Hariyama (QC 3/3) (GP 2/2)

[Overview]

<p>True to his sumo-wrestling roots, Hariyama boasts the title of being one of bulkiest Fighting-type Pokemon in RU. He sports a superb base 144 HP stat, which makes up for his fairly mediocre defenses, as well as a wonderful ability in Thick Fat. That doesn't mean he's a slouch offensively though; Hariyama has the second highest Attack stat among RU Fighting-types, as well as being the only one in the tier with access to Guts in the tier. However, although it he has immense bulk and power, Hariyama's fatal flaw is its his pitiful Speed. Even with access to priority moves, such as Fake Out and Bullet Punch, any remotely fast attacker threat with a super effective attack will be able to punch through Hariyama. Despite plenty of competition from his Fighting-typed brethren, Hariyama has a niche on any team that desires a powerful and bulky attacker.</p>

[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Whirlwind
move 2: Force Palm
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Careful / Impish
evs: 12 HP / 244 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>If there's a set that makes the most out of Hariyama's massive bulk, this would be it. RestTalk Hariyama serves primarily as a superb defensive pivot, capable of sponging both physical and special hits, as well as phazing. With Thick Fat giving him the extra benefit of halving damage from Fire- and Ice-type attacks, Hariyama also acts as a hard counter to several key threats, such as Typhlosion, Lilligant, and the notorious hail teams that use Blizzard excessively spam Blizzard incessantly. (Preferential) Whirlwind is the cornerstone of this set, (< Comma) as it can phaze out threats and force the opponent to take entry hazard damage. Furthermore, as Hariyama already forces multiple switches, Whirlwind can easily put the opponent in a disadvantageous position by phazing out Hariyama's counter. Force Palm is the STAB move of choice because of its nifty secondary effect: a 30% chance of paralysis. And while Rest certainly isn't the most optimal recovery move, it maximizes Hariyama's longevity and also enables him to act as a status absorber. Sleep Talk is preferred for the last slot because it not only prevents Hariyama from being a sitting duck while it he is in slumber, but also allows him to bypass Whirlwind's negative priority, sometimes phazing out opposing Pokemon before they can even attack move/act.</p> (Preferential)

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Because Hariyama's HP stat is so huge, all Hariyama needs are 12 HP EVs to give him a Leftovers number, and then the rest is placed in his defenses to maximize bulk. An Impish nature allows Hariyama to take on Pokemon such as Entei better, but since Hariyama will mostly be taking special hits, so a Careful nature is generally the better choice. Hariyama can run several other STAB moves including Brick Break and Low Kick, but because this set has no Attack investment they're of little utility compared to Force Palm, which has the wonderful paralysis rate. Coverage moves can be used in place of Sleep Talk, but again, Hariyama has no Attack investment and he'd rather not be a sitting duck while waiting for the Rest turns to elapse.</p>

<p>Even with all of his EVs used to bolster his bulk, powerful Psychic- and Flying-type moves, such as Swellow's Brave Bird, will still be able to down Hariyama. Because of this, Dark-, Rock-, and Steel-types, such as Honchkrow, Rhydon, and Steelix, are great partners to for the wrestler. However, the teammates of highest priority for Hariyama are those that can lay entry hazards. Without entry hazard support, Hariyama will be rendered much less effective than it he should be. Ferroseed in particular is a fantastic partner to for Hariyama; it can set up Spikes and appreciates Hariyama's ability to sponge Fire-type attacks aimed at it. Omastar is yet another worthy partner, resisting the Flying-type moves that Hariyama fears and having the capability to set up all three sets of hazards. With entry hazard support, Hariyama can use Whirlwind and force the opponent to take entry hazard damage repeatedly.</p>

[SET]
name: Guts
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge / Ice Punch
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Fake Out
item: Toxic Orb / Flame Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 172 SpD / 84 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Not only does Hariyama sport tremendous bulk, he also has an incredible base 120 Attack stat and the Guts ability—a combination no other Pokemon in RU has access to. This gives Hariyama a niche as a powerhouse and a status absorber. Fake Out easily creates a free turn for his status Orb to activate and can also pick off weakened threats, leaving Hariyama to go on a rampage with his absurdly strong Close Combat. For example, Hariyama can 2HKO physically defensive Tangrowth, Steelix, and Quagsire, (< Remove comma) after Stealth Rock damage, demonstrating the prowess of Hariyama. Stone Edge gives Hariyama an answer to Flying-types that resist Close Combat; it's also his best option against bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types. Bullet Punch is used to bypass his low Speed, (< Remove comma) and finish off weakened targets. Ice Punch is also an option, nabbing 2HKOes on both Claydol and Gligar. However, Ice Punch is only useful against Pokemon that both resist Fighting and are weak to Ice; Hariyama's Close Combat outdamages out-damages even a 2x super effective Ice Punch.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>To beef up his damage output, Hariyama's Attack stat receives the bulk of his EV investment along with an Adamant nature. Giving Hariyama 84 Speed EVs allows him to outpace uninvested base 60 speed Speed Pokemon with no Speed EVs, such as Clefable, Omastar, Bouffalant, and Aggron. The rest of his EVs are dumped into Special Defense to provide Hariyama with some additional bulk. Flame Orb is worth consideration on this set, but due to Hariyama's mediocre Speed, Hariyama is best used as a hit-and-run attacker rather than one to stay in the battle for long periods of time.</p>

<p>Uxie is one of the best stops to Guts Hariyama. With its massive base 130 Defense, Uxie can easily take anything Hariyama throws at it and threaten to OHKO with STAB Psychic. Bulky Ghost-types work astoundingly well too; Cofagrigus, Dusknoir, and Dusclops (Isn't Dusclops banned from RU?) can all absorb Close Combats and threaten to stall Hariyama out of for poison damage. Because of this, Pursuit users are perhaps the best partners to offensive Hariyama, clearing the way of bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types. Krookodile is probably the best for this duty, although Honchkrow and Drapion can also perform it fairly well. If Hariyama doesn't carry Ice Punch, he's walled endlessly by both Gligar and Claydol who resist his coverage moves. A bulky Water-type to handle the aforementioned Ground-types, such as Slowking, to handle the aforementioned Ground-types would be an excellent idea.</p>

[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Stone Edge / Ice Punch
move 4: Payback / Bulk Up
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 236 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Focus Punch is by far the most brutal move in Hariyama's repertoire, and this set aims to abuse it. After accounting for STAB, even a neutral Focus Punch will outdamage out-damage a super effective Stone Edge. Additionally, Hariyama is built almost perfectly for this role as well; even with little HP investment, Hariyama's substitutes will never be broken by neither Seismic Toss, nor most weak special attacks, with the given EV spread. The coverage is mostly the same as the previous set standard: Stone Edge covers Flying-types and is his strongest option against most bulky Ghost-types, such as Cofagrigus, whereas Ice Punch nails Gligar and Claydol. Payback is Hariyama's most powerful move against Uxie and Rotom, who both outspeed it him. If those two Pokemon are not of concern, Bulk Up is also an alternative to boost Hariyama's lower Defense and bolsters bolster Focus Punch's power to astronomical levels.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Maximum Attack EVs investment and an Adamant nature aim to fully utilize Hariyama's great base 120 Attack. From there, 12 HP EVs are invested to hit a Leftovers number and 8 Defense EVs prevent Choice Scarf Krookodile's Crunch from breaking Hariyama's Substitutes. The rest is placed into in Special Defense because special attacks are what Hariyama will find himself setting up on the most; weak special attacks, such as Lanturn's Scald, won't have a chance of breaking his Substitutes. Although Guts is generally interchangeable with Thick Fat, it isn't nearly as good of an option on this set because Substitute already protects Hariyama from status.</p>

<p>The few hard counters to this set are primarily Uxie and Gligar. Cofagrigus and company aren't nearly as good of checks this time around because they only have a small chance of breaking Hariyama's Substitute; furthermore, Hariyama can simply bide his time while setting up with Bulk Up until he is strong enough to eliminate said Ghost-types. Uxie resists Focus Punch and easily busts through Hariyama's defenses with STAB Psychic. Gligar also takes very little from every one of Hariyama's assaults other than Ice Punch. Qwilfish is also notable—it can slip in an Intimidate before the Substitute is up and proceed to Taunt any of Hariyama's attempts to Bulk Up on it. Qwilfish's Waterfall will also always break Hariyama's Substitute, outdamaging out-damaging his Stone Edge.</p>

<p>Although his Focus Punch is incredibly powerful, the biggest flaw in SubPunch Hariyama's execution would be maintaining a Substitute. Hariyama's low Speed makes it very risky to set up a Substitute against a faster opponent; a status move is always a possibility, and the last thing Hariyama needs is to be burned. Therefore, one of the best team options to consider would be Thunder Wave support. Paralysis slows the opponent's team down and gives Hariyama more opportunities to use Substitute. Slowking is particularly notable for this role; not only does it spread paralysis very well, but it also lures Dark-type moves for Hariyama to set up on.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Force Palm / Low Kick
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Ice Punch / Payback
item: Leftovers
ability: Guts / Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set aims to capitalize on both of Hariyama's prominent features at once: his bulk and attacking prowess. Bulk Up is the perfect move for the job, netting Hariyama the equivalent of a Guts boost and at the same time, improving his lower patching up his Defense. (Preferential) Force Palm is the primary STAB move because the paralysis chance it has is far more useful than anything else Hariyama can offer. Low Kick is still an option, however, as it attains harder hits on heavy foes, such as Tangrowth and Steelix. Stone Edge covers the Flying-, Psychic-, and (< Comma) Ghost-types that his STAB attack cannot. Ice Punch covers Gligar, while Payback is optional to hit Uxie and Rotom harder than any other attack.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>After looking at Hariyama, one One may wonder why this set would ever be used over Bulk Up Gallade. After all, Gallade does have better Special Defense, higher Speed, and more importantly Drain Punch. Hariyama's most notable advantage over Gallade is simply that it he has the capacity to hit much harder off of the bat, and not needing doesn't need to invest much in HP EVs. Hariyama also has better physical bulk to begin with and Force Palm has a neat secondary effect of 30% chance to paralyze.</p>

<p>The EV spread is again fairly straightforward. Maximum Attack investment is used to allow Hariyama to hit as hard as it he can, 12 HP EVs gives you give Hariyama a Leftovers number, and the rest is placed in Special Defense to ease Hariyama's setup. Thick Fat and Guts are both equally useful abilities on this set; : (< Colon) Thick Fat gives useful resistances to Fire- and Ice-type moves, helping Hariyama live survive attacks such as Choice Band Entei's Flare Blitz, whereas Guts allows Hariyama to power through bulky Ghost-types that would love to burn him. Faster Pokemon with Flying- and or Psychic-type moves are the bane of Hariyama, though they will still have to be wary of the paralysis chance from Force Palm. Pursuit assistance from Krookodile or Honchkrow is also much appreciated, eliminating Uxie and friends.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>A Choice Band set is a possibility on for Hariyama, but you must also consider that Guts gives the same an equivalent power boost and allows Hariyama to switch attacks. Belly Drum is also a move that would seem great on Hariyama, but his abysmal Speed and lack of powerful priority attacks prevent such a set from functioning effectively. Rock Slide can be used over Stone Edge if you have concerns about accuracy, although one of the reasons Stone Edge is used in the first place is its higher Base Power over Ice Punch. Knock Off, Toxic, and Seismic Toss cap off the list of competitive moves that Hariyama can run, but it's not advisable to use them simply because he has better options to rely on.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types are often the most reliable counters to Hariyama due to their resistance and immunity to his Fighting-type attacks, respectively. Uxie and other Psychic-types threaten to KO it him with their STAB moves, whereas Cofagrigus, Dusknoir, and Dusclops (As I said before, isn't Dusclops banned from RU?) can all burn Hariyama with Will-O-Wisp, effectively crippling non-Guts variants. Gligar walls every set not running Ice Punch and has no trouble Taunting any attempts to use Bulk Up. Tangrowth and other physically defensive walls, such as Weezing, can do the trick in a pinch, but cannot live up to repeated blows from a Guts-boosted Close Combat. Due to Hariyama's middling speed, he often won't have a chance to avoid being revenge killed. Swellow, Archeops, Medicham, Scyther, and Honchkrow, (< Serial comma not needed) are all Pokemon that will can outspeed and OHKO Hariyama with their respective STAB moves.</p>

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Zebraiken said:

first analysis yeaaah
QC'd: Windsong, Upstart, Oglemi
GP'd: Sandshrewz

[Overview]

<p>True to his sumo-wrestling roots, Hariyama boasts the title of being one of bulkiest Fighting-type Pokemon in RU. He sports a superb base 144 HP stat, which makes up for his fairly mediocre defenses, as well as a wonderful ability in Thick Fat. That doesn't mean he's a slouch offensively though; Hariyama has the second highest Attack stat among RU Fighting-types, as well as being the only one in the tier with access to Guts. However, although he has immense bulk and power, Hariyama's fatal flaw is his pitiful Speed. Even with access to priority moves, such as Fake Out and Bullet Punch, any remotely fast threat with a super effective attack will be able to punch through Hariyama. Despite plenty of competition from his Fighting-type brethren, Hariyama has a niche on any team that desires a powerful and bulky attacker.</p>

[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Whirlwind
move 2: Force Palm
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Careful / Impish
evs: 12 HP / 244 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>If there's a set that makes the most out of Hariyama's massive bulk, this would be it. RestTalk Hariyama serves primarily as a superb defensive pivot, capable of sponging both physical and special hits, as well as phazing. With Thick Fat halving damage from Fire- and Ice-type attacks, Hariyama also acts as a hard counter to several key threats, such as Typhlosion, Lilligant, and the notorious hail teams that spam Blizzard incessantly. Whirlwind is the cornerstone of this set, as it can phaze out threats and force the opponent to take entry harzard damage. Furthermore, as Hariyama already forces multiple switches, Whirlwind can easily put the opponent in a disadvantageous position by phazing out Hariyama's counter as it switches in.(this sentence is a bit oddly worded, with the link between multiple switches and phazing counters no obvious, so my change, while preferential, might help) Force Palm is the STAB move of choice because of its nifty secondary effect: a 30% chance of paralysis. And while Rest certainly isn't the most optimal recovery move, it maximizes Hariyama's longevity and also enables him to act as a status absorber. Sleep Talk is preferred for the last slot because it not only prevents Hariyama from being a sitting duck during slumber, but also allows him to bypass Whirlwind's negative priority, sometimes phazing out opposing Pokemon before they can even act.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Because Hariyama's HP stat is so huge, all Hariyama needs are 12 HP EVs to give him a Leftovers number, and then the rest is placed in his defenses to maximize bulk. An Impish nature allows Hariyama to take on Pokemon such as Entei better, but Hariyama will mostly be taking special hits, so a Careful nature is generally the better choice. Hariyama can run several other STAB moves including Brick Break and Low Kick, but because this set has no Attack investment they're of little use utility compared to Force Palm, which has the wonderful paralysis rate. Coverage moves can be used in place of Sleep Talk, but again, Hariyama has no Attack investment and he'd rather not be a sitting duck while waiting for the Rest turns to elapse.(It's a RestTalk set so wouldn't replacing Sleep Talk make it not a Rest Talk set?)</p>

<p>Even with all of his EVs used to bolster his bulk, powerful Psychic- and Flying-type moves, such as Swellow's Brave Bird, will still be able to take (preference) down Hariyama. Because of this, Dark-, Rock-, and Steel-types,(comma) such as Honchkrow, Rhydon, and Steelix, are great partners for the wrestler. However, the teammates of highest priority for Hariyama are those that can lay entry hazards. Without entry hazard support, Hariyama will be rendered much less effective than he should be. Ferroseed in particular is a fantastic partner for Hariyama; it can set up Spikes and appreciates Hariyama's ability to sponge Fire-type attacks aimed at it. Omastar is yet another worthy partner, resisting the STAB Flying-type moves that Hariyama fears and having the ability to set up all three sets of hazards. With entry hazard support, Hariyama can use Whirlwind and force the opponent to take entry hazard damage repeatedly.</p>

[SET]
name: Guts
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Stone Edge / Ice Punch
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Fake Out
item: Toxic Orb / Flame Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 172 SpD / 84 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Not only does Hariyama sport tremendous bulk, he aslso (typo) has an incredible base 120 Attack stat and the Guts ability—a combination no other Pokemon in RU has access to. This gives Hariyama a dual niche as a powerhouse and a status absorber. Fake Out easily creates a free turn for his status Orb to activate and can also pick off weakened threats, leaving Hariyama to go on a rampage with his absurdly strong Close Combat. For example, Hariyama can 2HKO physically defensive Tangrowth, Steelix, and Quagsire after Stealth Rock damage with his sheer power, demonstrating the prowess of Hariyama. Stone Edge gives Hariyama an answer to Flying-types that resist Close Combat; it's also his strongest option against bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types. Bullet Punch is used to bypass his low Speed and finish off weakened targets. Ice Punch is also an option, nabbing 2HKOs on Gligar and Claydol. However, Ice Punch is only useful against Pokemon that both resist Fighting and are weak to Ice; Hariyama's Close Combat out-damages even a 2x super effective Ice Punch.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>To beef up his damage output, Hariyama's Attack stat receives the bulk of his EV investment along with an Adamant nature. Giving Hariyama 84 Speed EVs allows him to outpace uninvested base 60 Speed Pokemon and anything slower, such as Clefable, Omastar, Bouffalant, and Aggron. The rest of his EVs are dumped into Special Defense,(comma) to provide Hariyama with some additional bulk. Flame Orb is worth consideration on this set, but due to Hariyama's mediocre Speed, Hariyama works best as a hit-and-run attacker rather than one to stay in the battle for long periods of time.</p>

<p>Uxie is one of the best stops to Guts Hariyama. With its massive base 130 Defense, Uxie can easily take anything Hariyama throws at it and threaten to OHKO with STAB Psychic. Bulky Ghost-types work astoundingly well too; Cofagrigus and Dusknoir can absorb Close Combats and threaten to stall Hariyama for poison damage. Because of this, Pursuit users are perhaps the best partners to offensive Hariyama, clearing the way of bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types. Krookodile is probably the best for this duty, although Honchkrow and Drapion can also perform it fairly well. If Hariyama doesn't carry Ice Punch, he's walled endlessly by both Gligar and Claydol. A bulky Water-type to handle the aforementioned Ground-types, such as Slowking, would be an excellent idea.</p>

[SET]
name: SubPunch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Stone Edge / Ice Punch
move 4: Payback / Bulk Up
item: Leftovers
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 236 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Focus Punch is by far the most brutal move in Hariyama's repertoire, and this set aims to abuse it. After accounting for STAB, even a neutral Focus Punch will out-damage a super effective Stone Edge. Additionally, Hariyama is built almost perfectly for this role; even with little HP investment, Hariyama's substitutes will never be broken by neither Seismic Toss, nor weak special attacks, with the given EV spread. The coverage is standard: Stone Edge covers Flying-types and is his strongest option against most bulky Ghost-types, such as Cofagrigus, whereas Ice Punch nails Gligar and Claydol. Payback is Hariyama's most powerful move against Uxie and Rotom, who both outspeed him. If those two Pokemon are not of concern, Bulk Up is also an alternative to boost Hariyama's lower Defense and bolster Focus Punch's power to astronomical levels.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Maximum Attack EV investment and an Adamant nature aim to fully utilize Hariyama's great base 120 Attack. From there, 12 HP EVs are invested to hit a Leftovers number and 8 Defense EVs prevent a Choice Scarf Krookodile's Crunch from breaking Hariyama's Substitutes. The rest is placed in Special Defense because special attacks are what Hariyama will find himself setting up on the most; weak special attacks, such as Lanturn's Scald, won't have a chance of breaking his Substitutes. Although Guts is generally interchangeable with Thick Fat, it isn't nearly as good an option on this set because Substitute already protects Hariyama from status.</p>

<p>The few hard counters to this set are primarily Uxie and Gligar.(space)Uxie resists Focus Punch and easily busts through Hariyama's defenses with STAB Psychic. Gligar also takes very little from any of Hariyama's assaults if he doesn't carry Ice Punch. Qwilfish is also notable—it can slip in an Intimidate before the Substitute is up and proceed to Taunt any of Hariyama's attempts to Bulk Up on it. Qwilfish's Waterfall will always break Hariyama's Substitute, out-damaging his Stone Edge. Cofagrigus and company aren't nearly as good of checks this time around because they only have a small chance of breaking Hariyama's Substitute; furthermore, Hariyama can simply bide his time while setting up with Bulk Up until he is strong enough to eliminate said Ghost-types.</p>

<p>Although his Focus Punch is incredibly powerful, the biggest flaw in SubPunch Hariyama's execution would be maintaining a Substitute. Hariyama's low Speed makes it very risky to set up a Substitute against a faster opponent; a status move is always a possibility, and the last thing Hariyama needs is to be burned. Therefore, one of the best team options to consider would be Thunder Wave support. Paralysis both slows the opponent's team down and gives Hariyama more opportunities to use Substitute. Slowking is particularly notable for this role; not only does it spread paralysis very well, but it also lures Dark-type moves for Hariyama to set up on.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Force Palm / Low Kick
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Ice Punch / Payback
item: Leftovers
ability: Guts / Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set aims to capitalize on both of Hariyama's prominent features at once: his bulk and attacking prowess. Bulk Up is the perfect move for the job, netting Hariyama the equivalent of a Guts boost and at the same time, patching up his Defense. Force Palm is the primary STAB move because the paralysis chance it has is far more useful than anything else Hariyama can offer from his other STAB moves. Low Kick is still an option, as it attains harder hits on both Tangrowth and Steelix. Stone Edge covers the Flying-, Psychic-, and Ghost-types that his STAB attack cannot. Ice Punch covers Gligar, while Payback is optional to hit Uxie and Rotom harder than any other attack.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>One may wonder why this set would ever be used over Bulk Up Gallade. After all, Gallade does have better Special Defense, higher Speed, and more importantly Drain Punch. Hariyama's most notable advantage over Gallade is simply that he has the capacity to hit much harder off of the bat, and doesn't need to invest much in HP EVs. Hariyama also has better physical bulk to begin with and Force Palm has a neat 30% chance to paralyze.</p>

<p>The EV spread is again fairly straightforward. Maximum Attack investment is used to allow Hariyama to hit as hard as he can, 12 HP EVs give Hariyama a Leftovers number, and the rest is placed in Special Defense to ease Hariyama's setup. Thick Fat and Guts are both equally useful abilities on this set: Thick Fat halves the damage taken from Fire- and Ice-type moves, helping Hariyama survive attacks such as Choice Band Entei's Flare Blitz, whereas Guts allows Hariyama to power through bulky Ghost-types that would love to burn him. Faster Pokemon with Flying- or Psychic-type moves are the bane of Hariyama, though they will still have to be wary of the paralysis chance from Force Palm. Pursuit support from Krookodile or Honchkrow is also much appreciated, eliminating Uxie and friends.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>A Choice Band set is a possibility for Hariyama, but you must also consider that Guts gives an equivalent power boost and allows Hariyama to switch attacks. Belly Drum is also a move that would seem great on Hariyama, but his abysmal Speed and lack of powerful priority attacks prevent such a set from functioning effectively. Rock Slide can be used over Stone Edge if you have concerns about accuracy, although one of the reasons Stone Edge is used in the first place is its higher Base Power over Ice Punch. Knock Off, Toxic, and Seismic Toss cap off the list of competitive moves that Hariyama can run, but it's not advisable to use them simply because he has better options.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types are often the most reliable counters to Hariyama due to their resistance and immunity to his Fighting-type attacks, respectively. Uxie and other Psychic-types threaten to KO him with their STAB moves, whereas Cofagrigus and Dusknoir can burn Hariyama with Will-O-Wisp, effectively crippling non-Guts variants. Gligar walls every set not running Ice Punch and has no trouble Taunting any attempts to use Bulk Up. Tangrowth and other physically defensive walls, such as Weezing, can handle Hariyama in a pinch, but cannot live up to repeated blows from a Guts-boosted Close Combat. Due to Hariyama's middling speed, he often won't have a chance to avoid being revenge killed. Swellow, Archeops, Medicham, Scyther, and Honchkrow are all Pokemon that can outspeed and OHKO Hariyama with their respective STAB moves.(maybe mention that they will need to be wary of Bullet Punch on the Guts set?)</p>

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