Heracross [QC: 3/3] (GP: 2/2)

[SpaceBass]

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Overview
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• Incredible base 185 Attack
• Good resistances to ground, dark and fighting
• Respectable 80/115/105 defensive stats
• Heracross' speed is its biggest weakness and requires Tailwind to be viable
• Good ability Skill Link, coupled with its base attack make its damage output incredibly high
• Faces competition for the Mega slot on the team from faster physical attackers like Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Gallade, its advantage over them being its monstrous base attack and complimentary ability. Also competes with Mega Mawile as Maw is more powerful.
  
• Movepool is limited, but it has the only moves it really needs to use.
• 4x Flying weakness is really annoying with Talonflame running around
• Weak to common attacking mega types

Mega bulky attacker
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name: Mega bulky attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Pin Missile
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Protect
ability: Guts
item: Heracronite
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

• Close Combat is Heracross' best Fighting STAB, it hits anything that doesn't resist incredibly hard. Capable of OHKOing Mega Kangaskhan and Ferrothorn
• Pin Missile takes advantage of Skill Link, always hitting 5 times for a 125 base power STAB move, and should be used over Close Combat where possible to avoid stat drops. Also breaks Substitutes and Focus Sashes
• Rock Blast hits Fire and Flying-Types, although Tailwind is required to be able to outspeed the vast majority of them, and Talonflame doesn't care
• Protect is for blocking incoming attacks while dealing with Heras threats and stalling out field conditions like Tailwind and Trick Room

Set Details
========

• Max Attack with an Adamant Nature to ensure the highest damage output
• 92 speed allows Heracross to outspeed 0 Speed Rotom forms without Tailwind, and beats things like Skymin and Mega Manectric with Tailwind
• The rest is put into HP to support Hera's great bulk
• Alternative spreads can be either 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe with an Adamant nature, which allows you to outspeed max speed base 70s before mega evolving, or 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe with a Jolly nature, which beats max speed base 70s even after mega evolution

Usage Tips
========

• Using guts a Base ability allows you some surprise factor, as if there is a situation where a burn is unavoidable, letting Hera stay in base form and take the burn allows it to retain more of an offensive presence while burnt
• Pin Missile shouls be used > Close Combat where possible to avoid the defence drops
• Once in it mega form, its very hard to OHKO Hera with a non boosted or non super effective attack

Team Options
========

• This set greatly appreciates Tailwind support, so Zapdos, Togekiss, and particularly Suicune go well as the latter threatens fire types. Zapdos also kills Talonflame and the most common intimidator, Landorus-T. Togekiss gets Follow Me and Air Slash to create more openings for Hera to attack
• Jirachi resists Flying, Psychic and Fairy, and can use Follow Me to great effect. Its bulky enough to take some Fire attacks too
• Icy Wind is also an option for speed control, cresselia does this well. Thunder Wave is another option for speed control, users like Thundurus-I and Gyarados can do this, the former being able to Taunt and prevent status, while the latter can intimidate threats and beats fire types
• Intimidate support will make it difficult for physical attackers to damage Hera due to its bulk
• Pokemon that can beat fire and fairy types are good team mates, Heatran is a great partner as it resists fairy, flying and psychic type moves, while being immune to fire, all of hera's weaknesses
• Terrakion and Hitmontop can use Quick Guard to block incoming Brave Birds, Terrakion being able to beat Talonflame
• Rock types handle Talonflame well, Tyranitar fits well as it deals with alot of threats to Hera

Choice scarf
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name: Choice scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rock Slide
ability: Guts
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

• Close Combat is main STAB hits threats like Mega Kang
• Megahorn is another high powered STAB
• Knock Off is there to remove any problem opposing items if need be
• Rock Slide, like knock off, is probably its best option for coverage, able to hit Skymin

Set Details
========

• 252 Speed with Scarf outspeeds Timid Skymin
• Max Attack to make the most of powerful STABs
• Guts is a great ability combined with its high base power STABs, and allows less pressure from burns
• Not as bulky as its mega and goes down a lot faster

Usage Tips
========

• Makes a great switch in to burns as it can use guts to bust holes in enemy teams
• Can't OHKO Skymin with Rock Slide and is left open to Air Slash
• Coverage hits everything for neutral damage (except Toxicroak lel) so is very versatile
• Best used late game when things that trouble it are removed as being locked in isn't always ideal

Team Options
========

• Mega Diancie partners well as it kills Talonflame while Hera smashes Steels
• Rotom Wash can kill Fire Types and if need be, provide Will-O-Wisp support to burn Heracross if you need extra damage in a key situation
• Heatran also fits as it walls Talonflame and Fairy types
• Redirection can be effective as it takes some pressure off of being locked into a move. Jirachi is the closest fit, resisting 3 of its 4 weaknesses, including the 4x weakness to flying. Best used once Fire-Types are gone as they share that weakness.

Other Options
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• Arm Thrust can be used instead of Close Combat if you really dislike the defence drops from Close Combat. It also allows you to damage SubTran, however Ferrothorn becomes a big issue, as do random Rocky Helmet users and Sitrus users
• Coverage is very limited as it gets all the tools it needs to succeed in its main moveset, so these would be detrimental apart from extreme cases. Options include Knock Off to hit ghosts and Earthquake, however Knock Off is only really for Aegislash, and hits Kings Shield so isn't great
• A Trick Room set is also viable, using 252 HP / 252 Attack with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs, however Mawile or Camerupt are a better fit for Trick Room
• Moxie in base form can be handy if you can pick up a KO on a weakned mon before mega evolving as +1 Mega Hera is scary. Also works on the Scarf set to maintain monentum

Overview
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Mega Heracross boasts an incredible base Attack stat of 185, making it one of the most powerful Pokemon there is. Paired with its ability Skill Link and access to several multi-hit moves, this makes its damage output very impressive; however, it is walled by the two best pivots in the metagame, Aegislash and Landorus-T. Fair bulk at 80 / 115 / 105 coupled with resistances to Ground-, Dark-, and Fighting-type attacks makes it able to take some punishment; however, its resistances aren't the best, it suffers a nasty 4x weakness to Flying-type moves, and most threats are able to hit it for neutral damage. Mega Heracross competes with and is quite outclassed by Mega Kangaskhan as a Mega physical attacker; its appeal consists of its huge base Attack and complementary ability. Overall, your Mega slot is best used on something else.

Mega Bulky Attacker
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name: Mega Bulky Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Pin Missile
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Protect
ability: Guts
item: Heracronite
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Close Combat is Heracross's best Fighting-type STAB attack, able to OHKO standard Ferrothorn and Mega Kangaskhan as well as hitting anything that doesn't resist it incredibly hard. Pin Missile hits like a truck too and can hurt Calm Mind Cresselia a lot. Rock Blast is coverage for Flying- and Ghost-types such as Thundurus and Chandelure. Protect keeps Mega Heracross safe while a threat is removed by a partner or Tailwind is set back up, but use it sparingly, as it will also stall out your own speed control turns.

Set Details
========

252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature maximize Mega Heracross's attacking power. 92 Speed EVs allow Mega Heracross to outspeed uninvested Rotom-A without Tailwind, as well as threats such as Shaymin-S and Mega Manectric with Tailwind up. The remaining EVs are put into HP to aid overall bulk. Alternative spreads include 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe with an Adamant nature, which allows Heracross to outspeed maximum Speed base 70s before Mega Evolving and neutral-natured base 70s after Mega Evolving, and 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe with a Jolly nature, which beats maximum Speed base 70s even after Mega Evolution.

Usage Tips
========

Using Guts as the base ability lets Heracross stay in its base forme and take the burn if it is unavoidable. If both hit for neutral damage, Pin Missile should be used over Close Combat to avoid racking up defense drops. Mega Heracross's great bulk makes it very hard to OHKO with a non-super effective or unboosted hit. Multi-hit moves such as Pin Missile and Rock Blast will activate Sitrus Berries in between hits, which can mean their targets will survive, so use Close Combat on common Sitrus Berry users if possible. Mega Heracross is only effective with speed control in place, so try to make sure you already have it in place before you bring Heracross in, or get it up up on the turn Heracross Mega Evolves. Mega Heracross can take hits well, so don't be afraid to take some damage while dishing some out.

Team Options
========

Tailwind is practically essential for this set, so setters are its main partners. Zapdos can beat Flying-types that threaten Heracross while setting up Tailwind for it, Togekiss can provide Follow Me support and aid Heracross with Serene Grace Air Slashes to buy some free attacking turns, and Suicune can threaten Fire-types and provide Snarl support; however, Zapdos and Togekiss leave Mega Heracross vulnerable to Mega Diancie. Pokemon that can beat Fire- and Fairy-types are good teammates; Heatran is an especially great partner, as it resists Fairy-,Flying-, and Psychic-type moves and is immune to Fire, all of Heracross's weaknesses. Landorus-T can provide Intimidate support to further boost Heracross's large defenses. Icy Wind is also an option for speed control; Cresselia does this well. Thunder Wave is another option for speed control; Thundurus can do this while being able to prevent status with Taunt, but this will again leave Mega Heracross open to Mega Diancie. Quick Guard is great to block Prankster status and Brave Birds that Heracross hates. Terrakion can threaten Flying-types with STAB Rock Slide and use Quick Guard. Tyranitar beats a lot of foes that threaten Heracross too. Rotom-W can use Will-O-Wisp to support Heracross with burns and beats Flying- and Fire-types. Aegislash and Hitmontop can provide Wide Guard to block Heat Waves and Pixilate Hyper Voices; the former beats Fairy-types too, but it opens a weakness to Mega Charizard Y.

Choice Scarf
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name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rock Slide
ability: Guts
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Close Combat is used for a Fighting-type STAB move and is able to OHKO threats such as Mega Kangaskhan and Ferrothorn. Megahorn is equally powerful and doesn't drop defensive stats, so it should be used over Close Combat where possible; however, 85% accuracy is the price of preserving the defenses. Knock Off is coverage that allows Heracross to hit Ghost-types and punish Landorus-T and Aegislash switch-ins. Rock Slide is also coverage and should only be used on foes it hits super effectively; it also comes with a flinch chance.

Set Details
========

252 Speed EVs, paired with a Choice Scarf, allow Heracross to outspeed Timid Shaymin-S and everything below. 252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature ensure maximum damage output from its powerful STAB moves. Guts lets Heracross ignore burns and the Attack drop that comes with them, boosting its Attack to impressive levels.

Usage Tips
========

Guts allows Heracross to stay in on common burn users and do some damage. This set misses out on a lot of OHKOs, so beware. The coverage moves on this set allow Heracross to hit every relevant pokemon in the tier for at least neutral damage; however, it can't freely switch moves due to the Choice Scarf, which means that Heracross will be forced out after almost every KO due to fear of hitting a switch-in for very low damage and killing momentum.

Team Options
========

Mega Diancie makes for a good partner, as it can eliminate Flying- and Fire-types, while Heracross can take out Steel-types with powerful Close Combats. Rotom-W can handle Fire-types very well and is able to use Will-O-Wisp on Heracross to activate Guts and give it an Attack boost. Heatran can wall most Fire-, Flying-, and Fairy-types and is able to safely switch in on all of Heracross's weaknesses. Redirection can be effective, as it takes some pressure off being locked into a move. Jirachi is the closest fit, resisting three of Heracross's four weaknesses, including the 4x weakness to Flying-type moves. It is best used once Fire-types are gone, as they share that weakness.

Other Options
########

Heracross's additional coverage options are very limited, as it gets all the tools it needs to succeed in its main moveset, so these would be detrimental apart from extreme cases. Options on the Mega set include Knock Off, to hit Ghost-types, and Earthquake; however, Knock Off is only really for Aegislash and activates King's Shield, and Earthquake is less than desirable. Arm Thrust can be used instead of Close Combat if you really dislike the defense drops from Close Combat. It also allows Mega Heracross to damage Substitute Heatran; however, Ferrothorn becomes a big issue, as do random Rocky Helmet and Sitrus Berry users. A Trick Room set is also viable, using 252 HP / 252 Atk with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs; however, Mega Abomasnow and Mega Camerupt are a better fit for a Trick Room Mega Evolution. Moxie is an option both before Mega Evolution and on the Choice Scarf set, as it allows Heracross to pick up a KO on a weakened Pokemon before Mega Evolving or keep offensive momentum up on the Choice Scarf set, respectively.

Checks & Counters
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**Offensive Type Advantage**: Talonflame absolutely destroys Heracross with Brave Bird and can OHKO with Flare Blitz if Heracross's partner tries using Quick Guard. Standard attacking Heatran will OHKO with Heat Wave most of the time. Mega Diancie and Mega Metagross are very big issues, as both can OHKO Heracross and survive any of its moves. Shaymin-S and Latios can KO easily; however, Heracross can OHKO a lot of these threats if Tailwind is up.

**Defensive Type Advantage**: Aegislash is the only relevant Pokemon in the tier that Heracross can't hit for neutral damage with any of its standard moves. It is easily the biggest block to Heracross, as it resists two of its moves, is immune to the other, and is able to hit back hard. Landorus-T can lower Heracross's Attack with Intimidate and tank anything it has to offer, forcing it out.

**Redirection**: Redirection is an issue for Heracross because so many of the popular users resist a lot of its moves: for instance, Amoonguss resists Fighting and Togekiss 4x resists Bug and Fighting. Additionally, if Heracross can't hit what it's aiming for, it's left open and will generally be taken down easily.

**Speed Control**: Trick Room is a problem for both sets , as Mega Heracross is usually coupled with Tailwind support or some other form of speed control, and Choice Scarf Heracross dislikes Trick Room because of its higher Speed. While this set can OHKO the standard Trick Room Cresselia set with Pin Missile, Cresselia can be EVed to survive this move, and other setters such as Aromatisse can survive an attack. Jellicent can easily set up Trick Room without being bothered by Heracross. Being paralyzed is also a problem, as it renders Tailwind useless and leaves Heracross open to attacks. Notably, Thundurus's ability Prankster guarantees it can paralyze Heracross with Thunder Wave.

**Burns and Intimidate**: Once Heracross has Mega Evolved, being burned will be a massive detriment. Sableye can use Prankster Will-O-Wisp to get a burn off even while Tailwind is up. Intimidate causes a problem, as Heracross needs to be at full power to be effective. Landorus-T and Gyarados can be a problem, as although they can't really outdamage Heracross and require a partner to beat it, they can swap in and out for Intimidate drops and really cripple Heracross.

 

[Bughouse]

I've always liked 228 spe Adamant, which enables you to outrun +spe 70s before mega evolving.

Since speed tiers are determined at the start of the turn, this means you can Mega Evolve (gaining Skill Link) and Pin Missile Jolly Breloom and Bisharp and KO them.

In any case, outrunning the 150s is probably irrelevant, so if you're doing a spread specifically designed to work in Tailwind, maybe go with 72 speed, which can outrun Mega Manectric and the standard 212 Adamant Scarf Landoge.

 

[SpaceBass]

Do you want me to put 2 sets? I can do another skeleton for tailwind and non tailwind variants if need be

EDIT: I can probably just mention the non tailwind EVs in other options

EDIT 2: Changed the speed to 72 and mentioned the non tailwind EVs in other options

 

[Bughouse]

Nah Hera needs speed control to help it. There basically isn't non TW Hera.

They're just alternative EV spreads.

 

[SpaceBass]

Yeah I think I'll go with the 72 speed one, that makes sense. Its all been swapped over

I don't think I've ever seen anyone use hera without wind or room anyway

 

[SpaceBass]

Ready for QC Lolk srk1214 Darkmalice

 

[BLOOD TOTEM]

Overview

• Don't compare attack to other mons, just say 185 is fuckin huge
• Talk having a few nice resistances alongside bulk, ground / fighting / dark are nice i guess oLo
• i wouldnt describe skill link as great tbh, it's ok

Moves

• Protect also helps stall out field conditions like twind / tr

Set Details

• I know it beats our analysis of scarf lando-t but that doesn't reflect usage since most are 252 spe, just say it beats mega mane (not like you beat lando-t 1v1 anyway)

Usage Tips

• Use Pin Missile over CC where possible to avoid needless defense drops

Team Options

• Zapdos is also bonking Talonflame and the primary intimidate user in the tier, Landorus-T
• Dark types fit well as Hera resists fighting and destroys darks with both STABs <-- How does KOing Dark-types help friendly Dark-types o,o
• I dont really like the Fake Out tab, I'd only really recommend Fake Out support for set up mons (I also wouldn't chose to recommend non-mega Blastoise)

Other Options

• non mega scarf
• Mention that Low Kick / Arm Thrust don't cause def drops too

oLo
___

 

[SpaceBass]

Added everything in BLOOD TOTEM's post, nice face

Also that dark thingy must have been a tired typo it was p dumb

 

[SpaceBass]

Need sum QC plz

 

[Lolk]

i think scarf is good enough for a set too but I will talk with the team first to get their thoughts.

 

[Bughouse]

Hey sorry SpaceBass but 72 speed actually isn't gonna fly. Gotta be slightly speedy outside of Tailwind too to not just royally suck. 92 Speed outruns 0 speed Rotom-W. That's probably the best speed investment for general analysis purposes.

 

[SpaceBass]

No problem, swapped it over

 

[Lolk]

<@Lolk> also is anyone opposed to scarf heracross being a set
<@Lolk> nah? okie

okie do a scarf skelly too :3

 

[SpaceBass]

Scarf skeleton is up, been awake for like 26 hours so sorry for any typos.

QC plz

 

[BLOOD TOTEM]

made the changes suggested 1/3

 

[youngjake93]

I've always liked 228 spe Adamant, which enables you to outrun +spe 70s before mega evolving.

Since speed tiers are determined at the start of the turn, this means you can Mega Evolve (gaining Skill Link) and Pin Missile Jolly Breloom and Bisharp and KO them.

In any case, outrunning the 150s is probably irrelevant, so if you're doing a spread specifically designed to work in Tailwind, maybe go with 72 speed, which can outrun Mega Manectric and the standard 212 Adamant Scarf Landoge.

I don't think you're supposed to put speed creep in analyses because you get situations where the analysis says Landog should be running 220 speed because standard Hera is 72 and then Hera analysis switches to 80 because standard Landog is 220. I mean speed creeping is smart for teambuilding, but idk about for documented analyses.

 

[Bughouse]

I don't think you're supposed to put speed creep in analyses because you get situations where the analysis says Landog should be running 220 speed because standard Hera is 72 and then Hera analysis switches to 80 because standard Landog is 220. I mean speed creeping is smart for teambuilding, but idk about for documented analyses.

You're probably right that from an analysis standpoint, 68 speed is a marginally better recommendation than 72. In any case, I'm no longer recommending that. I switched my recommendation to 92 speed.

Getting back to the analysis... SpaceBass you have asked a bunch of questions in chat about this analysis and I don't remember them. What is confusing you and needs QC clarification?

 

[SpaceBass]

92 speed is already what's on there.

I think I just PM'd you asking for a 2/3 check lol

 

[Bughouse]

Overview:
Middling speed tier not just a drawback. There is basically no reason to ever use Mega Hera except on a TW team. Might as well come out and say it.
Doesn't just face competition from Kanga and Gallade (as if anyone uses Gallade), but also from Mega Mawile
Doesn't have 4MSS really. Bullet Seed is a minor convenience for Rotom-W or Azumarill but really it doesn't need it that bad. Not bad enough to bring out in overview.

Set itself is right imo

Moves:
Make it clear Rock Blast is the preferred move by far. Bullet Seed is honestly borderline OO.

Set Details:
Say what it outruns in Tailwind, such as Mega Manectric
Offer an alternative spread that's even faster, maybe the 228 Adamant one I suggested at the beginning that lets you outrun the +spe 70s before mega evolving/on the turn you mega evolve. Maybe 216 Jolly which outruns +spe 70s as a mega. (these are handy bc Pin Missile beats Sash Breloom)

Usage Tips:
Talonflame isn't /that/ common and shouldn't be overstressed. Plus you can use various types of team support as an option to combat it, which you will mention below.
Team Options:
Yay Tailwind users. Togekiss gets a special mention for also having Follow Me or Air Slash flinches to deal with troublesome opponents. Suicune and Zapdos are nice for being able to keep Landorus-T scared away.
Lump Icy Wind together with T-wave users as other forms of speed control you might want to use. But Tailwind should be the overarching speed control of a Heracross team.
Get Quick Guard on here for sure, since it bones Talonflame
Redirectors that don't suck v Talonflame are nice too. Blastoise and Togekiss come to mind. Jirachi is bulky enough to handle the Fire moves too, so that works too.

Scarf set:
Surely Rock Slide > Stone Edge?!
If it's mostly being used for Skymin and it barely KOs and misses 20%, Rock Slide just makes more sense.

Other Options:
Arm Thrust but say why it's bad: lets Sitrus activate in the middle while CC gets some other KOs, also makes Ferrothorn or random Helmet users a huuuuge pain.
Knock Off and EQ are niche af but only way to hit Aeg. Really specify it'd be for Aeg, but that it's still bad bc Knock Off goes into KS and EQ doesn't do enough after spread and is very redundant with CC.
Low Kick is way too weak. You can't hit things like Keldeo anymore. You lose your best way to hit Rotom-W too, since it lives Pin Missile stuff with Sitrus. I'd rather it just not be here.
Single out TR as being tempting or w/e but say TR is better filled by Mawile or Camerupt.
Remove the faster spread as it'll go in AC above

Checks & Counters:
Diancie. Metagross. Way more relevant than Gard or Deo-A. Pinsir is pretty irrelevant too. Latios. Shaymin-S.
But note that almost anything that threatens Heracross is threatened by normally can only threaten it when not in speed control mode. Then most of them just get OHKOed.
You can't oversell Aeg here. Best counter by far.
Competing speed control should also note weather and opposing Tailwind. Heracross at +2 is slower than tons of other things when they become +2.
Gotta mention Intimidate in here, as it needs to go smaaaaash to be effective in the few turns it has with proper speed control in place.

 

[Darkmalice]

On srk's point of Bullet Seed, move it to AC. It honestly doesn't deserve a slash.

On Scarf set, would also mention Moxie somewhere, as it can let Scarf set continue rolling if it gets a boost

 

[Arcticblast]

Knock Off isn't just for Aegislash since Ghosts resist both Bug and Fighting; Ghosts are pretty rare but it's still nice to hit them

that and it's still Knock Off lol

 

[SpaceBass]

Made changes in srk1214's and Darkmalice's posts, was that 2/3?

 

[Bughouse]

yes this all looks quite good to me

2/3

 

[Electrolyte]

Overview:
- You really need to explicitly state that Heracross's Speed is its greatest weakness and basically forces it to rely on Speed control for it to even attempt to be effective. If you're going to use it, you have to use it with Tailwind (or Trick Room) because otherwise it's way too easily picked off. It's physically bulky but not enough to make up for its low Speed, and most of its weaknesses hit its much weaker special side, too
- You might want to also mention weakness to Psychic-, Fire-, and Fairy-type attacks, making Mega Heracross weak to a STAB of most other offensive megas

Set:
Don't say "Guts >>> Skill Link" that's assumed because mega. Just leave "Guts"

Moves:
- There really needs to be a bit more detail here because mostly you state searchable facts about the moves and don't offer any specific ties to Heracross.
- Pin Missile is obviously better than Close Combat in terms of both power and not lowering your defensive stats so you might want to mention that. Also point out that it hits through Substitute and Focus Sash.
- You phrase it like Pin Missile is coverage but it should actually be your main STAB; Rock Blast is your coverage move here. It's main perk is that it hits Flying-types so they have to be careful switching in and it hits Lando-T neutrally.
- Minor nitpick but you might want to point out that Protect will end up stalling your own TR / Tailwind turns so it should be used sparingly

Set Details:
- Just to avoid being misleading, clarify that 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe with an Adamant nature only allows you to outspeed before and right when you mega evolve, not after.
- You definitely might want to mention Moxie as an alternative to Guts (but don't put it on the set because Guts is usually better). You stay in regular for a turn while you nab the Atk boost and you're faster for another turn, so it's really beneficial if you think you can avoid status and finish off a weakened foe reliably.

Usage Tips:
- Now is the part where you should really elaborate on how to use MHera with field effects. Like, try to set up speed advantages either before you bring it in or as you Mega evolve it to maximize usable turns. Don't play too cautiously; MHera can tank a few hits, and using Protect too much will stall out your field effect's speed boost turns.
- Don't even bring it in unless it has Speed control support; regular Hera is weak and frail and MHera is really slow
- IMPORTANT: multi-hit activates Sitrus Berry consumption; this has to be taken account of in calculations because it enables things like Phys Def Cress and Rotom-W to survive Pin Missile

Team Options:
- Electroweb and WoW from Rotom-W is helpful too; Rotom can also beat Flying- and Fire-types
- Hitmontop can also provide Wide Guard to stop Heat Wave, Hyper Voice, and Diamond Storm. Aegislash can provide Wide Guard as well as beat Fairy- and Psychic-types.
- Might even mention anti-Intimidate such as Bisharp, which also beats Fairy- and Psychic-types
- Elaborate a bit more on Tyranitar; it specifically beats Fire-, Psychic-, and Flying-types, but it doesn't beat Fairy-types

Checks & Counters:
- Utility should not be a tag. Paralysis falls under speed control; burns should be in v
- **Intimidate and Burns** needs its own tag because it's huge. Landorus-T is a huge thorn in Mega Heracross's side, as is Gyarados's if they stack it by switching in and out. They just need a partner to actually take MHera down. Burns from Jellicent or Sableye or even Rotom-W hurt if Mega Hera has already mega evolved. Scald burns hurt too.


Will give more suggestions once Scarf set and OO are finished.

 

[Darkmalice]

I agree with Electrolyt'es update EXCEPT the following:
-Electroweb. It's lackluster; it's one of those things that we started mentioning at the start of Doubles, but it has faded with time
-Using Wide Guard to stop Diamond storm specifically - Mega Diancie rather use Moonblast to OHKO Mega Heracross or even Hitmontop. Heat Wave and Pixilate Hyper Voice are still ok though
-Generally Heracross isn't struggling with Psychic-types, as they are generally slow Pokemon that are outsped and dealt with by Pin Missile. The notable exception, Deoxys, is outsped under Tailwind which we know is always paired with Heracross. Aegislash is also iffy to mention as a partner because it doesn't pair too well with Tailwind - Bisharp and Tyranitar are still appropriate teammates
-Moxie is already in OO and that's fine

Also note that the 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe outspeeds neutral nature max 70 Pokemon even after Mega Evolving like Bisharp