[OVERVIEW]
- has access to prankster which allows it to shut down a majority of physical attackers and set up sweepers with a combination of will-o-wisp and taunt, as well as access to recover, preventing it from getting worn down too easily
- typing + taunt lets it serve as a reliable defog + spinblocker for spike stacking teams, as well as having immunities that are useful against pokemon like snorlax and reuniclus
- access to knock off furthers its capacity as a stallbreaker, especially considering most of sableye's answers dont appreciate having their item removed
- mediocre base stats
- popularity of wallbreakers that sableye can't shut down like entei, kyurem, hydrei, mence, and gardevoir leave it susceptible to offensive pressure. it also lets offensive pokemon like mega houndoom come in for free
- defensive pokemon like florges and arcanine scoff at anything sable uses and force it out
- reliant on will o wisp and can be pressured to recover fairly easily
[SET]
name: Prankster
move 1: Recover
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Knock Off / Snarl
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Careful / Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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- Recover allows Sableye to stick around throughout the match (reliable af recovery)
- Will-O-Wisp helps Sableye handling most physically offensive Pokemon better
- Taunt is lethal against defensive Pokemon, shutting down most of their attempts at doing anything back against Sableye. It also blocks Defog.
- Knock Off, although weak coming from Sableye's low attack stat, removes the opponent's item, making it the best damaging move Sableye can run under most circumstances
- Snarl is used on teams that have an harder time handling strong specially oriented wallbreakers like Kyurem and Gardevoir, allowing Sableye and its teammates to tank them a lot more easily.
- Foul Play is also worth considering, since it allows Sableye to damage physically offensive Pokemon a lot harder, most notably Mega Absol, which is free to use Sableye as set up fodder otherwise. It doesn't have as much overall utility as the aforementioned options though.
Set Details
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- The entire set revolves around Sableye's ability (Prankster + small explanation about what it does)
- SpD > Def investment helps Sableye dealing with threats such as Mega Blastoise and Choice Scarf Hydreigon better. Will-O-Wisp mitigates the lack of physically defensive investment against most threats (exceptions: physical Fire-types, Heracross, Mega Absol)
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- Even with heavy Special Defense investment and Will-O-Wisp, Sableye is still quite frail and has some issues tanking stronger (mostly specially offensive) Pokemon, so be wary
- Don't let it tank status conditions (most notable one is Scald burn because you can't Taunt that) unless there's no better alternative
- It's optimal to bring it on Pokemon with low offensive capacities like Froslass, Porygon2, or Cresselia and start disrupting the opposing team from there. Exceptions of offensive Pokemon you can switch Sableye in on are those which can't do much back to it like Toxicroak, Reuniclus, or Snorlax.
Team Options
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- Spikes setters like Forretress and Froslass benefit from Sableye's ability to block both Rapid Spin and Defog, while the hazards they set give Sableye an easier time pressuring the opposing team in return.
- Pokemon that can tank hits from the Fire- and Fairy-type Pokemon that constantly threaten Sableye on the battlefield are naturally good partners for it. The previously mentioned Forretress can lay down Spikes on Florges and Whimsicott, while Suicune is easily one of the best blanket checks to Fire-type Pokemon in the tier.
- Specially bulky Pokemon like Florges and Snorlax help patching up Sableye's weakness to special wallbreakers.
- Cleric support allows the Sableye user to play more recklessly with it.
- For more offensively oriented teams, Pokemon that benefit from Sableye's ability to disrupt and wear down teams with Will-O-Wisp and Knock Off are pretty good partners. Good examples include Mega Sharpedo, Mega Swampert and DD Salamence.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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- Prankster and access to Taunt make Sableye a good option as a weather setter (Sunny Day, Rain Dance) on specialized teams.
- Night Shade is an option as a reliable damaging move, but it's usually outclassed by all of the options mentioned in the main set.
- Niche support options: Confuse Ray, Trick + Choice item, Icy Wind, Psych Up / Snatch.
- Calm Mind allows Sableye to surprise strong special attackers it would be unable to handle otherwise, but it's an inferior option to the Prankster set because it forces Sableye to drop either Taunt or Will-O-Wisp and, on top of that, is completely helpless against both Calm Mind Florges and Whimsicott.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-type Pokemon**: Thanks to their immunity to Will-O-Wisp, Fire-type Pokemon in general can turn Sableye into a liability. Mega Houndoom in particular isn't threatened by Knock Off and can set up Nasty Plot freely.
**Fairy-type Pokemon**: Florges can come in consistently on Sableye due to its access to reliable recovery and Aromatherapy. Whimsicott and Gardevoir, despite being prone to getting worn down very quickly, can also switch in on Sableye and threaten it with Moonblast.
**Residual Damage:** Sableye doesn't appreciate taking burns from Scald, as those force it to use Recover more frequently, making it a lot easier for the opponent to play around Sableye. The same applies to Will-O-Wisp burns, Toxic, and hazard damage.
**Heracross**: Even though it doesn't appreciate getting its item removed, Guts Heracross discourages Sableye from using Will-O-Wisp and can also threaten it with its powerful Megahorn.
**Strong Special Attackers:** Pokemon such as Kyurem, Rotom-Mow, and the aforementioned Gardevoir have the ability to nuke Sableye into oblivion with their Choice Specs-boosted STAB moves. However, the former two should be wary of Snarl variants, as those can potentially stall them out of PP.
**Mega Absol**: In spite of being prone to getting burned in its regular form, Mega Absol can use Sableye as set up bait, unless it's up against the uncommon Foul Play variant.
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