Absol (GP 2/2)

Molk

Godlike Usmash
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[Overview]

<p>Although it's often seen as outclassed by threats such as Honchkrow and Bisharp, Absol has finally found its place to shine as one of the top Dark-types in RU. With a base 130 Attack stat, access to Swords Dance, and loads of coverage moves, underestimating Absol in battle is just asking for disaster. To make matters worse, Absol has the most powerful priority move in the game, which turns it into a very potent revenge killer and sweeper. In addition, Absol has access to Pursuit to trap and eliminate deadly Ghost-types such as Cofagrigus and Rotom. Absol is not without its flaws, though; despite the destructive power Absol possesses after a Swords Dance, it has a hard time setting up due to its frailty, and even after a Swords Dance, Absol has issues breaking through defensive Pokemon such as Tangrowth due to the low Base Powers of its moves. Absol's Speed, while decent, forces it to rely on Sucker Punch to deal damage to several threats that can easily take advantage of it. Despite Absol's glaring flaws, do not take it lightly, as it can and will tear through a team without effort.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Night Slash / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Absol's most feared set, and with good reason: with a combination of base 130 Attack, perfect coverage, and priority, it's not hard to see why Swords Dance Absol strikes fear into the hearts of players everywhere. Swords Dance is the crux of the set, and even though Absol can have trouble setting up against more offensive teams, it can mean disaster for the opposing team. Sucker Punch is Absol's main STAB attack and is great for catching faster opponents before they can harm it. Sucker Punch also allows Absol to act as a revenge killer for your team by picking off weakened sweepers before they can do serious damage. Superpower is Absol's main coverage move, as it smashes Steel- and Rock-types such as Aggron and Steelix after a Swords Dance boost; however, make sure to use Superpower sparingly when Absol doesn't have a boost, as it will make Absol less powerful and slightly easier to revenge kill. The last slot is up to you; Night Slash is a good, consistent secondary STAB attack that Absol should always use against slower opponents. If you feel you don't need the reliability of Night Slash, Substitute is a perfectly acceptable alternative, as it protects Absol from status and weak attacks and, most importantly, makes it easier for Absol to set up a Swords Dance.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's offensive power while allowing it to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible, making Absol slightly less reliant on Sucker Punch in the long run. While an Adamant nature boosts Absol's Attack further, a Jolly nature is a viable option; however, Jolly Absol does not outrun anything important, and it loses quite a bit of power. The choice of Absol's item comes down to how you want to play Absol or how well it fits onto your team. Life Orb is the main option, as it boosts Absol's power significantly at the cost of some of its health; a Life Orb also helps Absol function as a revenge killer by boosting its Sucker Punch, which allows it to KO a wide range of fast, frail Pokemon. Absol can use a Lum Berry as a one-time cushion against status inducers that will try to cripple it, which allows it to set up a Swords Dance on more Pokemon, including Slowking. It also gives Absol a one-time freebie when switching into Toxic Spikes. Leftovers is useful as it gives Absol a little more HP at the end of each turn. It might seem like a small amount at first, but this recovery can be the difference between a 2HKO and a 3HKO or a 3HKO and a 4HKO. In fact, Leftovers gives Absol a greater chance to get to +4 and sweep! It also allows Absol to make more Substitutes if it chooses to run the move, which can be very useful in the long run. Justified is an interesting ability on Absol, as it boosts its Attack stat when it switches into a Dark-type move; sadly, Dark-type attacks are relatively uncommon in RU, and the users of them often carry Fighting-type moves, which makes it harder for Absol to switch in on them. Psycho Cut is an option over Night Slash, but the only notable threats it hits are Hariyama, Gurdurr, and the occasional Throh.</p>

<p>Absol can be very threatening to many teams with its power and coverage, but like every Pokemon, it needs some support to work to its full potential. As a physical sweeper, entry hazards are key to supporting Absol, as they make it easier for Absol to OHKO or 2HKO bulkier Pokemon before a Swords Dance. This is especially notable because most of Absol's checks are vulnerable to Spikes. Pokemon such as Smeargle, Omastar, Crustle, and Ferroseed are great at setting up Spikes for your team. Do take note, though, that three of the four share a Fighting-type weakness with Absol, and Absol will need another teammate to sponge those hits. Examples of Pokemon that can tank physical Fighting-type hits easily are Tangrowth, Slowking, and Cofagrigus; Cofagrigus is especially notable because it spinblocks to keep the entry hazards your teammates set on the field. Even at +2, Absol has trouble with many physical walls, including but not limited to Poliwrath, Tangrowth, and Quagsire. Teammates that can take down these Pokemon are essential to Absol's performance. Moltres can easily threaten these three Pokemon with Fire Blast, Air Slash, and Hidden Power Grass, respectively. Magmortar functions similarly, while Absol takes down Slowking, a Pokemon that stands in the way of both Fire-types. On top of that, both benefit immensely from the entry hazards you have laid down.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Night Slash
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Megahorn / Psycho Cut
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With so many Ghost- and Psychic-types running around the RU tier, a trapper that can eliminate them can be very important. With Pursuit, excellent coverage, and a monstrous Attack stat, Absol is the perfect choice for this role. Pursuit is the most important move on this set, as it allows Absol to trap and revenge kill frail Pokemon, such as Accelgor and Sceptile, as well as Pokemon weak to it, such as Rotom, weakened Cofagrigus, Mesprit, and Jynx. Night Slash is Absol's most powerful reliable STAB move to use outside of trapping; it also KOes bulkier threats such as Uxie and catches any Pokemon that tries to stay in on Pursuit. Superpower hits many Pokemon that resist Dark-type moves, such as Aggron and Steelix, for super effective damage and can cripple or outright KO them. Megahorn is Absol's main weapon against opposing Lilligant and Tangrowth, OHKOing and 2HKOing them, respectively. Psycho Cut is also an option in the final moveslot to hit opposing Qwilfish and Weezing, both of which completely wall Absol otherwise.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's Attack and Speed stats to hit as hard as possible while outrunning as many threats as it can; there really isn't a reason to run a different spread on a Choice Scarf Pokemon. The choice between an Adamant and a Jolly nature on Absol depends on what you want it to outspeed. Adamant Choice Scarf Absol can outrun anything up to positive-natured base 120s, such as Sceptile, while a Jolly nature sacrifices a small amount of power to outrun the entire unboosted metagame bar Accelgor and Ninjask. While a Choice Band set might sound attractive for the sheer power of its attacks, it's very slow compared to the Choice Scarf set and is very reliant on Sucker Punch, making it setup bait for a multitude of Pokemon once it gets locked in.</p>

<p>While not listed as an option on the set, Sucker Punch can be useful in some instances to revenge kill Choice Scarf Ghost-types, such as Rotom and Haunter, or to bypass Trick Room and pick off Nasty Plot Cofagrigus. While this might all seem very appealing, take into account that being locked into Sucker Punch makes Absol setup bait for various threats such as Crawdaunt, Feraligatr, Linoone, and Omastar, all of which can turn the tables on you in just one turn. If using Sucker Punch, use it wisely. Justified is an interesting option for an ability, as it gives Absol an Attack boost whenever it switches into a Dark-type attack, but Dark-type attacks themselves are rather rare in RU, and the main users of them can easily dispatch of Absol anyway, so it is not the best option.</p>

<p>Absol is excellent at trapping and removing Psychic- and Ghost-type threats, and therefore good teammates for it include Pokemon that can take advantage of the removal of these Pokemon from the match. Rapid Spin users such as Cryogonal and Hitmonchan enjoy the removal of opposing spinblockers so that they can Rapid Spin freely for your Stealth Rock-weak teammates. Fighting-types such as Hariyama, Primeape, Hitmonlee, and Hitmonchan also like the removal of these Pokemon, as they can now set up or spam powerful STAB attacks without anything on the opposing team to stop them.</p>

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Night Slash
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Pursuit / Psycho Cut
item: Life Orb
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With an excellent Attack stat, priority, decent Speed, and a wide offensive movepool that includes tools such as Psycho Cut and Pursuit, Absol can pull off an all-out attacking set very well. Sucker Punch is Absol's most powerful attack; it lets Absol outspeed and KO faster opponents, allowing it to serve as both a revenge killer and a late-game cleaner. Night Slash is Absol's secondary STAB attack and is more consistent than Sucker Punch, as it hits whether or not the opponent uses an attack. Note that Absol should always use Night Slash against Pokemon that are slower than it to remove the risks of Sucker Punch failing and Absol getting hit by a crippling status move in the process. Superpower provides Absol with the coverage it needs to truly be a monster, as it smacks around Pokemon that would otherwise wall Absol such as Aggron, Steelix, Klinklang, and Ferroseed. Pursuit is an interesting option to trap some Psychic- and Ghost-types and to catch any frail Pokemon attempting to switch out of Sucker Punch. Alternatively, Psycho Cut can be useful as a method to hit Qwilfish and Weezing, two Pokemon that this set would usually have trouble taking down, hard.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's Speed and power so that it can outspeed and KO as many Pokemon as possible while being less reliant on Sucker Punch to take out faster threats. An Adamant nature is chosen over Jolly because the boost in Speed isn't very notable, and the drop in power is very large. Justified is an interesting option for an ability, as it increases Absol's Attack stat every time it switches into a Dark-type move; however, Dark-type moves aren't very common, and the main users of them have ways to beat Absol anyway, so Super Luck is the superior option. Expert Belt is an option if you don't like the recoil that comes with a Life Orb, but note that Absol will have a harder time beating Pokemon that aren't weak to one of its moves. Absol can easily go mixed by using Fire Blast or Hidden Power Grass in the fourth moveslot to blast past normal checks such as Tangrowth and Quagsire, respectively. If using a special attack, make sure to use a Naughty nature. Taunt is an interesting move to prevent opposing Pokemon from inflicting status or setting up hazards on Absol; it also forces the opponent to attack, which guarantees that Sucker Punch will hit.</p>

<p>This set has its fair share of trouble with Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Hitmonchan. Pokemon that can take on these Fighting-types are useful teammates for the dark feline. Cofagrigus and Slowking are excellent examples, as they resist or are immune to Fighting-type attacks and can threaten Fighting-types back with super effective STAB attacks, set up on them, or threaten them with a burn. Entry hazards are also essential to help Absol clean up late-game more easily; good entry hazard setters for offensive teams include Smeargle and Accelgor. These Pokemon can easily set up a layer of Spikes while crippling a Pokemon as they go down with Spore and Final Gambit, respectively.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Although Absol is best at hitting hard with powerful, possibly boosted physical attacks, it has many other viable options. Absol has access to Baton Pass, along with several boosting moves such as Calm Mind and Swords Dance, which it can use to boost its teammates, but Absol's frailty and weakness to Fighting-type moves often get in the way of its attempts to pass boosts. Absol has quite a wide special movepool consisting of moves such as Fire Blast, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, and the various Hidden Power types. While base 75 Special Attack is only average, it isn't a bad idea to run one of these special moves on the all-out attacker set with a Naughty nature to get past some of Absol's typical checks, such as Tangrowth, Quagsire, and Steelix. Absol also has a surprising support movepool that includes Wish, Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, Knock Off, and Magic Coat. A support set might seem tempting, but keep in mind that Absol is very frail and has a weakness to one of the most common attacking types in RU, so it should stick to attacking in most cases. A Choice Band set might seem tempting, but being locked into Sucker Punch can allow an opponent to set up a lot of the time, and a Life Orb gives Absol enough power to deal major damage to many common Pokemon, so Choice Band is an inferior option. Absol has access to Quick Attack to reliably take out Pokemon with Substitute that can evade Sucker Punch, but Absol loses valuable coverage, and Quick Attack is somewhat weak without several boosts.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>While Absol is a very powerful Pokemon that is capable of destroying entire teams when played right, it is not impossible to stop and still has its fair share of checks and counters. Going down into the depths of NU, Gurdurr arrives to the battlefield to take on the black cat. Gurdurr's combination of bulk, resistance to Dark-type moves, and Mach Punch puts Absol in a checkmate position: if it doesn't Sucker Punch, it is KOed by Mach Punch, and if it does Sucker Punch, Gurdurr can use Drain Punch to KO Absol and restore all its health in the process. There are many other physical walls that can tank a boosted Absol. Tangrowth can take Absol lacking Fire Blast and can put it to sleep, sap its HP with Leech Seed and Giga Drain, and keep coming back again and again due to Regenerator. Quagsire can ignore the boosts of Swords Dance Absol and strike back with an Earthquake, but it has to be aware of Hidden Power Grass. Hitmonchan can easily revenge kill Absol with a swift Mach Punch to the face if it doesn't have a Substitute up, but it has trouble switching into Absol because Superpower OHKOes it. Steelix does well against Absol without Fire Blast but takes a ton of damage from a boosted Superpower. Poliwrath flat-out walls Absol and is only wary of the rare Psycho Cut; it can also phaze Absol with Circle Throw.</p>

<p>Outside of walls, the best checks to Absol take advantage of its reliance on Sucker Punch to defeat faster opponents. Faster Pokemon with moves such as Substitute and Trick can outpredict Absol and lock it into an attack or have a buffer against the next attack, which allows them to strike Absol's low defenses. Examples of Pokemon that can do this include Rotom, Klinklang, Jynx, and Uxie. Faster Pokemon that can inflict status, such as Smeargle, Sigilyph, and Rotom, are also quite good at stopping Absol in its tracks, as they can cripple it while evading Sucker Punch in the process. If all else fails, a faster priority user such as Entei or Linoone will do the trick by attacking before Absol and striking it on its base 60 Defense.</p>
 

complete legitimacy

is it cold in the water?
is a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
On the Choice Scarf set, I think that Megahorn should be the primary slash, with Psycho Cut the secondary slash. Absol needs powerful coverage moves, as both Superpower and Megahorn outdamage Night Slash factoring in STAB. Tangrowth is really prominent, and also Night Slash can't OHKO either Sceptile or Lilligant while Megahorn can. The last slot is kinda filler anyway, and Megahorn is the superior filler move.
 
eviolite croagunk wut?

mention that super luck is its best ability since night slash and psycho cut pair up well with it.
 

Honko

he of many honks
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Programmer Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Looks good. I'd make Pursuit the primary slash in the last slot of All-Out Attacker, because trapping Slowking/Cofag/Uxie is pretty useful, and you only see Progunk at the very top of the ladder.

QC APPROVED 1/3
 

Molk

Godlike Usmash
is a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
this is finally written, but im going to take a minute to look over it for obvious errors

edit: Done
 
placeholder

[Overview]

<p>Although it's often seen as outclassed in the other tiers by threats such as Honchkrow and Bisharp, Absol has finally found its place to shine as the head Dark-type in RU. With a base 130 Attack stat, access to Swords Dance, and loads of coverage moves, underestimating Absol in battle is just asking for disaster. To make matters worse, Absol has the most powerful priority move in the game, which turns it into a very potent revenge killer and sweeper. In addition, Absol has access to Pursuit to trap and eliminate deadly Ghost-types such as Cofagrigus and Rotom. Absol is not without its flaws, though; despite the destructive power Absol possesses after a Swords Dance, it has a hard time setting up due to its frailty, and even after a Swords Dance, Absol has issues breaking through defensive Pokemon such as Tangrowth due to the low Base Powers of its moves. Absol's Speed, while decent, forces it to rely on Sucker Punch to deal damage to several threats that can easily take advantage of it. Despite Absol's glaring flaws, do not take it lightly, as it can and will tear through a team without effort.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Night Slash / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Absol's most feared set, and with good reason: with a combination of base 130 Attack, perfect coverage, and priority, it's not hard to see why Swords Dance Absol strikes fear into the hearts of players everywhere. Swords Dance is the crux of the set, and even though Absol can have trouble setting it up against more offensive teams, if it manages to set up, it can mean disaster for the opposing team. Sucker Punch is Absol's main STAB attack and is great for catching faster opponents before they can harm it. Sucker Punch also allows Absol to act as a revenge killer for your team by picking off weakened sweepers before they can do serious damage. Superpower is Absol's main coverage move, as it smashes Steel- and Rock-types such as Aggron and Steelix after a Swords Dance boost; however, make sure to use Superpower sparingly when Absol doesn't have a boost, as it will make Absol less powerful and slightly easier to revenge kill. The last slot is up to you; Night Slash is a good, consistent secondary STAB attack that Absol should always use against slower opponents. If you feel you don't need the reliability of Night Slash, Substitute is a perfectly acceptable alternative, as it protects Absol from status and weak attacks and, most importantly, makes it easier for Absol to set up a Swords Dance.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's offensive power while allowing it to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible, making Absol slightly less reliant on Sucker Punch in the long run. While an Adamant nature boosts Absol's Attack further, a Jolly nature is a viable option; however, Jolly Absol does not outrun anything important, and it loses quite a bit of power. The choice of Absol's item comes down to how you want to play Absol or how it fits onto your team. Life Orb is the main option, as it boosts Absol's power significantly at the cost of some of its health; a Life Orb also helps Absol function as a revenge killer by boosting its Sucker Punch, which allows it to KO a wide range of fast, frail Pokemon. Absol can use a Lum Berry as a one-time cushion against status inducers that will try to cripple it, which allows it to set up a Swords Dance on more Pokemon, including Slowking. It also gives Absol a one-time freebie when switching into Toxic Spikes. Leftovers is useful as it gives Absol a little more HP at the end of each turn. It might seem like a small amount at first, but this recovery can be the difference between a 2HKO and a 3HKO or a 3HKO and a 4HKO. In fact, Leftovers gives Absol a greater chance to get to +4 and sweep! It also allows Absol to make more Substitutes if it chooses to run the move, which can be very useful in the long run. Justified is an interesting ability on Absol, as it boosts its Attack stat when it switches into a Dark-type move; sadly, Dark-type attacks are relatively uncommon in RU, and the users of them often carry Fighting-type moves, which makes it harder for Absol to switch in on them. Psycho Cut is an option over Night Slash, but the only notable threats it hits are Hariyama, Gurdurr, and the occasional Throh.</p>

<p>Absol can be very threatening to many teams with its power and coverage, but like every Pokemon, it needs some support to work to its full potential. As a physical sweeper, entry hazards are key to supporting Absol, as they make it easier for Absol to OHKO or 2HKO bulkier Pokemon before a Swords Dance. This is especially notable because most of Absol's checks are vulnerable to Spikes. Pokemon such as Smeargle, Omastar, Crustle, and Ferroseed are great at setting up Spikes for your team. Do take note, though, that three of the four share a Fighting-type weakness with Absol, and Absol will need another teammate to sponge those hits. Examples of Pokemon that can tank physical Fighting-type hits easily are Tangrowth, Slowking, and Cofagrigus; Cofagrigus is especially notable because it spinblocks to keep the entry hazards your teammates set on the field. Even at +2, Absol has trouble with many physical walls, including but not limited to Poliwrath, Tangrowth, and Quagsire. Teammates that can take down these Pokemon are essential to Absol's performance. Moltres can easily threaten these three Pokemon with Fire Blast, Air Slash, and Hidden Power Grass, respectively. Magmortar functions similarly, while Absol takes down Slowking, a Pokemon that stands in the way of both Fire-types. On top of that, both benefit immensely from the entry hazards you have laid down.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Night Slash
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Megahorn / Psycho Cut
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With so many Ghost- and Psychic-types running around the RU tier, a trapper that can eliminate them can be very important. With Pursuit, excellent coverage, and a monstrous Attack stat, Absol is the perfect choice for this role. Pursuit is the most important move on this set, as it allows Absol to trap and revenge kill frail Pokemon, such as Accelgor and Sceptile, as well as Pokemon weak to it, such as Rotom, weakened Cofagrigus, Mesprit, and Jynx. Night Slash is Absol's most powerful reliable STAB move to use outside of trapping; it also KOes bulkier threats such as Uxie and catches any Pokemon that tries to stay in on Pursuit. Superpower hits many Pokemon that resist Dark-type moves, such as Aggron and Steelix, for super effective damage and can cripple or outright KO them. Megahorn is Absol's main weapon against opposing Lilligant and Tangrowth, OHKOing and 2HKOing them, respectively. Psycho Cut is also an option in the final moveslot to hit opposing Qwilfish and Weezing, both of which completely wall Absol otherwise.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's Attack and Speed stats to hit as hard as possible while outrunning as many threats as it can; there really isn't a reason to run a different spread on a Choice Scarf Pokemon. The choice between an Adamant and a Jolly nature on Absol depends on what you want it to outspeed. Adamant Choice Scarf Absol can outrun anything up to positive-natured base 120s, such as Sceptile, while a Jolly nature sacrifices a small amount of power to outrun the entire unboosted metagame bar Accelgor and Ninjask. While a Choice Band set might sound attractive for the sheer power of its attacks, it's very slow compared to the Choice Scarf set and is very reliant on Sucker Punch, making it setup bait for a multitude of Pokemon once it gets locked in.</p>

<p>While not listed as an option on the set, Sucker Punch can be useful in some instances to revenge kill Choice Scarf Ghost-types, such as Rotom and Haunter, or to bypass Trick Room and pick off Nasty Plot Cofagrigus. While this might all seem very appealing, take into account that being locked into Sucker Punch makes Absol setup bait for various threats such as Crawdaunt, Feraligatr, Linoone, and Omastar, all of which can turn the tables on you in just one turn. If using Sucker Punch, use it wisely. Justified is an interesting option for an ability, as it gives Absol an Attack boost whenever it switches into a Dark-type attack, but Dark-type attacks themselves are rather rare in RU, and the main users of them can easily dispatch of Absol anyway, so it is not the best option.</p>

<p>Absol is excellent at trapping and removing Psychic- and Ghost-type threats, and therefore good teammates for it include Pokemon that can take advantage of the removal of these Pokemon from the match. Rapid Spin users such as Cryogonal and Hitmonchan enjoy the removal of opposing spinblockers so that they can Rapid Spin freely for your Stealth Rock-weak teammates. Fighting-types such as Hariyama, Primeape, Hitmonlee, and Hitmonchan also like the removal of these Pokemon, as they can now set up or spam powerful STAB attacks without anything on the opposing team to stop them.</p>

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Night Slash
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Pursuit / Psycho Cut
item: Life Orb
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With an excellent Attack stat, priority, decent Speed, and a wide offensive movepool that includes tools such as Psycho Cut and Pursuit, Absol can pull off an all-out attacking set very well. Sucker Punch is Absol's most powerful attack, and it lets Absol outspeed and KO faster opponents, allowing it to serve as both a revenge killer and a late-game cleaner. Night Slash is Absol's secondary STAB attack and is more consistent than Sucker Punch, as it hits whether or not the opponent uses an attack. Note that Absol should always use Night Slash against Pokemon that are slower than it to remove the risks of Sucker Punch failing and Absol getting hit by a crippling status move in the process. Superpower provides Absol with the coverage it needs to truly be a monster, as it smacks around Pokemon that would otherwise wall Absol such as Aggron, Steelix, Klinklang, and Ferroseed. Pursuit is an interesting option to trap some Psychic- and Ghost-types and to catch any frail Pokemon attempting to switch out of Sucker Punch. Alternatively, Psycho Cut can be useful as a method to hit Qwilfish and Weezing, two Pokemon that this set would usually have trouble taking down, hard.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's Speed and power so that it can outspeed and KO as many Pokemon as possible while being less reliant on Sucker Punch to take out faster threats. An Adamant nature is chosen over Jolly because the boost in Speed isn't very notable, and the drop in power is very large. Justified is an interesting option for an ability, as it increases Absol's Attack stat every time it switches into a Dark-type move; however, Dark-type moves aren't very common, and the main users of them have ways to beat Absol anyway, so Super Luck is the superior option. Expert Belt is an option if you don't like the recoil that comes with a Life Orb, but note that Absol will have a harder time beating Pokemon that aren't weak to one of its moves. Absol can easily go mixed by using Fire Blast or Hidden Power Grass in the fourth moveslot to blast past normal checks such as Tangrowth and Quagsire. If using a special attack, make sure to use a Naughty nature. Taunt is an interesting move to prevent opposing Pokemon from inflicting status or setting up hazards on Absol; it also forces the opponent to attack, which guarantees that Sucker Punch will hit.</p>

<p>This Absol set has its fair share of trouble with Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Hitmonchan. Pokemon that can take on these Fighting-types are useful teammates for the dark feline. Cofagrigus and Slowking are excellent examples, as they resist or are immune to Fighting-type attacks and can threaten Fighting-types back with super effective STAB attacks, set up on them, or threaten them with a burn. Entry hazards are also essential to help Absol clean up late-game more easily; good entry hazard setters for offensive teams include Smeargle and Accelgor. These Pokemon can easily set up a layer of Spikes while crippling a Pokemon as they go down with Spore and Final Gambit, respectively.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Although Absol is best at hitting hard with powerful, possibly boosted physical attacks, it has many other viable options. Absol has access to Baton Pass, along with several boosting moves such as Calm Mind and Swords Dance, which it can use to boost its teammates, but Absol's frailty and weakness to Fighting-type moves often get in the way of its attempts to pass boosts. Absol has quite a wide special movepool consisting of moves such as Fire Blast, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, and the various Hidden Power types. While base 75 Special Attack is only average, it isn't a bad idea to run one of these special moves on the all-out attacker set with a Naughty nature to get past some of Absol's typical checks, such as Tangrowth, Quagsire, and Steelix. Absol also has a surprising support movepool that includes Wish, Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, Knock Off, and Magic Coat. A support set might seem tempting, but keep in mind that Absol is very frail and has a weakness to one of the most common attacking types in RU, so it should stick to attacking in most cases. A Choice Band set might seem tempting, but being locked into Sucker Punch can allow an opponent to set up a lot of the time, and a Life Orb gives Absol enough power to deal major damage to many common Pokemon, so Choice Band is an inferior option. Absol has access to Quick Attack to reliably take out Pokemon with Substitute that can evade Sucker Punch, but Absol loses valuable coverage, and Quick Attack is somewhat weak without several boosts.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>While Absol is a very powerful Pokemon that is capable of destroying entire teams when played right, it is not impossible to stop and still has its fair share of checks and counters. Going down into the depths of NU, Gurdurr arrives to the battlefield to take on the black cat. Gurdurr's combination of bulk, resistance to Dark-type moves, and Mach Punch puts Absol in a checkmate position: if it doesn't Sucker Punch, it is KOed by Mach Punch, and if it does Sucker Punch, Gurdurr can use Drain Punch to KO Absol and restore all its health in the process. There are many other physical walls that can tank a boosted Absol. Tangrowth can take Absol lacking Fire Blast and can put it to sleep, sap its HP with Leech Seed and Giga Drain, and keep coming back again and again due to Regenerator. Quagsire can ignore the boosts of Swords Dance Absol and strike back with an Earthquake, but it has to be aware of Hidden Power Grass. Hitmonchan can easily revenge kill Absol with a swift Mach Punch to the face if it doesn't have a Substitute up, but it has trouble switching into Absol because Superpower OHKOes it. Steelix does well against Absol without Fire Blast but takes a ton of damage from a boosted Superpower. Poliwrath flat-out walls Absol and is only wary of the rare Psycho Cut; it can also phaze Absol with Circle Throw.</p>

<p>Outside of walls, the best checks to Absol take advantage of its reliance on Sucker Punch to defeat faster opponents. Faster Pokemon with moves such as Substitute and Trick can outpredict Absol and lock it into an attack or have a buffer against the next attack, which allows them to strike Absol's low defenses. Examples of Pokemon that can do this include Rotom, Klinklang, Jynx, and Uxie. Faster Pokemon that can inflict status, such as Smeargle, Sigilyph, and Rotom, are also quite good at stopping Absol in its tracks, as they can cripple it while evading Sucker Punch in the process. If all else fails, a faster priority user such as Entei or Linoone will do the trick by attacking before Absol and striking it on its base 60 Defense.</p>



If you want to see a marked-up version, VM me and I'll edit it in tomorrow.

edit: went ahead and ran it through diff; sorry for the awful formatting lol

[Overview]

<p>DespiteAlthough it's often being seen as outclassed in the other tiers by threats such as Honchkrow and Bisharp, Absol has finally found its place to shine as the head Dark-type in the RU tierRU. With a Bbase 130 Attack stat, access to Swords Dance, and loads of coverage moves, underestimating Absol in battle is just asking for disaster. WhatTo makes matters worse is that, Absol has the most powerful priority move in the game, turning Absolwhich turns it into a very potent revenge killer and sweeper, but thats not all. In addition, Absol even has access to Pursuit to trap and eliminate deadly Ghost-types such as Cofagrigus and Rotom, eliminating them from the match. Absol is not without its flaws, though; despite the destructive power Absol possesses after a Swords Dance, Absolit has a hard time setting up a Swords Dance due to its frailty, and even after a Swords Dance, Absol has issues breaking through defensive Pokemon such as Tangrowth due to itsthe low bBase pPowers of its moves. Absol's Speed, while decent, means that it reliesforces it to rely on Sucker Punch to doeal damage to several threats, who that can easily take advantage of it. Despite Absol's glaring flaws, do not take Absolit lightly, as it can and will tear through a team without effort.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Night Slash / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Lum bBerry
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Absol's most feared set, and for awith good reason,: with a combination of base 130 Attack, perfect coverage, and priority, it's not hard to see why Swords Dance Absol strikes fear into the hearts of players everywhere. Swords Dance is the crux of the set, and even though Absol maycan have trouble setting it up against more offensive teams, if it manages to set up, it can mean disaster for the opposing team. Sucker Punch is Absol's main STAB attack, and is great for catching faster opponents before they can harm Absolit. Sucker Punch also allows Absol to act as a revenge killer for your team, by picking off weakened sweepers before they can do serious damage. Superpower is Absol's main coverage move, smashingas it smashes Steel- and Rock-types likesuch as Aggron and Steelix after a Swords Dance boost, but; however, make sure to use Superpower sparingly when youAbsol doesn't have a boost, as it will make Absol less powerful and slightly easier to revenge kill. The last slot is up to you,; Night Slash is a good, consistent, secondary STAB attack that Absol should always be used against slower opponents that are slower than Absol. If you feel you don't need the reliability of Night Slash, Substitute is a perfectly acceptable alternative, as it protectings Absol from status and weak attacks, and, most importantly, makinges it easier for Absol to set up a Swords Dance.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given evs on this setEVs maximize Absol's offensive power, while outrunning as many thingsallowing it to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible, making Absol slightly less reliant on Sucker Punch in the long run. AWhile an Adamant Nnature is used to boosts Absol's initial Attack further, a Jolly Nnature is a viable option, but; however, Jolly Absol does not outrun anything important, on top of that,and it loses quite a bit of power. The choice of Absol's item comes down to how you want to play Absol, or how it fits ionto your team,. Life Orb is the main option, as it boosts Absol's initial Attack power significantly, at the cost of some of its health,; a Life Orb also helps out Absol in its revenge killing role,function as a revenge killer by boosting its Sucker Punch, which allows it to KO a wide range of fast, frail Pokemon. A Lum Berry can be used to give Absolbsol can use a Lum Berry as a one-time cushion against status inducers that will try to cripple Absol, giving Absol a wide range of Pokemon in can nowit, which allows it to set up a Swords Dance on more Pokemon, including Slowking. iIt also gives Absol a one-time freebie when switching into Toxic Spikes. Leftovers is useful as it gives Absol a little more HP at the end of each turn, it may. It might seem like a small amount at first, but this recovery can meanbe the difference between a 2HKO and a 3HKO, or a 3HKO and a 4HKO. In fact Absol often the, Leftovers gives Absol a greater chance to get to +4 and sweep! It also gives Absol the chanceallows Absol to make more Substitutes if it chooses to run the move, which can be very useful in the long run. Justified is an interesting Aability on Absol, as it boostings its Attack stat when it switches into a Dark-type move,; sadly, there are not many Dark-type attacks used in the RU tierDark-type attacks are relatively uncommon in RU, and the users of them often carry Fighting-type moves, makingwhich makes it harder for Absol to switch in on them. Psycho Cut is an option over Night Slash on Absol, but the only notable thingreats it hits isare Hariyama, Gurdurr, and the occasional Throh.</p>

<p>Absol maycan be very threatening to many teams with its power and coverage, but like every Pokemon, it needs some support to work to its full potential. As a physical sweeper, entry hazards are key to supporting Absol for a sweep, making, as they make it easier for Absol to OHKO or 2HKO bulkier Pokemon before a Swords Dance, t. This is especially notable because most of Absol's checks are vulnerable to Spikes, giving Absol the chance to beat down its counters and continue sweeping. Pokemon such as Smeargle, Omastar, Crustle, and Ferroseed are great at setting up Spikes for your team. Do take note, though, that three of the four share a Fighting-type weakness with Absol, and Absol will need another teammate to sponge those hits. Examples of Pokemon that can tank thesphysical Fighting-type hits easily are Tangrowth, Slowking, and Cofagrigus,; Cofagrigus is especially notable because it spinblocks to keep the entry hazards your teammates set. on the field. Even at +2, Absol has trouble with many physical walls even at +2, including but not limited to Poliwrath, Tangrowth, and Quagsire. Teammates tohat can take down these Pokemon are essential to Absol's performance. Moltres can easily threaten these 3three Pokemon with Fire Blast, Air Slash, and Hidden Power Grass, respectively. Magmortar functions similarly in threatening these 3 Pokemon, while Absol takes down Slowking, a Pokemon that stands in the way of both Fire-types. On top of that, both benefit immensely from the entry hazards you have laid down, easing their sweep.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Night Slash
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Megahorn / Psycho Cut
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With so many Ghost- and Psychic-types running around the RU tier, a trapper can be very important to eliminate these threats, wthat can eliminate them can be very important. With Pursuit, excellent coverage, and a monsterrous Attack stat, Absol is the perfect choice for this role. Pursuit is the most important move on this set, allowing Absol to do its job of trappings it allows Absol to trap and revenge killing frail Pokemon, such as Accelgor and Sceptile, as well as trapping Pokemon weak to it, such as Rotom, weakened Cofagrigus, Mesprit, and Jynx. Night Slash is Absol's most powerful Rreliable STAB move to use outside of trapping,; it also KOes bulkier threats such as Uxie and catches any Pokemon that may trytries to stay in on Pursuit. Superpower hits many Pokemon that resist Dark-type moves, such as Aggron and Steelix, for super-effective damage, and can cripplinge or outright KOing them. Megahorn is Absol's main weapon against opposing Lilligant and Tangrowth, OHKOing and 2HKOing them, respectively. Psycho Cut is also an option in the final moveslot to hit opposing Qwilfish and Weezing, who canboth of which completely wall Absol otherwise.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's Attack and Speed stats to hit as hard as possible while outrunning as many threats as it can; there really isn't a reason to run a different spread on a Choice Scarf Pokemon.
The choice between an Adamant and a Jolly Nnature on Absol depends on what you want it to outspeed. Adamant Choice Scarf Absol can outrun anything up to positive-natured base 120's, such as Sceptile, while a Jolly Nnature sacrifices a small amount of power to outrun the entire unboosted metagame bar Accelgor and Ninjask.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's A
While a Choice Band set might sound attrack and Speed stats to hit as hard as possible while outrunning as many things as it can, there really isn't a reason to run a different spread on a Scarfed Pokemon. tive for the sheer power of its attacks, it's very slow compared to the Choice Scarf set and is very reliant on Sucker Punch, making it setup bait for a multitude of Pokemon once it gets locked in.</p>

<p>
While not listed as an option on the set, Sucker Punch can still be useful in some instances to revenge kill Choice Scarfed Ghost-types, such as Rotom and Haunter, or to bypass Trick Room toand pick off Nasty Plot Cofagrigus. While this mayight all seem very appealing, take into account that being Llocked into Sucker Punch makes youAbsol setup bait for various threats such as Crawdaunt, Feraligatr, Linoone, and Omastar, all of which can turn the tables on you in just one turn. If using Sucker Punch, use it wisely. Justified is an interesting option for an ability, gettingas it gives Absol an Attack boost whenever it switchinges into a Dark-type Aattack, but Dark-type attacks themselves are rather rare in RU, and the main users of them can easily dispatch of Absol anyway, so it is not the best option.</p>

<p>
Absol is excellent andt trapping and removing Psychic- and Ghost-type threats, and therefore good teammates for it include Pokemon that can take advantage of them being removed removal of these Pokemon from the match. Rapid Spinn users such as Cryogonal and Hitmonchan enjoy the removal of opposing spinblockers so that they can Rapid Spin freely for your Stealth Rock-weak teammates,. Fighting-types such as Hariyama, Primeape, Hitmonlee, and Hitmonchan also like the removal of these Pokemon, as they can now set up or spam powerful STAB attacks without anything on the opposing team to stop them. Lastly, while a Choice Band set may be attractive for the sheer power of its Attacks, it's very slow compared to the Scarf set and is very reliant on Sucker Punch, making it set up bait for a multitude of Pokemon once it gets locked in.</p>

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Night Slash
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Pursuit / Psycho Cut
item: Life Orb
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With an excellent Attack stat, priority, decent Speed, and a wide offensive movepool withthat includes tools such as Psycho Cut and Pursuit, Absol can pull off an All Oall-out Aattackering set very well. Sucker Punch is Absol's most powerful Aattack, and comes with the bonus of going beforeit lets Absol outspeed and KOing faster opponents, allowing Absolit to serve as both a revenge killer and a late-game cleaner with the move. Night Slash is Absol's secondary STAB attack, and is more consistent than Sucker Punch, hittingas it hits whether or not the opponent uses an Aattack or not. Note that Night Slash should always be usedAbsol should always use Night Slash against Pokemon that are slower than Absol, to easit to remove the risks of Sucker Punch failing and Absol getting hit by a crippling status problemmove in the process. Superpower provides itAbsol with the coverage it needs to truely be a monster, as it smackings around Pokemon that would usuallyotherwise wall Absol such as Aggron, Steelix, Klinklang, and Ferroseed. Pursuit is an interesting option to trap some Psychic- and Ghost-types, as well asnd to catching any frail Pokemon attempting to switch out of Sucker Punch. Alternatively, Psycho Cut can be usedful as a method to hit Qwilfish and Weezing hard, two Pokemon that this set would usually have trouble taking down, hard.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given evEVs maximize Absol's sSpeed and power toso that it can outspeed and KO as many thingsPokemon as possible, while being less reliant on Sucker Punch to take out faster threats. An Adamant nature is chosen over Jolly because the boost in Speed isn't very notable, and the drop in power is very large. Justified is an interesting option for an ability, boostingas it increases Absol's Attack stat every time it switches into a Dark-Ttype move, sadly; however, Dark-Ttype moves aren't very common, and the main users of them have a ways to beat Absol anyway, so Super Luck is the superior option. Expert bBelt is an option if you don't like the recoil that comes with a Life Orb, but do note that Absol will have a harder time beating Pokemon that aren't weak to one of its moves. Absol can easily go mixed by using a special attack over Pursuit or Psycho cuFire Blast or Hidden Power Grass in the fourth moveslot to blast past normal checks such as Tangrowth and Quagsire using Fire Blast and Hidden Power Grass, respectively. If using a Sspecial Aattack, make sure to use a Naughty Nnature. Taunt is an interesting move to prevent opposing Pokemon from inflicting statusing or setting up hazards on your Absol,; it also forces the opponent to Aattack, making Sucker Punch always work. which guarantees that Sucker Punch will hit.</p>

<p>
This Absol set has its fair share of trouble with Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Hitmonchan,. Pokemon that can take on these Fighting-types are useful teammates for the dark feline. Cofagrigus and Slowking are excellent examples, beingas they resistant or are immune to Fighting-type attacks while being able to threaten them back with the threat of Sand can threaten Fighting-types back with super-effective STAB attacks, setting up on them, or threaten them with a burn. Entry hazards are also essential to help Absol clean up late-game more easily,; good setters of entry hazard setters for offensive teams include Smeargle and Accelgor, t. These Pokemon can easily gset up a layer of Spikes, while crippling a Pokemon as they go down with Spore and Final Gambit, respectively.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Although Absol is best at hitting hard with powerful, possibly boosted, physical Aattacks, there are many other things as wellit has many other viable options. Absol has access to Baton Pass, along with several boosting moves such as Calm Mind and Swords Dance, which it can use to boost its teammates to be unstoppable, but Absol's frailty and weakness to Fighting-type moves often gets in the way whileof its attemptings to pass boosts. Absol has a quite a wide special movepool consisting of moves such as Fire Blast, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, and the various Hidden Powers, whil types. While base 75 Special Attack is only average, it isn't a bad idea to run one of these special moves on the all-out attacker set with a Naughty nature to get past some of Absol's previoustypical checks, such as Tangrowth, Quagsire, and Steelix. Absol also has a surprising support movepool, consisting of things such a that includes Wish, Taunt, Will-oO-Wisp, Knock Off, Aand Magic Coat. This mayA support set might seem tempting, but keep in mind that Absol is very frail, and has a weakness to one of the most common attacking types in RU, so it should stick to attacking in most cases. A Choice Band set mayight seem tempting, but being locked into Sucker Punch can allow an opponent to set up a lot of the time, and a Life Orb isgives Absol enough power for Absol to deal major damage to many common Pokemon, so itChoice Band is an inferior option. Absol has access to Quick Attack to reliably take out Pokemon with Substitute that can evade Sucker Punch, but Absol loses valuable coverage, and Quick Attack is somewhat weak without several boosts.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>While Absol is a very powerful Pokemon that is capable of destroying entire teams when played right, it is not impossible to stop and still has its fair share of Cchecks and Ccounters. Going down into the depths of NU, Gurdurr arrives to the battlefield to take on the black cat. Gurdurr's combination of bulk, resistance to Dark-type moves, and Mach Punch puts Absol in a checkmate position,: if it doesn't Sucker Punch, it dies tois KOed by Mach Punch, and if it does Sucker Punch, Gurdurr can use Drain Punch andto KO Absol, and restoringe all its health back in the process. There are many other physical walls that can tank a boosted Absol,. Tangrowth can take Absol lacking Fire Blast, and can put it to sleep, sap its hpHP with Leech Seed and Giga Drain, and keep coming back again and again due to Regenerator. Quagsire can ignore the boosts of Swords Dance Absol and strike back with an Earthquake, but it has to be aware of Hidden Power Grass. Hitmonchan can easily revenge kill Absol with a swift Mach Punch to the face if it doesn't have a Substitute up, but it has trouble switching into Absol due to being OHKOed bybecause Superpower OHKOes it. Steelix does well against Absol without Fire Blast, but takes a ton of damage from a boosted Superpower. Poliwrath flat-out walls Absol, only being and is only wary of the rare Psycho Cut, while being able to phaze Absol with Circle Throw. Outside of attempting to wall Absol; it can also phaze Absol with Circle Throw.</p>

<p>Outside of walls
, the best checks to Absol take advantage of its reliance on Sucker Punch to defeat faster opponents. Faster Pokemon with moves such as Substitute and Trick can outpredict Absol and lock it into an attack or have a buffer against the next Aattack so they can, which allows them to strike Absol on it's low defenses. Examples of Pokemon that can do this include Rotom, Klinklang, Jynx, and Uxie. Faster Pokemon that can inflict status problems, such as Smeargle, Sigiliyph, and Rotom, are also quite good at stopping Absol in its tracks, as they can cripplinge it while evading Sucker Punch in the process. If all else fails, a faster priority user such as Entei or Linoone will do the trick, go by attacking before Absol and striking it on its base 60 dDefense.</p>




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[Overview]

<p>Although it's often seen as outclassed in the other tiers by threats such as Honchkrow and Bisharp, Absol has finally found its place to shine as the head Dark-type in RU. With a base 130 Attack stat, access to Swords Dance, and loads of coverage moves, underestimating Absol in battle is just asking for disaster. To make matters worse, Absol has the most powerful priority move in the game, which turns it into a very potent revenge killer and sweeper. In addition, Absol has access to Pursuit to trap and eliminate deadly Ghost-types such as Cofagrigus and Rotom. Absol is not without its flaws, though; despite the destructive power Absol possesses after a Swords Dance, it has a hard time setting up due to its frailty, and even after a Swords Dance, Absol has issues breaking through defensive Pokemon such as Tangrowth due to the low Base Powers of its moves. Absol's Speed, while decent, forces it to rely on Sucker Punch to deal damage to several threats that can easily take advantage of it. Despite Absol's glaring flaws, do not take it lightly, as it can and will tear through a team without effort.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Sucker Punch
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Night Slash / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Lum Berry
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Absol's most feared set, and with good reason: with a combination of base 130 Attack, perfect coverage, and priority, it's not hard to see why Swords Dance Absol strikes fear into the hearts of players everywhere. Swords Dance is the crux of the set, and even though Absol can have trouble setting it up against more offensive teams, if it manages to set up, it can mean disaster for the opposing team. Sucker Punch is Absol's main STAB attack and is great for catching faster opponents before they can harm it. Sucker Punch also allows Absol to act as a revenge killer for your team by picking off weakened sweepers before they can do serious damage. Superpower is Absol's main coverage move, as it smashes Steel- and Rock-types such as Aggron and Steelix after a Swords Dance boost; however, make sure to use Superpower sparingly when Absol doesn't have a boost, as it will make Absol less powerful and slightly easier to revenge kill. The last slot is up to you; Night Slash is a good, consistent secondary STAB attack that Absol should always use against slower opponents. If you feel you don't need the reliability of Night Slash, Substitute is a perfectly acceptable alternative, as it protects Absol from status and weak attacks and, most importantly, makes it easier for Absol to set up a Swords Dance.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's offensive power while allowing it to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible, making Absol slightly less reliant on Sucker Punch in the long run. While an Adamant nature boosts Absol's Attack further, a Jolly nature is a viable option; however, Jolly Absol does not outrun anything important, and it loses quite a bit of power. The choice of Absol's item comes down to how you want to play Absol or how well it fits onto your team. Life Orb is the main option, as it boosts Absol's power significantly at the cost of some of its health; a Life Orb also helps Absol function as a revenge killer by boosting its Sucker Punch, which allows it to KO a wide range of fast, frail Pokemon. Absol can use a Lum Berry as a one-time cushion against status inducers that will try to cripple it, which allows it to set up a Swords Dance on more Pokemon, including Slowking. It also gives Absol a one-time freebie when switching into Toxic Spikes. Leftovers is useful as it gives Absol a little more HP at the end of each turn. It might seem like a small amount at first, but this recovery can be the difference between a 2HKO and a 3HKO or a 3HKO and a 4HKO. In fact, Leftovers gives Absol a greater chance to get to +4 and sweep! It also allows Absol to make more Substitutes if it chooses to run the move, which can be very useful in the long run. Justified is an interesting ability on Absol, as it boosts its Attack stat when it switches into a Dark-type move; sadly, Dark-type attacks are relatively uncommon in RU, and the users of them often carry Fighting-type moves, which makes it harder for Absol to switch in on them. Psycho Cut is an option over Night Slash, but the only notable threats it hits are Hariyama, Gurdurr, and the occasional Throh.</p>

<p>Absol can be very threatening to many teams with its power and coverage, but like every Pokemon, it needs some support to work to its full potential. As a physical sweeper, entry hazards are key to supporting Absol, as they make it easier for Absol to OHKO or 2HKO bulkier Pokemon before a Swords Dance. This is especially notable because most of Absol's checks are vulnerable to Spikes. Pokemon such as Smeargle, Omastar, Crustle, and Ferroseed are great at setting up Spikes for your team. Do take note, though, that three of the four share a Fighting-type weakness with Absol, and Absol will need another teammate to sponge those hits. Examples of Pokemon that can tank physical Fighting-type hits easily are Tangrowth, Slowking, and Cofagrigus; Cofagrigus is especially notable because it spinblocks to keep the entry hazards your teammates set on the field. Even at +2, Absol has trouble with many physical walls, including but not limited to Poliwrath, Tangrowth, and Quagsire. Teammates that can take down these Pokemon are essential to Absol's performance. Moltres can easily threaten these three Pokemon with Fire Blast, Air Slash, and Hidden Power Grass, respectively. Magmortar functions similarly, while Absol takes down Slowking, a Pokemon that stands in the way of both Fire-types. On top of that, both benefit immensely from the entry hazards you have laid down.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Pursuit
move 2: Night Slash
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Megahorn / Psycho Cut
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With so many Ghost- and Psychic-types running around the RU tier, a trapper that can eliminate them can be very important. With Pursuit, excellent coverage, and a monstrous Attack stat, Absol is the perfect choice for this role. Pursuit is the most important move on this set, as it allows Absol to trap and revenge kill frail Pokemon, such as Accelgor and Sceptile, as well as Pokemon weak to it, such as Rotom, weakened Cofagrigus, Mesprit, and Jynx. Night Slash is Absol's most powerful reliable STAB move to use outside of trapping; it also KOes bulkier threats such as Uxie and catches any Pokemon that tries to stay in on Pursuit. Superpower hits many Pokemon that resist Dark-type moves, such as Aggron and Steelix, for super effective damage and can cripple or outright KO them. Megahorn is Absol's main weapon against opposing Lilligant and Tangrowth, OHKOing and 2HKOing them, respectively. Psycho Cut is also an option in the final moveslot to hit opposing Qwilfish and Weezing, both of which completely wall Absol otherwise.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's Attack and Speed stats to hit as hard as possible while outrunning as many threats as it can; there really isn't a reason to run a different spread on a Choice Scarf Pokemon. The choice between an Adamant and a Jolly nature on Absol depends on what you want it to outspeed. Adamant Choice Scarf Absol can outrun anything up to positive-natured base 120s, such as Sceptile, while a Jolly nature sacrifices a small amount of power to outrun the entire unboosted metagame bar Accelgor and Ninjask. While a Choice Band set might sound attractive for the sheer power of its attacks, it's very slow compared to the Choice Scarf set and is very reliant on Sucker Punch, making it setup bait for a multitude of Pokemon once it gets locked in.</p>

<p>While not listed as an option on the set, Sucker Punch can be useful in some instances to revenge kill Choice Scarf Ghost-types, such as Rotom and Haunter, or to bypass Trick Room and pick off Nasty Plot Cofagrigus. While this might all seem very appealing, take into account that being locked into Sucker Punch makes Absol setup bait for various threats such as Crawdaunt, Feraligatr, Linoone, and Omastar, all of which can turn the tables on you in just one turn. If using Sucker Punch, use it wisely. Justified is an interesting option for an ability, as it gives Absol an Attack boost whenever it switches into a Dark-type attack, but Dark-type attacks themselves are rather rare in RU, and the main users of them can easily dispatch of Absol anyway, so it is not the best option.</p>

<p>Absol is excellent at trapping and removing Psychic- and Ghost-type threats, and therefore good teammates for it include Pokemon that can take advantage of the removal of these Pokemon from the match. Rapid Spin users such as Cryogonal and Hitmonchan Hitmontop (pretty sure you mean Hitmontop) enjoy the removal of opposing spinblockers so that they can Rapid Spin freely for your Stealth Rock-weak teammates. Fighting-types such as Hariyama, Primeape, Hitmonlee, and Hitmonchan also like the removal of these Pokemon, as they can now set up or spam powerful STAB attacks without anything on the opposing team to stop them.</p>

[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Night Slash
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Pursuit / Psycho Cut
item: Life Orb
ability: Super Luck
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>With an excellent Attack stat, priority, decent Speed, and a wide offensive movepool that includes tools such as Psycho Cut and Pursuit, Absol can pull off an all-out attacking set very well. Sucker Punch is Absol's most powerful attack, and ; it lets Absol outspeed and KO faster opponents, allowing it to serve as both a revenge killer and a late-game cleaner. Night Slash is Absol's secondary STAB attack and is more consistent than Sucker Punch, as it hits whether or not the opponent uses an attack. Note that Absol should always use Night Slash against Pokemon that are slower than it to remove the risks of Sucker Punch failing and Absol getting hit by a crippling status move in the process. Superpower provides Absol with the coverage it needs to truly be a monster, as it smacks around Pokemon that would otherwise wall Absol such as Aggron, Steelix, Klinklang, and Ferroseed. Pursuit is an interesting option to trap some Psychic- and Ghost-types and to catch any frail Pokemon attempting to switch out of Sucker Punch. Alternatively, Psycho Cut can be useful as a method to hit Qwilfish and Weezing, two Pokemon that this set would usually have trouble taking down, hard.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EVs maximize Absol's Speed and power so that it can outspeed and KO as many Pokemon as possible while being less reliant on Sucker Punch to take out faster threats. An Adamant nature is chosen over Jolly because the boost in Speed isn't very notable, and the drop in power is very large. Justified is an interesting option for an ability, as it increases Absol's Attack stat every time it switches into a Dark-type move; however, Dark-type moves aren't very common, and the main users of them have ways to beat Absol anyway, so Super Luck is the superior option. Expert Belt is an option if you don't like the recoil that comes with a Life Orb, but note that Absol will have a harder time beating Pokemon that aren't weak to one of its moves. Absol can easily go mixed by using Fire Blast or Hidden Power Grass in the fourth moveslot to blast past normal checks such as Tangrowth and Quagsire, respectively. If using a special attack, make sure to use a Naughty nature. Taunt is an interesting move to prevent opposing Pokemon from inflicting status or setting up hazards on Absol; it also forces the opponent to attack, which guarantees that Sucker Punch will hit.</p>

<p>This Absol set has its fair share of trouble with Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Hitmonchan. Pokemon that can take on these Fighting-types are useful teammates for the dark feline. Cofagrigus and Slowking are excellent examples, as they resist or are immune to Fighting-type attacks and can threaten Fighting-types back with super effective STAB attacks, set up on them, or threaten them with a burn. Entry hazards are also essential to help Absol clean up late-game more easily; good entry hazard setters for offensive teams include Smeargle and Accelgor. These Pokemon can easily set up a layer of Spikes while crippling a Pokemon as they go down with Spore and Final Gambit, respectively.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Although Absol is best at hitting hard with powerful, possibly boosted physical attacks, it has many other viable options. Absol has access to Baton Pass, along with several boosting moves such as Calm Mind and Swords Dance, which it can use to boost its teammates, but Absol's frailty and weakness to Fighting-type moves often get in the way of its attempts to pass boosts. Absol has quite a wide special movepool consisting of moves such as Fire Blast, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, and the various Hidden Power types. While base 75 Special Attack is only average, it isn't a bad idea to run one of these special moves on the all-out attacker set with a Naughty nature to get past some of Absol's typical checks, such as Tangrowth, Quagsire, and Steelix. Absol also has a surprising support movepool that includes Wish, Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, Knock Off, and Magic Coat. A support set might seem tempting, but keep in mind that Absol is very frail and has a weakness to one of the most common attacking types in RU, so it should stick to attacking in most cases. A Choice Band set might seem tempting, but being locked into Sucker Punch can allow an opponent to set up a lot of the time, and a Life Orb gives Absol enough power to deal major damage to many common Pokemon, so Choice Band is an inferior option. Absol has access to Quick Attack to reliably take out Pokemon with Substitute that can evade Sucker Punch, but Absol loses valuable coverage, and Quick Attack is somewhat weak without several boosts.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>While Absol is a very powerful Pokemon that is capable of destroying entire teams when played right, it is not impossible to stop and still has its fair share of checks and counters. Going down into the depths of NU, Gurdurr arrives to the battlefield to take on the black cat. Gurdurr's combination of bulk, resistance to Dark-type moves, and Mach Punch puts Absol in a checkmate position: if it doesn't Sucker Punch, it is KOed by Mach Punch, and if it does Sucker Punch, Gurdurr can use Drain Punch to KO Absol and restore all its health in the process. There are many other physical walls that can tank a boosted Absol. Tangrowth can take Absol lacking Fire Blast and can put it to sleep, sap its HP with Leech Seed and Giga Drain, and keep coming back again and again due to Regenerator. Quagsire can ignore the boosts of Swords Dance Absol and strike back with an Earthquake, but it has to be aware of Hidden Power Grass. Hitmonchan can easily revenge kill Absol with a swift Mach Punch to the face if it doesn't have a Substitute up, but it has trouble switching into Absol because Superpower OHKOes it. Steelix does well against Absol without Fire Blast, but takes a ton of damage from a boosted Superpower. Poliwrath flat-out walls Absol and is only wary of the rare Psycho Cut; it can also phaze Absol with Circle Throw.</p>

<p>Outside of walls, the best checks to Absol take advantage of its reliance on Sucker Punch to defeat faster opponents. Faster Pokemon with moves such as Substitute and Trick can outpredict Absol and lock it into an attack or have a buffer against the next attack, which allows them to strike Absol's low defenses. Examples of Pokemon that can do this include Rotom, Klinklang, Jynx, and Uxie. Faster Pokemon that can inflict status, such as Smeargle, Sigilyph, and Rotom, are also quite good at stopping Absol in its tracks, as they can cripple it while evading Sucker Punch in the process. If all else fails, a faster priority user such as Entei or Linoone will do the trick by attacking before Absol and striking it on its base 60 Defense.</p>

Not the best check.
 
Rapid Spin users such as Cryogonal and Hitmonchan Hitmontop (pretty sure you mean Hitmontop)
Hitmontop is UU; he definitely means Hitmonchan :P

Other than that, looks good, Redew.

2/2 Solid work here, Molk ^.^
 

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