I highly doubt the viability of the Specially Defensive set, especially in this metagame where hazards are set up so easily. Treecko agreed that it wasn't worth getting a set, but I'd like to hear some more thoughts.
Blue Bird
[Overview]
<p>Even with its legendary stats and good STAB combination, Articuno struggles to make an impact with Jynx as its competition. Lacking good offensive options outside of its STAB moves, Articuno cannot shine as a fully offensive Pokemon. Defensively, Articuno has to deal with weaknesses to common types, such as Fire- and Electric-types, and a quadruple weakness to Stealth Rock. Due to its overall good stats, Articuno's best sets combine offense and defense. A combination of decent Speed, reliable recovery, and Pressure allows Articuno to stall out some Pokemon this frosty bird cannot defeat offensively.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Roost
move 4: Substitute / Hidden Power Ground
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In order to avoid competing directly with Jynx as an offensive Ice-type, Articuno takes advantage of its bulk, recovery, and ability in order to stall out opponents; it still remains a powerful offensive threat, which also differentiates it from the top defensive Ice-type, Regice. Ice Beam is Articuno's most reliable STAB move, providing great super effective coverage. Hurricane is less accurate, but is Articuno's most powerful offensive option and allows it to power through bulky Pokemon such as Alomomola. Roost is useful in order to help Aticuno maintain high HP, make use of its great bulk, and mitigate Stealth Rock damage and Life Orb recoil. Substitute is the preferred option for the last slot in order to provide a buffer against status and attacks, and continual use takes advantage of Pressure's ability to PP stall the opponent out of low PP moves such as Stone Edge and Close Combat. However, Hidden Power Ground is also viable if you need Articuno to be able to hit Steel-types reliably.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Leftovers is this set's main item as it allows Articuno to switch into Stealth Rock twice and survive, and it also enables Articuno to make five Substitutes without having to use Roost. Life Orb is also a viable item to enhance Articuno's offensive power, but this set already has decent strength, and the recoil costs it the ability to switch into Stealth Rock as often. Pressure is the only legal ability, which is fine because it is necessary for this set to function at its best. Combined with Roost and Substitute, Articuno can easily stall out moves such as Stone Edge and Close Combat, often removing a Pokemon's only option to hit it hard. Timid is the preferred nature as it allows Articuno to outspeed threats such as Adamant Kangaskhan, Adamant Sawk, and Jolly/Timid Drifblim. Modest is still a usable nature if you wish to 2HKO standard Alomomola with Hurricane, though failing to outspeed these threats can be costly. Pokemon that can prevent Stealth Rock from being set up are very useful to reduce the number of times Articuno has to Roost; it should be noted that this set is less threatened by Stealth Rock than others, as its main goal is to attack things in general. Sawk and Samurott are good teammates to deter common Stealth Rock users from setting up. Ground-type teammates are highly valued as they can threaten Steel-, Electric-, and Fire-types that threaten Articuno; options such as Golurk, Golem, and Seismitoad can also provide Stealth Rock for your team. Seismitoad is notable because it can also use Rain Dance to sweep, which works perfectly with Articuno by improving Hurricane's accuracy. Toxic Spikes support, from teammates such as Roselia and Garbodor, is very useful because it allows Articuno to stall out defensive Pokemon it normally would not be able to, such as Lickilicky and Audino.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Toxic / Protect
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 192 HP / 64 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set focuses more on Articuno's bulk to stall out the opponent's team. Substitute is necessary in order to prevent status from crippling Articuno and to stall out low PP moves such as Stone Edge and Close Combat. Roost is crucial, as it keeps Articuno's HP high enough to continuously make Substitutes and also mitigates Stealth Rock damage. Toxic is the preferred option if your team does not provide Toxic Spikes support, as it allows Articuno to stall out a majority of defensive Pokemon more effectively. It is also a great option even if your team has a Toxic Spikes user, as it guarantees that you can poison your opponents' teams even if they have a grounded Poison-type. Protect is the preferred option if your team can set up Toxic Spikes, as it provides another PP stalling method and a way to scout Choiced Pokemon. Ice Beam provides a reliable STAB move and prevents Articuno from losing to Taunt users.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Leftovers is the only viable item because it allows Articuno to create up to five Substitutes at full HP. Timid is the only choice for a nature because this set needs to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible in order to set up a Substitute before they attack. The HP EVs hit a Leftovers number and, alongside the Special Defense EVs, allow Articuno's Substitute to survive a Sludge Bomb from specially defensive Roselia and a Waterfall from standard Alomomola. Toxic Spikes support, from Pokemon such as Roselia and Garbodor, is pivotal for this set so that Articuno does not need to Toxic the opposing Pokemon itself. Articuno prefers to maintain as much HP as possible, so having teammates to prevent or remove Stealth Rock is important. Sawk and Samurott can help prevent Stealth Rock from being set up, while Rapid Spin users such as Wartortle and Torkoal are options for removing them entirely. As this set has trouble dealing with Regice, Golem is a very useful teammate to threaten it in addition to Fire- and Electric-types.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>A specially defensive set using Roar and Heal Bell is decent, but Regice simply outclasses Articuno as a defensive Ice-type due to Articuno's 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. A Choice Specs set utilizing U-turn can work, but its power still isn't impressive and it can only switch in twice if Stealth Rock is on your field. Icy Wind can slow down faster opponents when they switch in, and Frost Breath can break through Calm Mind users such as Musharna; however, neither option provides much benefit outside of those situations. Articuno can act as a late-game sweeper by using Agility, but it lacks the power to truly sweep teams. Tailwind is an interesting support option, but Articuno doesn't last long enough to warrant a moveslot. Articuno can set up Rain Dance and make use of it with Hurricane, but it can't set up reliably due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Haze can stop an opponent from boosting its stats, but Roar is generally the more efficient option.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Steel-types such as Metang and Probopass wall Articuno unless it carries Hidden Power Ground. Bastiodon is notable, as it carries Roar and Stealth Rock, allowing it to continuously force Articuno out and make it take Stealth Rock damage upon switching back in. Speaking of Stealth Rock, it is the most effective way of keeping Articuno in check, as it strips away half of Articuno's HP, making it harder to use even with access to Roost. Rock Blast users, such as Garbodor and Armaldo, can break through Articuno even if it is behind a Substitute, but the users take a lot of damage from the offensive set in the process. Duosion can set up on the defensive set, but it takes a lot of punishment from the offensive set. A faster physical attacker, such as Tauros or Swellow, or a Fire- or Electric-type can revenge kill Articuno if it doesn't have a Substitute up.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Snow Cloak doesn't benefit Articuno in any way, as it is banned from all standard tiers other than LC and Ubers. Furthermore, Articuno relies on Pressure to help stall out attacks from Pokemon that could otherwise break through it when it runs out of Substitute PP. Overall, Pressure is more useful in every situation.</p>
Blue Bird
[Overview]
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Roost
move 4: Substitute / Hidden Power Ground
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[SET]
name: Defensive SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Toxic / Protect
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 192 HP / 64 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Articuno has the stats to act as both an offensive and defensive threat in the NU tier, and its best sets combine both aspects
- Horrid defensive typing, with a quadruple weakness to Stealth Rock and weaknesses to common types in Fire and Electric
- Thanks to Pressure, Substitute, decent Speed, and reliable recovery, Articuno can stall the PP from several attacks such as Regirock and Sawk.
- Has a decent STAB combination, but doesn't have many other offensive options to work with
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Roost
move 4: Substitute / Hidden Power Ground
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Outclassed by Jynx if used in a completely offensive capacity, but it also has the bulk to stall out Pokemon with low PP attacks, such as Sawk and Regirock.
- Ice Beam is the most reliable STAB move, and has excellent neutral coverage against most of the tier
- Hurricane is a stronger STAB move, but is inaccurate outside of possible Rain
- Roost is important to recover off Life Orb recoil and Stealth Rock damage
- Substitute is preferable in order to block status and help stall out low PP and/or inaccurate moves such as Close Combat and Stone Edge
- Hidden Power Ground is Articuno's best move against Steel-types, though its not useful otherwise
- Leftovers allows Articuno to switch into Stealth Rock twice, and helps Articuno make more Substitutes. Life Orb is also an option for more power, but means that Articuno cannot switch into Stealth Rock and still attack without risking being KOed on the switch in if it gets forced out.
- Pressure is only choice period, but works well with Roost and Substitute to stall out opponents.
- Timid allows you to outpace Adamant Kangaskhan, Adamant Sawk, and Jolly/Timid Drifblim. Modest is viable if you aren't worried about being outpaced by these Pokemon.
- Sawk and Samurott are great teammates to help prevent Stealth Rock from being set up
- Ground-type teammates that can remove Steel-, Electric-, and Fire-types are appreciated, such as Seismitoad, Golurk and Golem. Both can also set up Stealth Rock, while Seismitoad can also set up Rain Dance to give Hurricane perfect accuracy
- Toxic Spikes user are quite useful to allow Articuno to stall out defensive Pokemon that it cannot break easily, such as Lickilicky and Audino. Roselia and Garbodor are both excellent users.
[SET]
name: Defensive SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Toxic / Protect
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 192 HP / 64 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Makes use of Articuno's ability, great defenses, and decent Speed to stall out a large number of Pokemon such as Sawk, special Samurott, and most Grass-types.
- Substitute not only blocks status, but can survive some weak attacks thanks to Articuno's bulk.
- Roost provides Articuno with the recovery needed to deal with Stealth Rock damage and Substitute costs.
- Toxic is important to let Articuno stall out defensive Pokemon such as Lickilicky, Regice, and Audino.
- Protect is a great option if you have Toxic Spikes support, providing even more stalling capabilities alongside Pressure, Substitute, and Roost.
- Ice Beam provides a reliable STAB move to use, and also lets Articuno set up on most Grass-types safely by threatening them out.
- Leftovers is the only choice of item so that Articuno can set up at least 5 Substitutes from max HP.
- Timid is important to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible, since this set doesn't attack very often
- The HP and Special Defense EVs hit a Leftovers number while allowing Articuno's Substitute to survive Sludge Bomb from defensive Roselia and Waterfall from Alomomola.
- Toxic Spikes user are quite useful to allow Articuno to stall out defensive Pokemon that it cannot break easily, such as Lickilicky and Audino. Roselia and Garbodor are both excellent users.
- Something to remove or prevent Stealth Rock is very important as this set relies on having enough HP to continuously stall out Pokemon. Wartortle and Torkoal can provide Rapid Spin, while Sawk and Samurott can help prevent them from being set up
- Specially Defensive set using Roar and Heal Bell is decent, but it is outclassed by Regice as a defensive Ice-type
- Choice Specs with U-turn, but can only switch in 2 times if Stealth Rock is up, and power is not too impressive
- Icy Wind can slow down faster opponents on the switch
- Frost Breath can break through Calm Mind users such as Musharna, but it doesn't do too much otherwise
- Agility can turn Articuno into a decent late game sweeper, but it lacks power to truly clean up teams
- Tailwind can support the team as well, but it doesn't last very long
- It can set up Rain Dance and take advantage of it with Hurricane, but it can't really switch in multiple times with tis Stealth Rock weakness
- Haze can stop set up, but Roar is more reliable
- Steel-types such as Metang and Probopass wall Articuno completely unless it carries HP Ground
- Bastiodon is notable because it carries Roar, allowing it to force Articuno out and take Stealth Rock damage if it comes back in (which Bastiodon sets up).
- Stealth Rock takes away half of Articuno's max HP every time it switches in, making it harder to use even with Roost recovering health.
- Rock Blast users such as Armaldo and Garbodor can break through Articuno even if it has a Substitute up, but the users take a lot of damage from the offensive set in the process
- Duosion can set up on the defensive set, but takes a lot of punishment from the offensive set.
- A faster physical attacker such as Tauros and Swellow, or else a Fire or Electric-type, can all revenge kill Articuno if it doesn't have a Substitute up
[Overview]
<p>Even with its legendary stats and good STAB combination, Articuno struggles to make an impact with Jynx as its competition. Lacking good offensive options outside of its STAB moves, Articuno cannot shine as a fully offensive Pokemon. Defensively, Articuno has to deal with weaknesses to common types, such as Fire- and Electric-types, and a quadruple weakness to Stealth Rock. Due to its overall good stats, Articuno's best sets combine offense and defense. A combination of decent Speed, reliable recovery, and Pressure allows Articuno to stall out some Pokemon this frosty bird cannot defeat offensively.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Roost
move 4: Substitute / Hidden Power Ground
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>In order to avoid competing directly with Jynx as an offensive Ice-type, Articuno takes advantage of its bulk, recovery, and ability in order to stall out opponents; it still remains a powerful offensive threat, which also differentiates it from the top defensive Ice-type, Regice. Ice Beam is Articuno's most reliable STAB move, providing great super effective coverage. Hurricane is less accurate, but is Articuno's most powerful offensive option and allows it to power through bulky Pokemon such as Alomomola. Roost is useful in order to help Aticuno maintain high HP, make use of its great bulk, and mitigate Stealth Rock damage and Life Orb recoil. Substitute is the preferred option for the last slot in order to provide a buffer against status and attacks, and continual use takes advantage of Pressure's ability to PP stall the opponent out of low PP moves such as Stone Edge and Close Combat. However, Hidden Power Ground is also viable if you need Articuno to be able to hit Steel-types reliably.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Leftovers is this set's main item as it allows Articuno to switch into Stealth Rock twice and survive, and it also enables Articuno to make five Substitutes without having to use Roost. Life Orb is also a viable item to enhance Articuno's offensive power, but this set already has decent strength, and the recoil costs it the ability to switch into Stealth Rock as often. Pressure is the only legal ability, which is fine because it is necessary for this set to function at its best. Combined with Roost and Substitute, Articuno can easily stall out moves such as Stone Edge and Close Combat, often removing a Pokemon's only option to hit it hard. Timid is the preferred nature as it allows Articuno to outspeed threats such as Adamant Kangaskhan, Adamant Sawk, and Jolly/Timid Drifblim. Modest is still a usable nature if you wish to 2HKO standard Alomomola with Hurricane, though failing to outspeed these threats can be costly. Pokemon that can prevent Stealth Rock from being set up are very useful to reduce the number of times Articuno has to Roost; it should be noted that this set is less threatened by Stealth Rock than others, as its main goal is to attack things in general. Sawk and Samurott are good teammates to deter common Stealth Rock users from setting up. Ground-type teammates are highly valued as they can threaten Steel-, Electric-, and Fire-types that threaten Articuno; options such as Golurk, Golem, and Seismitoad can also provide Stealth Rock for your team. Seismitoad is notable because it can also use Rain Dance to sweep, which works perfectly with Articuno by improving Hurricane's accuracy. Toxic Spikes support, from teammates such as Roselia and Garbodor, is very useful because it allows Articuno to stall out defensive Pokemon it normally would not be able to, such as Lickilicky and Audino.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Toxic / Protect
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 192 HP / 64 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set focuses more on Articuno's bulk to stall out the opponent's team. Substitute is necessary in order to prevent status from crippling Articuno and to stall out low PP moves such as Stone Edge and Close Combat. Roost is crucial, as it keeps Articuno's HP high enough to continuously make Substitutes and also mitigates Stealth Rock damage. Toxic is the preferred option if your team does not provide Toxic Spikes support, as it allows Articuno to stall out a majority of defensive Pokemon more effectively. It is also a great option even if your team has a Toxic Spikes user, as it guarantees that you can poison your opponents' teams even if they have a grounded Poison-type. Protect is the preferred option if your team can set up Toxic Spikes, as it provides another PP stalling method and a way to scout Choiced Pokemon. Ice Beam provides a reliable STAB move and prevents Articuno from losing to Taunt users.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Leftovers is the only viable item because it allows Articuno to create up to five Substitutes at full HP. Timid is the only choice for a nature because this set needs to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible in order to set up a Substitute before they attack. The HP EVs hit a Leftovers number and, alongside the Special Defense EVs, allow Articuno's Substitute to survive a Sludge Bomb from specially defensive Roselia and a Waterfall from standard Alomomola. Toxic Spikes support, from Pokemon such as Roselia and Garbodor, is pivotal for this set so that Articuno does not need to Toxic the opposing Pokemon itself. Articuno prefers to maintain as much HP as possible, so having teammates to prevent or remove Stealth Rock is important. Sawk and Samurott can help prevent Stealth Rock from being set up, while Rapid Spin users such as Wartortle and Torkoal are options for removing them entirely. As this set has trouble dealing with Regice, Golem is a very useful teammate to threaten it in addition to Fire- and Electric-types.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>A specially defensive set using Roar and Heal Bell is decent, but Regice simply outclasses Articuno as a defensive Ice-type due to Articuno's 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. A Choice Specs set utilizing U-turn can work, but its power still isn't impressive and it can only switch in twice if Stealth Rock is on your field. Icy Wind can slow down faster opponents when they switch in, and Frost Breath can break through Calm Mind users such as Musharna; however, neither option provides much benefit outside of those situations. Articuno can act as a late-game sweeper by using Agility, but it lacks the power to truly sweep teams. Tailwind is an interesting support option, but Articuno doesn't last long enough to warrant a moveslot. Articuno can set up Rain Dance and make use of it with Hurricane, but it can't set up reliably due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Haze can stop an opponent from boosting its stats, but Roar is generally the more efficient option.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Steel-types such as Metang and Probopass wall Articuno unless it carries Hidden Power Ground. Bastiodon is notable, as it carries Roar and Stealth Rock, allowing it to continuously force Articuno out and make it take Stealth Rock damage upon switching back in. Speaking of Stealth Rock, it is the most effective way of keeping Articuno in check, as it strips away half of Articuno's HP, making it harder to use even with access to Roost. Rock Blast users, such as Garbodor and Armaldo, can break through Articuno even if it is behind a Substitute, but the users take a lot of damage from the offensive set in the process. Duosion can set up on the defensive set, but it takes a lot of punishment from the offensive set. A faster physical attacker, such as Tauros or Swellow, or a Fire- or Electric-type can revenge kill Articuno if it doesn't have a Substitute up.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Snow Cloak doesn't benefit Articuno in any way, as it is banned from all standard tiers other than LC and Ubers. Furthermore, Articuno relies on Pressure to help stall out attacks from Pokemon that could otherwise break through it when it runs out of Substitute PP. Overall, Pressure is more useful in every situation.</p>
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