Absol is among the many fan faves of Gen 3...anyways, here we go with this boss of a Pokemon.
Overview
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Absol's claim to fame lies in its excellent offensive stats; when they are combined with a wide offensive movepool and high Speed after Mega Evolving, Absol can prove itself a force to be reckoned with. In addition, Mega Absol also has access to a great ability in Magic Bounce, which makes it less vulnerable to burn and paralysis, while also giving it a niche in bouncing back entry hazards. With access to STAB Knock Off as well as priority in Sucker Punch, Mega Absol can threaten many Pokemon thanks to its great offensive typing. Its excellent movepool also makes it quite hard to wall. These qualities make Mega Absol a good choice for a wallbreaker, revenge killer, and Pursuit trapper. However, Mega Absol's immense frailty is its greatest downfall. Unless the opponent uses Pokemon such as Chansey, Mega Absol will find it difficult to set up, let alone switch in. This also makes Mega Absol easy to revenge kill, especially by threats such as Conkeldurr, Greninja, and Azumarill. Despite Absol's high offensive stats, the middling Base Power of its moves makes its power somewhat lacking, so it can miss out on some important KOs. Absol's poor Speed prior to Mega Evolving does not help these flaws either, as this further limits Absol's use.
All-Out Attacker
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name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam / Pursuit
move 4: Superpower
item: Absolite
ability: Justified
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 32 SpA / 224 Spe
Moves
========
Sucker Punch is a strong priority move that Absol receives STAB typing on, allowing Absol to become an excellent revenge killer. Knock Off is a very powerful and reliable STAB move that also strips the opponent of its item, which is incredibly useful. Fire Blast is a useful tool to hit Skarmory and Ferrothorn for immense damage, while also damaging Aegislash without risking an Attack drop from King's Shield. Ice Beam is also a good move to hit Landorus-T and Gliscor for large amounts of damage. However, Thunderbolt is a viable alternative over either, as it strikes Azumarill and Keldeo, who would otherwise wall this set. Superpower hits Heatran, Tyranitar, and Chansey very hard and is legal with Knock Off. Pursuit is a good move to damage any Pokemon that may try to switch out of Absol. Iron Tail could be used as an option to hit Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss for heavy damage, but its poor accuracy and otherwise mediocre coverage make it a lesser choice in general. Play Rough allows Absol to hit Fighting-types and Tyranitar and in general provides good coverage with Sucker Punch, but it is generally inferior to the moves above, which provide much more utility.
Set Details
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A Naive nature is chosen to make effective use of Mega Absol's high Speed, while also allowing it to effectively utilize its Special Attack. 224 Speed EVs allow Mega Absol to outspeed Thundurus, while the remainder of the EVs are invested into its offensive stats. Justified is a good ability to allow Absol to switch into Dark-type moves, such as Knock Off, to receive a potential Attack boost to enhance its damage output once it gets going. Investing in Attack is preferred over Special Attack because its STAB moves, Sucker Punch and Knock Off, are the most important moves of this set.
Usage Tips
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Mega Absol functions well as a revenge killer as well as a trapper. With Knock Off and Fire Blast, Mega Absol is also a good wallbreaker, being able to dismantle common defensive threat such as Skarmory and Chansey. Absol has limited switch-in opportunities, so it is best to try to come in on weak defensive threats such as Chansey or to use a slow U-turn or Volt Switch user such as Scizor to get Mega Absol in with ease. Mega Absol can also be used in the lead position to prevent leads such as Klefki from setting up entry hazards.
Team Options
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Aegislash makes a fine teammate, as it can come in on Fighting-types such as Terrakion. Talonflame makes a good offensive partner, as it revenge kills Terrakion and Conkeldurr without much trouble. Fairy-types such as Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss also perform this function well and provide good synergy with Absol. Fighting-types such as Breloom and Terrakion benefit from Absol's ability to remove Latios and Gengar from play, while they handle Heatran and Tyranitar quite well in return. Azumarill is also useful to handle Mega Charizard X and bulky Ground-types. Stealth Rock users such as Heatran and Landorus-T are useful teammates, as Mega Absol needs Stealth Rock to ensure an OHKO on Thundurus. Kyurem-B is a good wallbreaker that can handle many of Mega Absol's checks and counters.
Other Options
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With a wide special movepool and access to Calm Mind, a specially offensive Mega Absol is not out of the question, although Absol does not have the bulk to make it stand out from other users of the move. Swords Dance is decent to allow Absol to boost its already high Attack to frightening levels in order to sweep, but Absol's lack of bulk lets it down. In addition, Absol has Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave to spread status, although it will rarely be able to find the moveslot to use these moves. Psycho Cut is an option if hitting Fighting-types is necessary, but the move's low Base Power and inferiority to Play Rough do not make it worth it. Wish could be used as a source of recovery, but recovery is not very useful on a primarily offensive Pokemon. Absol can also utilize the combination of Mean Look and Perish Song to take down an opponent, although there are much better users of this strategy, such as Politoed. Taunt can allow Absol to guarantee Sucker Punch's success while making it a better stallbreaker, but Absol's lack of bulk prevents it from being an effective user of this strategy.
Checks & Counters
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**Fighting-types**: Pokemon such as Conkeldurr, Breloom, and Keldeo can spell doom for Mega Absol, as they resist Sucker Punch and Knock Off, and the former two can also use Mach Punch to dismantle Mega Absol instantly.
**Fairy-types**: Sylveon, Clefable, Togekiss, and Azumarill can all take on Mega Absol relatively easily, taking most of its moves well and retaliating with powerful Fairy-type STAB moves.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: These include Gyarados and Landorus-T, who can take on Mega Absol relatively easily as long as it doesn't carry a special attack that can hit them hard. Other bulky Pokemon, such as Mega Venusaur and Heatran, may fall into a similar boat, as they are able to take a hit from Mega Absol and overwhelm it with their attacks. Garchomp, to a lesser extent, can be a problem if Mega Absol does not carry Ice Beam.
**Mega Evolutions** Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y can take a Knock Off and defeat Absol handily. Mega Mawile can also handle Mega Absol if it does not carry Fire Blast.
Overview
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Absol's claim to fame lies in its excellent offensive stats; when they are combined with a wide offensive movepool and high Speed after Mega Evolving, Absol can prove itself a force to be reckoned with. In addition, Mega Absol also has access to a great ability in Magic Bounce, which makes it less vulnerable to burn and paralysis, while also giving it a niche in bouncing back entry hazards. With access to STAB Knock Off as well as priority in Sucker Punch, Mega Absol can threaten many Pokemon thanks to its great offensive typing. Its excellent movepool also makes it quite hard to wall. These qualities make Mega Absol a good choice for a wallbreaker, revenge killer, and Pursuit trapper. However, Mega Absol's immense frailty is its greatest downfall. Unless the opponent uses Pokemon such as Chansey, Mega Absol will find it difficult to set up, let alone switch in. This also makes Mega Absol easy to revenge kill, especially by threats such as Conkeldurr, Greninja, and Azumarill. Despite Absol's high offensive stats, the middling Base Power of its moves makes its power somewhat lacking, so it can miss out on some important KOs. Absol's poor Speed prior to Mega Evolving does not help these flaws either, as this further limits Absol's use.
All-Out Attacker
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name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam / Pursuit
move 4: Superpower
item: Absolite
ability: Justified
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 32 SpA / 224 Spe
Moves
========
Sucker Punch is a strong priority move that Absol receives STAB typing on, allowing Absol to become an excellent revenge killer. Knock Off is a very powerful and reliable STAB move that also strips the opponent of its item, which is incredibly useful. Fire Blast is a useful tool to hit Skarmory and Ferrothorn for immense damage, while also damaging Aegislash without risking an Attack drop from King's Shield. Ice Beam is also a good move to hit Landorus-T and Gliscor for large amounts of damage. However, Thunderbolt is a viable alternative over either, as it strikes Azumarill and Keldeo, who would otherwise wall this set. Superpower hits Heatran, Tyranitar, and Chansey very hard and is legal with Knock Off. Pursuit is a good move to damage any Pokemon that may try to switch out of Absol. Iron Tail could be used as an option to hit Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss for heavy damage, but its poor accuracy and otherwise mediocre coverage make it a lesser choice in general. Play Rough allows Absol to hit Fighting-types and Tyranitar and in general provides good coverage with Sucker Punch, but it is generally inferior to the moves above, which provide much more utility.
Set Details
========
A Naive nature is chosen to make effective use of Mega Absol's high Speed, while also allowing it to effectively utilize its Special Attack. 224 Speed EVs allow Mega Absol to outspeed Thundurus, while the remainder of the EVs are invested into its offensive stats. Justified is a good ability to allow Absol to switch into Dark-type moves, such as Knock Off, to receive a potential Attack boost to enhance its damage output once it gets going. Investing in Attack is preferred over Special Attack because its STAB moves, Sucker Punch and Knock Off, are the most important moves of this set.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Absol functions well as a revenge killer as well as a trapper. With Knock Off and Fire Blast, Mega Absol is also a good wallbreaker, being able to dismantle common defensive threat such as Skarmory and Chansey. Absol has limited switch-in opportunities, so it is best to try to come in on weak defensive threats such as Chansey or to use a slow U-turn or Volt Switch user such as Scizor to get Mega Absol in with ease. Mega Absol can also be used in the lead position to prevent leads such as Klefki from setting up entry hazards.
Team Options
========
Aegislash makes a fine teammate, as it can come in on Fighting-types such as Terrakion. Talonflame makes a good offensive partner, as it revenge kills Terrakion and Conkeldurr without much trouble. Fairy-types such as Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss also perform this function well and provide good synergy with Absol. Fighting-types such as Breloom and Terrakion benefit from Absol's ability to remove Latios and Gengar from play, while they handle Heatran and Tyranitar quite well in return. Azumarill is also useful to handle Mega Charizard X and bulky Ground-types. Stealth Rock users such as Heatran and Landorus-T are useful teammates, as Mega Absol needs Stealth Rock to ensure an OHKO on Thundurus. Kyurem-B is a good wallbreaker that can handle many of Mega Absol's checks and counters.
Other Options
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With a wide special movepool and access to Calm Mind, a specially offensive Mega Absol is not out of the question, although Absol does not have the bulk to make it stand out from other users of the move. Swords Dance is decent to allow Absol to boost its already high Attack to frightening levels in order to sweep, but Absol's lack of bulk lets it down. In addition, Absol has Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave to spread status, although it will rarely be able to find the moveslot to use these moves. Psycho Cut is an option if hitting Fighting-types is necessary, but the move's low Base Power and inferiority to Play Rough do not make it worth it. Wish could be used as a source of recovery, but recovery is not very useful on a primarily offensive Pokemon. Absol can also utilize the combination of Mean Look and Perish Song to take down an opponent, although there are much better users of this strategy, such as Politoed. Taunt can allow Absol to guarantee Sucker Punch's success while making it a better stallbreaker, but Absol's lack of bulk prevents it from being an effective user of this strategy.
Checks & Counters
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**Fighting-types**: Pokemon such as Conkeldurr, Breloom, and Keldeo can spell doom for Mega Absol, as they resist Sucker Punch and Knock Off, and the former two can also use Mach Punch to dismantle Mega Absol instantly.
**Fairy-types**: Sylveon, Clefable, Togekiss, and Azumarill can all take on Mega Absol relatively easily, taking most of its moves well and retaliating with powerful Fairy-type STAB moves.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: These include Gyarados and Landorus-T, who can take on Mega Absol relatively easily as long as it doesn't carry a special attack that can hit them hard. Other bulky Pokemon, such as Mega Venusaur and Heatran, may fall into a similar boat, as they are able to take a hit from Mega Absol and overwhelm it with their attacks. Garchomp, to a lesser extent, can be a problem if Mega Absol does not carry Ice Beam.
**Mega Evolutions** Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y can take a Knock Off and defeat Absol handily. Mega Mawile can also handle Mega Absol if it does not carry Fire Blast.
Overview
AoA Moves
AoA Set Details
AoA UT
AoA TO
SD Moves
SD Set Details
SD UT
SD TO
OO
C&C
- Amazing offensive stats and great Speed in Mega Evolved form
- Awesome ability in Magic Bounce, so it can deter hazard and status use; also makes it immune to Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp
- Swords Dance and STAB Sucker Punch make it a frightening sweeper, especially with the fact that Steel doesn't resist Dark anymore
- Awesome offensive movepool, so it can hit many threats with great coverage
- Immense frailty is the nail in the coffin though
- Sucker Punch is very shaky and has low PP, lackluster Speed before Mega Evolving makes it somewhat reliant on it
- Absol needs to Mega Evolve in order to be viable
AoA Moves
- This set makes use of Absol's great offensive movepool to smack around its opponents
- Sucker Punch is great STAB that hits very hard and has priority
- Pursuit is great to hit Pokemon wanting to flee from Absol
- Knock Off though provides a more reliable STAB move, and the item loss is big
- Fire Blast hits Aegislash, Ferrothorn, Skarmory, etc.
- Play Rough hits Fighting-types as well as Dragons
- Superpower if one wants to use Knock Off, hits Heatran and Tyranitar which is cool
- Iron Tail could be useful if you're scared of Fairies, but the accuracy is shaky
AoA Set Details
- Naive nature is used to maximize Absol's Speed and allow it to utilize its great Special Attack in conjunction with that absurd Attack
- Absolite is necessary since Absol needs to mega evolve in order to be viable
- Justified is a viable ability to get an Attack boost off of a Dark-move on a rare occasion
AoA UT
- This Absol is a good revenge killer and trapper, using its power and speed to hit hard
- It also wallbreaks well with Knock Off, and its coverage helps in this as well
- Use it to wallbreak and revenge kill, and avoid trying to switch Absol into anything because it's frail
- Mega Evolve quickly since Absol's Mega Evolution is viable but not without its Mega Evolution
AoA TO
- Aegislash is fine since it can come in on Fighting-types, Talonflame can also smash Fighting-types as well
- Fighting-types themselves can benefit from Absol breaking down Alakazam and Gengar
- Fairies are viable as well, Sylveon, Azumarill, and Gardevoir are all perfectly viable to handle Fighting-types like Conkeldurr
SD Moves
- Swords Dance is also viable to make Absol a frightening sweeper, and its Sucker Punches are more fearsome than ever
- Sucker Punch is STAB that is priority, so Absol revenge kills
- Night Slash is a secondary STAB choice that is more reliable
- Knock Off is the more powerful choice that removes items but is illegal with Play Rough
- Play Rough hits Fighting-types such as Terrakion for great damage while
- Baton Pass is a very good move for Absol to escape from its counters and resort to a teammate, while allowing them to make use of its SD boost
SD Set Details
- Jolly to make use of Absol's Speed to sweep with
- Magic Bounce is an incredible ability which blocks status and the likes
- Justified has occasional use before Mega Evolving, so Absol can switch into a Dark Pulse or Knock Off to get an Attack boost
SD UT
- It's a sweeper, and Magic Bounce should be used to allow it to set up on defensive threats
- Absol's frailty will get in the way, but being able to use things like Chansey as setup fodder is useful
- Mega Evolve quickly, since Absol is mediocre without its Mega Form
SD TO
- Counters to Fighting-types are great, Aegislash is a very good teammate
- Talonflame is also usable to smack around opposing Fighting-types like Keldeo
- Special attackers can be useful to pester physical walls, namely Pokemon like Scarf Gardevoir can be useful
OO
- Ice Beam is usable to hit Dragons like Garchomp and friends
- Has BoltBeam coverage overall
- Calm Mind is definitely not out of the question with a wide movepool and passable Special Attack
- Baton Pass
- Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave are cool support moves but Absol's lack of bulk prevents it from making good use of the move
- Psycho Cut could be used to hit Fighting-types if Knock Off is to be used, but it's too weak
- A bunch of other moves that Absol has no time for
C&C
- Scarf Terrakion/Keldeo
- Sylveon
- Azumarill and Togekiss are in a similar boat
- Mega Venusaur
- Landorus-T
- Heatran (unless Absol runs Superpower)
- Gyarados
- Basically anything exceptionally bulky since Absol relies on somewhat weak moves
- Conkeldurr
- Pick on its weak defenses
- Gamble with Sucker Punch, likely with Substitute
- Typically quite difficult to counter due to Sucker Punch
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