In the moonlight n°18: the Aegislash line

by **Champion Blackwolf** Fri Jun 17, 2016 12:04 pm

In the moonlight n°18: the Aegislash line Aegisl11

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Honedge is the very first steel/ghost Pokemon, as well as one of the announced Pokemon for Gen6. Just imagine a sword haunted by some ghost that curses whoever wields it. Certified badass. Not just that, but it's also a Pokemon that represents a weapon, announcing a high stat somewhere. We had the shield with Bastiodon, the spear with Rampardos, now we have a sword. Its dual typing gives it more weaknesses and fewer resistances, compared to steel alone, but still grants it three immunities that protect it from Boomburst, Facade, Focus Punch, Focus Blast, Counter, Toxic, ExtremeSpeed, and the ghost typing also protects it from the Shadow Tag effect.
Honedge has good stats for an LC Pokemon: total 325, especially a 80 base attack and 100 base defense. Seriously, you don't find that many LC with two base stats over 70. Also, who else has a 100 base defense? Geodude, Aron, Omanyte, beyond that you have Tirtouga, Shieldon, Nosepass and Onix. You also had Tangela but it got banned. That high defense in LC is usually a curse for the Pokemon, because the final form is usually not used as much as it should, it has always something weakening it, such as double weaknesses. But Honedge has broken that curse, as you're about to see. Its only ability is No Guard: accuracy isn't checked by moved from or against that Pokemon. Useless when it comes to Honedge because all its moves have good accuracy (the only one at 85 is Metal Sound, which you never see).

Comparing it to its evolved forms: Doublade gets a 448 base stat total, including a 110 base attack and a 150 base defense. Seriously, 150 base defense for a middle evolution Pokemon, it's obviously number one. 49 base special defense but an eviolite can compensate. Ability is still No Guard, still useless.

Aegislash used to be a beast in OU. Its official base stat total is 520. The craziest thing about Aegislash is its ability, Stance Change, enabling it to switch forms to Blade while attacking and to Shield while defending. Its default form is Shield, with a 150 base defense AND special defense, and a 50 base attack and special attack. While taking the Blade form, offensive and defensive base stats are swapped, and now you have a 150 base attack and special attack, a 50 base defense and special defense. Aegislash takes its Shield form with the move King's Shield (works like protect and lowers opposing attack in case of contact), which has priority. Add Shadow Sneak and a non-priority damaging move and you have a Pokemon that switches forms and stats absolutely whenever it wants, depending on the situation. It's basically like it has a base stat total of 720 instead of 520, making it the equivalent of Arceus. Aaaand it's banned.

How to play them?
In the moonlight n°18: the Aegislash line <a href=

In the moonlight n°18: the Aegislash line Honedg10

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Honedge: LC tier. Eviolite for an item, good with its defense. You can play it bulky offensive, with Swords Dance to setup (it can afford it), and Iron Head for the steel STAB. Add a ghost STAB as well, either Shadow Claw for power (and a higher crit ratio) or Shadow Sneak for priority, for Honedge and its evolved forms are part of the best Shadow Sneak users. To complete the set you can give it a coverage move, such as Sacred Sword, that ignores defense boosts and can help you counter threats such as Scraggy, Bunnelby (who has Huge Power and Earthquake), Shieldon and other rock or steel type tanks, or you can get Autotomize: you gain two stages of speed by losing 100 kg. High speed diet, you know what to do Snorlax!

You can also play Honedge in PU, it should be good enough. I'd say NU too but with many ground or fire threats, Honedge's special defense is too low to help it survive. You can try a bulky eviolite set, with Swords Dance, Shadow Sneak, Sacred Sword for coverage and to pass through augmented defenses (Lairon and Bastiodon are available in PU, and if you don't remember what Lairon is capable of feel free to check In the moonlight n°3). My fourth move for this set is a steel STAB, Gyro Ball. The slower you are than the enemy, the harder you hit. I remember winning some battles with a Curse Gyro Ball Ferroseed, and even PU has some fast guys such as Zangoose or Ninjask, watch out though, for some of them are water, fire or electric typed.

In the moonlight n°18: the Aegislash line <a href=

In the moonlight n°18: the Aegislash line Doubla10

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Doublade: UU tier. You got it, Doublade is so good many people use it and it got moved up from NFE (then what are they waiting for with Dusclops???) and is now UU, like Porygon2. I mostly tested Doublade in RU (it wasn't UU back then) but it is good enough for a higher tier. I'd give it the same set as PU Honedge, but it's more powerful with Doublade, because defenses and attack follow. Still watch out for special fire, ghost or dark attacks and also Mega-Absol, who can outspeed Shadow Sneak with Sucker Punch, or Knock Off your eviolite with heavy damage. Doublade tends to replace Aegislash in monotype since the latter got banned, and is doing fairly well.

Aegislash: Uber tier. Banned from monotype as well, so you have no choice. There are two main sets for it.

Physical set: weakness policy for an item. Aegislash's high defenses enable it to take most weaknesses and double both its attack and special attack with the weakness policy, which forms a great combo with Stance Change. You can find Dragonite and Rhyperior among the dangerous weakness policy holders, as well as my water ace (no spoilers). Start with Swords Dance, and if you're hit by a weakness you end up with triple attack. Now you can unload Iron Head if you have enough HP left, or Shadow Sneak, deadly for many opponents at this point. You can also replace Iron Head with Gyro Ball, Aegislash being rather slow. The last move it its signature, King's Shield. It protects Aegislash for one turn against damaging moves only, reverts it to Shield form and lowers the opponent's attack by two stages if they make contact. Very useful to get your defenses back and crippling the opponent in just one turn, that move alone enables Aegislash to stand its ground against the curse of setup Pokemon, Ditto. This very set has destroyed entire teams, resulting to a ban. 248 HP 252 Atk 8 SpD, brave nature and no speed IV. It is important that Aegislash remains slower than many opponents, to keep the ability to take a hit in its Shield Form before attacking, otherwise it can get killed easily. To counter this set, I recommand special weakness spam (special moves aren't affected by the King's Shield malus), with a type that resists Shadow Sneak, while not being weak to Sacred Sword just in case the user actually runs it (that remains an option). I'd say the best Pokemon for that purpose is Yveltal, who can also increase the power of Dark Pulse with its Dark Aura. You can also try a Greninja to play on types if you predict the right moves, but Greninja remains fragile. Finally, Primal-Groudon's naturally high defense and huge attack can also beat Aegislash single-handedly: even a +4 atk Aegislash can't do much to a Primal-Groudon with it's strongest move (Shadow Claw), while Groudon can first use Precipice Blades to force Aegislash into using King's Shield, then use Fire Punch in harsh sun, King's Shield having been used one turn before Aegislash will most likely miss it, leading to a OHKO with Fire Punch. Yes, OHKO. OP but thankfully not invincible.

Mixed or special set: still weakness policy. King's Shield of course. Then, take the few but good special moves you have: Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon for STAB, remember weakness policy also raises special attack, but is mostly used for attack for some reason I don't know (look at Dragonite and Rhyperior). For the fourth move, I'm giving you a choice between Autotomize and Shadow Sneak: you either need speed or priority if you want that set to be as effective as the physical one. 248 HP 252 SpA 8 Atk, quiet nature if Shadow Sneak, 8 speed and modest if Autotomize.

In the moonlight n°18: the Aegislash line <a href=

In the moonlight n°18: the Aegislash line Aegisl10

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Now's the time for something I haven't done in a while: Evolution Clash. Weakness policy Aegislash vs eviolite Doublade.

First round: physical Aegislash. Both have minimum speed, 248 HP and 252+ Atk. Aegislash is faster, opens with Swords Dance: there's no need to open with King's Shield, it can take any hit from Doublade at this point. Doublade knows that and goes for a Swords Dance as well. Turn 2, Aegislash lets Doublade attack first with a Shadow Sneak and takes up to 66.8% damage, weakness policy activated. Aegislash goes Swords Dance just to give Doublade the speed advantage and take the weakness policy boost. Aegislash now has +6 attack. Turn 3, Aegislash goes Shadow Sneak, dealing between 93.4% and a KO, with a 56.3% chance. If Aegislash doesn't kill, Doublade does with a final Shadow Sneak.

Alternate turn 2, Aegislash uses Gyro Ball instead of Swords Dance, Doublade takes up to 10.9% damage. Turn 3, Aegislash can't kill with a Shadow Sneak, Doublade can't afford to spend a turn without attacking. Aegislash goes King's Shield while Doublade goes Shadow Sneak, its attack stat is reset. Turn 4, Doublade uses Shadow Sneak and deals up to 34% damage, with a very slim chance to KO: only if both Shadow Sneaks from Doublade did maximum damage. Therefore we assume Aegislash barely survives, and uses Swords Dance to max out its attack. Turn 5, Aegislash goes Shadow Sneak and deals a minimum of 93.4% damage, fainting Doublade who it at most at 91% after the Gyro Ball. In both scenarios the odds are in favor of Aegislash.
Aegislash wins.

Second round: mixed Autotomize Aegislash. Doublade keeps the same set. Aegislash goes first with Shadow Ball, knowing Doublade most likely won't attack now. OHKO. If Doublade goes Shadow Sneak first, Aegislash keeps the Shield form and takes the same damage as in the previous battle, weakness policy activates, doubles the special attack, Shadow Ball, still OHKO. In both cases, Aegislash wins in one turn.

Third round: mixed Shadow Sneak Aegislash. Same scenario, Shadow Ball OHKO, Aegislash wins.

Good pre-evolutions, very powerful final form that completely owns it's eviolite middle form (yet quite good itself), Aegislash is a great Pokemon, and its ban is perfectly justified. Anyway, Aegislash is good enough to face other Ubers, and can even counter Xerneas and Lugia, as well of have a very interesting fight with Mega-Kangaskhan, but must avoid Yveltal and Primal-Groudon at all costs.

By Champion Blackwolf. I don't own the pictures. Next topic: the genie trio. Three legendaries and at least six sets, it might take me long.

by **Woyaojinkela** Sat Jun 18, 2016 9:32 am

Nice article n_n. Tho people usually use aegislash for defensive purpose and pursuit trap things like latis deoxys attack, mega gengar and recking xerneas. So people usually use leftovers on aegis. But weak policy can work tho n_n. The problem is the ones that can hit it super effectively usually recks it ._.

by **Champion Blackwolf** Sat Jun 18, 2016 12:28 pm

Oh, Aegislash is bulky enough. Though, I admit that Groudon and Yveltal aren't the only counters, just the best ones. Ho-Oh with Sacred Fire and its bulk has the advantage over Aegislash, and Arceus (especially the ghost one for the STAB) is a big threat too, since a defense move can't stop Shadow Force. Darkrai with Dark Void and Dark Pulse also checks it, and there's still Klefki with Reflect and Foul Play. That's why Aegislash is a bad choice for Anything Goes, Klefki has access to Swagger.

by **Woyaojinkela** Sat Jun 18, 2016 3:55 pm

it's not completely bad it's just usually not used for sweeping

by **Champion Blackwolf** Sat Jun 18, 2016 4:23 pm

I've seen more offensive Aegis than defensive, but oh well, as I'm easily bored by defensive stuff I focus on offensive, counterattacks and surprise effect Wink

by **Champion Blackwolf** Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:33 pm

A new article is coming very soon, and it isn't the Therian trio, it's a new one. My articles from n°1 to 39 are articles I have written in French and I have to translate to get them here. But the next article is a brand new one. An original, which I am currently writing, in English only. Therefore, its number is 42. And yes, the Pokemon is linked to the number Wink

Stay tuned

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