shedinjask
10-29-2007, 10:32 PM
Because that's how I roll.
Base:
1 HP/90 Atk/45 Def/30 SAttk/30 SDef/40 Spd
Of these, the only decent one is Attk. Before we proceed, there are two things you must know about Shedinja.
1. It always has one HP. No matter how many EVs you give it, it will always have one HP. Because of this, it will die any time you manage to hit it. Leech Seed, Sandstorm, Hail, Spikes, poison, burn, Stealth Rock, damage from self-hitting in Confusion, Future Sight/Doom Desire, Ghost-type Curse, using Giga Drain (like you would ever have that on Shedinja) or recovering from Leech Seed on a Liquid Ooze Pokemon, Rough Skin/Aftermath damage, Struggle, any recoil (including Life Orb), and Nightmare/Bad Dreams will OHKO Shedinja. OHKO moves will fail, because none of them are of super effective types, but Perish Song and Destiny Bond will not.
2. It has Wonder Guard. Excellent trait that blocks all damaging moves that don't do super effective damage. In Shedinja's case, and the only case as Wonder Guard is unique to it, this means Fire, Flying, Ghost, Dark, and Rock moves. Wonder Guard cannot be Skill Swapped or Role Played, but it can be Traced, and Mold Breaker will cancel it.
Sets:
"You're using Shedinja?"
-X-Scissor
-Shadow Claw/Shadow Sneak
-Will-o-Wisp/Grudge/Toxic
-Protect
Ability: Wonder Guard
Item: Focus Sash/Lum Berry
Nature: Adamant/Jolly
EVs: 252 Attk/252 Spd
Standard Shedinja. If you're not sure if the opponent can KO you, Protect. Will-o-Wisp, Grudge, and Toxic are good for supporting the team, and Shedinja can really force switches to abuse them. Shadow Claw has more base power, but Shadow Sneak is good for finishing off weak Pokemon. However, only Shadow Claw will OHKO Gengar. The problem is, Gengar is faster, so you get hit either way. This is where Focus Sash comes in. If you are at full health and you would be knocked out by an attack, Focus Sash saves you with one HP. Since Shedinja is always either at full health or dead, and benefits greatly from surviving a SE attack to strike again, this is a great item for him. However, it only works once. If you are hit with Knock Off, the Sash will be discarded before damage is done, making it a OHKO*. Lum Berry guards against things that will try to Toxic or burn you, and despite only 40 base speed, paralysis is still a problem considering Shedinja's fraility. Focus Sash is generally considered better, though.
"Swords Dance"
-Swords Dance
-X-Scissor
-Shadow Claw/Shadow Sneak
-Shadow Claw/Shadow Sneak/Protect/Aerial Ace/Toxic/Grudge
Ability: Wonder Guard
Item: Focus Sash/Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly/Adamant
EVs: 252 Attack/252 Speed
It has Swords Dance, so you can use it. Stall Nincada's evolution until level 25, then let it evolve. Ninjask will learn Swords Dance and Shedinja will copy its moveset. X-Scissor is a must for a strong STAB move, and it needs a ghost one as well. The last slot is completely up to you. Aerial Ace can guard against Heracross who thought they could come in and Pursuit you.
"CBSheddy"
-Shadow Sneak/Shadow Claw
-X-Scissor
-Shadow Sneak/Shadow Claw/Aerial Ace/Dig/Will-o-Wisp
-Shadow Sneak/Shadow Claw/Aerial Ace/Dig/Will-o-Wisp
Item: Choice Band
Nature: Adamant/Jolly
EVs: 252 Attk/252 Spd
It's a Choice Band Pokemon with Wonder Guard. Get it in, do damage, get out. Like before, you can have one or two Ghost moves, and/or Aerial Ace for Heracross/Breloom, which is about all you'll use it for. Dig is fun for scaring off Heatran if you can predict the switch in, since both Adamant and Jolly guarentee a OHKO unless it's especially bulky. Shedinja is immune to Earthquake even while underground.
Other Options:
Heal Block can be useful at times. Suicune will usually just Rest and Pressure stall you otherwise. Spite can help with other Pokemon that are trying to outstall you. Mud-Slap and Sand Attack will lower accuracy, and each has its merits. Mud-Slap cannot be taunted, but Sand Attack will hit Flying Types and has more PP. With Shedinja's low special attack, coupled with the fact that the two most common Taunters are Gyarados and Tyranitar, the former not being hit by Mud-Slap anyways and the latter wrecking you with Sandstorm, you're better off sticking with Sand Attack if you want to go this route. Theif has its uses, but you will most likely end up stealing Leftovers, which are useless to you. It also gets Screech and Confuse Ray, good for phazing and setting up team members. Agility can help you sweep a little, or set you up for Grudging an important attack. Note that Shedinja can only have one of Agility, Swords Dance, and Baton Pass at the same time. Any combination of these moves on the same Shedinja is illegal. Natural Gift**, with Shedinja's limited movepool, is a viable choice, but then you lose Focus Sash. Keep in mind that Natural Gift is a one use move, unless you get another berry. If you predict wrong, you've wasted it.
Opinion:
Shedinja is a great late-game Pokemon. Unless it is crucial to their strategy, once you get rid of (Toxic) Spikes/Stealth Rock/Sandstorm/Hail, the opponent will usually dismiss them as trivial and concentrate on attacking you instead. Do not reveal Shedinja early unless you absolutely have to. If the opponent knows you have it, they will try to set up some form of Spikes or weather again and keep a super effective hitter in reserve. Shedinja is most effective as a surprise hitter. Be sure to carry a Rapid Spinner and a weather changing Pokemon or two on your team.
In Ubers however, this changes. The three Spikes are much less common, burn and SS/Hail are almost nonexsistent, and things will try to Toxic you more. Since Toxic is usually scoutable and predictable, you have a much easier time. Pokemon like Kyogre are completely walled by Shedinja due to lack of a super effective move, unless they want to run HP Ghost or Ancientpower. Shedinja is a valuble asset to an Ubers team, and a fearsome opponent. Aromatherapy is run much less due to most Blisseys being the Calm Mind version, so Will-o-Wisp is deadly. Stealth Rock will still show up to deter Lugia, Rayquaza, and Ho-oh, and Toxic Spikes are there simply because of lack of Guts users and Poison types. I still suggest running a spinner. You will very rarely see Tyranitar in Ubers, but you might, so consider keeping a Kyogre or Groudon on your team, as they are great Pokemon nonetheless. Pursuit Metagross is very common to get rid of Mewtwo and Deoxys; you might just want to burn it instead of chancing a switch out. Heal Block becomes more useful because of the amount of Pokemon with Roost/Recover and occasionally Rest on Giratina, and there's always Softboiled on Blissey. Ghost and Dark type moves are a lot more common due to most Ubers being weak to them. If something can learn a Ghost or Dark move and use it well, it most likely has it.
Counters:
Basically anything that doesn't mind Shedinja's attacks and has a super effective move can counter it. Fire types will shrug off the burn and X-Scissor and proceed to roast you. Fragile ghosts like Gengar and Mismagius do not fare well against Shedinja, but bulky ones such as Spiritomb and Dusknoir will, if they don't mind getting burned. Without something Heal Block or Spite, Rest Suicune will out stall Shedinja. Weezing, with its high Def and general preferance for special attacks, can burn or Flamethrower/Fire Blast. There are many counters to Shedinja, these are just a few. You'll have to use your good judgement, prediction and scouting skills, and maybe a damage calculator to see what threatens you.
Pokémon to use with it:
*A Rapid Spinner. Forretress, Claydol, and Donphan work well.
*A weather changer. Any bulky Pokemon with Sunny Day or Rain Dance that does not mind losing a moveslot will do.
*Something that resists its weaknesses. Heatran works well. For these reasons, I use it with Heatran on a Sunny Day team.
*Something to take advantage of its support options. A Pokemon with low Def will benefit from Will-o-Wisp. A Pokemon that needs a free switch in will appreciate Shedinja, who forces switches like crazy. Grudge and Spite can get rid of a major threat to your team, or allow something like Salamence to set up on Heracross without fear of Stone Edge.
* I do not know if the same is true for Theif. If anyone has any information on this, please PM me.
** For a list of the berries and their corresponding types and base powers, go here: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24798
For a list of berries and their corresponding numbers, go here: http://www.serebii.net/berrydex-dp/
Base:
1 HP/90 Atk/45 Def/30 SAttk/30 SDef/40 Spd
Of these, the only decent one is Attk. Before we proceed, there are two things you must know about Shedinja.
1. It always has one HP. No matter how many EVs you give it, it will always have one HP. Because of this, it will die any time you manage to hit it. Leech Seed, Sandstorm, Hail, Spikes, poison, burn, Stealth Rock, damage from self-hitting in Confusion, Future Sight/Doom Desire, Ghost-type Curse, using Giga Drain (like you would ever have that on Shedinja) or recovering from Leech Seed on a Liquid Ooze Pokemon, Rough Skin/Aftermath damage, Struggle, any recoil (including Life Orb), and Nightmare/Bad Dreams will OHKO Shedinja. OHKO moves will fail, because none of them are of super effective types, but Perish Song and Destiny Bond will not.
2. It has Wonder Guard. Excellent trait that blocks all damaging moves that don't do super effective damage. In Shedinja's case, and the only case as Wonder Guard is unique to it, this means Fire, Flying, Ghost, Dark, and Rock moves. Wonder Guard cannot be Skill Swapped or Role Played, but it can be Traced, and Mold Breaker will cancel it.
Sets:
"You're using Shedinja?"
-X-Scissor
-Shadow Claw/Shadow Sneak
-Will-o-Wisp/Grudge/Toxic
-Protect
Ability: Wonder Guard
Item: Focus Sash/Lum Berry
Nature: Adamant/Jolly
EVs: 252 Attk/252 Spd
Standard Shedinja. If you're not sure if the opponent can KO you, Protect. Will-o-Wisp, Grudge, and Toxic are good for supporting the team, and Shedinja can really force switches to abuse them. Shadow Claw has more base power, but Shadow Sneak is good for finishing off weak Pokemon. However, only Shadow Claw will OHKO Gengar. The problem is, Gengar is faster, so you get hit either way. This is where Focus Sash comes in. If you are at full health and you would be knocked out by an attack, Focus Sash saves you with one HP. Since Shedinja is always either at full health or dead, and benefits greatly from surviving a SE attack to strike again, this is a great item for him. However, it only works once. If you are hit with Knock Off, the Sash will be discarded before damage is done, making it a OHKO*. Lum Berry guards against things that will try to Toxic or burn you, and despite only 40 base speed, paralysis is still a problem considering Shedinja's fraility. Focus Sash is generally considered better, though.
"Swords Dance"
-Swords Dance
-X-Scissor
-Shadow Claw/Shadow Sneak
-Shadow Claw/Shadow Sneak/Protect/Aerial Ace/Toxic/Grudge
Ability: Wonder Guard
Item: Focus Sash/Lum Berry
Nature: Jolly/Adamant
EVs: 252 Attack/252 Speed
It has Swords Dance, so you can use it. Stall Nincada's evolution until level 25, then let it evolve. Ninjask will learn Swords Dance and Shedinja will copy its moveset. X-Scissor is a must for a strong STAB move, and it needs a ghost one as well. The last slot is completely up to you. Aerial Ace can guard against Heracross who thought they could come in and Pursuit you.
"CBSheddy"
-Shadow Sneak/Shadow Claw
-X-Scissor
-Shadow Sneak/Shadow Claw/Aerial Ace/Dig/Will-o-Wisp
-Shadow Sneak/Shadow Claw/Aerial Ace/Dig/Will-o-Wisp
Item: Choice Band
Nature: Adamant/Jolly
EVs: 252 Attk/252 Spd
It's a Choice Band Pokemon with Wonder Guard. Get it in, do damage, get out. Like before, you can have one or two Ghost moves, and/or Aerial Ace for Heracross/Breloom, which is about all you'll use it for. Dig is fun for scaring off Heatran if you can predict the switch in, since both Adamant and Jolly guarentee a OHKO unless it's especially bulky. Shedinja is immune to Earthquake even while underground.
Other Options:
Heal Block can be useful at times. Suicune will usually just Rest and Pressure stall you otherwise. Spite can help with other Pokemon that are trying to outstall you. Mud-Slap and Sand Attack will lower accuracy, and each has its merits. Mud-Slap cannot be taunted, but Sand Attack will hit Flying Types and has more PP. With Shedinja's low special attack, coupled with the fact that the two most common Taunters are Gyarados and Tyranitar, the former not being hit by Mud-Slap anyways and the latter wrecking you with Sandstorm, you're better off sticking with Sand Attack if you want to go this route. Theif has its uses, but you will most likely end up stealing Leftovers, which are useless to you. It also gets Screech and Confuse Ray, good for phazing and setting up team members. Agility can help you sweep a little, or set you up for Grudging an important attack. Note that Shedinja can only have one of Agility, Swords Dance, and Baton Pass at the same time. Any combination of these moves on the same Shedinja is illegal. Natural Gift**, with Shedinja's limited movepool, is a viable choice, but then you lose Focus Sash. Keep in mind that Natural Gift is a one use move, unless you get another berry. If you predict wrong, you've wasted it.
Opinion:
Shedinja is a great late-game Pokemon. Unless it is crucial to their strategy, once you get rid of (Toxic) Spikes/Stealth Rock/Sandstorm/Hail, the opponent will usually dismiss them as trivial and concentrate on attacking you instead. Do not reveal Shedinja early unless you absolutely have to. If the opponent knows you have it, they will try to set up some form of Spikes or weather again and keep a super effective hitter in reserve. Shedinja is most effective as a surprise hitter. Be sure to carry a Rapid Spinner and a weather changing Pokemon or two on your team.
In Ubers however, this changes. The three Spikes are much less common, burn and SS/Hail are almost nonexsistent, and things will try to Toxic you more. Since Toxic is usually scoutable and predictable, you have a much easier time. Pokemon like Kyogre are completely walled by Shedinja due to lack of a super effective move, unless they want to run HP Ghost or Ancientpower. Shedinja is a valuble asset to an Ubers team, and a fearsome opponent. Aromatherapy is run much less due to most Blisseys being the Calm Mind version, so Will-o-Wisp is deadly. Stealth Rock will still show up to deter Lugia, Rayquaza, and Ho-oh, and Toxic Spikes are there simply because of lack of Guts users and Poison types. I still suggest running a spinner. You will very rarely see Tyranitar in Ubers, but you might, so consider keeping a Kyogre or Groudon on your team, as they are great Pokemon nonetheless. Pursuit Metagross is very common to get rid of Mewtwo and Deoxys; you might just want to burn it instead of chancing a switch out. Heal Block becomes more useful because of the amount of Pokemon with Roost/Recover and occasionally Rest on Giratina, and there's always Softboiled on Blissey. Ghost and Dark type moves are a lot more common due to most Ubers being weak to them. If something can learn a Ghost or Dark move and use it well, it most likely has it.
Counters:
Basically anything that doesn't mind Shedinja's attacks and has a super effective move can counter it. Fire types will shrug off the burn and X-Scissor and proceed to roast you. Fragile ghosts like Gengar and Mismagius do not fare well against Shedinja, but bulky ones such as Spiritomb and Dusknoir will, if they don't mind getting burned. Without something Heal Block or Spite, Rest Suicune will out stall Shedinja. Weezing, with its high Def and general preferance for special attacks, can burn or Flamethrower/Fire Blast. There are many counters to Shedinja, these are just a few. You'll have to use your good judgement, prediction and scouting skills, and maybe a damage calculator to see what threatens you.
Pokémon to use with it:
*A Rapid Spinner. Forretress, Claydol, and Donphan work well.
*A weather changer. Any bulky Pokemon with Sunny Day or Rain Dance that does not mind losing a moveslot will do.
*Something that resists its weaknesses. Heatran works well. For these reasons, I use it with Heatran on a Sunny Day team.
*Something to take advantage of its support options. A Pokemon with low Def will benefit from Will-o-Wisp. A Pokemon that needs a free switch in will appreciate Shedinja, who forces switches like crazy. Grudge and Spite can get rid of a major threat to your team, or allow something like Salamence to set up on Heracross without fear of Stone Edge.
* I do not know if the same is true for Theif. If anyone has any information on this, please PM me.
** For a list of the berries and their corresponding types and base powers, go here: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24798
For a list of berries and their corresponding numbers, go here: http://www.serebii.net/berrydex-dp/