Stance Change shifts between offense and defense forms mid-battle — and that one ability is what makes Aegislash worth using. Without it, the stats don't hold up on their own. Been around since Gen 6. Relies on priority moves or Scarf to keep up.
Aegislash's all-in on Defense at the expense of Attack. The mixed lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 3 Defense and Sp. Def EVs and follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
This stance is dedicated to offense. It can cleave any opponent with the strength and weight of its steel blade.
Once upon a time, a king with an Aegislash reigned over the land. His Pokémon eventually drained him of life, and his kingdom fell with him.
Aegislash Weakness
FortressFire, Ground, Ghost, and Dark-type moves hit Aegislash for super-effective damage. The upside? Normal, Fighting, and Poison-type moves can't touch it at all. 9 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Aegislash's overall bulk (60/140/140) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
Aegislash doesn't evolve through normal leveling. You'll need an evolution item to get here from Honedge's line. Breed this form to get Honedge eggs (average hatch time). Evolving from Honedge gave Aegislash the biggest boost in Sp.Def (+103), bringing the total to 500 stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Aegislash to get Honedge eggs easily from the Mineral egg group. Notable egg moves include Destiny Bond, Metal Sound, Shadow Sneak and 1 more.
This build takes hits and hits back. Leftovers provides passive recovery each turn, Stancechange supports the gameplan, and max HP and Attack EVs mean Aegislash doesn't crumble to chip damage. Plus the remaining moves backing it up.
Best Build
Best Aegislash Moveset
- Kings Shield
- Shadow Ball
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Sneak
Recommended Teammates
Don't skip the egg moves. Aegislash picks up Destiny Bond and Metal Sound only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Iron Head and Flash Cannon while Flying and Bug coverage and more adds range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
Can't catch Aegislash directly. Start with Honedge at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve through a special method. The 3-stage chain from Honedge to Aegislash is where the leveling time goes.
Don't let Aegislash's 500 base stat total fool you. Stance Change is what makes it tick — it punches way above its weight class. We rate it B-Tier.
Watch for Arcanine (Fire), Excadrill (Ground), and Chandelure (Ghost) when using Aegislash. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Dark-type attackers are also a problem. Aegislash has enough bulk to absorb a hit, but don't push the matchup. Pivot to a teammate that resists.
Run Stance Change on Aegislash. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche.
Aegislash fills the balanced role. It's leaning toward the physical side (base 50 Attack). At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often. And it's tanky enough to absorb a few hits.
Aegislash appears in 6 games, including X & Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, and Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon.
Introduced in X & Y, Aegislash has appeared in 6 games across 4 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXYDebut
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A