Skeledirge Movesets & Competitive Sets

Hex can be used on sets packing Will-O-Wisp to deal massive damage to burned foes, notably letting Skeledirge OHKO Slowking at +1 after burn damage, while also helping put a lot of pressure on Pokemon such as Tornadus-T and Rotom-W that may try to pivot around Skeledirge once they have been burned. Shadow Ball is a more reliable option to deal consistent damage early-game. Will-O-Wisp allows Skeledirge to put pressure on physical attackers such as Lokix and Donphan, while Earth Power can hit Heatran for large damage as well as forcing Fezandipiti to expend Roost's PP, allowing Skeledirge to safely get teammates in. Heavy-Duty Boots allows Skeledirge to ignore its otherwise ruinous Stealth Rock weakness. The EV spread allows Skeledirge to take on a wide variety of both physical and special attackers; for example, it has good odds to survive two Earth Powers from Gastrodon and has a chance to survive two High Horsepowers from Revavroom. Tera Fairy allows Skeledirge to take on Dark-types such as Lokix and Zarude while also giving it an immunity to Latios's and Hydrapple's Draco Meteors. Tera Poison gives Skeledirge an immunity to Toxic from both Fezandipiti and Toxapex; the typing lets it check Ogerpon-C and Greninja and helps it check Dark-types such as Lokix and Hydreigon. However, Tera Fairy makes Skeledirge unable to check Revavroom, while Tera Poison leaves it unable to check Latios. Both Tera types also make Skeledirge unable to block Rapid Spin from Excadrill and Donphan in a pinch. Skeledirge primarily fits best on a variety of playstyles ranging from bulky offense to stall teams, which appreciate its ability to soft check a wide array of Pokemon such as Thundurus-T, Latios, and Revavroom. Knock Off absorbers such as Skarmory and Fezandipiti are great for Skeledirge, as they can take on Pokemon such as Zarude and Lokix that Skeledirge may not be comfortable switching into for fear of losing its Heavy-Duty Boots. Water-type switch-ins such as Slowking, Hydrapple, and Rotom-W are perfect partners for Skeledirge, as they can take on Water-types such as Greninja and Keldeo that Skeledirge might struggle with, while in return, Skeledirge can take on Pokemon such as Thundurus-T that said Water-type switch-ins might struggle against. Slowking and Rotom-W in particular are great partners, as they can spread burns or paralysis to boost the power of Hex. Flying-types such as Skarmory and Tornadus-T are great for Skeledirge, as they can take on Ground-types such as Excadrill that Skeledirge may not be comfortable staying in on, while in return, Skeledirge can check Pokemon such as Thundurus-T said Flying-types can struggle against. Pivot Pokemon such as Tornadus-T and Choice Scarf Zarude are heavily enjoyed by Skeledirge, as they can safely get it in against Pokemon such as Skarmory and Slowking so that it can start pressuring opposing teams' defensive cores. Paralysis spreaders such as Slowking, Tinkaton, and Bellibolt allow Skeledirge to outspeed foes such as Fezandipiti and Manaphy while also boosting the power of Hex.

The powerful stallbreaking combination of Torch Song and Unaware breaks through practically any setup threat such as Volcarona or Cresselia with ease. It also allows Skeledirge to attack Weakness Policy users, namely Iron Crown and Metagross without fear. Air Balloon allows Skeledirge to use Will-O-Wisp on physical attackers like Garchomp and Iron Hands without fear of Ground-type coverage, letting it stall them out with Slack Off. Encore is useful against stall Pecharunt and to prevent non-Choice Band Ursaluna from using its Ground-type STAB moves. Maximum HP and Defense EVs ensure that Skeledirge never loses to highly offensive variants of certain attackers, such as Garchomp and non-Encore Annihilape, that it is expected to check. Because Encore itself is not affected by opposing Encore, Skeledirge performs favorably against common Encore + Disable users such as Alolan Ninetales and non-Spirit Break Speed Booster Iron Valiant. Skeledirge should always use Encore first and then alternate between Torch Song and Encore until an opposing Disable is used. After that, Skeledirge is free to use Will-O-Wisp and then continue the sequence to an eventual KO. Choice Band Meowscarada and Hisuian Goodra can dispatch threats to Skeledirge such as Primarina and Raging Bolt while greatly appreciating its additional security against Ursaluna and Iron Crown, which they cannot always handle reliably.

Torch Song is Skeledirge's best option to deal with Iron Crown, Volcarona, Registeel, and Serperior. Skeledirge should immediately use Slack Off against Galarian Moltres and Choice Specs Zapdos, as its Maranga Berry allows it to not be 2HKOed by those threats. Encore should be used against Sylveon and Alolan Ninetales. Will-O-Wisp is for Iron Hands and non-Choice Band Metagross, while Blast Burn is for Choice Band Metagross. The HP and Defense EVs allow Skeledirge to survive Psyshock twice from Special Attack Booster Energy Iron Crown. The remaining EVs are invested in Special Defense for maximum bulk. Against Encore + Disable Iron Valiant, Skeledirge's best play is to use Encore on the first turn followed by alternating between Torch Song and Encore. While Skeledirge notably does not beat Encore + Disable Iron Valiant sets that use Spirit Break as an attacking move, its Maranga Berry allows it to defeat Moonblast sets. Maranga Berry Skeledirge, while being able to reliably defeat Galarian Moltres, is not able to reliably defeat other Dark-types, such as Hoopa-U, Chien-Pao, and Darkrai. Additionally, it struggles against Water-types, like Manaphy and Ogerpon-W, and Ground-types, like Ursaluna and Landorus-T. Pokemon like Zarude, Iron Hands, and Assault Vest Great Tusk make for good teammates because they defeat some of these threats to Skeledirge while appreciating its ability to defeat Pokemon like Iron Crown and Alolan Ninetales reliably.

Hex is a strong attacking option that takes advantage of Will-O-Wisp and does great damage against Gliscor, 2HKOing at +1. Earth Power nails Miraidon on the switch, and it gives Skeledirge a good way to damage Tera Fire users like Koraidon, Arceus, and Calyrex-I. Will-O-Wisp's burns can do useful chip damage against nearly anything that switches in, and it cripples any physical attacker hit by it. Tera Fairy is mandatory for Skeledirge to take on Koraidon should Skeledirge be too low on HP. Care should be taken when facing Koraidon, as ideally, Tera Fairy should only be used as a last resort. If Skeledirge only takes four hits of Scale Shot upon switching in, it can repeatedly use Slack Off in order to stall out sun turns, or to hope for a Scale Shot miss. In general, being aware of when sun fades is very useful, as Koraidon cannot hope to break Skeledirge without it. Skeledirge needs teammates that can handle the special attackers that it is weak to. Checks to Miraidon like Ting-Lu and Arceus-Ground are great options, while Eternatus, Koraidon, Miraidon, and Clodsire help against Kyogre. Necrozma-DM and Arceus-Ground are some of few physical attackers that can get past Skeledirge, so checks to them like Arceus-Water, Arceus-Dark, Kyogre, and Bulldoze Gliscor are valuable partners.

Skeledirge is a great choice for Fire teams as a non-passive physically defensive wall. With Will-O-Wisp and Unaware, it can check physical set-up sweepers such as Dragon Dance Dragonite or Belly Drum Azumarill that threaten Fire. Additionally, Torch Song lets Skeledirge fire back against these threats while raising its Special Attack and reducing passitivity. Hex pairs incredibly well with Will-O-Wisp, as it threatens large amounts of damage on burned foes, while Shadow Ball is a more consistent STAB option that hits opposing Skeledirge for more immediate damage. Heavy-Duty Boots lets Skeledirge avoid entry hazards chipping away at it whenever it switches in. Volcarona is a great teammate for Skeledirge, as it can threaten Dark-types that annoy Skeledirge such as Ting-Lu and Roaring Moon. In return, Skeledirge can burn physical attackers, like Dragonite, giving Volcarona more setup opportunities. Paldean Tauros-F is also a good teammate, since it can threaten the aforementioned Dark-types with its Fighting-type STAB attacks while also having Intimidate to help neutralize physical attackers that Skeledirge cannot handle on its own, such as Roaring Moon. Additionally, its Choice Scarf set can outspeed and KO Greninja. Torkoal pairs well with Skeledirge due to its ability to both remove entry hazards with Rapid Spin and set them up, all while also powering up Skeledirge's Torch Song. Cinderace is a fairly good partner as well due to High Jump Kick, letting it remove Dark-types aiming to threaten Skeledirge, while also being able to remove entry hazards with Court Change and hit Poison-types such as Clodsire and Toxapex with Zen Headbutt. Scovillain is a good partner, since it can remove Water-types such as Dondozo and Rotom-W with its Grass-type STAB attacks. Both Talonflame and Air Balloon Iron Moth alleviate Skeledirge's weakness to threats such as Great Tusk and Ting-Lu.

Skeledirge makes for an excellent physical wall on Ghost teams due to its remarkable bulk, access to reliable recovery, and a great ability in Unaware. Torch Song is an incredible STAB move option that pressures teams like Fairy, Steel, and Flying. Will-O-Wisp allows Skeledirge to punish physical attackers like Dragonite, Great Tusk, and Weavile, as well as chipping Clodsire and weakening Earthquake, making it easier for teammates like Gholdengo and Flutter Mane to overwhelm it. Earth Power provides great coverage and targets foes like Heatran, physically defensive Toxapex, and non-Air Balloon Heatran, which resist or are immune to Torch Song. Hex, paired with Will-O-Wisp, provides a decent STAB move option, while Shadow Ball provides more reliable damage in the long run. Choice Specs Flutter Mane and Swords Dance Mimikyu are excellent partners that can eliminate Dark-types like Greninja, Hydreigon, and non-Choice Scarf Hoopa-U. Dragapult acts as a fast status spreader and can provide incredible wallbreaking power with its exceptional coverage and immense Speed when utilizing Choice Specs to eliminate walls like Dondozo and Toxapex. Furthermore, Flutter Mane and Dragapult can use a Choice Scarf set to revenge kill opposing Choice Scarf users like Meowscarada, Greninja, Roaring Moon, and Iron Boulder, with the latter also removing opposing Choice Scarf Flutter Mane. In return, Skeledirge can handle Steel-types like Corviknight and Skarmory for Mimikyu and Hisuian Goodra for Flutter Mane and Dragapult. Sinistcha boasts Water and Ground resistances, with which it can take on foes like Ogerpon-W, Dondozo, Great Tusk, and the Landorus formes. In return, Skeledirge can handle Fire-types like Cinderace, Volcarona, and Ogerpon-H. Hisuian Zoroark provides a Ghost immunity and, with its ability Illusion, can lure in and remove opposing Ghost-types and ruin walls like Blissey and Clodsire, which Skeledirge struggles against, by tricking them a Choice Scarf or Choice Specs. Gholdengo handles Rock-types like Iron Boulder and Ogerpon-C and provides safe switch-in against status moves like Toxic from Toxapex and Clodsire. With Air Balloon, Gholdengo can switch into Ground-type moves from foes like Great Tusk, Gliscor, and the Landorus formes aimed at Skeledirge, threatening them back with its boosted STAB moves.

Skeledirge is a good physical wall, acting as an important check to Koraidon, Zacian-C, and Extreme Killer Arceus. It can switch into these powerful Swords Dance sweepers, beating them or halting their sweep. Torch Song allows it to potentially sweep a weakened team late-game. Earth Power is an option that chips Miraidon and Eternatus as well as giving it a super effective hit against Tera Fire Zacian-C and Koraidon. Fairy is the ideal Tera type, giving Skeledirge an immunity to Koraidon's Dragon-type attacks and removing its weaknesses to Ground- and Ghost-type attacks from foes like Arceus-Ground, Calyrex-S, and Giratina-O. Tera Flying is a niche option that further improves its matchup against Arceus-Ground while avoiding super effective Behemoth Blade from Zacian-C. Skeledirge is a good fit on balance teams that appreciate it checking common setup threats and carrying teammates that make up for its shortcomings and bad matchups. Skeledirge is very vulnerable to Miraidon, Kyogre, Calyrex-S, and Arceus-Ground, so it appreciates teammates like Ting-Lu, Eternatus, Wo-Chien, and Giratina-O to handle these powerful attackers. Likewise, Skeledirge pairs well with fast attackers and priority users such as Calyrex-S, Choice Scarf Koraidon, and Extreme Killer Arceus, which can threaten the foes that force Skeledirge out and revenge kill Pokemon it checks if it is overwhelmed.

Skeledirge is a defensive wall with a solid typing against threats like Iron Moth and Victini and the ability to act as a bulky win condition thanks to Torch Song. Torch Song is the Fire STAB move of choice, allowing Skeledirge to break through defensive Pokemon like Clefable. Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers and induces passive damage, allowing Skeledirge to outlast opposing Pokemon. Scorching Sands is an option to hit Iron Moth and Victini for super effective damage while retaining a chance to cripple Tyranitar and Hydrapple on the switch. Hex synergises with Will-O-Wisp and offers a powerful STAB option that threatens even status absorbers like Clefable. Encore lets Skeledirge set up on defensive walls and punish opposing set up attempts. Heavy-Duty Boots are preferred, as they help Skeledirge avoid entry hazard damage, thereby contributing to its longevity. 44 Defense EVs ensure that Skeledirge lives Rock Blast from Mega Heracross, with the rest of the investment being dumped into Special Defense to better withstand attacks from Iron Moth. Skeledirge finds its home on balance teams that appreciate its ability to compress a solid defensive profile with the ability to snowball against bulkier teams. Knock Off switch-ins are vital for Skeledirge to function optimally. Thus, it appreciates being paired with Pokemon that ignore item removal, such as Mega Venusaur, Clefable, and Z-move users like Hydreigon. Offensive threats such as Excadrill, Mega Aerodactyl, and Aegislash can all muscle through Skeledirge, and thus Skeledirge should be partnered with other physically defensive walls and pivots, such as Slowbro and Mega Venusaur. Specially defensive partners such as Chansey, Assault Vest Tangrowth, and Tyranitar can help stave off special wallbreakers like Alakazam and Thundurus that would otherwise overwhelm Skeledirge. Finally, certain defensive Pokemon such as Garganacl and Tyranitar can repeatedly come in on Skeledirge and force it out with phazing moves or the threat of status or item removal. Teammates that can exploit these Pokemon, such as Excadrill and Serperior, are greatly appreciated.

This is the sample set before we work on new analyses. This will be updated as the metagame continues to develop. Stay tuned!

With Blunder Policy, this Skeledirge provides a unique approach to offense: it'll either put important foes to sleep or threaten to snowball into a sweep with Speed and Special Attack boosts! Shadow Ball: Even with Skeledirge's wide variety of viable Tera types, Shadow Ball is still an excellent secondary STAB attack for hitting Dragapult, Flutter Mane, and opposing Skeledirge. Earth Power: Earth Power is Skeledirge's best option against Garganacl and Chi-Yu, and it makes checking Iron Moth feasible. Tera Types Tera Dependency - High: Beyond the many weaknesses Skeledirge's typing has, it only has one shot of having +2 Speed, so Terastallizing is preferred over switching when possible. Fairy: With this Skeledirge's more offensive nature, Tera Fairy's immunity to powerful Dragon-type attacks is a big help, and it makes Tera Blast an effective tool against bulky foes such as Ting-Lu, Baxcalibur, and Garchomp. Water: Besides being a fantastic defensive typing, Tera Water gives Skeledirge the chance to pick off weakened Iron Bundle as they use Hydro Pump and gives it a good attack against Chi-Yu, Garganacl, and Iron Moth. Fire: In addition to removing the troublesome Ghost-type weakness, Tera Fire makes sweeping with Torch Song require less setup. Normal: Tera Normal gives Skeledirge a key Ghost-type immunity, taking advantage of common Choiced Ghost-types such as Gholdengo. Grass: Tera Grass vastly improves Skeledirge's matchup against Breloom, Rotom-W, and Brute Bonnet. EV Spreads All EV spreads for this set should outspeed Dragapult after missing Sing. 204 HP / 4 Def / 132 SpA / 4 SpD / 164 Spe with Modest: The HP investment in this spread lets Skeledirge survive one Earthquake from Garchomp or one Throat Chop from Jolly Focus Sash Chien-Pao when staying not Terastallizing, and one Choice Specs Hydro Pump from Iron Bundle when Tera Fairy or Tera Normal. 92 HP / 252 SpA / 164 Spe with Modest: This spread sacrifices bulk for being able to OHKO Iron Bundle with Torch Song after Stealth Rock damage and doing the same to Kingambit with Tera Fire. 164 HP / 180 Def / 164 Spe with Bold: This defensive spread allows Tera Skeledirge to always avoid a 2HKO from Jolly Choice Band Dragonite's Extreme Speed and avoids getting 2HKOed by Baxcalibur's 4-hit Icicle Spear when Tera Normal or Fairy. 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with Modest or Timid: A huge sacrifice in bulk makes it harder for Skeledirge to set up, but the Speed investment does allow it to outspeed several major Choice Scarf threats after missing Sing. Modest variants will outspeed up to Modest Choice Scarf Chi-Yu and Jolly Choice Scarf Annihilape, while Timid sets will Speed tie with +1 Espathra.

Thanks to instant recovery, Unaware, and the snowballing potential of Torch Song, Skeledirge is a viable alternative to Dondozo. Will-O-Wisp versus Yawn: Will-O-Wisp vastly improves Skeledirge's match-up against fearsome physical foes such as Kingambit, while Yawn works exceptionally well with Stealth Rock support. Earth Power: Earth Power hits Chi-Yu switch-ins hard and is the best option into Terastallized Ogerpon-H. This is usually the preferred coverage move if using Skeledirge on a stall team. Substitute: Substitute is a good way around status, especially Garganacl's Salt Cure. It also becomes effective when used on Toxic Spikes teams. Other Options Encore: When paired with Substitute, Skeledirge can seriously punish passive Pokemon, though at a serious cost in coverage. Tera Types Tera Dependency - High: Skeledirge's defensive typing isn't without its merits, but the wide variety of weaknesses it has often forces Skeledirge to Terastallize to check major threats like Chien-Pao and Dragonite. Fairy: Terastallizing into the Fairy typing removes Skeledirges glaring weakness to Dark and provides an overall superior defensive typing, making Chien-Pao and Ting-Lu far more reasonable to deal with. It also provides a neutral typing for the inevitable Shadow Balls that will be thrown at Skeledirge, like from Flutter Mane or Gholdengo. Water: A Water Tera type lets Skeledirge take on opposing Water-type attacks, providing a valuable turn to burn foes like Urshifu-R. It should be noted that Tera Water tends to be a safer option versus the common Gholdengo, as it does not often run Thunderbolt. Normal: While Tera Normal isn't fantastic defensively, it lets Skeledirge severely punish attempts from special attacking Ghost-types such as Flutter Mane and Gholdengo to check it. Dragon: A Dragon Tera type let's Skeledirge check Urshifu-R and Ogerpon-H simultaneously, though it will likely need help from teammates covering its newfound Fairy-type weakness. Items Leftovers versus Sitrus Berry: Residual recovery helps Skeledirge use Torch Song more freely. Leftovers is the best option since Skeledirge has instant recovery, but Sitrus Berry with an even HP stat can be used to restore some health after getting hit by Ruination. Ability Shield: Ability Shield keeps Unaware active in the face of Mold Breaker users like Swords Dance Ogerpon-H, which can overwhelm Skeledirge with enough boosts. Covert Cloak: Covert Cloak ignores the secondary effects of Garganacl's Salt Cure as well as stopping stat drops from Flutter Mane's Shadow Ball and Ogerpon-H's Rock Tomb. Heavy-Duty Boots: This makes Skeledirge less pressured to Terastallize to rid itself of its Stealth Rock weakness.

This set does not have a full write-up yet. If you'd like to finish this, feel free to reserve it here!