Faint Attack (move)

Faint Attack だましうち Sneak Attack

The user draws up to the foe disarmingly, then throws a sucker punch. It hits without fail.

Battles Type  Dark Category  Physical PP  20 (max. 32) Power  60 Accuracy  —% Priority  {{{priority}}} Makes contact Affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Not affected by Snatch Affected by BrightPowder Affected by King's Rock

Target Foe Foe Self Ally May affect anyone but the user

Availability Introduced  Generation II Not a TM, HM, or move tutor move.

Contests Category  Smart Appeal  2 ♥♥ Jam  0 The appeal works great if performed first.

Super Contests Category  Smart Appeal  2 ♥♥ Earn +2 if the Pokémon performs last in the turn.

Faint Attack on Legendary Pokémon MoveDex Faint Attack on Eevee's Movedex

Faint Attack (Japanese: だましうち Sneak Attack) is a damage-dealing Dark-type move introduced in Generation II. The Japanese name and animated depictions suggest the English name is a misspelled reference to the fencing term "feint".

Effect

Faint Attack inflicts damage, and is unaffected by modifications to the Accuracy stat and Evasion stat. It will not hit a Pokémon during the semi-invulnerable turn of moves such as Dig, Fly and Dive.

In the anime

Harrison's Sneasel using Faint Attack.

Sneasel attacking Totodile while it was off guard.

The Pokémon distracts the foe, then attacks while their guard is down.

Pokémon

Sneasel. Sneasel walks up to the foe, points somewhere, and then tells the foe to 'look at that' (even though nothing is there). Sneasel then punches its foe while its guard is down.

• Used by Harrison's Sneasel in Pop Goes the Sneasel!.

Learnset

Generation II

By leveling up

#		Pokémon	Type		Level
052		Meowth	Normal		28
053		Persian	Normal		29
185		Sudowoodo	Rock		37
197		Umbreon	Dark		36
198		Murkrow	Dark	Flying	31
207		Gligar	Ground	Flying	28
215		Sneasel	Dark	Ice	25
216		Teddiursa	Normal		22
217		Ursaring	Normal		22
228		Houndour	Dark	Fire	27
229		Houndoom	Dark	Fire	30
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By breeding

#		Pokémon	Type		Father
016		Pidgey	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
021		Spearow	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
037		Vulpix	Fire		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom
041		Zubat	Poison	Flying	Murkrow
050		Diglett	Ground		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom
084		Doduo	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
163		Hoothoot	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
174		Igglybuff*	Normal		Snubbull, Granbull
177		Natu	Psychic	Flying	Murkrow
209		Snubbull	Normal		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution gets STAB from this move. *Indicates Pokémon that can only learn the move through chain breeding.

Generation III

By leveling up

#		Pokémon	Type		Level
052		Meowth	Normal		25FRLG
052		Meowth	Normal		28RSE
053		Persian	Normal		25FRLG
053		Persian	Normal		29RSE
185		Sudowoodo	Rock		41
197		Umbreon	Dark		36
198		Murkrow	Dark	Flying	35
207		Gligar	Ground	Flying	28
215		Sneasel	Dark	Ice	25
216		Teddiursa	Normal		25
217		Ursaring	Normal		25
228		Houndour	Dark	Fire	37
229		Houndoom	Dark	Fire	43
274		Nuzleaf	Grass	Dark	31
275		Shiftry	Grass	Dark	-- 31
287		Slakoth	Normal		19
289		Slaking	Normal		19
300		Skitty	Normal		27
302		Sableye	Dark	Ghost	29
303		Mawile	Steel		26
327		Spinda	Normal		12
328		Trapinch	Ground		17
329		Vibrava	Ground		-- 17
330		Flygon	Ground	Dragon	-- 17
331		Cacnea	Grass		29
332		Cacturne	Grass	Dark	29
352		Kecleon	Normal		7
353		Shuppet	Ghost		37
354		Banette	Ghost		39
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By breeding

#		Pokémon	Type		Father
016		Pidgey	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
021		Spearow	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
037		Vulpix	Fire		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom Nuzleaf Slakoth, Slaking Skitty Mawile Spinda Kecleon
041		Zubat	Poison	Flying	Murkrow
050		Diglett	Ground		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom Nuzleaf Slakoth, Slaking Skitty Mawile Spinda Kecleon
084		Doduo	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
127		Pinsir	Bug		Gligar Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon
163		Hoothoot	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
174		Igglybuff	Normal		Skitty Mawile
177		Natu	Psychic	Flying	Murkrow
209		Snubbull	Normal		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom Nuzleaf Slakoth, Slaking Skitty Mawile Spinda Kecleon
290		Nincada	Bug	Ground	Gligar Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon
296		Makuhita	Fighting		Sableye Spinda Cacnea, Cacturne
355		Duskull	Ghost		Shuppet Banette
359		Absol	Dark		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom Nuzleaf Slakoth, Slaking Skitty Mawile Spinda Kecleon
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution gets STAB from this move. *Indicates Pokémon that can only learn the move through chain breeding.

By move tutor

In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

#		Pokémon	Type
151		Mew	Psychic
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

Generation IV

By leveling up

#		Pokémon	Type		Level
052		Meowth	Normal		22
053		Persian	Normal		22
126		Magmar	Fire		16
185		Sudowoodo	Rock		25
197		Umbreon	Dark		36
198		Murkrow	Dark	Flying	35
207		Gligar	Ground	Flying	23
215		Sneasel	Dark	Ice	14
216		Teddiursa	Normal		15
217		Ursaring	Normal		15
228		Houndour	Dark	Fire	35
229		Houndoom	Dark	Fire	38
240		Magby	Fire		16
274		Nuzleaf	Grass	Dark	31
275		Shiftry	Grass	Dark	--
287		Slakoth	Normal		19
289		Slaking	Normal		19
300		Skitty	Normal		25DP
300		Skitty	Normal		29Pt
302		Sableye	Dark	Ghost	32
303		Mawile	Steel		26
327		Spinda	Normal		14
328		Trapinch	Ground		17
329		Vibrava	Ground		-- 17
330		Flygon	Ground	Dragon	-- 17
331		Cacnea	Grass		29
332		Cacturne	Grass	Dark	29
352		Kecleon	Normal		7
353		Shuppet	Ghost		28
354		Banette	Ghost		28
431		Glameow	Normal		17
432		Purugly	Normal		17
436		Bronzor	Steel	Psychic	41
437		Bronzong	Steel	Psychic	50
438		Bonsly	Rock		25
442		Spiritomb	Ghost	Dark	7
453		Croagunk	Poison	Fighting	17
454		Toxicroak	Poison	Fighting	17
455		Carnivine	Grass		27
461		Weavile	Dark	Ice	14
467		Magmortar	Fire		16
472		Gliscor	Ground	Flying	23
491		Darkrai	Dark		29Pt
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By breeding

#		Pokémon	Type		Father
016		Pidgey	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
021		Spearow	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
037		Vulpix	Fire		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel, Weavile Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom Nuzleaf, Shiftry Slakoth, Slaking Skitty Mawile Spinda Kecleon Glameow, Purugly
041		Zubat	Poison	Flying	Murkrow
050		Diglett	Ground		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel, Weavile Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom Nuzleaf, Shiftry Slakoth, Slaking Skitty Mawile Spinda Kecleon Glameow, Purugly
084		Doduo	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
127		Pinsir	Bug		Gligar, Gliscor Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon
163		Hoothoot	Normal	Flying	Murkrow
174		Igglybuff	Normal		Skitty Mawile
177		Natu	Psychic	Flying	Murkrow
193		Yanma	Bug	Flying	Gligar, Gliscor Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon
198		Murkrow	Dark	Flying	Murkrow
209		Snubbull	Normal		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel, Weavile Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom Nuzleaf, Shiftry Slakoth, Slaking Skitty Mawile Spinda Kecleon Glameow, Purugly
290		Nincada	Bug	Ground	Gligar, Gliscor Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon
296		Makuhita	Fighting		Magmar, Magmortar Sableye Spinda Cacnea, Cacturne Croagunk, Toxicroak
355		Duskull	Ghost		Shuppet, Banette Spiritomb
359		Absol	Dark		Meowth, Persian Umbreon Sneasel, Weavile Teddiursa, Ursaring Houndour, Houndoom Nuzleaf, Shiftry Slakoth, Slaking Skitty Mawile Spinda Kecleon Glameow, Purugly
451		Skorupi	Poison	Bug	Gligar, Gliscor Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution gets STAB from this move. *Indicates Pokémon that can only learn the move through chain breeding.

In other languages

• French: Feinte
• Spanish: Finta
• Italiano: Finta
• German: Finte

Variations on the move Swift
	Faint Attack | Aerial Ace | Shadow Punch | Magnet Bomb
	Swift | Magical Leaf | Shock Wave

This move article is part of Project MoveDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each move.