Well Poliwrath didn't get too much from Platinum. Platinum gave Poliwrath Vacuum Wave and Dive, and made Ice Punch compatible with Egg Moves (not that Poliwrath has any good Egg moves), but both are mediocre. Dive is just a two turned Waterfall that will only really help if you're stalling, and Vacuum Wave is pathetically weak off of Poliwrath's crappy offense.
However I thought that the current analysis probably could use some rewriting, I think that the Defensive Sets aren't viable enough to actually do stuff, and I condensed the two Bulk Up sets into one, because they play exactly the same, the CB set is the same as the one in the analysis.
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/poliwrath
Special thanks to Colonel M for double checking this before I posted it
-----------------
[SET]
name: Sub Punch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Rock Slide / Ice Punch
move 4: Hypnosis / Brick Break
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Poliwrath's decent typing lets it switch in on most Scizor, Waters, Darks, and Rocks. Focus Punch will hurt anything not resistant or immune to it. The choice between Rock Slide and Ice Punch depends on which fliers you want to hit more; Rock Slide does more to Ice, Bug, and Fire types, whereas Ice does more to Dragon, Grass, and Ground types. It's worth pointing out that many Bulky Grounds won't be taking that much from Ice Punch off of Poliwrath's low attack; even Gliscor is only rarely 2HKOed with Leftovers. Rock Slide is superior because out of all the pokemon that the second attack will be outdamaging Focus Punch, there are more pokemon that get KOed by Rock Slide than Ice Punch. </p>
<p>Hypnosis is a splendid move on a Focus Punching Poliwrath. Similar to Spore+Focus Punch Breloom, Hypnosis gives Poliwrath a free turn to either set up a Sub or to Focus Punch, and it can cripple anything Poliwrath doesn't feel like facing 60% of the time. Brick Break may seem pointless when you already have Focus Punch, but it can be handy, for example if you're facing a Dragon Danced Tyranitar where you'll want to go for a quick KO with Brick Break instead of setting up Substitute and Focus Punch. Waterfall is an extra STAB option, but it can only barely scrape a 2HKO against Ghosts like Gengar and normal Rotom, and isn't doing any damage to anything more defensive than that. Focus Punch is only slightly weaker than a super effective Waterfall anyways, so in general Waterfall is an inferior option. You can also use Hydro Pump instead of Rock Slide/Ice Punch, because it 2HKOs Rotom, Claydol, Steelix and Weezing.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Substitute / Hypnosis
move 3: Focus Punch / Brick Break
move 4: Hydro Pump
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>After a couple Bulk Ups, Poliwrath can actually start doing some damage. Substitute prevents slower things from statusing you and helps your prediction, or lack thereof. Hypnosis will make this easier to set up, but you'll be losing the protection Substitute provides. Focus Punch is much more useful with Substitute as well. After a Bulk Up, Focus Punch does 73-87% against a max HP/Def Steelix, an easy 2HKO, and against a 252 HP/208 Def Impish Shuckle Focus Punch does 48-57%, a 47% chance of a 2HKO without SR. Many of Poliwrath's counters, such as Weezing and Claydol, are 2HKOed with Hydro Pump. You can run Ice Punch over Hydro Pump, but Hydro Pump's power is much better in the long run.</p>
<p>Brick Break is another option if you prefer a consistent STAB, but Poliwrath has a lot of trouble doing damage with only one Bulk Up. Ice Punch is definitely superior to Rock Slide in this case, but again, Focus Punch is still doing more damage except to Fighting resists. If you choose to run an attack over Substitute/Hypnosis, make it Ice Punch, but Rock Slide is an option if you really want.</p>
[SET]
name: Solo Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Hydro Pump
move 4: Rock Slide / Ice Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Poliwrath's decided to drop the Sub and go all out on the offenses. For this set to do any damage, you need to have at least one Bulk Up, but after a Bulk Up Poliwrath starts putting the hurt on things. Poliwrath can generally OHKO most frailer Pokemon that are weak to its attacks, and with Stealth Rock, can OHKO things as defensive as 252/252 Bold Walrein. The choice between Rock Slide and Ice Punch is the same as above; Rock Slide is probably better, but Ice Punch hits any Grass/Poison and Dragon/Flying types.</p>
<p>You can choose between Jolly or Adamant, but the power loss for Jolly will be noticeable. With Jolly you're outspeeding all Jolly Tyranitar, neutral natured Heatran, and all neutral natured base 80s, many of whom Poliwrath has a chance of KOing, so it's really your choice.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Ice Punch
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Hypnosis
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With this set, Poliwrath can come in on its many resists and begin to wear down its opponents. Absol's Psycho Cut only has a 1% chance to 2HKO, even with Life Orb, and Poliwrath does 79.70% - 93.73% back with Brick Break, meaning that any residual damage is going to take Absol out. Poliwrath can generally switch into nearly all of its resists, but in general it can only hurt things either 4x weak to its attacks, or things 2x weak if they're frail. Hydro Pump gives you the chance of 2HKOing Ninetales, which can only 3HKO at best without any boosts, but Hypnosis is a better all-purpose move that is fantastic for any defensive Poliwrath. A Choice Banded, max Attack Kabutops can only 3HKO at best, and most physically-oriented Rain Sweepers cannot touch Poliwrath. Altaria can stall out Ice Punch with Roost as it is faster, but cannot do enough damage to Poliwrath to pose a threat. In general, most UU pokemon that are weak to one of Poliwrath's attacks tend to get OHKOed or 2HKOed.</p>
<p>Poliwrath's unique typing gives it an edge in the standard metagame as well, resisting Dark, Steel, Rock, Water and Ice, all commonly seen attacking types. Tyranitar can only 3HKO with Earthquake, and is 2HKOed by Brick Break. Weavile falls to Brick Break as well. Poliwrath isn't afraid of any of Scizor's attacks other than +2 Fighting attacks, though Poliwrath struggles to damage it. Hypnosis is a good move for any defensive Pokemon. In general, Poliwrath can catch most sweepers with a OHKO or 2HKO if Poliwrath can hit them super effective, but Poliwrath's low Attack is very noticeable. Relaxed is inferior to Impish, as Tyranitar can outspeed Poliwrath and 3HKO before Poliwrath can get in the second Brick Break. Hidden Power Electric will reliably beat out Gyarados with Bold and 56 SpA EVs, but it fails to cover anything except Gyarados.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Waterfall / Hydro Pump
move 2: Brick Break / Focus Punch
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Earthquake / Rock Slide
item: Choice Band
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Adamant
evs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>STAB on Water moves is the only thing that sets Poliwrath apart from all its Fighting brethren, as the more powerful Toxicroak also boasts the ability to absorb Water. However, Poliwrath has much better defenses, and notably he isn't weak to Earthquake, making switching in a lot easier. Earthquake is usually useless on Fighting-types, but Poliwrath can use it to hammer Toxicroak, who resists everything barring Ice Punch, and the extra power against some of the bulkier Electrics like Ampharos and Lanturn doesn't hurt either. If you elect to use this in OU, then it is highly recommended you ditch Earthquake for Rock Slide to take on Gyarados, who can actually be 2HKOed with it, assuming Poliwrath switches in, thus avoiding Intimidate. You can ditch Waterfall for the more powerful Hydro Pump, as even with a Special Attack lowering nature, it'll 2HKO Claydol and Weezing.</p>
<p>The lack of great Fighting STAB is disappointing (read: Poliwrath doesn't learn Close Combat), hence the reason Focus Punch is included as an option over Brick Break.</p>
[SET]
name: Belly Drummer
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Belly Drum
move 3: Brick Break / Waterfall
move 4: Ice Punch / Return
item: Salac Berry
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
ivs: 30 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Substitute on a switch-out (or on an attack that doesn't break your Substitute, if your opponent is foolish enough to leave such an offensively weak Pokémon in), and then Belly Drum to land Poliwrath at 393 Speed and 1076 Attack—high for a usual Pokémon, but rather mediocre for a Belly Drummer. Nonetheless, when you actually get there and you aren't getting owned by Quick Attack clones or Choice Scarf enemies, you could actually be in sweeping position. This set is hard to pull off, but can cause quite an uproar, especially in underused matches.</p>
<p>Either Brick Break / Ice Punch or Waterfall / Return provide good coverage, as only a handful of opponents resist either combination. Besides Shedinja, who is immune to all four attacks, Fighting / Ice is only resisted by Froslass, Grumpig (with Thick Fat), Starmie, Slowbro and Slowking, and Water / Normal is walled only by Empoleon, Giratina and Dialga.</p>
<p>There are some riskier alternatives for executing this set, which require replacing Substitute. One way involves switching Poliwrath into a slower Pokémon that does between 25% and 50% to it, then use Hypnosis. Pray to Arceus it hits, then Belly Drum. The only thing you'll have to fear is an unexpected Sleep Talk. Or, of course, a counter to Belly Drum Poliwrath. Instead of Hypnosis, you can use a third attack, to offer greater type coverage. Adding Rock Slide to the Brick Break / Ice Punch combination offers complete coverage. To use this option to full potential, you must let Poliwrath take a hit that doesn't kill you, but still lets you get into Salac range. Without taking any residual damage into account, that means between 25% and 50%. Switching into Blissey Seismic Toss is good for this, because it will often switch out. A weak Earthquake from something like Quagsire or Gastrodon will also work.</p>
<p>Optionally you can use Adamant. You'll get a little more oomph, in trade for a Speed cut-down (358 after Salac Berry). You won't outspeed Raikou, Persian, Weavile and other fast critters without heavy Speed investments though. Make sure your HP is divisible by four though when using Substitute so the Salac Berry activates after three Substitutes.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Payback is a good attack for frail Ghosts and Psychics, OHKOing Gengar and OHKOing normal Rotom about half the time, but the fact that the OHKO on Rotom isn't even guaranteed by Stealth Rock shows you how little damage Payback really does. Body Slam isn't bad if you want some paralysis support, and combines well with Waterfall, both in terms of coverage and secondary effects (paralyze enemies and try to flinch them). Haze works against Calm Mind Suicune and not much else. Endeavor rubs in Poliwrath's inability to get more than 393 Speed, but is a reasonable move that can surprise people in a pinch. Vacuum Wave could theoretically combine well with Endeavor, but off of Poliwrath's pathetic Special Attack, it won't be doing much, failing to even OHKO Weavile without Stealth Rock. Counter can KO a physical attacker that Poliwrath would otherwise struggle to hurt, but at the cost of Poliwrath's health, and without recovery, Poliwrath really can't spare any HP.</p>
<p>The defensive set listed above is probably Poliwrath's best options in terms of defense, but there are others. Because of Poliwrath's typing, Poliwrath can be switched in a lot, and rather than relying on Water Absorb and Leftovers, Poliwrath can run a RestTalk set, either with dual STAB in Waterfall and Brick Break, or even a mono-attacker with Bulk Up and Waterfall.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Poliwrath needs all the Attack EVs it can get, but it appreciates HP and Defense investment in order to take advantage of its good typing. Poliwrath can run some Speed EVs on its sets; with 128 EVs Poliwrath outruns minimum Speed Suicune, most Metagross, all Marowak, and some Milotic. 184 EVs puts Poliwrath ahead of Adamant Tyranitar. You can take these EVs from HP or Attack, but whichever one you choose, Poliwrath will either take a cut in its defensive or offensive abilities.</p>
<p>For Bulk Up sets that use Substitute, max HP will guarantee that minimum Attack Dusknoir fails to break Poliwrath's Sub with ThunderPunch, after one Bulk Up.</p>
<p>Defensively, you should really use max HP and max Def, because Poliwrath wants to be able to switch in as painlessly as possible. The extra point should be put into Speed, to outrun Skarmory. You can take an extra point to put in 8 EVs, in order to play the game of outrunning 4 EV Skarmory, but 4 Speed EVs should be sufficient.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Poliwrath's unique typing gives it a resistance to Fire, Ice, Bug, Rock, Dark and Steel, and its ability lets it heal from Water. Poliwrath can come in on several major threats at little risk to itself. After a Bulk Up, Poliwrath can at least 2HKO most of UU's physical walls, though like most Fighters, cannot get through Weezing. In the OU environment, Poliwrath can be successful too. Scizor can only muster up a 2HKO even after a Swords Dance, and most bulky waters can't touch Poliwrath. Poliwrath needs to watch out for surprise Hidden Power Electrics, but Vaporeon, Suicune, and most other pokemon that rely on the Water+Ice combination are setup bait for Poliwrath. Hypnosis, though unreliable, is a good status move that can cripple a counter.</p>
<p>However, Poliwrath's biggest downfall comes from its stat distribution. Poliwrath needs nearly max Attack to have any chance to do damage, but this compromises its capability to take hits. Its lack of a recovery move or a strong, consistent STAB option limit it, and though Poliwrath can come in on pokemon like Absol, Weavile, and even a +2 Scizor, it struggles to do anything back. Poliwrath fails to differentiate itself enough from other UU Fighters, many of whom have both better Attack and a stronger STAB. However thanks to its typing and above average defenses, if you put his EVs where his purposes lie, he will certainly pull his weight for you in your standard team. In underused matches, he is a force to be reckoned with. </p>
[Counters]
<p>Before going through this, note that Poliwrath is a great fan of carrying Hypnosis and is willing to test it out on anyone who dares to come in. Pack Sleep Talk, absorb it with something else or risk your counter taking a snooze.
<p>Weezing can come in and threaten to Thunderbolt. Claydol is in the same boat, but if Poliwrath is running Ice Punch, Claydol risks a 2HKO. Nidoqueen also does a great job of walling Poliwrath, and EQ will break all but the most defensive of Poliwrath's Substitutes. After a Bulk Up it is difficult to find things that can switch into Poliwrath's Focus Punch, but normal Rotom will only be 2HKOed by Waterfall, and can threaten a Thunderbolt. Depending on whether Poliwrath lacks Rock Slide or Ice Punch, Poliwrath will be missing some coverage. If Poliwrath doesn't have a sub up, it can be easily revenge killed by any faster Grass, Electric, or Poison type.</p>
<p>In Standard, Poliwrath has many more counters. Zapdos can easily take Poliwrath's Ice Punches, and KO with its STABed Electric attacks. Salamence has to worry about Rock Slide and Ice Punch, but Rock Slide is only a 2HKO, so without a Sub up Poliwrath will lose. Cresselia can take Poliwrath's attacks forever. Bulky Waters with Hidden Power Electric can force Poliwrath to give up its Substitute, and Poliwrath cannot Focus Punch in return. Suicune doesn't even need Hidden Power Electric, as the monoattacker can stall out Focus Punch with Pressure. Generally Poliwrath will go down to neutral hits, and it can be easily worn down because it has no recovery. Anything that resists Fighting without being 4x weak to either Rock or Ice will come out on top, as long as you avoid letting Poliwrath set up too many Bulk Ups. Watch out for the Belly Drummer if you see Poliwrath set up a sub.</p>
However I thought that the current analysis probably could use some rewriting, I think that the Defensive Sets aren't viable enough to actually do stuff, and I condensed the two Bulk Up sets into one, because they play exactly the same, the CB set is the same as the one in the analysis.
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/poliwrath
Special thanks to Colonel M for double checking this before I posted it
-----------------
[SET]
name: Sub Punch
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Focus Punch
move 3: Rock Slide / Ice Punch
move 4: Hypnosis / Brick Break
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Poliwrath's decent typing lets it switch in on most Scizor, Waters, Darks, and Rocks. Focus Punch will hurt anything not resistant or immune to it. The choice between Rock Slide and Ice Punch depends on which fliers you want to hit more; Rock Slide does more to Ice, Bug, and Fire types, whereas Ice does more to Dragon, Grass, and Ground types. It's worth pointing out that many Bulky Grounds won't be taking that much from Ice Punch off of Poliwrath's low attack; even Gliscor is only rarely 2HKOed with Leftovers. Rock Slide is superior because out of all the pokemon that the second attack will be outdamaging Focus Punch, there are more pokemon that get KOed by Rock Slide than Ice Punch. </p>
<p>Hypnosis is a splendid move on a Focus Punching Poliwrath. Similar to Spore+Focus Punch Breloom, Hypnosis gives Poliwrath a free turn to either set up a Sub or to Focus Punch, and it can cripple anything Poliwrath doesn't feel like facing 60% of the time. Brick Break may seem pointless when you already have Focus Punch, but it can be handy, for example if you're facing a Dragon Danced Tyranitar where you'll want to go for a quick KO with Brick Break instead of setting up Substitute and Focus Punch. Waterfall is an extra STAB option, but it can only barely scrape a 2HKO against Ghosts like Gengar and normal Rotom, and isn't doing any damage to anything more defensive than that. Focus Punch is only slightly weaker than a super effective Waterfall anyways, so in general Waterfall is an inferior option. You can also use Hydro Pump instead of Rock Slide/Ice Punch, because it 2HKOs Rotom, Claydol, Steelix and Weezing.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Substitute / Hypnosis
move 3: Focus Punch / Brick Break
move 4: Hydro Pump
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>After a couple Bulk Ups, Poliwrath can actually start doing some damage. Substitute prevents slower things from statusing you and helps your prediction, or lack thereof. Hypnosis will make this easier to set up, but you'll be losing the protection Substitute provides. Focus Punch is much more useful with Substitute as well. After a Bulk Up, Focus Punch does 73-87% against a max HP/Def Steelix, an easy 2HKO, and against a 252 HP/208 Def Impish Shuckle Focus Punch does 48-57%, a 47% chance of a 2HKO without SR. Many of Poliwrath's counters, such as Weezing and Claydol, are 2HKOed with Hydro Pump. You can run Ice Punch over Hydro Pump, but Hydro Pump's power is much better in the long run.</p>
<p>Brick Break is another option if you prefer a consistent STAB, but Poliwrath has a lot of trouble doing damage with only one Bulk Up. Ice Punch is definitely superior to Rock Slide in this case, but again, Focus Punch is still doing more damage except to Fighting resists. If you choose to run an attack over Substitute/Hypnosis, make it Ice Punch, but Rock Slide is an option if you really want.</p>
[SET]
name: Solo Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Brick Break
move 3: Hydro Pump
move 4: Rock Slide / Ice Punch
item: Life Orb
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Poliwrath's decided to drop the Sub and go all out on the offenses. For this set to do any damage, you need to have at least one Bulk Up, but after a Bulk Up Poliwrath starts putting the hurt on things. Poliwrath can generally OHKO most frailer Pokemon that are weak to its attacks, and with Stealth Rock, can OHKO things as defensive as 252/252 Bold Walrein. The choice between Rock Slide and Ice Punch is the same as above; Rock Slide is probably better, but Ice Punch hits any Grass/Poison and Dragon/Flying types.</p>
<p>You can choose between Jolly or Adamant, but the power loss for Jolly will be noticeable. With Jolly you're outspeeding all Jolly Tyranitar, neutral natured Heatran, and all neutral natured base 80s, many of whom Poliwrath has a chance of KOing, so it's really your choice.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Ice Punch
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Hypnosis
item: Leftovers
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With this set, Poliwrath can come in on its many resists and begin to wear down its opponents. Absol's Psycho Cut only has a 1% chance to 2HKO, even with Life Orb, and Poliwrath does 79.70% - 93.73% back with Brick Break, meaning that any residual damage is going to take Absol out. Poliwrath can generally switch into nearly all of its resists, but in general it can only hurt things either 4x weak to its attacks, or things 2x weak if they're frail. Hydro Pump gives you the chance of 2HKOing Ninetales, which can only 3HKO at best without any boosts, but Hypnosis is a better all-purpose move that is fantastic for any defensive Poliwrath. A Choice Banded, max Attack Kabutops can only 3HKO at best, and most physically-oriented Rain Sweepers cannot touch Poliwrath. Altaria can stall out Ice Punch with Roost as it is faster, but cannot do enough damage to Poliwrath to pose a threat. In general, most UU pokemon that are weak to one of Poliwrath's attacks tend to get OHKOed or 2HKOed.</p>
<p>Poliwrath's unique typing gives it an edge in the standard metagame as well, resisting Dark, Steel, Rock, Water and Ice, all commonly seen attacking types. Tyranitar can only 3HKO with Earthquake, and is 2HKOed by Brick Break. Weavile falls to Brick Break as well. Poliwrath isn't afraid of any of Scizor's attacks other than +2 Fighting attacks, though Poliwrath struggles to damage it. Hypnosis is a good move for any defensive Pokemon. In general, Poliwrath can catch most sweepers with a OHKO or 2HKO if Poliwrath can hit them super effective, but Poliwrath's low Attack is very noticeable. Relaxed is inferior to Impish, as Tyranitar can outspeed Poliwrath and 3HKO before Poliwrath can get in the second Brick Break. Hidden Power Electric will reliably beat out Gyarados with Bold and 56 SpA EVs, but it fails to cover anything except Gyarados.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Waterfall / Hydro Pump
move 2: Brick Break / Focus Punch
move 3: Ice Punch
move 4: Earthquake / Rock Slide
item: Choice Band
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Adamant
evs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>STAB on Water moves is the only thing that sets Poliwrath apart from all its Fighting brethren, as the more powerful Toxicroak also boasts the ability to absorb Water. However, Poliwrath has much better defenses, and notably he isn't weak to Earthquake, making switching in a lot easier. Earthquake is usually useless on Fighting-types, but Poliwrath can use it to hammer Toxicroak, who resists everything barring Ice Punch, and the extra power against some of the bulkier Electrics like Ampharos and Lanturn doesn't hurt either. If you elect to use this in OU, then it is highly recommended you ditch Earthquake for Rock Slide to take on Gyarados, who can actually be 2HKOed with it, assuming Poliwrath switches in, thus avoiding Intimidate. You can ditch Waterfall for the more powerful Hydro Pump, as even with a Special Attack lowering nature, it'll 2HKO Claydol and Weezing.</p>
<p>The lack of great Fighting STAB is disappointing (read: Poliwrath doesn't learn Close Combat), hence the reason Focus Punch is included as an option over Brick Break.</p>
[SET]
name: Belly Drummer
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Belly Drum
move 3: Brick Break / Waterfall
move 4: Ice Punch / Return
item: Salac Berry
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
ivs: 30 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Substitute on a switch-out (or on an attack that doesn't break your Substitute, if your opponent is foolish enough to leave such an offensively weak Pokémon in), and then Belly Drum to land Poliwrath at 393 Speed and 1076 Attack—high for a usual Pokémon, but rather mediocre for a Belly Drummer. Nonetheless, when you actually get there and you aren't getting owned by Quick Attack clones or Choice Scarf enemies, you could actually be in sweeping position. This set is hard to pull off, but can cause quite an uproar, especially in underused matches.</p>
<p>Either Brick Break / Ice Punch or Waterfall / Return provide good coverage, as only a handful of opponents resist either combination. Besides Shedinja, who is immune to all four attacks, Fighting / Ice is only resisted by Froslass, Grumpig (with Thick Fat), Starmie, Slowbro and Slowking, and Water / Normal is walled only by Empoleon, Giratina and Dialga.</p>
<p>There are some riskier alternatives for executing this set, which require replacing Substitute. One way involves switching Poliwrath into a slower Pokémon that does between 25% and 50% to it, then use Hypnosis. Pray to Arceus it hits, then Belly Drum. The only thing you'll have to fear is an unexpected Sleep Talk. Or, of course, a counter to Belly Drum Poliwrath. Instead of Hypnosis, you can use a third attack, to offer greater type coverage. Adding Rock Slide to the Brick Break / Ice Punch combination offers complete coverage. To use this option to full potential, you must let Poliwrath take a hit that doesn't kill you, but still lets you get into Salac range. Without taking any residual damage into account, that means between 25% and 50%. Switching into Blissey Seismic Toss is good for this, because it will often switch out. A weak Earthquake from something like Quagsire or Gastrodon will also work.</p>
<p>Optionally you can use Adamant. You'll get a little more oomph, in trade for a Speed cut-down (358 after Salac Berry). You won't outspeed Raikou, Persian, Weavile and other fast critters without heavy Speed investments though. Make sure your HP is divisible by four though when using Substitute so the Salac Berry activates after three Substitutes.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Payback is a good attack for frail Ghosts and Psychics, OHKOing Gengar and OHKOing normal Rotom about half the time, but the fact that the OHKO on Rotom isn't even guaranteed by Stealth Rock shows you how little damage Payback really does. Body Slam isn't bad if you want some paralysis support, and combines well with Waterfall, both in terms of coverage and secondary effects (paralyze enemies and try to flinch them). Haze works against Calm Mind Suicune and not much else. Endeavor rubs in Poliwrath's inability to get more than 393 Speed, but is a reasonable move that can surprise people in a pinch. Vacuum Wave could theoretically combine well with Endeavor, but off of Poliwrath's pathetic Special Attack, it won't be doing much, failing to even OHKO Weavile without Stealth Rock. Counter can KO a physical attacker that Poliwrath would otherwise struggle to hurt, but at the cost of Poliwrath's health, and without recovery, Poliwrath really can't spare any HP.</p>
<p>The defensive set listed above is probably Poliwrath's best options in terms of defense, but there are others. Because of Poliwrath's typing, Poliwrath can be switched in a lot, and rather than relying on Water Absorb and Leftovers, Poliwrath can run a RestTalk set, either with dual STAB in Waterfall and Brick Break, or even a mono-attacker with Bulk Up and Waterfall.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Poliwrath needs all the Attack EVs it can get, but it appreciates HP and Defense investment in order to take advantage of its good typing. Poliwrath can run some Speed EVs on its sets; with 128 EVs Poliwrath outruns minimum Speed Suicune, most Metagross, all Marowak, and some Milotic. 184 EVs puts Poliwrath ahead of Adamant Tyranitar. You can take these EVs from HP or Attack, but whichever one you choose, Poliwrath will either take a cut in its defensive or offensive abilities.</p>
<p>For Bulk Up sets that use Substitute, max HP will guarantee that minimum Attack Dusknoir fails to break Poliwrath's Sub with ThunderPunch, after one Bulk Up.</p>
<p>Defensively, you should really use max HP and max Def, because Poliwrath wants to be able to switch in as painlessly as possible. The extra point should be put into Speed, to outrun Skarmory. You can take an extra point to put in 8 EVs, in order to play the game of outrunning 4 EV Skarmory, but 4 Speed EVs should be sufficient.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Poliwrath's unique typing gives it a resistance to Fire, Ice, Bug, Rock, Dark and Steel, and its ability lets it heal from Water. Poliwrath can come in on several major threats at little risk to itself. After a Bulk Up, Poliwrath can at least 2HKO most of UU's physical walls, though like most Fighters, cannot get through Weezing. In the OU environment, Poliwrath can be successful too. Scizor can only muster up a 2HKO even after a Swords Dance, and most bulky waters can't touch Poliwrath. Poliwrath needs to watch out for surprise Hidden Power Electrics, but Vaporeon, Suicune, and most other pokemon that rely on the Water+Ice combination are setup bait for Poliwrath. Hypnosis, though unreliable, is a good status move that can cripple a counter.</p>
<p>However, Poliwrath's biggest downfall comes from its stat distribution. Poliwrath needs nearly max Attack to have any chance to do damage, but this compromises its capability to take hits. Its lack of a recovery move or a strong, consistent STAB option limit it, and though Poliwrath can come in on pokemon like Absol, Weavile, and even a +2 Scizor, it struggles to do anything back. Poliwrath fails to differentiate itself enough from other UU Fighters, many of whom have both better Attack and a stronger STAB. However thanks to its typing and above average defenses, if you put his EVs where his purposes lie, he will certainly pull his weight for you in your standard team. In underused matches, he is a force to be reckoned with. </p>
[Counters]
<p>Before going through this, note that Poliwrath is a great fan of carrying Hypnosis and is willing to test it out on anyone who dares to come in. Pack Sleep Talk, absorb it with something else or risk your counter taking a snooze.
<p>Weezing can come in and threaten to Thunderbolt. Claydol is in the same boat, but if Poliwrath is running Ice Punch, Claydol risks a 2HKO. Nidoqueen also does a great job of walling Poliwrath, and EQ will break all but the most defensive of Poliwrath's Substitutes. After a Bulk Up it is difficult to find things that can switch into Poliwrath's Focus Punch, but normal Rotom will only be 2HKOed by Waterfall, and can threaten a Thunderbolt. Depending on whether Poliwrath lacks Rock Slide or Ice Punch, Poliwrath will be missing some coverage. If Poliwrath doesn't have a sub up, it can be easily revenge killed by any faster Grass, Electric, or Poison type.</p>
<p>In Standard, Poliwrath has many more counters. Zapdos can easily take Poliwrath's Ice Punches, and KO with its STABed Electric attacks. Salamence has to worry about Rock Slide and Ice Punch, but Rock Slide is only a 2HKO, so without a Sub up Poliwrath will lose. Cresselia can take Poliwrath's attacks forever. Bulky Waters with Hidden Power Electric can force Poliwrath to give up its Substitute, and Poliwrath cannot Focus Punch in return. Suicune doesn't even need Hidden Power Electric, as the monoattacker can stall out Focus Punch with Pressure. Generally Poliwrath will go down to neutral hits, and it can be easily worn down because it has no recovery. Anything that resists Fighting without being 4x weak to either Rock or Ice will come out on top, as long as you avoid letting Poliwrath set up too many Bulk Ups. Watch out for the Belly Drummer if you see Poliwrath set up a sub.</p>
