Feint Attack (move)

Feint Attack だましうち Sneak Attack

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

Feint Attack (Japanese: だましうち Sneak Attack), spelled as Faint Attack prior to Generation VI, is a damage-dealing Dark-type move introduced in Generation II. The English TCG has consistently spelled the move as "Feint Attack".

Effect

Feint 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. The user approaches the target disarmingly, then throws a sucker punch. This attack never misses.

Learnset

By leveling up

#	Pokémon		Type		Level
					I		II		III		IV		V		VI
037		Vulpix	Fire		Fire												20	20
052		Meowth	Normal		Normal	28			28	25	22				22			22
053		Persian	Normal		Normal	29			29	25	22				22			22
126		Magmar	Fire		Fire							16				16	12	12
185		Sudowoodo	Rock		Rock	37			41			25				25	19	19
197		Umbreon	Dark		Dark	36			36			36				36	21	20
198		Murkrow	Dark	Flying	31			35			35				35			35
207		Gligar	Ground	Flying	28			28			23				23	19	19
215		Sneasel	Dark	Ice	25			25			14				14	10	10
216		Teddiursa	Normal		Normal	22			25			15				15			15
217		Ursaring	Normal		Normal	22			25			15				15			15
228		Houndour	Dark	Fire	27			37			35				32			32
229		Houndoom	Dark	Fire	30			43			38				35			35
240		Magby	Fire		Fire							16				16	12	12
274		Nuzleaf	Grass	Dark				31			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			29
302		Sableye	Dark	Ghost				29			32				32			32
303		Mawile	Steel	Fairy				26			26				26			26
327		Spinda	Normal		Normal				12			14				14			14
328		Trapinch	Ground		Ground				17			17				17	7	7
329		Vibrava	Ground	Dragon				--, 17			--, 17				--, 17	--, 7	--, 7
330		Flygon	Ground	Dragon				--, 17			--, 17				--, 17	--, 7	--, 7
331		Cacnea	Grass		Grass				29			29				29			29
332		Cacturne	Grass	Dark				29			29				29			29
352		Kecleon	Normal		Normal				7			7				7			7
353		Shuppet	Ghost		Ghost				37			28				28	22	22
354		Banette	Ghost		Ghost				39			28				28	22	22
431		Glameow	Normal		Normal							17				17			17
432		Purugly	Normal		Normal							17				17			17
436		Bronzor	Steel	Psychic							41				41	21	21
437		Bronzong	Steel	Psychic							50				50	21	21
438		Bonsly	Rock		Rock							25				25	19	19
442		Spiritomb	Ghost	Dark							7				7			7
453		Croagunk	Poison	Fighting							17				17			17
454		Toxicroak	Poison	Fighting							17				17			17
455		Carnivine	Grass		Grass							27				27			27
461		Weavile	Dark	Ice							14				14	10	10
467		Magmortar	Fire		Fire							16				16	12	12
472		Gliscor	Ground	Flying							23				23	19	19
491		Darkrai	Dark		Dark									29	29			'
557		Dwebble	Bug	Rock											13			13
558		Crustle	Bug	Rock											13			13
559		Scraggy	Dark	Fighting											9			9
560		Scrafty	Dark	Fighting											--, 9			--, 9
570		Zorua	Dark		Dark											17			17
571		Zoroark	Dark		Dark											17			17
574		Gothita	Psychic		Psychic											24			24
575		Gothorita	Psychic		Psychic											24			24
576		Gothitelle	Psychic		Psychic											24			24
585		Deerling	Normal	Grass											16			16
586		Sawsbuck	Normal	Grass											16			16
590		Foongus	Grass	Poison											20			20
591		Amoonguss	Grass	Poison											20			20
624		Pawniard	Dark	Steel											17			17
625		Bisharp	Dark	Steel											17			17
629		Vullaby	Dark	Flying											23			23
630		Mandibuzz	Dark	Flying											23			23
658		Greninja	Water	Dark														33
690		Skrelp	Poison	Water														5
691		Dragalge	Poison	Dragon														5
708		Phantump	Ghost	Grass														19
709		Trevenant	Ghost	Grass														19
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	Fairy
177		Natu	Psychic	Flying
193		Yanma	Bug	Flying
198		Murkrow	Dark	Flying
209		Snubbull	Fairy		Fairy
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.

Special 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.

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.

In other games

Pokémon Conquest

Faint Attack is the only move of Sneasel and Scraggy.

In the anime

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	Getting Past 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, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Trivia

Old animation for the move

• At Pokémon Festa 2002, the early animation for the attack showed that the background didn't change.

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 Furtivo 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.