Golem's best switch-in opportunity is something with Choice Band, like Fearow and Kangaskhan. From there, try to predict your opponent's next move and attack accordingly. Rest keeps Golem alive, and Ground + Rock covers just about anything you'll encounter in UU.
A much more offensive Golem. Hidden Power Bug hits Grass types like Meganium harder than your other moves, as well as covering Solrock and Lunatone, but cannot be used with Hidden Power Rock. Other OptionsWith Block you can trap something on the switch, but the chance that Golem will be beating whatever switches in on him is slim. Its prime use is trapping Quagsire or some other slower Pokémon and then Exploding on it, but beware Damp or Protect Quagsire. Toxic can be used to wear things like Meganium and Solrock down, but won't work if your opponent has Aromatherapy or Heal Bell. Counter is a great surprise: Golem can survive many Earthquakes and Fighting hits to bounce them back for a quick KO. Roar is useful for Baton Pass chains. Rock Blast ruins the standard Baton Pass chain if you manage to catch Ninjask with it, but is generally inferior to Rock Slide. Golem can use Body Slam to paralyze a few of its counters, and can follow up with Rock Slide to lock them into paralysis and flinch until they faint. Focus Punch can hit some things hard on the switch, but it has the same power as Earthquake after STAB, so that won't generally do much for you. EVsJust put a load in HP and Attack, and a little in Defense. Defensive Golem should use Impish, while Choice Banders can use Impish or Adamant. A little Speed can be welcome to Explode on slow stuff, though. 72 EVs is enough for most Swampert and Vileplume. Trying to outspeed Solrock or Walrein isn't worth the investment. OpinionA good Pokémon to use in the UU metagame as it stops many sweepers and Choice Banders cold in their tracks. It also has Explosion, which can help to eliminate a Pokémon that's causing you trouble and generally gives some shock value. Golem's weaknesses to Earthquake and Special attacks are a huge scar, though. CountersOU counters: Golem gets walled by Skarmory somewhat, as it can Spike up, Toxic and blow away Golem. Choice Band Rock Slide / Hidden Power Rock can 3HKO, however. Forretress has no immunity to Earthquake but can Spike and Toxic as well, and it, too, has trouble with the Choice Bander. Defensive Waters are troublesome, the best bets being Slowbro, Milotic, Suicune and Swampert. All of them can take an Earthquake or two and OHKO Golem with Surf or Hydro Pump. Swampert often carries Protect against Explosion as well, but note that Swampert may not always carry a Water move. Ice Beam and Earthquake will be on its set, though, and they still damage Golem severely. Claydol isn't taking much damage from anything Golem has except Hidden Power Bug or Choice Banded Double-Edge. It can set up Reflect, or ruin Golem with Ice Beam, Earthquake, Psychic, or Toxic. Gengar can come in on anything that isn't a Rock move and use Giga Drain, Will-O-Wisp or Ice Punch to beat Golem into submission. Flygon and Breloom will regret coming into Double-Edge, but they resist Earthquake and Rock moves, and are able to hit for STAB super effective damage on Golem. Celebi can Recover off the little damage it takes from Golem, especially Earthquake, which it resists. Psychic will 2HKO it and every Grass move is an OHKO. In UU, Golem has trouble with Solrock. Levitate grants it immunity to Earthquake, and with stacked HP and Defense and a faster Reflect, it is not easy to get past. Lunatone has less Defense, but the same typing and ability as well as that super effective Ice Beam to watch out for. Grasses generally make Golem shiver with fear, especially those who have Earthquake resistance, like Meganium and Bellossom. Vileplume and Victreebel OHKO him with any Grass move as well, but they don't like eating repeated STAB Earthquakes. Waters are a problem as well as that's Golem's secondary 4x weakness. Blastoise, Politoed and Poliwrath can all take a beating and Surf or Hydro Pump away. Walrein is weak to Rock, but if it can get in on another move, Golem is still toast. Quagsire has the advantage of the Rock resistance, and can also use STAB Earthquake or Surf, or Ice Beam. Misdreavus is immune to Double-Edge, Explosion, and Earthquake which is a great hindrance, especially for Choice Banders. Besides all this, any kind of decently powered special attack will really mess up Golem, if it doesn't end up KOing him. Not all special attackers like to come into Golem Earthquakes or Rock Slides though. |
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