What is a good moveset for Aegislash?

Question

Share your best competitive movesets for Aegislash on this thread! Movesets for its pre-evolutions Honedge and Doublade can also be posted here.

Check the submission guidelines before posting! Only competitive movesets with all relevant details (item, nature, exact EVs, ability, moves) and a solid explanation will be accepted.

Aegislash Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Comments

Plenty? I dont think so...

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http://pokemondb.net/pokebase/166196/metagame-speculation-thread-new-pokemon-of-gen-vi

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Aegislash is a bit of a hit or miss with Stance Change so I prefer an eviolite Doublade with Hairy Shed's staple moveset and protect instead of King's Shield.

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If you think about the amount of Knock Off nowadays, no item on Aegislash is a pretty decent option. People will usually suspect the Weakness Policy if they don't see the Leftovers and might avoid throwing supereffective moves. On top of that, no item also makes Knock Off no concern at all, unless it's from a Crawdaunt. (Life Orb Bisharp still has to 2HKO with Knock Off on a 252 HP Aegislash)

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muguet with another legendary prediction

Answer 1

Here is a great specially offensive Aegislash:

Aegislash @ Life Orb
Ability: Stance Change
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 224 HP / 80 Atk / 204 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Shadow Sneak
- Flash Cannon
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball

Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are STAB. Shadow Sneak is for STAB priority. King's Shield is for protection and for improved bulk.

Here is a wall Aegislash:

Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 164 HP / 204 Def / 140 SpD
Careful Nature
- Toxic
- Destiny Bond
- King's Shield
- Gyro Ball

Answer 2

Inversible Wall (Aegislash) @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe or 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Modest / Timid Nature
- King's Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Protect / Iron Defense

King's Shield: scout and shield form, also annoy physical attackers
Shadow ball: STAB, coverage, good against other ghosts.
Flash Cannon: STAB, coverage, can lower opponent's sp. def
Protect / Iron Defense: protect to annoy, iron defense for +2 defense

Strategy: Iron Defense or King's Shield first turn, attack on the second, inverse every other turn
or just alternate between Protect and King's Shield to stall...

Comments

Going between King's Shield and Protect still lowers the success rate.

Also, if you're using Trick Room, Quiet would likely be better.

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Why not toxic? you can use it in place of flash cannon because you don't really need 2 stabs

Answer 3

Gen 8 NU

Doublade @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
EVs: 124 HP / 252 Atk / 132 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Claw / Iron Head / Toxic
- Close Combat
- Shadow Sneak

Basically the Smogon set, but with a different EV spread. Ever since Doublade dropped to NU, I began to really enjoy using it. Being an answer to Body Press users (i.e Bronzong and Diancie) and just being a good check to physical wallbreakers like Tyrantrum in general. Swords Dance allows you to break things with a boost. Shadow Claw hits almost everything for nuetral damage and is ghost STAB. Iron Head can be used to hit Diancie, but doesn't really hit anything else Shadow Claw hits. Toxic is also an option to cripple checks like Talonflame, Mudsdale, and Vaporeon and also doesn't miss thanks to No Guard, which is neat. Close Combat is useful coverage against dark types normal types, and Copperajah. Shadow Sneak is for priority ghost STAB, allowing you to revenge kill weakened Pokemon. Sacred Sword is a cool move you could use to immediately deal with CurseLax when it has some defense boosts, but Close Combat after a Swords Dance boost or 2 can do a ton of damage to Snorlax. 132 Speed EVs allow you to outspeed Assault Vest Copperajah.

Answer 4

Alexa (Aegislash) (F) @ Lagging Tail
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Brave Nature
- Iron Head
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Sneak
- King's Shield

• Iron Head: STAB
• Sacred Sword: coverage, and this move is kind of made for Aegislash
• Shadow Sneak: Priority, STAB

Both defender and attacker. So basically, with a speed lowering nature AND a lagging tail, this thing is always going to go last.
So, the strat is, use King's Shield on every alternate turn and use attacking moves on the rest of the turns. In that way, you're never gonna take an attack in blade forme, but always in the shield forme. I know this is kinda like time consuming, so we have Shadow Sneak. If you know you are going to be able to KO the opponent in this turn, then Shadow Sneak will make you go first and be able to ko the opponent, and you don't have to waste a turn for that. Iron Head works as good STAB, Sacred Sword for dark and normals.

Hope I helped :)

Answer 5

A powerful way to poke your opponent, if you want your opponent to suffer without
the Swords Dance (or not).

Aegislash @ Rocky Helmet / Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Iron Defense / Swords Dance
- Toxic
- King's Shield
- Sacred Sword / Shadow Sneak

This strategy revolves around the defense form of Aegislash and Sacred Sword, the most important thing in this strategy is that you need to place Toxic as soon as possible to maximize damage. Next, try to use King's Shield and Iron Defense (or Swords Dance if you prefer) before finishing off enemies with Sacred Sword.
If you meet a Fight, Poison or normal, you don't need Toxic but use Swords Dance (if available), if you don't have Swords Dance, use Toxic and you don't need to use defensive moves, then use Sacred Sword. If you come across a stronger one, try to poke with poison and increase your attack or defense. Then use Sacred Sword. If that type can counter the Sacred Sword, try to poke with Toxic and continuously use defensive moves.

Answer 6

Sword Dance Sweeper

Aegislash (M) @ Air Balloon
Ability: Stance Change
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- King's Shield
- Shadow Sneak
- Sacred Sword
- Swords Dance

This Pokemon is really broken because it forces changes in it's base stats when switching between forms and with it's EVs it has a lot of room to set up with Swords Dance and sweep, this set also works as a wall.
- King's Shield Lowers a Pokemon's Attack stat by 2 stages when contact is made while protecting you at the same time. It's Aegislash's best option for defense and it needs this move in order to switch back to shield form after it attacks.
- Shadow Sneak STAB and priority which makes up for Aegislash's low speed stat and it helps kill faster Pokemon that are usually frail enough to die from boosted priority.
- Sacred Sword Coverage for Dark types and other Steel type Pokemon mainly Greninja, Heatran, Bisharp, and Excadrill to name a few.
- Swords Dance Gives Aegislash a boost to potentially pull off a sweep and sense its bulky it can get a couple Swords Dances in while surviving any hits that it might take.

Aegislash is guaranteed at least 2 swords dances especially against a ground type Pokemon because of its air balloon and you can just click King's Shield knowing that they are gonna attack you with a non ground type move and get their attack lowered (if contact is made) increasing your chances of surviving any ground type move they use after they get rid of your balloon.
And for example this set can wall Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Lucario, and Mega Scizor.

Answer 7

Gen 8 SS Monotype (Ghost)

Aegislash @ Air Balloon
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 216 HP / 252 Atk / 40 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Shadow Sneak
- Close Combat
- Iron Head / King's Shield

Swords Dance set with Air Balloon. Aegislash uses Air Balloon on Ghost-type teams to be able to switch in to a ground move. Swords Dance boosts your attack. Shadow Sheak is your main STAB move that has priority, which is useful for revenge killing. Close Combat is used as coverage against Dark-types and Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and hits Celesteela for nuetral damage. Iron Head is used for steel STAB. King's Shield is used to scout opposing Pokemon and lowers the attack of Pokemon who makes contact with it.

Due to Aegislash's ability, when you attack, you will have a high attack especially when you boost it with Swords Dance. 252 Attack EVs with Adamant Nature is to give you as much attacking power as possible. 40 Speed EVs allows you to outspeed Pokemon such as specially defensive Tyranitar, Celesteela, and Clefable running speed EVs to outspeed Celesteela. The rest of the EVs are invested in HP

Answer 8

National Dex UU Mixed Attacker

Aegislash @ Spell Tag / Air Balloon
Ability: Stance Change
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 8 Atk / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
Mild Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Close Combat
- Shadow Sneak / Toxic
- King's Shield

This is the mixed attacker set Aegislash uses in National Dex UU. Shadow Ball is used as Aegislash's strongest Ghost STAB. Close Combat provides useful coverage against Normal- and Dark-types such as Tyranitar/Mega Tyranitar, Chansey, Blissey, Ting-Lu, and Mega Gyarados. Close Combat is aso useful against Pokemon such as Kyurem, Excadrill, and Iron Treads. Shadow Sneak is used for a priority Ghost STAB that allows Aegislash to pick off weakened fast Pokemon. Toxic can be used instead to wear down opposing Pokemon with poison. King's Shield is used to scout opposing Pokemon and allows Aegislash to switch back to its Shield forme. Spell Tag is used to boost the power of Shadow Ball without any drawbacks, while Air Balloon can be used to give Aegislash a temporary Ground immunity. 8 Attack EVs are used to 2HKO Chansey with Close Combat after it takes damage from Stealth Rock. 252 Speed EVs are honestly used to outspeed slower Pokemon.

Answer 9

Aegislash is one of my favorite Pokemon. So I have my 2 favorite builds for aegislash.

My build for Sword playthrough:
Aegislash @ Expert belt
Ability: Stance Change
Ev: 252 Atk, 252 Hp, 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
-King's Shield
-Sacred Sword
-Shadow Sneak
-Iron Head

My regular build:
Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
Ev: 252 HP, 252 SpD, 4 Def
Adamant Nature
-King's Shield
-Shadow Sneak
-Swords dance
-Iron Head

Step 1: Set up with swords dance, while taking hits and healing with lefties
Step 2: Start using Iron head as your main damage move. (If you use shadow Sneak and the opponent survives, you are in big trouble)
Step 3: Win.

Comments

Playthrough teams aren't necessarily competitive movesets, is that Aegislash for the Battle Tower? Also, a +2 STAB Shadow Sneak isn't that bad..

Answer 10

Here's a Swords Dancing set for Dancing Doublades. This set doesn't specify a tier.

Doublade (M) @ Eviolite
Ability: No Guard
Tera Type: Steel / Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 8 SpD / 248 HP
Adamant Nature
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Sneak / Shadow Claw
- Swords Dance
- Iron Head / Shadow Sneak

Doublade has horrible Sp.Def, so 104 EVs in it and Eviolite will give it at least a decent SpD stat. No Guard is practically useless in this set because Evasion Banned is like.. in ZU-OU, and Doublade is probably not even viable in ZU. Sacred Sword is coverage, and is boosted by Tera Fighting. Swords Dance gives a significant boost to your Attack. Shadow Sneak is priority, but Shadow Claw has better power and has a higher crit chance. Iron Head is STAB.

Comments

Is there a specific benchmark 104 SpDef EVs hit?

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what's a benchmark?

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Some situation you are likely to encounter that you optimise your spread for (ex: 68 SpD on +Def Amoonguss prevents 2HKO from Specs Dragapult's Shadow Ball). This is almost always the motivation for not using 252 / 252, otherwise you might as well have dragged the sliders on Showdown randomly.
You should probably just run 252 HP (or 240 which hits a rounding sweet spot for rocks).

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ok that sounds good

Answer 11

Aegislash @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 Special Attack/ 200 HP/ 56 Special Defense
Modest Nature

• Shadow Ball
• Flash Cannon
• King's Shield
• Air Slash

Shadow Ball and Flash Cannon are for STAB. Sitrus Berry is for extra healing. King's Shield is so you can change back to Shield Forme after you attack and Air Slash is for coverage. I hope you like this set!

Answer 12

(Gen 9) National Dex Monotype Choice Specs (Steel)

Aegislash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Steel Beam
- Air Slash / Hidden Power [Ice]

Despite being outclassed by the string cheese Steel/Ghost type known as Gholdengo, Aegislash can be used on Steel teams as a Choice Specs Pokemon that serves as a nice offensive progress maker that can trade against opposing Pokemon thanks to its Ability Stance Change. Shadow Ball gives Aegislash a Ghost STAB to use against Pokemon that resist its Steel STABs, being useful in matchups such as Water and the mirror matchup of Steel(especially Steel since it doesn't really have a Ghost resist outside of Bisharp, which isn't really used on Steel teams.) Flash Cannon and Steel Beam on the same set may seem weird, but there are reasons for this. Steel Beam provides Aegislash with a powerful Steel STAB that lets it trade down with opposing Pokemon. For example, Specs Steel Beam can OHKO Gliscor (provided it doesn't Knock Off your Choice Specs) and has a good chance of OHKOing a +1 SpD Kommo-o since Kommo-o runs Naive Nature in National Dex Monotype.

252+ SpA Choice Specs Aegislash-Both Steel Beam vs. 244 HP / 236 SpD Gliscor: 382-451 (108.5 - 128.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Aegislash-Both Steel Beam vs. +1 0 HP / 0- SpD Kommo-o: 283-334 (97.2 - 114.7%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

Flash Cannon provides Aegislash with a spammable Steel STAB since it doesn't take away half of its HP unlike Steel Beam. Despite not seeming like it does much, Air Slash is nice as the last slot on Choice Specs Aegislash since it allows Aegislash to have a solid chance of OHKOing Ogerpon-Wellspring as well as being able to OHKO Buzzwole without having to use Steel Beam in order to do so. Hidden Power Ice is an option for the last slot to be able to OHKO Ground-types such as Gliscor, the Landorus formes, and Garchomp/Mega Garchomp without having to use Steel Beam.

The EV spread for this set can be customized to your preference. You can go a bulky Specs route, a fast Specs route, or just enough EVs to reach specific speed benchmarks. The one I'm providing on this set is a Max HP Bulky set since it allows Aegislash to survive a Clangorus Soulblaze into a +1 Flamethrower from Kommo-o at full HP so you can then have a chance to kamikaze the dangerous Steelkiller Clanger Dragon with Steel Beam. (unless you get REALLY unlucky with the sequence such as one of the moves critting, getting highrolled by both moves, and missing Steel Beam)

252 SpA Kommo-o Clangorous Soulblaze vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Both: 93-111 (28.7 - 34.2%) -- 2.6% chance to 3HKO

+1 252 SpA Kommo-o Flamethrower vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Aegislash-Both: 182-216 (56.1 - 66.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Note: Aegislash-Both is used in the damage calcs just so I didn't have to switch between the offensive and defensive forms for calc purposes.