QC: / /
GP: /
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- Articuno has incredible bulk, allowing it to take on a multitude of Pokemon, such as Quagsire, Gurdurr and Liligant. This allows it to be a very effective pivot
- Nasty 4x weakness to Stealth Rock
- Pressure combined with Substitute and Roost allows it to stall out moves with low PP, such as Stone Edge
- Reliable recovery in Roost
- Can be beaten by many top threats, such as Typhlosion and Archeops
- Articuno also has two strong STAB moves in the form of Hurricane and Ice Beam
- It has very nice speed for a defensive Pokemon
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name: SubRoost
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Hurricane / Protect
move 4: Ice Beam / Freeze Dry
ability: Pressure
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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- Substitute allows Articuno to dodge status, and combined with Pressure can be used to stall out moves with low PP
- Roost keeps Articuno constantly healthy, allowing it to make more substitutes
- Hurricane is a strong STAB move, coming off of Articuno's decent 95 base Special Attack
- Protect helps with PP stalling, and can be used to scout against choice locked Pokemon
- Ice Beam is another solid STAB move, hitting Pokemon like Virizion and Rhydon
- Freeze Dry is super effective against Water-type Pokemon, but is a little bit weaker than Ice Beam
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- Maximum Special Attack allows Articuno to hit as hard as possible with two strong STAB moves
- 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature let Articuno outspeed as many Pokemon possible, to set up a Substitute before they can attack
- Leftovers is the only item considered, as it allows Articuno to create more Substitutes
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- Try to keep Articuno high on health, so it can make lots of Substitutes
- Use Roost whenever Articuno is low on health
- Against moves that can miss or have low PP, keep using Substitute until they either miss, or run out of PP. Pressure is very helpful in these situations
- If entry hazards are on the field, use Articuno's decent offensive presence to force lots of switches and rack up residual damage
- Do not let Articuno get statused, as it has no way of curing itself, and all status effects are very crippling to it. Will-O-Wisp and Toxic slowly wear it down, while paralysis takes away one of it's best assets - it's speed.
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- Mega Steelix helps take Rock- and Electric-type attacks, but must be wary of Fire-type attacks. Articuno also wards off most special attackers, thanks to it's decent special bulk
- A way of getting rid of entry hazards is critical, due to Articuno's crippling weakness to Stealth Rock. Prinplup is a reliable defogger, but it shares an Electric-type weakness with Articuno
- Articuno despises Stealth Rock, so Pokemon such as Samurott are appreciated to take on common entry hazards setters
- Toxic Spikes support makes it easier for the opposing team to be worn down, so Roselia is also a good partner. However, they share a Fire-type weakness
- A cleric such as Mega Audion is also a good teammate to have, as Articuno has no way of removing status, and is easily crippled by it. Mega Audino can also pass wishes to it, keeping it constantly healthy
3 Attacks + Roost
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name: 3 Attacks + Roost
move 1: Freeze Dry / Ice Beam
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: U-Turn
move 4: Roost
ability: Pressure
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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- Freeze Dry hits Pokemon such as Seismitoad and Mantine
- Ice Beam is a strong STAB move that has more power than Freeze Dry, but cannot hit Water-types super effectively
- Hurricane is Articuno's strongest STAB move, hitting Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Virizion
- U-Turn allows Articuno to act as a pivot, and can confer momentum from the opponent
- Roost enables Articuno to stay healthy constantly, so that it can take hits repeatedly. It also remedies Articuno's Stealth Rock problem a bit
- Hidden Power Ground is also an option to hit Steel-type such as Klinklang
Set Details
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- Max Speed and Special Attack let Articuno hit fast and hard
- Life Orb increases Articuno's damage output
- Timid allows Articuno to outspeed Pokemon such as Jolly Feraligar and Adamant Sawk
Usage Tips
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- Life Orb and Stealth Rock can wear down Articuno, so make sure to Roost whenever it gets low on health
- Try to use Articuno's offensive pressure to force the opponent to switch, and use U-Turn to gain momentum
- Use entry hazards to wear down the opposing team so that Articuno has an easier time breaking through it
- Try not to get Articuno statused, as Articuno is neutered by burn, poison, and paralysis
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- Prinplup is a great partner, as it can reliably defog hazards away, and it can set up Stealth Rock to weaken switch-ins to Articuno
- Pokemon that can stop Stealth Rock from being set up are also good partners, Pokemon in this category include Samurott and Sawk
- Ground-types are also great teammates, as they can threaten the Steel-, Fire-, and Electric-type Pokemon that threaten Articuno.
- Seismitoad can set up Stealth Rock, while also setting up Rain Dance, allowing it to sweep, and improving Hurricane's accuracy
- Toxic Spikes support from Pokemon like Garbodor is also great to have, as it can slowly wear down bulkier walls, so that Articuno can muscle past them
- A cleric such as Mega Audino is appreciated, as Articuno lacks a way of getting rid of status.
Other Options
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- Articuno can run an offensive set, however, there are much better Special Attackers in the tier
- Toxic can also be used on a SubRoost set to make stalling easier, however, it makes Articuno a bit more passive
- Rain Dance weakens Fire-type moves, while also giving Articuno a 100% accurate Hurricane
- Articuno can also run an Agility sweeping set, however, it lacks immediate wallbreaking power, making it hard to sweep
Checks & Counters
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**Super effective attacks**: Super effective attacks from Pokemon such as Archeops, Typhlosion, and Heliolisk can easily take Articuno down. However, Archeops has trouble switching in on Freeze Dry or Ice Beam.
**Rock-type Pokemon**: Rock-type Pokemon resist Hurricane, and don't take too much damage from Ice Beam. Pokemon like Carracosta and Archeops can easily OHKO with their STAB moves, while Carracosta can use Articuno as set up bait for Shell Smash. However, Carracosta does not appreciate Freeze Dry, and things can get tricky if Stone Edge misses. Archeops cannot reliably switch in on an Ice Beam or Freeze Dry.
**Special Walls**: Special walls such as Mega Audino don't really care about Articuno's attacks, while they can take time to heal themselves.
**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock shaves off half of Articuno's HP every time it switches in, weakening it's staying power by a lot. This is why hazard removal is very crucial for teams running Articuno.
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