Skarmory (Analysis)

[SOMALIA]

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Red font= Removals / Blue font= Additions / Bolded text is comments

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[Overview]
<p>Skarmory retains its place as one of the premier physical walls in 5th Gen. It also got a useful boost to Sturdy, which now acts as a Focus Sash for Skarmory whenever it is at full health. With Roost, Whirlwind and its huge physical defense, Skarmory can easily take on powerful physical attackers like Ononokusu, Doryuzuu, Randorosu, and Garchomp. Outside of its role as a physical tank, Skarmory has access to both Spikes and Stealth Rock, making it a valuable asset for stall oriented teams.</p>

<p>This generation, Skarmory got a lot of competition with the emergence of Nattorei. One big selling point which Skarmory has over Nattorei is its immunity to Ground-type attacks which are used commonly by many physical sweepers. It has reliable recovery in Roost, and the ability to phaze stat boosts with Whirlwind. Once again, Skarmory can also pair up with Blissey forming the famous SkarmBliss combination, which can be used to good effect even in today's fast paced metagame. Despite its low Special Defense which can undermine its walling capabilities, Skarmory shines as one of the best physical walls in the metagame.</p>(Do not mention anything to do with team options in the overview.)

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Impish
ability: Sturdy
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
(Space)
<p>]This is Skarmory's trademark set from the 4th generation, unchanged. With its excellent immense physical bulk, Skarmory can easily get the oppurtunity to lay down Spikes. Roost provides reliable recovery, keeping Skarmory healthy and allowing it to stall longer. Whirlwind helps it phaze stat boosts, and also rack up entry hazard damage with Spikes, making it an excellent Spikes shuffler.</p>

<p>You have two options for the last move. Taunt helps out on Stall teams, against opposing walls, as it allows Skarmory to completely screw up Pokemon like Nattorei, Hippowdon and the like preventing slower walls such as Nattorei and Hippodown from setting up entry hazards of their own. However, Brave Bird prevents Skarmory from becoming complete Taunt bait itself, from faster Pokemon or Mischievious Heart abusers. It also lands OHKO's on Breloom, Birizion and deals heavy damage to even Roobushin. As such, it better suits bulky offense teams.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
(Space)
<p>There are 2 two (Always use letters unless you are referring to the number of EVs.) item choices. Shed Shell will help Skarmory escape unscathed from its best check; Magnet Pull Magnezone. However, Leftovers will provide recovery every turn, and help Skarmory heal of damage from weak attacks on switching in, to maintain Sturdy. The 252 EVs in both Defense and HP maximise Skarmory's physical bulk. The remaining 4 EVs are invested in Speed.</p>

<p>Skarmory really appreciates having a teammate to take the powerful Special attacks which it will find itself prey to. Pairing it with a Special wall such as Chansey or Burungeru will therefore be effective. Chansey, in addition to forming a SkarmBliss-like defensive combination, also has the ability to pass 353 HP Wishes to Skarmory, keeping it healthy. On the other hand, Burungeru also acts as an effective Spin blocker, is although it shares an Electric-type weakness with Skarmory.</p>

[SET]
(Space)
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Careful / Impish
ability: Sturdy
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Despite Skarmory's Special Defense not being the best, it can also utilise its Steel typing to run a Specially Defensive set. Its Steel typing grants it valuable resistances to common Dragon-, Ghost- and Psychic-type Special Attacks. Skarmory should use the same moveset for this set as well, since they are pretty much itt's best options.</p>

<p>This set runs pretty much the same moves as the physically defensive set. Spikes is what distinguishes Skarmory from other bulky Steel-types bar Nattorei. Roost allows Skarmory to heal of any damage obtained while it sets up Spikes and significantly increases its longevity. Whirlwind is explanatory; shuffling between the opponent's team members, thereby racking up residual damage if entry hazards have been layed down. Brave Bird is the primary option for the fourth moveslot as it Skarmory's most reliable form of offense, while Taunt stops slower tanks cold from setting up any form of entry hazards or inflict status. Leftovers is the usual item one would see on the metal Phoenix although Shed Shell despite being useful only in certain situations, can enable Skarmory to escape certain death from the likes of Magnezone.</p>

<p>As with the first set, there is a move choice over Brave Bird and Taunt. Brave Bird OHKOes Birijion and Breloom even without any investment in Attack, while Taunt allows you to shut down slower walls like Blissey and Nattorei.(You need to seriously expand your analysis.)</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
(Space)
<p>The EVs and nature maximise Skarmory's Special Defense. Even without any investment, Skarmory has great Defense and can still take powerful physical attacks. However, an Impish nature can be used to bolster Skarmory's Defense at the cost of some Special Defense.</p>

<p>Instead of running Spikes on Skarmory itself, another Pokemon can be used to lay entry hazards. This will free up a moveslot, and allow Skarmory to run both Brave Bird and Taunt on the same set. This can prove to be very useful against stall teams, since Skarmory can effectively shut down slower walls such as Hippowdon. Deoxys-S is a good candidate for this role, as it can also provide team support with Reflect and Light Screen, softening the Special attacks which Skarmory takes.</p>

[Team Options]
(Space)
<p>As with any Pokemon which lays entry hazards, a spin blocker is almost mandatory. Evolution Stone Dusclops and Burungeru are both excellent candidates for this role. Dusclops can easily wear down Pokemon which pose a threat to Skarmory such as Starmie and Zapdos with Toxic, Pain Split and Night Shade. Burungeru, though it despite sharing an Electric-type weakness with Skarmory, can take Special hits well with its high Special Defense and HP, and has a reliable recovery move in Recover.</p>

<p>Even though Skarmory can take some hits on the Special side with the investment in Special Defense, it is by no means bulky enough to take strong, super-effective Special attacks. Pairing Skarmory with a Special wall such as Evolution Stone Chansey is a good idea, as Chansey can also pass 352 HP Wishes to Skamory, enhancing its longevity.(Why when Skarmory has Roost?)</p>

<p>Surprisingly, Dugtrio makes a great partner for Skarmory as it can be used to trap and kill Magnezone, who is one of the biggest threats to Skarmory. Dugtrio also deals with the Fire-and Electric-type Pokemon which pose a threat to Skarmory such as Heatran, Zapdos and Borutorosu.</p>

[Optional Changes]
(Space)
<p>Toxic is an interesting option, and can be used in place of Brave Bird, though it will make Skarmory complete Taunt bait. Surprisingly, Skarmory has access to some boosting moves like Curse, Swords Dance and Agility, which are sadly a waste on Skarmory, who neither has the stats nor the movepool to utilise them effectively. If the recoil damage from Brave Bird proves to be troublesome, Drill Peck is a safer, albeit weaker option.</p>

<p>Counter is another viable move, as Skarmory takes physical hits well, and can help net a surprise KO although once used, loses its surprise factor. Skarmory can also set up lay Stealth Rock, though this would mean having to forgo Spikes.</p>

[Counters]
(Space)
<p>Magnezone is the best Skarmory counter in existence, as it can effectively trap and eliminate Skarmory with STAB Thunderbolt unless it is holding a Shed Shell. Skarmory's Steel typing gives it weaknesses to common Electric- and Fire-type attacks. This is exploited by powerful Special attackers such as Starmie who, in addition to OHKOing Skarmory with Thunderbolt, can also Rapid Spin entry hazards away. Heatran can take anything Skarmory throws at it, and eliminate it with STAB Fire Blast. In the same vein, Electric-types such as Zapdos and Borutorosu can switch in with ease, and eliminate Skarmory with their STAB, super effective attacks.</p>

[Dream World]
(Space)
<p>Skarmory gets the ability Broken Armor, which boosts your its Speed and lowers while lowering itsyour Defense every time it are is hit by a physical attack. There is no use trying to utilise such an ability even in conjuction with Swords Dance. You are always better off running Sturdy.</p>

Will do the rest later.

EDIT: A'ight done the rest.

 

[Woodchuck]

I had an odd feeling there was something wrong with my post (and my first one at that). /facepalm

I stand corrected. Thanks for pointing that out GameMaster0000.

I suppose Porygon2 isn't as good of a partner as I thought. Considering this, I suppose the duck isn't worth mentioning since it's ability to take Special hits is outclassed by Blissey.

Sorry for wasting your guys' time. Next time I'll have to make sure my facts are straight.

It's still not that bad of an idea, considering most Shandera are scarfed, meaning Shandera will have to switch out. If Shandera is the SubCM variant then it won't be able to touch Porygon2 with its entire moveset, seeing as it usually runs its STABs.

 

[Zombizard]

@Woodchuck Yes, I realized this. In fact, it was in my first post (about running Thunder Wave, Trace, etc.). I was fairly sick the day of posting that last post, and didn't feel like correcting myself. Here, I'll rephrase in this post:

Porygon2 would be a decent Skarmory partner. With an Evolution Stone and a Specially Defensive set (Calm Nature, Trace ability, and 252 HP and Sp. Def EVs), it could switch in and take special hits for Skarmory. Not to mention, it can force Shandera counters to switch out by using Thunder Wave on Choice Scarf variants and completely walling standard SubCM variants thanks to it's immunity to Ghost and the immunity to Fire thanks to Trace copying Flash Fire. Besides Shandera, Porygon2 can use Ice Beam against Zapdos counters and has a respectable physical Defense stat thanks to the Evolution Stone boost. It also has access to Recover so it's able to heal the damage off it took for Skarmory.

Critics and additions welcome to this idea. :)

 

[yee]

@ Zombizard

Not bad for your first posts at all just remember "Skarmbliss" is an infamous combination that has been used since the 2nd generation so you would have to emphasize the advantages Porygon2 has over Blissey/Chansey. Neither can beat Zapdos or Chandelure with Sub while Porygon can.

I think there was a set last gen with Torment/Protect/Spikes/Roost, the idea is you set up on the counter that switches in by tormenting it on the switch and protecting on the super effective move it has, because it probably only carries one. I think you could afford to run Whirlwind over Roost now because of Blissey/Chansey's fully healing wishes.

 

[Fatecrashers]

I'm stamping SOMALIA's check, consider it 1/2

 

[iDunno]

You spelled "utilize" and "maximize" wrong every single time...

lol

RED=DELETIONS
BLUE=ADDITIONS
PURPLE=COMMENTS

KAW

QC Checks: panamaxis, Iconic

Skarmory

Status:Finished, ready for QC and GP checks.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[OVERVIEW]
<p>Skarmory retains its place as one of the premier physical walls in 5th Gen OU. It also got a useful boost to Sturdy, which now acts as a Focus Sash for Skarmory whenever it is at full health. With Roost, Whirlwind and its huge physical defense, Skarmory can easily take on monstrously powerful physical attackers like Ononokusu, Doryuzuu, Randorosu, and Swords Dance Garchomp. Outside of walling such threats, Skarmory can also lay down entry hazards, such as Spikes and Stealth Rock, making it a valuable asset for stall oriented teams.</p>

<p>This generation, Skarmory got a lot of competition with the emergence of Nattorei Ferrothorn. One big selling point which that Skarmory has over Nattorei Ferrothorn is its immunity to Ground-type attacks, which are used commonly by many physical sweepers. It also has reliable recovery in Roost, and the ability to phaze stat boosts with Whirlwind. Despite its low Special Defense, which can undermine its walling capabilities, Skarmory shines as one of the best physical walls in the metagame.</p>

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Impish
ability: Sturdy
EV's: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Skarmory's trademark physically defensive set from the 4th generation, unchanged. Skarmory can easily wall many powerful physical attackers such as like Tyranitar with its high Defense and Flying/Steel- typing, which grants it a valuable immunity to Ground-type attacks, in addition to a neutrality to many types. With its excellent physical bulk, Skarmory can get many oppurtunities opportunities to lay down 3 layers of Spikes. Roost provides reliable recovery, keeping Skarmory healthy and allowing it to stall longer. Whirlwind helps Skarmory phaze stat boosts, and also rack up entry hazard damage with Spikes, making it an excellent Spikes shuffler.</p>

<p>You have There are two options for the last move. Taunt helps out on Stall teams, against opposing walls, as it allows Skarmory to completely screw up Pokemon like such as Nattorei, and Hippowdon and the like. However, Brave Bird prevents Skarmory from becoming complete Taunt bait itself, from for faster Pokemon or and Mischievious Heart abusers. It also lands OHKO's on Breloom, Birizion and Verizion, and deals heavy damage to even Roobushin. As such, it better suits bulky offense teams.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>There are two item choices. Shed Shell will help Skarmory escape unscathed from its best check-, Magnet Pull Magnezone. However, Leftovers will provide recovery every turn, and help Skarmory heal off damage which that it might have taken from weak attacks upon switching in, thus keeping it at full health and maintaining Sturdy's effect. The 252 EVs in both Defense and HP maximize Skarmory's physical bulk. The remaining 4 EVs are invested in Speed.</p>

<p>Skarmory really appreciates having a teammate to take the powerful Special attacks which that it will often find itself prey to. Pairing it with a Special wall, such as Chansey or Burungeru Jellicient will, therefore, be effective. Chansey, in addition to forming a SkarmBliss-like defensive combination, also has the ability to pass 353 HP Wishes to Skarmory, keeping it healthy. On the other hand, Burungeru Jellicient also acts as an effective Spin blocker, is although it shares an Electric-type weakness with Skarmory.</p>

[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Careful / Impish
ability: Sturdy
EV's: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Despite having low Special Defense, Skarmory can utilize its Steel-typing, and run a Specially Defensive set. Skarmory's Steel-typing grants it valuable resistances to common Dragon-, Ghost- and Grass-type Special attacks. Along with Roost, these resistances help Skarmory switch in and wall Choice-locked Pokemon with ease, while still retaining the ability to wall physical attacks comfortably.</p>

<p>Once again, Skarmory will recieve a lot of chances to lay down entry hazards. Therefore, Spikes is pretty much a must on Skarmory, as it also goes hand in hand with Whirlwind. Whirlwind racks up entry hazard damage and also erases any stat boosts, which the opponent might have obtained. As with the first set, there is a move choice over Brave Bird and Taunt are both options in the last slot. Brave Bird OHKOes OHKOs Birijion Verizion and Breloom even without any investment in Attack, while Taunt allows you to shut down slower walls like such as Blissey and Nattorei Ferrothorn.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature maximize Skarmory's Special Defense. Even without any investment, Skarmory has a great Defense and can still take powerful physical attacks. However, an Impish nature can be used to bolster Skarmory's Defense at the cost of some Special Defense.</p>

<p>Instead of running Spikes on Skarmory itself, another Pokemon can be used to lay entry hazards. This will free up a moveslot, and allow Skarmory to run both Brave Bird and Taunt on the same set. This can prove to be very useful against stall teams, since Skarmory can effectively shut down slower walls such as like Nattorei Ferrothorn. Deoxys-S is a good candidate for thiis role, as it can also provide team support with Reflect and Light Screen, softening the Special attacks which that Skarmory takes.</p>

[Team Options]
<p>As with any Pokemon which that lays entry hazards, a spin blocker is almost mandatory. Evolution Stone Dusclops and Burungeru Jellicient are both excellent candidates for this role. Dusclops can easily wear down Pokemon which that pose a threat to Skarmory, such as Starmie and Zapdos, with Toxic, Pain Split and Night Shade. Burungeru, Though it shares an Electric-type weakness with Skarmory, Jellicient can take Special hits well with its high Special Defense and HP, and a has a reliable recovery move in Recover.</p>

<p>Even though Skarmory can take some hits on the Special side with the investment in Special Defense, it is by no means bulky enough to take strong, super-effective Special attacks. Pairing Skarmory with a special wall such as like Evolution Stone Chansey is a good idea, as Chansey can also pass 352 HP Wishes to Skamory, enhancing its longevity.</p>

<p>Surprisingly, Dugtrio makes a great partner for Skarmory as it can be used to trap and kill Magnezone, who which is one of the biggest threats to Skarmory. Dugtrio also deals with the Fire- and Electric-type Pokemon, which pose a threat to Skarmory, such as Heatran, Zapdos and Borutorosu Thunderus.</p>

[Optional Changes]
<p>Toxic is an interesting option, and can be used in place of Brave Bird, though it will make Skarmory complete Taunt bait. Surprisingly, Skarmory has access to some boosting moves like , such as Curse, Swords Dance and Agility, which are sadly a waste on Skarmory, who as it has neither has the stats nor the movepool to utilize them effectively. If the recoil damage from Brave Bird proves to be troublesome, Drill Peck is a safer, albeit weaker option.<p>

<p>Counter is another viable move, as Skarmory takes physical hits well, and can help net a surprise KO. Skarmory can also lay Stealth Rock, though this would mean having to forgo Spikes </p>

[Counters]
<p>Magnezone is the best Skarmory counter in existence, as it can effectively trap and eliminate Skarmory with STAB Thunderbolt unless it is holding a Shed Shell. However if Skarmory is at full health, it can survive a Thunderbolt from Magnezone thanks to Sturdy and Whirlwind it out. Skarmory's Steel-typing gives it weaknesses to common Electric- and Fire-type attacks. This is exploited by powerful special attackers such as like Starmie who , which, in addition to OHKOing Skarmory with Thunderbolt, can also Rapid Spin entry hazards away. Heatran can take anything Skarmory throws at it, and eliminate it with STAB Fire Blast. In the same vein, Electric-types such as Zapdos and Borutorosu can switch in with ease, and eliminate Skarmory with their STAB, super effective attacks.</p>

[Dream World]
<p>Skarmory gets the ability Broken Armor, which boosts your Speed and lowers your Defense every time you are hit by a physical attack. There is no use trying to utilize such an ability even in conjunction with Swords Dance. You are always better off running Sturdy.</p>[/QUOTE]

P.S. I'm on a roll.

 

[Calm Pokemaster]

Thanks for the GP check, Fatecrashers and SOMALIA. I have made the changes suggested.

 

[iDunno]

my gp check includes Somalia's changes I believe so it wouldn't hurt to use it also.

 

[Calm Pokemaster]

Sorry for the delay in incorporating your changes into the analysis. I was down with a serious viral infection the past week.

NOTE: I have expanded the Set Comments section for the Specially Defensive set, mainly on the basis of Somalia's corection in his GP check. I feel this is largly unnecessary, but should the altered set comments be given another look-over?

Otherwise, thanks for the GP iDunno.

 

[Seven Deadly Sins]

Every single set MUST run at least 24 Speed EVs. No exceptions. This hits 182 Speed, which outspeeds +Nature Wobbuffet and lets you Taunt it before it can do anything to you. Alternately, it allows you to switch to Spikes before getting Encored, which guarantees you get at least 2-3 layers of Spikes. Since Wobbuffet's biggest problem with Skarmory is getting Roost Encored since one Encore means Wobbuffet can spend 5 of its Encore PP to burn all 15 of your remaining Roost PP, and a Skarmory without Roost is a poor excuse for a wall.

EDIT: Is this set even still being worked on?

 

[Cirno The Baka]

I hope this is the right place, i was reading this skarmory set and these days i was "testing" a new set for skarmory which gave me pretty good results:

Twin Phaze Skarmory

Cirnory (Skarmory) @ Leftovers Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Roar
- Whirlwind
- Rest
- Sleep Talk


while having both roar and whirlwind seems to be useless, they can be devastating while combinated with rest and sleep talk.
sleep talk in particular, has a 66.6% of pulling of a phaze move WITH NO NEGATIVE PRIORITY, combine this with entry hazards and you obtain a really good result.

Skarmory can stall while recovering hp with rest, sleep talking twice and resting again if needed.




writing it like "it should be" if considered by the comunity







[SET]
name: Cirno Twin Phazing
move 1: Roar
move 2: Whirlwind
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Jolly / Timid
ability: Sturdy
EV's: X HP / X SpD/Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Having a decent speed, skarmory can make use of it by phazing with priority. after a Rest, Skarmory can do sleep talk for a 66.6% of getting either roar or whirlwind with no negative priority, which means making your opponent lose a turn if skarmory is faster.</p>

<p>This set is pretty much useless alone, and must be combined with entry hazards and other things that damage pokemon between turns, rapid spinners can come out ruining this set, so don't sleep talk if you're slower than the rapid spinner, having a ghost pokemon in your team is really supporting for this set</p>

<p>Leftovers and Shed Shell are the most common skarmory choices.
the good fact about this set is that it prevents from switching into magnezone cause you'll be doing rest, sleep talk x2, rest or rest, sleep talk x2 wake up phazing till rest is needed so switching is not safe at all,
the bad thing is that if you force magnezone in at the second turn of rest, you can resist the hit with sturdy if you're at full hp, but any priority move or faster pokemon will easily revenge kill you.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set can be a trouble for bulky sweepers, stallers that think they're done once they paralyze you, and pokemon that don't outspeed skarmory, on the other hand, this set absolutely needs support cause faster taunt users and rapid spinners can be painful, together with fire and electric-type moves from faster pokemon</p>


<p> Wth some speed boost passed by pokemon like ninjask, access to sturdy and rest, this set can be painful, but this means more support, and can make your team a bit frail. </p>


I really hope this is a good place where to post this

 

[blaaz]

I hope this is the right place to post this but im currently running a physical skarmory that is competing with conkeldurr and other physical threats and works great thanks to the current physical based game.
Skarm @lefties or life orb i like lefties because it can help better
Brave bird/drill peck your choice its more a situation of bulk retension
Steel wing
Rock slide/x-scissor
Swords dance
Adamant/jolly 252 attack 252 speed 4defense ability:broken armor
Basically since theres a huge amount o physical sweepers this gen switch in to any you choose and tank a physical move swords dance on the switch and sweeping is easy rock slide for fire types or x-scizzor for psychics

 

[PizzaDelivery]

Just thought I'd point out that on the specially defensive set, your paragraphs 2 and 3 both talk about the exact same dilemna in choosing between brave bird and taunt.

 

[Aeron Ee1]

Proofread

Changes in bold
Removals in red
Comments in bold red

[OVERVIEW]
(enter)
<p>Skarmory retains its place as one of the premier physical walls of OU even in the 5th Generation OU. In comparison to DPP, it also got a useful boost to Sturdy, which now acts as a constant Focus Sash for Skarmory whenever it is at full health. With Roost, Whirlwind and its huge physical defense, Skarmory can easily take on monstrously powerful physical attackers like Haxorus, Excadrill, Landorus, and Swords Dance Garchomp. Outside of walling such threats, Skarmory can also lay down entry hazards, such as Spikes and Stealth Rock, making it a valuable asset for stall-oriented teams. Despite its low Special Defense, which can undermine its walling capabilities, Skarmory still shines as one of the best physical walls in the metagame.</p>

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Impish
ability: Sturdy
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD (creep...)

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Skarmory's trademark physically defensive set from the 4th generation, unchanged. Skarmory can easily wall many powerful physical attackers like Tyranitar with its high Defense and auspicious typing, which grants it a valuable immunity to Ground-type attacks, in addition to a resistance to many types. With its immense physical bulk, Skarmory can get many opportunities to lay down 3 layers of Spikes. Roost provides reliable recovery, keeping Skarmory healthy and allowing it to stall longer. Whirlwind helps Skarmory phaze stat boosts, and rack up entry hazard damage, making it an excellent Spikes shuffler.</p>

<p>There are two options for the last move. Taunt helps out against stall teams; (semi-colon) against opposing walls, as it allows Skarmory to shut down Pokemon such as Nattorei and Hippowdon. However, Brave Bird prevents Skarmory from becoming complete Taunt bait itself for faster Pokemon and Mischievous Heart abusers. It also lands OHKO's on Breloom, Virizion and deals heavy damage to Conkeldurr. As such, it better suits bulky offense teams.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>There are two item choices. Shed Shell will help Skarmory escape unscathed from its best check, Magnet Pull Magnezone. However, Leftovers will provide recovery every turn, and help Skarmory heal off damage that it might have taken from weak attacks upon switching in, thus keeping it at full health and maintaining Sturdy's effect. The 252 EVs in both Defense and HP maximize Skarmory's physical bulk, while the remaining 4 EVs are invested in Special Defense.</p>

<p>Skarmory appreciates having a teammate to take the powerful special attacks that it will often find itself prey to. Pairing it with a special wall such as Chansey or Jellicent will therefore be effective. Chansey, in addition to forming a SkarmBliss-like defensive combination, also has the ability to pass 353 HP Wishes to Skarmory, keeping it healthy. On the other hand, Jellicent also acts as an effective spinblocker, although it shares an Electric-type weakness with Skarmory.</p>

[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Careful / Impish
ability: Sturdy
EV's: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
(enter)
<p>Despite having low Special Defense, Skarmory can utilize its Steel typing, and run a specially defensive set. Skarmory's Steel typing grants it valuable resistances to common Dragon-, Ghost- and Grass-type Special attacks. Along with Roost, these resistances help Skarmory switch in and wall Choice-locked Pokemon with ease, while still retaining the ability to wall physical attacks comfortably.</p>

<p>This set runs pretty much the same moves as the physically defensive set. Spikes is what distinguishes Skarmory from other bulky Steel-types bar Ferrothorn. Roost allows Skarmory to heal off any damage obtained while it sets up Spikes and significantly increases its longevity. Whirlwind is self-explanatory; shuffling between the opponent's team members, thereby racking up residual damage if entry hazards have been layed down. Whirlwind also phazes any stat boosts which the opponent might have obtained.</p>

<p>Leftovers is the usual item one would see on Skarmory, (comma) although Shed Shell despite being useful only in certain situations, can enable it to escape certain death from the likes of Magnezone. As with the first set, there is a move choice over Brave Bird and Taunt. Brave Bird OHKOes Birijion and Breloom even without any investment in Attack, while Taunt allows you to shut down slower walls like Blissey and Ferrothorn.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs and nature maximize Skarmory's Special Defense. Even without any investment, Skarmory has a great Defense stat and can comfortably take on most powerful physical attacks. However, An Impish nature can be used to bolster Skarmory's Defense at the cost of some Special Defense.</p>

<p>Instead of running Spikes on Skarmory itself, another Pokemon can be used to lay entry hazards. This will free up a moveslot, and allow Skarmory to run both Brave Bird and Taunt on the same set. This can prove to be especially useful against stall teams, since Skarmory can effectively shut down slower walls like Ferrothorn. Deoxys-S is a good candidate for this role, as it can also provide team support with dual screens, softening the blows from the special attacks that Skarmory takes.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Toxic is an interesting option, and can be used in place of Brave Bird, though it will make Skarmory complete Taunt bait. Surprisingly, Skarmory has access to some boosting moves such as Curse, Swords Dance and Agility, which are sadly wasted on Skarmory, as it has neither the stats nor the movepool to utilize them effectively. If the recoil damage from Brave Bird proves to be troublesome, Drill Peck is a safer, albeit weaker option.</p>

<p>Counter is another viable move, as Skarmory takes physical hits well, and can help net a surprise KO. (full stop) Once used, however, it loses much of its value in its surprise factor. Skarmory can also set up Stealth Rock, though this would mean having to forgo Spikes. (full stop)</p>

[Checks and Counters]
(enter)
<p>Magnezone is the best Skarmory counter in existence, as it can effectively trap and eliminate Skarmory with STAB Thunderbolt. However if Skarmory is at full health, it can survive a Thunderbolt from Magnezone thanks to Sturdy and Whirlwind it out.(space)Skarmory's Steel typing gives it weaknesses to common Electric- and Fire-type attacks. This can be exploited by powerful special attackers like Starmie, which, in addition to OHKOing Skarmory with Thunderbolt, can also Rapid Spin its entry hazards away. Heatran can take anything Skarmory throws at it and eliminate it with a STAB Fire Blast. In the same vein, Electric-types such as Zapdos and Thundurus can switch in with ease, and eliminate Skarmory with their STAB attacks.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Skarmory gets the ability Broken Armor, which boosts its Speed and lowers its Defense every time it is hit by a physical attack. There is no use trying to utilize such an ability, (comma) even in conjunction with Swords Dance; Skarmory is always better off running Sturdy.</p>

(2/2)

 

[zdrup15]

You missed some of the things Aeron fixed and I found some additional mistakes so I've decided to do my first amateur GP check.

Red = delete
Blue = add
Bold = comment

[Overview]

<p>In the 5th Generation, Skarmory retains its place as one of OU's premier physical walls of OU even in the 5th generation. In comparison to DPP, it also got a useful boost to Sturdy, which now acts as a constant Focus Sash for Skarmory. With Roost, Whirlwind,(comma) and its huge physical base Defense stat, Skarmory can easily take on monstrously powerful physical attackers like Haxorus, Excadrill, Landorus, and Swords Dance Garchomp. Outside of walling such the aforementioned threats, Skarmory can also lay down entry hazards, such as Spikes and Stealth Rock, making it a valuable asset for stall-oriented teams. Despite its low Special Defense, which can undermine its walling capabilities, Skarmory still shines as one of the best physical walls in the metagame.</p>

[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Impish
ability: Sturdy
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Skarmory's trademark physically defensive set from the 4th Generation(capital G), unchanged. Skarmory can easily wall many powerful physical attackers like Tyranitar (choose another example because the standard Tyranitar carries Fire Blast or Flamethrower now and 2HKOes Skarmory) with its high Defense and auspicious typing, which grants it a valuable immunity to Ground-type attacks, in addition to a resistance to many types. With its immense physical bulk, Skarmory can get many opportunities to lay down 3 layers of Spikes. Roost provides reliable recovery, keeping Skarmory healthy and allowing it to stall longer. Whirlwind helps Skarmory phaze set-up sweepersstat boosts, and rack up entry hazard damage, making it an excellent Spikes shuffler.</p>

<p>There are two options for the last move. Taunt helps out on against stall teams; against opposing walls, it allows Skarmory to shut down Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Hippowdon. Brave Bird prevents Skarmory from becoming complete Taunt bait itself for faster Pokemon and Prankster abusers. It also lands OHKO's on Breloom, Virizion,(comma) and deals heavy damage to Conkeldurr. As such, it better suits bulky offense teams.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>There are two item choices. Shed Shell will help Skarmory escape unscathed from its best checkcounter, Magnet Pull Magnezone. However, Leftovers will provide recovery every turn, and help Skarmory heal off damage that it might have taken from weak attacks upon switching in, thus keeping it at full health and maintaining Sturdy's effect. The 252 EVs in both Defense and HP maximize Skarmory's physical bulk, while the remaining 4 EVs are invested in Special Defense.</p>

<p>Skarmory appreciates having a teammate to take the powerful special attacks that it will often find itself prey to. Pairing it with a special(without capital S) wall such as Chansey or Jellicent will therefore be effective. Chansey, in addition to forming a SkarmBliss-like defensive combination, also has the ability to pass 353 HP Wishes to Skarmory, keeping it healthy. On the other hand, Jellicent also acts as an effective spinblocker, although it shares an Electric-type weakness with Skarmory.</p>

[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Roost
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Brave Bird / Taunt
item: Leftovers / Shed Shell
nature: Careful / Impish
ability: Sturdy
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Despite having low Special Defense, Skarmory can utilize its Steel typing, and run a specially defensive set. Skarmory's Steel typing grants it valuable resistances to common Dragon-, Ghost-,(comma) and Grass-type attacks. Along with Roost, these resistances help Skarmory switch in and wall choice-locked(without the capital C) Pokemon with ease, while still retaining the ability to wall physical attacks comfortably.</p>

<p>This set runs pretty much the same moves as the physically defensive set. Spikes is what distinguishes Skarmory from other bulky Steel-types bar Ferrothorn. Roost allows Skarmory to heal off any damage obtained while it sets up Spikes and significantly increases its longevity. Whirlwind is self-explanatory; shuffling the opponent's team members, thereby racking up residual damage if entry hazards have been layed down. Whirlwind also phazes any stat boosts which the opponent might have obtained.</p>

<p>Leftovers is the usual item one would see on Skarmory, although Shed Shell can enable it to escape certain death from the likes of Magnezone. As with the first set, there is a move choice over Brave Bird and Taunt. Brave Bird OHKOes BirijionVirizion and Breloom even without any investment in Attack, while Taunt allows youSkarmory to shut down slower walls like Blissey and Ferrothorn.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs and nature maximize Skarmory's Special Defense. Even without any investment, Skarmory has a great Defense stat and can comfortably take most powerful physical attacks. An Impish nature can be used to bolster Skarmory's Defense at the cost of some Special Defense.</p>

<p>Instead of running Spikes on Skarmory itself, another Pokemon can be used to lay entry hazards. This will free up a moveslot, and allow Skarmory to run both Brave Bird and Taunt on the same set. This can prove especially useful against stall teams. Deoxys-S is a good candidate for this role, as it can also provide team support with dual screens, softening the blows from special attacks that Skarmory takes.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Toxic is an interesting option, and can be used in place of Brave Bird, though it will make Skarmory complete Taunt bait. Surprisingly, Skarmory has access to some boosting moves such as Curse, Swords Dance,(comma) and Agility, which are sadly wasted on Skarmory, as it has neither the stats nor the movepool to utilize them effectively. If the recoil damage from Brave Bird proves to be troublesome, Drill Peck is a safer, albeit weaker option.</p>

<p>Counter is another viable move, as Skarmory takes physical hits well, and can help net a surprise KO. However, once used, however, it loses much of its value in its surprise factor. Skarmory can also set up Stealth Rock, though this would mean having to forgo Spikes.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Magnezone is the best Skarmory counter in existence, as it can effectively trap and eliminate Skarmory with STAB Thunderbolt. However,(comma) if Skarmory is at full health, it can survive a Thunderbolt from Magnezone thanks to Sturdy and Whirlwind it out. Skarmory's typing gives it weaknesses to common Electric- and Fire-type attacks. This can be exploited by powerful special attackers like Starmie, which, in addition to OHKOing Skarmory with Thunderbolt, can also Rapid Spin its entry hazards away. Heatran can take anything Skarmory throws at it and eliminate it with a STAB Fire Blast. In the same vein, Electric-types such as Zapdos and Thundurus can switch in with ease, and eliminate Skarmory with their STAB attacks.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Skarmory gets the ability Broken Armor, which boosts its Speed and lowers its Defense every time it is hit by a physical attack. There is no use trying to utilize such an ability, even in conjunction with Swords Dance; Skarmory is always better off running Sturdy.</p>

 

[Colonel M]

I've read this analysis, and to put it bluntly the writing is pretty poor. The first sentence alone makes me cringe. Due to this, I will be re-writing this analysis to help with upping the quality of it.