Tier three Battle Raids in Pokemon GO don't get quite as much attention as the Legendary and Mega Battle Raid offerings, but that doesn't mean they aren't a valuable and important feature. Players can use Tier 3 Battle Raids to complete raiding tasks without big groups, gain valuable resources, and earn some important encounters on a weekly basis to help build up their PvP and PvE rosters.
A nice perk to Tier 3 Raid Bosses is that they can often be solo'd in Pokemon GO. That is only the case if players understand the boss' weaknesses and assemble a strategic counter roster. Each Pokemon has its own strengths and weaknesses and part of preparing for an effective Battle Raid means studying those weaknesses and forming a respectable counter roster. Trainers who are preparing to face off against Skarmory in Tier 3 Battle Raids will have a handful of important weaknesses and tons of resistances to remember.
Skarmory's Steel- and Flying-type pairing gives players a pretty simple list of counter options to consider, but there are a ton of Resistances to avoid if players want an optimal performance. Although tier 3 Battle Raids aren't as challenging as Legendary and Mega showdowns, trainers may still want to take the time to spend some Stardust, Candy, and Elite TMs to get everything in order before the fight.
Skarmory Weaknesses
This tier 3 Battle Raid boss is a Steel- and Flying-type, which means that Skarmory is weak against Electric- and Fire–type moves.
Skarmory Resistances (Avoid These!)
Skarmory is resistant against Bug-, Grass-, Poison-, Dragon-, Fairy-, Flying-, Ground-, Normal-, Psychic-, and Steel-type attacks. Players should avoid putting Pokemon reliant on those move types in their lineup.
Best Skarmory Counters
Xurkitree - Thunder Shock/Discharge
Reshiram - Fire Fang/Overheat
Chandelure - Hex/Overheat
Thundurus (Therian) - Volt Switch/Thunderbolt
Deoxys (Normal) - Charge Beam/Thunderbolt
Blaziken - Fire Spin/Blast Burn
Electivire - Thunder Shock/Wild Charge
Zapdos - Thunder Shock/Zap Cannon
Charizard - Fire Spin/Blast Burn
Zekrom - Charge Beam/Wild Charge
Darmanitan - Incinerate/Overheat
Infernape - Fire Spin/Blast Burn
Tapu Koko - Volt Switch/Thunderbolt
Emboar - Ember/Blast Burn
Darmanitan (Standard) - Incinerate/Overheat
Assembling a counter roster based on those suggestions should be all it takes to defeat Skarmory in tier three Battle Raids. Be sure to stick to the recommended counter types and enter the battle with enough allies around to help out and earn that one attempt victory. High level players with the best counters can technically solo this tier three raid boss, but players who want to play it safe should enter the fight with one or two friends instead to secure a successful battle.
Be sure to check back in the near future for lots more Pokemon GO strategy guides, news, and updates. Until then, good luck out there, trainers!
Pokemon GO is available now in select regions on Android and iOS devices.