Aegislash - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

This is a strategy guide for using Aegislash in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, Builds, and Held Items to use with Aegislash, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Aegislash - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Aegislash

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Aegislash
Abilities
Stance Change	Changes form depending on moves used.

Aegislash Weaknesses and Resistances

	Type
Takes 4x damage	-
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage
Takes 0x damage

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Aegislash

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Aegislash

Weakness Policy Moveset & Best Build

With its effective type combination of Steel and Ghost, and its Stance Change ability, Aegislash is versatile as an attacker or defender. In its Shield Form, it can survive even super effective hits, activating its Weakness Policy and giving it even greater firepower.

Other Viable Moves

Choice Band Moveset & Best Build

This set leans toward the offensive and gives Aegislash a Choice Band. As Aegislash is often used as a Special Attacker, this set can catch your opponents off guard.

For the first time, Aegislash can learn Close Combat in Sword and Shield, allowing it to counter Dark and Normal-types better than ever before.

Other Viable Moves

Focus Sash Moveset & Best Build

Letting Aegislash hold Focus Sash allows it to survive any possible one-shot attacks and still manage to attack with STAB moves Shadow Sneak or Steel Beam.

Having it learn Close Combat will enable it to attack the sole weakness of Normal-type Pokemon instead of damaging them with moves that cause 1x damage.

About Aegislash's EV Spread

It is safe to choose a Nature that negatively affects Aegislash's Defense and not allocate any EV points in the stat as it already boasts high Defense numbers. With that in mind, EVs are split between Attack and Special Attack as this set will make use of both type of attacks.

Other Viable Moves

Leftovers Moveset & Best Build

This build is centered on the move Substitute. Aegislash starts as a slow-moving wall, and will alternate in attacking and using King's Shield, while recovering HP with Leftovers.

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Aegislash Effectively

Keep its Speed low

Aegislash's ability Stance Change allows it to switch into its Shield Forme, with high Defense and Special Defense, to handle foes' attacks. However, Aegislash will switch into its Sword Forme immediately before attacking, and won't change back to Shield Forme until you use King's Shield, so make sure Aegislash hits second so that it can take the first hit in Shield Forme, not Sword Forme. This can be done by using the Speed-lowering Brave or Quiet Natures, and avoiding EVs and IVs in Speed.

A sweeper that can also take its share of hits

Aegislash is a great attacker rocking both high attacking power and defensive power, and a wide movepool. With its great typing, it's able to face threats like Sylveon and other Fairy-types, as well as Grass-types without fear.

Counters for Aegislash

Weakness

Deal heavy damage to its weak points

Aegislash has high defensive power, but an attacker with high Attack or Special Attack hitting with a Ground or Fire-type move has the potential to take it down in one hit.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Urshifu Single-Strike Style	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・G-Max One Blow can go through King's Shield's protection, making it a very devastating move. Moveset & Best Build for Urshifu Single-Strike Style
Cinderace	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・In addition to Cinderace having STAB moves that are super-effective against Aegislash, it can also learn Sucker Punch. Moveset & Best Build for Cinderace
Landorus (Therian Forme)	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can knock out Aegislash in one hit with Earthquake. ・Can lower Attack stat with Intimidate. ・Can switch with U-Turn. Moveset & Best Build for Landorus (Therian Forme)
Excadrill	Ranking：★★★★ ・Can knock out Aegislash in one hit with Earthquake. Moveset & Best Build for Excadrill
Chandelure	Ranking：★★★★ ・Can knock out Aegislash in one hit with Overheat. Moveset & Best Build for Chandelure

Use Pokemon who can resist its attacks

As Aegislash boasts a number of powerful attacks, and often holds an item to boost its attacking power further, even Pokemon taking neutral damage will often be sent flying. Make sure to pit it against something which can bear the brunt of its attacks with 1/2x or less damage.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Diggersby	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Being a Normal-type, it will not be affected by Ghost-type moves. Moveset & Best Build for Diggersby
Hydreigon	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Resists damage from Ghost-type moves ・Can deal big damage with Dark Pulse Moveset & Best Build for Hydreigon
Snorlax	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Immune to damage from Ghost-type moves ・Can hold on for the long haul by boosting up with Curse Moveset & Best Build for Snorlax

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

Best Builds for Returning Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Snorlax	Charizard	Sylveon
Lucario	Hippowdon	Umbreon
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Gastrodon
Lapras	Whimsicott	Rhyperior
Goodra	Haxorus	Glaceon
Mow Rotom	Type: Null	Gengar
Milotic	Gardevoir	Flygon
Chandelure	Lanturn	Torkoal
Bisharp	Seismitoad	Silvally
Butterfree	Primarina	Incineroar
Blastoise	Decidueye	Venusaur
Darmanitan	Alolan Ninetales	Gothitelle
Crawdaunt	Clefable	Reuniclus
Kommo-o	Terrakion	Cobalion
Virizion	Noivern	Fan Rotom
Toxicroak	Pelipper	Jellicent
Celebi	Clefairy	Hitmontop
Diggersby	Ditto	Raichu
Hawlucha	Shiftry	Tsareena
Ludicolo