HeracrossNo evolution shown

#0214 · GENERATION 2

Heracross Build Guide

BugFighting

Physical attacker with status-powered damage

Build a Heracross team ↓

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Custom Pokédex collection.

Starter moveset

Generation 9 · casual singles · base form

ITEMFlame Orb

ABILITYGuts

NATUREAdamant

Close Combat

Megahorn

Facade

Knock Off

How to play

Flame Orb burns an eligible Heracross at the end of the turn. Guts boosts Attack while statused and prevents the usual burn reduction to physical damage; Facade gains power from status.

Watch out for

Key risk. Burn still causes ongoing HP loss, so this set wears down over time. Flying attacks deal 4× damage, Megahorn can miss, and Close Combat lowers both defenses.

About this example

This editorial starting point is not a ranked-format recommendation or a legality check. It does not specify EVs or Tera type. Moves, items and abilities here do not change the builder score.

BATTLE PLAN

When to attack, set up or switch

Flame Orb burns an eligible Heracross at the end of the turn. Guts boosts Attack while statused and prevents the usual burn reduction to physical damage; Facade gains power from status.

A Flying type switches in

Flying deals 4× to Heracross, so a boosted Attack stat does not turn an airborne switch-in into a free turn. Knock Off is the Dark coverage for Psychic and Ghost targets, and neither of those resists it.

Megahorn is the move you need

Megahorn can miss, and a miss spends a Guts-boosted turn for nothing. Close Combat is the accurate option against a target that is not Ghost — a Ghost type ignores Fighting moves entirely.

The burn is ending the fight

The HP loss keeps coming whether or not Heracross attacks, so the boost is a race: Fairy, Fire and Psychic each hit it for 2× and any of those can end the payoff before the burn does.

What does a safe pivot mean?

A teammate uses a switching move to bring Heracross in. A slower pivot may take the opponent’s hit first. Turn order and the opponent’s move still matter.

ITEM & ABILITY

How this build works

Guts raises Heracross’s Attack while it is burned and cancels the usual burn penalty on physical damage, so the Flame Orb is the price of admission rather than a mistake — the burn still drains HP every turn. Facade draws its extra power from that same status.

Watch the tradeoff. Burn still causes ongoing HP loss, so this set wears down over time. Flying attacks deal 4× damage, Megahorn can miss, and Close Combat lowers both defenses.

These battle mechanics do not change the builder’s type-and-base-stat score. The tool does not simulate moves, abilities, held items or damage.

COMPARE YOUR OPTIONS

Heracross or Breloom?

Breloom offers Spore and Mach Punch instead of Guts and Bug coverage.

Base stats · standard forms in the local Generation 9 dataset
Stat	Heracross	Breloom
HP	80	60
Attack	125	130
Defense	75	80
Sp. Attack	40	60
Sp. Defense	95	60
Speed	85	70

Base stats are not final battle stats. Level, nature, IVs, EVs and battle effects affect the result. Check availability in your game before choosing an alternative.

Teammate ideas

A Steel teammate can resist Flying, Psychic and Fairy attacks. A Water partner helps against Fire attackers.

Empoleon

Resists Flying, Psychic and Fairy and adds special damage.

Read Empoleon guide →Compare teammates →

Milotic

Resists Fire and supplies recovery alongside a worn-down attacker.

Read Milotic guide →Compare teammates →

These are typing-based starting pairs, not a complete competitive team. Check the remaining four slots and your game’s rules.

Compare computed teammate suggestions →

Alternative: Breloom

Breloom offers Spore and Mach Punch instead of Guts and Bug coverage.

Read Breloom guide →

Try Breloom →

Type matchups

Weak to

Fire2×Flying4×Psychic2×Fairy2×

Resistances and immunities

Grass0.5×Fighting0.5×Ground0.5×Bug0.5×Dark0.5×

Typing only. Abilities, items and battle effects can change these matchups.

HP80

Attack125

Defense75

Sp. Attack40

Sp. Defense95

Speed85

Evolution chain

Heracross does not evolve.

Heracross#214

Standard main-series evolution conditions. Regional forms and games with special evolution systems can differ.

Build your Heracross team

Start with Heracross. Add teammates and compare your type-and-base-stat score.

Gen 9 · National Dex · Casual Settings & scope

GameFormat

Format scope · casual planning

Base species #001–1025, using Generation 9 data. A casual planning pool, not a VGC, ranked, or Showdown National Dex legality validator. Regional, Mega and alternate forms are not included yet.

SLOT 01#214

Heracross

BugFighting

SLOT 02

SLOT 03

SLOT 04

SLOT 05

SLOT 06

Understand your team

Offense80

Defense60

Coverage39

Synergy8

Types & base stats only · Not a win probability.

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Key insights

Flying attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Fairy attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Heracross takes 4× damage from Flying attacks by type.
Your own types can hit 7 of 18 single-type targets super effectively. Actual move coverage can differ.
No teammate has a base Speed of 100 or higher. Consider adding a faster option.

Detailed type analysis · all 18 types

Incoming damage assumes typing only. 0× = immune, ½× / ¼× = resistant, 2× / 4× = weak. Resistance counts include immunities.

Incoming damage by attacking type
Attack	Heracross	Weak	Resist
Normal	1×	0	0
Fire	2×	1	0
Water	1×	0	0
Electric	1×	0	0
Grass	½×	0	1
Ice	1×	0	0
Fighting	½×	0	1
Poison	1×	0	0
Ground	½×	0	1
Flying	4×	1	0
Psychic	2×	1	0
Bug	½×	0	1
Rock	1×	0	0
Ghost	1×	0	0
Dragon	1×	0	0
Dark	½×	0	1
Steel	1×	0	0
Fairy	2×	1	0

Offensive type coverage

Against single-type targets, using only same-type attacks. This is not coverage against every dual-type species.

Normal✓ Super effective

FireNeutral

WaterNeutral

ElectricNeutral

Grass✓ Super effective

Ice✓ Super effective

FightingNeutral

PoisonResisted

GroundNeutral

FlyingResisted

Psychic✓ Super effective

BugNeutral

Rock✓ Super effective

GhostResisted

DragonNeutral

Dark✓ Super effective

Steel✓ Super effective

FairyResisted

How is the score calculated?

Offense (25%): neutral-or-better type coverage and strongest attacking base stats. Defense (30%): team resistances, unprotected and repeated weaknesses, and 4× vulnerabilities. Coverage (25%): fraction of 18 single-type targets hit super effectively by your own types. Synergy (20%): teammates resisting each other’s weaknesses, physical/special/bulk stat signals and base Speed ≥100. Scores are rounded to 0–100; the total uses the displayed subscores.

Rating bands: Excellent ≥80, Good ≥65, Fair ≥45, Poor below 45. An empty team has no rating.

Small teams are provisional and are not given a separate completion bonus. Adding a Pokémon can lower the score if it creates new weaknesses or lowers averages. These initial heuristics have not been calibrated against battle outcomes.