[OVERVIEW]
Doublade's base 150 Defense makes it one of the bulkier physical pivots of the metagame, as it can easily take even some super effective physical hits, such as Earthquake from Terrakion and Mega Aerodactyl as well as +1 Earthquake from Mega Altaria. Its base 110 Attack and access to Swords Dance and priority Shadow Sneak allow Doublade to be a good late-game sweeper. Its great Ghost / Steel typing gives it a lot of useful resistances and immunities, enabling it to deal with some common threats such as Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Altaria, Cobalion, and Latias; however, some unfortunate weaknesses to Dark-, Fire-, and Ground-types make Doublade vulnerable to the prevalence of Knock Off, which some Pokemon that it should check pack, such as Scizor and Mega Beedrill, and without its Eviolite, it can be easily beaten by any strong attacker. Furthermore, despite Doublade's great Defense, its base 49 Special Defense leaves it very weak to special attacks from sweepers such as Primarina, Mega Manectric, and Mega Pidgeot. It lacks reliable recovery and is easily worn down over the course of repeated switches into threats it is meant to check. Unfortunately, Doublade does not benefit from its ability No Guard, since all the moves that it commonly runs have 100% accuracy, and it makes moves such as Fire Blast, Hydro Pump, and Will-O-Wisp hit it all the time.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Sacred Sword / Shadow Claw
item: Eviolite
ability: No Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance increases Doublade's Attack and allows it to become a strong late-game sweeper. Shadow Sneak's priority patches up Doublade's poor Speed, helping it beat fast threats such as Mega Beedrill, Latias, and weakened Infernape. Iron Head is a more reliable STAB move that hits Fairy- and Rock-types such as Sylveon and Mega Aerodactyl harder. Sacred Sword has perfect neutral coverage with Shadow Sneak and hits Mega Sharpedo, Krookodile, and Mega Absol hard. It also hits Cobalion and Blissey harder than Iron Head. Shadow Claw is an option over Sacred Sword, which helps Doublade beat opposing Doublade and bulky Water-types such as Swampert and Jellicent, but it comes with the downside of not being able to hit Dark- and Steel-types super effectively.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Attack and an Adamant nature maximize Doublade's power and allow it to sweep more easily after a Swords Dance boost. 240 EVs HP increase Doublade's bulk and minimize Stealth Rock and burn damage, and the remaining 16 EVs go into Special Defense for slightly more bulk. Eviolite boosts Doublade's great Defense and patches up its lower Special Defense, allowing it to take many physical hits and even some super effective attacks such as non-STAB Earthquake, Pursuit, and Hidden Power Fire.
Usage Tips
========
Doublade can be used as a strong check to common threats, pivoting into and beating staples such as Mega Aerodactyl, Cobalion, Terrakion, and non-Fire Blast Mega Altaria, and it can set up on those to pressure the opposing team. Doublade still has to be careful around Mega Aerodactyl and Terrakion, as it get threatened by Earthquake, but it can switch safely on every move that isn't Earthquake. Otherwise, set up with Doublade late-game when opposing strong special attackers such as Mega Manectric and Primarina are weakened enough to get KOed by Shadow Sneak. You also need to get rid of Ground- and bulky Water-types such as Krookodile, Gliscor, and Suicune before attempting to sweep with Doublade. Keep Doublade from getting hit by Knock Off, as losing its Eviolite makes it somewhat weak to strong physical hits that it should otherwise be able to tank. Keep entry hazards off your side of the field, as Doublade dislikes taking residual damage due to its lack of recovery. Set up Stealth Rock on the opposing side, because it allows Doublade to 2HKO Latias and OHKO Mega Aerodactyl and wear down the opposing team, as Doublade forces many switches.
Team Options
========
Doublade fits well on bulky offense, balance, and stall teams, where it acts as a decent check to physical attackers. A good Doublade partner would be Sylveon, which is able to provide Wish and cleric support for Doublade and switch into Knock Off. It is also able to reliably check Dark-types and some special attackers such as Mega Sceptile and Latias. Pokemon such as Mega Manectric and Celebi threaten most bulky Water-types and are able to break defensive cores, support Doublade with Volt Switch or U-turn, or set Stealth Rock. Gliscor pairs very well with Doublade, as it can switch in on opposing Ground-types such as Krookodile and Hippowdon, absorb status thanks to Poison Heal and Toxic Orb, and shut down opposing walls with Taunt, which prevents them from setting up Stealth Rock or Spikes. Gliscor can also weaken the opposing team with its Swords Dance set to let Doublade clean with +2 Shadow Sneak. Mamoswine, Mega Sceptile, and Primarina can also threaten Ground-types while also threatening some archetypes on their own. Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Celebi, Klefki, and Swampert can set up entry hazards for Doublade to wear down its checks and let it sweep the opposing team more easily. Scizor and Latias are two entry hazard removers that team up very well with Doublade. Both can keep hazards off the field throughout the battle and are good checks to plenty of threats, such as Mega Sharpedo, Mamoswine, Mega Beedrill, and Alolan Muk in Scizor's case and Volcanion, Infernape, and Tentacruel in Latias's case. Mantine, Latias, and Togekiss also do well as Defog users, and the first two can check most bulky Water-types and Fire-types, while Togekiss can provide Heal Bell support and check Hydreigon. Hydreigon and Latias cover Fire and Ground weaknesses of Doublade as well as being able to revenge kill a wide range of threats or threaten defensive cores, while Doublade is able to threaten Fairy- and Ice-types and switch into some Dragon-type atacks. Terrakion and Cobalion check Dark-types such as Hydreigon, Mega Sharpedo, and Alolan Muk and force them out.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Doublade can run Gyro Ball over Iron Head with a Brave nature, but Iron Head is more reliable to hit slower threats such as Sylveon and Amoonguss, while Gyro Ball has fewer PP and minimum Speed investment leaves Doublade outsped by Amoonguss and Slowbro. Running Toxic over a coverage option can be useful to cripple switch-ins such as Ground- and bulky Water-types that Doublade struggles to beat. RestTalk provides recovery for Doublade and can be used either alongside Toxic and Special Defense investment to check more threats throughout the battle or with Swords Dance and Iron Head for better setup opportunities, but this set would be very passive and easily walled, as without Attack boosts or coverage options Doublade is walled by a plenty of Pokemon it should beat otherwise. Pursuit could be an option to trap Mega Aerodactyl and Latias, but Doublade can already punish switches by setting up a Swords Dance and hitting the switch-in with a boosted attack.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Hippowdon, Krookodile, and Swampert are bulky enough to take Doublade's hits and can easily beat it with their STAB attacks, although Krookodile still needs to be wary of Sacred Sword.
**Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Entei, Infernape, and Volcanion threaten Doublade with their super effective STAB moves or can cripple it with a burn, despite the fact that they can't switch in safely on Doublade's boosted hits.
**Dark-types**: Although most Dark-types can't switch in on Sacred Sword, they are still threatening. Mandibuzz can beat Doublade if it packs Foul Play or can shut it down with Taunt. Hydreigon can OHKO Doublade with Dark Pulse, and Mega Sharpedo and Krookodile can deal huge damage with Crunch and Knock Off.
**Bulky Water-types**: Suicune, Swampert, Tentacruel, and Mantine can tank Doublade's attacks and can burn it with their STAB Scald, halving its Attack stat, making Doublade useless throughout the battle. Suicune can set up Calm Minds or phaze Doublade with Roar, while Mantine and Tentacruel can use Haze to prevent Doublade's setup.
**Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers can break through Doublade, as its Special Defense is still very low despite holding an Eviolite. Threats such as Mega Manectric and Mega Pidgeot outspeed Doublade and either OHKO or 2HKO it. Doublade also takes huge damage from attackers such as Primarina and Calm Mind Latias; however, they can't switch into Doublade directly due to their poor bulk.
**Knock Off**: Doublade is crippled without its Eviolite, so Knock Off users such as Dark-types, Heracross, Scizor, and Mega Beedrill threaten it. Heracross and Mega Beedrill can't switch in safely but can easily remove Doublade's Eviolite when it switches into them.
Doublade's base 150 Defense makes it one of the bulkier physical pivots of the metagame, as it can easily take even some super effective physical hits, such as Earthquake from Terrakion and Mega Aerodactyl as well as +1 Earthquake from Mega Altaria. Its base 110 Attack and access to Swords Dance and priority Shadow Sneak allow Doublade to be a good late-game sweeper. Its great Ghost / Steel typing gives it a lot of useful resistances and immunities, enabling it to deal with some common threats such as Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Altaria, Cobalion, and Latias; however, some unfortunate weaknesses to Dark-, Fire-, and Ground-types make Doublade vulnerable to the prevalence of Knock Off, which some Pokemon that it should check pack, such as Scizor and Mega Beedrill, and without its Eviolite, it can be easily beaten by any strong attacker. Furthermore, despite Doublade's great Defense, its base 49 Special Defense leaves it very weak to special attacks from sweepers such as Primarina, Mega Manectric, and Mega Pidgeot. It lacks reliable recovery and is easily worn down over the course of repeated switches into threats it is meant to check. Unfortunately, Doublade does not benefit from its ability No Guard, since all the moves that it commonly runs have 100% accuracy, and it makes moves such as Fire Blast, Hydro Pump, and Will-O-Wisp hit it all the time.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Iron Head
move 4: Sacred Sword / Shadow Claw
item: Eviolite
ability: No Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Swords Dance increases Doublade's Attack and allows it to become a strong late-game sweeper. Shadow Sneak's priority patches up Doublade's poor Speed, helping it beat fast threats such as Mega Beedrill, Latias, and weakened Infernape. Iron Head is a more reliable STAB move that hits Fairy- and Rock-types such as Sylveon and Mega Aerodactyl harder. Sacred Sword has perfect neutral coverage with Shadow Sneak and hits Mega Sharpedo, Krookodile, and Mega Absol hard. It also hits Cobalion and Blissey harder than Iron Head. Shadow Claw is an option over Sacred Sword, which helps Doublade beat opposing Doublade and bulky Water-types such as Swampert and Jellicent, but it comes with the downside of not being able to hit Dark- and Steel-types super effectively.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Attack and an Adamant nature maximize Doublade's power and allow it to sweep more easily after a Swords Dance boost. 240 EVs HP increase Doublade's bulk and minimize Stealth Rock and burn damage, and the remaining 16 EVs go into Special Defense for slightly more bulk. Eviolite boosts Doublade's great Defense and patches up its lower Special Defense, allowing it to take many physical hits and even some super effective attacks such as non-STAB Earthquake, Pursuit, and Hidden Power Fire.
Usage Tips
========
Doublade can be used as a strong check to common threats, pivoting into and beating staples such as Mega Aerodactyl, Cobalion, Terrakion, and non-Fire Blast Mega Altaria, and it can set up on those to pressure the opposing team. Doublade still has to be careful around Mega Aerodactyl and Terrakion, as it get threatened by Earthquake, but it can switch safely on every move that isn't Earthquake. Otherwise, set up with Doublade late-game when opposing strong special attackers such as Mega Manectric and Primarina are weakened enough to get KOed by Shadow Sneak. You also need to get rid of Ground- and bulky Water-types such as Krookodile, Gliscor, and Suicune before attempting to sweep with Doublade. Keep Doublade from getting hit by Knock Off, as losing its Eviolite makes it somewhat weak to strong physical hits that it should otherwise be able to tank. Keep entry hazards off your side of the field, as Doublade dislikes taking residual damage due to its lack of recovery. Set up Stealth Rock on the opposing side, because it allows Doublade to 2HKO Latias and OHKO Mega Aerodactyl and wear down the opposing team, as Doublade forces many switches.
Team Options
========
Doublade fits well on bulky offense, balance, and stall teams, where it acts as a decent check to physical attackers. A good Doublade partner would be Sylveon, which is able to provide Wish and cleric support for Doublade and switch into Knock Off. It is also able to reliably check Dark-types and some special attackers such as Mega Sceptile and Latias. Pokemon such as Mega Manectric and Celebi threaten most bulky Water-types and are able to break defensive cores, support Doublade with Volt Switch or U-turn, or set Stealth Rock. Gliscor pairs very well with Doublade, as it can switch in on opposing Ground-types such as Krookodile and Hippowdon, absorb status thanks to Poison Heal and Toxic Orb, and shut down opposing walls with Taunt, which prevents them from setting up Stealth Rock or Spikes. Gliscor can also weaken the opposing team with its Swords Dance set to let Doublade clean with +2 Shadow Sneak. Mamoswine, Mega Sceptile, and Primarina can also threaten Ground-types while also threatening some archetypes on their own. Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Celebi, Klefki, and Swampert can set up entry hazards for Doublade to wear down its checks and let it sweep the opposing team more easily. Scizor and Latias are two entry hazard removers that team up very well with Doublade. Both can keep hazards off the field throughout the battle and are good checks to plenty of threats, such as Mega Sharpedo, Mamoswine, Mega Beedrill, and Alolan Muk in Scizor's case and Volcanion, Infernape, and Tentacruel in Latias's case. Mantine, Latias, and Togekiss also do well as Defog users, and the first two can check most bulky Water-types and Fire-types, while Togekiss can provide Heal Bell support and check Hydreigon. Hydreigon and Latias cover Fire and Ground weaknesses of Doublade as well as being able to revenge kill a wide range of threats or threaten defensive cores, while Doublade is able to threaten Fairy- and Ice-types and switch into some Dragon-type atacks. Terrakion and Cobalion check Dark-types such as Hydreigon, Mega Sharpedo, and Alolan Muk and force them out.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Doublade can run Gyro Ball over Iron Head with a Brave nature, but Iron Head is more reliable to hit slower threats such as Sylveon and Amoonguss, while Gyro Ball has fewer PP and minimum Speed investment leaves Doublade outsped by Amoonguss and Slowbro. Running Toxic over a coverage option can be useful to cripple switch-ins such as Ground- and bulky Water-types that Doublade struggles to beat. RestTalk provides recovery for Doublade and can be used either alongside Toxic and Special Defense investment to check more threats throughout the battle or with Swords Dance and Iron Head for better setup opportunities, but this set would be very passive and easily walled, as without Attack boosts or coverage options Doublade is walled by a plenty of Pokemon it should beat otherwise. Pursuit could be an option to trap Mega Aerodactyl and Latias, but Doublade can already punish switches by setting up a Swords Dance and hitting the switch-in with a boosted attack.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Ground-types such as Hippowdon, Krookodile, and Swampert are bulky enough to take Doublade's hits and can easily beat it with their STAB attacks, although Krookodile still needs to be wary of Sacred Sword.
**Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Entei, Infernape, and Volcanion threaten Doublade with their super effective STAB moves or can cripple it with a burn, despite the fact that they can't switch in safely on Doublade's boosted hits.
**Dark-types**: Although most Dark-types can't switch in on Sacred Sword, they are still threatening. Mandibuzz can beat Doublade if it packs Foul Play or can shut it down with Taunt. Hydreigon can OHKO Doublade with Dark Pulse, and Mega Sharpedo and Krookodile can deal huge damage with Crunch and Knock Off.
**Bulky Water-types**: Suicune, Swampert, Tentacruel, and Mantine can tank Doublade's attacks and can burn it with their STAB Scald, halving its Attack stat, making Doublade useless throughout the battle. Suicune can set up Calm Minds or phaze Doublade with Roar, while Mantine and Tentacruel can use Haze to prevent Doublade's setup.
**Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers can break through Doublade, as its Special Defense is still very low despite holding an Eviolite. Threats such as Mega Manectric and Mega Pidgeot outspeed Doublade and either OHKO or 2HKO it. Doublade also takes huge damage from attackers such as Primarina and Calm Mind Latias; however, they can't switch into Doublade directly due to their poor bulk.
**Knock Off**: Doublade is crippled without its Eviolite, so Knock Off users such as Dark-types, Heracross, Scizor, and Mega Beedrill threaten it. Heracross and Mega Beedrill can't switch in safely but can easily remove Doublade's Eviolite when it switches into them.
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