Skarmory (QC 0/3)

[Magcargo]

Overview
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+ Excellent typing and great defense stat
+ Checks important threats such as Arceus-Normal, Mega Salamence, and Mega Scizor
+ Excellent support options such Roost, Whirlwind, Spikes, and Taunt
+ Many of its old checks and counters from XY have been nerfed
- Poor Special Bulk, meaning it can't check Pokemon such as Xerneas despite its resistance to Fairy-type moves
- Taunt Bait
- Poor offensive presence
- Lost Ghost and Dark resistances, making it unusable as a check to most specially based Dark and Ghost-types

Physically Defensive
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name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird / Toxic / Taunt
ability: Sturdy
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell / Rocky Helmet
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
nature: Impish / Bold

Moves
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• Spikes is a great move to set up on stuff that Skarmory walls such as Mega Scizor, Lugia, and Arceus Normal
• Stealth Rock is an okay alternate if you don't have room for another user
• Roost for recovery
• Whirlwind phazes out sweepers such as Arceus Normal and Salamence before they acquire too many boost.
• Brave Bird prevents Skarmory from being Shadow Tag bait, as it 2HKOes Gengar
• Toxic cripples switch-ins such as Ho-oh and Primal Kyogre
• Taunt cripples walls such as Lugia and opposing Skarmory, leading to more opportunities to set up Spikes

Set Details
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• Physically defensive spread to take on Mence / Arceus better
• Leftovers gives skarmory more longevity
• Shed shell helps Skarmory against Mega Gengar
• Rocky helmet deals nice chip damage to pokemon that skarmory counters such as Arceus and Scizor
• Shed shell should only be used if Skarmory isn't running Brave Bird

Usage Tips
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• Send Skarmory against Pokemon that it can counter (Scizor, Arceus Normal, Mega Salamence) and either start setting up spikes or phaze them out with whirlwind if they start getting too many boost

Team Options
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• Additional Primal Groudon Checks: Giratina-O, Lugia
• Clerics: Xerneas, Diancie, Blissey, Clefable
• Spinblockers: Giratina-O, Sableye
• Ho-oh Checks: Arceus-Rock, Mega Diancie, Stealth Rock
• Primal Kyogre checks: Latias, Latios, Gastrodon?
• Zekrom checks: Primal Groudon, Xerneas, Landors-T
• Xerneas checks: Mega Scizor, Primal Groudon

Other Options
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• Specially Defensive spread (Takes on Latios / Latias better)
• Defog
• Counter

Checks & Counters
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**Powerful Special Attackers**: Skarmory's abysmal Special Defense leaves it vulnerable to many Special Attackers. Notable threats include Yveltal, Primal Kyogre, Arceus-Dark, and Arceus-Ghost.

**Fire-types**: Powerful Fire-type moves from Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Ho-oh will easily KO Skarmory. Several Pokemon that Skarmory can check, such as Rayquaza and Salamence, can also use a Fire-type coverage move to lure and KO Skarmory.

**Taunt**: Taunt completely shuts down Skarmory, preventing it from setting up entry hazards as well as recovering health with Roost. Deoxys-S, Yveltal, and Thundurus are good users of this move that can threaten Skarmory.

 

[Magcargo]

Ok, this is ready for QC. Feedback on the Usage tips and C&C sections would be appreciated, as I struggled most with those two sections.

 

[SparksBlade]

Maybe you should mention that despite resisting fairy-type attacks, it should not be relied to take on xern, since every variant except defensive xern can 2hko skar with moonblast alone.
Skarmory can't effectively check Rayquaza, as Mix has Fire Blast and Band has V-Create, while SD variant 2HKOs with Ascent at +2
For C&C, mention taunt users like deo-s, yveltal, thundurus etc.

 

[Magcargo]

Maybe you should mention that despite resisting fairy-type attacks, it should not be relied to take on xern, since every variant except defensive xern can 2hko skar with moonblast alone.
Skarmory can't effectively check Rayquaza, as Mix has Fire Blast and Band has V-Create, while SD variant 2HKOs with Ascent at +2
For C&C, mention taunt users like deo-s, yveltal, thundurus etc.

Done.

 

[Magcargo]

Fireburn You can reassign this. I won't have any time to work on it.

 

[Fireburn]

k