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View Full Version : Skarmory Analysis [Revamp]



Milos
08-04-2009, 06:47 PM
Skarmory

http://www.gtsplus.net/files/images/art/sugimori/227.png

Summary:

Most Used Set:

Skarmory's most used set is its Spiking set. Skarmory has a gargantuan Defense stat of 140, meaning it can switch-in on most Physical attacks with ease and proceed to use Spikes. Skarmory can also make great use of entry hazards by using Whirlwind to shuffle the opponent's team around and rack up damage from entry hazards. When Skarmory is running low on health, Roost will replenish 50% of any health that was lost so it can continue to use Spikes and Whirlwind.

Usual Counters:

Any Pokémon with a super effective STAB attack will always be able to beat Skarmory one-on-one. Pokémon with Electric and Fire-type attacks will easily 2HKO or even OHKO Skarmory with no problem whatsoever.

The Rotom formes are immune to Spikes and resist Skarmory's STAB attacks, so they can easily switch in and fry the metal bird with a STAB Thunderbolt or Discharge. Heatran resists Skarmory's STAB attacks as well, but if Skarmory has managed to set up at least two layers of Spikes, then Heatran will be switching in with 19% less HP each turn. Once Heatran has managed to successfully switch-in, a STAB Fire Blast will OHKO Skarmory with ease. Infernape can threaten Skarmory with a STAB Fire Blast once it has switched in, but like Heatran, has to watch out for Spikes damage. Additionally, Infernape must be wary of switching in on Skarmory's Brave Bird or Drill Peck, as the former will always OHKO and the latter has a chance to KO.

Swords Dance Lucario can set up in Skarmory's face, and if it is not Whirlwinded out soon enough, it will OHKO Skarmory. Dragon Dance Gyarados with Taunt will also set up in Skarmory's face, and Skarmory will be unable to Whirlwind Gyarados out. Skarmory's STAB attacks will be doing even less than usual thanks to Gyarados's Intimidate Ability.

Magnezone, OU's #1 Steel Killer, will slay Skarmory in one hit with Thunderbolt if Skarmory doesn't have a Shed Shell.

Types of Teams Pokemon Is Used In:

Skarmory fits very well on a stall team. Skarmory has very important immunities to Ground and Poison, and handy resistances to Ghost, Dark, Grass, Ice, and most importantly, Dragon. Skarmory pairs well with Pokémon commonly seen on stall teams, such as Blissey and Hippowdon. Skarmory has an immunity to Sandstorm, meaning that it can utilize the Item Shed Shell without having to worry about losing 6% of its HP every turn.

Although Skarmory can rack up entry hazard damage by itself, having other Pokémon with phazing abilities is a great asset to Skarmory. Hippowdon not only generates a Sandstorm, but can also set up Stealth Rock. Tentacruel can take most Special Attacks aimed at Skarmory and proceed to use Toxic Spikes. Once all entry hazards have been set up, Skarmory can have a field day shuffling through the opponents team using Whirlwind.

http://www.pokesho.com/img_icon_us/i_skarmory.gifStandard Spiker@ Shed Shell / Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Atk / 176 Def / 16 Spe
Nature: Impish

- Spikes
- Brave Bird / Drill Peck
- Whirlwind
- Roost

Skamory's bulk, combined with its great typing, makes it a very good user of Spikes. Skarmory is one of the best Physical walls in the game thanks to its huge Defense stat and its ability to Roost off any damage it may have taken. Skarmory also learns a myriad of support moves, including Spikes, Stealth Rock, and most importantly, Whirlwind.

Spikes is the staple on most of Skarmory's sets, and for a good reason. Setting up 2 to 3 layers of Spikes becomes a very easy task thanks to Skarmory's base 140 Defense, and its typing allows it to come in many times and proceed to set them up. Stealth Rock is an option over Spikes, but is generally not recommended. There are over 20 other capable OU Pokémon that can set up Stealth Rock, while there are only about 4 OU Pokémon that can set up Spikes effectively. Spikes will hit any Pokémon that isn't a Flying-type or has the Ability Magic Guard or Levitate, guaranteeing it will take at least 12% of your opponent's HP every time a Pokémon is switched in. With 2 layers of Spikes, that amount will increase to approximately 19%, and with 3 layers your opponent's Pokémon will have 25% of their HP stripped every time they switch-in.

The choice between Brave Bird and Drill Peck is another option that is up to preference. Brave Bird will hit a lot harder than Drill Peck, but the recoil damage may seem unattractive to some. Since Skarmory will be spending most of its time setting up Spikes and using Whirlwind, the recoil damage from Brave Bird won't usually be a hassle. The difference in power between Brave Bird and Drill Peck isn't very noticeable, as Drill Peck will OHKO the standard MixApe 20.51% of the time, while Brave Bird will always OHKO. If the KO chance of Drill Peck doesn't appeal to you, then Brave Bird should be chosen.

Whirlwind makes Skarmory incredibly difficult to take down, especially with the proper team support. Once all three layers of Spikes have been placed on your opponent's side of the field, any Pokémon switching in that isn't a Flying-type or a Pokémon with the Levitate or with the Magic Guard Ability will be stripped off 25% of its health, meaning it will be significantly weakened every time it is switched in. With Stealth Rock in play, Skarmory's usual counters will be eliminated before they have a chance to even scratch Skarmory. Heatran will be depleted of 32% of its health if it switches into all three layers of Spikes as well as Stealth Rock. Infernape will have no chance of surviving Drill Peck if it has switched into all three layers of Spikes once, and Magnezone will also be extremely weakened. The Rotom appliances are the only one of Skarmory's counters that will not be taking 25% or more damage, as their Ability Levitate makes them immune to that entry hazard. Many Pokémon that can pose a threat to Skarmory will find themselves with a significant amount of HP taken away each time they switch-in, so your opponent will hesitate to switch-in one of Skarmory's counters right away.

Finally, Roost provides reliable recovery, healing 50% of Skarmory's HP every time it is chosen. If Skarmory is faster than the opponent, Roost will temporarily remove its Flying-typing, meaning it will take neutral damage from Electric and Rock-type attacks. While shuffling through the opponents team with Whirlwind, Skarmory needs to be alive as long as possible. Once you find Skarmory presented with a favorable match-up, Roosting away damage taken will be extremely easy, and will allow Skarmory to keep using Whirlwind to rack up damage from entry hazards.

The Item choice is up to you once again, but Shed Shell is recommended. While Leftovers will provide Skarmory with consistent recovery each turn, Shed Shell is used so that your Spiking is not ended immediately by Magnezone. If you do not fear Magnezone, however, Leftovers is perfectly acceptable.

http://www.pokesho.com/img_icon_us/i_skarmory.gifSubstitute@ Leftovers / Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 64 Atk / 176 Def / 16 Spe
Nature: Impish

- Substitute
- Spikes
- Drill Peck
- Whirlwind

This set plays much like the standard Spiker set, except that the use of Substitute allows Skarmory to have one extra turn to either set up more Spikes or use Whirlwind to shuffle the opponent’s team.

Substitute is the crux of this set, allowing Skarmory to scout for potentially fatal attacks and having the added ability to set up extra layers of Spikes. Skarmory makes a great user of Substitute because once all entry hazards have been set up, Skarmory will have more opportunities to use Whirlwind than usual. Once safely behind a Substitute, Heatran will not be able to touch you, meaning Skarmory can use Whirlwind and continue to Spike the field literally unscathed. Substitute allows Skarmory to be able to take a boosted hit without a problem and still be able to phaze away the opponent, such as a Fire Blast from Salamence or a Thunderbolt from Latias.

Drill Peck is preferred over Brave Bird on this set because Skarmory will need as much HP as possible to muster up more Substitutes. Drill Peck still provides reliable STAB without the recoil and still ensures the KO on Infernape after one layer of Spikes and Stealth Rock damage. Whirlwind is still as useful as ever, allowing Skarmory to phaze out counters and letting Skarmory rack up more entry hazard damage. Once Skarmory's counters have been eliminated via Spikes damage, Skarmory will have a much easier time using Whirlwind, and it will become incredibly difficult to take down.

Unlike previous sets, this Skarmory lacks reliable recovery in Roost. For this reason alone, it is a good idea to use Leftovers on this set simply because it will not be as effective otherwise. Magnezone will ruin this set completely without Shed Shell, but Leftovers is required for recovery.

http://www.pokesho.com/img_icon_us/i_skarmory.gifRest + Sleep Talk@ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Nature: Impish

- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Whirlwind / Brave Bird
- Spikes

With the addition of Roost to Skarmory's movepool when D/P was released, people thougth there was no more use for a Rest Talk set. Although this is somewhat true, a set with Rest and Sleep Talk is still viable.

Although Skarmory can Roost off the damage it had previously taken, it can not shrug off status such as Burn or Paralysis. Rest and Sleep Talk can remedy that, allowing Skarmory to not have to rely solely on Roost for recovery. Once Skarmory has been Burned or Paralyzed, most players will realize that Skarmory will not be as effective for setting up Spikes. With Rest and Sleep Talk, Skarmory can both regain HP and set up Spikes as it is asleep. Since this set does not utilize Roost, Skarmory will not be beaten by Pokémon that rely on Ground and Fighting-type attacks to harm Skarmory.

When using Sleep Talk, the -5 priority of Whirlwind will be ignored, meaning that Skarmory will never be phazed if it has chosen Whirlwind. Whirlwind will also allow Skarmory to beat any non-Taunt set up Pokémon one-on-one, and will guarantee that they will take Spikes damage if they switch-in again. Brave Bird is still a viable option, allowing this Skarmory to become an effective counter to Breloom. Skarmory can ignore the Spore and proceed to use Brave Bird to instantly OHKO it before it can use Focus Punch.

Although this set is durable and reliable, getting rid of Pokémon with Taunt before unleashing it is a good idea. Common Taunt users such as Azelf and Gyarados should be removed from the game before attempting to Spike up your opponents side of the field. For this reason, having Jolteon as a partner is a good idea. Jolteon can sponge any Electric-type attacks aimed at Skarmory, and can also outrun bulkier versions of Gyarados after a Dragon Dance. It can also use Shadow Ball to KO Azelf.

Other Options:

Skarmory gets Swords Dance, Curse, and Agility, but it has no means of passing; because it does not learn Baton Pass. It also learns Roar, but Mr. Mime will stop any attempts for Skarmory to phaze it and will continue to Baton Pass boosts.

Opinion:

Although Skarmory has trouble with Special Attacks, it has no problems dealing with Physical attackers. It has been the premier Physical wall ever since the days of GSC and it looks like it will continue that way.