UU Heracross

[OVERVIEW]

Heracross's great Attack stat coupled with its ability Guts makes it one of the best physical wallbreakers in the metagame. With its access to Close Combat as a good Fighting-type STAB move, Swords Dance to set up, and coverage moves such Knock Off and Facade, Heracross can be very difficult to switch into, being able to break through defensive cores and bulky teams with ease. Also, its Bug / Fighting typing allows it to soft check Ground-types such as Gliscor, Krookodile, and Hippowdon. Despite all those good qualities, Heracross has a lackluster Speed stat and no access to strong priority to be a decent offensive Pokemon, making it easily revenge killed by a lot of faster offensive attackers such as Mega Aerodactyl, Latias, and Mega Pidgeot. It also lacks reliable recovery and access to Drain Punch, leaving it prone to being worn down by burn damage and entry hazards.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Facade
item: Flame Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

Swords Dance boosts Heracross's Attack to massive levels, further augmenting its power in conjunction with Guts to break through even the bulkiest walls. Close Combat is Heracross's strongest STAB move and hits everything that doesn't resist it hard thanks to Guts. Knock Off hits Psychic- and Ghost-types that are resistant or immune to Close Combat such as Celebi and Doublade hard and cripples switch-ins by removing their item. Facade is greatly boosted when used in conjunction with Flame Orb and Guts, punishing Fairy- and Poison-types such as Sylveon and Tentacruel that try to switch into Heracross on a predicted Close Combat.

Set Details
========

A Jolly nature with maximum investment in Attack and Speed allows Heracross to hit as hard as possible while still being able to outspeed base 80s such as Mamoswine and Togekiss and Speed tie with Nidoking. Guts is the preferred ability to grant Heracross the power boost needed to break through most defensive builds after its Flame Orb has been activated. This also makes Heracross immune to other status conditions like poison and sleep.

Usage Tips
========

Heracross should be used as an early-game wallbreaker due to its massive Attack stat in conjunction with Guts. Try to always keep entry hazards off the field, as the burn damage already wears down Heracross relatively quickly. Avoid switching in directly on opposing attacks as well, as its average defenses will force it to take huge damage, which is detrimental to its longevity. Make use of pivots, smart double switches, and VoltTurn support to bring in Heracross and activate its Flame Orb safely. Don't try to set up a Swords Dance against most offensive teams, as Heracross would usually benefit more by simply attacking. On the other hand, Swords Dance should be used against more defensive teams to easily break down walls; specifically, set up on Pokemon that can't do much back to Heracross, such as Blissey, Quagsire, and Toxic Hippowdon, or against Pokemon that it forces out, such as Blissey and Krookodile. Be sure to use Heracross with proper prediction so as to not unnecessarily drop its defenses when using Close Combat. For example, if your opponent has a good answer to Heracross that's able to take two hits or a switch-in that outspeeds Heracross, using Facade or Knock Off is the better choice.

Team Options
========

Since Flying- and Fairy-types resist Heracross's Close Combat and threaten it, Pokemon that can come in safely and beat them such as Mega Aerodactyl, Rotom-W, and Scizor fit well with Heracross. Pokemon such as Latias and Krookodile that can deal with Poison-types like Nidoking, Amoonguss, and Tentacruel are greatly appreciated, allowing Heracross to fire off attacks more freely. Entry hazard support is highly recommended, since it makes Heracross's job as a wallbreaker a bit easier. In particular, Stealth Rock setters such as Gliscor and Seismitoad make for great partners, as they can also check threats to Heracross such as Mega Aerodactyl and Infernape, while Klefki is able to set up Spikes. Otherwise, hazard removers such as Mega Blastoise and Latias prevent Heracross from being worn down as easily. Heracross profits from VoltTurn users such as Rotom-W, Mega Beedrill, and Scizor, which can bring Heracross on the field for free to unleash Guts-boosted attacks. Finally, sweepers and cleaners such as Scizor and Mega Aerodactyl appreciate Heracross's ability to break down defensive cores.

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

Heracross can be used with Choice Scarf and Moxie as a decent revenge Killer; however, that set is vulnerable to status and there are better Fighting-types to choose from as a Choice Scarf user. A Choice Band set with Guts could be used, but Heracross usually needs to be able to switch up moves on a non-Choice Scarf set, and Guts Heracross with a Flame Orb already allows it to wallbreak effectively. Substitute can be used to ease predictions and prevent Heracross from being easily revenge killed. Stone Edge and Earthquake can be used to hit specific targets such as Togekiss, Raikou, and Nidoking, but they aren't needed most of the time, since Facade and Close Combat already do enough damage.

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

**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types such as Togekiss and Sylveon can switch into everything outside of a Guts-boosted Facade and easily KO Heracross with their STAB moves, though they don't like getting their items removed by Knock Off.

**Flying-types**: Offensive threats such as Mega Pidgeot and Mega Aerodactyl can easily revenge kill Heracross with their Flying-type STAB moves, but they can't switch into it safely. Crobat, on the other hand, is capable of easily switching into Close Combat, but it doesn't take Facade well.

**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Latias, Mega Beedrill, and Hydreigon outspeed non-Choice Scarf Heracross and can easily beat it with their powerful attacks.

**Residual Damage**: Entry hazard damage coupled with the burn damage from Heracross's Flame Orb wears it down very quickly, decreasing its opportunities to switch in without getting KOed.
 
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Deleted User 400951

Banned deucer.
Hey, not QC, just dropping by to give some suggestions:
"Despite all those good qualities, Heracross has a lackluster Speed stat and no access to a strong priority to be a decent offensive Pokémon, making it easily revenge killed by a lot of faster offensive attackers"
I'd also mention it has average bulk.
Remove Xurkitree mentions.
"
* Don't try to set a Swords Dance against offensive teams, as Heracross should simply go for attacks against, otherwise, Swords Dance should be used against more defensive teams to easily break down walls
* Click Swords Dance against Pokemon that can't do much back to Heracross, such as Blissey, Quagsire and Toxic Hippowdon, or against Pokemon that it forces out, such as Tsareena and Porygon2"
Perhaps shorten and merge these two?
"Stealth Rock support is highly recommended, since it makes Heracross's job as a wallbreaker a bit easier, Stealth Rock setters such as Gliscor and Swampert makes great partners, as they can also check Heracross' threats such as Mega Aerodactyl and Infernape."
Perhaps here also mention Spikes? Hazard stack is still an effective play style even with AV around and it really begins to wear down on opposing mons.
"Scizor and Weavile can handle fast threats with their powerful priority moves."
Some examples here maybe?
 

Hilomilo

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I appreciate the work you've put into your Choice Scarf set, but after talking with Bouff we've agreed that it should be removed. It just isn't a very good revenge killer or late-game cleaner due to the drawbacks of both of Heracross's STAB attacks, and is usually outdone in its role by other Fighting-type scarfers like Ape and Mienshao. (also generally lacks power before a Moxie boost)

Overview

* I don't exactly agree that Heracross's Attack stat alone makes it a great wallbreaker, so go ahead and mention Guts in the first line since that in tandem with the attack is what makes Hera so threatening.
* Remove your line on Heracross's abilities. I'm having you mention Guts in your first line, and Moxie isn't an ability that it will ever really make use of.
* Give examples faster offensive Pokemon that you say threaten Heracross due to its poor Speed.
* Replace your Clefable mention with Sylveon (for future reference, before copy/pasting one of your old skeletons make sure that all of the examples you use are still relevant to the tier).
* I think that you should highlight here that Heracross's lack of Drain Punch can be an issue at times, as its lack of recovery leaves it prone to being worn down by hazard and burn damage.

Set: Swords Dance

Moves
* Change the wording in your Knock Off line a bit. Instead of saying that it hits Psychic- and Ghost-types hard while crippling them by removing their item, say that it hits Psychic- and Ghost-types hard while removing the items of switch-ins, since Celebi and Doublade will already be crippled by the massive damage they'll take, which makes the item removal more or less irrelevant.
* Give examples of Poison- and Fairy-types in your Facade line.

Set Details

* Make sure to give some examples of common Pokemon that Heracross can outspeed with full Speed investment in your first line.

Usage Tips

* "don't hard switch on predicted attacks, as its average defenses will force it to take huge damage from opposing attackers" - the wording here is a little funky. What exactly do you mean by predicted attacks? Attacks predicted by you or the opponent? Make this part a little easier to understand.
* In your line about when to set up, use more relevant examples of Pokemon Heracross forces out than P2 and Tsareena. Blissey and Krookodile both work.
* I don't like the way you worded your last line. Instead of what you have, I'd say something like "Be sure to use Heracross with proper prediction so as not to give it unnecessary decreases in its defenses from Close Combat. For example...." then go on to give an example of how to properly predict when using Hera.

Team Options

* Replace both of the Xurkitree mentions with something like Raikou or Rotom-C.
* Remove Gengar mentions.

Other Options

* Add the Choice Scarf set here.
* Remove the 'with Leftovers' part of your Substitute line. Even if Heracross opts to run the move, it should always use Flame Orb in order to reach its insane power levels.
* Mention both Stone Edge and Earthquake here and say that they can hit specific targets, but also say that they generally aren't preferred due to Facade hitting the targets of these moves hard enough.

Checks and Counters

* Replace your Primarina example with Sylveon in the Fairy-type section, since the former is a much more reliable switch-in.
* Remove mentions of Choice Scarf Heracross in the Flying-type section, and just focus the section on offensive Flying-types.
* Remove mentions of the Choice Scarf set in the Faster Pokemon section, and replace the Choice Scarf Xurkitree example with something like Infernape or Latias.
* Just about every Poison-type in the tier is going to fold to a +2 Facade from Heracross, so I would honestly go ahead and remove the Poison-type section, since any that will realistically try to switch in will just be outsped and KOed.

Make sure all of this is implemented, then give yourself 1/3. Also, please make sure to skim through this analysis just to make sure I didn't miss any examples of Pokemon that aren't UU anymore, just in case.
 
honestly i don't think adamant is all that worth it, you lose out on a lot - not being able to outrun mamoswine, togekiss, and mega alt is really bad and you are already strong enough as long as youre burned. if other qc guys want it as a mention then maybe its fine but for now just remove it entirely.

add rotom-w as a partner in voltturn

add mega garde into c&c as an offensive check in fairies

qc 2/3
 

A Cake Wearing A Hat

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try to clean this up a little before sending this to gp, you missed a couple periods here and there.

~overview~

remove megahorn mention because ew megahorn

put facade over stone edge as an example of a coverage move because your analysis doesn't mention stone edge anywhere outside of other options

remove the earthquake mention also for the same reasons as the other removals

~~moves~~

remove the megahorn line because it's really not useful or worth using compared to the perfect coverage of knock+facade. The only thing megahorn really does that the other moves don't already do is ohko Z-latias on the switch and that's really just not important enough to deserve a mention

~~usage tips~~

"For example, if your opponent has an obvious answer to Heracross, or a switch-in that Heracross outspeeds, then clicking Facade or Knock Off is a better choice." elaborate on this and give examples since i'm not sure why clicking facade vs a switchin that heracross outspeeds is the best option (perhaps you meant a switchin that outspeeds heracross?)

~~team options~~

rotom-W>raikou and amoonguss>nidoqueen for relevancy.

add spikes support from Klefki as a team option to help it break walls more

~~other options~~

state a few of the downsides of scarf moxie (vulnerable to status, no longer a wallbreaker, there are better fighting type scarfers, getting a moxie sweep is hard, slow even w scarf, etc)

~~checks and counters~~

since you mention in usage tips and team options that hazards wear down heracross, put residual damage as a c&c point and state that it gets worn down very quickly by hazards+its own burn damage

mention Crobat in flying types since that can take cc pretty easily

3/3
 

Eyan

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implemented the above + cleaned up the writing a bit and am sending it off to GP on the writer's behalf in lieu of the little rush in time.
 

Lumari

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remove
add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

Heracross's great Attack stat coupled with its ability Guts makes it one of the best physical wallbreakers in the metagame. With its access to Close Combat as a good Fighting-type STAB move, Swords Dance to set up, and coverage moves such Knock Off and Facade, Heracross can be very difficult to switch into, being able to break through defensive cores and bulky teams with ease. Also, its Bug / Fighting typing allows it to soft check Ground-types such as Gliscor, Krookodile, and Hippowdon. Despite all those good qualities, Heracross has a lackluster Speed stat and no access to strong priority to be a decent offensive Pokémon, Pokemon, making it easily revenge killed by a lot of faster offensive attackers such as Mega Aerodactyl, Latias, and Mega Pidgeot. It also lacks reliable recovery and access to Drain Punch, leaving it prone to being worn down by burn damage and entry hazards.

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Facade
item: Flame Orb
ability: Guts
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

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

Swords Dance boosts Heracross's Attack to massive levels, further augmenting its power in conjunction with Guts to break through even the bulkiest walls. Close Combat is Heracross's strongest STAB move and hits everything that doesn't resist it hard thanks to Guts. Knock Off hits Psychic- and Ghost-types, which that are either resistant or immune to Close Combat (RC) such as Celebi and Doublade hard and cripples switch-ins by removing their item. Facade is greatly boosted when used in conjunction with Flame Orb and Guts, punishing Fairy- and Poison-types such as Sylveon and Tentacruel that try to switch into Heracross on a predicted Close Combat.

Set Details
========

A Jolly nature with maximum investment in Attack and Speed allows Heracross to hit as hard as possible while still being able to outspeed base 80s such as Mamoswine and Togekiss and Speed tie with Nidoking. Guts is the preferred ability to grant Heracross the power boost needed to break through most defensive builds after its Flame Orb has been activated. This also makes Heracross immune to other status conditions like poison and sleep.

Usage Tips
========

Heracross should be used as an early-game wallbreaker due to its massive Attack stat in conjunction with Guts. Try to always keep entry hazards off the field, as the burn recoil damage already wears down Heracross relatively quickly. Avoid switching in directly on opposing attacks as well, as its average defenses will force it to take huge damage, which is detrimental to its longevity. Make use of pivots, smart double switches, and VoltTurn support to bring in Heracross and activate its Flame Orb safely. Don't try to set up a Swords Dance against most offensive teams, as Heracross would usually benefit more by simply attacking. On the other hand, Swords Dance should be used against more defensive teams to easily break down walls; specifically, set up on Pokemon that can't do much back to Heracross, such as Blissey, Quagsire, and Toxic Hippowdon, or against Pokemon that it forces out, such as Blissey and Krookodile. Be sure to use Heracross with proper prediction so as to not unnecessarily drop its defenses when using Close Combat. For example, if your opponent has a good answer to Heracross that's able to take two hits or a switch-in that outspeeds Heracross, using Facade or Knock Off is the better choice.

Team Options
========

Since Flying- and Fairy-types resist Heracross's Close Combat and threaten it, Pokemon that can come in safely and beat them such as Mega Aerodactyl, Rotom-W, and Scizor fit well with Heracross. Pokemon such as Latias and Krookodile that can deal with Poison-types like Nidoking, Amoonguss, and Tentacruel are greatly appreciated, allowing Heracross to fire off attacks more freely. Entry hazard support is highly recommended, since it makes Heracross's job as a wallbreaker a bit easier. In particular, Stealth Rock setters such as Gliscor and Seismitoad make for great partners, as they can also check threats to Heracross such as Mega Aerodactyl and Infernape, while Klefki is able to set up Spikes. Otherwise, hazard removers such as Mega Blastoise and Latias prevent Heracross from being worn down as easily. Heracross profits from VoltTurn users such as Rotom-W, Mega Beedrill, and Scizor, which can bring Heracross on the field for free to unleash Guts-boosted attacks. Finally, sweepers and cleaners such as Scizor and Mega Aerodactyl appreciate Heracross's ability to break down defensive cores.

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

Heracross can be used with Choice Scarf and Moxie as a decent revenge Killer; however, that set is vulnerable to status and there are better Fighting-type Fighting-types to choose from as a Choice Scarf user. A Choice Band set with Guts could be used, but Heracross usually needs to be able to switch up moves on a non-Choice Scarf set, and Guts Heracross with a Flame Orb already allows it to wallbreak effectively. Substitute can be used to ease predictions and prevent Heracross from being easily revenge killed. Stone Edge and Earthquake can be used to hit specific targets such as Togekiss, Raikou, and Nidoking, but they aren't needed most of the time, since Facade and Close Combat already do enough damage.

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

**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types such as Togekiss and Sylveon can switch into everything outside of a Guts-boosted Facade and easily KO Heracross with their Fairy-type STAB moves, though they don't like getting their items removed by Knock Off.

**Flying-types**: Offensive threats such as Mega Pidgeot and Mega Aerodactyl can easily revenge kill Heracross with their Flying-type STAB moves, but they can't switch into it safely. Crobat, on the other hand, is capable of easily switching into Close Combat, but it doesn't take Facade well.

**Faster Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Latias, Mega Beedrill, and Hydregion Hydreigon outspeed non-Choice Scarf Heracross and can easily beat it with their powerful attacks.

**Residual Damage**: Entry hazard damage coupled with the burn damage from Heracross's Flame Orb wear wears it down very quickly, decreasing its opportunities to switch in without getting KOed.
 
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Eyan

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I'm expediting this to completion while USM isn't out yet, since I already gave this analysis a once over, which could've been stamped as gp 1/2. The above will be considered as gp 2/2, so this is done.

Edit: uploaded
 
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