UU Skarmory [QC 3/3] GP [2/2]

:ss/Skarmory:
[OVERVIEW]
Skarmory is one of the key defensive pillars of UU thanks to its sky-high Defense, reliable recovery, and amazing defensive typing, checking dangerous offensive threats like Excadrill, Zarude, Lycanroc-D, and Gyarados with ease. Skarmory has a bevy of utility moves. Spikes wears down defensive threats like Aegislash and Chansey for its team, and Skarmory can set Spikes easily thanks to it beating UU's most common entry hazard remover in Excadrill. Furthermore, Whirlwind prevents Pokemon like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Swords Dance Aegislash from setting up. Skarmory can even run Defog on stall teams thanks to its great matchup against entry hazard setters like Excadrill and Roserade. These traits, in addition to its synergy with top defensive picks like Amoonguss, Slowking, and Chansey, allow Skarmory to fit on a wide range of archetypes ranging from bulky offense to stall. However, Skarmory has an extremely vulnerable Special Defense stat, making it a Steel-type that can't check specially offensive Fairy- and Psychic-types like Hatterene, so it faces competition from other Steel-types like Celesteela and Aegislash. Common threats like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Moltres also limit Skarmory's consistency due to its passivity. Skarmory also often struggles to fit all the moves it likes at once. For example, it becomes much more vulnerable to Conkeldurr and Azumarill without Brave Bird, but it struggles to pressure Mamoswine without Body Press.

[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Body Press / Brave Bird
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Roost
move 4: Whirlwind / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Body Press utilizes Skarmory's amazing Defense to hit many opposing Pokemon hard, devastating the likes of Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Lycanroc-D. It also keeps Hydreigon from coming in freely. Alternatively, Brave Bird lets Skarmory hit Conkeldurr, Tapu Bulu, and Roserade super effectively and deal solid damage to Azumarill and Gyarados. Spikes wears down common defensive Pokemon like Chansey, Amoonguss, and Aegislash. Skarmory has plenty of opportunities to set Spikes up against Pokemon that typically cannot threaten it, like Jirachi and Tangrowth. Whirlwind synergizes well with Spikes, forcing chip damage on switch-ins like Aegislash. It also prevents setup sweepers like Gyarados and Belly Drum Azumarill from setting up. Alternatively, Toxic cripples setup sweepers like Galarian Moltres and Thundurus-T, which typically have free entry on it, and hinders Defoggers like Salamence and Mandibuzz from removing Spikes in the long run. Skarmory can run Defog on stall teams thanks to its ability to handle entry hazard setters like Roserade, Excadrill, and Swampert. Rocky Helmet allows Skarmory to punish pivoting attempts from Swampert, Jirachi, and Zarude, prevent Excadrill from freely using Rapid Spin, and wear down threats like Azumarill, Krookodile, and Gyarados quickly. The given Speed EVs allow Skarmory to outspeed Azumarill and Conkeldurr.

Skarmory best fits on bulky offense, balance, and stall teams that appreciate its Spikes support and walling capabilities. Chansey makes an excellent partner for Skarmory, taking on dangerous special attackers like Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T, while Skarmory handles physical attackers like Excadrill and Diggersby. Slowking similarly checks Moltres and special Salamence, and it also acts as a secondary check to Conkeldurr and Mamoswine with Colbur Berry. Additionally, its Future Sight alongside Skarmory's Whirlwind can hinder offensive Pokemon like Thundurus-T. Stealth Rock setters like Diancie, Nihilego, and Excadrill form great entry-hazard stacking cores with Skarmory. Diancie beats Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T; Nihilego also beats the aforementioned threats and can hinder Aegislash with Knock Off; and Excadrill can pressure Aegislash and Hatterene and remove opposing entry hazards without compromising Skarmory's own Spikes. Bulky Grass-types like Amoonguss and Tangrowth make good secondary checks to Tapu Bulu and Conkeldurr so Skarmory doesn't get overwhelmed checking them. They also can absorb Knock Off for the team, allowing Skarmory to preserve Rocky Helmet and chip down Jirachi. Zarude and the aformentioned Grass-types can help take on strong Electric- and Water-types like Rotom-W and Primarina as well. Powerful wallbreakers like Aegislash, Thundurus-T, and Choice Specs Primarina all appreciate Skarmory's Spikes wearing down checks like Tangrowth and Chansey. On stall teams, Quagsire can provide an Electric immunity to block Volt Switch and check Thundurus-T. It also can handle setup sweepers that can bypass Skarmory like Belly Drum Azumarill and Swords Dance Aegislash. Umbreon acts as a primary check to Dragon Dance Salamence and Gyarados, secondary check to Mamoswine, and way to beat Chandelure. Galarian Weezing counters Conkeldurr and can provide Defog support to prevent Skarmory from being worn down into range of Mamoswine's Icicle Crash.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Skarmory can compress both Spikes and Defog on more defensive teams, acting as an emergency Defog option and opening up moveslots for other teammates. Skarmory can replace its attacking moveslot to fit both, or even other combinations of utility moves. It is still able to beat Excadrill as long as it keeps Rocky Helmet. However, these sets are very team specific. Skarmory can also run an Iron Defense + Body Press set to act as a wincon that is extremely tough to KO physically on semi-stall teams, even taking on Belly Drum Azumarill if it gets off an Iron Defense as Azumarill sets up. However, this set is very inconsistent, as it relies on special attackers being removed to boost up. Skarmory can attempt to compress entry hazards by running both Spikes and Stealth Rock, but it struggles to fit Stealth Rock over more valuable options like Whirlwind or Toxic and pairs well with Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego anyway.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Common Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all are unbothered by Skarmory and can use it to gain momentum with Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can also boost with Nasty Plot as it forces Skarmory out.

**Fire-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Fire-types like Chandelure and Moltres come in easily on Skarmory and force it out. Skarmory must also be wary of Pokemon like Celesteela, Salamence, and Azelf due to them commonly running Fire-type coverage.

**Strong Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers like Aegislash, Primarina, and Hydreigon can all break through Skarmory due to its poor special bulk. Hatterene in particular completely walls Skarmory, denying its entry hazards and ignoring Whirlwind and Toxic with Magic Bounce.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Twilight, 344575], [Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [Estarossa, 461329]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [DC, 449990]]
 
Last edited:
:ss/Skarmory:

-Skarmory is one of the key defensive pillars of UU thanks to its sky-high physical defense, reliable recovery, and amazing defensive typing, checking top threats like Excadrill, Zarude, Roserade, Lycanroc-D, and Gyarados with ease.
-Its ability to synergize with top defensive picks like Amoonguss, Slowking, and Chansey allows Skarmory to fit on a wide range of archetypes ranging from bulky offense to stall.
-Skarmory also has a bevy of utility moves that let it support its team. Access to Spikes lets Skarmory help wear down defensive threats like Aegislash and Chansey for its team, and it can lay them easily thanks to it beating UU's most common entry hazard remover in Excadrill. Furthermore, Whirlwind lets Skarmory act as a phazer and prevent Pokemon like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Swords Dance Aegislash from setting up on it.
-However, Skarmory has an extremely vulnerable special defense stat, preventing it from being a Steel-type that can check threats like Primarina, thus causing it to face competition from other Steel-types like Celesteela and Aegislash. Common threats like Thundurus-T, Hydreigon, and Moltres also can limit Skarmory's consistency due to its passivity.
-Skarmory also often struggles to fit all the moves it likes at once. For example, Skarmory becomes much more vulnerable to Conkeldurr and Azumarill without Brave Bird, but without Body Press it struggles to pressure Swords Dance Excadrill.

[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Body Press / Brave Bird
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Roost
move 4: Whirlwind / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-Body Press allows Skarmory to utilize its amazing physical defense to hit many opposing Pokemon hard, OHKOing the likes of Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Lycanroc-D.
-Alternatively, Brave Bird lets Skarmory hit Conkeldurr, Tapu Bulu, and Roserade super effectively and deal solid damage to Azumarill and Gyarados.
-Spikes lets Skarmory support its team by wearing down common defensive Pokemon like Chansey, Amoonguss, and Aegislash.
-Whirlwind synergizes well with Spikes, spreading chip damage from it on Pokemon who tend to switch into Skarmory like Aegislash. It also prevents setup sweepers like Gyarados and Belly Drum Azumarill from setting up on it.
-Toxic is an alternative option over Whirlwind to cripple setup sweepers like Galarian Moltres and Thundurus-T who typically have free entry on it while also hindering entry hazard removers like Mandibuzz from removing Spikes in the long term.
-Skarmory can run emergency Defog on stall teams to help with an opposing Spikes matchup, especially since it beats its competition in Roserade. However, it typically prefers its other moves and should only be done when necessary. Defog on Skarm is pretty standard for stall
-Since Skarmory typically acts as a Knock Off absorber on teams, Rocky Helmet lets it chip down Pokemon it switches into like Krookodile and Mamoswine.
-The given EV spread allows Skarmory to outspeed Azumarill in addition to outspeeding Conkeldurr while maximizing its physical defense.

Paragraph 2
-Skarmory best fits on bulky offense, balance, and stall teams that appreciate its spikes and walling capacities and cover its weaknesses in return.
-Chansey makes an excellent partner for Skarmory, taking on dangerous special attackers like Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T for it, while Skarmory handles physical attackers like Excadrill and Diggersby. Slowking similarly can check Moltres and special Salamence for Skarmory as well and act as a secondary check to Conkeldurr if holding a Colbur Berry.
-Bulky Grass-types like Amoonguss and Tangrowth make good secondary checks to Mienshao, Tapu Bulu, and Conkeldurr for Skarmory so it doesn't get overwhelmed checking them. They can also take on strong Electric- and Water-types like Rotom-W and Primarina.
-Stealth Rock setters like Diancie and Excadrill make solid entry hazard stacking cores with Skarmory, providing Stealth Rock to complement its Spikes. Diancie beats Hydreigon and Thundurus-T while Excadrill can pressure Aegislash and alleviate concerns about opposing Spikes with Rapid Spin.
-Powerful wallbreakers like Mienshao, Thundurus-T, and Choice Specs Primarina all appreciate the support Skarmory provides with Spikes to wear down checks like Tangrowth, Chansey, and Tapu Bulu.
-On stall teams, teammates like Quagsire, Umbreon, and Galarian Weezing are helpful for covering its shortcomings. Quagsire provides an Electric-immunity and check to Thundurus-T, Umbreon acts as a secondary check to Gyarados and beats Chandelure, and Galarian Weezing provides Defog support to prevent Skarmory from being worn down into range of Mamoswine's Icicle Crash as well as counter Mienshao.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
-Skarmory can run an Iron Defense + Body Press set to act as a sweeper on semi-stall teams that is extremely tough to KO from the physical side, but this set is very inconsistent as it gets forced out very easily by special attackers and is reliant on them being gone before boosting up. It's also used just because it makes some physical Pokemon unable to break it. E.g. ID prevents BD Azumarill from beating you after just one boost as Knock Off is only doing max 50 to a +2 Skarm. Aqua Jet requires high rolls + rocks
-Skarmory can attempt to compress entry hazards by running both Spikes and Stealth Rock, but struggles to fit it over more valuable options like Whirlwind or Toxic and is often preferred to have a teammate that pairs well with it instead.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Common Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all are unbothered by Skarmory and can use it to gain momentum with Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can also set a Nasty Plot as it forces Skarmory out.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Fire-types like Chandelure and Moltres can also take advantage of Skarmory since they can come in easily on it and force it out. Skarmory must also be wary of Pokemon like Celesteela, Salamence, and Azelf due to them commonly running Fire-type coverage.

**Strong Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers like Aegislash, Primarina, and Hydreigon can all break through Skarmory due to its poor special bulk. Hatterene in particular completely blanks Skarmory by denying its entry hazards and can set up on it easily thanks to being immune to Toxic and Whirlwind because of Magic Bounce.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]

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:ss/Skarmory:

-Skarmory is one of the key defensive pillars of UU thanks to its sky-high physical defense, reliable recovery, and amazing defensive typing, checking top threats like Excadrill, Zarude, Lycanroc-D, and Gyarados with ease. wouldn't really call lycanroc nor Gyarados a "top threat", "dangerous offensive threat" sure
- point about spikes, see comment below

-Its ability to synergize with top defensive picks like Amoonguss, Slowking, and Chansey allows Skarmory to fit on a wide range of archetypes ranging from bulky offense to stall.
-Skarmory also has a bevy of utility moves that let it support its team. fluff Access to Spikes lets Skarmory help wear down defensive threats like Aegislash and Chansey for its team, and it can lay them easily thanks to it beating UU's most common entry hazard remover in Excadrill. spikes are so integral for skarmory that this should be moved up higher. Furthermore, Whirlwind lets Skarmory act as a phazer and prevent Pokemon like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Swords Dance Aegislash from setting up on it. if you're talking about Skarmory's other support options, you may as well include the fact that it can use defog on stall teams, creating appreciated role compression as a hazard setter and remover
-However, Skarmory has an extremely vulnerable special defense Special Defense stat, preventing it from being a Steel-type that can check threats like Primarina, primarina isnt the best example here, Celesteela is in big trouble if it gets burned especially against Sub sets and RestTalk sets can pivot into aegislash. Something like Hatterene or Togekiss would be more fitting here. thus causing it to face competition from other Steel-types like Celesteela and Aegislash. Common threats like Thundurus-T, Hydreigon, and Moltres also can limit Skarmory's consistency due to its passivity. Probably not as relevant now considering ur writing this up after but this feels like it should be its own point, especially since they can all use it as free momentum. I would replace Hydreigon with Rotom-W since Hydreigon doesn't want to take a body press coming in and Rotom punishes Skarm a LOT harder even if its not as common.
-Skarmory also often struggles to fit all the moves it likes at once. For example, Skarmory becomes much more vulnerable to Conkeldurr and Azumarill without Brave Bird, but without Body Press it struggles to pressure Swords Dance Excadrill. ehhhhhh..... between rocky helmet, spikes chip, and whirlwind, pressuring drill isnt really a problem unless its the last mon standing, at which point you probably won anyways, id use Mamoswine

[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Body Press / Brave Bird
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Roost
move 4: Whirlwind / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Paragraph 1
-Body Press allows Skarmory to utilize its amazing physical defense to hit many opposing Pokemon hard, OHKOing the likes of Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Lycanroc-D. body press doesn't actually OHKO Excadrill nor Mamoswine, just say that it threatens them. add that it also keeps hydreigon from coming in as freely
196+ Def Skarmory Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Excadrill: 294-348 (81.4 - 96.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
196+ Def Skarmory Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mamoswine: 236-278 (65.3 - 77%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

-Alternatively, Brave Bird lets Skarmory hit Conkeldurr, Tapu Bulu, and Roserade super effectively and deal solid damage to Azumarill and Gyarados.
-Spikes lets Skarmory support its team by wearing down common defensive Pokemon like Chansey, Amoonguss, and Aegislash. I would also note that skarmory has plenty of opportunity to set up spikes on the Pokemon it checks like Jirachi or Tangrowth.
-Whirlwind synergizes well with Spikes, spreading chip damage from it on Pokemon who tend to switch into Skarmory like Aegislash. It also prevents setup sweepers like Gyarados and Belly Drum Azumarill from setting up on it.
-Toxic is an alternative option over Whirlwind to cripple setup sweepers like Galarian Moltres and Thundurus-T who typically have free entry on it while also hindering entry hazard removers like Rotom-W and Mandibuzz from removing Spikes in the long term.
-Skarmory can run Defog on stall teams to help with an opposing Spikes matchup add a period here, also mention that it freely defogs on setters like Excadrill and Swampert.
-Since Skarmory typically acts as a Knock Off absorber on teams, Rocky Helmet lets it chip down Pokemon it switches into like Krookodile and Mamoswine. this should be replaced since there are plenty of other reasons why skarmory should run rocky helmet. Some examples include how it punishes U-turn attempts from Jirachi and Zarude, it keeps Excadrill from Rapid Spinning freely, and it punishes Pokemon like Azumarill and Conkeldurr even more.
-The given EV spread allows Skarmory to outspeed Azumarill in addition to outspeeding Conkeldurr while maximizing its physical defense.

Paragraph 2
-Skarmory best fits on bulky offense, balance, and stall teams that appreciate its Spikes support and walling capacities and cover its weaknesses in return.
-Chansey makes an excellent partner for Skarmory, taking on dangerous special attackers like Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T for it, while Skarmory handles physical attackers like Excadrill and Diggersby. Slowking similarly can check Moltres and special Salamence for Skarmory as well and act as a secondary check to Conkeldurr if holding with a Colbur Berry.
- point about rocks setters, see comment below
-Bulky Grass-types like Amoonguss and Tangrowth make good secondary checks to Mienshao, Tapu Bulu, and Conkeldurr for Skarmory so it doesn't get overwhelmed checking them. They can also take on strong Electric- and Water-types like Rotom-W and Primarina.
-Stealth Rock setters like Diancie and Excadrill make solid entry hazard stacking cores with Skarmory, providing Stealth Rock to complement its Spikes. Diancie beats Hydreigon and Thundurus-T while Excadrill can pressure Aegislash and alleviate concerns about opposing Spikes with Rapid Spin remove hazards while not compromising Skarmory's own Spikes. move this point just above the bulky grass section considering how crucial hazard pressure is to Skarmory's game plan
-Powerful wallbreakers like Mienshao, Thundurus-T, and Choice Specs Primarina all appreciate the support Skarmory provides with Spikes to wear down checks like Tangrowth,(RC) and Chansey, and Tapu Bulu. Tapu Bulu isnt the first thing that comes to mind when I think of specs prim checks unless u were using that to refer to Thundurus-T, in which case change the order. Note that the former two are knock off users that make Pokemon like Salamence and Nihilego more vulnerable to hazards
-On stall teams, teammates like Quagsire, Umbreon, and Galarian Weezing are helpful for covering its shortcomings. Quagsire provides an Electric-immunity and check to Thundurus-T, Umbreon acts as a secondary check to Gyarados and beats Chandelure, and Galarian Weezing provides Defog support to prevent Skarmory from being worn down into range of Mamoswine's Icicle Crash as well as counter Mienshao. This feels pretty congested for the sake of trying to condense several points in one. Remove the sentence I bolded since it really doesn't go over much and cover each mon individually.

- Quagsire is fine, additionally mention how it helps skarm from being overwhelmed by Belly Drum Azumarill and SD Aegislash
- Umbreon is also a secondary answer to Mamoswine which is very important and provides Skarmory wish support so it can act as a better switch-in to Pokemon like Conkeldurr and Mienshao.
- How you mentioned Galarian Weezing is fine I think.



[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
-Skarmory can run an Iron Defense + Body Press set to act as a sweeper wincon you don't really threaten to sweep on the spot with this on semi-stall teams that is extremely tough to KO from the physical side, even being able to take on a Belly Drum boosted Azumarill if it gets off an Iron Defense as it sets up. However, this set is very inconsistent as it gets forced out very easily by special attackers and is reliant on them being gone before boosting up.
-Skarmory can attempt to compress entry hazards by running both Spikes and Stealth Rock, but struggles to fit it over more valuable options like Whirlwind or Toxic and is often preferred to have a teammate that pairs well with it instead.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Common Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all are unbothered by Skarmory and can use it to gain momentum with Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can also boost with Nasty Plot as it forces Skarmory out.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Fire-types like Chandelure and Moltres can also take advantage of Skarmory since they can come in easily on it and force it out. Skarmory must also be wary of Pokemon like Celesteela, Salamence, and Azelf due to them commonly running Fire-type coverage.

**Strong Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers like Aegislash, Primarina, and Hydreigon can all break through Skarmory due to its poor special bulk. Hatterene in particular completely blanks Skarmory by denying its entry hazards and can set up on it easily thanks to being immune to Toxic and Whirlwind because of Magic Bounce.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Twilight, 344575], [Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
 

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:ss/Skarmory:

Skarmory is one of the key defensive pillars of UU thanks to its sky-high physical defense, reliable recovery, and amazing defensive typing, checking dangerous offensive threats like Excadrill, Zarude, Lycanroc-D, and Gyarados with ease. Skarmory has access to a bevy of utility moves that let it support its team. Spikes lets Skarmory help wear down defensive threats like Aegislash and Chansey for its team, and it can lay them easily thanks to it beating UU's most common entry hazard remover in Excadrill. Furthermore, Whirlwind lets Skarmory act as a phazer and prevent Pokemon like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Swords Dance Aegislash from setting up on it. Skarmory can even run Defog on stall teams thanks to its great matchup against entry hazard setters like Excadrill may want to mention spikers too since its gr8 vs them. These traits in addition to its ability to synergize with top defensive picks like Amoonguss, Slowking, and Chansey allows Skarmory to fit on a wide range of archetypes ranging from bulky offense to stall. However, Skarmory has an extremely vulnerable Special Defense stat, preventing it from being a Steel-type that can check threats like Hatterene, thus causing it to face competition from other Steel-types like Celesteela and Aegislash. Common threats like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, Hydreigon, and Moltres also can limit Skarmory's consistency due to its passivity. dno that i like the hyd mention just cause its kinda vulnerable to body press unlike the others and doesn't rly like switching in cause of it. Skarmory also often struggles to fit all the moves it likes at once. For example, Skarmory becomes much more vulnerable to Conkeldurr and Azumarill without Brave Bird, but without Body Press it struggles to pressure Mamoswine.

[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Body Press / Brave Bird
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Roost
move 4: Whirlwind / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Body Press allows Skarmory to utilize its amazing physical defense to hit many opposing Pokemon hard, devastating the likes of Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Lycanroc-D. It also keeps Hydreigon from coming in freely. Alternatively, Brave Bird lets Skarmory hit Conkeldurr, Tapu Bulu, and Roserade super effectively and deal solid damage to Azumarill and Gyarados. Spikes lets Skarmory support its team by wearing down common defensive Pokemon like Chansey, Amoonguss, and Aegislash. It has plenty of opportunities to set them up against Pokemon who typically cannot threaten it like Jirachi and Tangrowth. Whirlwind synergizes well with Spikes, spreading chip damage from it on Pokemon who tend to switch into Skarmory like Aegislash. It also prevents setup sweepers like Gyarados and Belly Drum Azumarill from setting up on it. Meanwhile, Toxic is an alternative option over Whirlwind to cripple setup sweepers like Galarian Moltres and Thundurus-T who typically have free entry on it while also hindering entry hazard removers like Rotom-W and Mandibuzz from removing Spikes in the long term. Skarmory can run Defog on stall teams thanks to its ability to handle opposing entry hazard setters like Roserade, Excadrill, and Swampert. Rocky Helmet allows Skarmory to punish U-turn attempts from Jirachi and Zarude, chip down Excadrill to prevent it from freely using Rapid Spin, and wear down threats it normally checks like Azumarill, Krookodile, and Gyarados more. The given EV spread allows Skarmory to outspeed Azumarill in addition to outspeeding Conkeldurr while maximizing its physical defense.

Skarmory best fits on bulky offense, balance, and stall teams that appreciate its Spikes support and walling capacities and cover its weaknesses in return. Chansey makes an excellent partner for Skarmory, taking on dangerous special attackers like Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T for it, while Skarmory handles physical attackers like Excadrill and Diggersby. Slowking similarly can check Moltres and special Salamence for Skarmory as well and act as a secondary check to Conkeldurr with a Colbur Berry. other things you could potentially mention with Slowking is it helping with Mamo, and the Future Sight + Whirlwind combo that they can use to flat out remove fighting types and potentially cripple offensive pokemon. Stealth Rock setters like Diancie, Nihilego, and Excadrill form great entry hazard stacking cores with Skarmory, providing Stealth Rock to complement its Spikes. Diancie beats Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T for Skarmory. Nihilego also beats the aforementioned threats and can hinder Aegislash with Knock Off. Excadrill can pressure Aegislash and Hatterene and remove opposing entry hazards while not compromising Skarmory's own Spikes. Bulky Grass-types like Amoonguss and Tangrowth make good secondary checks to Mienshao, Tapu Bulu, and Conkeldurr for Skarmory so it doesn't get overwhelmed checking them. They can also take on strong Electric- and Water-types like Rotom-W and Primarina. One of the most relevant things here that I think should be mentioned is that they provide secondary Rocky Helmet, this is pretty relevant since it lets one of the two act as a knock absorber while still having something to punish zarude/jirachi and stop them becoming much harder to deal with Powerful wallbreakers like Mienshao, Thundurus-T, and Choice Specs Primarina all appreciate the support Skarmory provides with Spikes to wear down checks like Tangrowth and Chansey. On stall teams, teammates like Quagsire, Umbreon, and Galarian Weezing are helpful for covering Skarmory's shortcomings. Quagsire provides an Electric-immunity to block Volt Switch and can check to Thundurus-T. It also can handle setup sweepers that can bypass Skarmory like Belly Drum Azumarill and Swords Dance Aegislash. Umbreon acts as a secondary check to Mamoswine and beats Chandelure probs worth mentioning that it also proviides a primary answer to stuff like DD gyara/mence, which can break thruogh skarm wiith a flinch/fire blast. while Galarian Weezing provides Defog support to prevent Skarmory from being worn down into range of Mamoswine's Icicle Crash and counters Mienshao and Conkeldurr.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Skarmory can run an Iron Defense + Body Press set to act as a win-condition on semi-stall teams that is extremely tough to KO from the physical side, even being able to take on a Belly Drum boosted Azumarill if it gets off an Iron Defense as it sets up. However, this set is very inconsistent as it gets forced out very easily by special attackers and is reliant on them being gone before boosting up. Skarmory can attempt to compress entry hazards by running both Spikes and Stealth Rock, but struggles to fit it over more valuable options like Whirlwind or Toxic and is often preferred to have a teammate that pairs well with it instead. Mention the option of compressing both Spikes + Defog instead on like fat balance / spikes heavy semi stall teams. While this is undesirable over other utility options, iit offers a lot more freedom in your other slots and acts as more of an emergeency Defog option.

Would also bring up no attacks skarm for its killer compression ability, something Lily has used and ive definitely considered before. Skarm still beats Exacdrill anyway no matter what you do as long as you keep the helmet up, and can be considered if you need the compression more than you need brave bird.


Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Common Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all are unbothered by Skarmory and can use it to gain momentum with Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can also boost with Nasty Plot as it forces Skarmory out.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Fire-types like Chandelure and Moltres can also take advantage of Skarmory since they can come in easily on it and force it out. Skarmory must also be wary of Pokemon like Celesteela, Salamence, and Azelf due to them commonly running Fire-type coverage.

**Strong Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers like Aegislash, Primarina, and Hydreigon can all break through Skarmory due to its poor special bulk. Hatterene in particular completely blanks Skarmory by denying its entry hazards and can set up on it easily thanks to being immune to Toxic and Whirlwind because of Magic Bounce.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Twilight, 344575], [Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [username3, userid3]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
QC 3/3.
 
amgp:afrostar:
add/fix remove (comments)
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:ss/Skarmory:

Skarmory is one of the key defensive pillars of UU thanks to its sky-high physical defense, reliable recovery, and amazing defensive typing, checking dangerous offensive threats like Excadrill, Zarude, Lycanroc-D, and Gyarados with ease. Skarmory has access to a bevy of utility moves that let it support its team. (2nd QC check mentioned this sentence is fluff) Spikes lets Skarmory help wear down defensive threats like Aegislash and Chansey for its team, and it can lay them easily thanks to it beating UU's most common entry hazard remover in Excadrill. Furthermore, Whirlwind lets Skarmory act as a phazer and prevents Pokemon like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Swords Dance Aegislash from setting up on it Skarmory. Skarmory can even run Defog on stall teams thanks to its great matchup against entry hazard setters like Excadrill and Roserade. These traits,(AC) in addition to its ability to synergize with top defensive picks like Amoonguss, Slowking, and Chansey,(AC) allow Skarmory to fit on a wide range of archetypes ranging from bulky offense to stall. However, Skarmory has an extremely vulnerable Special Defense stat, preventing it from being a Steel-type that can check threats like Hatterene, (this sounds extremely weird imo. I'd probably change it to "preventing it from reliably checking specially offensive Fairy- and Psychic-type Pokemon like Hat" but that's up to you) thus causing it to face competition from other Steel-types like Celesteela and Aegislash. Common threats like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Moltres also can limit Skarmory's consistency due to its passivity. Skarmory also often struggles to fit all the moves it likes at once. For example, Skarmory becomes much more vulnerable to Conkeldurr and Azumarill without Brave Bird, but without Body Press it struggles to pressure Mamoswine.

[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Body Press / Brave Bird
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Roost
move 4: Whirlwind / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Body Press allows Skarmory to utilize its amazing physical defense to hit many opposing Pokemon hard, devastating the likes of Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Lycanroc-D. It also keeps Hydreigon from coming in freely. Alternatively, Brave Bird lets Skarmory hit Conkeldurr, Tapu Bulu, and Roserade super effectively and deals solid damage to Azumarill and Gyarados. Spikes lets Skarmory support its team by wearing down common defensive Pokemon like Chansey, Amoonguss, and Aegislash. It has plenty of opportunities to set them up against Pokemon who typically cannot threaten it,(AC) like Jirachi and Tangrowth. Whirlwind synergizes well with Spikes, spreading forcing chip damage from it on Pokemon who tend to switch into Skarmory like Aegislash. It also prevents setup sweepers like Gyarados and Belly Drum Azumarill from setting up on it. Meanwhile, Toxic is an alternative option over Whirlwind to cripple setup sweepers like Galarian Moltres and Thundurus-T,(AC) who typically have free entry on it,(AC) while also hindering entry hazard removers like Rotom-W and Mandibuzz from removing Spikes in the long term. Skarmory can run Defog on stall teams thanks to its ability to handle opposing entry hazard setters like Roserade, Excadrill, and Swampert. Rocky Helmet allows Skarmory to punish U-turn attempts from Jirachi and Zarude, chip down Excadrill to prevent it from freely using Rapid Spin, and wear down threats it normally checks like Azumarill, Krookodile, and Gyarados more quickly. The given EV spread allows Skarmory to outspeed Azumarill in addition to outspeeding Conkeldurr while maximizing its physical defense.

Skarmory best fits on bulky offense, balance, and stall teams that appreciate its Spikes support and walling capacities and cover capabilities while covering its weaknesses in return. Chansey makes an excellent partner for Skarmory, taking on dangerous special attackers like Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T for it, while Skarmory handles physical attackers like Excadrill and Diggersby. Slowking similarly can similarly check Moltres and special Salamence for Skarmory as well and act as a secondary check to Conkeldurr and Mamoswine with a Colbur Berry. Additionally, a combo of Future Sight + Whirlwind has the ability to remove Fighting-types like Mienshao from play and hinder other offensive Pokemon like Thundurus-T. Stealth Rock setters like Diancie, Nihilego, and Excadrill form great entry hazard stacking cores with Skarmory, providing Stealth Rock to complement its Spikes. Diancie beats Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T for Skarmory;(AS) Nihilego also beats the aforementioned threats and can hinder Aegislash with Knock Off;(AS) Excadrill can pressure Aegislash and Hatterene and remove opposing entry hazards while not compromising Skarmory's own Spikes. Bulky Grass-types like Amoonguss and Tangrowth make good secondary checks to Mienshao, Tapu Bulu, and Conkeldurr for Skarmory so it doesn't get overwhelmed checking them. They also can act as Knock Off absorbers for the team, allowing Skarmory to preserve its Rocky Helment and chip down Jirachi. Zarude and the aformentioned Grass-types can help take on strong Electric- and Water-types like Rotom-W and Primarina as well. Powerful wallbreakers like Mienshao, Thundurus-T, and Choice Specs Primarina all appreciate the support Skarmory provides with Spikes to wear down checks like Tangrowth and Chansey. On stall teams, Quagsire can provide an Electric-immunity to block Volt Switch and act as a check to Thundurus-T. It also can handle setup sweepers that can bypass Skarmory like Belly Drum Azumarill and Swords Dance Aegislash. Umbreon acts as a primary check to Dragon Dance Salamence and Gyarados, secondary check to Mamoswine, and beats Chandelure for Skarmory. Galarian Weezing can provide Defog support to prevent Skarmory from being worn down into range of Mamoswine's Icicle Crash and counters Mienshao and Conkeldurr.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
The combination of Spikes + Defog can be compressed on Skarmory for more defensive teams, acting as an emergency Defog option and opening up moveslots for other teammates. Additionally, Skarmory can run a no attacks utility set on teams that appreciate the role compression more than having Brave Bird. It is still is able to beat Excadrill as long as it keeps the Rocky Helmet. However, these options are way more team specific and have limited use outside of these teams. Skarmory can also run an Iron Defense + Body Press set to act as a win-condition on semi-stall teams that is extremely tough to KO from the physical side, even being able to take on a Belly Drum boosted Azumarill if it gets off an Iron Defense as it Azumarill sets up. However, this set is very inconsistent as it gets forced out very easily by special attackers and is reliant on them being gone before boosting up. Skarmory can attempt to compress entry hazards by running both Spikes and Stealth Rock, but struggles to fit it over more valuable options like Whirlwind or Toxic and is often preferred prefers to have a teammate that pairs well with it instead.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Common Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all are unbothered by Skarmory and can use it to gain momentum with Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can also boost with Nasty Plot as it forces Skarmory out.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Fire-types like Chandelure and Moltres can also take advantage of Skarmory since they can come in easily on it and force it out. Skarmory must also be wary of Pokemon like Celesteela, Salamence, and Azelf due to them commonly running Fire-type coverage.

**Strong Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers like Aegislash, Primarina, and Hydreigon can all break through Skarmory due to its poor special bulk. Hatterene in particular completely blanks Skarmory by denying its entry hazards and can set up on it easily thanks to being immune to Toxic and Whirlwind because of Magic Bounce.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Twilight, 344575], [Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [Estarossa, 461329]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
 

Adeleine

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Skarmory is one of the key defensive pillars of UU thanks to its sky-high physical defense, Defense, reliable recovery, and amazing defensive typing, checking dangerous offensive threats like Excadrill, Zarude, Lycanroc-D, and Gyarados with ease. Skarmory has access to a bevy of utility moves that let it support its team. Spikes lets Skarmory help wear moves. Spikes wears down defensive threats like Aegislash and Chansey for its team, and it can lay them Spikes easily thanks to it beating UU's most common entry hazard remover in Excadrill. Furthermore, Whirlwind lets Skarmory prevents Pokemon like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Swords Dance Aegislash from setting up on Skarmory. Skarmory can even run Defog on stall teams thanks to its great matchup against entry hazard setters like Excadrill and Roserade. These traits, in addition to its ability to synergize synergy with top defensive picks like Amoonguss, Slowking, and Chansey, allow Skarmory to fit on a wide range of archetypes ranging from bulky offense to stall. However, Skarmory has an extremely vulnerable Special Defense stat, preventing it from being a Steel-type that can making it a Steel-type that can't check specially offensive Fairy- and Psychic-types Pokemon like Hatterene, thus causing it to face so it faces competition from other Steel-types like Celesteela and Aegislash. Common threats like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Moltres also can limit Skarmory's consistency due to its passivity. Skarmory also often struggles to fit all the moves it likes at once. For example, Skarmory it becomes much more vulnerable to Conkeldurr and Azumarill without Brave Bird, but without Body Press it struggles to pressure Mamoswine.

[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Body Press / Brave Bird
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Roost
move 4: Whirlwind / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Body Press allows Skarmory to utilize its amazing physical defense utilizes Skarmory's amazing Defense to hit many opposing Pokemon hard, devastating the likes of Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Lycanroc-D. It also keeps Hydreigon from coming in freely. Alternatively, Brave Bird lets Skarmory hit Conkeldurr, Tapu Bulu, and Roserade super effectively and deals solid damage to Azumarill and Gyarados. Spikes lets Skarmory support its team by wearing down common defensive Pokemon like Chansey, Amoonguss, and Aegislash. It has plenty of opportunities to set them Spikes up against Pokemon who that typically cannot threaten it, like Jirachi and Tangrowth. Whirlwind synergizes well with Spikes, forcing chip damage on Pokemon who that tend to switch into Skarmory like Aegislash. It also prevents setup sweepers like Gyarados and Belly Drum Azumarill from setting up on it. Meanwhile, Toxic is an alternative option over Whirlwind to cripple cripples setup sweepers like Galarian Moltres and Thundurus-T, who Thundurus-T instead, which typically have free entry on it, while also hindering entry hazard removers like Rotom-W and Mandibuzz from removing Spikes in the long term. Skarmory can run Defog on stall teams thanks to its ability to handle opposing entry hazard setters like Roserade, Excadrill, and Swampert. Rocky Helmet allows Skarmory to punish pivoting attamepths attempts from Swampert, Jirachi, and Zarude, chip down Excadrill to prevent it prevent Excadrill from freely using Rapid Spin, and wear down threats it checks like Azumarill, Krookodile, and Gyarados quickly. The given EV spread allows Skarmory to outspeed Azumarill in addition to outspeeding Conkeldurr while maximizing its physical defense. Speed EVs allow Skarmory to outspeed Azumarill, in addition to Conkeldurr.

Skarmory best fits on bulky offense, balance, and stall teams that appreciate its Spikes support and walling capabilities while covering its weaknesses in return. Chansey makes an excellent partner for Skarmory, taking on dangerous special attackers like Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T for it, while Skarmory handles physical attackers like Excadrill and Diggersby. Slowking can similarly check Moltres and checks (unless Chansey also checks special Salamence; if Chansey does, remove "as well" after this comment) special Salamence for Skarmory as well, (AC) and it acts as a secondary check to Conkeldurr and Mamoswine with a Colbur Berry. Additionally, a combo of Future Sight + Whirlwind has the ability to its Future Sight alongside Skarmory's Whirlwind can remove Fighting-types like Mienshao from play and hinder other offensive Pokemon like Thundurus-T. Stealth Rock setters like Diancie, Nihilego, and Excadrill form great entry hazard-stacking (added hyphen) cores with Skarmory, providing Stealth Rock to complement its Spikes. Diancie beats Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T for Skarmory; Nihilego also beats the aforementioned threats and can hinder Aegislash with Knock Off; and Excadrill can pressure Aegislash and Hatterene and remove opposing entry hazards while not while removing opposing hazards without compromising Skarmory's own Spikes. Bulky Grass-types like Amoonguss and Tangrowth make good secondary checks to Mienshao, Tapu Bulu, and Conkeldurr for Skarmory so it so Skarmory doesn't get overwhelmed checking them. They also can act as Knock Off absorbers absorb Knock Off for the team, allowing Skarmory to preserve its Rocky Helment Helmet and chip down Jirachi. Zarude and the aformentioned Grass-types can help take on strong Electric- and Water-types like Rotom-W and Primarina as well. Powerful wallbreakers like Mienshao, Thundurus-T, and Choice Specs Primarina all appreciate the support Skarmory provides with Spikes to wear Skarmory's Spikes wearing down checks like Tangrowth and Chansey. On stall teams, Quagsire can provide an Electric immunity (removed hyphen) to block Volt Switch and act as a check to check Thundurus-T. It also can handle setup sweepers that can bypass Skarmory like Belly Drum Azumarill and Swords Dance Aegislash. Umbreon acts as a primary check to Dragon Dance Salamence and Gyarados, secondary check to Mamoswine, and beats way to beat Chandelure for Skarmory. Galarian Weezing can provide Defog support to prevent Skarmory from being worn down into range of Mamoswine's Icicle Crash, (AC) and it counters Mienshao and Conkeldurr.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
The combination of Spikes + Defog can be compressed on Skarmory can compress Spikes and Defog for more defensive teams, acting as an emergency Defog option and opening up moveslots for other teammates. Additionally, Skarmory can run a no attacks utility set on teams that appreciate the role compression more than having Brave Bird. Skarmory can replace its attacking moveslot to fit both, or even other combinations of utility moves. (I imagine this makes sense? if not, please correct it) It is still able to beat Excadrill as long as it keeps the Rocky Helmet. However, these options are way more team specific and have limited use outside of these teams. sets are very team specific. Skarmory can also run an Iron Defense + Body Press set to act as a win-condition wincon on semi-stall teams that is extremely tough to KO from the physical side, even being able to take on a Belly Drum boosted physically, even taking on Belly Drum Azumarill if it gets off an Iron Defense as Azumarill sets up. However, this set is very inconsistent, (AC) as it gets forced out very easily by special attackers and is reliant on them being gone before boosting up. relies on special attackers being removed to boost up. Skarmory can attempt to compress entry hazards by running both Spikes and Stealth Rock, but it struggles to fit it Stealth Rock over more valuable options like Whirlwind or Toxic and often prefers to have a teammate that pairs well with it instead. pairs well with Stealth Rock setters like Diancie anyway. (I imagine this makes sense?)

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Common Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all are unbothered by Skarmory and can use it to gain momentum with Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can also boost with Nasty Plot as it forces Skarmory out.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Coverage**: Fire-types like Chandelure and Moltres can also take advantage of Skarmory since they can come in easily on it come in easily on Skarmory and force it out. Skarmory must also be wary of Pokemon like Celesteela, Salamence, and Azelf due to them commonly running Fire-type coverage.

**Strong Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers like Aegislash, Primarina, and Hydreigon can all break through Skarmory due to its poor special bulk. Hatterene in particular completely blanks Skarmory, (AC) by denying its entry hazards and can set up on it easily thanks to being immune to Toxic and Whirlwind ignoring Toxic and Whirlwind to set up easily because of Magic Bounce.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Twilight, 344575], [Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [Estarossa, 461329]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429, [ , ]]

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AC = Add Comma, RC = Remove Comma, AH = Add Hyphen, RH = Remove Hyphen

[OVERVIEW]
Skarmory is one of the key defensive pillars of UU thanks to its sky-high Defense, reliable recovery, and amazing defensive typing, checking dangerous offensive threats like Excadrill, Zarude, Lycanroc-D, and Gyarados with ease. Skarmory has access to a bevy of utility moves. Spikes wears down defensive threats like Aegislash and Chansey for its team, and it Skarmory can lay set Spikes easily thanks to it beating UU's most common entry hazard remover in Excadrill. Furthermore, Whirlwind prevents Pokemon like Dragon Dance Gyarados and Swords Dance Aegislash from setting up on Skarmory. Skarmory can even run Defog on stall teams thanks to its great matchup against entry hazard setters like Excadrill and Roserade. These traits, in addition to its synergy with top defensive picks like Amoonguss, Slowking, and Chansey, allow Skarmory to fit on a wide range of archetypes ranging from bulky offense to stall. However, Skarmory has an extremely vulnerable Special Defense stat, making it a Steel-type that can't check specially offensive Fairy- and Psychic-types like Hatterene, so it faces competition from other Steel-types like Celesteela and Aegislash. Common threats like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Moltres also limit Skarmory's consistency due to its passivity. Skarmory also often struggles to fit all the moves it likes at once. For example, it becomes much more vulnerable to Conkeldurr and Azumarill without Brave Bird, but without Body Press it struggles to pressure Mamoswine without Body Press.

[SET]
name: Physical Wall
move 1: Body Press / Brave Bird
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Roost
move 4: Whirlwind / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Sturdy
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

Body Press utilizes Skarmory's amazing Defense to hit many opposing Pokemon hard, devastating the likes of Excadrill, Mamoswine, and Lycanroc-D. It also keeps Hydreigon from coming in freely. Alternatively, Brave Bird lets Skarmory hit Conkeldurr, Tapu Bulu, and Roserade super effectively and deals solid damage to Azumarill and Gyarados. Spikes lets Skarmory support its team by wearing wears down common defensive Pokemon like Chansey, Amoonguss, and Aegislash. It Skarmory has plenty of opportunities to set Spikes up against Pokemon that typically cannot threaten it, like Jirachi and Tangrowth. Whirlwind synergizes well with Spikes, forcing chip damage on Pokemon that tend to switch into Skarmory switch-ins like Aegislash. It also prevents setup sweepers like Gyarados and Belly Drum Azumarill from setting up on it. Meanwhile Alternatively, Toxic cripples setup sweepers like Galarian Moltres and Thundurus-T instead, which typically have free entry on it, while also hindering and hinders entry hazard removers like Salamence and Mandibuzz from removing Spikes in the long term run. Skarmory can run Defog on stall teams thanks to its ability to handle entry hazard setters like Roserade, Excadrill, and Swampert. Rocky Helmet allows Skarmory to punish pivoting attempts from Swampert, Jirachi, and Zarude, prevent Excadrill from freely using Rapid Spin, and wear down threats it checks like Azumarill, Krookodile, and Gyarados quickly. The given Speed EVs allow Skarmory to outspeed Azumarill,(RC) in addition to and Conkeldurr.

Skarmory best fits on bulky offense, balance, and stall teams that appreciate its Spikes support and walling capabilities. Chansey makes an excellent partner for Skarmory, taking on dangerous special attackers like Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T for it, while Skarmory handles physical attackers like Excadrill and Diggersby. Slowking can similarly checks Moltres and special Salamence for Skarmory, and it also acts as a secondary check to Conkeldurr and Mamoswine with a Colbur Berry. Additionally, its Future Sight alongside Skarmory's Whirlwind can hinder offensive Pokemon like Thundurus-T. Stealth Rock setters like Diancie, Nihilego, and Excadrill form great entry-hazard stacking cores with Skarmory. Diancie beats Hydreigon, Moltres, and Thundurus-T for Skarmory; Nihilego also beats the aforementioned threats and can hinder Aegislash with Knock Off; and Excadrill can pressure Aegislash and Hatterene while removing and remove opposing entry hazards without compromising Skarmory's own Spikes. Bulky Grass-types like Amoonguss and Tangrowth make good secondary checks to Tapu Bulu and Conkeldurr so Skarmory doesn't get overwhelmed checking them. They also can absorb Knock Off for the team, allowing Skarmory to preserve its Rocky Helmet and chip down Jirachi. Zarude and the aformentioned Grass-types can help take on strong Electric- and Water-types like Rotom-W and Primarina as well. Powerful wallbreakers like Aegislash, Thundurus-T, and Choice Specs Primarina all appreciate Skarmory's Spikes wearing down checks like Tangrowth and Chansey. On stall teams, Quagsire can provide an Electric immunity to block Volt Switch and check Thundurus-T. It also can handle setup sweepers that can bypass Skarmory like Belly Drum Azumarill and Swords Dance Aegislash. Umbreon acts as a primary check to Dragon Dance Salamence and Gyarados, secondary check to Mamoswine, and way to beat Chandelure for Skarmory. Galarian Weezing counters Conkeldurr and can provide Defog support to prevent Skarmory from being worn down into range of Mamoswine's Icicle Crash and counter Conkeldurr.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Skarmory can compress both Spikes and Defog for on more defensive teams, acting as an emergency Defog option and opening up moveslots for other teammates. Skarmory can replace its attacking moveslot to fit both, or even other combinations of utility moves. It is still able to beat Excadrill as long as it keeps the Rocky Helmet. However, these options sets are very team specific. Skarmory can also run an Iron Defense + Body Press set to act as a wincon on semi-stall teams that is extremely tough to KO physically on semi-stall teams, even taking on Belly Drum Azumarill if it gets off an Iron Defense as Azumarill sets up. However, this set is very inconsistent, as it relies on special attackers being removed to boost up. Skarmory can attempt to compress entry hazards by running both Spikes and Stealth Rock, but it struggles to fit Stealth Rock over more valuable options like Whirlwind or Toxic and pairs well with Stealth Rock setters like Nihilego anyway.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Electric-types**: Common Electric-types like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, and Rotom-H all are unbothered by Skarmory and can use it to gain momentum with Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can also boost with Nasty Plot as it forces Skarmory out.

**Fire-types and Fire-type Pokemon and Coverage**: Fire-types like Chandelure and Moltres come in easily on Skarmory and force it out. Skarmory must also be wary of Pokemon like Celesteela, Salamence, and Azelf due to them commonly running Fire-type coverage.

**Strong Special Attackers**: Powerful special attackers like Aegislash, Primarina, and Hydreigon can all break through Skarmory due to its poor special bulk. Hatterene in particular completely blanks walls Skarmory, denying its entry hazards and ignoring Whirlwind and Toxic to set up easily because of with Magic Bounce.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Monky25, 515132]]
- Quality checked by: [[Twilight, 344575], [Mystras Leoxses, 530118], [Estarossa, 461329]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [username2, userid2]]
GP 2/2. [DC, 449990]
 

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