What it does
Spirit Shackle is a Ghost-type physical move that deals 90 power damage in Champions (higher than the standard competitive value). On top of the damage, it traps the target — as long as Decidueye stays on the field, the hit Pokémon cannot switch out or flee. The trap lasts until Decidueye leaves or faints.
Key type limitation: Ghost-type moves do nothing to Normal types — Normal is immune to Ghost (0x). Send out a Normal type and Spirit Shackle deals zero, so you need a different move. Dark is a separate case: it resists Ghost (0.5x), so the move still lands, just for half damage. Don't lump Dark in with Normal's immunity.
With STAB, 90 power lands harder than it sounds. Ghost-type hits Psychic and Ghost super effectively — both types are present in Champions play, making the coverage genuinely useful.
Who runs it
Decidueye (74% usage) is the only carrier here. Grass/Ghost typing means Spirit Shackle gets full STAB. The 74% usage rate tells the whole story — this is the move that defines what Decidueye does. 90 power STAB plus a trapping effect on the same hit makes it one of the better signature moves in the format.
How to use it
In doubles, switching is less common than in singles, so the trap effect doesn't always matter. But when Champions format allows switching and you identify a key Pokémon the opponent wants to pivot — a setup sweeper they're protecting, or a crucial support — Spirit Shackle pins it in place. Your partner can then freely attack or set up field conditions while the trapped target can't escape to a safer position.
Even when trapping doesn't change anything tactically, the 90-power Ghost STAB means your opponent can't just ignore Decidueye as a support Pokémon. It hits back.
Tips & strategy
The trap lasts only as long as Decidueye is on the field. If it faints, the trapped target is free to switch on the following turn. That means choosing to switch out Decidueye yourself has a cost: you release the trap. Factor that into the decision when the matchup looks bad.
Against a Normal type, Spirit Shackle does nothing, and against a Dark type it only lands for half. Decidueye's moveset typically includes a Grass-type move to handle those matchups. Always check the opposing lead's typing before committing to Spirit Shackle as your first move.