I took my first shot at ADV a couple years ago with this team, and posted an RMT for it after I made top 500 (eventually peaking at rank 17). I've just hit rank 94 (and hopefully counting) with a new team, so I wanted to do the same.
This time I wanted to play around with my favorite Pokemon Heracross, and after experimenting with a different team that was pretty suboptimal, I decided to give it a go in the lead slot, which has led to a lot of exciting, rewarding games.
Heracross @ Choice Band
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Focus Punch
- Rock Slide
- Sleep Talk
Lead CB Heracross was the starting point for the team; CB Hera can have trouble getting on the field and gets chipped very quickly, so putting it in the lead slot allows it to get in once for free. Not all of its common lead matchups are amazing, but they're all manageable alongside its teammates (more on that later). 4th slot on CB Heracross is usually a debate between Brick Break and HP Ghost, but neither of those are going to be good moves to use turn 1 anyway (at least in the vast majority of cases). Meanwhile, Sleep Talk gives it good odds against rare but annoying sleep leads and/or allows it to pivot into sleep mid game and remain useful. Overall, Sleep Talk has sometimes come in extremely clutch on the occasions I've used it, and I rarely miss the other moves. Sleep Talk without Guts is a little awkward, and the boost from other status would be nice, but Swarm is still more useful on a game-to-game basis from what I've found, as you're often able to fire off about one Swarm Megahorn per game, with a noticeable difference in KO power.
Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Earthquake
- Double-Edge
Metagross @ Lum Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Explosion
When choosing partners for lead Heracross, I thought about the things that would get chipped switching into it, and the partners that would appreciate said chip. The Pokemon most suited to switching into Heracross in OU are Skarmory, Salamence, Gyarados, Zapdos, Moltres, and Gengar. DD Gyarados and AgiliGross both appreciate prior Megahorn/Focus Punch damage on all these Pokemon, or even better, a Rock Slide snipe to take some of them out altogether. Additionally, the two setup sweepers have a great deal of inherent synergy as a duo. Against defense, Gyarados is the better sweeper, setting up on passive mons, and Metagross can help clear a path for it with Explosion. Against offense, Metagross is a great late-game cleaner, and Gyarados is needed for its defensive utitlity. The defensive synergy between Metagross and Salamence is well known, and it's essentially the same with Gyarados, except that Gyarados also loves matching up with bulky waters, which Mence can't do, and also switches into opposing Mence much better (which is the main reason for Gyara over Mence here, despite the lower speed and lack of rock coverage sometimes causing issues). HP Flying over HP Rock on Gyarados because I want it to beat Celebi and Gengar more easily, and the expectation is that Zapdos is chipped at least into Double Edge range. Lum Berry on Metagross gives it more opportunities to set up than other items.
Magneton @ Salac Berry
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Endure
- Thunder Wave
Magneton alongside CB Heracross might raise some eyebrows, since Heracross is capable of removing Skarmory with Focus Punch, and I admit there is an argument for Zapdos or Jolteon in this slot, as the team would enjoy Baton Pass and some extra base speed. However, having Magneton to reliably eliminate Skarmory for Heracross offers some distinct advantages. Outside of Skarmory, many teams have limited answers to CB Megahorn, meaning Heracross can often click its signature move with impunity after Skarm is down. Additionally, Heracross loses the lead matchup to CB Metagross (and the rest of the team is pretty terrified of it) but Magneton comes in and takes it out at the beginning of the game, barring some bold Turn 1 predictions. Even against non-CB sets, it threatens to revenge kill after chip. Gyarados and Metagross require Skarm removal on this team, so doing it reliably right from the getgo is nice. Frankly, I'm just a fan of having a trapper on offense, as reliably removing one piece of a stall core is often enough to make the rest breakable. I chose the Salac set to not completely crumple to Dugtrio and Starmie, and found that Magneton has the added bonus of revealing the former early on so that Heracross can be more wary of it. The team overall is also a bit slow for offense (and Mag is slower than its competitors for this spot) so some extra speed in a pinch is helpful as well. I ran HP Ice for a time to outpseed and KO Mence and Flygon after Salac, as well as the ability to damage Celebi, but I was running into some trouble against Swampert in certain situations, and decided Grass was more useful.
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 144 Atk / 164 Def / 196 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Body Slam
- Shadow Ball
- Earthquake
- Self-Destruct
Semi-obligatory on offense, serving as the special tank and first line of defense against Starmie, Kingdra, Gengar (without Will-o-Wisp) and the like. It also tends to act as a mid-game catch all if a primary check to something is already down, or if an opponent sets up something dangerous early that needs to get boomed. No Focus Punch here since Skarmory is more than covered at this point, which allows me to run Shadow Ball to hit Gengar and Earthquake for Tyranitar, Magneton, Metagross, etc. all while keeping the reliable STAB/paralysis threat of Body Slam. Self-Destruct's offensive utility goes without saying, of course.
Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Atk / 32 SpA
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Psychic
- Rapid Spin
- Explosion
Offensive teams don't necessarily need spinners (although they always have the potential to come in handy) but Claydol is mostly here for its other useful traits. Namely, it provides a useful Electric immunity, a check to Tyranitar and Gengar, a pivot around Aerodactyl, an extra Spikes and Sandstorm immunity, and even a third Boom to clear the way for its teammates. Beating down Gengar 1v1 (aside from Hypnogar, which, lmao) is especially nice on a team with three Booms. It doesn't last super long in most games, but it doesn't need to. It's there to switch in a couple times, possibly Spin, and hopefully Explode. There are times when I wish it had Ice Beam, particularly for Zapdos and Salamence, and there's an argument to be made that it's more valuable than Rapid Spin on offense, but the team does have four grounded Pokemon, and even though Skarm usually only gets one layer against this team, Forretress and Cloyster generally can get more in the matchup. Besides, being able to Explode on anything too threatening is usually good enough.
Overall, the game plan is fairly simple: eliminate Skarmory, rip holes with Heracross/Explosion/Self-Destruct, and clean up with the appropriate setup sweeper. It can be hard to know what to preserve and what to sack at times, but Heracross does a good job scouting most of the things this team needs taken care of, and a good rule of thumb is to plan to sweep with Gyarados against defense and Metagross against offense.
Facing lead Tyranitar is obviously the ideal situation, as it provides free license to fire off a Focus Punch or Megahorn. Focus Punch is probably best, since it smacks most things (even resists) extremely hard, Tyranitar is unlikely to stay in, and unlike your other moves, it has 100% accuracy. Megahorn is an option though, since it covers the rare (though I have definitely seen it on ladder) decision to stay in, still hits things hard, chips Gengar and reveals its investment, and you don't care about Skarmory switching in because of Magneton. You can even go for a Rock Slide if you like, since Flying types and Gengar are the primary switch-ins.
Not ideal, but better than you might think. Drill Peck is extremely rare, and it takes very specific investment to outright beat Heracross 1-on-1, since most Zapdos are either outsped and 2HKO'd, or outspeed but have a good chance to be OHKO'd. It's uncommon to find a Zapdos that outspeeds, has enough HP to reliably live Rock Slide, AND enough SpAtk investment to 2HKO with Thunderbolt. For this reason, and because this team is built around having Zapdos chipped early, I usually Rock Slide on Turn 1, but if that's not your style, Claydol, Magneton, and Snorlax are all potential switch-ins.
It takes a ballsy player to Earthquake Turn 1 against Heracross, so a switch to Magneton to scout for CB via damage calc is usually solid. Heracross beats non-CB Metagross, and can switch back in on a potential Earthquake on Turn 2, though you should of course be wary of getting predicted. Metagross is threatening if it chooses the right sequence of moves, but this team manages it well a majority of the time.
Worst-case scenario. You're switching out, you don't know what set it is, and it knows it. Thankfully, lead Salamence usually means offense, so Gyarados is less likely to sweep and can be used more defensively. It's one of the better switch-ins to MixMence, especially since it's expecting Fire Blast Turn 1. Admittedly, it doesn't like eating even -1 Choice Band HP Flying, but this is why Mence is a good lead: nothing loves switching into it. After Gyara has scouted the set, you can respond accordingly.
This one is complicated. If it has Drill Peck it can kill you, so it might set up Spikes on an expected switch (even if it's only bluffing Drill Peck). In theory this means you could Focus Punch, but you risk dying immediately. Meanwhile, if no Drill Peck, it could switch out expecting Focus Punch and a direct switch to Magneton as Gengar or another check comes in puts you on the back foot and will make your opponent more wary of Magneton for the remainder of the game, costing you precious time. For this reason, Claydol is a reasonable middle ground, as it can threaten to Spin in the case of Spikes, scouts the move choice, matches up well against a potential Gengar, and allows Magneton to remain hidden and possibly come in next turn. A direct switch to Magneton is also an option of course, but it could occasionally bite you.
Aerodactyl is somewhat threatening all on its own, since the team has a habit of blowing up and leaving itself less able to pivot around. However, I've found it especially causes trouble when paired with Swampert, especially if not revealed til late game, since each of the two is beaten by a different one of my sweepers. Gyarados loves to set up on non-Toxic Pert, but it doesn't outspeed Aerodactyl at +1, and it needs chip to kill even with +2 Double Edge. Meanwhile, Metagross sets up on Aero, but can't beat even a remotely healthy Swampert, and blowing up Swampert doesn't really help Gyarados at all. Heracross loves to aim Megahorns at Swampert, and Aerodactyl can't take them, but if Heracross is out of the picture or too low to switch in, things can get hairy with this duo. This was the main reason for HP Grass on Magneton (if only it could outspeed Aerodactyl at +1).
Moltres is always a pain to switch into because of its Fire STAB plus Will-o-Wisp, and it doesn't mind taking CB Megahorn at all. However, it likes coming in on Focus Punch considerably less, and if you can catch it with a Rock Slide on the switch then problem solved. If it manages to stick around til late game, it stands in the way of Metagross cleaning up, and Gyarados can't set up on it for fear of getting burned.
The classic offense killer. Salac on Magneton helps out here, but it's still extremely hard for this team to switch in or even face off 1-on-1 against offensive Starmie, particularly if Snorlax is chipped or if Spikes/Sand is up. Thankfully, it has a hard time switching in, and dies half the time to +1 Double Edge even from full.
Particularly late-game CurseLax, but annoying to beat down in general, especially when it comes in for free after Magneton takes out its teammate. With a healthy team it's not usually devastating, but it often requires an Explosion or Self-Destruct, and in dire cases two of them. This is the only time I ever really miss having Brick Break on Heracross.
Not terrifying by any means, but always annoying to switch into, particulary before a set is known. It often gets hit with a Megahorn on the way in, which helps scout the investment, but knowing the moves is more important. Heracross doesn't want to take a Will-o-Wisp since it doesn't have Guts, and neither does Snorlax, but switching something else into Hypnosis sucks. Hypnogar also usually beats Claydol 1-on-1 as long as it can land the sleep, which is very frustrating for this team. Thankfully, with a little chip, it folds to both sweepers on the team, and Metagross can even set up on it with Lum.
I mentioned that this is the worst lead to face, but it's a pain no matter when it enters the game. Thankfully it can get worn down quickly if its team needs it to switch into Megahorns, but this thing is just flat-out hard to switch into, as you are no doubt aware.
This thing can throw a wrench in both my own Gyarados' and Metagross' plans, is one of the best switch-ins to Heracross, and I don't have the easiset time switching into it myself. Thunder Wave variants especially frustrate my offense. It's not the most common, but it can be frustrating, and is often worth blowing up on.
Nothing special here; like most teams, this one needs to be wary of Dragon Dance Tyranitar (assuming it has HP Bug). The team pretty reliably prevents it from setting up multiple Dances, but if it can nab enough boosts in the right situation it can be lights out. Most other Tyranitar aren't as threatening, as Claydol and Metagross handle them pretty well, and I've even got another Rock resist in Magneton.
This team's Dugtrio weaknesses are offset by Salac Berry, Agility on Metagross, and the fact that Magneton generally reveals it before it gets a shot at Heracross, but nevertheless Dugtrio always provides a threat when you're running Heracross.
And that's it! I'm not the most experienced ADV player, and this might not be the most impressive rank accomplishment, but I think it at least shows the team has some merit. I always enjoy my times coming back to the ladder, and I've especially enjoyed using this team so far. Let me know what you think.
This time I wanted to play around with my favorite Pokemon Heracross, and after experimenting with a different team that was pretty suboptimal, I decided to give it a go in the lead slot, which has led to a lot of exciting, rewarding games.
At A Glance:
Heracross @ Choice Band
Ability: Swarm
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Focus Punch
- Rock Slide
- Sleep Talk
Lead CB Heracross was the starting point for the team; CB Hera can have trouble getting on the field and gets chipped very quickly, so putting it in the lead slot allows it to get in once for free. Not all of its common lead matchups are amazing, but they're all manageable alongside its teammates (more on that later). 4th slot on CB Heracross is usually a debate between Brick Break and HP Ghost, but neither of those are going to be good moves to use turn 1 anyway (at least in the vast majority of cases). Meanwhile, Sleep Talk gives it good odds against rare but annoying sleep leads and/or allows it to pivot into sleep mid game and remain useful. Overall, Sleep Talk has sometimes come in extremely clutch on the occasions I've used it, and I rarely miss the other moves. Sleep Talk without Guts is a little awkward, and the boost from other status would be nice, but Swarm is still more useful on a game-to-game basis from what I've found, as you're often able to fire off about one Swarm Megahorn per game, with a noticeable difference in KO power.
Gyarados @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Hidden Power [Flying]
- Earthquake
- Double-Edge
Metagross @ Lum Berry
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 168 HP / 252 Atk / 88 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Agility
- Meteor Mash
- Earthquake
- Explosion
When choosing partners for lead Heracross, I thought about the things that would get chipped switching into it, and the partners that would appreciate said chip. The Pokemon most suited to switching into Heracross in OU are Skarmory, Salamence, Gyarados, Zapdos, Moltres, and Gengar. DD Gyarados and AgiliGross both appreciate prior Megahorn/Focus Punch damage on all these Pokemon, or even better, a Rock Slide snipe to take some of them out altogether. Additionally, the two setup sweepers have a great deal of inherent synergy as a duo. Against defense, Gyarados is the better sweeper, setting up on passive mons, and Metagross can help clear a path for it with Explosion. Against offense, Metagross is a great late-game cleaner, and Gyarados is needed for its defensive utitlity. The defensive synergy between Metagross and Salamence is well known, and it's essentially the same with Gyarados, except that Gyarados also loves matching up with bulky waters, which Mence can't do, and also switches into opposing Mence much better (which is the main reason for Gyara over Mence here, despite the lower speed and lack of rock coverage sometimes causing issues). HP Flying over HP Rock on Gyarados because I want it to beat Celebi and Gengar more easily, and the expectation is that Zapdos is chipped at least into Double Edge range. Lum Berry on Metagross gives it more opportunities to set up than other items.
Magneton @ Salac Berry
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 SpA
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Endure
- Thunder Wave
Magneton alongside CB Heracross might raise some eyebrows, since Heracross is capable of removing Skarmory with Focus Punch, and I admit there is an argument for Zapdos or Jolteon in this slot, as the team would enjoy Baton Pass and some extra base speed. However, having Magneton to reliably eliminate Skarmory for Heracross offers some distinct advantages. Outside of Skarmory, many teams have limited answers to CB Megahorn, meaning Heracross can often click its signature move with impunity after Skarm is down. Additionally, Heracross loses the lead matchup to CB Metagross (and the rest of the team is pretty terrified of it) but Magneton comes in and takes it out at the beginning of the game, barring some bold Turn 1 predictions. Even against non-CB sets, it threatens to revenge kill after chip. Gyarados and Metagross require Skarm removal on this team, so doing it reliably right from the getgo is nice. Frankly, I'm just a fan of having a trapper on offense, as reliably removing one piece of a stall core is often enough to make the rest breakable. I chose the Salac set to not completely crumple to Dugtrio and Starmie, and found that Magneton has the added bonus of revealing the former early on so that Heracross can be more wary of it. The team overall is also a bit slow for offense (and Mag is slower than its competitors for this spot) so some extra speed in a pinch is helpful as well. I ran HP Ice for a time to outpseed and KO Mence and Flygon after Salac, as well as the ability to damage Celebi, but I was running into some trouble against Swampert in certain situations, and decided Grass was more useful.
Snorlax @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 144 Atk / 164 Def / 196 SpD / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Body Slam
- Shadow Ball
- Earthquake
- Self-Destruct
Semi-obligatory on offense, serving as the special tank and first line of defense against Starmie, Kingdra, Gengar (without Will-o-Wisp) and the like. It also tends to act as a mid-game catch all if a primary check to something is already down, or if an opponent sets up something dangerous early that needs to get boomed. No Focus Punch here since Skarmory is more than covered at this point, which allows me to run Shadow Ball to hit Gengar and Earthquake for Tyranitar, Magneton, Metagross, etc. all while keeping the reliable STAB/paralysis threat of Body Slam. Self-Destruct's offensive utility goes without saying, of course.
Claydol @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Atk / 32 SpA
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Psychic
- Rapid Spin
- Explosion
Offensive teams don't necessarily need spinners (although they always have the potential to come in handy) but Claydol is mostly here for its other useful traits. Namely, it provides a useful Electric immunity, a check to Tyranitar and Gengar, a pivot around Aerodactyl, an extra Spikes and Sandstorm immunity, and even a third Boom to clear the way for its teammates. Beating down Gengar 1v1 (aside from Hypnogar, which, lmao) is especially nice on a team with three Booms. It doesn't last super long in most games, but it doesn't need to. It's there to switch in a couple times, possibly Spin, and hopefully Explode. There are times when I wish it had Ice Beam, particularly for Zapdos and Salamence, and there's an argument to be made that it's more valuable than Rapid Spin on offense, but the team does have four grounded Pokemon, and even though Skarm usually only gets one layer against this team, Forretress and Cloyster generally can get more in the matchup. Besides, being able to Explode on anything too threatening is usually good enough.
Overall, the game plan is fairly simple: eliminate Skarmory, rip holes with Heracross/Explosion/Self-Destruct, and clean up with the appropriate setup sweeper. It can be hard to know what to preserve and what to sack at times, but Heracross does a good job scouting most of the things this team needs taken care of, and a good rule of thumb is to plan to sweep with Gyarados against defense and Metagross against offense.
Lead Matchups:
It's worth taking a moment to talk about the most common lead matchups and how the team functions agaisnt them, since lead CB Heracross is unconventional.
It's worth taking a moment to talk about the most common lead matchups and how the team functions agaisnt them, since lead CB Heracross is unconventional.
Facing lead Tyranitar is obviously the ideal situation, as it provides free license to fire off a Focus Punch or Megahorn. Focus Punch is probably best, since it smacks most things (even resists) extremely hard, Tyranitar is unlikely to stay in, and unlike your other moves, it has 100% accuracy. Megahorn is an option though, since it covers the rare (though I have definitely seen it on ladder) decision to stay in, still hits things hard, chips Gengar and reveals its investment, and you don't care about Skarmory switching in because of Magneton. You can even go for a Rock Slide if you like, since Flying types and Gengar are the primary switch-ins.
Not ideal, but better than you might think. Drill Peck is extremely rare, and it takes very specific investment to outright beat Heracross 1-on-1, since most Zapdos are either outsped and 2HKO'd, or outspeed but have a good chance to be OHKO'd. It's uncommon to find a Zapdos that outspeeds, has enough HP to reliably live Rock Slide, AND enough SpAtk investment to 2HKO with Thunderbolt. For this reason, and because this team is built around having Zapdos chipped early, I usually Rock Slide on Turn 1, but if that's not your style, Claydol, Magneton, and Snorlax are all potential switch-ins.
It takes a ballsy player to Earthquake Turn 1 against Heracross, so a switch to Magneton to scout for CB via damage calc is usually solid. Heracross beats non-CB Metagross, and can switch back in on a potential Earthquake on Turn 2, though you should of course be wary of getting predicted. Metagross is threatening if it chooses the right sequence of moves, but this team manages it well a majority of the time.
Worst-case scenario. You're switching out, you don't know what set it is, and it knows it. Thankfully, lead Salamence usually means offense, so Gyarados is less likely to sweep and can be used more defensively. It's one of the better switch-ins to MixMence, especially since it's expecting Fire Blast Turn 1. Admittedly, it doesn't like eating even -1 Choice Band HP Flying, but this is why Mence is a good lead: nothing loves switching into it. After Gyara has scouted the set, you can respond accordingly.
This one is complicated. If it has Drill Peck it can kill you, so it might set up Spikes on an expected switch (even if it's only bluffing Drill Peck). In theory this means you could Focus Punch, but you risk dying immediately. Meanwhile, if no Drill Peck, it could switch out expecting Focus Punch and a direct switch to Magneton as Gengar or another check comes in puts you on the back foot and will make your opponent more wary of Magneton for the remainder of the game, costing you precious time. For this reason, Claydol is a reasonable middle ground, as it can threaten to Spin in the case of Spikes, scouts the move choice, matches up well against a potential Gengar, and allows Magneton to remain hidden and possibly come in next turn. A direct switch to Magneton is also an option of course, but it could occasionally bite you.
Threat List:
Nothing on this list is a disaster on its own, but these are the things to take special note of when using the team.
Aerodactyl is somewhat threatening all on its own, since the team has a habit of blowing up and leaving itself less able to pivot around. However, I've found it especially causes trouble when paired with Swampert, especially if not revealed til late game, since each of the two is beaten by a different one of my sweepers. Gyarados loves to set up on non-Toxic Pert, but it doesn't outspeed Aerodactyl at +1, and it needs chip to kill even with +2 Double Edge. Meanwhile, Metagross sets up on Aero, but can't beat even a remotely healthy Swampert, and blowing up Swampert doesn't really help Gyarados at all. Heracross loves to aim Megahorns at Swampert, and Aerodactyl can't take them, but if Heracross is out of the picture or too low to switch in, things can get hairy with this duo. This was the main reason for HP Grass on Magneton (if only it could outspeed Aerodactyl at +1).
Moltres is always a pain to switch into because of its Fire STAB plus Will-o-Wisp, and it doesn't mind taking CB Megahorn at all. However, it likes coming in on Focus Punch considerably less, and if you can catch it with a Rock Slide on the switch then problem solved. If it manages to stick around til late game, it stands in the way of Metagross cleaning up, and Gyarados can't set up on it for fear of getting burned.
The classic offense killer. Salac on Magneton helps out here, but it's still extremely hard for this team to switch in or even face off 1-on-1 against offensive Starmie, particularly if Snorlax is chipped or if Spikes/Sand is up. Thankfully, it has a hard time switching in, and dies half the time to +1 Double Edge even from full.
Particularly late-game CurseLax, but annoying to beat down in general, especially when it comes in for free after Magneton takes out its teammate. With a healthy team it's not usually devastating, but it often requires an Explosion or Self-Destruct, and in dire cases two of them. This is the only time I ever really miss having Brick Break on Heracross.
Not terrifying by any means, but always annoying to switch into, particulary before a set is known. It often gets hit with a Megahorn on the way in, which helps scout the investment, but knowing the moves is more important. Heracross doesn't want to take a Will-o-Wisp since it doesn't have Guts, and neither does Snorlax, but switching something else into Hypnosis sucks. Hypnogar also usually beats Claydol 1-on-1 as long as it can land the sleep, which is very frustrating for this team. Thankfully, with a little chip, it folds to both sweepers on the team, and Metagross can even set up on it with Lum.
I mentioned that this is the worst lead to face, but it's a pain no matter when it enters the game. Thankfully it can get worn down quickly if its team needs it to switch into Megahorns, but this thing is just flat-out hard to switch into, as you are no doubt aware.
This thing can throw a wrench in both my own Gyarados' and Metagross' plans, is one of the best switch-ins to Heracross, and I don't have the easiset time switching into it myself. Thunder Wave variants especially frustrate my offense. It's not the most common, but it can be frustrating, and is often worth blowing up on.
Nothing special here; like most teams, this one needs to be wary of Dragon Dance Tyranitar (assuming it has HP Bug). The team pretty reliably prevents it from setting up multiple Dances, but if it can nab enough boosts in the right situation it can be lights out. Most other Tyranitar aren't as threatening, as Claydol and Metagross handle them pretty well, and I've even got another Rock resist in Magneton.
This team's Dugtrio weaknesses are offset by Salac Berry, Agility on Metagross, and the fact that Magneton generally reveals it before it gets a shot at Heracross, but nevertheless Dugtrio always provides a threat when you're running Heracross.
And that's it! I'm not the most experienced ADV player, and this might not be the most impressive rank accomplishment, but I think it at least shows the team has some merit. I always enjoy my times coming back to the ladder, and I've especially enjoyed using this team so far. Let me know what you think.
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