Knock Off is such a great move, especially on something that can take a hit or two like Hariyama. Force Palm's rather low power may be off-putting, but with a 30% chance of paralysis it gives Hariyama some further support to bring to the team. Close Combat can be used as his main STAB attack if you want both power and accuracy, but the defense drops are rather unwelcome as this Hariyama is primarily focused on absorbing hits. However, given how slow he is, he will usually take a hit before the defense drops occur. Both moves have their merits, so the choice is mostly down to personal preference and team necessity. Ice Punch help to cover Gliscor, Dragons, and leaves a nice dent in Celebi. Whirlwind can help to rack up some damage if you have Spikes/Stealth Rock in play and it never hurts to have a phazer on your team. In the interest of making the set listing readable, some of the Hariyama's other attacks were left out. If you want greater type coverage, then you have several options to choose from, all of which can replace Whirlwind. ThunderPunch is great for taking out Gyarados, and Hariyama can handle the aquatic beast adequately, provided Waterfall's flinch rate doesn't come into play. Payback will hurt incoming Ghosts and Psychics, making Cresselia and Dusknoir even less likely to switch in, as if losing their Leftovers wasn't enough. Fire Punch will 2HKO Heracross (likely OHKO if it previously used Close Combat) and provides more power against Forretress than Hariyama's STAB attacks. Stone Edge can be used over Ice Punch as it will hurt both Salamence and Gyarados, meaning you don't need to use two moveslots with Ice Punch and ThunderPunch. It also does more damage to Zapdos when compared with Ice Punch. Defensive EVs, Knock Off and a STAB attack are the heart of this set, and you can mix and match the other moves depending on what you want Hariyama to cover.
Hariyama is sturdy enough for this to work, and it does have a few advantages over Machamp, who often uses a similar set. Whirlwind is a good option in the last slot if your team is focussed on residual damage. Thick Fat is recommended, but Guts is also a good option if you want an Attack boost while Hariyama is snoozing. Much like the previous set, you can play around with the move you select in the last slot. ThunderPunch, Stone Edge and Payback are all still viable choices.
Hariyama is slow, but very powerful and reasonably sturdy so it makes a fine Choice Bander. Close Combat is suggested for your STAB move as the defenses drops won't hurt too much, as this Hariyama is designed for hit and run attacks. The base power of Payback is boosted to 100 when used on the switch, so you can expect to OHKO many of the weaker Ghosts and Psychics, or leave a sizable dent in the likes of Dusknoir and Cresselia. Guts is the superior ability here, as it gives Hariyama the ability switch into status, like Blissey's Thunder Wave (although a single layer Toxic Spikes is better), and then proceed to unleash monstrously powerful attacks. Thick Fat is still a worthwhile option, as it allows for more opportunities to switch in. Speed EVs are enough to outrun most Skarmory, who can be 2HKOed by Close Combat.
Sub Punching fits Hariyama well, given his high HP and Attack and terrible Speed. Substitute also works nicely with Payback as it encourages Ghosts and Psychics to attack, powering it up to 100 against faster enemies. Sub also protects against status, since you don't have Guts to absorb it. This is very useful against Dusknoir, who can't break Hariyama's Sub with Shadow Sneak or an elemental punch, so you can keep firing Payback at it. Since Sub is dropping Hariyama's HP, Dusknoir's Pain Split will not be much use to it. This set packs a lot of power, but Substitute can hinder his tanking ability, especially if Sandstorm or Hail is active. Other OptionsThe best option Hariyama has that was left off the main sets is Counter. Thanks to his massive HP, he can take all kind of physical hits and score some surprise KOs. If you use the bulkier EV spread (see below) Hariyama can even survive a Swords Dance Outrage from Garchomp, then reflect it back for an easy KO. Revenge is useful on the defensive sets as Hariyama will usually be going last anyway, and it gives him a 120 BP STAB attack (if the opponent attacks) that doesn't come with the often unwelcome defense drops associated with Close Combat. Arm Thrust works against a Sub Punching Tyranitar or Sub Walrein, but doesn't have much else to recommend it. Facade can work on Choice Band set if you get Hariyama statused, and it leaves a big hole in Weezing, while offering a powerful and reliable attack against most Psychics and Flying-types. Earthquake usually isn't much use on Fighters, but it does cover Nidoqueen and Toxicroak with a single moveslot, rather than requiring both Ice Punch and Fire Punch, respectively. Bullet Punch and Fake Out are on offer, but their lack of STAB makes them lesser options. Those are better left to Hitmontop. Bulk Up usually won't help, as Hariyama is too slow to sweep. That's better left to Machamp since he can use DynamicPunch to buy himself some set up time. Don't even think about using Belly Drum unless you're planning to pass Hariyama some Speed, and even then it's a rather risky option. Bullet Punch is actually a terrible idea with Belly Drum, because the lack of STAB makes it quite weak, even after the Attack boosts. You can net a surprise kill or two, but it simply isn't reliable enough to make it a recommendable option. Random mention goes to Sunny Day and Rain Dance if you're in need of a backup weather changer. This is simply because Hariyama does a good job of scaring off Tyranitar and Abomasnow. Drop it in the last slot on the Defensive set. Guts is a viable alternative on the more defensive minded sets if you're willing to trade Ice and Fire resists for status absorbing. EVs76 HP / 180 Atk / 252 Def with an Impish nature is a good set up if you want Hariyama to take hits, and still do some decent damage. It also ensures that he will survive three Choice Banded Earthquakes from Tyranitar. The Attack EVs are sufficient to OHKO all but the most defensive Tyranitar with Force Palm and 2HKO Blissey if you have robbed her of Leftovers. For an even bulkier alternative, 204 HP EVs will reach 480, which is the highest "magic" number Hariyama can reach for optimal recovery from Leftovers. Once again, Impish nature and max Defense with the remaining in Attack. Cross Chop or Close Combat are recommended if you opt for the bulkier spread, as Force Palm's weak base power will become even more apparent. The Choice Band set should be Adamant with max Attack. You can invest some EVs in Speed to outrun Skarmory, 168 beats Skarmory's minimum Speed by two points, just to be on the safe side. The rest can go in Defense. OpinionA defensive Fighting-type seems like a rather alien concept as the majority of Hariyama's brawling brethren are set up for all out attack. However, this is what makes Hariyama stand out from most of them. Machamp is the closest comparison and although the many-limbed monster has better offensive capabilities, Hariyama just edges him out on the defensive side thanks in no small part to Thick Fat and access to support options like Whirlwind and Knock Off. Often overlooked in the previous generation, but with solid resistances to physical Dark, Rock and Ice attacks becoming of greater importance Hariyama may find his way into your thoughts when constructing a team. Being one of the best possible counters for Tyranitar doesn't hurt either. CountersCresselia does well against him as she can throw up a Reflect and hit back with Psychic. Uxie and Mesprit also work for the same reason. Celebi survives Ice Punch and Payback and can stall Hariyama with Leech Seed or simply throw Psychic at him. Azelf can work, but is rather shaky as Payback can KO on the switch, even without a Choice Band. Dusknoir and also works quite nicely and can leech off Hariyama's high HP with Pain Split and burn the Thick Fat versions. Spiritomb can do the same, but has the added bonus of being neutral to Payback. Weezing functions in a similar way to the Ghosts, but KOing the sumo is slow going and there's always the risk of activating Guts with Thunderbolt or Will-O-Wisp. As for the less common counters, Muk with Sticky Hold screws up Knock Off and also resists Fighting. Although on the rare occasion that Hariyama has Earthquake, Muk is royally screwed. Nidoking and Nidoqueen resist Fighting/Rock, but will have to be wary of Earthquake or Ice Punch. Toxicroak also packs resists to Fighting and Rock attacks, but won't enjoy Earthquakes or Fire Punches. |
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