[OVERVIEW]
Mega Heracross stands out as a threatening wallbreaker thanks to having the highest Attack stat in the tier, access to Swords Dance, and its ability Skill Link, which fits perfectly with its multi-hit movepool such as Rock Blast and Pin Missile to form a varied and deadly offensive coverage. Its rare typing in Bug / Fighting alongside its usable bulk helps to soft check Ground-types such as Gliscor and Landorus-T and answer Knock Off from the likes of Choice-locked Weavile and Kartana. However, Mega Heracross is mainly held back by its Speed, being slower than a huge part of the metagame, while its typing leaves it vulnerable to Fairy-, Fire-, Flying- and Psychic-type attacks from faster Pokemon that are fairly common to encounter in the tier, with top threats like Tapu Lele, both Mega Charizard formes, Tornadus-T, and Mega Alakazam to name a few. Mega Heracross also faces competition in the tier from other wallbreakers that are easier to fit on teams thanks to their superior Speed, coverage, or typing, such as Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile, and Mega Charizard X.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Pin Missile / Substitute
item: Heracronite
ability: Moxie / Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Swords Dance enables Heracross to break through defensive cores more efficiently. Close Combat is the preferred Fighting-type STAB move thanks to its high Base Power, allowing Mega Heracross to heavily pressure or outright knock out key threats of the tier; it secures clean knockouts on Ferrothorn and Heatran while reliably 2HKOing Magearna and Celesteela as well as Skarmory after Stealth Rock. Rock Blast is mandatory coverage that covers everything that resists Close Combat, hitting Flying-types like Tornadus-T and Zapdos hard while dealing neutral damage on defensive staples like Toxapex, Clefable, Landorus-T, and Gliscor. Pin Missile is Heracross's secondary ability-boosted STAB move, improving its matchup against Psychic-types like Mega Latias, Cresselia, and Reuniclus, which are common on bulkier teams. Substitute allows Mega Heracross to block status, punish sacrifices, and ease prediction, but using this comes at the cost of a secondary STAB attack and coverage.
Set Details
========
Given Mega Heracross's already low Speed tier, focusing on offense with an Adamant nature and full investment in Attack maximizes its damage on key Pokemon like Clefable and Toxapex, which would otherwise wall it more easily. 192 EVs in Speed make Heracross faster than faster than Modest Heatran before Mega Evolving while also making sure it still outspeeds defensive Heatran and slower variants of Landorus-T and Tapu Fini after Mega Evolving. The rest is put in HP to improve Heracross's bulk and longevity. Moxie is the preferred pre-Mega ability, allowing Heracross to hold off on Mega Evolving to get a boost first. Guts is also usable, improving the matchup against status users and giving Heracross an out against a burn. Investing 228 Speed EVs can also be used to outspeed Mega Swampert outside of rain and slower Zapdos prior to Mega Evolving.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Heracross thrives when given free turns by defensive Pokemon like Chansey, Ferrothorn, and Gliscor. Setting up entry hazards early is crucial for Mega Heracross, as they help against multiple threats like Zapdos, putting it into OHKO range of Rock Blast after Stealth Rock, and Toxapex, which gets OHKOed by +2 Rock Blast after Stealth Rock. However, Mega Heracross must still be played carefully around resilient Pokemon such as Clefable and Reuniclus. Its defensive profile is useful for directly switching into weak Earthquakes from Pokemon like Gliscor and defensive Landorus-T, other resisted physical attacks like Kartana and Weavile's Knock Off, and even Choice Specs Greninja's Dark Pulse and Serperior's Leaf Storm in a pinch, creating an opening for a devastating attack in retaliation. Mega Heracross is especially useful against Substitute attackers like Mega Gyarados and Serperior thanks to its multi-hit moves forcing through Substitute.
Team Options
========
Mega Heracross is a strong choice for bulky offense teams, serving as the primary wallbreaker and relying on teammates for support. Mega Heracross is often paired with the solid defensive core of Tapu Fini and Jirachi, as they are able to check a wide spectrum of the tier while supporting it. Tapu Fini helps handling Fire-types like Mega Charizard X, Heatran, and Victini and Water-types like Ash-Greninja, while Jirachi checks Psychic-, Fairy-, and Flying-types like Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, and Tornadus-T. The combination of Tapu Fini's Misty Terrain with Wish and Healing Wish from Jirachi synergizes well with Mega Heracross, protecting it from status while also allowing it to recover and continue to put pressure throughout the match. Heatran is another strong partner, taking on the Fairy-, Flying-, and Psychic-types that trouble Mega Heracross while also forming a potent stallbreaking duo with it. In return, Mega Heracross helps by soft checking weaker Ground-type attacks from foes like Gliscor, giving the two excellent offensive and defensive synergy. Given Mega Heracross's low Speed tier, Pokemon that spread paralysis, such as Zapdos and Serperior, are extremely helpful. Zapdos also shines as a reliable answer to Flying-types such as Tornadus-T, Mega Pinsir, and Hawlucha, which threaten Mega Heracross. Pokemon that can pivot with U-turn or Volt Switch like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, Rotom-W, and Magearna help Mega Heracross enter the field safely. Mega Heracross’s low Speed can also be utilized in a semi-Trick Room team, with Pokemon like Magearna and Cresselia setting up Trick Room, checking key threats such as Psychic-types, spreading paralysis with Thunder Wave, and, in Cresselia's case, restoring health with Lunar Dance.
Mega Heracross pairs well with Fire-types like Victini, which soft checks Fairy-, Fire-, and Psychic-types while also pivoting it in with U-turn. In return, Mega Heracross breaks down common Water- and Ground-types that wall Victini such as Slowbro and defensive Landorus-T, as well as handling Dark-type attacks from the likes of Mega Tyranitar and Choice-locked Weavile, giving the duo strong offensive synergy. Garchomp makes for a strong offensive partner with Mega Heracross, thanks to its typing checking key Fire-type threats like Heatran and Mega Charizard Y. Fast cleaners like Choice Scarf Kartana appreciate the wallbreaking capabilities of Mega Heracross, picking up the remaining pieces and stacking boosts. Thanks to Protean, Greninja lures in Mega Heracross's checks, opening Mega Heracross up during the game, while Battle Bond Greninja takes advantage of Mega Heracross's wallbreaking capabilities to transform into Ash-Greninja and clean late-game. Both formes can set up Spikes as well, helping Mega Heracross to dismantle defensive cores. Ferrothorn, in addition to providing Spikes and Stealth Rock support, also checks Fairy- and Psychic-types.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Bullet Seed is a possibility if Mega Heracross is paired with Tapu Bulu to exploit Skill Link and Grassy Terrain, which let it become an incredibly powerful pseudo-STAB attack that is capable of 2HKOing Unaware Clefable and Toxapex. However, pairing Mega Heracross with Tapu Bulu forces the team to stack weaknesses and slow Pokemon together. Earthquake is a possibility over Swords Dance or Pin Missile to have a clean KO on Toxapex after Swords Dance and hit Steel-types like Magearna for super effective damage while not having to suffer the stat drops of Close Combat, but Mega Heracross will either reduce its wallbreaking capabilities by letting go of Swords Dance or give up the coverage and immediate power of Pin Missile.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types pose a significant threat to Mega Heracross. Many of them like Mega Diancie, Tapu Lele, and Tapu Koko are faster and can KO it with a single powerful hit. Others, such as Tapu Fini, Clefable, and Magearna, can comfortably tank unboosted hits and retaliate with strong Fairy-type attacks like Moonblast and Fleur Cannon. Magic Guard Clefable is especially problematic, as it avoids residual damage from entry hazards or status, making it much harder to 2HKO. Meanwhile, Unaware Clefable isn't hazard immune but can completely shut down Mega Heracross's attempts to break through with Swords Dance boosts and stall it out.
**Fire-types**: While most Fire-types have to be wary of Rock Blast and Stealth Rock, both Mega Charizard formes, Heatran, Victini, and Volcarona can hit Mega Heracross for super effective damage and remove it from the battle.
**Psychic-types**: Faster Psychic-types such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Medicham, Mega Latios, and Mega Latias can scare out Mega Heracross very easily or revenge kill it, though they are scared to switch into STAB Pin Missile. Slower Psychic-types like Reuniclus and Cresselia can also prove to be annoying if Mega Heracross drops Pin Missile.
**Flying-types**: Tornadus-T, Mega Pinsir, and Dragonite are key threats to Mega Heracross. They all resist both of its STAB types and can OHKO it with powerful 4x super effective Flying-type attacks. That said, they still need to be cautious of switching into Rock Blast. Landorus-T is also a noteworthy soft check. It resists Fighting and Bug, takes neutral damage from Rock Blast, can pivot in safely thanks to Intimidate, and either threatens Mega Heracross with Supersonic Skystrike and Toxic or pivots out.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/maktyum.541503/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Mega Heracross stands out as a threatening wallbreaker thanks to having the highest Attack stat in the tier, access to Swords Dance, and its ability Skill Link, which fits perfectly with its multi-hit movepool such as Rock Blast and Pin Missile to form a varied and deadly offensive coverage. Its rare typing in Bug / Fighting alongside its usable bulk helps to soft check Ground-types such as Gliscor and Landorus-T and answer Knock Off from the likes of Choice-locked Weavile and Kartana. However, Mega Heracross is mainly held back by its Speed, being slower than a huge part of the metagame, while its typing leaves it vulnerable to Fairy-, Fire-, Flying- and Psychic-type attacks from faster Pokemon that are fairly common to encounter in the tier, with top threats like Tapu Lele, both Mega Charizard formes, Tornadus-T, and Mega Alakazam to name a few. Mega Heracross also faces competition in the tier from other wallbreakers that are easier to fit on teams thanks to their superior Speed, coverage, or typing, such as Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile, and Mega Charizard X.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Pin Missile / Substitute
item: Heracronite
ability: Moxie / Guts
nature: Adamant
evs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Swords Dance enables Heracross to break through defensive cores more efficiently. Close Combat is the preferred Fighting-type STAB move thanks to its high Base Power, allowing Mega Heracross to heavily pressure or outright knock out key threats of the tier; it secures clean knockouts on Ferrothorn and Heatran while reliably 2HKOing Magearna and Celesteela as well as Skarmory after Stealth Rock. Rock Blast is mandatory coverage that covers everything that resists Close Combat, hitting Flying-types like Tornadus-T and Zapdos hard while dealing neutral damage on defensive staples like Toxapex, Clefable, Landorus-T, and Gliscor. Pin Missile is Heracross's secondary ability-boosted STAB move, improving its matchup against Psychic-types like Mega Latias, Cresselia, and Reuniclus, which are common on bulkier teams. Substitute allows Mega Heracross to block status, punish sacrifices, and ease prediction, but using this comes at the cost of a secondary STAB attack and coverage.
Set Details
========
Given Mega Heracross's already low Speed tier, focusing on offense with an Adamant nature and full investment in Attack maximizes its damage on key Pokemon like Clefable and Toxapex, which would otherwise wall it more easily. 192 EVs in Speed make Heracross faster than faster than Modest Heatran before Mega Evolving while also making sure it still outspeeds defensive Heatran and slower variants of Landorus-T and Tapu Fini after Mega Evolving. The rest is put in HP to improve Heracross's bulk and longevity. Moxie is the preferred pre-Mega ability, allowing Heracross to hold off on Mega Evolving to get a boost first. Guts is also usable, improving the matchup against status users and giving Heracross an out against a burn. Investing 228 Speed EVs can also be used to outspeed Mega Swampert outside of rain and slower Zapdos prior to Mega Evolving.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Heracross thrives when given free turns by defensive Pokemon like Chansey, Ferrothorn, and Gliscor. Setting up entry hazards early is crucial for Mega Heracross, as they help against multiple threats like Zapdos, putting it into OHKO range of Rock Blast after Stealth Rock, and Toxapex, which gets OHKOed by +2 Rock Blast after Stealth Rock. However, Mega Heracross must still be played carefully around resilient Pokemon such as Clefable and Reuniclus. Its defensive profile is useful for directly switching into weak Earthquakes from Pokemon like Gliscor and defensive Landorus-T, other resisted physical attacks like Kartana and Weavile's Knock Off, and even Choice Specs Greninja's Dark Pulse and Serperior's Leaf Storm in a pinch, creating an opening for a devastating attack in retaliation. Mega Heracross is especially useful against Substitute attackers like Mega Gyarados and Serperior thanks to its multi-hit moves forcing through Substitute.
Team Options
========
Mega Heracross is a strong choice for bulky offense teams, serving as the primary wallbreaker and relying on teammates for support. Mega Heracross is often paired with the solid defensive core of Tapu Fini and Jirachi, as they are able to check a wide spectrum of the tier while supporting it. Tapu Fini helps handling Fire-types like Mega Charizard X, Heatran, and Victini and Water-types like Ash-Greninja, while Jirachi checks Psychic-, Fairy-, and Flying-types like Mega Alakazam, Tapu Lele, and Tornadus-T. The combination of Tapu Fini's Misty Terrain with Wish and Healing Wish from Jirachi synergizes well with Mega Heracross, protecting it from status while also allowing it to recover and continue to put pressure throughout the match. Heatran is another strong partner, taking on the Fairy-, Flying-, and Psychic-types that trouble Mega Heracross while also forming a potent stallbreaking duo with it. In return, Mega Heracross helps by soft checking weaker Ground-type attacks from foes like Gliscor, giving the two excellent offensive and defensive synergy. Given Mega Heracross's low Speed tier, Pokemon that spread paralysis, such as Zapdos and Serperior, are extremely helpful. Zapdos also shines as a reliable answer to Flying-types such as Tornadus-T, Mega Pinsir, and Hawlucha, which threaten Mega Heracross. Pokemon that can pivot with U-turn or Volt Switch like Landorus-T, Tornadus-T, Rotom-W, and Magearna help Mega Heracross enter the field safely. Mega Heracross’s low Speed can also be utilized in a semi-Trick Room team, with Pokemon like Magearna and Cresselia setting up Trick Room, checking key threats such as Psychic-types, spreading paralysis with Thunder Wave, and, in Cresselia's case, restoring health with Lunar Dance.
Mega Heracross pairs well with Fire-types like Victini, which soft checks Fairy-, Fire-, and Psychic-types while also pivoting it in with U-turn. In return, Mega Heracross breaks down common Water- and Ground-types that wall Victini such as Slowbro and defensive Landorus-T, as well as handling Dark-type attacks from the likes of Mega Tyranitar and Choice-locked Weavile, giving the duo strong offensive synergy. Garchomp makes for a strong offensive partner with Mega Heracross, thanks to its typing checking key Fire-type threats like Heatran and Mega Charizard Y. Fast cleaners like Choice Scarf Kartana appreciate the wallbreaking capabilities of Mega Heracross, picking up the remaining pieces and stacking boosts. Thanks to Protean, Greninja lures in Mega Heracross's checks, opening Mega Heracross up during the game, while Battle Bond Greninja takes advantage of Mega Heracross's wallbreaking capabilities to transform into Ash-Greninja and clean late-game. Both formes can set up Spikes as well, helping Mega Heracross to dismantle defensive cores. Ferrothorn, in addition to providing Spikes and Stealth Rock support, also checks Fairy- and Psychic-types.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Bullet Seed is a possibility if Mega Heracross is paired with Tapu Bulu to exploit Skill Link and Grassy Terrain, which let it become an incredibly powerful pseudo-STAB attack that is capable of 2HKOing Unaware Clefable and Toxapex. However, pairing Mega Heracross with Tapu Bulu forces the team to stack weaknesses and slow Pokemon together. Earthquake is a possibility over Swords Dance or Pin Missile to have a clean KO on Toxapex after Swords Dance and hit Steel-types like Magearna for super effective damage while not having to suffer the stat drops of Close Combat, but Mega Heracross will either reduce its wallbreaking capabilities by letting go of Swords Dance or give up the coverage and immediate power of Pin Missile.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types pose a significant threat to Mega Heracross. Many of them like Mega Diancie, Tapu Lele, and Tapu Koko are faster and can KO it with a single powerful hit. Others, such as Tapu Fini, Clefable, and Magearna, can comfortably tank unboosted hits and retaliate with strong Fairy-type attacks like Moonblast and Fleur Cannon. Magic Guard Clefable is especially problematic, as it avoids residual damage from entry hazards or status, making it much harder to 2HKO. Meanwhile, Unaware Clefable isn't hazard immune but can completely shut down Mega Heracross's attempts to break through with Swords Dance boosts and stall it out.
**Fire-types**: While most Fire-types have to be wary of Rock Blast and Stealth Rock, both Mega Charizard formes, Heatran, Victini, and Volcarona can hit Mega Heracross for super effective damage and remove it from the battle.
**Psychic-types**: Faster Psychic-types such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Medicham, Mega Latios, and Mega Latias can scare out Mega Heracross very easily or revenge kill it, though they are scared to switch into STAB Pin Missile. Slower Psychic-types like Reuniclus and Cresselia can also prove to be annoying if Mega Heracross drops Pin Missile.
**Flying-types**: Tornadus-T, Mega Pinsir, and Dragonite are key threats to Mega Heracross. They all resist both of its STAB types and can OHKO it with powerful 4x super effective Flying-type attacks. That said, they still need to be cautious of switching into Rock Blast. Landorus-T is also a noteworthy soft check. It resists Fighting and Bug, takes neutral damage from Rock Blast, can pivot in safely thanks to Intimidate, and either threatens Mega Heracross with Supersonic Skystrike and Toxic or pivots out.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/maktyum.541503/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
