Gummy
...three, smiles go for miles!
qc: hilomilo / thunderboy / nineage
gp: p squared / fireflame
[OVERVIEW]
Meowth carves itself a niche as an excellent revenge killer with its Fake Out + Feint combination, which is considerably powerful thanks to STAB combined with Technician. In tandem with Fake Out, Feint can take care of many sweepers like Abra, Zigzagoon, and Carvanha without opposition. Meowth also hits the coveted 19 Speed tier, allowing it to outpace almost the entire unboosted metagame, including threats like Mienfoo and Chinchou, and Speed tying with Ponyta. It's also an excellent anti-lead that is able to reliably take care of Onix and Dwebble. Unfortunately, Meowth is beaten by common priority attacks like Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch. It suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, as it's unable to carry all the coverage it needs, forcing it to be vulnerable to at least one of its checks. It's also incredibly frail and will usually get knocked out if it can't KO what's in front of it. Meowth is forced to run Life Orb, as it's fairly weak without one. Finally, Meowth faces competition from Aipom, a bulkier Normal-type attacker with access to a stronger STAB attack in Fury Swipes.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Feint / Return
move 3: Water Pulse
move 4: Aerial Ace / Knock Off / U-turn
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Hasty
evs: 236 Atk / 36 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
With Technician and STAB factored in, Meowth's Fake Out hits a Base Power of 90, making it the strongest Fake Out in LC. This can deal a hefty chunk of damage to a foe without them being able to do anything back. Feint is more reliable than Fake Out, as it works on any turn; it goes through Protect and is still boosted by STAB and Technician. However, Feint is weaker and doesn't have the flinch bonus that Fake Out does. Return is an option for more power, OHKOing Alolan Vulpix, 2HKOing Staryu, and 2HKOing offensive variants of Vullaby after Stealth Rock. If you want to take full advantage of Meowth's power, you can run Double-Edge; it OHKOes Life Orb Staryu, and Fake Out + Double-Edge KOes Ponyta. However, this wears down Meowth very quickly in tandem with Life Orb recoil. Water Pulse is an incredibly important move, KOing Dwebble and Onix after their Sturdy has been broken. It also KOes other leads like Drilbur after a Fake Out. Aerial Ace is Meowth's best way of hitting Fighting-types; Fake Out into an Aerial Ace KOes Mienfoo. Knock Off is an option, letting Meowth remove items and soften up its foes. It also hits Ghost-types that otherwise wall Meowth like Gastly and Pumpkaboo. Finally, U-turn lets Meowth do damage while switching and gain momentum, especially due to its great Speed.
Set Details
========
19 HP IVs should be run to minimize Life Orb recoil to only 1 HP per turn. A Hasty nature allows Meowth to reach its maximum Speed at 19, outspeeding most of the unboosted metagame and Speed tying with Ponyta, Abra, and Staryu. 36 Special Attack EVs net the Water Pulse KO on Archen after a Fake Out. The combination of Technician and Life Orb boosts Meowth's power; Fake Out, Feint, Water Pulse, and Aerial Ace are all boosted by Technician. 36 Special Defense EVs let Meowth take Alolan Grimer's Fire Blast.
Usage Tips
========
Meowth is an excellent anti-lead that is able to beat Mienfoo and Onix, so leading with it is often a safe choice. If possible, try to scout whether the Onix is Weak Armor or Sturdy, as using Fake Out on the former is counterproductive. Don't switch Meowth in on attacks if you can, however, as it is very frail and best suited to come in after a slow U-turn or as a revenge killer. Feint should be played to its strengths; for example, use it against common Protect users like Torchic and Carvanha. Keep Meowth healthy throughout the match, as its ability to reliably deal high amounts of damage is valuable mid- and late-game. If your team struggles against a certain sweeper, preserve Meowth so it can deal a large chunk of damage with its Fake Out and Feint. If you're running U-turn or Knock Off, be sure to use them on predicted switches to keep up momentum.
Team Options
========
Meowth is best suited for hyper offensive teams that struggle to break through setup sweepers. Fighting-type checks are incredibly helpful to Meowth. Pokemon like Snubbull and Mudbray can threaten Timburr and Croagunk, respectively. Slow, bulky Pokemon with moves like Volt Switch and U-turn help Meowth get in safely, which Meowth highly appreciates thanks to its low bulk. Examples include Mienfoo, Chinchou, and Magnemite. It's also very helpful to run a Pokemon that covers whatever weakness Meowth has from its missing coverage; for example, if you run U-turn over Aerial Ace, use a Fighting-type check like Spritzee. If you're not running Knock Off, Meowth appreciates Knock Off support; without Eviolite, few Pokemon can take Meowth's STAB priority combination. Mienfoo and Pawniard both offer good Knock Off support. Pursuit trappers like Pawniard and Alolan Grimer can remove Ghost-types that otherwise wall Meowth. Since Meowth is heavily walled by Pawniard, Pawniard checks like Mienfoo, Ponyta, and Timburr can help alleviate this weakness. Meowth appreciates entry hazard support to make Fake Out and Feint's KO chance higher. Pokemon like Onix, Archen, and Pawniard can set up Stealth Rock. Finally, other Normal-types like Aipom, Doduo, and Bunnelby share checks with Meowth, allowing them to all wear down their checks together.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Nasty Plot set using Round can be run, but since Meowth generally has a hard time finding times to set up, and the Fake Out + Feint combination is so powerful, it struggles to find use over other special attackers like Nasty Plot Vullaby or Alolan Meowth. Meowth can run a Naughty nature to fully maximize its Attack, but the loss of a Speed point is huge, and this nature doesn't help Meowth secure any notable KOs. Hidden Power Fighting gives Meowth a far better matchup against Pawniard, but its other coverage options are generally more helpful. Taunt makes Meowth an ever stronger anti-lead, but Meowth usually would rather just use an attack. Hypnosis can put Meowth's checks to sleep, but its terrible accuracy makes this strategy unreliable; if Meowth fails to put its foe to sleep, it will likely be KOed due to its terrible bulk. Seed Bomb beats Chinchou and Tirtouga but struggles to find a use over Meowth's other moves. Icy Wind slows down Pokemon that threaten the rest of the team and hits Flying- and Ground-types like Vullaby and Drilbur super effectively. However, it's weak and, again, fights to see use over Meowth's other coverage moves.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Pawniard, Magnemite, and Ferroseed can all easily take Meowth's moves and hit back hard. They have to watch out for Hidden Power Fighting or Fire, but these are generally rare moves on Meowth.
**Fighting-types**: Croagunk and Timburr both have access to Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch, respectively, beating Meowth before it can use Aerial Ace.
**Bulky Tanks**: Spritzee and Ferroseed can take a Fake Out and Feint combination with little trouble and are able to 2HKO Meowth back with their attacks.
**Faster Pokemon**: Diglett, Elekid, and Choice Scarf users like Chinchou and Bunnelby can outspeed and KO Meowth. However, they take significant damage from Feint and should only try to revenge kill it after Fake Out has been used up. Choice Scarf Gastly, in particular, can ignore Fake Out and Feint and KO Meowth with Sludge Bomb.
gp: p squared / fireflame
[OVERVIEW]
Meowth carves itself a niche as an excellent revenge killer with its Fake Out + Feint combination, which is considerably powerful thanks to STAB combined with Technician. In tandem with Fake Out, Feint can take care of many sweepers like Abra, Zigzagoon, and Carvanha without opposition. Meowth also hits the coveted 19 Speed tier, allowing it to outpace almost the entire unboosted metagame, including threats like Mienfoo and Chinchou, and Speed tying with Ponyta. It's also an excellent anti-lead that is able to reliably take care of Onix and Dwebble. Unfortunately, Meowth is beaten by common priority attacks like Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch. It suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, as it's unable to carry all the coverage it needs, forcing it to be vulnerable to at least one of its checks. It's also incredibly frail and will usually get knocked out if it can't KO what's in front of it. Meowth is forced to run Life Orb, as it's fairly weak without one. Finally, Meowth faces competition from Aipom, a bulkier Normal-type attacker with access to a stronger STAB attack in Fury Swipes.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Feint / Return
move 3: Water Pulse
move 4: Aerial Ace / Knock Off / U-turn
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Hasty
evs: 236 Atk / 36 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
With Technician and STAB factored in, Meowth's Fake Out hits a Base Power of 90, making it the strongest Fake Out in LC. This can deal a hefty chunk of damage to a foe without them being able to do anything back. Feint is more reliable than Fake Out, as it works on any turn; it goes through Protect and is still boosted by STAB and Technician. However, Feint is weaker and doesn't have the flinch bonus that Fake Out does. Return is an option for more power, OHKOing Alolan Vulpix, 2HKOing Staryu, and 2HKOing offensive variants of Vullaby after Stealth Rock. If you want to take full advantage of Meowth's power, you can run Double-Edge; it OHKOes Life Orb Staryu, and Fake Out + Double-Edge KOes Ponyta. However, this wears down Meowth very quickly in tandem with Life Orb recoil. Water Pulse is an incredibly important move, KOing Dwebble and Onix after their Sturdy has been broken. It also KOes other leads like Drilbur after a Fake Out. Aerial Ace is Meowth's best way of hitting Fighting-types; Fake Out into an Aerial Ace KOes Mienfoo. Knock Off is an option, letting Meowth remove items and soften up its foes. It also hits Ghost-types that otherwise wall Meowth like Gastly and Pumpkaboo. Finally, U-turn lets Meowth do damage while switching and gain momentum, especially due to its great Speed.
Set Details
========
19 HP IVs should be run to minimize Life Orb recoil to only 1 HP per turn. A Hasty nature allows Meowth to reach its maximum Speed at 19, outspeeding most of the unboosted metagame and Speed tying with Ponyta, Abra, and Staryu. 36 Special Attack EVs net the Water Pulse KO on Archen after a Fake Out. The combination of Technician and Life Orb boosts Meowth's power; Fake Out, Feint, Water Pulse, and Aerial Ace are all boosted by Technician. 36 Special Defense EVs let Meowth take Alolan Grimer's Fire Blast.
Usage Tips
========
Meowth is an excellent anti-lead that is able to beat Mienfoo and Onix, so leading with it is often a safe choice. If possible, try to scout whether the Onix is Weak Armor or Sturdy, as using Fake Out on the former is counterproductive. Don't switch Meowth in on attacks if you can, however, as it is very frail and best suited to come in after a slow U-turn or as a revenge killer. Feint should be played to its strengths; for example, use it against common Protect users like Torchic and Carvanha. Keep Meowth healthy throughout the match, as its ability to reliably deal high amounts of damage is valuable mid- and late-game. If your team struggles against a certain sweeper, preserve Meowth so it can deal a large chunk of damage with its Fake Out and Feint. If you're running U-turn or Knock Off, be sure to use them on predicted switches to keep up momentum.
Team Options
========
Meowth is best suited for hyper offensive teams that struggle to break through setup sweepers. Fighting-type checks are incredibly helpful to Meowth. Pokemon like Snubbull and Mudbray can threaten Timburr and Croagunk, respectively. Slow, bulky Pokemon with moves like Volt Switch and U-turn help Meowth get in safely, which Meowth highly appreciates thanks to its low bulk. Examples include Mienfoo, Chinchou, and Magnemite. It's also very helpful to run a Pokemon that covers whatever weakness Meowth has from its missing coverage; for example, if you run U-turn over Aerial Ace, use a Fighting-type check like Spritzee. If you're not running Knock Off, Meowth appreciates Knock Off support; without Eviolite, few Pokemon can take Meowth's STAB priority combination. Mienfoo and Pawniard both offer good Knock Off support. Pursuit trappers like Pawniard and Alolan Grimer can remove Ghost-types that otherwise wall Meowth. Since Meowth is heavily walled by Pawniard, Pawniard checks like Mienfoo, Ponyta, and Timburr can help alleviate this weakness. Meowth appreciates entry hazard support to make Fake Out and Feint's KO chance higher. Pokemon like Onix, Archen, and Pawniard can set up Stealth Rock. Finally, other Normal-types like Aipom, Doduo, and Bunnelby share checks with Meowth, allowing them to all wear down their checks together.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Nasty Plot set using Round can be run, but since Meowth generally has a hard time finding times to set up, and the Fake Out + Feint combination is so powerful, it struggles to find use over other special attackers like Nasty Plot Vullaby or Alolan Meowth. Meowth can run a Naughty nature to fully maximize its Attack, but the loss of a Speed point is huge, and this nature doesn't help Meowth secure any notable KOs. Hidden Power Fighting gives Meowth a far better matchup against Pawniard, but its other coverage options are generally more helpful. Taunt makes Meowth an ever stronger anti-lead, but Meowth usually would rather just use an attack. Hypnosis can put Meowth's checks to sleep, but its terrible accuracy makes this strategy unreliable; if Meowth fails to put its foe to sleep, it will likely be KOed due to its terrible bulk. Seed Bomb beats Chinchou and Tirtouga but struggles to find a use over Meowth's other moves. Icy Wind slows down Pokemon that threaten the rest of the team and hits Flying- and Ground-types like Vullaby and Drilbur super effectively. However, it's weak and, again, fights to see use over Meowth's other coverage moves.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Pawniard, Magnemite, and Ferroseed can all easily take Meowth's moves and hit back hard. They have to watch out for Hidden Power Fighting or Fire, but these are generally rare moves on Meowth.
**Fighting-types**: Croagunk and Timburr both have access to Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch, respectively, beating Meowth before it can use Aerial Ace.
**Bulky Tanks**: Spritzee and Ferroseed can take a Fake Out and Feint combination with little trouble and are able to 2HKO Meowth back with their attacks.
**Faster Pokemon**: Diglett, Elekid, and Choice Scarf users like Chinchou and Bunnelby can outspeed and KO Meowth. However, they take significant damage from Feint and should only try to revenge kill it after Fake Out has been used up. Choice Scarf Gastly, in particular, can ignore Fake Out and Feint and KO Meowth with Sludge Bomb.
Last edited: