Feint Attack (move)

Faint Attack だましうち Sneak Attack

File:Faint Attack.png

Battles Type  Dark Category  Physical PP  20 (max. 32) Power  60 Accuracy  —% Priority  0 Makes contact Affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Not affected by Snatch Affected by King's Rock

Range Opponent Opponent Opponent Self Ally Ally Normal: May affect anyone adjacent to the user

Availability Introduced  Generation II Not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.

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

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

Contest Spectaculars Condition  Smart Appeal  0   Jamming  0

On Smogon's Movedex: Generation II Generation III Generation IV Generation V Generation VI Generation VII Generation VIII Generation IX

Faint Attack (Japanese: だましうち Sneak Attack) is a damage-dealing Dark-type move introduced in Generation II.

Effect

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

Description

Games Description A Dark-type attack. The move catches the opponent off guard, so it never misses. An attack that never misses. RSE Draws the foe close, then strikes without fail. FRLG The user draws up close to the foe disarmingly, then hits without fail. Draws the target close, then strikes without fail. The user draws up to the foe disarmingly, then throws a sucker punch. It hits without fail. Conq The user approaches the target disarmingly, then throws a sucker punch. It hits without fail.

Learnset

By leveling up

#	Pokémon		Type		Level
					I		II		III		IV		V		VI
037		Vulpix	Fire		Fire												20	'
052		Meowth	Normal		Normal	28			28	25	22				22			'
053		Persian	Normal		Normal	29			29	25	22				22			'
126		Magmar	Fire		Fire							16				16	12	'
185		Sudowoodo	Rock		Rock	37			41			25				25	19	'
197		Umbreon	Dark		Dark	36			36			36				36	21	''''
198		Murkrow	Dark	Flying	31			35			35				35			''''
207		Gligar	Ground	Flying	28			28			23				23	19	'
215		Sneasel	Dark	Ice	25			25			14				14	10	''''
216		Teddiursa	Normal		Normal	22			25			15				15			'
217		Ursaring	Normal		Normal	22			25			15				15			'
228		Houndour	Dark	Fire	27			37			35				32			''''
229		Houndoom	Dark	Fire	30			43			38				35			''''
240		Magby	Fire		Fire							16				16	12	'
274		Nuzleaf	Grass	Dark				31			31				31			''''
275		Shiftry	Grass	Dark							--				--			''''
287		Slakoth	Normal		Normal				19			19				19			'
289		Slaking	Normal		Normal				19			19				19			'
300		Skitty	Normal		Normal				27			25		29	29			'
302		Sableye	Dark	Ghost				29			32				32			''''
303		Mawile	Steel		Steel				26			26				26			'
327		Spinda	Normal		Normal				12			14				14			'
328		Trapinch	Ground		Ground				17			17				17	7	'
329		Vibrava	Ground	Dragon				--, 17			--, 17				--, 17	--, 7	'
330		Flygon	Ground	Dragon				--, 17			--, 17				--, 17	--, 7	'
331		Cacnea	Grass		Grass				29			29				29			'''
332		Cacturne	Grass	Dark				29			29				29			''''
352		Kecleon	Normal		Normal				7			7				7			'
353		Shuppet	Ghost		Ghost				37			28				28	22	'
354		Banette	Ghost		Ghost				39			28				28	22	'
431		Glameow	Normal		Normal							17				17			'
432		Purugly	Normal		Normal							17				17			'
436		Bronzor	Steel	Psychic							41				41	21	'
437		Bronzong	Steel	Psychic							50				50	21	'
438		Bonsly	Rock		Rock							25				25	19	'
442		Spiritomb	Ghost	Dark							7				7			''''
453		Croagunk	Poison	Fighting							17				17			'
454		Toxicroak	Poison	Fighting							17				17			'
455		Carnivine	Grass		Grass							27				27			'
461		Weavile	Dark	Ice							14				14	10	''''
467		Magmortar	Fire		Fire							16				16	12	'
472		Gliscor	Ground	Flying							23				23	19	'
491		Darkrai	Dark		Dark									29	29			''''
557		Dwebble	Bug	Rock											13			'
558		Crustle	Bug	Rock											13			'
559		Scraggy	Dark	Fighting											9			''''
560		Scrafty	Dark	Fighting											--, 9			''''
570		Zorua	Dark		Dark											17			''''
571		Zoroark	Dark		Dark											17			''''
574		Gothita	Psychic		Psychic											24			'
575		Gothorita	Psychic		Psychic											24			'
576		Gothitelle	Psychic		Psychic											24			'
585		Deerling	Normal	Grass											16			'
586		Sawsbuck	Normal	Grass											16			'
590		Foongus	Grass	Poison											20			'
591		Amoonguss	Grass	Poison											20			'
624		Pawniard	Dark	Steel											17			''''
625		Bisharp	Dark	Steel											17			''''
629		Vullaby	Dark	Flying											23			''''
630		Mandibuzz	Dark	Flying											23			''''
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By breeding

#	Pokémon		Type		Father
					II		III		IV		V		VI
016		Pidgey	Normal	Flying
021		Spearow	Normal	Flying
037		Vulpix	Fire		Fire
041		Zubat	Poison	Flying
050		Diglett	Ground		Ground
084		Doduo	Normal	Flying
127		Pinsir	Bug		Bug
163		Hoothoot	Normal	Flying
174		Igglybuff	Normal		Normal
177		Natu	Psychic	Flying
193		Yanma	Bug	Flying
198		Murkrow	Dark	Flying
209		Snubbull	Normal		Normal
290		Nincada	Bug	Ground
296		Makuhita	Fighting		Fighting
355		Duskull	Ghost		Ghost
359		Absol	Dark		Dark
451		Skorupi	Poison	Bug
509		Purrloin	Dark		Dark
559		Scraggy	Dark	Fighting
588		Karrablast	Bug		Bug
595		Joltik	Bug	Electric
621		Druddigon	Dragon		Dragon
631		Heatmor	Fire		Fire
632		Durant	Bug	Steel
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By Move Tutor

#	Pokémon		Type		Game
					FRLG	E	XD
151		Mew	Psychic		Psychic						✔
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move.

By event

Generation II

#   Pokémon Type Obtained with 0115 Kangaskhan Normal New York Pokémon Center 0240 Magby Fire New York Pokémon Center 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 V

#   Pokémon Type Obtained with 0021 Spearow Normal Flying Dream World - Windswept Sky Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

In the anime

File:Houndour Faint Attack.png Houndour Cacturne Sudowoodo Sneasel
The Pokémon distracts the foe, then attacks while their guard is down.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	Sudowoodo jumps into the air while the opponent isn't looking, and while the opponent looks for it, Sudowoodo kicks it.
A wild Sudowoodo	Type Casting		Debut
	Houndour runs to the opponent on the right or left side, then it disappears, and appears on the opposite side of the opponent.
Ralph's Houndour	Ariados, Amigos		None
	Sneasel walks up to the opponent, points somewhere to the side. When the opponent looks, Sneasel attacks it.
Harrison's Sneasel	Pop Goes the Sneasel		None
	Cacturne sneaks up behind the opponent while it's not looking and kicks it, or Cacturne floats into the air at the opponent and kicks it.
Harley's Cacturne	A Cacturne for the Worse		None

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Sneasel
The user intimidates the opponent, then attacks it when it flinches.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Sneasel stares the opponent menacingly, and when the opponent flinches, it scratches it with its claws in an 'X'-like formation.
Silver's Sneasel	Elekid Incorperated		Debut
	Houndour disappears and turns invisible. It then attacks the opponent while invisible.
The Masked Man's Houndour	Delibird Delivery - 2		None
	Persian charges at the opponent and stabs it with one of its front paws.
Miles's Persian	Oh, It's Ho-Oh!		None
	Umbreon charges at the opponent and stabs it with one of its paws, or Umbreon charges to the opponent's side and jumps, kicking it with one of its legs.
Karen's Umbreon	The Last Battle VII		None
Greta's Umbreon	VS. Shedinja		None
	Slaking lays down with its back turned against the opponent. It then raises one of its fists without looking and smashes it into the opponent from above.
The Battle Factory's Slaking	VS. Pinsir		None
	Sableye dashes at the opponent at lightning fast speed and kicks it with both of its feet.
Jupiter's Sableye	VS. Gastrodon		None

In other Generations

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD:Time, Darkness, andSky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Trivia

• This move's in-game descriptions and its Japanese name, along with several other depictions and translations, suggest that its English name contains a misspelling of the word feint, deceitful movement.
  • This is not the case in the TCG, where it is consistently referred to as Feint Attack.
• Faint Attack and its variations are tied with Quick Attack, its variations, Hyper Beam, and its variations with the largest number of variations to a single move.

In other languages

Language Title Mandarin Chinese 虛晃一招 Xūhuàng​ Yīzhāo Finnish Tajukangastus (JLC) Huimaushyökkäys (MQ) Pyörrytys (AG) French Feinte German Finte Greek Αντιπερισπασμός Hindi नकली वार Nakli Waar Indonesian Serangan Tipuan Italian Finta Korean 속여때리기 Sok'yeo Ttaerigi Brazilian Portuguese Ataque de Traição Ataque Ligeiro Ataque Falso Serbian Tihi Napad Spanish Latin America Engaño Spain Finta

Variations of the move Swift
Feint Attack • Shadow Punch • Aerial Ace • Magnet Bomb Swift • Magical Leaf • Shock Wave

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.