"Cold! As! Ice! You know that you are
Cold, cold, as, as, ice, as cold as ice to me
Cold, cold, as, as, ice"
Overview
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- + Great Defense and Special Defense
- + Great HP
- + Strong Special Attack
- - Ice / Flying typing is weak to many threats in NU such as Archeops, Typhlosion, Electivire, Magmortar.
- + Pressure good ability for stalling
- - Very weak to Stealth Rocks
- - sub par Speed
- - Cryogonal is much nicer Special Attacker and faster
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name: Offensive
move 1: Freeze Dry
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Roost
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / U-turn / Substitute
ability: Pressure
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
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- Freeze Dry is a reliable STAB for Water-,Flying-, and Grass-types
- Hurricane reliable for Grass and Bug types, useful for Fighting types as well
- Roost to recover health
- Hidden Power Ground for Electric-types, Fire-types, Steel and Rock too, good coverage.
- U-turn can be used to deal damage while escaping from battle to avoid more damage.
- Alternatively Substitute can be used for SubRoosting stalling opponents out.
Set Details
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- Max HP and Speed fore maximum offensive presence against threats
- Life Orb to boost damage output.
- Alternatively Leftovers can be used to regain HP, Articuno will need its health to be high at all times, Articuno benefits from gradually recovering HP each turn especially with its Ice / Flying-typing.
- Agility can be utilized instead to allow investments in Special Defense instead.
Usage Tips
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- Use Hurricane for huge hits against opponents, especially against Lilligant, Leafeon, and Ludicolo. Ludicolo will usually be out with Rain allowing Articuno to capitalize on 100% accurate Hurricanes. Spam Hurricane against Sawk, Gurdurr, or Hariyama as well.
- Roost when on low health, Roosting takes away flying neutrality and makes Articuno an Ice-type, be weary of Roosting on a Fighting-type as they may use a fighting move.
- If using Substitute, Roost afterwords to regain HP. Remember only Roost if you THINK that Roost will allow you to keep your substitute.
- Spam Freeze-Dry on Water-types such as Ludicolo, Samurott, and Feraligatr.
- Alternatively after setting up a substitute, spam Freeze Dry and Hurricane against the opponent.
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- Sandslash for Rapid spinning hazards away against opponents. Articuno's typing makes it a huge target when Stealth Rock is out. Sandslash is needed to get rid of Stealth Rock to prevent Articuno from suffering huge amounts of damage. Kabutops is also a viable choice as a spinner. Kabutops also resists Fire-types fairly well allowing it to handle them with ease, in case of an emergency.
- Seismitoad is a strong partner as well effectively taking out all potential threats that Articuno faces whether this be Fire-types such as Pyroar, to Klinklang with the utilization of Earth Power. Seismitoad is also immune to Electric-types giving it the edge as a teammate for Articuno. In return Articuno resists Grass-types fairly well and has no problem taking them out.
- Offensive presences such as Feraligatr, to set up and sweep opponents. Electivire is useful for absorbing Electric-moves with its ability, Articuno also protects Electivire from Ground-moves due to its immunity to the ground. Magmortar is also a useful teammate for taking out Steel-types utilizing Flamethrower or Fire Blast. Magmortar can also utilize Focus Blast against Rock-types as well.
SubToxic
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name: SubToxic
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Substitute
move 3: Roost
move 4: Freeze-Dry
ability: Pressure
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 124 SpD / 136 Spe
nature: Calm
Moves
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- Freeze Dry to hit pesky Water-types effectively but also SE against grass types.
- Roost to recover HP Back, Articuno's typing isn't the strongest so recovery.
- Substitute to help Articuno stay protected against opponents, and to stall out foes.
- Toxic to poison foes causing them to take increasing levels of damage.
Set Details
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- 248 HP / 124 SpD / 136 Spe to allow Articuno space to outspeed opponents while still playing to its strong Special Defense.
- Alternatively, Special Defense can be maxed out instead of outspeeding opponents Pokemon.
- Outruns max Speed neutral base 70s (Modest Samurott / Ludicolo).
- Leftovers to recover HP back every turn
- Calm Nature to maximize Special Defense decrease in Attack.
Usage Tips
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- Toxic opponents, but take notice on what Pokemon to Toxic, as some Pokemon can outspeed Articuno, and use Substitute effectively defeating this moveset.
- Roost against opponents when versing them Pressure will help cut their moves in half they'll run out
- Sub stall with Toxic
- Freeze Dry opponents.
- Avoid Steel-types at all costs, switch out, Articuno has absolutely nothing to take out Steel-types in this set. Its best to switch into a Pokemon such as Seismitoad being resistant to Steel- and Fire-types as well.
- In conjunction with Pressure, use Subsitute against Pokemon with moves that can be Super effective to Articuno such as Stone Edge and Fire Blast, this allows them four oppertunities to attack Articuno with a chance at missing a move.
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- Rapidspinners such as Sandslash crucial for Stealth Rock. Sandslash is also immune to Electricity making it perfect for switching in on Electric-types. Kabutops can also be used as a rapid spinner resisting Fire-types, Articuno shields it from Grass- and Ground-types as well.
- Other Offensive Teammates: Feraligatr, is dangerous setting up with either Swords Dance or Dragon Dance, effectively becoming a Sweeper capable of wiping out the opponents team, often taking care of dangerous Rock-types such as Archeops. Lilligant, Typhlosion is a great partner that can take out Steel-types for Articuno. Along with Typhlosion, Magmortar is also very useful being able to utilize Focus Blast and Flamethrower against Steel-types such as Klinklang and Steelix.
- Seismitoad, one of the best partners for Articuno resisting its weakenss's being able to take out threats easily. Immune to Electricity! In return Articuno resists Grass-moves allowing the two to switch in and out against threats such as Electivire, and Lanturn.
Other Options
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- Tailwind
- Ice Beam
- Ice Shard
- Defog
- Heal Bell
- Haze
- Agility
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**Fire-types**: Magmortar and Typhlosion have no problem breaking through Articuno's defenses with their strong Special Attack. Magmortar can access both Fire Blast and Thunderbolt causing huge damage against Articuno. Choice Specs Modest Typhlosion can OHKO specially defensive Articuno. Pyroar is also very dangerous against Articuno with access to Flamethrower and Will-O-Wisp applying pressure while dealing damage.
**Stealth Rock**: Due to Articuno's unique Ice / Flying-type, Articuno is plagued by Stealth Rocks, as it takes 50% damage from Stealth Rock. This leaves Articuno in a very scary position, especially against faster Pokemon that can capitalize on it.
**Steel-types**: Klingklang and Steelix can utilize moves such as Gear Grind, Iron Head which are very deadly against Articuno. Klingklang can also utilize Wild Charge while Steelix has access to Stone Edge and Rock Slide, effectively 2HKO'ing Articuno. Both Klingklang and Steelix resist Ice- and Flying-types and are also immune to Toxic.
**Rock-types**: Regirock and Archeops are extremely dangerous against Articuno. Regirock's access to Rock Slide and resistance to Ice- and Flying- moves can cause Articuno to faint fairly quickly. On top of this, Regirock can set up with Curse and can remove status inflictions with Rest. Archeops, with its vigorous speed can utilize Rock Slide as well, but can OHKO Articuno with Head Smash. Probopass is also dangerous, resisting Ice- and Flying-types as well as hitting super effective STAB moves, and also can access Stealth Rock as well.
**Bulky Walls**: Walls such as Audino, Muk, and even Ferroseed are problematic towards Articuno, all posing their own status inflictions as well as having strong defenses to contain any amount of offense that Articuno boasts. Easily stalling Articuno in its tracks with very little risk.
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