<p>Brave Bird is Skarmory's strongest means of offense, threatening Alakazam (I would reccomend removing Alakazam, since it's now UU), Infernape, Breloom, and Heracross, while also striking Gyarados. On the subject of Gyarados, it 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 like Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Dragon Dance Gyarados, or against an incoming switch-in to inflict further residual damage.</p>
<p>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 effortlessly switch right into Skarmory, resisting Brave Bird and threatening to OHKO it with their STAB moves. If Infernape comes in on anything except Whirlwind or Brave Bird, Flamethrower or Fire Blast is sure to OHKO Skarmory. Another way to shut the metal bird down is through the use of Taunt. Taunt disables three of Skarmory's moves, usually forcing it to switch out. Bulky Taunt Gyarados will cause myriad problems if Skarmory is unable to Whirlwind it out of play. Other Pokemon that annoy Skarmory include those that can take advantage of its low Speed, including Trick Jirachi or Spore Smeargle. Rapid Spinners like Claydol or Forretress don't take much damage from Brave Bird and can Spin away Skarmory's Spikes if there are already some in play. 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, as it will allow it to switch out of Magnet Pull.</p>
<p>A number of partners can work alongside Skarmory to create remarkable defensive 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. Skarmory and Latias are both perfectly independent in being able to heal themselves, and because of this they are commonly found in 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. The Rotom Appliances' common presence in stall teams make them great partners to Skarmory, and they can check Gyarados, too. 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 some bulky Water-types. A bulky Ground-type is also generally good at working with Skarmory. Rhyperior is immune to Electric-type moves and resists Fire-type moves. In return, Rhyperior's Ground-, Grass-, and Steel-type weaknesses are covered by Skarmory, who in addition is able to wall some Water- and Ice-type moves to certain extents. (again, the move to UU may warrant removing this sentence) Swampert is another fine partner and tank, and it has less weaknesses than Rhyperior - its 4x Grass-type weakness is nullified by Skarmory's 4x Grass-type resistance. Hippowdon also deserves a special mention because of its Sand Stream ability - Skarmory is unaffected by sandstorm damage. Don't forget the infamous Skarmory, Cresselia, and Blissey combo meant to function as an unbelievably stable defensive core.</p>
