DONE BY FRANKY
Status: Finished / Waiting for critiques and comments
Meowth is my second favorite behind Gible, so I knew which sets to post. If any of you have any other sets just post here
GPS 2/2
www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/meowth
_________________________________________________________________________
[OVERVIEW]
<p>Meowth is often regarded as the best lead in the LC metagame, and with good reason. With its convenient ability to boost its moves' power, which is particularly notable on moves such as Fake Out, Meowth will usually have the upper hand against its opponent. Meowth also hits 19 Speed, allowing it to outpace a majority of the metagame. Even with the advent of leads running Protect to deal with Meowth, it is still extremely effective inside and outside the lead slot since priority moves are ever-so-important in LC. Meowth is usually left untouched until the end of the match since it can spam Fake Out and U-turn to escape from the opponent, causing widespread damage. Overall, Meowth is an extremely valuable asset and should be considered as a lead to set the tempo for the match.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return / Seed Bomb
move 3: Bite / U-turn
move 4: Hypnosis / Taunt
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb / Silk Scarf
ability: Technician
evs: 236 Atk / 76 Def / 196 Spe
nature: Jolly
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Meowth is one of the few leads that will almost always give your team an instant advantage. Thanks to its ability, Technician, Meowth can deal respectable amounts of damage to the opponent with its low Base Power moves. Fake Out makes an excellent opening move as it breaks the opponent's Focus Sash while flinching them in the process, which usually allows Meowth to finish the opponent with a STAB Return. Seed Bomb surprises Kabuto leads by 2HKOing with the combination of Fake Out and Seed Bomb. Bite hits Ghost-types, U-turn makes a great scouting move, Hypnosis puts Machop to sleep (thanks to No Guard), and Taunt deals with set up leads.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Fake Out is a powerful STAB move, allowing Meowth to inflict damage at any stage of the match. Seed Bomb could replace Return if you want to catch Kabuto off-guard, since it will usually stay in expecting Meowth to escape with U-turn. As an added bonus, Seed Bomb will strike Phanpy harder than Return, and has a slight chance of 2HKOing after Fake Out (with Life Orb equipped). Bite allows Meowth to combat Ghost-types who would otherwise wall its STAB moves. Bite always OHKOes Gastly and has a chance to OHKO Duskull. U-turn allows Meowth to scout the opponent's next switch-in; with the combination of Fake Out and U-turn, Meowth essentially scores free hits on the opponent. This allows Meowth to stick around for the entire match to periodically inflict damage upon the opponent. U-turn also allows Meowth to escape from a possible Aron set up.</p>
<p>The final slot depends on what you want to do. Despite its low accuracy, Hypnosis receives 100% accuracy against Machop due to its ability, No Guard. It also neutralizes slower leads like Bronzor, allowing Meowth to use U-turn to something that might appreciate a free set up. With 19 Speed, Meowth can use Taunt over Hypnosis on slower set up leads such as Phanpy, Kabuto, and Bronzor, preventing them from using support moves like Stealth Rock. All in all, if Hypnosis's accuracy is making you nervous, Taunt should be a safer alternative.</p>
<p>Focus Sash helps Meowth survive for a long time in the match since due to Fake Out and U-turn, it is usually left untouched, while Taunt shuts down Stealth Rock users, preventing them from setting up entry hazards and stripping Meowth's item off that way. Both Life Orb and Silk Scarf add power to Meowth's physical attacks. Life Orb lets Meowth grab a possible 2HKO on Gligar and Phanpy with the combination of Fake Out and Return. Silk Scarf adds power to Fake Out and Return while bluffing a Focus Sash as an added bonus.</p>
<p>With its fantastic typing and high Defense stat, Bronzor can take a hit from Meowth and counteract with Flash Cannon for the possible 2HKO. Fire-types like Magby and Ponyta work well with Meowth since they can keep Bronzor away for the entire match. Duskull also troubles Meowth since it can check it with Will-O-Wisp or damage it with Blizzard. Ponyta is usually your best bet against Duskull since it can switch in on Blizzard or eat Will-O-Wisp to boost Flare Blit z's power. Aron is another problem since it could possibly use Rock Polish on the switch out. Be sure to utilize a defensive Gligar or Phanpy to deal with Aron; otherwise, it will be extremely hard to deal with Aron's Head Smash. As for offensive partners, Elekid also works well since Meowth can cause considerable damage with the combination of Fake Out and U-turn, and Elekid sweeps at its best when everything is significantly weakened. Gastly and Gligar also work well since they both provide a much needed Fighting-type switch-in for Meowth, while they could use a free turn to set up.</p>
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Swift
move 3: Water Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Dark
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
evs: 76 Def / 196 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A Nasty Plot set adds nice surprise value for Meowth since most players expect a physical set. Furthermore, Meowth's ability, Technician, helps it inflict respectable amounts of damage upon the opponent despite having a low Special Attack stat. This particular set could be inserted inside or outside the lead slot. As a lead, Meowth can take advantage of a free Nasty Plot turn on a predicted Protect from Pokemon like Snover and Machop. On the other hand, Meowth can be an effective late-game sweeper if used correctly, but it will usually have a difficult time getting a Nasty Plot down.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Swift is Meowt h's primary move, and may catch many physical walls off guard. Water Pulse allows Meowth to hit Rock-types like Aron, Rhyhorn, and Shieldon for super effective damage, as well as having a convenient chance to confuse the opposing Pokemon. The final slot ultimately comes down to which Hidden Power you prefer. Hidden Power Fire allows Meowth to hit its number one counter, Bronzor, while Hidden Power Dark allows it to OHKO Duskull and Gastly almost all of the time. Hypnosis could be used in order to buy Meowth a turn to grab a Nasty Plot boost, but an untimely miss from an unreliable sleep move could spell its doom.</p>
<p>If you opt to use Hidden Power Fire, you'll want Meowth's IVs to be 1 HP / 28 Atk / 29 Def / 30 SpA / 28 Spe to get a 60 Base Power. With the drop of some important IVs, Meowth's EVs should be 4 Def / 200 SpA / 36 SpD / 208 Spe. For Hidden Power Dark, you'll want Meowth's IVs to be 1 HP / 31 Atk / 31 Def / 29 SpA / 31 SpD / 31 Spe to get a 59 Base Power, and EVs to be 204 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe.</p>
<p>Munchlax is the most effective counter to this set since it is n't hit super effectively by Meowth. With high Attack and Special Defense stats, Munchlax can survive a boosted Swift and OHKO back with Return. Gligar works well with Meowth since it can scare away Munchlax, which could help Gligar set up Swords Dance or Rock Polish. Outside of Munchlax, the list of counters depends entirely on what Hidden Power you decide to use. Without Hidden Power Dark, Meowth will have a tough time with Gastly and Duskull. Stunky can effectively trap Gastly, but it can have some difficulty taking down Duskull. If Duskull might be too much to handle, Ponyta would make an excellent partner since it can come in on a predicted Blizzard and proceed to hurt the opponent with its STAB Flare Blitz. If Meowth lacks Hidden Power Fire, Bronzor can come in with relative ease and take Meowth down with two consecutive Flash Cannons. Since this set lacks Taunt, Bronzor could buy a couple of turns to set up Light Screen, Reflect, or Stealth Rock. As previously mentioned, Fire-types are your best bet against Bronzor if you want to keep it at bay.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>For the first set, you will want something to check Steel- types, since they usually give Meowth a tough time. For the most part, you will run into Bronzor leads, so be sure to check them immediately before they start to set up. Ponyta and Magby are two of the best Fire-types in LC, and they can both scare away Bronzor with their high-powered STAB moves. Aron could be problematic if you don't prepare for it since it can deal enormous amounts of damage with Head Smash, but Phanpy or a defensive Gligar can check Aron for the entire match with their STAB Earthquake. Another noteworthy defensive Pokemon that could give Meowth trouble is Duskull. Ponyta is usually your best bet against it since it can absorb Will-O-Wisp and can switch in on Blizzard. Offensively, Elekid can clean up late-game after Meowth has caused some damage with the combination of Fake Out and U-turn. Misdreavus and Gligar also deserve a special mention since they add a Fighting-type switch-in for Meowth, and they can usually set up on Choiced Fighting-types.</p>
<p>The Nasty Plot set will normally lure in Munchlax. Packing Gligar can check Munchlax for the most part because it can scare it away with a STAB Earthquake, and it can take Return from Munchlax thanks to its high Defense stat. Outside of Meowth's tried-and-true counter, Munchlax, the list of counters will depend on which Hidden Power you decide to run. Without Hidden Power Dark, bulky Ghost-types like Duskull will trouble Meowth. Stunky can trap these and other Ghost-types nicely. However, if Duskull proves to be problematic for Stunky, Ponyta can work well since it can come in on Blizzard and can deal damage with Flare Blitz. Without Hidden Power Fire, Bronzor will be a pain, since it can shrug off any attack while striking back with Flash Cannon to bring Meowth down. The lack of Taunt will give Bronzor free turns to set up whatever it wants. The aforementioned Magby and Ponyta can combat Bronzor and generally limit the number of set up turns for it.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>In the lead slot, Meowth can run a Feint set to break through typical Protect leads, and can follow up with Return for the 2HKO most of the time. Meowth can also run Substitute to block Duskul l's Will-O-Wisp. With a number of Protect leads in the tier, getting Substitute down shouldn't be too difficult. A Protect set in conjunction with Focus Sash and Fake Out could help kill time for Meowth, which allows it to break down sweepers who value their time on field, such as Rain Dance teams, Taillow, and Teddiursa. Lastly, Meowth can run a Rain Dance set with Fake Out / Rain Dance / Hypnosis / U-turn. Unlike Voltorb, Meowth has Fake Out to remove Focus Sash from the opponent, along with Hypnosis to put the opponent to sleep while Meowth sets up Rain Dance. U-turn also allows Meowth to successfully bring in your Rain Dance sweepers safely.</p>
<p>Attack-wise, Meowth can run a lot of things. A Last Resort set could work with its high Speed stat and decent Attack stat. The set is almost guaranteed to lure in the omnipresent Ghost-types in the tier, turning Meowth into nice bait for Ghosts and allowing Stunky to trap them. For the most part though, Aipom can do it better since it has a higher Attack stat. The Nasty Plot set can add Fake Out into the mix to bluff and lure the opponent's physical walls in. However, Meowth doesn't have the respectable mixed offensive stats to pull this off successfully. Meowth can run a Choice Band set, but Aipom usually outclasses it since it has a higher Attack stat. Along with a Technician boost, Fury Swipes could also break a Substitute.</p>
[Counters]
<p>For the physical set, Steel-types are troublesome, since Meowth lacks a Fighting-type move to hurt them. Bronzor, Aron, and Shieldon can come in on any hits and hit back with their respective moves. Rock-types like Geodude, Rhyhorn, and Omanyte can check it as well. For the Nasty Plot set, Munchlax is your best thanks to its high Special Defense stat; it can also swiftly KO Meowth with Return. Without Hidden Power Dark, bulky Ghost-types like Duskull can deal with Meowth. Duskull can take any attack save Hidden Power Dark and hit back with Blizzard. If Meowth lacks Hidden Power Fire, Bronzor is your best against it (outside of Munchlax).</p>
Status: Finished / Waiting for critiques and comments
Meowth is my second favorite behind Gible, so I knew which sets to post. If any of you have any other sets just post here
GPS 2/2
www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/meowth



_________________________________________________________________________
[OVERVIEW]
<p>Meowth is often regarded as the best lead in the LC metagame, and with good reason. With its convenient ability to boost its moves' power, which is particularly notable on moves such as Fake Out, Meowth will usually have the upper hand against its opponent. Meowth also hits 19 Speed, allowing it to outpace a majority of the metagame. Even with the advent of leads running Protect to deal with Meowth, it is still extremely effective inside and outside the lead slot since priority moves are ever-so-important in LC. Meowth is usually left untouched until the end of the match since it can spam Fake Out and U-turn to escape from the opponent, causing widespread damage. Overall, Meowth is an extremely valuable asset and should be considered as a lead to set the tempo for the match.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Return / Seed Bomb
move 3: Bite / U-turn
move 4: Hypnosis / Taunt
item: Focus Sash / Life Orb / Silk Scarf
ability: Technician
evs: 236 Atk / 76 Def / 196 Spe
nature: Jolly
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Meowth is one of the few leads that will almost always give your team an instant advantage. Thanks to its ability, Technician, Meowth can deal respectable amounts of damage to the opponent with its low Base Power moves. Fake Out makes an excellent opening move as it breaks the opponent's Focus Sash while flinching them in the process, which usually allows Meowth to finish the opponent with a STAB Return. Seed Bomb surprises Kabuto leads by 2HKOing with the combination of Fake Out and Seed Bomb. Bite hits Ghost-types, U-turn makes a great scouting move, Hypnosis puts Machop to sleep (thanks to No Guard), and Taunt deals with set up leads.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Fake Out is a powerful STAB move, allowing Meowth to inflict damage at any stage of the match. Seed Bomb could replace Return if you want to catch Kabuto off-guard, since it will usually stay in expecting Meowth to escape with U-turn. As an added bonus, Seed Bomb will strike Phanpy harder than Return, and has a slight chance of 2HKOing after Fake Out (with Life Orb equipped). Bite allows Meowth to combat Ghost-types who would otherwise wall its STAB moves. Bite always OHKOes Gastly and has a chance to OHKO Duskull. U-turn allows Meowth to scout the opponent's next switch-in; with the combination of Fake Out and U-turn, Meowth essentially scores free hits on the opponent. This allows Meowth to stick around for the entire match to periodically inflict damage upon the opponent. U-turn also allows Meowth to escape from a possible Aron set up.</p>
<p>The final slot depends on what you want to do. Despite its low accuracy, Hypnosis receives 100% accuracy against Machop due to its ability, No Guard. It also neutralizes slower leads like Bronzor, allowing Meowth to use U-turn to something that might appreciate a free set up. With 19 Speed, Meowth can use Taunt over Hypnosis on slower set up leads such as Phanpy, Kabuto, and Bronzor, preventing them from using support moves like Stealth Rock. All in all, if Hypnosis's accuracy is making you nervous, Taunt should be a safer alternative.</p>
<p>Focus Sash helps Meowth survive for a long time in the match since due to Fake Out and U-turn, it is usually left untouched, while Taunt shuts down Stealth Rock users, preventing them from setting up entry hazards and stripping Meowth's item off that way. Both Life Orb and Silk Scarf add power to Meowth's physical attacks. Life Orb lets Meowth grab a possible 2HKO on Gligar and Phanpy with the combination of Fake Out and Return. Silk Scarf adds power to Fake Out and Return while bluffing a Focus Sash as an added bonus.</p>
<p>With its fantastic typing and high Defense stat, Bronzor can take a hit from Meowth and counteract with Flash Cannon for the possible 2HKO. Fire-types like Magby and Ponyta work well with Meowth since they can keep Bronzor away for the entire match. Duskull also troubles Meowth since it can check it with Will-O-Wisp or damage it with Blizzard. Ponyta is usually your best bet against Duskull since it can switch in on Blizzard or eat Will-O-Wisp to boost Flare Blit z's power. Aron is another problem since it could possibly use Rock Polish on the switch out. Be sure to utilize a defensive Gligar or Phanpy to deal with Aron; otherwise, it will be extremely hard to deal with Aron's Head Smash. As for offensive partners, Elekid also works well since Meowth can cause considerable damage with the combination of Fake Out and U-turn, and Elekid sweeps at its best when everything is significantly weakened. Gastly and Gligar also work well since they both provide a much needed Fighting-type switch-in for Meowth, while they could use a free turn to set up.</p>
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Swift
move 3: Water Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Dark
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
evs: 76 Def / 196 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A Nasty Plot set adds nice surprise value for Meowth since most players expect a physical set. Furthermore, Meowth's ability, Technician, helps it inflict respectable amounts of damage upon the opponent despite having a low Special Attack stat. This particular set could be inserted inside or outside the lead slot. As a lead, Meowth can take advantage of a free Nasty Plot turn on a predicted Protect from Pokemon like Snover and Machop. On the other hand, Meowth can be an effective late-game sweeper if used correctly, but it will usually have a difficult time getting a Nasty Plot down.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Swift is Meowt h's primary move, and may catch many physical walls off guard. Water Pulse allows Meowth to hit Rock-types like Aron, Rhyhorn, and Shieldon for super effective damage, as well as having a convenient chance to confuse the opposing Pokemon. The final slot ultimately comes down to which Hidden Power you prefer. Hidden Power Fire allows Meowth to hit its number one counter, Bronzor, while Hidden Power Dark allows it to OHKO Duskull and Gastly almost all of the time. Hypnosis could be used in order to buy Meowth a turn to grab a Nasty Plot boost, but an untimely miss from an unreliable sleep move could spell its doom.</p>
<p>If you opt to use Hidden Power Fire, you'll want Meowth's IVs to be 1 HP / 28 Atk / 29 Def / 30 SpA / 28 Spe to get a 60 Base Power. With the drop of some important IVs, Meowth's EVs should be 4 Def / 200 SpA / 36 SpD / 208 Spe. For Hidden Power Dark, you'll want Meowth's IVs to be 1 HP / 31 Atk / 31 Def / 29 SpA / 31 SpD / 31 Spe to get a 59 Base Power, and EVs to be 204 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe.</p>
<p>Munchlax is the most effective counter to this set since it is n't hit super effectively by Meowth. With high Attack and Special Defense stats, Munchlax can survive a boosted Swift and OHKO back with Return. Gligar works well with Meowth since it can scare away Munchlax, which could help Gligar set up Swords Dance or Rock Polish. Outside of Munchlax, the list of counters depends entirely on what Hidden Power you decide to use. Without Hidden Power Dark, Meowth will have a tough time with Gastly and Duskull. Stunky can effectively trap Gastly, but it can have some difficulty taking down Duskull. If Duskull might be too much to handle, Ponyta would make an excellent partner since it can come in on a predicted Blizzard and proceed to hurt the opponent with its STAB Flare Blitz. If Meowth lacks Hidden Power Fire, Bronzor can come in with relative ease and take Meowth down with two consecutive Flash Cannons. Since this set lacks Taunt, Bronzor could buy a couple of turns to set up Light Screen, Reflect, or Stealth Rock. As previously mentioned, Fire-types are your best bet against Bronzor if you want to keep it at bay.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>For the first set, you will want something to check Steel- types, since they usually give Meowth a tough time. For the most part, you will run into Bronzor leads, so be sure to check them immediately before they start to set up. Ponyta and Magby are two of the best Fire-types in LC, and they can both scare away Bronzor with their high-powered STAB moves. Aron could be problematic if you don't prepare for it since it can deal enormous amounts of damage with Head Smash, but Phanpy or a defensive Gligar can check Aron for the entire match with their STAB Earthquake. Another noteworthy defensive Pokemon that could give Meowth trouble is Duskull. Ponyta is usually your best bet against it since it can absorb Will-O-Wisp and can switch in on Blizzard. Offensively, Elekid can clean up late-game after Meowth has caused some damage with the combination of Fake Out and U-turn. Misdreavus and Gligar also deserve a special mention since they add a Fighting-type switch-in for Meowth, and they can usually set up on Choiced Fighting-types.</p>
<p>The Nasty Plot set will normally lure in Munchlax. Packing Gligar can check Munchlax for the most part because it can scare it away with a STAB Earthquake, and it can take Return from Munchlax thanks to its high Defense stat. Outside of Meowth's tried-and-true counter, Munchlax, the list of counters will depend on which Hidden Power you decide to run. Without Hidden Power Dark, bulky Ghost-types like Duskull will trouble Meowth. Stunky can trap these and other Ghost-types nicely. However, if Duskull proves to be problematic for Stunky, Ponyta can work well since it can come in on Blizzard and can deal damage with Flare Blitz. Without Hidden Power Fire, Bronzor will be a pain, since it can shrug off any attack while striking back with Flash Cannon to bring Meowth down. The lack of Taunt will give Bronzor free turns to set up whatever it wants. The aforementioned Magby and Ponyta can combat Bronzor and generally limit the number of set up turns for it.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>In the lead slot, Meowth can run a Feint set to break through typical Protect leads, and can follow up with Return for the 2HKO most of the time. Meowth can also run Substitute to block Duskul l's Will-O-Wisp. With a number of Protect leads in the tier, getting Substitute down shouldn't be too difficult. A Protect set in conjunction with Focus Sash and Fake Out could help kill time for Meowth, which allows it to break down sweepers who value their time on field, such as Rain Dance teams, Taillow, and Teddiursa. Lastly, Meowth can run a Rain Dance set with Fake Out / Rain Dance / Hypnosis / U-turn. Unlike Voltorb, Meowth has Fake Out to remove Focus Sash from the opponent, along with Hypnosis to put the opponent to sleep while Meowth sets up Rain Dance. U-turn also allows Meowth to successfully bring in your Rain Dance sweepers safely.</p>
<p>Attack-wise, Meowth can run a lot of things. A Last Resort set could work with its high Speed stat and decent Attack stat. The set is almost guaranteed to lure in the omnipresent Ghost-types in the tier, turning Meowth into nice bait for Ghosts and allowing Stunky to trap them. For the most part though, Aipom can do it better since it has a higher Attack stat. The Nasty Plot set can add Fake Out into the mix to bluff and lure the opponent's physical walls in. However, Meowth doesn't have the respectable mixed offensive stats to pull this off successfully. Meowth can run a Choice Band set, but Aipom usually outclasses it since it has a higher Attack stat. Along with a Technician boost, Fury Swipes could also break a Substitute.</p>
[Counters]
<p>For the physical set, Steel-types are troublesome, since Meowth lacks a Fighting-type move to hurt them. Bronzor, Aron, and Shieldon can come in on any hits and hit back with their respective moves. Rock-types like Geodude, Rhyhorn, and Omanyte can check it as well. For the Nasty Plot set, Munchlax is your best thanks to its high Special Defense stat; it can also swiftly KO Meowth with Return. Without Hidden Power Dark, bulky Ghost-types like Duskull can deal with Meowth. Duskull can take any attack save Hidden Power Dark and hit back with Blizzard. If Meowth lacks Hidden Power Fire, Bronzor is your best against it (outside of Munchlax).</p>