A Heracross based team

[highandmightyjoe]

I used a Scarfed Heracross in a team recently and decided I liked him enough to base a whole team around him. This team tries to eliminate his counters to let him sweep later in the match. I do have some issues though, mainly, I don't like having 3 choice item users on one team. Any advice would be welcome.

The Team​

Infernape@Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 Spa, 192 Spe, 64 HP
Overheat
Grass Knot
Hidden Power(Ice)
Vaccum Wave


My anti-lead, and has been working very well. I experimented with a lot of leads for this team and I really like this one. He can kill off a lot of popular leads including Swampert, and even OHKO's Metagross after Occa Berry. He also OHKO's Hippowdon, dragons, Gliscor and various other things. He also serves as a special sweeper later on, and can pick off weakened threats with vaccum wave. His main job on this team is to kill off the opponents lead, and also take out bulky water and ground types that may try to stop a Heracross sweep.



Heracross@Choice Scarf
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Att, 252 Spe, 6 Def
Ability: Guts
Close Combat
Megahorn
Stone Edge
Sleep Talk


The star of my team. Once his counters are eliminated he sweeps with Close Combat or Megahorn. Tries to come in on something to get a guts boost to help sweep even better.



Weavile@Choice Band
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Att, 216 Spe, 40 HP
Pursuit
Brick Break
Ice Shard
Night Slash


Revenge killer, and more importantly ghost killer. Switches in and kills ghost with pursuit or night slash.



Porygon2@Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP, 216 Def, 40 Spa
Ability: Trace
Thunderbolt
Ice Beam
Thunder Wave
Recover


Used for the same reason everyone uses him, to counter Salamence, Gyrados, and Heatran. But in this case its extra important since they can all be a pain for Heracross. His job is to get them out of his way.



Vaporeon@Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 190 HP, 252 Def, 68 Spe
Surf
Toxic
Wish
Protect

General physical tank and wish passer. The moveset is pretty standard. Helps Heracross by scouting for status moves with protect for him to switch in on for guts.



Rotom-H@Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP, 168 Def, 90 Spe
Thunderbolt
Shadow Ball
Overheat
Will-O-Wisp

Helps against certain physical threats, and switches in on a lot of my teams weaknesses.






Thats the team for now. I've been making changes with it lately but this has been working out the best of any of the line-ups I've had. As I said my main problem is having three choice items, but that aside I've been feeling pretty good about it.

 

[Wave⁂]

Why Vacuum Wave instead of Fake Out?

Considering Baton Passing giant, beautiful substitutes with Vaporeon.

 

[Circa]

Why Vacuum Wave instead of Fake Out?

Uhhh...it's all special, and wielding choice specs? Second turn switch for something that's supposed to be an anti-lead seems pretty redundant if you ask me. And it wouldn't do nearly as much damage. I think that the priority move is mainly just there for things like maybe...Smeargle? Not very common, but then again it's basically just filler anyway.

As for the team, it seems pretty good. It's pretty reliable, considering that even if your 'star' dies you still have other things that can hold their own. In all honesty I have no criticism I can give it.

 

[highandmightyjoe]

Thanks, and yeah I choose Vaccum over the usual Close Combat to hit with priority. Maybe its just my luck running into them, but I killed three Smeargle leads with it today, and it helps revenge kill things faster than it.

My main concern with this team is having three choice users. I've experimented with a few things in the ghost killer department, but almost all of the good pursuit users run choice bands to be effective with it.

 

[Wave⁂]

Oh, didn't see the Specs. Nevermind

 

[Niiro]

I used a Scarfed Heracross in a team recently and decided I liked him enough to base a whole team around him. This team tries to eliminate his counters to let him sweep later in the match. I do have some issues though, mainly, I don't like having 3 choice item users on one team. Any advice would be welcome.

The Team​

Infernape@Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 Spa, 192 Spe, 64 HP
Overheat
Grass Knot
Hidden Power(Ice)
Vaccum Wave


My anti-lead, and has been working very well. I experimented with a lot of leads for this team and I really like this one. He can kill off a lot of popular leads including Swampert, and even OHKO's Metagross after Occa Berry. He also OHKO's Hippowdon, dragons, Gliscor and various other things. He also serves as a special sweeper later on, and can pick off weakened threats with vaccum wave. His main job on this team is to kill off the opponents lead, and also take out bulky water and ground types that may try to stop a Heracross sweep.

I remeber trying something like this a long time ago =D. But the main this i disliked way the i was forced to switch everytime i saw another infernape, or heatran. how do you deal with those?

Heracross@Choice Scarf
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Att, 252 Spe, 6 Def
Ability: Guts
Close Combat
Megahorn
Stone Edge
Sleep Talk


The star of my team. Once his counters are eliminated he sweeps with Close Combat or Megahorn. Tries to come in on something to get a guts boost to help sweep even better.

sexy. I personally use nightslash>stone edge, its really only good for any zapdos you see, but i guess it is up to you.

Weavile@Choice Band
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Att, 216 Spe, 40 HP
Pursuit
Brick Break
Ice Shard
Night Slash


Revenge killer, and more importantly ghost killer. Switches in and kills ghost with pursuit or night slash.

fine i guess. Scizor renders this set almost pointless though D:

Porygon2@Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP, 216 Def, 40 Spa
Ability: Trace
Thunderbolt
Ice Beam
Thunder Wave
Recover


Used for the same reason everyone uses him, to counter Salamence, Gyrados, and Heatran. But in this case its extra important since they can all be a pain for Heracross. His job is to get them out of his way.

fine i guess. maybe discharge in place of tw and tbolt?

Vaporeon@Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 190 HP, 252 Def, 68 Spe
Surf
Toxic
Wish
Protect

General physical tank and wish passer. The moveset is pretty standard. Helps Heracross by scouting for status moves with protect for him to switch in on for guts.

pretty decent i suppose. I personally like swampert better for this role, unless this is more used as a wish passer than a tank.

Rotom-H@Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP, 168 Def, 90 Spe
Thunderbolt
Shadow Ball
Overheat
Will-O-Wisp

Helps against certain physical threats, and switches in on a lot of my teams weaknesses.

fine.




Thats the team for now. I've been making changes with it lately but this has been working out the best of any of the line-ups I've had. As I said my main problem is having three choice items, but that aside I've been feeling pretty good about it.

I think this team is pretty solid. but i think weavlie is the weakest link on your team right now. consider changing him?

 

[highandmightyjoe]

Its funny you mentioned those things, I've been dealing with all of them. Infernape does have trouble with other Infernapes, but overall I love the lead. I've tried out a lot different leads for this team and he has worked wonders. People usually expect the usual Fake Out weilding lead so they don't switch out a lot of thetime and I get my kill.

Scizor was originally in Weavile's place but was switched out so I could experiment with this to see which was better. They serve pretty identical roles. Scizor is a little better overall, but weaviles pursuit does a little more damage. I might consider the change back.

I have also considered another move on Heracross in SE's place, because I rarely use it. I may try out a different option.

Right now my team is having trouble with Rotom-h. He survives my "ghost killers" pursuit even if he swithces, and worse, if he stays in he can kill my Weavile pretty easy.