Golem (Update)

[Overview]

<p>Ground/Rock typing has never been sought after on any pokemon and Golem certiaaintly is no exception to that rule. However, with base 110 Attack and base 130 Defense as well as some powerful moves with which to abuse said stats it can prove useful. Often times Golem is seen as outclassed by his fellow Ground/Rock rival, Rhyperior, but Golem has a few decent options which Rhyperior doesn't. Sucker Punch is very useful for making up for its slow speed and Explosion is a very powerful move in general to go out with a bang. Slow speed and poor typing however, prevents Golem from shining in the limelight of Underused.</p>

[SET]
name: Anti-Lead
move 1: Stone Edge / Rock Blast
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Sucker Punch
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 for super effective damage; notable examples including super effectively, such as Omastar, Kabutops, Nidoqueen, and Rhyperior, who which 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 that 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 other teammates as well.</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 if 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 will 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>

[SET]
name: Substitute + 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Explosion
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge / Sucker Punch
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With Substitute, Golem can gain some extra leverage and ease prediction. Since fast special attackers are generally quite physically frail, those that attempt to switch in on an immunity or resistance will be put into an awkward position. This Golem can also act as an excellent lure for all bulky Water-types in UU, most notably Milotic. When behind a Substitute, it can safely Explode on bulky Water-types without worrying about being outsped.</p>

<p>Explosion is required to net a clean OHKO on the bulky Water-types that Golem will lure, while Earthquake and Stone Edge provide strong STABs with good coverage. To illustrate Golem's power, Life Orb Earthquake will OHKO standard Registeel and deal 80% minimum to 4 HP / 0 Def Venusaur, while Stone Edge will 3HKO defensive Uxie and OHKO offensive Rotom. Alternatively, Stone Edge can be dropped for Sucker Punch, which bypasses its pathetic Speed and has good synergy with Substitute.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The item choice dictates how Golem plays. On the one hand, using a Life Orb allows Golem to hit much harder, but since Life Orb in tandem with Substitute will be rapidly draining Golem's HP, it is forced to be played as offensively as possible. On the other hand, Leftovers keeps Golem healthy and recovers HP lost from using Substitute. The given Speed EVs allow Golem to outspeed Chansey and Registeel without Speed investment, but 4 additional EVs can be used, as outspeeding 4 Speed Donphan is quite crucial. Attack is maxed so that Golem can dish out as much damage as possible, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP for additional bulk.</p>

<p>This Golem thrives on breaking tanks and walls. Hence, you should consider having sweepers that capitalize on its work. Normal-type sweepers such as Swellow and Kangaskhan love Registeel gone. Blaziken, Feraligatr, and all rain sweepers can take advantage of bulky Water-types being removed. Golem appreciates another Normal-type resistor capable of checking Normal-types. Otherwise, your team can be left vulnerable to Ambipom and Swellow after Golem uses Explosion. Omastar and Kabutops resist Normal-type moves, and they can also sweep with opposing bulky Water-types gone. However, beware of the horrid type synergy they have with Golem.</p>

<p>Predicting Explosion and preventing Golem from setting up Substitute are perhaps the easiest ways to counter it. Uxie and Claydol can take its hits and set up on it or break its Substitutes. Ghost-types, like Spiritomb and Rotom, are likely to switch in on a predicted Explosion, which could essentially waste Golem's life. Therefore, Pursuit users are good welcome teammates; they can efficiently remove Ghost-types and scare the bulky Psychic-types. However, Claydol and Uxie are bulky enough to survive STAB Pursuits, especially behind Reflect. Since they are often seen in the lead slot, fast Sleep Powder and Taunt leads can effectively shut them down.</p>

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Double-Edge / Sucker Punch
move 4: Explosion
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
nature: Jolly / Adamant
ability: Rock Head
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Thanks to its solid base 110 Attack stat and potent Stone Edge and Earthquake combination, an offensive set seems ideal for Golem. Claydol, who resists both STABs, will take a hefty chunk of damage from Double-Edge. Explosion is also incredibly powerful when boosted with by a Choice Band and will decimate opponents. An Adamant nature will yield the highest damage output per attack, but a Jolly nature will allow you to outspeed Milotic. Rock Head is the suggested ability because of Double-Edge's recoil.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>If being locked into any one attack seems unfavorable, Life Orb can be used instead. When using a Life Orb, Sucker Punch is a viable option because you will not be locked into a forced priority move This isn't really the problem with Sucker Punch, so maybe reword this.CT Suggestion: When using Life Orb, Sucker Punch becomes viable. Sucker Punch's dependency on the opponent's actions makes it a poor choice when using Choice Band, which locks you into the move and can potentially give the opponent free opportunities to set up. Stealth Rock is not a huge issue for Golem, but Spikes can really wear it down fast., Eespecially with a when using Choice Band, where switching will be more common which will likely force you to switch more frequently. For this reason, a teammate packing Rapid Spin will be a great asset for this set, clearing the road for Golem to sweep. Claydol and Torterra are the best answers to this set, and although neither of them particularly enjoy taking Choiced Double-Edges or Explosions, they can take whatever Golem can throw dish out for the most part. A powerful Ice-type pokemon, such as Jynx, makes a good candidate to get rid of such these obstacles.</p>

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Toxic / Roar / Explosion
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Golem can support too! Thanks to his impressive base HP and Defense Golem is able to take hits pretty well, as long as they aren't special. However, While he still has a pretty limited movepool, luckily he has all the tools he needs. Stealth Rock, is the all-too-valuable move in this set, which provides incredible support for many a teammate. Stone Edge and Earthquake give Golem two powerful STAB moves to use against pretty much anything. Toxic can be used to poison switch-ins; alternatively Roar can be used to rack up damage and scout your opponent's switch-ins. Explosion is also a great move for the last slot since it is one of Golem's most powerful attacks and a valuable option to easily take out or greatly severely dent an opponent.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Golem has such good physical defensive stats, it only seems to make sense to give him full EVs to take advantage of them. Though 252 HP EVs and 252 Def EVs with an Impish nature will let him shake off just about any attack, he is still going to have trouble against 4x Super Effective physical moves, though. Leftovers is the preferred item, but a resist berry or Lum Berry can be applied to catch the opponent by suprise. This set also functions exceptionally well with a resist berry, Chople would be a good idea, to lure in and explode on unsuspecting Fighting-types.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Regardless of his good defensive stats, Golem has one of the worst movepools available. Fire Punch is a really good option for Torterra and still does a good amount to Claydol, his biggest counters. Rock Polish is semi-viable, but outside of disregarding Explosion Rhyperior completely outclasses Rock Polish Golem. Rest and Sleep Talk can also be used but Golem posesses a really, really bad has a terrible defensive typing.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Golem's typing gives him a total of 6 (six) weaknesses; to Fighting, Steel, Grass, Ice, Ground and Water. Water and Grass are going to be the most common dangerous, especially with Venusaur and Milotic being so common. Toxicroak makes an excellent teammate for Golem., and With his typing resisting Grass-type moves and his ability nullifying Water-type attacks, he should have no problems clearing the road for Golem. Venusaur is also a good teammate, because of his typing and capability to put would-be counters to sleep.</p>

<p>Golem is able to take on a myriad of not very effective Physical attacks and survive fairly well. Even against Ssuper Eeffective attacks that are only 2x Ssuper Eeffective, he may survive. Golem's real weakness lies in his Special Defense. Even not very effective Sspecial Aattacks will take their toll on Golem and Ssuper Eeffective ones are sure to KO. A reliable special wall such as Chansey will be incredibly helpful against incoming special attacks. Just about any pPokemon with a mediocre special attack and access to a Grass- or Water-type move will OHKO Golem.</p>

Click to expand...

[Overview]

<p>Rock / Ground typing has never been sought after on any Pokemon, and Golem certainly is no exception to that rule. However, with base 110 Attack and base 130 Defense, as well as some powerful moves with which to abuse said stats, it can prove useful. Golem is often seen as outclassed by his Ground / Rock-type rival, Rhyperior, but Golem has a few decent options which Rhyperior doesn't. Sucker Punch is very useful for making up for its low Speed and Explosion is a very powerful move in general to go out with a bang. Its shortcomings, however, prevent Golem from shining in the limelight of Underused.</p>

[SET]
name: Anti-Lead
move 1: Stone Edge / Rock Blast
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Sucker Punch
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 leads for super effective damage; notable examples including Omastar, Kabutops, Nidoqueen, and Rhyperior, which 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 that 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 other teammates as well.</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 if using 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 will 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>

[SET]
name: Substitute + 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Explosion
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge / Sucker Punch
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With Substitute, Golem can gain some extra leverage and ease prediction. Since fast special attackers are generally quite physically frail, those that attempt to switch in on an immunity or resistance will be put into an awkward position. This Golem can also act as an excellent lure for all bulky Water-types in UU, most notably Milotic. When behind a Substitute, it can safely Explode on bulky Water-types without worrying about being outsped.</p>

<p>Explosion is required to net a clean OHKO on the bulky Water-types that Golem will lure, while Earthquake and Stone Edge provide strong STABs with good coverage. To illustrate Golem's power, Life Orb Earthquake will OHKO standard Registeel and deal 80% minimum to 4 HP / 0 Def Venusaur, while Stone Edge will 3HKO defensive Uxie and OHKO offensive Rotom. Alternatively, Stone Edge can be dropped for Sucker Punch, which bypasses its pathetic Speed and has good synergy with Substitute.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The item choice dictates how Golem plays. On the one hand, using a Life Orb allows Golem to hit much harder, but since Life Orb in tandem with Substitute will be rapidly draining Golem's HP, it is forced to be played as offensively as possible. On the other hand, Leftovers keeps Golem healthy and recovers HP lost from using Substitute. The given Speed EVs allow Golem to outspeed Chansey and Registeel without Speed investment, but 4 additional EVs can be used, as outspeeding 4 Speed Donphan is quite crucial. Attack is maxed so that Golem can dish out as much damage as possible, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP for additional bulk.</p>

<p>This Golem thrives on breaking tanks and walls. Hence, you should consider having sweepers that capitalize on its work. Normal-type sweepers such as Swellow and Kangaskhan love Registeel gone. Blaziken, Feraligatr, and all rain sweepers can take advantage of bulky Water-types being removed. Golem appreciates another Normal-type resistor capable of checking Normal-types. Otherwise, your team can be left vulnerable to Ambipom and Swellow after Golem uses Explosion. Omastar and Kabutops resist Normal-type moves, and they can also sweep with opposing bulky Water-types gone. However, beware of the horrid type synergy they have with Golem.</p>

<p>Predicting Explosion and preventing Golem from setting up Substitute are perhaps the easiest ways to counter it. Uxie and Claydol can take its hits and set up on it or break its Substitutes. Ghost-types, like Spiritomb and Rotom, are likely to switch in on a predicted Explosion, which could essentially waste Golem's life. Therefore, Pursuit users are welcome teammates; they can efficiently remove Ghost-types and scare the bulky Psychic-types. However, Claydol and Uxie are bulky enough to survive STAB Pursuits, especially behind Reflect. Since they are often seen in the lead slot, fast Sleep Powder and Taunt leads can effectively shut them down.</p>

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Double-Edge / Sucker Punch
move 4: Explosion
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
nature: Jolly / Adamant
ability: Rock Head
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Thanks to its solid base 110 Attack stat and potent Stone Edge and Earthquake combination, an offensive set seems ideal for Golem. Claydol, who resists both STABs, will take a hefty chunk of damage from Double-Edge. Explosion is also incredibly powerful when boosted by a Choice Band and will decimate opponents. An Adamant nature will yield the highest damage output per attack, but a Jolly nature will allow you to outspeed Milotic. Rock Head is the suggested ability because of Double-Edge's recoil.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>When using Life Orb, Sucker Punch becomes viable. Sucker Punch's dependency on the opponent's actions makes it a poor choice when using Choice Band, which locks you into the move and can potentially give the opponent free opportunities to set up. Stealth Rock is not a huge issue for Golem, but Spikes can really wear it down fast, especially when using Choice Band, which will likely force you to switch more frequently. For this reason, a teammate packing Rapid Spin will be a great asset for this set, clearing the road for Golem to sweep. Claydol and Torterra are the best answers to this set, and although neither of them particularly enjoy taking Choiced Double-Edges or Explosions, they can take whatever Golem can dish out for the most part. A powerful Ice-type pokemon, such as Jynx, makes a good candidate to get rid of these obstacles.</p>

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Toxic / Roar / Explosion
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Golem can support too! Thanks to his impressive base HP and Defense stats, Golem is able to take hits pretty well, as long as they aren't special. While he still has a pretty limited movepool, he luckily has all the tools he needs. Stealth Rock, is the all-too-valuable move in this set, which provides incredible support for many a teammate. Stone Edge and Earthquake give Golem two powerful STAB moves to use against pretty much anything. Toxic can be used to poison switch-ins; alternatively Roar can be used to rack up damage and scout your opponent's switch-ins. Explosion is also a great move for the last slot since it is one of Golem's most powerful attacks and a valuable option to easily take out or severely dent an opponent.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Golem has such good physical defensive stats, it only seems to make sense to give him full EVs to take advantage of them. Though 252 HP EVs and 252 Def EVs with an Impish nature will let him shake off just about any attack, he is still going to have trouble against 4x Super Effective physical moves. Leftovers is the preferred item, but a resist berry or Lum Berry can be applied to catch the opponent by surprise. A Chople Berry could be a good idea, to lure in and explode on unsuspecting Fighting-types.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Regardless of his good defensive stats, Golem has one of the worst movepools available. Fire Punch is a really good option for Torterra and still does a good amount to Claydol, his biggest counters. Rock Polish is semi-viable, but disregarding Explosion, Rhyperior completely outclasses Rock Polish Golem. Rest and Sleep Talk can also be used but Golem has a terrible defensive typing.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Golem's typing gives him a total of six weaknesses; to Fighting, Steel, Grass, Ice, Ground and Water. Water and Grass are going to be the most dangerous, especially with Venusaur and Milotic being so common. Toxicroak makes an excellent teammate for Golem. With his typing resisting Grass-type moves and his ability nullifying Water-type attacks, he should have no problems clearing the road for Golem. Venusaur is also a good teammate, because of his typing and ability to put would-be counters to sleep.</p>

<p>Golem is able to take on a number of resisted physical attacks and survive fairly well. Even against super effective attacks, he may survive. Golem's real weakness lies in his Special Defense, as even resisted hits on that end will take their toll on Golem, and if super effective, are almost sure to KO.</p>