[OVERVIEW]
Meowth is a niche revenge killer with the combination of Technician-boosted Fake Out + Feint to handle Choice Scarf users like Vulpix, Porygon, and Mienfoo offensively. It can also check frail fast threats like Abra and Grookey. It also has a great matchup against hyper offense teams like sun, Spikes-stack, and dual screens due to its ability to waste turns and cripple frail sweepers. Meowth can threaten bulkier Pokemon such as Koffing and Staryu with Fake Out into Double-Edge, if these have been chipped or hit with Knock Off beforehand, allowing it to threaten bulky offense teams. However, Meowth is extremely frail and vulnerable to fainting if it cannot KO the foe, and priority users like Grookey can easily revenge kill it if they survive Feint. Pokemon with Regenerator such as Mareanie and Foongus, as well as Steel-types like Pawniard and Ferroseed, can play around Meowth to negate progress. Most importantly, however, Meowth is almost entirely outclassed as a revenge killer by Grookey, which has much stronger priority in Grassy Glide and can opt to run Fake Out if necessary.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Feint
move 3: Double-Edge
move 4: Water Pulse / U-turn
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Naughty / Adamant
evs: 236 Atk / 36 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
ivs: 19 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out helps to soften up Pokemon and revenge kill most weakened foes without Protect. If it is not enough to KO these, Feint can finish the job. Fake Out also breaks Sturdy and Focus Sash reliably, as well as helping against opposing priority users, such as weakened Timburr. Double-Edge is Meowth's strongest move; combined with Fake Out, it turns Meowth into a powerful wallbreaker, but it should be used sparingly due to the large amounts of recoil it can rack up. Water Pulse hits Onix, Dwebble, and Archen. With Fake Out, Meowth can beat SturdyJuice Onix and Dwebble as well. U-turn can be run over Water Pulse to escape bad matchups against Pokemon like Pawniard and Ferroseed. Additionally, not many Pokemon can tank Fake Out into Double-Edge, so Meowth can force many switches. It can take advantage of this to maintain momentum with U-turn. Knock Off can be run to weaken its checks, as Meowth can lure in Fighting- and Steel-types like Timburr and Ferroseed, which don't appreciate losing their Eviolite. Knock Off also prevents Regenerator cores from blocking Meowth.
Set Details
========
Technician increases the power of Meowth's low BP moves, and Life Orb is used to boost its otherwise lacking power. 36 SpA EVs allow Meowth to KO Archen after Fake Out chip damage, and 19 HP IVs are used to limit Life Orb recoil. A Naughty nature strengthens Meowth's STAB moves and doesn't weaken Water Pulse, but U-turn variants should run an Adamant nature and an EV spread of 236 Atk / 76 Def / 196 Spe.
Usage Tips
========
Meowth is extremely frail, so it shouldn't switch into attacks. Instead, aim to get it into the field through slow U-turns, double switches, or revenge killing opportunities. Faster Pokemon like Abra can run Protect—try to scout their sets to use Meowth's priority effectively. Feint can break through Protect, leaving them vulnerable to another Feint. Meowth can take the most advantage of its toolkit mid- or late-game when the opposing team is sufficiently weakened, so take care to preserve it until then. Always try to scout Onix and Dwebble to ensure you don't hit Weak Armor sets with Fake Out or Sturdy sets with Water Pulse. Making the right choice can potentially mean eliminating an entry hazard lead. U-turn variants should try to predict when Steel- and Fighting-types that wall Meowth, such as Pawniard and Timburr, might come in to maintain momentum.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard setters like Dwebble, Ferroseed, and Onix synergize well with Meowth chipping the opponent's team, especially if it carries U-turn. Knock Off users like Pawniard and Mienfoo allow Meowth to threaten even bulky teams, as few itemless Pokemon can take Fake Out into Double-Edge after entry hazards. Meowth appreciates having pivots such as Mienfoo and Grookey to guarantee a safe switch-in, chip foes, and maintain offensive momentum. If running Water Pulse, try pairing it with Pokemon that appreciate the removal of Rock-types like Ponyta to form wallbreaking cores. Meowth is entirely walled by Steel-types such as Pawniard, Ferroseed, and Magnemite, so partners like Mienfoo, Timburr, and Trapinch can take care of these.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Aerial Ace gives Meowth a better matchup against Fighting-types like Mienfoo and Timburr. A Naive or Jolly nature can be run to hit 19 Speed. However, Meowth already has a good matchup against 19 and 18 Speed Pokemon with Fake Out and Feint, and it misses out on the power of an Attack-boosting nature.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Since Pawniard, Ferroseed, and Magnemite resist Meowth's STAB moves and aren't weak to Water Pulse, they use it as a free turn for entry hazards, setup, or Volt Switch.
**Bulky Priority Users**: Pokemon like Pawniard and Trapinch can tank Fake Out + Feint and retaliate with their own priority, so Meowth cannot use Double-Edge. Because Meowth often gets worn down quickly, even weak priority like Mienfoo's Fake Out can threaten it late-game.
**Fighting-types**: Timburr and Mienfoo can survive or prevent Fake Out + Double-Edge and OHKO or hit it with Mach Punch. Less common Fighting-types such as Croagunk can also force it out. Fighting-types must be wary of Aerial Ace, however.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Choice Scarf users like Mienfoo, Porygon, and Vulpix can threaten Meowth out after it has used Fake Out.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[zizalith, 410251]]
- Quality checked by: [[DC, 449990], [Nineage, 195129], [KSG, 32350]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [DC, 449990]]
Meowth is a niche revenge killer with the combination of Technician-boosted Fake Out + Feint to handle Choice Scarf users like Vulpix, Porygon, and Mienfoo offensively. It can also check frail fast threats like Abra and Grookey. It also has a great matchup against hyper offense teams like sun, Spikes-stack, and dual screens due to its ability to waste turns and cripple frail sweepers. Meowth can threaten bulkier Pokemon such as Koffing and Staryu with Fake Out into Double-Edge, if these have been chipped or hit with Knock Off beforehand, allowing it to threaten bulky offense teams. However, Meowth is extremely frail and vulnerable to fainting if it cannot KO the foe, and priority users like Grookey can easily revenge kill it if they survive Feint. Pokemon with Regenerator such as Mareanie and Foongus, as well as Steel-types like Pawniard and Ferroseed, can play around Meowth to negate progress. Most importantly, however, Meowth is almost entirely outclassed as a revenge killer by Grookey, which has much stronger priority in Grassy Glide and can opt to run Fake Out if necessary.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Feint
move 3: Double-Edge
move 4: Water Pulse / U-turn
item: Life Orb
ability: Technician
nature: Naughty / Adamant
evs: 236 Atk / 36 SpA / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
ivs: 19 HP
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Fake Out helps to soften up Pokemon and revenge kill most weakened foes without Protect. If it is not enough to KO these, Feint can finish the job. Fake Out also breaks Sturdy and Focus Sash reliably, as well as helping against opposing priority users, such as weakened Timburr. Double-Edge is Meowth's strongest move; combined with Fake Out, it turns Meowth into a powerful wallbreaker, but it should be used sparingly due to the large amounts of recoil it can rack up. Water Pulse hits Onix, Dwebble, and Archen. With Fake Out, Meowth can beat SturdyJuice Onix and Dwebble as well. U-turn can be run over Water Pulse to escape bad matchups against Pokemon like Pawniard and Ferroseed. Additionally, not many Pokemon can tank Fake Out into Double-Edge, so Meowth can force many switches. It can take advantage of this to maintain momentum with U-turn. Knock Off can be run to weaken its checks, as Meowth can lure in Fighting- and Steel-types like Timburr and Ferroseed, which don't appreciate losing their Eviolite. Knock Off also prevents Regenerator cores from blocking Meowth.
Set Details
========
Technician increases the power of Meowth's low BP moves, and Life Orb is used to boost its otherwise lacking power. 36 SpA EVs allow Meowth to KO Archen after Fake Out chip damage, and 19 HP IVs are used to limit Life Orb recoil. A Naughty nature strengthens Meowth's STAB moves and doesn't weaken Water Pulse, but U-turn variants should run an Adamant nature and an EV spread of 236 Atk / 76 Def / 196 Spe.
Usage Tips
========
Meowth is extremely frail, so it shouldn't switch into attacks. Instead, aim to get it into the field through slow U-turns, double switches, or revenge killing opportunities. Faster Pokemon like Abra can run Protect—try to scout their sets to use Meowth's priority effectively. Feint can break through Protect, leaving them vulnerable to another Feint. Meowth can take the most advantage of its toolkit mid- or late-game when the opposing team is sufficiently weakened, so take care to preserve it until then. Always try to scout Onix and Dwebble to ensure you don't hit Weak Armor sets with Fake Out or Sturdy sets with Water Pulse. Making the right choice can potentially mean eliminating an entry hazard lead. U-turn variants should try to predict when Steel- and Fighting-types that wall Meowth, such as Pawniard and Timburr, might come in to maintain momentum.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard setters like Dwebble, Ferroseed, and Onix synergize well with Meowth chipping the opponent's team, especially if it carries U-turn. Knock Off users like Pawniard and Mienfoo allow Meowth to threaten even bulky teams, as few itemless Pokemon can take Fake Out into Double-Edge after entry hazards. Meowth appreciates having pivots such as Mienfoo and Grookey to guarantee a safe switch-in, chip foes, and maintain offensive momentum. If running Water Pulse, try pairing it with Pokemon that appreciate the removal of Rock-types like Ponyta to form wallbreaking cores. Meowth is entirely walled by Steel-types such as Pawniard, Ferroseed, and Magnemite, so partners like Mienfoo, Timburr, and Trapinch can take care of these.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Aerial Ace gives Meowth a better matchup against Fighting-types like Mienfoo and Timburr. A Naive or Jolly nature can be run to hit 19 Speed. However, Meowth already has a good matchup against 19 and 18 Speed Pokemon with Fake Out and Feint, and it misses out on the power of an Attack-boosting nature.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Since Pawniard, Ferroseed, and Magnemite resist Meowth's STAB moves and aren't weak to Water Pulse, they use it as a free turn for entry hazards, setup, or Volt Switch.
**Bulky Priority Users**: Pokemon like Pawniard and Trapinch can tank Fake Out + Feint and retaliate with their own priority, so Meowth cannot use Double-Edge. Because Meowth often gets worn down quickly, even weak priority like Mienfoo's Fake Out can threaten it late-game.
**Fighting-types**: Timburr and Mienfoo can survive or prevent Fake Out + Double-Edge and OHKO or hit it with Mach Punch. Less common Fighting-types such as Croagunk can also force it out. Fighting-types must be wary of Aerial Ace, however.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Choice Scarf users like Mienfoo, Porygon, and Vulpix can threaten Meowth out after it has used Fake Out.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[zizalith, 410251]]
- Quality checked by: [[DC, 449990], [Nineage, 195129], [KSG, 32350]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [DC, 449990]]
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