Yeah, an Expert Belt mention in OO would be a good idea.
QC APPROVED 3/3
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QC APPROVED 3/3
Go forth and multiply.
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Heracross (Analysis)
- Thread starter Majora_younglink
- Start date
Why would you run Toxic on a Choice set? That seems ridiculous and counter-productive to me, especially on Heracross, who should just focus on smacking stuff as hard as he can. I'd remove that mention on the Scarf set.
It's made for primarily catching walls that Heracross wouldn't be able to handle anyways and just adding timers on various pokemon. It's not too serious of a mention but it is a move that is still worth considering for the odd times.
PS: I'll be writting this up then over the weekend or so. Will edit the title and such as I work on it. Expect it.
PS: I'll be writting this up then over the weekend or so. Will edit the title and such as I work on it. Expect it.
Shouldn't that be left to a bulkier Pokemon who can recover and switch between moves? Heracross should focus on slamming with a powerful hit versus locking itself into defeat spreading status. Besides, who would Heracross really care about poisoning? If that's the case, use something more efficient at the job, or use Toxic Spikes on someone else.
I could understand giving it a mention in OO, but it really doesn't deserve any mentions on any Choice set. It's a waste of time. Let something else do the poisoning.
I'll bring it up with the QC members sometime or they can post their own opinion on the subject in this thread but I'm not moving it until I get some formal input from one of QC members on the subject because it passed their consent and to be perfectly honest it did well enough in 4th Gen to be a formal slash that listing it in AC doesn't seem too farfetched.
What bulky Pokemon are so important to poison though that Heracross can't otherwise 2- or 3HKO with it's other attacks? If you poison something Choiced, you'll just have to switch out immediately anyways, so it seems like a wasted moveslot on Choice-Heracross.
Pokemon like Vaporeon who could otherwise Wish Stall you are put on a clock which is always nice, non-poison heal Gliscors (if they wanted SR), Zapdos, Hippowdon, and other such pokemon that are just hard to take down are all put on clocks.
I asked QC as well and they also agreed that it has merit and it can stay in AC. That's the final ruling on that then.
PS: Like I said I will get to writing this up this weekend.
I asked QC as well and they also agreed that it has merit and it can stay in AC. That's the final ruling on that then.
PS: Like I said I will get to writing this up this weekend.
Uh, revival bump. I've actually been sorta working on formatting and other issues over the past two weeks. Sorry if it looked dead during that time.
Nice analysis!
Just condense the set comments in the Non-Choiced attacker; the main comments should be at least 1-3 paragraphs for OU analyses. Also, inform that Heracross is ready for GP checks in the GP Queue.
Also, just a question: Why does the analysis have Latias damage calculations when it isn't mentioned anywhere else in the analysis at all?
Just condense the set comments in the Non-Choiced attacker; the main comments should be at least 1-3 paragraphs for OU analyses. Also, inform that Heracross is ready for GP checks in the GP Queue.
Also, just a question: Why does the analysis have Latias damage calculations when it isn't mentioned anywhere else in the analysis at all?
I PM'd them right after my post actually. Do I have to post in the thread as well?
I'll try to condense it but considering it's pretty much two sets combined that might be a little hard. I'll do so however.
Well I was just giving an idea about Pursuit VS Night Slash damage and when it would KO since that's a major selling point of the Choice Scarf set. I would add mention of Lati@s as a check to Heracross but they're as much each others checks as anything considering each can OHKO the other depending on what set they're running. Should I just put it at the very end along with a comment of some sort?
I'll try to condense it but considering it's pretty much two sets combined that might be a little hard. I'll do so however.
Well I was just giving an idea about Pursuit VS Night Slash damage and when it would KO since that's a major selling point of the Choice Scarf set. I would add mention of Lati@s as a check to Heracross but they're as much each others checks as anything considering each can OHKO the other depending on what set they're running. Should I just put it at the very end along with a comment of some sort?
To be honest Flame Orb is nice and all but Heracross usually won't be able to stay in long enough to abuse the lower passive damage from burn compared to toxic in the long run since it'll usually be forced out after a turn or two. We talked about this back in the QC days and pretty much none of them wanted Flame Orb on Heracross.
According to personal experience, the Gen 4 Mono-Attacker Set is still viable and deserves the OP. At +2 a Guts boosted Megahorn OHKOs almost every Pokemon that does not 4x resist it after SR damage. Even Heatran has to be careful switching in since a Guts boosted Megahorn 2HKOs and Fire Blast only manages upwards of 97% to 252/216 Careful Heracross.All Variants of Skarmory would be 2HKOed after Brave Bird recoil and Heracross. It loses to Chandelure's Overheat though, but is leaves a opportunity to set up after the dropped SAtk.
I'm sorry but I really can't see monoattacking Heracross doing well this generation for the same exact reason that SD set is no longer viable as a main set option and that's because of how common it's main walls are this generation due to the shift of emphasis on countering fighting pokemon. This is before even mentioning that it has shaky accuracy.
Technically it us only walled by skarm w/o drill peck since a +2 sleep talk megahorn can ohko anything that does not resist 4x. Fot example it always kos sd scizor (i guess it is stardard this gen)with +1 and sleep talk after sr damage despite being resisted. +2 sleeping megahorn deals upwards to 39% on a +3 altaria while flamethrowrr never 3hkos even with rugged helm damage.
The thing is though it may not be walled by much if your statement is indeed actually true the thing is it'll almost always be outspeed and taken out with an appropriate move and with its weaknesses are so common this generation it's not like it won't be threatened by at least half the OU metagame meaning each and every team will have an answer for it. There is mention of a SD set and a Sleep Talk set but I don't feel that a monoattacking set is worth talking about.
Altaria also isn't standard so that's a sort of moot example. And all Skarm's carry Brave Bird these days which will KO. But all the same I really really doubt this variant of Heracross can take on all the physically bulky pokemon of this generation like Multi-scale Dragonite, Poison Heal Gliscor, and the dozens of fighting type pokemon.
Altaria also isn't standard so that's a sort of moot example. And all Skarm's carry Brave Bird these days which will KO. But all the same I really really doubt this variant of Heracross can take on all the physically bulky pokemon of this generation like Multi-scale Dragonite, Poison Heal Gliscor, and the dozens of fighting type pokemon.
Aha, Dynastes hercules.
Urgh.
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I'll be perfectly honest with you here... while I suppose this isn't bad for a first analysis, it really was rather tough going to get through. There were tonnes and tonnes of really quite basic grammatical errors, or rather things that wouldn't have needed to be changed had you read the "Spelling and Grammar Standards" article. It would have been much easier to check this had I not had to correct every single uncapitalised stat name or the like.
The other thing is, why are the only teammates you have mentioned, at all, are Chansey, Heatran, Reuniclus, and Cresselia? What about Ferrothorn for entry hazard support? What about Vaporeon, or any kind of bulky Water-type, for Wish support and taking on Fire-types? Sweepers for taking advantage of Heracross's wallbreaking? Attackers who benefit from the disappearance of the fast, frail offensive cores of opposing teams? Even something to take care of Gliscor and Skarmory?
This is a shame, because I personally think you've got pretty good writing skills, and you haven't done yourself any favours by not checking the thing through. I'm going to withold the GP stamp for now, and when you've implemented the changes and read it through yourself, I'll give it another read-through and check it. If it's satisfactory, I'll give it the stamp.
I'd also advise that you read this thread if you haven't already.
EDIT: I'm very sorry if this came off as harsh, I'm only trying to provide some constructive criticism. I'm just a little annoyed at having to spend the best part of the afternoon and evening going through this.
Urgh.
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Overview:
[Overview]
<p>The fighting beetle,(comma) Heracross,(comma) has been a premier physical attacker ever since its introduction in the second generation and has shown its strength through almost every generation since its introduction. Though it has had periods of usage drop reduced usage due to issues with its stats (such as his lackluster speed Speed) he it [remember to be consistent with pronouns] has, at the very least, kept the tools to get the job done. By making good use of its Guts ability to freely absorb status and subsequently threaten just about everything in the game, pokemon right out he it is one pokemon Pokemon that can create quite a headache given the chance. Having the amazing double stab STAB coverage of Close Combat and Megahorn doesn't hurt either. While his defensive stats are not superb, it does have a few worthwhile resistances to its name. while also having a few niche resists he has actually been blessed this generation and is no doubt a big threat to many teams that are caught unprepared in Generation 5 Don't underestimate the Hercules beetle, as it can be quite a nasty surprise for any unprepared team in the 5th generation.<p></p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a stats of base 85 speed Speed and base 125 attack Attack, stat Heracross is a prime candidate for Choice Scarf and has two great STAB moves to abuse with it. When looking at Heracross one can not cannot ever forget Guts,(comma) which is among Heracross' Heracross's biggest selling points, that is to say the as it gives Heracross the ability ablility to switch into almost every any status move and get an attack Attack boost. This ability is not something to take lightly,(comma) especially considering that with the speed Speed increase gained from a Choice Scarf,(comma) it can quickly become an exponential amazingly powerful threat. Close Combat and Megahorn are for STAB Heracross's infamous STAB moves and have surprisingly good synergy together—alongside Stone Edge, Heracross can hit almost everything in the metagame for at least neutral damage. . Together with Stone Edge which serves as a supplementary coverage move and you have three moves that can hit most of the metagame for at least neutral damage.<p></p>
<p>The last moveslot is reserved made for pseudo-trapping foes that Heracross can hit super effectively trying to escape. Pursuit hits switched out pokemon hard Pokemon as they switch out and is useful for taking out big threats that might want to otherwise switch out Pokemon weak to it, such as Latios and Starmie, but Night Slash is also notable for its ability to 2HKOs 2HKO Jellicent,(comma) which would otherwise wall Heracross. Night Slash also fills the role as the alternate route of an alternative move for hitting Psychic pokemon Psychic-type Pokemon hard and punishing foes that happen to stay in hoping to take an unboosted Pursuit and survive.<p></p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant is the preferred nature on this set due to Heracross already being able to outspeed everything he needs to with a neutral nature,(comma) and the damage increase from running an attack increasing Attack-boosting nature helps him hit as hard as possible. It is possible to run a Jolly nature,(comma) but it is not recommended as any other pokemon that Choice Scarf Heracross would outrun with a +speed nature are too big for him anyways.<p></p>
<p>Toxic has some merit in the fourth moveslot for possibly crippling walls Heracross could never break or just putting a timer on other pokemon Pokemon. Pokemon like Vaporeon, Zapdos, and Hippowdon who could otherwise stall you out with their respective healing moves are all forced to switch out lest their poison timer damage gets too high,(comma) and thus become much easier to deal with.<p></p>
<p>Pokemon who do not enjoy Grass pokemon, have fear of Psychic pokemon, or dislike Dark pokemon have trouble with Grass-, Psychic-, or Dark-type Pokemon all appreciate Heracross' ability to come in and immediately threaten them and possibly KO these pokemon if they don't immediately switch out. Even the bulkiest of pokemon Pokemon, such as Reuniclus, after taking some light damage beforehand, are all can be easily dispatched with a STAB move if they dare to stay in on Choice Scarf Heracross, assuming a little bit of prior damage.<p></p>
[Uh the paragraph above is completely pointless as it is... naturally Pokemon who have trouble with the above will appreciate Heracross support, but you need to give examples. Oh, and it would help to give examples of Pokemon who can deal with Heracross's counters, too]
<p>Entry Hazard support is appreciated as it helps Heracross get much more OHKOs than it would normally get and also discourage switching around too much. This variant of Heracross is not made to sweep teams but to revenge kill and poke holes through teams and as a result the passive damage that Entry Hazard gives help this variant of Heracross quite a bit in performing its job.<p>
[Entry hazard support is a given, it's not really necessary to devote an entire paragraph to it]
Calcs on Latias (Adamant Heracross):
0 HP / 0 Def
Pursuit On Switch Out: 67.77%-80.40%
Normal Pursuit: 33.89%-40.53%
Night Slash: 59.80%-70.43%
252 HP / 0 Def
Pursuit On Switch Out: 56.04%-66.48%
Normal Pursuit: 28.02%-33.52%
Night Slash: 49.45%-58.24%
[These really aren't necessary]
[SET]
name: Non Choiced Attacker Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge / Night Slash
move 4: Facade / Substitute
item: Toxic Orb / Leftovers
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 16 HP / 240 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set functions in two differing ways, either as a Substitute Attacker attacker or as an All Out Attacker all-out attacker depending on what item you choose to run. One can run Toxic Orb as it means higher attack due to the Guts boost and also boosting Facade's power Toxic Orb forcibly activates Heracross's Guts ability, boosting not only its Attack but also the power of Facade, but it comes at the cost of a lot less lower survivability as a whole and revealing your set immediately,(comma) but the set as an All Out Attacker should not be underestimated,(comma) as it can actually 2HKO even the most defensive pokemon Pokemon as they switch in on a Facade.(full stop). Most notably, even 252 HP Gliscor is 2HKOed by a boosted Facade, even accounting for Poison Heal recovery, by Adamant Heracross , notable example of course being Gliscor (252 HP / 252 Def+) with Poison Heal will be take massive damage by a powered up Facade on the switch in and then be KO'd by the following Facade. Leftovers on the other hand increases Heracross' Heracross's longevity by quite a bit with its passive recovery and can even bluff a possible choice Choice item,(comma) which helps Heracross set up a Substitute on a possible switch. Heracross threatens out a lot of pokemon Pokemon, and this set can easily capitalize on it if you choose to run Substitute. With a Substitute up,(comma) Heracross is able to safely attack whatever happens to switch in and possibly get a KO on their normal usual Heracross check/counter check. It can take out many of the faster,(comma) frailer Pokemon from behind a Substitute,(comma) and can potentially 2HKO the slower,(comma) bulkier pokemon that stay in and try to break his Substitute.<p></p>
<p>The 16 HP EVs shifted from attack are done so that you can reach a Leftovers number and survive a few choice Fire attacks like Lava Plume from Heatran but they can be shifted into attack if you don't mind the the possibility of being OHKO'd by these fairly niche attacks or are not running Leftovers. The choice between a Jolly and Adamant nature is entirely up to the user but one must remember running Jolly means a decrease in damage output while running Adamant means you can no longer guarantee the outspeeding/speed tie'ing of pokemon such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, Nidoking, etc.<p>
[This should go in AC]
<p>Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross' Heracross's primary STAB moves,(comma) and hit most pokemon Pokemon extremely hard,(comma) whether they resist it or not even those that resist them. The choice between Stone Edge and Night Slash is choosingdepends on whether you'd like to be able to easily deal with Flying-type pokemon Pokemon or with Ghost Ghost-type Pokemon, respectively and determine what pokemon will give you the most trouble.<p></p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>16 HP EVs are shifted from Attack in order to reach a Leftovers number and survive certain Fire-type attacks, such as Lava Plume from Heatran, but they can be shifted into Attack if you don't mind the possibility of being OHKOed, or are not running Leftovers. The choice between a Jolly and an Adamant nature is entirely up to the user, but one must remember that running Jolly means a decrease in damage output, while running Adamant means you can no longer guarantee that you will outspeed Pokemon such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Nidoking.</p>
[Note that I made substantial edits here, so it may be best to just C+P]
<p>Focus Punch can be run instead of Close Combat when running Substitute,(comma) but this will mean you will not have a fighting move to use freely you are left without a reliable Fighting-type STAB, which can lead to many problems,(comma) and thus is not highly recommended to run as there are better Focus Punchers around.<p></p>
<p>Bulky pokemon Pokemon once again make great teammates for this version variant of Heracross. Pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, Heatran, or Cresselia would all make good partners as they can sponge the special attacks that Heracross is scared to take such as Psychic or Fire moves and proceed to most likely wall stall out the opposing pokemon Pokemon. Hazard damage is once again appreciated considering Heracross doesn't hit as hard with this set. Paralysis support is especially appreciated as it makes this version of Heracross much harder to deal with,(comma) as it can potentially outspeed and OHKO its would-be checks and counters.<p></p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 208 HP / 104 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Come in on a resisted move and Bulk Up as they switch on out is the basic premise of this set. This set has one benefit over every other set; its the ability to perfectly counter every physical attacking pokemon who can't hit you with a super effective move [That's just too much hyperbole right there]. Heracross with Bulk Up has the astonishing ability to take out many of its would be walls usual counters after only a few Bulk Ups. Pokemon like standard Gliscor or Conkeldurr, for example, can SD use Swords Dance or Bulk Up respectively on Heracross but will fail to do any significant damage to Heracross while it at the same time Heracross maxes out its defenses and prepares to retaliate with a high-power move. After about a +3 in attack this variant three Bulk Ups, Heracross will break through even the sturdiest walls in the game that aren't called Skarmory with its massive attack power. Most physical attacking pokemon, most notably fighting pokemon, will not be able to do anything to this variant of Heracross due to its ever increasing defenses.<p></p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Low Kick is used over Close Combat due to having no defense drops after being used, use but Close Combat is still an option considering the large difference in power the two moves have.<p></p>
<p>Rain support is extremely appreciated on this set as it removes another weakness from Heracross and makes it even easier to set up some Bulk Ups on opposing pokemon Pokemon. Hazards, especially Stealth Rock, make this Heracross variant much more threatening as the hazards will rack up residual damage as the opponent is forced to switch around to try to deal with Heracross and his Bulk Ups.<p></p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>125 Attack is nothing to scoff at,(comma) and when combined with a Choice Band along with two excellent STAB moves Heracross becomes an extremely hard pokemon to switch into for many teams. The moves as previously stated before on the aforementioned sets provide quite the ample coverage. Megahorn, Close Combat, and Stone Edge all together hit almost every pokemon Pokemon in the metagame for at least neutral damage,(comma) which makes them all fairly essential. One thing to note is that the great benefit of running Choice Band Megahorn is that it will always OHKO Reuniclus no matter the variant with a STAB Megahorn,(comma) thus making it arguable arguably its most solid check the best check to them. The last moveslot is completely up to the user as it helps fill a possible problem area. Night Slash means many pokemon Pokemon weak to dark Dark-type moves, notable considering the rise in Psychic pokemon, will be OHKO'd or 2HKO'd (notably Jellicent) can be dealt with effectively, most notably Jellicent. Pursuit is for trapping certain weakened pokemon Pokemon and for possible bluffing of a Scarf but comes at a the risk of possible retaliation, most of these attacks which will OHKO Heracross if the opponent decides to set up Lucario or Terrakion on your Choice-locked Pursuit.<p></p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>There really are no moves that work better than the ones listed on the Choice Band set due to Heracross' shallow move pool.<p>
<p>Pokemon who attract statuses status ailments make great partners for Heracross as he can easily switch in on them a predicted status-inflicting move and activate Guts. With Guts added on to the power of Choice Band,(comma) almost nothing can really wall him effectively unless it's named Skarmory [Adamant CB Heracross with Guts activated does 81% minimum to Skarmory with Close Combat so I'm not sure why you keep saying it can wall Heracross 100%]. Entry hazard support is once again appreciated but not entirely needed on this set due to how hard it hits. Pokemon who resist Heracross' Heracross's weaknesses or at the very least can take the hit convincingly are much more appreciated on this set than any other considering how often this set will be forced to switch in and out due to speed Speed issues. Bulky pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, Heatran, or Cresselia would all make good partners with this in mind and are recommended.<p></p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>RestTalk (Rest + Sleep Talk) is an option if you feel like abusing Heracross' decent bulk and Guts ability,(comma) but it will have a lot of trouble waking up after it has used Rest once and no matter what set of moves you choose to run Heracross will be walled by a few select pokemon Pokemon. That said,(comma) RestTalk is a fairly decent choice since it can hit extremely hard and is fairly hard to OHKO. With an SD boost With a Swords Dance boost, Heracross's Attack skyrockets Heracross' attack sky rockets and it becomes capable of wallbreaking and cutting through various types of stall teams. Decent bulk on both sides means Heracross is almost sure to get off a Swords Dance on most pokemon Pokemon and become a huge threat. Life Orb is an option for an item but if you're looking for immediate power then usually running a status orb is better despite the residual damage. Expert Belt is an option for bluffing a choice Choice item and also still gives quite a decent attack Attack boost if hitting the opponent super effectively.<p></p>
<p>Sleep Talk makes Heracross a great sleep absorber,(comma) and with a Choice item he can either abuse a pseudo SD Swords Dance or a pseudo DD Dragon Fance every single time he is on the field and is kept asleep. Brick Break is an option if you utterly despise the defense drops that come with using Close Combat,(comma) but the attack power drop from using Brick Break over Close Combat will be noticeable. Rock Slide is an option if you feel like Stone Edge's accuracy is too low or if you feel like the flinch has enough warrant but it is not advised as Stone Edge gives Heracross a lot more power. Aerial Ace is an odd option but other than on a few odd Grass pokemon such as Virizion or Fighting pokemon (most of which it won't OHKO anyways) it gives no additional coverage. Earthquake has redundant coverage alongside Close Combat and with Air Balloon existing it is simply not recommended at all,(comma) but it can hit a few choice select pokemon Pokemon harder than the aforementioned moves.<p></p>
<p>Swarm is just plain out worse on every set. The potential attack Attack increase on bug Bug-type moves is not enough to warrant the harder time Heracross will have with switching into status moves. However, if you wanted to revive the old Reversal Heracross, Swarm is preferred to Guts as Heracross is useless if it takes any status at all, regardless of the Attack boost.<p></p>
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
<p>Heracross' worst enemies include but are not limited to Gliscor, Skarmory, Jellicent (walls certain sets), Tornadus, Tentacruel, Gengar, Shandera Chandelure, Salamence, and Dragonite [Might be nice for you to expand on this bit...]. Staraptor uses its ability Intimidate to make Heracross' attacks hit softer and can thus switch somewhat comfortably into Megahorn. After switching in it can then also threaten with Brave Bird to instantly get rid of Heracross if it chooses to stay in for some reason. (However, Staraptor does come at the risk of a potential OHKO if gets hit with a Stone Edge on its switch in.) Cofagrigus turns Heracross' Heracross's Guts into Mummy upon contact and cripples Heracross with Will-O-Wisp,(comma) which means big trouble for any Heracross who choose to hit it with a Night Slash and want to stay in. (This however is a mixed blessing ,though, as the burn will stay on Heracross as it switches out and with Guts back in play now will have a +1 to attack in effect.) The Nido duo Nidoking and Nidoqueen are both decent checks to Heracross depending on the set. Both Nidoking can switch in thanks to its resistances to come in and resist Fighting, Bug, and Rock Fighting-, Bug-, and Rock-type moves and thus can switch in with relative safety on most sets and threaten Heracross with high power boosted Encourage-boosted Fire-type moves for a OHKO an OHKO, and also outruns Adamant Heracross. Nidoqueen can tank hits from Heracross a lot better than Nidoking but the latter can outspeed Heracross if it doesn't run a +speed nature and thus can threaten to kill Heracross before it can do anything lacks the latter's Speed and offensive stats. Both have to be careful though,(comma) as if they predict incorrectly they can still be easily taken out by Heracross.<p></p>
<p>Heracross will die to any pokemon Pokemon who uses a Flying-type move on it,(comma) no questions asked,(comma) and faster opponents who carry a super effective move work as a a good check decent checks to it,(comma) but have to switch in at their own risk. Really, Heracross' Heracross's biggest counter is prediction basically and scouting it's set a combination of knowing its set and predicting based on that information. Once an opponent knows for sure what set you're running,(comma) Heracross becomes much harder to use effectively and much easier for your opponent to maneuver around.<p>
[DREAM WORLD]
<p>Moxie is a great ability and would work extremely well on Choice sets and Sub Substitute sets whenever it is released,(comma) due to the attack Attack increase from Moxie making Heracross an exponentially increasing power a powerhouse that if not checked immediately can sweep teams. The removal of Guts,(comma) however,(comma) leaves it much more vulnerable to status moves,(comma) so it is something to keep in mind when comparing Guts to Moxie.<p>
[Overview]
<p>The fighting beetle,(comma) Heracross,(comma) has been a premier physical attacker ever since its introduction in the second generation and has shown its strength through almost every generation since its introduction. Though it has had periods of usage drop reduced usage due to issues with its stats (such as his lackluster speed Speed) he it [remember to be consistent with pronouns] has, at the very least, kept the tools to get the job done. By making good use of its Guts ability to freely absorb status and subsequently threaten just about everything in the game, pokemon right out he it is one pokemon Pokemon that can create quite a headache given the chance. Having the amazing double stab STAB coverage of Close Combat and Megahorn doesn't hurt either. While his defensive stats are not superb, it does have a few worthwhile resistances to its name. while also having a few niche resists he has actually been blessed this generation and is no doubt a big threat to many teams that are caught unprepared in Generation 5 Don't underestimate the Hercules beetle, as it can be quite a nasty surprise for any unprepared team in the 5th generation.<p></p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With a stats of base 85 speed Speed and base 125 attack Attack, stat Heracross is a prime candidate for Choice Scarf and has two great STAB moves to abuse with it. When looking at Heracross one can not cannot ever forget Guts,(comma) which is among Heracross' Heracross's biggest selling points, that is to say the as it gives Heracross the ability ablility to switch into almost every any status move and get an attack Attack boost. This ability is not something to take lightly,(comma) especially considering that with the speed Speed increase gained from a Choice Scarf,(comma) it can quickly become an exponential amazingly powerful threat. Close Combat and Megahorn are for STAB Heracross's infamous STAB moves and have surprisingly good synergy together—alongside Stone Edge, Heracross can hit almost everything in the metagame for at least neutral damage. . Together with Stone Edge which serves as a supplementary coverage move and you have three moves that can hit most of the metagame for at least neutral damage.<p></p>
<p>The last moveslot is reserved made for pseudo-trapping foes that Heracross can hit super effectively trying to escape. Pursuit hits switched out pokemon hard Pokemon as they switch out and is useful for taking out big threats that might want to otherwise switch out Pokemon weak to it, such as Latios and Starmie, but Night Slash is also notable for its ability to 2HKOs 2HKO Jellicent,(comma) which would otherwise wall Heracross. Night Slash also fills the role as the alternate route of an alternative move for hitting Psychic pokemon Psychic-type Pokemon hard and punishing foes that happen to stay in hoping to take an unboosted Pursuit and survive.<p></p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant is the preferred nature on this set due to Heracross already being able to outspeed everything he needs to with a neutral nature,(comma) and the damage increase from running an attack increasing Attack-boosting nature helps him hit as hard as possible. It is possible to run a Jolly nature,(comma) but it is not recommended as any other pokemon that Choice Scarf Heracross would outrun with a +speed nature are too big for him anyways.<p></p>
<p>Toxic has some merit in the fourth moveslot for possibly crippling walls Heracross could never break or just putting a timer on other pokemon Pokemon. Pokemon like Vaporeon, Zapdos, and Hippowdon who could otherwise stall you out with their respective healing moves are all forced to switch out lest their poison timer damage gets too high,(comma) and thus become much easier to deal with.<p></p>
<p>Pokemon who do not enjoy Grass pokemon, have fear of Psychic pokemon, or dislike Dark pokemon have trouble with Grass-, Psychic-, or Dark-type Pokemon all appreciate Heracross' ability to come in and immediately threaten them and possibly KO these pokemon if they don't immediately switch out. Even the bulkiest of pokemon Pokemon, such as Reuniclus, after taking some light damage beforehand, are all can be easily dispatched with a STAB move if they dare to stay in on Choice Scarf Heracross, assuming a little bit of prior damage.<p></p>
[Uh the paragraph above is completely pointless as it is... naturally Pokemon who have trouble with the above will appreciate Heracross support, but you need to give examples. Oh, and it would help to give examples of Pokemon who can deal with Heracross's counters, too]
<p>Entry Hazard support is appreciated as it helps Heracross get much more OHKOs than it would normally get and also discourage switching around too much. This variant of Heracross is not made to sweep teams but to revenge kill and poke holes through teams and as a result the passive damage that Entry Hazard gives help this variant of Heracross quite a bit in performing its job.<p>
[Entry hazard support is a given, it's not really necessary to devote an entire paragraph to it]
Calcs on Latias (Adamant Heracross):
0 HP / 0 Def
Pursuit On Switch Out: 67.77%-80.40%
Normal Pursuit: 33.89%-40.53%
Night Slash: 59.80%-70.43%
252 HP / 0 Def
Pursuit On Switch Out: 56.04%-66.48%
Normal Pursuit: 28.02%-33.52%
Night Slash: 49.45%-58.24%
[These really aren't necessary]
[SET]
name: Non Choiced Attacker Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge / Night Slash
move 4: Facade / Substitute
item: Toxic Orb / Leftovers
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 16 HP / 240 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set functions in two differing ways, either as a Substitute Attacker attacker or as an All Out Attacker all-out attacker depending on what item you choose to run. One can run Toxic Orb as it means higher attack due to the Guts boost and also boosting Facade's power Toxic Orb forcibly activates Heracross's Guts ability, boosting not only its Attack but also the power of Facade, but it comes at the cost of a lot less lower survivability as a whole and revealing your set immediately,(comma) but the set as an All Out Attacker should not be underestimated,(comma) as it can actually 2HKO even the most defensive pokemon Pokemon as they switch in on a Facade.(full stop). Most notably, even 252 HP Gliscor is 2HKOed by a boosted Facade, even accounting for Poison Heal recovery, by Adamant Heracross , notable example of course being Gliscor (252 HP / 252 Def+) with Poison Heal will be take massive damage by a powered up Facade on the switch in and then be KO'd by the following Facade. Leftovers on the other hand increases Heracross' Heracross's longevity by quite a bit with its passive recovery and can even bluff a possible choice Choice item,(comma) which helps Heracross set up a Substitute on a possible switch. Heracross threatens out a lot of pokemon Pokemon, and this set can easily capitalize on it if you choose to run Substitute. With a Substitute up,(comma) Heracross is able to safely attack whatever happens to switch in and possibly get a KO on their normal usual Heracross check/counter check. It can take out many of the faster,(comma) frailer Pokemon from behind a Substitute,(comma) and can potentially 2HKO the slower,(comma) bulkier pokemon that stay in and try to break his Substitute.<p></p>
<p>The 16 HP EVs shifted from attack are done so that you can reach a Leftovers number and survive a few choice Fire attacks like Lava Plume from Heatran but they can be shifted into attack if you don't mind the the possibility of being OHKO'd by these fairly niche attacks or are not running Leftovers. The choice between a Jolly and Adamant nature is entirely up to the user but one must remember running Jolly means a decrease in damage output while running Adamant means you can no longer guarantee the outspeeding/speed tie'ing of pokemon such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, Nidoking, etc.<p>
[This should go in AC]
<p>Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross' Heracross's primary STAB moves,(comma) and hit most pokemon Pokemon extremely hard,(comma) whether they resist it or not even those that resist them. The choice between Stone Edge and Night Slash is choosingdepends on whether you'd like to be able to easily deal with Flying-type pokemon Pokemon or with Ghost Ghost-type Pokemon, respectively and determine what pokemon will give you the most trouble.<p></p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>16 HP EVs are shifted from Attack in order to reach a Leftovers number and survive certain Fire-type attacks, such as Lava Plume from Heatran, but they can be shifted into Attack if you don't mind the possibility of being OHKOed, or are not running Leftovers. The choice between a Jolly and an Adamant nature is entirely up to the user, but one must remember that running Jolly means a decrease in damage output, while running Adamant means you can no longer guarantee that you will outspeed Pokemon such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Nidoking.</p>
[Note that I made substantial edits here, so it may be best to just C+P]
<p>Focus Punch can be run instead of Close Combat when running Substitute,(comma) but this will mean you will not have a fighting move to use freely you are left without a reliable Fighting-type STAB, which can lead to many problems,(comma) and thus is not highly recommended to run as there are better Focus Punchers around.<p></p>
<p>Bulky pokemon Pokemon once again make great teammates for this version variant of Heracross. Pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, Heatran, or Cresselia would all make good partners as they can sponge the special attacks that Heracross is scared to take such as Psychic or Fire moves and proceed to most likely wall stall out the opposing pokemon Pokemon. Hazard damage is once again appreciated considering Heracross doesn't hit as hard with this set. Paralysis support is especially appreciated as it makes this version of Heracross much harder to deal with,(comma) as it can potentially outspeed and OHKO its would-be checks and counters.<p></p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 208 HP / 104 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Come in on a resisted move and Bulk Up as they switch on out is the basic premise of this set. This set has one benefit over every other set; its the ability to perfectly counter every physical attacking pokemon who can't hit you with a super effective move [That's just too much hyperbole right there]. Heracross with Bulk Up has the astonishing ability to take out many of its would be walls usual counters after only a few Bulk Ups. Pokemon like standard Gliscor or Conkeldurr, for example, can SD use Swords Dance or Bulk Up respectively on Heracross but will fail to do any significant damage to Heracross while it at the same time Heracross maxes out its defenses and prepares to retaliate with a high-power move. After about a +3 in attack this variant three Bulk Ups, Heracross will break through even the sturdiest walls in the game that aren't called Skarmory with its massive attack power. Most physical attacking pokemon, most notably fighting pokemon, will not be able to do anything to this variant of Heracross due to its ever increasing defenses.<p></p>
<p>The moves listed are all the best combination of three moves Heracross can use on a Bulk Up set considering in terms of the coverage they give. It is notable that after just one single Bulk Up this variant can OHKO any variant of Reuniclus with a STAB Megahorn. The EVs may seem odd at first but they are done in order have specific roles, allowing Heracross to outpace non +speed neutral-natured base 90 pokemon Pokemon which would otherwise might possibly be an issue for this variant of Heracross. This EV set spread also additionally gives Heracross quite a bit of bulk, the HP EVs also serving to allow Heracross to hit its highest Leftovers threshold, due to the HP investment while at the same time enough attack Attack to be hit extremely hard after one or two Bulk Ups which it will usually get.<p></p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Low Kick is used over Close Combat due to having no defense drops after being used, use but Close Combat is still an option considering the large difference in power the two moves have.<p></p>
<p>Bulky pokemon Pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, or Cresselia would all make good partners to Heracross once again, especially considering how weak this set is on the special side compared to the physical side it is almost necessary to have a special wall or at the least a pokemon that can handle special attackers easily. Light Screen is a great move to use alongside this variant of Heracross,(comma) making it nearly impossible to reliably OHKO no matter the what side you hit it from,(comma) apart from the odd Flying Flying-type moves.<p></p>
<p>Rain support is extremely appreciated on this set as it removes another weakness from Heracross and makes it even easier to set up some Bulk Ups on opposing pokemon Pokemon. Hazards, especially Stealth Rock, make this Heracross variant much more threatening as the hazards will rack up residual damage as the opponent is forced to switch around to try to deal with Heracross and his Bulk Ups.<p></p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>125 Attack is nothing to scoff at,(comma) and when combined with a Choice Band along with two excellent STAB moves Heracross becomes an extremely hard pokemon to switch into for many teams. The moves as previously stated before on the aforementioned sets provide quite the ample coverage. Megahorn, Close Combat, and Stone Edge all together hit almost every pokemon Pokemon in the metagame for at least neutral damage,(comma) which makes them all fairly essential. One thing to note is that the great benefit of running Choice Band Megahorn is that it will always OHKO Reuniclus no matter the variant with a STAB Megahorn,(comma) thus making it arguable arguably its most solid check the best check to them. The last moveslot is completely up to the user as it helps fill a possible problem area. Night Slash means many pokemon Pokemon weak to dark Dark-type moves, notable considering the rise in Psychic pokemon, will be OHKO'd or 2HKO'd (notably Jellicent) can be dealt with effectively, most notably Jellicent. Pursuit is for trapping certain weakened pokemon Pokemon and for possible bluffing of a Scarf but comes at a the risk of possible retaliation, most of these attacks which will OHKO Heracross if the opponent decides to set up Lucario or Terrakion on your Choice-locked Pursuit.<p></p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>There really are no moves that work better than the ones listed on the Choice Band set due to Heracross' shallow move pool.<p>
<p>Pokemon who attract statuses status ailments make great partners for Heracross as he can easily switch in on them a predicted status-inflicting move and activate Guts. With Guts added on to the power of Choice Band,(comma) almost nothing can really wall him effectively unless it's named Skarmory [Adamant CB Heracross with Guts activated does 81% minimum to Skarmory with Close Combat so I'm not sure why you keep saying it can wall Heracross 100%]. Entry hazard support is once again appreciated but not entirely needed on this set due to how hard it hits. Pokemon who resist Heracross' Heracross's weaknesses or at the very least can take the hit convincingly are much more appreciated on this set than any other considering how often this set will be forced to switch in and out due to speed Speed issues. Bulky pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, Heatran, or Cresselia would all make good partners with this in mind and are recommended.<p></p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>RestTalk (Rest + Sleep Talk) is an option if you feel like abusing Heracross' decent bulk and Guts ability,(comma) but it will have a lot of trouble waking up after it has used Rest once and no matter what set of moves you choose to run Heracross will be walled by a few select pokemon Pokemon. That said,(comma) RestTalk is a fairly decent choice since it can hit extremely hard and is fairly hard to OHKO. With an SD boost With a Swords Dance boost, Heracross's Attack skyrockets Heracross' attack sky rockets and it becomes capable of wallbreaking and cutting through various types of stall teams. Decent bulk on both sides means Heracross is almost sure to get off a Swords Dance on most pokemon Pokemon and become a huge threat. Life Orb is an option for an item but if you're looking for immediate power then usually running a status orb is better despite the residual damage. Expert Belt is an option for bluffing a choice Choice item and also still gives quite a decent attack Attack boost if hitting the opponent super effectively.<p></p>
<p>Sleep Talk makes Heracross a great sleep absorber,(comma) and with a Choice item he can either abuse a pseudo SD Swords Dance or a pseudo DD Dragon Fance every single time he is on the field and is kept asleep. Brick Break is an option if you utterly despise the defense drops that come with using Close Combat,(comma) but the attack power drop from using Brick Break over Close Combat will be noticeable. Rock Slide is an option if you feel like Stone Edge's accuracy is too low or if you feel like the flinch has enough warrant but it is not advised as Stone Edge gives Heracross a lot more power. Aerial Ace is an odd option but other than on a few odd Grass pokemon such as Virizion or Fighting pokemon (most of which it won't OHKO anyways) it gives no additional coverage. Earthquake has redundant coverage alongside Close Combat and with Air Balloon existing it is simply not recommended at all,(comma) but it can hit a few choice select pokemon Pokemon harder than the aforementioned moves.<p></p>
<p>Swarm is just plain out worse on every set. The potential attack Attack increase on bug Bug-type moves is not enough to warrant the harder time Heracross will have with switching into status moves. However, if you wanted to revive the old Reversal Heracross, Swarm is preferred to Guts as Heracross is useless if it takes any status at all, regardless of the Attack boost.<p></p>
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
<p>Heracross' worst enemies include but are not limited to Gliscor, Skarmory, Jellicent (walls certain sets), Tornadus, Tentacruel, Gengar, Shandera Chandelure, Salamence, and Dragonite [Might be nice for you to expand on this bit...]. Staraptor uses its ability Intimidate to make Heracross' attacks hit softer and can thus switch somewhat comfortably into Megahorn. After switching in it can then also threaten with Brave Bird to instantly get rid of Heracross if it chooses to stay in for some reason. (However, Staraptor does come at the risk of a potential OHKO if gets hit with a Stone Edge on its switch in.) Cofagrigus turns Heracross' Heracross's Guts into Mummy upon contact and cripples Heracross with Will-O-Wisp,(comma) which means big trouble for any Heracross who choose to hit it with a Night Slash and want to stay in. (This however is a mixed blessing ,though, as the burn will stay on Heracross as it switches out and with Guts back in play now will have a +1 to attack in effect.) The Nido duo Nidoking and Nidoqueen are both decent checks to Heracross depending on the set. Both Nidoking can switch in thanks to its resistances to come in and resist Fighting, Bug, and Rock Fighting-, Bug-, and Rock-type moves and thus can switch in with relative safety on most sets and threaten Heracross with high power boosted Encourage-boosted Fire-type moves for a OHKO an OHKO, and also outruns Adamant Heracross. Nidoqueen can tank hits from Heracross a lot better than Nidoking but the latter can outspeed Heracross if it doesn't run a +speed nature and thus can threaten to kill Heracross before it can do anything lacks the latter's Speed and offensive stats. Both have to be careful though,(comma) as if they predict incorrectly they can still be easily taken out by Heracross.<p></p>
<p>Heracross will die to any pokemon Pokemon who uses a Flying-type move on it,(comma) no questions asked,(comma) and faster opponents who carry a super effective move work as a a good check decent checks to it,(comma) but have to switch in at their own risk. Really, Heracross' Heracross's biggest counter is prediction basically and scouting it's set a combination of knowing its set and predicting based on that information. Once an opponent knows for sure what set you're running,(comma) Heracross becomes much harder to use effectively and much easier for your opponent to maneuver around.<p>
[DREAM WORLD]
<p>Moxie is a great ability and would work extremely well on Choice sets and Sub Substitute sets whenever it is released,(comma) due to the attack Attack increase from Moxie making Heracross an exponentially increasing power a powerhouse that if not checked immediately can sweep teams. The removal of Guts,(comma) however,(comma) leaves it much more vulnerable to status moves,(comma) so it is something to keep in mind when comparing Guts to Moxie.<p>
I'll be perfectly honest with you here... while I suppose this isn't bad for a first analysis, it really was rather tough going to get through. There were tonnes and tonnes of really quite basic grammatical errors, or rather things that wouldn't have needed to be changed had you read the "Spelling and Grammar Standards" article. It would have been much easier to check this had I not had to correct every single uncapitalised stat name or the like.
The other thing is, why are the only teammates you have mentioned, at all, are Chansey, Heatran, Reuniclus, and Cresselia? What about Ferrothorn for entry hazard support? What about Vaporeon, or any kind of bulky Water-type, for Wish support and taking on Fire-types? Sweepers for taking advantage of Heracross's wallbreaking? Attackers who benefit from the disappearance of the fast, frail offensive cores of opposing teams? Even something to take care of Gliscor and Skarmory?
This is a shame, because I personally think you've got pretty good writing skills, and you haven't done yourself any favours by not checking the thing through. I'm going to withold the GP stamp for now, and when you've implemented the changes and read it through yourself, I'll give it another read-through and check it. If it's satisfactory, I'll give it the stamp.
I'd also advise that you read this thread if you haven't already.
EDIT: I'm very sorry if this came off as harsh, I'm only trying to provide some constructive criticism. I'm just a little annoyed at having to spend the best part of the afternoon and evening going through this.
I prefer Moxie Heracross to Guts Heracross when used with Choice Scarf. The way I see it, Scarfed Heracross works best as a late-game sweeper. And Moxie Scarf Hera is easily one of the best late game sweepers in current metagame. Guts only gives Hera a 1.5x boost once, while Moxie allows a boost after each and every kill. That way once you've scouted out a team and you've done some damage, you can revenge kill one poke and then mow through the rest. I don't really see scarf moxie hera as being too prone to will-o-wisp. He's already so fast that he would only have to worry about the pranksters. Though I agree that it is important to have a status absorber, I really feel like he is most useful as a late-game sweeper, and moxie best realizes this purpose.
If only Moxie was released from the Dream World.
I know I made the changes that bug asked me to make but to be quite honest I feel it's a bit inadequate after reading it and fully understanding his critique. I've had a lot of shit happening and the battles I've been having and the crap I've been doing offline haven't been helping much.
Bugmaniacbob I'll be expanding the team section by quite a bit and I hope you'll look over it again for a double check and possible suggestions.
This is also an fyi to an GP checkers. I'll post again when I finally feel it's ready for a check.
EDIT: Changed the OP a whole ton. Waiting for a formal answer from bugmaniac before I'll ask for any additional GP checks though.
Bugmaniacbob I'll be expanding the team section by quite a bit and I hope you'll look over it again for a double check and possible suggestions.
This is also an fyi to an GP checkers. I'll post again when I finally feel it's ready for a check.
EDIT: Changed the OP a whole ton. Waiting for a formal answer from bugmaniac before I'll ask for any additional GP checks though.
Second check.
Yep, I think it's much better now. Possibly the content may need another look at since quite a bit has been changed, but I'll leave that up to QC. From a grammatical standpoint, there is some wonky prose left, sure, but as I don't like excessively fiddling with somebody else's writing style I'll leave that be.
Thanks for making the changes, and I have no qualms stamping this now.
Overview:
[Overview]
<p>The fighting beetle, Heracross, has been a premier physical attacker ever since its introduction in the second generation. Though it has had periods of reduced usage due to issues with its stats (such as his lackluster Speed) it has, at the very least, kept the tools to get the job done. By making good use of its Guts ability to freely absorb status and subsequently threaten just about everything in the game, it is one Pokemon that can create quite a headache given the chance. Having the amazing double STAB coverage of Close Combat and Megahorn doesn't hurt either. While his defensive stats are not superb, it does have a few worthwhile resistances in it's to its name. Don't underestimate the Hercules beetle, as it can be quite the nasty surprise for any unprepared team in the 5th generation.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With stats of base 85 Speed and 125 Attack, Heracross is a prime candidate for Choice Scarf and has two great STAB moves to abuse with it. When looking at Heracross one cannot forget Guts, which is among Heracross's biggest selling points, as it gives Heracross the ability to switch into almost any status move and get an Attack boost. This ability is not something to take lightly, especially considering that with the Speed increase gained from a Choice Scarf, it can quickly become an amazingly powerful threat. Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's infamous STAB combo and have surprisingly good synergy together—alongside Stone Edge, Heracross can hit almost everything in the metagame for at least neutral damage.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is reserved for pseudo-trapping foes that Heracross can hit super effectively trying to escape. Pursuit hits Pokemon as they switch out and is useful for taking out Pokemon weak to it, such as Latios and Starmie, but Night Slash is also notable for its ability to 2HKO Jellicent, which would otherwise wall Heracross. Night Slash also fills the role of an alternate alternative move for hitting Psychic-type Pokemon hard.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant is the preferred nature on this set due to Heracross already being able to outspeed everything he needs to with a neutral nature,(comma) and the damage increase from running an Attack-boosting nature helps him hit as hard as possible. It is possible to run a Jolly nature, but it is not recommended.</p>
<p>Toxic has some merit in the fourth moveslot for possibly crippling walls Heracross could never break or just putting a timer on other Pokemon. Pokemon like Vaporeon, Zapdos, and Hippowdon who could otherwise stall you out with their respective healing moves are all forced to switch out lest their poison damage gets too high, and thus become much easier to deal with.</p>
<p>Pokemon who have trouble with Grass-, Psychic-, or Dark-Type Pokemon all appreciate Heracross' Heracross's ability to come in and immediately threaten them. Even the bulkiest of Pokemon,(comma) such as Reuniclus,(comma) can be easily dispatched with a STAB move if they dare to stay in on Choice Scarf Heracross, assuming they have a little bit of prior damage. Pokemon who will greatly appreciate it's its ability to do this feat are Psychic-type teammates such as Mew, Azelf, Celebi, and Latios,(comma) and Latias who generally dislike fighting opposing Psychic- type Pokemon and Dark-type Pokemon Type pokemon while all also easily breaking through the physical walls Heracross has trouble breaking through by itself. Water-type Pokemon such as Politoed, Vaporeon, and Swampert all appreciate Heracross's ability to take out Grass-type pokemon Pokemon on the other hand and also make great partners,(comma) as Heracross resists their Grass-type weakness weaknesses they have and they resist Heracross's Fire-type Type weakness,(comma) while at the same time being they are able to break through Heracross's biggest nightmares, such as most Fire-types, Gliscor, and possibly Skarmory. Gliscors and possibly Skarmorys. Politoed in particular is useful as it also brings Drizzle on the field,(comma) which further mitigates cancels out Heracross's Fire-type weakness,(comma) while Vaporeon can pass a Wish to a weakened Heracross and potentially bring it back to full health.</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge / Night Slash
move 4: Facade / Substitute
item: Toxic Orb / Leftovers
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 16 HP / 240 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set functions in two differing ways, either as a Substitute attacker or as an all-out attacker depending on what item you choose to run. Toxic Orb forcibly activates Heracross's Guts ability, boosting not only its Attack but also the power of Facade, at the cost of a lot lower survivability as a whole and revealing your set immediately, but the set should not be underestimated as it can actually 2HKO even the most defensive Pokemon as they switch in on a Facade. Most notably, even a 252 HP Gliscor is 2HKOed by a boosted Facade, even accounting for Poison Heal recovery, by Adamant Heracross. Leftovers on the other hand increases Heracross's longevity by quite a bit with its passive recovery, and also helps gain back health lost in using Substitute and can even bluff a possible Choice item, which helps Heracross set up a Substitute on a possible switch. Heracross threatens out a lot of Pokemon, and this set can easily capitalize if you choose to run Substitute. With a Substitute up, Heracross is able to safely attack whatever happens to switch in and possibly get a KO on their usual Heracross check. It can take out many faster, frailer Pokemon from behind a Substitute, and can potentially 2HKO the slower, bulkier pokemon that stay in and try to break his Substitute.</p>
<p>Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's primary STAB moves, and hit most Pokemon extremely hard, even those that resist them. The choice between Stone Edge and Night Slash depends on whether you'd like to be able to easily deal with Flying-type pokemon or with Ghost-type Pokemon, respectively.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>16 HP EVs are shifted from Attack in order to reach a Leftovers number and survive certain Fire-type attacks, such as Lava Plume from Heatran, but they can be shifted into Attack if you don't mind the possibility of being OHKOed, or are not running Leftovers. The choice between a Jolly and an Adamant nature is entirely up to the user, but one must remember that running Jolly means a decrease in damage output, while running Adamant means you can no longer guarantee that you will outspeed Pokemon such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Nidoking.</p>
<p>Focus Punch can be run instead of Close Combat when also running Substitute, but this will mean you are left without a reliable Fighting-Type STAB move, which can lead to many problems and thus is not highly recommended.</p>
<p>Bulky Pokemon once again make great teammates for this variant of Heracross. Pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, Heatran, or Cresselia would all make good partners as they can sponge the special attacks that Heracross is scared to take and proceed to stall out the opposing Pokemon. Paralysis support is especially appreciated as it makes this version of Heracross much harder to deal with, as it can potentially outspeed and OHKO its would-be checks and counters. Wish support is greatly appreciated if one chooses to run Substitute,(comma) given how it Heracross will be sacrificing 25% HP after each Substitute it makes,(comma) and as a result Vaporeon is an option worth considering given that Vaporeon can not only pass wishes very bulky Wishes to Heracross,(comma) but also resists Heracross's Fire-type weakness while it Heracross itself resists Vaporeon's Grass-type weakness,(comma) giving them fairly decent synergy together,(comma) and this is before even mentioning how Vaporeon can easily take on Skarmory and Gliscor,(comma) two of Heracross's biggest walls,(comma) 1v1 one on one if needed. Politoed is an option once more but is only recommended if running Substitute,(comma) since if you are running a Toxic Orb then generally the passive damage will end up killing you too fast to see the benefit of the removed weakness.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 208 HP / 104 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Come in on a resisted move and Bulk Up as they switch out is the basic premise of this set. Heracross with Bulk Up has the astonishing ability to take out many of its usual counters after only a few Bulk Ups. Pokemon like standard Gliscor or Conkeldurr, for example, can use Swords Dance or Bulk Up respectively on Heracross but will fail to do any significant damage while at the same time Heracross maxes out its defenses and prepares to retaliate with a high-power move. After about a three Bulk Ups, Heracross will has the potential to break through even the sturdiest walls in the game that aren't called Skarmory with its massive power, assuming they cannot KO it first.<p>
<p>The moves listed are the best combination of three moves Heracross can use on a Bulk Up set in terms of the coverage they give. It is notable that after just one single Bulk Up,(comma) this variant can OHKO any variant of Reuniclus with a STAB Megahorn. The EVs may seem odd at first but they have specific roles, allowing Heracross to outpace neutral-natured base 90 Pokemon which would otherwise be an issue. This EV spread also gives Heracross quite a bit of bulk, the HP EVs also serving to allow Heracross to hit its highest Leftovers threshold, while at the same time enough Attack to be hit extremely hard after one or two Bulk Ups.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Low Kick is used over Close Combat due to having no defense drops after being used, but Close Combat is still an option considering the large difference in power the two moves have.</p>
<p>Hazards, especially Stealth Rock, make this Heracross variant much more threatening as the hazards will rack up residual damage as the opponent is forced to switch around to try to deal with Heracross and his Bulk Ups.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>125 Attack is nothing to scoff at, and when combined with a Choice Band,(comma) along with two excellent STAB moves Heracross becomes an extremely hard pokemon Pokemon to switch into for many teams. The moves listed provide quite ample coverage as Megahorn, Close Combat, and Stone Edge together hit almost every Pokemon in the metagame for at least neutral damage, which makes them all fairly essential. One thing to note is that the great benefit of running Choice Band Megahorn is that it will always OHKO Reuniclus no matter the variant with a STAB Megahorn, thus making it arguably its most solid check.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is completely up to the user,(comma) as it helps fill a possible problem area. Night Slash means many Pokemon weak to Dark-type moves can be dealt with effectively, most notably Jellicent. Pursuit is for trapping certain weakened Pokemon but comes at the risk of possible retaliation if the opponent decides to set up Lucario or Terrakion on your Choice-locked Pursuit</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pokemon who attract status ailment make great partners for Heracross as he can easily switch in on a predicted status-inflicting move and activate Guts. Such pokemon that attract status-inflicting moves include but are not limited to Chansey, Blissey, Cresselia, and Vaporeon,(comma) who all attract Toxic,(comma) which Heracross can switch in on in order to activate its and active it's Guts ability for an Attack raise boost. With Guts added on to the power of Choice Band, almost nothing can really wall him effectively. An example of how hard it hits is that even the usually dreaded Skarmory,(comma) even with 252 HP / 252 Def+,(comma) will take about 50.60%-59.58% 48% damage minimum from a Jolly Jolly Choice Banded Band Close Combat from Heracross if it has received a Guts boost prior, what this means is which means that Skarmory will be 2HKOed if it dares switch-in on to switch into a Close Combat when Stealth Rock is also on the field with the aforementioned Guts boost. If Heracross has a Guts boost as well, that same 252/252+ Skarmory is taking a minimum of 73%.</p>
[According to Smogon's damage calculator, 252/252+ Skarmory takes 48-57% damage from CB Close Combat without Guts, so is 2HKOed with Stealth Rock. With Guts activated, 252/252+ Skarmory takes 73% minimum from Guts-boosted CB Close Combat. Perhaps you could double-check these to be on the safe side]
<p>Pokemon who resist Heracross's weaknesses or at the very least can take the hit hits convincingly are much more appreciated on this set than any other considering how often this set will be forced to switch in and out due to Speed issues and having to change moves. Bulky pokemon Pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, Heatran, Vaporeon, or Cresselia would all make good partners with this in mind and are recommended as they can easily take the any special attack moves aimed at Heracross. Vaporeon, Chansey, and Blissey once again can pass wishes Wishes to a weakened Heracross and,(comma) given how slow this variant of Heracross is compared to many of the others,(comma) it should be expected for it to take a hit or two and thus the healing is greatly appreciated. Heatran can switch in on the Fire-type moves aimed at Heracross and gain a Flash-Fire Flash Fire boost in the process,(comma) while Heracross can switch in on the Earthquakes aimed at Heatran. Reuniclus and Cresselia fill the role of bulky Psychic-type pokemon and can switch in on almost any attack that would hit Heracross and recover off the damage inflicted.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>RestTalk (Rest + Sleep Talk) is an option if you feel like abusing Heracross' decent bulk and Guts ability, but it will have a lot of trouble waking up after it has used Rest once and no matter what set of moves you choose to run Heracross will be walled by a few select Pokemon. That said,(comma) RestTalk is a fairly decent choice since it can hit extremely hard and is also fairly hard to OHKO. With a Swords Dance boost, Heracross' Heracross's Attack skyrockets and it becomes capable of wallbreaking and cutting through various types of stall teams. Decent bulk on both sides means Heracross is almost sure to get off a Swords Dance on most Pokemon and become a huge threat. Life Orb is an option for an item but if you're looking for immediate power then usually running a status orb to activate Guts is better despite the residual damage. Expert Belt is an option for bluffing a Choice item and also still gives quite a decent Attack boost if hitting the opponent super effectively.</p>
<p>Sleep Talk makes Heracross a great sleep absorber, and with a Choice item he can either abuse a pseudo-Swords Dance or a pseudo-Dragon Dance every single time he is on the field and is kept asleep. Brick Break is an option if you utterly despise the defense drops that come with using Close Combat and the erratic power of Low Kick, but the power drop from using Brick Break over Close Combat will be noticeable. Rock Slide is an option if you feel like Stone Edge's accuracy is too low but it is not advised as Stone Edge gives Heracross a lot more power. Aerial Ace is an odd option but other than on a few odd Grass pokemon such as Virizion or Fighting-type pokemon (most of which it won't OHKO anyways) it gives no additional coverage. Earthquake has redundant coverage alongside Close Combat and with Air Balloon existing it is simply not recommended at all, but it can hit a few select Pokemon harder than the aforementioned moves.</p>
<p>Swarm is just plain out worse on every set above. The potential Attack increase on Bug-type moves is not enough to warrant the harder time Heracross will have with switching into status moves. However, if you wanted to revive the old Reversal Heracross, Swarm is preferred to Guts as Heracross is useless if it takes any status at all, regardless of the Attack boost.</p>
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
<p>Heracross' Heracross's worst enemies include,(comma) but are not limited to,(comma) Gliscor, Skarmory, Jellicent (walls certain sets), Tornadus, Tentacruel, Gengar, Chandelure, Salamence, Dragonite, Staraptor, Cofagrigus, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Gliscor can wall pretty much every Heracross set and with a combination of Poison Heal, great physical bulk, and Swords Dance will almost always come out on top and extremely threatening. Skarmory can take on almost every Heracross set given the right conditions and proceed to either completely wall Heracross, set up hazards in it's its face, or just OHKO with a STAB Flying-type move. Jellicent can wall any set that lacks Night Slash and with a combination of Recover and a STAB Water-type move is able to eventually come out on top against Heracross. Tornadus is a big issue for Heracross as not only does it have passable bulk but it also resists Heracross's two STAB moves meaning it can switch in on it and can retaliate with a powerful Flying-type STAB move. Tentacruel resists both of Heracross's STAB moves and with a combination of decent bulk and passable Special Attack can either set up Toxic Spikes or threaten with a STAB Water-type move. Gengar and Chandelure function pretty much the same way as each other in that they can switch in on a predicted Close Combat or Megahorn,(comma) thus dodging the damage,(comma) and then proceed to Substitute on Heracross or hitting hit it with a powerful STAB move. It must be noted though that a Shadow Ball from Life Orb Gengar will almost never OHKO a Heracross and Chandelure has a lower base Speed than Heracross,(comma) thus a Heracross that is found to not in fact be Choiced will more than likely lead to their deaths. Bear in mind, however, that many of the above checks will be 2HKOed or take heavy damage if they walk into the wrong move, such is the power of Heracross.</p>
<p>Salamence and Dragonite resist both of Heracross's STAB moves and,(comma) while it is very unlikely they will carry any Flying-type moves,(comma) they can all the same easily dispatch of Heracross with powerful Dragon-type STAB moves or super effective Fire-type moves. Staraptor uses its ability Intimidate to make Heracross' attacks hit softer more softly and can thus switch somewhat comfortably into Megahorn. After switching in it can then also threaten with Brave Bird to instantly get rid of Heracross if it chooses to stay in for some reason. Cofagrigus turns Heracross's Guts into Mummy upon contact and cripples Heracross with Will-O-Wisp, which means big trouble for any Heracross who choose to hit it with a Night Slash and want to stay in. Nidoqueen and Nidoking are both decent checks to Heracross depending on the set. Nidoking can come in thanks to its resistances to Fighting-, Bug-, and Rock-Type moves and threaten Heracross with Encourage-boosted Fire-type moves for an OHKO, and also outruns Adamant Heracross. Nidoqueen can tank hits from Heracross a lot better than Nidoking but lacks the latter's Speed and offensive stats. Both have to be careful though, as if they predict incorrectly they can still be easily taken out by Heracross.</p>
<p>Heracross will die to any Pokemon who uses a Flying-type move on it, no questions asked, and faster opponents who carry a super effective move work as a decent checks to it, but have to switch in at their own risk. Really, Heracross's biggest counter is a combination of knowing its sets and predicting based on that information. Once an opponent knows for sure what set you're running, Heracross becomes much harder to use effectively and much easier for your opponent to maneuver around.</p>
[DREAM WORLD]
<p>Moxie is a great ability and would will work extremely well on Choice sets and Substitute sets whenever it is released, due to the Attack increase from Moxie making Heracross a powerhouse that if not checked immediately can sweep teams. The removal of Guts, however, leaves it much more vulnerable to status moves,(comma) so it is something to keep in mind when comparing Guts to Moxie.</p>
[Overview]
<p>The fighting beetle, Heracross, has been a premier physical attacker ever since its introduction in the second generation. Though it has had periods of reduced usage due to issues with its stats (such as his lackluster Speed) it has, at the very least, kept the tools to get the job done. By making good use of its Guts ability to freely absorb status and subsequently threaten just about everything in the game, it is one Pokemon that can create quite a headache given the chance. Having the amazing double STAB coverage of Close Combat and Megahorn doesn't hurt either. While his defensive stats are not superb, it does have a few worthwhile resistances in it's to its name. Don't underestimate the Hercules beetle, as it can be quite the nasty surprise for any unprepared team in the 5th generation.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With stats of base 85 Speed and 125 Attack, Heracross is a prime candidate for Choice Scarf and has two great STAB moves to abuse with it. When looking at Heracross one cannot forget Guts, which is among Heracross's biggest selling points, as it gives Heracross the ability to switch into almost any status move and get an Attack boost. This ability is not something to take lightly, especially considering that with the Speed increase gained from a Choice Scarf, it can quickly become an amazingly powerful threat. Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's infamous STAB combo and have surprisingly good synergy together—alongside Stone Edge, Heracross can hit almost everything in the metagame for at least neutral damage.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is reserved for pseudo-trapping foes that Heracross can hit super effectively trying to escape. Pursuit hits Pokemon as they switch out and is useful for taking out Pokemon weak to it, such as Latios and Starmie, but Night Slash is also notable for its ability to 2HKO Jellicent, which would otherwise wall Heracross. Night Slash also fills the role of an alternate alternative move for hitting Psychic-type Pokemon hard.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant is the preferred nature on this set due to Heracross already being able to outspeed everything he needs to with a neutral nature,(comma) and the damage increase from running an Attack-boosting nature helps him hit as hard as possible. It is possible to run a Jolly nature, but it is not recommended.</p>
<p>Toxic has some merit in the fourth moveslot for possibly crippling walls Heracross could never break or just putting a timer on other Pokemon. Pokemon like Vaporeon, Zapdos, and Hippowdon who could otherwise stall you out with their respective healing moves are all forced to switch out lest their poison damage gets too high, and thus become much easier to deal with.</p>
<p>Pokemon who have trouble with Grass-, Psychic-, or Dark-Type Pokemon all appreciate Heracross' Heracross's ability to come in and immediately threaten them. Even the bulkiest of Pokemon,(comma) such as Reuniclus,(comma) can be easily dispatched with a STAB move if they dare to stay in on Choice Scarf Heracross, assuming they have a little bit of prior damage. Pokemon who will greatly appreciate it's its ability to do this feat are Psychic-type teammates such as Mew, Azelf, Celebi, and Latios,(comma) and Latias who generally dislike fighting opposing Psychic- type Pokemon and Dark-type Pokemon Type pokemon while all also easily breaking through the physical walls Heracross has trouble breaking through by itself. Water-type Pokemon such as Politoed, Vaporeon, and Swampert all appreciate Heracross's ability to take out Grass-type pokemon Pokemon on the other hand and also make great partners,(comma) as Heracross resists their Grass-type weakness weaknesses they have and they resist Heracross's Fire-type Type weakness,(comma) while at the same time being they are able to break through Heracross's biggest nightmares, such as most Fire-types, Gliscor, and possibly Skarmory. Gliscors and possibly Skarmorys. Politoed in particular is useful as it also brings Drizzle on the field,(comma) which further mitigates cancels out Heracross's Fire-type weakness,(comma) while Vaporeon can pass a Wish to a weakened Heracross and potentially bring it back to full health.</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge / Night Slash
move 4: Facade / Substitute
item: Toxic Orb / Leftovers
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 16 HP / 240 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set functions in two differing ways, either as a Substitute attacker or as an all-out attacker depending on what item you choose to run. Toxic Orb forcibly activates Heracross's Guts ability, boosting not only its Attack but also the power of Facade, at the cost of a lot lower survivability as a whole and revealing your set immediately, but the set should not be underestimated as it can actually 2HKO even the most defensive Pokemon as they switch in on a Facade. Most notably, even a 252 HP Gliscor is 2HKOed by a boosted Facade, even accounting for Poison Heal recovery, by Adamant Heracross. Leftovers on the other hand increases Heracross's longevity by quite a bit with its passive recovery, and also helps gain back health lost in using Substitute and can even bluff a possible Choice item, which helps Heracross set up a Substitute on a possible switch. Heracross threatens out a lot of Pokemon, and this set can easily capitalize if you choose to run Substitute. With a Substitute up, Heracross is able to safely attack whatever happens to switch in and possibly get a KO on their usual Heracross check. It can take out many faster, frailer Pokemon from behind a Substitute, and can potentially 2HKO the slower, bulkier pokemon that stay in and try to break his Substitute.</p>
<p>Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's primary STAB moves, and hit most Pokemon extremely hard, even those that resist them. The choice between Stone Edge and Night Slash depends on whether you'd like to be able to easily deal with Flying-type pokemon or with Ghost-type Pokemon, respectively.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>16 HP EVs are shifted from Attack in order to reach a Leftovers number and survive certain Fire-type attacks, such as Lava Plume from Heatran, but they can be shifted into Attack if you don't mind the possibility of being OHKOed, or are not running Leftovers. The choice between a Jolly and an Adamant nature is entirely up to the user, but one must remember that running Jolly means a decrease in damage output, while running Adamant means you can no longer guarantee that you will outspeed Pokemon such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Nidoking.</p>
<p>Focus Punch can be run instead of Close Combat when also running Substitute, but this will mean you are left without a reliable Fighting-Type STAB move, which can lead to many problems and thus is not highly recommended.</p>
<p>Bulky Pokemon once again make great teammates for this variant of Heracross. Pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, Heatran, or Cresselia would all make good partners as they can sponge the special attacks that Heracross is scared to take and proceed to stall out the opposing Pokemon. Paralysis support is especially appreciated as it makes this version of Heracross much harder to deal with, as it can potentially outspeed and OHKO its would-be checks and counters. Wish support is greatly appreciated if one chooses to run Substitute,(comma) given how it Heracross will be sacrificing 25% HP after each Substitute it makes,(comma) and as a result Vaporeon is an option worth considering given that Vaporeon can not only pass wishes very bulky Wishes to Heracross,(comma) but also resists Heracross's Fire-type weakness while it Heracross itself resists Vaporeon's Grass-type weakness,(comma) giving them fairly decent synergy together,(comma) and this is before even mentioning how Vaporeon can easily take on Skarmory and Gliscor,(comma) two of Heracross's biggest walls,(comma) 1v1 one on one if needed. Politoed is an option once more but is only recommended if running Substitute,(comma) since if you are running a Toxic Orb then generally the passive damage will end up killing you too fast to see the benefit of the removed weakness.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 208 HP / 104 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Come in on a resisted move and Bulk Up as they switch out is the basic premise of this set. Heracross with Bulk Up has the astonishing ability to take out many of its usual counters after only a few Bulk Ups. Pokemon like standard Gliscor or Conkeldurr, for example, can use Swords Dance or Bulk Up respectively on Heracross but will fail to do any significant damage while at the same time Heracross maxes out its defenses and prepares to retaliate with a high-power move. After about a three Bulk Ups, Heracross will has the potential to break through even the sturdiest walls in the game that aren't called Skarmory with its massive power, assuming they cannot KO it first.<p>
<p>The moves listed are the best combination of three moves Heracross can use on a Bulk Up set in terms of the coverage they give. It is notable that after just one single Bulk Up,(comma) this variant can OHKO any variant of Reuniclus with a STAB Megahorn. The EVs may seem odd at first but they have specific roles, allowing Heracross to outpace neutral-natured base 90 Pokemon which would otherwise be an issue. This EV spread also gives Heracross quite a bit of bulk, the HP EVs also serving to allow Heracross to hit its highest Leftovers threshold, while at the same time enough Attack to be hit extremely hard after one or two Bulk Ups.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Low Kick is used over Close Combat due to having no defense drops after being used, but Close Combat is still an option considering the large difference in power the two moves have.</p>
<p>Bulky pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, or Cresselia would all make good partners to Heracross once again, especially considering how weak this set is on the special side compared to the physical side. Politoed is an interesting option and brings a unique benefit to the table in that it not only brings Drizzle support to essentially get rid of that pesky Fire-type weakness,(comma) but Heracross also resists Politoed's pesky Grass-type weakness,(comma) making them fairly good teammates together. Wish support is a nice thing to have on this variant of Heracross given how it is meant to have great staying power with a few Bulk Ups in under its belt,(comma) and as a result pokemon who can pass big Wishes to Heracross are a large boon.(full stop) ,(remove) pokemon Pokemon such as Vaporeon, Chansey, or Blissey are all good options for this. Vaporeon especially is a good option given that it resists Heracross's Fire-type weakness and Heracross resists Vaporeon's Grass-type weakness. Light Screen is a great move to use alongside this variant of Heracross, making it nearly impossible to reliably OHKO no matter what side you hit it from, apart from the odd Flying-type moves.</p>
<p>Hazards, especially Stealth Rock, make this Heracross variant much more threatening as the hazards will rack up residual damage as the opponent is forced to switch around to try to deal with Heracross and his Bulk Ups.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>125 Attack is nothing to scoff at, and when combined with a Choice Band,(comma) along with two excellent STAB moves Heracross becomes an extremely hard pokemon Pokemon to switch into for many teams. The moves listed provide quite ample coverage as Megahorn, Close Combat, and Stone Edge together hit almost every Pokemon in the metagame for at least neutral damage, which makes them all fairly essential. One thing to note is that the great benefit of running Choice Band Megahorn is that it will always OHKO Reuniclus no matter the variant with a STAB Megahorn, thus making it arguably its most solid check.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is completely up to the user,(comma) as it helps fill a possible problem area. Night Slash means many Pokemon weak to Dark-type moves can be dealt with effectively, most notably Jellicent. Pursuit is for trapping certain weakened Pokemon but comes at the risk of possible retaliation if the opponent decides to set up Lucario or Terrakion on your Choice-locked Pursuit</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pokemon who attract status ailment make great partners for Heracross as he can easily switch in on a predicted status-inflicting move and activate Guts. Such pokemon that attract status-inflicting moves include but are not limited to Chansey, Blissey, Cresselia, and Vaporeon,(comma) who all attract Toxic,(comma) which Heracross can switch in on in order to activate its and active it's Guts ability for an Attack raise boost. With Guts added on to the power of Choice Band, almost nothing can really wall him effectively. An example of how hard it hits is that even the usually dreaded Skarmory,(comma) even with 252 HP / 252 Def+,(comma) will take about 50.60%-59.58% 48% damage minimum from a Jolly Jolly Choice Banded Band Close Combat from Heracross if it has received a Guts boost prior, what this means is which means that Skarmory will be 2HKOed if it dares switch-in on to switch into a Close Combat when Stealth Rock is also on the field with the aforementioned Guts boost. If Heracross has a Guts boost as well, that same 252/252+ Skarmory is taking a minimum of 73%.</p>
[According to Smogon's damage calculator, 252/252+ Skarmory takes 48-57% damage from CB Close Combat without Guts, so is 2HKOed with Stealth Rock. With Guts activated, 252/252+ Skarmory takes 73% minimum from Guts-boosted CB Close Combat. Perhaps you could double-check these to be on the safe side]
<p>Pokemon who resist Heracross's weaknesses or at the very least can take the hit hits convincingly are much more appreciated on this set than any other considering how often this set will be forced to switch in and out due to Speed issues and having to change moves. Bulky pokemon Pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, Heatran, Vaporeon, or Cresselia would all make good partners with this in mind and are recommended as they can easily take the any special attack moves aimed at Heracross. Vaporeon, Chansey, and Blissey once again can pass wishes Wishes to a weakened Heracross and,(comma) given how slow this variant of Heracross is compared to many of the others,(comma) it should be expected for it to take a hit or two and thus the healing is greatly appreciated. Heatran can switch in on the Fire-type moves aimed at Heracross and gain a Flash-Fire Flash Fire boost in the process,(comma) while Heracross can switch in on the Earthquakes aimed at Heatran. Reuniclus and Cresselia fill the role of bulky Psychic-type pokemon and can switch in on almost any attack that would hit Heracross and recover off the damage inflicted.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>RestTalk (Rest + Sleep Talk) is an option if you feel like abusing Heracross' decent bulk and Guts ability, but it will have a lot of trouble waking up after it has used Rest once and no matter what set of moves you choose to run Heracross will be walled by a few select Pokemon. That said,(comma) RestTalk is a fairly decent choice since it can hit extremely hard and is also fairly hard to OHKO. With a Swords Dance boost, Heracross' Heracross's Attack skyrockets and it becomes capable of wallbreaking and cutting through various types of stall teams. Decent bulk on both sides means Heracross is almost sure to get off a Swords Dance on most Pokemon and become a huge threat. Life Orb is an option for an item but if you're looking for immediate power then usually running a status orb to activate Guts is better despite the residual damage. Expert Belt is an option for bluffing a Choice item and also still gives quite a decent Attack boost if hitting the opponent super effectively.</p>
<p>Sleep Talk makes Heracross a great sleep absorber, and with a Choice item he can either abuse a pseudo-Swords Dance or a pseudo-Dragon Dance every single time he is on the field and is kept asleep. Brick Break is an option if you utterly despise the defense drops that come with using Close Combat and the erratic power of Low Kick, but the power drop from using Brick Break over Close Combat will be noticeable. Rock Slide is an option if you feel like Stone Edge's accuracy is too low but it is not advised as Stone Edge gives Heracross a lot more power. Aerial Ace is an odd option but other than on a few odd Grass pokemon such as Virizion or Fighting-type pokemon (most of which it won't OHKO anyways) it gives no additional coverage. Earthquake has redundant coverage alongside Close Combat and with Air Balloon existing it is simply not recommended at all, but it can hit a few select Pokemon harder than the aforementioned moves.</p>
<p>Swarm is just plain out worse on every set above. The potential Attack increase on Bug-type moves is not enough to warrant the harder time Heracross will have with switching into status moves. However, if you wanted to revive the old Reversal Heracross, Swarm is preferred to Guts as Heracross is useless if it takes any status at all, regardless of the Attack boost.</p>
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
<p>Heracross' Heracross's worst enemies include,(comma) but are not limited to,(comma) Gliscor, Skarmory, Jellicent (walls certain sets), Tornadus, Tentacruel, Gengar, Chandelure, Salamence, Dragonite, Staraptor, Cofagrigus, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Gliscor can wall pretty much every Heracross set and with a combination of Poison Heal, great physical bulk, and Swords Dance will almost always come out on top and extremely threatening. Skarmory can take on almost every Heracross set given the right conditions and proceed to either completely wall Heracross, set up hazards in it's its face, or just OHKO with a STAB Flying-type move. Jellicent can wall any set that lacks Night Slash and with a combination of Recover and a STAB Water-type move is able to eventually come out on top against Heracross. Tornadus is a big issue for Heracross as not only does it have passable bulk but it also resists Heracross's two STAB moves meaning it can switch in on it and can retaliate with a powerful Flying-type STAB move. Tentacruel resists both of Heracross's STAB moves and with a combination of decent bulk and passable Special Attack can either set up Toxic Spikes or threaten with a STAB Water-type move. Gengar and Chandelure function pretty much the same way as each other in that they can switch in on a predicted Close Combat or Megahorn,(comma) thus dodging the damage,(comma) and then proceed to Substitute on Heracross or hitting hit it with a powerful STAB move. It must be noted though that a Shadow Ball from Life Orb Gengar will almost never OHKO a Heracross and Chandelure has a lower base Speed than Heracross,(comma) thus a Heracross that is found to not in fact be Choiced will more than likely lead to their deaths. Bear in mind, however, that many of the above checks will be 2HKOed or take heavy damage if they walk into the wrong move, such is the power of Heracross.</p>
<p>Salamence and Dragonite resist both of Heracross's STAB moves and,(comma) while it is very unlikely they will carry any Flying-type moves,(comma) they can all the same easily dispatch of Heracross with powerful Dragon-type STAB moves or super effective Fire-type moves. Staraptor uses its ability Intimidate to make Heracross' attacks hit softer more softly and can thus switch somewhat comfortably into Megahorn. After switching in it can then also threaten with Brave Bird to instantly get rid of Heracross if it chooses to stay in for some reason. Cofagrigus turns Heracross's Guts into Mummy upon contact and cripples Heracross with Will-O-Wisp, which means big trouble for any Heracross who choose to hit it with a Night Slash and want to stay in. Nidoqueen and Nidoking are both decent checks to Heracross depending on the set. Nidoking can come in thanks to its resistances to Fighting-, Bug-, and Rock-Type moves and threaten Heracross with Encourage-boosted Fire-type moves for an OHKO, and also outruns Adamant Heracross. Nidoqueen can tank hits from Heracross a lot better than Nidoking but lacks the latter's Speed and offensive stats. Both have to be careful though, as if they predict incorrectly they can still be easily taken out by Heracross.</p>
<p>Heracross will die to any Pokemon who uses a Flying-type move on it, no questions asked, and faster opponents who carry a super effective move work as a decent checks to it, but have to switch in at their own risk. Really, Heracross's biggest counter is a combination of knowing its sets and predicting based on that information. Once an opponent knows for sure what set you're running, Heracross becomes much harder to use effectively and much easier for your opponent to maneuver around.</p>
[DREAM WORLD]
<p>Moxie is a great ability and would will work extremely well on Choice sets and Substitute sets whenever it is released, due to the Attack increase from Moxie making Heracross a powerhouse that if not checked immediately can sweep teams. The removal of Guts, however, leaves it much more vulnerable to status moves,(comma) so it is something to keep in mind when comparing Guts to Moxie.</p>
Yep, I think it's much better now. Possibly the content may need another look at since quite a bit has been changed, but I'll leave that up to QC. From a grammatical standpoint, there is some wonky prose left, sure, but as I don't like excessively fiddling with somebody else's writing style I'll leave that be.
Thanks for making the changes, and I have no qualms stamping this now.
Thanks for the relook. I really worked a ton harder the second time around and whenever I work on another analysis I'll make sure to be as informative as I was this time around.
On another note I'll get on QC sometime today and see if they'd want anything changed or looked at. I wanna say it's fine but might as well be safe.
On another note I'll get on QC sometime today and see if they'd want anything changed or looked at. I wanna say it's fine but might as well be safe.
Changes in bold
Removals in red
Comments in bold red
[Overview]
<p>The fighting beetle, Heracross, has been a premier physical attacker ever since its introduction in the second generation. Though it has had periods of reduced usage due to issues with its stats (such as its lackluster Speed), (comma) it has, at the very least, kept the tools to get the job done. By making good use of its Guts ability to freely absorb status and subsequently threaten just about everything in the game, it is one Pokemon that can create quite a headache given the chance. Having the amazing double STAB coverage of Close Combat and Megahorn doesn't hurt either. While its defensive stats are not superb, it does have a few worthwhile resistances to its name. Don't underestimate the Hercules beetle, as it can be quite the nasty surprise for any unprepared team in the 5th generation.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With stats of base 85 Speed and 125 Attack, and two powerful STAB moves to abuse them with, Heracross is a prime candidate for a Choice Scarf and has two great STAB moves to abuse with it. When looking at Heracross one cannot forget Guts, which is among Heracross's biggest selling points, as it gives Heracross the ability to switch into almost any status move and get an Attack boost. This ability is not something to take lightly, especially considering that with the Speed increase gained from a Choice Scarf, it can quickly become an amazingly powerful threat. Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's infamous STAB combo and have surprisingly good synergy together—alongside Stone Edge, Heracross can hit almost everything in the metagame for at least neutral damage.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is reserved for pseudo-trapping foes that Heracross can hit super effectively trying to escape. Pursuit hits Pokemon as they switch out and is useful for taking out Pokemon weak to it, such as Latios and Starmie, but Night Slash is also notable for its ability to 2HKO Jellicent, who would otherwise wall Heracross. Night Slash also fills the role of a more accurate alternative move to hit Psychic-type Pokemon hard.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant is the preferred nature on this set due to Heracross already being able to outspeed everything it needs to with a neutral nature and the damage increase from running an Attack-boosting nature helps it hit as hard as possible. It is possible to run a Jolly nature, most notably to outspeed Timid Scarf Heatran, but it is not recommended.</p>
<p>Toxic has some merit in the fourth moveslot for possibly crippling walls Heracross could never break or just putting a timer on other Pokemon. Pokemon like Vaporeon, Zapdos, and Hippowdon who could otherwise stall you out with their respective healing moves are all forced to switch out lest their poison damage gets too high, and thus become much easier to deal with.</p>
<p>Pokemon who have trouble with Grass-,(space)Psychic-, or Dark-type Pokemon all appreciate Heracross's ability to come in and immediately threaten them. Even the bulkiest of Pokemon, such as Reuniclus, can be easily dispatched with a STAB move if they dare to stay in on Choice Scarf Heracross, assuming they have taken a little bit of prior damage. Pokemon who will greatly appreciate its ability to do this feat are Psychic-type teammates such as Mew, Azelf, Celebi, Latios, and Latias who generally dislike fighting opposing Psychic- and Dark-type Pokemon while all also easily breaking through the physical walls Heracross has trouble breaking through by itself. Water-type Pokemon such as Politoed, Vaporeon, and Swampert, (comma) all of whom appreciate Heracross's ability to take out Grass-type Pokemon, (comma) also make great partners, as Heracross resists their Grass-type weaknesses and they resist Heracross's Fire-type weakness, while at the same time being able to break through Heracross's biggest nightmares, such as most Fire-types, Gliscors, and possibly Skarmory. Politoed in particular is useful as it also brings Drizzle on the field, which cancels out Heracross's Fire-type weakness, while Vaporeon can pass a Wish to a weakened Heracross and potentially bring it back to full health.</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge / Night Slash
move 4: Facade / Substitute
item: Toxic Orb / Leftovers
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 16 HP / 240 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set functions in two differing ways, either as a Substitute attacker or as an all-out attacker depending on what item you choose to run. Toxic Orb forcibly activates Heracross's Guts ability, boosting not only its Attack but also the power of Facade, at the cost of a lot of lower survivability as a whole and revealing its set immediately. Still, the set should not be underestimated as it can actually 2HKO even the most defensive Pokemon as they switch in on a Facade. Most notably, even a 252 HP Gliscor is 2HKOed by a boosted Facade, even after accounting for Poison Heal recovery, by Adamant Heracross. Leftovers on the other hand increases Heracross's longevity by quite a bit with its passive recovery, and also helps gain back health lost in using Substitute. Heracross threatens out a lot of Pokemon, and this set can easily capitalize if you choose to run Substitute. With a Substitute up, Heracross is able to safely attack whatever happens to switch in and possibly get a KO on their usual Heracross check. It can take out many faster, frailer Pokemon from behind a Substitute, and can potentially 2HKO the slower, bulkier pokemon that stay in and try to break its Substitute.</p>
<p>Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's primary STAB moves, and they hit most Pokemon extremely hard, even those that resist them. The choice between Stone Edge and Night Slash depends on whether you'd like to be able to easily deal with Flying-type pokemon or with Ghost-type Pokemon, respectively.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>16 HP EVs are shifted from Attack in order to reach a Leftovers number and survive certain Fire-type attacks, such as Lava Plume from Heatran, but they can be shifted into Attack if you don't mind the possibility of being OHKOed, or are not running Leftovers. The choice between a Jolly and an Adamant nature is entirely up to the user, but one must remember that running Jolly means a decrease in damage output, while running Adamant means you can no longer guarantee that you will outspeed Pokemon such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Nidoking.</p>
<p>Focus Punch can be run instead of Close Combat when running Substitute, but this will mean you are left without a reliable Fighting-type STAB which can lead to many problems and is thus not highly recommended.</p>
<p>Bulky Pokemon once again make great teammates for this variant of Heracross. Pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, Heatran, or Cresselia would all make good partners as they can sponge the special attacks that Heracross is scared to take and proceed to stall out the opposing Pokemon. Paralysis support is especially appreciated as it makes this version of Heracross much harder to deal with, as it can potentially allowing it to outspeed and OHKO its would-be checks and counters. Wish support is greatly appreciated if one chooses to run Substitute, given how Heracross will be sacrificing 25% HP after each Substitute it makes, and as a result Vaporeon is an option worth considering given that Vaporeon can not only pass wishes to Heracross but also resists Heracross's Fire-type weakness while Heracross itself resists Vaporeon's Grass-type weakness giving them fairly decent synergy together, and this is before even mentioning how Vaporeon can easily take on Skarmory and Gliscor, two of Heracross's biggest walls, one on one if needed. Politoed is an option once more but is only recommended if running Substitute, since if you are running a Toxic Orb then generally the passive damage will end up killing you too fast to see the benefit of the removed Fire weakness.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 208 HP / 104 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Come in on a resisted move and Bulk Up as they switch out is the basic premise of this set. Heracross with Bulk Up has the astonishing ability to take out many of its usual counters after only a few Bulk Ups. Pokemon like standard Gliscor or Conkeldurr, for example, can use Swords Dance or Bulk Up respectively on Heracross but will fail to do any significant damage while at the same time Heracross maxes out its defenses and prepares to retaliate with a high-power move. After about three Bulk Ups, Heracross has the potential to break through even the sturdiest walls in the game with its massive power, assuming they cannot KO it first.</p>
<p>The moves listed are the best combination of three moves Heracross can use on a Bulk Up set in terms of the coverage they give. It is notable that after just one single Bulk Up, this variant can OHKO any variant of Reuniclus with a STAB Megahorn. The EVs may seem odd at first but they have specific roles, allowing Heracross to outpace neutral-natured base 90 Pokemon which would otherwise be an issue. This EV spread also gives Heracross quite a bit of bulk, the HP EVs also serving to allow Heracross to hit its highest Leftovers threshold, while at the same time enough Attack to be hit extremely hard after one or two Bulk Ups.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Low Kick is used over Close Combat due to having no defense drops after being used, but Close Combat is still an option considering the large difference in power the two moves may have.</p>
<p>Bulky pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, or Cresselia would all make good partners to Heracross once again, especially considering how weak this set is on the special side compared to the physical side. Politoed is an interesting option and brings a unique benefit to the table in that it not only brings Drizzle support to essentially get rid of that pesky Fire-type weakness, but Heracross also resists Politoed's pesky Grass-type weakness, making them fairly good teammates together. Wish support is a nice thing to have on this variant of Heracross given how it is meant to have great staying power with a few Bulk Ups under its belt, and as a result Pokemon who can pass big Wishes to Heracross are a large boon. Pokemon such as Vaporeon, Chansey, or Blissey are all good options for this. Vaporeon especially is a good option given that it resists Heracross's Fire-type weakness and Heracross resists Vaporeon's Grass-type weakness. (this is getting annoying >_<) Light Screen is a great move to use alongside this variant of Heracross, making it nearly impossible to reliably OHKO no matter what side you hit it from, apart from the odd Flying-type moves.</p>
<p>Hazards, especially Stealth Rock, make this Heracross variant much more threatening as they will rack up residual damage as the opponent is forced to switch around to try to deal with Heracross and its Bulk Ups.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Base 125 Attack is nothing to scoff at, and when combined with a Choice Band, along with two excellent STAB moves, (comma) Heracross becomes an extremely hard Pokemon to switch into for many teams. The moves listed provide quite ample coverage as Megahorn, Close Combat, and Stone Edge together hit almost every Pokemon in the metagame for at least neutral damage, which makes them all fairly essential. One thing to note is that the great benefit of running Choice Band Megahorn is that it will always OHKO Reuniclus no matter the variant with a STAB Megahorn, thus making it arguably its most solid check. </p>
<p>The last moveslot is completely up to the user, as it helps fill a possible problem area. Night Slash means many Pokemon weak to Dark-type moves can be dealt with effectively, most notably Jellicent. Pursuit is for trapping certain weakened Pokemon but comes at the risk of possible retaliation if the opponent decides to set up Lucario or Terrakion on your Choice-locked Pursuit. (period)</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pokemon who attract status ailments make great partners for Heracross as he can easily switch in on a predicted status-inflicting move and activate Guts. Such Pokemon that attract status-inflicting moves include but are not limited to Chansey, Blissey, Cresselia, and Vaporeon, who all attract Toxic which Heracross can switch in on in order to activate its Guts ability for an Attack boost. With Guts added on to the power of Choice Band, almost nothing can really wall it effectively. An example of how hard it hits is that even the usually dreaded physically defensive Skarmory, even with 252 HP / 252 Def+, will take about 48% damage minimum from a Jolly Choice Band Close Combat from Heracross, which means that Skarmory will be 2HKOed if it dares switch into a Close Combat when Stealth Rock is also on the field.(space)If Heracross has a Guts boost as well, that same 252/252+ Skarmory is taking a minimum of 73%.</p>
<p>Pokemon who resist Heracross's weaknesses or at the very least can take hits convincingly are much more appreciated on this set than any other considering how often this set will be forced to switch in and out due to Speed issues and having to change moves. Bulky Pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, Heatran, Vaporeon, or Cresselia would all make good partners with this in mind, (comma) and are recommended as they can easily take any special moves aimed at Heracross. Vaporeon, Chansey, and Blissey can once again pass Wishes to a weakened Heracross and, given how slow this variant of Heracross is compared to many of the others, it should be expected for it to take a hit or two and thus the healing is greatly appreciated. Heatran can switch in on the Fire-type moves aimed at Heracross and gain a Flash Fire boost in the process, while Heracross can switch in on the Earthquakes aimed at Heatran. Reuniclus and Cresselia fill the role of bulky Psychic-type Pokemon and can switch in on almost any attack that would hit Heracross and Recover off the damage inflicted.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>RestTalk (Rest + Sleep Talk) is an option if you feel like abusing Heracross's decent bulk and Guts ability, but it will have a lot of trouble waking up after it has used Rest once and no matter what set of moves you choose to run Heracross will be walled by a few select Pokemon. That said, RestTalk is a fairly decent choice since it can hit extremely hard and is also fairly hard to OHKO. With a Swords Dance boost, Heracross's Attack skyrockets and it becomes capable of wallbreaking and cutting through various types of stall teams. Decent bulk on both sides means Heracross is almost sure to get off a Swords Dance on most Pokemon and become a huge threat. Life Orb is an option for an item but if you're looking for immediate power then usually running a status orb to activate Guts is better despite the residual damage. Expert Belt is an option for bluffing a Choice item and also still gives quite a decent Attack boost if hitting the opponent super effectively.</p>
<p>Sleep Talk makes Heracross a great sleep absorber, and with a Choice item he can either abuse a pseudo-Swords Dance or a pseudo-Dragon Dance every single time he is on the field and is kept asleep. Brick Break is an option if you utterly despise the defense drops that come with using Close Combat and the erratic power of Low Kick, but the power drop will be noticeable. Rock Slide is an option if you feel like Stone Edge's accuracy is too low but it is not advised as Stone Edge gives Heracross a lot more power. Aerial Ace is an odd option but other than on a few odd Grass pokemon such as Virizion or Fighting-type pokemon (most of which it won't OHKO anyways) it gives no additional coverage. Earthquake has redundant coverage alongside Close Combat and with Air Balloon existing, (comma) it is simply not recommended at all, but it can hit a few select Pokemon harder than the aforementioned moves.</p>
<p>Swarm is just plain out worse on every set above. The potential Attack increase on Bug-type moves is not enough to warrant the harder time Heracross will have with switching into status moves. However, if you wanted to revive the old Reversal Heracross, Swarm is preferred to Guts as Heracross is useless if it takes any status at all, regardless of the Attack boost.</p>
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
<p>Heracross's worst enemies include, but are not limited to, Gliscor, Skarmory, Jellicent (walls certain sets), Tornadus, Tentacruel, Gengar, Chandelure, Salamence, Dragonite, Staraptor, Cofagrigus, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Gliscor can wall pretty much every Heracross set and with a combination of Poison Heal, great physical bulk, and Swords Dance will almost always come out on top. Skarmory can take on almost every Heracross set given the right conditions and proceed to either completely wall Heracross, set up hazards in its face, or just OHKO with a STAB Flying-type move. Jellicent can wall any set that lacks Night Slash and with a combination of Recover and a STAB Water-type move is able to eventually come out on top against Heracross. Tornadus is a big issue for Heracross as not only does it have passable bulk, (comma) it also resists Heracross's two STAB moves meaning it can switch in on it and can retaliate with a powerful Flying-type STAB move. Tentacruel resists both of Heracross's STAB moves and with a combination decent bulk and passable Special Attack can either set up Toxic Spikes or threaten with a STAB Water-type move. Gengar and Chandelure function pretty much the same way as each other in that they can switch in on a predicted Close Combat or Megahorn, thus dodging the damage, and then proceed to Substitute on Heracross or hit it with a powerful STAB move. It must be noted though that a Shadow Ball from Life Orb Gengar will almost never OHKO a Heracross and Chandelure has a lower base Speed than Heracross, thus a Heracross that is found to not in fact be Choiced will more than likely lead to their deaths. Bear in mind, however, that many of the above checks will be 2HKOed or take heavy damage if they walk into the wrong move, as such is the power of Heracross.</p>
<p>Salamence and Dragonite resist both of Heracross's STAB moves and, as it is very unlikely they will carry any Flying-type moves, they can easily dispatch Heracross with powerful Dragon-type STAB moves or super effective Fire-type moves. Staraptor can use its ability Intimidate to make Heracross's attacks hit more softly and can thus switch somewhat comfortably into Megahorn. After switching in it can then also threaten with Brave Bird to instantly get rid of Heracross if it chooses to stay in for some reason. Cofagrigus turns Heracross's Guts into Mummy upon contact and cripples Heracross with Will-O-Wisp, which means big trouble for any Heracross who choose to hit it with a Night Slash and want to stay in. Nidoqueen and Nidoking are both decent checks to Heracross depending on the set. Nidoking can come in thanks to its resistances to Fighting-, Bug-, and Rock-type moves, (comma) and threaten Heracross with a faster Encourage-boosted Fire-type moves for an OHKO, and also outruns Adamant Heracross. Nidoqueen can tank hits from Heracross a lot better than Nidoking but lacks the latter's Speed and offensive stats. Both have to be careful though, as if they predict incorrectly they can still be easily taken out by Heracross.</p>
<p>Heracross will die to any Pokemon who uses a Flying-type move on it, no questions asked, and faster opponents who carry a super effective move work as a decent checks to it too, but have to switch in at their own risk. Really, Heracross's biggest counter is a combination of knowing its sets and predicting based on that information. Once an opponent knows for sure what set it's running, Heracross becomes much harder to use effectively and much easier for your opponent to maneuver around.</p>
[DREAM WORLD]
<p>Moxie is a great ability and will work extremely well on Choice sets and Substitute sets whenever it is released, due to the Attack increase from Moxie making Heracross a powerhouse that, (comma) if left unchecked, (comma) can become nigh unstoppable. The removal of Guts, however, leaves it much more vulnerable to status moves, so it is something to keep in mind when using Moxie over Guts.</p>
Removals in red
Comments in bold red
[Overview]
<p>The fighting beetle, Heracross, has been a premier physical attacker ever since its introduction in the second generation. Though it has had periods of reduced usage due to issues with its stats (such as its lackluster Speed), (comma) it has, at the very least, kept the tools to get the job done. By making good use of its Guts ability to freely absorb status and subsequently threaten just about everything in the game, it is one Pokemon that can create quite a headache given the chance. Having the amazing double STAB coverage of Close Combat and Megahorn doesn't hurt either. While its defensive stats are not superb, it does have a few worthwhile resistances to its name. Don't underestimate the Hercules beetle, as it can be quite the nasty surprise for any unprepared team in the 5th generation.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With stats of base 85 Speed and 125 Attack, and two powerful STAB moves to abuse them with, Heracross is a prime candidate for a Choice Scarf and has two great STAB moves to abuse with it. When looking at Heracross one cannot forget Guts, which is among Heracross's biggest selling points, as it gives Heracross the ability to switch into almost any status move and get an Attack boost. This ability is not something to take lightly, especially considering that with the Speed increase gained from a Choice Scarf, it can quickly become an amazingly powerful threat. Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's infamous STAB combo and have surprisingly good synergy together—alongside Stone Edge, Heracross can hit almost everything in the metagame for at least neutral damage.</p>
<p>The last moveslot is reserved for pseudo-trapping foes that Heracross can hit super effectively trying to escape. Pursuit hits Pokemon as they switch out and is useful for taking out Pokemon weak to it, such as Latios and Starmie, but Night Slash is also notable for its ability to 2HKO Jellicent, who would otherwise wall Heracross. Night Slash also fills the role of a more accurate alternative move to hit Psychic-type Pokemon hard.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Adamant is the preferred nature on this set due to Heracross already being able to outspeed everything it needs to with a neutral nature and the damage increase from running an Attack-boosting nature helps it hit as hard as possible. It is possible to run a Jolly nature, most notably to outspeed Timid Scarf Heatran, but it is not recommended.</p>
<p>Toxic has some merit in the fourth moveslot for possibly crippling walls Heracross could never break or just putting a timer on other Pokemon. Pokemon like Vaporeon, Zapdos, and Hippowdon who could otherwise stall you out with their respective healing moves are all forced to switch out lest their poison damage gets too high, and thus become much easier to deal with.</p>
<p>Pokemon who have trouble with Grass-,(space)Psychic-, or Dark-type Pokemon all appreciate Heracross's ability to come in and immediately threaten them. Even the bulkiest of Pokemon, such as Reuniclus, can be easily dispatched with a STAB move if they dare to stay in on Choice Scarf Heracross, assuming they have taken a little bit of prior damage. Pokemon who will greatly appreciate its ability to do this feat are Psychic-type teammates such as Mew, Azelf, Celebi, Latios, and Latias who generally dislike fighting opposing Psychic- and Dark-type Pokemon while all also easily breaking through the physical walls Heracross has trouble breaking through by itself. Water-type Pokemon such as Politoed, Vaporeon, and Swampert, (comma) all of whom appreciate Heracross's ability to take out Grass-type Pokemon, (comma) also make great partners, as Heracross resists their Grass-type weaknesses and they resist Heracross's Fire-type weakness, while at the same time being able to break through Heracross's biggest nightmares, such as most Fire-types, Gliscors, and possibly Skarmory. Politoed in particular is useful as it also brings Drizzle on the field, which cancels out Heracross's Fire-type weakness, while Vaporeon can pass a Wish to a weakened Heracross and potentially bring it back to full health.</p>
[SET]
name: Non-Choice Attacker
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge / Night Slash
move 4: Facade / Substitute
item: Toxic Orb / Leftovers
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 16 HP / 240 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set functions in two differing ways, either as a Substitute attacker or as an all-out attacker depending on what item you choose to run. Toxic Orb forcibly activates Heracross's Guts ability, boosting not only its Attack but also the power of Facade, at the cost of a lot of lower survivability as a whole and revealing its set immediately. Still, the set should not be underestimated as it can actually 2HKO even the most defensive Pokemon as they switch in on a Facade. Most notably, even a 252 HP Gliscor is 2HKOed by a boosted Facade, even after accounting for Poison Heal recovery, by Adamant Heracross. Leftovers on the other hand increases Heracross's longevity by quite a bit with its passive recovery, and also helps gain back health lost in using Substitute. Heracross threatens out a lot of Pokemon, and this set can easily capitalize if you choose to run Substitute. With a Substitute up, Heracross is able to safely attack whatever happens to switch in and possibly get a KO on their usual Heracross check. It can take out many faster, frailer Pokemon from behind a Substitute, and can potentially 2HKO the slower, bulkier pokemon that stay in and try to break its Substitute.</p>
<p>Close Combat and Megahorn are Heracross's primary STAB moves, and they hit most Pokemon extremely hard, even those that resist them. The choice between Stone Edge and Night Slash depends on whether you'd like to be able to easily deal with Flying-type pokemon or with Ghost-type Pokemon, respectively.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>16 HP EVs are shifted from Attack in order to reach a Leftovers number and survive certain Fire-type attacks, such as Lava Plume from Heatran, but they can be shifted into Attack if you don't mind the possibility of being OHKOed, or are not running Leftovers. The choice between a Jolly and an Adamant nature is entirely up to the user, but one must remember that running Jolly means a decrease in damage output, while running Adamant means you can no longer guarantee that you will outspeed Pokemon such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Nidoking.</p>
<p>Focus Punch can be run instead of Close Combat when running Substitute, but this will mean you are left without a reliable Fighting-type STAB which can lead to many problems and is thus not highly recommended.</p>
<p>Bulky Pokemon once again make great teammates for this variant of Heracross. Pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, Heatran, or Cresselia would all make good partners as they can sponge the special attacks that Heracross is scared to take and proceed to stall out the opposing Pokemon. Paralysis support is especially appreciated as it makes this version of Heracross much harder to deal with, as it can potentially allowing it to outspeed and OHKO its would-be checks and counters. Wish support is greatly appreciated if one chooses to run Substitute, given how Heracross will be sacrificing 25% HP after each Substitute it makes, and as a result Vaporeon is an option worth considering given that Vaporeon can not only pass wishes to Heracross but also resists Heracross's Fire-type weakness while Heracross itself resists Vaporeon's Grass-type weakness giving them fairly decent synergy together, and this is before even mentioning how Vaporeon can easily take on Skarmory and Gliscor, two of Heracross's biggest walls, one on one if needed. Politoed is an option once more but is only recommended if running Substitute, since if you are running a Toxic Orb then generally the passive damage will end up killing you too fast to see the benefit of the removed Fire weakness.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Megahorn
move 3: Low Kick
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
nature: Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 208 HP / 104 Atk / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Come in on a resisted move and Bulk Up as they switch out is the basic premise of this set. Heracross with Bulk Up has the astonishing ability to take out many of its usual counters after only a few Bulk Ups. Pokemon like standard Gliscor or Conkeldurr, for example, can use Swords Dance or Bulk Up respectively on Heracross but will fail to do any significant damage while at the same time Heracross maxes out its defenses and prepares to retaliate with a high-power move. After about three Bulk Ups, Heracross has the potential to break through even the sturdiest walls in the game with its massive power, assuming they cannot KO it first.</p>
<p>The moves listed are the best combination of three moves Heracross can use on a Bulk Up set in terms of the coverage they give. It is notable that after just one single Bulk Up, this variant can OHKO any variant of Reuniclus with a STAB Megahorn. The EVs may seem odd at first but they have specific roles, allowing Heracross to outpace neutral-natured base 90 Pokemon which would otherwise be an issue. This EV spread also gives Heracross quite a bit of bulk, the HP EVs also serving to allow Heracross to hit its highest Leftovers threshold, while at the same time enough Attack to be hit extremely hard after one or two Bulk Ups.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Low Kick is used over Close Combat due to having no defense drops after being used, but Close Combat is still an option considering the large difference in power the two moves may have.</p>
<p>Bulky pokemon like Chansey, Blissey, Reuniclus, or Cresselia would all make good partners to Heracross once again, especially considering how weak this set is on the special side compared to the physical side. Politoed is an interesting option and brings a unique benefit to the table in that it not only brings Drizzle support to essentially get rid of that pesky Fire-type weakness, but Heracross also resists Politoed's pesky Grass-type weakness, making them fairly good teammates together. Wish support is a nice thing to have on this variant of Heracross given how it is meant to have great staying power with a few Bulk Ups under its belt, and as a result Pokemon who can pass big Wishes to Heracross are a large boon. Pokemon such as Vaporeon, Chansey, or Blissey are all good options for this. Vaporeon especially is a good option given that it resists Heracross's Fire-type weakness and Heracross resists Vaporeon's Grass-type weakness. (this is getting annoying >_<) Light Screen is a great move to use alongside this variant of Heracross, making it nearly impossible to reliably OHKO no matter what side you hit it from, apart from the odd Flying-type moves.</p>
<p>Hazards, especially Stealth Rock, make this Heracross variant much more threatening as they will rack up residual damage as the opponent is forced to switch around to try to deal with Heracross and its Bulk Ups.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Night Slash / Pursuit
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant / Jolly
ability: Guts
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Base 125 Attack is nothing to scoff at, and when combined with a Choice Band, along with two excellent STAB moves, (comma) Heracross becomes an extremely hard Pokemon to switch into for many teams. The moves listed provide quite ample coverage as Megahorn, Close Combat, and Stone Edge together hit almost every Pokemon in the metagame for at least neutral damage, which makes them all fairly essential. One thing to note is that the great benefit of running Choice Band Megahorn is that it will always OHKO Reuniclus no matter the variant with a STAB Megahorn, thus making it arguably its most solid check. </p>
<p>The last moveslot is completely up to the user, as it helps fill a possible problem area. Night Slash means many Pokemon weak to Dark-type moves can be dealt with effectively, most notably Jellicent. Pursuit is for trapping certain weakened Pokemon but comes at the risk of possible retaliation if the opponent decides to set up Lucario or Terrakion on your Choice-locked Pursuit. (period)</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Pokemon who attract status ailments make great partners for Heracross as he can easily switch in on a predicted status-inflicting move and activate Guts. Such Pokemon that attract status-inflicting moves include but are not limited to Chansey, Blissey, Cresselia, and Vaporeon, who all attract Toxic which Heracross can switch in on in order to activate its Guts ability for an Attack boost. With Guts added on to the power of Choice Band, almost nothing can really wall it effectively. An example of how hard it hits is that even the usually dreaded physically defensive Skarmory, even with 252 HP / 252 Def+, will take about 48% damage minimum from a Jolly Choice Band Close Combat from Heracross, which means that Skarmory will be 2HKOed if it dares switch into a Close Combat when Stealth Rock is also on the field.(space)If Heracross has a Guts boost as well, that same 252/252+ Skarmory is taking a minimum of 73%.</p>
<p>Pokemon who resist Heracross's weaknesses or at the very least can take hits convincingly are much more appreciated on this set than any other considering how often this set will be forced to switch in and out due to Speed issues and having to change moves. Bulky Pokemon like Chansey, Reuniclus, Heatran, Vaporeon, or Cresselia would all make good partners with this in mind, (comma) and are recommended as they can easily take any special moves aimed at Heracross. Vaporeon, Chansey, and Blissey can once again pass Wishes to a weakened Heracross and, given how slow this variant of Heracross is compared to many of the others, it should be expected for it to take a hit or two and thus the healing is greatly appreciated. Heatran can switch in on the Fire-type moves aimed at Heracross and gain a Flash Fire boost in the process, while Heracross can switch in on the Earthquakes aimed at Heatran. Reuniclus and Cresselia fill the role of bulky Psychic-type Pokemon and can switch in on almost any attack that would hit Heracross and Recover off the damage inflicted.</p>
[OTHER OPTIONS]
<p>RestTalk (Rest + Sleep Talk) is an option if you feel like abusing Heracross's decent bulk and Guts ability, but it will have a lot of trouble waking up after it has used Rest once and no matter what set of moves you choose to run Heracross will be walled by a few select Pokemon. That said, RestTalk is a fairly decent choice since it can hit extremely hard and is also fairly hard to OHKO. With a Swords Dance boost, Heracross's Attack skyrockets and it becomes capable of wallbreaking and cutting through various types of stall teams. Decent bulk on both sides means Heracross is almost sure to get off a Swords Dance on most Pokemon and become a huge threat. Life Orb is an option for an item but if you're looking for immediate power then usually running a status orb to activate Guts is better despite the residual damage. Expert Belt is an option for bluffing a Choice item and also still gives quite a decent Attack boost if hitting the opponent super effectively.</p>
<p>Sleep Talk makes Heracross a great sleep absorber, and with a Choice item he can either abuse a pseudo-Swords Dance or a pseudo-Dragon Dance every single time he is on the field and is kept asleep. Brick Break is an option if you utterly despise the defense drops that come with using Close Combat and the erratic power of Low Kick, but the power drop will be noticeable. Rock Slide is an option if you feel like Stone Edge's accuracy is too low but it is not advised as Stone Edge gives Heracross a lot more power. Aerial Ace is an odd option but other than on a few odd Grass pokemon such as Virizion or Fighting-type pokemon (most of which it won't OHKO anyways) it gives no additional coverage. Earthquake has redundant coverage alongside Close Combat and with Air Balloon existing, (comma) it is simply not recommended at all, but it can hit a few select Pokemon harder than the aforementioned moves.</p>
<p>Swarm is just plain out worse on every set above. The potential Attack increase on Bug-type moves is not enough to warrant the harder time Heracross will have with switching into status moves. However, if you wanted to revive the old Reversal Heracross, Swarm is preferred to Guts as Heracross is useless if it takes any status at all, regardless of the Attack boost.</p>
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
<p>Heracross's worst enemies include, but are not limited to, Gliscor, Skarmory, Jellicent (walls certain sets), Tornadus, Tentacruel, Gengar, Chandelure, Salamence, Dragonite, Staraptor, Cofagrigus, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Gliscor can wall pretty much every Heracross set and with a combination of Poison Heal, great physical bulk, and Swords Dance will almost always come out on top. Skarmory can take on almost every Heracross set given the right conditions and proceed to either completely wall Heracross, set up hazards in its face, or just OHKO with a STAB Flying-type move. Jellicent can wall any set that lacks Night Slash and with a combination of Recover and a STAB Water-type move is able to eventually come out on top against Heracross. Tornadus is a big issue for Heracross as not only does it have passable bulk, (comma) it also resists Heracross's two STAB moves meaning it can switch in on it and can retaliate with a powerful Flying-type STAB move. Tentacruel resists both of Heracross's STAB moves and with a combination decent bulk and passable Special Attack can either set up Toxic Spikes or threaten with a STAB Water-type move. Gengar and Chandelure function pretty much the same way as each other in that they can switch in on a predicted Close Combat or Megahorn, thus dodging the damage, and then proceed to Substitute on Heracross or hit it with a powerful STAB move. It must be noted though that a Shadow Ball from Life Orb Gengar will almost never OHKO a Heracross and Chandelure has a lower base Speed than Heracross, thus a Heracross that is found to not in fact be Choiced will more than likely lead to their deaths. Bear in mind, however, that many of the above checks will be 2HKOed or take heavy damage if they walk into the wrong move, as such is the power of Heracross.</p>
<p>Salamence and Dragonite resist both of Heracross's STAB moves and, as it is very unlikely they will carry any Flying-type moves, they can easily dispatch Heracross with powerful Dragon-type STAB moves or super effective Fire-type moves. Staraptor can use its ability Intimidate to make Heracross's attacks hit more softly and can thus switch somewhat comfortably into Megahorn. After switching in it can then also threaten with Brave Bird to instantly get rid of Heracross if it chooses to stay in for some reason. Cofagrigus turns Heracross's Guts into Mummy upon contact and cripples Heracross with Will-O-Wisp, which means big trouble for any Heracross who choose to hit it with a Night Slash and want to stay in. Nidoqueen and Nidoking are both decent checks to Heracross depending on the set. Nidoking can come in thanks to its resistances to Fighting-, Bug-, and Rock-type moves, (comma) and threaten Heracross with a faster Encourage-boosted Fire-type moves for an OHKO, and also outruns Adamant Heracross. Nidoqueen can tank hits from Heracross a lot better than Nidoking but lacks the latter's Speed and offensive stats. Both have to be careful though, as if they predict incorrectly they can still be easily taken out by Heracross.</p>
<p>Heracross will die to any Pokemon who uses a Flying-type move on it, no questions asked, and faster opponents who carry a super effective move work as a decent checks to it too, but have to switch in at their own risk. Really, Heracross's biggest counter is a combination of knowing its sets and predicting based on that information. Once an opponent knows for sure what set it's running, Heracross becomes much harder to use effectively and much easier for your opponent to maneuver around.</p>
[DREAM WORLD]
<p>Moxie is a great ability and will work extremely well on Choice sets and Substitute sets whenever it is released, due to the Attack increase from Moxie making Heracross a powerhouse that, (comma) if left unchecked, (comma) can become nigh unstoppable. The removal of Guts, however, leaves it much more vulnerable to status moves, so it is something to keep in mind when using Moxie over Guts.</p>
Implemented all your changes Aaron minus the one with recover to Recover due to Cresselia not having access to Recover. Adding another part about Moonlight did not seem necessary when you could just state both actions as recovering off damage instead of literally stating each move.
Also with that, this analysis is done.
Also with that, this analysis is done.
To the non-choice set, Toxic Orb < Flame Orb? Flame Orb at least damage you less that Toxic Orb.