|
-
Thick Fat
- Fire- and Ice-type damage reduced 1/2.
-
Guts
- Attack is increased 50% when statused.
|
Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
144
|
- |
429 |
492 |
- |
| Atk |
120
|
248 |
276 |
339 |
372 |
| Def |
60
|
140 |
156 |
219 |
240 |
| SpA |
40
|
104 |
116 |
179 |
196 |
| SpD |
60
|
140 |
156 |
219 |
240 |
| Spe |
50
|
122 |
136 |
199 |
218 |
Overview
Hariyama is a victim of circumstances, and rightfully so. It's a tough world for Hariyama in OU when there is Machamp lurking about with STAB No Guard DynamicPunch at its disposal. Hariyama may seem outclassed in every possible way, but there are a few useful niches that Hariyama can claim and therefore edge out his four-armed rival in some way. Most of these niches stem from useful movepool options such as Fake Out, which can give Hariyama the free turn necessary to activate a status Orb and break Focus Sashes. Generally speaking, in OU you will want to use Machamp, but you may occasionally find Hariyama's features more useful for your team.
Hariyama is a Pokemon with lots of attacking power and bulk; its movepool is wide enough to cover the majority of common leads, while its superb HP allows it to emerge victorious from the exchange. Thanks to Fake Out, Hariyama can break the opposing lead's Focus Sash while activating Guts and blocking status from leads like Smeargle and Roserade. Hariyama can then proceed to use one of its other three powerful moves to defeat the opponent.
Close Combat is your main STAB attack, dealing heavy blows to almost every lead. Low Kick is a good alternative, allowing Hariyama to hit most leads for the same amount of damage without the side-effect of lowering its defenses, although the drop in power is noticeable against leads such as Swampert and Machamp. Payback allows you to hit Azelf and Uxie super effectively while Ice Punch rounds out the coverage, annihilating leads such as Gliscor and Dragonite. Stone Edge is an alternative, allowing Hariyama to knock Flying-types out of the sky later in the game, but the ability to OHKO Gliscor with a Guts-boosted Ice Punch is usually too good to give up. However, Stone Edge allows it to take on Gyarados, one of Hariyama's biggest counters, later in the game, dealing 55% - 65.3% after Intimidate (assuming Guts has been activated).
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The main reason to use Hariyama over Machamp is because of its natural bulk. Hariyama has much more HP than Machamp, allowing Hariyama to invest EVs in its defenses and Speed, one thing Machamp misses out on. Hariyama has access to Fake Out, something that Machamp does not have, which allows Hariyama to break the opposing lead's Focus Sash before the pummeling begins, which is definitely a big bonus. Machamp, on the other hand, must bring the opponent's lead down to its Focus Sash before it can Bullet Punch, leaving it vulnerable to a counter switching in. With Hariyama as a lead, you can now utilize Machamp late game; Substitute Machamp makes a great partner to Hariyama. Machamp is usually checked by faster or bulky Pokemon such as Azelf, Heatran, and Gliscor; Hariyama can take them out at the start of the battle, thereby easing Machamp's sweep.
The item Hariyama holds is up to the user's preference. Flame Orb should be used if Hariyama is planning to stay on the field for a while, otherwise Toxic Orb is the item of choice. The EVs are chosen so that Hariyama hits as hard as possible and takes special attacks superbly. 92 EVs are invested into Speed so that Hariyama can outpace minimum Speed Tyranitar, although more can be invested to adjust for Speed creep on Tyranitar's part.
Metagross and Infernape are troublesome leads. Metagross has enough bulk to survive a Fake Out followed by a Close Combat, therefore Close Combat should not be so hastily used, as after the Defense drop Hariyama has a good chance of getting OHKOed by Meteor Mash. The best course of action against Metagross would be to Payback first, followed by a Close Combat to take it out. It should be noted however, that Metagross can beat Hariyama if it chooses to attack outright instead of setting up Stealth Rock. The same strategy applies to Infernape. Due to Infernape's faster Fake Out, Hariyama cannot break Infernape's Focus Sash; Hariyama must resort to using Payback on the second turn to break Infernape's Focus Sash, and then finish it off with Close Combat.
Starmie is a great partner to Hariyama as it checks Infernape and Metagross well. It can switch in on Infernape's Fake Out, Hydro Pump Infernape down its Focus Sash as Infernape sets up Stealth Rock, and then proceed to outspeed and kill Infernape with Rapid Spin while clearing the rocks. Starmie can also switch into Metagross as it uses Stealth Rock, then Hydro Pump for a 2HKO while Metagross fails to knock out Starmie with Earthquake. Starmie can then perform its spinner duties regardless.
Other Options
ThunderPunch is a more reliable option to take out Gyarados, but if you want to deal with Gyarados, Stone Edge is usually the superior option, thanks to its ability to hit other Flying-types for more damage. Facade is a powerful attack that hits most Pokemon for neutral damage, but Close Combat and Payback cover everything else and provide more useful coverage.
Checks and Counters
Gyarados is the best counter to Hariyama sets that lack Stone Edge or ThunderPunch. It can easily come in, Intimidate Hariyama, and proceed to Dragon Dance. Skarmory is faster and can nail Hariyama with Brave Bird, though be wary of using Roost as Close Combat will be super effective against Skarmory on that turn. Once Hariyama is weakened, a strong Psychic-type attack such as Psychic from Azelf can easily dispatch Hariyama, especially after any defense drops from Close Combat.
