Articuno [QC 0/3]

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[OVERVIEW]

  • Articuno has natural bulk in HP and Defense as well as a really great Special Defense Stat.
  • Serves as specially defensive wall and a Stall Breaker.
  • Serves also as specially defensive wall against common stall breakers like Sigilyph and Meloetta
  • Pressure helps cripple pokemon that rely on low PP moves like Gyro Ball and Fire Blast.
  • Stall Breaks most of the tiers common walls bar Mega Steelix and Rhyperior.
  • Has a hard time dealing with any Steel type as well as faster fire types.
  • Weak to stealth rock which severely hinders its viability.
  • Movepool for support is very diverse allowing different roles to be played.
  • Typing is a hindrance defensively.
  • Does require more support than some other pokemon in the tier.
  • Great supportive movepool
  • Stops some set-up
[SET]
name: SubToxic Wall
move 1: Freeze-dry
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 116 SpD / 144 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

  • Is effective at both stalling low PP moves like Gyro Ball and Fire Blast and stalling breaking common walls in the tier Substitute to block status and Taunt and roost for keeping it's HP up.
  • Roost keeps Articuno's HP consistently up so Articuno can endure more attacks.
  • Substitute is used over protect to avoid getting crippled by status effects like toxic and burn and it can be used constantly whereas protect has a chance to fail after consistent use.
  • Freeze-dry is used over ice beam since some of the more common walls in the tier are water-types.
  • Freeze Dry also helps as offensive pressure to pokemon such as Samurott and Clawitzer who threaten Articuno by breaking its Substitutes.
  • Toxic is amazingly great since it can break down walls that the rest of your team may have a hard time dealing.

Set Details
========

  • Set allows Articuno to outspeed adamant max speed Tyrantrum and other base 80 with out a plus speed nature such as modest Samurott.
  • HP investment minimizes Stealth Rock so if needed it will be possible to switch in twice.
  • The rest of the EVs go into making Articuno as bulky as possible
  • Leftovers is there to help recover health making sure Articuno an pull up more subs which is needed for proper PP stalling and making sure Articuno can
  • Articuno can switch into a Modest Samurott after Stealth Rock and live the hit same for Scalds from Clawitzer.
  • Calm Nature is used to help support Articuno's already great special defense.

Usage Tips
========

  • Articuno can play a different role every battle.
  • It is very important to analyze the opponent's team and see what role Articuno does against the opponent like for example, do you need to nullify Mega Camerupt's Fire Blast to make switching in easier?
  • Articuno handles most common walls like Alomomola, Amoonguss, Aromatisse, and etc. either though toxic or freeze-dry
  • Articuno needs support to break steel-types and faster fire and electric-types as well as Defog support so Articuno can come in and not have to worried about getting killed after Stealth Rocks are removed.
  • Articuno is a pokemon that has a few roles during the match and once those roles are complete Articuno makes for a great sacrifice to get free switch ins.
  • It is not recommended to roost without a Substitute up on common walls due to the fact Articuno might get statused and start losing usefulness by not being able to stay for as long as it wants.
  • Articuno's special defense is suburb even being able to take heavy hits after Stealth Rocks and live be able to Roost stall moves like Hydro Pump
  • Articuno can switch into a Sucker Punch and make it use 2 PP which can be important for stopping sweeps. Sucker Punch only has 8 PP.

Team Options
========

  • Defensive Flygon compliments Articuno by being able to wall strong Physical Attackers who threaten Articuno like Emboar and Tyrantrum as well as having Defog
  • Articuno has no way of touching steel types so pokemon like Dugtrio who can trap them or Mega Camerupt who deals a lot damage no matter what support Articuno substantially.
  • Mega Steelix can bait in water-types for Articuno as well as set up Stealth Rocks and take hits from Tyrantrum and Escalivier
  • Toxic Spikes are really good since a lot of pokemon can't break Articuno's substitutes forcing switch outs and making it easier to stall out.
  • Any Rapid Spinner or Defogger helps Articuno not get broken down by Stealth Rocks.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

  • Articuno can run Heal Bell over Substitute to not lose lose damage but it fails to PP stall Stone Edge and Fire Blast most of the time.
  • Articuno can run Hurricane or Ice Beam over Freeze-dry for more damage but being able to hit water-types like Jelicent and Samurott is too important to pass up.
  • Articuno does get Agility and two great STABs being Hurricane and Freeze-dry making it a potential Late Game Sweeper but it is very difficult to fit onto teams and overall is just a lot worse than other sweepers in the tier.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Faster Rock Types** Articuno can't get a Substitute fast enough and could get killed by a Head Smash/Rock Slide/Stone Edge. If Articuno can get Substitute up and enough HP it can effectively PP stall Head Smash and Stone Edge.

**Fire Types** Pokemon like Scarf Emboar and Houndoom could easily beat Articuno but Articuno can stall out Fire Blast if needed if Articuno is running the SubToxic Set.

**Steel Types** Articuno cannot touch steel types and even worse is set-up bait for SD Escavalier and Durant.

**Electric Types** All they have to do is stay in and choose Thunderbolt. Articuno has good special defense but can't handle most STAB Thunderbolts on it's own.

**Physical Wallbreakers** Pokemon like Hitmonlee and Medicham will be able to outspeed Articuno and exploit Articuno's pretty not so great defense.

**Stealth Rock** This takes Articuno's HP down to half on the switch meaning that it will hard for Articuno to set up Substitute or Sweep at so low of HP.

**Infiltrator Pokemon** A lot of Articuno's usage is based around using Substitute to block status or to deplete PP but any Infiltrator user go right through a Substitute.

**Faster Taunt Users** These pokemon can stop Articuno's vast supportive and defensive sets.
 
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Hey, I'm glad you are so enthused about writing this analysis, unfortunately the analysis should be in bullet format until it is qc approved by 2 members, then it is written up and qced by a third member. This is what I mean by bulleted format. You can probably save this in a word document or something, and it will make writing it up easier at the end.

As for the analysis itself, I think Heal Bell should be slashed with Substitute, if not the primary slash in that slot, I'm not completely sure, but I think that Haze may be deserving of a slash somewhere, if not it at least deserves a mention in moves (probably less relevant now that Reuniclus is not in the tier).

I'm not convinced the offensive agility set should be any more than Other Options, Freeze-dry + Hurricane is really good offensively, but its just such an obnoxious pokemon to fit onto offensive teams. I'll let someone else comment on that.
 
I have some experience with this Pokemon, so I figured I should contribute in some way haha. Nice to see this get an analysis. Oh, and take this with a grain of salt; I'm not QC or anything.

In the Overview, you state that Pressure lowers Recover PP, which is incorrect. Pressure only lowers the PP of moves directed at the Pokemon with Pressure, so moves like Substitute, Swords Dance, etc are not affected. While Articuno can play as a special wall, SubToxic Articuno also plays as a stallbreaker, so at least a mention of this should be in the Overview. Some mentions of competition Articuno gets for this role, such as Sigilyph (especially Flame Orb CM, damn that set's good), SubBU Braviary, and SubCM Meloetta would be nice. SubToxic Articuno needs significantly more support compared to fellow stallbreakers, so that would be nice to include.

In Moves, I would mention what Freeze-Dry hits. Clawitzer and Samurott are important targets. It's also useful for Jellicent (for instance, if Articuno's Sub gets weakened, then it can Taunt Articuno, break its Sub, then try to burn it with Will-O-Wisp. However, with Freeze-Dry, this is much harder to accomplish. It's also easier to break Jellicent with it when it taunts Articuno after setting up a Sub). Also, Substitute is SUPER important for blocking status, so mention this. Heal Bell is also a nice move I've been playing around with, and that may be deserving of a slash.

Mention Leftovers and Pressure in Set Details. Also mention that you outpace Modest Samurott. You can switch in on this, even with Stealth Rock up, and Roost on it. Best thing Modest Samurott can do is hope for a crit.

In Team Options, mention what Dugtrio can KO for Articuno (Delphox, Houndoom, Durant, weakens Mega Camerupt, Mega Steelix). I would also mention more teammates for Articuno. For example, Mega Steelix baits in Water-types for Articuno, sets rocks to help it whittle stuff down, and can take hits from Pokemon like Tyrantrum and Escavalier.

Agility Articuno seems like a terrible set, but you should get that checked out by QC first.

I really hope you flesh out Checks and Counters a lot more. I won't comment on too much here, but what you stated about Electric-types isn't exactly true. Eelektross loses to Articuno most of the time and Scarf Rotom-C isn't strong enough to break Articuno with Thunderbolt, since it does about 54% max. Also, a lot of physical attackers that break Articuno like Medicham and Hitmonlee don't need a Choice Scarf.

Hope this helps n_n

Edit: I wrote this before llamas posted :P
 
Thanks Spirit, for the recommendations. I will ad your set and remove the agility set since everyone is saying it isn't that good.

So just a list of changes being made

  • + Special Defensive Wall Set
  • - Agility Set
  • + Small revamp on Team Options including Flygon specifically.
  • + New strawpoll seeing which set is better.
  • + Revamp on the Other Options set.
 
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