Heracross, The Singlehorn Pokémon. It loves sweet honey. To keep all the honey to itself, it hurls rivals away with its prized horn. It gathers in forests to search for tree sap, its favorite food. It's strong enough to hurl foes. With powerful legs and claws, it generates enough power to hurl foes over great distances.

Overview

Once the most feared physical Pokémon... back in 3rd gen. As with a lot of older Pokémon, Heracross has really fallen from grace. 4th gen it was used a lot early on as it was very popular with the new Choice Scarf, but then people realised that it just wasn't as good as Lucario and other Fighting types. Sub-par Speed, a good but not ideal movepool, walled fairly easily by the popular physical blockades... all Heracross gained in 5th gen was literally Moxie, which is inferior to Guts in every way. It's a shame because Heracross is a cool dude. Every generation since Heracross reached its prime has brought a bunch of powerful Fighting types that give Heracross some serious competition. It has also been outclassed as a Bug by Scizor. There are a lot of reasons it isn't used as much, but it is still a good Pokémon.

Abilities

Swarm: In a pinch, Bug moves are increased in power. Only set this would be useful on is a Reversal set, and Moxie is superior.
Guts: One of the greatest abilities for a physical sweeper. You can basically abuse status and gain +1 in Attack. Most importantly, it ignores the Attack drop from burn.
Moxie: An alright ability, but more suited to a Pokémon that can raise its Speed. Usable on a Choice Scarf set, but Guts is always the better option.

Don't cross this bug's path

- Close Combat
- Megahorn
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit / Night Slash
Item Attached: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
Ability: Guts / Moxie
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -Spd)

Choice Heracross has been the standard Heracross set since Choice items were released, way back in R/S/E. Close Combat is arguably the best attacking move in the game. 120 power, 100 accuracy, and an effect that doesn't lessen your offensive power? Yeah, that's amazing. Heracross uses is brilliantly. Megahorn is another great attack; 120 po
wer, 85 accuracy, and it has an awesome name. MEGAHORN! Classic. Stone Edge helps with coverage against Flying Pokémon who resist both your STAB moves. Pursuit catches fleeing Pokémon and hits them hard. Night Slash hits harder but can't smash fleeing Pokémon. Choice Band allows you to deal insane amounts of damage. Choice Scarf allows you do to great damage with much higher Speed.

EnduReversal

- Endure / Substitute
- Reversal
- Megahorn / Night Slash
- Swords Dance
Item Attached: Salac Berry
Ability: Moxie / Swarm
EVs and Nature:
Evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)

Classic strategy. Endure stops you from being OHKOed as it always leaves you with 1 HP. Substitute is an option to get to 1 HP too. Reversal gets 200 base power when you hit 1 HP, which is insane. Megahorn is best used with Swarm, but Night Slash stops you being walled by Ghosts. Swords Dance powers you up, making you CRAZY strong.

SDSweeper

- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Megahorn
- Stone Edge / Night Slash / Facade
Item Attached: Life Orb / Flame Orb
Ability: Guts / Moxie
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk) / Adamant Nature (+Spd, -SDef)

Swords Dance makes you a super threatening Pokémon, as it doubles your already huge Attack stat. Close Combat is amazing. Megahorn hits crazy hard and is an alright offensive type. Stone Edge hits Flying Pokémon. Night Slash hits Ghost Pokémon. Facade works well with Guts and Flame Orb.

ResTalk

- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Megahorn
- Focus Punch / Bulk Up / Low Kick
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 252 HP / 40 Atk / 216 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)

Rest keeps you healed up and activates Guts. Sleep Talk allows you to deal serious damage whilst you sleep off the recovery. Megahorn deals great damage and doesn't lower your defences, which is ideal on a set like this. The final slot is a toss up. Focus Punch is really useful as Sleep Talk cannot pick it, meaning Megahorn has a 50% chance of being picked. Bulk Up allows you to wall and sweep. Low Kick is the strongest and most reliable Fighting attack Heracross has access to that isn't Close Combat.

SubCross

- Substitute
- Close Combat
- Megahorn
- Night Slash / Stone Edge
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs and Nature:
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) / Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)

Substitute can allow you two attacks on the same target, which can be a killing blow. It also allows you a safety net in terms of prediction. Close Combat hits hard, it's amazing, best thing since sliced bread, yada yada. Megahorn is cool, hits hard, less accurate than ideal, but oh well. Night Slash hits Ghosts, and Stone Edge ruins fliers.

EVs & Natures

Offensive sets
No reason not to run 252 Attack and 252 Speed. I guess you could bulk up, but it isn't needed.

Not straight out offensive sets
ResTalk, Bulk Up, sets like that can use some serious bulk seriously well. However, Speed is always important. 252 HP and 252 Attack are also options.

Other Options

Aerial Ace, Brick Break, Bug Bite, Counter, Earthquake, Rock Slide, Shadow Claw
Aerial Ace is a lackluster physical attack, but it's an option.
Brick Break is a reliable but weak Fighting attack.
Bug Bite is more accurate than Megahorn, but half as strong.
Counter can be used on some kind of lead set... I dunno, it's an option.
Earthquake gets the same coverage as Fighting except on Poison types, so it is pretty pointless.
Rock Slide is a more accurate alternative to Stone Edge.
Shadow Claw is a Ghost version of Night Slash. They do basically the same thing.

Double & Triple Battle Options

Heracross doesn't really do well in multi Pokémon environments. Not very fast, not very durable (although surprisingly more durable than you'd expect from a purely offensive Pokémon), not many multi targeting attacks... it just doesn't fit in.

Partners

Heracross is hit by every single entry hazard, so keeping them off the field would really help it out, especially if you are running a Choice set. You need stuff like Skarmory, Salamence, Gliscor and Gyarados out of the way before you try and sweep, so running Heracross alongside something like Starmie helps. Being able to take out Ghosts is vital, especially Gengar and Chandelure as they resist Bug x4 and are immune to Fighting. Having Pokémon that benefit from Steels and Normal being taken out are ideal, such as special sweepers that need Blissey gone.

Countering Heracross

Heracross usage has dwindled for a reason. It has gained nothing really (Moxie doesn't count) whilst everything else has improved. Flying types like Salamence, Gyarados, Zapdos, Gliscor, Dragonite, Tornadus, and so on. All of these Pokémon can switch in and ruin Heracross, either stalling it out of PP with a recovery move or just fainting it outright. Just be wary of Stone Edge. Ghosts do amazingly well too; Gengar, Jellicent, Cofagrigus, Chandelure, there's a good few choices here. Again, these Pokémon can all switch in and normally only have one move to fear, which is Night Slash (or Stone Edge in Chandelure's case). Poison Pokémon also do well. Tentacruel, Nidoking, Nidoqueen are notable examples. Revenge killing Heracross is a safer method of beating it. Thanks to its far from ideal Speed, even Choice Scarf Heracross is considerably slow and revenge killed by plenty of Choice Scarf users. A non-scarf Heracross is easily revenge killed. As I've said, Heracross has fallen from grace. It was good in 2nd gen, amazing in 3rd gen, good at the start of 4th gen until Platinum and people discovered physical Lucario, and 5th gen... it just has too much competition to succeed. It might even end up in 5th gen UU, but don't underestimate this bug. It's hugely dangerous, especially if you mispredict. It isn't as dangerous as it once was, but don't take that as a free ticket to a fainted Heracross, or you'll soon find yourself getting ruined by its huge horn.

Locations in Games

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Safari Zone Acro Bike Area .

FireRed/LeafGreen:
Pattern Bush .

Colosseum/XD:
Snagged from Cipher Peon Dioge in Realgam Tower's Dome (Col.) Trade from RSEFRLG (XD)

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Sweet Honey Trees

HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Routes 7, 11, 16, 28, 33, 42, 44, 45, 46 & 47, Azalea Town Vermillion City, Celadon City, Mt. Silver (Headbutt)

Black/White:
Route 12

Animé Appearences

Heracross has made a fair few appearances. Most of them were under the control of Ash as he used it in the Johto & Sinnoh Leagues # -English Episode Name- -Jap. Episode Name- Pics 121 A Sappy Ending Collide! Heracross vs. Pinsir! Pics 122 Roll On, Pokémon Donphan's Valley! Pics 124 Flower Power Bellossom's Battle Dancing Pics 125 Spinarak Attack Spinarak! The Ultimate Detective Job! Pics 126 Snubbull Snobbery Snubbull's Magnificent Life!? Pics WV2 Pikachu's Winter Vacation: Winter Games Let's Play on the Ice! Pics Pikachu's Winter Vacation: Stantler's Little Helpers Christmas Night Pics 130 The Whistle Stop Ledyba's Flute! Pics 132 A Bout With Sprout Pokemon School and Bellsprout's Tower! Pics 133 Fighting Flyer with Fire! Violet Gym! Sky Battle! Pics 138 Chikorita's Big Upset Chikorita's Jealousy! Pics 139 Foul Weather Friends Hoppip's Jealousy! Battle In the Big Prarie! Pics 142 Wired For Battle Battle! Heracross vs. Scizor!! Pics 144 A Shadow of a Drought Azalea Town! Slowpoke's Well! Pics 145 Goin' Apricorn Pineco and the Apricorns! Mountain-side Battle! Pics 147 A Farfetch'd Tale Ilex Forest! Search for Farfetch'd! Pics 148 Tricks Of The Trade Wobbuffet and the Pokémon Exchange! Pics 149 The Fire-ring Squad Burn Squirtle Squad! Like a Fire!! Pics 162 Air Time Radio Tower Battle! Center Crossover!   171 Beauty and the Breeder Sayonara Vulpix! Beauty Contest! Pics 196 The Ring Masters Feraligatr Vs. Blastoise! Sumo Match! Pics 204 The Big Balloon Blow-Up Pokémon Balloon Race! Pass Through The Storm! Pics M4 Celebi: Voice of the Forest Celebi: A Timeless Encounter Pics 227 Bulbasaur...The Ambassador! Goodbye Bulbasaur! Adventure at Oak's Residence!! Pics 271 The Ties That Bind Tournament Finals! Full Battle 6 vs 6!! Pics 272 Can't Beat the Heat! Rival Confrontation! Charizard VS Blatoise! Pics C8 Showdown at the Oak Corral! Epic Battle at Oak's Lab! Pics 290 All In A Day's Wurmple! Double Battle & Double Wurmple!?! Pics C14 Journey To The Starting Line! Pallet Town! The Setting off of the Pokémon Trainer! Pics 384 Absol-ute Disaster!! Absol! Creeping Shadow Of Disaster!! Pics 399 Deceit And Assist! Fierce Fighting! Grand Festival! (2)! Pics 410 The Right Place at the Right Mime Oak's Laboratory! All Member's Gather! Pics 441 Ka Boom With A View Fierce Fighting! Jungle Battle at the Battle Palace! Pics 443 Curbing the Crimson Tide! The Red Inazuma SkyScraper! Pics 520 Smells Like Team Spirit Tag Battle! The Finals! Pics M11 Giratina & The Sky Warrior Giratina & The Bouquet of the Sky - Shaymin Pics 578 Steeling Peace of Mind! Riley & Lucario! Pics 579 Saving the World from Ruins The Hidden Ruins of Iron Island! Pics M12 Arceus & The Jewel of Life Arceus - Towards Conquering Space-Time Pics 606 Strategy Begins At Home Dawn VS Mom! Showdown Between Parent & Child!! Pics 608 Historical Mystery Tour Natu, Xatu...Mysterious Forest! Pics 628 A Marathon Rivalry! Get Fired Up Snorlax! Prince of Pokéthlon! Pics 650 An Old Family Blend! The Eve of the Fierce Fighting! The Big Gathering of Ash's Pokémon! Pics 651 League Unleashed! Opening! Sinnoh League - Suzuran Tournament!! Pics 657 The Semi-Final Frontier Sinnoh League Semi-Final! Darkrai Appears! Pics