Golem (anti-lead)

status: uploaded

It seems I made some edits and forgot to save them, so I've redone them now.



Stamps: GP Check 1/2, GP Check 2/2

http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/golem

I've been using this set for a while now, and I think it deserves a set in the analysis, especially considering how abysmal his other sets are. It also has both competitive moves that set it apart from Rhyperior (Explosion and Sucker Punch).

[SET]
name: Anti-lead
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Blast / Stone Edge
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Explosion
item: Focus Sash
nature: Adamant
evs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Focus Sash is a great item for Golem, as it makes up for his numerous weaknesses and poor Special Defense while allowing him to devote his EVs to Attack and Speed. Guaranteed to survive at least one attack, Golem can make full use of his high Attack stat and excellent attacking options, which include great coverage with just his STAB moves, powerful priority in Sucker Punch, and a potent finisher in Explosion.</p>

<p>Rock Blast is mentioned as the top choice of the two Rock attacks due to its synergy with Sucker Punch. While Sucker Punch encourages Pokemon such as Sceptile and Mismagius to use Substitute, Rock Blast punishes the use of Substitute with its ability to break the Substitute with the first hit or two and continue to cause damage afterwards. However, Stone Edge is still a great choice as it always hits for 100 Base Power, allowing Golem to reliably damage opponents such as Sceptile and Mesprit to the point that Sucker Punch can finish them off. Earthquake is Golem’s most reliable attack, and it hits many set-up leads super effectively, such as Omastar, Kabutops, Nidoqueen, and Rhyperior, who are all 2HKOed or OHKOed. Explosion lets him OHKO Cloyster, Donphan, and Claydol, who are all outsped. Sucker Punch is there to finish off Ambipom after Golem hits him with Earthquake, and to OHKO Choice Specs Alakazam leads.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set does excellently against heavily offensive teams for two reasons: first, their leads often prioritize setting up entry hazards or Rain Dance, so they often leave Golem's Focus Sash intact. Second, they tend to have fewer bulky Pokemon, so they will often have to sacrifice a sweeper to break Golem's Focus Sash, or sacrifice part of their generally minimal defensive core to Golem's Explosion.</p>

<p>At the same time, this set can be more difficult to use against stall teams that have many bulky Pokemon to take Golem's regular attacks and Ghosts to take Explosion. Golem can only hurt these teams with good prediction, since their users will often try bait-and-switch tactics to get Golem to Explode on the wrong target. However, Golem can hurt Spiritomb and Rock- or Steel-types with Earthquake, while he can hurt any other Ghosts with Rock attacks, so it is possible to turn an opponent's strategy against them. Still, these prediction wars generally favor the stall team, as Golem only gets one chance to use Explosion. Sometimes the best tactic against stall teams is to save Golem for later, as stall teams can have a tougher time avoiding Explosion after they have been weakened a bit, and Golem outspeeds many stall staples.</p>

<p>Golem's teammates should include at least a couple of sweepers who can take advantage of any damage that Golem causes to the opposing team. This set is very good at taking out or severely weakening opposing Stealth Rock leads, and tends to lure Ghosts with the threat of Explosion, potentially taking them out with STAB moves and Sucker Punch. This means Rapid Spin users enjoy having Golem on their team, if only to scout the opponent's spin blocker. Golem is well supported by Pursuit users and Flash Fire Pokemon, as Ghost-type Pokemon who switch in will often use Will-O-Wisp. Houndoom is notable as he can both absorb Will-O-Wisp and use Pursuit, but be wary as he shares weaknesses to Water and Ground with Golem. Golem can't do much to opposing sleep leads, so having a Cleric or sleep absorber will be helpful. Golem will often sacrifice himself in order to do as much damage as possible, so if your team needs his resistances to Normal and Rock or immunity to Thunder Wave, you will want to make sure you have those covered by someone other than Golem.</p>

<p>Golem's worst lead matchup is against Uxie, who can survive Explosion with its standard set. As such, you will need one or more teammates as a contingency plan for Uxie. A fast Pursuit user such as Houndoom or Swellow can trap and destroy Uxie who have just suffered Golem's Explosion while also finishing off Focus Sash leads who attacked Golem rather than set up. It is also recommended that you have a plan to deal with Dual Screen Uxie. It will almost always use Reflect first against Golem, so Mismagius can come in and finish it off after Golem uses Explosion, leaving it without Light Screen. Any Pokemon using Brick Break can undo Uxie's hard work, so Scyther is a good teammate. The riskiest option against the standard Uxie is to go for a surprise KO by attacking the first turn and using Explosion on whoever switches in after Uxie U-turns.</p>

<p>There are many things to consider when choosing Golem as a lead. First, consider how well the rest of your team matches up against different play styles. For instance, if your team cannot function with Stealth Rock up, Golem is probably not be a good choice. However, if you have trouble with heavy offense, Golem might be a great help. If you're building a team around a Golem lead, consider using an offensive team yourself, as these teams appreciate Golem's ability to cause lots of early damage. If what you are looking for is a bulky Stealth Rock lead with Rock / Ground coverage, you should probably be using Rhyperior. Rhyperior's defensive ability far eclipses Golem's, which allows him to use Stealth Rock more effectively and switch in and out later in the match. Golem's advantages are the moves Explosion and Sucker Punch, and most importantly, the synergy that they have with Focus Sash. Weigh these advantages carefully to make sure that you are not using an inferior Rhyperior.</p>

Scoopapa said:

[SET]
name: Anti-lead
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Blast / Stone Edge
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Explosion
item: Focus Sash
nature: Adamant
evs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Focus Sash is a great item for Golem, as it makes up for its poor Special Defense while allowing it to devote its EV's to Attack and Speed. Being guaranteed to survive at least one attack, Golem can make full use of its good Attack stat and excellent attacking options, which include great coverage with just its STABs, powerful priority in Sucker Punch, and a potent finisher in Explosion.</p>

Click to expand...

80/130/65 = far from "poor". It has poor special bulk, if that's what you meant to say.

<p>Your Rock attack of choice is there to OHKO the ever-present Froslass, and also helps against Moltres who think they can OHKO you with HP Grass. Rock Blast is chosen for its synergy with Sucker Punch, as it discourages the use of Substitute, but Stone Edge does more reliable damage. Focus Sash Froslass' ability to get two layers of Spikes up against you is somewhat mitigated by the fact that if it does, you still have a Focus Sash and Explosion to destroy the opponent's next pokemon. Earthquake is your most reliable attack, and it hits many setup leads super effectively, such as Omastar, Kabutops, Nidoqueen, and Rhyperior, who are all OHKOed or are slower and 2HKOed. Explosion lets you OHKO Cloyster, Donphan, and Claydol, who are all outsped. Sucker Punch is there to finish off Ambipom after you hit it with Earthquake, and it can OHKO many frail leads, such as Choice Specs Alakazam. </p>

Click to expand...

It doesn't OHKO Froslass.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set does excellently against heavily offensive teams for two reasons. First, their leads often prioritize setting up entry hazards or Rain Dance, and as such they often leave Golem's Focus Sash intact. Second, they tend to have fewer bulky pokemon, so they will often have to sacrifice a sweeper to break Golem's sash, or sacrifice a wall to Golem's Explosion.</p>

<p>At the same time, this set can run into trouble against Stall teams, who will have bulky pokemon to take Golem's regular attacks, and Ghosts to take Explosion. Golem can only hurt these teams with good prediction, since they will often try bait-and-switch tactics to get Golem to Explode on the wrong target. However, Golem can hurt Spiritomb and Rock- or Steel-types with Earthquake, while he can hurt any other Ghost with Rock attacks, so it is possible to turn an opponent's bait-and-switch tactics against him. Still, these prediction wars generally favor the stall team, as Golem only gets one chance to use Explosion. Sometimes the best tactic against stall teams is to save Golem for later, as they can have a tougher time avoiding Explosion after they have been weakened a bit, and Golem can outspeed many stall staples.</p>

<p>As you may have already guessed, the best teammates for Golem are those that perform well against stall. Blaziken is the quintessential wall-breaker of UU, but Clefable and Nidoking are also fine choices. Stall breakers such as bulky Mismagius can also help in this regard. Golem is very good at taking out or severely weakening opposing Stealth Rock leads, and can tend to lure Ghosts with the threat of Explosion, which makes Rapid Spin users enjoy having Golem on their team. Golem will often sacrifice itself in order to do as much damage as possible, so if your team needs resistances to Normal or Rock, or immunity the Thunder Wave, you will want to make sure you have those covered by something other than Golem.</p>

Click to expand...

How does it have trouble versus stall with the most effective wall-breaking move in the game? You need to rewrite the TO paragraph after you fix that part too unfortunately...

That's all I have time for. Oh, where is Stealth Rock on this? I think it deserves a slash at the very least.

Focus Sash is a great item for Golem, as it makes up for its poor defensive ability while allowing it to devote its EV's to Attack and Speed.

Click to expand...

I'm a bit confused here. Poor defensive ability? With base 80 HP and 130 Def, Golem can't really be described as having poor defensive ability. The first sentence on the Support set even states that Golem is very sturdy. You might want to rephrase that and instead comment more about its lackluster Special Defense stat.

Good job with this! :)

Thanks for the edits so far!

Heysup said:

80/130/65 = far from "poor". It has poor special bulk, if that's what you meant to say.

It doesn't OHKO Froslass.

Oops. I was still thinking of Rock Blast / glitch :P

How does it have trouble versus stall with the most effective wall-breaking move in the game? You need to rewrite the TO paragraph after you fix that part too unfortunately...

Yeah, I suppose I should lighten up the language about stall, but it can be a real pain in the ass because you need impeccable prediction. I do mention the ways that you can hurt them with prediction, but you're right the language in the TO paragraph goes a little overboard in that regard. I'll fix it.

That's all I have time for. Oh, where is Stealth Rock on this? I think it deserves a slash at the very least.

In my playtesting, he wasn't really able to cause damage and set up Stealth Rock at the same time. If you decide to go the damage route, you don't get SR down, unless you have 2 SR users. I went into this in more detail in the UU leads thread. Plus, being neither (that) bulky nor fast, he wasn't that reliable at it either. It's too easy to Taunt Golem and hurt him so badly that he can't come in later. I mention in the analysis that Rhyperior does bulky SR lead much better. I know it's tempting to include it just because it's soooooo useful and ubiquitous, but it's just so outclassed at it. I'm not 100% opposed to adding it, but I'd like people to consider this first.

Click to expand...

Scoopapa said:

[SET]
name: Anti-lead
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Blast / Stone Edge
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Explosion
item: Focus Sash
nature: Adamant
evs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Focus Sash is a great item for Golem, as it makes up for its numerous weaknesses and poor Special Defense while allowing it to devote its EVs to its Attack and Speed. Being guaranteed to survive at least one attack, Golem can make full use of its good Attack stat and excellent attacking options, which include great coverage with just its STAB moves, powerful priority in Sucker Punch, and a potent finisher in Explosion.</p>

<p>Your Rock attack of choice is there to defeat the ever-present Froslass, and also helps against Moltres who think they can OHKO you with Hidden Power Grass. Rock Blast is chosen for its synergy with Sucker Punch, as it discourages the use of Substitute, but Stone Edge does more reliable damage. Focus Sash Froslass' ability to get two layers of Spikes up against you is somewhat mitigated by the fact that if it does, you still have a Focus Sash and Explosion to destroy the opponent's next Pokemon. Earthquake is your most reliable attack, and it hits many setup leads super effectively, such as Omastar, Kabutops, Nidoqueen, and Rhyperior, who are all 2HKOed or OHKOed. Explosion lets you OHKO Cloyster, Donphan, and Claydol, who are all outsped. Sucker Punch is there to finish off Ambipom after you hit it with Earthquake, and it can OHKO Choice Specs Alakazam leads.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set does excellently against heavily offensive teams for two reasons: First, their leads often prioritize setting up entry hazards or Rain Dance, and as such they often leave Golem's Focus Sash intact. Second, they tend to have fewer bulky Pokemon, so they will often have to sacrifice a sweeper to break Golem's Focus Sash, or sacrifice a wall to Golem's Explosion.</p>

<p>At the same time, this set can run into trouble against stall teams, who will have bulky Pokemon to take Golem's regular attacks, and Ghosts to take Explosion. Golem can only hurt these teams with good prediction, since they will often try bait-and-switch tactics to get Golem to Explode on the wrong target. However, Golem can hurt Spiritomb and Rock- or Steel-types with Earthquake, while he can hurt any other Ghosts with Rock attacks, so it is possible to turn an opponent's strategy against him. Still, these prediction wars generally favor the stall team, as Golem only gets one chance to use Explosion. Sometimes the best tactic against stall teams is to save Golem for later, as they can have a tougher time avoiding Explosion after they have been weakened a bit, and Golem can outspeed many stall staples.</p>

<p>As you may have already guessed, the best teammates for Golem are those that perform well against stall. Blaziken is the quintessential wall-breaker of UU, but Clefable and Nidoking are also fine choices. Stall breakers such as bulky Mismagius can also help in this regard. Golem is very good at taking out or severely weakening opposing Stealth Rock leads, and tends to lure Ghosts with the threat of Explosion, and proceed to take them out with STAB Rock- or Ground-type moves, which makes Rapid Spin users enjoy having Golem on their team. Golem will often sacrifice itself in order to do as much damage as possible, so if your team needs resistances to Normal or Rock, or immunity the Thunder Wave, you will want to make sure you have those covered by someone other than Golem.</p>

<p>Golem's worst lead matchup is against Uxie, who can survive Explosion with the standard set. As such, you will need one or more teammates as a contingency plan for Uxie. A fast Pursuit user such as Houndoom or Swellow can trap and destroy Uxie that have just suffered Golem's Explosion, while also finishing off Focus Sash leads that attacked Golem rather than setting up. It is also recommended that you have a plan to deal with Dual Screen Uxie. It will almost always use Reflect first against Golem, so Mismagius can come in and finish it off after Golem Explodes, while leaving it without the benefit of Light Screen. Anyone using Brick Break can undo Uxie's hard work, so Scyther is a good teammate. The riskiest option against the standard Uxie is to go for a surprise KO by attacking the first turn and Exploding on whoever it U-turns away to.</p>

<p>There are many things to consider when choosing Golem as a lead. First, consider how well the rest of your team matches up against different play styles. For instance, if you have trouble with stall teams, Golem might exacerbate that problem. However, if you have trouble with heavy offense, Golem might be a great help. If you're building a team around a Golem lead, consider using heavy offense, and be sure to include wall breaking or stall breaking support. If what you are looking for is a bulky Stealth Rock lead with Rock / Ground coverage, you should probably be using Rhyperior. Rhyperior's defensive ability, contrasted with Golem's lack thereof, allows it to use Stealth Rock more effectively, as well as to switch in and out later in the match. Golem's advantages are the moves Explosion and Sucker Punch, and most important, the synergy that they have with Focus Sash. Weigh these advantages carefully to make sure that you are not using an inferior Rhyperior.</p>

Click to expand...

Cool stuff, pretty good analysis. However, you're going to need to rewrite some sections of this, as Froslass is no longer, and never will be, UU.

Fuzznip said:

Cool stuff, pretty good analysis. However, you're going to need to rewrite some sections of this, as Froslass is no longer, and never will be, UU.

Click to expand...

I will do that and I will enjoy doing it.

[SET]
name: Anti-lead
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Blast / Stone Edge
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Explosion
item: Focus Sash
nature: Adamant
evs: 12 HP / 252 Atk / 244 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Focus Sash is a great item for Golem, as it makes up for its numerous weaknesses and poor Special Defense while allowing it to devote its EVs to its Attack and Speed. Guaranteed to survive at least one attack, Golem can make full use of its good Attack stat and excellent attacking options, which include great coverage with just its STAB moves, powerful priority in Sucker Punch, and a potent finisher in Explosion.</p>

<p>Rock Blast is mentioned as the top choice of the two Rock attacks due to its synergy with Sucker Punch. While Sucker Punch encourages Pokemon such as Sceptile and Mismagius to use Substitute, Rock Blast punishes the use of Substitute with its ability to break the Substitute with the first hit or two and continue to cause damage afterwards. However, Stone Edge is still a great choice as it always hits for 100 Base Power, allowing you to reliably damage opponents such as Sceptile and Mespirit to the point that Sucker Punch can finish them off. Earthquake is your most reliable attack, and it hits many set-up leads super effectively, such as Omastar, Kabutops, Nidoqueen, and Rhyperior, who are all 2HKOed or OHKOed. Explosion lets you OHKO Cloyster, Donphan, and Claydol, who are all outsped. Sucker Punch is there to finish off Ambipom after you hit it with Earthquake, and it can OHKO Choice Specs Alakazam leads.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>This set does excellently against heavily offensive teams for two reasons: First, their leads often prioritize setting up entry hazards or Rain Dance, and as such they often leave Golem's Focus Sash intact. Second, they tend to have fewer bulky Pokemon, so they will often have to sacrifice a sweeper to break Golem's Focus Sash, or sacrifice a wall to Golem's Explosion.</p>

<p>At the same time, this set can run into trouble against stall teams that have bulky Pokemon to take Golem's regular attacks, and Ghosts to take Explosion. Golem can only hurt these teams with good prediction, since they will often try bait-and-switch tactics to get Golem to Explode on the wrong target. However, Golem can hurt Spiritomb and Rock- or Steel-types with Earthquake, while he can hurt any other Ghosts with Rock attacks, so it is possible to turn an opponent's strategy against them. Still, these prediction wars generally favor the stall team, as Golem only gets one chance to use Explosion. Sometimes the best tactic against stall teams is to save Golem for later, as they can have a tougher time avoiding Explosion after they have been weakened a bit, and Golem can outspeed many stall staples.</p>

<p>As you may have already guessed, the best teammates for Golem are those who perform well against stall. Blaziken is the quintessential wall-breaker of UU, but Clefable and Nidoking are also fine choices. Stall-breakers [pretty sure this is hyphenated?] such as bulky Mismagius can also help in this regard. Golem is very good at taking out or severely weakening opposing Stealth Rock leads, and tends to lure Ghosts with the threat of Explosion, and proceed to take them out with STAB Rock- or Ground-type moves, which makes Rapid Spin users enjoy having Golem on their team. Golem will often sacrifice itself in order to do as much damage as possible, so if your team needs resistances to Normal or Rock, or immunity to Thunder Wave, you will want to make sure you have those covered by someone other than Golem.</p>

<p>Golem's worst lead matchup is against Uxie, who can survive Explosion with the standard set. As such, you will need one or more teammates as a contingency plan for Uxie. A fast Pursuit user such as Houndoom or Swellow can trap and destroy Uxie who have just suffered Golem's Explosion, while also finishing off Focus Sash leads who attacked Golem rather than setting up. It is also recommended that you have a plan to deal with Dual Screen Uxie. It will almost always use Reflect first against Golem, so Mismagius can come in and finish it off after Golem Explodes, while leaving it without the benefit of Light Screen. Anyone using Brick Break can undo Uxie's hard work, so Scyther is a good teammate. The riskiest option against the standard Uxie is to go for a surprise KO by attacking the first turn and Exploding on whoever it U-turns away to.</p>

<p>There are many things to consider when choosing Golem as a lead. First, consider how well the rest of your team matches up against different play styles. For instance, if you have trouble with stall teams, Golem might exacerbate that problem. However, if you have trouble with heavy offense, Golem might be a great help. If you're building a team around a Golem lead, consider using heavy offense, and be sure to include wall-breaking or stall-breaking support. If what you are looking for is a bulky Stealth Rock lead with Rock / Ground coverage, you should probably be using Rhyperior. Rhyperior's defensive ability, contrasted with Golem's lack thereof, allows it to use Stealth Rock more effectively, as well as to switch in and out later in the match. Golem's advantages are the moves Explosion and Sucker Punch, and most important, the synergy that they have with Focus Sash. Weigh these advantages carefully to make sure that you are not using an inferior Rhyperior.</p>


Looks pretty cool, nice job on this :)

blue font denotes additions or changes, while red font shows where text was already removed (this doesn’t mean you should remove the red stuff). brackets are comments.

very smart analysis in additional comments…

GP Check 2/2

uploaded. nice work.