What is a good moveset for Sableye?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Sableye, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Sableye Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Comments

I wish other pokemon had Stall, so they could SubPunch or SubSeed or use Payback. Sableye is just a prankster.

Answer 1

Sableye Gen 5

Sableye @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk
Adamant Nature
- Fake Out
- Swagger
- Punishment / Foul Play
- Shadow Sneak

Fake Out, just some free extra damage but don't do this on Pokemon that has an ability that pevents flinching like a crobat, it might have Inner Focus, neither on Pokemon with rough skin or iron barbs, this just ruins the focus sash, And do NOT use this on a Pokemon that has the ability Mummy, I use this moveset and I used Fake Out on a Pokemon that had the ability Mummy, I wasn't thinking of that the Pokemon had Mummy so the Fake Out ruined my plan then, because the ability Mummy spread to Sabeleye.

Swagger, to power up Punishment and if they hit themselves in confusion you get a extra turn wich is nice, also has priority thanks to Prankster.

Punishment, STAB and powered up by Swagger, Foul Play also works good here.

Shadow Sneak, STAB priority plus so you can finish of things after Swagger+Punishment/Foul Play Comination.

I've tried this many times and if often works out absolutely great! even on Pokemon that resists this (that is if they hit themselves in confusion) like a skarmory.
Chances are pretty good that they will hit themselves in confusion at least 1/2 thanks to the focus sash and prankster.

Comments

This is brilliant! Nice combination, too! I like it. :)

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um isn't confuse ray better? It doesn't raise opponents attack

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only two words for this set.
Amazing.
Set.

Answer 2

Gen V

Sableye (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 128 Def / 132 SpD
Careful Nature
- Substitute
- Toxic
- Recover
- Protect

Comments

That's a very nice moveset you've got there. I can see it working well. :D

Answer 3

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Substitute
- Recover
- Night Shade

• Will-O-Wisp(BURN!)
• Substitute(Never hit me)
• Recover(I Won't Die!....again(ghost pun))
• Night Shade(Taunted no problem...until they use a normal type)

Comments

oh i've faced this sableye allright

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I won't die again! xD

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Amazing set but one thing.  What if your faced against a normal type with taunt?  Then your screwed.  But either way, amazing!

Answer 4

Gen 7 OU / National Dex

Sableye-Mega @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 44 Def / 212 SpD
Calm Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex

Strange, I know, but you can catch something off guard. Calm Mind is set up. Recover is recovery and lets MSab set up and spread status more consistently. Will-O-Wisp burns Physical attackers and boosts the power of Hex. Hex is STAB.

Partners

Heatran is a great partner since it has a positive matchup vs Sableye's worst matchups, Unaware Clefable, Chansey, and Blissey. With Magma Storm, it traps them and then it can use Toxic or Taunt.

Garchomp can deal with Will-O-Wisp immune Pokemon like Volcarona, Heatran, and Victini. Simply Earthquake them into dust or Swords Dance as they run in fear.

Comments

good set :)

Answer 5

A Stall (ability) set:

Sableye (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Stall
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
- Brick Break
- Shadow Claw
- Zen Headbutt
- Payback

Leftovers is for recovery, seeing as this guys Defenses could be improved. Stall works with Payback to kill people. Nature works to increase Attack, but lower Defense. It doesn't matter, though, because with Stall, this guy's Speed is 0. Brick Break breaks Screens, which helps lots. Shadow Claw is STAB and can Crit. On PO, death. Zen Headbutt can Flinch, and kills Fighting types with Foresight should they appear. Finally, Payback is STAB and, combined with Stall, hits somewhere over 110 in max power. Too bad you pay with Speed...

Comments

Very interesting use of the ability Stall.

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Zen Headbutt can't flinch with Stall.

Answer 6

Ok recently i've been using this guy, and hes a great Lead, I run this set

Sableye @ Lagging Tail
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Trick
- Recover

• Taunt: Great against statuses leads (such as forretress, ferrothorn) or just any sweeper who wants to set up
• Will-O-Wisp: Burn that sweepers, so they wont hurt you much
• Trick: Here's when the lagging tail comes to play, you have prankster anyways so you will go first, make your opponent slow and get a free item, works best with sweepers or speedy annoyers
• Recover: This one doesnt need explanation

Comments

I like this moveset. :)

Answer 7

Sableye @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Calm Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Encore
- Disable
- Protect

First, in order to win using this moveset, you have to have the right Pokemon to switch in after applying this strategy I made by myself while thinking of Gengar and Whimsicott Prankster combined. First, use Protect to know if your opponent's move is physical or special. Second, use Encore, then, he'll keep using it, so hope its not gonna OHKO Sableye, but if the victim/target used Swords Dance due to Encore, You can replace one of the moves above with Foul Play or maybe Swagger then if you're playing gen 8 ubers, you can switch in to Marshadow and steal all his boosts. After using Encore, maybe Sableye will still survive, then use Disable to disable the opponent's only and last move. Use Will-o-wisp or switch in to a Pokemon that takes time to set up and there: with the right Pokemon you will sweep your entire opponent's team.

Comments

What if your opponent switches?

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This set is also destroyed by Taunt.

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Then hope your opponent doesn't switch or use Taunt

Answer 8

Doubles support

Sableye @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Quash
- Ally Switch
- Helping Hand
- Taunt

Quash causes the target to move last, allowing Sableye's ally to strike before them. Ally Switch swaps the positions of Sableye and its ally, redirecting attacks and creating dangerous mind games. Helping Hand boosts the power of Sableye's ally's next attack. Taunt stops the opponent's attempts at setting Trick Room or Tailwind, and prevents the use of Protect. All of these moves have priority thanks to Prankser. Sitrus Berry gives Sableye instant recovery, and is better than Leftovers in doubles due to the faster pace.

Other options

Sableye has a plethora of other support moves, such as Fake Out, Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Encore, Disable, Trick, Icy Wind and more. Feel free to mix and match these based on what your team needs.

Answer 9

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Substitute
- Shadow Sneak

• Recover (Priority + Sableye doesn't respect damage, Sableye respects healing damage.)
• Will-O-Wisp (Priority + Key to a staller is having a status move.)
• Substitute (Priority + Well what can I say, it's substitute.)
• Shadow Sneak (Priority + While stalling, it is nice to get some damage off...)

Now, where to start... Sableye... with prankster = the perfect troll/staller. Quad priority moveset thanks to its ability Prankster, with decent defences it can withstand a fair amount of hits of hits while being able to Recover off the damage. Leftovers can help quite alot since all this Pokemon is meant to do it stall. Also Sableye has NO weaknesses. Anyway in simpler words, this is one of the most irritating Pokemon you will ever see.

Comments

This damn awesome. I would vote it up if I could.... :c

Answer 10

Ahh, Sableye. Always been a personal favorite of mine. This is the moveset for my gen 5 Sableye:

Ability: Stall. I've seen a bunch of Prankster sets, but Stall is a much better ability for this particular set.
Nature: Brave. Adamant works well, too.
I invested my EVs in Attack and HP, but it may be wise to invest in Sableye's Defenses as well.

Moves:

Payback (STAB, and with Stall, this move will always hit!)
Metal Burst (This is the key to the moveset, but it requires some breeding to obtain. Just breed a female Sableye with a male Bisharp and you'll be good to go!)
Shadow Sneak (STAB and priority. Useful for quickly finishing off the opponent!)
Detect (This is just for a little extra security. You may switch it out for Zen Headbutt or Shadow Claw if you like!)

As for the held item... Huh, I wish I had more professional advice for this. I just give my Sableye a Spell Tag to boost the power of Shadow Sneak, but perhaps a Liechi Berry would be a better option?

Now, since Sableye has rather poor stats, my Sableye never lasts long in battle, but she sure does help a ton when finishing off the opponent's last pokemon!

Hope this helped!

Comments

you should problably give sableye a zoom lends:sience sableye has the ability stall,the accuracy will be boosted every turn!(unless sableye's ability is suppressed)

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A Zoom Lens isn't needed when all your moves already have 100 Accuracy.  I'd personally recommend Leftovers, a Shell Bell, or maybe even a Roseli Berry.

Answer 11

Sableye gen 6

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Foul Play
- Taunt
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp

• Foul Play Great against sweepers
• Taunt Priority and makes it a great starter against entry hazards
• Recover Priority heal
• Will-O-Wisp Priority and makes sweepers deal less dmg

Answer 12

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Impish Nature
- Substitute
- Shadow Sneak / Sucker Punch
- Recover
- Toxic

Answer 13

Role: Sweeper

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Power-Up Punch
- Sucker Punch
- Taunt
- Recover

• Power-Up Punch: This is here because this guy can't learn swords dance
• Sucker Punch: With attack boosts, this will be handy with the next move…
• Taunt: Prankster "boost", enables Sableye to use sucker punch
• Recover: So you can keep on sweeping :)

Answer 14

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Confuse Ray
- Knock Off
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect

This is my best staller ever. Prankster puts all its status moves first, so confuse ray and will o wisp will always go first. Confuse the opponent, burn them, knock off their item, and use Protect to stall while using Confuse Ray to keep confusing them when they snap out of it. I've beaten entire teams using this strategy and just one Sableye.

Answer 15

Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
IVs: 0 Atk
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Dazzling Gleam
- Dark Pulse

This thing could Toxic stall, but you could take this offensive set here, where you're capable of beating Mega Slowbro in a CM war. This thing also gets Magic Bounce, so Taunt and status aren't even concerns. You're going to be ridiclously bulky on both Defense and Spdef after a single CM or two as well as getting some attacking prowess. Recover heals off damage. Dazzling Gleam and Dark Pulse is near perfect coverage.

Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Night Shade
- Metal Burst

And since it's probably wanted, here's a defensive set. You can opt not to Mega Evolve to get a Will-O-Wisps off with Prankster, then Mega Evolve when you need all the bulk. Recover is pretty obvious for stalling and healing. Night Shade gets damage off. Oddly enough, this thing gets Metal Burst in ORAS via breeding, which is basically Counter and Mirror Coat into one move. This things going to be taking lots of hits, so might as well use it when you know you're going to take something that even Recover can't help against.

Going to post more later.

Answer 16

Creeper (Sableye) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Toxic
- Mean Look
- Recover
- Shadow Claw / Shadow Sneak

I start with mean look then use toxic and continue with recover until he's weak enough to finish.
You can also use protect instead of STAB moves to be untouchable

Answer 17

Sableye @ Focus Sash
Ability: Stall
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
- Metal Burst
- Shadow Sneak
- Sucker Punch
- Protect

Stall and Metal Burst is a crazy-good combo. Take massive damage, live with the sash, and destroy with Metal Burst. Shadow Sneak / Sucker Punch to finish off the annoying sashed attackers, or if they can live Metal Burst.

Answer 18

Sableye (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Confuse Ray
- Substitute
- Recover

• Will-O-Wisp (stall physical attackers)
• Confuse Ray (more priority)
• Substitute (can't touch this)
• Recover (recover hp taken away from substitute)

Answer 19

Sableye @ Choice Scarf

Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Calm Nature
• Trick
• Disable
• Will-O-Wisp
• Snarl / Hex

Trick them a scarf, then disable their attack. That leaves them to struggle. They’ll likely switch instead of hopelessly struggling, so use Will-O-Wisp for a chance of crippling them if they switch to a physical attacker. You can choose between Hex to do damage to burnt Pokémon or Snarl to annoy special attackers.

Answer 20

Sableye (M) @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Fake Out
- Protect / Substitute / Sucker Punch / Foul Play

Timing of your mega evolving is important here.