Geowaz Movesets & Wettbewerbs-Sets

Moves Stealth Rock wears down opposing teams with residual damage and breaks Focus Sash and Sturdy. STAB Stone Edge and Earthquake cover a lot of threats and hit hard. Rock Blast may be used to break Substitutes and OHKO Focus Sash Kadabra, but it is weaker and less reliable overall even when factoring in Stone Edge's poor accuracy. Explosion prevents spinners and Defoggers, such as Armaldo and Pelipper, from removing Stealth Rock and provides momentum for the team. It also weakens common checks to your team so that another Pokemon can clean later on. Sucker Punch can be used to pick off weakened but faster Pokemon, and it should be run with Weakness Policy. Set Details Sturdy allows Golem to survive at least one hit in order to set up Stealth Rock. A Custap Berry can be run to let Golem use Explosion or fire off another strong attack after Sturdy has activated, which is useful against faster Pokemon. A Weakness Policy, on the other hand, allows it to make use of its weaknesses by discouraging the use of super effective moves when Golem is at full HP and helps deal more damage, particularly with Sucker Punch. Maximum Speed investment allows it to outspeed everything up to uninvested base 70 Speed Pokemon, such as Politoed. An Adamant nature and maximum Attack investment allow Golem to deal more damage. Usage Tips Golem is best used as a lead, as Sturdy will always be intact at the start of the match. Its main role is setting Stealth Rock up as soon as possible. It can also be used mid-game, as it can check Flying-, Normal-, and Electric-types. Even though Golem is a Ground-type, it can't properly counter Electric-types such as Zebstrika and Electrode, as they commonly carry coverage such as Hidden Power Ice. Use Explosion in front of slower Rapid Spin users and Defoggers in order to prevent them from removing entry hazards. Watch out for Mold Breaker Rampardos and Bullet Seed Leafeon, which can easily OHKO through Sturdy. Golem should not be considered a reliable check to offensive threats, as without HP investment, Golem's bulk is mediocre at best. You can also switch Golem in many times in order to get it to Custap Berry range. Be wary of using Stealth Rock against faster Pokemon with Taunt, such as Misdreavus. Team Options Golem is one of the best Stealth Rock setters for hyper offensive teams, as it is relatively quick and powerful, and you can usually maintain Stealth Rock because of Explosion. It can be paired with a Ghost-type, such as Misdreavus, in order to block Rapid Spin, and possibly a Defiant user, such as Pawniard or Purugly, to benefit from Defog, as you'll often get only one chance to set Stealth Rock. Other entry hazard setters, such as Roselia, can be used to further increase the residual damage and create nice entry hazard-stacking cores. Powerful attackers, such as Zebstrika, Ninetales, and Sawsbuck, appreciate entry hazard support. Ninetales and Zebstrika, in particular, are great partners, as they're able to deal with bulky Grass- and Water-types.

Moves Sunny Day gives an appreciated Speed boost to teammates that carry Chlorophyll, such as Sawsbuck and Leafeon, and powers up Fire-type moves, making Pokemon such as Ninetales and Simisear more threatening. Stealth Rock wears down foes and breaks Sturdy and Focus Sashes and therefore is fundamental to further support teammates. Explosion is the strongest move at Golem's disposal and can heavily damage the target, though it is mainly used to not waste Sunny Day turns, gain momentum, and block Defog and Rapid Spin after setting up Stealth Rock. Earthquake can be used to deal with opposing leads such as opposing Golem and Probopass or threatening setup sweepers without having to resort to Explosion. Stone Edge can be used over Earthquake if the team needs different coverage, and, while less reliable, it can hit Ghost-types such as Misdreavus and Flying-types such as Swanna. Set Details The given spread along with a Jolly nature is used to deal as much damage as possible and set up Sunny Day and Stealth Rock as fast as possible, outspeeding Defog users such as Pelipper and Vullaby. Sturdy allows Golem to survive a strong hit and set up one of Sunny Day and Stealth Rock safely. Heat Rock is used to make Sunny Day last as long as possible, letting teammates take advantage of it. Usage Tips This Golem set has to be used has a lead, as it has a good matchup against most other leads and it has to set up both Sunny Day and Stealth Rock as soon as possible. Golem's main tasks are setting up Sunny Day and Stealth Rock to support its teammates. Golem should give more priority to setting up Stealth Rock than Sunny Day in order to waste fewer Sunny Day turns. After setting up Stealth Rock and possibly Sunny Day, Golem should use Explosion to not waste Sunny Day turns and to block Defog and Rapid Spin attempts from opponents. Earthquake or Stone Edge could be used when up against setup sweepers that don't fear Explosion such as Pawniard and Misdreavus. Golem should be wary of faster Taunt users such as Misdreavus, as they can prevent it from setting up Sunny Day and Stealth Rock. Golem also has to be careful when facing other anti-leads such as Mold Breaker Rampardos and Bullet Seed Leafeon, as they can OHKO regardless of Sturdy. Team Options Sun lead Golem fits only on dedicated sun teams because of its offensive presence and the support it is able to provide to Chlorophyll users and Fire-types. As Golem will most of the time be gone during early-game, a secondary Sunny Day setter, such as Volbeat, is appreciated to support teammates more extensively. Chlorophyll users such as Leafeon and Sawsbuck greatly appreciate the Sunny Day support provided by Golem, as it gives them a big boost in Speed, allowing them to open holes into the opposing team from the start. They also appreciate Stealth Rock support to wear down foes and score more KOs on Pokemon such as Rapidash, Raichu, Rotom-F, and Pelipper. Fire-types such as Ninetales and Simisear also like the Sunny Day support, as it powers up their STAB moves, making them even more threatening on the offensive side along with Stealth Rock. Ghost-types such as Misdreavus are able to block Rapid Spin and keep Stealth Rock on the opposing field and therefore are good choices as partners for Golem. Defiant users such as Pawniard are also good partners for Golem, as they deter the use of Defog from the opponent. However, these are somewhat niche choices for sun teams.

Moves Golem is capable of performing as a very strong wallbreaker with its powerful EdgeQuake combination. Earthquake is Golem's STAB move of choice, as it has perfect accuracy and is easy to spam when Ground-resistant or -immune Pokemon are not present or have been eliminated. Stone Edge is Golem's secondary STAB move and hits Pokemon that resist or are immune to Earthquake, such as Misdreavus, Solrock, and Leafeon, for good damage. Sucker Punch hits faster Pokemon that Golem would otherwise be unable to touch. Fire Punch is an important coverage move that hits the likes of Bronzor and bulky Grass-types such as Gourgeist and Tangela when you don't want to risk a Stone Edge. Superpower is the preferred final coverage move so that Golem is able to hit Pokemon such as Air Balloon Probopass and Vibrava. Explosion is also an option in the last slot, as it deals an insane amount of damage to typical Golem switch-ins and even OHKOes Vibrava from full HP. Set Details The EV spread simply maximizes Attack and Speed for Golem. The Speed is necessary to outspeed every foe up to uninvested base 70 Speed Pokemon. Adamant is the nature of choice because it allows Golem to hit as hard as possible with a Choice Band. However, a Jolly nature can be used to outspeed foes that Speed creep Adamant Golem such as Pelipper and Mawile. Lastly, Sturdy allows Golem to take any one hit from full health and also ensures that Golem will be able to fire off at least one attack. Usage Tips Choice Band Golem is best played as a wallbreaker, dealing lots of damage to otherwise safe switch-ins with its powerful STAB Earthquake and Stone Edge. Once Golem has switched in, simply pick the move that's most effective against the likely switch-in in order to 2HKO it most of the time. Both of Golem's STAB moves have some drawbacks to using them; Earthquake is perfectly accurate, but it can leave Golem checked by physically defensive Grass-types and Pokemon immune to Ground, and Stone Edge has imperfect accuracy even though nothing is immune to Rock. Once Flying-types, Levitate users, and bulky Grass-types have been removed from battle, however, it's very easy for Golem to simply spam Earthquake. Only use Fire Punch if attempting to predict a Bronzor switch-in or trying to secure a KO on a Grass-type switch-in. Bringing in Golem on a passive Pokemon that does not threaten it will give you a lot of momentum for Golem to continue wallbreaking. Golem should be supported by some sort of slow U-turn or Volt Switch pivot backbone that allows it to be brought in with minimal wear. Golem can also function as an offensive Normal- and Flying-type check, as well as Electric-type immunity, but without bulk investment, Golem can be worn down more easily by attacks like Choice Band Stoutland's Return. Team Options Choice Band Golem fits best on offensive and balanced teams. Just like with a number of other wallbreakers, having a late-game sweeper is ideal in order to take advantage of the holes Golem punches, so Floatzel, Bouffalant, and Dragon Dance Altaria are good teammates. Grumpig is a solid pivot to fall back on due to its Fighting- and Ice-type resistances, and it can provide paralysis support to improve Golem's effectiveness against faster teams. Stealth Rock is helpful because it ensures Gourgeist and Tangela are 2HKOed by Stone Edge and Fire Punch, and it also chips down most Earthquake switch-ins very quickly. Prinplup and Clefairy are notable thanks to their decent defensive synergy with Golem. Other good partners for Golem are Lumineon, Politoed, Yache Berry Leafeon, and faster Electric-types such as Zebstrika and Choice Scarf Rotom-F, as they check the Water-types that force out Golem and also provide momentum for Golem with Volt Switch, and can wear down Grass-types with Overheat and Blizzard.

Moves Stealth Rock wears down the opposing Pokemon as they switch in, breaking Focus Sashes and Sturdy alike. Golem gets up Stealth Rock fairly reliably thanks to Sturdy, which allows it to set up the hazard without fear of being OHKOed. Due to Golem's naturally high Attack stat, Earthquake OHKOs many Pokemon that are weak to or take neutral damage from it. Stone Edge works very well with Earthquake, as it hits most of the Pokemon in the tier that are immune to or resist Ground. Toxic is able to wear down many common Pokemon that switch into Golem, such as Gourgeist-XL and Tangela. Sucker Punch can be used as a form of priority and can KO many Pokemon that are at low HP. Protect is another option for the final moveslot, although less useful than Toxic or Sucker Punch in general. Protect helps scout for the opposing Pokemon's set, such as whether an opposing Floatzel is a physical or special attacker, or what move the opposing Pokemon will go for if it holds a Choice item. Protect also allows Golem to get more passive recovery. Set Details Maximum EVs in HP along with 224 EVs in Special Defense give Golem incredible mixed bulk. A Careful nature is used to maximize Special Defense. These EVs let Golem survive four uses of Hidden Power Ice from Life Orb Zebstrika after Leftovers most of the time. The 32 Attack EVs are needed in order to OHKO Pawniard with Earthquake. Finally, Sturdy is preferred in order to ensure Golem gets up Stealth Rock, especially versus Water- and Grass-types that would normally be able to OHKO Golem with their super effective STAB moves. Usage Tips Even though this set is specially defensive, Golem also has a naturally high Defense and can come in on many Pokemon that simply don't have a way to hit it super effectively, such as Flying-types like Chatot, Vullaby, and Ninjask. Take advantage of opportunities where the opposing Pokemon switches out to set up Stealth Rock. In addition, keeping Golem's Sturdy intact is a valuable asset, as this can let Golem get a Toxic or attack off on an opposing Pokemon late-game, ultimately allowing other Pokemon on your team to KO it with damage over time. Use Golem's great Attack stat to your advantage. There are many Pokemon that Golem can take a hit from and KO in return, especially due to Sturdy. Even if you do not want Golem to be severely weakened, this can sometimes be good if you are able to KO a big threat to your team. It is best to get up Stealth Rock early so that it it hits as many Pokemon as possible on the switch in. In addition, Golem can switch into most Electric-types to prevent them from Volt Switching out, hindering their momentum. They usually run Hidden Power Ice, which Golem can take fine, but be wary of surprise Hidden Power Grass or Hidden Power Water. Team Options This Golem set fits well on balance teams as part of defensive cores due to its high mixed defenses. Golem is normally checked or countered by bulky Grass- and Water-types, which can easily take one of its attacks and retaliate with their respective 4x super effective STAB moves. Pokemon that remedy this weakness are great partners for Golem, such as Grass-types like Gourgeist-XL and Tangela and Water-types like Lapras and Politoed. In addition, because Golem is immune to Electric-type attacks, it works well with Pokemon that need fast Electric-types removed, such as Chatot, Dodrio, and Articuno. Grumpig is a great partner due to the fact that it threatens Monferno and Ice-types such as Rotom-F. Grumpig also has access to Thunder Wave, which slows down foes for Golem to KO with Earthquake or Stone Edge. Because Golem is such a great check to Flying- and Rock-types, it pairs well with Pokemon that need them removed in order to sweep, such as Jumpluff and Ninjask. Finally, sweepers and wallbreakers that appreciate Stealth Rock, such as Ninetales and Floatzel, are great partners for Golem.

Focus Sash is a great item for Golem, as it makes up for his numerous weaknesses and poor Special Defense while allowing him to devote his EVs to Attack and Speed. Guaranteed to survive at least one attack, Golem can make full use of his high Attack stat and excellent attacking options, which include great coverage with just his STAB moves, powerful priority in Sucker Punch, and a potent finisher in Explosion. Rock Blast is mentioned as the top choice of the two Rock attacks due to its synergy with Sucker Punch. While Sucker Punch encourages Pokemon such as Sceptile and Mismagius to use Substitute, Rock Blast punishes the use of Substitute with its ability to break the Substitute with the first hit or two and continue to cause damage afterwards. However, Stone Edge is still a great choice as it always hits for 100 Base Power, allowing Golem to reliably damage opponents (assuming it hits) such as Sceptile and Mesprit to the point that Sucker Punch can finish them off. Earthquake is Golem's most reliable attack, and it hits many leads for super effective damage; notable examples including Omastar, Kabutops, Nidoqueen, and Rhyperior, which are all 2HKOed or OHKOed. Explosion lets him OHKO Cloyster, Donphan, and Claydol, who are all outsped. Sucker Punch is there to finish off Ambipom after Golem hits him with Earthquake, and to OHKO Choice Specs Alakazam leads. This set does excellently against heavily offensive teams for two reasons: first, their leads often prioritize setting up entry hazards or Rain Dance, so they often leave Golem's Focus Sash intact. Second, they tend to have fewer bulky Pokemon, so they will often have to sacrifice a sweeper to break Golem's Focus Sash, or sacrifice part of their generally minimal defensive core to Golem's Explosion. At the same time, this set can be more difficult to use against stall teams that have many bulky Pokemon to take Golem's regular attacks and Ghost-types to take Explosion. Golem can only hurt these teams with good prediction, since their users will often try bait-and-switch tactics to get Golem to Explode on the wrong target. However, Golem can hurt Spiritomb and Rock- and Steel-types with Earthquake, while he can hurt any other Ghosts with Rock attacks, so it is possible to turn an opponent's strategy against them. Still, these prediction wars generally favor the stall team, as Golem only gets one chance to use Explosion. Sometimes the best tactic against stall teams is to save Golem for later, as stall teams can have a tougher time avoiding Explosion after they have been weakened a bit, and Golem outspeeds many stall staples. Golem's teammates should include at least a couple of sweepers who can take advantage of any damage that Golem causes to the opposing team. This set is very good at taking out or severely weakening opposing Stealth Rock leads, and tends to lure Ghosts with the threat of Explosion, potentially taking them out with STAB moves and/or Sucker Punch. This means Rapid Spin users enjoy having Golem on their team, if only to scout the opponent's spinblocker. Golem is well supported by Pursuit users and Flash Fire Pokemon, as Ghost-type Pokemon that switch in will often use Will-O-Wisp. Houndoom is notable as he can both absorb Will-O-Wisp and use Pursuit, but be wary as he shares weaknesses to Water and Ground with Golem. Golem can't do much to opposing sleep leads, so having a cleric or sleep absorber will be helpful. Golem will often sacrifice himself in order to do as much damage as possible, so if your team needs his resistances to Normal and Rock or immunity to Electric, you will want to make sure you have those covered by other teammates as well. Golem's worst lead matchup is against Uxie, who can survive Explosion with its standard set. As such, you will need one or more teammates as a contingency plan for Uxie. A fast Pursuit user such as Houndoom or Swellow can trap and destroy Uxie who have just suffered Golem's Explosion while also finishing off Focus Sash leads who attacked Golem rather than set up. It is also recommended that you have a plan to deal with dual screen Uxie. It will almost always use Reflect first against Golem, so your Mismagius or other Ghost-type teammate can come in and finish it off after Golem uses Explosion, leaving the opposing team without Light Screen. Any Pokemon using Brick Break can undo Uxie's hard work, so Scyther is a good teammate. The riskiest option against the standard Uxie is to go for a surprise KO by attacking the first turn and using Explosion on whichever Pokemon switches in after Uxie U-turns. There are many things to consider if using Golem as a lead. First, consider how well the rest of your team matches up against different play styles. For instance, if your team cannot function with Stealth Rock up, Golem will probably not be a good choice. However, if you have trouble with heavy offense, Golem might be a great help. If you're building a team around a Golem lead, consider using an offensive team yourself, as these teams appreciate Golem's ability to cause lots of early damage. If what you are looking for is a bulky Stealth Rock lead with Rock / Ground coverage, you should probably be using Rhyperior. Rhyperior's defensive ability far eclipses Golem's, which allows him to use Stealth Rock more effectively and switch in and out later in the match. Golem's advantages are the moves Explosion and Sucker Punch, and most importantly, the synergy that they have with Focus Sash. Weigh these advantages carefully to make sure that you are not using an inferior Rhyperior.

Thanks to his solid base 110 Attack stat and potent Stone Edge and Earthquake combination, an offensive set seems ideal for Golem. Claydol and Torterra, who resist both of Golem's STABs, will take a hefty chunk of damage from Double-Edge. Explosion is also incredibly powerful when boosted by a Choice Band and will decimate opponents. An Adamant nature will yield the highest damage output per attack, but a Jolly nature will allow you to outspeed Milotic. Rock Head is the suggested ability because of Double-Edge's recoil. When using Life Orb, Sucker Punch becomes viable. Sucker Punch's dependency on the opponent's actions makes it a poor choice when using Choice Band, which locks you into the move and can potentially give the opponent free opportunities to set up. Stealth Rock is not a huge issue for Golem, but Spikes can really wear it down fast, especially when using Choice Band, which will likely force you to switch more frequently. For this reason, a teammate packing Rapid Spin will be a great asset for this set, clearing the road for Golem to sweep. Claydol and Torterra are the best answers to this set, and although neither of them particularly enjoy taking Choice Band-boosted Double-Edges or Explosions, they can take whatever Golem can dish out for the most part. A powerful Ice-type pokemon, such as Jynx, makes a good candidate to get rid of these obstacles.

With Substitute, Golem can gain some extra leverage and ease prediction against the opponent. Since fast special attackers are generally quite physically frail, those that attempt to switch in on an immunity or resistance will be put into an awkward position. This Golem can also act as an excellent lure for all bulky Water-types in UU, most notably Milotic. When behind a Substitute, he can safely Explode on bulky Water-types without worrying about being outsped. Explosion is required to net a clean OHKO on the bulky Water-types that Golem will lure, while Earthquake and Stone Edge provide strong STABs with good coverage. To illustrate Golem's power, Life Orb Earthquake will OHKO standard Registeel and deal 80% minimum to 4 HP / 0 Def Venusaur, while Stone Edge will 3HKO defensive Uxie and OHKO offensive Rotom. Alternatively, Stone Edge can be dropped for Sucker Punch, which bypasses Golem's pathetic Speed and has good synergy with Substitute. The item choice dictates how Golem plays. On the one hand, using a Life Orb allows Golem to hit much harder, but since Life Orb in tandem with Substitute will be rapidly draining Golem's HP, he is forced to be played as offensively as possible. On the other hand, Leftovers keeps Golem healthy and recovers HP lost from using Substitute. The given Speed EVs allow Golem to outspeed Chansey and Registeel without Speed investment, but 4 additional EVs can be used, as outspeeding 4 Speed Donphan is quite crucial. Attack is maxed so that Golem can dish out as much damage as possible, while the remaining EVs are allocated to HP for additional bulk. This Golem thrives on breaking tanks and walls. Hence, you should consider having sweepers that capitalize on his work. Normal-type sweepers such as Swellow and Kangaskhan love Registeel gone. Blaziken, Feraligatr, and all rain sweepers can take advantage of bulky Water-types being removed. Golem appreciates another Normal-type resistor capable of checking Normal-types. Otherwise, your team can be left vulnerable to Ambipom and Swellow after Golem uses Explosion. Omastar and Kabutops resist Normal-type moves, and they can also sweep with opposing bulky Water-types gone. However, beware of the horrid type synergy they have with Golem. Predicting Explosion and preventing Golem from setting up Substitute are perhaps the easiest ways to counter him. Uxie and Claydol can take his hits and set up on him or break his Substitutes. Ghost-types, like Spiritomb and Rotom, are likely to switch in on a predicted Explosion, which could essentially waste Golem's life. Therefore, Pursuit users are welcome teammates; they can efficiently remove Ghost-types and scare the bulky Psychic-types. However, Claydol and Uxie are bulky enough to survive STAB Pursuits, especially behind Reflect. Since they are often seen in the lead slot, fast Sleep Powder and Taunt leads can effectively shut them down.

Golem's best switch-in opportunity is something with Choice Band, like Fearow and Kangaskhan. From there, try to predict your opponent's next move and attack accordingly. Rest keeps Golem alive, and Ground + Rock covers just about anything you'll encounter in UU.

A much more offensive Golem. Hidden Power Bug hits Grass types like Meganium harder than your other moves, as well as covering Solrock and Lunatone, but cannot be used with Hidden Power Rock.

Set Description QuakeSlide coverage allows Golem to hit the entire RBY roster for at least neutral damage. Rock Slide potentially OHKOes Articuno, Moltres, and Jynx; it also 2HKOes Zapdos and sometimes Dragonite. Earthquake is Golem's strongest attack without drawbacks and should be used liberally; it can OHKO Gengar and Jolteon and 2HKO Alakazam and Rhydon. Body Slam lets Golem be more self-sufficient in the paralysis-spreading effort, and it's useful to potentially incapacitate checks like Starmie and Exeggutor. What defines Golem, however, is Explosion. The dream of a Golem player is to beat out Zapdos or Jolteon late-game, then use Explosion on the opponent's last healthy Pokemon. This is a difficult dream to attain, but not impossible. Golem should ideally use Explosion very late into a game; usually, this is when the trade is clearly game-winning and the potential Electric-type threat has been accounted for. If Golem uses Explosion before Zapdos or Jolteon is revealed, its team may fall apart. Knowing common team structures and strategies involving these Pokemon is essential to predict if Explosion is safe prior to the last Pokemon being revealed. Tauros, Snorlax, and Chansey are omnipresent, so this can alleviate prediction by a chunk. Golem should ideally use Explosion against Starmie, which normally threatens Golem's partners with its sublime coverage and Speed. Starmie should ideally be ever-so-slightly chipped or paralyzed before doing this, as an OHKO isn't guaranteed. If Starmie lacks Surf, Golem can add the chip damage itself, as Blizzard deals 79.3% at most without a critical hit. If Starmie isn't present, Golem can also use Explosion on Chansey or Snorlax to pave the way for Tauros. Outside of this, Explosion can be a handy contingency plan in the event Slowbro snowballs out of control. Golem is frequently pushed out by Rhydon on teams, as its Explosion and favorable matchup against its rocky friend are typically unnecessary. Parties that require these traits typically use Pokemon like Moltres, which appreciate a better matchup against Rhydon- and Zapdos-centric teams. Teams that can't afford to compress the self-KO role onto Snorlax with Self-Destruct, or that wish to use an Explosion user alongside it, can also utilize Golem over Rhydon. Teams that feature many Explosion users—"Boom Offense"—will sometimes include Golem, but its low defensive utility makes it a tough fit even then.

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.

The combination of Rock Slide and Earthquake lets Golem hit the entire tier for at least neutral damage. Rock Slide particularly hits Exeggutor for neutral damage, ensuring it can't repeatedly switch in, lest it be forced to use Rest early. It also hits Flying-types like Articuno and Zapdos for heavy damage, forcing them out and letting Golem scout with Body Slam. Earthquake has the potential to OHKO Gengar and Jolteon while serving as its strongest attack without a drawback. Body Slam serves as a midground option, letting Golem spread paralysis for itself while punishing potential switch-ins. Explosion allows Golem to trade with an important Pokemon; note, however, that it doesn't let Golem survive breaking a Substitute, unlike in regular RBY. This means that scouting the target for Substitute or paralyzing it is recommended. Stadium's Team Preview benefits Golem’s Explosion, as you will always know whether the opponent has a Zapdos, Jolteon, or Gengar on their team. If Zapdos or Jolteon is present, it's best to hold back the Explosion until late-game, where Golem can check them more effectively. Still, remember that Golem struggles to actually get in to check them, as it can be somewhat predictable. Similarly, in Gengar's case, saving Explosion until it’s used its own Explosion or otherwise been crippled is recommended, or it can be used to nullify Explosion completely. Rhydon poses a risk for similar reasons, but it struggles to switch in due to the threat of Earthquake, though it's notable regardless. If none of these Pokemon are present, Explosion can be used much earlier to KO important mid-game Pokemon like Snorlax and Chansey. It's also perfectly viable to use it as an emergency check to Slowbro if it's picked up too many Amnesia boosts. Golem has room for customization to further differentiate itself from Rhydon, but this is often a misguided effort, as it has to drop Body Slam or Rock Slide, opening it up to exploitation. Defense Curl or Harden can be used to make Golem more consistently check Snorlax, but this still loses to Amnesia variants. Fire Blast is a somewhat viable option for hitting Exeggutor and burning switch-ins, but this can backfire against Pokemon that prefer being burned, such as Starmie and Chansey. Substitute can potentially be used to guard against status and get more hits in, but Rhydon does this better by a long shot and it makes Golem inclined to use Explosion earlier, so it's not recommended.