[Overview]
<p>The stereotypical Rock / Ground dual type is hardly something one would call a blessing. Indeed, Golem counters a strong threat in Swellow, but Regirock and Probopass outclass it in a defensive role. In fact, its redundant Ground typing leaves it vulnerable to Cinccino and other threats that it could wall, and its miserable Special Defense and Speed definitely don't help its cause. However, Golem makes up for its weaknesses through its amazing offensive capabilities that far exceed those of its Rock-type comrades. STAB Earthquake and Stone Edge is nothing to scoff at, and Golem has very few hard counters thanks to its great STAB coverage. Its ability, Sturdy, allows it to survive otherwise fatal attacks, making Golem a great Pokemon to use against offensive teams that struggle to switch into its attacks. Of all the Rock-types in NU, Golem is one of the best, and is a top offensive threat that should not be dismissed.</p>
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A dedicated Stealth Rock lead may seem like a relic of the DPP metagame, but is surprisingly effective. Golem can guarantee Stealth Rock bar Taunt thanks to Sturdy, and it is the focal point of the set—and very few Taunt users like absorbing hits from Golem. Earthquake and Rock Blast are strong STAB moves that are resisted only by Torterra and the nonexistent Baltoy, which gives Golem a serious offensive presence. Sucker Punch allows Golem to revenge kill threats at low health, as a neutral Earthquake will rarely OHKO the opposition. Sucker Punch is especially helpful against Gorebyss, as Earthquake followed by Sucker Punch will simply KO it. As a result, Golem is one of the rare Rock-types that all variants of Gorebyss cannot safely set up Shell Smash on. Sucker Punch has great synergy with Rock Blast, as Sucker Punch encourages the use of Substitute, while Rock Blast punishes it. Sucker Punch also OHKOes Choice Scarf Jynx, and mauls Swellow before it can dent Golem with a second Facade. However, note that Sucker Punch will fail against non-offensive moves and faster priority, so do not rely on Sucker Punch lest you allow opposing setup.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs allow for maximum Attack, letting Golem deal as much damage as possible before being KOed. 44 Speed EVs allow Golem to outspeed minimum speed Regirock and most defensive Pokemon, while additional EVs are poured into HP to give Golem some insurance against Swellow and other Normal-types. However, 40 extra Speed EVs allow Golem to outpace uninvested Cacturne and Exeggutor. In fact, Golem is rather flexible with its EVs, and a simple 252 Atk / 252 Spe spread will guarantee that Golem will outspeed all defensive Pokemon, most notably minimum speed Garbodor. Leftovers is the item of choice, as it can renew Golem's Sturdy and let Golem weather Swellow's attacks without defensive investment.</p>
<p>While dedicated leads do not exist anymore due to Team Preview, this set is as close as it comes. Therefore, any options that increase its chances against opposing dedicated leads are incredibly helpful. For example, Lum Berry can get the jump on sleep leads, and makes Golem incredibly difficult to beat without a physical wall. Even if the opponent succeeds in walling Golem, it would accomplish the task of setting Stealth Rock while luring out defensive Pokemon its teammates can set up on. While a dedicated lead does not need any support, Golem is the more offensive choice in comparison to Regirock and others. As a result, Golem appreciates offensive teammates that can keep momentum. Swellow and Gorebyss are amongst the top offensive Pokemon of the tier, and appreciate Golem taking care of opposing Swellow and Choice Scarf Rotom-S. Bug- or Grass-types tend to be good teammates, as they cover bulky Grass-types, such as Tangela and Torterra, and bulky Water-types, such as Quagsire. Substitute + Swords Dance Leafeon, for example, is able to set up on most of Golem's counters and pose a strong sweeping threat. Finally, Jynx threatens Grass-types with Ice Beam, and can set up on bulky Water-types thanks to Dry Skin.</p>
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Fire Punch / Double-Edge
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Despite its offensive presence, Golem struggles as a sweeper due to its incredibly low Speed. Rock Polish Golem tries to overcome this weakness by boosting its Speed. As a Rock Polish sweeper, Golem can fill the role of a Swellow check and a sweeper in a single teamslot—not an easy feat to accomplish. Earthquake and Stone Edge are two strong STAB moves, and they have incredible coverage together. The last slot is largely unnecessary, seeing use only when you fear a Stone Edge miss on a low health target or against Torterra. Fire Punch is Golem’s strongest move against Torterra, and is therefore listed as the first slash. Double-Edge is more useful with Rock Head, as Life Orb will break Sturdy on its own.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Rock Head is the ability of choice on this set. Sturdy does guarantee the Rock Polish, but Rock Head allows Double-Edge to be an offensive option. Since Life Orb will break Sturdy regardless, Sturdy should be used only when Fire Punch is used over Double-Edge. The EV spread allows maximum Speed and Attack, maximizing Golem's sweeping potential. However, Golem is still rather slow even with +2 Speed and a Jolly nature, and is outsped by prominent Choice Scarf users, such as Sawk and Jynx, and can be revenged by Aqua Jet Samurott. Thankfully, other common Choice Scarf users, such as Rotom-S, are not able to do much damage to Golem. If the opponent has a faster Choice Scarf user, Golem should wait until it has been eliminated before starting a sweep. Since Golem is not quite strong enough to OHKO bulky Pokemon with just a neutral Earthquake, it appreciates entry hazard support. Cacturne, for example, can set up spikes on Water- and Grass-types that Golem hates, such as Alomomola and Tangela, respectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Blast
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Explosion / Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Golem has great power and coverage with just two STAB moves, and it would be waste to not abuse it with a Choice Band set. It is significantly stronger than Golem's other two sets, and can surprise physical walls, such as Miltank, with its damage output. However, Earthquake is a risky move to get locked into, as it allows dangerous threats such as Substitute + CM Mesprit to set up and proceed to destroy your team. As a result, this set requires greater prediction skills as well—with great power comes great responsibility! Earthquake and Rock Blast hit everything for neutral damage bar Torterra, which is covered by Fire Punch. A choice of Normal-type move rounds out the set, as Golem has very few other options.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Of course, Stone Edge can replace Rock Blast for more raw power, but Rock Blast breaks Substitute, not to mention that this Golem really hates missing, especially on switch-ins that are weak to Rock. Again, an Adamant nature is used to maximize Golem's Attack, and HP investment is usually pointless. However, a spread of 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe improves its bulk significantly against super effective physical attacks. Both abilities are viable for the set: Sturdy in tandem with Choice Band is great since Golem is guaranteed to get a hit on the opponent, but entry hazards will negate Sturdy. On the other hand, Rock Head allows Golem to use Double-Edge with no recoil. Use Sturdy with Explosion, and Rock Head with Double-Edge.</p>
<p>Since the fourth moveslot is almost useless, Stealth Rock and Toxic are viable for helping out the team and crippling physical walls, respectively. However, these moves are also rather situational, and being Choice-locked into a non-offensive move is very dangerous. Even if Golem has Stealth Rock in its fourth slot, you should not expect it to reliably set up Stealth Rock like the Utility set would. While this set is very strong, it struggles to bypass Tangela and Alomomola. As a result, Jynx is a great teammate to set up on Golem's counters. Golem can also switch into things that deal with Jynx, such as Probopass. Defensive Torterra and Leafeon, while rare, check Golem effectively, and a Substitute + Swords Dance Leafeon of your own can set up on those bulky pivots. Leafeon is also rather difficult to counter without Swellow or Braviary, which Golem can reliably switch into.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Golem has several options, but very few are significant. Rock Slide is an option in case you want a reliable attack with high accuracy, but Stone Edge and Rock Blast are both superior. Steamroller is a possible offensive option, but does not hit anything significant other than Exeggutor and Cacturne. A Substitute set can be used, setting up Substitute against Normal-types, such as Swellow. Golem does have other offensive options in Superpower, Hammer Arm, and Thunderpunch, but they provide redundant coverage and are useless in general. An all-out attacker set similar to the Choice Band set is viable with Life Orb over Choice Band and Sucker Punch in the final slot, but Golem does not appreciate Life Orb eating into its bulk. A defensive set with Roar is viable, but Golem is generally outclassed by Regirock and Bastiodon in a defensive role. Finally, Explosion can be used with a Normal Gem on the Utility set, but Golem prefers to stay until lategame in order to check Swellow.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Golem is hard to counter because of its STAB EdgeQuake coverage. However, bulky Water- and Grass-types fare well as a defensive answer. Quagsire can set up Curse in Golem's face and laugh off everything Golem can throw at it, and Alomomola can stall with Wish and Protect. Tangela and Leafeon resist Earthquake and KO Golem easily with Giga Drain and Leaf Blade, respectively. Torterra resists Stone Edge and Earthquake, and can even set up with Rock Polish to go for a sweep. Misdreavus and Weezing are both immune to Earthquake, and can burn Golem to make it useless. Of course, checking Golem is infinitely easier because Golem will fall to any reasonably strong special attack, and Grass- and Water-type moves will easily OHKO it.</p>
<p>The stereotypical Rock / Ground dual type is hardly something one would call a blessing. Indeed, Golem counters a strong threat in Swellow, but Regirock and Probopass outclass it in a defensive role. In fact, its redundant Ground typing leaves it vulnerable to Cinccino and other threats that it could wall, and its miserable Special Defense and Speed definitely don't help its cause. However, Golem makes up for its weaknesses through its amazing offensive capabilities that far exceed those of its Rock-type comrades. STAB Earthquake and Stone Edge is nothing to scoff at, and Golem has very few hard counters thanks to its great STAB coverage. Its ability, Sturdy, allows it to survive otherwise fatal attacks, making Golem a great Pokemon to use against offensive teams that struggle to switch into its attacks. Of all the Rock-types in NU, Golem is one of the best, and is a top offensive threat that should not be dismissed.</p>
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Sucker Punch
item: Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant
evs: 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A dedicated Stealth Rock lead may seem like a relic of the DPP metagame, but is surprisingly effective. Golem can guarantee Stealth Rock bar Taunt thanks to Sturdy, and it is the focal point of the set—and very few Taunt users like absorbing hits from Golem. Earthquake and Rock Blast are strong STAB moves that are resisted only by Torterra and the nonexistent Baltoy, which gives Golem a serious offensive presence. Sucker Punch allows Golem to revenge kill threats at low health, as a neutral Earthquake will rarely OHKO the opposition. Sucker Punch is especially helpful against Gorebyss, as Earthquake followed by Sucker Punch will simply KO it. As a result, Golem is one of the rare Rock-types that all variants of Gorebyss cannot safely set up Shell Smash on. Sucker Punch has great synergy with Rock Blast, as Sucker Punch encourages the use of Substitute, while Rock Blast punishes it. Sucker Punch also OHKOes Choice Scarf Jynx, and mauls Swellow before it can dent Golem with a second Facade. However, note that Sucker Punch will fail against non-offensive moves and faster priority, so do not rely on Sucker Punch lest you allow opposing setup.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs allow for maximum Attack, letting Golem deal as much damage as possible before being KOed. 44 Speed EVs allow Golem to outspeed minimum speed Regirock and most defensive Pokemon, while additional EVs are poured into HP to give Golem some insurance against Swellow and other Normal-types. However, 40 extra Speed EVs allow Golem to outpace uninvested Cacturne and Exeggutor. In fact, Golem is rather flexible with its EVs, and a simple 252 Atk / 252 Spe spread will guarantee that Golem will outspeed all defensive Pokemon, most notably minimum speed Garbodor. Leftovers is the item of choice, as it can renew Golem's Sturdy and let Golem weather Swellow's attacks without defensive investment.</p>
<p>While dedicated leads do not exist anymore due to Team Preview, this set is as close as it comes. Therefore, any options that increase its chances against opposing dedicated leads are incredibly helpful. For example, Lum Berry can get the jump on sleep leads, and makes Golem incredibly difficult to beat without a physical wall. Even if the opponent succeeds in walling Golem, it would accomplish the task of setting Stealth Rock while luring out defensive Pokemon its teammates can set up on. While a dedicated lead does not need any support, Golem is the more offensive choice in comparison to Regirock and others. As a result, Golem appreciates offensive teammates that can keep momentum. Swellow and Gorebyss are amongst the top offensive Pokemon of the tier, and appreciate Golem taking care of opposing Swellow and Choice Scarf Rotom-S. Bug- or Grass-types tend to be good teammates, as they cover bulky Grass-types, such as Tangela and Torterra, and bulky Water-types, such as Quagsire. Substitute + Swords Dance Leafeon, for example, is able to set up on most of Golem's counters and pose a strong sweeping threat. Finally, Jynx threatens Grass-types with Ice Beam, and can set up on bulky Water-types thanks to Dry Skin.</p>
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Fire Punch / Double-Edge
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Despite its offensive presence, Golem struggles as a sweeper due to its incredibly low Speed. Rock Polish Golem tries to overcome this weakness by boosting its Speed. As a Rock Polish sweeper, Golem can fill the role of a Swellow check and a sweeper in a single teamslot—not an easy feat to accomplish. Earthquake and Stone Edge are two strong STAB moves, and they have incredible coverage together. The last slot is largely unnecessary, seeing use only when you fear a Stone Edge miss on a low health target or against Torterra. Fire Punch is Golem’s strongest move against Torterra, and is therefore listed as the first slash. Double-Edge is more useful with Rock Head, as Life Orb will break Sturdy on its own.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Rock Head is the ability of choice on this set. Sturdy does guarantee the Rock Polish, but Rock Head allows Double-Edge to be an offensive option. Since Life Orb will break Sturdy regardless, Sturdy should be used only when Fire Punch is used over Double-Edge. The EV spread allows maximum Speed and Attack, maximizing Golem's sweeping potential. However, Golem is still rather slow even with +2 Speed and a Jolly nature, and is outsped by prominent Choice Scarf users, such as Sawk and Jynx, and can be revenged by Aqua Jet Samurott. Thankfully, other common Choice Scarf users, such as Rotom-S, are not able to do much damage to Golem. If the opponent has a faster Choice Scarf user, Golem should wait until it has been eliminated before starting a sweep. Since Golem is not quite strong enough to OHKO bulky Pokemon with just a neutral Earthquake, it appreciates entry hazard support. Cacturne, for example, can set up spikes on Water- and Grass-types that Golem hates, such as Alomomola and Tangela, respectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Blast
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Explosion / Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Golem has great power and coverage with just two STAB moves, and it would be waste to not abuse it with a Choice Band set. It is significantly stronger than Golem's other two sets, and can surprise physical walls, such as Miltank, with its damage output. However, Earthquake is a risky move to get locked into, as it allows dangerous threats such as Substitute + CM Mesprit to set up and proceed to destroy your team. As a result, this set requires greater prediction skills as well—with great power comes great responsibility! Earthquake and Rock Blast hit everything for neutral damage bar Torterra, which is covered by Fire Punch. A choice of Normal-type move rounds out the set, as Golem has very few other options.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Of course, Stone Edge can replace Rock Blast for more raw power, but Rock Blast breaks Substitute, not to mention that this Golem really hates missing, especially on switch-ins that are weak to Rock. Again, an Adamant nature is used to maximize Golem's Attack, and HP investment is usually pointless. However, a spread of 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe improves its bulk significantly against super effective physical attacks. Both abilities are viable for the set: Sturdy in tandem with Choice Band is great since Golem is guaranteed to get a hit on the opponent, but entry hazards will negate Sturdy. On the other hand, Rock Head allows Golem to use Double-Edge with no recoil. Use Sturdy with Explosion, and Rock Head with Double-Edge.</p>
<p>Since the fourth moveslot is almost useless, Stealth Rock and Toxic are viable for helping out the team and crippling physical walls, respectively. However, these moves are also rather situational, and being Choice-locked into a non-offensive move is very dangerous. Even if Golem has Stealth Rock in its fourth slot, you should not expect it to reliably set up Stealth Rock like the Utility set would. While this set is very strong, it struggles to bypass Tangela and Alomomola. As a result, Jynx is a great teammate to set up on Golem's counters. Golem can also switch into things that deal with Jynx, such as Probopass. Defensive Torterra and Leafeon, while rare, check Golem effectively, and a Substitute + Swords Dance Leafeon of your own can set up on those bulky pivots. Leafeon is also rather difficult to counter without Swellow or Braviary, which Golem can reliably switch into.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Golem has several options, but very few are significant. Rock Slide is an option in case you want a reliable attack with high accuracy, but Stone Edge and Rock Blast are both superior. Steamroller is a possible offensive option, but does not hit anything significant other than Exeggutor and Cacturne. A Substitute set can be used, setting up Substitute against Normal-types, such as Swellow. Golem does have other offensive options in Superpower, Hammer Arm, and Thunderpunch, but they provide redundant coverage and are useless in general. An all-out attacker set similar to the Choice Band set is viable with Life Orb over Choice Band and Sucker Punch in the final slot, but Golem does not appreciate Life Orb eating into its bulk. A defensive set with Roar is viable, but Golem is generally outclassed by Regirock and Bastiodon in a defensive role. Finally, Explosion can be used with a Normal Gem on the Utility set, but Golem prefers to stay until lategame in order to check Swellow.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Golem is hard to counter because of its STAB EdgeQuake coverage. However, bulky Water- and Grass-types fare well as a defensive answer. Quagsire can set up Curse in Golem's face and laugh off everything Golem can throw at it, and Alomomola can stall with Wish and Protect. Tangela and Leafeon resist Earthquake and KO Golem easily with Giga Drain and Leaf Blade, respectively. Torterra resists Stone Edge and Earthquake, and can even set up with Rock Polish to go for a sweep. Misdreavus and Weezing are both immune to Earthquake, and can burn Golem to make it useless. Of course, checking Golem is infinitely easier because Golem will fall to any reasonably strong special attack, and Grass- and Water-type moves will easily OHKO it.</p>
Not that experienced with NU metagame, so throwing out common, metagame-relevant threats here and there is welcome. Not like NU's a stable tier anyways, but...
[Overview]
• Rock/Ground typing gives Golem some very useful resistances and a great dual STAB
• Okay attack, okay physical bulk
• low special defense
• heinous speed
• has sturdy which is pretty cool
• Still outclassed by Rhydon here. No Megahorn, No Ice Punch, lower attack, lack of eviolite. Rhydon's leaving, though, so too bad
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Explosion / Sucker Punch
item: Normal Gem / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
• Sets up Stealth Rock reliably thanks to sturdy
• EdgeQuake Coverage to suck less and actually pose an offensive threat
• Sucker Punch comes in handy vs. offensive teams so that you hurt an opposing mon with your STAB and finish it off with the priority
• On the other hand, explosion should get you out of the way before slower spinners spin, preserving your hazards, but spinners are kinda rare in NU.
• As a bonus, Normal Gem Explosion actually hurts.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
• Normal Gem’s better here given the lack of spinners / good spinners in NU. Explosiosn + SR can deny spinning by killing yourself, but not like that really matters when the only spinner is Cryogonal, which outspeeds you no matter what. A single Rock in Rock Blast should KO should it decide to switch in on you while you still have sturdy active anyway. Lum or Mental Herb might let Golem do his job more consistently vs. sleep leads like Smeargle and Rock Blast hoping for an OHKO.
• Rock Blast over Stone Edge. Rock Blast beats Ninjasks and (with Lum) beats Smeargle, increasing lead utility. Note that the chance of second ohko is rather unlikely, though, so you really can't bank on it.
• 252/252 offensive spread because really there’s no point in investing Golem’s bulk. He’ll wall normals and fliers anyway and he’ll die to special attacks anyway. He needs speed to outspeed fellow mollasses and go Kaboom.
• more defensive 176 /252 / 80 spread is still viable.
• Just like other dedicated stealth rock users, there’s no point in giving Golem any support.
• Offensive teams want sr and they appreciate an offensive sr setter like golem.
• Dedicated leads don’t really exist anymore but this is as close as it comes.
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Fire Punch / Double-Edge
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
• Alleviates Golem's speed issues, probably its biggest weakness
• Fourth slot is debatable, as really EdgeQuake coverage is enough to cover most things bar Torterra, which isn’t really common to begin with.
• Fears super-effective priority and faster Scarf users
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
• Sturdy does guarantee the Rock Polish, but Rock Head has Double-Edge on its side
• Probably can drop down in speed, but idgaf if I’m missing any important targets
• Still loses to fast things like scarf sawk.
• Hazard support is extremely helpful if not outright vital for this set, so having teammates who can set it up is a great boon (it’s kinda weak)
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Blast
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Explosion / Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
• good initial power
• good prediction is necessary
• EdgeQuake + normal coverage, same deal
• Rock Blast is preferred to break Subs and because this Golem really hates a miss
• I really don’t know what to put on the final slot so please help
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
• Stone Edge over Rock Blast if you want more raw power, but this is a pure prediction-based set and i'll assure you you will be frustrated and stone edge will miss on switch-ins that get his super-effectively.
• Explosion goes with Sturdy, Double-Edge goes with Rock Head
• Idk does he get Thunderpunch?
• Since the 4th moveslot coverage is pretty much useless given the lack of edgequake resists, so you can use situational things such as Stealth Rock or Toxic. But getting locked into a non-offensive move kinda sucks. Especially if you want to reliably set up SR with this and do damage, you'll need beastly prediction.
• Loses to strong physical walls, but haven't seen an NU physical wall strong enough for CB Golem so far. Things like Eviolite Tangela should stuff itm though.
• Both abilities are viable I guess, Rock Head for the recoilless Double Edge. Sturdy on a CB attacker sounds fun, but then Double Edge might as well be useless because I’m breaking my own sturdy. So I put Explosion on there for now, but Explosion’s actually really weaksauce, barely stronger than a neutral STAB.
[Other Options]
• Take the CB set and put LO, name it 'all out attacker' with the last moveslot occupied by somewhat-more-useful Sucker Punch.
• Rock Slide, if neither Stone Edge nor Rock Blast is appealing
• Fire Punch, if you need that fire coverage for whatever reason (not so useful in nu I find)
• Substitute set a la Subperior?
• Defensive set is completely outclassed by eviolite Rhydon
[Checks and Counters]
• Quagsire sets up in Golem's face and laughs off anything Golem can throw at it. KOed by Explosion on the first set, though.
• Sandslash can break Golem's substitutes with Earthquake, tank its hits, and kill it off with Toxic; however Sandslash lacks recovery and so can be worn down. Tangela can wall and kill it with Giga Drain, Leafeon walls with wish and kills with STAB.
• Torterra can wall EdgeQuake deal heavy damage with either STAB.
• Golem hates being statused in general because burn makes him useless and toxic breaks his sturdy
• Absorb and Bubble
[Overview]
• Rock/Ground typing gives Golem some very useful resistances and a great dual STAB
• Okay attack, okay physical bulk
• low special defense
• heinous speed
• has sturdy which is pretty cool
• Still outclassed by Rhydon here. No Megahorn, No Ice Punch, lower attack, lack of eviolite. Rhydon's leaving, though, so too bad
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Explosion / Sucker Punch
item: Normal Gem / Lum Berry
ability: Sturdy
nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
• Sets up Stealth Rock reliably thanks to sturdy
• EdgeQuake Coverage to suck less and actually pose an offensive threat
• Sucker Punch comes in handy vs. offensive teams so that you hurt an opposing mon with your STAB and finish it off with the priority
• On the other hand, explosion should get you out of the way before slower spinners spin, preserving your hazards, but spinners are kinda rare in NU.
• As a bonus, Normal Gem Explosion actually hurts.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
• Normal Gem’s better here given the lack of spinners / good spinners in NU. Explosiosn + SR can deny spinning by killing yourself, but not like that really matters when the only spinner is Cryogonal, which outspeeds you no matter what. A single Rock in Rock Blast should KO should it decide to switch in on you while you still have sturdy active anyway. Lum or Mental Herb might let Golem do his job more consistently vs. sleep leads like Smeargle and Rock Blast hoping for an OHKO.
• Rock Blast over Stone Edge. Rock Blast beats Ninjasks and (with Lum) beats Smeargle, increasing lead utility. Note that the chance of second ohko is rather unlikely, though, so you really can't bank on it.
• 252/252 offensive spread because really there’s no point in investing Golem’s bulk. He’ll wall normals and fliers anyway and he’ll die to special attacks anyway. He needs speed to outspeed fellow mollasses and go Kaboom.
• more defensive 176 /252 / 80 spread is still viable.
• Just like other dedicated stealth rock users, there’s no point in giving Golem any support.
• Offensive teams want sr and they appreciate an offensive sr setter like golem.
• Dedicated leads don’t really exist anymore but this is as close as it comes.
[SET]
name: Rock Polish
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Fire Punch / Double-Edge
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
• Alleviates Golem's speed issues, probably its biggest weakness
• Fourth slot is debatable, as really EdgeQuake coverage is enough to cover most things bar Torterra, which isn’t really common to begin with.
• Fears super-effective priority and faster Scarf users
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
• Sturdy does guarantee the Rock Polish, but Rock Head has Double-Edge on its side
• Probably can drop down in speed, but idgaf if I’m missing any important targets
• Still loses to fast things like scarf sawk.
• Hazard support is extremely helpful if not outright vital for this set, so having teammates who can set it up is a great boon (it’s kinda weak)
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Blast
move 3: Fire Punch
move 4: Explosion / Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
• good initial power
• good prediction is necessary
• EdgeQuake + normal coverage, same deal
• Rock Blast is preferred to break Subs and because this Golem really hates a miss
• I really don’t know what to put on the final slot so please help
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
• Stone Edge over Rock Blast if you want more raw power, but this is a pure prediction-based set and i'll assure you you will be frustrated and stone edge will miss on switch-ins that get his super-effectively.
• Explosion goes with Sturdy, Double-Edge goes with Rock Head
• Idk does he get Thunderpunch?
• Since the 4th moveslot coverage is pretty much useless given the lack of edgequake resists, so you can use situational things such as Stealth Rock or Toxic. But getting locked into a non-offensive move kinda sucks. Especially if you want to reliably set up SR with this and do damage, you'll need beastly prediction.
• Loses to strong physical walls, but haven't seen an NU physical wall strong enough for CB Golem so far. Things like Eviolite Tangela should stuff itm though.
• Both abilities are viable I guess, Rock Head for the recoilless Double Edge. Sturdy on a CB attacker sounds fun, but then Double Edge might as well be useless because I’m breaking my own sturdy. So I put Explosion on there for now, but Explosion’s actually really weaksauce, barely stronger than a neutral STAB.
[Other Options]
• Take the CB set and put LO, name it 'all out attacker' with the last moveslot occupied by somewhat-more-useful Sucker Punch.
• Rock Slide, if neither Stone Edge nor Rock Blast is appealing
• Fire Punch, if you need that fire coverage for whatever reason (not so useful in nu I find)
• Substitute set a la Subperior?
• Defensive set is completely outclassed by eviolite Rhydon
[Checks and Counters]
• Quagsire sets up in Golem's face and laughs off anything Golem can throw at it. KOed by Explosion on the first set, though.
• Sandslash can break Golem's substitutes with Earthquake, tank its hits, and kill it off with Toxic; however Sandslash lacks recovery and so can be worn down. Tangela can wall and kill it with Giga Drain, Leafeon walls with wish and kills with STAB.
• Torterra can wall EdgeQuake deal heavy damage with either STAB.
• Golem hates being statused in general because burn makes him useless and toxic breaks his sturdy
• Absorb and Bubble
