Status: Fourth draft. (Done)
QC Approved: PK Gaming, Iconic, Seven Deadly Sins
GP Approved: bugmaniacbob, Aeron Ee1
#214 Heracross
[Overview]
<p>The fighting beetle, Heracross, has been a premier physical attacker ever since its introduction in the second generation. Though it has had periods of reduced usage due to issues with its stats (such as its lackluster Speed), it has, at the very least, kept the tools to get the job done. By making good use of its Guts ability to freely absorb status and subsequently threaten just about everything in the game, it is one Pokemon that can create quite a headache given the chance. Having the amazing double STAB coverage of Close Combat and Megahorn doesn't hurt either. While its defensive stats are not superb, it does have a few worthwhile resistances to its name. Don't underestimate the Hercules beetle, as it can be quite the nasty surprise for any unprepared team in the 5th generation.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With stats of base 85 Speed and 125 Attack, and two powerful STAB moves to abuse them with, Heracross is a prime candidate for a Choice Scarf. When looking at Heracross one cannot forget Guts, which is among Heracross's biggest selling points, as it gives Heracross the ability to switch into almost any status move and get an Attack boost. This ability is not something to take lightly, especially considering that with the Speed increase gained from a Choice Scarf, it can quickly become an amazingly powerful threat. Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's infamous STAB combo and have surprisingly good synergy together—alongside Stone Edge, Heracross can hit almost everything in the metagame for at least neutral damage.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is reserved for pseudo-trapping foes that Heracross can hit super effectively trying to escape. Pursuit hits Pokemon as they switch out and is useful for taking out Pokemon weak to it, such as Latios and Starmie, but Night Slash is also notable for its ability to 2HKO Jellicent, which would otherwise wall Heracross. Night Slash also fills the role of a more accurate alternative to hit Psychic-type Pokemon hard.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant is the preferred nature on this set due to Heracross already being able to outspeed everything it needs to with a neutral nature and the damage increase from running an Attack-boosting nature helps it hit as hard as possible. It is possible to run a Jolly nature, most notably to outspeed Timid Scarf Heatran, but it is not recommended.</p>
<p>Toxic has some merit in the fourth moveslot for possibly crippling walls Heracross could never break or just putting a timer on other Pokemon. Pokemon like Vaporeon, Zapdos, and Hippowdon who could otherwise stall you out with their respective healing moves are all forced to switch out lest their poison damage gets too high, and thus become much easier to deal with.</p>
<p>Pokemon who have trouble with Grass-, Psychic-, or Dark-type Pokemon all appreciate Heracross's ability to come in and immediately threaten them. Even the bulkiest of Pokemon, such as Reuniclus, can be easily dispatched with a STAB move if they dare to stay in on Choice Scarf Heracross, assuming they have taken a little bit of prior damage. Pokemon who will greatly appreciate its ability to do this feat are Psychic-type teammates such as Mew, Azelf, Celebi, Latios, and Latias who generally dislike fighting opposing Psychic- and Dark-type pokemon while all also easily breaking through the physical walls Heracross has trouble breaking through by itself. Water-type Pokemon such as Politoed, Vaporeon, and Swampert, all of whom appreciate Heracross's ability to take out Grass-type Pokemon, also make great partners, as Heracross resists their Grass-type weaknesses and they resist Heracross's Fire-type weakness, while at the same time being able to break through Heracross's biggest nightmares, such as most Fire-types, Gliscors, and possibly Skarmory. Politoed in particular is useful as it also brings Drizzle on the field, which cancels out Heracross's Fire-type weakness, while Vaporeon can pass a Wish to a weakened Heracross and potentially bring it back to full health.</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge / Night Slash
move 4: Facade / Substitute
item: Toxic Orb / Leftovers
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 16 HP / 240 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set functions in two differing ways, either as a Substitute attacker or an all-out attacker depending on what item you choose to run. Toxic Orb forcibly activates Heracross's Guts ability, boosting not only its Attack but also the power of Facade, at the cost of survivability as a whole and revealing its set immediately. Still, the set should not be underestimated as it can actually 2HKO even the most defensive Pokemon as they switch in on a Facade. Most notably, a 252 HP Gliscor is 2HKOed by a boosted Facade, even after accounting for Poison Heal recovery, by Adamant Heracross. Leftovers on the other hand increases Heracross's longevity by quite a bit with its passive recovery, and also helps gain back health lost in using Substitute. Heracross threatens out a lot of Pokemon, and this set can easily capitalize if you choose to run Substitute. With a Substitute up, Heracross is able to safely attack whatever happens to switch in and possibly get a KO on their usual Heracross check. It can take out many faster, frailer Pokemon from behind a Substitute, and can potentially 2HKO the slower, bulkier pokemon that stay in and try to break its Substitute.</p>
<p>Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's primary STAB moves, and they hit most Pokemon extremely hard, even those that resist them. The choice between Stone Edge and Night Slash depends on whether you'd like to be able to easily deal with Flying-type pokemon or with Ghost-type Pokemon, respectively.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>16 HP EVs are shifted from Attack in order to reach a Leftovers number and survive certain Fire-type attacks, such as Lava Plume from Heatran, but they can be shifted into Attack if you don't mind the possibility of being OHKOed, or are not running Leftovers. The choice between a Jolly and an Adamant nature is entirely up to the user, but one must remember that running Jolly means a decrease in damage output, while running Adamant means you can no longer guarantee that you will outspeed Pokemon such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Nidoking.</p>
<p>Focus Punch can be run instead of Close Combat when running Substitute, but this will mean you are left without a reliable Fighting-type STAB which can lead to many problems and is thus not highly recommended.</p>
<p>Bulky Pokemon once again make great teammates for this variant of Heracross. Pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, Heatran, or Cresselia would all make good partners as they can sponge the special attacks that Heracross is scared to take and proceed to stall out the opposing Pokemon. Paralysis support is especially appreciated as it makes this version of Heracross much harder to deal with, potentially allowing it to outspeed and OHKO its would-be checks and counters. Wish support is greatly appreciated if one chooses to run Substitute, given how Heracross will be sacrificing 25% HP after each Substitute it makes, and as a result Vaporeon is an option worth considering given that Vaporeon can not only pass wishes to Heracross but also resists Heracross's Fire-type weakness while Heracross itself resists Vaporeon's Grass-type weakness giving them fairly decent synergy together, and this is before even mentioning how Vaporeon can easily take on Skarmory and Gliscor, two of Heracross's biggest walls, one on one if needed. Politoed is an option once more but is only recommended if running Substitute, since if you are running a Toxic Orb then generally the passive damage will end up killing you too fast to see the benefit of the removed Fire weakness.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 208 HP / 104 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Come in on a resisted move and Bulk Up as they switch out is the basic premise of this set. Heracross with Bulk Up has the astonishing ability to take out many of its usual counters after only a few Bulk Ups. Pokemon like standard Gliscor or Conkeldurr, for example, can use Swords Dance or Bulk Up respectively on Heracross but will fail to do any significant damage while at the same time Heracross maxes out its defenses and prepares to retaliate with a high-power move. After about three Bulk Ups, Heracross has the potential to break through even the sturdiest walls in the game with its massive power, assuming they cannot KO it first.</p>
<p>The moves listed are the best combination of three moves Heracross can use on a Bulk Up set in terms of the coverage they give. It is notable that after just one single Bulk Up, this variant can OHKO any variant of Reuniclus with a STAB Megahorn. The EVs may seem odd at first but they have specific roles, allowing Heracross to outpace neutral-natured base 90 Pokemon which would otherwise be an issue. This EV spread also gives Heracross quite a bit of bulk, the HP EVs also serving to allow Heracross to hit its highest Leftovers threshold, while at the same time enough Attack to be hit extremely hard after one or two Bulk Ups. Despite the current set being tried and true however, it is possible to shift some Attack EVs into HP in order to avoid being 2HKO'd by few niche threats such as Life Orb Excadrill but this is generally not recommended.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Low Kick is used over Close Combat due to having no defense drops after being used, but Close Combat is still an option considering the large difference in power the two moves may have.</p>
<p>Bulky pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, or Cresselia would all make good partners to Heracross once again, especially considering how weak this set is on the special side compared to the physical side. Politoed is an interesting option and brings a unique benefit to the table in that it not only brings Drizzle support to essentially get rid of that pesky Fire-type weakness, but Heracross also resists Politoed's pesky Grass-type weakness, making them fairly good teammates together. Wish support is a nice thing to have on this variant of Heracross given how it is meant to have great staying power with a few Bulk Ups under its belt, and as a result Pokemon who can pass big Wishes to Heracross are a large boon. Pokemon such as Vaporeon, Chansey, or Blissey are all good options for this. Light Screen is a great move to use alongside this variant of Heracross, making it nearly impossible to reliably OHKO no matter what side you hit it from, apart from the odd Flying-type moves.</p>
<p>Hazards, especially Stealth Rock, make this Heracross variant much more threatening as they will rack up residual damage as the opponent is forced to switch around to try to deal with Heracross and its Bulk Ups.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Base 125 Attack is nothing to scoff at, and when combined with a Choice Band, along with two excellent STAB moves, Heracross becomes an extremely hard Pokemon to switch into for many teams. The moves listed provide quite ample coverage as Megahorn, Close Combat, and Stone Edge together hit almost every Pokemon in the metagame for at least neutral damage, which makes them all fairly essential. One thing to note is that the great benefit of running Choice Band Megahorn is that it will always OHKO Reuniclus no matter the variant with a STAB Megahorn, thus making it arguably its most solid check.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is completely up to the user, as it helps fill a possible problem area. Night Slash means many Pokemon weak to Dark-type moves can be dealt with effectively, most notably Jellicent. Pursuit is for trapping certain weakened Pokemon but comes at the risk of possible retaliation if the opponent decides to set up Lucario or Terrakion on your Choice-locked Pursuit.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pokemon who attract status ailments make great partners for Heracross as he can easily switch in on a predicted status-inflicting move and activate Guts. Such Pokemon include but are not limited to Chansey, Blissey, Cresselia, and Vaporeon, who all attract Toxic which Heracross can switch in on in order to activate its Guts ability for an Attack boost. With Guts added on to the power of Choice Band, almost nothing can really wall it effectively. An example of how hard it hits is that even the dreaded physically defensive Skarmory will take about 48% damage minimum from a Jolly Choice Band Close Combat from Heracross, which means that Skarmory will be 2HKOed if it dares switch into a Close Combat when Stealth Rock is also on the field. If Heracross has a Guts boost as well, that same 252/252+ Skarmory is taking a minimum of 73%.</p>
<p>Pokemon who resist Heracross's weaknesses or at the very least can take hits convincingly are much more appreciated on this set than any other considering how often this set will be forced to switch in and out due to Speed issues and having to change moves. Bulky Pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, Heatran, Vaporeon, or Cresselia would all make good partners with this in mind, and are recommended as they can easily take any special moves aimed at Heracross. Vaporeon, Chansey, and Blissey can once again can pass Wishes to a weakened Heracross. Heatran can switch in on the Fire-type moves aimed at Heracross and gain a Flash Fire boost in the process, while Heracross can switch in on the Earthquakes aimed at Heatran. Reuniclus and Cresselia fill the role of bulky Psychic-type Pokemon and can switch in on almost any attack that would hit Heracross and recover off the damage inflicted.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>RestTalk is an option if you feel like abusing Heracross's decent bulk and Guts ability, but it will have a lot of trouble waking up after it has used Rest once and no matter what set of moves you choose to run Heracross will be walled by a few select Pokemon. That said, RestTalk is a fairly decent choice since it can hit extremely hard and is also fairly hard to OHKO. With a Swords Dance boost, Heracross's Attack skyrockets and it becomes capable of wallbreaking and cutting through various types of stall teams. Decent bulk on both sides means Heracross is almost sure to get off a Swords Dance on most Pokemon and become a huge threat. Life Orb is an option for an item but if you're looking for immediate power then usually running a status orb to activate Guts is better despite the residual damage. Expert Belt is an option for bluffing a Choice item and also still gives quite a decent Attack boost if hitting the opponent super effectively.</p>
<p>Sleep Talk makes Heracross a great sleep absorber, and with a Choice item he can either abuse a pseudo-Swords Dance or a pseudo-Dragon Dance every single time he is on the field and is kept asleep. Brick Break is an option if you utterly despise the defense drops that come with using Close Combat and the erratic power of Low Kick, but the power drop will be noticeable. Rock Slide is an option if you feel like Stone Edge's accuracy is too low but it is not advised as Stone Edge gives Heracross a lot more power. Aerial Ace is an odd option but other than on a few odd Grass pokemon such as Virizion or Fighting-type pokemon (most of which it won't OHKO anyways) it gives no additional coverage. Earthquake has redundant coverage alongside Close Combat and with Air Balloon existing, it is simply not recommended at all.</p>
<p>Swarm is just plain out worse on every set above. The potential Attack increase on Bug-type moves is not enough to warrant the harder time Heracross will have with switching into status moves. However, if you wanted to revive the old Reversal Heracross, Swarm is preferred to Guts as Heracross is useless if it takes any status at all, regardless of the Attack boost.</p>
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
<p>Heracross's worst enemies include, but are not limited to, Gliscor, Skarmory, Jellicent (walls certain sets), Tornadus, Tentacruel, Gengar, Chandelure, Salamence, Dragonite, Staraptor, Cofagrigus, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Gliscor can wall pretty much every Heracross set and with a combination of Poison Heal, great physical bulk, and Swords Dance will almost always come out on top. Skarmory can take on almost every Heracross set given the right conditions and proceed to either completely wall Heracross, set up hazards in its face, or just OHKO with a STAB Flying-type move. Jellicent can wall any set that lacks Night Slash and with a combination of Recover and a STAB Water-type move is able to eventually come out on top against Heracross. Tornadus is a big issue for Heracross as not only does it have passable bulk, it also resists Heracross's two STAB moves. Tentacruel resists both of Heracross's STAB moves and with a combination decent bulk and passable Special Attack can either set up Toxic Spikes or threaten with a STAB Water-type move. Gengar and Chandelure function pretty much the same way as each other in that they can switch in on a predicted Close Combat or Megahorn, thus dodging the damage, and then proceed to Substitute on Heracross or hit it with a powerful STAB move. It must be noted though that a Shadow Ball from Life Orb Gengar will almost never OHKO a Heracross and Chandelure has a lower base Speed than Heracross, thus a Heracross that is found to not in fact be Choiced will more than likely lead to their deaths. Bear in mind, however, that many of the above checks will be 2HKOed or take heavy damage if they walk into the wrong move, as such is the power of Heracross.</p>
<p>Salamence and Dragonite resist both of Heracross's STAB moves and, as it is very unlikely they will carry any Flying-type moves, they can easily dispatch Heracross with powerful Dragon-type STAB moves or super effective Fire-type moves. Staraptor can use its ability Intimidate to make Heracross's attacks hit more softly and can thus switch somewhat comfortably into Megahorn. After switching in it can then also threaten with Brave Bird to instantly get rid of Heracross if it chooses to stay in for some reason. Cofagrigus turns Heracross's Guts into Mummy upon contact and cripples Heracross with Will-O-Wisp, which means big trouble for any Heracross who choose to hit it with a Night Slash and want to stay in. Nidoqueen and Nidoking are both decent checks to Heracross depending on the set. Nidoking can come in thanks to its resistances to Fighting-, Bug-, and Rock-type moves, and threaten Heracross with a faster Encourage-boosted Fire-type moves for an OHKO. Nidoqueen can tank hits from Heracross a lot better than Nidoking but lacks the latter's Speed and offensive stats. Both have to be careful though, as if they predict incorrectly they can still be easily taken out by Heracross.</p>
<p>Heracross will die to any Pokemon who uses a Flying-type move on it, no questions asked, and faster opponents who carry a super effective move work as a decent checks to it too, but have to switch in at their own risk. Really, Heracross's biggest counter is a combination of knowing its sets and predicting based on that information. Once an opponent knows for sure what set it's running, Heracross becomes much harder to use effectively and much easier for your opponent to maneuver around.</p>
[DREAM WORLD]
<p>Moxie is a great ability and will work extremely well on Choice sets and Substitute sets whenever it is released, due to the Attack increase from Moxie making Heracross a powerhouse that, if left unchecked, can become nigh unstoppable. The removal of Guts, however, leaves it much more vulnerable to status moves, so it is something to keep in mind when using Moxie over Guts.</p>
QC Approved: PK Gaming, Iconic, Seven Deadly Sins
GP Approved: bugmaniacbob, Aeron Ee1
#214 Heracross
[Overview]
<p>The fighting beetle, Heracross, has been a premier physical attacker ever since its introduction in the second generation. Though it has had periods of reduced usage due to issues with its stats (such as its lackluster Speed), it has, at the very least, kept the tools to get the job done. By making good use of its Guts ability to freely absorb status and subsequently threaten just about everything in the game, it is one Pokemon that can create quite a headache given the chance. Having the amazing double STAB coverage of Close Combat and Megahorn doesn't hurt either. While its defensive stats are not superb, it does have a few worthwhile resistances to its name. Don't underestimate the Hercules beetle, as it can be quite the nasty surprise for any unprepared team in the 5th generation.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With stats of base 85 Speed and 125 Attack, and two powerful STAB moves to abuse them with, Heracross is a prime candidate for a Choice Scarf. When looking at Heracross one cannot forget Guts, which is among Heracross's biggest selling points, as it gives Heracross the ability to switch into almost any status move and get an Attack boost. This ability is not something to take lightly, especially considering that with the Speed increase gained from a Choice Scarf, it can quickly become an amazingly powerful threat. Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's infamous STAB combo and have surprisingly good synergy together—alongside Stone Edge, Heracross can hit almost everything in the metagame for at least neutral damage.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is reserved for pseudo-trapping foes that Heracross can hit super effectively trying to escape. Pursuit hits Pokemon as they switch out and is useful for taking out Pokemon weak to it, such as Latios and Starmie, but Night Slash is also notable for its ability to 2HKO Jellicent, which would otherwise wall Heracross. Night Slash also fills the role of a more accurate alternative to hit Psychic-type Pokemon hard.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant is the preferred nature on this set due to Heracross already being able to outspeed everything it needs to with a neutral nature and the damage increase from running an Attack-boosting nature helps it hit as hard as possible. It is possible to run a Jolly nature, most notably to outspeed Timid Scarf Heatran, but it is not recommended.</p>
<p>Toxic has some merit in the fourth moveslot for possibly crippling walls Heracross could never break or just putting a timer on other Pokemon. Pokemon like Vaporeon, Zapdos, and Hippowdon who could otherwise stall you out with their respective healing moves are all forced to switch out lest their poison damage gets too high, and thus become much easier to deal with.</p>
<p>Pokemon who have trouble with Grass-, Psychic-, or Dark-type Pokemon all appreciate Heracross's ability to come in and immediately threaten them. Even the bulkiest of Pokemon, such as Reuniclus, can be easily dispatched with a STAB move if they dare to stay in on Choice Scarf Heracross, assuming they have taken a little bit of prior damage. Pokemon who will greatly appreciate its ability to do this feat are Psychic-type teammates such as Mew, Azelf, Celebi, Latios, and Latias who generally dislike fighting opposing Psychic- and Dark-type pokemon while all also easily breaking through the physical walls Heracross has trouble breaking through by itself. Water-type Pokemon such as Politoed, Vaporeon, and Swampert, all of whom appreciate Heracross's ability to take out Grass-type Pokemon, also make great partners, as Heracross resists their Grass-type weaknesses and they resist Heracross's Fire-type weakness, while at the same time being able to break through Heracross's biggest nightmares, such as most Fire-types, Gliscors, and possibly Skarmory. Politoed in particular is useful as it also brings Drizzle on the field, which cancels out Heracross's Fire-type weakness, while Vaporeon can pass a Wish to a weakened Heracross and potentially bring it back to full health.</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge / Night Slash
move 4: Facade / Substitute
item: Toxic Orb / Leftovers
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 16 HP / 240 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set functions in two differing ways, either as a Substitute attacker or an all-out attacker depending on what item you choose to run. Toxic Orb forcibly activates Heracross's Guts ability, boosting not only its Attack but also the power of Facade, at the cost of survivability as a whole and revealing its set immediately. Still, the set should not be underestimated as it can actually 2HKO even the most defensive Pokemon as they switch in on a Facade. Most notably, a 252 HP Gliscor is 2HKOed by a boosted Facade, even after accounting for Poison Heal recovery, by Adamant Heracross. Leftovers on the other hand increases Heracross's longevity by quite a bit with its passive recovery, and also helps gain back health lost in using Substitute. Heracross threatens out a lot of Pokemon, and this set can easily capitalize if you choose to run Substitute. With a Substitute up, Heracross is able to safely attack whatever happens to switch in and possibly get a KO on their usual Heracross check. It can take out many faster, frailer Pokemon from behind a Substitute, and can potentially 2HKO the slower, bulkier pokemon that stay in and try to break its Substitute.</p>
<p>Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's primary STAB moves, and they hit most Pokemon extremely hard, even those that resist them. The choice between Stone Edge and Night Slash depends on whether you'd like to be able to easily deal with Flying-type pokemon or with Ghost-type Pokemon, respectively.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>16 HP EVs are shifted from Attack in order to reach a Leftovers number and survive certain Fire-type attacks, such as Lava Plume from Heatran, but they can be shifted into Attack if you don't mind the possibility of being OHKOed, or are not running Leftovers. The choice between a Jolly and an Adamant nature is entirely up to the user, but one must remember that running Jolly means a decrease in damage output, while running Adamant means you can no longer guarantee that you will outspeed Pokemon such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Nidoking.</p>
<p>Focus Punch can be run instead of Close Combat when running Substitute, but this will mean you are left without a reliable Fighting-type STAB which can lead to many problems and is thus not highly recommended.</p>
<p>Bulky Pokemon once again make great teammates for this variant of Heracross. Pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, Heatran, or Cresselia would all make good partners as they can sponge the special attacks that Heracross is scared to take and proceed to stall out the opposing Pokemon. Paralysis support is especially appreciated as it makes this version of Heracross much harder to deal with, potentially allowing it to outspeed and OHKO its would-be checks and counters. Wish support is greatly appreciated if one chooses to run Substitute, given how Heracross will be sacrificing 25% HP after each Substitute it makes, and as a result Vaporeon is an option worth considering given that Vaporeon can not only pass wishes to Heracross but also resists Heracross's Fire-type weakness while Heracross itself resists Vaporeon's Grass-type weakness giving them fairly decent synergy together, and this is before even mentioning how Vaporeon can easily take on Skarmory and Gliscor, two of Heracross's biggest walls, one on one if needed. Politoed is an option once more but is only recommended if running Substitute, since if you are running a Toxic Orb then generally the passive damage will end up killing you too fast to see the benefit of the removed Fire weakness.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 208 HP / 104 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Come in on a resisted move and Bulk Up as they switch out is the basic premise of this set. Heracross with Bulk Up has the astonishing ability to take out many of its usual counters after only a few Bulk Ups. Pokemon like standard Gliscor or Conkeldurr, for example, can use Swords Dance or Bulk Up respectively on Heracross but will fail to do any significant damage while at the same time Heracross maxes out its defenses and prepares to retaliate with a high-power move. After about three Bulk Ups, Heracross has the potential to break through even the sturdiest walls in the game with its massive power, assuming they cannot KO it first.</p>
<p>The moves listed are the best combination of three moves Heracross can use on a Bulk Up set in terms of the coverage they give. It is notable that after just one single Bulk Up, this variant can OHKO any variant of Reuniclus with a STAB Megahorn. The EVs may seem odd at first but they have specific roles, allowing Heracross to outpace neutral-natured base 90 Pokemon which would otherwise be an issue. This EV spread also gives Heracross quite a bit of bulk, the HP EVs also serving to allow Heracross to hit its highest Leftovers threshold, while at the same time enough Attack to be hit extremely hard after one or two Bulk Ups. Despite the current set being tried and true however, it is possible to shift some Attack EVs into HP in order to avoid being 2HKO'd by few niche threats such as Life Orb Excadrill but this is generally not recommended.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Low Kick is used over Close Combat due to having no defense drops after being used, but Close Combat is still an option considering the large difference in power the two moves may have.</p>
<p>Bulky pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, or Cresselia would all make good partners to Heracross once again, especially considering how weak this set is on the special side compared to the physical side. Politoed is an interesting option and brings a unique benefit to the table in that it not only brings Drizzle support to essentially get rid of that pesky Fire-type weakness, but Heracross also resists Politoed's pesky Grass-type weakness, making them fairly good teammates together. Wish support is a nice thing to have on this variant of Heracross given how it is meant to have great staying power with a few Bulk Ups under its belt, and as a result Pokemon who can pass big Wishes to Heracross are a large boon. Pokemon such as Vaporeon, Chansey, or Blissey are all good options for this. Light Screen is a great move to use alongside this variant of Heracross, making it nearly impossible to reliably OHKO no matter what side you hit it from, apart from the odd Flying-type moves.</p>
<p>Hazards, especially Stealth Rock, make this Heracross variant much more threatening as they will rack up residual damage as the opponent is forced to switch around to try to deal with Heracross and its Bulk Ups.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Base 125 Attack is nothing to scoff at, and when combined with a Choice Band, along with two excellent STAB moves, Heracross becomes an extremely hard Pokemon to switch into for many teams. The moves listed provide quite ample coverage as Megahorn, Close Combat, and Stone Edge together hit almost every Pokemon in the metagame for at least neutral damage, which makes them all fairly essential. One thing to note is that the great benefit of running Choice Band Megahorn is that it will always OHKO Reuniclus no matter the variant with a STAB Megahorn, thus making it arguably its most solid check.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is completely up to the user, as it helps fill a possible problem area. Night Slash means many Pokemon weak to Dark-type moves can be dealt with effectively, most notably Jellicent. Pursuit is for trapping certain weakened Pokemon but comes at the risk of possible retaliation if the opponent decides to set up Lucario or Terrakion on your Choice-locked Pursuit.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pokemon who attract status ailments make great partners for Heracross as he can easily switch in on a predicted status-inflicting move and activate Guts. Such Pokemon include but are not limited to Chansey, Blissey, Cresselia, and Vaporeon, who all attract Toxic which Heracross can switch in on in order to activate its Guts ability for an Attack boost. With Guts added on to the power of Choice Band, almost nothing can really wall it effectively. An example of how hard it hits is that even the dreaded physically defensive Skarmory will take about 48% damage minimum from a Jolly Choice Band Close Combat from Heracross, which means that Skarmory will be 2HKOed if it dares switch into a Close Combat when Stealth Rock is also on the field. If Heracross has a Guts boost as well, that same 252/252+ Skarmory is taking a minimum of 73%.</p>
<p>Pokemon who resist Heracross's weaknesses or at the very least can take hits convincingly are much more appreciated on this set than any other considering how often this set will be forced to switch in and out due to Speed issues and having to change moves. Bulky Pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, Heatran, Vaporeon, or Cresselia would all make good partners with this in mind, and are recommended as they can easily take any special moves aimed at Heracross. Vaporeon, Chansey, and Blissey can once again can pass Wishes to a weakened Heracross. Heatran can switch in on the Fire-type moves aimed at Heracross and gain a Flash Fire boost in the process, while Heracross can switch in on the Earthquakes aimed at Heatran. Reuniclus and Cresselia fill the role of bulky Psychic-type Pokemon and can switch in on almost any attack that would hit Heracross and recover off the damage inflicted.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>RestTalk is an option if you feel like abusing Heracross's decent bulk and Guts ability, but it will have a lot of trouble waking up after it has used Rest once and no matter what set of moves you choose to run Heracross will be walled by a few select Pokemon. That said, RestTalk is a fairly decent choice since it can hit extremely hard and is also fairly hard to OHKO. With a Swords Dance boost, Heracross's Attack skyrockets and it becomes capable of wallbreaking and cutting through various types of stall teams. Decent bulk on both sides means Heracross is almost sure to get off a Swords Dance on most Pokemon and become a huge threat. Life Orb is an option for an item but if you're looking for immediate power then usually running a status orb to activate Guts is better despite the residual damage. Expert Belt is an option for bluffing a Choice item and also still gives quite a decent Attack boost if hitting the opponent super effectively.</p>
<p>Sleep Talk makes Heracross a great sleep absorber, and with a Choice item he can either abuse a pseudo-Swords Dance or a pseudo-Dragon Dance every single time he is on the field and is kept asleep. Brick Break is an option if you utterly despise the defense drops that come with using Close Combat and the erratic power of Low Kick, but the power drop will be noticeable. Rock Slide is an option if you feel like Stone Edge's accuracy is too low but it is not advised as Stone Edge gives Heracross a lot more power. Aerial Ace is an odd option but other than on a few odd Grass pokemon such as Virizion or Fighting-type pokemon (most of which it won't OHKO anyways) it gives no additional coverage. Earthquake has redundant coverage alongside Close Combat and with Air Balloon existing, it is simply not recommended at all.</p>
<p>Swarm is just plain out worse on every set above. The potential Attack increase on Bug-type moves is not enough to warrant the harder time Heracross will have with switching into status moves. However, if you wanted to revive the old Reversal Heracross, Swarm is preferred to Guts as Heracross is useless if it takes any status at all, regardless of the Attack boost.</p>
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
<p>Heracross's worst enemies include, but are not limited to, Gliscor, Skarmory, Jellicent (walls certain sets), Tornadus, Tentacruel, Gengar, Chandelure, Salamence, Dragonite, Staraptor, Cofagrigus, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Gliscor can wall pretty much every Heracross set and with a combination of Poison Heal, great physical bulk, and Swords Dance will almost always come out on top. Skarmory can take on almost every Heracross set given the right conditions and proceed to either completely wall Heracross, set up hazards in its face, or just OHKO with a STAB Flying-type move. Jellicent can wall any set that lacks Night Slash and with a combination of Recover and a STAB Water-type move is able to eventually come out on top against Heracross. Tornadus is a big issue for Heracross as not only does it have passable bulk, it also resists Heracross's two STAB moves. Tentacruel resists both of Heracross's STAB moves and with a combination decent bulk and passable Special Attack can either set up Toxic Spikes or threaten with a STAB Water-type move. Gengar and Chandelure function pretty much the same way as each other in that they can switch in on a predicted Close Combat or Megahorn, thus dodging the damage, and then proceed to Substitute on Heracross or hit it with a powerful STAB move. It must be noted though that a Shadow Ball from Life Orb Gengar will almost never OHKO a Heracross and Chandelure has a lower base Speed than Heracross, thus a Heracross that is found to not in fact be Choiced will more than likely lead to their deaths. Bear in mind, however, that many of the above checks will be 2HKOed or take heavy damage if they walk into the wrong move, as such is the power of Heracross.</p>
<p>Salamence and Dragonite resist both of Heracross's STAB moves and, as it is very unlikely they will carry any Flying-type moves, they can easily dispatch Heracross with powerful Dragon-type STAB moves or super effective Fire-type moves. Staraptor can use its ability Intimidate to make Heracross's attacks hit more softly and can thus switch somewhat comfortably into Megahorn. After switching in it can then also threaten with Brave Bird to instantly get rid of Heracross if it chooses to stay in for some reason. Cofagrigus turns Heracross's Guts into Mummy upon contact and cripples Heracross with Will-O-Wisp, which means big trouble for any Heracross who choose to hit it with a Night Slash and want to stay in. Nidoqueen and Nidoking are both decent checks to Heracross depending on the set. Nidoking can come in thanks to its resistances to Fighting-, Bug-, and Rock-type moves, and threaten Heracross with a faster Encourage-boosted Fire-type moves for an OHKO. Nidoqueen can tank hits from Heracross a lot better than Nidoking but lacks the latter's Speed and offensive stats. Both have to be careful though, as if they predict incorrectly they can still be easily taken out by Heracross.</p>
<p>Heracross will die to any Pokemon who uses a Flying-type move on it, no questions asked, and faster opponents who carry a super effective move work as a decent checks to it too, but have to switch in at their own risk. Really, Heracross's biggest counter is a combination of knowing its sets and predicting based on that information. Once an opponent knows for sure what set it's running, Heracross becomes much harder to use effectively and much easier for your opponent to maneuver around.</p>
[DREAM WORLD]
<p>Moxie is a great ability and will work extremely well on Choice sets and Substitute sets whenever it is released, due to the Attack increase from Moxie making Heracross a powerhouse that, if left unchecked, can become nigh unstoppable. The removal of Guts, however, leaves it much more vulnerable to status moves, so it is something to keep in mind when using Moxie over Guts.</p>
