Nominating Skarmory from C- to C+ or B-
Skarmory has a use in the Ubers metagame as a reliable check to some top-tier threats.
Skarmory can take on Necrozma-dusk-mane and ultra necrozma without any effort, unless it is carrying heat wave which they rarely do.
As well takes on E-speed arceus very well, as arceus can hit skarmory, take rocky helm chip, and be phased out.
Skarmory also is a semi-reliable check to pokemon such as zacian unless it has wild charge, and most trick room mons.
Besides this, Skarmory has whirlwind, which, unless the opponent has taunt, will phase out the opponent, making it not setup fodder.
To add to this, Skarmory also has stealth rock AND spikes, something Necrozma-dusk-mane doens't have.
Spikes and hazard stacking are a very powerful part of the meta, and can be used to great effect, helping chip down many pokemon and gaining residual damage with whirlwing + spikes.
A pokemon such as E-speed arceus could be taunted and then exploited to set spikes on, and setting at least a single spike would be relatively easy as they would be forced to switch, something its competition Necrozma-Dusk-mane couldn't do, in some cases necrozma dusk mane may even be used as setup fodder.
If zacian-C is not carrying Wild charge it would be easy for skarmory to set up spikes in its face.
It could also be used to force the all-powerful zygarde out even after many boosts as its bulk is enough to take a single thousand arrows.
Some calcs:
+2 252+ Atk Necrozma-Dusk-Mane Sunsteel Strike vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 117-138 (35 - 41.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Tera Ghost Arceus Shadow Claw vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 175-208 (52.3 - 62.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
While all of these benefits add up, Skarmory can easily be taken advantage of by powerful pokemon such as groudon-primal. To stop this, support from teammates such as giratina, giratina-o, or zygarde complete could help out skarmory.
Sadly for this mon, Necrozma dusk mane outclasses it in most ways. However, it still has a good role in the current metagame as a bulky physical wall and hazard stacker.
Skarmory has a use in the Ubers metagame as a reliable check to some top-tier threats.
Skarmory can take on Necrozma-dusk-mane and ultra necrozma without any effort, unless it is carrying heat wave which they rarely do.
As well takes on E-speed arceus very well, as arceus can hit skarmory, take rocky helm chip, and be phased out.
Skarmory also is a semi-reliable check to pokemon such as zacian unless it has wild charge, and most trick room mons.
Besides this, Skarmory has whirlwind, which, unless the opponent has taunt, will phase out the opponent, making it not setup fodder.
To add to this, Skarmory also has stealth rock AND spikes, something Necrozma-dusk-mane doens't have.
Spikes and hazard stacking are a very powerful part of the meta, and can be used to great effect, helping chip down many pokemon and gaining residual damage with whirlwing + spikes.
A pokemon such as E-speed arceus could be taunted and then exploited to set spikes on, and setting at least a single spike would be relatively easy as they would be forced to switch, something its competition Necrozma-Dusk-mane couldn't do, in some cases necrozma dusk mane may even be used as setup fodder.
If zacian-C is not carrying Wild charge it would be easy for skarmory to set up spikes in its face.
It could also be used to force the all-powerful zygarde out even after many boosts as its bulk is enough to take a single thousand arrows.
Some calcs:
+2 252+ Atk Necrozma-Dusk-Mane Sunsteel Strike vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 117-138 (35 - 41.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Tera Ghost Arceus Shadow Claw vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 175-208 (52.3 - 62.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
While all of these benefits add up, Skarmory can easily be taken advantage of by powerful pokemon such as groudon-primal. To stop this, support from teammates such as giratina, giratina-o, or zygarde complete could help out skarmory.
Sadly for this mon, Necrozma dusk mane outclasses it in most ways. However, it still has a good role in the current metagame as a bulky physical wall and hazard stacker.
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