[OVERVIEW]
Thick Fat, mono-Fighting typing, and a huge HP stat make Hariyama one of the best checks to Fire-, Ice-, and Dark-types, such as Magmortar, Abomasnow, and Shiftry, in the tier. In addition, Assault Vest makes Hariyama a special tank that can easily fit onto most teams. It's no sitting duck, either; its great Attack stat, STAB Close Combat, and Knock Off make Hariyama decently offensively threatening. However, due to its lack of a boosting item, Hariyama struggles to do much to most Fighting-type checks outside of getting rid of their item with Knock Off. It's also vulnerable to the common Flying- and Psychic-types. Its bulk is undermined by its lack of any form of recovery, which makes it very easy to wear down. Hariyama's unfortunate Speed leaves it outsped by almost all offensive Pokemon and a significant number of defensive ones.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Fake Out / Earthquake / Stone Edge
item: Assault Vest
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is a powerful STAB move, at least 2HKOing most offensive threats that don't resist it. Knock Off removes items, crippling most switch-ins; hits Psychic- and Ghost-types super effectively; and hits Poison- and Flying-types neutrally. Bullet Punch provides useful priority to chip away at faster Pokemon, such as Sceptile, Archeops, and Lilligant. Fake Out pairs very well with Bullet Punch, letting Hariyama revenge kill physically frail Pokemon such as Jynx and Vivillon, the latter if it has been weakened. Earthquake hits Garbodor, preventing Hariyama from being setup fodder, and has the nice bonus of hitting Fire-types without defense drops. Stone Edge hits Flying-types such as Xatu, Mantine, Pelipper, and especially Scyther.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature give Hariyama good power, and maximum Special Defense and Assault Vest make it very specially bulky. Thick Fat gives Hariyama its niche as one of the best Fire- and Ice-type checks. Guts is an alternative, as it allows Hariyama to beat Pokemon such as Rotom, Weezing, and Mismagius that rely on burns to cripple it, but Thick Fat is better, as the Fire- and Ice-type resistances are key parts of Hariyama's niche.
Usage Tips
========
Come in on the various threats Hariyama checks, namely Fire- and Ice-types such as Magmortar and Aurorus. Hariyama can also come in on special attackers that can't hit it super effectively, such as Sceptile and Samurott, though it can easily be worn down after switching in a few times, so don't rely on Hariyama as the sole answer to them. Hariyama generally can't do too much to sturdy Fighting checks, so use Knock Off as they switch in to at least get rid of their items. The combination of Fake Out and Bullet Punch can be used to revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Jynx, Vivillon, and Sceptile, the latter two only when they're weakened to around 50% HP. When running Earthquake or Stone Edge, try to hit Garbodor or Flying-types on the switch, respectively.
Team Options
========
Hariyama fits easily on almost any team because of its unique resistances, decent offensive presence, and the fact that it doesn't need much support. Balance staples such as Vileplume, Mantine, and Xatu really appreciate Hariyama's Fire and Ice resistances. Physical sponges such as Rhydon pair very well with Hariyama, as they take on the physical attackers it can't; Steelix in particular handles Flying- and Psychic-types while Hariyama checks Fire-types and most special attackers in general. Xatu, Claydol, and Mantine can remove (Toxic) Spikes or, in the case of Xatu, bounce them back thanks to Magic Bounce, which is fairly important for Hariyama, as not only is it worn down quickly by entry hazards due to its lack of recovery, it's also hard checked by Garbodor and Weezing, the two most common (Toxic) Spikes setters. Fast offensive Pokemon such as Sceptile and Swellow make up for Hariyama's lackluster Speed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A fast spread, with 140 Speed EVs to outspeed Lanturn or even 188 to outspeed Malamar, is a solid option depending on the team, but it severely cuts into Hariyama's bulk, making it much easier for Pokemon such as Pyroar and Sceptile to get past it. A Choice Band set with Guts as its ability running Close Combat, Knock Off, Earthquake, and a choice between Stone Edge, Bullet Punch, Ice Punch lets Hariyama break past most Fighting-type checks; Thick Fat is also usable on this set as a softer check to Magmortar and Ice-types. A Life Orb set utilizing Sheer Force lures checks such as Vileplume and Pelipper and can remove them with Ice Punch and Thunder Punch, respectively. A set consisting of Belly Drum, Close Combat, Knock Off, and Bullet Punch is very niche and lacks utility, but it's a fun option nonetheless. Holding Leftovers over Assault Vest allows Hariyama to run Toxic to cripple checks such as Mantine and Pelipper, but the drop in special bulk is very noticeable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Vileplume and Weezing have nothing to fear from Hariyama and can KO it back eventually, and both Weezing and Garbodor use Hariyama as (Toxic) Spikes fodder. Garbodor is 2HKOed by the occasional Earthquake, though.
**Flying-types**: Flying-types such as Scyther, Rotom-S, and Pelipper aren't weak to Hariyama's common coverage moves and KO it back with their super effective STAB moves. However, none of them like Knock Off, especially Scyther because it loses its Eviolite, and Rotom-S doesn't have reliable recovery. In addition, while requiring prediction, Stone Edge can catch them by surprise.
**Psychic-types**: Psychic-types such as Musharna, Xatu, and Mesprit are good checks or counters to Hariyama, and they often run Colbur Berry to take less damage from Knock Off.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Very physically bulky Pokemon such as Mega Audino, defensive Mawile, and Torterra serve as effective checks or counters to Hariyama due to its lack of a boosting item.
**Faster Physical Attackers**: Due to its low Speed and mediocre physical bulk, faster physical attackers such as Tauros and Kangaskhan can revenge kill Hariyama fairly easily.
Thick Fat, mono-Fighting typing, and a huge HP stat make Hariyama one of the best checks to Fire-, Ice-, and Dark-types, such as Magmortar, Abomasnow, and Shiftry, in the tier. In addition, Assault Vest makes Hariyama a special tank that can easily fit onto most teams. It's no sitting duck, either; its great Attack stat, STAB Close Combat, and Knock Off make Hariyama decently offensively threatening. However, due to its lack of a boosting item, Hariyama struggles to do much to most Fighting-type checks outside of getting rid of their item with Knock Off. It's also vulnerable to the common Flying- and Psychic-types. Its bulk is undermined by its lack of any form of recovery, which makes it very easy to wear down. Hariyama's unfortunate Speed leaves it outsped by almost all offensive Pokemon and a significant number of defensive ones.
[SET]
name: Assault Vest
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Bullet Punch
move 4: Fake Out / Earthquake / Stone Edge
item: Assault Vest
ability: Thick Fat
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is a powerful STAB move, at least 2HKOing most offensive threats that don't resist it. Knock Off removes items, crippling most switch-ins; hits Psychic- and Ghost-types super effectively; and hits Poison- and Flying-types neutrally. Bullet Punch provides useful priority to chip away at faster Pokemon, such as Sceptile, Archeops, and Lilligant. Fake Out pairs very well with Bullet Punch, letting Hariyama revenge kill physically frail Pokemon such as Jynx and Vivillon, the latter if it has been weakened. Earthquake hits Garbodor, preventing Hariyama from being setup fodder, and has the nice bonus of hitting Fire-types without defense drops. Stone Edge hits Flying-types such as Xatu, Mantine, Pelipper, and especially Scyther.
Set Details
========
Maximum Attack investment and an Adamant nature give Hariyama good power, and maximum Special Defense and Assault Vest make it very specially bulky. Thick Fat gives Hariyama its niche as one of the best Fire- and Ice-type checks. Guts is an alternative, as it allows Hariyama to beat Pokemon such as Rotom, Weezing, and Mismagius that rely on burns to cripple it, but Thick Fat is better, as the Fire- and Ice-type resistances are key parts of Hariyama's niche.
Usage Tips
========
Come in on the various threats Hariyama checks, namely Fire- and Ice-types such as Magmortar and Aurorus. Hariyama can also come in on special attackers that can't hit it super effectively, such as Sceptile and Samurott, though it can easily be worn down after switching in a few times, so don't rely on Hariyama as the sole answer to them. Hariyama generally can't do too much to sturdy Fighting checks, so use Knock Off as they switch in to at least get rid of their items. The combination of Fake Out and Bullet Punch can be used to revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Jynx, Vivillon, and Sceptile, the latter two only when they're weakened to around 50% HP. When running Earthquake or Stone Edge, try to hit Garbodor or Flying-types on the switch, respectively.
Team Options
========
Hariyama fits easily on almost any team because of its unique resistances, decent offensive presence, and the fact that it doesn't need much support. Balance staples such as Vileplume, Mantine, and Xatu really appreciate Hariyama's Fire and Ice resistances. Physical sponges such as Rhydon pair very well with Hariyama, as they take on the physical attackers it can't; Steelix in particular handles Flying- and Psychic-types while Hariyama checks Fire-types and most special attackers in general. Xatu, Claydol, and Mantine can remove (Toxic) Spikes or, in the case of Xatu, bounce them back thanks to Magic Bounce, which is fairly important for Hariyama, as not only is it worn down quickly by entry hazards due to its lack of recovery, it's also hard checked by Garbodor and Weezing, the two most common (Toxic) Spikes setters. Fast offensive Pokemon such as Sceptile and Swellow make up for Hariyama's lackluster Speed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A fast spread, with 140 Speed EVs to outspeed Lanturn or even 188 to outspeed Malamar, is a solid option depending on the team, but it severely cuts into Hariyama's bulk, making it much easier for Pokemon such as Pyroar and Sceptile to get past it. A Choice Band set with Guts as its ability running Close Combat, Knock Off, Earthquake, and a choice between Stone Edge, Bullet Punch, Ice Punch lets Hariyama break past most Fighting-type checks; Thick Fat is also usable on this set as a softer check to Magmortar and Ice-types. A Life Orb set utilizing Sheer Force lures checks such as Vileplume and Pelipper and can remove them with Ice Punch and Thunder Punch, respectively. A set consisting of Belly Drum, Close Combat, Knock Off, and Bullet Punch is very niche and lacks utility, but it's a fun option nonetheless. Holding Leftovers over Assault Vest allows Hariyama to run Toxic to cripple checks such as Mantine and Pelipper, but the drop in special bulk is very noticeable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Vileplume and Weezing have nothing to fear from Hariyama and can KO it back eventually, and both Weezing and Garbodor use Hariyama as (Toxic) Spikes fodder. Garbodor is 2HKOed by the occasional Earthquake, though.
**Flying-types**: Flying-types such as Scyther, Rotom-S, and Pelipper aren't weak to Hariyama's common coverage moves and KO it back with their super effective STAB moves. However, none of them like Knock Off, especially Scyther because it loses its Eviolite, and Rotom-S doesn't have reliable recovery. In addition, while requiring prediction, Stone Edge can catch them by surprise.
**Psychic-types**: Psychic-types such as Musharna, Xatu, and Mesprit are good checks or counters to Hariyama, and they often run Colbur Berry to take less damage from Knock Off.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Very physically bulky Pokemon such as Mega Audino, defensive Mawile, and Torterra serve as effective checks or counters to Hariyama due to its lack of a boosting item.
**Faster Physical Attackers**: Due to its low Speed and mediocre physical bulk, faster physical attackers such as Tauros and Kangaskhan can revenge kill Hariyama fairly easily.
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