OVERVIEW]
Heracross stands out as one of the strongest wallbreakers in the tier thanks to its powerful STAB options, high Attack, and solid Speed tier. Even without an item to boost its offensive prowess, Heavy-Duty Boots Heracross is a great wallbreaker, 2HKOing even bulky Pokemon like Milotic with entry hazards. Heavy-Duty Boots critically gives Heracross more opportunities to switch in and punch through the opposition. Pokemon Heracross can't immediately get past like Crobat and Noivern still dislike Knock Off, removing their Heavy-Duty Boots and making them vulnerable to Stealth Rock, leaving them picked off later. Flame Orb Heracross has nuclear wallbreaking capabilities; it can OHKO Crobat immediately and more easily blows away Pokemon like Gastrodon and Rhyperior that can thwart Heavy-Duty Boots sets. However, Flame Orb Heracross is higher maintenance due to entry hazards and burn wearing it down. Choice Scarf Heracross can sweep and clean with Moxie, being particularly good against offensive teams with frailer Fighting-type checks like Mimikyu and Crobat without bulk EVs. However, Heracross has limited defensive utility and lacks longevity, so it sometimes struggles to come in safely and make use of its strength. Pokemon such as Crobat, Noivern, and Mimikyu can switch in on a resisted attack and stave it off, and it's fairly easy to revenge kill with common Pokemon.
[SET]
name: Heavy-Duty Boots
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Megahorn / Spikes
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Heavy-Duty Boots gives Heracross exponentially more chances to wallbreak because it won't be worn down by entry hazards. Knock Off removes Heavy-Duty Boots from Pokemon like Crobat, Noivern, and Gastrodon, leaving them vulnerable to entry hazards. Stone Edge KOes Noivern after Stealth Rock, KOes Crobat after Stealth Rock and minimal chip damage, and puts Golisopod in Emergency Exit range, forcing it out. Megahorn heavily damages Reuniclus&letting teammates easily pick it off—OHKOes Grass-types like Celebi and Tsareena, and 2HKOes defensive Roserade. On teams adequate against Reuniclus, Heracross can elect for Spikes. Spikes is great for wearing down teams in conjunction with Knock Off, which also supports wallbreaking teammates. Spikes could also potentially replace Stone Edge or Knock Off, though replacing Stone Edge makes Heracross worse at pressuring Flying-types, and replacing Knock Off leaves it unable to remove Heavy-Duty Boots. Guts lets Heracross take advantage of Scald burns from Milotic and Suicune rather than being weakened by them, and it buffs Heracross if it switches into a stray Toxic.
Heracross appreciates Stealth Rock users like Registeel and Steelix to make use of Knock Off removing Heavy-Duty Boots from checks like Crobat and Togekiss. Moreover, the Steel-types check Flying- and Fairy-types like Choice Scarf Gardevoir and Crobat for Heracross. Pivots that form VoltTurn cores like like Heliolisk, Xurkitree, and Crobat bring Heracross in against walls such as Registeel and Umbreon. In return, Heracross's Spikes wears down the walls they pivot against. Water-types like Milotic and Gastrodon cover Fire-types like Salazzle and Entei for Heracross. Sweepers like Mimikyu, Sharpedo, and Tyrantrum like Spikes wearing down their checks like Registeel and Seismitoad. Heracross can struggle to take down bulky Water-types like Milotic on its own, so it appreciates teammates like Celebi, Xurkitree, and Heliolisk.
[SET]
name: Flame Orb
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Stone Edge / Facade
move 4: Knock Off
item: Flame Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Flame Orb Heracross is extremely powerful, OHKOing the likes of Crobat and Noivern and muscling through through bulky Pokemon like Gastrodon and Rhyperior that Heavy-Duty Boots Heracross struggles with. Megahorn lets Heracross cleave through Grass- and Psychic-types such as Vileplume, Celebi, and Reuniclus, which can normally take on most other Fighting-types. Stone Edge OHKOes the extremely common Crobat. Alternatively, Facade 3HKOes Neutralizing Gas Galarian Weezing with Stealth Rock, retains good damage on Flying-types like Crobat and Noivern, and is a safe option if you don't want to deal with Close Combat dropping defenses or Megahorn's accuracy. Knock Off hits Ghost-types such as Chandelure, Golurk, and Mimikyu, and is great at removing items like Heavy-Duty Boots or Rocky Helmet from Pokemon such as Togekiss, Crobat, and Galarian Weezing. Stone Edge could be run over Knock Off instead of Facade to retain decent damage on Galarian Weezing and have the benefits of Stone Edge.
Heracross favors being on more offensive teams, which grant it more opportunities to break through the opposition. Heracross pairs very well with Volt Switch users such as Raikou and Xurkitree, which invite in the Grass-types that it preys on while covering its Flying weakness. Similarly, Crobat allows Heracross safe entry on the Steel-types that switch into it with U-turn. Bulky Water-types such as Milotic can respond to Fire-types like such as Salazzle and Entei, which force out Heracross, all while providing entry points for it with Flip Turn. Pokemon such as Starmie, Dhelmise, and the aforementioned Crobat help Heracross stick around by clearing entry hazards. Heracross loves entry hazards from setters such as Stakataka and Diancie, and both check Pokemon that give it trouble such as Togekiss and Crobat. This help is especially important for Facade Heracross because it needs Stealth Rock to secure OHKOs on both. Grass-types that can draw in and cripple Flying-types such as Stun Spore Roserade and Thunder Wave Celebi are also good partners.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Stone Edge / Knock Off
move 4: Knock Off / Spikes
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Moxie
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Heracross's solid Speed, good power, and Moxie lend themselves to great revenge killing with Choice Scarf. Heracross can now pick off faster Pokemon such as Heliolisk and Raikou with Close Combat. Megahorn rams through Pokemon such as Gardevoir, Roserade, and Celebi. Stone Edge 2HKOes Flying-types like Crobat and Togekiss while still hitting one of the tier's most relevant Ghost-types in Chandelure. Knock Off hits other Ghost-types such as Jellicent and removes the Heavy-Duty Boots of the aforementioned Flying-types in Togekiss and Crobat, which Heracross's teammates can capitalize on. Spikes can be used over either coverage move, providing additional utility and pressure on forced switches against Pokemon Heracross can't immediately threaten. Guts can also be run over Moxie to absorb status, such as a Scald burn from Gastrodon or Toxic from Umbreon.
Pokemon that benefit from Knock Off crippling Flying-types such as Celebi and Roserade are great partners. Roserade is one and may also handle setting Spikes for Heracross, or vice versa, depending on team preference. Raikou and Xurkitree are great to bring Heracross into Grass-types safely, and they additionally handle the Flying-types that give Heracross trouble. Spinners such as Starmie and Dhelmise work well for entry hazard removal, since Heracross greatly appreciates its own team's hazards staying up. Pokemon that can switch into faster Choice Scarf users like Flygon, such as Milotic and Gastrodon, are good partners. Hazard setters that can keep them up against Flying-types such as Diancie, Stakataka, and Metagross support Heracross well.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Heracross can run Focus Sash and Spikes on hyper offense teams with the same moves as Heavy-Duty Boots Heracross. It can trade blows with Pokemon like Crobat, Choice Scarf Gardevoir, and Chandelure, and support its hard-hitting teammates via Spikes. Custap Berry over Heavy-Duty Boots potentially gives Heracross more usefulness once it's weakened. Eject Pack on momentum-heavy teams lets Heracross's Close Combat give its teammates a free switch in, and it takes advantage of Crobat that try to switch in and remove Heracross's Spikes. Heracross can make use of Choice Band, using the same moveset, nature, and EVs as the Heavy-Duty Boots set while playing like the Flame Orb set with greater longevity. Also, it can potentially get an extra Attack boost from switching into a stray Toxic.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Flying-types**: Flying-types such as Togekiss, Noivern, Talonflame, and Crobat can switch into Heracross's STAB moves and force it out, and most have the bulk to survive one Stone Edge without a Guts boost, making them decent switch-ins to Choice Scarf and Heavy-Duty Boots sets.
**Faster Revenge Killers**: Faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Gardevoir, Sharpedo, and Celebi outpace and OHKO Heracross, if not outright, with minimal chip damage.
**Water-types**: Milotic and Gastrodon can't safely switch into Heracross's STAB moves with entry hazards up, but one-on-one, they can heal off unboosted Close Combat with Recover and chip down Heracross. However, they must be careful of triggering Guts with Scald or Toxic.
**Residual Damage**: Wearing Flame Orb Heracross down via entry hazards, burn damage, and pivoting around it with Pokemon like Chople Berry Bewear, Crobat, and Vileplume can stave it off.
**Galarian Weezing**: Galarian Weezing can switch into all Heracross variants throughout a game and force them out, and it can remove Heracross's Spikes with Defog. Neutralizing Gas even makes Flame Orb decrease Heracross's Attack instead of raising it with Guts. It is the single best counter to Heracross in the tier.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Luna's Banned Now, 328705], [gorex, 244449] [yourwelcomethanku, 541847]]
- Quality checked by: [[zizalith, 410251], [Expulso, 202058] [GoldCat, 395771]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Adeleine, 517429], [Astra, 240732]] [Sulo, 528036]]
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