Hey everyone, SnipingxLlama here. I'm pretty new to Smogon, this being my first post and RMT, but I've been battling on Showdown for a couple of months now. For a while, Mega Sableye intrigued me. I had always thought that Mega Sableye was a bit strange for a mega, in that it completely and absolutely changed the role of the Pokemon. While Sableye was a Pokemon with one role- Prankster Will-o-Wisp- Mega Sableye is a utility Pokemon who takes attacks, boosts, and hits back, blocking status and hazards and crippling enemies along the way. Now, stall is my favorite playstyle, and Mega Sableye is quite possibly the best thing that ever happened to stall as a whole. Had a problem with hazards wearing down your team? Now you don't! Not to mention the fact that he is one of the best physical walls you could ever ask for, due to his great defense and near-lack of weaknesses. Those are the reasons I chose to build a team around Mega Sableye, as opposed to something like Mega Slowbro. With that, let's move on to the teambuilding process!
So, the first thing that came to mind was Mega Sableye. The main reason I chose him is that he patches up major issues found on my other stall teams. I mostly outlined those in the introduction. From here, I had a very solid Pokemon to build around, which really made my life easier. Teambuilding really isn't my thing.
Next, I needed an uber-special wall to sponge all the special hits Sableye had difficulty with. There were two pokemon that came to mind initially- Chansey and Goodra. While Goodra (with the assault vest) wins out in terms of special defense- hitting base 231 instead of Chansey's 157.5- I chose Chansey for its great Wish support, which is nearly mandatory to keep Sableye alive, its ability, which renders Toxic useless against it, and its all-around better bulk. I've never regretted it. Chansey has helped me snatch victory from the jaws of defeat more than its fair share of times.
So now, what I needed was a reliable physical wall to stand in for Mega Sableye in circumstances when it would be a bad idea to stay in. This is easily the most contested spot on the team. When I initially created this team, Slowbro was the uncontested choice for this slot. With his great physical bulk, he could tank hits and spread status with Toxic. Not only that, he didn't have to rely on Chansey for recovery since he has a reliable recovery move of his own in Slack Off. However, one of the biggest problems with this team that I feel compelled to point out now is its near-total lack of offensive presence. Slowbro has had his moments of greatness, and he's been a very solid addition to my team, but after extensive playtesting, I've come up with two other options that would rectify the offensive issue that plagues this team. First, I've considered Conkeldurr for this slot. Conkeldurr can take physical hits well, since his bulk is great on that side, but his special defense is lacking. Thankfully, we have Assault Vest to the rescue! Now his special bulk is very usable, and what you have is a powerful physical tank and wallbreaker who can fulfill a status absorber role with Guts, or an Iron Fist set with guaranteed extra power on all his attacks. While Conkeldurr is the frontrunner, Chesnaught is another physical wall that intrigues me. Not only does he have advantages over Conkeldurr in reliable recovery with Synthesis and Leech Seed, he has an awesome Spore immunity that lets me more or less shut down Breloom and Amoonguss, who really tick this team off. Another plus for Chesnaught is the fact that his both his defenses are superior to Conkeldurr's to begin with. You can see my dilemma, so please let me know which you prefer in the poll. TL;DR Slowbro, Conkeldurr, or Chesnaught?
Next, it was time to patch up Mega Sableye's one glaring weakness: Fairies. Fairies, especially Unaware Clefable and Mega Gardevoir, completely destroy old Sable. So what we need here is a reliable fairy check to keep Sableye safe. This is another contested spot, although not as hotly as the secondary physical wall slot. My current fairy killer is Jirachi. I run a physically defensive set on it. While a specially defensive set is theoretically a lot better for my purposes, after testing both sets out extensively, I've found that Jirachi really prefers to be able to switch into physical attacks more than special attacks. The other pokemon I am considering is Crobat. While it's definitely an unconventional choice, Crobat has several merits that set it apart. Chief among them is his speed. Crobat outspeeds every common fairy in the game without a problem. Not only that, he's got much better bulk than you'd think, and a solid attack stat to dish out damage. Not only that, he runs an excellent fast Taunt, Roost gives him longevity, and Brave Bird offers exceptional power for a STAB move. This is another decision I'd like help with.
My next priority was a secondary special wall when I don't want to have Chansey out. This is yet another contested spot on my team. My current Pokemon in this teamslot is Tentacruel. He's got a useful defensive typing, huge special bulk, and the ability to outspeed common threats even with minimal speed investment, thanks to his base 100 speed.Not only that, he makes a fantastic Hazer because of those traits. While I could run Sludge Bomb for my secondary STAB, I prefer Acid Spray for the multitude of switches it can force on Pokemon that would ordinarily wall Tentacruel. However, he is another bulky water, and I'd like to create a bit more diversity on my team. This is why I'm most likely going to replace him with Goodra. Goodra fulfills the same hazer/phazer role that Tentacruel does by using Dragon Tail, and the bonus of using Dragon Tail as your phaze move is that you can equip an Assault Vest and a bunch of coverage moves in order to run a bulky attacker set, and you still have more special defense than many fully invested positive-natured walls.
The final teamslot. This is usually where we tie the entire team together. After I’d looked over my team, I noticed that I was still missing something pretty crucial- a fairy. The fairy type has become ubiquitous since the advent of XY due to its being a total counter to all the annoying Dragon-types running around. Not only that, many fairies fit very well onto a stall team. Diancie is a good wall that can hit back, with a multitude of support moves for when you don’t need to. Florges is a god among special walls with special defense equivalent to that of Goodra and another good support movepool, even though it may as well not have an ability for all the good they do you. However, for my team, I decided to use a Pokemon I knew well from teams I had made previously- Clefable. Clefable, for some reason I can’t place, is just better than everything else. Its stats certainly say otherwise, with its highest stat being a modest 95 and its bulk, while solid, certainly isn’t anything to write home about. It gets good coverage moves, but so do its rivals. It does have one critical edge over its competitors though- two godly abilities in Magic Guard and Unaware. Unaware stops setup sweepers, most notably DD Multiscale Dragonite, dead in their tracks, while Magic Guard makes for a great status absorber for the team while also saving you from pesky entry hazard damage. I personally sprung for a customized Unaware set with cleric capability, since status and setup sweepers are the two things that really tick Mega Sableye off. It really tied the team together. Not only that, I no longer have to worry about opposing Mega Sableye ending my team!
On to the sets!
Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Seismic Toss
- Stealth Rock
Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Toxic
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spe
Impish Nature
- Fire Punch
- Body Slam
- Iron Head
- Wish
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 224 HP / 252 SpD / 32 Spe
Calm Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Acid Spray
- Toxic Spikes
Tentacruel’s set aims to maximize his special bulk while allowing him to outspeed and Haze some common Pokemon. I mainly included tentacruel as a spinner. Ironically, however, Rapid Spin has been his least-used move so far, and I’m really struggling to find uses for it with Sableye pretty much preventing hazards from coming up in the first place. Scald is the Water-type STAB and what I go to after an Acid Spray. Obviously, the burn chance is the main bonus. Acid Spray is used over Sludge Bomb because I love that special defense lower. Not only does Scald hit a lot harder with the opponent’s special defense halved, the stat drop forces switches often. Haze is the other main reason I picked Tentacruel over other comparable Pokemon. Tentacruel laughs cruelly in the face of setup sweepers with this move.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
- Moonlight
- Calm Mind
Breloom- This Technician-wielding priority-abusing sleep-inducing SOAB rips through my team with ease if Sableye is dead. He’s pretty much the main reason I’m seriously considering Chesnaught as a replacement to Slowbro.
Talonflame- This thing also tears through my team if running the Offensive Swords Dance set. Slowbro keeps it in check, but even he is vulnerable to a +2 Brave Bird. It completely destroys Chesnaught, so if I do switch, dealing with this will be a problem.
Staraptor- While I admit this isn’t really a common OU threat, there is absolutely nothing on my team that takes a Reckless Choice-banded Brave bird from this guy well. Everything, even Chansey and Slowbro, are 2HKOd by it. The one consolation is that it does a pretty good job of killing itself as well.
Azumarill- Murders most of my team post-Belly Drum. Slowbro can tank Aqua Jet and Waterfall, but it really dislikes Play Rough.
Charizard-X- Both the DD and SD sets set up all over Sableye and proceed to ravage my team. My best hope is Slowbro getting Toxic on it and trying to stall it out.
Mega Lopunny- Lays waste to Sable with Scrappy attacks and does the same to Chansey with Fighting-type moves. Slowbro can attempt to burn it, but there will be issues if it can’t be managed.
Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Recover
- Dark Pulse
- Will-O-Wisp
- Calm Mind
Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Disable
- Toxic
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spe
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Body Slam
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 224 HP / 252 SpD / 32 Spe
Calm Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Acid Spray
- Haze
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
- Fire Blast
- Calm Mind
Teambuilding Process
So, the first thing that came to mind was Mega Sableye. The main reason I chose him is that he patches up major issues found on my other stall teams. I mostly outlined those in the introduction. From here, I had a very solid Pokemon to build around, which really made my life easier. Teambuilding really isn't my thing.
Next, I needed an uber-special wall to sponge all the special hits Sableye had difficulty with. There were two pokemon that came to mind initially- Chansey and Goodra. While Goodra (with the assault vest) wins out in terms of special defense- hitting base 231 instead of Chansey's 157.5- I chose Chansey for its great Wish support, which is nearly mandatory to keep Sableye alive, its ability, which renders Toxic useless against it, and its all-around better bulk. I've never regretted it. Chansey has helped me snatch victory from the jaws of defeat more than its fair share of times.
So now, what I needed was a reliable physical wall to stand in for Mega Sableye in circumstances when it would be a bad idea to stay in. This is easily the most contested spot on the team. When I initially created this team, Slowbro was the uncontested choice for this slot. With his great physical bulk, he could tank hits and spread status with Toxic. Not only that, he didn't have to rely on Chansey for recovery since he has a reliable recovery move of his own in Slack Off. However, one of the biggest problems with this team that I feel compelled to point out now is its near-total lack of offensive presence. Slowbro has had his moments of greatness, and he's been a very solid addition to my team, but after extensive playtesting, I've come up with two other options that would rectify the offensive issue that plagues this team. First, I've considered Conkeldurr for this slot. Conkeldurr can take physical hits well, since his bulk is great on that side, but his special defense is lacking. Thankfully, we have Assault Vest to the rescue! Now his special bulk is very usable, and what you have is a powerful physical tank and wallbreaker who can fulfill a status absorber role with Guts, or an Iron Fist set with guaranteed extra power on all his attacks. While Conkeldurr is the frontrunner, Chesnaught is another physical wall that intrigues me. Not only does he have advantages over Conkeldurr in reliable recovery with Synthesis and Leech Seed, he has an awesome Spore immunity that lets me more or less shut down Breloom and Amoonguss, who really tick this team off. Another plus for Chesnaught is the fact that his both his defenses are superior to Conkeldurr's to begin with. You can see my dilemma, so please let me know which you prefer in the poll. TL;DR Slowbro, Conkeldurr, or Chesnaught?
Next, it was time to patch up Mega Sableye's one glaring weakness: Fairies. Fairies, especially Unaware Clefable and Mega Gardevoir, completely destroy old Sable. So what we need here is a reliable fairy check to keep Sableye safe. This is another contested spot, although not as hotly as the secondary physical wall slot. My current fairy killer is Jirachi. I run a physically defensive set on it. While a specially defensive set is theoretically a lot better for my purposes, after testing both sets out extensively, I've found that Jirachi really prefers to be able to switch into physical attacks more than special attacks. The other pokemon I am considering is Crobat. While it's definitely an unconventional choice, Crobat has several merits that set it apart. Chief among them is his speed. Crobat outspeeds every common fairy in the game without a problem. Not only that, he's got much better bulk than you'd think, and a solid attack stat to dish out damage. Not only that, he runs an excellent fast Taunt, Roost gives him longevity, and Brave Bird offers exceptional power for a STAB move. This is another decision I'd like help with.
My next priority was a secondary special wall when I don't want to have Chansey out. This is yet another contested spot on my team. My current Pokemon in this teamslot is Tentacruel. He's got a useful defensive typing, huge special bulk, and the ability to outspeed common threats even with minimal speed investment, thanks to his base 100 speed.Not only that, he makes a fantastic Hazer because of those traits. While I could run Sludge Bomb for my secondary STAB, I prefer Acid Spray for the multitude of switches it can force on Pokemon that would ordinarily wall Tentacruel. However, he is another bulky water, and I'd like to create a bit more diversity on my team. This is why I'm most likely going to replace him with Goodra. Goodra fulfills the same hazer/phazer role that Tentacruel does by using Dragon Tail, and the bonus of using Dragon Tail as your phaze move is that you can equip an Assault Vest and a bunch of coverage moves in order to run a bulky attacker set, and you still have more special defense than many fully invested positive-natured walls.
The final teamslot. This is usually where we tie the entire team together. After I’d looked over my team, I noticed that I was still missing something pretty crucial- a fairy. The fairy type has become ubiquitous since the advent of XY due to its being a total counter to all the annoying Dragon-types running around. Not only that, many fairies fit very well onto a stall team. Diancie is a good wall that can hit back, with a multitude of support moves for when you don’t need to. Florges is a god among special walls with special defense equivalent to that of Goodra and another good support movepool, even though it may as well not have an ability for all the good they do you. However, for my team, I decided to use a Pokemon I knew well from teams I had made previously- Clefable. Clefable, for some reason I can’t place, is just better than everything else. Its stats certainly say otherwise, with its highest stat being a modest 95 and its bulk, while solid, certainly isn’t anything to write home about. It gets good coverage moves, but so do its rivals. It does have one critical edge over its competitors though- two godly abilities in Magic Guard and Unaware. Unaware stops setup sweepers, most notably DD Multiscale Dragonite, dead in their tracks, while Magic Guard makes for a great status absorber for the team while also saving you from pesky entry hazard damage. I personally sprung for a customized Unaware set with cleric capability, since status and setup sweepers are the two things that really tick Mega Sableye off. It really tied the team together. Not only that, I no longer have to worry about opposing Mega Sableye ending my team!
On to the sets!
The Sets
Edits are in BOLD.
Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Recover
- Dark Pulse
- Will-O-Wisp
- Calm Mind
Edits are in BOLD.
Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Recover
- Dark Pulse
- Will-O-Wisp
- Calm Mind
Classic Mega Sableye set. Actually, this is pretty much the only Mega Sableye set. With this EV spread, Sableye reaches a gargantuan 383 defense. In a typical OU scenario, Sableye is my go-to lead. Most people lead with their Stealth Rocker, and Sableye puts a hard stop to that. Anyone who doesn’t have experience playing against Mega Sableye will likely go for the SR thinking it’s a normal Sableye, and it’s always great to see the rocks go bouncing back to his side. Plus, I always get at least one CM or W-o-W up on the first turn thanks to Prankster. Calm Mind not only patches up my uninvested special defense, it lets me hit harder with Dark Pulse. Will-o-Wisp neuters physical attackers to the point where they do negligible damage to Sable while also providing useful residual damage. Recover is self-explanatory, it keeps me from being completely reliant on Chansey for recovery. This is pretty much one of my favorite sets in all of Pokemon.
Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Seismic Toss
- Stealth Rock
This is another pretty standard Chansey set. With this set, Chansey fulfills its role as the uber go-to wall on the team with ease. For those of you not associated with Chansey’s godliness, here are some calculations to prove my point. I will be using standard sets of Pokemon that threaten Mega Sableye, as Chansey’s main role is to switch into these attacks and drive the enemy out.
252+ SpA Pixilate Mega Gardevoir Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 160-190 (22.7 - 26.9%) -- 44.2% chance to 4HKO
252+ SpA Pixilate Mega Gardevoir Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Chansey: 160-190 (22.7 - 26.9%) -- 44.2% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Sharp Beak Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 228-268 (32.3 - 38%) -- 96.3% chance to 3HKO
It easily takes on the most dangerous special attacker and physical attacker to Sable with no issues. Wish is invaluable to my team, helping those without reliable recovery moves and patching up Sableye when he needs it. Protect lets me stall for toxic damage, get my own Wish without taking damage, and scout the opponent if the need arises. Seismic toss is my only real form of direct damage, and it keeps me from being total Taunt bait. Toxic is the stall move of choice, putting threatening sweepers on a timer. All in all, the standard stall set for Chansey.
It easily takes on the most dangerous special attacker and physical attacker to Sable with no issues. Wish is invaluable to my team, helping those without reliable recovery moves and patching up Sableye when he needs it. Protect lets me stall for toxic damage, get my own Wish without taking damage, and scout the opponent if the need arises. Seismic toss is my only real form of direct damage, and it keeps me from being total Taunt bait. Toxic is the stall move of choice, putting threatening sweepers on a timer. All in all, the standard stall set for Chansey.
Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Toxic
This is the first set where there’s any real variation from the norm. Regenerator is a phenomenal ability, allowing Slowbro to stay healthy and come in throughout the whole battle. Slack Off is the obligatory recovery move for when you need to stay in. Scald is the Water-type STAB of choice, thanks to its decent Base Power and more importantly, its burn chance. Disable is a very situational move. Sometimes it works great and sometimes I question what was going through my head when I chose it over Ice Beam. I will probably choose the latter move, since Disable has been less than useful lately. Finally, you’ve got Toxic, the obligatory staller’s move, for the reasons mentioned above. This is the ideal set for a physically defensive Slowbro.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spe
Impish Nature
- Fire Punch
- Body Slam
- Iron Head
- Wish
Ah, paraflinch Jirachi. Possibly the single most annoying pokemon in the entire metagame. I’ve taken a couple of liberties with this version, most notably the fact that this is a physically defensive set instead of a specially defensive one. The main reason for this is that I find that Jirachi can already take the Fairy-type attacks it’s supposed to switch into pretty well, and investing in defense gives my more utility overall. Another noticeable difference is the lack of Wish. I chose U-turn over wish to hit Dark-types that are meant to force Jirachi out on the switch. It KO’s frailer ones while severely damaging stronger ones and allowing me to switch into my Pokemon of choice, keeping the momentum with me. Body Slam is the “para” part of paraflinch, boasting a 60% chance of paralysis with Serene Grace, although sometimes I find myself really wishing I had Thunder Wave when it fails to get a critical paralysis. Iron Head provides the flinches and has good base power. Finally, Jirachi is my SR user, mainly because I couldn’t fit it anywhere else and the Steel-type provides some useful resistances.
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 224 HP / 252 SpD / 32 Spe
Calm Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Acid Spray
- Toxic Spikes
Tentacruel’s set aims to maximize his special bulk while allowing him to outspeed and Haze some common Pokemon. I mainly included tentacruel as a spinner. Ironically, however, Rapid Spin has been his least-used move so far, and I’m really struggling to find uses for it with Sableye pretty much preventing hazards from coming up in the first place. Scald is the Water-type STAB and what I go to after an Acid Spray. Obviously, the burn chance is the main bonus. Acid Spray is used over Sludge Bomb because I love that special defense lower. Not only does Scald hit a lot harder with the opponent’s special defense halved, the stat drop forces switches often. Haze is the other main reason I picked Tentacruel over other comparable Pokemon. Tentacruel laughs cruelly in the face of setup sweepers with this move.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
- Moonlight
- Calm Mind
Here we have Calm Mind bulky attacker Clefable, meant to bring offensive presence to the team as well as provide cleric support to the rest of the team. The EVs are meant to give Clefable as much power as possible. Moonblast is the obligatory STAB, sporting strong Base Power and a useful side effect. Fire Blast offers great coverage and is currently my only answer to Scizor and the occasional Forretress. Heal Bell is one of the most useful moves on my team. If one of my Pokemon, mainly Sableye, gets statused, it tends to severely tick them off. Clefable allows them to get back in the fight without a problem. Finally, Calm Mind boosts Clefable’s already good special attack to sweeping levels if the opportunity arises, along with letting it take hits more easily on the special side.
Threats
No playstyle is completely infallible, and Mega Sableye stall is certainly no exception. Here are some common threats to my team.
No playstyle is completely infallible, and Mega Sableye stall is certainly no exception. Here are some common threats to my team.
Most Electric-types- Chansey puts a total stop to them, but otherwise they are an issue with my 2 waters.
Conclusion
I’d really appreciate any and all feedback and criticism from you guys. This team only peaked at about 1450, so I’m very anxious to bring that ranking up. Otherwise, thanks in advance. Why don’t you give the team a try yourselves?
Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Recover
- Dark Pulse
- Will-O-Wisp
- Calm Mind
Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
Slowbro @ Leftovers
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Disable
- Toxic
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spe
Impish Nature
- U-turn
- Body Slam
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
Tentacruel @ Black Sludge
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 224 HP / 252 SpD / 32 Spe
Calm Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Acid Spray
- Haze
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Moonblast
- Heal Bell
- Fire Blast
- Calm Mind
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