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 @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Power-Up Punch
- Payback / Sucker Punch
- Poison Jab
- Recover

• Power-Up Punch; Boosts Attack, get ready to sweep
• Payback / Sucker Punch; Extreme STAB power or priority
• Poison Jab; Fairy coverage
• Recover; This is a no-brainier

Answer 2

Sableye @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Confuse Ray
- Taunt
- Drain Punch

• Knock Off-STAB and finisher
• Confuse Ray-Confusion
• Taunt-Annoying move
• Drain Punch-Healing

Answer 3

SubDisable
Sableye@leftovers
Ability: prankster
252hp/ idk whether to invest in def or sp.def
Any +def or +sp.def nature
- Subsitute
- disable
- recover
- will-o-wisp/encore/taunt/foul play/confuse ray/toxic
Encore can annoy ur opponent and can also allow you to safely switch in a frail sweeper after disable. Taunt if scared of taunt. Foul play or any reasonable attack works. Confuse ray or toxic to inflict status

Answer 4

A very luck-based moveset...
Role: Luck Prayer

Sableye @ Bright Powder
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Double Team
- Toxic / Will-O-Wisp
- Payback / Mean Look
- Shadow Sneak / Recover

Explanation: Sableye is a very fragile Pokemon, with low health and weak defenses. I wanted to make a unique set so while this set relies heavily on a user's luck, I factor in as many positive variables as possible to favour the user's odds. Bright Powder decreases the accuracy of opponents' moves used by 10%, and Sableye is to use Double Team on the first turn. Unless the first move used by the opponent has lower accuracy (for instance 70%), it will likely strike Sableye. The user either uses Double Team again or they can choose to abuse Sableye's Prankster ability and set up either Toxic or Will-O-Wisp to inflict continuous damage. Since Sableye's speed is really low, and it is nearly guaranteed to attack last, whether Payback is boosted by Sableye taking damage or not is good either way, and Shadow Sneak is priority and overcomes its slow speed. Alternatively, Mean Look and Recover can be used to first trap the opponent, inflict status damage while using Double Team to avoid their moves and then using Recover to regain health.

Answer 5

National Dex Monotype (Dark)

Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 248 HP / 104 Def / 156 SpD
Careful Nature
- Metal Burst
- Knock Off
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover

This set is currently featured as the National Dex Monotype Room's POTW (Pokemon of the Week). There's a set like this already on here, but this set is a mixed defensive version. Since Mega Sableye is incredibly bulky, opponents are going to use brute force to weaken Mega Sableye. That is why Metal Burst is used on this set. Metal Burst is used as a surprise to opponents trying to do a lot of damage to Mega Sableye, as Metal Burst can weaken or OHKO opposing Pokemon using brute force to try to get rid of Mega Sableye. The rest of the set is just what makes Mega Sableye... well, Mega Sableye. Knock Off is used for the utility of removing items from opposing Pokemon. Will-O-Wisp is used to cripple physical wallbreakers. Recover is used so Mega Sableye can stay in the game longer. A Careful Nature along with 248 HP and 156 SpD EVs is used so you can survive a Moonblast from Mega Diancie and OHKO with Metal Burst provided you're at full HP. The rest of the EVs are used in Defense to help Mega Sableye take less damage from physical wallbreakers.

Answer 6

Sableye (M) @ Sablenite
Ability: keen eye
EVs: 4 defense / 252 special defense / 252 hp
bold Nature
- toxic
- will o wisp
- rest or recover
- confuse ray

I suggest you to mega evolve asap, you can stall sweep anyone with this build just try to avoid the scary fairy types such as gardevoir and zacian, not even steel types will resist you, I let you guys choose from rest or recover because theres still a chance that sableye might get status problems in secondary effects so using rest is really beneficial too, but it also has risk to pay but so far this build is good especially for endeavor/pain split abuser or stealth rock/toxic spikes and spikes abuser, if there is 1 Pokemon you should avoid maybe it is salazzle since he is poison and fire type mon, and yeh once again strong sweeper fairies

Answer 7

Sableye @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Impish Nature +Def -SpA
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Encore
- Knock Off

This one is a lotta fun as a physical tank. Prankster will-o-wisp along with def EVs make it nigh unkillable with physical moves. But the real star of this set is encore. Sableye is the only Prankster user with Recover so make full use of that. Knock Off helps it not be shut down by taunt and it's a solid support move/kill move if need be. If a team member was killed by a fighting type move or you switch into a status move etc., prankster encore will just shut them down. But you've gotta be careful since it could just lock them into a crazy amount of bonus stats. Sableye is a lot of fun.

Answer 8

Sableye is known for having its infamous Ghost/Dark typing, along with Spiritomb. This Pokémon also has the Prankster ability, making it very useful for crippling opponents with status. So here's a moveset for Sableye in Gen 9 NU.

Sableye (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Shadow Sneak / Sucker Punch (Good priority, STAB but I would personally pick Shadow Sneak)
- Will-O-Wisp / Thunder Wave (Both statuses are great for crippling opponents.)
- Knock Off (Great move overall, since most of all competitive Pokémon bring a useful Item.)
- Fake Out / Foul Play (Fake Out if to break Sashes, and Foul Play for great damage.)

Tera Ghost is because you won't really be using Tera in this set. Fake Out might be better in usage, but Foul Play is much better in terms of damaging. Personally I would pick Thunder Wave for the status move, halving the speed of other speedy Pokémon. Extra EVs in Speed are to outspeed some other Sableye. Although, for a more statusing Sableye..

Sableye (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Def or Atk
Careful Nature
- Thunder Wave (Cripples speedy opponents.)
- Will-O-Wisp (Great to have with Thunder Wave, cripples physical attackers like Eelektross.)
- Recover (Amazing healing.)
- Shadow Sneak / Knock Off / Fake Out / Confuse Ray / Foul Play (Your choice, but Knock Off, Shadow Sneak and Fake Out are the primary options.

Careful Nature is to maximize your special defenses considering the amount of Special Attackers that are in NU. Steel is the most defensive type, great for staying longer in battles. Although, you wouldn't really use a Tera on Sableye anyways.

Answer 9

Gen 9 ZU Stall (Not the ability) and Physical Punisher

Sableye @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Prankster
Tera Type: Dark / Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Careful Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
- Encore
- Recover

This set is very fun! Prankster allows every move that doesn't do damage (like Recover or Will-o-Wisp) to have 1+ priority. Rocky Helmet is to punish Physical Attackers as they try to weaken you. I don't recommend using Tera on this, but if you do go for Dark or Steel. Careful nature to make your special bulk a little bit better. Will-O-Wisp punishes Physical Attackers even more by halving their attack and doing a bit of damage every turn. Knock Off removes held items, as well as having 1.5x if they do (and STAB adds another 1.5x boost). Encore makes Pokemon that like to set up become stuck for a while, allowing you to switch to the right Pokemon. Recover for active recovery and help Sableye stay alive.

Hope you enjoy this set!