Gen 1 Golem (Ubers) [QC 2/2] [GP 1/1]

LTG

It’s always gaming time
is a Pre-Contributor
:golem:

[OVERVIEW]

Golem stands out in RBY Ubers as a Ground-type with access to Explosion. This gives it a significant niche over Rhydon, letting it deal up to 80% to tier king Mewtwo. With unresisted QuakeSlide coverage, it's not just an Explosion that it offers; its coverage helps immensely against Rhydon, Zapdos, Gengar, and Jolteon. With adequate paralysis support, Golem can deal massive damage and blow up on a high-value Pokemon, providing its teammates with incredible momentum. Golem's typing also gives it a valuable Normal resistance and an Electric immunity, helping to check threats like Tauros and Snorlax and soundly beating Zapdos and Jolteon.

However, Golem is only favored over Rhydon on offensive teams that look to overwhelm the opponent with Explosion. Rhydon fits on more team styles and offers added consistency that Golem simply can’t muster. Self-Destruct Snorlax and Explosion Mew, while great partners on offensive teams, are also capable of compressing Golem's role while having potential surprise value and allowing for more consistent team options; notably, Snorlax also possesses a stronger self-KO move thanks to STAB. Ergo, the bulkier and harder-hitting Rhydon can often fill Golem's place just fine, 3HKOing Mewtwo with Earthquake, while Golem can only do so inconsistently. Additionally, Rhydon is capable of walling non-Earthquake Mew sets and making 103 HP Substitutes, which can absorb a Seismic Toss from Chansey. Thus, Rhydon is often recommended if Golem's Explosion isn't required. Furthermore, Golem shares all of Rhydon's flaws: it's slow, specially frail, and has common weaknesses to Ice and Water. Without paralysis support, Golem struggles to win consistently in one-on-one battles, which can't always be afforded in the harsh world of RBY Ubers.

[SET]
name: Explosion
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Substitute / Body Slam

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

The combination of Earthquake and Rock Slide gives Golem unresisted physical coverage; when factoring in the threat of Explosion, this makes Golem very difficult to switch into. Golem's Earthquake may OHKO Gengar and Jolteon and 2HKOes Alakazam and—rarely—Chansey. It also serves as Golem's best option against Mewtwo and Mew, 3HKOing Mewtwo about a quarter of the time and 3HKOing Mew if it's taken minor damage prior. Furthermore, just a single Earthquake puts Mewtwo in range for Explosion. Golem has a fair shot at wearing down any non-Ice Beam Mewtwo if it's paralyzed, though it's also 2HKOed by Psychic. Rock Slide potentially OHKOes Jynx and 2HKOes Zapdos, ensuring the latter can be consistently dealt with. It is also Golem's best option against Exeggutor, which likes to switch in on it and threaten with sleep. Substitute can allow Golem to place itself in a favorable position if it can set up against paralyzed foes, such as Mewtwo and Chansey. Alternatively, Body Slam allows Golem to be more self-sufficient in spreading paralysis, which can let it turn the tables on switch-ins.

Explosion is Golem's claim to fame and should not be taken lightly. It OHKOes non-Reflect Chansey, Jynx, and Alakazam, as well as Starmie 38% of the time. It also deals up to 80% to Mewtwo and up to 75.9% to Mew. Golem itself holds little value once the opposing team's Electric-type has been removed, so using Explosion to incapacitate Mewtwo or Mew is very desirable. In practice, however, this is very difficult, as the threat of Explosion can be enough to force out Mewtwo and Mew if they're in range. Snorlax and Mew often succeed with their self-KO moves because of their set variety, allowing for more effective bluffs, which Golem cannot afford. Another ideal situation for Explosion is when threatened with an Amnesia Snorlax or Slowbro sweep, as it's one of the only consistent ways to prevent them from sweeping once they set up. Landing Explosion on Chansey can enable Mewtwo, and removing Snorlax can be similarly useful for preventing its powerful early-game offense, but this isn't ideal, as it may leave Golem’s team vulnerable to opposing Electric-types late-game. It's recommended to account for opposing Gengar, Rock-types, and frozen or sleeping Pokemon that can switch in to absorb Explosion. Thus, it may be appropriate to keep Golem unrevealed for extended periods of time, whereas Mew and Snorlax generally don't imply their self-KO moves until they actually use them. As a rule of thumb, using Explosion should be a game of trades; understanding the value that each Pokemon holds to the opposing team is pivotal to succeeding.

Golem is best played on offensive teams with multiple self-KO move users, such as Self-Destruct Snorlax, Explosion Mew, and Exeggutor; while prediction-heavy and thus inconsistent, these teams are capable of closing out games very quickly. In other cases, Rhydon tends to outclass Golem and should be looked to first. Golem also pairs well with Water-types like Slowbro and the rarer Starmie and Lapras, which appreciate its Electric immunity. Slowbro notably punishes non-Thunderbolt Mewtwo, and the combination of Slowbro and Golem is capable of muscling past it without compromising your own Mewtwo. However, both are painfully slow, which can be problematic on a poorly built team. Paralysis support is paramount so that the opposition doesn't recover out of KO range, so Pokemon like Chansey, Starmie, Stun Spore Exeggutor, and the aforementioned Slowbro are recommended. Golem tends to hold little value to a team due to its disposable nature, so sacrificing it against sleepers like Exeggutor and Sing Chansey isn't unusual. In fact, against Chansey, it's plausible to cut your losses and have Golem use Explosion in response to a missed Sing, potentially OHKOing it and enabling Mewtwo.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

When customizing Golem's set, it's best to replace Rock Slide, Substitute, or Body Slam, but these come with caveats. Removing Rock Slide makes it difficult for Golem to damage Exeggutor and Zapdos, removing Substitute makes it impossible for Golem to set up in front of paralyzed foes, and removing Body Slam leaves Golem without a midground option while becoming more reliant on its team for paralysis. With this in mind, attempts to customize Golem are not recommended.

If you must customize Golem, using Defense Curl or Harden isn't terrible, as these allow Golem to consistently wall non-Earthquake Snorlax variants. In the long run, however, this doesn't pan out, as most non-Earthquake Snorlax variants use Reflect + Rest or Amnesia, which overwhelm Golem through sheer longevity and firepower, respectively. Against the latter, Golem is likely to use Explosion anyway, as Amnesia Snorlax threatens severe damage to its team. Outside of this, Fire Blast is plausible for hitting Exeggutor slightly harder when it switches in and potentially burning it, removing the threat of its Explosion, but the risk of thawing a Pokemon and lack of utility outside of this makes it hard to justify.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Mewtwo**: While Mewtwo does not appreciate taking Explosion—which is a guaranteed KO after a single Earthquake—unboosted Psychic 2HKOes Golem and can force Explosion much earlier than desired. If Mewtwo has used Amnesia even once, it must be paralyzed for Golem to do anything. Ice Beam variants completely incapacitate Golem; high damage rolls do enough to even let Zapdos win out. While rare, an unboosted Blizzard from Mewtwo OHKOes Golem half the time. If Mewtwo is paralyzed, however, a single full paralysis lets Golem attempt to 3HKO it with Earthquake, which works a quarter of the time but otherwise leaves Mewtwo easily revenge killed. Furthermore, Thunderbolt + Submission Mewtwo sets actually struggle against Golem, failing to 3HKO it and getting 2HKOed in return by Earthquake + Explosion; thus, it is forced to repeatedly use Recover or switch out. Finally, Barrier Mewtwo completely stops Golem in its tracks, as after a single Defense boost, Earthquake becomes a 6HKO at best, while Explosion deals less than 40%. However, both aforementioned Mewtwo sets are rare.

**Reflect Users**: Reflect throws a spanner in the works for Golem, swiftly taking a Pokemon out of Explosion KO range; faster Pokemon using Reflect as Golem uses Explosion is particularly depressing. Mew isn't completely incapacitated by an Explosion if it's at full HP and walls Golem if using Reflect sets. If using Earthquake, Mew 3HKOes Golem consistently without having to boost. Golem cannot 3HKO non-Reflect Mew without prior chip damage. Thus, Golem is largely limited to using Explosion and hoping Mew doesn't switch out. Chansey isn't always OHKOed by Explosion, and if it's running Reflect Golem has no hope of winning outside of luck. Moreover, if Chansey is using Ice Beam, it can 2HKO Golem, and this is sometimes run on the same set. Reflect Snorlax is a similarly unfeasible matchup for Golem unless it gets extreme luck, especially if Snorlax is using Earthquake.

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor can switch in on Golem without much fear and put it to sleep. In the event sleep isn't an option, Exeggutor still 2HKOes Golem with Psychic a quarter of the time. However, Exeggutor can't repeatedly switch in on Rock Slide, as it tends to lose out against Seismic Toss users such as Chansey later or otherwise get forced into using Explosion sooner. If Exeggutor is paralyzed and at around half HP, Golem can win with Rock Slide.

**Water-types**: Slowbro and the rarer Starmie and Lapras can all OHKO Golem with Surf. However, Slowbro dislikes having Golem switch in on a predicted Rest, as it forces it to Rest stall with repeated Earthquakes by threat of a 4HKO; a single critical hit can mean it loses outright. If Slowbro has set up prior, Earthquake + Explosion is a viable route to dispatch it.

**Super Effective Coverage**: If Golem takes a super effective hit, it is normally forced into Explosion, which is a less than ideal situation. Mega Drain Exeggutor adores any opportunity to use it against Golem, recovering a minimum of 37.6%. Blizzard users such as Tauros, Jynx, Cloyster, and the rare Dragonite and Articuno also mortally threaten Golem, with the latter even OHKOing it. Tauros can switch in on Golem's Body Slam and threaten a 2HKO with Blizzard. Snorlax may use Blizzard alongside Amnesia to try to sweep, which OHKOes Golem at +2. The rare Victreebel can OHKO Golem with Razor Leaf or put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. While it's not likely to win the interaction, Jolteon's Double Kick deals up to 19.8% each time, which can wear Golem down and force an early Explosion.

[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/may.236353/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ltg.473639/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ctown6.509438/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
 
Last edited:

LTG

It’s always gaming time
is a Pre-Contributor
This left off with 1/2 QCs, so I suppose I'll just wait for the second one to come in.
 

Sabelette

from the river to the sea
is a Site Content Manageris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Hi, I'm a QC member now, lets get this done finally. Sorry you got left hanging. QC 2/2 after implementing the below, if you have any questions, concerns or disagreements message me here or on Discord (Sabelette#9807). I'm also GP team, so as soon as this is implemented I'll do the first GP check for it.

Addition Removal Comment
(AC) (AH) Add Comma/Add Hyphen, (RC) (RH) Remove Comma/Remove Hyphen


Taken over from May

:golem:

[OVERVIEW]

Golem stands out in RBY Ubers as a Ground-type with access to the second strongest self-KO move in RBY, that being its (brevity) Explosion. This gives it a significant niche over Rhydon, letting it deal up to 80% to tier-king Mewtwo and allow a teammate to threaten it with a KO. With unresisted QuakeSlide coverage in addition to this, it's not just an Explosion that it offers: its coverage helps immensely against opposing Rhydon, Zapdos, Gengar, and Jolteon. With adequate paralysis support, Golem is capable of posing a serious threat to opposing teams, threatening to deal massive damage and blow up on a high-value Pokemon, providing its teammates with incredible momentum.

However, while this is all well and good, Golem is often only favored over Rhydon on offensive teams that look to overwhelm the opponent with Explosions. However, Rhydon fits on more team styles and offers added consistency that Golem simply can’t muster. Self-Destruct Snorlax and Explosion Mew, while great partners on offensive teams, are capable of compressing Golem's role while having surprise value and allow for more consistent team options (boomlax is the default, I don't think this is surprising; Mew boom isn't surprising either but you can't be 100% sure it doesn't have it, so maybe rephrase); notably, Snorlax also possesses the stronger self-KO move thanks to STAB. Ergo, the bulkier and harder-hitting Rhydon can often fill its place just fine, confirming a 3HKO on Mewtwo with Earthquake while Golem can only do so inconsistently. Additionally, Rhydon is capable of walling non-Earthquake Mew sets as well as making 103 HP Substitutes, which can absorb a Seismic Toss from Chansey, giving it a much better matchup. Thus, Rhydon is often recommended if Golem's Explosion isn't required. Furthermore, Golem shares all of Rhydon's flaws in the tier remain (for clarity): it's slow, specially frail, and has common weaknesses to Ice and Water. These traits mean that without paralysis support, Golem struggles to win consistently in one-on-one battles, which can't always be afforded in the harsh world of RBY Ubers.

[SET]
name: Explosion
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Body Slam
move 4: Explosion

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

The combination of Earthquake and Rock Slide gives Golem unresisted physical coverage, making it very difficult to switch into when factoring in the threat of Explosion as well. Golem's Earthquake has chances to OHKO Gengar and Jolteon, while 2HKOing Alakazam and rarely Chansey. It also serves as Golem's best option against Mewtwo and Mew, 3HKOing Mewtwo about a quarter of the time while 3HKOing Mew if it's taken minor damage prior. Furthermore, just a single Earthquake puts Mewtwo into range for Explosion which, with the high usage of Thunderbolt + Submission Mewtwo (this is no longer true and should be removed. Almost no Mewtwos use Submission now that overflow is implemented), is a plausible, easy KO route to go for. Outside of this, Golem has a fair shot at damaging any non-Ice Beam Mewtwo if it's paralyzed, though it can't stomach more than one Psychic without Mewtwo experiencing Special drops prior. Rock Slide potentially OHKOes Jynx and 2HKOes Zapdos, ensuring the latter can be consistently dealt with. It is also Golem's best option against Exeggutor, which likes to switch in on it and threaten with sleep thereafter. Body Slam allows Golem to be more self-sufficient in the effort to spread paralysis, which can let it turn the tables on switch-ins. (Substitute should almost certainly be the main option, Body Slam slashed is fine. Sub setup in front of paralyzed Chansey or Mewtwo is a big deal.)

Explosion is Golem's claim to fame and should not be taken lightly. It OHKOes non-Reflect Chansey, Jynx, Alakazam, and sometimes Starmie. It also deals up to 80% to Mewtwo and up to around 75% to Mew, though the damage ranges vary. (Go with the minimums if they don't OHKO, IMO; for Mie be a little more specific) The main draw to Golem's Explosion is that Golem itself holds little value once the opposing team's Electric-type has been accounted for or removed, so Exploding to remove or incapacitate Mewtwo or Mew is very desirable, as this puts Golem's team into an incredible position. In practice, however, this is very difficult, as the very threat of Explosion can be enough to force out Mewtwo and Mew if they're in range as a result of their high value. Ergo, using Explosion to incapacitate and revenge kill them is often the only compromise Golem can offer (what does this mean, how is KOing Mew or M2 a "compromise"). Snorlax and Mew often succeed with their respective self-KO moves because of their set variety, allowing for more effective bluffs, which Golem cannot afford to do. Another ideal situation to Explode is when threatened with an Amnesia Snorlax or Slowbro sweep, though this isn't necessarily by choice, as it's one of the only consistent ways to prevent such a situation from concluding once it's started. Exploding on Chansey can be useful for enabling Mewtwo, and removing Snorlax can be similarly useful for preventing its powerful early-game offense, but this isn't ideal (why not? removing lax while keeping yours intact is pretty huge). It's recommended to account for opposing Gengar, Rhydon, or Golem prior to Exploding, as they aren't afraid of switching in on a predicted Explosion to nullify it entirely. If the opponent lacks these, another option they have is switching in a frozen or sleeping Pokemon, both of which are effectively KOed due to the severity of the status in RBY, which is generally a negative trade for Golem. (this is all too verbose, just say "Gengar, Rock-types, and frozen or sleeping Pokemon can switch in to catch an Explosion) For these reasons, Golem should be played with heavy scouting to ensure that the opposing team cannot compromise its self-KO game plan. (any team should be scouting in Ubers, I don't think this adds anything) Thus, it may be appropriate to keep Golem unrevealed for extended periods of time because Mew and Snorlax generally don't imply their self-KO moves until they actually use them; Golem can compromise that once revealed (redundant, the first part of the sentence says the same thing). As a rule of thumb, using Explosion should be a game of trades: understanding the value that each Pokemon holds to the opposing team is pivotal to succeeding.

Golem is best played on offensive teams with multiple self-KO move users, such as Self-Destruct Snorlax, Explosion Mew, or Exeggutor; while prediction-heavy and thus inconsistent, these teams are capable of closing out games very quickly. In other cases, Rhydon tends to outclass Golem, and should be looked to first. Golem also pairs well with Water-types like Slowbro and the rarer Starmie or Lapras, which appreciate its Electric immunity. Slowbro notably punishes non-Thunderbolt Mewtwo very hard, and the combination of it and Golem is capable of muscling past it without compromising your own Mewtwo. However, both are painfully slow, which can be problematic on a poorly built team. Paralysis support is paramount so that the opposition doesn't recover out of KO range, so Pokemon like Chansey, Starmie, Stun Spore Exeggutor variants, or the aforementioned Slowbro are recommended. Golem tends to hold little value to a team due to its disposable nature, so sacrificing it against sleepers like Exeggutor or Sing Chansey isn't unusual. In fact, against Chansey, it's plausible to cut your losses and have Golem Explode in response to a missed Sing, potentially OHKOing it and enabling Mewtwo later. (this paragraph is excellent)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

In cases where Golem is customized, it's best to either replace Rock Slide or Body Slam, but these come with caveats. Removing Rock Slide makes it difficult for Golem to damage Exeggutor and Zapdos, and removing Body Slam leaves Golem without a midground option while becoming more reliant on its team for paralysis. With this in mind, attempts to customize Golem are often impolitic and not recommended.

If you must customize Golem, using Defense Curl or Harden isn't terrible, allowing Golem to consistently wall non-Earthquake Snorlax variants. In the long run, however, this doesn't pan out, as most non-Earthquake Snorlax variants use Reflect + Rest or Amnesia, both of which overwhelm Golem through sheer longevity and firepower, respectively. Against the latter, Golem is likely to Explode anyway, as Amnesia Snorlax threatens severe damage to its team. Outside of this, Fire Blast is plausible for hitting Exeggutor harder when it switches in while potentially burning it and thus removing the threat of its Explosion, but the risk of thawing a Pokemon and lack of utility outside of this makes it hard to justify. Substitute is vaguely usable for relieving prediction against slower Pokemon, but at that point, it's better to just use Rhydon. (substitute fishing is still practical in Ubers, getting a single sub vs M2 forces the switch even at full; this section should be adjusted to account for that. far more practical than DCurl or Harden at least, 99% of laxes in Ubers have EQ. Fblast barely does more damage to egg than Rock Slide, not sure it's a real option with all the downsides)

Checks and Counters
===================

**Mewtwo**: While Mewtwo does not appreciate being Exploded on—which is a guaranteed KO after a single Earthquake—unboosted Psychic 2HKOes Golem and being faced with this prospect can force it to Explode much earlier than what's desired. If Mewtwo has used Amnesia even once, it must be paralyzed for Golem to do anything. Ice Beam variants completely incapacitate Golem, with high damage rolls doing enough to even let Zapdos win out. While rare, an unboosted Blizzard from Mewtwo OHKOes Golem half the time. If Mewtwo is paralyzed, however, a single instance of full paralysis can let Golem attempt to 3HKO Mewtwo with Earthquake, which works a quarter of the time but otherwise makes leaves Mewtwo easily revenge killed. Furthermore, Thunderbolt + Submission Mewtwo sets actually struggle against Golem, failing to 3HKO it and getting 2HKOed in return by Earthquake + Explosion; thus, this Mewtwo variant is forced to repeatedly use Recover or switch out. Finally, Barrier Mewtwo completely stops Golem in its tracks, as after a single Defense boost, Earthquake becomes a 6HKO at best, while Explosion deals less than 40%. (these last two sets are borderline unused, I would mention that they are rare)

**Reflect Users**: Reflect throws a spanner in the works for Golem, swiftly taking a Pokemon out of Explosion KO range; thus, faster Pokemon using Reflect as Golem Explodes is particularly depressing. Mew isn't completely incapacitated by an Explosion if it's at full HP and walls Golem if using Reflect sets. If using Earthquake, Mew 3HKOes Golem consistently without having to boost. Against non-Reflect Mew, Golem cannot feasibly 3HKO it without prior chip damage. Thus, Golem is largely limited to Exploding and hoping Mew doesn't switch out. Chansey isn't always OHKOed by Explosion, and if running Reflect, Golem has no hope of winning outside of luck. Moreover, if Chansey is using Ice Beam, it can 2HKO Golem, and this is sometimes run on the same set. Reflect Snorlax is a similarly unfeasible matchup for Golem unless it gets extreme luck, especially if Snorlax is using Earthquake.

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor can switch in on Golem without much fear and put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. In the event sleep isn't an option, while not ideal, Exeggutor still 2HKOes Golem with Psychic a quarter of the time. However, Exeggutor can't repeatedly switch in on Rock Slide, as it tends to lose out against Seismic Toss users such as Chansey later or otherwise get forced to Explode sooner. If Exeggutor is paralyzed and at around half HP, Golem can win with Rock Slide as well.

**Water-types**: Slowbro and the rarer Starmie and Lapras can all OHKO Golem with Surf. However, Slowbro dislikes having Golem switch in on a predicted Rest, as it forces it to Rest stall with repeated Earthquakes by threat of 4HKO; a single critical hit can mean it losing outright. If Slowbro has set up prior, Earthquake + Explosion is a viable route to take to definitively dispatch Slowbro.

**Super Effective Coverage**: If Golem takes a super effective hit, it is normally forced to Explode thereafter, which is a less than ideal situation for it to be in most of the time. Mega Drain Exeggutor adores any opportunity to use it against Golem, letting it recover a minimum of 37.6%. Users of Blizzard, such as Tauros, Jynx, Cloyster, and the rare Dragonite and Articuno also mortally threaten Golem, with the latter even OHKOing it. Tauros can switch in on Golem's Body Slam and threaten a 2HKO with Blizzard. Snorlax may use Blizzard alongside Amnesia to try and sweep, which OHKOes Golem at +2. The rare Victreebel can OHKO Golem with Razor Leaf or put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. While it's not likely to win the interaction, Jolteon's Double Kick deals up to 19.8% each time, which if switched into will make Golem Explode noticeably earlier.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[May, 236353], [LTG, 473639]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ctown6, 509438], [Sabelette, 583793]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

Shrew_QC.gif
 

LTG

It’s always gaming time
is a Pre-Contributor
Hi, I'm a QC member now, lets get this done finally. Sorry you got left hanging. QC 2/2 after implementing the below, if you have any questions, concerns or disagreements message me here or on Discord (Sabelette#9807). I'm also GP team, so as soon as this is implemented I'll do the first GP check for it.

Addition Removal Comment
(AC) (AH) Add Comma/Add Hyphen, (RC) (RH) Remove Comma/Remove Hyphen


Taken over from May

:golem:

[OVERVIEW]

Golem stands out in RBY Ubers as a Ground-type with access to the second strongest self-KO move in RBY, that being its (brevity) Explosion. This gives it a significant niche over Rhydon, letting it deal up to 80% to tier-king Mewtwo and allow a teammate to threaten it with a KO. With unresisted QuakeSlide coverage in addition to this, it's not just an Explosion that it offers: its coverage helps immensely against opposing Rhydon, Zapdos, Gengar, and Jolteon. With adequate paralysis support, Golem is capable of posing a serious threat to opposing teams, threatening to deal massive damage and blow up on a high-value Pokemon, providing its teammates with incredible momentum.

However, while this is all well and good, Golem is often only favored over Rhydon on offensive teams that look to overwhelm the opponent with Explosions. However, Rhydon fits on more team styles and offers added consistency that Golem simply can’t muster. Self-Destruct Snorlax and Explosion Mew, while great partners on offensive teams, are capable of compressing Golem's role while having surprise value and allow for more consistent team options (boomlax is the default, I don't think this is surprising; Mew boom isn't surprising either but you can't be 100% sure it doesn't have it, so maybe rephrase); notably, Snorlax also possesses the stronger self-KO move thanks to STAB. Ergo, the bulkier and harder-hitting Rhydon can often fill its place just fine, confirming a 3HKO on Mewtwo with Earthquake while Golem can only do so inconsistently. Additionally, Rhydon is capable of walling non-Earthquake Mew sets as well as making 103 HP Substitutes, which can absorb a Seismic Toss from Chansey, giving it a much better matchup. Thus, Rhydon is often recommended if Golem's Explosion isn't required. Furthermore, Golem shares all of Rhydon's flaws in the tier remain (for clarity): it's slow, specially frail, and has common weaknesses to Ice and Water. These traits mean that without paralysis support, Golem struggles to win consistently in one-on-one battles, which can't always be afforded in the harsh world of RBY Ubers.

[SET]
name: Explosion
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Body Slam
move 4: Explosion

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

The combination of Earthquake and Rock Slide gives Golem unresisted physical coverage, making it very difficult to switch into when factoring in the threat of Explosion as well. Golem's Earthquake has chances to OHKO Gengar and Jolteon, while 2HKOing Alakazam and rarely Chansey. It also serves as Golem's best option against Mewtwo and Mew, 3HKOing Mewtwo about a quarter of the time while 3HKOing Mew if it's taken minor damage prior. Furthermore, just a single Earthquake puts Mewtwo into range for Explosion which, with the high usage of Thunderbolt + Submission Mewtwo (this is no longer true and should be removed. Almost no Mewtwos use Submission now that overflow is implemented), is a plausible, easy KO route to go for. Outside of this, Golem has a fair shot at damaging any non-Ice Beam Mewtwo if it's paralyzed, though it can't stomach more than one Psychic without Mewtwo experiencing Special drops prior. Rock Slide potentially OHKOes Jynx and 2HKOes Zapdos, ensuring the latter can be consistently dealt with. It is also Golem's best option against Exeggutor, which likes to switch in on it and threaten with sleep thereafter. Body Slam allows Golem to be more self-sufficient in the effort to spread paralysis, which can let it turn the tables on switch-ins. (Substitute should almost certainly be the main option, Body Slam slashed is fine. Sub setup in front of paralyzed Chansey or Mewtwo is a big deal.)

Explosion is Golem's claim to fame and should not be taken lightly. It OHKOes non-Reflect Chansey, Jynx, Alakazam, and sometimes Starmie. It also deals up to 80% to Mewtwo and up to around 75% to Mew, though the damage ranges vary. (Go with the minimums if they don't OHKO, IMO; for Mie be a little more specific) The main draw to Golem's Explosion is that Golem itself holds little value once the opposing team's Electric-type has been accounted for or removed, so Exploding to remove or incapacitate Mewtwo or Mew is very desirable, as this puts Golem's team into an incredible position. In practice, however, this is very difficult, as the very threat of Explosion can be enough to force out Mewtwo and Mew if they're in range as a result of their high value. Ergo, using Explosion to incapacitate and revenge kill them is often the only compromise Golem can offer (what does this mean, how is KOing Mew or M2 a "compromise"). Snorlax and Mew often succeed with their respective self-KO moves because of their set variety, allowing for more effective bluffs, which Golem cannot afford to do. Another ideal situation to Explode is when threatened with an Amnesia Snorlax or Slowbro sweep, though this isn't necessarily by choice, as it's one of the only consistent ways to prevent such a situation from concluding once it's started. Exploding on Chansey can be useful for enabling Mewtwo, and removing Snorlax can be similarly useful for preventing its powerful early-game offense, but this isn't ideal (why not? removing lax while keeping yours intact is pretty huge). It's recommended to account for opposing Gengar, Rhydon, or Golem prior to Exploding, as they aren't afraid of switching in on a predicted Explosion to nullify it entirely. If the opponent lacks these, another option they have is switching in a frozen or sleeping Pokemon, both of which are effectively KOed due to the severity of the status in RBY, which is generally a negative trade for Golem. (this is all too verbose, just say "Gengar, Rock-types, and frozen or sleeping Pokemon can switch in to catch an Explosion) For these reasons, Golem should be played with heavy scouting to ensure that the opposing team cannot compromise its self-KO game plan. (any team should be scouting in Ubers, I don't think this adds anything) Thus, it may be appropriate to keep Golem unrevealed for extended periods of time because Mew and Snorlax generally don't imply their self-KO moves until they actually use them; Golem can compromise that once revealed (redundant, the first part of the sentence says the same thing). As a rule of thumb, using Explosion should be a game of trades: understanding the value that each Pokemon holds to the opposing team is pivotal to succeeding.

Golem is best played on offensive teams with multiple self-KO move users, such as Self-Destruct Snorlax, Explosion Mew, or Exeggutor; while prediction-heavy and thus inconsistent, these teams are capable of closing out games very quickly. In other cases, Rhydon tends to outclass Golem, and should be looked to first. Golem also pairs well with Water-types like Slowbro and the rarer Starmie or Lapras, which appreciate its Electric immunity. Slowbro notably punishes non-Thunderbolt Mewtwo very hard, and the combination of it and Golem is capable of muscling past it without compromising your own Mewtwo. However, both are painfully slow, which can be problematic on a poorly built team. Paralysis support is paramount so that the opposition doesn't recover out of KO range, so Pokemon like Chansey, Starmie, Stun Spore Exeggutor variants, or the aforementioned Slowbro are recommended. Golem tends to hold little value to a team due to its disposable nature, so sacrificing it against sleepers like Exeggutor or Sing Chansey isn't unusual. In fact, against Chansey, it's plausible to cut your losses and have Golem Explode in response to a missed Sing, potentially OHKOing it and enabling Mewtwo later. (this paragraph is excellent)

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

In cases where Golem is customized, it's best to either replace Rock Slide or Body Slam, but these come with caveats. Removing Rock Slide makes it difficult for Golem to damage Exeggutor and Zapdos, and removing Body Slam leaves Golem without a midground option while becoming more reliant on its team for paralysis. With this in mind, attempts to customize Golem are often impolitic and not recommended.

If you must customize Golem, using Defense Curl or Harden isn't terrible, allowing Golem to consistently wall non-Earthquake Snorlax variants. In the long run, however, this doesn't pan out, as most non-Earthquake Snorlax variants use Reflect + Rest or Amnesia, both of which overwhelm Golem through sheer longevity and firepower, respectively. Against the latter, Golem is likely to Explode anyway, as Amnesia Snorlax threatens severe damage to its team. Outside of this, Fire Blast is plausible for hitting Exeggutor harder when it switches in while potentially burning it and thus removing the threat of its Explosion, but the risk of thawing a Pokemon and lack of utility outside of this makes it hard to justify. Substitute is vaguely usable for relieving prediction against slower Pokemon, but at that point, it's better to just use Rhydon. (substitute fishing is still practical in Ubers, getting a single sub vs M2 forces the switch even at full; this section should be adjusted to account for that. far more practical than DCurl or Harden at least, 99% of laxes in Ubers have EQ. Fblast barely does more damage to egg than Rock Slide, not sure it's a real option with all the downsides)

Checks and Counters
===================

**Mewtwo**: While Mewtwo does not appreciate being Exploded on—which is a guaranteed KO after a single Earthquake—unboosted Psychic 2HKOes Golem and being faced with this prospect can force it to Explode much earlier than what's desired. If Mewtwo has used Amnesia even once, it must be paralyzed for Golem to do anything. Ice Beam variants completely incapacitate Golem, with high damage rolls doing enough to even let Zapdos win out. While rare, an unboosted Blizzard from Mewtwo OHKOes Golem half the time. If Mewtwo is paralyzed, however, a single instance of full paralysis can let Golem attempt to 3HKO Mewtwo with Earthquake, which works a quarter of the time but otherwise makes leaves Mewtwo easily revenge killed. Furthermore, Thunderbolt + Submission Mewtwo sets actually struggle against Golem, failing to 3HKO it and getting 2HKOed in return by Earthquake + Explosion; thus, this Mewtwo variant is forced to repeatedly use Recover or switch out. Finally, Barrier Mewtwo completely stops Golem in its tracks, as after a single Defense boost, Earthquake becomes a 6HKO at best, while Explosion deals less than 40%. (these last two sets are borderline unused, I would mention that they are rare)

**Reflect Users**: Reflect throws a spanner in the works for Golem, swiftly taking a Pokemon out of Explosion KO range; thus, faster Pokemon using Reflect as Golem Explodes is particularly depressing. Mew isn't completely incapacitated by an Explosion if it's at full HP and walls Golem if using Reflect sets. If using Earthquake, Mew 3HKOes Golem consistently without having to boost. Against non-Reflect Mew, Golem cannot feasibly 3HKO it without prior chip damage. Thus, Golem is largely limited to Exploding and hoping Mew doesn't switch out. Chansey isn't always OHKOed by Explosion, and if running Reflect, Golem has no hope of winning outside of luck. Moreover, if Chansey is using Ice Beam, it can 2HKO Golem, and this is sometimes run on the same set. Reflect Snorlax is a similarly unfeasible matchup for Golem unless it gets extreme luck, especially if Snorlax is using Earthquake.

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor can switch in on Golem without much fear and put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. In the event sleep isn't an option, while not ideal, Exeggutor still 2HKOes Golem with Psychic a quarter of the time. However, Exeggutor can't repeatedly switch in on Rock Slide, as it tends to lose out against Seismic Toss users such as Chansey later or otherwise get forced to Explode sooner. If Exeggutor is paralyzed and at around half HP, Golem can win with Rock Slide as well.

**Water-types**: Slowbro and the rarer Starmie and Lapras can all OHKO Golem with Surf. However, Slowbro dislikes having Golem switch in on a predicted Rest, as it forces it to Rest stall with repeated Earthquakes by threat of 4HKO; a single critical hit can mean it losing outright. If Slowbro has set up prior, Earthquake + Explosion is a viable route to take to definitively dispatch Slowbro.

**Super Effective Coverage**: If Golem takes a super effective hit, it is normally forced to Explode thereafter, which is a less than ideal situation for it to be in most of the time. Mega Drain Exeggutor adores any opportunity to use it against Golem, letting it recover a minimum of 37.6%. Users of Blizzard, such as Tauros, Jynx, Cloyster, and the rare Dragonite and Articuno also mortally threaten Golem, with the latter even OHKOing it. Tauros can switch in on Golem's Body Slam and threaten a 2HKO with Blizzard. Snorlax may use Blizzard alongside Amnesia to try and sweep, which OHKOes Golem at +2. The rare Victreebel can OHKO Golem with Razor Leaf or put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. While it's not likely to win the interaction, Jolteon's Double Kick deals up to 19.8% each time, which if switched into will make Golem Explode noticeably earlier.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[May, 236353], [LTG, 473639]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ctown6, 509438], [Sabelette, 583793]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

View attachment 506470
Implemented, I changed the wording in a few of the parts so lmk how that looks. I removed the part about sub from oo completely, as it was moved to the main set. Marked QC 2/2 and is now ready for GP!
 

Sabelette

from the river to the sea
is a Site Content Manageris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Let's get this cleared. Lemme know when this is implemented and I'll post to the GP channel for 2/2

Addition Removal Comment
(AC) (AH) Add Comma/Add Hyphen, (RC) (RH) Remove Comma/Remove Hyphen


Taken over from May

:golem:


[OVERVIEW]

Golem stands out in RBY Ubers as a Ground-type with access to Explosion. This gives it a significant niche over Rhydon, letting it deal up to 80% to tier-king (RH) Mewtwo and allowing a teammate to threaten it with a KO. With unresisted QuakeSlide coverage in addition to this, it's not just an Explosion that it offers: its coverage helps immensely against opposing Rhydon, Zapdos, Gengar, and Jolteon. With adequate paralysis support, Golem is capable of posing a serious threat to opposing teams, threatensing to deal massive damage and blow up on a high-value Pokemon, providing its teammates with incredible momentum.

However, Golem is often only favored over Rhydon on offensive teams that look to overwhelm the opponent with Explosions. Rhydon fits on more team styles and offers added consistency that Golem simply can’t muster. Self-Destruct Snorlax and Explosion Mew, while great partners on offensive teams, are also capable of compressing Golem's role while having potential surprise value and allowing for more consistent team options; notably, Snorlax also possesses the a stronger self-KO move thanks to STAB. Ergo, the bulkier and harder-hitting Rhydon can often fill its Golem's place just fine, confirming a 3HKO on Mewtwo with Earthquake, (AC) while Golem can only do so inconsistently. Additionally, Rhydon is capable of walling non-Earthquake Mew sets as well as and making 103 HP Substitutes, which can absorb a Seismic Toss from Chansey, giving it a much better matchup. Thus, Rhydon is often recommended if Golem's Explosion isn't required. Furthermore, Golem shares all of Rhydon's flaws: it's slow, specially frail, and has common weaknesses to Ice and Water. These traits mean that without paralysis support, Golem struggles to win consistently in one-on-one battles, which can't always be afforded in the harsh world of RBY Ubers.

[SET]
name: Explosion
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Substitute / Body Slam

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

The combination of Earthquake and Rock Slide gives Golem unresisted physical coverage; (added semicolon) when factoring in the threat of Explosion, this makes Golem , making it very difficult to switch into when factoring in the threat of Explosion as well. Golem's Earthquake has chances to OHKO Gengar and Jolteon, (RC) while and 2HKOes 2HKOing Alakazam and rarely Chansey. It also serves as Golem's best option against Mewtwo and Mew, 3HKOing Mewtwo about a quarter of the time while and 3HKOing Mew if it's taken minor damage prior. Furthermore, just a single Earthquake puts Mewtwo into range for Explosion. Golem has a fair shot at damaging any non-Ice Beam Mewtwo if it's paralyzed, though it can't stomach more than one Psychic without Mewtwo experiencing Special drops prior (QC: due to crit chance I'd say either way it can hardly afford to take multiple Psychics). Rock Slide potentially OHKOes Jynx and 2HKOes Zapdos, ensuring the latter can be consistently dealt with. It is also Golem's best option against Exeggutor, which likes to switch in on it and threaten with sleep thereafter. Substitute can allow Golem to place itself in a favorable position if it can set up (added space) against paralyzed opponents foes, such as Mewtwo or Chansey. Alternatively, Body Slam allows Golem to be more self-sufficient in the effort to spreading paralysis, which can let it turn the tables on switch-ins.

Explosion is Golem's claim to fame and should not be taken lightly. It OHKOes non-Reflect Chansey, Jynx, and Alakazam, as well as Starmie 38% of the time. It also deals up to 80% to Mewtwo and up to around 75% 76% (75.9% is close enough, you can be precise if you like but drop the "around") to Mew. Golem itself holds little value once the opposing team's Electric-type has been accounted for or removed, so Exploding using Explosion to remove or incapacitate Mewtwo or Mew is very desirable. In practice, however, this is very difficult, as the threat of Explosion can be enough to force out Mewtwo and Mew if they're in range. Snorlax and Mew often succeed with their self-KO moves because of their set variety, allowing for more effective bluffs, which Golem cannot afford to do. Another ideal situation to Explode for Explosion is when threatened with an Amnesia Snorlax or Slowbro sweep, though this isn't necessarily by choice, as it's one of the only consistent ways to prevent them from sweeping once they set up such a situation from concluding once it's started. Exploding Landing Explosion on Chansey can be useful for enabling enable Mewtwo, and removing Snorlax can be similarly useful for preventing its powerful early-game offense, but this isn't ideal, (AC) as it may leave Golem’s team vulnerable to opposing Electric-types later in the late-game. It's recommended to account for opposing Gengar, Rock-types, and frozen or sleeping Pokemon that can switch in to absorb Explosion. Thus, it may be appropriate to keep Golem unrevealed for extended periods of time, (AC) whereas because Mew and Snorlax generally don't imply their self-KO moves until they actually use them. As a rule of thumb, using Explosion should be a game of trades: understanding the value that each Pokemon holds to the opposing team is pivotal to succeeding.

Golem is best played on offensive teams with multiple self-KO move users, such as Self-Destruct Snorlax, Explosion Mew, or Exeggutor; while prediction-heavy and thus inconsistent, these teams are capable of closing out games very quickly. In other cases, Rhydon tends to outclass Golem, and should be looked to first. Golem also pairs well with Water-types like Slowbro and the rarer Starmie or Lapras, which appreciate its Electric immunity. Slowbro notably punishes non-Thunderbolt Mewtwo very hard, and the combination of it and Golem is capable of muscling past it without compromising your own Mewtwo. However, both are painfully slow, which can be problematic on a poorly built team. Paralysis support is paramount so that the opposition doesn't recover out of KO range, so Pokemon like Chansey, Starmie, Stun Spore Exeggutor variants, or the aforementioned Slowbro are recommended. Golem tends to hold little value to a team due to its disposable nature, so sacrificing it against sleepers like Exeggutor or Sing Chansey isn't unusual. In fact, against Chansey, it's plausible to cut your losses and have Golem Explode use Explosion in response to a missed Sing, potentially OHKOing it and enabling Mewtwo later.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

In cases where Golem is customized When customizing Golem's set, it's best to either replace Rock Slide, (AC) Substitute, or Body Slam, but these come with caveats. Removing Rock Slide makes it difficult for Golem to damage Exeggutor and Zapdos, removing Substitute makes it impossible for Golem to set up in front of paralyzed foes, and removing Body Slam leaves Golem without a midground option while becoming more reliant on its team for paralysis. With this in mind, attempts to customize Golem are often impolitic and not recommended.

If you must customize Golem, using Defense Curl or Harden isn't terrible, allowing Golem to consistently wall non-Earthquake Snorlax variants. In the long run, however, this doesn't pan out, as most non-Earthquake Snorlax variants use Reflect + Rest or Amnesia, both of which overwhelm Golem through sheer longevity and firepower, respectively. Against the latter, Golem is likely to Explode use Explosion anyway, as Amnesia Snorlax threatens severe damage to its team. Outside of this, Fire Blast is plausible for hitting Exeggutor slightly harder when it switches in while and potentially burning it, AC and thus removing the threat of its Explosion, but the risk of thawing a Pokemon and lack of utility outside of this makes it hard to justify.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Mewtwo**: While Mewtwo does not appreciate being Exploded on taking Explosion—which is a guaranteed KO after a single Earthquake—unboosted Psychic 2HKOes Golem and being faced with this prospect can force it to Explode Explosion much earlier than desired. If Mewtwo has used Amnesia even once, it must be paralyzed for Golem to do anything. Ice Beam variants completely incapacitate Golem; (add semicolon), (RC) with high damage rolls doing do enough to even let Zapdos win out. While rare, an unboosted Blizzard from Mewtwo OHKOes Golem half the time. If Mewtwo is paralyzed, however, a single full paralysis can lets Golem attempt to 3HKO it Mewtwo with Earthquake, which works a quarter of the time but otherwise leaves Mewtwo easily revenge killed. Furthermore, Thunderbolt + Submission Mewtwo sets actually struggle against Golem, failing to 3HKO it and getting 2HKOed in return by Earthquake + Explosion; thus, this Mewtwo variant it is forced to repeatedly use Recover or switch out. Finally, Barrier Mewtwo completely stops Golem in its tracks, as after a single Defense boost, Earthquake becomes a 6HKO at best, while Explosion deals less than 40%. However, both of the aforementioned Mewtwo sets are generally rare.

**Reflect Users**: Reflect throws a spanner in the works for Golem, swiftly taking a Pokemon out of Explosion KO range; thus, faster Pokemon using Reflect as Golem Explodes uses Explosion is particularly depressing. Mew isn't completely incapacitated by an Explosion if it's at full HP and walls Golem if using Reflect sets. If using Earthquake, Mew 3HKOes Golem consistently without having to boost. Against non-Reflect Mew, Golem cannot feasibly 3HKO it non-Reflect Mew without prior chip damage. Thus, Golem is largely limited to Exploding using Explosion and hoping Mew doesn't switch out. Chansey isn't always OHKOed by Explosion, and if it's running Reflect, (RC) Golem has no hope of winning outside of luck. Moreover, if Chansey is using Ice Beam, it can 2HKO Golem, and this is sometimes run on the same set. Reflect Snorlax is a similarly unfeasible matchup for Golem unless it gets extreme luck, especially if Snorlax is using Earthquake.

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor can switch in on Golem without much fear and put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. In the event sleep isn't an option, while not ideal, Exeggutor still 2HKOes Golem with Psychic a quarter of the time. However, Exeggutor can't repeatedly switch in on Rock Slide, as it tends to lose out against Seismic Toss users such as Chansey later or otherwise get forced to Explode into Explosion sooner. If Exeggutor is paralyzed and at around half HP, Golem can win with Rock Slide as well.

**Water-types**: Slowbro and the rarer Starmie and Lapras can all OHKO Golem with Surf. However, Slowbro dislikes having Golem switch in on a predicted Rest, as it forces it to Rest stall with repeated Earthquakes by threat of a 4HKO; a single critical hit can mean it losing outright. If Slowbro has set up prior, Earthquake + Explosion is a viable route to dispatch Slowbro.

**Super Effective Coverage**: If Golem takes a super effective hit, it is normally forced into Explosion to Explode thereafter, which is a less than ideal situation for it to be in most of the time. Mega Drain Exeggutor adores any opportunity to use it against Golem, letting it recovering a minimum of 37.6%. Users of Blizzard, Blizzard users such as Tauros, Jynx, Cloyster, and the rare Dragonite and Articuno also mortally threaten Golem, with the latter even OHKOing it. Tauros can switch in on Golem's Body Slam and threaten a 2HKO with Blizzard. Snorlax may use Blizzard alongside Amnesia to try to and sweep, which OHKOes Golem at +2. The rare Victreebel can OHKO Golem with Razor Leaf or put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. While it's not likely to win the interaction, Jolteon's Double Kick deals up to 19.8% each time, which if switched into will make Golem Explode need to use Explosion noticeably earlier if switched into.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[May, 236353], [LTG, 473639]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ctown6, 509438], [Sabelette, 583793]]
- Grammar checked by: [Sabelette, 583793], [, ]]
 

LTG

It’s always gaming time
is a Pre-Contributor
Let's get this cleared. Lemme know when this is implemented and I'll post to the GP channel for 2/2

Addition Removal Comment
(AC) (AH) Add Comma/Add Hyphen, (RC) (RH) Remove Comma/Remove Hyphen


Taken over from May

:golem:


[OVERVIEW]

Golem stands out in RBY Ubers as a Ground-type with access to Explosion. This gives it a significant niche over Rhydon, letting it deal up to 80% to tier-king (RH) Mewtwo and allowing a teammate to threaten it with a KO. With unresisted QuakeSlide coverage in addition to this, it's not just an Explosion that it offers: its coverage helps immensely against opposing Rhydon, Zapdos, Gengar, and Jolteon. With adequate paralysis support, Golem is capable of posing a serious threat to opposing teams, threatensing to deal massive damage and blow up on a high-value Pokemon, providing its teammates with incredible momentum.

However, Golem is often only favored over Rhydon on offensive teams that look to overwhelm the opponent with Explosions. Rhydon fits on more team styles and offers added consistency that Golem simply can’t muster. Self-Destruct Snorlax and Explosion Mew, while great partners on offensive teams, are also capable of compressing Golem's role while having potential surprise value and allowing for more consistent team options; notably, Snorlax also possesses the a stronger self-KO move thanks to STAB. Ergo, the bulkier and harder-hitting Rhydon can often fill its Golem's place just fine, confirming a 3HKO on Mewtwo with Earthquake, (AC) while Golem can only do so inconsistently. Additionally, Rhydon is capable of walling non-Earthquake Mew sets as well as and making 103 HP Substitutes, which can absorb a Seismic Toss from Chansey, giving it a much better matchup. Thus, Rhydon is often recommended if Golem's Explosion isn't required. Furthermore, Golem shares all of Rhydon's flaws: it's slow, specially frail, and has common weaknesses to Ice and Water. These traits mean that without paralysis support, Golem struggles to win consistently in one-on-one battles, which can't always be afforded in the harsh world of RBY Ubers.

[SET]
name: Explosion
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Substitute / Body Slam

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

The combination of Earthquake and Rock Slide gives Golem unresisted physical coverage; (added semicolon) when factoring in the threat of Explosion, this makes Golem , making it very difficult to switch into when factoring in the threat of Explosion as well. Golem's Earthquake has chances to OHKO Gengar and Jolteon, (RC) while and 2HKOes 2HKOing Alakazam and rarely Chansey. It also serves as Golem's best option against Mewtwo and Mew, 3HKOing Mewtwo about a quarter of the time while and 3HKOing Mew if it's taken minor damage prior. Furthermore, just a single Earthquake puts Mewtwo into range for Explosion. Golem has a fair shot at damaging any non-Ice Beam Mewtwo if it's paralyzed, though it can't stomach more than one Psychic without Mewtwo experiencing Special drops prior (QC: due to crit chance I'd say either way it can hardly afford to take multiple Psychics). Rock Slide potentially OHKOes Jynx and 2HKOes Zapdos, ensuring the latter can be consistently dealt with. It is also Golem's best option against Exeggutor, which likes to switch in on it and threaten with sleep thereafter. Substitute can allow Golem to place itself in a favorable position if it can set up (added space) against paralyzed opponents foes, such as Mewtwo or Chansey. Alternatively, Body Slam allows Golem to be more self-sufficient in the effort to spreading paralysis, which can let it turn the tables on switch-ins.

Explosion is Golem's claim to fame and should not be taken lightly. It OHKOes non-Reflect Chansey, Jynx, and Alakazam, as well as Starmie 38% of the time. It also deals up to 80% to Mewtwo and up to around 75% 76% (75.9% is close enough, you can be precise if you like but drop the "around") to Mew. Golem itself holds little value once the opposing team's Electric-type has been accounted for or removed, so Exploding using Explosion to remove or incapacitate Mewtwo or Mew is very desirable. In practice, however, this is very difficult, as the threat of Explosion can be enough to force out Mewtwo and Mew if they're in range. Snorlax and Mew often succeed with their self-KO moves because of their set variety, allowing for more effective bluffs, which Golem cannot afford to do. Another ideal situation to Explode for Explosion is when threatened with an Amnesia Snorlax or Slowbro sweep, though this isn't necessarily by choice, as it's one of the only consistent ways to prevent them from sweeping once they set up such a situation from concluding once it's started. Exploding Landing Explosion on Chansey can be useful for enabling enable Mewtwo, and removing Snorlax can be similarly useful for preventing its powerful early-game offense, but this isn't ideal, (AC) as it may leave Golem’s team vulnerable to opposing Electric-types later in the late-game. It's recommended to account for opposing Gengar, Rock-types, and frozen or sleeping Pokemon that can switch in to absorb Explosion. Thus, it may be appropriate to keep Golem unrevealed for extended periods of time, (AC) whereas because Mew and Snorlax generally don't imply their self-KO moves until they actually use them. As a rule of thumb, using Explosion should be a game of trades: understanding the value that each Pokemon holds to the opposing team is pivotal to succeeding.

Golem is best played on offensive teams with multiple self-KO move users, such as Self-Destruct Snorlax, Explosion Mew, or Exeggutor; while prediction-heavy and thus inconsistent, these teams are capable of closing out games very quickly. In other cases, Rhydon tends to outclass Golem, and should be looked to first. Golem also pairs well with Water-types like Slowbro and the rarer Starmie or Lapras, which appreciate its Electric immunity. Slowbro notably punishes non-Thunderbolt Mewtwo very hard, and the combination of it and Golem is capable of muscling past it without compromising your own Mewtwo. However, both are painfully slow, which can be problematic on a poorly built team. Paralysis support is paramount so that the opposition doesn't recover out of KO range, so Pokemon like Chansey, Starmie, Stun Spore Exeggutor variants, or the aforementioned Slowbro are recommended. Golem tends to hold little value to a team due to its disposable nature, so sacrificing it against sleepers like Exeggutor or Sing Chansey isn't unusual. In fact, against Chansey, it's plausible to cut your losses and have Golem Explode use Explosion in response to a missed Sing, potentially OHKOing it and enabling Mewtwo later.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

In cases where Golem is customized When customizing Golem's set, it's best to either replace Rock Slide, (AC) Substitute, or Body Slam, but these come with caveats. Removing Rock Slide makes it difficult for Golem to damage Exeggutor and Zapdos, removing Substitute makes it impossible for Golem to set up in front of paralyzed foes, and removing Body Slam leaves Golem without a midground option while becoming more reliant on its team for paralysis. With this in mind, attempts to customize Golem are often impolitic and not recommended.

If you must customize Golem, using Defense Curl or Harden isn't terrible, allowing Golem to consistently wall non-Earthquake Snorlax variants. In the long run, however, this doesn't pan out, as most non-Earthquake Snorlax variants use Reflect + Rest or Amnesia, both of which overwhelm Golem through sheer longevity and firepower, respectively. Against the latter, Golem is likely to Explode use Explosion anyway, as Amnesia Snorlax threatens severe damage to its team. Outside of this, Fire Blast is plausible for hitting Exeggutor slightly harder when it switches in while and potentially burning it, AC and thus removing the threat of its Explosion, but the risk of thawing a Pokemon and lack of utility outside of this makes it hard to justify.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Mewtwo**: While Mewtwo does not appreciate being Exploded on taking Explosion—which is a guaranteed KO after a single Earthquake—unboosted Psychic 2HKOes Golem and being faced with this prospect can force it to Explode Explosion much earlier than desired. If Mewtwo has used Amnesia even once, it must be paralyzed for Golem to do anything. Ice Beam variants completely incapacitate Golem; (add semicolon), (RC) with high damage rolls doing do enough to even let Zapdos win out. While rare, an unboosted Blizzard from Mewtwo OHKOes Golem half the time. If Mewtwo is paralyzed, however, a single full paralysis can lets Golem attempt to 3HKO it Mewtwo with Earthquake, which works a quarter of the time but otherwise leaves Mewtwo easily revenge killed. Furthermore, Thunderbolt + Submission Mewtwo sets actually struggle against Golem, failing to 3HKO it and getting 2HKOed in return by Earthquake + Explosion; thus, this Mewtwo variant it is forced to repeatedly use Recover or switch out. Finally, Barrier Mewtwo completely stops Golem in its tracks, as after a single Defense boost, Earthquake becomes a 6HKO at best, while Explosion deals less than 40%. However, both of the aforementioned Mewtwo sets are generally rare.

**Reflect Users**: Reflect throws a spanner in the works for Golem, swiftly taking a Pokemon out of Explosion KO range; thus, faster Pokemon using Reflect as Golem Explodes uses Explosion is particularly depressing. Mew isn't completely incapacitated by an Explosion if it's at full HP and walls Golem if using Reflect sets. If using Earthquake, Mew 3HKOes Golem consistently without having to boost. Against non-Reflect Mew, Golem cannot feasibly 3HKO it non-Reflect Mew without prior chip damage. Thus, Golem is largely limited to Exploding using Explosion and hoping Mew doesn't switch out. Chansey isn't always OHKOed by Explosion, and if it's running Reflect, (RC) Golem has no hope of winning outside of luck. Moreover, if Chansey is using Ice Beam, it can 2HKO Golem, and this is sometimes run on the same set. Reflect Snorlax is a similarly unfeasible matchup for Golem unless it gets extreme luck, especially if Snorlax is using Earthquake.

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor can switch in on Golem without much fear and put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. In the event sleep isn't an option, while not ideal, Exeggutor still 2HKOes Golem with Psychic a quarter of the time. However, Exeggutor can't repeatedly switch in on Rock Slide, as it tends to lose out against Seismic Toss users such as Chansey later or otherwise get forced to Explode into Explosion sooner. If Exeggutor is paralyzed and at around half HP, Golem can win with Rock Slide as well.

**Water-types**: Slowbro and the rarer Starmie and Lapras can all OHKO Golem with Surf. However, Slowbro dislikes having Golem switch in on a predicted Rest, as it forces it to Rest stall with repeated Earthquakes by threat of a 4HKO; a single critical hit can mean it losing outright. If Slowbro has set up prior, Earthquake + Explosion is a viable route to dispatch Slowbro.

**Super Effective Coverage**: If Golem takes a super effective hit, it is normally forced into Explosion to Explode thereafter, which is a less than ideal situation for it to be in most of the time. Mega Drain Exeggutor adores any opportunity to use it against Golem, letting it recovering a minimum of 37.6%. Users of Blizzard, Blizzard users such as Tauros, Jynx, Cloyster, and the rare Dragonite and Articuno also mortally threaten Golem, with the latter even OHKOing it. Tauros can switch in on Golem's Body Slam and threaten a 2HKO with Blizzard. Snorlax may use Blizzard alongside Amnesia to try to and sweep, which OHKOes Golem at +2. The rare Victreebel can OHKO Golem with Razor Leaf or put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. While it's not likely to win the interaction, Jolteon's Double Kick deals up to 19.8% each time, which if switched into will make Golem Explode need to use Explosion noticeably earlier if switched into.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[May, 236353], [LTG, 473639]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ctown6, 509438], [Sabelette, 583793]]
- Grammar checked by: [Sabelette, 583793], [, ]]
Implemented, marked GP 1/2
 

LTG

It’s always gaming time
is a Pre-Contributor
As per some suggestions on Discord, I've added a sentence about the positives of Golem's typing to the overview.
 

Sabelette

from the river to the sea
is a Site Content Manageris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Rechecking for any last errors then pushing this through at GP 1/1; GP Team done

[OVERVIEW]

Golem stands out in RBY Ubers as a Ground-type with access to Explosion. This gives it a significant niche over Rhydon, letting it deal up to 80% to tier king Mewtwo and allowing a teammate to threaten a KO. With unresisted QuakeSlide coverage, it's not just an Explosion that it offers:; (colon to semicolon) its coverage helps immensely against Rhydon, Zapdos, Gengar, and Jolteon. With adequate paralysis support, Golem threatens to can deal massive damage and blow up on a high-value Pokemon, providing its teammates with incredible momentum. Golem's typing also gives it a valuable Normal resistance and an Electric immunity, helping to check threats like Tauros and Snorlax and soundly beating Zapdos and Jolteon.

However, Golem is often only favored over Rhydon on offensive teams that look to overwhelm the opponent with Explosion. Rhydon fits on more team styles and offers added consistency that Golem simply can’t muster. Self-Destruct Snorlax and Explosion Mew, while great partners on offensive teams, are also capable of compressing Golem's role while having potential surprise value and allowing for more consistent team options; notably, Snorlax also possesses a stronger self-KO move thanks to STAB. Ergo, the bulkier and harder-hitting Rhydon can often fill Golem's place just fine, confirming a 3HKOing on Mewtwo with Earthquake, while Golem can only do so inconsistently. Additionally, Rhydon is capable of walling non-Earthquake Mew sets and making 103 HP Substitutes, which can absorb a Seismic Toss from Chansey, giving it a much better matchup. Thus, Rhydon is often recommended if Golem's Explosion isn't required. Furthermore, Golem shares all of Rhydon's flaws: it's slow, specially frail, and has common weaknesses to Ice and Water. These traits mean that wWithout paralysis support, Golem struggles to win consistently in one-on-one battles, which can't always be afforded in the harsh world of RBY Ubers.

[SET]
name: Explosion
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Substitute / Body Slam

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

The combination of Earthquake and Rock Slide gives Golem unresisted physical coverage; when factoring in the threat of Explosion, this makes Golem very difficult to switch into. Golem's Earthquake has chances to may OHKO Gengar and Jolteon and 2HKOes Alakazam and—rarely—Chansey. It also serves as Golem's best option against Mewtwo and Mew, 3HKOing Mewtwo about a quarter of the time and 3HKOing Mew if it's taken minor damage prior. Furthermore, just a single Earthquake puts Mewtwo in range for Explosion. Golem has a fair shot at damaging wearing down any non-Ice Beam Mewtwo if it's paralyzed, though it's also 2HKOed by Psychic can't stomach more than one Psychic provided Mewtwo does not get a critical hit. Rock Slide potentially OHKOes Jynx and 2HKOes Zapdos, ensuring the latter can be consistently dealt with. It is also Golem's best option against Exeggutor, which likes to switch in on it and threaten with sleep. Substitute can allow Golem to place itself in a favorable position if it can set up against paralyzed foes, such as Mewtwo or and Chansey. Alternatively, Body Slam allows Golem to be more self-sufficient in spreading paralysis, which can let it turn the tables on switch-ins.

Explosion is Golem's claim to fame and should not be taken lightly. It OHKOes non-Reflect Chansey, Jynx, and Alakazam, as well as Starmie 38% of the time. It also deals up to 80% to Mewtwo and up to 75.9% to Mew. Golem itself holds little value once the opposing team's Electric-type has been removed, so using Explosion to incapacitate Mewtwo or Mew is very desirable. In practice, however, this is very difficult, as the threat of Explosion can be enough to force out Mewtwo and Mew if they're in range. Snorlax and Mew often succeed with their self-KO moves because of their set variety, allowing for more effective bluffs, which Golem cannot afford. Another ideal situation for Explosion is when threatened with an Amnesia Snorlax or Slowbro sweep, as it's one of the only consistent ways to prevent them from sweeping once they set up. Landing Explosion on Chansey can enable Mewtwo, and removing Snorlax can be similarly useful for preventing its powerful early-game offense, but this isn't ideal, (AC) (you missed removing this comment) as it may leave Golem’s team vulnerable to opposing Electric-types late-game. It's recommended to account for opposing Gengar, Rock-types, and frozen or sleeping Pokemon that can switch in to absorb Explosion. Thus, it may be appropriate to keep Golem unrevealed for extended periods of time, whereas Mew and Snorlax generally don't imply their self-KO moves until they actually use them. As a rule of thumb, using Explosion should be a game of trades:; (colon to semicolon) understanding the value that each Pokemon holds to the opposing team is pivotal to succeeding.

Golem is best played on offensive teams with multiple self-KO move users, such as Self-Destruct Snorlax, Explosion Mew, or and Exeggutor; while prediction-heavy and thus inconsistent, these teams are capable of closing out games very quickly. In other cases, Rhydon tends to outclass Golem, (RC) and should be looked to first. Golem also pairs well with Water-types like Slowbro and the rarer Starmie or and Lapras, which appreciate its Electric immunity. Slowbro notably punishes non-Thunderbolt Mewtwo very hard, and the combination of it Slowbro and Golem is capable of muscling past it without compromising your own Mewtwo. However, both are painfully slow, which can be problematic on a poorly built team. Paralysis support is paramount so that the opposition doesn't recover out of KO range, so Pokemon like Chansey, Starmie, Stun Spore Exeggutor, or and the aforementioned Slowbro are recommended. Golem tends to hold little value to a team due to its disposable nature, so sacrificing it against sleepers like Exeggutor or and Sing Chansey isn't unusual. In fact, against Chansey, it's plausible to cut your losses and have Golem use Explosion in response to a missed Sing, potentially OHKOing it and enabling Mewtwo later.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

When customizing Golem's set, it's best to replace Rock Slide, Substitute, or Body Slam, but these come with caveats. Removing Rock Slide makes it difficult for Golem to damage Exeggutor and Zapdos, removing Substitute makes it impossible for Golem to set up in front of paralyzed foes, and removing Body Slam leaves Golem without a midground option while becoming more reliant on its team for paralysis. With this in mind, attempts to customize Golem are often impolitic and not recommended.

If you must customize Golem, using Defense Curl or Harden isn't terrible, allowing as these allow Golem to consistently wall non-Earthquake Snorlax variants. In the long run, however, this doesn't pan out, as most non-Earthquake Snorlax variants use Reflect + Rest or Amnesia, which overwhelm Golem through sheer longevity and firepower, respectively. Against the latter, Golem is likely to use Explosion anyway, as Amnesia Snorlax threatens severe damage to its team. Outside of this, Fire Blast is plausible for hitting Exeggutor slightly harder when it switches in and potentially burning it, thus removing the threat of its Explosion, but the risk of thawing a Pokemon and lack of utility outside of this makes it hard to justify.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Mewtwo**: While Mewtwo does not appreciate taking Explosion—which is a guaranteed KO after a single Earthquake—unboosted Psychic 2HKOes Golem and can force Explosion much earlier than desired. If Mewtwo has used Amnesia even once, it must be paralyzed for Golem to do anything. Ice Beam variants completely incapacitate Golem; high damage rolls do enough to even let Zapdos win out. While rare, an unboosted Blizzard from Mewtwo OHKOes Golem half the time. If Mewtwo is paralyzed, however, a single full paralysis lets Golem attempt to 3HKO it with Earthquake, which works a quarter of the time but otherwise leaves Mewtwo easily revenge killed. Furthermore, Thunderbolt + Submission Mewtwo sets actually struggle against Golem, failing to 3HKO it and getting 2HKOed in return by Earthquake + Explosion; thus, it is forced to repeatedly use Recover or switch out. Finally, Barrier Mewtwo completely stops Golem in its tracks, as after a single Defense boost, Earthquake becomes a 6HKO at best, while Explosion deals less than 40%. However, both aforementioned Mewtwo sets are generally rare.

**Reflect Users**: Reflect throws a spanner in the works for Golem, swiftly taking a Pokemon out of Explosion KO range; faster Pokemon using Reflect as Golem uses Explosion is particularly depressing. Mew isn't completely incapacitated by an Explosion if it's at full HP and walls Golem if using Reflect sets. If using Earthquake, Mew 3HKOes Golem consistently without having to boost. Golem cannot feasibly 3HKO non-Reflect Mew without prior chip damage. Thus, Golem is largely limited to using Explosion and hoping Mew doesn't switch out. Chansey isn't always OHKOed by Explosion, and if it's running Reflect Golem has no hope of winning outside of luck. Moreover, if Chansey is using Ice Beam, it can 2HKO Golem, and this is sometimes run on the same set. Reflect Snorlax is a similarly unfeasible matchup for Golem unless it gets extreme luck, especially if Snorlax is using Earthquake.

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor can switch in on Golem without much fear and put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. In the event sleep isn't an option, Exeggutor still 2HKOes Golem with Psychic a quarter of the time. However, Exeggutor can't repeatedly switch in on Rock Slide, as it tends to lose out against Seismic Toss users such as Chansey later or otherwise get forced into using Explosion sooner. If Exeggutor is paralyzed and at around half HP, Golem can win with Rock Slide as well.

**Water-types**: Slowbro and the rarer Starmie and Lapras can all OHKO Golem with Surf. However, Slowbro dislikes having Golem switch in on a predicted Rest, as it forces it to Rest stall with repeated Earthquakes by threat of a 4HKO; a single critical hit can mean it losesing outright. If Slowbro has set up prior, Earthquake + Explosion is a viable route to dispatch it Slowbro.

**Super Effective Coverage**: If Golem takes a super effective hit, it is normally forced into Explosion, which is a less than ideal situation. Mega Drain Exeggutor adores any opportunity to use it against Golem, recovering a minimum of 37.6%. Blizzard users such as Tauros, Jynx, Cloyster, and the rare Dragonite and Articuno also mortally threaten Golem, with the latter even OHKOing it. Tauros can switch in on Golem's Body Slam and threaten a 2HKO with Blizzard. Snorlax may use Blizzard alongside Amnesia to try to sweep, which OHKOes Golem at +2. The rare Victreebel can OHKO Golem with Razor Leaf or put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. While it's not likely to win the interaction, Jolteon's Double Kick deals up to 19.8% each time, which can wear Golem down and force an early Explosion will make Golem need to use Explosion noticeably earlier if switched into.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[May, 236353], [LTG, 473639]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ctown6, 509438], [Sabelette, 583793]]
- Grammar checked by: [Sabelette, 583793], [, ]]

Written by:

https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/236353/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ltg.473639/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ctown6.509438/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Grammar checked by:

https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
 

LTG

It’s always gaming time
is a Pre-Contributor
Rechecking for any last errors then pushing this through at GP 1/1; GP Team done

[OVERVIEW]

Golem stands out in RBY Ubers as a Ground-type with access to Explosion. This gives it a significant niche over Rhydon, letting it deal up to 80% to tier king Mewtwo and allowing a teammate to threaten a KO. With unresisted QuakeSlide coverage, it's not just an Explosion that it offers:; (colon to semicolon) its coverage helps immensely against Rhydon, Zapdos, Gengar, and Jolteon. With adequate paralysis support, Golem threatens to can deal massive damage and blow up on a high-value Pokemon, providing its teammates with incredible momentum. Golem's typing also gives it a valuable Normal resistance and an Electric immunity, helping to check threats like Tauros and Snorlax and soundly beating Zapdos and Jolteon.

However, Golem is often only favored over Rhydon on offensive teams that look to overwhelm the opponent with Explosion. Rhydon fits on more team styles and offers added consistency that Golem simply can’t muster. Self-Destruct Snorlax and Explosion Mew, while great partners on offensive teams, are also capable of compressing Golem's role while having potential surprise value and allowing for more consistent team options; notably, Snorlax also possesses a stronger self-KO move thanks to STAB. Ergo, the bulkier and harder-hitting Rhydon can often fill Golem's place just fine, confirming a 3HKOing on Mewtwo with Earthquake, while Golem can only do so inconsistently. Additionally, Rhydon is capable of walling non-Earthquake Mew sets and making 103 HP Substitutes, which can absorb a Seismic Toss from Chansey, giving it a much better matchup. Thus, Rhydon is often recommended if Golem's Explosion isn't required. Furthermore, Golem shares all of Rhydon's flaws: it's slow, specially frail, and has common weaknesses to Ice and Water. These traits mean that wWithout paralysis support, Golem struggles to win consistently in one-on-one battles, which can't always be afforded in the harsh world of RBY Ubers.

[SET]
name: Explosion
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Explosion
move 4: Substitute / Body Slam

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

The combination of Earthquake and Rock Slide gives Golem unresisted physical coverage; when factoring in the threat of Explosion, this makes Golem very difficult to switch into. Golem's Earthquake has chances to may OHKO Gengar and Jolteon and 2HKOes Alakazam and—rarely—Chansey. It also serves as Golem's best option against Mewtwo and Mew, 3HKOing Mewtwo about a quarter of the time and 3HKOing Mew if it's taken minor damage prior. Furthermore, just a single Earthquake puts Mewtwo in range for Explosion. Golem has a fair shot at damaging wearing down any non-Ice Beam Mewtwo if it's paralyzed, though it's also 2HKOed by Psychic can't stomach more than one Psychic provided Mewtwo does not get a critical hit. Rock Slide potentially OHKOes Jynx and 2HKOes Zapdos, ensuring the latter can be consistently dealt with. It is also Golem's best option against Exeggutor, which likes to switch in on it and threaten with sleep. Substitute can allow Golem to place itself in a favorable position if it can set up against paralyzed foes, such as Mewtwo or and Chansey. Alternatively, Body Slam allows Golem to be more self-sufficient in spreading paralysis, which can let it turn the tables on switch-ins.

Explosion is Golem's claim to fame and should not be taken lightly. It OHKOes non-Reflect Chansey, Jynx, and Alakazam, as well as Starmie 38% of the time. It also deals up to 80% to Mewtwo and up to 75.9% to Mew. Golem itself holds little value once the opposing team's Electric-type has been removed, so using Explosion to incapacitate Mewtwo or Mew is very desirable. In practice, however, this is very difficult, as the threat of Explosion can be enough to force out Mewtwo and Mew if they're in range. Snorlax and Mew often succeed with their self-KO moves because of their set variety, allowing for more effective bluffs, which Golem cannot afford. Another ideal situation for Explosion is when threatened with an Amnesia Snorlax or Slowbro sweep, as it's one of the only consistent ways to prevent them from sweeping once they set up. Landing Explosion on Chansey can enable Mewtwo, and removing Snorlax can be similarly useful for preventing its powerful early-game offense, but this isn't ideal, (AC) (you missed removing this comment) as it may leave Golem’s team vulnerable to opposing Electric-types late-game. It's recommended to account for opposing Gengar, Rock-types, and frozen or sleeping Pokemon that can switch in to absorb Explosion. Thus, it may be appropriate to keep Golem unrevealed for extended periods of time, whereas Mew and Snorlax generally don't imply their self-KO moves until they actually use them. As a rule of thumb, using Explosion should be a game of trades:; (colon to semicolon) understanding the value that each Pokemon holds to the opposing team is pivotal to succeeding.

Golem is best played on offensive teams with multiple self-KO move users, such as Self-Destruct Snorlax, Explosion Mew, or and Exeggutor; while prediction-heavy and thus inconsistent, these teams are capable of closing out games very quickly. In other cases, Rhydon tends to outclass Golem, (RC) and should be looked to first. Golem also pairs well with Water-types like Slowbro and the rarer Starmie or and Lapras, which appreciate its Electric immunity. Slowbro notably punishes non-Thunderbolt Mewtwo very hard, and the combination of it Slowbro and Golem is capable of muscling past it without compromising your own Mewtwo. However, both are painfully slow, which can be problematic on a poorly built team. Paralysis support is paramount so that the opposition doesn't recover out of KO range, so Pokemon like Chansey, Starmie, Stun Spore Exeggutor, or and the aforementioned Slowbro are recommended. Golem tends to hold little value to a team due to its disposable nature, so sacrificing it against sleepers like Exeggutor or and Sing Chansey isn't unusual. In fact, against Chansey, it's plausible to cut your losses and have Golem use Explosion in response to a missed Sing, potentially OHKOing it and enabling Mewtwo later.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

When customizing Golem's set, it's best to replace Rock Slide, Substitute, or Body Slam, but these come with caveats. Removing Rock Slide makes it difficult for Golem to damage Exeggutor and Zapdos, removing Substitute makes it impossible for Golem to set up in front of paralyzed foes, and removing Body Slam leaves Golem without a midground option while becoming more reliant on its team for paralysis. With this in mind, attempts to customize Golem are often impolitic and not recommended.

If you must customize Golem, using Defense Curl or Harden isn't terrible, allowing as these allow Golem to consistently wall non-Earthquake Snorlax variants. In the long run, however, this doesn't pan out, as most non-Earthquake Snorlax variants use Reflect + Rest or Amnesia, which overwhelm Golem through sheer longevity and firepower, respectively. Against the latter, Golem is likely to use Explosion anyway, as Amnesia Snorlax threatens severe damage to its team. Outside of this, Fire Blast is plausible for hitting Exeggutor slightly harder when it switches in and potentially burning it, thus removing the threat of its Explosion, but the risk of thawing a Pokemon and lack of utility outside of this makes it hard to justify.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Mewtwo**: While Mewtwo does not appreciate taking Explosion—which is a guaranteed KO after a single Earthquake—unboosted Psychic 2HKOes Golem and can force Explosion much earlier than desired. If Mewtwo has used Amnesia even once, it must be paralyzed for Golem to do anything. Ice Beam variants completely incapacitate Golem; high damage rolls do enough to even let Zapdos win out. While rare, an unboosted Blizzard from Mewtwo OHKOes Golem half the time. If Mewtwo is paralyzed, however, a single full paralysis lets Golem attempt to 3HKO it with Earthquake, which works a quarter of the time but otherwise leaves Mewtwo easily revenge killed. Furthermore, Thunderbolt + Submission Mewtwo sets actually struggle against Golem, failing to 3HKO it and getting 2HKOed in return by Earthquake + Explosion; thus, it is forced to repeatedly use Recover or switch out. Finally, Barrier Mewtwo completely stops Golem in its tracks, as after a single Defense boost, Earthquake becomes a 6HKO at best, while Explosion deals less than 40%. However, both aforementioned Mewtwo sets are generally rare.

**Reflect Users**: Reflect throws a spanner in the works for Golem, swiftly taking a Pokemon out of Explosion KO range; faster Pokemon using Reflect as Golem uses Explosion is particularly depressing. Mew isn't completely incapacitated by an Explosion if it's at full HP and walls Golem if using Reflect sets. If using Earthquake, Mew 3HKOes Golem consistently without having to boost. Golem cannot feasibly 3HKO non-Reflect Mew without prior chip damage. Thus, Golem is largely limited to using Explosion and hoping Mew doesn't switch out. Chansey isn't always OHKOed by Explosion, and if it's running Reflect Golem has no hope of winning outside of luck. Moreover, if Chansey is using Ice Beam, it can 2HKO Golem, and this is sometimes run on the same set. Reflect Snorlax is a similarly unfeasible matchup for Golem unless it gets extreme luck, especially if Snorlax is using Earthquake.

**Exeggutor**: Exeggutor can switch in on Golem without much fear and put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. In the event sleep isn't an option, Exeggutor still 2HKOes Golem with Psychic a quarter of the time. However, Exeggutor can't repeatedly switch in on Rock Slide, as it tends to lose out against Seismic Toss users such as Chansey later or otherwise get forced into using Explosion sooner. If Exeggutor is paralyzed and at around half HP, Golem can win with Rock Slide as well.

**Water-types**: Slowbro and the rarer Starmie and Lapras can all OHKO Golem with Surf. However, Slowbro dislikes having Golem switch in on a predicted Rest, as it forces it to Rest stall with repeated Earthquakes by threat of a 4HKO; a single critical hit can mean it losesing outright. If Slowbro has set up prior, Earthquake + Explosion is a viable route to dispatch it Slowbro.

**Super Effective Coverage**: If Golem takes a super effective hit, it is normally forced into Explosion, which is a less than ideal situation. Mega Drain Exeggutor adores any opportunity to use it against Golem, recovering a minimum of 37.6%. Blizzard users such as Tauros, Jynx, Cloyster, and the rare Dragonite and Articuno also mortally threaten Golem, with the latter even OHKOing it. Tauros can switch in on Golem's Body Slam and threaten a 2HKO with Blizzard. Snorlax may use Blizzard alongside Amnesia to try to sweep, which OHKOes Golem at +2. The rare Victreebel can OHKO Golem with Razor Leaf or put it to sleep with Sleep Powder. While it's not likely to win the interaction, Jolteon's Double Kick deals up to 19.8% each time, which can wear Golem down and force an early Explosion will make Golem need to use Explosion noticeably earlier if switched into.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[May, 236353], [LTG, 473639]]
- Quality checked by: [[Ctown6, 509438], [Sabelette, 583793]]
- Grammar checked by: [Sabelette, 583793], [, ]]

Written by:

https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/236353/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ltg.473639/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ctown6.509438/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Grammar checked by:

https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sabelette.583793/
Implemented. This is finally ready to upload!
 

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