandibuzz, Chesnaught, and bulky Ground-types in general weakened. Dragon Dance Mega Tyranitar and Dragon Dance Mega Charizard fit well this role.
All-Out Attacker
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name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flash Cannon / Sacred Sword
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Sacred Sword / Pursuit
ability: Stance Change
item: Life Orb / Spooky Plate
nature: Hasty / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves
========
- Shadow Ball 2HKOes most of the metagame
- Flash Cannon 2HKOs Mandibuzz after SR, as well as Chesnaught, and deals with CM Clefable and Sylveon.
- Sacred Sword deals with Greninja, Tyranitar, Bisharp, Chansey, SpD Heatran, and Mega Gyarados
- Shadow Sneak 2HKOes a lot of faster Pokemon in conjeuction with one of the above moves, or can pick off weakened offensive Pokemon
- Pursuit traps and kills Lati@s and some other threats, which is very useful to keep up your hazards and clear the way for other offensive Pokemon such as Mega Char Y, NP Thundurus, BD Azumarill, and others
- King's Shield lets Aegislash stay in after KOing something, giving it more staying power, and also check physical attackers with contact moves. This move should be used on sets with max Atk / max SpA, where Aergislash will be playing second very often
- Iron Head is a fine option with Atk investment
Set Details
========
- Max Speed with +Speed nature to outrun Adamant Bisharp, Landorus-T, Heatran, Mandibuzz, and Mega Venusaur, and 2HKO them before they have a chance to react
- 244 / 252 SpA / 12 Spe with Quiet is an alternative spread to have a stronger Shadow Sneak, Sacred Sword, and be able to use Iron Head, which 2HKOes max HP / max Def+ Clefable with Shadow Sneak. Spooky Plate is an option on such a set, as well as King's Shield, in order to take advantage of the fact that Aegislash will be moving second most of the time and to preserve its good bulk.
- Air Balloon lets Aegislash spinblock Excadrill, which is very useful for HO teams. Checking Ground-types once is very useful in general for HO teams, or even more times if played with good prediction
Usage Tips
========
- Great wallbreakers with priority that has good bulk and can check some offensive Pokemon
- Good lead against Deo-S, Deo-D, and Terrakion
- As already mentioned, it's often wise to lead with Aegislash, as it gets good match ups against a lot of common leads and can start breaking things from turn 1
- No need to be overly concerned about hitting stuff with your coverage moves. Most of the time, Shadow Ball maims most of your checks anyway (Heatran, Landorus-T, Greninja, etc).
- This set applies a lot of pressure to any kind of team, which will usually lead to your opponent playing it safe and try to pivot through multiple Pokemon in hope to wear down Aegislash and minimize the damage done. This means that you can afford to play more risky and stay in in situations where it would be suicidal to do so (eg against a Heatran that switched into Shadow Ball)
- In general, this set shines in opening holes to the opponent's team in early/mid-game, so make sure to bring Aegislash in as often as possible during those stages
Team Options
========
- Fits well in HO teams, especially with Air Balloon, so Deo-D, Defiant Thundurus, and Bisharp are excellent teammates. The first sets up hazards for Aegislash to take advantage of while also protecting them from spinners, and Bisharp deals with Defog users thanks to Defiant
- Pivots that can bring Aegislash in safely. The best of those is Rotom-W, which attracts Pokemon that Aegislash fares well against (Latios, Latias, Blissey, Chansey, Ferrothorn) and brings him in safely with Volt Switch, while also having perfect defensive synergy with Aegislash
- Pokemon that can take advantage of the holes that Aegislash creates. SD Talonflame appreciates having Hippowdon, Landorus-T, and Heatran weakened or KOed, and the same goes for DD Mega Char X
- SR helps Aegislash get KOes and apply pressure. Terrakion and Landorus-T are great offensive SR setters that can also handle some of the Pokemon that trouble Aegislash, such as Heatran, Excadrill, and Garchomp
Swords Dance
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name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Iron Head / Shadow Claw
move 4: Head Smash / Sacred Sword
ability: Stance Change
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moves
========
- SD makes Aegislash a great wallbreaker and sweeper
- Shadow Sneak OHKOes many faster Pokemon with the help of hazards, such as Excadrill, Thundurus, Keldeo, and Genesect
- Iron Head is your strongest move and deals with Hippowdon, Mandibuzz, Clefable, Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Mega Venusaur. It is also extremely important for physically defensive Unaware Clefable, which would otherwise be able to take a hit and OHKO back Aegislash (after Head Smash recoil), or just wall it and set up on it (with Shadow Claw)
- Sacred Sword 2HKOes after a boost, Skarmory and OHKOes Ferrothorn, while also OHKOing faster Pokemon on the switch, such as offensive Heatran, Bisharp, and Greninja
- Head Smash OHKOes Skarmory, Mandibuzz, and Landorus-T after and SD, which no other move can do, while still taking care of offensive Heatran and Greninja on the switch
- Shadow Claw is and ok move if you want to OHKO max HP / max Def+ Rotom-W after and SD and is also your strongest recoil-less option vs Gyarados, Manaphy, Keldeo, Mega Scizor (without recoil), Skarmory, and Tentacruel.
========
- Max Speed allows Aegislash to outspeed Mega Venusaur, Mandibuzz, defensive Rotom-W, defensive Excarill, Landorus-T, Skarmory, and Heatran
- Spooky Plate if you go with Shadow Claw
Usage Tips
========
- If you go with Sacred Sword on the last slot, use Aegislash as a wallbreaker early-game, to weaken down physical walls so that another physical sweeper can clean later. This set can fit on any team in need of a strong wallbreaker
- With Head Smash, Aegislash is perfect for HO hazard teams, as with a single SD Aegislash beats every single Defog and Rapid Spin user before they manage to get rid of hazards, while OHKOing some common Defog and Rapid Spin users even without an SD (Lati@s, Starmie, Excadrill, and Mandibuzz)
- Don't be afraid to play reckless with it, as long as you manage to weaken or break through the opponent's defensive core.
Team Options
========
- Hazards. SR is a must, but Spikes always help, as you will be forcing a lot of switches. If you go with Head Smash, Deo-D is the best partner that Aegislash could have. Otherwise, any SR setter that has good synergy with Aegislash works
- Physical sweepers to take advantage of the holes that Aegislash punches. Mega Tyranitar, Mega Gyarados, SD Lucario, etc.
- Checks to Garchomp, offensive Heatran, Greninja, and Bisharp, as if they get in as you use SD, they can take a +2 Shadow Sneak and OHKO back. Keldeo is an ok check to almost all of them, especially with Choice Scarf, AV Conk can check decently all of them aside from Garchomp, and Mega Gyarados checks all of them as well, while also being able to clean after Aegislash does some work
Other Options
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- Choice Band set
- Meta Sound + Hidden Power Ground + Flash Cannon + Shadow Ball
- Autotomize set
- Double Dance
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