[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 7-9 points
**Overview**: Heracross is a very strong physical attacker with great abilities that allow it to wallbreak or even win games, but it often finds itself outclassed by other options. Its Speed tier is workable with a Choice Scarf or Trailblaze boost, but it is mediocre at best otherwise. It does provide important resistances to Ground, Dark, and Fighting along with Spikes support, but its bulk isn't notable enough to take hits reliably, and its typing and stats aren't ideal to make full use of its utility. Its offensive coverage is excellent, but its STAB combination isn't great. Heracross is all about having a lot of great qualities, but each of those qualities has a significant drawback, keeping it as a viable but niche option in Draft.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Wallbreaker**: Heracross leverages its high Attack, strong STAB moves, and further damage modifiers from Guts or a damage-boosting item to easily break through foes' defenses. These sets can occasionally run Swords Dance to further boost its wallbreaking power or Trailblaze to enable Heracross as a potential late-game wincon that can outspeed foes as well.
**Revenge Killer**: Heracross's decent Speed stat with a Choice Scarf and Moxie allows it to revenge kill foes and act as a cleaner late-game, since it can snowball with Attack boosts.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Megahorn, Lunge, Close Combat, Low Kick
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Brick Break, Spikes, Substitute
**Coverage**: Double-Edge, Earthquake, Facade, High Horsepower, Knock Off, Rock Slide, Shadow Claw, Stone Edge, Throat Chop, Tera Blast, Aerial Ace
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure can sometimes be used in combination with Salac Berry to guarantee that Heracross survives an attack and receives a Speed boost. This is particularly useful for matchups where opportunities to use Trailblaze are limited and Heracross does not want to be locked into a move with Choice Scarf. It may also be combined with Endeavor to lower foes' HP to 1 before fainting or Reversal for an incredibly powerful Fighting-type attack.
**Bullet Seed / Pin Missile / Rock Blast**: Heracross possesses strong multi-hit moves that can be combined with Loaded Dice for strong attacks that are relatively more accurate than its standard options.
**Pounce / Rock Tomb / Bulldoze**: Rarely, Heracross can use a Speed-lowering move on foes that deal decent damage so it can threaten to outspeed and KO them the following turn.
**Upper Hand**: On Trailblaze setup variants, Heracross can sometimes use Upper Hand to outmaneuver revenge killers' priority moves.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: With a Choice Scarf, Heracross can be used as a decent revenge killer while also possessing sweep potential with Moxie.
**Flame Orb**: On Guts sets, Flame Orb is used to turn Heracross into a very powerful wallbreaker that is not locked into a move.
Niche Items
========
**Damage-boosting items**: If being burned isn't desirable or Heracross is using Moxie, it can instead use a damage-boosting item like Choice Band or Life Orb to increase its damage output.
**Assault Vest**: Heracross has workable Special Defense when paired with an Assault Vest, so it can be used to stomach some special attacks while still providing decent damage output with its high base Attack.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots can be used on more defensive Heracross variants to increase its longevity if entry hazards are a concern.
**Salac Berry**: Usually paired with Endure, Salac Berry can be used to give Heracross a Speed boost and let it snowball sweep with Moxie.
**Custap Berry**: Similar to Salac Berry, Custap Berry can be combined with Endure to let Heracross serve as an emergency check to an opposing foe.
**Loaded Dice**: When Heracross wants to use multi-hit moves, it can opt for Loaded Dice for consistency.
**Focus Sash**: Heracross can occasionally be used as a lead to deal significant damage early-game and maybe get up Spikes while doing so, and Focus Sash provides safety for these offensive lead sets.
Tera
========
Heracross is generally not drafted as a Tera Captain due to it not being a reliable wincon and it already possessing high immediate power, but it can still be effective with Tera. If Heracross is chosen as a Tera Captain, it can utilize Tera Normal to boost Facade on Guts sets to extremely high levels or Tera types such as Tera Ground and Dark to increase the power of its coverage moves. It also can use Tera Fighting effectively to increase its damage output from Close Combat, which is mostly useful on Choice Scarf sets.
Draft Strategy
========
Heracross fits on teams that are still looking for a physical wallbreaker and benefit from its resistance profile. It is capable of breaking almost every physical wall with the right set, but drafts should evaluate if they need power to the extent of Heracross or if something more flexible could be taken instead.
**Slow Pivots**: Heracross needs an opportunity to safely enter the field and activate its Flame Orb, and slow Pokemon with access to pivot moves such as Rotom-W, Galarian Slowking, and Mesprit can give Heracross this support.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Heracross fills the role of a physical wallbreaker for a team, and it likes being paired with a similarly strong special wallbreaker such as Chi-Yu, Gholdengo, or Thundurus-T to maintain offensive pressure both physically and specially.
**Strong Entry Hazard Support**: To enable Heracross's Choice Scarf cleaner sets, it appreciates entry hazards from Pokemon like Ting-Lu, Glimmora, and Sandy Shocks to weaken foes into range of its attacks.
Checks and Counters
========
**Rocky Helmet**: Heracross is prone to being worn down very quickly due to lacking recovery and often suffering from burn's chip damage. Rocky Helmet cuts into its longevity even more to the point where after it makes contact with one, Heracross is able to be revenge killed by pretty much everything.
**Faster Pokemon**: It's not difficult to outspeed Heracross, and since its bulk is only decent, fast offensive Pokemon such as Tornadus-T, Azelf, and Gouging Fire usually won't have much trouble in KOing it. Even Choice Scarf and Trailblaze variants are easily outsped by most opposing Choice Scarf users due to its mediocre base Speed.
**Flying- and Fairy-types**: Heracross's dual STAB combination is resisted by Flying- and Fairy-type Pokemon such as Iron Valiant, Enamorus, and Zapdos, and Heracross is hit super effectively by both types, making them complicated to deal with, as they often force coverage and predictions.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 7-9 points
**Overview**: Heracross is a very strong physical attacker with great abilities that allow it to wallbreak or even win games, but it often finds itself outclassed by other options. Its Speed tier is workable with a Choice Scarf or Trailblaze boost, but it is mediocre at best otherwise. It does provide important resistances to Ground, Dark, and Fighting along with Spikes support, but its bulk isn't notable enough to take hits reliably, and its typing and stats aren't ideal to make full use of its utility. Its offensive coverage is excellent, but its STAB combination isn't great. Heracross is all about having a lot of great qualities, but each of those qualities has a significant drawback, keeping it as a viable but niche option in Draft.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Wallbreaker**: Heracross leverages its high Attack, strong STAB moves, and further damage modifiers from Guts or a damage-boosting item to easily break through foes' defenses. These sets can occasionally run Swords Dance to further boost its wallbreaking power or Trailblaze to enable Heracross as a potential late-game wincon that can outspeed foes as well.
**Revenge Killer**: Heracross's decent Speed stat with a Choice Scarf and Moxie allows it to revenge kill foes and act as a cleaner late-game, since it can snowball with Attack boosts.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Megahorn, Lunge, Close Combat, Low Kick
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Brick Break, Spikes, Substitute
**Coverage**: Double-Edge, Earthquake, Facade, High Horsepower, Knock Off, Rock Slide, Shadow Claw, Stone Edge, Throat Chop, Tera Blast, Aerial Ace
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure can sometimes be used in combination with Salac Berry to guarantee that Heracross survives an attack and receives a Speed boost. This is particularly useful for matchups where opportunities to use Trailblaze are limited and Heracross does not want to be locked into a move with Choice Scarf. It may also be combined with Endeavor to lower foes' HP to 1 before fainting or Reversal for an incredibly powerful Fighting-type attack.
**Bullet Seed / Pin Missile / Rock Blast**: Heracross possesses strong multi-hit moves that can be combined with Loaded Dice for strong attacks that are relatively more accurate than its standard options.
**Pounce / Rock Tomb / Bulldoze**: Rarely, Heracross can use a Speed-lowering move on foes that deal decent damage so it can threaten to outspeed and KO them the following turn.
**Upper Hand**: On Trailblaze setup variants, Heracross can sometimes use Upper Hand to outmaneuver revenge killers' priority moves.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: With a Choice Scarf, Heracross can be used as a decent revenge killer while also possessing sweep potential with Moxie.
**Flame Orb**: On Guts sets, Flame Orb is used to turn Heracross into a very powerful wallbreaker that is not locked into a move.
Niche Items
========
**Damage-boosting items**: If being burned isn't desirable or Heracross is using Moxie, it can instead use a damage-boosting item like Choice Band or Life Orb to increase its damage output.
**Assault Vest**: Heracross has workable Special Defense when paired with an Assault Vest, so it can be used to stomach some special attacks while still providing decent damage output with its high base Attack.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots can be used on more defensive Heracross variants to increase its longevity if entry hazards are a concern.
**Salac Berry**: Usually paired with Endure, Salac Berry can be used to give Heracross a Speed boost and let it snowball sweep with Moxie.
**Custap Berry**: Similar to Salac Berry, Custap Berry can be combined with Endure to let Heracross serve as an emergency check to an opposing foe.
**Loaded Dice**: When Heracross wants to use multi-hit moves, it can opt for Loaded Dice for consistency.
**Focus Sash**: Heracross can occasionally be used as a lead to deal significant damage early-game and maybe get up Spikes while doing so, and Focus Sash provides safety for these offensive lead sets.
Tera
========
Heracross is generally not drafted as a Tera Captain due to it not being a reliable wincon and it already possessing high immediate power, but it can still be effective with Tera. If Heracross is chosen as a Tera Captain, it can utilize Tera Normal to boost Facade on Guts sets to extremely high levels or Tera types such as Tera Ground and Dark to increase the power of its coverage moves. It also can use Tera Fighting effectively to increase its damage output from Close Combat, which is mostly useful on Choice Scarf sets.
Draft Strategy
========
Heracross fits on teams that are still looking for a physical wallbreaker and benefit from its resistance profile. It is capable of breaking almost every physical wall with the right set, but drafts should evaluate if they need power to the extent of Heracross or if something more flexible could be taken instead.
**Slow Pivots**: Heracross needs an opportunity to safely enter the field and activate its Flame Orb, and slow Pokemon with access to pivot moves such as Rotom-W, Galarian Slowking, and Mesprit can give Heracross this support.
**Special Wallbreakers**: Heracross fills the role of a physical wallbreaker for a team, and it likes being paired with a similarly strong special wallbreaker such as Chi-Yu, Gholdengo, or Thundurus-T to maintain offensive pressure both physically and specially.
**Strong Entry Hazard Support**: To enable Heracross's Choice Scarf cleaner sets, it appreciates entry hazards from Pokemon like Ting-Lu, Glimmora, and Sandy Shocks to weaken foes into range of its attacks.
Checks and Counters
========
**Rocky Helmet**: Heracross is prone to being worn down very quickly due to lacking recovery and often suffering from burn's chip damage. Rocky Helmet cuts into its longevity even more to the point where after it makes contact with one, Heracross is able to be revenge killed by pretty much everything.
**Faster Pokemon**: It's not difficult to outspeed Heracross, and since its bulk is only decent, fast offensive Pokemon such as Tornadus-T, Azelf, and Gouging Fire usually won't have much trouble in KOing it. Even Choice Scarf and Trailblaze variants are easily outsped by most opposing Choice Scarf users due to its mediocre base Speed.
**Flying- and Fairy-types**: Heracross's dual STAB combination is resisted by Flying- and Fairy-type Pokemon such as Iron Valiant, Enamorus, and Zapdos, and Heracross is hit super effectively by both types, making them complicated to deal with, as they often force coverage and predictions.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
