[OVERVIEW]
* As one of two Steel / Flying types in the game, Skarmory marks itself as one of the premier options on balance and hyper offense Steel teams.
* Skarmory's excellent bulk combines with a great defensive typing that gives it an immunity to Ground and a neutrality to Fighting to let it counter threats such as Excadrill and Choice Scarf Terrakion.
* It has an excellent support movepool that includes reliable recovery in Roost, entry hazards in Spikes and Stealth Rock, and utility in Taunt and Whirlwind, letting it function effectively on hyper offense and balanced teams.
* Because of this, Skarmory can compress many roles for a Steel team by being a physical wall, covering Ground- and Fighting-type weaknesses, providing entry hazards, and phazing physical setup sweepers.
* Skarmory faces competition from Celesteela, another Steel / Flying type, trading off Celesteela's offensive movepool, Beast Boost, Leech Seed, and mixed bulk for better physical bulk and access to Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Roost.
* Sturdy along with a usable Speed tier allows Skarmory to function as the best hyper offense lead on Steel teams because it can reliably put down multiple entry hazards.
* It has a case of four-moveslot syndrome; defensive sets would like the utility of moves like Toxic and leads would appreciate Tailwind, but in most cases Skarmory cannot afford to run anything other than its standard moves.
* It also doesn't have that much special bulk, getting 2HKOed by common special moves such as Kingdra's Surf even outside of rain.
* Its typing leaves it neutral to Water and weak to Electric, making it another Steel-type Pokemon that has trouble switching into common Water- and Electric-type moves such as Scald and Thunderbolt.
[SET]
name: Defensive Wall
move 1: Roost
move 2: Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
evs: 224 HP / 252 Def / 32 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Roost gives Skarmory longevity and lets it rack up Rocky Helmet damage on opposing Fighting-types while letting it stall out several Ground-types such as Choice Band Excadrill and Landorus-T.
* Spikes will deal more damage than Stealth Rock does against Ground, Steel, and Fighting teams, making it easier to deal with Pokemon such as Garchomp, Excadrill, and Terrakion.
* Stealth Rock, which is only used when no other teammate carries it, will chip away at every Pokemon that switches in including Levitate and Air Balloon users such as Hydreigon and Heatran. Additionally, it will punish Pokemon such as Victini, Kyurem-Black, and Volcarona more than Spikes does, wearing them down faster.
* Whirlwind is used to prevent Pokemon from using Skarmory as setup bait and to rack up hazard damage when Brave Bird cannot force foes out.
* Brave Bird is the preferred attack, giving Skarmory a STAB super effective move to use against the Fighting-types it's trying to wall. It also lets Skarmory break Infernape's Focus Sash in a lead situation.
Set Details
========
* Sturdy lets Skarmory survive any one hit from full health, letting it lead in some match ups such as Fire and get a guaranteed entry hazard down.
* Sturdy also lets it function as an emergency check to certain Pokemon such as Volcarona, as Brave Bird will nearly always OHKO offensive sets. Additionally, Skarmory can survive a Hydro Pump from Keldeo and retaliate with Brave Bird, putting it in range to be revenge killed.
* Maximum Defensive EVs are used to make Skarmory as bulky as possible, letting it switch into common physical attackers such as Mega Scizor.
* 224 HP EVs let Skarmory take less damage from Stealth Rock and allows two turns of Leftovers recovery to exactly heal Skarmory to full HP, and the remaining 32 EVs are placed in Special Defense to improve its bulk slightly.
* Rocky Helmet is an alternative to Leftovers in order to deal damage to opposing Pokemon that try to hit Skarmory with contact moves such as Mega Charizard X, which will be in range for Bisharp's Sucker Punch after Flare Blitz and Rocky Helmet recoil.
* Rocky Helmet Skarmory should use 252 HP EVs in order to maximize its physical bulk.
Usage Tips
========
* Skarmory can use its physical bulk to switch into most physical attackers in the metagame such as Choice Band Azumarill, which can otherwise threaten Steel teams with Superpower and Waterfall.
* Because of this, Skarmory will find a way into the game in many matchups such as Ground and Bug by being an effective pivot.
* Skarmory should be stacking as many entry hazards as possible while pivoting in and out in order to punish foes for switching.
* Hazards make it easier to play against Ground and Steel teams because they lack hazard removal except for the occasional Rapid Spin Excadrill.
* Keeping Skarmory's health full is important to make sure it can check powerful Fighting-types such as Heracross, Buzzwole, and Terrakion that can KO Skarmory if its health is begins to fall.
* If Skarmory has a Rocky Helmet, it can wear down some physical attackers just by spamming Roost.
* Rocky Helmet Skarmory also has the benefit of punishing weak contact attacks such as U-turn Landorus-T and Rapid Spin Armaldo, and if a Rapid Spin user faints from Rocky Helmet damage while spinning, hazards will not be removed from their side of the field.
* Skarmory should be wary of certain physical attackers that have access to Fire Blast such as Garchomp and Tyranitar that easily 2HKO Skarmory because of its poor Special Defense.
* Keeping Skarmory alive is important for making sure Steel teams don't get swept by powerful Ground or Fighting moves, specifically checking and countering Pokemon like Dragon Dance Dragonite that otherwise sweeps teams with Earthquake or Heracross, which can sweep or heavily damage teams with Close Combat and Moxie.
* Skarmory should be careful when attempting to Roost against slower foes that can hit Skarmory with a super effective attack, such as Earthquake from Hippowdon amd Rhyperior.
* Skarmory can easily switch into most physical setup sweepers such as Mega Scizor and Doublade to Whirlwind them out. Additionally, Whirlwind will rack up hazard damage and can prevent the opponent from successfully switching to a Skarmory check.
* Trappers like Gothitelle and Magnezone force Skarmory to be more careful because they can easily trap and remove it, although Whirlwind can potentially save Skarmory if it catches them on the switch.
* Burns should be avoided because they remove the effect of Sturdy and negate any passive recovery from Leftovers. A burn will also lessen Skarmory's already mediocre Attack and make it harder to KO Fighting-types with Brave Bird.
* Brave Bird will also remove the effect of Sturdy, and combined with Skarmory's less than impressive HP stat, recoil will quickly wear Skarmory down.
Team Options
========
* Pokemon that cover Skarmory's weaknesses make great teammates, and in return, Skarmory switches into Ground- and Fighting-type moves for them.
* Heatran is a good example of this, being able to take weaker Electric-type attacks and being immune to Fire-type moves with it's ability Flash Fire while being able to set its own Stealth Rock, freeing up Skarmory to use Spikes.
* Excadrill is a great Fire- and Electric- type check that can make full use of Skarmory's entry hazards to damage opposing foes. Excadrill makes a good switch-in to Electric-type attacks. However, because it cannot take neutral or super effective attacks that well, it is a risky switch if the opponent predicts it.
* Ferrothorn is another good teammate for Skarmory because its Grass typing gives it a resistance to Electric and Water, letting it switch into Thunderbolts and Hydro Pumps that generally threaten Skarmory. Ferrothorn also appreciates Skamory using hazards, freeing it up to use its own moveslots for more utility.
* Celesteela can lighten Skarmory's load in taking on Fighting- and Ground-types, specifically beating wallbreakers that can defeat Skarmory such as Fire Blast Garchomp and Focus Blast Landorus.
* Setup sweepers that rely on weaker priority moves enjoy the hazards Skarmory can bring. Having a full set of Spikes or Stealth Rock on the field makes it easier for Bisharp and Mega Scizor to clean with Sucker Punch and Bullet Punch, respectively.
* Bisharp and Doublade also make excellent choices for keeping hazards on the field. Bisharp's Defiant and Doublade's Ghost typing allows them to discourage the use of Defog and Rapid Spin.
* Magearna also appreciates hazards laid down by Skarmory that make it easier to accumulate Soul Heart boosts and clean late game.
[SET]
name: Suicide Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Brave Bird
item: Salac Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Stealth Rock allows Skarmory to set up an entry hazard that affects almost all Pokemon and deals more damage than Spikes to Fire- and Flying-types such as Darmanitan and Landorus.
* Spikes is used to be able to stack up hazard damage, making it easier to KO bulky Pokemon such as Toxapex and Porygon 2 while dealing more damage to Steel-, Fighting-, and Ground-types.
* Combining Spikes and Stealth Rock also puts a limit on how many times Pokemon such as Breloom and Klefki can switch in.
* Taunt is used to prevent opposing Pokemon from using Skarmory as set up bait and also prevents foes from setting or removing hazards.
* Brave Bird is the sole attacking move on this set, letting Skarmory KO itself with recoil to prevent Defog and Rapid Spin while also dealing quite a bit of damage.
Set Details
========
* Sturdy is by far Skarmory's best ability, letting it survive one hit to guarantee at least one entry hazard.
* Maximum Speed investment is used to be as fast as possible to anti-lead with Taunt and allow as many hazards as possible to go up.
* 0 IVs in Health, Defense, and Special Defense make it easier to activate Sturdy and Salac Berry, allowing Skarmory to get a boost in Speed that lets it set another layer of entry hazards or suicide with Brave Bird reliably.
* Skarmory's Attack is maxed out to take full advantage of Brave Bird and because Sturdy lets it survive any one hit regardless of bulk.
Usage Tips
========
* Skarmory should prioritize the most effective entry hazard in each matchup. Fire-types will take more damage from Stealth Rock while Spikes will deal more damage to Ground and Steel teams.
* Suicide lead Skarmory's main purpose is to set hazards then faint via Brave Bird so a teammate can come in safely. It should be led in every game unless there is a Magic Bounce or Taunt user such as Mega Sableye or Aerodactyl that can prevent hazards.
* Skarmory can cause itself to faint with Brave Bird once it has been brought down to Sturdy. Doing this will prevent foes from successfully using Defog or Rapid Spin on that turn.
* Because of the Speed boosting effect of Salac Berry, Skarmory should prioritize hazards first, since it will most likely move first the following turn.
* Be careful around Pokemon such as Garchomp and Infernape that can Stone Edge or Close Combat Skarmory to break Sturdy without activating Salac Berry, preventing Skarmory from getting an additional layer of entry hazards or taking itself out with Brave Bird.
* Skarmory should Taunt foes such as Mew and Mantine to prevent them from Defogging. Additionally, Taunt can also be used to prevent foes such as Clefable and Hippowdon from setting up on Skarmory or laying down their own hazards.
* Skarmory should also be preserved against types such as Flying that can carry multiple entry hazard removers such as Defog Mantine and Defog Skarmory on the same team. This makes it hard to prevent foes from Defogging, making it more important that Skarmory can lay down hazards later on in the match.
Team Options
========
* This Skarmory likes having hyper offensive teams built around it that can prevent opposing teams from removing hazards and puts a lot of pressure on foes.
* Bisharp has Defiant, allowing it to deter specially defensive Defog users such as Zapdos and Mantine.
* Doublade is a Ghost-type, and combined with its natural bulk and Eviolite, it can wall spinners such as Armaldo and Forretress.
* Doublade and Bisharp also have an easier time KOing foes after entry hazard damage, giving them more opportunities to sweep after setting up with Swords Dance. Magearna is also a good setup sweeper, taking advantage of weakened foes by KOing them for a Special Attack boost with Soul Heart.
* Offensive Mega Scizor also has an easier time sweeping with Bullet Punch after chip damage from Skarmory's hazards.
* Offensive Heatran with Taunt can prevent common Defoggers such as Zapdos and Mandibuzz while OHKOing Forretress and Torkoal after Stealth Rock, two common spinners on Bug and Fire teams.
* Choice Scarf Magnezone can trap Defoggers such as Skarmory and Empoleon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Defog can be used on Skarmory to remove entry hazards. However, Steel teams generally don't need hazard removal and Skarmory tends to not find enough moveslots to run Defog on Steel. On top of this, Excadrill is also better at removing hazards with Rapid Spin.
* Shed Shell can be used to escape certain trappers such as Magnezone on opposing Steel teams and Alolan Golem on Rock; however, Skarmory's other items are more useful in more matchups.
* Defensive Skarmory sets can use Toxic to hit common Defoggers on the switch such as Zapdos, Mandibuzz, Latios, and Mew. However, replacing Whirlwind lets even Substitute Mega Gyarados use Skarmory as setup fodder.
* Counter can be used as an alternative to Brave Bird in order to damage foes without receiving recoil. However, this leaves Skarmory unable to damage special attackers such as Keldeo.
* Tailwind can be used on lead Skarmory sets to boost the Speed of its teammates; however Skarmory often prefers Taunt to be able to prevent Defog.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Strong Fire-types will easily break through Skarmory. Most STAB moves like Flare Blitz from Darmanitan will 2HKO Skarmory without needing a sun boost. Even weaker Pokemon such as Torkoal have no trouble OHKOing Skarmory with Lava Plume.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types can also 2HKO Skarmory with almost any STAB move. Tapu Koko's Wild Charge, Zapdos's Discharge, and Xurkitree's Thunderbolt will all easily OHKO Skarmory. Electric-types also resist Brave Bird, and their Defogger Zapdos can easily remove hazards while forcing Skarmory out. Zapdos also tends to carry Heat Wave, making it difficult to switch out of safely.
**Trappers**: Alolan Golem, Gothitelle, and Magnezone can all trap Skarmory and 2HKO or OHKO it with powerful Electric-type moves such as Wild Charge and Thunderbolt, leaving Steel teams weak to Pokemon such as Terrakion and Excadrill.
**Stallbreakers**: Common Taunt users such as Mandibuzz, Mega Gyarados, and Gliscor can shut down Skarmory while taking very little from Brave Bird. Mega Sableye is a common Magic Bounce user that can shut down Skarmory while setting up with Calm Mind or spread burns with Will-O-Wisp.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Pokemon like Landorus, Kingdra, and Choice Band Terrakion can 2HKO Skarmory with their powerful STAB moves.
**Strong Setup Sweepers**: Strong setup sweepers like Swords Dance Continental Crush Landorus-T and Terrakion can OHKO Skarmory with Continental Crush after chip damage.
**Water-types**: Many Water-types can easily 2HKO Skarmory with common moves such as Scald and Hydro Pump. Skarmory also dislikes being burnt, so even weaker Scald users should be avoided whenever possible.
**Entry Hazard Removers**: Defog users such as Zapdos and Mantine and Rapid Spin users like Torkoal can remove entry hazards once lead Skarmory has fainted, putting Steel teams at a disadvantage without hazards. However, Defog users should be wary of Skarmory's Taunt preventing them from removing hazards.
**Burns**: Will-O-Wisp users such as Mew and Rotom-W can burn Skarmory, removing the safety net of Sturdy, nullifying Leftovers, and making Brave Bird weaker.
* As one of two Steel / Flying types in the game, Skarmory marks itself as one of the premier options on balance and hyper offense Steel teams.
* Skarmory's excellent bulk combines with a great defensive typing that gives it an immunity to Ground and a neutrality to Fighting to let it counter threats such as Excadrill and Choice Scarf Terrakion.
* It has an excellent support movepool that includes reliable recovery in Roost, entry hazards in Spikes and Stealth Rock, and utility in Taunt and Whirlwind, letting it function effectively on hyper offense and balanced teams.
* Because of this, Skarmory can compress many roles for a Steel team by being a physical wall, covering Ground- and Fighting-type weaknesses, providing entry hazards, and phazing physical setup sweepers.
* Skarmory faces competition from Celesteela, another Steel / Flying type, trading off Celesteela's offensive movepool, Beast Boost, Leech Seed, and mixed bulk for better physical bulk and access to Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Roost.
* Sturdy along with a usable Speed tier allows Skarmory to function as the best hyper offense lead on Steel teams because it can reliably put down multiple entry hazards.
* It has a case of four-moveslot syndrome; defensive sets would like the utility of moves like Toxic and leads would appreciate Tailwind, but in most cases Skarmory cannot afford to run anything other than its standard moves.
* It also doesn't have that much special bulk, getting 2HKOed by common special moves such as Kingdra's Surf even outside of rain.
* Its typing leaves it neutral to Water and weak to Electric, making it another Steel-type Pokemon that has trouble switching into common Water- and Electric-type moves such as Scald and Thunderbolt.
[SET]
name: Defensive Wall
move 1: Roost
move 2: Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
evs: 224 HP / 252 Def / 32 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Roost gives Skarmory longevity and lets it rack up Rocky Helmet damage on opposing Fighting-types while letting it stall out several Ground-types such as Choice Band Excadrill and Landorus-T.
* Spikes will deal more damage than Stealth Rock does against Ground, Steel, and Fighting teams, making it easier to deal with Pokemon such as Garchomp, Excadrill, and Terrakion.
* Stealth Rock, which is only used when no other teammate carries it, will chip away at every Pokemon that switches in including Levitate and Air Balloon users such as Hydreigon and Heatran. Additionally, it will punish Pokemon such as Victini, Kyurem-Black, and Volcarona more than Spikes does, wearing them down faster.
* Whirlwind is used to prevent Pokemon from using Skarmory as setup bait and to rack up hazard damage when Brave Bird cannot force foes out.
* Brave Bird is the preferred attack, giving Skarmory a STAB super effective move to use against the Fighting-types it's trying to wall. It also lets Skarmory break Infernape's Focus Sash in a lead situation.
Set Details
========
* Sturdy lets Skarmory survive any one hit from full health, letting it lead in some match ups such as Fire and get a guaranteed entry hazard down.
* Sturdy also lets it function as an emergency check to certain Pokemon such as Volcarona, as Brave Bird will nearly always OHKO offensive sets. Additionally, Skarmory can survive a Hydro Pump from Keldeo and retaliate with Brave Bird, putting it in range to be revenge killed.
* Maximum Defensive EVs are used to make Skarmory as bulky as possible, letting it switch into common physical attackers such as Mega Scizor.
* 224 HP EVs let Skarmory take less damage from Stealth Rock and allows two turns of Leftovers recovery to exactly heal Skarmory to full HP, and the remaining 32 EVs are placed in Special Defense to improve its bulk slightly.
* Rocky Helmet is an alternative to Leftovers in order to deal damage to opposing Pokemon that try to hit Skarmory with contact moves such as Mega Charizard X, which will be in range for Bisharp's Sucker Punch after Flare Blitz and Rocky Helmet recoil.
* Rocky Helmet Skarmory should use 252 HP EVs in order to maximize its physical bulk.
Usage Tips
========
* Skarmory can use its physical bulk to switch into most physical attackers in the metagame such as Choice Band Azumarill, which can otherwise threaten Steel teams with Superpower and Waterfall.
* Because of this, Skarmory will find a way into the game in many matchups such as Ground and Bug by being an effective pivot.
* Skarmory should be stacking as many entry hazards as possible while pivoting in and out in order to punish foes for switching.
* Hazards make it easier to play against Ground and Steel teams because they lack hazard removal except for the occasional Rapid Spin Excadrill.
* Keeping Skarmory's health full is important to make sure it can check powerful Fighting-types such as Heracross, Buzzwole, and Terrakion that can KO Skarmory if its health is begins to fall.
* If Skarmory has a Rocky Helmet, it can wear down some physical attackers just by spamming Roost.
* Rocky Helmet Skarmory also has the benefit of punishing weak contact attacks such as U-turn Landorus-T and Rapid Spin Armaldo, and if a Rapid Spin user faints from Rocky Helmet damage while spinning, hazards will not be removed from their side of the field.
* Skarmory should be wary of certain physical attackers that have access to Fire Blast such as Garchomp and Tyranitar that easily 2HKO Skarmory because of its poor Special Defense.
* Keeping Skarmory alive is important for making sure Steel teams don't get swept by powerful Ground or Fighting moves, specifically checking and countering Pokemon like Dragon Dance Dragonite that otherwise sweeps teams with Earthquake or Heracross, which can sweep or heavily damage teams with Close Combat and Moxie.
* Skarmory should be careful when attempting to Roost against slower foes that can hit Skarmory with a super effective attack, such as Earthquake from Hippowdon amd Rhyperior.
* Skarmory can easily switch into most physical setup sweepers such as Mega Scizor and Doublade to Whirlwind them out. Additionally, Whirlwind will rack up hazard damage and can prevent the opponent from successfully switching to a Skarmory check.
* Trappers like Gothitelle and Magnezone force Skarmory to be more careful because they can easily trap and remove it, although Whirlwind can potentially save Skarmory if it catches them on the switch.
* Burns should be avoided because they remove the effect of Sturdy and negate any passive recovery from Leftovers. A burn will also lessen Skarmory's already mediocre Attack and make it harder to KO Fighting-types with Brave Bird.
* Brave Bird will also remove the effect of Sturdy, and combined with Skarmory's less than impressive HP stat, recoil will quickly wear Skarmory down.
Team Options
========
* Pokemon that cover Skarmory's weaknesses make great teammates, and in return, Skarmory switches into Ground- and Fighting-type moves for them.
* Heatran is a good example of this, being able to take weaker Electric-type attacks and being immune to Fire-type moves with it's ability Flash Fire while being able to set its own Stealth Rock, freeing up Skarmory to use Spikes.
* Excadrill is a great Fire- and Electric- type check that can make full use of Skarmory's entry hazards to damage opposing foes. Excadrill makes a good switch-in to Electric-type attacks. However, because it cannot take neutral or super effective attacks that well, it is a risky switch if the opponent predicts it.
* Ferrothorn is another good teammate for Skarmory because its Grass typing gives it a resistance to Electric and Water, letting it switch into Thunderbolts and Hydro Pumps that generally threaten Skarmory. Ferrothorn also appreciates Skamory using hazards, freeing it up to use its own moveslots for more utility.
* Celesteela can lighten Skarmory's load in taking on Fighting- and Ground-types, specifically beating wallbreakers that can defeat Skarmory such as Fire Blast Garchomp and Focus Blast Landorus.
* Setup sweepers that rely on weaker priority moves enjoy the hazards Skarmory can bring. Having a full set of Spikes or Stealth Rock on the field makes it easier for Bisharp and Mega Scizor to clean with Sucker Punch and Bullet Punch, respectively.
* Bisharp and Doublade also make excellent choices for keeping hazards on the field. Bisharp's Defiant and Doublade's Ghost typing allows them to discourage the use of Defog and Rapid Spin.
* Magearna also appreciates hazards laid down by Skarmory that make it easier to accumulate Soul Heart boosts and clean late game.
[SET]
name: Suicide Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Brave Bird
item: Salac Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Hasty
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Stealth Rock allows Skarmory to set up an entry hazard that affects almost all Pokemon and deals more damage than Spikes to Fire- and Flying-types such as Darmanitan and Landorus.
* Spikes is used to be able to stack up hazard damage, making it easier to KO bulky Pokemon such as Toxapex and Porygon 2 while dealing more damage to Steel-, Fighting-, and Ground-types.
* Combining Spikes and Stealth Rock also puts a limit on how many times Pokemon such as Breloom and Klefki can switch in.
* Taunt is used to prevent opposing Pokemon from using Skarmory as set up bait and also prevents foes from setting or removing hazards.
* Brave Bird is the sole attacking move on this set, letting Skarmory KO itself with recoil to prevent Defog and Rapid Spin while also dealing quite a bit of damage.
Set Details
========
* Sturdy is by far Skarmory's best ability, letting it survive one hit to guarantee at least one entry hazard.
* Maximum Speed investment is used to be as fast as possible to anti-lead with Taunt and allow as many hazards as possible to go up.
* 0 IVs in Health, Defense, and Special Defense make it easier to activate Sturdy and Salac Berry, allowing Skarmory to get a boost in Speed that lets it set another layer of entry hazards or suicide with Brave Bird reliably.
* Skarmory's Attack is maxed out to take full advantage of Brave Bird and because Sturdy lets it survive any one hit regardless of bulk.
Usage Tips
========
* Skarmory should prioritize the most effective entry hazard in each matchup. Fire-types will take more damage from Stealth Rock while Spikes will deal more damage to Ground and Steel teams.
* Suicide lead Skarmory's main purpose is to set hazards then faint via Brave Bird so a teammate can come in safely. It should be led in every game unless there is a Magic Bounce or Taunt user such as Mega Sableye or Aerodactyl that can prevent hazards.
* Skarmory can cause itself to faint with Brave Bird once it has been brought down to Sturdy. Doing this will prevent foes from successfully using Defog or Rapid Spin on that turn.
* Because of the Speed boosting effect of Salac Berry, Skarmory should prioritize hazards first, since it will most likely move first the following turn.
* Be careful around Pokemon such as Garchomp and Infernape that can Stone Edge or Close Combat Skarmory to break Sturdy without activating Salac Berry, preventing Skarmory from getting an additional layer of entry hazards or taking itself out with Brave Bird.
* Skarmory should Taunt foes such as Mew and Mantine to prevent them from Defogging. Additionally, Taunt can also be used to prevent foes such as Clefable and Hippowdon from setting up on Skarmory or laying down their own hazards.
* Skarmory should also be preserved against types such as Flying that can carry multiple entry hazard removers such as Defog Mantine and Defog Skarmory on the same team. This makes it hard to prevent foes from Defogging, making it more important that Skarmory can lay down hazards later on in the match.
Team Options
========
* This Skarmory likes having hyper offensive teams built around it that can prevent opposing teams from removing hazards and puts a lot of pressure on foes.
* Bisharp has Defiant, allowing it to deter specially defensive Defog users such as Zapdos and Mantine.
* Doublade is a Ghost-type, and combined with its natural bulk and Eviolite, it can wall spinners such as Armaldo and Forretress.
* Doublade and Bisharp also have an easier time KOing foes after entry hazard damage, giving them more opportunities to sweep after setting up with Swords Dance. Magearna is also a good setup sweeper, taking advantage of weakened foes by KOing them for a Special Attack boost with Soul Heart.
* Offensive Mega Scizor also has an easier time sweeping with Bullet Punch after chip damage from Skarmory's hazards.
* Offensive Heatran with Taunt can prevent common Defoggers such as Zapdos and Mandibuzz while OHKOing Forretress and Torkoal after Stealth Rock, two common spinners on Bug and Fire teams.
* Choice Scarf Magnezone can trap Defoggers such as Skarmory and Empoleon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Defog can be used on Skarmory to remove entry hazards. However, Steel teams generally don't need hazard removal and Skarmory tends to not find enough moveslots to run Defog on Steel. On top of this, Excadrill is also better at removing hazards with Rapid Spin.
* Shed Shell can be used to escape certain trappers such as Magnezone on opposing Steel teams and Alolan Golem on Rock; however, Skarmory's other items are more useful in more matchups.
* Defensive Skarmory sets can use Toxic to hit common Defoggers on the switch such as Zapdos, Mandibuzz, Latios, and Mew. However, replacing Whirlwind lets even Substitute Mega Gyarados use Skarmory as setup fodder.
* Counter can be used as an alternative to Brave Bird in order to damage foes without receiving recoil. However, this leaves Skarmory unable to damage special attackers such as Keldeo.
* Tailwind can be used on lead Skarmory sets to boost the Speed of its teammates; however Skarmory often prefers Taunt to be able to prevent Defog.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Strong Fire-types will easily break through Skarmory. Most STAB moves like Flare Blitz from Darmanitan will 2HKO Skarmory without needing a sun boost. Even weaker Pokemon such as Torkoal have no trouble OHKOing Skarmory with Lava Plume.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types can also 2HKO Skarmory with almost any STAB move. Tapu Koko's Wild Charge, Zapdos's Discharge, and Xurkitree's Thunderbolt will all easily OHKO Skarmory. Electric-types also resist Brave Bird, and their Defogger Zapdos can easily remove hazards while forcing Skarmory out. Zapdos also tends to carry Heat Wave, making it difficult to switch out of safely.
**Trappers**: Alolan Golem, Gothitelle, and Magnezone can all trap Skarmory and 2HKO or OHKO it with powerful Electric-type moves such as Wild Charge and Thunderbolt, leaving Steel teams weak to Pokemon such as Terrakion and Excadrill.
**Stallbreakers**: Common Taunt users such as Mandibuzz, Mega Gyarados, and Gliscor can shut down Skarmory while taking very little from Brave Bird. Mega Sableye is a common Magic Bounce user that can shut down Skarmory while setting up with Calm Mind or spread burns with Will-O-Wisp.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: Pokemon like Landorus, Kingdra, and Choice Band Terrakion can 2HKO Skarmory with their powerful STAB moves.
**Strong Setup Sweepers**: Strong setup sweepers like Swords Dance Continental Crush Landorus-T and Terrakion can OHKO Skarmory with Continental Crush after chip damage.
**Water-types**: Many Water-types can easily 2HKO Skarmory with common moves such as Scald and Hydro Pump. Skarmory also dislikes being burnt, so even weaker Scald users should be avoided whenever possible.
**Entry Hazard Removers**: Defog users such as Zapdos and Mantine and Rapid Spin users like Torkoal can remove entry hazards once lead Skarmory has fainted, putting Steel teams at a disadvantage without hazards. However, Defog users should be wary of Skarmory's Taunt preventing them from removing hazards.
**Burns**: Will-O-Wisp users such as Mew and Rotom-W can burn Skarmory, removing the safety net of Sturdy, nullifying Leftovers, and making Brave Bird weaker.
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