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[B][U]QC checks:[/U][/B] shrang, Poppy, barry4ever [B][3/3][/B]
[B][U]GP checks:[/U][/B] jc104 (DittoCrow), SkullCandy [B][2/2][/B]<p>Skarmory, one of the best physical walls since GSC, returns in BW to protect its team from Ubers' physical titans: Extreme Killer Arceus, Groudon, Rayquaza, and Excadrill. In fact, the steel bird is the best Swords Dance Arceus counter in general, specifically Extreme Killer Arceus, that exists. With base 140 Defense, reliable recovery in Roost, great defensive typing, and a wide arsenal of support moves such as Spikes, Stealth Rock, Whirlwind, Toxic, Taunt, and more, Skarmory makes for a great Pokemon to support your team. Skarmory's Sturdy ability allows it to tank and scout hits when at full health, which can prove helpful in some situations such as when facing Choice Scarf Kyogre or Palkia. Skarmory does have its downfalls, though; it is worn down quickly by common special attacks such as Surf and Focus Blast. Weaknesses to Fire- and Electric-type moves also make it prone to Fire Blast and Thunder, two moves that are very common in Ubers. Nevertheless, the armored bird's qualities are by far greater than its frailties, making it a great addition to any team, be it offensive or defensive one.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Toxic / Taunt / Brave Bird
item: Leftovers
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spikes-stacking is an extremely dangerous playstyle in Ubers because it's very hard to Rapid Spin with bulky Ghost-types lurking everywhere—Ghost Arceus and the Giratina formes. Skarmory is one of the lucky Pokemon to get access to Spikes, which can easily wear down the opponent, and, thanks to its excellent defensive typing, it can often lay down several layers in one game. With the ability to phaze with Whirlwind, Skarmory can easily stack more and more residual damage on the opposing Pokemon, eventually KOing them unless they have a recovery move. Roost provides reliable recovery, and it grants Skarmory the ability to take on a few, even boosted, physical hits with its base 140 Defense; this also makes it the best Extreme Killer Arceus counter you can find. Toxic is the preferred option in the last slot, as without it, Skarmory will not be able to stop Extreme Killer Arceus one-on-one. Toxic is also a great move against common switch-ins to Skarmory such as Kyogre, Palkia, Reshiram, and setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Arceus, as none of them appreciate Toxic. Taunt stops Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Forretress from freely setting up entry hazards on Skarmory, whereas Brave Bird lets Skarmory attack in case it has been Taunted itself.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread and nature ensure that Skarmory will not be 2HKOed by a +2 Life Orb Extreme Killer Arceus's Brick Break if it hasn't taken Stealth Rock damage, while still retaining great special bulk. Moreover, Dialga with 56 Special Attack EVs has a very small chance of OHKOing Skarmory with Draco Meteor followed by Fire Blast (if both roll max damage, it does 103.91% factoring Stealth Rock damage). Here are a few damage calculations that demonstrate Skarmory's great bulk:</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>+2 Life Orb 252 Atk+ Normal Arceus Brick Break 44.61% - 52.69%</li>
<li>56 SpA Dialga Draco Meteor 36.22% - 42.81</li>
<li>-2 56 SpA Dialga Fire Blast 41.31% - 49.1%</li>
<li>4 Atk Groudon Stone Edge 20.95% - 24.55%</li>
<li>252 Atk Rayquaza Outrage 43.11% - 50.89%</li>
<li>252 Atk Salamence Outrage 30.53% - 36.22%</li>
<li>252 SpA Palkia Draco Meteor 37.72% - 44.31%</li>
<li>+1 0 Atk Dialga Outrage 22.75% - 26.94%</li>
</ul>
<p>If you wish to ensure Skarmory's victory against Extreme Killer Arceus, an EV spread of 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SpD can be used. With this spread, Skarmory will never be 2HKOed by a +2 Life Orb Brick Break from Adamant Arceus with 252 Attack EVs even after Stealth Rock damage. If your team lacks Stealth Rock, it can be used over Spikes, but Spikes is generally a much better option as Skarmory is one of the few Pokemon that learn it, unlike Stealth Rock. Red Card can be used to take advantage of Skarmory's Sturdy ability, as it will allow Skarmory to stack more entry hazard damage on the opponent.</p>
<p>Kyogre is a remarkable teammate; the rain it provides thanks to Drizzle nullifies Skarmory's weakness to Fire-type attacks, and the Spikes support Skarmory provides allows Kyogre to get past its usual counters, such as Palkia. Gastrodon synergizes perfectly with Skarmory, as it is immune to Electric-type attacks and resists Fire-type attacks, whereas Skarmory 4x resists Grass-type attacks. Moreover, Gastrodon can easily sponge the special attacks aimed at Skarmory and vice versa. Chansey and Blissey play similar roles to Gastrodon. They do not resist Fire- or Electric-type attacks, but their huge base Special Defense and HP allow them to easily sponge Fire Blasts and Thunders. In addition to this, they can cure Skarmory from status effects with Heal Bell and can pass enormous Wishes to Skarmory and its teammates. The Giratina formes also make fantastic partners, as they too synergize perfectly with Skarmory, and their spinblocking qualities ensure Skarmory's Spikes-stacking won't go to waste. A Ground-type Pokemon to switch into Thunder is advised, making Excadrill, Ground Arceus, Garchomp, and the aforementioned Gastrodon great teammates. Excadrill can also provide Rapid Spin support, allowing Skarmory to avoid the 2HKO from Extreme Killer Arceus and Dialga.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Unfortunately, Skarmory does not have many other options. A spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD can be used, but Skarmory needs all the Special Defense it can get to tank common special moves such as Draco Meteor. A gimmicky Swords Dance + Autotomize set can be used, but it would not work well with Skarmory's poor selection of STAB attacks and mediocre base 80 Attack.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>As previously mentioned, Skarmory has a glaring weakness to special attackers due to its mediocre base 70 Special Defense, so Pokemon such as Reshiram, Kyogre, and Palkia make fantastic counters, though they will not enjoy being poisoned. Dialga deserves a special mention as it can switch into everything Skarmory has, including Toxic thanks to its Steel typing, and can OHKO with Fire Blast, or Thunder if it's raining. Thanks to Rayquaza's Air Lock ability, it ignores any weather changes, so it can come into Skarmory and OHKO with Fire Blast or V-create regardless of the weather. Reshiram, with its Turboblaze ability, and Zekrom, with its Teravolt ability, ignore Sturdy's new effect and can OHKO Skarmory with their Fire- and Electric-type STAB moves, respectively. Xatu also shuts down Skarmory with its Magic Bounce ability and access to Roost.</p>
<p>Unless Skarmory is using Brave Bird, it is completely shut down by Taunt users such as Mewtwo and Thundurus. Although Gliscor is usually unable to touch Skarmory, in fact Skarmory is often considered to be one of its most reliable counters, when running Taunt Gliscor can easily stop Skarmory from doing anything, and can even set up a Substitute on it. Calm Mind Arceus can set up on Skarmory, but unless they carry Refresh, they fear Toxic and do not enjoy being phazed. Ho-Oh can easily OHKO Skarmory with its signature move, Sacred Fire, if it's not raining, but it does not enjoy being phazed if Stealth Rock present. Giratina-O can OHKO with Thunder in the rain and Hidden Power Fire in the sun, but like many others, it does not enjoy being poisoned. Choice Band Terrakion can easily 2HKO Skarmory with Close Combat, whereas the Swords Dance variant can attempt to set up, but it takes 54.32% - 64.19% from Brave Bird at -1 Defense, making it a shaky check. Groudon with a Fire-move, such as Fire Punch, Fire Blast, or Overheat, can land a surprise kill on Skarmory thanks to the sun it summons.</p>
