ORAS UU Viability Ranking Thread M3 (READ POST #823)

[dingbat]

I don't support Luke to B+ on the basis that a) it's still one of the best cleaners in this tier b) it's simply more threatening than every single B+ 'mon in this list atm. Not many 'mons can claim the ability to choose what checks and counters Luke, as (although its physical set still holds the edge,) both its Physical and Special sets can devour teams in their own right. Things like Cobalion and maybe Krook may be able to RK its physical set because the former doesn't give a shit about E-speed or Bullet Punch and the latter can eat one up and rk, but if that Luke is revealed to be running Nasty Plot or some special move, there is absolutely zero fucking way that those said checks to its physical set want to switch into Luke now. Essentially, it's still too good to be below A- rank atm.

Also, I still stand behind my Reuniclus A --> A+ nomination because holy shit it won't
stop fucking shit up in this meta lol

This was briefly mentioned in the inner circle, but Amoonguss could move up to B rank along with Tangrowth. Double status fungus can be really annoying for teams regardless of if your opponent has heal bell users and it can spread a ton of nuisance through the duration of the match because of Regenerator. Although its physical defense and overall offensive presence is well under Tangrowth's capabilities, it makes up for that with better mixed/spdef bulk, a somewhat better defensive typing that allows it to wall and beat Fairies as well as resist Fighting-types attacks. At the same time, I suppose we can wait until mega pidgey gets a ban/no ban verdict.

Also Omfuga what will happen to the pidgey banner if it gets banned lol :(

 

[Schpoonman]

Just put exes over its eyes and write over it "lol stupid burd"

Also a motion (not super serious, but it's there) to move Roserade up to A-. I'm loving the shit out of it as a Scald switch-in and its power. Theoretically (fuck man, I don't use stall or balance) it would also be a great Toxic Spiker and I know for a fact it's a great Spiker. There's also the threat of Sleep Powder and Technician Hidden Power, though that's not nearly as useful as Natural Cure. It hits crazy hard with Leaf Storm and Sludge Bomb, and Giga Drain gives it tons of longevity, even on offensive sets.

 

[YABO]

NP Luc is awesome right now. Crobat is falling in popularity and stuff like Doublade and Cob is on the rise which are some of the more common ways to check luc. Both of these are easily dispatched by special variants. Vacuum Wave is also nice to always win versus opposing lucario and be able to pick off aero more easily.

 

[Cheryl.]

so im pretty upset right now that Mega Fabio has dropped to A- Rank, Mega Fabio is to good for that, rest talk for days. happy to see goodra rise to B- and moltres rise to B+

Goodra was always B- lol

 

[Omfuga]

on vacation til Monday but reun is Jesus... if a mod sees this they might as well move it up for me D:

King UU Meru

 

[Cheryl.]

Reuni for A+ lets go

 

[DaSpoofy]

Yes once again it is time to sacrifice 2 hours of potential sleep to satisfy my nerdy obsession! I will start this off with some of my own nominations hence the poorly made banner, and then I'll get into some more popular suggestions going around. Last I will bring up Omfuga's topic suggestions. Feel free to correct any misguided opinions of mine so I can learn because I want to get better just like most of you do!

Cacturne Unranked to C
Sword Dance plus Sucker punch is extremely deadly in any meta. Though the meta is slowly moving away from bulky water types, caturne's bulk is enough to live a hit and set up an sd to sweep. Cacturne checks Krookodile really nicely taking 50% from EQ and knocking out with drain punch getting back most of its health. Cacturne counters standard calm mind Slowking which is pretty common high ladder. Cacturne's Speed is enough to hit 209 at max which is a fantastic wall breaking tier. Offensive seed bomb clears things up and Water Absorb makes your opponent fear going for the water moves as Cacturne tends to punich switches with spikes or sd. I really think dark types are extremely underrated in UU right now.

Most Viable Set

Cacturne @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Drain Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Swords Dance

Honchkrow B to B+
This is another powerful sucker punch user with the ability to boost its attack without using a set up move. The thing about Honchkrow that I believe why it has been overlook is its potential to be one of the best trappers along side Krookodile and Mega Aero. Pursuit is a great option for Honchkrow as your opponent fears the sucker punch, loses a pokemon (potentially), and you get a moxie boost! Honchkrow makes an excellent wall breaker with having stab brave bird in a tier susceptible to flying stab. Honchkrow has some nice coverage options with heatwave killing forry and other steel types and superpower for empoleon, porygon2, and bulky rock types. At plus one honch destroys balance being able to knock out Maero, outspeed and kill florges, and pursuit trap chandy. Well constructed teams tend to be weak to honchkrow. Not a lot of teams have an answer for a powerful Brave Bird.

Most Viable Set

Honchkrow @ Life Orb
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch
- Superpower
- Brave Bird

Sharpedo B to B+
One of the best cleaners in the game! Adament is faster than chandy and mamoswine which allows you to straight out attack and not risk a switch. One of the best things about regular sharpedo is the more powerful waterfalls (and ofc no mega stone). Its coverage is really great allowing easy late game sweeps. Its very easy too use and easy to sweep with. Resists some priority which helps with late game sweeps. It is a lot more frail than other cleaners, but then again it does not need to take any hits to set up. Crunch still hits really hard.

Most Viable Set

Sharpedo @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naughty Nature/ Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Ice Beam/ Poison Jab
- Protect

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Other nominations that interest me!

Mega Beedrill A to A+ Support
This is basically a staple for any volt turn team which seems to be the most viable style of play in UU. It is pretty hard to punish U-turn without running something awkward on your team. The reason for it not to rise would be the fact that is loses so many 1 on 1's. Then again it does not have to win since it can just U-turn into something to counter that mon. Adament bee also gets a lot of late game sweeps with the incredible powerful poison jab. Drill run although seems pretty weak is great for coverage allowing it to hit nidoqueen and empoleon.

Mega Swampert A+ to S On the fence
Probably the best cleaner in UU. Awesome stats with some great typing. The bad thing about Swampert is when its rain dance sweeps is played around with risky switches and Swampert becomes too weak to set up another dance/ do anything else because everything out-speeds it. Power up punch has been getting some more attention. Although is seems like a cool option, hydregion and shaymin run rampant and you need that power. You need rain dance. Stealth rocks is meh. I really feel you lose out on a lot of potential sweeps using anything other than rain dance. Stall is a different story. Curse swamp is actually really good on stall. I don't know if its S rank material but its definitely no worthy of a suspect.

Mienshao A+ to A Support
Its main stab is more than unreliable its also dangerous. The meta is getting more anti fighting with the viability of bulk-mence growing and stall becoming far more popular. Still a great mon with U-turn and knock off options along with stone edge and poison jab as coverage, but it is susceptible to priority and can't switch in on much.

Tangrowth B- to B SUPPORT
I have been preaching this ever since double dogz. Tangrowth wall capabilities are phenomenal as offensive water types are getting way more popular. Sharpedo, Swampert, and Ferg storm the ladder and tangrowth totally viable in that sense alone! Sleep Powder puts the switch in to rest. Powerful stats allow for a multitude of options including chlorophyll cleaner. Assault vest works great with re-generator although Physically defensive is best set.

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Omfuga's suggested nominations

Do not agree on any of them. My reasons to why have been stated. Here is Kreme's post if you want to know. He did a very good job at explaining why these pokes are great. In fact I don't know where the council got these nominations from. I guess if you are always using gligar it is hard to see Lucario as a threat?!

 

[Ninja-persian]

Just recently started playing UU this gen, and I am impressed with how viable is Snorlax right now. It can set up in many Special attackers, and after one or two Curses, it becomes extremely hard to take down. Does the Community think it has any possibility of going up a Rank (A to A+)?

 

[Kreme]

Just recently started playing UU this gen, and I am impressed with how viable is Snorlax right now. It can set up in many Special attackers, and after one or two Curses, it becomes extremely hard to take down. Does the Community think it has any possibility of going up a Rank (A to A+)?

That's actually one of the nominations being discussed atm. You can scroll through the past couple pages to see when it was up for discussion and what the community's said about it.

 

[Cheryl.]

I want Pangoro to rise to B+. Pangoro is a deadly wallbreaker with an awesome STAB combination and Gun Shot to destroy Fairies. Knock Off can provide utility by removing precious items too. Other than the Choice Band set, Pangoro has another useful that has benefitted from stall's boom in popularity- the Swords Dance set. This set is imo, the best stallcrusher around. Swords Dance can also try to sweep against more slower teams as well, although it's not as effective against offense. Problems with Pangoro are low speed, meh bulk, and weaknesses to Fighting types, who are popular, don't help either. But Pangoro is still a cool mon and should rise.

 

[teal6]

Please rank Mega Banette at C, thanks.

Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Shadow Claw
- Destiny Bond

This monster has such a good matchup against a ton of the metagame it is almost silly. Part of the reason that Mega Banette is so effective is because it's almost entirely straightforward in what it does, but teams are just not really prepared for it. Everyone knows it is carrying Prankster Destiny Bond, so bringing it in on an opponent's win condition/necessary mon will force them to outright switch nearly 100% of the time. With that in mind, you can take advantage of Shadow Claw coming off of an absolutely massive attack stat do deal significant damage to common switch ins. Physical attacks have to always be weary of Prankster WoW of course, and stall teams have to face Prankster Taunt.

Mega Banette works best with hazard stacking teams. With Prankster Taunt and Ghost typing, it is exceedingly difficult to get rid of hazards when he is on the field.

The mind games you are able to force with Banette are invaluable on a hazard stacking team, as forcing folks to switch and potentially take a spike/SR (so 25%) and then additionally a burn or a Shadow Claw is invaluable. For switchins that can heal you can always Taunt before they do, so Leech Seed, Rest, Wish, Roost and Synthesis are taken off the table.

Banette is a mon that needs a lot of support. His defense stats are not the best admittedly, so covering him is pretty vital. Mons like Cobalion make great partners, as they are good Knock Off soakers that absorb the most common SE move used against Banette. Additionally, Banette is weak to status as it is one way around Destiny Bond, so mons like Empoleon who may Scald when you Taunt (to stop a defog) can fish for a burn to let Mega Banette die itself. Umbreon makes a decent partner in this sense, as a SpDef set can cover for mons that don't mind WoW and physical attackers will be neutered if you burn before switching to Umb to Heal Bell or provide Wish support, and Banette covers Umbreon's fighting weakness.

However despite any flaws, I definitely am sure it deserves a ranking, as it's an incredibly unique mon that provides its own viable niche.

 

[ScraftyIsTheBest]

It had a few brief stints in C Rank in metas dominated by Fairy gods of doom such as Togekiss and Mega Diancie if I remember correctly, but it's usually been sitting around B- or B for as long as it's been UU. Though to be quite honest I think B- or B is good for Goodra as it stands, its CB set is pretty legit considering it hits hard af and it checks a lot of shit in the tier such as Heliolisk, Chandelure, Mega Tortoise, and more even with its lack of reliable recovery, and Sap Sipper is clutch so B- or even B seems good for it, it's at least as good as the stuff sitting in B- as is.

I'm hesistant to agree with Mega Banette being ranked. It has a lot of opportunity cost for something that takes up a Mega Slot, and getting it going in the first place is hard. While I admit Mega Banette is a real pain once it gets going, it's so hard to get it going in the first place because it's frail and if you can't get it going safely, it will not do anything in the match. I could easily save up that Mega Slot I use on Banette for something more threatening as a Mega. I will admit though that it is not a bad mon overall since Prankster D-Bond and a powerful Shadow Claw are great to have and spinblocking is also an asset, and an alternating between D-Bond and Shadow Claw is annoying, plus having Wisp and Taunt is cool. So maybe I can see it in C, its real biggest problem is that it's a Mega.

 

[Kink]

Please rank Mega Banette at C, thanks.

Banette @ Banettite
Ability: Frisk
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
- Shadow Claw
- Destiny Bond

This monster has such a good matchup against a ton of the metagame it is almost silly. Part of the reason that Mega Banette is so effective is because it's almost entirely straightforward in what it does, but teams are just not really prepared for it. Everyone knows it is carrying Prankster Destiny Bond, so bringing it in on an opponent's win condition/necessary mon will force them to outright switch nearly 100% of the time. With that in mind, you can take advantage of Shadow Claw coming off of an absolutely massive attack stat do deal significant damage to common switch ins. Physical attacks have to always be weary of Prankster WoW of course, and stall teams have to face Prankster Taunt.

Mega Banette works best with hazard stacking teams. With Prankster Taunt and Ghost typing, it is exceedingly difficult to get rid of hazards when he is on the field.

The mind games you are able to force with Banette are invaluable on a hazard stacking team, as forcing folks to switch and potentially take a spike/SR (so 25%) and then additionally a burn or a Shadow Claw is invaluable. For switchins that can heal you can always Taunt before they do, so Leech Seed, Rest, Wish, Roost and Synthesis are taken off the table.

Banette is a mon that needs a lot of support. His defense stats are not the best admittedly, so covering him is pretty vital. Mons like Cobalion make great partners, as they are good Knock Off soakers that absorb the most common SE move used against Banette. Additionally, Banette is weak to status as it is one way around Destiny Bond, so mons like Empoleon who may Scald when you Taunt (to stop a defog) can fish for a burn to let Mega Banette die itself. Umbreon makes a decent partner in this sense, as a SpDef set can cover for mons that don't mind WoW and physical attackers will be neutered if you burn before switching to Umb to Heal Bell or provide Wish support, and Banette covers Umbreon's fighting weakness.

However despite any flaws, I definitely am sure it deserves a ranking, as it's an incredibly unique mon that provides its own viable niche.

The reason it's not ranked is because you're always better off not wasting the mega slot on such a niche mon with such an obvious movepool.

 

[teal6]

The reason it's not ranked is because you're always better off not wasting the mega slot on such a niche mon with such an obvious movepool.

A Pokemon can have an obvious movepool but still be effective at what it intends to do. Any given HO team is pretty obvious in what most of the members of the team want to do, but it doesn't make it ineffective. A big part of what I think Mega Banette's viability is, is that because folks don't seem to prepare for it you are capable of exploiting the straightforward moveset and unique ability. The switching up of Dbond/Shadow Claw is an effective strategy, and offensive teams that lack an outright way to status Mega Banette struggle to deal with it and end up having to sack to remove it.
At this point I feel like I am repeating Ben Gay's argument for Banette's viability that he made in OU, and I recall he struggled to put into words the same thing I am struggling with a bit. If I can dig up that post I'll link it, as a lot of the reasoning is the same.

The use of the Mega slot is big though, and this is why I think C is the deserved ranking. It's a functioning mon that has anti-meta properties that works well with a good amount of team support with it. That, I believe, is what the C ranking is for - I do suppose it's a bit unorthodox to have a Mega in that rank because of the concept of opportunity cost, but it's not unheard of.

 

[Kink]

A Pokemon can have an obvious movepool but still be effective at what it intends to do. Any given HO team is pretty obvious in what most of the members of the team want to do, but it doesn't make it ineffective. A big part of what I think Mega Banette's viability is, is that because folks don't seem to prepare for it you are capable of exploiting the straightforward moveset and unique ability. The switching up of Dbond/Shadow Claw is an effective strategy, and offensive teams that lack an outright way to status Mega Banette struggle to deal with it and end up having to sack to remove it.
At this point I feel like I am repeating Ben Gay's argument for Banette's viability that he made in OU, and I recall he struggled to put into words the same thing I am struggling with a bit. If I can dig up that post I'll link it, as a lot of the reasoning is the same.

The use of the Mega slot is big though, and this is why I think C is the deserved ranking. It's a functioning mon that has anti-meta properties that works well with a good amount of team support with it. That, I believe, is what the C ranking is for - I do suppose it's a bit unorthodox to have a Mega in that rank because of the concept of opportunity cost, but it's not unheard of.

It's unorthodox until a person just needs to make one teeny adjustment to prepare their team for the 50/50 producer that is Mega Banette, and then bam: the meta prepares for mega banette for another year until someone brings it up again on the Viability Rankings. There is huge opportunity cost in utilizing a mega with such horrendous typing and lack of powerful STAB. Not to mention its horrid speed which makes utilizing other moves dangerous. When looking at Viability, C Rank looks at pokemon that are dependent on their niches to stay competitive, except Prankster doesn't make Mega Banette competitive, and neither does Destiny Bond. The best Mega Banette can do is force a 1 for 1 kill, cause I'm definitely not being KOed by one without taking something else down, or at the very least utilizing said fodder in a way that let's me beat the rest of his team. It's extremely difficult to call something competitive when it relies on a 50/50 as its core strength.

Aside from being a sub-par revenge killer and occasional 50/50 producer, I see no competitive edge that this mon has to the other already-nerfed ghost-types in the tier bar Chandelure.

PS: the opportunity cost from not using a UU Mega is HUGE in this tier... UU megas are some of our most powerful mons.

 

[DaSpoofy]

It's unorthodox until a person just needs to make one teeny adjustment to prepare their team for the 50/50 producer that is Mega Banette, and then bam: the meta prepares for mega banette for another year until someone brings it up again on the Viability Rankings. There is huge opportunity cost in utilizing a mega with such horrendous typing and lack of powerful STAB. Not to mention its horrid speed which makes utilizing other moves dangerous. When looking at Viability, C Rank looks at pokemon that are dependent on their niches to stay competitive, except Prankster doesn't make Mega Banette competitive, and neither does Destiny Bond. The best Mega Banette can do is force a 1 for 1 kill, cause I'm definitely not being KOed by one without taking something else down, or at the very least utilizing said fodder in a way that let's me beat the rest of his team. It's extremely difficult to call something competitive when it relies on a 50/50 as its core strength.

Aside from being a sub-par revenge killer and occasional 50/50 producer, I see no competitive edge that this mon has to the other already-nerfed ghost-types in the tier bar Chandelure.

You are wrong. Bannete's typing is far from "horrendous" and its niche goes beyond prankster d bond. Its speed is far from aweful as it reaches the 206 wall breaker mark. Though it has no great stab, Shadow claw does enough to make it an asset in HO. You can couple this with another move for coverage such as frustration or gunkshot. Priority pain split is a great option for def Bannete as it switches in to fighting types, takes the knock off, and goes for pain split to live another while taking a huge chunk out of your opponent.

You are seriously overlooking this mon. Bad stab i know but who cares. Its a utility mon and a revenge killer. Great on HO because like sash zam, it saves you from being counter swept. It uses a mega stone... whoopdy do. A team can run fine without a mega so why should letting Bannete use it change the effectiveness of a team? Yes its hard geting off the the mega sometimes but thats bannete. It saves you or does nothing. C rank is a great place for it. It has a ton of great little niches that can benefit almost any playstyle.

 

[Kink]

You are wrong. Bannete's typing is far from "horrendous" and its niche goes beyond prankster d bond. Its speed is far from aweful as it reaches the 206 wall breaker mark. Though it has no great stab, Shadow claw does enough to make it an asset in HO. You can couple this with another move for coverage such as frustration or gunkshot. Priority pain split is a great option for def Bannete as it switches in to fighting types, takes the knock off, and goes for pain split to live another while taking a huge chunk out of your opponent.

You are seriously overlooking this mon. Bad stab i know but who cares. Its a utility mon and a revenge killer. Great on HO because like sash zam, it saves you from being counter swept. It uses a mega stone... whoopdy do. A team can run fine without a mega so why should letting Bannete use it change the effectiveness of a team? Yes its hard geting off the the mega sometimes but thats bannete. It saves you or does nothing. C rank is a great place for it. It has a ton of great little niches that can benefit almost any playstyle.

No, YOU are wrong. Ghost-typing is by far UU's worst defensive typing in UU. Gen 6 in general completely shits on Ghost-Types, and the only thing you can literally "counter", by definition, is Curselax. Meaning that even if it does manage to catch anything, it's always going to be a tit-for-tat strategy. I get that it checks a lot of stuff in theory but that doesn't mean it is viable in practise. Good players know what to expect from a Mega Banette with a Prankster movepool, that virtually just makes it a really fast Ghost-Type which low attacking Speed - there's literally NOTHING special about this movepool, and it can't take a single hit from even a standard LO mon. Tit for tat is not a strategy. It's a waste. Any good player will tell you that a DEDICATED explosion mon or a DEDICATED Utility Destiny Bond mon is bad news unless that particular Pokemon can accomplish a workable niche outside of just taking something with it. I'm really glad you managed to surprised some naive players with a Shadow Claw, but you're not going to surprise me.

Furthermore, Megas are an almost near-essential part of the metagame, and the only reason to NOT use one if if your particular team, in its nuanced development, can't fit a relevant Mega that'll benefit the team. Not every team can support the appropriate mega, cause we have very limited options which would limit our teambuilding if we ONLY used megas on every team. To put it simply, yes it's a fact that we can build team's without Megas. Which is why it's always more effective to run a different Ghost-type (if at all cause Ghost-types are pretty shit atm), than one that takes up a Mega Slot and loses a valuable support item.

I will repeat - A KO for KO strategy is not a strategy, it is a failsafe. Any team can work out a failsafe. Fodder isn't viability.

Not to mention that you can't even rely on it to be a proper Ghost-Type revenge killer, seeing as how you can't run Shadow Sneak or Sucker Punch without ruining the viability of its overall purpose. Four-move Slot Syndrome affects Mega Banette in such a way that it's just not getting work done across all archetypes. It's not a viable representation of utility in UU.

 

[Christo]

I would like to point out Shedinja has a legit niche in UU. It 100% should be a C rank mon as if it is built well around, can be a large nuisance to teams and can win on its own depending on team matchup. It does more than just wall certain pokemon, it creates a new dynamic that forces your opponent to play differently when you have a Shedinja on your team. Unlike Banette, Shedinja can be a strategy as teams can be weak to that pokemon since they lack moves that can effect it. Banette is not something teams will ever struggle with as the most it can do is create a one for one trade which is even less appealing when you lose your mega slot.

 

[Kink]

I would like to point out Shedinja has a legit niche in UU. It 100% should be a C rank mon as if it is built well around, can be a large nuisance to teams and can win on its own depending on team matchup. It does more than just wall certain pokemon, it creates a new dynamic that forces your opponent to play differently when you have a Shedinja on your team. Unlike Banette, Shedinja can be a strategy as teams can be weak to that pokemon since they lack moves that can effect it. Banette is not something teams will ever struggle with as the most it can do is create a one for one trade which is even less appealing when you lose your mega slot.

I actually totally support Shedinja going C. There's a bit of luck in the team matchups, but when it works, it can absolutely decimate an unprepared team.

 

[Pinkin Lark]

MBanette is one of those things that looks pretty good on paper. 165 Base Attack stat, 2 forms of Priority, Knock Off, Gunk Shot, plenty of utility moves to abuse Prankster. Not even the -worst- Speed/Bulk in the game. Then you realize that Ghost is probably the most shafted typing there is in terms of good STAB(no, Phantom Force is NOT a good option, and Shadow Ball is not an option for MBanette), and just about everyone expects you to run Destiny Bond. In all honesty, Froslass can do a pretty similar job, without burning your potential Mega slot, simply trading the priority for a pretty good speed tier.

As for Sheddy, dunno why he wasn't C already. Not used him myself, but I've seen the effectiveness plenty of times. Obviously requires a fair amount of team support and some good play, but it can put in amazing work for having 1 HP.

I'd also like to suggest MGlalie for B- to B. While it does a lot of the same thing Mamo does(read: most everything), it provides a better speed tier and fewer resistances, as well as that lovely Refrigerate Frustration/Double Edge to really smack things.

 

[lllg17]

Don't forget Refrigerate-boosted explosion.

252+ Atk Refrigerate Mega Glalie Explosion vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Salamence: 2652-3120 (801.2 - 942.5%) -- Possibly the best move ever

 

[Louna]

I think Heracross can easily up to A+. He had really few switch in. The CB Guts set is really insane. With Stone Edge, Salamence can't switch in safely, with Knock Off, Gligar can't too. He can pressure as well all kind of teams. It's an amazing wallbreaker.

Some calcs :
252+ Atk Choice Band Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 232 Def Florges: 161-189 (44.7 - 52.5%) -- 84% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Heracross Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Salamence: 278-328 (83.9 - 99%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Alomomola: 261-307 (48.8 - 57.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Heracross Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Arcanine: 192-228 (50.1 - 59.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

And that, is without guts activate.

The Toxic Orb Guts + Swords Dance is pretty instopable too

Some calcs :
+2 252+ Atk Guts Heracross Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 232 Def Florges: 500-589 (138.8 - 163.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Guts Heracross Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dragalge: 376-443 (112.5 - 132.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Alomomola: 520-613 (97.3 - 114.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252+ Atk Guts Heracross Facade (140 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Salamence: 437-515 (132 - 155.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Arcanine: 261-307 (68.1 - 80.1%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

I see you said "yes, but he don't have a good speed" yes, but the speed control is really present in ORAS UU (Whimiscott, Tornadus, Galvantula & co). With that, he can really easily perforate some teams in the current UU

 

[Godsend]

I think Heracross can easily up to A+. He had really few switch in. The CB Guts set is really insane. With Stone Edge, Salamence can't switch in safely, with Knock Off, Gligar can't too. He can pressure as well all kind of teams. It's an amazing wallbreaker.

Some calcs :
252+ Atk Choice Band Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 232 Def Florges: 161-189 (44.7 - 52.5%) -- 84% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Heracross Stone Edge vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Salamence: 278-328 (83.9 - 99%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Alomomola: 261-307 (48.8 - 57.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Heracross Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Arcanine: 192-228 (50.1 - 59.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

And that, is without guts activate.

The Toxic Orb Guts + Swords Dance is pretty instopable too

Some calcs :
+2 252+ Atk Guts Heracross Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 232 Def Florges: 500-589 (138.8 - 163.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Guts Heracross Facade (140 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dragalge: 376-443 (112.5 - 132.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252+ Atk Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Alomomola: 520-613 (97.3 - 114.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252+ Atk Guts Heracross Facade (140 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Salamence: 437-515 (132 - 155.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Guts Heracross Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Arcanine: 261-307 (68.1 - 80.1%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock

I see you said "yes, but he don't have a good speed" yes, but the speed control is really present in ORAS UU (Whimiscott, Tornadus, Galvantula & co). With that, he can really easily perforate some teams in the current UU

In practice it's really hard for Hera to get a free turn of setup, coupled with the incredible number of mons that threaten it out and it's not the greatest set up sweeper. I know you mentioned tailwind, but Hera gets 2 turns to attack after all is said and done if you're counting his own set up. Anyway, I'm not saying Hera is bad but SD isn't the best unless you really hate stall (a highly uncommon archetype).

Tldr Hera is fine at A.

 

[lllg17]

I'd Like to point out that few switchins does not mean a mon is A+. Sure it helps; just look at a mon like Hydreigon or Feraligatr. But they have many things that Hera does not, namely, a small amount of speed. After 1 DD, Gatr can also OHKO much of the meta, but that does not mean it's S rank just because of that. It is the boost from the Dragon Dance which really allows it to sweep, and the wallbreaking set with SD is also superior to Hera because of coverage and things and such. Now look at Hydreigon. very few switch-ins because of its great coverage with Draco, DP, F-Blast, E-Power, Flash cannon, and tackle among other options to fill gaps in your team. It can also wallbreaking with specs sets and is, overall, far less one-dimensional than Hera. Now look at a mon like tyrantrum wich is one of the most fearsome physical wall breakers in the tier. It is ranked far below Hera because of it's speed, a weakness that Hera knows all too well. Hera is fine at A. It has too few viable sets for A+ but too much power for A-

 

[Omfuga]

Moved Reuniclus from A to A+. Also personally I think heracross is as bad now as it has been, but that's just one man's opinion. If sufficient discussion is made in heracross' favor I'll consider it (or if it's discussed in the VR convo). If anyone disagrees with reuniclus feel free to speak up, however I think this change is more than warranted.