#227 Skarmory -
Skarmory, One of the best physical walls in the whole entire game. It has massve 140 base defensive and can easily keep most physical threats are bay. One of the best things about Skamory is it's steel typing, meaning it has plenty of resistances, and can easily set up spikes. Skarmory is one of the best phazers, the Black and white can offer.
Base Stats: Hp 65 - Atk 80 - Def 140 - SAtk 40 - SDef 70 - Spe 70 (BST:465)
Abilities:
Keen Eye:Moves such as Sand-Attack and Kinesis fail against a Pokémon with Keen Eye. Any move that lowers accuracy as a secondary effect will work, but never lower accuracy.
Sturdy: If it by a move that would KO, this Pokemon instead will be left with 1 HP (it is unknown if this only works at full HP or at any HP level)
Breakable armor(Dream World): When hit by a physical attack your defense decreases 1 stage, but speed increases 1 stage.
Movepool:
-Level-up Moves: Lv1: Leer, Lv1: Peck, Lv6: Sand-Attack, Lv9: Swift, Lv12: Agility, Lv17: Fury Attack, Lv20: Feint, Lv23: Air Cutter, Lv28: Spikes, Lv31: Metal Sound, Lv34: Steel Wing, Lv39: Body Purge, Lv42: Air Slash, Lv45: Slash, Lv50: Night Slash
- Learnable TMs:TM05 - Roar, TM06 - Toxic, TM10 - Hidden Power, TM11 - Sunny Day, TM12 - Taunt, TM17 - Protect, TM21 - Frustration, TM27 - Return, TM32 - Double Team, TM37 - Sandstorm, TM39 - Rock Tomb, TM40 - Aerial Ace, TM41 - Torment, TM42 - Facade, TM44 - Rest, TM45 - Attract, TM46 - Thief, TM48 - Troll, TM58 - Free Fall, TM66 - Payback, TM70 - Flash, TM75 - Swords Dance, TM80 - Rock Slide, TM81 - X-Scissor, TM87 - Swagger, TM88 - Pluck, TM90 - Substitute, TM91 - Flash Cannon, TM94 - Rock Smash, HM01 - Cut, HM02 - Fly
Egg Moves:
Drill Peck
Pursuit
Whirlwind
Sky Attack
Curse
Brave Bird
Assurance
Guard Swap
Stealth Rock
Endure
4th generation moves:
Roost
Lv39: Body Purge:Raises speed by two stages, makes user lighter.
TM48 - Troll
Special Normal PP: 15 Power: 60 / Accuracy: 100 Effect: The more pokemon on your team that have the move troll, the Base power rises
TM58 - Free Fall
Physical Flying PP: 10 Power: 60 / Accuracy: 100 Effect: Raises the opponent up in the air, when the opponent is up in the air, it cannot move.
TM48 - Troll
Special Normal PP: 15 Power: 60 / Accuracy: 100 Effect: The more pokemon on your team that have the move troll, the Base power rises
TM58 - Free Fall
Physical Flying PP: 10 Power: 60 / Accuracy: 100 Effect: Raises the opponent up in the air, when the opponent is up in the air, it cannot move.
Traits:
- Wonderful Typing: Skarmory has brillant typing, one of the few pokemon that resist Ground and Dragon. it's typing gives lots of resistances, and it's immune to ground, so it can easily switch in on a Earthquake, and set up spikes, or whirlwind the opponent's pokemon out.
- A great phazer+can set up Spikes/Stealth rock: Skarmory walls so much of the metagame, that it can easily phaze most physical threats. Just switch in and start setting up spikes. It walls most physical threats with ease, and has a roost so it can easily stall out most pokemon. Spikes is a great thing to have on both offensive and defensive teams. Skarmory usually does better on defensive teams because it really can threaten much except flying and grass types.
- Reliable recovery move : This makes a huge difference in Skarmory's walling abilities. With this it doesn't require wish support like Fortress does. It makes it makes skarmory, so much more reliable than most of the other spikers/phazers out there. Fortress can stand up against repeated physical hits because it's only recovery is leftovers, or the gimmicky Pain split. Skarmory also avoids all entry hazards with the exception of Stealth rock, other spikers get worn down by entry hazards. There are a few times where roost, may get you in trouble. If you against a slower opponent such as Swampert, your opponent could predict it and use Earthquake and hit you for super effective damage, other than that, having a reliable recovery is a blessing for Skarmory.
Potential Sets:
Physical Spiker
Set #1
Skarmory @ Leftovers/Shed Shell
Nature: Impish
Ability: Sturdy
252 HP/252 Def/6 SpD
~Spikes
~Roost
~Brave Bird
~Whirlwind
-Skarmory's flagship set, probably the best set it could possibly run. This set capitalizes on Skarmory's massive physical bulk, to set up most physical threats. The strategy is quite simple, Switch in on a physical threat, that doesn't know taunt such as Ononokusu, Bulky Gyarados, or some variants of Tyrannitar, and start setting up spikes, if they try to set up on you, just whirlwind them out so they take more entry hazard damage. After you set up three layers, of spikes (which shouldn't be very difficult, by the way) you should focus on phazing, most of the time to rack up even more damage and to scout the oponent's team. You also have Brave bird so you can threaten the fighting and grass types.
Spiker lead
Set #2
Skarmory @ Leftovers/Lum berry/Custap berry
Nature: Impish/Careful
Ability: Sturdy
252 HP/164 SpD/92 Spe
~Brave Bird
~Spikes
~Taunt
~Roost/Stealth rock
Skarmory's lead set, and it got a Upgrade in Black and White because it's ability Sturdy, acts like a focus sash so it will always survive the first hit, with the exception of moves that hit more than once such as Rock blast and icicle Spear, and unless there critical they should never faint anyway. Taunt stops slower leads from setting up their hazards, and against non-taunt leads, it should get up at least one layer of spikes. the fourth move varies, if you don't want to be a suicide lead, then roost is the required move, and theirs also stealth rock, to set up even more entry hazards apart from spikes. There are many options for your item If you want Skarmory to stick around for a while there's leftovers, and the lum berry let it's avoid status, and let's it set up on the sleeper leads. The Custap berry is only really being a suicide lead, it Skarmory set up at least 2 layers of entry hazards before fainting.
Conclusion:
Well, there you go everyone, the best physical wall in the whole game IMO, excluding legendaries. I think Skamory will be used quite a bit more to deal with the massive physical threats the emerged this generation. It can easily stand with Onokusu, Doryuuzu, and most other physical threats with out taunt. Skarmory along with Hippowdon, Nattorei, and Gliscor, are now emerging as the few pokemon that can stand up to the highly offensive metagame. Skarmory has the bonus of setting up two kinds entry hazards, and having a reliable recovery move, which neither of the walls I listed can do everything Skarmory can do. Overall, Skarmory is still a great pokemon, and I hope you decide to use it on your team! How do you think the 5th generation will affect skarmory?
