[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Pin Missile / Substitute / Bullet Seed
item: Heracronite
ability: Moxie
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Mega Heracross is a terrifying wallbreaker 2HKOing basically the entire tier, and its good defensive typing gives it a lot of setup opportunities on passive Pokemon. However, its low Speed and lack of recovery means it struggles to deal with faster teams, and it's often denied opportunities to setup with enough offensive pressure. It also takes up a team's Mega slot and faces severe competition from other wallbreakers and Mega Evolutions such as Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile. Close Combat can notably OHKO Skarmory and physically defensive Tangrowth after Stealth Rock once boosted. Rock Blast allows Heracross to hit Flying-types that resist Close Combat, such as Zapdos, Landorus-T, and Gliscor, to have near-perfect neutral coverage, achieving feats such as OHKOing specially defensive Toxapex once boosted after Stealth Rock. Pin Missile nails bulky Psychic- and Grass-types such as Amoonguss, Mew, Slowbro, Mega Latias, and Tangrowth. Substitute lets Mega Heracross use its great bulk to gain even more setup opportunities on passive Pokemon such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn and Kommo-o, as well as easing prediction, making Mega Heracross much harder to pivot on than it already is. Bullet Seed nails the likes of Unaware Clefable under Grassy Terrain, as well as OHKOing Tapu Fini; however, both it and Substitute leave Mega Heracross open to pressure from Psychic-types like Mew and Mega Latias. A slightly bulkier EV spread of 32 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Def / 220 Spe can be used alongside Substitute to let Substitute survive an Earthquake from Landorus-T while still outspeeding the likes of Timid Magnezone and Adamant Bisharp. Moxie lets Heracross KO a weakened Pokemon before it Mega Evolves to gain an early Attack boost.
Mega Heracross fits on bulky offense teams that can capitalize on its wallbreaking capabilities and repeatedly bring it in. Paralysis support from Pokemon such as Discharge Zapdos, Clefable, and Serperior works well with it. If foregoing Pin Missile for Substitute, Pursuit users such as Weavile and Tyranitar work well to trap Mew, Reuniclus, and Mega Latias, which otherwise checks it. If running Bullet Seed, Grassy Terrain from Rillaboom or Tapu Bulu is near essential to 2HKO Unaware Clefable, as well as providing passive recovery. Furthermore, entry hazard support from the likes of Mew, Greninja and Ferrothorn is excellent to capitalize on the many switches Mega Heracross forces. Mega Heracross greatly appreciates pivoting support from the likes of Corviknight, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W to bring it in easily. Teammates such as Weavile, Garchomp and Rillaboom like the pressure Mega Heracross puts on Pokemon like Skarmory, Toxapex, and Zapdos. Fast threats can make up for its middling Speed tier and clean weakened teams, such as Tapu Koko, Ash-Greninja, and Choice Scarf Jirachi.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Spikes lets Mega Heracross pressure teams long-term, although it generally gets more mileage from attacking or setting up on a forced switch. A Jolly nature can also be used to outspeed the likes of Gliscor and Heatran, although the drop in power is noticeable against the likes of Toxapex, Skarmory, and Tangrowth.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Due to Mega Heracross's low Speed and exploitable typing, faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Heatran, Mega Medicham, Hawlucha and Tapu Lele easily force it out, although they can’t switch in.
**Unaware Clefable**: The only way Mega Heracross can break through Unaware Clefable is with Bullet Seed in Grassy Terrain, being stonewalled otherwise.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[adem, 529732]]
- Quality checked by: [[The Dragon Master, 521275], [Aurodian, 483087]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429]]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Pin Missile / Substitute / Bullet Seed
item: Heracronite
ability: Moxie
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Mega Heracross is a terrifying wallbreaker 2HKOing basically the entire tier, and its good defensive typing gives it a lot of setup opportunities on passive Pokemon. However, its low Speed and lack of recovery means it struggles to deal with faster teams, and it's often denied opportunities to setup with enough offensive pressure. It also takes up a team's Mega slot and faces severe competition from other wallbreakers and Mega Evolutions such as Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile. Close Combat can notably OHKO Skarmory and physically defensive Tangrowth after Stealth Rock once boosted. Rock Blast allows Heracross to hit Flying-types that resist Close Combat, such as Zapdos, Landorus-T, and Gliscor, to have near-perfect neutral coverage, achieving feats such as OHKOing specially defensive Toxapex once boosted after Stealth Rock. Pin Missile nails bulky Psychic- and Grass-types such as Amoonguss, Mew, Slowbro, Mega Latias, and Tangrowth. Substitute lets Mega Heracross use its great bulk to gain even more setup opportunities on passive Pokemon such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn and Kommo-o, as well as easing prediction, making Mega Heracross much harder to pivot on than it already is. Bullet Seed nails the likes of Unaware Clefable under Grassy Terrain, as well as OHKOing Tapu Fini; however, both it and Substitute leave Mega Heracross open to pressure from Psychic-types like Mew and Mega Latias. A slightly bulkier EV spread of 32 HP / 232 Atk / 24 Def / 220 Spe can be used alongside Substitute to let Substitute survive an Earthquake from Landorus-T while still outspeeding the likes of Timid Magnezone and Adamant Bisharp. Moxie lets Heracross KO a weakened Pokemon before it Mega Evolves to gain an early Attack boost.
Mega Heracross fits on bulky offense teams that can capitalize on its wallbreaking capabilities and repeatedly bring it in. Paralysis support from Pokemon such as Discharge Zapdos, Clefable, and Serperior works well with it. If foregoing Pin Missile for Substitute, Pursuit users such as Weavile and Tyranitar work well to trap Mew, Reuniclus, and Mega Latias, which otherwise checks it. If running Bullet Seed, Grassy Terrain from Rillaboom or Tapu Bulu is near essential to 2HKO Unaware Clefable, as well as providing passive recovery. Furthermore, entry hazard support from the likes of Mew, Greninja and Ferrothorn is excellent to capitalize on the many switches Mega Heracross forces. Mega Heracross greatly appreciates pivoting support from the likes of Corviknight, Landorus-T, and Rotom-W to bring it in easily. Teammates such as Weavile, Garchomp and Rillaboom like the pressure Mega Heracross puts on Pokemon like Skarmory, Toxapex, and Zapdos. Fast threats can make up for its middling Speed tier and clean weakened teams, such as Tapu Koko, Ash-Greninja, and Choice Scarf Jirachi.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Spikes lets Mega Heracross pressure teams long-term, although it generally gets more mileage from attacking or setting up on a forced switch. A Jolly nature can also be used to outspeed the likes of Gliscor and Heatran, although the drop in power is noticeable against the likes of Toxapex, Skarmory, and Tangrowth.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Due to Mega Heracross's low Speed and exploitable typing, faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko, Heatran, Mega Medicham, Hawlucha and Tapu Lele easily force it out, although they can’t switch in.
**Unaware Clefable**: The only way Mega Heracross can break through Unaware Clefable is with Bullet Seed in Grassy Terrain, being stonewalled otherwise.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[adem, 529732]]
- Quality checked by: [[The Dragon Master, 521275], [Aurodian, 483087]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429]]
Last edited: