Glameow Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Return is this set's main STAB move; with its high Base Power, it hits for good neutral damage when boosted by Life Orb. Sucker Punch is a strong priority move that, when used with Glameow's high Speed, can revenge kill weakened threats easily, especially Pokemon that are weak to it such as Abra and Gastly. Fake Out is used mainly to do a decent amount of chip damage. In order for the move to be used again, however, Glameow must be switched in multiple times. Knock Off is a valuable move in LC that can potentially cripple any Pokemon hit with it; thanks to Glameow's high Speed, few Pokemon in the metagame can outpace it and others are almost guaranteed to be hit, even if Glameow is KOed in the process. Play Rough is a Fairy-type coverage move that can hit Fighting- and Dark-types hard on the switch in. Standard bulky Mienfoo, for example, is KOed by Play Rough after a hit with Fake Out, while standard Timburr is 2HKOed by Play Rough. Finally, U-turn can be used on predicted switches to gain momentum or to get Glameow out of tough matchups. Set Details Maximum Attack EVs and Life Orb ensure that Glameow inflicts maximum damage on its foes. Maximum Speed EVs and a Jolly nature allow Glameow to hit 19 Speed, letting it Speed tie with Abra and Ponyta as well as outspeed all 17 and 18 Speed Pokemon. The stray point in Defense ensures that Glameow is not OHKOed by Timburr's unboosted Mach Punch from full health, allowing it to respond before being KOed by Life Orb recoil in a worst-case scenario. The 1 IV in HP brings Glameow's HP down to 19, minimizing Life Orb recoil by making it only subtract 1 HP per attack; this is crucial because Glameow relies on Life Orb to deal as much damage as it can. Limber isn't a stellar ability, but it has niche uses, allowing Glameow to safely switch in on paralysis-inducing moves like Snubbull's or Porygon's Thunder Wave and Cottonee's Stun Spore. Usage Tips This Glameow set fully takes advantage of Glameow's potential as a hit-and-run attacker. Due to reduced Life Orb recoil, you shouldn't be afraid to use Fake Out whenever possible to deal damage and keep Glameow safe. U-turn can be used similarly to predict incoming switches. However, be wary against Ferroseed, Ponyta, and Larvesta; these Pokemon can easily take Glameow's weaker attacks and add on residual damage that reduces Glameow's longevity in the battle. In the case of a Flame Body burn, Glameow gets shut down completely. After switching into Fake Out, standard bulky variants of Mienfoo will be KOed by Play Rough, so be sure to predict incoming Mienfoo if you're running Play Rough. Knock Off can be used to great effect as well; in the worst-case scenario, Glameow's high Speed allows it to Knock Off a key threat in a game before it can react. Fake Out when used in conjunction with Sucker Punch can revenge kill weakened threats; pay special attention to opponents' Abra or Gastly, which are weak to Sucker Punch and are easily picked off after hazard damage. Glameow's offenses are lackluster, however; don't expect to be able to revenge kill healthy threats. Try not to switch Glameow into any damaging attacks, if possible. Its extremely poor bulk means it can't take hits and perform its role at the same time, even if Life Orb does less recoil. However, being a Normal-type, Glameow can switch in on a predicted Shadow Ball from Gastly or Abra and set up for a revenge kill. Due to Limber, Glameow can also switch in on Snubbull, Porygon, and Cottonee if they attempt to use a paralysis-inducing move. Use this opportunity to use Fake Out or Knock Off to add extra damage on these defensive threats. Team Options Entry hazard stackers in LC such as Dwebble, Ferroseed, and Onix can add extra residual damage on the opponent's side, making it easier for Glameow to pick off weakened Pokemon with Return and Sucker Punch. Onix specifically has the merit of being able to shut down other hazard setters with a fast Taunt, giving Glameow extra breathing room when switching in. That being said, Rapid Spin or Defog support increases Glameow's longevity in a battle, as a lack of entry hazards on your side allows Glameow to switch in and out freely. As entry hazards can help Glameow perform its role in a battle, Pokemon that can disrupt or punish hazard removal, such as Defiant Pawniard and spinblockers such as Pumpkaboo and other Ghost-types, can be a great help. Bulky, defensive pivots such as Ponyta, Spritzee, Foongus, and Acrobatics variants of Mienfoo can easily switch in on common counters to Glameow; Ponyta's burn potential with Flame Body and Will-O-Wisp, combined with its excellent bulk, allows it to stave off physical attackers such as Pawniard and Mienfoo that threaten Glameow with high-powered STAB attacks. Spritzee and Foongus wall Fighting-types bar Croagunk. Acrobatics Mienfoo can be a good Knock Off absorber that can also check other Fighting-types like Timburr and the aforementioned Croagunk, as well as other Foongus. Late-game cleaners such as Pawniard, Corphish, and Timburr can always benefit from repeated hit-and-run damage, as it weakens the Pokemon they need to sweep through. Finally, trappers such as Diglett and Gothita can effectively trap and KO Flame Body users such as Larvesta and Ponyta, as well as the pesky Ferroseed.

Fake Out and U-turn are good ways for Glameow to deal quick damage with minimal risk, making it a good lead. Sucker Punch is very important for Glameow as well, as it is a priority move that hits Ghost-types, i.e. something that Meowth doesn't have. Hypnosis is the main choice for the fourth moveslot due to the high potency of sleep. If the low accuracy is a turn-off, then Return could be used as a powerful STAB move. Quick Attack can be used for added priority. Duskull and Frillish can all burn Glameow and use their non-attacking moves to stall out Sucker Punch's PP. Vullaby can set up on these threats, so it is a good teammate for Glameow. Timburr and Mienfoo can use their Fighting-type attacks to easily KO Glameow. Duskull does a fantastic job of checking these Fighting-types, so it is a suitably fantastic teammate. Magnemite is a good teammate for Glameow as well, as it can trap and KO Ferroseed, which easily walls this set.

Work Up is a decent way for Glameow to take advantage of its high Speed, giving it a way to boost its offenses enough to attempt a sweep. Return has good neutral coverage and is a powerful STAB move. Sucker Punch is a good priority move and hits Ghost-types that are immune to Return. Hidden Power Fire is in the last slot, mainly to hit Ferroseed as well as other Steel-types. Ghost-types with non-attacking moves such as Duskull are a problem again, and Stunky is especially useful here as getting rid of said Ghost-types with Pursuit can open up a path for Glameow to sweep. Bulky Fighting-types can tank a Return and use Drain Punch to both KO and heal back a lot of their lost HP. Duskull and Frillish make good teammates for Glameow for their ability to handle Fighting-types. Any Pokemon that lacks a weakness to Sucker Punch that holds a Choice Scarf, such as Chinchou and Snover, can revenge kill Glameow as well.

Nearly anything with a STAB-boosted Fake Out is a good candidate for a Fake Out lead set, and Glameow is no exception. When using a Life Orb, Glameow's Fake Out will be doing considerable damage to most leads, while stopping them from doing anything in return. Fake Out also works well with Sucker Punch, often allowing it to take out most leads with a one-two attack combination. U-turn makes Glameow a useful Fake-turner, allowing you to scout for counters and weaken them at the same time. The fourth move choice is a matter of preference. Quick Attack gives Glameow yet another priority move to abuse but, if Gastly and other Ghost-type Pokemon are ruining your day, using Shadow Claw can severely hurt them. However, to come out on top against such Ghost-type Pokemon like Gastly, you will have to predict perfectly and use Sucker Punch on their attack and Shadow Claw when they use Substitute. The choice between Life Orb and Focus Sash depends on whether you want more power behind your attacks or if you want to survive a powerful hit in the lead spot. If you are using a Life Orb, reduce your HP IV to 0 in order to reduce recoil to 1 HP per attack. Optimally, Glameow's teammates should be able to deal with troublesome opposing leads. Mantyke does this best, as it is capable of switching into Hippopotas and Phanpy easily (watch out for Head Smash), and can also switch into Snover in a pinch. Bronzor also switches into many troublesome leads easily, and can take advantage of them to set up Stealth Rock or screens. When not using Shadow Claw, Stunky can make for a useful midgame teammate, dispatching Ghost-types who can switch into Glameow for free. Glameow appreciates the removal of Steel- and Ghost-types such as Bronzor and Misdreavus. Magnemite, Stunky, and Choice Scarf Houndour do a good job at removing those two, allowing Glameow to wreak havoc. Since Glameow's main role is that of a priority revenge killer, it pairs well with powerful sweepers who lack priority to finish off their weakened targets. Gastly, Mantyke and Cranidos make good partners as they take down Glameow's counters with relative ease. Defensively, Glameow is more of a hit-and-run Pokemon, so having bulky Pokemon to switch into the battlefield is recommended. Glameow also benefits from having its side of the field clear of Stealth Rock and Spikes, as they drastically reduce Glameow's survivability, especially when Life Orb is factored in. As such, Glameow should be paired with Taunt leads such as Voltorb or Gligar, or Pokemon with Rapid Spin such as Staryu and Squirtle, when not used in the lead position.