Golurk, The Automation Pokémon. Artillery platforms built into the walls of ancient castles served as perches from which Golurk could fire energy beams. There's a theory that inside Golurk is a perpetual motion machine that produces limitless energy, but this belief hasn't been proven.
Overview
Golurk ever since it was introduced, has been overshadowed by other, stronger Pokémon, thanks to its middling stats, poor speed and common weaknesses. Generation 8 has been a mixed bag for Golurk. Poltergeist is the physical Ghost STAB that Golurk and others have been begging for generations, and increased coverage options in Close Combat, Heat Crash and Heavy Slam give Golurk far more flexibility on a game to game basis. On the other hand, thanks to the removal of Z-Crystals and Mega Stones, Knock Off is more common than ever and Golurk having several other common weaknesses stresses team building. Golurk’s niche is unique to it, but the role compression it provides is too rare to justify over other Ground and Ghost types.
Positives
Wide moveset with very strong physical STABs in Earthquake and Poltergeist plus numerous coverage options compliment Golurk’s high Attack
Immunity to Electric, Normal, and Fighting alongside resistance to Rock, Bug and Poison give Golurk numerous opportunities to switch in.
Negatives
Poor speed means that Golurk is often taking a hit before dealing one back
Common Weaknesses in Grass, Ice, Water and Dark mean that almost every team is packing an answer to Golurk.
Movesets
Mudman
-Poltergeist
-Earthquake
-Fly
-Drain Punch
Item Attached: Life Orb
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
This set is wholly meant to abuse Dynamax. Thanks to Fly and Drain Punch, Golurk has the coveted Flying Fighting coverage which turns into the devastating combo of Max Airstream and Max Knuckle. Outside of Dynamax, Golurk maintains pressure with its powerful Ghost and Ground STABs, providing great neutral coverage only missing out on Normal Flying and Grass Dark types. Drain Punch provides valuable coverage against opposing Dark and Normal types as well as maintaining Golurk's health outside of Dynamax. Iron Fist is to boost Drain Punch for more healing/damage.
DYNAMAX:
You want to Dynamax with this set immediately as to patch up Golurk's shoddy normal speed. Possessing Max Airstream and Max Knuckle enable Golurk to escalate while damaging your opponent. While not STAB, Max Airstream and Max Knuckle sync well with Golurk's STABs as few Flying resists want to take a Max Quake and Ghosts would have to be wary of a Max Phantasm. Max Phantasm also gets around the requirement of Poltergeist requiring the opponent to hold an item, allowing Golurk to blow by foes who may not have an item..
EVs and Items:
Standard Sweeper Array. You want to Max out Golurk's Speed and Attack to get the most out of the Dynamax Sweep. Jolly Nature guarantees Golurk will outspeed Jolly/Timid natured Pokémon up to Base 105 at +1. An Adamant Nature will leave you outsped by Jolly/Timid natured Pokémon at Base 96, but you will be able to get unboosted OHKOs on the likes of Charizard, Palossand (50%), and Mamoswine (50%). Life Orb is recommended as the power boost is too valuable to pass up..
Partners:
As this set is walled hard by Dark Flying types like Galarian Moltres and Mandibuzz, you want to partner Golurk with Pokémon that can easily take them out. Tapu Koko stands out for resisting both STABs and able to counter with either of its own, as well as dealing with threatening Water types.
Rotom-Heat may be weak to Water as well, but checks the aforementioned Flying types as well as threaten out the many Grass types that threaten Golurk outside of Dynamax.
Weavile checks Flying and Grass types and can dent opposing Dark and Ice types thanks to its typing and resistances.
Togekiss answers Grass, Bug and Dark types and can ease setup by spreading Paralysis with Thunder Wave, but does stack an Ice weakness.
Protoman
-Poltergeist
-Earthquake
-Close Combat
-Trick
Item Attached: Choice Band/Choice Scarf
Ability: Iron Fist
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant/Jolly Nature
Golurk can make excellent use of either Choice Band or Choice Scarf as an effective wall breaker or revenge killer. Poltergeist and Earthquake are phenomenal STAB moves having high Base Power and wide neutral coverage. Close Combat is the coverage move of choice, hitting many Dark types like Zarude and Umbreon hard. Trick provides excellent disruption and enables Golurk to shutdown a wall it can’t get past and synergizes well with Poltergeist, as Trick will give an Item to an opponent that doesn’t have one, turning Poltergeist back online.
DYNAMAX:
Golurk makes a fine Dynamax user under normal circumstances with its above average HP. Max Knuckle enables Golurk to escalate, Max Phantasm bypasses Poltergeist’s restrictions and makes it that much harder to endure the follow up strikes and Max Quake isn’t ruined by Grassy Terrain unlike Earthquake. And breaking the Choice lock is always a benefit to counter an unfavorable switch in. However, Golurk’s slow speed and average bulk prevent this set from acting as a primary Dynamax Sweeper.
EVs and Items:
Regardless, you want to maximize Speed and Attack to get the most out of Golurk. Adamant is recommended for the Choice Band set to maximize wallbreaking, while Jolly is recommended for the Choice Scarf sets for outspeeding many important targets including the base 100 crowd.
Other Options:
Heat Crash -provides excellent coverage against Grass and Bug types that resist Earthquake and may not be carrying an item to get by Poltergeist, but the fact it fails versus opposing Dynamax users and some of its targets are much heavier than Golurk can leave it unreliable.
No Guard/Dynamic Punch/Stone Edge -Golurk is one of the rare few that gets No Guard and can abuse it with Dynamic Punch and Stone Edge. However, Dynamic Punch is noticeably weaker than Close Combat and Confusion is not as reliable as it has been before.
Stealth Rock -staple entry hazard, Golurk has the bulk and immunities to come in and reliably set it up while blocking Rapid Spin attempts, though the prevalence of Defog means that niche is situational.
Partners:
Golisopod -good with the Choice Band set, it is a potent revenge killer and can easily OHKO opposing Grass and Dark types like Zarude, Obstagoon, and Sharpedo, and can support with Spikes while in turn enjoying Golurk’s wallbreaking ability.
Volcanion- safely checks many opposing Water and Grass types and can wear down targets with Toxic and Burns from Steam Eruption. Many water types like Primarina, Azumarill and Cloyster can fill similar roles, but are similarly weak to Grass
Raikou -A reliable answer to Flying types and can threaten out Dark types with Aura Sphere, but has problems with Ground Water types like Golurk.
Countering Golurk
It is difficult to fully counter Golurk. It has a wide enough moveset to answer most Pokémon, so determining what Golurk’s non STAB moves are is key. Revenge killing Golurk on the other hand, is quite simple. There are many faster Pokémon, or those that possess super effective priority that can easily take out even a boosted Golurk. Inteleon, Barraskewda, Dragapult, Weavile, Kartana, Keldeo and Gengar all comfortably outspeed and OHKO a +1 Golurk, while Bisharp, Rillaboom, Mamoswine and Azumarill all have super effective priority that will maim if not outright OHKO Golurk. On sets lacking Stone Edge and Ice Punch, Mandibuzz, Galarian Moltres, Intimidate Gyarados and Mantine readily deal with Golurk, though Mantine must be wary of Polturgeist.
On sets lacking Heat Crash, Vileplume, Rotom-Mow can all eat an attack and counter back with a super effective STAB Golurks lacking a Fighting coverage move are open to Umbreon, who easily OHKOs with Foul Play, Any healthy Pokémon that has lost its item and not weak to Earthquake can be a check for Golurk, who is shockingly dependent on Poltergeist for coverage, though do note that Golurk can play around the Item requirement for Poltergeist if needed.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Not in game
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game
Colosseum/XD:
Not in game
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Not in game
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Not in game
Black/White:
Evolve Golett
Black 2/White 2:
Dragonspiral Tower, Victory Road
X/Y:
Evolve Golett
Friend Safari
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X & Y
Sun/Moon:
Trade from Ultra Sun
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Evolve Golett (Ultra Sun)
Trade from Ultra Sun (Ultra Moon)
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game
Sword/Shield:
Dusty Bowl, Giant's Seat, Lake of Outrage, Stony Wilderness, Watchtower Ruins, Three-Point Pass
Max Raid Battles: Bridge Field, Dusty Bowl, Rolling Fields, Challenge Beach, Courageous Cavern, Stepping-Stone Sea, Frostpoint Field, Giant's Bed, Snowslide Slope, Frigid Sea, Ballimere Lake
Dynamax Adventures
Anime Appearences
