Heracross (Fighting Writeup)

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[OVERVIEW]

Fighting
========

With Bug-type STAB, high base Attack, and an extensive movepool, Heracross is an important asset to Fighting. Heracross is also blessed with two useful abilities in Guts and Moxie. The former allows Heracross to beat status users such as Mega Sableye, while the latter allows it to sweep when its checks are weakened. Heracross also has a good defensive typing, with useful resistances to Grass, Ground, and Fighting. It's also the only viable user of Knock Off for Fighting teams. However, Heracross's defenses are nothing special, and it is slower than other common Choice Scarf users such as Victini and Excadrill. It also has to rely on Megahorn to eliminate threats, which has middling accuracy. Heracross also faces competition from Buzzwole, another viable Bug / Fighting type that has higher Attack and better physical bulk. However, Heracross is faster, has stronger STAB moves, and has a more useful ability in Guts.

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Fighting)
move 1: Megahorn
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Megahorn is an incredibly strong STAB move that helps eliminate Psychic-types that threaten Fighting teams, such as Latios and Mega Alakazam. Close Combat is Heracross's other powerful STAB move, providing decent neutral coverage when coupled with Megahorn. It can also reliably sweep late-game when Heracross's checks are weakened. Knock Off is used to hit the Ghost-types that resist both of Heracross's STAB moves as well as crippling opposing pokemon that rely on their items, such as Doublade and defensive Staraptor. Stone Edge rounds out Heracross's coverage and hits Flying-types that resist both of its STABs like Mantine, Bug-types that resist Close Combat, and Fire-types that resist Megahorn.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack EVs allow Heracross to hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed EVs and a Jolly Nature along with a Choice Scarf let Heracross outspeed threats such as +1 Gyarados, Choice Scarf Gardevoir, and Choice Scarf Togekiss. Moxie can be used to help Heracross sweep opposing teams; however, Guts is the ability of choice because it allows Heracross to deal with status-spreading Pokemon such as Mega Sableye.


Usage Tips
========

Heracross should use Knock Off early-game to cripple the walls that would switch into it such as Toxapex by removing their item. However, many setup sweepers that use Z-Moves such as Volcarona use Heracross locked into Knock Off as setup bait. Heracross should also be used to revenge kill most slower threats, such as Latios and Togekiss. Be careful when locking Heracross into Close Combat when your opponent has a Ghost-type, like Mega Sableye on Dark teams, because, if they switch to it, Heracross will be forced to switch and will lose momentum. Heracross should be switched into Will-O-Wisp and Toxic to activate Guts and become an extremely strong wallbreaker, but be careful when switching Heracross into attacks because of its subpar defensive stats. Double switching to a teammate can often be the right choice, as Heracross is easily walled and often forces switches to walls that can be taken advantage of. Heracross can become an excellent late-game sweeper, especially with Moxie, but try to keep it as healthy as possible so it isn't picked off by a faster Pokemon or priority user such as Choice Scarf Keldeo or Choice Band Dragonite.

Team Options
========

Heracross pairs well with most Fighting-types because of its ability to eliminate Psychic-types with Megahorn and can also damage Ghost-types with Knock Off. Keldeo can handle Gliscor, Mega Scizor, and Skarmory for Heracross, while in return Heracross removes Psychic-types that wall Keldeo such as Celebi and Slowbro. Choice Scarf Terrakion can handle Choice Scarf users that outspeed Heracross such as Victini as well as Flying-types that would switch into Heracross. Alternatively, Rockium Z Terrakion can easily break through the physical walls that would stop Heracross in its tracks. Cobalion can set Stealth Rock for Heracross as well as switch into Psychic-type attacks aimed at Heracross. Cobalion can also cripple faster threats with Thunder Wave such as Choice Scarf Latios and safely bring Heracross in with Volt Switch. Infernape is a more offensive option for setting Stealth Rock that can also deal with the bulky Steel-types that wall Heracross, such as Mega Scizor, Doublade, and Skarmory. Lucario can handle the Fairy-types that completely wall Heracross with Steel STAB attacks and can weaken its checks to allow Heracross to sweep late-game. Breloom can provide support with Spore as well as beat the bulky Ground-types that wall Heracross, such as Hippowdon and Gastrodon.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Fighting
--------
Pursuit can be used over Knock Off to trap Victini that are attempting to switch, but it fails to OHKO Victini even at -1 Defense. Earthquake can be used over Stone Edge to target Toxapex, Magearna, and Doublade; however, it fails to 2HKO Toxapex and Doublade and also leaves Heracross unable to deal significant damage to Flying-types.


Checks and Counters
===================

Fighting
--------
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types such as Clefable and Tapu Fini take minimal damage from all of Heracross's moves and threaten it out with their STAB moves. Clefable can also set up Calm Mind on it.

**Flying-types**: Flying-types such as Gliscor and Zapdos resist both of Heracross's STAB moves, although Zapdos fears the 2HKO from Stone Edge.

**Skarmory**: Skarmory hard counters Heracross, can set up entry hazards against it, and threatens it out with Brave Bird.

**Doublade**: Doublade takes minimal damage from all of Heracross's moves and sets up Swords Dance against it, although it hates having its Eviolite removed.

**Poison-types**: Defensive Poison-types, such as Crobat and Toxapex, resist both of its STABs and can easily switch into Heracross, although Crobat fears Stone Edge.

**Physically Defensive Walls**: Walls such as Alomomola and Hippowdon take little damage from Heracross's attacks and can recover their health with Wish and Slack Off, respectively, although neither like having their Leftovers removed.

**Fire-types**: Although Fire-types fear Stone Edge, many of them such as Volcarona can take one of Heracross's other attacks and KO it with their STAB attacks. Even Torkoal can 2HKO it with Lava Plume, and its amazing bulk allows it to survive two Stone Edges.

**Revenge Killers**: Faster Choice Scarf users such as Kyurem-B and Victini and priority users such as Dragonite can KO Heracross after some prior damage.
 

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