[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 7-8 points
**Overview**: Skeledirge is a Pokemon that looks appealing on paper but often falls short in practice. On the positive side, it is an unaware wall that can be more offensively threatening due to its potent offensive STAB combination and boosting option in Torch Song. Furthermore, it has the tools to shine with Terastallization in order to wall a good variety of set-up sweepers and spread status with Will-O-Wisp. However, Skeledirge has significant flaws, including a reliance on Heavy-Duty Boots and having a defensive typing that is often far more flawed than useful if unable to Terastallize. In general, Skeledirge is a functional defensive piece so long as you can account for its shortcomings.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Unaware Wall**: With Unaware and reliable recovery in Slack Off, Skeledirge makes for a reliable answer to a good number of setup-reliant Pokemon. It often carries Will-O-Wisp to hinder physical attackers, although it can also choose to run Yawn to force out most threats and Encore to shut down opposing walls.
**Bulky Setup Sweeper**: Torch Song makes Skeledirge a good sweeper, especially when paired with Slack Off to heal off damage it takes as it sets up. Setup sets also have the option to run Will-O-Wisp to turn physical attackers into setup fodder and boost the power of Hex, as well as Flame Charge to circumvent Skeledirge's low Speed.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Torch Song, Shadow Ball, Hex
**Setup Moves**: Torch Song
**Utility Moves**: Slack Off, Will-O-Wisp, Substitute, Encore, Roar, Yawn, Fire Spin
**Coverage**: Earth Power, Scorching Sands, Alluring Voice, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Fire Blast / Overheat**: Should Skeledirge need a stronger Fire-type attack for immediate damage, Fire Blast and Overheat can give it a stronger immediate attack.
**Flame Charge**: Flame Charge allows Skeledirge to solve its Speed issue, although it often takes two turns for it to boost enough to outspeed faster threats.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Due to Skeledirge's susceptibility to entry hazards, it often runs Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers gives Skeledirge better longevity and can be used on sets that use Tera to remove its Stealth Rock weakness.
Niche Items
========
**Throat Spray**: Throat Spray gives Skeledirge two Special Attack boosts from its first Torch Song, allowing offensive sets to become more immediately threatening.
**Resistance Berries**: Resistance Berries allow Skeledirge to better take a super effective hit and to cripple a foe with status or secure a trade.
Tera
========
Skeledirge is good with Tera and should usually be considered as a Tera Captain when it is drafted; however, its middling cost often prevents you from drafting another more expensive Tera Captain within the Tera budget. Skeledirge generally prefers defensive Tera types such as Tera Water, Fairy, and Dragon to give it opportunities to set up with Torch Song and Flame Charge, but it is also an excellent offensive user of Tera Ground as a Fire-type with access to Earth Power. Against neutral walls, it can also Tera into a STAB Tera type to further boost the damage output of its STAB moves.
Draft Strategy
========
Skeledirge is a reliable bulky Pokemon with great defensive and offensive options, but it requires a good amount of support to cover its weaknesses.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Even when you plan to remove Skeledirge's Rock weakness with Tera, Skeledirge appreciates good entry hazard removers such as Great Tusk, Corviknight, and Donphan so that it can enter battle safely prior to using Tera.
**Wallbreakers**: Skeledirge struggles to break on its own, so it appreciates wallbreakers such as Great Tusk, Roaring Moon, and Enamorus softening up the opposing team for it. Skeledirge's ability to spread burn also supports wallbreakers by giving them more opportunities to hit the field.
**Defensive Partners**: While Skeledirge is a good defensive option on its own, it also appreciates relatively bulky Pokemon that resist its weaknesses. Roaring Moon, Rillaboom, and Swampert make for good partners in this regard.
Checks and Counters
========
**Entry Hazards**: Skeledirge's susceptibility to Stealth Rock prior to using Tera makes it difficult for it to enter battle safely, especially since offensive variants do not want to be forced to run Heavy-Duty Boots. Hazard setters such as Ting-Lu, Hisuian Samurott, and Clodsire can pressure Skeledirge with hazards. While Skeledirge can run Heavy-Duty Boots to avoid taking entry hazard damage, its Ghost typing and reliance on items make it a common target for Knock Off.
**Unaware Walls**: Offensive Skeledirge can struggle to break other Unaware Pokemon such as Clefable, Clodsire, and Dondozo, and even defensive Skeledirge has a bad matchup against most of them prior to using Tera.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Being a special attacker, Skeledirge struggles to break through specially defensive Pokemon that aren't weak to its STAB moves such as Ting-Lu and Primarina.
**Disruption Moves**: Disruption moves such as Taunt and Encore can shut down Skeledirge's attempts to wall threats such as Tornadus-T, Iron Valiant, and Dragonite.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gwanian.626732/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/patar136.571123/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/princess-autumn.564960/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 7-8 points
**Overview**: Skeledirge is a Pokemon that looks appealing on paper but often falls short in practice. On the positive side, it is an unaware wall that can be more offensively threatening due to its potent offensive STAB combination and boosting option in Torch Song. Furthermore, it has the tools to shine with Terastallization in order to wall a good variety of set-up sweepers and spread status with Will-O-Wisp. However, Skeledirge has significant flaws, including a reliance on Heavy-Duty Boots and having a defensive typing that is often far more flawed than useful if unable to Terastallize. In general, Skeledirge is a functional defensive piece so long as you can account for its shortcomings.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Unaware Wall**: With Unaware and reliable recovery in Slack Off, Skeledirge makes for a reliable answer to a good number of setup-reliant Pokemon. It often carries Will-O-Wisp to hinder physical attackers, although it can also choose to run Yawn to force out most threats and Encore to shut down opposing walls.
**Bulky Setup Sweeper**: Torch Song makes Skeledirge a good sweeper, especially when paired with Slack Off to heal off damage it takes as it sets up. Setup sets also have the option to run Will-O-Wisp to turn physical attackers into setup fodder and boost the power of Hex, as well as Flame Charge to circumvent Skeledirge's low Speed.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Torch Song, Shadow Ball, Hex
**Setup Moves**: Torch Song
**Utility Moves**: Slack Off, Will-O-Wisp, Substitute, Encore, Roar, Yawn, Fire Spin
**Coverage**: Earth Power, Scorching Sands, Alluring Voice, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Fire Blast / Overheat**: Should Skeledirge need a stronger Fire-type attack for immediate damage, Fire Blast and Overheat can give it a stronger immediate attack.
**Flame Charge**: Flame Charge allows Skeledirge to solve its Speed issue, although it often takes two turns for it to boost enough to outspeed faster threats.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Due to Skeledirge's susceptibility to entry hazards, it often runs Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers gives Skeledirge better longevity and can be used on sets that use Tera to remove its Stealth Rock weakness.
Niche Items
========
**Throat Spray**: Throat Spray gives Skeledirge two Special Attack boosts from its first Torch Song, allowing offensive sets to become more immediately threatening.
**Resistance Berries**: Resistance Berries allow Skeledirge to better take a super effective hit and to cripple a foe with status or secure a trade.
Tera
========
Skeledirge is good with Tera and should usually be considered as a Tera Captain when it is drafted; however, its middling cost often prevents you from drafting another more expensive Tera Captain within the Tera budget. Skeledirge generally prefers defensive Tera types such as Tera Water, Fairy, and Dragon to give it opportunities to set up with Torch Song and Flame Charge, but it is also an excellent offensive user of Tera Ground as a Fire-type with access to Earth Power. Against neutral walls, it can also Tera into a STAB Tera type to further boost the damage output of its STAB moves.
Draft Strategy
========
Skeledirge is a reliable bulky Pokemon with great defensive and offensive options, but it requires a good amount of support to cover its weaknesses.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Even when you plan to remove Skeledirge's Rock weakness with Tera, Skeledirge appreciates good entry hazard removers such as Great Tusk, Corviknight, and Donphan so that it can enter battle safely prior to using Tera.
**Wallbreakers**: Skeledirge struggles to break on its own, so it appreciates wallbreakers such as Great Tusk, Roaring Moon, and Enamorus softening up the opposing team for it. Skeledirge's ability to spread burn also supports wallbreakers by giving them more opportunities to hit the field.
**Defensive Partners**: While Skeledirge is a good defensive option on its own, it also appreciates relatively bulky Pokemon that resist its weaknesses. Roaring Moon, Rillaboom, and Swampert make for good partners in this regard.
Checks and Counters
========
**Entry Hazards**: Skeledirge's susceptibility to Stealth Rock prior to using Tera makes it difficult for it to enter battle safely, especially since offensive variants do not want to be forced to run Heavy-Duty Boots. Hazard setters such as Ting-Lu, Hisuian Samurott, and Clodsire can pressure Skeledirge with hazards. While Skeledirge can run Heavy-Duty Boots to avoid taking entry hazard damage, its Ghost typing and reliance on items make it a common target for Knock Off.
**Unaware Walls**: Offensive Skeledirge can struggle to break other Unaware Pokemon such as Clefable, Clodsire, and Dondozo, and even defensive Skeledirge has a bad matchup against most of them prior to using Tera.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Being a special attacker, Skeledirge struggles to break through specially defensive Pokemon that aren't weak to its STAB moves such as Ting-Lu and Primarina.
**Disruption Moves**: Disruption moves such as Taunt and Encore can shut down Skeledirge's attempts to wall threats such as Tornadus-T, Iron Valiant, and Dragonite.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gwanian.626732/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/patar136.571123/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/princess-autumn.564960/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
