Heracross

[Jaroda]

The absolute minimum speed Mega Heracross should have is enough for 0 Spd Heatran who is at tier 77, only two higher. That's a big one. Otherwise it isn't horrible to shoot slightly higher for the 80s where stuff like Venusaur, Dragonite, Togekiss and Mamoswine are.

 

[Ash Borer]

Can we stop talking about dropping close combat. Going from demolishing skarm in a clean 2hko to being hard walled by it is too much of a price to pay. Skarmory remains a premier physical wall in the OU tier.

 

[Jaroda]

All this means is that his standard set should include Pin Missile/EQ/Rock Blast/CC and if you're going to slash a move for Swords Dance or Bulk Up, it should be Close Combat for the reasons I mentioned. I didn't say CC didn't have its uses, but it is really over valued compared to his other moves. Would you really drop any of the other attacks sooner than CC based on OU usage statistics and damage calcs available, on top of the negativity of being a contact move in light of Iron Barbs/King's Shield etc. and defense drops to a relatively slow and bulky powerhouse? If you need him to hit Skarmory on your team, then let it be mentioned that that is one of the actual few benefits CC brings to Megacross, not that it isn't a big deal getting past him.

And just to note, Megacross is not hard walled when sacrificing CC for a boosting move while it switches in. Rock Blast is a clean 2HKO with Bulk Up or Swords Dance and if Skarmory does anything other than Whirlwind you will always win, Brave Bird can never OHKO +1 252 HP / 0Df Megacross.

+1 252+ Atk Mega Heracross Rock Blast (5 hits) vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def Skarmory: 170-205 (50.8 - 61.3%) -- approx. 98% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Skarmory Brave Bird vs. +1 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Heracross: 256-304 (70.3 - 83.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Swords Dance is still a 2HKO with Rock Blast and you can not survive Brave Bird at this point unfortunately.

 

[alexwolf]

Close Combat is not getting slashed with anything. Earthquake's only use is getting past Aegislash, and with SD you can 2HKO it with just ~10% previous damage after an SD (252 HP variants, 0 HP sets are cleanly 2HKOed) with Rock Blast.

 

[AJC]

i would just remove mentions of arm thrust it's it's much weaker than CC and the fact arm thrust would trigger iron barbs/rough skin rocky helm several times instead of once over shadows it's sub/sash breaking ability and lack of defense drops.

the times arm thrust could be better are so few and far between that it's irrelevant and thus shouldn't be mentioned other than why not to use it.

 

[Jaroda]

Well EQ is also best for hitting Tentacruel, Klefki, Jirachi and Metagross and can safely 2HKO many of the same Steel or Rock types that CC would without sacrificing defenses. CC is great against two particular threats being Genesect and Skarmory (+1 Genesect Flamethrower can OHKO Heracross after a SpD drop it suffered prior, whereas before it couldn't just to throw that in there), whereas either boosting move with the other three attacks is better on everything else. CC is horrible with Bulk Up, and Swords Dance powers up your other attacks to the point of making CC obsolete against most encounters. One of the few useful ones would be Skarmory, if not for the fact he has Sturdy. The only two pokes it seems that a +2 CC can OHKO that nothing else can are Conkeldurr and Mega Aggron. You can make an argument for Swords Dance and CC since Conk is pretty nice to dispatch of, but Bulk Up is pretty sweet with the other three moves and allowing some investment in SpD even.

252+ SpA Life Orb Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Mega Heracross: 160-188 (43.9 - 51.6%) -- 13.3% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Espeon Psyshock vs. +1 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Heracross: 156-186 (42.8 - 51%) -- 3.1% chance to 2HKO
252 SpA Espeon Psychic vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Mega Heracross: 224-266 (61.5 - 73%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Landorus-T Stone Edge vs. +1 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Heracross: 77-91 (21.1 - 25%) -- 0% chance to 4HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Latios Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Mega Heracross: 244-288 (67 - 79.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
4 SpA Clefable Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Mega Heracross: 152-180 (41.7 - 49.4%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Fire Punch vs. +1 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Heracross: 112-134 (30.7 - 36.8%) -- 67.4% chance to 3HKO (doesn't even carry Fire Punch normally)
+2 252 SpA Adaptability Mega Lucario Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Mega Heracross: 282-332 (77.4 - 91.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (can revenge Nasty Plot Mega Lucario)
252+ Atk Choice Band Technician Scizor Bullet Punch vs. +1 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Heracross: 96-114 (26.3 - 31.3%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Dragonite Dragon Claw vs. +1 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Heracross: 130-154 (35.7 - 42.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Gengar Dazzling Gleam vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Mega Heracross: 136-160 (37.3 - 43.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 252 SpD Mega Heracross: 153-181 (42 - 49.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

Turning Greninja Hydro Pump into a 3HKO is pretty nice. Same with defensive Clefable. Being able to revenge Special Lucario is too. I'd mention this in other options.

 

[Colonel M]

Pin Missile already 2HKOes Jirachi and Metagross so the use of Earthquake remains only for these Pokemon:

- Klefki
- Tentacruel (252+ Atk Mega Heracross Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 240+ Def Tentacruel: 298-352 (81.8 - 96.7%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock)

Here is the biggest problem, though: Close Combat does so much that would otherwise leave Mega Heracross in trouble of being walled or just having a difficult time bypassing through. We already mentioned Skarmory; however, Klefki is 2HKOed by Close Combat anyway and is slower than Mega Heracross (assuming you Speed creep a little bit). Close Combat still 2HKOes Mega Mawile too and Sucker Punch does little (252+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Sucker Punch vs. -1 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Heracross: 110-129 (30.2 - 35.4%) -- 30.6% chance to 3HKO). Close Combat is also your best weapon against Conkeldurr (252+ Atk Mega Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 294-346 (71 - 83.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock), Scizor (252+ Atk Mega Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Scizor: 280-331 (81.3 - 96.2%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock), Mega Aggron (252+ Atk Mega Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Filter Mega Aggron: 202-238 (58.7 - 69.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock), and we already mentioned Mega Lucario but EQ still OHKOes it. Close Combat also isn't susceptible to Balloon tactics that Pokemon such as Excadrill and Heatran can deploy.

Basically the goal of Close Combat is not necessarily a move that you spam. Close Combat's goal is to use as a secondary STAB to bypass Pokemon that Pin Missile fails to hit (in particular Steel- and Fighting-types). Considering how novelty Klefki is Earthquake would only be for Aegislash in particular while still hitting potential threats such as Mega Lucario and a few other Pokemon that Close Combat and Earthquake could hit.

tl;dr - no on Close Combat being slashed.

 

[Gary]

Seriously stop this pointless argument. I've talked on IRC with most of QC and they've all agreed with me that CC is a must have move, no exceptions. Taking a look at Colonel M, Fuzznips, and my responses should be enough to convince you why CC is always going to be the superior choice, and it's never going to be slashed with anything. I refuse to get rid of a powerful wallbreaking tool for the sake of coverage or the ability to run SD freely, which if anyone has ever tried to use Mega Hera, sweeping isn't the easiest thing without a lot of extra support due to its abyssal Speed stat. The set is going to be this:

name: Offensive
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Pin Missile
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Earthquake / Swords Dance
ability: Moxie / Guts
item: Heracronite
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
nature: Adamant

I will AC other EV spreads, Bullet Seed, and Bulk Up, but going off of what QC told me and after testing Hera to death myself, this is most likely going to be the finalized set, no exceptions. EQ is staying because being walled by Aegislash sucks, but with SD you can somewhat get passed it with Pin Missile, which is why it's getting slashed BEFORE SD, because it's the more reliable option.

Now that that's settled, I'm going to finally get to finish writing this bad boy up.

 

[Jaroda]

Before I drop this and yield, I just want to make a few corrections and address some perceived misconceptions of my position.

First: I actually agree now with the four attacks listed being the main set. All four attacks give you the best coverage absolutely. Not advocating any other attack.
Second: If making a spot for Swords Dance, or Bulk Up, my point was +2 CC comes in handy very rarely over a +2 version of all your other moves.

Klefki is 2HKOed by Close Combat anyway and is slower than Mega Heracross (assuming you Speed creep a little bit).

Assuming having EQ and CC on the same set is the standard, this point is moot since you'd always choose to 2HKO with EQ over CC, and if using a Swords Dance, the result is the same, just one hit less depending on the attack you pick, just that CC drops your defense opposed to EQ, leaving you in worse condition for the next opponent.

Close Combat still 2HKOes Mega Mawile too and Sucker Punch does little (252+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Sucker Punch vs. -1 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Heracross: 110-129 (30.2 - 35.4%) -- 30.6% chance to 3HKO).

252+ Atk Mega Heracross Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Mawile: 260-306 (85.5 - 100.6%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Play Rough vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mega Heracross: 492-582 (135.1 - 159.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

I don't know why Mawile would choose to use a resisted Sucker Punch unless near death when Play Rough is a guaranteed kill. This point is still moot as with a Swords Dance, either attack can OHKO, but again, EQ would be better.

Scizor (252+ Atk Mega Heracross Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Scizor: 280-331 (81.3 - 96.2%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock)

Rock Blast is a 2HKO anyway, so don't use CC here if you don't have rocks up.

I agree already regarding Skarmory, Conkeldurr, Mega Aggron and Balloon mon, not that Balloon Excadrill threatens Heracross though. I would add Genesect to that list, its a clean OHKO and 164 HP Mega Heracross can always survive +1 Flamethrower. Again, CC should be on all four attacks, but with Swords Dance it only gets OHKO against Mega Aggron, Cokeldurr, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory only if Sturdy is broken. Even with Balloon +2 Rock Blast demolishes Heatran so never mind EQ there.

Gary, thank you for doing the writeup for this bug, he's a favorite of mine. Forgive me if I've come across as difficult, I simply just wanted to clarify my position and tried to bring as much evidence to back it up. Naturally I respect the authority of the QC and support their decisions, I'm just trying to contribute and help. Don't worry I won't bring this up again, but I do think a lot of the nuances of certain matchups would be beneficial to players, specifically knowing when CC is required and when it isn't.

Keep up the good work everyone!

 

[Gary]

Whoo this is finally all written up and ready for its final check.

 

[Jukain]

this is extremely well done, nice job~

qc 3/3

 

[Jukain]

changes

Overview
########

With the new addition of a Mega Evolution to its arsenal, Heracross no longer has to worry about being completely overshadowed by the other Fighting-types that reside in OU. Sporting a gigantic 185 base Attack stat when Mega Evolved and extremely powerful STAB moves, Mega Heracross turnis into one of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the game. Its new Skill Link ability allows it to abustake advantage of Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, and the newly buffed Pin Missile to their fullest possible extent, which gives Heracross very valuable coverage options against a ton of threats. It even has access to Swords Dance to boost its already insanely high Attack stat to obsceneridiculous levels, allowing for it to function as a potent sweeper. Mega Heracross's very solid 80/115/105 defensive stats keep it from being taken out easily by powerful attacks, making it a fearsome tank. To put it simply, Mega Heracross is the definition of a wallbreaker, not only because it is nearly impossible to switch into, but also due to its amazing move coverage which allows it to break through a vast majority of defensive Pokemon.

Unfortunately, Heracross is plagued with a nasty 4x weakness to Flying-type attacks, on top of its common Fire-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type weaknesses. Its Mega Evolution is also noticeably slower than its former counterpart, now missing the jump on Pokemon such as Dragonite, Heatran, and Gyarados. Nevertheless, Mega Heracross is definitely something that should never be underestimated, because its awesome power and fantastic wallbreaking capabilities make it a force to be reckoned with in today's metagame capable of leaving team's in shambles.

Offensive
########
name: Offensive
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Pin Missile
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Earthquake / Swords Dance
ability: Moxie / Guts
item: Heracronite
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Close Combat reaches a jaw -dropping 180 BP withen factoring in STAB, and coming off Mega Heracross's massive Attack stat, there's very little that can stomach ithis move easily. It's also its best option to deal with bulky Steel-types, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Air Balloon Heatran. Pin Missile is also an extremely powerful STAB Bug-type move, cutto hing through Psychic-types such as Deoxys-D, Reuniclus, Latias, and Latios, as well as Greninja, Tyranitar, and other Dark-types. In general, Pin Missile is Mega Heracross's most reliable option to hit Pokemon that aredon't hitake super effectively by damage from any of its coverage moves, such as Rotom-W or Hippowdon, who are both of whom 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Rock Blast provides important coverage against Togekiss, Gengar, Gyarados, and Dragonite, whoich would wall this set otherwise. It's also useful for hitting Talonflame and Mega Pinsir on the switch. Earthquake is the best option in the last slot to hit Aegislash, who resists all of its coverage moves and threatens to completely wall Heracross without it. However, Swords Dance gives Heracross a way to boost its Attack stat to scary heights, and it can easily clean up defensive teams with ease once it gets up a boost. It should be noted that Aegislash is actually 2HKOed by a +2 Pin Missile, so as long as Heracross is Mega Evolvedis there supposed to be something here ?_? and Mega Pinsir on the switch. Earthquake is the best option in the last slot to hit Aegislash, which can tank all of this set's attacks with ease otherwise. However, Swords Dance gives Heracross a way to boost its Attack stat to scary heights, and it can easily clean up defensive teams with ease once it gets up a boost. It should be noted that Aegislash is actually 2HKOed by a +2 Pin Missile, so as long as Heracross is Mega Evolved !@don't really get this statement; why would you NOT mega evolve hera?, it can still get around Aegislash with either move, but Earthquake is still the safer option.

Bullet Seed can be used in the last moveslot if Aegislash isn't too much of a problem for your team, boas it is alwaysting the ableility to OHKO Azumarill, physically defensive Rotom-W, and Jellicent, as well as 2HKOing Hippowdon. Sleep Talk is always an option if none of these Pokemon are an issue, because many of the Pokemon that carry a sleep inducing move can't touch Heracross. Bulk Up can be used over Swords Dance if you want Heracross to function as more of a bulkier sweeper. Mega Heracross is incredibly terrifying behind aAlternatively, Substitute is and pretty much always guarantees an OHKO option, as it blocks revenge killing attempts, block status, and it alsoeases protedicts it from status.
ion immensely.

Set Details
========

With the given EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed physically defensive Rotom-W while still retaining as much bulk and power as possible. An Adamant nature should always be used because it gives Mega Heracross an insane amount of power that isn't worth giving up for slightly fastermore Speed. It should be noted that with an Adamant nature, Mega Heracross is capable of 2HKOing Skarmory with Close Combat, a feat which is something that anymost other Fighting-type ws could only dream of beachieving able to do. With a Jolly nature and 212 Speed EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed Adamant Dragonite and Gyarados, but forgoing the extra bulk and an Adamant nature isn't genereally worth it. Heracronite is obviously needed in order for Heracross to Mega Evolve into the monster that is Mega Heracross. Moxie is the preferred ability because if Heracross manages to KO something before it Mega Evolves, it can obtains a free +1+2 Attack boost and becomes instantly more terrifying. Guts on the other hand keeps Heracross from being completely useless if happens to get burned, but keep in mind thonly Close Combat it's coverage movesand Earthquake will no longer be reliable due to the lack of Skill Linkafterwards, so it's not worth it.

Usage Tips
========

Heracronite turns Heracross into a devastating wallbreaker, capable of breaking through a large majority of defensive Pokemon such as Rotom-W, the Chansey, Skarmory, Aegislash, Heatran, Celebi, Ferrothorn, Tentacruel, and much more. Although it can also sweep decently with Swords Dance, it's mostly meant to function as a bulky wallbreaker to tear apart defensive cores so that a teammate can come in and sweep. Don't forget that Mega Heracross is actually very bulky, capable of surviving a decent amount of super effective hits as well. For example, Alakazam fails to OHKO Mega Heracross with Psyshock 100% of the time even after Stealth Rock, and Life Orb Gengar just barely 2HKOes it with Shadow Ball.

Team Options
========

Although Mega Heracross lacks a lot of true counters, it is very important to pair it with something that can eliminate them, as well as cover its terrible 4x weakness to Flying. Rotom-W is hands down the best offensive and defensive partner because it checks Flying-types such as Talonflame and Mega Pinsir with ease, and it can also check Gliscor and Landorus-T, which are some of the only few counters to Mega Heracross. Keldeo can break through all of the above mentioned Pokemon, as well as offensive Heatran. It also appreciates the lack of Grass- and Psychic-types that Mega Heracross runs all over. Heatran and Heracross have near perfect defensive synergy; Heatran resists Fire, Flying-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type moves, while Mega Heracross shrugs off Fighting- and Ground-type moves. Scizor and Genesect can check very bulky Fairy-types that don't fear any of Mega Heracross's coverage moves, such as Clefable and Sylveon.

Other Options
########

Because most of Heracross's usage stems from its Mega Evolution, there really aren't too many other options it can viably run in OU without facing stiff competition from other Pokemon. A RestTalk Bulk Up set with Pin Missile can takes more advantage of Mega Heracross's bulk, and it canboasting the versatility to be used offensively or mwith Attack EVs ore defensively with more Special Defense investmentEVs. A Mega SubPunch set can bust huge holes into the opposing teams, but it lacks Leftovers recovery and requires a lot of prediction to work. Choice Banded Heracross is very powerful, but is almost completely outclassed in OU by Terrakion, among other powerful physical thingreats. Choice Scarf Heracross can function as a great late-game cleaner because of its Moxie ability, but it faces fierce competition from other Choice Scarf users, too, such as Terrakion and Genesect. A Toxic Orb Swords Dance set using Guts is aquite powerful sweeper, and means it isn't threat can come in onened by Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp from Rotom-W, but is mostly outclassed by Mega Heracross itself.

Checks & Counters
########

**Physically Defensive Walls**: Gliscor and Landorus-T are among the only defensive Pokemon that can actually switch into Mega Heracross's moves without being 2HKOed. Clefable is arguably the best counter to it because it resists both of its STAB moves, avoids the 2HKO from Rock Blast, and can threate2HKO in return back with Moonblast.

**Flying-types**: Because of its glaring 4x weakness, Flying-types are the safest checks to Mega Heracross. Talonflame is arguably the best check to it i, a prominent OU Pokemon, can the game because ofake it out with its powerful priority Brave Bird. Mega Pinsir is also a fantastic check thanks to its Aerilate ability and athus powerful Flying-type STAB Return. Offensive variants of Togekiss that run Speed investment can check Mega Heracross with Air Slash. Skarmory can't switch into Close Combat, but it can easily checkcan tank any other hit in addition to one Close Combat, and OHKO in return with Brave Bird.

**Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-types**: Powerful Fire-types that can OHKO Mega Heracrossl such as Volcarona, Victini, and both Mega Charizard formes are always good checks to it. Sylveon and Azumarill resist both of its STAB moves and threaten Mega Heracross with a powerful Hyper Voice and Play Rough, respectively. Life Orb Latios, Deoxys-S, and Mega Alakazam can all OHKO it with powerful Psychic-type moveattacks. If Landorus carries Psychic, it can easily check Mega Heracross, too, as it resists both of its STAB moves as well.

**Will-O-Wisp**: The easiest way to deal with Mega Heracross is to just to shut it down with a burn. Sableye can easily ruin its day with a Prankster Will-O-Wisp. Faster variants of Rotom-W can outspeed it and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, while Gourgeist can live an unboosted Pin Missile and burn it as well. Cofagrigus, albeit uncommon, i really don't think saying it is uncommon is necessary. this is 'how do you beat heracross', it doesn't matter if cofagrigus is rare resists both of its STAB moves and can burn it with relative ease.

we talked over some stuff on irc, this was pretty good

GP Approved 1/2

 

[Gary]

changes

Overview
########

With the new addition of a Mega Evolution to its arsenal, Heracross no longer has to worry about being completely overshadowed by the other Fighting-types that reside in OU. Sporting a gigantic 185 base Attack stat when Mega Evolved and extremely powerful STAB moves, Mega Heracross turnis into one of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the game. Its new Skill Link ability allows it to abustake advantage of Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, and the newly buffed Pin Missile to their fullest possible extent, which gives Heracross very valuable coverage options against a ton of threats. It even has access to Swords Dance to boost its already insanely high Attack stat to obsceneridiculous levels, allowing for it to function as a potent sweeper. Mega Heracross's very solid 80/115/105 defensive stats keep it from being taken out easily by powerful attacks, making it a fearsome tank. To put it simply, Mega Heracross is the definition of a wallbreaker, not only because it is nearly impossible to switch into, but also due to its amazing move coverage which allows it to break through a vast majority of defensive Pokemon.

Unfortunately, Heracross is plagued with a nasty 4x weakness to Flying-type attacks, on top of its common Fire-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type weaknesses. Its Mega Evolution is also noticeably slower than its former counterpart, now missing the jump on Pokemon such as Dragonite, Heatran, and Gyarados. Nevertheless, Mega Heracross is definitely something that should never be underestimated, because its awesome power and fantastic wallbreaking capabilities make it a force to be reckoned with in today's metagame capable of leaving team's in shambles.

Offensive
########
name: Offensive
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Pin Missile
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Earthquake / Swords Dance
ability: Moxie / Guts
item: Heracronite
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Close Combat reaches a jaw -dropping 180 BP withen factoring in STAB, and coming off Mega Heracross's massive Attack stat, there's very little that can stomach ithis move easily. It's also its best option to deal with bulky Steel-types, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Air Balloon Heatran. Pin Missile is also an extremely powerful STAB Bug-type move, cutto hing through Psychic-types such as Deoxys-D, Reuniclus, Latias, and Latios, as well as Greninja, Tyranitar, and other Dark-types. In general, Pin Missile is Mega Heracross's most reliable option to hit Pokemon that aredon't hitake super effectively by damage from any of its coverage moves, such as Rotom-W or Hippowdon, who are both of whom 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Rock Blast provides important coverage against Togekiss, Gengar, Gyarados, and Dragonite, whoich would wall this set otherwise. It's also useful for hitting Talonflame and Mega Pinsir on the switch. Earthquake is the best option in the last slot to hit Aegislash, who resists all of its coverage moves and threatens to completely wall Heracross without it. However, Swords Dance gives Heracross a way to boost its Attack stat to scary heights, and it can easily clean up defensive teams with ease once it gets up a boost. It should be noted that Aegislash is actually 2HKOed by a +2 Pin Missile, so as long as Heracross is Mega Evolvedis there supposed to be something here ?_? and Mega Pinsir on the switch. Earthquake is the best option in the last slot to hit Aegislash, which can tank all of this set's attacks with ease otherwise. However, Swords Dance gives Heracross a way to boost its Attack stat to scary heights, and it can easily clean up defensive teams with ease once it gets up a boost. It should be noted that Aegislash is actually 2HKOed by a +2 Pin Missile, so as long as Heracross is Mega Evolved !@don't really get this statement; why would you NOT mega evolve hera?, it can still get around Aegislash with either move, but Earthquake is still the safer option.

Bullet Seed can be used in the last moveslot if Aegislash isn't too much of a problem for your team, boas it is alwaysting the ableility to OHKO Azumarill, physically defensive Rotom-W, and Jellicent, as well as 2HKOing Hippowdon. Sleep Talk is always an option if none of these Pokemon are an issue, because many of the Pokemon that carry a sleep inducing move can't touch Heracross. Bulk Up can be used over Swords Dance if you want Heracross to function as more of a bulkier sweeper. Mega Heracross is incredibly terrifying behind aAlternatively, Substitute is and pretty much always guarantees an OHKO option, as it blocks revenge killing attempts, block status, and it alsoeases protedicts it from status.
ion immensely.

Set Details
========

With the given EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed physically defensive Rotom-W while still retaining as much bulk and power as possible. An Adamant nature should always be used because it gives Mega Heracross an insane amount of power that isn't worth giving up for slightly fastermore Speed. It should be noted that with an Adamant nature, Mega Heracross is capable of 2HKOing Skarmory with Close Combat, a feat which is something that anymost other Fighting-type ws could only dream of beachieving able to do. With a Jolly nature and 212 Speed EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed Adamant Dragonite and Gyarados, but forgoing the extra bulk and an Adamant nature isn't genereally worth it. Heracronite is obviously needed in order for Heracross to Mega Evolve into the monster that is Mega Heracross. Moxie is the preferred ability because if Heracross manages to KO something before it Mega Evolves, it can obtains a free +1+2 Attack boost and becomes instantly more terrifying. Guts on the other hand keeps Heracross from being completely useless if happens to get burned, but keep in mind thonly Close Combat it's coverage movesand Earthquake will no longer be reliable due to the lack of Skill Linkafterwards, so it's not worth it.

Usage Tips
========

Heracronite turns Heracross into a devastating wallbreaker, capable of breaking through a large majority of defensive Pokemon such as Rotom-W, the Chansey, Skarmory, Aegislash, Heatran, Celebi, Ferrothorn, Tentacruel, and much more. Although it can also sweep decently with Swords Dance, it's mostly meant to function as a bulky wallbreaker to tear apart defensive cores so that a teammate can come in and sweep. Don't forget that Mega Heracross is actually very bulky, capable of surviving a decent amount of super effective hits as well. For example, Alakazam fails to OHKO Mega Heracross with Psyshock 100% of the time even after Stealth Rock, and Life Orb Gengar just barely 2HKOes it with Shadow Ball.

Team Options
========

Although Mega Heracross lacks a lot of true counters, it is very important to pair it with something that can eliminate them, as well as cover its terrible 4x weakness to Flying. Rotom-W is hands down the best offensive and defensive partner because it checks Flying-types such as Talonflame and Mega Pinsir with ease, and it can also check Gliscor and Landorus-T, which are some of the only few counters to Mega Heracross. Keldeo can break through all of the above mentioned Pokemon, as well as offensive Heatran. It also appreciates the lack of Grass- and Psychic-types that Mega Heracross runs all over. Heatran and Heracross have near perfect defensive synergy; Heatran resists Fire, Flying-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type moves, while Mega Heracross shrugs off Fighting- and Ground-type moves. Scizor and Genesect can check very bulky Fairy-types that don't fear any of Mega Heracross's coverage moves, such as Clefable and Sylveon.

Other Options
########

Because most of Heracross's usage stems from its Mega Evolution, there really aren't too many other options it can viably run in OU without facing stiff competition from other Pokemon. A RestTalk Bulk Up set with Pin Missile can takes more advantage of Mega Heracross's bulk, and it canboasting the versatility to be used offensively or mwith Attack EVs ore defensively with more Special Defense investmentEVs. A Mega SubPunch set can bust huge holes into the opposing teams, but it lacks Leftovers recovery and requires a lot of prediction to work. Choice Banded Heracross is very powerful, but is almost completely outclassed in OU by Terrakion, among other powerful physical thingreats. Choice Scarf Heracross can function as a great late-game cleaner because of its Moxie ability, but it faces fierce competition from other Choice Scarf users, too, such as Terrakion and Genesect. A Toxic Orb Swords Dance set using Guts is aquite powerful sweeper, and means it isn't threat can come in onened by Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp from Rotom-W, but is mostly outclassed by Mega Heracross itself.

Checks & Counters
########

**Physically Defensive Walls**: Gliscor and Landorus-T are among the only defensive Pokemon that can actually switch into Mega Heracross's moves without being 2HKOed. Clefable is arguably the best counter to it because it resists both of its STAB moves, avoids the 2HKO from Rock Blast, and can threate2HKO in return back with Moonblast.

**Flying-types**: Because of its glaring 4x weakness, Flying-types are the safest checks to Mega Heracross. Talonflame is arguably the best check to it i, a prominent OU Pokemon, can the game because ofake it out with its powerful priority Brave Bird. Mega Pinsir is also a fantastic check thanks to its Aerilate ability and athus powerful Flying-type STAB Return. Offensive variants of Togekiss that run Speed investment can check Mega Heracross with Air Slash. Skarmory can't switch into Close Combat, but it can easily checkcan tank any other hit in addition to one Close Combat, and OHKO in return with Brave Bird.

**Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-types**: Powerful Fire-types that can OHKO Mega Heracrossl such as Volcarona, Victini, and both Mega Charizard formes are always good checks to it. Sylveon and Azumarill resist both of its STAB moves and threaten Mega Heracross with a powerful Hyper Voice and Play Rough, respectively. Life Orb Latios, Deoxys-S, and Mega Alakazam can all OHKO it with powerful Psychic-type moveattacks. If Landorus carries Psychic, it can easily check Mega Heracross, too, as it resists both of its STAB moves as well.

**Will-O-Wisp**: The easiest way to deal with Mega Heracross is to just to shut it down with a burn. Sableye can easily ruin its day with a Prankster Will-O-Wisp. Faster variants of Rotom-W can outspeed it and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, while Gourgeist can live an unboosted Pin Missile and burn it as well. Cofagrigus, albeit uncommon, i really don't think saying it is uncommon is necessary. this is 'how do you beat heracross', it doesn't matter if cofagrigus is rare resists both of its STAB moves and can burn it with relative ease.

we talked over some stuff on irc, this was pretty good

GP Approved 1/2

Thanks Jukain! Check implemented.

 

[Legitimate Username]

Checkity check.
Additions
Removals
(Comments)

Changes

Overview
########

With the new addition of a Mega Evolution to its arsenal, Heracross no longer has to worry about being completely overshadowed by the other Fighting-types that reside in OU. Sporting a gigantic base 185 base Attack stat and extremely powerful STAB moves, Mega Heracross is of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the game. Its ability, Skill Link, ability allows it to take advantage of Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, and the newly buffed Pin Missile to the fullest possible extent, which gives giving Mega Heracross valuable coverage options against a ton of threats. It even has access to Swords Dance to boost its already insane Attack stat to ridiculous levels, allowing for it to function as a potent sweeper. In addition, Mega Heracross's very solid 80/115/105 defensive stats keep it from being taken out easily by powerful attacks, making it a fearsome tank. To put it simply, Mega Heracross is the definition of a wallbreaker, not only because it is nearly impossible to switch into, but also due to its amazing move coverage which allows it to break through a vast majority of defensive Pokemon.

Unfortunately, Heracross is plagued with a nasty 4x weakness to Flying-type attacks, on top of its common Fire-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type weaknesses. Its Mega Evolution is also noticeably slower than its former non-Mega counterpart (former implies they used to be counterparts, but they still are), now missing the jump on Pokemon such as Dragonite, Heatran, and Gyarados. Nevertheless, Mega Heracross is definitely something that should never be underestimated, because its awesome power and fantastic wallbreaking capabilities make it a force to be reckoned with in today's the metagame, capable of leaving team's teams in shambles.

Offensive
########
name: Offensive
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Pin Missile
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Earthquake / Swords Dance
ability: Moxie / Guts
item: Heracronite
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Close Combat reaches a jaw dropping 180 BP with STAB, and power coming off Mega Heracross's massive Attack stat (the base power is really unecessary, we know STAB is a 1.5x boost), and there's very little that can stomach it easily. It's also its best option to deal for dealing with bulky Steel-types such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Air Balloon Heatran. Pin Missile is also an extremely powerful STAB Bug-type move ("also" doesn't apply to Bug-type), cutting through Psychic-types such as Deoxys-D, Reuniclus, Latias, and Latios, as well as Dark-types such as Greninja, and Tyranitar, and other Dark-types. In general, Pin Missile is Mega Heracross's most reliable option to hit against Pokemon that don't take super effective damage from any of its coverage moves, such as Rotom-W or Hippowdon, both of whom are 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Rock Blast provides important coverage against Togekiss, Gengar, Gyarados, and Dragonite, which would wall this set otherwise. It's also useful for hitting Talonflame and Mega Pinsir on the switch. Earthquake is the best option in the last slot to hit Aegislash, who resists all of its coverage moves and threatens to completely wall Heracross without it. However, Swords Dance gives Heracross a way to boost its Attack stat to scary terrifying (eh, why not?) heights, and it can easily clean up defensive teams with ease once it gets up a boost. It should be noted that Aegislash is actually 2HKOed by a +2 Pin Missile, but can still get around Aegislash with either move, although Earthquake is still the safer option due to King's Shield.

Bullet Seed can be used in the last moveslot if Aegislash isn't too much of a problem for your team, boasting the ability to OHKO Azumarill, physically defensive Rotom-W, and Jellicent, as well as 2HKO while also 2HKOing Hippowdon. Bulk Up can be used over Swords Dance if you want Heracross to function as more of a bulkier bulky sweeper. Alternatively, Substitute is option, as it blocks revenge killing attempts, block and status, and it while also eases immensely easing predictions immensely.


Set Details
========

With the given EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed physically defensive Rotom-W while still retaining as much bulk and power as possible. An Adamant nature should always be used because it gives Mega Heracross an insane amount of power that isn't worth giving up for slightly more Speed. It should be noted that with an Adamant nature, Mega Heracross is capable of 2HKOing Skarmory with Close Combat, a feat which that most other Fighting-types could only dream of achieving. With a Jolly nature and 212 Speed EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed Adamant Dragonite and Gyarados, but forgoing the extra bulk and an Adamant nature and power generally isn't generally worth it. Heracronite is obviously needed in order for Heracross to Mega Evolve Mega-Evolve into the monster that is Mega Heracross. Moxie is the preferred ability, as because if Heracross manages to KO something before it Mega Evolves, it obtains a +1 Attack boost and instantly becomes instantly more terrifying. On the other hand, Guts on the other hand keeps Heracross from being completely useless if happens to get burned, but only Close Combat and Earthquake will be reliable moves afterwards, so it's not worth it.

Usage Tips
========

Heracronite turns Heracross into a devastating wallbreaker, capable of breaking through a large vast majority of defensive Pokemon, including such as Rotom-W, the Chansey (Mega Heracross versus...THE CHANSEY!!!), Skarmory, Aegislash, Heatran, Celebi, Ferrothorn, Tentacruel, and much more. Although it can also sweep decently with Swords Dance, it's mostly meant to function as a bulky wallbreaker to that can tear apart defensive cores, allowing so that a teammate can come in and sweep. Don't forget that Mega Heracross is actually very bulky, capable of surviving a decent amount of super effective hits as well. For example, Alakazam fails to OHKO Mega Heracross with Psyshock 100% of the time even after Stealth Rock, and Life Orb Gengar just barely 2HKOes it with Shadow Ball.

Team Options
========

Although Mega Heracross lacks a lot of true counters, it is very important to pair it with something that can eliminate them, as well as cover its terrible 4x weakness to Flying Flying-type moves. Rotom-W is hands down the best offensive and defensive partner because it checks Flying-types such as Talonflame and Mega Pinsir with ease, and it can also check Gliscor and Landorus-T, which are some of the only few counters to Mega Heracross. Keldeo can break through all of the above mentioned aforementioned Pokemon, as well as offensive Heatran. It also appreciates the lack elimination of the Grass- and Psychic-types that Mega Heracross runs can run all over. Heatran and Heracross have near perfect defensive synergy; Heatran resists Fire-, Flying-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type moves, while Mega Heracross shrugs off Fighting- and Ground-type moves attacks. Scizor and Genesect can check very the bulky Fairy-types that don't fear any of Mega Heracross's coverage moves, such as Clefable and Sylveon.

Other Options
########

Because most of Heracross's usage stems from its Mega Evolution, there really aren't too many other options it can viably run in OU without facing stiff competition from other Pokemon. A RestTalk Bulk Up set with Pin Missile can take advantage of Mega Heracross's bulk, boasting the versatility to be used offensively with Attack EVs or defensively with Special Defense EVs. A Mega SubPunch set can bust huge holes into the opposing teams, but it lacks Leftovers recovery and requires a lot of prediction to work. Choice Band Heracross is very powerful, but is almost completely outclassed in OU by Terrakion, among as well as other powerful physical threats attackers. Choice Scarf Heracross can function as a great late-game cleaner because of its thanks to Moxie ability, but it faces fierce competition from other Choice Scarf users, too, such as Terrakion and Genesect. A Toxic Orb Swords Dance set using Guts is quite powerful, and means it isn't threatened by Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp, but is mostly outclassed by Mega Heracross itself.

Checks & Counters
########

**Physically Defensive Walls**: Gliscor and Landorus-T are among the only defensive Pokemon that can actually switch into Mega Heracross's moves without being 2HKOed. Clefable is arguably the best counter to it because as it resists both of its Heracross's STAB moves, avoids the 2HKO from Rock Blast, and can 2HKO in return with Moonblast.

**Flying-types**: Because of its Heracross's glaring 4x weakness, Flying-types are the safest checks to Mega Heracross. Talonflame, a prominent OU Pokemon, can take it out with its powerful priority Brave Bird. Mega Pinsir is also a fantastic check thanks to its ability, Aerilate, granting it a ability and thus powerful STAB Flying-type STAB Return. Offensive variants of Togekiss that run Speed investment can check Mega Heracross with Air Slash. Skarmory can't switch into in on Close Combat, but it can tank any other hit in addition to one Close Combat, and OHKO in return with Brave Bird.

**Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-types**: Powerful Fire-types that can OHKO Mega Heracross such as Volcarona, Victini, and both Mega Charizard formes are always good checks to it. Sylveon and Azumarill resist both of its STAB moves and threaten Mega Heracross with a powerful Hyper Voice and Play Rough, respectively. Life Orb Latios, Deoxys-S, and Mega Alakazam can all OHKO it with powerful Psychic-type attacks. If Landorus carries Psychic, it can easily check Mega Heracross, too, as it resists both of its STAB moves.

**Will-O-Wisp**: The easiest way to deal with Mega Heracross is just to shut it down with a burn. Sableye can easily ruin its day with a Prankster Will-O-Wisp. Faster variants of Rotom-W outspeeds it outspeed Heracross and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, while Gourgeist can live survive an unboosted Pin Missile and burn it as well. Cofagrigus also resists both of its Heracross's STAB moves and can burn it with relative ease.

Copypaste

Overview
########

With the addition of a Mega Evolution to its arsenal, Heracross no longer has to worry about being completely overshadowed by the other Fighting-types that reside in OU. Sporting a gigantic base 185 Attack stat and extremely powerful STAB moves, Mega Heracross is of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the game. Its ability, Skill Link, allows it to take advantage of Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, and the newly buffed Pin Missile to the fullest possible extent, giving Mega Heracross valuable coverage options against a ton of threats. It even has access to Swords Dance to boost its already insane Attack stat to ridiculous levels, allowing for it to function as a potent sweeper. In addition, Mega Heracross's very solid 80/115/105 defensive stats keep it from being taken out easily by powerful attacks, making it a fearsome tank. To put it simply, Mega Heracross is the definition of a wallbreaker, not only because it is nearly impossible to switch into, but also its amazing move coverage which allows it to break through a vast majority of defensive Pokemon.

Unfortunately, Heracross is plagued with a nasty 4x weakness to Flying-type attacks, on top of its common Fire-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type weaknesses. Its Mega Evolution is also noticeably slower than its non-Mega counterpart, missing the jump on Pokemon such as Dragonite, Heatran, and Gyarados. Nevertheless, Mega Heracross is definitely something that should never be underestimated, because its awesome power and fantastic wallbreaking capabilities make it a force to be reckoned with in the metagame, capable of leaving teams in shambles.

Offensive
########
name: Offensive
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Pin Missile
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Earthquake / Swords Dance
ability: Moxie / Guts
item: Heracronite
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Close Combat reaches jaw dropping power coming off Mega Heracross's massive Attack stat , and there's very little that can stomach it easily. It's also its best option for dealing with bulky Steel-types such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Air Balloon Heatran. Pin Missile is also an extremely powerful STAB move, cutting through Psychic-types such as Deoxys-D, Reuniclus, Latias, and Latios, as well as Dark-types such as Greninja and Tyranitar. In general, Pin Missile is Mega Heracross's most reliable option against Pokemon that don't take super effective damage from any of its coverage moves, such as Rotom-W or Hippowdon, both of whom are 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Rock Blast provides important coverage against Togekiss, Gengar, Gyarados, and Dragonite, which would wall this set otherwise. It's also useful for hitting Talonflame and Mega Pinsir on the switch. Earthquake is the best option in the last slot to hit Aegislash, who resists all of its coverage moves and threatens to completely wall Heracross without it. However, Swords Dance gives Heracross a way to boost its Attack stat to terrifying heights, and it can easily clean up defensive teams once it gets up a boost. It should be noted that Aegislash is actually 2HKOed by a +2 Pin Missile, but can still get around Aegislash with either move, although Earthquake is still the safer option due to King's Shield.

Bullet Seed can be used in the last moveslot if Aegislash isn't too much of a problem for your team, boasting the ability to OHKO Azumarill, physically defensive Rotom-W, and Jellicent, while also 2HKOing Hippowdon. Bulk Up can be used over Swords Dance if you want Heracross to function as more of a bulky sweeper. Alternatively, Substitute is option, as it blocks revenge killing attempts and status, while also immensely easing predictions.


Set Details
========

With the given EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed physically defensive Rotom-W while still retaining as much bulk and power as possible. An Adamant nature should always be used because it gives Mega Heracross an insane amount of power that isn't worth giving up for slightly more Speed. It should be noted that with an Adamant nature, Mega Heracross is capable of 2HKOing Skarmory with Close Combat, a feat that most other Fighting-types could only dream of achieving. With a Jolly nature and 212 Speed EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed Adamant Dragonite and Gyarados, but forgoing the extra bulk and and power generally isn't worth it. Heracronite is obviously needed in order for Heracross to Mega-Evolve into the monster that is Mega Heracross. Moxie is the preferred ability, as if Heracross manages to KO something before it Mega Evolves, it obtains a +1 Attack boost and instantly becomes more terrifying. On the other hand, Guts keeps Heracross from being completely useless if happens to get burned, but only Close Combat and Earthquake will be reliable moves afterwards, so it's not worth it.

Usage Tips
========

Heracronite turns Heracross into a devastating wallbreaker, capable of breaking through a vast majority of defensive Pokemon, including Rotom-W, Chansey, Skarmory, Aegislash, Heatran, Celebi, Ferrothorn, Tentacruel, and much more. Although it can also sweep decently with Swords Dance, it's mostly meant to function as a bulky wallbreaker that can tear apart defensive cores, allowing a teammate can come in and sweep. Don't forget that Mega Heracross is actually very bulky, capable of surviving a decent amount of super effective hits as well. For example, Alakazam fails to OHKO Mega Heracross with Psyshock 100% of the time even after Stealth Rock, and Life Orb Gengar just barely 2HKOes it with Shadow Ball.

Team Options
========

Although Mega Heracross lacks a lot of true counters, it is very important to pair it with something that can eliminate them, as well as cover its terrible 4x weakness to Flying-type moves. Rotom-W is hands down the best offensive and defensive partner because it checks Flying-types such as Talonflame and Mega Pinsir with ease, and it can also check Gliscor and Landorus-T, which are some of the few counters to Mega Heracross. Keldeo can break through all of the aforementioned Pokemon, as well as offensive Heatran. It also appreciates the elimination of the Grass- and Psychic-types that Mega Heracross can run all over. Heatran and Heracross have near perfect defensive synergy; Heatran resists Fire-, Flying-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type moves, while Mega Heracross shrugs off Fighting- and Ground-type attacks. Scizor and Genesect can check the bulky Fairy-types that don't fear any of Mega Heracross's coverage moves, such as Clefable and Sylveon.

Other Options
########

Because most of Heracross's usage stems from its Mega Evolution, there really aren't too many other options it can viably run in OU without facing stiff competition from other Pokemon. A RestTalk Bulk Up set with Pin Missile can take advantage of Mega Heracross's bulk, boasting the versatility to be used offensively with Attack EVs or defensively with Special Defense EVs. A Mega SubPunch set can bust huge holes into the opposing teams, but it lacks Leftovers recovery and requires a lot of prediction to work. Choice Band Heracross is very powerful, but is almost completely outclassed in OU by Terrakion, as well as other powerful physical attackers. Choice Scarf Heracross can function as a great late-game cleaner thanks to Moxie, but it faces fierce competition from other Choice Scarf users too, such as Terrakion and Genesect. A Toxic Orb Swords Dance set using Guts is quite powerful, and isn't threatened by Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp, but is mostly outclassed by Mega Heracross itself.

Checks & Counters
########

**Physically Defensive Walls**: Gliscor and Landorus-T are among the only defensive Pokemon that can actually switch into Mega Heracross's moves without being 2HKOed. Clefable is arguably the best counter to it as it resists both of Heracross's STAB moves, avoids the 2HKO from Rock Blast, and can 2HKO in return with Moonblast.

**Flying-types**: Because of Heracross's glaring 4x weakness, Flying-types are the safest checks to Mega Heracross. Talonflame, a prominent OU Pokemon, can take it out with its powerful priority Brave Bird. Mega Pinsir is also a fantastic check thanks to its ability, Aerilate, granting it a powerful STAB Flying-type Return. Offensive variants of Togekiss that run Speed investment can check Mega Heracross with Air Slash. Skarmory can't switch in on Close Combat, but it can tank any other hit in addition to one Close Combat, and OHKO in return with Brave Bird.

**Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-types**: Powerful Fire-types that can OHKO Mega Heracross such as Volcarona, Victini, and both Mega Charizard formes are good checks to it. Sylveon and Azumarill resist both of its STAB moves and threaten Mega Heracross with a powerful Hyper Voice and Play Rough, respectively. Life Orb Latios, Deoxys-S, and Mega Alakazam can all OHKO it with powerful Psychic-type attacks. If Landorus carries Psychic, it can easily check Mega Heracross, too, as it resists both of its STAB moves.

**Will-O-Wisp**: The easiest way to deal with Mega Heracross is just to shut it down with a burn. Sableye can easily ruin its day with a Prankster Will-O-Wisp. Faster variants of Rotom-W outspeed Heracross and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, while Gourgeist can survive an unboosted Pin Missile and burn it as well. Cofagrigus also resists both of Heracross's STAB moves and can burn it with relative ease.

GP approved 2/2

 

[Gary]

Checkity check.
Additions
Removals
(Comments)

Changes

Overview
########

With the new addition of a Mega Evolution to its arsenal, Heracross no longer has to worry about being completely overshadowed by the other Fighting-types that reside in OU. Sporting a gigantic base 185 base Attack stat and extremely powerful STAB moves, Mega Heracross is of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the game. Its ability, Skill Link, ability allows it to take advantage of Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, and the newly buffed Pin Missile to the fullest possible extent, which gives giving Mega Heracross valuable coverage options against a ton of threats. It even has access to Swords Dance to boost its already insane Attack stat to ridiculous levels, allowing for it to function as a potent sweeper. In addition, Mega Heracross's very solid 80/115/105 defensive stats keep it from being taken out easily by powerful attacks, making it a fearsome tank. To put it simply, Mega Heracross is the definition of a wallbreaker, not only because it is nearly impossible to switch into, but also due to its amazing move coverage which allows it to break through a vast majority of defensive Pokemon.

Unfortunately, Heracross is plagued with a nasty 4x weakness to Flying-type attacks, on top of its common Fire-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type weaknesses. Its Mega Evolution is also noticeably slower than its former non-Mega counterpart (former implies they used to be counterparts, but they still are), now missing the jump on Pokemon such as Dragonite, Heatran, and Gyarados. Nevertheless, Mega Heracross is definitely something that should never be underestimated, because its awesome power and fantastic wallbreaking capabilities make it a force to be reckoned with in today's the metagame, capable of leaving team's teams in shambles.

Offensive
########
name: Offensive
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Pin Missile
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Earthquake / Swords Dance
ability: Moxie / Guts
item: Heracronite
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
========

Close Combat reaches a jaw dropping 180 BP with STAB, and power coming off Mega Heracross's massive Attack stat (the base power is really unecessary, we know STAB is a 1.5x boost), and there's very little that can stomach it easily. It's also its best option to deal for dealing with bulky Steel-types such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Air Balloon Heatran. Pin Missile is also an extremely powerful STAB Bug-type move ("also" doesn't apply to Bug-type), cutting through Psychic-types such as Deoxys-D, Reuniclus, Latias, and Latios, as well as Dark-types such as Greninja, and Tyranitar, and other Dark-types. In general, Pin Missile is Mega Heracross's most reliable option to hit against Pokemon that don't take super effective damage from any of its coverage moves, such as Rotom-W or Hippowdon, both of whom are 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Rock Blast provides important coverage against Togekiss, Gengar, Gyarados, and Dragonite, which would wall this set otherwise. It's also useful for hitting Talonflame and Mega Pinsir on the switch. Earthquake is the best option in the last slot to hit Aegislash, who resists all of its coverage moves and threatens to completely wall Heracross without it. However, Swords Dance gives Heracross a way to boost its Attack stat to scary terrifying (eh, why not?) heights, and it can easily clean up defensive teams with ease once it gets up a boost. It should be noted that Aegislash is actually 2HKOed by a +2 Pin Missile, but can still get around Aegislash with either move, although Earthquake is still the safer option due to King's Shield.

Bullet Seed can be used in the last moveslot if Aegislash isn't too much of a problem for your team, boasting the ability to OHKO Azumarill, physically defensive Rotom-W, and Jellicent, as well as 2HKO while also 2HKOing Hippowdon. Bulk Up can be used over Swords Dance if you want Heracross to function as more of a bulkier bulky sweeper. Alternatively, Substitute is option, as it blocks revenge killing attempts, block and status, and it while also eases immensely easing predictions immensely.


Set Details
========

With the given EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed physically defensive Rotom-W while still retaining as much bulk and power as possible. An Adamant nature should always be used because it gives Mega Heracross an insane amount of power that isn't worth giving up for slightly more Speed. It should be noted that with an Adamant nature, Mega Heracross is capable of 2HKOing Skarmory with Close Combat, a feat which that most other Fighting-types could only dream of achieving. With a Jolly nature and 212 Speed EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed Adamant Dragonite and Gyarados, but forgoing the extra bulk and an Adamant nature and power generally isn't generally worth it. Heracronite is obviously needed in order for Heracross to Mega Evolve Mega-Evolve into the monster that is Mega Heracross. Moxie is the preferred ability, as because if Heracross manages to KO something before it Mega Evolves, it obtains a +1 Attack boost and instantly becomes instantly more terrifying. On the other hand, Guts on the other hand keeps Heracross from being completely useless if happens to get burned, but only Close Combat and Earthquake will be reliable moves afterwards, so it's not worth it.

Usage Tips
========

Heracronite turns Heracross into a devastating wallbreaker, capable of breaking through a large vast majority of defensive Pokemon, including such as Rotom-W, the Chansey (Mega Heracross versus...THE CHANSEY!!!), Skarmory, Aegislash, Heatran, Celebi, Ferrothorn, Tentacruel, and much more. Although it can also sweep decently with Swords Dance, it's mostly meant to function as a bulky wallbreaker to that can tear apart defensive cores, allowing so that a teammate can come in and sweep. Don't forget that Mega Heracross is actually very bulky, capable of surviving a decent amount of super effective hits as well. For example, Alakazam fails to OHKO Mega Heracross with Psyshock 100% of the time even after Stealth Rock, and Life Orb Gengar just barely 2HKOes it with Shadow Ball.

Team Options
========

Although Mega Heracross lacks a lot of true counters, it is very important to pair it with something that can eliminate them, as well as cover its terrible 4x weakness to Flying Flying-type moves. Rotom-W is hands down the best offensive and defensive partner because it checks Flying-types such as Talonflame and Mega Pinsir with ease, and it can also check Gliscor and Landorus-T, which are some of the only few counters to Mega Heracross. Keldeo can break through all of the above mentioned aforementioned Pokemon, as well as offensive Heatran. It also appreciates the lack elimination of the Grass- and Psychic-types that Mega Heracross runs can run all over. Heatran and Heracross have near perfect defensive synergy; Heatran resists Fire-, Flying-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type moves, while Mega Heracross shrugs off Fighting- and Ground-type moves attacks. Scizor and Genesect can check very the bulky Fairy-types that don't fear any of Mega Heracross's coverage moves, such as Clefable and Sylveon.

Other Options
########

Because most of Heracross's usage stems from its Mega Evolution, there really aren't too many other options it can viably run in OU without facing stiff competition from other Pokemon. A RestTalk Bulk Up set with Pin Missile can take advantage of Mega Heracross's bulk, boasting the versatility to be used offensively with Attack EVs or defensively with Special Defense EVs. A Mega SubPunch set can bust huge holes into the opposing teams, but it lacks Leftovers recovery and requires a lot of prediction to work. Choice Band Heracross is very powerful, but is almost completely outclassed in OU by Terrakion, among as well as other powerful physical threats attackers. Choice Scarf Heracross can function as a great late-game cleaner because of its thanks to Moxie ability, but it faces fierce competition from other Choice Scarf users, too, such as Terrakion and Genesect. A Toxic Orb Swords Dance set using Guts is quite powerful, and means it isn't threatened by Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp, but is mostly outclassed by Mega Heracross itself.

Checks & Counters
########

**Physically Defensive Walls**: Gliscor and Landorus-T are among the only defensive Pokemon that can actually switch into Mega Heracross's moves without being 2HKOed. Clefable is arguably the best counter to it because as it resists both of its Heracross's STAB moves, avoids the 2HKO from Rock Blast, and can 2HKO in return with Moonblast.

**Flying-types**: Because of its Heracross's glaring 4x weakness, Flying-types are the safest checks to Mega Heracross. Talonflame, a prominent OU Pokemon, can take it out with its powerful priority Brave Bird. Mega Pinsir is also a fantastic check thanks to its ability, Aerilate, granting it a ability and thus powerful STAB Flying-type STAB Return. Offensive variants of Togekiss that run Speed investment can check Mega Heracross with Air Slash. Skarmory can't switch into in on Close Combat, but it can tank any other hit in addition to one Close Combat, and OHKO in return with Brave Bird.

**Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-types**: Powerful Fire-types that can OHKO Mega Heracross such as Volcarona, Victini, and both Mega Charizard formes are always good checks to it. Sylveon and Azumarill resist both of its STAB moves and threaten Mega Heracross with a powerful Hyper Voice and Play Rough, respectively. Life Orb Latios, Deoxys-S, and Mega Alakazam can all OHKO it with powerful Psychic-type attacks. If Landorus carries Psychic, it can easily check Mega Heracross, too, as it resists both of its STAB moves.

**Will-O-Wisp**: The easiest way to deal with Mega Heracross is just to shut it down with a burn. Sableye can easily ruin its day with a Prankster Will-O-Wisp. Faster variants of Rotom-W outspeeds it outspeed Heracross and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, while Gourgeist can live survive an unboosted Pin Missile and burn it as well. Cofagrigus also resists both of its Heracross's STAB moves and can burn it with relative ease.

Copypaste

Overview
########

With the addition of a Mega Evolution to its arsenal, Heracross no longer has to worry about being completely overshadowed by the other Fighting-types that reside in OU. Sporting a gigantic base 185 Attack stat and extremely powerful STAB moves, Mega Heracross is of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the game. Its ability, Skill Link, allows it to take advantage of Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, and the newly buffed Pin Missile to the fullest possible extent, giving Mega Heracross valuable coverage options against a ton of threats. It even has access to Swords Dance to boost its already insane Attack stat to ridiculous levels, allowing for it to function as a potent sweeper. In addition, Mega Heracross's very solid 80/115/105 defensive stats keep it from being taken out easily by powerful attacks, making it a fearsome tank. To put it simply, Mega Heracross is the definition of a wallbreaker, not only because it is nearly impossible to switch into, but also its amazing move coverage which allows it to break through a vast majority of defensive Pokemon.

Unfortunately, Heracross is plagued with a nasty 4x weakness to Flying-type attacks, on top of its common Fire-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type weaknesses. Its Mega Evolution is also noticeably slower than its non-Mega counterpart, missing the jump on Pokemon such as Dragonite, Heatran, and Gyarados. Nevertheless, Mega Heracross is definitely something that should never be underestimated, because its awesome power and fantastic wallbreaking capabilities make it a force to be reckoned with in the metagame, capable of leaving teams in shambles.

Offensive
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name: Offensive
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Pin Missile
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Earthquake / Swords Dance
ability: Moxie / Guts
item: Heracronite
evs: 164 HP / 252 Atk / 92 Spe
nature: Adamant

Moves
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Close Combat reaches jaw dropping power coming off Mega Heracross's massive Attack stat , and there's very little that can stomach it easily. It's also its best option for dealing with bulky Steel-types such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Air Balloon Heatran. Pin Missile is also an extremely powerful STAB move, cutting through Psychic-types such as Deoxys-D, Reuniclus, Latias, and Latios, as well as Dark-types such as Greninja and Tyranitar. In general, Pin Missile is Mega Heracross's most reliable option against Pokemon that don't take super effective damage from any of its coverage moves, such as Rotom-W or Hippowdon, both of whom are 2HKOed after Stealth Rock. Rock Blast provides important coverage against Togekiss, Gengar, Gyarados, and Dragonite, which would wall this set otherwise. It's also useful for hitting Talonflame and Mega Pinsir on the switch. Earthquake is the best option in the last slot to hit Aegislash, who resists all of its coverage moves and threatens to completely wall Heracross without it. However, Swords Dance gives Heracross a way to boost its Attack stat to terrifying heights, and it can easily clean up defensive teams once it gets up a boost. It should be noted that Aegislash is actually 2HKOed by a +2 Pin Missile, but can still get around Aegislash with either move, although Earthquake is still the safer option due to King's Shield.

Bullet Seed can be used in the last moveslot if Aegislash isn't too much of a problem for your team, boasting the ability to OHKO Azumarill, physically defensive Rotom-W, and Jellicent, while also 2HKOing Hippowdon. Bulk Up can be used over Swords Dance if you want Heracross to function as more of a bulky sweeper. Alternatively, Substitute is option, as it blocks revenge killing attempts and status, while also immensely easing predictions.


Set Details
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With the given EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed physically defensive Rotom-W while still retaining as much bulk and power as possible. An Adamant nature should always be used because it gives Mega Heracross an insane amount of power that isn't worth giving up for slightly more Speed. It should be noted that with an Adamant nature, Mega Heracross is capable of 2HKOing Skarmory with Close Combat, a feat that most other Fighting-types could only dream of achieving. With a Jolly nature and 212 Speed EVs, Mega Heracross can outspeed Adamant Dragonite and Gyarados, but forgoing the extra bulk and and power generally isn't worth it. Heracronite is obviously needed in order for Heracross to Mega-Evolve into the monster that is Mega Heracross. Moxie is the preferred ability, as if Heracross manages to KO something before it Mega Evolves, it obtains a +1 Attack boost and instantly becomes more terrifying. On the other hand, Guts keeps Heracross from being completely useless if happens to get burned, but only Close Combat and Earthquake will be reliable moves afterwards, so it's not worth it.

Usage Tips
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Heracronite turns Heracross into a devastating wallbreaker, capable of breaking through a vast majority of defensive Pokemon, including Rotom-W, Chansey, Skarmory, Aegislash, Heatran, Celebi, Ferrothorn, Tentacruel, and much more. Although it can also sweep decently with Swords Dance, it's mostly meant to function as a bulky wallbreaker that can tear apart defensive cores, allowing a teammate can come in and sweep. Don't forget that Mega Heracross is actually very bulky, capable of surviving a decent amount of super effective hits as well. For example, Alakazam fails to OHKO Mega Heracross with Psyshock 100% of the time even after Stealth Rock, and Life Orb Gengar just barely 2HKOes it with Shadow Ball.

Team Options
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Although Mega Heracross lacks a lot of true counters, it is very important to pair it with something that can eliminate them, as well as cover its terrible 4x weakness to Flying-type moves. Rotom-W is hands down the best offensive and defensive partner because it checks Flying-types such as Talonflame and Mega Pinsir with ease, and it can also check Gliscor and Landorus-T, which are some of the few counters to Mega Heracross. Keldeo can break through all of the aforementioned Pokemon, as well as offensive Heatran. It also appreciates the elimination of the Grass- and Psychic-types that Mega Heracross can run all over. Heatran and Heracross have near perfect defensive synergy; Heatran resists Fire-, Flying-, Psychic-, and Fairy-type moves, while Mega Heracross shrugs off Fighting- and Ground-type attacks. Scizor and Genesect can check the bulky Fairy-types that don't fear any of Mega Heracross's coverage moves, such as Clefable and Sylveon.

Other Options
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Because most of Heracross's usage stems from its Mega Evolution, there really aren't too many other options it can viably run in OU without facing stiff competition from other Pokemon. A RestTalk Bulk Up set with Pin Missile can take advantage of Mega Heracross's bulk, boasting the versatility to be used offensively with Attack EVs or defensively with Special Defense EVs. A Mega SubPunch set can bust huge holes into the opposing teams, but it lacks Leftovers recovery and requires a lot of prediction to work. Choice Band Heracross is very powerful, but is almost completely outclassed in OU by Terrakion, as well as other powerful physical attackers. Choice Scarf Heracross can function as a great late-game cleaner thanks to Moxie, but it faces fierce competition from other Choice Scarf users too, such as Terrakion and Genesect. A Toxic Orb Swords Dance set using Guts is quite powerful, and isn't threatened by Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp, but is mostly outclassed by Mega Heracross itself.

Checks & Counters
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**Physically Defensive Walls**: Gliscor and Landorus-T are among the only defensive Pokemon that can actually switch into Mega Heracross's moves without being 2HKOed. Clefable is arguably the best counter to it as it resists both of Heracross's STAB moves, avoids the 2HKO from Rock Blast, and can 2HKO in return with Moonblast.

**Flying-types**: Because of Heracross's glaring 4x weakness, Flying-types are the safest checks to Mega Heracross. Talonflame, a prominent OU Pokemon, can take it out with its powerful priority Brave Bird. Mega Pinsir is also a fantastic check thanks to its ability, Aerilate, granting it a powerful STAB Flying-type Return. Offensive variants of Togekiss that run Speed investment can check Mega Heracross with Air Slash. Skarmory can't switch in on Close Combat, but it can tank any other hit in addition to one Close Combat, and OHKO in return with Brave Bird.

**Fire-, Fairy-, and Psychic-types**: Powerful Fire-types that can OHKO Mega Heracross such as Volcarona, Victini, and both Mega Charizard formes are good checks to it. Sylveon and Azumarill resist both of its STAB moves and threaten Mega Heracross with a powerful Hyper Voice and Play Rough, respectively. Life Orb Latios, Deoxys-S, and Mega Alakazam can all OHKO it with powerful Psychic-type attacks. If Landorus carries Psychic, it can easily check Mega Heracross, too, as it resists both of its STAB moves.

**Will-O-Wisp**: The easiest way to deal with Mega Heracross is just to shut it down with a burn. Sableye can easily ruin its day with a Prankster Will-O-Wisp. Faster variants of Rotom-W outspeed Heracross and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp, while Gourgeist can survive an unboosted Pin Missile and burn it as well. Cofagrigus also resists both of Heracross's STAB moves and can burn it with relative ease.

GP approved 2/2

Thanks a ton man! This is done.

 

[afisishigh]

Is Shadow Claw good for heracross? to deal with psychic and ghost types like Dusclops@eviolite?

 

[Magcargo]

Is Shadow Claw good for heracross? to deal with psychic and ghost types like Dusclops@eviolite?

Dusclops is far to rare and horrible in the tier to be relevant at all. Besides that, the two main Ghost-types in the tier (Aegislash and Gengar) take massive amounts of damage from Earthquake and Rock Blast respectively.

 

[zeriloa]

i know this analysis is done but i'd just like to point out how much of an absolute monster megacross is with sticky web support. galvantula and/or smeargle should probably be mentioned in the teammates section

 

[alexwolf]

A bit late, but here it goes. Swords Dance should be slashed with Close Combat not Earthquake. The point of SD is to become an unwallable wallbreaker and punish switches to Pokemon that can't do much immediate damage to Mega Heracross, such as Landorus-T and Hippowdon. Rock + Ground + Bug get perfect neutral coverage together, while Fighting + Rock + bug is walled by Aegislash, making Heracross unable to wallbreak as it would want early-game. Also, the loss of Close Combat is hardly noticeable after a SD boost. The only Pokemon against which you are missing Close Combat is Skarmory, which takes 67% minimum from +2 Rock Blast and dies to recoil if it KOes with Brave Bird, opening the way to Pokemon such as Mega Pinsir and CB Talonflame.

Also, the move order should be:

- Pin Missile
- Rock Blast
- Close Combat / Swords Dance
- Earthquake

Pin Missile is your most important, strongest, and the move you usually spam if the opponent has no 4x resist to it. Rock Blast is the next best move, covering common switch-ins, such as Landorus-T and Flying-types in general. EQ goes last because it only has one use over CC if you don't go with SD.

EDIT: Also, Mega Heracross should definitely use enough Speed to outrun max Speed Adamant Bisharp, as it makes a decent switch-in to it, resisting Knock Off and being immune to its side effect, and being able to tank easily a +2 Sucker Punch and OHKO back. However, if you are slower, Bisharp OHKOs with +2 Iron Head.

 

[melvni]

The only Pokemon against which you are missing Close Combat is Skarmory, which takes 67% minimum from +2 Rock Blast and dies to recoil if it KOes with Brave Bird, opening the way to Pokemon such as Mega Pinsir and CB Talonflame.

Just a small nitpick but you're not opening the way to a Mega Pinsir sweep if you're using Mega Heracross.

 

[Gary]

Isn't this what Jaroda was trying to say in the past few pages? lol

Jaroda wanted to replace CC altogether, while alexwolf is suggesting just a slash on CC because with SD Mega Hera doesn't need the extra coverage from CC, but without SD Mega Hera will still need CC for Skarm and the like. All out attacking Mega Hera is arguably better because it can break down pretty much every defensive core without any issue, while SD is more of a stallbreaker/late game sweeper who needs to setup in order to beat Skarmory.

 

[JR]

Jaroda wanted to replace CC altogether, while alexwolf is suggesting just a slash on CC because with SD Mega Hera doesn't need the extra coverage from CC, but without SD Mega Hera will still need CC for Skarm and the like.

Yeah, I just reread what was going on in the past pages. My bad.

 

[alexwolf]

Oh and Gary, definitely mention somewhere that with SD, Mega Heracross single handedly destroys full Baton Pass teams. Just lead with it, use SD as Scolipede uses Protect, and the blast shit with Rock Blast.

 

[Unowninator]

Say, this may sound stupid, but does Mega Heracross even need Attack EVs? I mean, I just calculated its stats, and at a neutral nature w/ 0 Attack EVs, its Attack reaches 406. That's higher than a maximum Attack Dragonite. Not to mention the power of Mega-Heracross's actual attacks. Perhaps you could use a Bulky/Speedy Swords Dance or something like that.

Oh, and while I'm here:

Choice Scarf Heracross can function as a great late-game cleaner thanks to Moxie, but it faces fierce competition from other Choice Scarf users too, such as Terrakion and Genesect

 

[AccidentalGreed]

Gary2346

Please mention Megahorn somewhere on the analysis, or even slashed with Pin Missile, since using it gives Heracross a reliable and powerful STAB move to use before Mega Evolution. In several circumstances, it's advised to stay in normal form when Heracross is in need of a power boost either from Guts or Moxie, and amplified if it has Guts and is burned (it does a whopping amount of damage to defensive Rotom-W with Megahorn should it not have Close Combat). There are also very few Substitute users that I can think of that Pin Missile can hit effectively.