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Being one of the best Pokemon in Pokemon GO's Great and Ultra League, Skarmory is one of the most desirable Pokemon trainers can catch in Pokemon GO. Due to the metagame being dominated by defensive Steel-type Pokemon, Skarmory fits right in.
First debuting in the third generation of Pokemon games, Skarmory made a grand appearance on the team of the Hoenn region champion, Steven. Ever since, Skarmory has left an impression on veteran Pokemon fans.
When using any Pokemon in Pokemon GO, knowing the best movesets and how to capitalize on its stats is the key to victory. With Skarmory being as common as it is, battles may very well come down to who has more skill and knowledge with their Skarmory.
Skarmory in Pokemon GO: An analysis
Skarmory is a Steel and Flying-type Pokemon. This greatly benefits Skarmory defensively as Steel is notorious for having very few weaknesses and a wide variety of resistances. Steel removes the Flying-type's weakness to Ice and Rock and trades it for only a weakness to Fire. Skarmory is still weak to Electric-type attacks, however.
Skarmory's stats are heavily geared towards being more on the defensive side with a monstrous defense stat of 226, which puts it at as being the 60th highest in the game. Considering Pokemon GO has well over 900 Pokemon in total, this rank is nothing to scoff at. Skarmory also sports an attack stat of 148 and a stamina stat of 163.
In terms of an optimal moveset, Skarmory has two in Pokemon GO. One for offensive purposes like in the Battle League or in Team GO Rocket fights, and the other for defensive purposes like in Raid Battles or defending Gyms.
For offense, Skarmory should use Steel Wing and Brave Bird. This maximizes Skarmory's damage per second. For defense, Skarmory should run Air Slash and Sky Attack. This set prioritizes energy generation for rapid and consistent charged attack damage.
Skarmory's biggest flaw is its lack of attacking power. Due to its lowest stat being attack, this is not a Pokemon players will use to deal damage in Pokemon GO. Skarmory works best as a pseudo-support Pokemon that can switch in when a player sends out a Pokemon the current team member is weak against. Skarmory can then stall for time with its great defense stat until the player can send in a Pokemon to finish the opponent off.
In summary, Skarmory is a great defensive Pokemon with access to good Steel and Flying-type attacks. Sadly, Skarmory has no coverage options in Pokemon GO, so players will either have to mix Steel and Flying or double down on one of the types. Skarmory is best used in Pokemon GO with a defensive set of Air Slash and Sky Attack.
