Competitive Information for Skarmory [Black/White]
Steel / Flying
Abilities:
Prevents other Pokemon from lowering this Pokemon's accuracy stat stage.
If this Pokemon is at full HP, it survives one hit with at least 1 HP. Immune to OHKO.
If a physical attack hits this Pokemon, Defense is lowered by 1, Speed is raised by 1.
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Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Skarmory? These builds are optimized for Black/White Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Black/White metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Meet Skarmory, the incredible Pokémon of Steel and Flying types! It's a sight to see Skarmory out in the 5th generation battlefield. Its only type-related weaknesses are Electric and Fire. Ready to elevate your game with Skarmory's movesets? They're right below!
Item: Custap Berry / Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Hp / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Brave Bird
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
Skarmory is a notable Support to use for single battles. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Skarmory last longer regaining it's vitality every turn. With Sturdy, if Skarmory is at full hp it survives one hit with at least 1 hp. Immune to ohko. With a Custap Berry equipped to it, Skarmory moves first in its priority bracket when at 1/4 max hp or less then the Custap Berry gets consumed.
◆ Spikes is a status move (hurts grounded foes on switch-in. Max 3 layers).
◆ Stealth Rock is a status move (hurts foes on switch-in. Factors rock weakness).
◆ Taunt is a status move (target can't use status moves its next 3 turns).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gaae3
Item: White Herb / Shell Bell
Ability: Weak Armor
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Brave Bird / Sky Attack
- Slash / Double-Edge
- Night Slash / Assurance
- Iron Head / Steel Wing
Skarmory thrives as popular Physical Sweeper perfect for single battles. This strategy is built to crush rivals using overwhelming physical moves. White Herb will reset Skarmory's negative stat changes once. The Shell Bell item option is to help Skarmory recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge and Brave Bird. With Weak Armor, if a physical attack hits Skarmory it's defense is lowered by 1 and it's speed is increased by 2 stages.
◆ Sky Attack is a physical STAB-boosted 140-base power Flying-type move (charges, then hits turn 2. 30% flinch. High crit).
◆ Slash is a physical 70-base power Normal-type move (high critical hit ratio).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
◆ Night Slash is a physical 70-base power Dark-type move (high critical hit ratio).
◆ Assurance is a physical 50-base power Dark-type move (power doubles if target was damaged this turn).
◆ Iron Head is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Steel-type move (30% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Steel Wing is a physical STAB-boosted 70-base power Steel-type move (10% chance to raise your Skarmory's defense by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gbae3
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Impish (+Def, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Hp / 232 Def / 24 Spe
Moveset:
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
Skarmory stands out as a brilliant Physical Wall in single battles. This moveset is designed to withstand physical attacks and hit back effectively. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Skarmory last longer regaining it's vitality every turn. With Sturdy, if Skarmory is at full hp it survives one hit with at least 1 hp. Immune to ohko. Skarmory should first lay Spikes to force the opponent to make a rather painful decision when switching in and out of the battlefield. Roost can wear out Life Orb users, such as Metagross and Gyarados, while keeping Skarmory up-to-shape for the next assault. Whirlwind is great against Pokemon such as Bulk Up Conkeldurr or merely shuffling for extra damage from the opponent landing on Spikes. Brave Bird ties it all together nicely with it being a high Base Power STAB move that handles threats nicely, especially Fighting-types such as Machamp and Scrafty.
◆ Roost is a status move (heals 50% hp. Flying-type removed until turn ends).
◆ Spikes is a status move (hurts grounded foes on switch-in. Max 3 layers).
◆ Whirlwind is a status move (forces the target to switch to a random ally).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gcae3
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Stealth Rock
- Drill Peck
- Whirlwind
- Swords Dance
For single battles, Skarmory is a remarkable Physical Sweeper. This moveset focuses to crush rivals using lethal physical moves. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Skarmory last longer regaining it's HP every turn. With Sturdy, if Skarmory is at full hp it survives one hit with at least 1 hp. Immune to ohko. This Skarmory has the Stealth Rock/Whirlwind combo it sets up Stealth Rock and can then Whirlwind its opponents away.
◆ Drill Peck is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Flying-type move that deals a hefty amount of damage.
◆ Whirlwind is a status move (forces the target to switch to a random ally).
◆ Swords Dance is a status move (raises your Skarmory's attack by 2 stages).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gdae3
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Skarmory? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Black/White Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Black/White metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: White Herb / Shell Bell
Ability: Weak Armor
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Brave Bird / Sky Attack
- Rock Slide
- Night Slash / Assurance
- Slash / Double-Edge
Skarmory proves to be an astounding Physical Sweeper for double battles. It's primary goal is to overwhelm foes with powerful physical power. White Herb will reset Skarmory's negative stat changes once. The Shell Bell item option is to help Skarmory recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge and Brave Bird. With Weak Armor, if a physical attack hits Skarmory it's defense is lowered by 1 and it's speed is increased by 2 stages.
◆ Sky Attack is a physical STAB-boosted 140-base power Flying-type move (charges, then hits turn 2. 30% flinch. High crit).
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Night Slash is a physical 70-base power Dark-type move (high critical hit ratio).
◆ Assurance is a physical 50-base power Dark-type move (power doubles if target was damaged this turn).
◆ Slash is a physical 70-base power Normal-type move (high critical hit ratio).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/haae3
Movepool
Want to know what moves Skarmory can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Black/White generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Skarmory.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Skarmory can perform in Black/White. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive BW Move and Ability Combos for Skarmory
- Moves: Whirlwind + Spikes
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Ability: Weak armor + Item: White herb
- Ability: Weak armor + Item: Weakness policy
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Assurance + Item: Rocky Helmet
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect, Feint
- Moves that Break Screens: Defog
- Moves that inflict status: Toxic
Moves that boost Skarmory's stats
- Agility
- Autotomize
- Curse
- Iron Defense
- Ominous Wind
- Steel Wing
- Swords Dance
Most notable and possible best moves for Skarmory
- Brave Bird
- Other
- Protect
- Rest
- Roost
- Spikes
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Toxic
- Whirlwind
Common Effort Values for Skarmory in Black and White
- Jolly Nature ( 252/4/0/0/0/252/ )
- Jolly Nature ( 4/252/0/0/0/252/ )
- Optimize Skarmory's Defensive EV-spread for Pokemon Black and White
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.
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Here are the best movesets for Skarmory. Top rated Skarmory Black/White movesets. You can find Skarmory builds Black/White. Skarmory movesets Black/White are listed here. VGC Skarmory Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Skarmory in Black/White along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution