What is a good moveset for Shedinja?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Shedinja, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for its pre-evolutions, if any, can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilties, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Shedinja Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Comments

well that post was made prior to gen 6, so safety goggles was not around then.

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Shedinja @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spd

-Will-O-Wisp
-False Swipe/Shadow Sneak
-Final Gambit
-Hone Claws

I was too lazy to post this as an answer but here it is as a comment. This has to be used in a triple battle. Go in the battle with a pokemon that has Sturdy and knows Skill swap(Carbink), then have a pokemon with Thunder-Wave and Worry Seed(Ferrothorn), then have Shedinja in battle. Turn 1: Make Ferrothorn use Thunder-Wave on Shedinja. Shedinja uses Will-O-Wisp on a pokemon. Carbink uses Stealth Rock. Turn 2: Forrothorn uses Worry-Seed on Shedinja, Shedinja uses Will-O-Wisp on another pokemon. Carbink uses Skill-Swap on Shedinja. Shedinja now has Sturdy and Carbink has Insomia. Now never switch Shedinja out and sweep the foe. DONZA

oh yeah, if anyone posts this as an answer, then plz give me credit! :) thx

another edit. just to clean things up. thunder wave is so that the opponent cant set off toxic, will-o-wisp,etc. on you so you can faint.worry seed is just for the skill swap: you cant skill swap wonder guard. dont switch out because: entry hazards. now i think im officially DONZA

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Shedinja @ saefty  giggles
Ivs evs don't matter in this
Moves:
-Phantom force
-X scissor
-Any move that raises attack and Sp. Attack
-shadow ball
Paralyze shedinja with pikachus thunder wave, and skill swap carbines sturdy onto shedinja. Works best in triple battles. Paralyze means no poison, burn, freeze or sleep, sturdy means it always withstands attacks, and safety Goggles ensures no damage from weather. It's the INVINCIBLE shedinja.

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Shedinja does only have 1 up so if u want a tactical shedinja use this moveset
Double team
Will o wisp/toxic
Swords dance
Shadow claw
Or if u are looking for a straightforward sweeper use this
Shadow claw (criticals)
Dig   (for fire types)
Metal claw (Ice I've ans ground types who use stone edge)
Swords dance ( if your opponent has no moves that can damage shedinja)
Both sets will need to be iv trained in speed and attack

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I was thinking of trying to use Shedinja with a teammate like smeargle (doubles):

Shedinja @Safety Goggles
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: Attack and Speed, max
Jolly/Adamant Nature
- Shadow Claw
- Will-O-Wisp
- Metal Claw
- Swords Dance

Smeargle @ Focus Sash
Ability: Own Tempo
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Spore
- Foul Play
- Role Play
- (Not sure about last move)

This smeargle can put any non-grass to sleep, sweep Pokemon that don't resist using Foul Play and, thanks to role play, copy Shedinja's ability rather than swap.

Answer 1

Shedinja only has one HP its whole life, so don't bother with Toxic. The battle style of Shedinja is straightforward sweeping; trying to KO the enemy before they have a chance to fight back, like a real ninja!

My recommended moveset is:

X-Scissor
(Relable STAB)

Shadow Claw
(High Critical Hit-Ratio and gives reliable STAB)

Dig
(Gives you a chance to dodge an opponent's attack. Normally Dig is bad, due to the vulnerablility toward Earthquake, but Shedinja negates such an attack with Wonder Guard. Use Dig to pick off Fire-Types that try to burn you with their flames)

Aerial Ace/Metal Claw

(Aerial Ace can give some easy coverage against Grass, Bug, and Fighting-types. The full accuracy is nice! Metal Claw can hit Rock-Types, along with the bulky Ice-types who likely carry Stone Edge. It also gives a passive Attack boost, which is useful)

Keep in mind that it is mandatory for your Shedinja to be holding a Focus Sash. This will let Shedinja take a hit without fainting, and you can either retaliate and KO the opponent, or switch out to save your Guardian Angel.

Shedinja basically invented the term, "Glass Cannon," so be very careful with this Pokemon. It takes a highly skilled player to use a Shedinja well (Of course, I'm not bragging, seeing as my prediction during a battle is terrible), so be cautious of Shedinja, or else you'll see it fainting very often.

EDIT: I saw Pokemonblack's post, and completely forgot about confuse Ray, haha. It's a good alternative for stalling out even longer. It's probably a better choice than Aerial Ace or Metal Claw. Also, you can replace Shadow Claw for Shadow Sneak, if you want. It's not recommended, but it makes Shedinja a great Revenge Killer. Replacing Dig with Sucker Punch will add priority to this slow Base 40 Speed Pokemon as well.

Comments

Thanks guys these are both great answers and narwhals1 just for the record I am very skilled as a trainer haha

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Most of the time, it takes luck to use Shedinja, not just skill. Due to Shedinja's low Speed, you'll be going last most times in battle. Because of this, you always have to take into account of what your opponent plans to do.

You always have to be looking at both sides of the pancake, man. Trust me, to use it in a competitive scene is like using Magikarp against Groudon. However, for an in-game team, Shedinja's easy enough to use.

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Imagine if this guy had Sturdy as a hidden ability

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You can always use ninjask (cause if you have shedinja, your gurenteed to have ninjask) with the moves substitute,protect,sword dance,and batonpass then if you get lucky and the opener switches out you can sword dance to increase your attack and to stall for the speed boost each round you can use protect and substitute, then when your speed is fully maxed (+6) and possibly your attack raised by sword dance, you can baton pass to shedinja and let shedinja sweep the opponents team. Hope this helps for those who want to use shedinja  :)

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If u r playing OR, instead of dig, I would use phantom force

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What if you teach Shedinja Double Team?Would it have an effect?

Answer 2

Ability: Wonder Guard
Suggested item: Focus Sash
Suggested nature: adamant
Suggested EVs: 252 Atk, 252 speed

• Shadow Sneak
• Swords Dance
• Confuse Ray/Will-O-Wisp/Giga Impact
• X-Scissor

Shadow sneak gives him priority while he sets up with swords dance. He's great for coming in on Outrage from those pesky dragons. Confuse ray and Will-O-Wisp offer Status on the opponent, and giga impact, while not a good moce competitively, makes a nice last resort if you know he's gonna go down. X-Scissor offers some more reliable STAB.

Answer 3

X scissor because its a bug type and it has high attack
Shadow claw no shadow ball because of low sp attack
Confuse ray to confuse pokemon
Dig to get fire types

Answer 4

Here is the Shedinja I use commonly:

Shedinja @Focus Sash

Trait: Wonder Guard

EVs: 252 Attack, 4 Sp. Attack, 252 Speed

Adamant Nature:(-Sp. Attack, Attack)

• Swords Dance
• X-Scissor
• Shadow Claw
• Sucker Punch

-Mike

Answer 5

Shedinja @ Choice Specs

Trait: Wonder Guard

EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SpA

Brave Nature (+Atk, -Spe)

• Sucker Punch
• Shadow Ball
• Bug Buzz
• Return

Sucker Punch is good priority.
Shadow Ball hits from the special side and makes use of Choice Specs.
Bug Buzz is good move as well STAB.
Return for dat good neutral coverage.

Comments

Look IK it's 11 months old, but I think Hyper Beam would be better here. I thought I'd look for a Special Shedinja set, and I found this, but would not Hyper Beam be better? Just saying.

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My moveset has hyper beam in it. I posted it today , so its at the bottom

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how do you get it i have forgot it.

Answer 6

Shedinja @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Wonder Guard
Evs: 252 Atk, 6 Def, 252 Spd
Nature: Adamant (+Atk,-Sp.Atk)
- Shadow Sneak
- X-Scissor
- Swords Dance
- Endure

The best way to use this is to switch Shedinja out into something you know can't hurt it, like something with a Choice item. When the foe switchs out, that's when you Swords Dance. Then when they use their Super-Effective move, you use Endure to active the Weakness Policy. Now you attempt to sweep with your +4 STAB Shadow Sneak. If they switch into a Normal-type though, this strategy's pretty much doomed.

Comments

I swept someone with the same set and they re-matched me after,  that time they brought a normal type.

Answer 7

Gen V

Shedinja @ Focus Sash

Trait: Wonder Guard

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd

Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)

• Swords Dance
• Shadow Sneak
• Endure
• X-Scissor

Comments

why not jolly?or adament

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Why SAtk Evs when you don't use them?

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strange....

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Naive Nature raises speed, and lowers a stat Shed will never use, it will always get KO'd in one hit, regardless of Defenses.
the SAtk EVs are just filler, also it makes more sense if an opponent tries to power split you or whatever the attack is that averages attack stats.

Answer 8

Nature: Adamant/Jolly, Evs 255 attack, 255 speed (there is nothing else to put them in)

Shadow sneak(STAB Priority is essential for this guy)

Swords dance(Boosts his attack he can learn this if you wait until level 25 for Nincada to evolve)

X-Scizzor(STAB)

WIll-o-wisp(Status he isn't going to live long anyway might as well soften up an opponent for a team mate.

Comments

That's kind of uncalled for SF....Plus I didn't even answer this one.

First off, Shedinja is immune to earthquake thanks to wonder guard.
2nd, he's not gonna live since everyone will just go for a kill, so swords dance is of no use.

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Yeah the comment about DT made literally no sense.

Anyway @DT, the point of Swords Dance is to switch in then get an attack boost while the opponent switches out to a Pokemon that can take down Shedinja.

I would say that Will-O-Wisp isn't worthwhile because the Shedinja is made to switch in for a swift KO before getting KO'd itself. WoW wastes a turn you could have been swords dancing or attacking. I get the strategy though.

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I can see the use for Swords dance a bit better now, my only concern was Shedinja's Mediocre speed. Even with the switch in, he' wouldn't be able to fight off the enemy.

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Not bad set i might consider using this set :D.

Answer 9

![Shedinja][1]

Shedinja@Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 ATK, 252 SPE, 4 ANYTHING (It doesn't matter)
Nature: Lonely (+ATK, -DEF), Adamant (+ATK, -SP.ATK), Naughty (+ATK, -SP.DEF)
Characteristic: Likes to thrash about (+ATK, 31 IVs)
Moveset:
- Swords Dance
- X-Scissor
- Shadow Sneak
- Aerial Ace/Night Slash/Metal Claw

Battle Strategy:

1. Use X-Scissor or Aerial Ace/Night Slash/Metal Claw or Shadow Sneak depending on the damage it will deal to your opponent.
2. Repeat step 1 but when you lose your focus sash, use Shadow Sneak.

Swords Dance is there if you think your opponent isn't going to damage you like setting-up hazards, using a move that will not K.O. you or switching etc.

Aerial Ace/Night Slash/Metal Claw is there for type coverage in case an opponent is resistant to your STAB X-Scissor.

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This strategy does well unless you have a status problem, like a burn; there is hail or a sandstorm raging; an opponent is resistant to your attacks; an opponent has a high defence; you are tricked etc. a choice item (but then they waste a turn) or Chesnaught uses the move Spiky Shield.
[1]: http://www.smogon.com/download/sprites/bw/292.png

Comments

People barely use chesnaught in compete time battles; safety Goggles should be given to shedinja to keep from getting damaged from weather; trick or switcheroo are both very rarely used; make sure shedinja has moves that have AMAZING type coverage aka Phantom force, Hone claws, dig, and X scissor; use attacks that are strong against the defensive pokemon (2× or 4× effective); nobody wants to give up a choice item on their first turn... these are solutions to the problems The Big Fudge has stated. Consider the solutions.

Answer 10

[email protected] focus sash
ability: wonder guard
nature: +sp att -def
EV's: 252 sp att/ 252speed/ 4att
moves:
bug buzz (hard hitting and STAB)
shadow ball (STAB)
hyper beam (if your going to go down, then you might as well hit hard before you do)
hp ice/ giga drain/ shadow sneak (the first two are nice coverage moves; the last is nice when the opponent's hp is really low)

Answer 11

Shedinja @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spd

-Will-O-Wisp
-False Swipe/Shadow Sneak
-Final Gambit
-Hone Claws

This battle strategy has to be used in a triple battle. Go in the battle with a Pokemon that has Sturdy and knows Skill swap(Carbink), then have a Pokemon with Thunder-Wave and Worry Seed(Ferrothorn), then have Shedinja in battle. Turn 1: Make Ferrothorn use Thunder-Wave on Shedinja. Shedinja uses Will-O-Wisp on a Pokemon. Carbink uses Stealth Rock. Turn 2: Forrothorn uses Worry-Seed on Shedinja, Shedinja uses Will-O-Wisp on another Pokemon. Carbink uses Skill-Swap on Shedinja. Shedinja now has Sturdy and Carbink has Insomia. Spam Hone Claws because your 'Sturdy' ability, Paralysis condition, and your Safety Goggles basically just protect against everything. After that, either sweep with Shadow Sneak or False Swipe (your choice) or cripple the foe with Will-)-Wisp.

To explain everything, Thunder Wave: So the opponent won't put a status effect on you. (Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, etc.)

Worry Seed: Gives Shedinja Insomia ability so Carbink can use Skill Swap. You can't Skill Swap Wonder Guard.

Safety Goggles, Sturdy ability, Don't Switch Out: Safety Goggles protects Shedinja from HP-inflicting weather (Sandstorm, Hail, etc.). Sturdy is most important, since Sturdy leaves you with 1 HP when you would usually get 1HKOed and every hit is a 1HKO to Shedinja, Shedinja never loses health. The Don't Switch Out thing is recommended. Entry Hazards like Stealth Rock is the only thing that can now kill your Shedinja. With the exception of Gastro Acid (It disables the effect of the Pokemon's ability. If you found this helpful, let me know and I will be one happy Bacca. :)

Answer 12

shedinja @safety goggles/weakness policy
trait:wonder guard
nature:lonely(+attack,-defense)/adamant(+attack,-SpA)/anything that boosts atk or spd and doesnt nerf atk or spd, and yada blah blah blah.....
EV:252 atk,252 spd
moveset:
slash cuz decent damage and high crit ratio
swords dance cuz why not, it just makes him stronger
endure/protect, just do endure if you have weakness policy so it still conects
shadow sneak so he can hit ghost types.

Answer 13

Shedinja (I nicknamed mine Gosutosheru, it's Japanese for Ghost Shell)
Item:None
Ability:Wonder Guard
IV's: MAX, but does not require max HP or either Defense
EV's: 252 in Attack and Speed, remainder on Special attack

Move set

Phantom Force
X-Scizzor
Thief
Will-O-Wisp or Toxic

Thief is for when the opponent switches to a Pokemon with a mega, the rest is self-explanatory,

Comments

Thief doesn't take mega stones....and you'd need a sash for it to be any good at all

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Sorry, I thought it was possible to take mega stones, instead of a Item, you could hack it to have sturdy, jk,jk,jk. In all seriousness though use a focus slassh so it survives the turn where it uses Will-O-Wisp

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Wrong. You don't need a Sash to make it better. Skill swap sturdy from Carbink onto shedinja and paralyze shedinja to keep it from getting burned, poisoned, put to sleep, etc ceterA. And give shedinja safety Goggles to prevent damage from hail, sandstorm, etc cetera. I call it the superman shedinja. And moves
-Phantom Force stab ghost, psychic coverage
-X scissor grass psychic and dark coverage
-Dig, fire, electric, rock and steel coverage
-Hone claws spam it once shedinja is paralyzed, given sturdy, and is holding safety goggles WARNING: DO NOT, AND I MEAN DO NOT SWITCH SHEDINJA OUT OF BATTLE!!!!!!!!!.

Answer 14

Shedinja w/weakness policy

+Spa -Def/+Atk -Def
EVs:252 spa, 252 atk, 4 speed/252 Atk, 252 Speed
Moves:
-Endure(weakness policy activates)
-Metal Claw(+attack, rock coverage)
-Hidden power rock(fire, flying coverage)
-Shadow Sneak/X-Scizzor(ghost or dark coverage, STAB)

Answer 15

This works best in a Double battle with a Pokemon that knows Follow Me/Rage Powder

Shedinja @Focus Sash
Ability: Wonder Guard
EVs: 252 Speed
Jolly Nature
- Toxic
- Protect
- Double Team
- Sunny Day

How to use:
So basically, just use Protect every other turn and the turns that you don't use Protect use Double Team. Then, when Double Team is maxed out, use Toxic to do damage. That way, your opponent can only attack you every other turn, and the turns they can attack, not only does it have to make contact due to Double Team, it has to effect Shedinja. Then they would have to hit again due to the Focus Sash. If they send in Tyranitar or something else with Sandstorm or Hail, use Sunny Day to cancel it. If you have a teammate in a Double Battle with Rage Powder or Follow Me, that could help to set up Double Team.

Answer 16

Shedninja w Focus Sash
Ability:Wonder Guard
Adamant Nature-+Atk,-SpAtk
EVs, 200Atk, 200Spd

Double Team-Wonder Guard AND dodging? Oh heck yeah!
Hone Claws-Get stronger
Phantom Force-Stong STAB, even more dodging ;), coverage for ghosts, psychics
X-Scissor-Strong STAB, coverage for grass, dark