Hello, first post and since I've read through all the pages, I just have a few questions to clarify and maybe help lots of people put everything important about Mega-Absol in one spot!
I really want to try to raise a lovely Absol, but like most Megas, the team needs to form around it and it needs support to succeed.
CLEAR POINTS
(These can be looked over to make sure I have everything right!)
- Justified > Super Luck > Pressure
- Naive / Hasty > Naughty / Lonely / Rash / Mild
- Sucker Punch > Knock Off > Night Slash, on certain sets
- NOT a sweeper; must be a late-game cleaner/anti-hazard
- Base Absol is pretty much useless; Mega-Evolve it IMMEDIATELY
- Need support/great teammates to get rid of threats as it cannot take a hit
- Don't pit it against Lucario. EVER. Or any priority user it cannot outspeed/kill with Sucker Punch in that matter.
- Shines with Baton Pass support
NOT SO CLEAR POINTS
- Can it be a revenge killer?
- Play Rough > Superpower pre-bank, Superpower > Play Rough after bank
- Swords Dance + 3 moves
- Protect + 3 moves
- Snatch + Superpower + Sucker Punch + 1 legal coverage move (since other moves such as Play Rough are illegal on it... or so I think)
- Max EV investments on both Attack and Speed
- Magic Bounce is activated on the exact turn of Mega Evolution (still not sure on this, I really need a direct answer on this)
QUESTIONS
- M-Absol so frail that it sometimes fails to set up Swords Dance accordingly. This implies that sometimes it may have to come in and ME at a later time. Question is- when is it the safest for regular Absol to Mega Evolve: as the lead, near the beginning (like if somethings was Baton Passed to it), or when all of its threats are eliminated and can somewhat come in at any time comfortably to clean up?
- Also, I feel that M-Absol is a bit more tricky for the user to utilize more that the opponent to predict, one being it's useless as its base form and shows that it is Mega immediately, and that it may only have Sucker Punch to deal with threats faster than it on the turn of ME, and two being the opponent may just switch out for a better Pokemon to deal with it. This goes with the above question- how do you catch the opponent off guard if they know about M-Absol's quirks and checks for the turn of Mega Evolution to compensate for its current Speed, is it all just constant switching to catch the opponent with M-Absol?
- Have viable is Snatch on M-Absol? I haven't seen its uses written out yet, nor have I seen the pros and cons of it, as it does lose a few coverage moves when it also has to carry Sucker Punch. What set would you use Snatch on?
- Play Rough vs. Superpower- I see that one is good on certain sets while the other isn't and vice versa. Say that Poke Bank is FINALLY out, which is better for coverage purposes, and on what sets? (No need to write out Ev spreads and such on this, I just need a preview on the uses of both and where you would use it, because I'm torn. )
- Is Swords Dance and/or Protect really good on M-Absol? I read that Protect is a bit unnecessary due to Sucker Punching threats that may outspeed it on the turn of MegaEvolution, and it's hard to set up Sword Dance with how frail it is. Is the only way to actually utilize Swords Dance it to come in on a good switch (aka Prankster that can't do anything to it) or to perhaps Baton Pass a Swords Dance onto it every time so it can even come in and Sucker Punch a threat with ease?
- Does M-Absol need Baton Pass, or can it just be a receiver from the likes of Scoliopede with its Swords Dance, Speed Boosts, and even its Iron Defenses? Also, is Screen Support necessary on M-Absol, or is it a waste due to its Defenses?
- Is investing in HP necessary and on which sets would you do so? I usually ALWAYS invest some HP into my Pokemon, but alas, everyone says it can't really take a hit with its frailty, and that's nothing but the truth, so do we just abandon all hope with its defenses and go for Attack and Speed? Also, if an Absol carries a Special Move, should anything over 4 points be invested to it, or just focus on Atk/Spe?
- My most important question (even though it is at the bottom woops), what EV investments must a Naive Absol need to outspeed a Talonflame? Should it carry something like Thunderbolt/Rock Slide to counter it, or is Sucker Punch all it needs?
NOTABLE MOVES/NOTES
- Snatch is TM49 from Generation III to Generation IV (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, FireRed/LeafGreen - Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, HeartGold/SoulSilver) and it a tutor move in Generation V (Black/White/Black2/White2)
- Baton Pass is an Egg Move (easily obtainable by Eevee/its evolutions, Mawile, etc.)
- Play Rough is an Egg Move (Linoone just needs Heart Scale, learns it at Lv. -, while Mawile can pass down both Play Rough and Baton Pass)
- Iron Tail is TM23 from Generation II to Generation IV, and is a tutor move in Generation V
- Future Sight is a Level Up move, learned at Lv. 36
- Me First is a Starting and Level Up move, learned at Lv. -- / Lv. 60
- Tutor Moves can NOT be passed down like Egg Moves
- LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT TIERS EVER AGAIN PLEASE. It was annoying as hell just READING that lol
Thanks a lot in advance for anyone that happens to read this, answer this, or even answer a few questions they like to point out on this! I want to use Absol so bad, but it takes a lot of work, skill, and lots of prediction and luck to use it without fail as I can see, and I want to make sure I can count on such a powerful and beautiful Pokemon! c: