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

[SpaceBass]

Written up, ready for 3/3 check

 

[Stratos]

Overview:

• youre fanboying way too hard over a shit pokemon, my aegislash analysis dwelt more on the negatives and aegis is a top 5 poke.
• Reasons to use Hera: huge attack with huge base power moves
  
• Reasons not to use Hera: awkward resist spread means basically everything can hit it neutrally or better, walled by the two best pivots in the meta, shitty speed tier and losing 1v1 matchups vs the most common offensive Pokemon unless hes under tailwind
• >mentioning mega gallade and mega mawile as competition

Set:

• ability is just "guts", not "guts >>> skill link"

Moves:

• You spend too much time listing out the moves tbh. All that needs to be said is "CC and Pin Missile are both nukes, and Rock Blast covers Flying and Ghost"

Usage tips:

• Guts isnt surprising, just say if you accidentally get burned to stay in base form

Team options:

• you list way too many things here which actually open up huge synergistic holes; i would remove most of the pokemon that also lose to Zard, Talon, or MDiancie in particular. Which is to say: Jirachi Gyarados and Hitmontop 100% for sure should not be mentioned, and for Zapdos / Togekiss / Thundurus / Aegislash you should mention that they open you up to diancie/diancie/diancie/zard respectively.

Moves:

• Knock Off is great for punishing Landog and Aegis switch ins in particular

Set Details:

• Scarf hera is _not_ a lot easier to take down than MHera because it's not as simple as switch in pokemon that outspeeds -> kill it; it's a lot harder to take down.

Usage Tips:

• Heras not a safe switchin to burns because it doesnt appreciate taking more hits than it has to, but it is able to stay in on burn users and not give a fuck
• that specific tidbit about skymin is pretty fuking random and should probably just be replaced with "beware this set gets unfortunately few OHKOs"
• mention that hera's going to be forced out basically after every kill and that it should beware of losing momentum by hitting a switch-in for roughly 0

OO:

• "Maw and rupt"->"aboma and rupt". also mention why theyre better fits. hera is too fast to work great in TR and loses to talon/aegi

C&C:

• why is mega gardevoir mentioned at all
• mention landorus-t with aegis, also should have a thing for redirection cuz amoonguss/jirachi/togekiss/volcarona all kind of fuck its shit
• >mentioning dusclops and aromatisse but not jellicent
• >meowstic at all

the main thing to remember is that hera is bad and you should make it pretty clear that hera is bad at least in the overview

 

[SpaceBass]

Made all the changes in Stratos' post, was that 3/3?

 

[Stratos]

i didnt 3/3 earlier cuz i wanted to give the overview one last look. It's got the info there i think but could stand a better closing sentence like "in general, there is probably a better choice for your team than Heracross"

3/3 if u fix that

 

[Lumari]

remove
add (Capitalize)
(comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)

hera

Overview
########

Mega Heracross (there's a bit of leeway with when exactly to add the Mega prefix, but generally you should add it if something only applies to the Mega forme, which obviously is the case here) boasts an incredible base Attack stat of 185, making it one of the most powerful pokemon there is. Paired with the its ability Skill Link (RC) and access to mulitple 5 hit several multi-hit (they're not five-hit moves in and of themselves, and 'multiple multi-hit' sounds awkward obv) moves, this makes make its damage output very impressive; (SC) but however, (stronger break is appropriate here) it is walled by the two best pivots in the meta, Aegislash and Landorus-T. Fair bulk at 80 / 115 / 105, (add spaces around slashes) coupled with resistances to Ground-, Dark- and Fighting-types make makes it able to take some punishment; (SC) however, it's its resistances aren't the best, (AC) and it suffers a nasty 4x weakness to Flying-type moves, and most things threats are able to hit it for neutral damage. Mega Heracross competes with and is quite outclassed by Mega Kangaskhan for a Mega physical attacker; (SC) but it's its appeal consists of its huge base Attack and complimentary complementary ability is the appeal Heracross has. Overall, (AC) your Mega slot is best used on something else.

Mega Bulky Attacker
########
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' Heracross's best Fighting-type STAB attack, able to OHKO standard Ferrothorn and Mega Kangaskhan, as well as hitting any non resist anything that doesn't resist it incredibly hard. Pin Missile hits like a truck too. (any notable targets?) Rock Blast is coverage for Flying- and Ghost-types. (such as?) Protect keeps Mega Heracross safe while a threat is removed by a partner or Tailwind is set back up, but use it sparingly, (AC) as it will also stall out your own speed control turns.

Set Details
========

252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature allows for maximum attack maximize Mega Heracross's attacking power. 92 Speed EVs allow allows Mega Heracross to out speed 0 Speed Rotom formes outspeed uninvested Rotom-A without Tailwind, and beats things as well as threats like Skymin Shaymin-S and Mega Manectric with Tailwind up. The remaining EVs are put into HP to aid overall bulk. Alternative spreads can be either include 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe with an Adamant nature, which allows Heracross to outspeed maximum Speed base 70s before and on the mega evolving turn Mega Evolving (the ME turn being included is pretty much implied) and neutral-natured (add hyphen) base 70s after Mega Evolution, or 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe with a Jolly nature, which beats maximum Speed base 70s even after Mega Evolution.

Usage Tips
========

Using Guts a as base ability lets Heracross stay in its base form forme and take the burn if it is unavoidable. If both are hit for neutral damage, Pin Missile should be used over Close Combat to avoid racking up defence defense drops. Heracross' Mega Heracross's great bulk make it very hard to OHKO with a non-super (add hyphen) effective or un-boosted unboosted hit. Multi-hit (add hyphen) moves like such as Pin Missile and Rock Blast will activate Sitrus Berries in between hits, and which can mean things their targets will survive, so use Close Combat on common Sitrus Berry users if possible to avoid that. 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 it in, or get it up up on the turn you mega evolve it Mega Evolves. Mega Heracross can take hits well, (AC) 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, (AC) and Suicune can threaten Fire-types and provide Snarl support; (SC) however, (AC) Zapdos and Togekiss leave you Mega Heracross vulnerable to Mega Diancie. Pokemon that can beat Fire- and Fairy-types (add hyphens) are good teammates; (remove space, SC) Heatran is an especially great partner, (AC) as it resists Fairy-, Flying-, (AC, add hyphens) and Psychic-type (add hyphen) moves, while being and is immune to Fire, all of hera's Heracross's weaknesses. Landorus-T can provide Intimidate support to further boost Heracross' Heracross's large defences defenses. (murican spellings) Icy Wind is also an option for speed control; (SC) Cresselia does this well. Thunder Wave is another option for speed control; (SC) Thundurus-I Thundurus can do this while being able to Taunt and prevent status with Taunt, but this will again leave you 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 (space) of things foes that threaten Heracross too. Rotom-W can use Will-O-Wisp to support Heracross with burns, while also beating Flying- and Fire-types. Aegislash and Hitmontop can provide Wide Guard to block Heat Waves and Pixilate Hyper Voices; (SC) the former beats Fairy-Types too, but it opens a weakness to Mega Charizard Y.

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

Set Details
========

252 Speed EVs, paired with a Choice Scarf, (AC) allows allow Heracross to outspeed Timid Skymin Shaymin-S (RC) and everything below. 252 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature ensures ensure maximum damage output from its powerful STABs. Guts lets Heracross ignore burns and the Attack drops 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. (space) This set misses out on a lot (space) of OHKOes OHKOs, (AC) so beware. The coverage moves on this set allows Heracross to hit every relevant pokemon in the tier for at least neutral damage; (SC) however, (AC) it can't freely switch moves due to the Choice Scarf, (comma) Using a Choice Scarf which means that Heracross will be forced out after almost every kill KO due to fear of hitting a switch-in for very low damage and killing momentum.

Team Options
========

Mega Diancie makes a good partner, (AC) 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, as well as while also being 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 (RC) and is able to safely switch in on all of Heracross' Heracross's (different conventions for this sort of thing, and we follow the one that also puts a possessive s after singulars ending in s) weaknesses. Redirection can be effective, (AC) as it takes some pressure off of being locked into a move. Jirachi is the closest fit, resisting 3 of its 4 three of Heracross's four (spell out numbers below ten please) weaknesses, including the 4x weakness to Flying-types moves. It is best used once Fire-types are gone, (AC) as they share that weakness.

Other Options
########

Heracross's additional coverage options are is very limited, (AC) 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, (AC) to hit ghosts Ghost-types, (AC) and Earthquake; (SC) however, (AC) Knock Off is only really for Aegislash (RC) and hits activates King's (apostrophe) Shield, and Earthquake is less than desirable. Arm Thrust can be used instead of Close Combat if you really dislike the defence defense drops from Close Combat. It also allows you Mega Heracross to damage SubTran Substitute Heatran; (SC) however, (AC) Ferrothorn becomes a big issue, as do random Rocky Helmet users and Sitrus Berry users. A Trick Room set is also viable, using 252 HP / 252 Attack with a Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs; (SC) however, (AC) Mega Abomasnow or 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 you to pick up a KO on a weakened Pokemon before Mega Evolving (RC) or keep offensive momentum up on the Choice Scarf set, respectively.

Checks & Counters (please capitalise every word in the section headers)
########

**Offensive type advantage**: Talonflame absolutely destroys Heracross with Brave Bird (RC) and can OHKO with Flare Blitz if you try using Quick Guard. Standard attacking Heatran will OHKO with Heat Wave most heat wave 68.8% (be careful with percentages because they're really trite and off-putting and often unnecessary; it honestly doesn't matter if it's 55% or 69% or 75%, the only thing that's relevant is that Heracross usually won't survive it, and using the explicit percentage makes it come off as if that number has some special relevance, while it really doesn't) of the time. Mega Diancie and Mega Metagross are very big issues, as both can OHKO can can live Heracross and survive any of Hera's its moves. Skymin Shaymin-S and Latios can KO easily; (SC) however, (AC) Heracross can OHKO a lot (space) of these threats can be OHKO'd by Heracross while 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, (AC) as it resists 2 off Heracross' two of its moves, and is immune to the other, as well as being and is able to hit back hard. Landorus-T can intimidate 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 (space) of its moves: (colon) for instance, Amoonguss resists Fighting (RC) and Togekiss 4x resists Bug and Fighting. (period) and in general Additionally, if Heracross can't hit what its aiming for, its left open and will generally be taken down easily.

**Speed control**: Trick Room is a problem with this (which?) set, (AC) as it (Mega) (depending on which set you're referring to) Heracross is usually coupled with Tailwind support or some other form of speed control. While this set can OHKO the standard Trick Room Cresselia set with Pin Missile, it can be EV'd EVed to live 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 paralysed paralyzed is also a problem, (AC) as it renders Tailwind useless and leaves Heracross open to attacks. Notably, Thundurus's Thundurus I can use ability Prankster to ensure a paralysis guarantees it can paralyze Heracross with Thunder Wave.

**Burns and Intimidate**: Once Heracross has Mega Evolved, being burnt burned (game's spelling for an effectively technical term) will be a massive detriment (Scarf set likes it). Sableye can use Prankster Will-O-Wisp to get a burn off even while Tailwind is up. Intimidate causes an problem, (AC) 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.

GP 1/2

 

[P Squared]

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Overview
########

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, (remove comma) coupled with resistances to Ground-, Dark-(comma) and Fighting-types 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.(space)Mega Heracross competes with and is quite outclassed by Mega Kangaskhan for 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
########
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, (remove comma) 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(space)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 like 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 Evolvingution, or and 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe with a Jolly nature, which beats maximum(space)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 it Heracross in, or get it up up on the turn it 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(space)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, (AC) as it resists Fairy-,(space)Flying-, (AC, add hyphens) and Psychic-type (add hyphen) moves, (remove comma) and is immune to(space)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(space)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, while also beating 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
########
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 things 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 STABs 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, while also being 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-(comma) 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(space)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 Attack 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 you 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
########
(capitalize section names)
**Offensive Type Advantage**: Talonflame absolutely destroys Heracross with Brave Bird and can OHKO with Flare Blitz if you try Heracross 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(apostrophe)s aiming for, it(apostrophe)s left open and will generally be taken down easily.

**Speed Control**: Trick Room is a problem for both sets set, 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 it is Scarfed. While this set can OHKO the standard Trick Room Cresselia set with Pin Missile, it Cresselia can be EVed to live 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 an 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]

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