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Hitmontop is the third member of the "Hitmon" family, with the other members being Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee. Although Hitmontop is usually upside-down, it can stand on its legs.
Contrary to popular belief, Hitmontop's third leg is not a leg at all, but a weighted tail, which may help the momentum of the spinning as well as adding another hit when attacking. Its centrifugal force boosts its destructive power by 10.
Hitmontop is the most balanced out of the "Hitmon" family, having exactly the same Defense with its attack. It may appear very enchanting, but one may prefer to stay far away, as the sheer force of its kicks will send foes and friends alike flying.
Defense[]
Hitmontop's main form of attacking is standing upside-down, balancing on its horn, and spinning like a top with its three legs out like a propeller. This allows Hitmontop to kick its foe repeatedly, or allows him to perform moves that require spinning. The most amazing thing about this is that he never loses his sense of direction whilst spinning, nor does he get disoriented when upside-down. While upside-down, Hitmontop can move faster than it normally can when rightside-up. If it spins too much in a particular spot, it may end up boring a hole into the ground like a drill.
Although it is often seen upside-down and spinning, it is capable of throwing single punches accurately. No one knows how it is capable of doing so, but it is certainly handy in battle.
It's signature move is Triple Kick. Which hits three times in succession, increasing in power with each successful strike.
Notable Hitmontop[]
Ownership
Picture
Flippy's Hitmontop
Nickname: Harvey
Chuck's Hitmontop
Moves[]
By Leveling Up
Level
Name
Type
Power
Accuracy
Category
PP
Priority
-
Revenge
Fighting
60
100%
Physical
10
0
Base Power doubles if the user is hit during the same turn it is used.
-
Rolling Kick
Fighting
65
85%
Physical
15
0
High critical hit ratio.
6
Focus Energy
Normal
-
-
Status
30
0
Increases critical hit ratio
10
Pursuit
Fighting
40
100%
Physical
20
0
Base Power doubles if the target switches out on that turn.
15
Quick Attack
Normal
40
100%
Physical
30
+1
Usually goes first.
19
Triple Kick
Fighting
10, 20, 30
90%
Physical
10
0
Base Power increases by 10 every time it hits.
24
Rapid Spin
Normal
20
100%
Physical
40
0
Eliminates Leech Seed, Wrap, Bind, Stealth Rock, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web from the user's side of the field.
28
Counter
Fighting
-
100%
Physical
20
-5
Deals twice the amount of physical damage taken by the user to the target.
33
Feint
Normal
50
100%
Physical
10
+2
Hits through Protect, Detect, King's Shield, and Spiky Shield. Also lifts the effects of said moves.
37
Agility
Psychic
-
-
Status
30
0
Increases Speed by 2 stages.
42
Gyro Ball
Steel
1 - 150
100%
Physical
5
0
Damage increases if the user is slower than the opponent.
46
Wide Guard
Rock
-
-
Status
10
+3
Protects user and allies from moves that strike more than one target.
46
Quick Guard
Fighting
-
-
Status
15
+3
Protects user and allies from moves that have increased priority.
51
Detect
Fighting
-
-
Status
5
0
Protects the user from damage for one turn. Chance for success is halved every successful usage.
55
Close Combat
Fighting
120
100%
Physical
5
0
Decreases user's Defense and Special Defense by 1 stage each.
60
Endeavor
Normal
-
100%
Physical
10
5
Decreases the target's current HP to the user's current HP.
Strategies[]
Hitmontop is usually seen as a bulky physical attacker, mostly due to its above-average Attack with its above-average Defenses with its average Speed. However, since Generation IV, its usage increased as Rapid Spin was required to get rid of Stealth Rocks, Spikes, and Sticky Web.
Its two abilities, Intimidate and Technician, both compliment Hitmontop's above-average base 95 stats, Defense and Attack, respectively. Intimidate is the most popular of the two since its survivability is crucial when it comes to Rapid Spinning, which is its main use nowadays. The introduction of Fairy-types hindered Hitmontop's performance, but overall, Hitmontop still spins strong.
Generation II
Title
Nature
Ability
Item
EV Spread
Moves
Centrifugal Force (UU)
N/A
N/A
Leftovers
N/A
Hi Jump Kick
Hidden Power Ghost
Return / Rest
Curse
Description
Hitmontop is unfortunately outclassed by many fighting types such as Primape and Poliwrath. UU is where Hitmontop should always be in this generation. However, UU is the best place for Hitmontop to exist as well. It's enormous Special Defense mixed with good Attack and Defense makes Hitmontop a very useful Pokemon. Curse boosts Hitmontop's Attack and Defense while sacrificing Speed, which isn't an important stat anyway. With these boosted stats, you can freely sweep with Hi Jump Kick and Hidden Power Ghost, as they both have perfect coverage not only in UU, but to every Pokemon. Return can be used for more neutral coverage, but Rest can keep you healthy while you keep using Curse to boost your stats.
Rapid Spin can be in this as set as well, but is rather troublesome to put together.
Calc Corner
Centrifugal Force
Hypno Psychic vs. Hitmontop: 153-180 (50.4 - 59.4%) -- 83.7% chance to 2HKO
Magneton Thunderbolt vs. Hitmontop: 109-129 (35.9 - 42.5%) -- 96.5% chance to 3HKO
It's not too hard to counter Hitmontop. You just need a way to stop it before it sets up. Despite its enormous Special Defense, a Psychic from most Special Attackers ought to 2HKO it. Just watch out for HP Ghost. Poison-types also eat up Hitmontop's STAB moves and chip away at its HP slowly. If you can get Hitmontop with a solid Physical hit before it sets up, you can do some damage before it can react.
Generation III
Title
Nature
Ability
Item
EV Spread
Moves
Rapid Spinning (UU / OU)
Careful (+SpD, -SpA)
Intimidate
Leftovers
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Rapid Spin
Hi Jump Kick / Brick Break / Triple Kick
Hidden Power Ghost
Rest
Description
In this generation, Hitmontop has been blessed with the ability Intimidate, which lowers your opponent's Attack by one stage. This in conjunction with an amazing Special Defense means Hitmontop's not dying that easily. Unlike the previous generation, Spikes are more common, increasing the need for Rapid Spin. That is self-explanatory, so I'll move on to the other moves. Hi Jump Kick, Brick Break, and Triple Kick all serve the same purpose: to hurt things. Hi Jump Kick hits the hardest, but is kind of unreliable. If you have a bad time with hax, try Brick Break, which shatters screens and deals acceptable damage. However, Triple Kick breaks through subs, making Hitmontop an impressive TyranBoah counter. However, it is rather weak, so pick your poison. Hidden Power Ghost hits ghosts, and Rest keeps you healthy.
Bulk Up Sweeper (UU)
Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
Intimidate
Leftovers
144 HP / 252 Atk / 112 Spe
Hi Jump Kick / Triple Kick / Mach Punch
Hidden Power Ghost / Mach Punch
Rock Slide / Earthquake
Bulk Up
Description
Very similar to Generation II, except better. Intimidate obviously ruins physical attackers, allowing you to set up easier. Bulk Up is Curse without the nasty Speed drop. This means we can invest Speed EVs into our set to outrun certain threats! Yay. With the boosted Attack, we have quite a toss-up here. Hi Jump Kick hurts things, while Triple Kick hits through subs. However Mach Punch has priority allowing us to beat things like Clefable and Kangeskhan. Hidden Power Ghost hits ghosts that want to ruin Hitmontop's day with Will-O-Wisp, but it can be subbed out for Mach Punch. Priority is important, but not... top priority. Yeah. Anyways, Rock Slide vs. Earthquake. Who's a bigger threat, flying-types or poison-types? You decide. Either way, if Hitmontop sets up, you better be ready.
Endeavor & Salac Berry (UU)
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
Intimidate
Salac Berry
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Substitute / Endure
Endeavor
Mach Punch
Hidden Power Ghost
Description
An unusual set pulled directly from Smogon. Thanks, Smogon. Endeavor makes your opponent's HP equal to your HP. You know what that means? Destroy your own HP with Substitute or allow your opponent to do it for you safely with Endure. Now that your HP is in the reds, then the Salac Berry with kick in, increasing your Speed by 1 stage. With this speed, you can outrun things and use Endeavor to make them feel the same pain you do. You will be able to cripple at least one Pokemon before you bite the dust, but if you run the Substitute set, you may be behind a Substitute when you have the Salac Berry activate. This means the opponent's HP is hurt while you pick off the rest of the HP with Mach Punch or HP Ghost. The next Pokemon who comes out will be crippled by another Endeavor before you ultimately fall. If the opponent lacks priority, then this set will do very terrible things to your opponent.
Countering Hitmontop
Rapid Spinner
Dusclops is the biggest counter. It spinblocks, is immune to Hi Jump Kick, doesn't take much from Hidden Power Ghost, and can burn Hitmontop to boot. Heck, spinblocking in general severely limits Hitmontop's usage. Switch Ghost-types in and keep your Spikes on the field. The problem is that Dusclops is pretty much the only Physically bulky Ghost, meaning the others perish to HP Ghost. If you manage to switch-in on a different move, then you're in luck. Burn Hitmotnop, KO it, force it to switch; all these things severely cripple him.
Bulk Up
You really need to stop this guy before he manages to set up, otherwise, you're screwed. He's defensive on both poles, but the Physical side requires a bit of setting up. Strike it with a solid Flying-type move and you should be fine, although the threat of Rock Slide is rather discouraging. Skarmory does a great job dealing with Hitmontop if it has boosts. It can take pretty much any hit fine and can Whirlwind the boosts away. Speedy Psychic-types can switch in as it sets up and can usually OHKO it. Alakazam, Espeon, and Gardevoir perform this rather well. Most Poison-types also take very little from Hi Jump Kick and HP Ghost, although they can potentially be OHKO'd with Earthquake. Weezing and Arbok are the best counters, as Weezing has Levitate to avoid Earthquake and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, and Arbok has Intimidate, which lowers Hitmontop's Attack.
Endeavor & Salac Berry*
Ghost-types. The gimmick of this set is shut down when you send one in, although you should still watch out for HP Ghost and Substitute. Priority also helps if Hitmontop runs Endure.
Generation IV
Title
Nature
Ability
Item
EV Spread
Moves
Bulky Physical Technician Sweeper (UU / OU)
Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
Technician
Life Orb / Leftovers
252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Close Combat / Triple Kick / Revenge
Bullet Punch / Mach Punch / Earthquake
Stone Edge
Fake Out
Description
This is the perfect sweeping set for Hitmontop. Now gifted with the extraordinary ability, Technician. Weak moves are now boosted, meaning Fake Out hits rather hard. Hitmontop's signiture move, Triple Kick jumps from a decent base power of 60 to an impressive base power of 90. However, Close Combat is much stronger, yet messes up your great defenses. Revenge is in the same boat as Triple Kick, jumping from a base power of 60 to 90. However, it can reach 120, which is the same base power of Close Combat, if it moves second. A very interesting offensive set, here. Bullet Punch benefits from Technician, but has redundant coverage. However, it does hit plenty of things more neutrally than Mach Punch, which also benefits from Technician, but also gets STAB. Earthquake can take Poison-types and works perfectly with Stone Edge, which takes Flying-types.
Bulky Rapid Spinner (UU / OU)
Impish (+Def, -SpA)
Intimidate
Leftovers
252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Rapid Spin
Foresight / Stone Edge
Close Combat / Hi Jump Kick
Sucker Punch / Stone Edge / Rest
Description
Need a Rapid Spinner? Hitmontop's gotcha covered. Due to the introduction of Stealth Rocks, Rapid Spin is extremely important to back-up important sweepers such as Staraptor, Charizard, and Dragonite. Best of all, Hitmontop resists Stealth Rocks! That means it can freely switch in and out without any fear of damage. However, many Ghost-types can pop about to ruin Hitmontop's spinning day. This is where Foresight comes in. If you can predict them to switch into it, you can use Foresight, allowing you to Rapid Spin without worry (unless they have two Ghost-types to switch into continuously). The rest of the moves are to deal reliable damage. Close Combat and Hi Jump Kick are grossly powerful, yet both have their own shortcomings, with defense being sacrificed for the former, and HP occasionally being sacrificed for the latter. Sucker Punch is an event-exclusive move, but if you compete in Showdown or other battle simulators, then you may use it to hit Ghosts very hard. If you're not on Showdown, then you may have Stone Edge to take Flying-types like the aforementioned Staraptor and Charizard (but Dragonite isn't in UU). Rest keeps you healthy, but puts you to sleep.
Countering Hitmontop
Generation V
Title
Nature
Ability
Item
EV Spread
Moves
Bulky Physical Technician Sweeper (UU / OU)
Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
Technician
Life Orb / Fighting Gem
252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Triple Kick / Close Combat / Revenge / Hi Jump Kick / Low Sweep
This. THIS. This is the ultimate revenge killing set of all Hitmontop's career. The Fighting Gem boosts the base power of Mach Punch to the base power of 135. That combined with Fake Out means nobody's living when Hitmontop comes out for revenge, only stopped by the likes of Cofagrigas (which is unbelievably common). Triple Kick, Close Combat, Revenge, and High Jump Kick all provide solid damage, all with drawbacks and advantages. Low Sweep is new, so I suppose that requires discussion. Low Sweep decreases the target's Speed, yet benefits from Technician (in Generation V). Got it? Good. Let's move on.
Stone Edge takes Moltres and Yanmega without leaving a trace, but Bulldoze, although slightly redundant to Fighting, hits Poison-types hard and cripples their speed, also able to benefit from Technician. Bullet Punch, Sucker Punch, and Aerial Ace take frail Ghosts, although SP is event-exclusive. Quick Attack also gets the Technician boost, and is not resisted by many. Fake Out is essentially Quick Attack for one turn, but it deals free damage due to its guaranteed flinch, which is nice.
Bulky Rapid Spinner (UU / OU)
Impish (+Def, -SpA)
Intimidate
Leftovers
252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Rapid Spin
Foresight
Close Combat / Hi Jump Kick
Stone Edge / Rest
Description
This set is exactly the same as the Rapid Spin set in Generation IV, except Foresight is especially important because of the likes of Chandelure, Jellicent, and Cofagrigas bouncing around in UU.
Countering Hitmontop
Generation VI
Title
Nature
Ability
Item
EV Spread
Moves
Bulky Rapid Spinner (RU / UU / OU)
Impish (+Def, -SpA)
Intimidate
Assault Vest
252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Rapid Spin
Mach Punch / Close Combat / High Jump Kick
Bullet Punch
Stone Edge
Description
Now armed with the Assault Vest, Hitmontop is guarded in both fronts. This could possibly be considered as the best generation for this Rapid Spinning set. No Foresight, but honestly, I would give that up for the Assault Vest any day. Rapid Spin has decreased in popularity because of Defog doing the exact same thing except being unblockable, but Rapid Spin only clears hazards on your side as opposed to both sides. Mach Punch has priority, Close Combat deals reliable damage, and High Jump Kick (now spelled with a "gh") is your Leroy Jenkins reckless attack. Bullet Punch is actually less redundant this generation as it can pick off weakened Fairy-types quickly and easily. Stone Edge takes Flying-types, Bug-types, and Chandelure.
Now I know what you're thinking, what about the Technician set? What happened to it? Well, frankly, it's not so useful this gen. With the introduction of bulky Fairy-types, and bulky Pokemon in general, Hitmontop finds it hard to survive in an environment without Intimidate. It still does its job gloriously.
Calc Corner
Bulky Rapid Spinner
-1 252+ Atk Granbull Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Hitmontop: 168-198 (55.2 - 65.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
-1 252+ Atk Donphan Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Hitmontop: 93-111 (30.5 - 36.5%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
4 SpA Florges Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Hitmontop: 140-168 (46 - 55.2%) -- 61.3% chance to 2HKO
Countering Hitmontop
Nowadays, Hitmontop's most useful feature is using Rapid Spin, so spinblocking is the way to go. Hitmontop under normal circumstances cannot touch Ghosts at all. Bulky ones such as Dusclops and Cofagrigas or even frail ones like Gengar and Mismagius can switch in to Rapid Spins and take very little from Bullet Punch, and OHKO or burn it back. Sucker Punch can be common in battle sims such as Showdown or PokeBattle, but in-game, not so much. Be careful for it, though. Bulky Psyshock users also deal with Hitmontop rather well, which includes Slowbro and Reuniclus.