STAMPS
Quality Control: 2/2:
(Heysup)
(Bluewind)
Grammar Prose: 2/2:
(Zystral)
(Komodo / Fatecrashers)
======
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/hariyama
======
[Overview]
<p>Hariyama fills a very exclusive niche in UU as one of only two bulky Fighting-types. Packaged with excellent base 144/60/60 defenses, an auspicious typing, and Thick Fat to provide a most fortunate set of resistances, Hariyama makes for an excellent tank, checking a variety of threats while simultaneously dishing out the hurt with his potent Fighting STAB. Access to Guts only makes Hariyama that much more dangerous, and he's more than capable of going on the offensive with moves such as Close Combat, Stone Edge, and Payback. Not to mention his awesome base 120 Attack stat, which is one of the highest in the tier.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it's not all cyanide and happiness for Hariyama; as with any Fighting-type in UU, he's faced with stiff competition. Hitmonlee and Blaziken, though lacking the same amount of bulk, are significantly faster than Hariyama, and often leave him in the dust when there's a spot for a more offensive role. Similarly, Hitmontop's access to Rapid Spin, Intimidate, and myriad priority moves also has Hariyama faltering on the defensive and supportive side. Regardless, in the face of his rivals, Hariyama is still a most formidable, most threatening, and most unique Pokemon, so one would be wise to prepare for him whatever the case.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Payback
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Fake Out / Stone Edge / Ice Punch
item: Toxic Orb / Life Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 172 Def / 84 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Hariyama may often be thought of as too slow, a Guts-boosted STAB Close Combat coming off a base 120 Attack stat is still pretty scary, and with moves such as Payback for coverage on those pesky Ghost-types, and Bullet Punch for ever-useful priority, it's no wonder that Hariyama has made himself known as a most formidable offensive threat. The final slot is a mish-mash of useful options; Fake Out is usually the best choice so Hariyama may activate his Toxic Orb in complete safety, while also getting off some free damage. If using Life Orb, however, the last two become much more viable for their invaluable coverage on Flying-types. It is noteworthy to point out that Hariyama makes a surprisingly effective lead with this set, getting favorable match-ups against common foes such as Ambipom (with Protect over Bullet Punch or Payback), Cloyster, Omastar, and Hippopotas.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Toxic Orb is the first item slashed because of its larger power boost and ability to block status. The turn it takes to activate can also be made inconsequential thanks to Fake Out. Life Orb, on the other hand, is still a good option, as it prevents Protect and Substitute users from wearing Hariyama down so easily. In addition, if you manage to activate Guts on top of it, Hariyama will pack gratuitous amounts of power, and will be able to 2HKO just about every opponent in his path. The EV spread is fairly simple, with maximum Attack for power, enough Speed to outpace minimum base 60 Speed Pokemon such as Clefable and Weezing, and the rest in Defense for bulk. Because Hariyama's HP is so massive already, investing in a defense is always the better course of action. Thus, shifting all of those Defense EVs into Special Defense can also be a good idea, and would depend on what you find Hariyama switching into most often. An evenly-distributed spread is also an option, but this is sort of a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none scenario.</p>
<p>If using this set as a lead, one must make note of the unfavorable match-ups as well. In particular, Hariyama has trouble dealing with opposing Moltres, Spiritomb, and Alakazam leads. A defensive core along the lines of Milotic and Registeel can help patch up this weakness remarkably well. Hariyama will also appreciate entry hazard and paralysis support, as the secured KOs and ability to actually outspeed things will allow for a much cleaner sweep on his part. Conveniently, both of these forms of support can be provided by the aforementioned Registeel. Finally, Houndoom makes a very good teammate, simply because of its ability to deal with Spiritomb, a major thorn in Hariyama's side.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Force Palm / Cross Chop
move 4: Whirlwind
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Impish / Careful
evs: 12 HP / 252 Def / 244 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Hariyama is one of only two bulky Fighting-types in UU, and though he lacks the movepool and utility of his competitor, Hitmontop, he more than makes up for it with his greater bulk, power, and Thick Fat ability. This Hariyama can reliably switch in and check a variety of threats, including, but not limited to, Aggron, Absol, Tauros, Houndoom, Arcanine, and Registeel. Force Palm is the STAB move of choice, as it deals enough damage to what it needs to and has a very nifty paralysis chance, which makes many offensive Pokemon, even those that resist it, wary of switching into Hariyama. Cross Chop is the more powerful alternative for STAB, but it has imperfect accuracy, and does not have any useful secondary effects. It does, however, grant Hariyama the OHKO on Aggron and Chansey, the 2HKO on Registeel, Rhyperior, and Clefable, and the 3HKO on Regirock, whereas Force Palm would not. Whirlwind is the other key move of the set, as the ability to directly cause switches and phaze are most valuable assets indeed, and are things that Hitmontop can only dream of doing itself. Finally, Rest and Sleep Talk are used to keep Hariyama healthy throughout the match and allow him to absorb status.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Payback can be used to smack down Ghost-types that attempt to sponge Hariyama's attacks, while Stone Edge and Ice Punch are options to hit Flying-types such as Altaria super effectively. These moves would have to go over Rest and Sleep Talk if you decide to use them, as a STAB move and Whirlwind are considered mandatory. This also means that Hariyama won't have any form of recovery outside of Leftovers, so keep that in mind. The 12 EVs in HP hit a Leftovers number, and the rest of the EVs maximize both of Hariyama's defenses. An Impish nature is more appropriate for the metagame, but if you find Hariyama switching into special attackers more often on your team, a Careful nature would then be preferred.</p>
<p>This particular Hariyama set works well as a defensive pivot; coming in, taking a few hits, dishing some back, maybe using Whirlwind once in a while, and switching out again. Because of this, Wish support can be useful so that Hariyama does not have to waste time using Rest and relying on the shaky Sleep Talk. Hypno is ideal for this, as Hariyama resists both its Dark- and Bug-type weaknesses, while Hypno can absorb any Psychic-type attacks aimed at Hariyama. Chansey and Clefable are also good for Wish, and even though neither have any resistances that benefit Hariyama, they are more useful Pokemon in general. Entry hazards are also helpful, as with Whirlwind shuffling your opponent's team again and again, passive damage will easily be taking their toll very quickly. A Pokemon such as Omastar, who happens to resist Flying, can do this very well.</p>
[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Payback
move 4: Stone Edge / Ice Punch
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>It would be a waste to not at least try Focus Punch on Hariyama; coming off a base 120 Attack stat and boosted by STAB, it is indeed a thing to be feared. Being Focus Punch, however, it requires that Hariyama charge up before it is unleashed, and during that time, his concentration can be interrupted by even the slightest pinprick. Thankfully, Hariyama also gets access to Substitute, which he can set up against a variety of foes thanks to his great bulk, and use it to protect himself whilst he achieves zen, guaranteeing that he is able to fire off his brutal attack unhindered. Payback covers the Ghost- and Psychic-types that may attempt to endure Hariyama's forceful fists, OHKOing all but the most defensively dedicated, whereas the last slot covers the Flying-types that also resist Focus Punch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Attack is maximized so that Hariyama's Focus Punch is as powerful as possible, while the 4 Speed EVs enable him to outspeed minimum Speed base 50s. After that, things start to get a little trickier; because the attackers in UU are so powerful, Hariyama is unable to gain many new set-up opportunities with the EVs he has left. A specially defensive spread will at least make it so that Houndoom will be unable to break Hariyama's Substitute with Dark Pulse, and only sometimes with Fire Blast. Even then, many other dedicated special attackers will still be able to punch through them fairly comfortably. The same can be said with a physically defensive spread. So really, those last 252 EVs come down to preference, and are pretty much free game.</p>
<p>Houndoom is an awesome teammate to Hariyama, as it often attracts special walls to itself, all of whom Hariyama can set up on with particular ease. It also conveniently handles Weezing, Slowbro, and Spiritomb—all of which are Pokemon Hariyama has trouble breaking through. Second to that, dual screen support will help immensely in Hariyama's ability to set up, practically increasing the number of Pokemon that can't break his Substitute three-fold. Such a defensive platform can be provided by a Pokemon like Uxie, who is also able to set up that awesome entry hazard everybody loves—Stealth Rock. Last but not least, Wish support is helpful in helping Hariyama recover the HP he lost from making Substitutes; Chansey and Clefable are generally the best Wish users in the tier.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Looking at other potential sets, a Choice Band set is actually completely viable, and would be listed if it was not for the fact that Hariyama gets Guts, which outclasses it set-wise in most ways. Belly Drum is just plain bad on Hariyama, as he simply does not have the Speed to use it effectively at all. A Bulk Up set is also viable, but is either way too easily walled, phazed, or just defeated in general. In terms of other STAB options, Hariyama has plenty; Revenge, Brick Break, and Low Kick being the actually viable ones. While all of them are fine moves in their own right, they are simply not as good as the STAB moves already listed. Rock Slide can go over Stone Edge on any set. Knock Off can be extremely annoying for Pokemon that rely on their items for success, and finally, Refresh can work, but has its uses shared with (and done better by) Rest and Guts.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Hariyama's sheer power, coverage, bulk, and versatility makes outright countering him a herculean task. Spiritomb comes close, with good bulk, an immunity to Fighting, and no weaknesses. It even has Taunt to block Whirlwind, and can set up on Hariyama with Calm Mind. However, it is not completely safe, as a Guts-boosted Stone Edge will 3HKO even its most defensive set, and if further boosted by a Life Orb, Spiritomb will be 2HKOed. Weezing is a similar case, and though faring slightly better against offensive variants, it is largely useless against the defensive set. Besides those two, bulky Psychic-types also make good general switch-ins; they must be wary of Payback, however, as it 2HKOes all of them when boosted by Guts. Taunt Mismagius can play similarly to Spiritomb against the defensive set, but shouldn't be trying to face down offensive variants anytime soon. It's usually best to not try to out-tank Hariyama, but rather focus on his low Speed stat and weaken him gradually before taking him out. In this case, powerful Psychic- and Flying-types such as Alakazam and Swellow are best.</p>
======
Credits
Quality Control: 2/2:
Grammar Prose: 2/2:
======
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/hariyama
======
[Overview]
<p>Hariyama fills a very exclusive niche in UU as one of only two bulky Fighting-types. Packaged with excellent base 144/60/60 defenses, an auspicious typing, and Thick Fat to provide a most fortunate set of resistances, Hariyama makes for an excellent tank, checking a variety of threats while simultaneously dishing out the hurt with his potent Fighting STAB. Access to Guts only makes Hariyama that much more dangerous, and he's more than capable of going on the offensive with moves such as Close Combat, Stone Edge, and Payback. Not to mention his awesome base 120 Attack stat, which is one of the highest in the tier.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it's not all cyanide and happiness for Hariyama; as with any Fighting-type in UU, he's faced with stiff competition. Hitmonlee and Blaziken, though lacking the same amount of bulk, are significantly faster than Hariyama, and often leave him in the dust when there's a spot for a more offensive role. Similarly, Hitmontop's access to Rapid Spin, Intimidate, and myriad priority moves also has Hariyama faltering on the defensive and supportive side. Regardless, in the face of his rivals, Hariyama is still a most formidable, most threatening, and most unique Pokemon, so one would be wise to prepare for him whatever the case.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Payback
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Fake Out / Stone Edge / Ice Punch
item: Toxic Orb / Life Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 172 Def / 84 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Hariyama may often be thought of as too slow, a Guts-boosted STAB Close Combat coming off a base 120 Attack stat is still pretty scary, and with moves such as Payback for coverage on those pesky Ghost-types, and Bullet Punch for ever-useful priority, it's no wonder that Hariyama has made himself known as a most formidable offensive threat. The final slot is a mish-mash of useful options; Fake Out is usually the best choice so Hariyama may activate his Toxic Orb in complete safety, while also getting off some free damage. If using Life Orb, however, the last two become much more viable for their invaluable coverage on Flying-types. It is noteworthy to point out that Hariyama makes a surprisingly effective lead with this set, getting favorable match-ups against common foes such as Ambipom (with Protect over Bullet Punch or Payback), Cloyster, Omastar, and Hippopotas.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Toxic Orb is the first item slashed because of its larger power boost and ability to block status. The turn it takes to activate can also be made inconsequential thanks to Fake Out. Life Orb, on the other hand, is still a good option, as it prevents Protect and Substitute users from wearing Hariyama down so easily. In addition, if you manage to activate Guts on top of it, Hariyama will pack gratuitous amounts of power, and will be able to 2HKO just about every opponent in his path. The EV spread is fairly simple, with maximum Attack for power, enough Speed to outpace minimum base 60 Speed Pokemon such as Clefable and Weezing, and the rest in Defense for bulk. Because Hariyama's HP is so massive already, investing in a defense is always the better course of action. Thus, shifting all of those Defense EVs into Special Defense can also be a good idea, and would depend on what you find Hariyama switching into most often. An evenly-distributed spread is also an option, but this is sort of a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none scenario.</p>
<p>If using this set as a lead, one must make note of the unfavorable match-ups as well. In particular, Hariyama has trouble dealing with opposing Moltres, Spiritomb, and Alakazam leads. A defensive core along the lines of Milotic and Registeel can help patch up this weakness remarkably well. Hariyama will also appreciate entry hazard and paralysis support, as the secured KOs and ability to actually outspeed things will allow for a much cleaner sweep on his part. Conveniently, both of these forms of support can be provided by the aforementioned Registeel. Finally, Houndoom makes a very good teammate, simply because of its ability to deal with Spiritomb, a major thorn in Hariyama's side.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Force Palm / Cross Chop
move 4: Whirlwind
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Impish / Careful
evs: 12 HP / 252 Def / 244 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Hariyama is one of only two bulky Fighting-types in UU, and though he lacks the movepool and utility of his competitor, Hitmontop, he more than makes up for it with his greater bulk, power, and Thick Fat ability. This Hariyama can reliably switch in and check a variety of threats, including, but not limited to, Aggron, Absol, Tauros, Houndoom, Arcanine, and Registeel. Force Palm is the STAB move of choice, as it deals enough damage to what it needs to and has a very nifty paralysis chance, which makes many offensive Pokemon, even those that resist it, wary of switching into Hariyama. Cross Chop is the more powerful alternative for STAB, but it has imperfect accuracy, and does not have any useful secondary effects. It does, however, grant Hariyama the OHKO on Aggron and Chansey, the 2HKO on Registeel, Rhyperior, and Clefable, and the 3HKO on Regirock, whereas Force Palm would not. Whirlwind is the other key move of the set, as the ability to directly cause switches and phaze are most valuable assets indeed, and are things that Hitmontop can only dream of doing itself. Finally, Rest and Sleep Talk are used to keep Hariyama healthy throughout the match and allow him to absorb status.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Payback can be used to smack down Ghost-types that attempt to sponge Hariyama's attacks, while Stone Edge and Ice Punch are options to hit Flying-types such as Altaria super effectively. These moves would have to go over Rest and Sleep Talk if you decide to use them, as a STAB move and Whirlwind are considered mandatory. This also means that Hariyama won't have any form of recovery outside of Leftovers, so keep that in mind. The 12 EVs in HP hit a Leftovers number, and the rest of the EVs maximize both of Hariyama's defenses. An Impish nature is more appropriate for the metagame, but if you find Hariyama switching into special attackers more often on your team, a Careful nature would then be preferred.</p>
<p>This particular Hariyama set works well as a defensive pivot; coming in, taking a few hits, dishing some back, maybe using Whirlwind once in a while, and switching out again. Because of this, Wish support can be useful so that Hariyama does not have to waste time using Rest and relying on the shaky Sleep Talk. Hypno is ideal for this, as Hariyama resists both its Dark- and Bug-type weaknesses, while Hypno can absorb any Psychic-type attacks aimed at Hariyama. Chansey and Clefable are also good for Wish, and even though neither have any resistances that benefit Hariyama, they are more useful Pokemon in general. Entry hazards are also helpful, as with Whirlwind shuffling your opponent's team again and again, passive damage will easily be taking their toll very quickly. A Pokemon such as Omastar, who happens to resist Flying, can do this very well.</p>
[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Payback
move 4: Stone Edge / Ice Punch
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>It would be a waste to not at least try Focus Punch on Hariyama; coming off a base 120 Attack stat and boosted by STAB, it is indeed a thing to be feared. Being Focus Punch, however, it requires that Hariyama charge up before it is unleashed, and during that time, his concentration can be interrupted by even the slightest pinprick. Thankfully, Hariyama also gets access to Substitute, which he can set up against a variety of foes thanks to his great bulk, and use it to protect himself whilst he achieves zen, guaranteeing that he is able to fire off his brutal attack unhindered. Payback covers the Ghost- and Psychic-types that may attempt to endure Hariyama's forceful fists, OHKOing all but the most defensively dedicated, whereas the last slot covers the Flying-types that also resist Focus Punch.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Attack is maximized so that Hariyama's Focus Punch is as powerful as possible, while the 4 Speed EVs enable him to outspeed minimum Speed base 50s. After that, things start to get a little trickier; because the attackers in UU are so powerful, Hariyama is unable to gain many new set-up opportunities with the EVs he has left. A specially defensive spread will at least make it so that Houndoom will be unable to break Hariyama's Substitute with Dark Pulse, and only sometimes with Fire Blast. Even then, many other dedicated special attackers will still be able to punch through them fairly comfortably. The same can be said with a physically defensive spread. So really, those last 252 EVs come down to preference, and are pretty much free game.</p>
<p>Houndoom is an awesome teammate to Hariyama, as it often attracts special walls to itself, all of whom Hariyama can set up on with particular ease. It also conveniently handles Weezing, Slowbro, and Spiritomb—all of which are Pokemon Hariyama has trouble breaking through. Second to that, dual screen support will help immensely in Hariyama's ability to set up, practically increasing the number of Pokemon that can't break his Substitute three-fold. Such a defensive platform can be provided by a Pokemon like Uxie, who is also able to set up that awesome entry hazard everybody loves—Stealth Rock. Last but not least, Wish support is helpful in helping Hariyama recover the HP he lost from making Substitutes; Chansey and Clefable are generally the best Wish users in the tier.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Looking at other potential sets, a Choice Band set is actually completely viable, and would be listed if it was not for the fact that Hariyama gets Guts, which outclasses it set-wise in most ways. Belly Drum is just plain bad on Hariyama, as he simply does not have the Speed to use it effectively at all. A Bulk Up set is also viable, but is either way too easily walled, phazed, or just defeated in general. In terms of other STAB options, Hariyama has plenty; Revenge, Brick Break, and Low Kick being the actually viable ones. While all of them are fine moves in their own right, they are simply not as good as the STAB moves already listed. Rock Slide can go over Stone Edge on any set. Knock Off can be extremely annoying for Pokemon that rely on their items for success, and finally, Refresh can work, but has its uses shared with (and done better by) Rest and Guts.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Hariyama's sheer power, coverage, bulk, and versatility makes outright countering him a herculean task. Spiritomb comes close, with good bulk, an immunity to Fighting, and no weaknesses. It even has Taunt to block Whirlwind, and can set up on Hariyama with Calm Mind. However, it is not completely safe, as a Guts-boosted Stone Edge will 3HKO even its most defensive set, and if further boosted by a Life Orb, Spiritomb will be 2HKOed. Weezing is a similar case, and though faring slightly better against offensive variants, it is largely useless against the defensive set. Besides those two, bulky Psychic-types also make good general switch-ins; they must be wary of Payback, however, as it 2HKOes all of them when boosted by Guts. Taunt Mismagius can play similarly to Spiritomb against the defensive set, but shouldn't be trying to face down offensive variants anytime soon. It's usually best to not try to out-tank Hariyama, but rather focus on his low Speed stat and weaken him gradually before taking him out. In this case, powerful Psychic- and Flying-types such as Alakazam and Swellow are best.</p>
======
Credits
- All-Out Attacker set - Bluewind
- Tweaked Defensive set - Bluewind
- Sent Choice Band to AC - Heysup / Bluewind
- Changed set order - whistle
- GP Check 1 - Zystral
- GP Check 2 - Komodo / Fatecrashers
