[OVERVIEW]
With the combination of Fake Out and a Guts-boosted Close Combat and Payback, Hariyama is a lead that absolutely demolishes three of the best leads in the DPP Ubers metagame: Deoxys-S, Darkrai, and Tyranitar. In addition, it threatens Blissey and slow, passive Steel-types like Forretress, Bronzong, and Skarmory. It's not infallible as a lead, however; other attacking leads like Kyogre and Ho-Oh threaten to OHKO it, and lead Rayquaza will beat it if it lacks Ice Punch. However, doing so leaves it vulnerable to other leads like Froslass and Psycho Boost Deoxys-A that require Bullet Punch. Outside of the lead slot, it is slow and highly vulnerable to passive damage, not least of which is the bad poison it inflicts upon itself. Finally, its ability to trade damage well with other Pokemon is blunted somewhat by the fact that it must remain at high HP to do so, and as a result, it doesn't want to switch into any Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Attacking Lead
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Close Combat / Low Kick
move 3: Payback
move 4: Bullet Punch / Ice Punch
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out lets Hariyama simultaneously bypass the Focus Sash that other leads like to use and give it a free turn to activate its Toxic Orb. The choice between Close Combat and Low Kick comes down to whether Hariyama would rather drop its own defenses, cutting into its bulk, or be walled by Jirachi and Manaphy. A Guts-boosted Payback will OHKO non-Colbur Berry Deoxys-S, making Hariyama an excellent anti-lead to it. If the Deoxys-S holds a Colbur Berry and would survive the combination of Fake Out and Payback, Bullet Punch will deal the final bit of damage to ensure that it does not get a second layer of hazards out of the matchup. Bullet Punch, unlike Fake Out, is also effective to use against lead Froslass, ensuring that Hariyama does not give up multiple layers of Spikes or a Destiny Bond, and having a second priority move is great to have when staring down a Deoxys-A that may have Psycho Boost. Ice Punch OHKOes lead Rayquaza, assuming it doesn't have a Focus Sash, and is the stronger move into Giratina and Giratina-O if they are paralyzed or try to use Roar to circumvent Payback's boost.
Set Details
========
As Hariyama already has a great base HP stat, investing into Special Defense ensures that Hariyama will be able to absorb the littany of powerful special attacks in the DPP Ubers metagame and throw out vicious Guts-boosted Close Combats. At high HP, it survives some quite surprising attacks too, including Life Orb Rayquaza's Draco Meteor, Choice Scarf Kyogre's Surf, and Darkrai's +2 Focus Blast. In return, it heavily damages all of these Pokemon, as well as other metagame staples, thanks to maximum Attack investment and the Guts boost.
Usage Tips
========
On leads that are not Ghost-types like Froslass and Giratina-O, using Fake Out turn 1 is a very safe play. The exception is lead Rayquaza, which can bypass Fake Out with Extreme Speed. The lines of play in this paragraph presume you have used Fake Out turn 1. Deoxys-S gets OHKOed by Payback, unless it holds a Colbur Berry. If Hariyama has Bullet Punch, then it will finish off the low HP Deoxys-S before it gets another layer of entry hazards; otherwise, Deoxys-S will get another layer of hazards. Both Darkrai and Tyranitar are mortally afraid of Close Combat, and the poison inflicted upon Hariyama by its Toxic Orb prevents Darkrai from using Dark Void on it. Close Combit is also a good move to use against lead Forretress and Dialga, as Hariyama will win a damage trade against these leads. If Hariyama has Bullet Punch, then Fake Out into Bullet Punch beats Deoxys-A without conceding a single layer of hazards; without Bullet Punch, Deoxys-A will only win if it carries Psycho Boost. Kyogre and Ho-Oh threaten to OHKO Hariyama, so switching out after using Fake Out ensures that Hariyama can provide some value mid-game. Hariyama only beats lead Rayquaza if the former has Ice Punch and the latter does not hold a Focus Sash. Otherwise, Fake Out into Payback does not take out Rayquaza before Rayquaza takes Hariyama out.
Team Options
========
Hariyama absolutely requires teammates that can handle Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza. Pokemon like Palkia, Latios, and Latias are capable of dealing with Kyogre, and these Pokemon also outspeed and threaten to OHKO Rayquaza, though they do not switch in safely. Having a Steel-type like Bronzong is useful to pivot around the attacks of Ho-Oh and Rayquaza, drawing out a Fire-type move for a teammate like Kyogre or a Dragon-type to switch in on. Having a Steel-type is also good because they can switch into the Lati twins, both of which severely threaten Hariyama with Draco Meteor. One committal yet potentially very rewarding option is Trick Room on Bronzong, which lets Hariyama turn its low Speed into an advantage to bash its way through offensive teams. Trick Room is also often used to support Choice Band Tyranitar, which targets and removes Psychic- and Ghost-types that stymie Hariyama's Close Combat.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hariyama has no other viable alternative moves in DPP Ubers, as they do not give it a meaningful leg up in any of its problematic lead matchups.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh switches into Hariyama with impunity, outspeeds it, and OHKOes it with Brave Bird.
**Kyogre**: Choice Specs Kyogre absolutely eviscerates Hariyama with its rain-boosted Water-type attacks. Even without Choice Specs, Modest Hydro Pump has a 33.1% chance to OHKO Hariyama. This makes staying in on Kyogre very risky for Hariyama.
**Rayquaza**: If Hariyama lacks Ice Punch or Rayquaza has a Focus Sash, then Rayquaza will always beat lead Hariyama while taking minimal damage with the combination of Extreme Speed and Draco Meteor.
**Cresselia**: In sun, Morning Sun and Leftovers recovery outheal the damage that boosted Paybacks would deal, making Cresselia easily able stall out Hariyama thanks to the bad poison it inflicts upon itself.
**Giratina**: Giratina is utterly impenetrable for Hariyama, as it doesn't care about any move but Payback. Even then, Giratina can bypass Payback's power boosting effect thanks to the negative priority of Roar.
**Groudon**: Groudon outspeeds Hariyama, 2HKOes with Earthquake, and handily lives Fake Out into Close Combat thanks to its high natural physical bulk.
**Passive Damage**: Hariyama naturally inflicts upon itself bad poison, and that in conjunction with its vulnerability to all forms of entry hazards means that its merely passable bulk becomes difficult to maintain over the course of a longer game. Passive damage also limits its ability to switch into Pokemon, as it gets worn down far more quickly than the Pokemon it is used to beat.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
With the combination of Fake Out and a Guts-boosted Close Combat and Payback, Hariyama is a lead that absolutely demolishes three of the best leads in the DPP Ubers metagame: Deoxys-S, Darkrai, and Tyranitar. In addition, it threatens Blissey and slow, passive Steel-types like Forretress, Bronzong, and Skarmory. It's not infallible as a lead, however; other attacking leads like Kyogre and Ho-Oh threaten to OHKO it, and lead Rayquaza will beat it if it lacks Ice Punch. However, doing so leaves it vulnerable to other leads like Froslass and Psycho Boost Deoxys-A that require Bullet Punch. Outside of the lead slot, it is slow and highly vulnerable to passive damage, not least of which is the bad poison it inflicts upon itself. Finally, its ability to trade damage well with other Pokemon is blunted somewhat by the fact that it must remain at high HP to do so, and as a result, it doesn't want to switch into any Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Attacking Lead
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Close Combat / Low Kick
move 3: Payback
move 4: Bullet Punch / Ice Punch
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out lets Hariyama simultaneously bypass the Focus Sash that other leads like to use and give it a free turn to activate its Toxic Orb. The choice between Close Combat and Low Kick comes down to whether Hariyama would rather drop its own defenses, cutting into its bulk, or be walled by Jirachi and Manaphy. A Guts-boosted Payback will OHKO non-Colbur Berry Deoxys-S, making Hariyama an excellent anti-lead to it. If the Deoxys-S holds a Colbur Berry and would survive the combination of Fake Out and Payback, Bullet Punch will deal the final bit of damage to ensure that it does not get a second layer of hazards out of the matchup. Bullet Punch, unlike Fake Out, is also effective to use against lead Froslass, ensuring that Hariyama does not give up multiple layers of Spikes or a Destiny Bond, and having a second priority move is great to have when staring down a Deoxys-A that may have Psycho Boost. Ice Punch OHKOes lead Rayquaza, assuming it doesn't have a Focus Sash, and is the stronger move into Giratina and Giratina-O if they are paralyzed or try to use Roar to circumvent Payback's boost.
Set Details
========
As Hariyama already has a great base HP stat, investing into Special Defense ensures that Hariyama will be able to absorb the littany of powerful special attacks in the DPP Ubers metagame and throw out vicious Guts-boosted Close Combats. At high HP, it survives some quite surprising attacks too, including Life Orb Rayquaza's Draco Meteor, Choice Scarf Kyogre's Surf, and Darkrai's +2 Focus Blast. In return, it heavily damages all of these Pokemon, as well as other metagame staples, thanks to maximum Attack investment and the Guts boost.
Usage Tips
========
On leads that are not Ghost-types like Froslass and Giratina-O, using Fake Out turn 1 is a very safe play. The exception is lead Rayquaza, which can bypass Fake Out with Extreme Speed. The lines of play in this paragraph presume you have used Fake Out turn 1. Deoxys-S gets OHKOed by Payback, unless it holds a Colbur Berry. If Hariyama has Bullet Punch, then it will finish off the low HP Deoxys-S before it gets another layer of entry hazards; otherwise, Deoxys-S will get another layer of hazards. Both Darkrai and Tyranitar are mortally afraid of Close Combat, and the poison inflicted upon Hariyama by its Toxic Orb prevents Darkrai from using Dark Void on it. Close Combit is also a good move to use against lead Forretress and Dialga, as Hariyama will win a damage trade against these leads. If Hariyama has Bullet Punch, then Fake Out into Bullet Punch beats Deoxys-A without conceding a single layer of hazards; without Bullet Punch, Deoxys-A will only win if it carries Psycho Boost. Kyogre and Ho-Oh threaten to OHKO Hariyama, so switching out after using Fake Out ensures that Hariyama can provide some value mid-game. Hariyama only beats lead Rayquaza if the former has Ice Punch and the latter does not hold a Focus Sash. Otherwise, Fake Out into Payback does not take out Rayquaza before Rayquaza takes Hariyama out.
Team Options
========
Hariyama absolutely requires teammates that can handle Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza. Pokemon like Palkia, Latios, and Latias are capable of dealing with Kyogre, and these Pokemon also outspeed and threaten to OHKO Rayquaza, though they do not switch in safely. Having a Steel-type like Bronzong is useful to pivot around the attacks of Ho-Oh and Rayquaza, drawing out a Fire-type move for a teammate like Kyogre or a Dragon-type to switch in on. Having a Steel-type is also good because they can switch into the Lati twins, both of which severely threaten Hariyama with Draco Meteor. One committal yet potentially very rewarding option is Trick Room on Bronzong, which lets Hariyama turn its low Speed into an advantage to bash its way through offensive teams. Trick Room is also often used to support Choice Band Tyranitar, which targets and removes Psychic- and Ghost-types that stymie Hariyama's Close Combat.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hariyama has no other viable alternative moves in DPP Ubers, as they do not give it a meaningful leg up in any of its problematic lead matchups.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh switches into Hariyama with impunity, outspeeds it, and OHKOes it with Brave Bird.
**Kyogre**: Choice Specs Kyogre absolutely eviscerates Hariyama with its rain-boosted Water-type attacks. Even without Choice Specs, Modest Hydro Pump has a 33.1% chance to OHKO Hariyama. This makes staying in on Kyogre very risky for Hariyama.
**Rayquaza**: If Hariyama lacks Ice Punch or Rayquaza has a Focus Sash, then Rayquaza will always beat lead Hariyama while taking minimal damage with the combination of Extreme Speed and Draco Meteor.
**Cresselia**: In sun, Morning Sun and Leftovers recovery outheal the damage that boosted Paybacks would deal, making Cresselia easily able stall out Hariyama thanks to the bad poison it inflicts upon itself.
**Giratina**: Giratina is utterly impenetrable for Hariyama, as it doesn't care about any move but Payback. Even then, Giratina can bypass Payback's power boosting effect thanks to the negative priority of Roar.
**Groudon**: Groudon outspeeds Hariyama, 2HKOes with Earthquake, and handily lives Fake Out into Close Combat thanks to its high natural physical bulk.
**Passive Damage**: Hariyama naturally inflicts upon itself bad poison, and that in conjunction with its vulnerability to all forms of entry hazards means that its merely passable bulk becomes difficult to maintain over the course of a longer game. Passive damage also limits its ability to switch into Pokemon, as it gets worn down far more quickly than the Pokemon it is used to beat.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Last edited: