NationalDex
skarmory
#227

Skarmory

Armor Bird Pokémon

SteelFlying

After nesting in bramble bushes, the wings of its chicks grow hard from scratches by thorns.

Base Stats

HP 65
Attack 80
Defense 140
Sp. Atk 40
Sp. Def 70
Speed 70
Total 465

Type Effectiveness

Abilities

Held Items

Forms

Evolution Chain

Moves

Locations

Details

Category Armor Bird Pokémon
Height 1.7 m
Weight 50.5 kg
Base Exp 163
Growth Rate Slow
Capture Rate 25
Base Happiness 70
Gender 50% ♂ / 50% ♀
Habitat Rough Terrain
Egg Groups Flying

Sprites

skarmory Front Front
skarmory Back Back
skarmory Front Shiny Front Shiny
skarmory Back Shiny Back Shiny
skarmory Official Art Official Art
skarmory Official Art (Shiny) Official Art (Shiny)

Competitive

Physically Defensive
Moves
Brave Bird / Counter
Spikes / Stealth Rock
Whirlwind / Defog / Taunt
Item
Rocky Helmet / Leftovers
Ability
Sturdy
Nature
Impish / Bold
EVs
HP 252
Def 252
SpD 4
Specially Defensive
Moves
Spikes / Stealth Rock
Whirlwind / Taunt / Defog
Item
Leftovers
Ability
Sturdy
Nature
Careful
EVs
HP 252
Def 4
SpD 252

Strategy Overview

Skarmory's great defensive typing with eight resistances and two immunities, an immense Defense stat, and a fantastic utility movepool allow it to differentiate itself from other walls such as Cyclohm and Pyroak. Skarmory is able to naturally withstand potent attackers such as Mega Pinsir, and thanks to Sturdy, it is often able to stop many setup sweepers that other walls would fall victim to. Whirlwind, Defog, Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Taunt are all great support options that showcase Skarmory's role as a team player, and reliable recovery via Roost is able to keep Skarmory in top form throughout a match.

However, while Skarmory has the tools to be a great physically defensive wall, its subpar HP and Special Defense do leave some things to be desired. Common special attackers such as Volkraken, Mollux, Heatran, Cyclohm, and even Stratagem all have the power to force Skarmory out or outright defeat it. Even powerful neutral special attacks from the likes of Keldeo and Gengar can wreak havoc on Skarmory. Magnezone not only threatens Skarmory with its STAB moves, but can also trap and eliminate it from the match altogether. Fast Taunt users, such as Thundurus and Tomohawk, can also stop Skarmory from using its great utility moves, rendering it almost useless. However, Skarmory's Steel typing allows it to get past many Fairy-types, even those that are special attackers.

Most Used Moves

Roost
99.1%
Whirlwind
68.0%
Spikes
24.5%
Defog
23.4%

Most Used Items

Leftovers
49.4%

Competitive data from Smogon University via data.pkmn.cc