reserving skarmory
Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
IVs: 23 Spe
- Roost
- Spikes
- Whirlwind/toxic
- Body Press/Brave Bird
BEFORE YOU READ
Firstly before I go over anything I just want to explain the speed IV's being at 23, the reason being so is for U-turn Corviknights that can potentially U-turn into threats like Magnezone. The 23 IV's are there to make sure you don't out speed their U-turns and get the body press chip on incoming magnezone's as this can chip it down heavily, or net the kill. It is also important to note that being slower allows Skarmory to hit super effectively against Corviknight, and other Skarmory off their roost.
About the set
Going down into the meat of the set we have the moves. Roost is practically needed to be able to maintain Skarmory's longevity, and allows it to wall other Pokemon effectively without getting severely worn down. Spikes is what the real deal breaker when it comes to Skarmory's viability, as the extra layers spikes punish Pokemon for switching in. This is especially useful against HO(Hyper Offense teams) as they typically don't have hazard control to remedy spikes. Next up we have Whirlwind which when added with spikes, it gives offensive teams a very difficult time. Whirlwind can also create prevent Magnezone from trapping it, while stacking on spike damage in the process. This slot can be switched for toxic to be able to cripple things that it otherwise couldn't such as Dragapult, which likes to switch into Skarmory since most lack a move to hit it. Lastly we have the attacking moves Body Press and Brave Bird. These are really Skarmory's decently strong hitting moves with body press packing quite a punch when you factor in its 416 defense stat. Body press can also catch incoming Magnezones, as well as hit the previous Roost users I mentioned before(including Mandibuzz who is already faster by default). Brave bird allows Skarmory to hit those bulky grass types such as Amoonguss, and Tangrowth it otherwise couldn't have which makes it a decent option instead. Lastly rocky helmet just prevents U-turn from being used due to the 1/16 contact damage it has.
The synergy with Tyranitar
There are a multitude of reasons why I believe Skarmory is a top teammate for Tyranitar. First off they both cover each other very well. Tyranitar is exceptional at walling special attacking monsters such as Volcarona, and Togekiss. While on the other hand Skarmory can just abuse a lot of the physical competition such Excadrill, and Rillaboom. It is also important to note that Tyranitar can allow Skarmory to effectively counter Venusaur by setting up sand against the sun, and switching into Skarmory to threaten it with Brave Bird. Not only that the item of choice on Skarmory is key, as it pretends U-turn as said before which is something that Dragapult likes to do as a way to abuse Tyranitar's for coming in. Lastly the hazard stacking combo of Stealth rock and Spikes can just outright end teams, and make it impossible to switch around freely. Skarmory is a great fit for the green monster, and I believe there wont be much of a stop to the combo anytime soon.