Better Spiker: Forretress or Skarmory?

Aipom

I'm new to smogon, and am debating about which Spiker to use for play.
I'm neutral, but want your opinion ow which works better for you.
Include movesets/EV spread if possible. Thanks!!!
 
Depends on your team... Do you need a phazer? Do you have a bad Weavile weakness? Do you want Toxic Spikes? I need more info before I can make my call.
 
Skarm. Skarm can usually live through an HP fire, which many thing have. Forrertress fails under Fire Punch/ any other fire moves. Also, Skarm is not hit by EQ.
 
BluMew said:
Well the guys I play are big on Phys. Sweepers, but good Hera, Mamo control.
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CB Hera can take both, Forretress and Skarmory down in two hits with Close Combat, so...

Mamoswine is less of an outright threat, but if it's not running Blizzard, the best it can really manage against Skarmory is Stone Edge or Avalanche. While Forretress doesn't really like EQ.
 
It depends on your team, and the situation. It's very difficult to compare their overall differences and weigh them accordingly to find out the better Spiker.

However, from my personal preference I think Skarmory is generally a better Pokemon overall, in terms of typing, movesets, and a better Spiker; because he can use Spikes not so much worrying about rare OHKOs he faces, which grants it more chanes touse Spikes. You witness many times where Forretress is on the verge of fainting, and people are forced to come up with a decision on weather you want to Spike, or Rapid Spin, etc. This is because you can't recovery your HP, which evidently leaves you no choice to leave it for the Pokemon Centre.

On the other hand, Skarmory's access to Roost awards it with more stability, and it gives it the chance to Resist Rock-type attacks, and neatralize the damage between Electric moves such as Thunderbolt, aswell as keeping it around longer.

Although, if you want your team to be protected from Spikes, Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, you would need another Pokemon that will stretch your team just to deal with the potential threat - Forretress deals with them, aswell as Spiking up their side of the field.

Skarmory's lack of Toxic Spikes makes the opponent think twice on his strategy (if he wanted a TS'er for the team, but thought Skarmory would be better suited because of its typing, etc. He must reconsider this due to the fact that Skarmory can't learn Toxic Spikes) which gives Forretress more play because he on the other hand can learn it.

It's hard to come up with a better choice, as they're both a great asset to any team. Though I prefer Skarmory's staying power which gives him the edge to Spike up teams with less concern of a OHKO from the opponent.
 
Skarmory, it has whirlwind and a recovery move, plus it's decent speed. Forretress can take a little more hits than skarmory but it's slower than most pokemon. Mainly skarmory's advantage over forrtress is it's recovery move, it's ability to phaze, and it's speed.
 
I personally like Forretress more, because people often think they can switch in and get a free stat up. That's when I just explode him and take down their sweeper.
 
Forerteress, because of its ability to lay SR and Spikes which commonly does 24% on swaps. Compared to 12 % then 18% with spikes, if I am correct. Just because he sets up faster than skarmory so can recover faster. Unfortunally he can not recover health.
 
picklesword said:
Forerteress, because of its ability to lay SR and Spikes which commonly does 24% on swaps. Compared to 12 % then 18% with spikes, if I am correct. Just because he sets up faster than skarmory so can recover faster. Unfortunally he can not recover health.
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Can Skarmory not use Stealth Rock, also?
 
Skarmory is more durable, it resists EQ/Toxic, takes neutral to Thunder, Ice Beam, rock slide AFTER A ROOST, and can lay down spikes. Fortress has that wonderfull move we all know as explosion, but has less recovers and resistances. Fortress will end up killing a few things, and Skarm will weaken a lot of things.
 
Magmortified said:
Can Skarmory not use Stealth Rock, also?
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Yes, but when you're using Spikes, you have Roost, Whirlwind as staples, and your 4th attacking move; Drill Peck / Brave Bird. So you must sacrafice Skarmory's Brave Bird, WW, or Roost just to add SR, which could be placed on any other Pokemon anyway.
 
Someone here made an assumption that forry and skarmy are the only spikers. Everyone else followed on blindly.

I've been trying a frolass spiker, and it works well. It also has the added bonus that it stops rapid spin.
From experience, Roserade can also set spikes or toxic spikes fairly well. Maybe not all at once, but a layer here and there. Roserade also absorbs toxic spikes.

http://www.serebii.net/attackdex-dp/spikes.shtml is a full list of all the pokes that can learn spikes
 
skarm is pretty much better, I mostly use forry to cover team holes or on less-defensive teams that need a spinner for some reason
BluMew said:
Automatic has a point. There are more spikers than Skarm and Forry, but I find these 2 are the most common. I've been using Skarmory@leftovers
Roost
Spikes
Stealth Rock
Aerial Ace
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because clearly drill peck and brave bird are inferior options?
 
BluMew said:
Automatic has a point. There are more spikers than Skarm and Forry, but I find these 2 are the most common. I've been using Skarmory@leftovers
Roost
Spikes
Stealth Rock
Aerial Ace
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A better set would be the analysis standard:

Skarmory @ Leftovers/Shed Shell
252 HP / 96 Atk / 156 Def / 4 Spe
Impish Natured (+Def, -SAtk)
~ Brave Bird / Drill Peck
~ Roost
~ Spikes / Stealth Rock
~ Whirlwind

Analysis said:
This set has become the new D/P standard for Skarmory. Roost gives Skarmory improved tanking ability compared to Advance, when its only recovery methods were Rest and Leftovers.

Brave Bird or Drill Peck are there to let Skarmory deal damage when called for. Brave Bird is the preferred attack as it packs more of a punch, and that helps running off of Skarmory's mediocre Attack. Drill Peck can be used if you can't afford to take the recoil, however.

Roost lets Skarmory recover HP. In situations where Skarmory is faster than its opponent, Skarmory can use Roost to remove its Flying type for the rest of the turn in order to reduce damage from things like Stone Edge and Thunderpunch.

The choice between Spikes and Stealth Rock depends on your team, your preferences, and what bothers your team more. Spikes takes longer to fully set up, but will do more damage to things that aren't weak to Rock. If you have more problems with things like Gyarados and Salamence, then Stealth Rock will probably work better.

Whirlwind allows Skarmory to force things that are using stat raising moves to switch out, and simultaneously makes whatever comes in take damage from Spikes or Stealth Rock. If whatever is forced out is ineffective against Skarmory, you can then either use Whirlwind again or use Brave Bird.

Your choice of item depends on whether you are playing under item clause, and if you're afraid of Magnezone. Leftovers will give Skarmory better tanking abilities, while Shed Shell will allow Skarmory to give Magnezone (or the rare Probopass) the slip.]
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Guess? :O

Sorry, anyways.

The typical, but most predictable, moveset is WhirlWind, Drill Peck, Spikes, Stealth Rock. Since it is REALLY, REALLY predictable, I would suggest putting, something like...rock slide, rofl, on it. If you somehow manage to survive A fire type atk, then congratz! You MAY have koed a fire pokemon! Only 5 mroe to go!
 
Jugrenae said:
Guess? :O

Sorry, anyways.

The typical, but most predictable, moveset is WhirlWind, Drill Peck, Spikes, Stealth Rock. Since it is REALLY, REALLY predictable, I would suggest putting, something like...rock slide, rofl, on it. If you somehow manage to survive A fire type atk, then congratz! You MAY have koed a fire pokemon! Only 5 mroe to go!
Click to expand...

That could actually work very well.
 
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