Complete Guide to Skeledirge in Competitive Pokémon


Last Updated on March 23, 2024 by MigS

Complete Skeledirge Guide in Competitive Pokemon – All information about Skeledirge in Competitive Pokemon – Statistics, Resistances, Abilities, Weaknesses, Movements, Teracrystallization and much more

Complete Guide to Skeledirge in Competitive Pokémon

Skeledirge, the fire starter of the 9th generation in Paldea, breaks with tradition by being a Pokémon with high resistance and good offense, although remarkably slow.

Skeledirge is a Gen 9 Fire starter in Paldea that is characterized by high stamina and offense, but low Speed. Its Fire/Ghost typing gives it multiple resistances, though it has significant weaknesses. The ability Ignorant and its signature move, Torch Song, are key to its competitive strategy. It offers flexibility in battle, with possibilities in both single and doubles combat. It is vital for trainers to understand its strengths and weaknesses in order to maximize its potential in battle.

Key Statistics

  • Health: 104
  • Stroke: 75
  • Defense: 100
  • Special Attack: 110
  • Special Defense: 76
  • Speed: 66

Type, Resistances and Weaknesses

  • Guy: Fire/Ghost
  • Immune: a Fight and Normal
  • Very resistant: a Bug
  • Resistant: Fire, Fairy, Ice, Steel and Poison
  • Weak: Rock, Water, Dark, Earth and Ghost

Skeledirge is a Fire/Ghost-type, a combination that gives it a significant amount of resistances to common competitive types. This composition makes it immune to Fighting- and Normal-type attacks, giving it a strategic advantage over Pokémon that rely on these attacks. Its resistances include Fire, Fairy, Bug, Ice, Steel, and Poison, allowing it to take on a wide range of opponents with less risk. However, its weaknesses to Rock, Water, Dark, Ground, and Ghost-types require trainers to be cautious, especially against opponents that can exploit these vulnerabilities with powerful attacks or specific strategies.

Skills

  • Sea Flames: This ability is common among Fire-type starters. It significantly increases the power of Fire-type attacks when Skeledirge's health drops below 33% of its total. Although its activation depends on a specific health condition, it can be decisive at critical moments, providing the necessary boost to overcome an opponent.
  • Ignorant: This is the ability that truly sets Skeledirge apart on the battlefield. By ignoring the opponent's stat changes, it allows Skeledirge to stand on equal footing against opponents who have boosted their stats through moves like Dragon Dance or Sword Dance. This ability ensures that Skeledirge remains competitive even against potentially stronger Pokémon.

IVs, EVs and Nature Recommended

  • IVs: Perfect
  • EVs: 252 in Health, 200 in Defense, 56 in Special Defense
  • Nature: Modest (increases Special Attack, reduces Attack)

To maximize Skeledirge's offensive and defensive potential, IVs must be perfect, focusing on maximizing every possible stat. As for EV distribution, it is recommended to allocate 252 EVs to Health to increase its survivability, 200 EVs to Defense to strengthen its resistance against physical attacks, and 56 EVs to Special Defense to improve its tolerance to special attacks. The Modest nature is ideal, as it increases Skeledirge's Special Attack, allowing it to take advantage of its impressive offensive potential, while the reduction in Attack is less critical due to its main attacks being special in nature.

Recommended Object

  • Remains, Serrated Helmet, Assault Vest, Insurance Weakness, Zidra berry

Detailed Recommended Object

  • Remains: Provides Skeledirge with constant health recovery at the end of each turn, significantly increasing his durability in combat.
  • Serrated Helmet: Ideal against opponents that rely on physical contact attacks, dealing damage whenever Skeledirge is hit.
  • Assault Vest: Boosts Special Defense by 50%, at the cost of not being able to use status moves. This is particularly useful in dual or VGC formats, where special attacks are frequent.
  • Insurance Weakness: An item that can turn the tide of battle by increasing Special Attack and Special Defense if Skeledirge receives an effective attack.
  • Zidra berry: Provides significant health recovery in critical situations, increasing Skeledirge's resilience in prolonged combat.

Signature Move: Torch Song

  • Fire type, power 80, accuracy 100, and increases Special Attack.

Torch Song is a Fire-type move with 80 power that not only deals damage but also increases Skeledirge’s Special Attack every time it is used. With 100% accuracy, it becomes a reliable and potentially devastating offensive tool as Skeledirge accumulates increases in its Special Attack, making it increasingly formidable as the fight progresses.

Best Moves for Skeledirge

  • Torch Song, Shadow Ball, Will-o'-the-wisp, Misfortune, Living Earth, Howl, Relaxation, Substitute

Detailed

  • Torch Song: Essential for being its exclusive Fire-type movement, which, in addition to dealing damage, increases Skeledirge's Special Attack with each use. This makes it a central piece of its arsenal, allowing it to scale its offensive power as the fight goes on. Its 100% accuracy ensures reliability in every attack.
  • Shadow Ball: As one of its STABs (Same Type Attack Bonus), this Ghost-type move becomes a key offensive tool. With 80 power and 100% accuracy, it gives Skeledirge the ability to deal with Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokémon effectively. The chance to reduce the opponent's Special Defense by 20% adds a useful secondary effect.
  • Will-o'-the-wisp: Beyond its offensive potential, Skeledirge can play a strategic role with Will-o'-the-Wisp. By burning the opponent, this move halves the physical damage they can deal, perfectly complementing Skeledirge's already solid defense and protecting it against physically offensive opponents. Despite its 85% accuracy, its impact on combat can be decisive.
  • Misfortune: This Ghost-type attack has a base power of 65, which doubles against opponents affected by status ailments, such as those caused by Will-O-Wisp. The guarantee of dealing double damage makes it an excellent choice for strategies that include inflicting status ailments, giving Skeledirge a powerful tool for finishing off weakened opponents.
  • Living Earth: Provides coverage against types that would otherwise be problematic for Skeledirge, such as Rock and Electric. With 90 power and 100% accuracy, this Ground-type move not only expands the range of opponents Skeledirge can effectively take on, but also provides a 10% chance to lower the opponent’s Special Defense, further boosting Skeledirge’s offensive capabilities in the process. It’s especially useful in situations where it faces opponents that are resistant to Fire- and Ghost-types, giving Skeledirge the versatility to adapt to different threats on the battlefield.
  • Howl: This Dark-type move becomes a valuable addition to Skeledirge’s repertoire, allowing it to effectively take on Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokémon. With a power of 55 and accuracy of 100%, Scream not only deals damage but also has a 10% chance to lower the target’s Special Attack, potentially weakening the opponent’s offensive capabilities in the long run. Its usefulness lies in its ability to constantly pressure and reduce the effectiveness of opponents who rely on special attacks.
  • Relaxation: This move is crucial to keeping Skeledirge in the fight for longer, restoring half of its maximum health. Skeledirge's ability to heal substantially mid-combat allows it to persist against aggressive opponents, forcing opponents to reconsider strategies that rely on gradually wearing down its health. Relax, combined with its natural defenses and potential buffs through EVs and Nature, solidifies Skeledirge's role as a resilient contender in the metagame.
  • Substitute: Grants Skeledirge an additional layer of protection, allowing it to dodge status ailments and targeted attacks while maintaining offensive pressure. By consuming a portion of its health to create a substitute, Skeledirge can protect itself from debilitating moves and focus on utilizing its offensive arsenal without fear of being incapacitated by techniques such as paralysis or sleep. This move is particularly useful in strategies that seek to maximize Skeledirge's time on the field, taking advantage of its scalable offensive potential and ability to significantly influence the course of battle.

Recommended Strategies

  • Stall + Booster (Singles): Uses Torch Song, Shadow Ball/Misfortune, Will-o'-the-Wisp/Living Earth, and Relax.
  • Offensive Tank (VGC or Doubles): Includes Torch Song, Shadow Ball, Living Earth, and Scream.
  • Teratrystallization: Recommended to use Water Tetracrystallization for Singles and Fire Tetracrystallization for Doubles/VGC.

How to Defeat Skeledirge and Counters

  • Special Attackers strong, Mockery to avoid cures and status, Walls with Toxic.

Detailed

  • Powerful Special Attackers: Because Skeledirge's Special Defense isn't as robust as its Defense, Pokémon that can unleash powerful special attacks, especially those that exploit its weaknesses to types like Water, Rock, and Ghost, can be particularly effective. Pokémon like Gengarwith its high Special Attack and access to Ghost-type moves, can deal significant damage. Additionally, Starmie either Primarinawith powerful Water-type attacks, can take advantage of Skeledirge's elemental weakness.
  • Strategic Use of Mocking: Taunt is a valuable tool for limiting Skeledirge's options, preventing it from using key moves like Lash, Will-O-Wisp, or Substitute. This makes it more vulnerable to direct attacks and reduces its ability to recover or weaken its opponents. Fast Pokémon with access to Taunt, such as Weavile either Thunduruscan be crucial to nullifying Skeledirge's strategy.
  • Walls with Toxic: Defensive Pokémon that can survive Skeledirge's attacks and use Toxic to deal over-time damage can make for formidable opponents. Toxapexfor example, can not only withstand several attacks thanks to its formidable Defense and Special Defense, but can also use Toxic to wear down Skeledirge's health over time. Ferrothorn is another candidate, with the ability to withstand physical and special attacks while applying pressure with Toxic.
  • Pokémon with High-Powered Super-Effective Attacks: Identifying Pokémon that can execute attacks with a high base power and that are super effective against Skeledirge is key. Tyranitarwith its access to Rock-type moves like Free Stone, can be devastating against Skeledirge. Similarly, Water-type Pokémon like Swampert either Kyogrewith powerful Water-type attacks, can take advantage of Skeledirge's elemental weakness and deal considerable damage.
  • Climate Control: Utilizing strategies based on weather control can be effective against Skeledirge, especially on teams that benefit from rainy weather. Pokémon that can set rain, such as Pelipper either Politoednot only strengthens Skeledirge's Water-type attacks but also reduces the effectiveness of its Fire-type attacks.

Complete Skeledirge Guide in Competitive Pokémon – Other Pokemon Guides in Competitive Pokémon

Pokemon Lists for Competitive Pokemon:

In addition, you can visit our weaknesses by types of Pokemon Go