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Thanks to Wonder Guard, Shedinja is able to wall specific threats like Jynx, Nasty Plot Uxie, and Klinklang lacking Toxic. With Protect, Shedinja is able to scout for specific coverage moves like Silvally-Poison's Flamethrower and Alcremie's Mystical Fire, as well as scout Choice-locked attackers like Sawk, Rotom, and Thwackey. Toxic allows Shedinja to cripple switch-ins like Miltank, Articuno, Rapidash, and Tangela and pairs well with Protect to rack up chip damage. Will-O-Wisp is less effective at weakening threats, but it lets Shedinja's partners take on physical attackers like Silvally-Dark and Lycanroc-N that would switch into Shedinja while also punishing Poison- and Steel-types like Qwilfish, Skuntank, and Klinklang. Alternatively, Shedinja can run Swords Dance to work as a late-game wincon with Shadow Sneak. Poltergeist is the preferred STAB move due to being its strongest attacking move. Shadow Sneak is a viable alternative that can pick off weakened foes like Rotom and Froslass and hit Electric Terrain sweepers after they have consumed their Electric Seed. However, it is much weaker and makes contact, which can be troublesome when facing Rocky Helmet users like Miltank and Qwilfish and Flame Body users like Coalossal and Rapidash. Heavy-Duty Boots is the preferred item since it allows Shedinja to switch into entry hazards. Shedinja works best on stall teams that appreciate its ability to handle specific threats, notably Stored Power attackers. These teams carry walls such as Pyukumuku, Sableye, and Altaria that can take advantage of the threats that force Shedinja out like Silvally-Dark, Gurdurr, and Tangela. Entry hazard control such Altaria, Articuno, and Hattrem is appreciated in these teams due to hazards being one of the best way to force damage on Shedinja's teammates. Defensive sweepers like Alcremie and Spiritomb also make for great partners that can clean late-game once the opposing team has been crippled and weakened enough by Shedinja and its teammates.

Shadow Sneak is the best attacking move for Shedinja, allowing it to revenge kill faster foes after they have been worn down by status such as Calyrex-S, Galarian Darmanitan, and Rayquaza. Will-O-Wisp deters physical attackers such as Galarian Darmanitan and Groudon from switching in. Toxic hinders switch-ins such as Yveltal and Ho-Oh and lets Shedinja beat Zygarde-C and Kyogre lacking Rest. Poltergeist is an option over Toxic, as it allows Shedinja to deal greater damage to slower foes such as Necrozma-DM. Protect lets Shedinja scout Choice-locked foes such as Calyrex-S, Galarian Darmanitan, Dracovish, and Marshadow and lets it scout for status moves. It also racks up status damage. As a result of only appearing on stall teams, Shedinja is commonly paired with teammates such as Heavy-Duty Boots Blissey, Chansey, Lunala, and Toxapex. Blissey and Chansey are able to check Eternatus, while Shedinja walls Kyogre and Xerneas in return, alleviating some pressure off of them. Lunala is also excellent for checking Groudon, which threatens Shedinja. Eternatus is able to deal with Ferrothorn and Marshadow, while Shedinja can wall Kyogre and thus allow Eternatus to run a more offensive set. Yveltal is a superb partner for Shedinja, being able to deal with Calyrex-S and opposing Yveltal for it. In return, Shedinja can wall Xerneas. Rest Zygarde-C is also a good partner for Shedinja, as it can absorb status for it and use other passive Pokemon that threaten Shedinja, such as Toxapex, as setup fodder. Toxapex acts as a decent answer to Necrozma-DM and Marshadow, which would otherwise threaten Shedinja and its teammates.

Shedinja's signature ability Wonder Guard etches it a niche, allowing it to wall common Pokemon that often threaten common stall teams, where it fits best. These Pokemon include Manaphy, Tapu Lele, Kyurem, non-Flamethrower Calm Mind Clefable, Kartana lacking Knock Off, and Thundurus-T. Toxic and Will-O-Wisp allow Shedinja to capitalize on the switches that it forces by crippling the incoming Pokemon. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical threats immune to Toxic such as Kartana and Mega Scizor. Hex synergizes well with Toxic and Will-O-Wisp; however, Shedinja has a paltry Special Attack stat, so even a boosted Hex will not be dealing too much damage. Protect can be used to scout for super effective coverage, such as Flamethrower on Clefable or Hidden Power Fire on Tapu Lele, as well as prolonging passive damage from Toxic poison and Will-O-Wisp burns. Heavy-Duty Boots stops entry hazards from KOing Shedinja. Minimum bulk investment is so Ditto copying Shedinja has as little bulk as possible, as Shedinja can only take one hit regardless. Due to its relative passivity, Shedinja is restricted to stall teams. It appreciates the entry hazard support from Chansey and Skarmory to wear down its foes faster in conjunction with its own status conditions. Pokemon such as Mega Sableye, Toxapex, Chansey, Clefable, and Alomomola all appreciate Shedinja's ability to switch into and ward off the threatening Manaphy, Tapu Lele, Reuniclus, and Kyurem. Also, since Shedinja is very vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped, its teams must play around opposing Weavile and Tyranitar via double switching. Skarmory, Melmetal, and Alomomola are teammates that can double switch into the aforementioned Pursuit trappers. Tyranitar in particular poses a huge threat, as Shedinja cannot come in while its summoned sand is active. Pokemon that absorb status such as burn and poison are vital, as these conditions will KO Shedinja. Chansey and Gliscor are exampes of solid status absorbers to pair with it. Gliscor is particularly helpful, as it can switch into the dangerous Heatran, which otherwise can switch into Shedinja freely. Gastrodon can help alleviate pressure from Heatran as well.

Shedinja's unique ability Wonder Guard lets it wall any Pokemon lacking status moves or coverage to beat it; this notably includes Kyogre, Xerneas, Dragon Dance Zygarde, and Zacian-C or Dracovish lacking a Dark-type move. Toxic allows Shedinja to cripple Kyogre, Xerneas, and Zygarde as well as potential switch-ins like Yveltal and Ho-Oh. Will-O-Wisp cripples Zacian-C and Dracovish along with possible switch-ins like Necrozma-DM, Eternatus, Groudon, and Ferrothorn. Alternatively, Protect can be run to scout for potential coverage or status moves that can beat Shedinja. Baton Pass lets Shedinja generate momentum if the opponent switches, which is especially useful because Shedinja can force out numerous common offensive Pokemon, and saves Heavy-Duty Boots variants from getting KOed by sand set by Tyranitar. Shadow Sneak allows Shedinja to pick off Pokemon like weakened Calyrex-S and other foes that have been heavily chipped, including Zacian-C and Xerneas. Heavy-Duty Boots is the preferred item for Shedinja, since entry hazards are very common, but Safety Goggles protects Shedinja from opposing Tyranitar and lingering sand or hail from Max Moves, allowing Shedinja to be used with Tyranitar on the same team. Shedinja's EVs maximize its Shadow Sneak damage while also outspeeding Chansey and Tyranitar, letting Shedinja pivot into a teammate that can take advantage of them, as well as outspeeding Necrozma-DM if Jolly. Shedinja fits best on bulky and balance teams that appreciate its ability to reliably wall most Xerneas, Zygarde, and Kyogre while potentially luring in and crippling defensive Pokemon like Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, Eternatus, Ferrothorn, and Tyranitar. Offensive Pokemon like Groudon, Dragon Dance Zygarde-C, Zekrom, and Kyogre are good teammates, since they appreciate safe entry onto the field from Baton Pass and heavily pressure the aforementioned defensive Pokemon. Groudon and Kyogre can prove especially useful because they remove Tyranitar's sand, allowing Shedinja to switch back in safely. Shedinja also makes Imposter-proofing teams with setup sweepers like Swords Dance Zacian-C and Xerneas a lot more manageable. If Safely Goggles is run, very reliable entry hazard removal from multiple Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Giratina is nigh mandatory given Shedinja's extreme susceptibility to entry hazards, limiting Safety Goggles variants to stall teams.

Shedinja carves out a niche in AG thanks to its ability to completely wall anything that isn’t carrying coverage that can damage it or damaging status moves, countering dangerous threats such as Primal Kyogre, Substitute Xerneas, and, most notably Zygarde-C. Baton Pass allows Shedinja to take advantage of its ability to force switches by slow pivoting out, giving a free switch in to a teammate with a favorable matchup and escaping potential Tyranitar switch-ins that would instantly KO Shedinja with sand damage. Toxic enables Shedinja to cripple most switch-ins such as Yveltal and Primal Groudon. Due to its high PP, Shadow Sneak lets Shedinja whittle down and PP stall Pokemon that choose to stay in against it, such as Substitute Zygarde-C and Xerneas. In addition, Shadow Sneak lets Shedinja pick off weakened Pokemon that could possibly have a tool to OHKO it. Will-O-Wisp allows Shedinja to heavily punish physical switch-ins like Necrozma-DM and Zacian-C. Alternatively, Protect may be run over Will-O-Wisp to scout for potentially harmful moves on Pokemon that Shedinja would otherwise counter, such as Crunch or Assurance on Zacian-C and Toxic on Primal Kyogre. Heavy-Duty Boots allow Shedinja to safely come in on threats throughout the battle regardless of entry hazards. Safety Goggles can also be run, forgoing immunity to hazards for an immunity to sand, which is required if Tyranitar is being used alongside Shedinja. This dramatically reduces Shedinja’s opportunities to come in, however, and necessitates that it is paired with multiple extremely reliable Defoggers, such as Ho-Oh and support Arceus formes with Defog. Shedinja has no other places to usefully invest its EVs, but maximizing its Attack allows it to chip Zygarde-C’s Substitute as much as possible in order to prevent it from PP stalling Shedinja. Shedinja's primary utility is in countering Substitute + Dragon Dance Zygarde-C, which is otherwise extremely difficult to stop owing to its immunity to phazing. Another important feat is stopping Calm Mind + Water Spout Primal Kyogre. Those two capabilities, coupled with its passivity, mean that Shedinja fits best on stall teams, where it can slow pivot away from threatening Pokemon to keep its teammates from having to switch into dangerous attacks. As such, good teammates for Shedinja are stall staples such as Ho-Oh for its ability to spread status, use Defog if Shedinja is running Safety Goggles, and reliably pivot into and scout a vast majority of the metagame for moves that could OHKO Shedinja. Other good stall teammates include Chansey, which consistently checks threatening special attackers such as Xerneas and Yveltal, Necrozma-DM, which reliably stops even Crunch Zacian-C, and defensive Arceus-Ground, which blanket checks dangerous physical attackers such as Primal Groudon and Photon Geyser Necrozma-DM. More niche stall picks can also fit alongside Shedinja, such as Giratina, a phenomenal Defogger if needed, Gliscor, which can trap and remove common defensive Pokemon Shedinja cannot switch into and serve as another Defogger, and Lugia, another check to the metagame's physical attackers that fits well on certain stall teams. Shedinja should be used conservatively, only switching into Pokemon that you have already scouted the sets of and ensured are unable to damage it.

Despite meager stats across the board, Shedinja finds a place on teams as a defensive pivot thanks to its unique ability, Wonder Guard. This enables Shedinja to wall any Pokemon that can't fit a move to hit it for super effective damage, such as most Kyogre, Xerneas, and Zacian-C. Poltergeist is Shedinja's strongest STAB move, dealing respectable damage to most neutral foes and revealing the target's held item. Use this move liberally to gather information about opponents' sets and scout for items like Rocky Helmet, which will KO Shedinja using Shadow Sneak or X-Scissor. Scouting items is especially effective in the Battle Stadium format due to the Item Clause, which allows for a process of elimination to deduce other foes' items. Will-O-Wisp allows Shedinja to burn incoming physical attackers looking to KO it, making them easier to deal with for teammates. Shadow Sneak lets Shedinja revenge kill faster foes that have been sufficiently weakened. Endure allows Shedinja to scout for super effective attacks, including surprise Max Moves, and is particularly useful if not utilizing a Focus Sash. Use Endure liberally, as teams that appear to be weak to Shedinja at first glance may have surprise coverage options to overcome it. X-Scissor is an alternative to Endure that lets Shedinja hit Dark-types super effectively and keeps Normal-types from completely walling it, but it won't be able to scout for fatal coverage. Even with X-Scissor, Shedinja still will not deal much damage to most Normal- and Dark-types, so teammates that can handle them make for great partners. Urshifu-R can both threaten them and the majority of entry hazard setters in the metagame, which threaten to instantly KO Shedinja switching in unless it's holding Heavy-Duty Boots. Protect may seem appealing instead of Endure, further allowing Shedinja to scout for moves like Leech Seed, Toxic, and Will-O-Wisp. However, it leaves Shedinja vulnerable to Max Moves, making Endure the superior option in most cases. A Lonely nature, along with 0 IVs in Defense and Special Defense, is chosen to improve the matchup against Ditto, since Shedinja can't benefit from bulk investment itself. Items Focus Sash allows Shedinja to survive one super effective attack without having to use Endure, but it leaves Shedinja vulnerable to any form of indirect damage. Heavy-Duty Boots prevents Shedinja from fainting to entry hazard damage. Notably, it can let Shedinja wall hazard setters reliant on Stealth Rock to take it out, such as Swampert and Mamoswine lacking Rock Tomb. If not running Heavy-Duty Boots, Shedinja's team absolutely needs a plan for dealing with common entry hazard setters. Safety Goggles is the only way to prevent hail and sand damage from KOing Shedinja, which can be invaluable against teams with Tyranitar, Hippowdon, or potential users of Max Hailstorm and Max Rockfall.

Shedinja can utilize its access to Swords Dance and STAB priority Shadow Sneak to attempt the role of a Swords Dance sweeper. Unfortunately, Shedinja's mediocre Attack stat and low-Base Power moves force it to accumulate multiple Swords Dance boosts to pose any serious threat offensively. Its overreliance on Shadow Sneak to hit most foes in tandem with its several exploitable weaknesses often forces Shedinja to switch out, further diminishing its already limited role as a Swords Dance user. The nature and IVs are chosen to minimize the bulk of Ditto transformed into Shedinja, since they have no effect on Shedinja's bulk.

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Moves Endeavor allows Shedinja to bring most Pokemon to 1 HP, automatically putting the opposing Pokemon in range of Shedinja's other offensive moves. Extreme Speed is used to finish the job, KOing every Pokemon after it has been hit by Endeavor, save for Poison Heal Zygarde-C. It also has a higher priority than Prankster, ensuring that Shedinja is able to KO Prankster Pokemon such as Registeel and Zygarde-C. Ice Shard can be used over Extreme Speed to KO Poison Heal Zygarde-C after Endeavor, but it fails to KO other defensive Pokemon such as Leftovers Registeel and Poison Heal Mega Audino. Ice Shard also has 48 PP, which can be useful in PP stalling scenarios. U-turn is used to allow Shedinja to gain momentum as well as chip the opposing Pokemon. It also has the use of avoiding Mold Breaker Pursuit if the Mold Breaker user switches in as Shedinja uses U-turn. Foresight allows Endeavor and Extreme Speed to hit non-Magic Bounce Ghost-types, making Shedinja more effective and enabling it to use Endeavor more freely. Pursuit is used to damage Pokemon that attempt to switch out on Shedinja. If the opponent attempts to switch their Pokemon out after an Endeavor, Pursuit is able to pick up a KO. In addition, Pursuit damages Imposter users fairly heavily if they ever decide to switch in. Set Details Sturdy grants Shedinja the ability to survive almost any attack and force a multitude of switches. Shedinja has its Speed minimized so it can avoid having its ability suppressed by as many Core Enforcer users as possible. In addition to this, minimum Speed investment allows Shedinja to have a slower U-turn, bringing in the Pokemon of choice safely most of the time. Protective Pads allows Shedinja to avoid Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield damage and prevents it from being poisoned by Baneful Bunker. 0 IVs in Defense and Special Defense allow it to make Imposter users as frail as possible, letting Shedinja deal more damage with Pursuit as well as letting teammates damage the Imposter user more heavily, wearing it down more quickly. A Brave nature allows Shedinja to be as strong as possible while being the slowest it can be. Usage Tips Endeavor should be used with caution, as it only has 8 PP and using it too liberally can drastically lower how much of a threat Shedinja is to the opposing team. Scout for Sunsteel Strike, Moongeist Beam, and Photon Geyser when facing offensive Pokemon before sending Shedinja in on them. Take care to scout for status-inducing moves such as Poison Fang and Will-O-Wisp, as they KO Shedinja the turn it gets statused. Be wary of sand and hail; make sure to scout for Pokemon with Sand Stream and Snow Warning before using anything other than U-turn on Shedinja. Make sure entry hazards are off the field at all times. U-turn has 32 PP, so it can be used liberally while also granting momentum. Team Options Shedinja necessitates Magic Bounce support due to it warding off status and entry hazards. Pokemon such as Mega Audino, Giratina, and Zygarde-C can all provide this support. Shedinja also requires hazard removal support, as 1 HP means it will automatically be KOed by any damaging hazard. Almost any defensive Pokemon can run Defog to help Shedinja. Shedinja appreciates Imposter Pokemon such as Chansey to scout moves that can harm Shedinja, such as Sunsteel Strike and Will-O-Wisp. Misty Surge Pokemon such as Zygarde-C and Giratina can prevent Shedinja from being statused under Misty Terrain. Strong Pursuit users that can KO Imposter Pokemon, hit Ghost-types, and hit Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Gengar hard are all amazing options for Shedinja's teammates. Dark-types with Pursuit are useful in particular, as they resist or are immune to Photon Geyser and Moongeist Beam. Mega Gyarados resists Sunsteel Strike as well, making it an excellent partner to Shedinja. Pokemon that can beat Giratina such as Xerneas, Mega Tyranitar, and Mega Gengar all enjoy the switches Shedinja forces, as when Shedinja uses U-turn, it can bring in one of these Pokemon for free. Wallbreakers such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Diancie all appreciate Shedinja's ability to force switches, as they are all able to capitalize on the vast majority of Ghost-types in the metagame. Defensive Pokemon such as Registeel, Giratina, and Zygarde-C are useful due to Shedinja breaking opposing walls for them, limiting the number of opposing defensive Pokemon that may be able to PP stall them. Toxic Spikes are useful, as it allows Shedinja to KO many Pokemon with just Endeavor, as poison finishes the job.

Moves Swords Dance boosts Shedinja's attack, using Pokemon that cannot threaten it as setup fodder to potentially sweep teams. X-Scissor and Shadow Sneak are STAB moves that can deal some solid damage to opposing Pokemon. X-Scissor is used for dealing more damage, while Shadow Sneak is used to pick off weakened foes. Shadow Sneak can also be used to revenge kill Pokemon such as weakened Kadabra and Mr. Mime. Protect allows Shedinja to scout the foe's moves and make a play accordingly. Protect can be a life saver against Pokemon with unexpected moves and can give you knowledge for the late-game. Will-O-Wisp is a solid move for spreading burns onto physical attackers or offering some chip damage against other Pokemon. Set Details Full investment in Speed and Attack allow Shedinja to hit as quickly and as hard as possible. Because Shedinja's maximum HP stat never changes, adding extra bulk will do nothing to help it survive hits; on the other hand, minimizing bulk gives Shedinja a marginally better matchup against the occasional Ditto, as minimum investment and a defense reducing nature ensures Shadow Sneak will always OHKO. A Lonely nature is preferred over Hasty, as the extra Speed from Hasty doesn't let Shedinja outspeed any important threats. Focus Sash is the best item for Shedinja, letting it survive any attacking move barring multi-hit moves. Usage Tips Do not be scared to sacrifice Shedinja to burn a threat to your team or gain momentum. Trying to conserve Shedinja and sacrificing one of your other Pokemon instead can come back to hurt you. If an opponent is lacking in ways to combat Shedinja, save it for the late-game. Do not switch in Shedinja when entry hazards are on your side of the field. Be wary of Pursuit trappers such as Pawniard and Dusknoir. Shedinja needs to be cautious to avoid residual damage. Shedinja needs to be alert when facing a potential Rock Blast user, such as Golem. Usually, Shedinja should only use Will-O-Wisp or Swords Dance when it forces the foe to switch out, as it cannot do much damage unboosted, but double switching can be effective since Wonder Guard limits potential switchins. Shedinja should be used as a pivot or to check attackers that can't touch it. When you aren't sure what the opponent is going to use against Shedinja or when they make a strange switch, scout with Protect instead of hard switching. Shedinja can lure in Dark-types and trade its Focus Sash for a KO or switch to a teammate to take them on. If Shedinja loses its Focus Sash, it can still be a huge game changer in the long run. Team Options Always pair Shedinja with Defog or Rapid Spin users, such as Pelipper, Vullaby, and Avalugg. This allows Shedinja to switch into the field without worrying about entry hazards, which will instantly knock it out. Shedinja only fits well on balanced teams; it does not work effectively on offensive teams because it needs entry hazard removal support from a Pokemon that won't get taken out easily. Shedinja also needs Pokemon that can take status inflictions and moves that it is weak to. Natu can be a solid Magic Bounce user that can switch in on an entry hazard setup or status move and bounce it back. Pokemon that can take a status move for Shedinja include Clefairy, Stoutland, and Ursaring. Pokemon such as Stoutland, Pawniard, and Mightyena can take on Ghost-types effectively and can help take out some of the biggest threats to Shedinja. Shedinja likes having Water-types on its side to take on Rock- and Fire-types; some of the best options are Politoed, Pelipper, and Golduck. Rock-type Pokemon such as Golem and Relicanth can assist in taking out Fire- and Flying-types. Ground-type Pokemon such as Stunfisk can help take on Rock-type Pokemon as well as set up Stealth Rock, which Shedinja appreciates as it can frequently force switches. Spikes setters such as Roselia and Quilladin are useful for the same reason.

Moves Swords Dance allows Shedinja to boost its Attack, making it a bigger threat. X-Scissor and Shadow Sneak are Shedinja's best STAB moves. X-Scissor hits Reuniclus and Cresselia, and Shadow Sneak provides Shedinja with some priority to pick off or revenge kill weakened foes such as Chandelure and Espeon. Protect allows Shedinja to scout for super effective attacks or status moves that could potentially threaten it. This increases its longevity by allowing it to not be caught off guard by a surprise coverage move. Will-O-Wisp cripples incoming physical attackers looking to break Shedinja's Focus Sash or OHKO it. It could also offer some residual damage on bulky Pokemon that switch into Shedinja. Set Details Shedinja's EVs are all invested into Attack and Speed to make it hit as hard and as quickly as possible. Investing in any other stat is pointless because it will faint from one hit anyway. A Lonely nature further increases Shedinja's attacking power. Minimizing IVs in both defenses, alongside a defense reducing nature, weakens opposing Ditto while not affecting Shedinja in any way. Focus Sash allows Shedinja to take two super effective hits from foes, giving it a second opportunity to get a KO or wear down a wall. Usage Tips It's best to play conservatively when using Shedinja, especially against Pokemon that could possibly have a move to hit it with, so scout their movesets with Protect when necessary. This really helps against Pokemon that could potentially be running Toxic, such as Porygon2 and Vaporeon. Setting up early- or mid-game is not a good idea, as Shedinja is best used as a late-game sweeper. If your opponent doesn't have many ways to combat Shedinja, try to preserve it for the late-game so that it's almost impossible for the foes to hit Shedinja. If you're running Will-O-Wisp, it should be used whenever Shedinja forces a foe out, potentially crippling an incoming physical attacker can be game-changing. Team Options Shedinja's best partners are the entry hazard removers in the tier such as Crobat, Tentacruel, and Mega Blastoise. Entry hazards need to be off of the field for Shedinja to be effective, so it's essential to always have spinners or Defoggers on the team. Magic Bounce users such as Xatu and Espeon also make for good teammates, switching in on any status moves or entry hazards and bouncing them back to the opponent's side. Shedinja also likes bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Mega Blastoise to help deal with Fire- and Rock-types attacks aimed at it, and in return, Shedinja can take Grass- and Electric-type moves for them. Steel-types such as Mega Aggron can absorb any Flying-type attacks aimed at Shedinja, although it has to watch out for Fire-type attacks. Slow U-turn or Volt Switch users are great teammates as well, bringing in Shedinja safely and grabbing momentum.

Moves Endeavor is Shedinja's most powerful damaging move, instantly bringing anything that it can hit down to 1 HP. It's much quicker at minimizing the foe's HP than Pain Split, but it does make contact, meaning that Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, Rough Skin, and Iron Barbs instantly KO Shedinja upon use. It also only has 8 PP, meaning that it's very easy for defensive Pokemon with Leftovers to PP stall it. Ice Shard is used alongside Endeavor to ensure that a foe is knocked out before being able to heal, unless the foe is a Prankster user with more Speed than Shedinja. Ice Shard's typing also allows it to deal a large amount of damage to common threats in the metagame such as Mega Rayquaza. Feint is a +2 priority move that has the benefit over Ice Shard of ignoring protection moves such as Protect and Spiky Shield. Priority can be exchanged for a move such as Whirlpool to trap the foe if you'd like the slow switch and easy Imposter luring of a Level 1 Shedinja, as partial trapping deals consistent damage, regardless of Shedinja's attack stat. Whirlpool is used over Infestation, as it allows Shedinja to score damage on foes with Rocky Helmet without KOing itself. Baton Pass allows Shedinja to fulfill the role of a pivot when you haven't scouted the opponent's team enough to know when Shedinja can start attacking other Pokemon. It also passes conditions such as confusion, Leech Seed, Gastro Acid, and partial trapping to its recipient, but the effects of these are more often than not nullified by proper team support. If you don't want to run Baton Pass, opt for Volt Switch instead of U-turn or Parting Shot. U-turn is affected by Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield, while Parting Shot leaves Shedinja vulnerable to Magic Bounce users taking advantage of the move for a free switch into their own Mold Breaker user. Safeguard and Recycle reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja; the choice depends on Shedinja's item. Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja immunity to status as well as to weather damage, whereas Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used many times, giving Shedinja an effective immunity to status. Set Details Defensive IVs and EVs are minimal, but Shedinja's Attack is maximized and its level must remain at 100 if using Ice Shard or Feint, to be able to break through Pokemon that carry Leftovers. Imposter Pokemon can still be taken out using this spread, but you should be careful if you pair this Shedinja set with a defensive Mold Breaker user, as their Pursuit might not always OHKO an Imposter with high HP such as Chansey or Blissey. Both items protect Shedinja from passive damage. If you can't fit Aromatherapy on your team, opt for the Lum Berry to give Shedinja independence in its status-walling abilities. Otherwise, use Safety Goggles, as it is the only way to protect Shedinja from residual weather damage outside of gimmicks such as Magic Guard. The Brave nature maximizes Shedinja's Attack, giving it a stronger finishing move while minimizing its Speed to preserve its slow pivoting abilities. It also maximizes the amount of damage that a move such as Foul Play will do to an Imposter user, should you choose not to run Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit user. Usage Tips This Shedinja set functions best as a defensive pivot, but it sacrifices the minimal Speed and lack of contact moves of the Pain Split set and reduces its ability to lure in and deal with Imposter Pokemon in favor of a more consistent offensive presence. However, because this offensive presence requires the use of contact moves, be sure to scout the opponent's team for Rocky Helmet and Spiky Shield users before attempting to cripple their Pokemon with Shedinja. Slow switching via the use of Baton Pass is extremely helpful for Shedinja. While slow switching is not completely necessary on all Balanced Hackmons teams, you'll have a very difficult time getting Shedinja safely into play without it, as you then open yourself up to surprise coverage or switching into a Mold Breaker user. Paranoia is excellent when it comes to using Shedinja, so don't be surprised if most of the early-game sees Shedinja only using its switching move. Team Options A Mold Breaker user with Pursuit not only provides a near-guaranteed OHKO on any opposing Shedinja but also serves as an extremely capable Imposter counter if an Imposter Pokemon switches into your Shedinja as it pivots out. With this set in particular, an offensive Mold Breaker Pokemon is preferred, as a Pursuit coming off of a defensive Pokemon won't always OHKO an opposing Chansey. Cleric support and entry hazard control are also a must if you want to ensure Shedinja's reliability throughout the match. Prankster users such as Registeel and Giratina perform this role very efficiently. An Imposter user of your own works wonders to ensure maximum knowledge of your opponent's team. By far the most reliable Imposter user is Eviolite Chansey. Team members that run Knock Off, such as Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, Mega Mewtwo X, and Regigigas, as well as defensive Pokemon such as Giratina, Regirock, and Registeel make Shedinja's job a lot easier by removing Rocky Helmet and Leftovers from the equation, giving Shedinja much greater freedom to use Endeavor and Ice Shard. This Shedinja set also synergizes very well with sand and hail teams if it runs Safety Goggles. Shedinja can cripple the foe with Endeavor while the residual weather damage finishes them off, effectively KOing it in a single turn. This also allows Shedinja to stay in against a wider variety of threats, as the foe will faint before partial trapping moves or Leech Seed are able to KO Shedinja.

Moves Baton Pass is the safest switching move that Shedinja can use, as the only thing that stops it from working is the move Taunt, which is quite uncommon. Other switching moves all rely on your opponent not having a common item, type, ability, or move, such as Rocky Helmet, Ground-types with Mold Breaker, and Magic Bounce users, all of which can spell trouble for your Shedinja. Pain Split shares the difference between Shedinja's HP and its foe's; because of Shedinja's hardcoded 1 HP stat, it will always cut the foe's HP in half. It's a slower method of knocking out foes than a move such as Endeavor, but it has the benefit of not making contact and being able to hit Ghost-types. The respectable 32 PP that Pain Split offers also means that any recovery on a defensive foe can be stalled out, securing Shedinja a KO or allowing teammates to sweep it with little trouble. Alternatively, Shedinja can run Endeavor as a more drastic means of attempting to lower the HP of an opposing Pokemon. Whirlpool complements both Pain Split and Endeavor very well, as it deals damage equal to one-eighth of the foe's maximum HP at the end of every turn while also preventing them from directly switching out, aside from Ghost-types and Shed Shell Pokemon. Whirlpool is less accurate than Infestation, but it has the benefit of not making contact, meaning that Shedinja is not vulnerable to the effects of Rocky Helmet, Spiky Shield, and abilities such as Rough Skin. Partial trapping is vital on this Shedinja set if you intend to score KOs with it, especially with Pain Split, as Pain Split can only do so much damage before it ceases to work. Safeguard and Recycle are both moves that reduce the risk of status knocking out Shedinja, and the move used depends on Shedinja's item. Safeguard works with Safety Goggles to give Shedinja an immunity to status as well as to residual weather damage, but even the turn used to set up Safeguard can be very risky for Shedinja. Conversely, Recycle allows a Lum Berry to be used up to 16 times, making Shedinja virtually immune to status but leaving it vulnerable to weather damage and forcing Shedinja to go on the defensive when facing a foe that spams status moves. Another option is Shell Smash, which can be used in conjunction with Baton Pass to pass very powerful stat boosts to Shedinja's teammates. Set Details Shedinja being Level 1 allows for a slow Baton Pass to ensure that you start the next turn with the upper hand; this Shedinja set will almost assuredly go last, except against other Level 1 Pokemon. Furthermore, the minimalized defenses guarantee that your team will be able to OHKO any Imposter Pokemon that copies this set, provided you have a Pokemon with Mold Breaker and Pursuit on your team. Even if not, many opponents don't pay attention to Shedinja's level, so they don't consider that their Imposter users will have only single-digit defenses after they transform, increasing the likelihood of opponents keeping their copied Shedinja in on any Pokemon that doesn't look like it will OHKO them. Safety Goggles provides Shedinja with the ability to avoid passive damage when supported by teammates with Aromatherapy or Heal Bell, allowing it to not be bothered by the occasional sand or hail team, as well as supplying a useful immunity to the omnipresent Spore. Lum Berry, on the other hand, allows Shedinja to run more independently in regards to status when paired with the move Recycle to keep status away without switching out, with the compromise being that any sand or hail team will render Shedinja useless, as it will be knocked out as soon as it switches in. Usage Tips Above all else, this Shedinja set is a defensive pivot, so Baton Pass should really be the only move it uses to minimize the risk of it fainting and compromising your team's defensive synergy. However, Shedinja shouldn't be the only Pokemon capable of taking a hit on your team, as the methods of dealing with it are flexible enough to be applied to any Pokemon, sweepers and walls alike. If another Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit or two from a certain threat, switch into that before switching into Shedinja, as it will give you the opportunity to find out what moves the foe is running and whether or not Shedinja should be afraid of them. Directly switching into Shedinja should only be done when you know what your opponent is running or when no other Pokemon on your team is capable of taking a hit from a certain threat. Furthermore, the use of slow switching strategies on Shedinja's teammates makes scouting for Shedinja's checks a lot easier. A slow switch into Shedinja not only keeps Shedinja safe from any attacks but also allows you to see whether or not the Pokemon you're facing is capable of dealing with Shedinja. Oftentimes if a certain Pokemon can't either KO or outheal Shedinja, it will switch out immediately. Shedinja will be able to safely Baton Pass away afterwards, and for the rest of the match you will know almost for sure that that certain Pokemon can be checked by Shedinja. Be wary of Mold Breaker and its clones, which anything can run in Balanced Hackmons. You want to keep Shedinja alive as long as possible; don't just sacrifice it in the beginning of the game because you see an opportunity for a KO. Team Options Shedinja's niche isn't hampered by many playstyles or team setups, so it is able to find a place on most teams. However, Shedinja isn't something that can be thrown on a team for an instant win; if you don't want Shedinja fainting very early, a large part of your team needs to be built around it or at least optimized for use with it. Use Shedinja alongside a Mold Breaker Pursuit Pokemon such as Giratina or Mega Gyarados to lure opposing Imposter Pokemon into your pivoting Shedinja and OHKO them every time. Entry hazard removal is mandatory. Defog is the most reliable method, although Rapid Spin can be run if you're looking to only remove hazards from your own side of the field, though it can be blocked by the many Ghost-types in Balanced Hackmons. Common Defog users include Registeel, Aegislash, and Lugia, but the move can be run on just about any defensive Pokemon with success. Rapid Spin is usually reserved for Pokemon that run Assault Vest + Regenerator, which can include Regirock, Registeel, and Kyogre. Status curing is also very important, especially if you run Safety Goggles. Not only do the moves Aromatherapy and Heal Bell allow Shedinja to switch in after it's been inflicted with a status, but they also cure other members of your team. These moves can usually fit nicely into the moveset of a Pokemon that uses Defog, particularly ones with the Prankster or Magic Bounce abilities. To reduce risk, it's a good idea to have an Imposter teammate to scout the opponent's movesets before bringing Shedinja in on them if possible. Chansey is the best choice. Scouting can also be achieved by using VoltTurn strategies to determine the movesets of the opponent's team. The use of defensive Pokemon with Regenerator alongside Shedinja nullifies residual damage from Leech Seed and partial trapping that gets passed by Baton Pass, assuming they switch out afterwards, as well as providing an opportunity for these VoltTurn strategies. Pokemon such as Mega Slowbro, Regirock, and Registeel are often effective users of Regenerator.

Though Shedinja has a number of options available to it, it should only use physical attacks as it sports a dismal base 30 Special Attack stat. X-Scissor provides Shedinja with a strong STAB attack. Bug Bite can be very useful for removing annoying type-resist berries, but it comes with the downside of being weaker than X-Scissor. Shadow Sneak gives Shedinja a STAB priority attack, allowing it to finish off weakened foes. Protect is a must, because it allows Shedinja to scout the opponent's move, protecting it from a fatal blow while its teammate KOes the threat. The last move depends on Shedinja's teammates. If your team has enough control over the weather, you can run Swords Dance or Will-O-Wisp, both of which will help Shedinja deal with bulky Pokemon that would otherwise be troublesome for it. If you are afraid of an opponent switching in a Pokemon with Sand Stream or Snow Warning, however, Sunny Day is the better choice. The EV spread is very simple. 252 EVs in Attack and a boosting nature are used to maximize the power of Shedinja's attacks. The remaining EVs are put in Speed, since it is obviously a futile exercise to invest in Shedinja's defenses. A Lonely nature and 11 Defense IVs are used to ensure that Download users such as Porygon-Z do not get a Special Attack boost. However, if Shedinja is used in Trick Room, a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs are used. For an item, Focus Sash is preferred, as it allows Shedinja to survive one super effective hit, but it does not protect it from status, Leech Seed, or weather conditions. Lum Berry can be used if you are particularly wary of being burned or poisoned, but unless you are concerned with a very specific threat to Shedinja, Focus Sash covers a broader range of situations. Unsurprisingly, Ninetales and Politoed are very effective teammates for Shedinja, as their Dream World abilities allow them to remove harmful weather conditions. Golduck and Lickilicky are also good for this reason, as their Cloud Nine ability negates the effects of weather. Other useful teammates depend on what coverage your team needs. If you plan to use Shedinja, have at least one way of dealing with the following popular checks to Shedinja: Zapdos, Tyranitar, Abomasnow, Hippowdon, Chandelure, Infernape, Heatran, Garchomp, Ninetales, Rhyperior, Scrafty, Terrakion, Togekiss, and Weavile. Several other Pokemon, such as Hitmontop and Toxicroak, will generally only have Sucker Punch as a way to hurt Shedinja, and can thus be successfully played around with proper prediction.

Basically slug away with Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Bug, or Swords Dance if the opponent is foolish and tries to stat up himself. Protect is for checking movesets since unpredictable movesets will end Shedinja in one move, so something odd carrying Toxic will spell the end of your days. Spikes, Sandstorm and what not will also end Shedinja, so it's pretty risky to use. If you are afraid of going for the stat-upping variant, you can just pick Silver Wind and Hidden Power Rock, seeing as in Uber (where this is most commonly seen), it can hurt a lot of Pokemon. By all means watch out for Metagross.

This is the Choice Banding variant. It's a lot riskier than the Protect Shedinja, but you can hurt a lot more stuff with this moveset. It's up to you. If you want to take a big risk, you can net a big reward. Or you can also lose this baby much easier. Choice Band is a good choice for Shedinja because you have to play it like one, anyway. Just bring it in on stuff that can't hurt it, and hit their switch hard. You'll invariably switch out next turn, really, as if they switch, they switch to something that can damage Shedinja. Hidden Power Ground is for Metagross, Hidden Power Fighting is for Tyranitar. As Metagross is more common in ubers, that is a real option, but in standard, Tyranitar is the most common, and most obvious switch when they know you have Shedinja. Although Shedinja will die next turn, Hidden Power Fighting will do massive damage, if not deal a KO, so it's a kind of kamikaze move. Toxic is also used mostly for uber matches, so Shedinja can actually do something to guys like Groudon and Rayquaza. Aerial Ace is for fighters, meaning purely Heracross, really, so Sleep Talk is a good option, considering how few sleepers have a move that hits Shedinja.