This set has become the new DPP standard for Skarmory. Roost gives Skarmory improved tanking ability compared to Advance, when its only recovery methods were Rest and Leftovers. This, when compared with the fact that physical attackers have grown much more powerful this generation, makes it an appropriate physical wall and support Pokemon. Brave Bird is there to let Skarmory deal damage when called for, especially against the likes of bulky attackers like Gyarados. Drill Peck, a more conservative choice, may seem appropriate to retain some HP, however it is not recommended, as your damage output will be significantly reduced thanks to Skarmory's mediocre Attack stat. If, however, Shed Shell is the preferred item choice, the recoil from Brave Bird may take a toll on Skarmory, so Drill Peck is a suitable replacement. Roost lets Skarmory recover HP taken by switching in or setting up entry hazards. In situations where Skarmory is faster than its opponent, Skarmory can also use Roost to remove its Flying-type for the rest of the turn in order to reduce damage from normally effective attacks like Stone Edge and ThunderPunch. The choice between Spikes and Stealth Rock depends on your team and your preferences. Spikes takes longer to fully set up, but will do more damage to things that aren't weak to Rock. If you have problems with powerful sweepers weak to Rock like Gyarados or Salamence, Stealth Rock is the recommended choice. Keep in mind that Stealth Rock is learned by many competent Pokémon, whereas there are few good Spikers. Whirlwind allows Skarmory to force out attackers that are using stat raising moves and simultaneously makes whatever comes in take damage from Spikes or Stealth Rock. If whatever is forced out is ineffective at doing damage to Skarmory, you can either use Whirlwind again or attack with Brave Bird. Your choice of item is largely dependent on how hesitant you are in allowing Magnezone to switch in and KO you, and how conservative you are to scout the opponent's team before bringing Skarmory in. Leftovers will give Skarmory better tanking abilities and heal Brave Bird recoil, while Shed Shell will allow Skarmory to give Magnezone (or the rare Probopass) the slip. Although Leftovers has become the widely popular choice, Shed Shell is recommended should you not be extremely careful upon bringing Skarmory in. While unlikely, Shed Shell can also prevent rare trapping Pokemon from walking all over you, such as Mean Look + Baton Pass Umbreon or Absol. Maximum HP is a must on any Skarmory to allow it better walling capabilities against both special and physical attacks. 64 Attack EVs allow Skarmory to 2HKO offensive Gyarados if it has taken Stealth Rock damage (assuming Skarmory has not been Intimidated) and will also OHKO Infernape switch-ins. The given Attack EVs also allow Skarmory to KO most Lucario after a Defense drop from Close Combat and one Life Orb recoil. 16 Speed EVs grant Skarmory the ability to outrun maximum Speed Adamant Rhyperior, allowing it to Roost stall its Stone Edge. The remaining EVs are delegated to Defense. Although it would seem Skarmory's defensive abilities and natural resistances could fit on nearly any team, one without the proper immediate response to its counters, or one not able to take full advantage of its utility will find Skarmory's performance mildly underwhelming. Any team with a Skarmory in the wings should have the utmost reliability in taking special hits often fired at it, as well as the ability to handle common counters and weaknesses Skarmory provides. For these reasons are why specially dependable Pokemon like Blissey and Latias are often seen paired with Skarmory, as they can take advantage of the special attacker switch-ins. Pokemon that resist Skarmory's main weaknesses also do well alongside it. Swampert, for example, resists Fire- and is immune to Electric-type attacks, plus has the ability to provide Stealth Rock support useful in allowing Skarmory to use Whirlwind all the more effectively. Offensive teams will most likely find Skarmory's meager offensive presence unworthy of use, and teams without the ability to shuffle an opponent's Pokemon with pseudo-hazing moves like Roar and Whirlwind will also likely find Skarmory's utility disappointing. For these reasons, the best support for Skarmory is one that acts similarly in an attempt to wear down the opponent's Pokemon through indirect damage, most frequently defined as stall. A combination of other entry hazards and pseudo-hazing moves, damaging weather effects, and unbreakable defensive abilities will likely leave your opponent in a bad spot. In a similar vein, a Ghost-type is also recommended on any team using Skarmory to prevent Rapid Spin from ruining your attempts at setting up Spikes and Stealth Rock.
One of Spiking Skarmory's biggest problems has always been dealing with that last Pokémon, especially if it's utilizing a stat-upping move, such as Curse Snorlax, Tyranitar, or Swampert, as well as dealing with Rest Gyarados, among others. This set tries to rectify the problem through the use of the move Taunt. This particular set also has its uses against stall teams. Taunt has several attractive qualities. First of all, it stops the opponent from setting up with their stat-up moves. This allows Skarmory to wear the opponent down rather easily with Toxic, while Taunt also stops the opponent from using Rest, Heal Bell, or Aromatherapy which would otherwise stop the set rather quickly, meaning Skarmory can beat Curse Snorlax and Tyranitar relatively easily, as well as beating a myriad of other Pokémon. It also means that the opponent's Pokémon cannot use healing moves such as Recover, which results in a quicker loss for their team. Taunt means opposing defensive Pokémon cannot set up their own hazards, which stops Pokémon such as Forretress from doing anything pretty easily. It also means opposing Skarmory will be forced to use Brave Bird, and eventually be forced to use Struggle as your own Skarmory will be able to outspeed and consistently Taunt. Toxic has the extra advantage of crippling common switch-ins such as Zapdos badly, making it much easier to take out as you switch to your designated counter. Roost keeps Skarmory's HP topped up and helps against Choice Band Tyranitar's Stone Edge, and other non-boosted moves. One should be careful however, due to Skarmory running more Speed it is also easier for opposing Scizor to damage it with Superpower on the Roost, hitting it for super effective damage and allowing Scizor to do upwards of 83% damage. Many moves can go in the last slot. Spikes is perhaps the most preferred, as it allows Skarmory to make more use of the turns where the opponent is attacking and doing mediocre damage due to Taunt. Spikes also helps break opposing stall teams; Skarmory can force switches with the Taunt and Toxic combination, which then racks up Spiking damage. This also potentially gives Skarmory a good chance at poisoning more of the opponent's team, limiting their walling ability. Whirlwind however, allows Skarmory to scout and rack up any potential entry hazard damage placed by the rest of the team. Finally, Brave Bird means that Skarmory can hit Infernape for high damage on the switch-in, as well as helping against Heracross who may want to grab a Guts boost. The selected EV spread allows Skarmory to outspeed Adamant Tyranitar. 252 EVs are placed into HP for overall defensive ability, and the remainder are placed into Defense, which allows Skarmory to take hits like RestTalk Gyarados' Waterfall much easier. This Skarmory works well with 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 Spe Jolly Gliscor, who beats out Choice Band Heracross and Swords Dance Lucario; two Pokemon who will come in on Skarmory with glee (Lucario being immune to Toxic and Heracross absorbing it with Guts). Gliscor also sets up Stealth Rock to work in a similar fashion of slowly weakening the opponent. A STAB Earthquake and Electric-type resistance are also helpful against Pokemon like Jirachi and Jolteon, respectively. Along with these Pokemon, Gliscor can also handle select trouble Pokemon to this Skarmory, some examples being defensive Zapdos without Hidden Power Ice (Heat Wave is likely a 3HKO, while Hidden Power Ice has the possibility of OHKOing), and a Choice-locked Electric-type attack. Residual damage also puts this set at a huge advantage, so naturally, Hippowdon works well when paired with it. Hippowdon does, however, have a bigger problem with Heracross and Lucario, as it can't outspeed either. Vaporeon with Hidden Power Electric or another bulky Water-type that can take on similar threats will work to ward off Gyarados, Salamence, and assorted Fire-types like Infernape and Heatran. Special tanks like Blissey and Latias work almost as well paired with this set as the last two, however one will have trouble with Heracross. Choice Scarfed Pokemon with Fire-type attacks (Heatran, Zapdos) also work well with this set to take care of the aforementioned Fighting-types. It should be noted that in any Skarmory VS Heracross situation, it is best to scout with a slow Roost (should you be over about 70% health) first to ensure the proper switch-in.
In GSC and ADV play, Skarmory was often hailed as the best physical wall because it had great typing and a gigantic 140 base Defense. In DPP however, Skarmory finds competition in Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Forretress for being the best physical wall. This set separates itself from the other physical walls because it can set up on many common switch-ins, including Infernape and Gengar. The idea of this set is to use Torment as your opponent switches to their Skarmory counter. Then simply Protect to block the opposing Pokemon's attack and be free to set up Spikes while your opponent is forced to switch attacks thanks to your Torment. It should be noted that this set absolutely destroys Choiced Pokemon, as Skarmory can set up on them with impunity.
Roost is the best option in the fourth slot to give Skarmory a healing move. However, if you have another Pokemon with Wish to heal Skarmory on your team, Taunt can be used in place of Roost to screw with your opponent's Pokemon even further. It can mess with Pokemon like Blissey and DDTar, preventing them from setting up while you use Spikes. Taunt also stops Calm Mind users from walking over you and giving them a free set-up. Another decent option is Whirlwind, which can do some major damage once three layers of Spikes are out, but it is not recommended as this set in particular focuses on setting up Spikes rather than team shuffling. Finally, Substitute is a solid option for this set, as it allows you to beat Pokemon that will not use their super effective hit while you Protect. The EVs are pretty self explanatory, 252 HP allows you to take hits from attacks both the physical and special sides. 16 Speed EVs let Skarmory outrun Tyranitar with 80 Spe EVs and use Torment to PP stall it out of Stone Edge, which can be extremely helpful later in the match. 16 Speed also lets you outrun max Speed Rhyperior. 240 Defense EVs are given to be able to take physical hits better. While this set is effective by itself, it is best paired with something that can destroy Taunt users. Scarfed Tyranitar is a prime example of something that can fill this position. It has the ability to defeat every common user of Taunt, including Gyarados (Stone Edge or Thunderbolt), Gliscor (Aqua Tail or Ice Beam), and Heatran (Aqua Tail or Earthquake). Tyranitar also has the ability to generate a sandstorm, which adds more effectiveness to this set. Another great partner for Skarmory is Blissey. They form the legendary "SkarmBliss" combo together. Blissey can soak up the special hits that Skarmory lures and vice versa, all the while setting up Spikes. Swampert also makes a fine partner to this set, as it can switch into Stone Edges, Flamethrowers, and Thunderbolts aimed at Skarmory. This set is even more annoying with Toxic Spikes, and it is highly recommended you play this set with them. Kingdra pairs well with Skarmory due to the x4 Fire resist. After stepping into a Fire-type attack from a slower or choiced Pokemon, Kingdra can attempt to Dragon Dance and sweep. Kingdra's sweep is easier to do thanks to the chip damage Spikes provides. Finally, playing this Pokemon with a spin blocker could be beneficial, especially if played on stall. With the right support, this Skarmory becomes an impenetrable wall that will more than likely force a ragequit.
From days that date back to early GS, Skarmory has regularly been used as a physical wall. DPP's physical-special split, however, changed certain circumstances. Turning Skarmory into a part-physical, part-special wall is greatly beneficial for balanced or stall-based teams; Specially Defensive Skarmory is sturdy at the job of setting up Spikes and breaks the traditional "Skarmory will always lose to unresisted special attacks" rule. At first glance, it may seem that 334 HP and 239 SpD are rather low stats for walling, but Skarmory's nine resistances and two immunities compensate for this. Skarmory also has 348 Defense with an Impish nature with which to take little damage from common physical attacks like Scizor's Bullet Punch and Weavile's Ice Punch. The fundamental idea that this set revolves around is simple: come in on neutral or ineffective special attacks from weaker special attackers, and set up Spikes while shrugging off physical attacks that Skarmory can handle. Skarmory's specially defensive capabilities can clearly be seen in the following examples: Bold 0 SpA Vaporeon only does around 35% with Surf; Modest 252 SpA Togekiss only does around 32% with Aura Sphere; Bold 0 SpA Suicune only does around 30% with Surf. Furthermore, Specially Defensive Skarmory is especially adept at taking hits from both physical and special Dragon-type moves. This Skarmory also makes a reliable check to Calm Mind/Surf Latias, able to phaze it with Whirlwind while taking around 43% from a +1 Surf. Next, 252 SpA Life Orb Salamence will do around 42% with its Draco Meteor, and a Fire Blast coming from its -2 SpA stat is unable to OHKO Skarmory. Draco Meteors coming from Dragonite and Kingdra will do even less. Skarmory is also able to wall Outrages and Dragon Claws with ease, taking around 32% from non-boosted Life Orb Salamence's Outrage, one of OU's strongest Outrages. Skarmory can also combat 80 SpA Flygon, but Fire Blast will unfortunately 2HKO it. Choice Scarf Flygon's standard U-turn, Fire Punch, and Outrage will do very little to it, though, and Skarmory's immunity to Ground-type moves helps. Generally, Specially Defensive Skarmory will also have an easy time with Grass-types whose main forms of offense lie in Grass Knot and Leaf Storm, Choiced Psychic-types locked onto the wrong moves, and even EdgeQuake abusers. Moreover, 80 SpA Blissey will do only around 35% with Flamethrower, allowing Skarmory to set up on it while Roosting. Brave Bird is Skarmory's strongest means of offense, threatening Infernape, Breloom, and Heracross, while also striking Gyarados. Gyarados only has a 32% chance of 2HKOing you with +1 Attack and Stealth Rock in play. Next, Roost cannot be neglected on any of Skarmory's sets. With Spikes, Skarmory turns into a highly supportive team player. Finally, Whirlwind offers Skarmory the phazing technique, which is useful against Pokemon that commonly set-up, or against an incoming switch-in to inflict further residual damage. Though Specially Defensive Skarmory is not immediately threatened by the likes of Tentacruel and Vaporeon, it does have a number of enemies that it hates. Heatran and Rotom-A can switch right into Skarmory, resisting Brave Bird OHKOing it with their STAB moves. If Infernape comes in on Roost or Spikes, Fire Blast is sure to OHKO Skarmory. Another way to shut the metal bird down is through the use of Taunt, which disables three of Skarmory's moves. Bulky Taunt Gyarados will cause myriad problems if Skarmory is unable to Whirlwind it out of play. Also, Pokemon like Trick Jirachi and Spore Breloom can take advantage of its low Speed. Some Rapid Spinners, like Forretress, don't take much damage from Brave Bird and can Spin away Skarmory's Spikes. Finally, Magnezone, Skarmory's greatest archenemy, can cause problems if it switches in on anything except Whirlwind. For this reason, Shed Shell is an acceptable choice of item to equip on Skarmory. A number of partners can work alongside Skarmory to create remarkable walling combinations. Latias is a great partner as it resists Electric- and Fire-type moves, which are always threatening Skarmory. In return, Skarmory helps Latias resist Bug-, Dark-, Dragon-, and Ghost-type moves. Because Skarmory and Latias are both independent in being able to heal themselves, they are commonly found on stall teams. Next, Spin Blockers help prevent Rapid Spinners like Starmie from removing entry hazards from the battlefield; if they succeed, then Skarmory's hard work in setting up Spikes will have been for naught. Rotom-A's common presence in stall teams make them great partners to Skarmory. Heatran is also a fantastic Skarmory partner - Fire-type moves that Skarmory attracts can be redirected to Heatran to gain a Flash Fire boost. At the same time, Skarmory is immune to Earthquake and can shrug off Surfs coming from bulky Water-types. A bulky Ground-type is also good at working with Skarmory. Swampert is a fine partner and tank - its 4x Grass-type weakness is nullified by Skarmory's 4x Grass-type resistance. Because Skarmory is unaffected by sandstorm damage, Hippowdon makes a solid partner. Lastly, don't forget the infamous Skarmory, Cresselia, and Blissey combo meant to function as an unbelievably stable defensive core. Team OptionsSkarmory can't be placed on any team; it needs the proper support for its use to be completely worthwhile. This will usually come in two forms: extra residual damage like entry hazards and damaging weather, or in resistances. Tentacruel is probably the most effective user of Toxic Spikes in OU, so it pairs naturally well with Skarmory. Hippowdon can provide a safeguard against physical attackers too powerful for Skarmory to handle, Sandstorm support, and Stealth Rock should Skarmory be lacking it itself. In general, you'll want strong defensive Pokemon who can set up health-chipping effects of their own, or who can simply take advantage of the ones Skarmory set up with Roar or Whirlwind. In terms of resistances, Swampert is a great partner to Skarmory, as it is immune to Electric- and is resistant to Fire-type attacks, both of which Skarmory fear. Lanturn resists these types similarly, but has the added advantage of actually benefiting from switching into Electric-type moves thanks to Volt Absorb. Blissey, Cresselia, Latias, and other sturdy specially-oriented defenders work tremendously well alongside Skarmory as they sponge normally fatal special hits. Due to Skarmory's nonexistent offensive presence, it is suggested its use on offensive teams is avoided, as it will generally mark a slow pace among entrance. Other OptionsSkarmory's more viable options have already been mentioned, however there are a few semi-usable other moves available. Agility, Curse, and Swords Dance are available as boosting moves, however an offensive Skarmory is usually not worthwhile compared to stronger attackers like Metagross and Staraptor. Roar is available as an alternative to Whirlwind should breeding be a problem, however it is usually not recommended, as Soundproof Pokemon like Mr. Mime will succeed in Baton Passing. In a similar vein, Steel Wing is an alternate move choice to nail Tyranitar and Rhyperior, however it makes it even easier for Pokemon like Lucario, Heatran, and Infernape to switch in (not to mention its low Base Power). Rest is not recommended on any defensive set not carrying Sleep Talk, since Skarmory will essentially be dead weight on your team for two turns. Skarmory can also set up Sunny Day should there be a need, however this just capitalizes on its Fire-weakness. Always use Keen Eye on Skarmory over Sturdy if used in competitive play, because OHKO moves are banned, but Sand Attack is not. EVs252 HP is the first step—you'll almost always want to allocate EVs to HP to help keep Skarmory alive, regardless of the moveset. Skarmory does well with Attack in the range of 210 to 220, which, with a neutral nature, can be achieved with 56 to 96 EVs. The remainder of its EVs should go towards Defense. OpinionSkarmory is still a top tier OU Pokemon, even after the physical / special attacking split of DPP. In fact, DPP providing it an instant recovery move and more usable STAB might even have added to its usability. Skarmory can't switch in on quite as much as it has been able to in the past, but it is still able to stop more physical attackers than just about anything else. CountersSkarmory will always lose to unresisted special attacks, especially those that are super effective. Electric- and Fire-type special attackers with a super effective STAB move can usually 2HKO, or even OHKO, depending on investment. Heatran in particular gets a safe switch in because of its resistance to Skarmory's STAB attacks, and can threaten it out with a Fire move of its own. Strong stat-uppers with neutral STAB attacks like Lucario, Gyarados, Rhyperior, and Tyranitar will usually come out on top against Skarmory, provided it doesn't just Whirlwind them away before they have the chance to attack. Magnezone and Probopass are the bane of Skarmory's existence — with their ability Magnet Pull, they prohibit it from switching out (unless Skarmory is holding Shed Shell), proceeding to KO Skarmory with their STAB attacks or with Taunt. |
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