What is a good moveset for Heracross?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Heracross, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Heracross Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Role: 1 Hp Sweeper
Heracross (M) @ Salac Berry

Ability: Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Endure
- Reversal
- Night Slash
- Frustration

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Endure Reversal with Salac Is Beast.

And Fighting, Dark, and Normal all having 100% accuracy makes for good Neutral coverage Killing your opponent.

Comments

That Sprite = Come At Me BRO!!!

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xD You are so right!

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He is surprised

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don't waste evs on hp on a one hp sweeper :(

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His animation in HeartGold/SoulSilver = him performing a "BOI" pose, FYI.

Answer 2

Standard Sweeper

Heracross @ Life Orb / Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Earthquake
- Megahorn
- Stone Edge

These moves all give great coverage and hit hard, so anything coming up on him better be careful.

Comments

Mine has these exact same moves!

Answer 3

Now with the mega evolution this baby wrecks...

Heracross @ Heracronite
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 156 Def / 100 SpD
Adamant / Brave Nature
- Rock Blast
- Pin Missile
- Arm Thrust
- Night Slash / Bullet Seed / Aerial Ace

Rock Blast is for Flying and Fire Types, your main weaknesses
Pin Missile/Arm Thrust is for STAB(Pin Missile is also to cover Psychic weakness)
Last slot is up to you to decide, Night Slash also covers Ghost(and Psychic of course), Bullet Seed, like your other 3 moves, makes use of Skill Link and can deal with bulky Water types like Blastoise or Azumarill. Aerial Ace is maybe low on BP, but never misses, and covers bulky Grass Types as well as other Fighting types

This thing is OP with a 185 Atk BP...but his speed is not that great...maybe in a Trick Room he can deal quite some damage...otherwise you just have to hope that Heracross doesn't get hit with a Flying Type move

Comments

I'd recommend Close Combat over Arm Thrust, it's far stronger than a Skill Link Arm Thrust and Mega Heracross has defense to spare.

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brick break is better

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deserves a +1, this moveset  is the best one here, i promise. (well in my opinion.)

Answer 4

Let's give this boi a good use of its mega...
I should first warn you that I took this moveset from Smogon, so even though it made it to OU (Over Used), it doesn't mean that people don't already know how to hit back to it, but if you just want to do some Battle Tree related stuff with it, then it's ok.
Just wanted to clarify that...

Heracross @ Heracronite
Ability: Skill Link (automatically makes all multiple hit moves hit 5 times)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk/-SpA)
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Rock Blast
- Pin Missile

[Swords Dance] for boost.
[Close Combat] of course.
[Rock Blast] best for coverage against flying types, plus it makes a great use of its ability.
[Pin Missile] AMAZING thanks to its ability and STAB damage.

Mega Heracross is the Pokemon with the highest base attack stat, next to Mega Mewtwo X. Plus it also has amazing defenses and decent HP and Speed. Not to mention his AMAZING ability. This guy is just OP!!!

Answer 5

Facade Heracross

Heracross (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Rock Slide
- Megahorn
- Facade

• Close Combat - Gains STAB
• Rock Slide - For Flying- and Fire-types
• Megahorn - Gains STAB and for Psychic-types
• Facade - Facade doubled power with badly poison status that Toxic Orb gives me plus the ability Guts making even more stronger

Flail Heracross

Heracross (M) @ Scope Lens
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Endure
- Flail
- Rock Slide / Stone Edge
- Close Combat

• Endure - For resting 1 HP
• Flail - After you have 1 HP by help of Endure you can OHKO anything
• Rock Slide / Stone Edge - Flying- and Fire-type coverage
• Close Combat - For Steel- and Rock-types that Flail is not very effective plus gains STAB

Attack Heracross

Heracross (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Megahorn
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance

• Close Combat - Gains STAB
• Megahorn - Gains STAB plus can take some Psychic-types
• Stone Edge - Flying- and Fire-type coverage
• Swords Dance - For boosting its attack and go OHKOing anything.

Defense Heracross

Heracross (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs: 172 HP / 168 Def / 168 SpD
Impish Nature
- Toxic
- Protect
- Substitute
- Megahorn

Comments

Flail and reversal would work better together than close combat and flail because reversal is also based on hp and becomes insanely powerful with STAB

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But CC is more suefull at full health.

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Close combat > Megahorn on that defense Hera, or he'll never take down a Steel type (I think, bug typings always confuse me)

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Why not Flame Orb? Guts ignores the attack decrease and the Burn does way less damage.

Answer 6

the sub-reverser
Heracross @ Salac Berry
Ability: Swarm / Moxie
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly / Adamant Nature
- Endure / Substitute
- Reversal
- Megahorn / Earthquake / Rock Slide
- Swords Dance

• Endure / Substitute-the main part of the stratagy
• Reversal-another key element
• Megahorn / Earthquake/ Rock Slide-pick megahorn if you picked the ability swarm
• Swords Dance-pick this if you picked substitute over endure,if not choose one of the above moves,unless you want to play risky (just keep in mind he's 4 times weak to flying)

Answer 7

Gen III
Heracross (M) @ Black Belt
Ability: Guts
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Rock Slide
- Brick Break
- Swords Dance

• Megahorn - STAB
• Rock Slide - Coverage
• Brick Break - STAB
• Swords Dance - Boost Attack

Answer 8

Heracross @ Heracronite
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat / Arm Thrust
- Swords Dance
- Rock Blast

Swords dance makes your already op attack better. Megahorn and close combat have high power. Rock blast and is coverage.

Comments

Why Megahorn over Pin Missile on a Pokemon with Skill Link?

Answer 9

I have swept teams with Heracross. No doubt I think it's one of the best sweepers :)

Heracross @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Facade
- Curse
- Low Kick / Close Combat / Brick Break

I don't like using Heracross as a fast sweeper since its speed isn't great, so Curse works perfectly for me, especially with Close Combat. Close Combat lowers your defenses, but Curse raises defense and attack, so it evens out your defense stat. Special defense is still vulnerable but Heracross's major weakness, flying, is mostly physical moves except Air Slash. Despite that, surprisingly Low Kick has worked the best out of the three fighting moves, but that's just me.

Hope it helps :)

Answer 10

Ok, Heracross always has been one of my favs. I'll let normal and Mega sets for this beast bellow.

Heracross, the Moxie-Beast:

Heracross (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 200 Atk / 56 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Night Slash
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Smart Strike

• Night Slash (Coverage against Psychic and da pesky Ghost)
• Close Combat (Powerfull STAB)
• Stone Edge (Cover all his bug weakness)
• Smart Strike (Coverage against Fairy)

I particularly like bulky Pokemon, and Heracross has always been too frail. Hes not fast enough to be a sweeper, nor does he have a strong defense to be tank. He has too many weaknesses to be a regular in OU, and it is impossible to run Weakness Policy with him. So, I struggled to balance this guy. Heracross has always been frail, so give him Defense EV's and Assault Vest to make it survive. Then, counter all his weakness and let Moxie buff attack. Speed EV's + Jolly Nature make his speed status reach 295, and that's decent. Go slowly sweeping the enemy team with da beast, then let him rest.

Mega Heracross, the Bulky Sweeper:

Heracross-Mega (M) @ Heracronite
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 252 HP / 56 Def / 200 SpD
Careful Nature
- Arm Thrust
- Rock Blast
- Pin Missile
- Swords Dance

• Arm Thrust (STAB/Coverage)
• Rock Blast (Cover all his bug Weakness)
• Pin Missile (STAB and get the Psychics)
• Swords Dance (Make the enemy suffer.)

Investing in defenses is always a good idea when it comes to Heracross, because he will never be fast enough to be a sweeper. Defense, HP and SpD EV's are for longevity; Swords Dance is to turn you into a killing machine. Just use it once and he'll be able to kill almost anything, including Garchomp. This moveset was made trying to get the most out of his ability, Skill Link. 5 hits from Arm Thurst/Rock Blast/Pin Missile + Swords Dance kill anything unprepared. however, I already notice that Iron Barbs/Rough Skin + Rocky Helmet will make your Heracross faint.

Answer 11

Cinderace and Magearna have left National Dex recently...you know what that means for Heracross...

Heracross-Mega @ Heracronite
Ability: Guts --> Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant / Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Pin Missile
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off / Earthquake / Rock Blast

This Pokemon isn't really good against offense, it's best to use it if your team has a weakness to stall / balance.

Come in on a defensive staple like Ferrothorn, and then either click one of your massively powerful attacks, or Swords Dance against a slower team and then wait for your enemy to say GG. Almost no offensive Pokemon wants to switch in, and slower Pokemon are passive, generally making them an opportunity to grab a Swords Dance. STAB Close Combat is really powerful. Pin Missile is another powerful STAB that always hits 5 times due to Skill Link. Knock Off can be used in the last slot to remove something's Leftovers/Heavy-Duty Boots/Rocky Helmet, indirectly boosting Heracross's offensive potential. Earthquake is used to obliterate Toxapex. Rock Blast is used for Flying types.

Mega Heracross's worst matchups are probably Gliscor and Landorus-Therian.

Answer 12

Endure-Reverse Heracross

Heracross @ Salac Berry
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Endure
- Reversal
- Stone Edge
- Knock Off

• Stone Edge (For Fire Typed, Flying Types, or both, like Moltres, Charizard and Ho-Oh)
• Knock Off (Effective against Ghost Types, Psychic Types, etc. Only use when not eaten Salac Berry)

Remember to use entry hazards such as Stealth Rock, Spikes, etc. So that items like focus sash don't work.

This thing rocks.

Answer 13

Gen 8 BDSP UU

Heracross @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Megahorn
- Close Combat
- Facade
- Swords Dance

Swords Dance Guts Heracross is a good wallbreaker in BDSP UU. Swords Dance boosts your attack, and when Flame Orb activates, your attacks will be dangerous to switch in to. Megahorn and Close Combat are powerful STAB moves that pair well with each other, dealing out neutral or super effective damage to most of the tier. Facade provides a powerful neutral move due to Flame Orb + Guts to weaken most Pokemon who resist Heracross' STAB moves such as Gyarados and Tentacruel.

Answer 14

Gen 9 RU Guts + Trailblaze

Heracross @ Flame Orb
Ability: Guts
Tera Type: Normal / Dark / Rock
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Trailblaze
- Close Combat
- Facade
- Megahorn / Throat Chop / Stone Edge

We all know how Guts Heracross works at this point; find an opportunity to bring it in safely so it can break through opposing teams. Imagine that, but with Heracross having the ability to outspeed faster Pokemon it normally wouldn't be able to outspeed with its Guts set. This set does exactly that. Trailblaze, a new move Heracross gets in Gen 9, allows Heraross to boost its speed stat. Trailblaze is also useful coverage against Pokemon such as Palossand. Close Combat provides Heracross with a powerful Fighting STAB. Facade is used for a powerful neutral coverage move that takes advantage of the burn from Flame Orb. The last moveslot you use depends on what you want Heracross to cover. Megahorn is a powerful Bug STAB that targets Slowbro. Throat Chop can be used to let Heracross hit Ghost-types. Stone Edge can be used to hit Flying-types such as Drifblim and Altaria super effectively. Heracross doesn't really need a Tera Type for this set, but if you want a Tera Type, I recommend a type that boosts one of Heracross's attacks, such as Normal, Dark, and Rock.