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Moves Close Combat is Hariyama's strongest STAB move, but it comes with the cost of lowering its defenses. Knock Off can threaten Ghost and Psychic-types that attempt to switch in against Close Combat like Mismagius, Cresselia, and Alolan Marowak and remove items from bulky Pokemon like Registeel and Bronzong. Stone Edge and Earthquake form a combination that can hurt anything that resists Close Combat such as Golisopod, Noivern, Salazzle, Nidoqueen, and Diancie. Bullet Punch is a decent option to revenge kill weakened Pokemon like Gardevoir and Noivern. Set Details The given investment with an Assault Vest allows Hariyama to take hits from Pokemon like Nidoqueen, Salazzle, and Mega Blastoise while still outpacing uninvested Pokemon up to base 60 Speed like Tangela, Registeel, and Diancie. Thick Fat gives Hariyama extra resistances to Fire- and Ice-type moves from Pokemon such as Arcanine, Raikou, and Mega Blastoise. Usage Tips Hariyama can use its sheer bulk to directly pivot into threatening special attackers such as Mega Blastoise, Raikou, and Mega Sceptile. It can also find opportunities to come in against Stealth Rock setters such as Registeel, Nidoqueen, and Bronzong as they set entry hazards, but it must be cautious of Toxic. Once in battle, Close Combat is generally a safe move to use because of its raw power and coverage, but be cautious of repeated uses, because it lowers Hariyama's defenses with each use. Knock Off is also a good move to use early- to mid-game, as it can cripple defensive checks such as Slowbro, Cresselia, and Golbat, which makes these Pokemon less threatening late-game. Hariyama can usually force switches, so it would be wise to take advantage of that and go for a coverage move to possibly OHKO or 2HKO Pokemon like Noivern, Diancie, or Sigilyph. Hariyama is incredibly bulky, but make sure the battlefield is clear of entry hazards, as repeatedly switching into them wears down Hariyama. Additionally, keep Hariyama away from Knock Off, as it needs its Assault Vest to reliably pivot into special attackers. Finally, do not let it be inflicted with status, as Toxic will chip away at Hariyama's bulk every turn, and being burned from Scald lowers its offensive presence. Team Options Gardevoir is an ideal partner for Hariyama, since it can provide Healing Wish support if Hariyama has sustained prior damage. In return, Hariyama can threaten the Steel-, Dark-, and Fire-types that can take Gardevoir's STAB attacks. Pokemon like Virizion, Noivern, Flygon, and Mega Sceptile appreciate Hariyama's ability to act as a switch-in to Fire- and Ice-type moves. Noivern and Flygon can also safely bring Hariyama in safely with U-turn. Teammates like Registeel, Metagross, and Golisopod can help ease Hariyama's time against Psychic- and Fairy-types, while partners such as Raikou, Rhyperior, and Tyrantrum make dealing with Flying-types much easier. Entry hazard removers such as Mega Blastoise, Donphan, and Sigilyph can extend Hariyama's longevity by removing entry hazards that wear it down. Sigilyph can also switch into Toxic for Hariyama. A Z-Move user such as Virizion, Raikou, or Bewear or a Mega Evolution such as Mega Blastoise gives Hariyama a safety net against Knock Off, as it needs its Assault Vest in order to check special attackers.

Moves Close Combat hits targets that don't resist it hard coming off of Hariyama's solid 120 Attack stat and is easy to spam late-game when Fighting-resistant foes are gone or weakened. Knock Off provides good coverage alongside Close Combat as well as utility by getting rid of Leftovers from Hariyama's switch-ins. Heavy Slam rounds out Hariyama's coverage, hitting Fairy-types hard, while Bullet Punch can be used to pick off weakened targets as well as Focus Sash and Sturdy users such as Sawk. Ice Punch hits Venusaur harder than any of Hariyama's other moves, making them a lot less problematic, while Fake Out can provide decent chip damage. Set Details 152 Defense EVs allow Hariyama to avoid the 3HKO from Sneasel's Low Kick as well as the 2HKO from Mega Glalie's Double-Edge after Spikes damage. 136 Special Defense EVs with an Assault Vest allow Hariyama to avoid the 3HKO from Flygon's Earth Power as well as the OHKO from Choice Specs Meloetta. The rest is put into Attack to make Hariyama hit as hard as possible. Thick Fat gives Hariyama an invaluable pseudo-resistance to Ice and Fire. Usage Tips Bring Hariyama in against Pokemon such as Houndoom that can't do much against it and fire off Close Combats if there are few Fighting-resistant Pokemon on the opposing team. Otherwise, use Knock Off to cripple switch-ins, getting rid of Leftovers and the like. Knock Off is going to be used more often during the early- and mid-game, while late-game you can just use Close Combat. Hariyama usually performs best mid-game when it can weaken the opposing team as well as take advantage of already weakened Pokemon. Make sure to keep Hariyama healthy enough to take a hit in order to take advantage of Wish support. Keep Hariyama away from Scald, since burns wear it down and cut its Attack in half. Team Options Since Hariyama pressures Steel-types, Pokemon that can take advantage of this such as Fletchinder work well. Pokemon that have a good matchup versus Flying-types, such as Diancie, Manectric, and Steelix, are also good teammates. Switch-ins to Psychic-types such as Spiritomb and Drapion can synergize well with Hariyama. Answers to Regenerator cores that Hariyama struggles with are useful. Sigilyph provides a good answer to Poison-types and can be a great status absorber with Magic Guard, which is incredibly useful. Wish support allows Hariyama to repeatedly switch into what it wants to check, and Alomomola in particular is a good answer to Fletchinder.

Moves Fake Out causes a foe to flinch, allowing a partner to set up Trick Room more safely. Close Combat is a high-powered STAB move and one of Hariyama's greatest advantages over Scrafty. Knock Off hits Ghost- and Psychic-types, which are immune to or resist Fighting, and is also able to remove items. It's also worth noting that, as Hariyama is so slow, it can underspeed and KO Aegislash with Knock Off after it has changed to Blade forme. Ice Punch deals super effective damage to Flying-types such as Landorus-T and Mega Salamence. Rock Slide is an alternative coverage option to Ice Punch that helps deal with Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y and Volcarona. Wide Guard is an option when used with Sitrus Berry that defends Hariyama and its partner from spread attacks. Set Details A Brave nature and 172 Attack EVs are used to KO bulky Mega Kangaskhan with Close Combat. Defensively, the EVs allow Hariyama to survive either a Double-Edge from Jolly Mega Kangaskhan or two Psychics from Modest Cresselia. Assault Vest is used to improve Hariyama's special bulk as much as possible. Sitrus Berry is an alternative if you'd prefer the ability to use a status move, as it also improves longevity. When using Sitrus Berry, an EV spread of 60 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 244 SpD should be used to KO 4 HP Mega Kangaskhan and survive Choice Specs Hydreigon's Draco Meteor. Guts allows Hariyama to function as a status sponge and prevents burns from neutering Hariyama's damage output. Thick Fat is an option to help Hariyama function as a better check to Fire-types and should preferably be used in combination with Rock Slide. 0 Speed IVs are used to allow Hariyama to move as soon as possible under Trick Room. Usage Tips You should generally use Hariyama in the lead position to gain early momentum with Fake Out, preferably by aiding a partner in setting up Trick Room. Offensively, try to focus more on targets that threaten Hariyama's bulkier partners rather than Hariyama itself, as they are likely to be more valuable in the late-game. Don't be overly concerned about the defense drops from Close Combat, as Hariyama is quite bulky despite them and is likely to have already traded efficiently before they become an issue. They may even help with momentum, as removing Hariyama from the field quickly after it has done its job could make way for a more appropriate sweeper to switch in for free. However, be mindful of instances where Hariyama could be conserved to sponge damage and status later on or to maintain the option of using Fake Out. Team Options Trick Room setters such as Jellicent, Cresselia, and Gothitelle are mandatory partners in order to set up Trick Room for Hariyama and the rest of its team. Steel-types such as Mega Mawile, Ferrothorn, and Escavalier can deal with Fairies and check Psychic-types, which threaten Hariyama. Bisharp is also notable as a Steel-type, as its Dark typing makes it immune to Psychic and its Defiant ability deters opponents from bringing in Intimidate users, which reduce Hariyama's damage output. Fire-types such as Rotom-H, Heatran, and Mega Camerupt can check Amoonguss, which is otherwise problematic due to its ability to redirect Hariyama's Fighting-type attacks with Rage Powder. These partners also provide resistances to Fairy-type moves. Water-types such as Rotom-W and Gastrodon serve as deterrents to Talonflame by threatening it with super effective STAB moves. Pokemon vulnerable to spread moves such as Abomasnow, Heatran, and Charizard make for good partners, as they appreciate being defended against them by Wide Guard.

Boasting a stellar base 120 Attack and the Guts ability, it should come as no surprise that Hariyama pulls off an offensive set best. Its execution couldn't be simpler: use Fake Out on Hariyama's first turn to activate Toxic Orb, and proceed to KO foes with STAB Guts Close Combat, an attack so powerful it 2HKOes even bulky Water-types such as Milotic, Blastoise, Suicune, and physically defensive Quagsire. Stone Edge provides powerful super effective coverage on the Flying-types that resist Close Combat, while Bullet Punch enables Hariyama to bypass its low Speed, allowing it to shave about a third of health off Choice Scarf revenge killers such as Flygon and Krookodile. Although the coverage Hariyama gains through the combination of Fighting- and Rock-type moves is by no means shabby, it admittedly isn't that great in the UU tier, where Claydol and Nidoqueen, which resist both moves, abound. Ice Punch is therefore an excellent alternative; not only does it give Hariyama perfect neutral coverage, it hits the aforementioned Claydol and Nidoqueen super effectively, and with Stealth Rock support and minor prior damage, achieves the OHKO on Eviolite Gligar. However, one ought to note that due to the STAB boost, Close Combat is more than twice as powerful as Ice Punch; therefore, Ice Punch is only the better option against Pokemon that both resist Fighting-type moves and are weak to Ice-type moves, such as Roserade and Nidoking, or that are doubly weak to Ice-type attacks, such as Flygon and the aforementioned Gligar. As is standard for an offensive Pokemon, Attack investment is maximized, with an Adamant nature taking full advantage of Hariyama's huge Attack stat. 84 Speed EVs allow Hariyama to outpace uninvested base 60 Speed Pokemon, such as Empoleon, Clefable, and Weezing, and the rest are invested into Defense for maximum bulk. The only other item worth considering is Flame Orb, which does less damage than Toxic Orb if Hariyama stays in for 4 turns or more. However, especially without investment, Hariyama isn't the bulkiest Pokemon around, and due to its mediocre Speed, it tends to function as more of a hit-and-run attacker. While most other bulky Water-types are 2HKOed by Close Combat, Slowbro is the bane of this set; it resists Close Combat and takes a pittance from Stone Edge, is not easily worn down due to Slack Off and Regenerator, and can pick off Hariyama with STAB Psychic. Roserade packs a powerful STAB Leaf Storm and can also lay Toxic Spikes, which drastically reduce Slowbro's walling capability. If their shared weakness to Psychic-type moves is problematic, however, Shaymin and Rotom-C are alternative sources of strong Grass-type attacks, and the latter can also pose a terrible annoyance with Volt Switch. Heracross is another excellent switch-in to Slowbro. It can take advantage of the opportunity to fire off a powerful Close Combat or Megahorn, and it can furthermore work in tandem with Hariyama to wear down their common counters, opening the way for one of them to sweep. While they are less common, bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Uxie, Cresselia, Dusclops, and Spiritomb can also prove problematic to take down. Strong Ghost- or Dark-type attackers can easily patch up this weakness; Weavile, Spiritomb, Krookodile, and Honchkrow pack powerful Pursuits, while Mismagius and Houndoom can take advantage of the forced switch to set up a Nasty Plot boost and wreak havoc.

Combining the offense of the first set with the bulk of the second, this set capitalizes on Hariyama's access to the move Bulk Up. A single use of the move gives Hariyama the equivalent of a Guts boost, while also buffing its Defense, making it ridiculously difficult to take down. While Gallade and Gurdurr may appear to be superior Bulk Up users thanks to receiving Drain Punch, Force Palm's secondary effect is useful as well, patching up Hariyama's low Speed and ensuring that it moves first; the paralysis support it provides also makes Hariyama much more of a team player. As always, Stone Edge hits Flying-types such as Zapdos and Tornadus that resist Hariyama's STAB, while Ice Punch rounds out coverage nicely, hitting Gligar, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, and Golurk for super effective damage. As the three attacks listed give Hariyama perfect neutral coverage, there aren't very many other options. Payback isn't slashed because it tends to work against Force Palm; an unboosted Payback does as much damage to Ghost- and Psychic-types as a neutral Stone Edge does, and even without paralysis, these bulky walls rarely outspeed Hariyama. However, if hitting Uxie is important, or if you want a guaranteed OHKO on Alakazam at +0, and all Mismagius and Azelf, Payback is worthy of consideration. The EVs are straightforward: maximum Attack investment and a boosting nature allow Hariyama to hit hard, while the rest of the EVs are placed into Special Defense as Bulk Up boosts Hariyama's Defense. Feel free to shift Attack investment to Defense in order to set up on relatively weak physical attackers such as Claydol, Spiritomb, Registeel, and Donphan, but Hariyama must still watch out for Will-O-Wisp, Toxic, and Roar respectively. While the power boost won't go unnoticed, Hariyama generally can't afford to forgo its only form of recovery by using Life Orb. Guts, on the other hand, is definitely viable. In particular, it will be useful against the aforementioned status users, as well as bulky Ghost-types such as Dusclops, who will likely attempt to burn a boosting Hariyama. Strong Psychic- and Flying-type attackers fare well against this set. Slowbro and Uxie can all sponge hits well and retaliate with Psychic or Psyshock, and although Alakazam must watch out for Force Palm's paralysis chance, it can take even a +2 Force Palm and retaliate with Psychic. However, the OHKO is not guaranteed, even with Life Orb. Tornadus's Hurricane will OHKO, but its Flying Gem Acrobatics may not. With some luck, Togekiss can break through with Air Slash, and Choice Band Crobat will OHKO Hariyama even after the latter has gained a Bulk Up boost. Rhyperior and Empoleon are excellent counters to the aforementioned Flying-types, and can conveniently set up Stealth Rock to punish them for switching in; similarly, powerful Pursuit users such as Spiritomb, Weavile, and Krookodile can help to remove bulky Psychic- and Ghost-types.

If the previous set aimed to make full use of Hariyama's base 120 Attack, this set strives to do the same for its highest stat, HP, by turning Hariyama into an immense thorn in the opponent's side. Hariyama's immense bulk means it is not easily knocked out. Its Thick Fat ability also makes it an excellent check to Fire-type attackers. Force Palm's lovely secondary effect enables Hariyama to spread paralysis, while Whirlwind prevents foes boosting up on it and shuffles the opponent's team around, racking up entry hazard damage. Rest, while not the ultimate recovery move, is the best form of regaining health Hariyama can muster. It's far from terrible, though; Sleep Talk bypasses Whirlwind's negative priority, allowing it to phaze out slower foes without taking damage. Unlike most other walls, EV investment in Hariyama's HP is minimal--just enough to give it a Leftovers number--because its HP stat is enormous relative to its Defense and Special Defense stats. Its Special Defense is maximized as most attackers it will be walling, namely Rotom-H and Houndoom, are specially based. Nonetheless, a physically defensive nature can be utilized in order to better counter Darmanitan. This also ensures that Choice Scarf Flygon will only 3HKO with either Outrage or Earthquake; otherwise, with a neutral nature, all would be guaranteed KOs. Moreover, if the aforementioned Ice- and Fire-type attacks aren't a concern, the Guts ability is an option; it activates while Hariyama is asleep, giving Force Palm a nice boost. Alternatively, if one isn't worried about Hariyama being a sitting duck while asleep, Stone Edge, Ice Punch, or Payback can be used over Sleep Talk for coverage. Knock Off makes Hariyama an even greater nuisance; although it has the bulk to pull this off, it is hard-pressed to free up a moveslot. Above all, this variant of Hariyama must be used with entry hazard support. Of the three, Stealth Rock has the greatest distribution, so there are many options; Registeel and Empoleon resist both Hariyama's weaknesses, while in return, Hariyama resists the weaknesses of Psychic-types such as Uxie and Azelf. Roserade is among the most reliable Spikes user in the tier, and can provide cleric support as well. Alternatives for this extremely useful but specific form of support include Altaria and Togekiss.

This set adopts a different tack in order to combine Hariyama's offensive and defensive capabilities. Focus Punch is so monstrously powerful that a neutral hit outdamages a super effective Stone Edge, as is the case for a resisted hit and a neutral Stone Edge. Hariyama's Substitutes are no pushovers either; among the attacks they can sponge include Scald from bulky Water-types such as Blastoise, Milotic, and Suicune, Seismic Toss and Night Shade from foes such as Registeel, Dusclops, as well as Choice Scarf Darmanitan's U-turn. Thanks to Thick Fat, neutral-natured Houndoom will also more often than not fail to break Hariyama's Substitutes with Fire Blast. This surprising bulk often provides Hariyama with an additional turn of Leftovers recovery, and allows it to fire off yet another mighty Focus Punch. As previously mentioned, Stone Edge is the stronger attack only against Pokemon both weak to Rock-type attacks and resistant or immune to Fighting-type moves, such as Zapdos, Sigilyph, Xatu, and of course, all Ghost-types. However, Focus Punch will fail if Hariyama is hit the turn it is used, making Stone Edge the superior move if Hariyama isn't protected by a Substitute. In the last slot, Bulk Up and Payback both have their merits; the former comes in handy against opponents that Stone Edge just barely fails to OHKO, such as Crobat and Victini, as well as some variants of Zapdos and Mismagius, while the latter gains OHKOs on Alakazam, Azelf, and Mismagius. There isn't much need for a complicated EV spread; 252 Attack EVs along with a boosting nature maximizes Hariyama's damage output, while the rest buffer it against the previously mentioned special attacks. Again, some EVs can be reallocated into Defense, but doing so is not recommended, as most attacks Hariyama will be setting up on are specially based. Additionally, Hariyama will need all the power it can get, especially if you elect to forgo Bulk Up for Payback. Ice Punch is a more reliable option against Flying-types that wall Focus Punch, but it is not listed for a few good reasons. Firstly, it is significantly weaker; in contrast to Stone Edge, with which the KO is guaranteed, Ice Punch may not 2HKO Zapdos after Stealth Rock damage. Secondly, it does not even come close to 2HKOing its main target, Nidoqueen--Gligar and Golurk are rare, while Nidoking is frail--who has no problems breaking its Substitute with Earth Power. Guts is less of an option on this set than on the previous one because Substitute protects Hariyama against status, and also drains away its HP, which may cause it to die a premature death should it get burned or poisoned. Bulky Psychic-types pose the biggest issues to this variant; Uxie and Slowbro are barely scratched by either Focus Punch or Stone Edge, and can swiftly eliminate Hariyama with Psychic or Taunt it and set up on it, respectively. As with the first set, powerful Pursuit users such as Weavile and Spiritomb can severely punish these Psychic-types for coming in, Mismagius and Houndoom can take superb advantage of the free set-up opportunity, and so can Heracross, making them excellent choices.

The purpose of this set is for Hariyama to use Fake Out on turn 1 in order to assist its partner in setting up Trick Room. Subsequently, the Flame Orb will have burned Hariyama, activating Guts and giving Hariyama a 1.5x boost in Attack, bringing its Attack stat to 283. A Guts-boosted Close Combat hits everything that does not resist it for huge amounts of damage. Ice Punch can OHKO Latias, Latios, Thundurus, and Tornadus while giving Hariyama great neutral coverage. Rock Slide targets both opponents, and hits Pokemon such as Chandelure, Jellicent, and Volcarona for more damage. Rock Slide also allows Hariyama to damage Shedinja. It should be noted that a neutral Close Combat is more powerful than a 2x effective Rock Slide or Ice Punch, and a resisted Close Combat does more damage than a neutral Rock Slide or Ice Punch. Hariyama can use Detect to allow it to survive for an extra turn, while Wide Guard can be used to protect your team from multi-target attacks, such as Blizzard, Rock Slide, Heat Wave, and Earthquake. However, because of Egg move restrictions, Wide Guard and Ice Punch are incompatible. The 252 Attack EVs and a Brave nature allow Hariyama to do as much damage as possible, while the remaining EVs are split between Defense and Special Defense to maximize Hariyama's bulk. A Flame Orb is the best item for this set, but a Toxic Orb could be used if a teammate is running Flame Orb, or if you don't think Hariyama will be staying in for more than 3 turns. A Flame Orb is necessary because first, without the Guts boost, Hariyama will miss out on a lot of OHKOs, and second, burn gives Hariyama an immunity to status from the likes of Amoonguss. Furthermore, resist berries do not work too well with Hariyama because it will usually be attacking under Trick Room and will often KO the opponent before it gets to attack. Hariyama pairs very well with bulky Trick Room users such as Dusclops, Cresselia, and Musharna. The Trick Room users appreciate only having to take one hit when trying to set up, or even avoid being Taunted or Imprisoned thanks to Fake Out. Hariyama can also take out Dark-types such as Tyranitar and Scrafty for them. Dusclops, Cresselia, and Musharna can also use Helping Hand to boost Hariyama's power to even higher levels. Chandelure is another good partner for Hariyama as it can not only set up Trick Room, but also use Shadow Ball to beat the Psychic- and Ghost-types with whom Hariyama has trouble.

Hariyama is one of only two bulky Fighting-types in UU, and though he lacks the movepool and utility of his competitor, Hitmontop, he more than makes up for it with his greater bulk, power, and Thick Fat ability. This Hariyama can reliably switch in and check a variety of threats, including, but not limited to, Aggron, Absol, Tauros, Houndoom, Arcanine, and Registeel. Force Palm is the STAB move of choice, as it deals enough damage to what it needs to and has a very nifty paralysis chance, which makes many offensive Pokemon, even those that resist it, wary of switching into Hariyama. Cross Chop is the more powerful alternative for STAB, but it has imperfect accuracy, and does not have any useful secondary effects. It does, however, grant Hariyama the OHKO on Aggron and Chansey, the 2HKO on Registeel, Rhyperior, and Clefable, and the 3HKO on Regirock, whereas Force Palm would not. Whirlwind is the other key move of the set, as the ability to directly cause switches and phaze are most valuable assets indeed, and are things that Hitmontop can only dream of doing itself. Finally, RestTalk is used to keep Hariyama healthy throughout the match and allow him to absorb status. Payback can be used to smack down Ghost-types that attempt to sponge Hariyama's attacks, while Stone Edge and Ice Punch are options to hit Flying-types such as Altaria super effectively. These moves would have to go over Rest and Sleep Talk if you decide to use them, as a STAB move and Whirlwind are considered mandatory. This also means that Hariyama won't have any form of recovery outside of Leftovers, so keep that in mind. The 12 EVs in HP hit a Leftovers number, and the rest of the EVs maximize both of Hariyama's defenses. An Impish nature is more appropriate for the metagame, but if you find Hariyama switching into special attackers more often on your team, a Careful nature would then be preferred. This particular Hariyama set works well as a defensive pivot; coming in, taking a few hits, dishing some back, maybe using Whirlwind once in a while, and switching out again. Because of this, Wish support can be useful so that Hariyama does not have to waste time using Rest and relying on the shaky Sleep Talk. Hypno is ideal for this, as Hariyama resists both its Dark- and Bug-type weaknesses, while Hypno can absorb any Psychic-type attacks aimed at Hariyama. Chansey and Clefable are also good for Wish, and even though neither have any resistances that benefit Hariyama, they are more useful Pokemon in general. Entry hazards are also helpful, as with Whirlwind shuffling your opponent's team again and again, passive damage will easily be taking their toll very quickly. A Pokemon such as Omastar, who happens to resist Flying, can do this very well.

It would be a waste to not at least try Focus Punch on Hariyama; coming off a base 120 Attack stat and boosted by STAB, it is indeed a thing to be feared. Being Focus Punch, however, it requires that Hariyama charge up before it is unleashed, and during that time, his concentration can be interrupted by even the slightest pinprick. Thankfully, Hariyama also gets access to Substitute, which he can set up against a variety of foes thanks to his great bulk, and use it to protect himself whilst he achieves zen, guaranteeing that he is able to fire off his brutal attack unhindered. Payback covers the Ghost- and Psychic-types that may attempt to endure Hariyama's forceful fists, OHKOing all but the most defensively dedicated, whereas the last slot covers the Flying-types that also resist Focus Punch. Attack is maximized so that Hariyama's Focus Punch is as powerful as possible, while the 4 Speed EVs enable him to outspeed minimum Speed base 50s. After that, things start to get a little trickier; because the attackers in UU are so powerful, Hariyama is unable to gain many new setup opportunities with the EVs he has left. A specially defensive spread will at least make it so that Houndoom will be unable to break Hariyama's Substitute with Dark Pulse, and only sometimes with Fire Blast. Even then, many other dedicated special attackers will still be able to punch through them fairly comfortably. The same can be said with a physically defensive spread. So really, those last 252 EVs come down to preference, and are pretty much free game. Houndoom is an awesome teammate to Hariyama, as it often attracts special walls to itself, all of whom Hariyama can set up on with particular ease. It also conveniently handles Weezing, Slowbro, and Spiritomb--all of which are Pokemon Hariyama has trouble breaking through. Second to that, dual screen support will help immensely in Hariyama's ability to set up, practically increasing the number of Pokemon that can't break his Substitute three-fold. Such a defensive platform can be provided by a Pokemon like Uxie, who is also able to set up that awesome entry hazard everybody loves--Stealth Rock. Last but not least, Wish support is helpful in helping Hariyama recover the HP he lost from making Substitutes; Chansey and Clefable are generally the best Wish users in the tier.

Although Hariyama may often be thought of as too slow, a Guts-boosted STAB Close Combat coming off a base 120 Attack stat is still pretty scary, and with moves such as Payback for coverage on those pesky Ghost-types, and Bullet Punch for ever-useful priority, it's no wonder that Hariyama has made himself known as a most formidable offensive threat. The final slot is a mish-mash of useful options; Fake Out is usually the best choice so Hariyama may activate his Toxic Orb in complete safety, while also getting off some free damage. If using Life Orb, however, the last two become much more viable for their invaluable coverage on Flying-types. It is noteworthy to point out that Hariyama makes a surprisingly effective lead with this set, getting favorable match-ups against common foes such as Ambipom (with Protect over Bullet Punch or Payback), Cloyster, Omastar, and Hippopotas. Toxic Orb is the first item slashed because of its larger power boost and ability to block status. The turn it takes to activate can also be made inconsequential thanks to Fake Out. Life Orb, on the other hand, is still a good option, as it prevents Protect and Substitute users from wearing Hariyama down so easily. In addition, if you manage to activate Guts on top of it, Hariyama will pack gratuitous amounts of power, and will be able to 2HKO just about every opponent in his path. The EV spread is fairly simple, with maximum Attack for power, enough Speed to outpace minimum base 60 Speed Pokemon such as Clefable and Weezing, and the rest in Defense for bulk. Because Hariyama's HP is so massive already, investing in a defense is always the better course of action. Thus, shifting all of those Defense EVs into Special Defense can also be a good idea, and would depend on what you find Hariyama switching into most often. An evenly-distributed spread is also an option, but this is sort of a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none scenario. If using this set as a lead, one must make note of the unfavorable match-ups as well. In particular, Hariyama has trouble dealing with opposing Moltres, Spiritomb, and Alakazam leads. A defensive core along the lines of Milotic and Registeel can help patch up this weakness remarkably well. Hariyama will also appreciate entry hazard and paralysis support, as the secured KOs and ability to actually outspeed things will allow for a much cleaner sweep on his part. Conveniently, both of these forms of support can be provided by the aforementioned Registeel. Finally, Houndoom makes a very good teammate, simply because of its ability to deal with Spiritomb, a major thorn in Hariyama's side.

Moves Fake Out lets Hariyama simultaneously bypass the Focus Sash that other leads like to use and gives 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 entry 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 it's 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 against 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 litany of powerful special attacks in the DPP Ubers metagame and throw out its vicious Guts-boosted Close Combat. 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 Against 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 Hariyama has used Fake Out turn 1. Deoxys-S gets OHKOed by Payback unless it holds a Colbur Berry. If Bullet Punch is chosen, then Hariyama will finish off the low-HP Deoxys-S before it gets another layer of entry hazards in; otherwise, Deoxys-S will do as such. 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 Combat 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 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 it 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. Outside of Trick Room, Darkrai loves preying on the Giratina and Cresselia that Hariyama draws in, as they give it a free turn to put an opposing threat to sleep with Dark Void and proceed to go to town on their team. In exchange, Darkrai appreciates Hariyama's ability to threaten Blissey and Dialga. Most Steel-types hate dealing with Ho-Oh, but Dialga is one of the few that isn't instantly melted by it; Dialga doesn't appreciate Choice Band Brave Bird but can generally switch into and weaken Ho-Oh variants without a Choice Band to ensure that Hariyama can accomplish its tasks mid-game; Dialga can also slug it out with non-Choice Specs Kyogre. Keep in mind that Dialga isn't as robust against opposing Dragon-types.

Hariyama is a niche choice for hard Trick Room teams. It faces stiff competition from Hitmontop, which serves a similar role with Fake Out support but has a better ability in Intimidate. Hariyama's distinguishing factor is its massive bulk and power, allowing it to shrug off big hits and retaliate with powerful Guts-boosted attacks. Fake Out disrupts opposing Pokemon and gives Hariyama's partner the opportunity to safely set Trick Room. Close Combat is Hariyama's primary attacking move that does significant neutral damage and OHKOes common threats such as Tyranitar and Heatran. Ice Punch rounds out Hariyama's coverage, hitting the Flying-types that resist Close Combat and 2HKOing the omnipresent Latias. Alternatively, Payback punishes Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Rotom-A, Gengar, and Mew, and it does sizeable damage outside of Trick Room with its double-Base Power bonus. Detect gives Hariyama the ability to stall for a turn while Flame Orb activates, protect itself from double targets, and scout for foes' movesets without risking a KO, especially when Trick Room has yet to be set up. Feint is an alternative to bypass opposing Pokemon using Protect, a common tactic for stalling out Trick Room. It also allows allies such as Bronzong to safely use Explosion without the fear of wasting the attack. The Defense and Special Defense investment minimize the chance that Hariyama is KOed by Bronzong's Explosion or Choice Specs Latias's Draco Meteor. Hariyama belongs exclusively on hard Trick Room teams, which benefit from its unique stat spread but also support its low Speed. Hariyama's natural teammates include Trick Room setters such as Bronzong and Cresselia. It also pairs well with powerful spread attackers such as Eruption Heatran and Rhyperior, which appreciate Feint to break Protect. Hariyama can work well as both a lead and as late-game support to set a final Trick Room. Although it makes a decent switch-in due to its bulk, be cognizant of Flame Orb damage, which can rack up quickly in combination with other field conditions such as sand and hail. Guts also allows Hariyama to absorb Will-O-Wisp from the likes of Rotom-A and Gengar, a key factor that sets it apart from Hitmontop.