[OVERVIEW]
Bug
========
Heracross is useful on Bug-type teams as a revenge killer, with its high Attack stat and average Speed tier allowing it to effectively come in and revenge kill threats to Bug-type teams. With Choice Scarf, Heracross's Speed tier notably lets it outspeed Mega Lopunny and Charizard and secure KOs against them. However, its middle-ground Speed tier means it is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Latios, Victini, and Nihilego, though in several cases this can be remedied slightly by effective use of Sticky Web. Heracross's Fighting typing also allows it to hit types like Rock, Normal, and Steel that Bug-type teams commonly struggle to deal with, and its ability Moxie gives it a lot of potential to sweep teams late-game with its choice of coverage and STAB moves. However, Heracross is walled by common Pokemon such as Skarmory, Celesteela, and Toxapex, which it fails to 2HKO and allows them to recover safely. Heracross also is quite weak to priority attackers, especially after Close Combat Defense drops. Status effects are also very threatening to Heracross, as paralysis and burn cripple its roles as a Choice Scarf revenge killer and potential late-game sweeper. Furthermore, Heracross can be easily checked due to its STAB moves having poor coverage individually.
[SET]
name: Moxie Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Pursuit / Knock Off
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is Heracross strongest Fighting-type STAB move, allowing it to hit several types that can be a problem for Bug-types, such as Rock, Steel, and Normal, for super effective damage and become a large asset to Bug by checking these types. Megahorn is Heracross's strongest Bug-type STAB attack and can be spammed against Psychic- and Dark-type teams. It can also threaten out Victini after a V-create. Stone Edge can hit Flying-types, which are very threatening to Bug-type teams. Pursuit is a useful choice for taking out weakened Pokemon that are forced out by Heracross; it is also vital for breaking Heatran's Air Balloon as it switches out in fear of Close Combat, leaving it susceptible to Ground-type attacks. Knock Off is a secondary choice because it can remove items from annoying Pokemon such as Toxapex and Skarmory, can deal a lot of damage to Ghost-types, and is also a stronger general purpose Dark-type attack for these types.
Set Details
========
Heracross uses maximum Speed EVs and a Jolly nature with a Choice Scarf to outspeed many threats such as non-Choice Scarf Latios, Mega Lopunny, and slower Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu. Maximum investment in Attack makes Heracross as strong as possible. Moxie boosts Heracross's Attack after it KOes a Pokemon, meaning it can easily sweep teams late-game.
Usage Tips
========
Use Heracross to revenge kill Pokemon threatening to Bug-types. It can knock out Steel-type threats like Heatran, KO Victini with Megahorn, and remove other Fire-types with Stone Edge. It is important to try to prevent Heracross from getting inflicted with status, as burn and paralysis cripple Heracross as a revenge killer and poison wears it down faster. Heracross has great potential to sweep late-game with Moxie, and a boost can allow it to break Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Hippowdon. Try not to let Heracross get worn down by entry hazards, weak attacks, and status, as they leave it in range of priority attacks from opposing Pokemon. Keep Heracross healthy in tougher matchups like Flying and Normal, as it can potentially sweep through these teams late-game with Stone Edge and Close Combat, respectively. Pursuit is a useful move to have in the Steel-type matchup because it allows Heracross to break Heatran's Air Balloon, potentially enabling Volcarona to sweep. Pursuit is also helpful against Psychic teams, as it can also be used to trap Choice Scarf Victini after a V-create because of the Speed drop. Use Knock Off to remove items from Pokemon that are annoying to Heracross or its teammates, such as Leftovers from Celesteela.
Team Options
========
Volcarona is a helpful ally to Heracross because it helps break Pokemon like Celesteela and Skarmory that easily tank Heracross's hits and can also weaken the opposing team for a late-game cleanup. Heracross also combines well with Volcarona to break Steel-type cores, as Pursuit breaking Heatran's Air Balloon allows it to be hit by Volcarona's Hidden Power Ground. Armaldo can get rid of entry hazards that wear Heracross down and also provide Stealth Rock to help it OHKO or 2HKO some Pokemon such as Dragonite by breaking Multiscale or potential Focus Sashes on other Pokemon. Forretress can also fit this role on teams if it is more suitable, as it learns Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin too and can also act as a slow pivot to bring in Heracross by using Volt Switch. Sticky Web support from Galvantula is important to Heracross because it allows Heracross to outspeed most grounded Pokemon, specifically Choice Scarf Victini after a V-create. Galvantula also helps against one of Heracross's checks, Toxapex, with strong Electric-type STAB moves and helps beat bulkier Flying-types that Heracross has trouble beating. An alternative Sticky Web setter that you could use is Araquanid, which is bulkier than Galvantula and is able to tank special attacks quite effectively while hitting back with Liquidation boosted by its ability Water Bubble. Araquanid can further be an effective choice due to its effective resistance to Fire-type attacks due to its secondary Water typing combined with its ability Water Bubble. Mega Pinsir can be used to take on Fighting-types that resist three of Heracross's attacks; Swords Dance sets are especially useful because they can break through bulky cores and weaken teams for Heracross to sweep late-game. Lastly, Scizor can be a useful ally for Heracross, as it can switch in on weaker Flying-type attacks like Quick Attack from Mega Pinsir and give Heracross a free switch in with a slow U-turn. Scizor also supports Heracross a lot with a strong priority attack in Bullet Punch, which deals a lot of damage to faster, frailer Pokemon, potentially KOing them so they do not threaten Heracross. Its typing is also useful because it can switch into incoming Psychic-type and Fairy-type attacks and effectively deal with Fairy-type Pokemon for Heracross.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Bug
-------
Guts is an alternate ability choice, as Heracross is so susceptible to status effects; this can especially help against teams that use Toxic Spikes but also allows Heracross to get burned without completely crippling it. However, this takes away its ability to sweep teams as easily, and Heracross still doesn't appreciate getting weakened by poison or burn or being slowed down by paralysis. A second option to use on Heracross is its Mega Evolution. When Heracross Mega Evolves, it loses Speed but gains bulk, power, and the ability Skill Link, which pairs well with its access to Bullet Seed, Rock Blast, and Pin Missile. Using Mega Heracross unfortunately means Heracross can no longer fill the Choice Scarf role of the team, and it also takes up the Mega slot, which could be used for potentially more useful Pokemon such as Mega Pinsir and Mega Scizor.
Checks and Counters
===================
Bug
-------
**Bulky Flying-types**: Bulkier Flying-types such as Celesteela, Skarmory, and Landorus-T are very difficult for Heracross to deal damage to, resisting both its STAB attacks and only taking neutral damage from its coverage moves; these Pokemon can easily switch in and tank hits from Heracross while recovering HP with Leftovers or Roost.
**Bulky Poison-types**: Poison-types resist both of Heracross's STAB moves and take little damage from its coverage. Bulkier ones such as Mega Venusaur and Toxapex are generally able to recover off any damage that Heracross does while threatening it with status or powerful attacks.
**Status and Entry Hazards**: Burns and paralysis make Heracross severely worse at dealing damage to the opponent's team. Burn limits its attacking power, making it underwhelming and easy to switch into and recover on, whereas paralysis cripples its Speed tier, meaning it can easily be killed by Pokemon that now outspeed it and can no longer clean late-game with Moxie boosts.
**Priority**: Heracross doesn't have very good defensive stats, and they only get worse after Close Combat drops, meaning it can be easily revenge killed by Extreme Speed Dragonite and Bullet Punch Scizor. Mega Pinsir can also come in on Heracross and freely use Quick Attack to knock it out.
**Revenge Killers**: Heracross is at risk to many revenge killers, since Close Combat's defenses drops leave it susceptible to priority move users as well as Choice Scarf users, almost every relevant one of which is faster than Heracross.
Bug
========
Heracross is useful on Bug-type teams as a revenge killer, with its high Attack stat and average Speed tier allowing it to effectively come in and revenge kill threats to Bug-type teams. With Choice Scarf, Heracross's Speed tier notably lets it outspeed Mega Lopunny and Charizard and secure KOs against them. However, its middle-ground Speed tier means it is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Latios, Victini, and Nihilego, though in several cases this can be remedied slightly by effective use of Sticky Web. Heracross's Fighting typing also allows it to hit types like Rock, Normal, and Steel that Bug-type teams commonly struggle to deal with, and its ability Moxie gives it a lot of potential to sweep teams late-game with its choice of coverage and STAB moves. However, Heracross is walled by common Pokemon such as Skarmory, Celesteela, and Toxapex, which it fails to 2HKO and allows them to recover safely. Heracross also is quite weak to priority attackers, especially after Close Combat Defense drops. Status effects are also very threatening to Heracross, as paralysis and burn cripple its roles as a Choice Scarf revenge killer and potential late-game sweeper. Furthermore, Heracross can be easily checked due to its STAB moves having poor coverage individually.
[SET]
name: Moxie Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Pursuit / Knock Off
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Close Combat is Heracross strongest Fighting-type STAB move, allowing it to hit several types that can be a problem for Bug-types, such as Rock, Steel, and Normal, for super effective damage and become a large asset to Bug by checking these types. Megahorn is Heracross's strongest Bug-type STAB attack and can be spammed against Psychic- and Dark-type teams. It can also threaten out Victini after a V-create. Stone Edge can hit Flying-types, which are very threatening to Bug-type teams. Pursuit is a useful choice for taking out weakened Pokemon that are forced out by Heracross; it is also vital for breaking Heatran's Air Balloon as it switches out in fear of Close Combat, leaving it susceptible to Ground-type attacks. Knock Off is a secondary choice because it can remove items from annoying Pokemon such as Toxapex and Skarmory, can deal a lot of damage to Ghost-types, and is also a stronger general purpose Dark-type attack for these types.
Set Details
========
Heracross uses maximum Speed EVs and a Jolly nature with a Choice Scarf to outspeed many threats such as non-Choice Scarf Latios, Mega Lopunny, and slower Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu. Maximum investment in Attack makes Heracross as strong as possible. Moxie boosts Heracross's Attack after it KOes a Pokemon, meaning it can easily sweep teams late-game.
Usage Tips
========
Use Heracross to revenge kill Pokemon threatening to Bug-types. It can knock out Steel-type threats like Heatran, KO Victini with Megahorn, and remove other Fire-types with Stone Edge. It is important to try to prevent Heracross from getting inflicted with status, as burn and paralysis cripple Heracross as a revenge killer and poison wears it down faster. Heracross has great potential to sweep late-game with Moxie, and a boost can allow it to break Pokemon like Mandibuzz and Hippowdon. Try not to let Heracross get worn down by entry hazards, weak attacks, and status, as they leave it in range of priority attacks from opposing Pokemon. Keep Heracross healthy in tougher matchups like Flying and Normal, as it can potentially sweep through these teams late-game with Stone Edge and Close Combat, respectively. Pursuit is a useful move to have in the Steel-type matchup because it allows Heracross to break Heatran's Air Balloon, potentially enabling Volcarona to sweep. Pursuit is also helpful against Psychic teams, as it can also be used to trap Choice Scarf Victini after a V-create because of the Speed drop. Use Knock Off to remove items from Pokemon that are annoying to Heracross or its teammates, such as Leftovers from Celesteela.
Team Options
========
Volcarona is a helpful ally to Heracross because it helps break Pokemon like Celesteela and Skarmory that easily tank Heracross's hits and can also weaken the opposing team for a late-game cleanup. Heracross also combines well with Volcarona to break Steel-type cores, as Pursuit breaking Heatran's Air Balloon allows it to be hit by Volcarona's Hidden Power Ground. Armaldo can get rid of entry hazards that wear Heracross down and also provide Stealth Rock to help it OHKO or 2HKO some Pokemon such as Dragonite by breaking Multiscale or potential Focus Sashes on other Pokemon. Forretress can also fit this role on teams if it is more suitable, as it learns Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin too and can also act as a slow pivot to bring in Heracross by using Volt Switch. Sticky Web support from Galvantula is important to Heracross because it allows Heracross to outspeed most grounded Pokemon, specifically Choice Scarf Victini after a V-create. Galvantula also helps against one of Heracross's checks, Toxapex, with strong Electric-type STAB moves and helps beat bulkier Flying-types that Heracross has trouble beating. An alternative Sticky Web setter that you could use is Araquanid, which is bulkier than Galvantula and is able to tank special attacks quite effectively while hitting back with Liquidation boosted by its ability Water Bubble. Araquanid can further be an effective choice due to its effective resistance to Fire-type attacks due to its secondary Water typing combined with its ability Water Bubble. Mega Pinsir can be used to take on Fighting-types that resist three of Heracross's attacks; Swords Dance sets are especially useful because they can break through bulky cores and weaken teams for Heracross to sweep late-game. Lastly, Scizor can be a useful ally for Heracross, as it can switch in on weaker Flying-type attacks like Quick Attack from Mega Pinsir and give Heracross a free switch in with a slow U-turn. Scizor also supports Heracross a lot with a strong priority attack in Bullet Punch, which deals a lot of damage to faster, frailer Pokemon, potentially KOing them so they do not threaten Heracross. Its typing is also useful because it can switch into incoming Psychic-type and Fairy-type attacks and effectively deal with Fairy-type Pokemon for Heracross.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Bug
-------
Guts is an alternate ability choice, as Heracross is so susceptible to status effects; this can especially help against teams that use Toxic Spikes but also allows Heracross to get burned without completely crippling it. However, this takes away its ability to sweep teams as easily, and Heracross still doesn't appreciate getting weakened by poison or burn or being slowed down by paralysis. A second option to use on Heracross is its Mega Evolution. When Heracross Mega Evolves, it loses Speed but gains bulk, power, and the ability Skill Link, which pairs well with its access to Bullet Seed, Rock Blast, and Pin Missile. Using Mega Heracross unfortunately means Heracross can no longer fill the Choice Scarf role of the team, and it also takes up the Mega slot, which could be used for potentially more useful Pokemon such as Mega Pinsir and Mega Scizor.
Checks and Counters
===================
Bug
-------
**Bulky Flying-types**: Bulkier Flying-types such as Celesteela, Skarmory, and Landorus-T are very difficult for Heracross to deal damage to, resisting both its STAB attacks and only taking neutral damage from its coverage moves; these Pokemon can easily switch in and tank hits from Heracross while recovering HP with Leftovers or Roost.
**Bulky Poison-types**: Poison-types resist both of Heracross's STAB moves and take little damage from its coverage. Bulkier ones such as Mega Venusaur and Toxapex are generally able to recover off any damage that Heracross does while threatening it with status or powerful attacks.
**Status and Entry Hazards**: Burns and paralysis make Heracross severely worse at dealing damage to the opponent's team. Burn limits its attacking power, making it underwhelming and easy to switch into and recover on, whereas paralysis cripples its Speed tier, meaning it can easily be killed by Pokemon that now outspeed it and can no longer clean late-game with Moxie boosts.
**Priority**: Heracross doesn't have very good defensive stats, and they only get worse after Close Combat drops, meaning it can be easily revenge killed by Extreme Speed Dragonite and Bullet Punch Scizor. Mega Pinsir can also come in on Heracross and freely use Quick Attack to knock it out.
**Revenge Killers**: Heracross is at risk to many revenge killers, since Close Combat's defenses drops leave it susceptible to priority move users as well as Choice Scarf users, almost every relevant one of which is faster than Heracross.
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