Heracross
[Overview]
<p>Heracross has a solid Attack stat, and is famous for its dual 120 Base Power STAB moves in Close Combat and Megahorn, allowing it to hit a wide range of types very hard. It also has few weaknesses to common attacking types in Ubers, while possessing resistances to Dark-, Fighting-, and Ground-type moves. Due to these resistances and its super effective STAB, Heracross is also a picture-perfect Darkrai counter, while retaining usability outside of that role. Its STAB Megahorn hits the many Psychic-types of the Uber metagame for super effective damage, allowing Heracross to become a reliable revenge killer when given a Choice Scarf. However, due to the high Speed and defenses of the Pokemon in the Uber metagame, Heracross tends to have to run a Choice set to perform well.</p>
[SET]
name: Uber Choice Scarf
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Sleep Talk
move 4: Stone Edge / Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A Choice Scarf allows Heracross to outspeed almost all Pokemon in Ubers outside of other Scarf users, while dealing excellent damage with its dual 120 Base Power STAB attacks. Megahorn OHKOes Psychic-types such as Mewtwo and Latios, while Close Combat does excellent neutral damage to many Dragon-types, and hits Steel-types quite hard, especially with a Guts boost, making Heracross a good check to Steel Arceus as well. Stone Edge maims the many Flying-types that resist Heracross's STAB moves, and allows it to serve as an effective check to Ho-Oh. Sleep Talk allows Heracross to easily switch into Darkrai's Dark Void and eliminate it with a Guts boost.</p>
<p>This set makes one of the best switch-ins to Darkrai available. Heracross can easily take any move Darkrai commonly uses, and can outspeed and OHKO it with its STAB attacks. Heracross's excellent ability in Guts even gives it an Attack boost from Dark Void, allowing Heracross to do even more damage while absorbing sleep. Choice Scarf Heracross is also one of the few Pokemon that can put an immediate stop to Calm Mind Mewtwo, easily OHKOing it with its STAB Megahorn.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Night Slash can hit Ghost-types that resist Heracross's STAB attacks, and lets Heracross hit Giratina and Giratina-O for reasonable damage, but its low Base Power means Heracross will often be unable to do much damage to Pokemon neutral to it. Pursuit can be used to hit many Psychic-types as they flee, and Heracross's Choice Scarf allows it to outspeed them, putting many weakened Pokemon in a checkmate position. However, Heracross's lack of STAB on Pursuit and relative frailty means that Tyranitar or Metagross will probably fill this role more efficiently. An Adamant nature hits noticeably harder than Jolly, but Jolly allows Heracross to outspeed +1 Adamant Rayquaza and max Speed Deoxys-A.</p>
<p>Heracross can remove Darkrai and many Psychic-types from the match with its powerful STAB Megahorn, so frailer sweepers such as Lucario or Blaziken can sweep with many of their checks eliminated. Heracross can also KO Latios and Latias, which helps Kyogre tremendously, allowing it to attack with one of its biggest checks removed. Heracross's removal of Darkrai helps Wobbuffet tremendously; Wobbuffet isn't threatened by a Darkrai killing it or Tricking it a Choice Scarf, allowing it to perform its job much more effectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Uber Choice Band
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Sleep Talk
move 4: Stone Edge / Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
ability: Guts
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A Choice Band allows Heracross to hit extremely hard, especially after a Guts boost, OHKOing many frailer Pokemon in the Uber metagame with its dual 120 Base Power STAB moves. Sleep Talk means Choice Band Heracross can switch into Darkrai just as freely as the Choice Scarf set, and deal heavy damage with a Guts boost from Dark Void, OHKOing it even with Stone Edge if an Adamant nature is used. Heracross can also take a Will-O-Wisp from Giratina or physically defensive Mewtwo, and punish them with Night Slash or Megahorn. Stone Edge hits Flying-types very hard, allowing Heracross to OHKO Lugia with a Guts boost.</p>
<p>However, Heracross is slow and susceptible to many strong attacks in the Uber tier, so it may be forced to switch out after taking down a wall, or risk getting KOed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With a Guts boost, Choice Band Heracross is a monster, 2HKOing everything in the metagame:</p>
<ul class="damage calculation">
<li>Adamant Guts-boosted Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Impish Groudon: 66.1%-78%, a 2HKO</li>
<li>Adamant Guts-boosted Stone Edge vs. 252 HP / 64 Def Timid Lugia: 95.2% - 112%, an OHKO after Stealth Rock</li>
<li>Adamant Guts-boosted Night Slash vs. physically defensive Giratina: 46.5% - 54.9%, a 2HKO after Stealth Rock</li>
</ul>
<p>Night Slash deals excellent damage to Giratina and Giratina-O after a Guts boost, 2HKOing even the most physically defensive Giratina, but has low Base Power and is easily walled. Choice Band Pursuit hits very hard, allowing Heracross to remove Psychic- or Ghost-types as they switch out, but is often difficult to use, due to Heracross's mediocre bulk for the Ubers metagame, while also leaving Heracross as setup bait for many threatening Uber sweepers. The EVs can be tweaked to make Heracross more bulky and to be able to withstand some attacks, especially considering Heracross's good Special Defense, but max Attack is necessary to do enough damage, while a higher Speed investment is useful to outspeed some slower Uber Pokemon. Specifically, an EV spread of 248 HP / 232 Atk / 32 SpD / 4 Spe allows Heracross to survive a large number of special attacks. An Adamant nature is generally superior to Jolly, because with Heracross's base 85 Speed, it can already outspeed many base 90s and 100s with a neutral nature and maximum Speed investment. However, a Jolly nature with max Speed outspeeds Adamant Rayquaza, Hasty Mixed Dialga, and Naive Mixed Giratina-O, which Heracross can deal some good damage to with Stone Edge, Close Combat, and Night Slash, respectively.</p>
<p>Choice Band Heracross can also help to significantly weaken or KO physical walls, helping to open up a sweep from a physical attacker. Physical sweepers such as Rock Polish Groudon, Zekrom, and Swords Dance Blaziken can work much better with physical walls such as Skarmory, Giratina, or Lugia removed. Bulky setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Giratina and Calm Mind Kyogre, or walls such as Blissey and defensive Giratina appreciate the removal of status, and Heracross can not only absorb crippling status like Will-O-Wisp or Toxic aimed at these Pokemon, but also deal huge damage to the opposing team with a Guts boost, easing a sweep tremendously or allowing walls to stall out the opposing team much more effectively.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Heracross generally has few options outside of those listed, as it doesn't receive many moves that cover the gaps in its dual STAB coverage. Heracross can use a Life Orb instead of a Choice Band to retain the ability to switch attacks, but it doesn't allow it to hit hard enough to do significant damage. A Flame Orb or Toxic Orb can be used instead of a Choice Band, but Heracross won't like the extra damage each turn, especially with its only middling bulk by Ubers standards. Swords Dance can be used to sharply boost Heracross's Attack, but with its low Speed and only reasonable defenses, Heracross will likely be forced to switch out after KOing something, reducing such a set's effectiveness.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Unfortunately, Heracross has a very long list of counters, and this can be taken advantage of with its need to run a Choice set, allowing something to set up on a weak or ineffective move. Giratina can easily take both of Heracross's STAB moves, but must beware of a Guts-boosted Night Slash, which will 2HKO it. Giratina-O can also take Heracross's STAB moves, but takes much more damage from Night Slash. Flying-types resist Heracross's STAB attacks, but Lugia is neutral to Megahorn, and is OHKOed by a Choice Band Stone Edge or Megahorn with a Guts boost after Stealth Rock damage. Ho-Oh walls both of Heracross's STAB attacks, but has to watch out for Stone Edge. Fire types such as Reshiram resist Megahorn and can switch in on it easily and threaten Heracross with their STAB attacks, or set up. Heracross can't survive many strong neutral attacks without significant EV investment, which is difficult to do without sacrificing Heracross's power or good Speed, so it's susceptible to attacks from strong sweepers that can take a Megahorn or Close Combat, or fast sweepers that outspeed it.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Heracross receives Moxie from the Dream World, which raises its Attack one stage after KOing a Pokemon. On a Choice Band set, this is near useless, as Guts is a far more dependable boost, and Heracross is generally too slow to take advantage of the Attack boost. However, a Choice Scarf set can use it to great effect, maintaining its ability to KO Darkrai and Psychic-types while also being an excellent late-game cleaner with its excellent Speed and consecutive Attack boosts. It does mean Heracross loses a possible Guts boost from Dark Void or another status condition, but after one KO, Heracross's Attack equals what it would be with a Guts boost, and only increases with subsequent kills, making it quite difficult to stop it from sweeping a weakened team. Sleep Talk is illegal with Moxie, however, so Heracross is nowhere near as effective of a Darkrai counter than it is with Guts.</p>
