Doubles Aegislash

Overview
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Aegislash's unique Steel / Ghost typing allows it to check many common threats in Doubles, such as Fairy-types, Dragon-types, Mega Kangaskhan, Cresselia, Hitmontop, and Terrakion. In addition, thanks to Stance Change, it can switch between dual 150 offensive stats and great 60 / 150 / 150 defensive stats with King's Shield. This allows Aegislash to act as an offensive pivot that uses its great bulk and typing to switch into many common Doubles attackers while threatening them with its ability to attack both physically and specially with strong, reliable STAB attacks. Aegislash's movepool is also very effective, allowing it to pull off a dynamic offensive set or support its teammates with Wide Guard. Aegislash's low Speed is a blessing, allowing it to always tank a hit in its Shield forme and then attack in its Blade forme; it also lets Aegislash reliably check Trick Room teams, threatening most setters with super effective coverage. However, Aegislash's biggest problems in Doubles are the prevalence of Fire- and Ground-type attackers in the metagame and the lack of recovery moves in its movepool, which limits its longevity.

Wide Guard Tank
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name: Wide Guard Tank
move 1: Wide Guard
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: King's Shield
item: Sitrus Berry / Lum Berry
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Quiet

Moves
========
Wide Guard is an excellent support move in Doubles because spread attacks are extremely common. Aegislash is weak to some common spread attacks itself, such as Heat Wave and Earthquake, so both Aegislash and its partner can easily take advantage of its utility. In addition, Aegislash's STAB attacks have great coverage together. Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon both have decent Base Power and reliable accuracy, threatening almost the entire metagame with consistent damage. It's also notable that almost every Trick Room setter is weak to one of Aegislash's STAB attacks, making it a great lead against Trick Room teams. Lastly, King's Shield protects it from enemy attacks and reverts Blade forme Aegislash back into Shield forme allowing it to utilize both formes' offensive and defensive capabilities; the potential Attack drop with King's Shield is an added bonus that allows Aegislash to check most physical attackers. The only downside of using King's Shield instead of Protect is the vulnerability to status attacks.

Set Details
========
Aegislash's Speed is minimized with a Quiet nature and 0 Speed IVs to ensure that it tanks both of its opponent's attacks in Shield forme before switching to Blade forme. It also allows Aegislash to reliably check Trick Room teams. Sitrus Berry grants it decent longevity because it utilizes Aegislash's great bulk to turn many 2HKOs into 3HKOs. However, a Lum Berry also works well, patching up King's Shield's vulnerability to status attacks.

Usage Tips
========
This set is used best as a pivot, utilizing Aegislash's great typing and bulk in Shield forme to switch into many common threats in Doubles. It is common for Aegislash to lead against Trick Room teams due to its specific offensive coverage against the Ghost- and Fairy-types that commonly set it up. If Trick Room does get set up, Aegislash has a field day outspeeding and denting many Pokemon in the metagame. Wide Guard should be used when the opponent has an obvious Earthquake, Heat Wave, etc. to protect both itself and its partner from attacks, allowing Aegislash's partner to attack an enemy Pokemon or set up with little to fear. If Wide Guard support isn't necessary, then Aegislash should focus on firing off strong STAB attacks to deal key damage to its opponents. Aegislash should typically rotate between an attack and King's Shield so it never has to take an attack in its frail Blade forme. King's Shield also acts as makeshift Attack control, checking any physical sweeper with attacks that make contact. However, it is common for threats to set up boosting moves or Substitute on predicted King's Shields, so overusage can undermine Aegislash's defensive capabilities.

Team Options
========
First and foremost, anything that appreciates Wide Guard support makes a great partner for this set. This includes Mega Pinsir (which is weak to Heat Wave), Heatran (which is weak to Earthquake), Mega Charizard Y (which is weak to Rock Slide), and much more. Synergy wise, Terrakion beats the Dark- and Fire-types that threaten Aegislash, while it covers Terrakion's Fairy-, Fighting-, and Steel-type weaknesses in return. While Aegislash does block Heat Wave and Earthquake, it has no way to beat their users offensively. So, partners that beat users of these moves, such as Water-types, pair well with it. Because Aegislash functions well in Trick Room, partners such as Aromatisse, Chandelure, and Jellicent can help set it up.

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

Moves
========
Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are Aegislash's primary attacks because they have good neutral coverage against almost the entire metagame, decent Base Power, and reliable accuracy. Substitute can be used in the third slot to take advantage of the switches Aegislash causes, allowing it to spam its great and powerful coverage moves with little to fear. In addition, Substitute compensates for King's Shield's inability to block status moves. Shadow Sneak allows Aegislash to pick off threats with low HP without having to take an attack beforehand. After a Weakness Policy boost, Shadow Sneak can pick off an even larger set of weakened threats, keeping offensive momentum on Aegislash's side. However, Sacred Sword is a good option instead of Shadow Sneak because it hits Bisharp, which hard-counters this set otherwise, for great damage. It also hits threats such as Mega Kangaskhan and Assault Vest Scrafty harder. Lastly, King's Shield is a must for this set because it reverts Aegislash back to its Shield forme, which allows Aegislash to take super effective hits safely, activating Weakness Policy. It also protects Aegislash from offensive strategies, stalls field conditions, and scouts for super effective coverage.

Set Details
========
Offensive Aegislash has two items that it can utilize well in Doubles: Leftovers and Weakness Policy. The first useable combination for Aegislash is Leftovers with Substitute, which drastically increases its longevity, allowing it to fire off many more decently powered attacks. However, Weakness Policy takes advantage of Shield forme Aegislash's outstanding bulk; it can tank a super effective hit it lures and deal massive damage back with a +2 attack. Weakness Policy works best with Shadow Sneak or Sacred Sword in the third moveslot, so Aegislash is able to cover many threats while attacking. The Weakness Policy set also really appreciates Trick Room, so Aegislash can outspeed and demolish many threats; Quiet Nature and 0 Speed IVs is used for this reason.

Usage Tips
========
If Aegislash is using Weakness Policy, it should focus on finding the right super effective attack to take in its Shield forme. Aegislash can survive almost any super effective attack in Doubles, but optimally, it should try to take a non-STAB super effective attack, such as a stray Knock Off or Earthquake used as coverage, so it still has enough bulk to maintain a long sweep. After a boost, Aegislash should spam its STAB attacks, KOing many threats with its neutral coverage. It is still wise to rotate between attacking and King's Shield so it can take more attacks. If a partner has set up Trick Room, Aegislash can have a field day outspeeding and smacking anything it wants. Shadow Sneak allows it to function very well even outside of Trick Room, taking out Pokemon that might have survived one of its STAB attacks. If Aegislash is using Leftovers, then it should focus on switching in on the many attackers it walls, setting up Substitute if advantageous, and spamming its STAB attacks. Rotating between Substitute and King's Shield goes a long way towards improving Aegislash's longevity, allowing it to stall out many field conditions and racking up Leftovers recovery.

Team Options
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Offensive Aegislash requires more specific team support than the Wide Guard set. Trick Room support is highly encouraged, especially if it is using Weakness Policy; good partners to set it up are Aromatisse, Chandelure, and Slowking, which check Aegislash's Dark-, Fire-, and Ground-type weaknesses, respectively. Landorus-T, Suicune, Politoed, and Gyarados are all good partners to threaten the common Earthquake and Heat Wave users that run over Aegislash. Dark-types such as Assault Vest Scrafty and Tyranitar pair well with it and cover its Ghost- and Dark-type weaknesses. If Aegislash isn't using Sacred Sword, Mach Punch partners such as Conkeldurr and Breloom are recommended to handle Bisharp reliably. Helping Hand support allows Aegislash to deal significant damage, which can be crucial if Aegislash doesn't have a boost or needs to snipe a healthier threat with Shadow Sneak. Lastly, Follow Me / Rage Powder support lets Aegislash safely fire off attacks or set up Substitute with greater ease.

Other Options
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Aegislash can use a Spooky Plate or a Life Orb to boost its attacks, which will provide a more consistent but less effective performance. It could also potentially run a fully physical set using Swords Dance, Gyro Ball, Shadow Claw, and/or Shadow Sneak, but the abundance of Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate makes it an underwhelming option. Reflect is an option to support the team with Defense boost. Autotomize is an option to boost Aegislash's Speed to great levels, but it is difficult to set up in Doubles. Safety Goggles can work well, as thye help Aegislash more easily counter Grass-types that run sleeping moves. Under Trick Room, Aegislash can use Rock Slide to check Mega Charizard Y, a major threat to it. An Air Balloon or Shuca Berry can be held to switch into or lure Ground-types, respectively. Hidden Power Ice hits threats such as Landorus-T, Salamence, and Shaymin-S for massive damage. Lastly, Aegislash can use ChestoRest for the most reliable form of recovery.

Checks & Counters
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**Offensive Typing Advantage**: Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Excadrill threaten Aegislash with STAB Earthquake, forcing it to repeatedly use Wide Guard or switch out. Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y and Heatran do the same; Aegislash must repeatedly block Heat Wave, and if its partner can't touch those threats, Aegislash will lose the match-up. Ghost- and Dark-types such as Mega Gengar and Scrafty can threaten Aegislash super effectively with their STAB attacks as well, but they must tread carefully around its coverage. Dark-types stand the best chance due to their resistance to Shadow Ball. Bisharp resists both STAB moves and isn't affected by King's Shield's Attack drop, only worrying about Sacred Sword, making it a reliable check. Remember, if any of these threats misses out on the KO, there is the possibility that Aegislash will just hit back with a Weakness Policy-boosted Attack.

**Status**: Due to King's Shield's inability to block status attacks, it is easy to target this vulnerability. Breloom and Amoonguss can reliably put Aegislash to sleep with Spore while it is blocking the sleeper's partner's attack. Thunder Wave users such as Thundurus, Togekiss, and Klefki can also cripple it, hindering Aegislash's ability to support or sweep the team.

**Utility**: Taunt is a great method for checking Aegislash, because it prevents Aegislash from reverting back to its Shield forme, exposing the Blade forme's pitiful bulk. Taunt also stops Aegislash from using Wide Guard or Substitute; good users of it include Thundurus and Sableye. Encore works as well, hindering Aegislash by locking it into one of these moves; Whimsicott, Togekiss, and Politoed are common users of this move. Another way to check Aegislash is using the item Assault Vest. Pokemon such as Scrafty, Goodra, and Ludicolo can check it easily with their increased bulk.



most of this is stollen from Nollan. I will add a few of my own things and would like one more psuedo-check before I write it up.

Overview
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  • A wonderful Ghost / Steel typing allows it to stop many common Fighting-, Dragon-, Steel-, Bug-, and Fairy-types in the tier, as well as the majority of Trick Room setters in the tier.
  • Thanks to its ability Stance Change, it can effectively switch between dual 150 offenses and 60 / 150 / 150 defenses, giving it great bulk and offensive presence simultaneously and the ability to attack both physically and specially.
  • Access to Wide Guard allows it to block Heat Waves and Earthquakes that would otherwise ruin its day
  • Its low Speed is actually more of a blessing because if it were to move first the opposition would then be able to hit its much weaker Blade Forme.
  • Biggest problem it faces it the frequency of Fire-types in the tier; this means it will often need team support to handle threats like Charizard-Mega-Y and Heatran. Ground-, Dark-, and Ghost-type weaknesses don't help it out very much either
Wide Guard Tank
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name: Wide Guard Tank
move 1: Wide Guard
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: King's Shield
item: Sitrus Berry / Lum Berry
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Quiet

Moves
========
  • Wide Guard allows Aegislash to block harmful spread attacks, which is especially useful when you consider that Aegislash's most common weaknesses will be in the form of spread attacks. It also allows it to support any teammates that hate spread attacks, such as Heatran.
  • Shadow Ball provides a strong Ghost-type STAB, which is great because it hits everything except for Dark- and Normal-types at least neutrally.
  • Flash Cannon is the other STAB move of choice, striking down Fairy-types like Togekiss for your teammates.
  • King's Shield is a given on any Aegislash, reverting it back to Shield Forme while also blocking it from harmful attacks. Unfortunately it will not block status moves so be alert for Taunt, Thunder Wave, Spore, etc
Set Details
========
  • Speed is minimized to help you move last, as Aegislash will tend to work best when it moves after both opponents. It also helps Aegislash counter opposing Trick Room, which thanks to its high offensive stats and prized Ghost- and Steel-type STAB, hits almost every common setter super effectively.
  • Sitrus Berry provides Aegislash with reliable recovery, utilizing Aegislash's Shield Forme to turn many 2HKOs to 3HKOs
  • A Lum Berry can be used to patch up King's Shield's weakness to status, specifically allowing Aegislash to donk annoying sleep inducers.
Usage Tips
========
  • This set will typically be used to support other teammates with Wide Guard, protecting them from EQ, Heat Wave, Blizzard, Icy Wind, etc
  • When Wide Guard isn't necessary, Aegislash fires off its STAB attacks do deal solid chunks of damage to the opponents.
  • It will also typically be the way your team will be taking out Fairy-types, so you'll want to keep it alive if you see things like Togekiss in Team Preview
  • It is generally a safe idea to use King's Shield when Aegislash is in its Sword Forme so it can take more attacks before attacking itself.
  • Just because you can block Heat Waves and Earthquakes doesn't mean you are untouchable by Fire- and Ground-types. Things like Charizard-Mega-Y may run Overheat to avoid Wide Guard so you'll need to be cautious when around them.
Team Options
========
  • You will be using this set when your teammates are in need of Wide Guard support.
  • One of the big partners is Heatran, as it can usually easily get up a Substitute when Aegislash is blocking Earthquakes with Wide Guard. From there Aegislash can either continue to protect the pair from Earthquake or proceed to attack alongside Heatran
  • Terrakion is another good ally, as it can eliminate Dark- and Normal-types for Aegislash while Aegislash eliminates Fairy-types for Terrakion and can guard Terrakion from Earthquake and Muddy Water. Several other Fighting-types like Breloom, Virizion, Conkeldurr, and so forth work alongside Aegislash similarly
  • Charizard(-Mega-Y) and Landorus-T also appreciate this set's support so they don't have to worry about respective Rock Slides and Icy Wind/Blizzards (Lando-T can also use EQ while Aegi uses Wide Guard which is useful). The pair of Charizard-Mega-Y and Aegislash tends to have trouble with Heatran though, so be aware of that.
Offensive Pivot
########
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword / Substitute
move 4: King's Shield
item: Weakness Policy / Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Quiet

Moves:
  • Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon provide Aegislash with two solid, reliable STAB attacks.
  • Shadow Sneak allows Aegislash to pick off threats that have accumulated much damage. It can get pretty terrifying after a Weakness Policy Boost.
  • Sacred Sword allows Aegislash to hit Bisharp, who otherwise can walk all over this set, and hurts specially bulky Pokemon, such as Assault Vest Pokemon, a wee bit harder.
  • Substitute can be used to take advantage of the switches Aegislash forces, granting Aegislash protection from status (that King's Shield doesn't) as well as more offensive leverage.
  • King's Shield converts Aegislash back to its Shield Forme after attacking (granting it much more bulk), ruins physical attackers, stalls field conditions, scouts for attacks, and messes up offensive strategies.
Set Comments:
========
  • The EVs and IVs lower Aegislash's Speed so it can reliably check Trick Room teams or it can thrive in one itself.
  • Weakness Policy takes advantage of Aegislash's fantastic bulk in Shield Forme, easily sponging a hit and then retaliating with +2 STAB attacks in its Attack Form. If Aegislash is using Shadow Sneak or Sacred Sword, this is the preferable item.
  • If Aegislash is using Substitute, Leftovers is a great item choice due to the amount of survivability King's Shield+Substitute brings. Also, if Substitute is being used, the 4 Attack EVs should be put into either Defense of Special Defense.
Usage Tips
========
  • Bait in attackers with super effective hits to activate Weakness Policy. Non STAB super effective coverage is perfect, such as random Knock Off's and Earthquakes.
  • However, Aegislash can only comfortably take one STAB super effective attack in Shield Form, so timing is important.
  • Getting up Trick Room is really helpful early game because it eases prediction and keeps momentum on Aegislash's side.
  • It is common to rotate between and attack and King's Shield so its frailer Attack Forme is rarely exposed.
  • It works decently if Trick Room isn't up thanks to its bulk and Shadow Sneak.
  • If Aegislash is using Leftovers, just use its typing and bulk to switch in on helpless Pokemon, set up Substitutes, and spam its STAB attacks as its heart desires.
Team Options
========
  • This set really loves Trick Room support, because it turns Aegislash into a ridiculously fast monster after acquiring +2 offensive boosts. However, Aromatisse is one of the few viable Trick Room setters that doesn't share a Ghost- or Dark-type weakness. Teambuilding will have to compensate for double weaknesses, but other great Trick Room setters are Cresselia, Gourgeist, and Chandelure.
  • If Aegislash isn't using Sacred Sword, Mach Punch partners such as Conkeldurr (Trick Room buddy <:) or Breloom are appreciated to reliably counter Bisharp.
  • Hitmontop offers Intimidate and Fake Out support and can protect Aegislash from lethal Heat Waves and Earthquakes with Wide Guard.
  • Outside of Trick Room, Terrakion can take all of the Dark-type attacks aimed at Aegislash as well as threaten popular Heat Wave users such as Charizard Y and Heatran.
  • Bulky Water-types such as Slowking and Milotic function well in Trick Room and can threaten the Fire- and Ground-types aiming at Aegislash.
Other Options
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  • Spooky Plate lets Shadow Ball net some important 2HKOs/OHKOs that couldn't be achieved otherwise and is more reliable than Weakness Policy
  • While Aegislash can theoretically run a full physical set with Shadow Claw and Sacred Sword, this is not preferred due to the abundance of Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate in the current metagame
  • Swords Dance works alongside Aegislash's natural bulk, allowing it to potentially snag a +2 Attack boost. However, practice has proven this ineffective due to the prevalence of Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp in the metagame, as well as the fact that a +2 Shadow Sneak will not be OHKOing much outside of frail Psychic-types (Latios) and Ghost-types (Gengar)
  • Gyro Ball is an option and generally hits hard since Aegislash is so slow. Iron Head tends to be more consistent, however.
  • Reflect can be used if your team really hates physical attackers.
  • Rock Slide is an option if you have a huge grudge against Talonflame and Charizard-Mega-Y.
  • HP Ice surprises Landorus-T.
  • Air Balloon allows Aegislash to switch into Earthquakes.
  • Rest with a Chesto Berry can be used for recovery. Aegislash struggles to find room for such an option in its moveset, unfortunately.
Checks & Counters
########

**Offensive-Type Advantages**
  • Ground-types like Landorus-T, Garchomp, Excadrill, and others can sponge an attack switching in while threatening it with their STAB attacks. They tend to have a bit of trouble doing much against the Wide Guard set, however.
  • Fire-types like Talonflame (who must worry about King's Shield as well), Charizard-Mega-Y, and Heatran can also switch in and threaten Aegislash. Charizard-Mega-Y will have trouble with the Wide Guard set if it only has Heat Wave, as well as Heatran though it can still fall back on Earth Power to hit Aegislash.
  • Finally, Ghost- and Dark-types such as Scrafty and Mega Gengar check Aegislash, though they will need to watch out for Sacred Sword /Shadow Ball, respectively.
  • If Aegislash packs Sacred Sword switching in on it will require either skilled prediction or something with a lot of bulk that isn't weak to Ghost- and Fighting-type moves, such as Suicune (maybe Rotom-W but it will still take quite a bit from Shadow Claw/Shadow Ball).
  • If Aegislash doesn't use Sacred Sword, it is easier to handle defensively. Bisharp can come in on either move and doesn't care about King's Shield's Attack drop thanks to Defiant. Other Dark-types not named Tyranitar also do a pretty good job. Bulky Water-types like Suicune and Gyarados (especially if it has Mega Evolved) also handle it pretty well.
  • Knock Off is common coverage that threatens Wide Guard Aegislash. At least it activates Weakness Policy!
**Utility**
  • Taunt in general can prevent Aegislash from reverting back to Shield Forme and using Substitute or Wide Guard, which is useful.
  • Encore is good to expose King's Shield, Wide Guard, and Substitute as well.
  • Tanks with Assault Vest usually have an easy time against Aegislash.
**Status**
  • Spore and Thunder Wave do a decent job at stopping Aegislash, since it cannot block those respective moves with King's Shield. Since most Aegislash will be Special Attackers, Will-O-Wisp isn't as affective as the other two options.
 
Last edited:
okay i fixed everything to my liking so I just want another QC'er to look over this before I write it up.
 

Stratos

Banned deucer.
Leftovers > sitrus on aegi
Taunt/wow/etc are actually shitty aegi checks, the only good ones are spore and killing it dead

Mention that most offensive pokemon (tran, lando, etc) can live an attack from aegi and are thus good switchins since they hit se

I have deep reservations about the tran-slash combo

Mention how sub lets it beat kanga, among other things, and patches the flaw in KS, also ksing behind a sub = ur a doosh
 
this set is ugly af so if no one is against it, i am going to separate this into Wide guard and Weakness policy sets because they play differently enough
 

Pocket

be the upgraded version of me
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Can we add Safety Goggles to OO? It makes Aegislash one of the most reliable counters to Amoonguss (w/o Foul Play) and Breloom, ignoring their Spore and the former's Rage Powder. I would also mention Automatize, since a max Spe Modest Aegislash can outrun even Scarf Landorus-T after +2 Speed boost. Worth noting that its bulk would be a lot worse, though.

I would add Kangaskhan (that lacks Crunch), Hitmontop, and Psychic-types (Cresselia, Jirachi) into the Overview's list of common Pokemon that Aegislash kicks butt.

I personally think Substitute and Leftovers should be the first slash in the second set. Weakness Policy is great and all, but I think most competitive doubles players are using Substitute @ Leftovers variant moreso than the WP attacker set, which is more circumstantial.

QC Approved (3/3)
 
Deletions
Additions / Corrections
Comments

Overview
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Aegislash's unique Steel / Ghost typing allows it to check many common threats in Doubles, such as Fairy-types, Dragon-types, and threats including Mega Kangaskhan, Cresselia, Hitmontop, and Terrakion. In addition, thanks to Aegislash's ability Stance Change, it can switch between dual 150 offenses and great 60 / 150 / 150 defenses with King's Shield. This allows Aegislash to act as an offensive pivot that uses its great bulk and typing to switch into many, (remove comma) common Doubles attackers while threatening them with its ability to attack both physically and specially with strong, reliable STAB attacks. Aegislash's movepool is also very effective, allowing it to pull off a dynamic offensive set or support its teammates with Wide Guard. Aegislash's low Speed is a blessing, allowing Aegislash it to always tank a hit in its Shield forme and while then attack in its Blade forme; low Speed it also lets Aegislash reliably check Trick Room teams, threatening most setters with super effective coverage. However, Aegislash's biggest problems in Doubles are the prevalence of Fire- and Ground-type attackers in the metagame and the lack of recovery moves, which limits its survivability longevity.

Wide Guard Tank
########
name: Wide Guard Tank
move 1: Wide Guard
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: King's Shield
item: Sitrus Berry / Lum Berry
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Quiet

Moves
========
Wide Guard is an excellent support move in Doubles because spread attacks are extremely common. Aegislash is weak to Heat Wave and Earthquake itself, so both Aegislash and its partner can easily take advantage of its utility. In addition, Aegislash's STAB attacks have great coverage together. Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon have decent Base Powers and reliable accuracy, threatening almost the entire metagame with consistent damage. It's also notable that almost every Trick Room setter is weak to one of Aegislash's STAB attacks, making Aegislash it a great lead against Trick Room teams. Lastly, King's Shield protects it from enemy attacks and reverts Blade forme Aegislash back into Shield forme, allowing it to utilize both formes' offensive and defensive capabilities; the potential Attack drop with King's Shield is an added bonus that allows Aegislash to check most physical attackers. The only downside of using King's Shield instead of Protect is the vulnerability to status attacks.

Set Details
========
Aegislash's Speed is minimized with a Quiet nature and 0 Attack IVs to ensure that it tanks both of its opponent's attacks in Shield forme before switching to Blade forme. It also allows Aegislash to reliably check Trick Room teams. Sitrus Berry grants it decent survivability longevity because it utilizes its great bulk to turn many 2HKOs into 3HKOs. However, a Lum Berry also works well, patching up King's Shield's vulnerability to status attacks.

Usage Tips
========
This set is used best as a pivot, utilizing Aegislash's great typing and bulk in Shield forme to switch in on many common threats in Doubles. It is common for Aegislash to lead against Trick Room teams due to its specific offensive coverage against the Ghost- and Fairy-types that commonly set it up. If Trick Room does get set up, Aegislash has a field day outspeeding and denting many Pokemon in the metagame. Wide Guard should be used when the opponent has an obvious Earthquake, Heat Wave, etc. to protect both itself and its partner from attacks, allowing Aegislash's partner to attack an enemy Pokemon or set up with little to fear. If Wide Guard support isn't necessary, then Aegislash should focus on firing off strong STAB attacks to deal key damage to its opponents. Aegislash should typically rotate between an attack and King's Shield so it never has to take an attack in its frail, (remove comma) Blade forme. King's Shield also acts as makeshift Attack control, checking any physical sweeper with attacks that make contact. However, it is common for threats to set up boosting moves or Substitutes on predicted King's Shields, so overusage can exploit undermine Aegislash's defensive capabilities.

Team Options
========
First and formost, anything that appreciates Wide Guard support makes a great partner for this set. This includes Mega Pinsir (which is weak to Heat Wave), Heatran (which is weak to Earthquake, Mega Charizard Y (which is weak to Rock Slide), etc. Synergy wise, Terrakion beats the Dark- and Fire-types that threaten Aegislash, which while it covers Terrakion's Fairy-, Fighting-, and Steel-type weaknesses. While Aegislash does block Heat Waves and Earthquakes, it has no way to beat their users offensively. So, partners that beat users of these moves, such as Water-types, pair well with it. Because Aegislash functions well in Trick Room, partners such as Aromatisse, Chandelure, and Jellicent can help set it up.

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

Moves
========
Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are Aegislash's primary attacks because they have good, (remove comma) neutral coverage against almost the entire metagame, decent Base Power, and reliable accuracy. Substitute can be used in the third slot to take advantage of the switches Aegislash causes, allowing it to spam its great coverage and power with little to fear. In addition, Substitute compensates for King's Shield's inability to block status moves. Shadow Sneak allows Aegislash to pick off threats with low HP without having to take an attack beforehand. After a Weakness Policy boost, Shadow Sneak can pick off an even larger set of weakened threats, keeping offensive momentum on Aegislash's side. However, Sacred Sword is a good option instead of Shadow Sneak because it hits Bisharp, which hard-counters this set otherwise, for great damage. It also hits threats such as Mega Kangaskhan and Assault Vest Scrafty harder. Lastly, King's Shield is a must for this set because it reverts Aegislash back to its Shield forme, which allows Aegislash to take super effective hits safely, activating Weakness Policy. It also protects Aegislash from offensive strategies, stalls field conditions, and scouts for super effective coverage.

Set Details
========
Offensive Aegislash has two items that it can utilize well in Doubles: Leftovers and Weakness Policy. The first useable combination for Aegislash is Leftovers with Substitute, which drastically increases Aegislash's survivability its longevity, allowing it to fire many more, (remove comma) decently powered attacks. However, Weakness Policy takes advantage of Shield forme Aegislash's outstanding bulk; Aegislash can tank a super effective hit it lures and deal massive damage back with +2 Attack and Special Attack. Weakness Policy works best with Shadow Sneak or Sacred Sword in the third moveslot, so it Aegislash is able to cover many threats while attacking. The Weakness Policy set also really appreciates Trick Room, so Aegislash can outspeed and demolish many threats; Quiet Nature and 0 Attack IVs is used for this reason.

Usage Tips
========
If Aegislash is using Weakness Policy, it should focus on finding the right super effective attack to take in its Shield forme. Aegislash can survive almost any super effective attack in Doubles, but optimally, it should try to take a non-STAB super effective attack, such as a stray Knock Off or Earthquake used as coverage, so it still has enough bulk to maintain a long sweep. After a boost, Aegislash should spam its STAB attacks, KOing many threats with its neutral coverage. It is still wise to rotate between attacking and King's Shield so it can take more attacks. If a partner has set up Trick Room, than Aegislash can have a field day outspeeding and smacking anything it wants. Shadow Sneak allows it to function greatly very well even outside of Trick Room, taking out Pokemon that might have survived one of its STAB attacks. If Aegislash is using Leftovers, then it should focus on switching in on the many attackers it walls, setting up Substitute if advantageous, and spamming its STAB attacks. Rotating between Substitute and King's Shield is a great method of survivability goes a long way towards improving Aegislash's longevity, allowing it to stalling out many field conditions and racking up Leftovers recovery.

Team Options
========
Offensive Aegislash requires more specific team support than the Wide Guard set. Trick Room support is highly encouraged, especially if it is using Weakness Policy; good partners to set it up are Aromatisse, Chandelure, and Slowking, which check Aegislash's Dark-, Fire-, and Ground-type weaknesses, respectively. Landorus-T, Suicune, Politoed, and Gyarados are all good partners to threaten the common Earthquake and Heat Wave users that run over Aegislash. Dark-types such as Assault Vest Scrafty and Tyranitar pair well with it and cover its Ghost- and Dark-type weaknesses. If Aegislash isn't using Sacred Sword, Mach Punch partners such as Conkeldurr and Breloom are recommended to handle Bisharp reliably. Helping Hand support allows Aegislash to deal significant damage, which can be crucial if Aegislash doesn't have a boost or it needs to snipe a healthier threat with Shadow Sneak. Lastly, Follow Me / Rage Powder support lets Aegislash safely fire off attacks or set up Substitutes easier.

Other Options
########
Aegislash can run a Spooky Plate or a Life Orb to boost its attacks, which will provide a more consistent, but less effective, performance. It could also potentially run a fully physical set using Swords Dance, Gyro Ball, Shadow Claw, and/or Shadow Sneak, but the abundance of Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate leaves makes it an underwhelming option. Reflect is an option to support the team with a Defense boost. Automotize is an option to boost Aegislash's Speed to great levels, but it is difficult to set up in Doubles. Safety Goggles can work well, as Aegislash easily counters Grass-types that run sleeping moves with them. Under Trick Room, Aegislash can use Rock Slide to check Mega Charizard Y, a major threat to it. An Air Balloon or Shuca Berry can be held to switch into or lure Ground-types, respectively. Hidden Power Ice hits threats such as Landorus-T, Salamence, and Shaymin-S for massive damage. Lastly, Aegislash can use ChestoRest for the most reliable health gain.

Checks & Counters
########
**Offensive Typing Advantage** (fix spacing) Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Excadrill threaten Aegislash with a STAB Earthquake, forcing it to repeatedly use Wide Guard or switch out. Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y and Heatran do the same; Aegislash must repeatedly block Heat Waves, and if the partner can touch those threats, Aegislash will lose in the match-up. Ghost- and Dark-types such as Mega Gengar and Scrafty can threaten Aegislash super effectively with their STAB attacks as well, but they must be tread carefully around its coverage. Dark-types stand the best chance due to their resistance to Shadow Ball. Bisharp resists both STABs and isn't affected by King's Shield's Attack drop, only worrying about Sacred Sword, making it a reliable check. Remember, if any of these threats misses out on the KO, there is the possibility that Aegislash will just hit back with a Weakness Policy-boosted attack.

**Status** Due to King's Shield's inability to block status attacks, it is easy for the opponent to target this vulnerability. Breloom and Amoonguss can reliably put Aegislash to sleep with Spore while it is blocking the sleeper's partner's attack. Thunder Wave users such as Thundurus, Togekiss, and Klefki can also cripple it, hindering Aegislash's ability to support or sweep the team.

**Utility** Taunt is a great method for checking Aegislash, because it prevents Aegislash from reverting back to its Shield forme, exposing the Blade forme's pitiful bulk. Taunt also stops Aegislash from using Wide Guard or Substitute; good users of it include Thundurus and Saybleye. Encore works as well, hindering Aegislash by locking it into one of these moves; Whimsicott, Togekiss, and Politoed are common users of this move. Another way to check Aegislash is using the item Assault Vest. Pokemon such as Scrafty, Goodra, and Ludicolo can check it easily with their increased bulk.




GP 1 / 2
 
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Electrolyte

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Overview
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Aegislash's unique Steel / Ghost typing allows it to check many common threats in Doubles, such as Fairy-types, Dragon-types, Mega Kangaskhan, Cresselia, Hitmontop, and Terrakion. In addition, thanks to Stance Change, it can switch between dual 150 offensivees stats and great 60 / 150 / 150 defensivees stats with King's Shield. This allows Aegislash to act as an offensive pivot that uses its great bulk and typing to switch into many common Doubles attackers while threatening them with its ability to attack both physically and specially with strong, reliable STAB attacks. Aegislash's movepool is also very effective, allowing it to pull off a dynamic offensive set or support its teammates with Wide Guard. Aegislash's low Speed is a blessing, allowing it to always tank a hit in its Shield forme and then attack in its Blade forme; it also lets Aegislash reliably check Trick Room teams, threatening most setters with super effective coverage. However, Aegislash's biggest problems in Doubles are the prevalence of Fire- and Ground-type attackers in the metagame and the lack of recovery moves in its movepool, which limits its longevity.

Wide Guard Tank
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name: Wide Guard Tank
move 1: Wide Guard
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: King's Shield
item: Sitrus Berry / Lum Berry
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
nature: Quiet

Moves
========
Wide Guard is an excellent support move in Doubles because spread attacks are extremely common. Aegislash is weak to some common spread attacks itself, such as Heat Wave and Earthquake itself, so both Aegislash and its partner can easily take advantage of its utility. In addition, Aegislash's STAB attacks have great coverage together. Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon both have decent Base Powers and reliable accuracy, threatening almost the entire metagame with consistent damage. It's also notable that almost every Trick Room setter is weak to one of Aegislash's STAB attacks, making it a great lead against Trick Room teams. Lastly, King's Shield protects it from enemy attacks and reverts Blade forme Aegislash back into Shield forme allowing it to utilize both formes' offensive and defensive capabilities; the potential Attack drop with King's Shield is an added bonus that allows Aegislash to check most physical attackers. The only downside of using King's Shield instead of Protect is the vulnerability to status attacks.

Set Details
========
Aegislash's Speed is minimized with a Quiet nature and 0 Attack Speed IVs to ensure that it tanks both of its opponent's attacks in Shield forme before switching to Blade forme. It also allows Aegislash to reliably check Trick Room teams. Sitrus Berry grants it decent longevity because it utilizes itAegislash's great bulk to turn many 2HKOs into 3HKOs. However, a Lum Berry also works well, patching up King's Shield's vulnerability to status attacks.

Usage Tips
========
This set is used best as a pivot, utilizing Aegislash's great typing and bulk in Shield forme to switch into on many common threats in Doubles. It is common for Aegislash to lead against Trick Room teams due to its specific offensive coverage against the Ghost- and Fairy-types that commonly set it up. If Trick Room does get set up, Aegislash has a field day outspeeding and denting many Pokemon in the metagame. Wide Guard should be used when the opponent has an obvious Earthquake, Heat Wave, etc. to protect both itself and its partner from attacks, allowing Aegislash's partner to attack an enemy Pokemon or set up with little to fear. If Wide Guard support isn't necessary, then Aegislash should focus on firing off strong STAB attacks to deal key damage to its opponents. Aegislash should typically rotate between an attack and King's Shield so it never has to take an attack in its frail Blade forme. King's Shield also acts as makeshift Attack control, checking any physical sweeper with attacks that make contact. However, it is common for threats to set up boosting moves or Substitutes on predicted King's Shields, so overusage can undermine Aegislash's defensive capabilities.

Team Options
========
First and foremost, anything that appreciates Wide Guard support makes a great partner for this set. This includes Mega Pinsir (which is weak to Heat Wave), Heatran (which is weak to Earthquake), Mega Charizard Y (which is weak to Rock Slide), etc and much more. Synergy wise, Terrakion beats the Dark- and Fire-types that threaten Aegislash, while it covers Terrakion's Fairy-, Fighting-, and Steel-type weaknesses in return. While Aegislash does block Heat Waves and Earthquakes, it has no way to beat their users offensively. So, partners that beat users of these moves, such as Water-types, pair well with it. Because Aegislash functions well in Trick Room, partners such as Aromatisse, Chandelure, and Jellicent can help set it up.

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

Moves
========
Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are Aegislash's primary attacks because they have good neutral coverage against almost the entire metagame, decent Base Power, and reliable accuracy. Substitute can be used in the third slot to take advantage of the switches Aegislash causes, allowing it to spam its great and powerful coverage moves and power with little to fear. In addition, Substitute compensates for King's Shield's inability to block status moves. Shadow Sneak allows Aegislash to pick off threats with low HP without having to take an attack beforehand. After a Weakness Policy boost, Shadow Sneak can pick off an even larger set of weakened threats, keeping offensive momentum on Aegislash's side. However, Sacred Sword is a good option instead of Shadow Sneak because it hits Bisharp, which hard-counters this set otherwise, for great damage. It also hits threats such as Mega Kangaskhan and Assault Vest Scrafty harder. Lastly, King's Shield is a must for this set because it reverts Aegislash back to its Shield forme, which allows Aegislash to take super effective hits safely, activating Weakness Policy. It also protects Aegislash from offensive strategies, stalls field conditions, and scouts for super effective coverage.

Set Details
========
Offensive Aegislash has two items that it can utilize well in Doubles: Leftovers and Weakness Policy. The first useable combination for Aegislash is Leftovers with Substitute, which drastically increases its longevity, allowing it to fire off many more decently powered attacks. However, Weakness Policy takes advantage of Shield forme Aegislash's outstanding bulk; it can tank a super effective hit it lures and deal massive damage back with a +2 Attack and Special Attack attack. Weakness Policy works best with Shadow Sneak or Sacred Sword in the third moveslot, so Aegislash is able to cover many threats while attacking. The Weakness Policy set also really appreciates Trick Room, so Aegislash can outspeed and demolish many threats; Quiet Nature and 0 Attack Speed IVs is used for this reason.

Usage Tips
========
If Aegislash is using Weakness Policy, it should focus on finding the right super effective attack to take in its Shield forme. Aegislash can survive almost any super effective attack in Doubles, but optimally, it should try to take a non-STAB super effective attack, such as a stray Knock Off or Earthquake used as coverage, so it still has enough bulk to maintain a long sweep. After a boost, Aegislash should spam its STAB attacks, KOing many threats with its neutral coverage. It is still wise to rotate between attacking and King's Shield so it can take more attacks. If a partner has set up Trick Room, than Aegislash can then have a field day outspeeding and smacking anything it wants. Shadow Sneak allows it to function very well even outside of Trick Room, taking out Pokemon that might have survived one of its STAB attacks. If Aegislash is using Leftovers, then it should focus on switching in on the many attackers it walls, setting up Substitute if advantageous, and spamming its STAB attacks. Rotating between Substitute and King's Shield goes a long way towards improving Aegislash's longevity, allowing it to stall out many field conditions and racking up Leftovers recovery.

Team Options
========
Offensive Aegislash requires more specific team support than the Wide Guard set. Trick Room support is highly encouraged, especially if it is using Weakness Policy; good partners to set it up are Aromatisse, Chandelure, and Slowking, which check Aegislash's Dark-, Fire-, and Ground-type weaknesses, respectively. Landorus-T, Suicune, Politoed, and Gyarados are all good partners to threaten the common Earthquake and Heat Wave users that run over Aegislash. Dark-types such as Assault Vest Scrafty and Tyranitar pair well with it and cover its Ghost- and Dark-type weaknesses. If Aegislash isn't using Sacred Sword, Mach Punch partners such as Conkeldurr and Breloom are recommended to handle Bisharp reliably. Helping Hand support allows Aegislash to deal significant damage, which can be crucial if Aegislash doesn't have a boost or needs to snipe a healthier threat with Shadow Sneak. Lastly, Follow Me / Rage Powder support lets Aegislash safely fire off attacks or set up Substitutes easier with greater ease.

Other Options
########
Aegislash can run use a Spooky Plate or a Life Orb to boost its attacks, which will provide a more consistent,(RC) but less effective,(RC) performance. It could also potentially run a fully physical set using Swords Dance, Gyro Ball, Shadow Claw, and/or Shadow Sneak, but the abundance of Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate makes it an underwhelming option. Reflect is an option to support the team with Defense boost. Autotmomtize is an option to boost Aegislash's Speed to great levels, but it is difficult to set up in Doubles. Safety Goggles can work well, as they help Aegislash more easily counters Grass-types that run sleeping moves with them. Under Trick Room, Aegislash can use Rock Slide to check Mega Charizard Y, a major threat to it. An Air Balloon or Shuca Berry can be held to switch into or lure Ground-types, respectively. Hidden Power Ice hits threats such as Landorus-T, Salamence, and Shaymin-S for massive damage. Lastly, Aegislash can use ChestoRest for the most reliable form of recovery health gain.

Checks & Counters
########
**Offensive Typing Advantage**:(+Colon) Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Excadrill threaten Aegislash with a STAB Earthquake, forcing it to repeatedly use Wide Guard or switch out. Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y and Heatran do the same; Aegislash must repeatedly block Heat Waves, and if the its partner can't touch those threats, Aegislash will lose the match-up. Ghost- and Dark-types such as Mega Gengar and Scrafty can threaten Aegislash super effectively with their STAB attacks as well, but they must tread carefully around its coverage. Dark-types stand the best chance due to their resistance to Shadow Ball. Bisharp resists both STAB moves and isn't affected by King's Shield's Attack drop, only worrying about Sacred Sword, making it a reliable check. Remember, if any of these threats misses out on the KO, there is the possibility that Aegislash will just hit back with a Weakness Policy-boosted Attack.

**Status**:(+Colon) Due to King's Shield's inability to block status attacks, it is easy for the opponent to target this vulnerability. Breloom and Amoonguss can reliably put Aegislash to sleep with Spore while it is blocking the sleeper's partner's attack. Thunder Wave users such as Thundurus, Togekiss, and Klefki can also cripple it, hindering Aegislash's ability to support or sweep the team.

**Utility**:(+Colon) Taunt is a great method for checking Aegislash, because it prevents Aegislash from reverting back to its Shield forme, exposing the Blade forme's pitiful bulk. Taunt also stops Aegislash from using Wide Guard or Substitute; good users of it include Thundurus and Saybleye. Encore works as well, hindering Aegislash by locking it into one of these moves; Whimsicott, Togekiss, and Politoed are common users of this move. Another way to check Aegislash is using the item Assault Vest. Pokemon such as Scrafty, Goodra, and Ludicolo can check it easily with their increased bulk.


Time to finish this, Lolk :)

GP 2/2

 
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