Absol Movesets & Competitive Sets

Set Details Absol has perfect coverage if it opts for Iron Tail; without it, Fairy-types like Diancie and Sylveon can generally answer it throughout a game. However, Swords Dance is still a great alternative that gives Absol more late-game potential and can severely limit offensive answers to it with the threat of +2 Sucker Punch. Do note, though, that because of how fragile Absol is, Iron Tail's miss chance is even more punishing and it's very hard to find good setup opportunities with Swords Dance. A Jolly nature is usually advised so Absol always outpaces Decidueye and Adamant Toxicroak, but Adamant lets it always OHKO Heliolisk with Sucker Punch and lowers the amount of chip damage necessary to secure a KO against other revenge killers like Salazzle. Because of Absol's poor defenses, it greatly appreciates the support of pivots to get it in safely. Xatu, Talonflame, and Rotom-C are some of the best available; Xatu's slow Teleport is particularly nice for guaranteeing safe entry, and Talonflame can help handle Sylveon for Absol. Additionally, Rotom-C is great at getting Absol in against Dhelmise and Guzzlord. Absol's ability to force damage onto Fairy-types works well alongside late-game cleaners like Ninjask and Choice Scarf Passimian, with all of these options also supplying Absol with pivot support. If using Swords Dance, consider running Absol on a hyper offense dual screens team with Xatu or Espeon to provide it with safer setup opportunities.

Moves Knock Off serves as Absol's strongest STAB move with its general spammability and ability to cripple item-reliant Pokemon like Rhydon, Passimian, and Golbat. Sucker Punch enables Absol to get the jump on faster Pokemon that could otherwise revenge kill it such as Heliolisk, Sceptile, and Accelgor. Superpower's coverage gives Absol the ability to OHKO offensive Incineroar variants at -1 after Stealth Rock damage and does considerable amounts of damage to walls like Steelix and Rhydon. The stat drops make this move difficult to repeatedly use, however. Iron Tail smacks Fairy-types such as Comfey and Whimsicott attempting to switch into Knock Off, OHKOing both. Pursuit can be run over Iron Tail to trap in slower Pokemon like Xatu and Assault Vest Slowking and can be used to engage in mind games against Pokemon threatened by Sucker Punch such as Heliolisk. However, do be mindful that this option forfeits Absol's ability to deal super effective damage to Fairy-types. Set Details Full Attack and Speed investment with a Jolly nature maximizes Absol's offensive presence and allows it to outspeed maximum Speed base 70s such as Decidueye and Samurott. An Adamant nature misses out on outspeeding those but allows Absol to break through Pokemon such as Colbur Berry Slowking more easily. Life Orb enhances Absol's power, but it can wear Absol down rather quickly. Justified is a mostly situational ability, but it boosts Absol's Attack by one stage when hit with a Dark-type move, giving it a power gain when hit by moves such as Knock Off. Usage Tips Absol's wallbreaking potential is best utilized early-game, as it is able to wear down defensive checks with either Knock Off or a super effective coverage move. In particular, Knock Off is the best move to use early on against bulkier teams order to weaken defensive backbones like Seismitoad, Steelix, and Rhydon and is the strongest move against neutral targets like Garbodor and Torterra. Versus more offensive teams, Knock Off allows Absol to scout for potential Z-Move users such as Incineroar and Torterra. Have Absol brought in through slow, bulky pivots such as Xatu and Type: Null as to preserve its health as much as possible. Prediction plays a part in wearing down foes in order to maximize damage output; using Iron Tail on a predicted Fairy-type switch-in like Comfey allows Absol to weaken or remove its checks early on. Pursuit can be utilized in order to score damage on Pokemon that might attempt to switch out like Rotom and Slowking. Late-game and against frailer teams, Absol can use Sucker Punch to edge out faster Pokemon like Sceptile and Aerodactyl. If need be, Absol's susceptibility to being worn down can be taken advantage of in order to KO itself and generate momentum for another teammate. Team Options Absol forms a great offensive core with specially offensive wallbreakers such as Heliolisk, Alolan Exeggutor, and Sceptile, which are able to break down physical walls like Colbur Berry Slowking and Seismitoad and in return appreciate Absol's ability to cripple walls like Type: Null and Golbat. Absol thrives on getting in safely in order to start wallbreaking, so pivots such as Passimian, Rotom, and Xatu are able to accomplish this.The likes of Xatu and Type: Null are able to bait in Pokemon for Absol to take advantage of such as Guzzlord and Decidueye. Entry hazard setters like Steelix and Garbodor are able to quickly wear down the opposing team due to Absol's tendency to force switches. Garbodor is also capable of switching into threats such as Passimian and Comfey, as is Palossand to Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru. Fast Pokemon such as Sceptile and Choice Scarf Passimian greatly appreciate Absol's wallbreaking capabilities and are able to cover for Absol's average Speed and general reliance on Sucker Punch against quicker teams. Late-game sweepers like Klinklang and Vivillon operate best with bulky Pokemon like Assault Vest Slowking and Silvally-Steel weakened and thus make excellent partners for Absol. Such Pokemon are additionally able to pressure Steel- and Fighting-types, respectively. Pokemon such as Calm Mind Comfey and Ferroseed greatly appreciate having Pokemon like Assault Vest Slowking and Xatu disposed of through Pursuit trapping.

Moves Thanks to Magic Bounce, Mega Absol doesn’t have to worry about status moves like Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, and Roar limiting its ability to obtain and utilize its Swords Dance boosts. Knock Off is not only Mega Absol's strongest STAB move but also useful for removing important items from foes. Sucker Punch is used for priority when Mega Absol is outpaced, and it also lets Mega Absol efficiently revenge kill. Iron Tail lets Mega Absol deal with the Fairy-types that resist its Dark-type STAB moves. However, it leaves Mega Absol walled by Bisharp and Keldeo, and its low accuracy is unreliable. Superpower lets Mega Absol nail Ferrothorn, Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Excadrill, but it lets Fairy-types wall Mega Absol. In addition, the stat drops make it problematic by decreasing both its power and bulk, hurting Mega Absol's sweep. Play Rough has near perfect coverage with Mega Absol's Dark-type moves, hitting the entire metagame for neutral damage. It also hits lots of specific threats like Weavile, Dragonite, and Garchomp super effectively. Set Details Maximum Speed investment and a Jolly nature are necessary to let it naturally outspeed base 110 Speed Pokemon, Thundurus, Serperior, Choice Scarf Magnezone, and Choice Scarf Tyranitar. Maximum Speed also allows its Sucker Punch to go before opposing priority moves like Mega Metagross's Bullet Punch and Mega Pinsir's Quick Attack. Justified can grant Absol a free single stage-boost to Attack by switching into lower-power Knock Offs like Clefable's, Serperior's, and Ferrothorn's before Mega Evolving. Usage Tips Mega Absol sets up best on status-reliant walls it can threaten and is not threatened by, like Chansey, Amoonguss, and Cofagrigus. Mega Absol preforms well as a late-game sweeper, picking off weakened foes. Alternatively, it can set up mid-game to poke holes in the opponent's team and make openings for teammates later on. Absol can also try to deny hazards after Mega Evolving, but its frailty limits its ability to do this. Mega Absol is able to revenge kill thanks to its high Speed and the massive damage from even an unboosted Sucker Punch. Team Options Because of Mega Absol’s horrible matchup against Mega Lopunny, Clefable is a reliable switch-in. Excadrill helps Mega Absol with its positive matchup against Clefable if Mega Absol forgoes Iron Tail, and it can also switch into most other Fairy-types and U-turn. Additionally, Excadrill’s Rapid Spin support is vital, since you can't be dependent on Mega Absol to prevent hazards for your team; furthermore, Excadrill can set Stealth Rock, which wears down Mega Absol's checks. Stealth Rock-weak Pokemon such as Volcarona, Talonflame, and Dragonite like the hazard control that Mega Absol and Excadrill create. A U-turn punisher like Static Zapdos or Rocky Helmet Landorus-T is great due to Absol’s weakness to the move. A pivot like Rotom-W or Tornadus-T is helpful for getting Absol in safely. Electric-types, like Thundurus and Rotom-W hit most of Absol's checks neutrally and can pivot with Volt Switch.

Although Absol's mediocre bulk makes it somewhat challenging to set up sometimes, Swords Dance is still a viable option on Absol, boosting its really high Attack stat to intimidating levels and taking its infamous Sucker Punch to a whole new level of danger. Of course, outside of Swords Dance, Sucker Punch is still the most important move on Absol and what makes it threatening in the first place between its decently high Base Power and priority. After a Swords Dance, Sucker Punch even has the ability to OHKO frailer Pokemon that resist it, such as Hitmonlee and the rare Primeape, which shows just how strong +2 Absol really is. Once again, Night Slash provides Absol with a more consistent STAB move to use when it doesn't need to rely on Sucker Punch to outpace an opponent, hitting threats such as Slowking and Spiritomb without the risk of them not attacking and attempting to either recover or cripple Absol on the same turn. The critical hit ratio is deadly as well, and a critical hit coming from a +2 Absol can easily OHKO common defensive threats that would be able to take Absol on otherwise, such as Tangrowth and Alomomola. Superpower is used in the last slot to round off Absol's coverage and hit everything that resist Dark-type moves at least neutrally, and although it lowers Absol's Attack stat after using it, it's still a very useful move to have, and Absol can often continue to clean up even after using Superpower if it has used Swords Dance previously. Lastly, try to keep in mind that Absol's frailty makes it somewhat challenging to set up Swords Dance at times, and you will often have to take a risk to get a boost. For example, a good opportunity to try and get a Swords Dance boost is on a forced switch. An Adamant nature is used to boost the power of Sucker Punch as much as possible, but a Jolly nature is always a good alternative for the Speed it provides, letting Absol outspeed neutral-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon and tie with max Speed Smeargle in exchange for a small amount of raw power. Life Orb is the main item to maximize Absol's damage output as much as possible; however, Lum Berry is a good choice as well, as it lets Absol set up more easily against status-using Pokemon such as Spiritomb. Psycho Cut can be used over Night Slash as a third coverage move to hit Poliwrath and Qwilfish a bit harder, but the consistent Dark-type STAB is often missed. Megahorn is in the same boat, hitting Tangrowth significantly harder, but without a consistent Dark-type STAB, Absol struggles against Ghost-types that can play around Sucker Punch, such as Misdreavus and Rotom. Fighting-types are quite an annoyance for Absol, as they can take pretty much any hit from Absol; therefore, teammates that can eliminate them are always helpful. Uxie, Mesprit, Slowking, and Spiritomb all perform well against Fighting-type Pokemon, as they resist or are immune to their STAB moves, have the bulk to take pretty much any coverage move from them, and can strike back with a STAB Psychic-type move or a crippling burn in return. Because Absol's frailty often makes it somewhat challenging to set up, dual screens are a good way to make Swords Dance Absol more effective, covering for its mediocre bulk and making it significantly easier for Absol to set up. Uxie is the best dual screens user in RU and has the raw bulk to set up Reflect, Light Screen, and Stealth Rock multiple times a match, supporting Absol exceptionally well.

With a powerful STAB Sucker Punch, good coverage, and the ability to Pursuit trap, an all-out attacker set is a good choice for Absol. With this set, Absol can wallbreak, revenge kill, and clean up late-game rather efficiently, making it a dangerous threat. Of course, Sucker Punch is what makes Absol so good, and it's by far the most important move on this set, ensuring Absol doesn't get outpaced and revenge killed by faster threats and making up for its somewhat low Speed stat. Sucker Punch also gives Absol the ability to revenge kill, taking out threats such as Omastar, Sceptile, and Accelgor with ease before they become dangerous. When Absol doesn't need to rely on Sucker Punch to do serious damage to its opponent, Night Slash is its go to move. As it is only slightly less powerful than Sucker Punch and doesn't rely on the opponent attacking to work, Night Slash is a solid and consistent STAB move. The combination of Super Luck and Night Slash's naturally high critical hit rate is really good to boot, giving Absol a solid 25 percent chance of inflicting a critical hit whenever it uses Night Slash. Superpower rounds off Absol's coverage nicely, hitting Pokemon such as Aggron and actually giving Absol perfect neutral coverage between its STAB moves and Superpower, as all the Pokemon who resist the combination are locked up in higher tiers. As for the final move, it really depends on what you want Absol to do. Fire Blast gives Absol an extra coverage option that lets it get past certain common checks, including Tangrowth, Steelix, and Escavalier, more easily, 2HKOing all of them at worst. On the other hand, Pursuit makes Absol an effective trapper, letting it remove Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Slowking and Rotom that could give Absol's teammates a hard time. The given EVs are rather simple; as Absol is quite frail and won't be taking hits well, the EVs are geared to maximize Absol's offensive potential. A Naughty nature should be used whenever Fire Blast is being used for the extra power in exchange for special bulk. However, when running Pursuit, an Adamant nature is better overall. Alternatively, either a Jolly or Naive nature can be used on Absol, decreasing its overall power a little bit but giving Absol the ability to outpace neutral-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon, such as Kabutops and Gallade, and hit them with Sucker Punch before they can use their own priority. Life Orb is the main option to give Absol a small amount of power on all of its moves, but Dread Plate is certainly a viable alternative, as it still gives a similar boost to Absol's Dark-type moves while giving it a bit more longevity by removing Life Orb recoil. Keep in mind that Superpower and Fire Blast are significantly weaker without Life Orb. Psycho Cut is a viable option in Absol's fourth moveslot to hit Qwilfish, Poliwrath, and other bulky Fighting-types slightly harder, but Fire Blast and particularly Pursuit generally have more utility overall, especially because of Psycho Cut's somewhat low Base Power. Because Absol struggles with the various Fighting-types in the tier, such as Poliwrath and Emboar, Pokemon that can deal with these threats are naturally good teammates. Slowking is a good example of a Pokemon that can take on Fighting-type Pokemon, pivoting in and out with its Fighting-type resist and Regenerator, while posing an immediate threat with STAB Psyshock. Qwilfish is another good example, using multiple common Fighting-type Pokemon as Spikes fodder, which makes Absol's sweeping job much easier. Other examples of good Fighting-type checks include Uxie, Mesprit, Golurk, and Sigilyph. Due to Absol being a great Pursuit trapper, Pokemon that benefit from this kind of support pair well with Absol. Hitmonlee and Medicham in particular appreciate Absol's Pursuit support, really benefiting from its ability to take out many of their checks and counters, such as Slowking, Rotom, and Uxie, and cleaning up later on in the game when these checks have been weakened or eliminated from the match.

Choice Band allows Absol to forgo Swords Dance and hit hard right off the bat. Absol is capable of reaching a whopping 591 Attack, making it a fierce competitor. Absol should generally always run Sucker Punch as it helps support its mediocre Speed and is Absol's strongest option to deal huge amounts of damage. However, it is well worth noting that locking yourself into Sucker Punch can be a very dangerous move if the opponent outpredicts and decides not to attack. Superpower is a great secondary option, as it allows Absol to deal super effective damage to Dark- and Steel-type Pokemon who resist Absol's STAB moves. The standard Steelix takes a minimum of 66% damage, meaning Absol can always 2HKO. Like on the Choice Scarf set, Pursuit is an excellent option to rid your team of Ghost-types and special walls. In this case, it is stronger against Chansey, and therefore carries less risk in case of a misprediction. However, it cannot be used to checkmate Rotom and Mismagius the way it can with the Choice Scarf set, though it is still quite effective against them. Night Slash is a reliable attack and serves as Absol's "safe" option on this set, since all three other moves have undesirable side-effects. While Choice Band Absol has more raw power than the Choice Scarf set, it still isn't quite strong enough to break the most defensive of Pokemon. Thus, the checks and counters of the Choice Band set are usually a mixture of those that resist its STAB attacks and those that are faster and can revenge kill. As this Absol will be switching a lot anyway, faster revenge killers are of less concern than with the Swords Dance set, and the defensive threats are mostly the same as those of the Choice Scarf set. Where Swords Dance Absol is meant to be a sweeper and Choice Scarf Absol a revenge killer, Choice Band Absol is generally best played in the role of wallbreaker, supporting the team by dealing massive damage to anything that switches in to pave the way for a sweep by another team member. With Stealth Rock support, defensive Pokemon such as Milotic and Donphan can be broken by the sheer power of Absol's STAB moves, paving the way for a sweep by a setup sweeper such as Swords Dance Scyther. Pursuit is also useful to rid you of a fleeing Chansey, meaning that special sweepers such as Nasty Plot Houndoom will have an easier time. Another point to take note of is that Choice Band Absol can lure in Fighting- and Steel-types quite easily, thus allowing you to immediately ascertain what threats your opponent is carrying to your sweepers. This is especially useful if Absol and your sweeper have similar checks; if you can manage to get rid of them with prediction, it can be very useful for your team. Nasty Plot Houndoom in particular values the absence of Fighting-types such as Hitmontop and Hariyama, as well as Milotic; in return, it can switch in on Will-O-Wisp from Weezing and Spiritomb directed at Absol.

Choice Scarf makes up for Absol's mediocre Speed, boosting it to a reasonable 373 with an Adamant nature. Due to this great increase in Speed, Sucker Punch becomes a lesser option; Night Slash is a far better choice to hit almost as hard without worrying about opponents potentially using non-damaging moves. Superpower will intimidate those who resist Absol's Dark-type STAB attacks, such as Steelix and Registeel, while Psycho Cut eliminates Fighting-type Pokemon who also enjoy switching in on Absol's STAB attacks. Pursuit is Absol's best choice for the last slot, as it allows Absol to take out retreating Ghost- and Psychic-types. With an Adamant nature, Absol reaches 373 Speed, which means that it can outrun Timid Alakazam and everything slower—essentially the entire unboosted UU metagame. The loss in power from the Swords Dance set is severe, so Adamant is the superior option. A Jolly nature does not allow Absol to outrun anything more of real significance, aside from the odd Dragon Dance Feraligatr or Altaria. Aside from that, the EVs are the standard Absol EVs. This Absol is very fast, and hence less prone to revenge killing, but unfortunately it is also a lot less powerful, making it much more susceptible to being walled by defensive threats. Weezing and Spiritomb can burn Absol and render it useless, so a Fire-type teammate such as Blaziken or Arcanine can be useful, as they are immune to Will-O-Wisp. Houndoom, in particular, can be a very good partner since Will-O-Wisp activates its Flash Fire ability. However, be aware that Absol and Houndoom have similar weaknesses and are both poor defensively, so don't expect much defensive synergy. Fire-types are also useful for dealing with Tangrowth, who can survive two Night Slashes and either cripple Absol with Stun Spore or Sleep Powder or simply OHKO Absol with STAB Leaf Storm. Lastly, Milotic is still an issue, so Venusaur can be employed as a check. One of Choice Scarf Absol's main attractions is its fast STAB Pursuit, which allows it to checkmate slower, frail sweepers such as Alakazam and Mismagius, both of whom are OHKOed regardless of whether they switch or not. You can also use it to get rid of a weakened Chansey permanently should it attempt to flee. Pokemon who are threatened by these Pokemon, such as Venusaur, Rotom, and Moltres, value this kind of support. Bear in mind, however, that being locked into a weak move—not just Pursuit, but also Psycho Cut or Superpower after its Attack drop—can give your opponent the free turn they need to destroy your team. It is worth mentioning that Choice Scarf Absol can have some merit in the lead position, acting as an anti-lead that also has a strong presence later on in the game. With its strong STAB Night Slash, it can 2HKO Mesprit and less bulky Uxie, while Superpower allows it to beat Kabutops, Ambipom, and, to a certain extent, Omastar, although Absol is unlikely to 2HKO the last with Superpower. Night Slash scores an OHKO on Alakazam and a 2HKO on Qwilfish, and Pursuit can catch Alakazam attempting to flee. Psycho Cut's main target is Qwilfish, but you cannot OHKO it, so you may prefer Megahorn to improve Absol's chances of OHKOing Mesprit and 2HKOing bulky Uxie and Spiritomb leads.

Absol's amazing base 130 Attack stat, coupled with Swords Dance and the strongest priority move in the game, makes it a devastating sweeper against those who aren't prepared. Sucker Punch helps mitigate its mediocre Speed. With it, Absol becomes a challenge to take down as Sucker Punch can severely dent or even OHKO would-be revenge killers. Superpower is a great move to pair with Sucker Punch, as it damages Steel- and Dark-type Pokemon, such as Steelix and Drapion, who take little damage from Absol's STAB Dark-type attacks. Night Slash allows Absol to eliminate Pokemon who try to outsmart you by refusing to attack while Absol tries to Sucker Punch, and works extremely well with Absol's Super Luck ability. Psycho Cut, which also benefits from Super Luck, can maim incoming Poison- and Fighting-type Pokemon, such as Weezing, Hitmontop, and Hariyama. The EVs generate maximum Attack and Speed to increase Absol's potency as a sweeper. The remaining 4 EVs go in Special Defense rather than HP in order to give Absol a HP stat of 271, decreasing the damage it takes from Stealth Rock. If you want, you can also choose to give Absol a 29 HP IV, which means it will take less damage from Life Orb recoil. Adamant is the recommended nature as the extra power can prove very useful; Blaziken can be OHKOed after Stealth Rock by +2 Sucker Punch, and the extra damage can ensure KOs on bulkier walls such as Milotic and Donphan with a little bit of residual damage. However, a Jolly nature can sometimes be useful to get the jump on opponents such as offensive Milotic and Venusaur that run neutral natures. A Jolly nature also allows Absol to outpace slower Blaziken and Toxicroak, enabling it to use Sucker Punch before they can use Vacuum Wave. While Life Orb is the recommended item to boost Absol's power, Lum Berry is also a nice option as it gives Absol a cushion against Weezing's and Spiritomb's Will-O-Wisp. It also helps against Venusaur who may try to evade Sucker Punch by using Sleep Powder. Entry hazards are a good idea to facilitate your sweep—Stealth Rock can be easily set up by a lead such as Kabutops or Uxie, while Spikes can be set up by Omastar or Cloyster. If you can manage to get Absol set up and ready to go, there's very little in the UU metagame that can actually stand in its way. However, in practice, using Absol is rarely such a smooth ride, as its poor defensive stats and relatively low Speed immediately highlight two big problems—first, setting it up without being killed or crippled, and second, stopping faster Pokemon from simply revenge killing it or forcing it out. As for the first point, Absol generally can only set up on weaker attackers with resisted STAB moves. While luring out a Rotom or Alakazam carrying a Choice item with something like a weakened Venusaur can do the trick, you can do more than that. For example, Uxie can provide dual screen support to allow Absol to set up more easily, or give Absol a free switch-in with strategic U-turn pivoting. As for revenge killers, you can first try to ascertain what Pokemon are likely to be faster or carry priority and whether they can avoid Sucker Punch—for example, Alakazam could revenge kill Absol with Signal Beam, but Absol can beat it to the punch with Sucker Punch. However, Alakazam has the potential to carry Substitute or Encore to thwart this strategy. Having heavy hitters such as Blaziken and Azumarill on your team to weaken your opponent's team is also a good thing to keep in mind, as it allows Absol to sweep weakened enemies much more easily. Fire Blast from Blaziken and Waterfall from Azumarill are both powerful STAB attacks that can severely dent your opponent's bulkier Pokemon, giving Absol a chance to score many kills later in the battle. Bulkier threats to Absol are hard to come by, yet still exist. While frailer Fighting-types such as Hitmonlee and Primeape are OHKOed by boosted Sucker Punch, more defensive Pokemon such as Hitmontop and Hariyama can be problematic, especially if you lack Psycho Cut. Hitmontop's Technician-boosted Mach Punch is a guaranteed OHKO on Absol, while defensive Hariyama can take anything Absol has, bar Psycho Cut, and hit back with Revenge or Brick Break. Thus, a partner such as Claydol or Weezing who can take down Fighting-types is greatly recommended. Threats that don't immediately attack can be quite threatening as you cannot rely on the extra strength of Sucker Punch. Will-O-Wisp Weezing and Spiritomb can cripple Absol, but can be taken care of by most Fire-types. Moltres can make a pretty good partner to Absol provided you have Rapid Spin support, as Moltres can come in for free on Will-O-Wisp and threaten Weezing and Spiritomb with its STAB Fire Blast, while also checking many of Absol's common counters with its STAB Air Slash and resistance to Fighting-type attacks. As an added bonus, it also beats Tangrowth and Steel-types while drawing out Pokemon such as Chansey that Absol can set up on. Milotic can be a potent foe, as it can Haze away boosts and then attack with STAB Surf or even potentially outspeed Absol. If you are concerned about Milotic, Venusaur can be employed to deal with it, while also helping out by absorbing Toxic Spikes, checking Fighting-types, and crippling opponents with Sleep Powder.

Absol's combination of an outstanding Attack stat, high critical hit rate, superb coverage, access to a priority move (albeit the unreliable Sucker Punch), and trapping abilities allow it to function as an effective offensive lead. It takes some daring and knowledge of the metagame for Absol to flourish, but if used well, the rewards can be excellent. Absol also boasts the most powerful priority attack in the game, allowing it to function decently in the mid-game as well. Night Slash is a given. Backed by base 130 Attack, a boosting nature, STAB, and a 25% chance to score a critical hit, it is Absol's best general attack. Superpower gives Absol nearly unresisted coverage when paired with Night Slash, as well as hitting several common leads for super effective damage. Sucker Punch, despite its unreliability, allows Absol to threaten faster Pokemon and perform some revenge killing duties. The final slot is up to personal preference. Pursuit can trap opposing Pokemon attempting to switch out of a predicted Sucker Punch and immediately threaten some common leads, such as Alakazam and the pixies. Taunt is another option, stopping slower leads from setting up, as well as forcing them to attack and run right into Sucker Punch. However, Absol's base 75 Speed means it is less effective at stopping setup compared to faster Taunt users such as Alakazam and Ambipom. The final option in the last slot is Psycho Cut. Many Pokemon will attempt to bypass Absol's Sucker Punch with their own, faster, priority moves. Several common UU priority users such as Nidoking, Blaziken, and Toxicroak are hit super effectively by Psycho Cut. It is also Absol's best attack against Weezing, although physically defensive variants will still remain relatively unscathed. A Jolly nature is not recommended because Absol has priority to bypass its low Speed. Nonetheless, it is wise to invest in Speed because of the chance that your opponent might Trick a Choice Scarf onto Absol. With maximum investment, Absol makes good use of a Choice Scarf, outspeeding almost the entire unboosted metagame. However, one must be very careful of locking Absol into Sucker Punch. Much of Absol's value as a lead stems from its ability to put the opponent under pressure. However, the same unpredictability that makes the opponent uncomfortable also makes Absol's best move unclear at times. Therefore, if you choose Absol as a lead, you must be prepared to take calculated risks. Some knowledge of the metagame is very helpful as well. For example, if your opponent leads with Moltres and it shows Life Orb recoil, it probably has Roost. On the other hand, if it doesn't show Life Orb recoil, it is probably carrying a Choice Scarf. This kind of knowledge will greatly aid your choice between Pursuit, Night Slash, and Sucker Punch. Like every lead, there are other leads that give Absol trouble. Ambipom and Hariyama are particularly troublesome, as they are capable of breaking Absol's Focus Sash with Fake Out and KOing it the next turn. Sleep-inducing Pokemon such as Venusaur and Jynx cause problems as well, while bulky leads such as Rhyperior and Cloyster can easily set up if Absol doesn't have Taunt. Having Pokemon that can deal with all these problems is recommended. Individually, Ambipom is walled by Steel- and Rock-types such as Steelix and Regirock, while Hariyama has trouble with Slowbro and Weezing. Both Ambipom and Hariyama also cannot get past Spiritomb, which can switch in for free on Fake Out. To deal with sleep, a RestTalk user is ideal, but any bulky Pokemon will suffice. Finally, because Absol cannot reliably stop other leads from putting up entry hazards, Rapid Spin support is useful. Hitmontop is a great choice, with access to Foresight to guarantee a successful Rapid Spin and Close Combat to hit bulky Spikes users, namely Cloyster and Omastar, super effectively. However, it is worth noting that suicide Cloyster and Omastar leads can be knocked out by a Night Slash followed by a Superpower.

The Choice Band set doesn't have the benefit of STAB, but it nonetheless packs a punch thanks to Absol's base 130 Attack. Absol doesn't really have the movepool or the Speed to use a Choice Band very effectively, but it might surprise opponents. Baton Pass is a nice move that scouts your opponent's switch. If they go to Skarmory, you can bring in your Magneton, and if they bring in a slightly dented Tyranitar or Metagross, you can switch to Dugtrio. Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Thunderbolt, and Thunder are all options to hurt Skarmory if you wish, while Aerial Ace can OHKO Heracross and Breloom and hurt other Fighting-types.

This Absol plays very straightforwardly; it Baton Passes Calm Mind boosts. There is no need for Taunt here, because Skarmory and Suicune will fall to a Calm Mind-boosted Thunderbolt. In general, however, this set is inferior to the other. You can forgo one of the listed attacks for Counter, as Absol can boost its Special Defense and take one physical hit--as long as it's not super effective or boosted, sadly--and Counter back for the KO.