Is Heracross any good in Pokemon GO? (August 2021)

Many Pokemon GO trainers are racing to catch Heracross now that it’s available worldwide, but does it perform well in battle?

Heracross is normally region locked to South America. With the second part of the Ultra Unlock, though, it has become a raid boss for anyone to try to battle and catch. Native to the Johto region, Hearcross is a Bug and Fighting-type Pokemon that is known for unleashing fearsome Megahorns on its victims.

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How good is this Generation II Pokemon?

Statistically, Heracross is decent, but certainly not overpowering. It’s best stat is its 234 Attack, which is lower than other common attackers like Darmanitan and Mamoswine. That stat would be competitive in Great League perhaps, but the higher PvP metas have stronger offensive Pokemon.

Heracross doesn’t have the greatest defenses either. It has 179 Defense and 190 Stamina, neither of which can take the punishment that a top tier attacker would dish out.

Unfortunately, Heracross’ moveset doesn’t make it more viable either. Both of its quick moves (Struggle Bug and Counter) are pretty good, but it’s charge moves don’t compare. Heracross has to rely on Close Combat and Megahorn, two moves that are very powerful, but require the full energy bar to be charged before using.

This really hurts Heracross’ performance, since it lags behind other Fighting-type Pokemon that get Dynamic Punch, a much better move. It also lags behind Lucario, who gets the benefit of Aura Sphere in its moveset.

Considering that there are much better options for Fighting-type Pokemon, trainers might be tempted to use Heracross primarily as a Bug-type attacker. The sad reality is, though, there are better Bug-types out there as well.

Volcarona, Scizor, and even Pinsir have higher Attack stats than Heracross. They all have better moves with more coverage, too. Therefore, this Pokemon ends up being a somewhat mediocre option. It can deal damage for sure, but there are many better options out there.

That being said, trainers should still be trying to catch Heracross. Why? The reason for this is that Mega Heracross is just on another level. It gets a whopping 334 Attack stat, and 223 Defense will give it some well needed longevity. Players can save a Heracross with good IVs and then wait for Mega Heracross to be a raid boss and farm that energy.