Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (SV)

Skarmory Movesets and Best Builds

This is a guide to movesets and best builds for using Skarmory in competitive play for the games Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (SV). Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, Tera Type, and Held Items to use with Skarmory, as well as its strengths and weaknesses.

Skarmory - Related Guides
Pokemon SV - Skarmory Evolution and LearnsetEvolution and Learnset Pokemon SV - Skarmory MovesetMoveset for Ranked Battle

Skarmory Base Stats, Type, Ability and Weakness

Blueberry #113 Type
Skarmory ImageSkarmory
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet SV - Steel Icon Pokemon Scarlet and Violet SV - Flying Icon
Abilities
Keen Eye
Sturdy
Weak Armor (Hidden)
Weak to:
(2x)
Pokemon Fire Type Icon Pokemon Electric Type Icon
Damaged Normally
By:
(1x)
Pokemon Water Type Icon Pokemon Ice Type Icon Pokemon Fighting Type Icon Pokemon Rock Type Icon Pokemon Ghost Type Icon Pokemon Dark Type Icon
Resists: (0.5x)
Pokemon Normal Type Icon Pokemon Flying Type Icon Pokemon Psychic Type Icon Pokemon Dragon Type Icon Pokemon Steel Type Icon Pokemon Fairy Type Icon
(0.25x)
Pokemon Grass Type Icon Pokemon Bug Type Icon
Immune to: (0x)
Pokemon Poison Type Icon Pokemon Ground Type Icon

What is Type Effectiveness?

Ability Name Description
Keen Eye The user ignores the opponent's Evasion boosts and opponents cannot lower the user's Accuracy.
Sturdy The user cannot be knocked out with one hit and cannot be knocked out by One hit KO moves, causing the Pokemon to have 1 HP remaining.
Weak Armor
(Hidden)
Increases the user's Speed by two stages when it gets hit by a physical attack but lowers the user's Defense by one stage.

Base Stats

Base Stats
Lv. 50 Stats
Stat Value Rank
HP
65
456
Atk
80
373
Def
140
15
SpAtk
40
686
SpDef
70
376
Speed
70
382
Total
465
419
Explanation of Pokemon Stats
Stat Max 0Nat 0EV -Nat Min
HP 172 172 140 140 125
Atk 145 132 100 90 76
Def 211 192 160 144 130
SpAtk 101 92 60 54 40
SpDef 134 122 90 81 67
Spd 134 122 90 81 67
  • Max: Max IVs & EVs and a stat-boosting Nature
  • 0Nat: Max IVs & EVs and a neutral Nature
  • 0EV: Max IVs, 0 EVs, and a neutral Nature
  • -Nat: Max IVs, 0 EVs, and a stat-reducing Nature
  • Min: 0 IVs & EVs, and a stat-reducing Nature
Introduction to EVs, IVs, and Natures

Best Nature for Skarmory

Best Natures
Impish
(+Def, -Sp. Atk)
Careful
(+Sp. Def, -Sp. Atk)

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Skarmory

Build Name Recommendation
Defensive Wall ★★★★

Defensive Wall Moveset & Best Build

Nature Impish (+Def, -Sp. Atk)
EV Spread HP 252 / Def 252 / Sp. Def 4
Final Stat Values HP 172 / Atk 100 / Def 211 / Sp. Def 91 / Spe 90
Ability Sturdy
Tera Type Pokemon Flying Type Icon
Held Item Rocky Helmet
Moveset Drill Peck
Body Press
Taunt
Roost

Summary

Pokeball Icon Steel/Flying is an amazing defensive typing.

Pokeball Icon It's high Defense stat is valuable in a physical heavy meta.

Pokeball Icon Can use different items depenending on the teams needs.

Ability and Held Item

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet SV - Skarmory Image
Ability Held Item
Sturdy Pokemon Scarlet and Violet SV - Rocky Helmet ImageRocky Helmet

The Ability chosen for this build is Sturdy. This would prevent Skarmory from getting knocked out in one hit.

The item chosen for this build is a Rocky Helmet. This is used to chip away at the opponent's health whenever they hit Skarmory with a contact move.

Alternatively, it could use a Sitrus Berry or Leftovers if it needs more immediate or passive healing.

Moves Breakdown

Drill Peck Body Press
Taunt Roost

Drill Peck is its best Flying-type move. It allows Skarmory to threaten knockouts on Pokemon like Urshifu Rapid Strike, especially if it takes Rocky Helmet chip damage with Surging Strikes.

Body Press is its main coverage move that helps Skarmory deal with Rock, Steel, and Electric-types that resist Drill Peck.

Taunt prevents opposing Pokemon from setting with moves like Swords Dance or Nasty Plot. It can also prevent slower leads from setting up hazards.

Roost will heal Skarmory for half of its max HP, allowing it to last longer in battle and stall out turns for poisoned enemies to take more damage.

Best Tera Type: Flying

Flying Tera Type Matchup
Weak to:
(2x)
Pokemon Electric Type Icon Pokemon Ice Type Icon Pokemon Rock Type Icon
Damaged Normally
By:
(1x)
Pokemon Normal Type Icon Pokemon Fire Type Icon Pokemon Water Type Icon Pokemon Poison Type Icon Pokemon Flying Type Icon Pokemon Psychic Type Icon Pokemon Ghost Type Icon Pokemon Dragon Type Icon Pokemon Dark Type Icon Pokemon Steel Type Icon Pokemon Fairy Type Icon
Resists: (0.5x)
Pokemon Grass Type Icon Pokemon Fighting Type Icon Pokemon Bug Type Icon
Immune to: (0x)
Pokemon Ground Type Icon

Flying is the best Tera Type for this build because it will keep Skarmory's Flying type whenever it uses Roost. This is important because whenever Skarmory uses Roost normally, it will lose its Flying-typing making it a pure Steel-type that is weak to Fighting and Ground-type attacks.

Best Flying Type Pokemon

EV Spread and Nature

A full 252 EVs are placed into Skarmory's HP and Defenses to make it as physically bulky as possible. The extra 4 EVs are put in its Sp. Def to help round out its bulk.

An Impish nature is preferred in order to maximize Skarmory's physical bulk.

Other Viable Moves

Brave Bird Skarmory' strongest Flying-type STAB move. This move is more likely to get KOs on Pokemon like Urshifu and Ogerpon when compared to Drill Peck.
Iron Head Skarmory's best Steel-type move that also has a chance to flinch the target.
Iron Defense Boosts Skarmory's already amazing Defense stat and punishing teams that don't have special attackers that can deal with Skarmory.
Stealth Rock
+
Whirlwind
Stealth Rock will chip away at the opponent's health whenever they switch in. Pairs well with Whirlwind because it forces Pokemon to constantly rotate and take chip damage.

Key Damage Calculations

Attack Icon Pokemon SVDamage Dealt by Skarmory
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet SV - Urshifu Rapid-Strike Style Image 100 HP|100 Def
Defensive EV Investment:
4 HP (Jolly)
Item: Punching Glove
Drill Peck
78 ~ 92 (44.3 ~ 52.2%)
18% Chance to 2HKO
Guaranteed 2HKO if Tera'd
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet SV - Ogerpon (Cornerstone Mask) Image 80 HP|84 Def
Defensive EV Investment:
4 HP (Jolly)
Item: Cornerstone Mask
Body Press
124 ~ 146 (79.4 ~ 93.5%)
Guaranteed 2HKO
Defense Icon Pokemon SVDamage Received by Skarmory
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet SV - Dragonite Image 134 Atk
Offensive EV Investment:
252 Atk (Adamant)
Tera Type: Pokemon Normal Type Icon
Item: Choice Band
Tera Normal Extreme Speed
67 ~ 79 (38.9 ~ 45.9%)
Guaranteed 3HKO
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet SV - Ogerpon (Hearthflame Mask) Image 120 Atk
Offensive EV Investment:
252 Atk (Jolly)
Item: Hearthflame Mask
Ivy Cudgel
114 ~ 134 (66.2 ~ 77.9%)
Guaranteed 2HKO
OHKOs if Ogerpon Teras
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet SV - Urshifu Rapid-Strike Style Image 130 Atk
Offensive EV Investment:
252 Atk (Jolly)
Item: Punching Glove
Surging Strikes
66 ~ 81 (38.3 ~ 47%)
Guaranteed 3HKO

Game8's Competitive Damage Calculator

How to Use Skarmory Effectively

Don't Bring it in Versus Special Attackers

While Skarmory may have an amazing base 140 Defense stat, its Special Defense is only half of that at 70. This makes Skarmory more susceptible to getting knocked out by any special attacker it may face.

Skarmory vs Corviknight Differences

Corviknight has a more well-rounded bulk compared to Skarmory, but it could be argued that it has a weaker ability and move pool especially when it comes to Singles battles.

Mirror Armor is much better in Doubles than in Singles, and Unnerve is not ideal since not every Pokemon is holding a Berry. This means that Corviknight can only ever use Pressure. Skarmory on the other hand has Sturdy, which is one of the best abilities for Singles since it gives Pokemon that have it a free Focus Sash.

How to Build a Team with Skarmory

Skarmory is best suited for stall teams that want to wear down the opponent with chip damage to win.

Sample Singles Team

Wish Support Physical Wall Physical Attacker
Alomomola ImageAlomomola Skarmory ImageSkarmory Dragonite ImageDragonite

Alomomola is an amazing Wish support, being able to switch out the turn after Wish was used with Flip Turn which simultaneously heals itself with Regenerator while also healing whatever Pokemon switches in when Wish goes off.

Skarmory can come in to tank physical hits, and deal decent damage with Drill Peck and Body Press in return.

Dragonite becomes really annoying to deal with on this team because Alomomola can constantly reactivate its Multiscale with the healing from Wish, meaning that it will always take as little damage as possible.

Dragonite also acts as an offensive Pokemon that can get knockouts with Extreme Speed and Earthquake in the cases where the team needs some offensive pressure.

Counters for Skarmory

Target It's Lower Special Defense Stat

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon Description
Chi-Yu ImageChi-Yu Ranking: ★★★★★
・Beads of Ruin will further reduce Skarmory's Special Defense stat.
・Fire Blast will always OHKO Skarmory unless it has a defensive Tera that resists it.
▶️ Chi-Yu Best Movesets
Gholdengo ImageGholdengo Ranking: ★★★★
・Resists both of Skarmory's STAB attacks and is also immune to Body Press.
・Threatens Skarmory with a super-effective Thunderbolt.
▶️ Gholdengo Best Movesets
Wash Rotom ImageWash Rotom Ranking: ★★★★
・Resists both of Skarmory's STABs.
・Can lock Skarmomry into a bad move by swapping its Choice item onto it with Trick.
▶️ Rotom Wash Best Movesets

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