[SET]
Wall (Articuno) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Dragon / Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Roost
- Freeze-Dry
- U-turn
- Haze / Roar
[SET COMMENTS]
Articuno's amazing bulk and reliable recovery make it a solid special wall against special attackers like Tatsugiri, Venusaur, and Shaymin in spite of its bad typing, and its ability to blanket check these foes and run reliable recovery differentiates it from more popular walls like Milotic and Goodra. Freeze-Dry has the best combined coverage and reliability of any of Articuno's attacks, dealing good damage against foes like Cramorant and Goodra while deterring physical attackers like Rhydon and Bruxish from switching in. U-turn helps Articuno not be a momentum sink, taking advantage of switch-ins like Paldean Tauros-F and Rotom-H, and its massive special bulk makes it a good defensive pivot against special attackers such as Florges and Alolan Ninetales. Haze and Roar shut down setup sweepers like Calm Mind Dudunsparce and Terastallized Tatsugiri; Haze works against Espeon and doesn't force Articuno to take a hit, while Roar can rack up chip damage from entry hazards and further waste the HP of Substitute users like Uxie. Tera Dragon grants Articuno several new resistances so it can check Fire- and Electric-type special attackers like Delphox, Rotom-H, and Hisuian Electrode. Alternatively, Tera Steel improves Articuno's matchups against Florges and Goodra, the Toxic immunity is good for a wall, and a Rock resistance are excellent for a defensive pivot like Articuno in case it loses its item. However, the newfound weaknesses from Terastallizing can compromise some of Articuno's good matchups, as Tera Dragon makes it vulnerable to Tatsugiri and Ice-type move users like Alolan Ninetales and Milotic, while Tera Steel makes Articuno weak to Earth Power from Dudunsparce, Shaymin, and Venusaur as well as more vulnerable against bulky Ground-types like Mudsdale and Palossand.
Bulkier teams can rely on Articuno as a solid defensive anchor, pivot, and blanket check to special attackers. Physically defensive Pokemon like Mudsdale complement Articuno, appreciating that it can handle special attackers like Tatsugiri and Dudunsparce for them while they answer physical attackers like Arcanine and Rhydon for it. Articuno's reliance on Freeze-Dry and passivity invites in Fire-types, so it appreciates checks to them; Goodra and Rhydon can answer specially offensive Fire-types like Rotom-H and Delphox, while Palossand and Cramorant can answer physically offensive ones like Arcanine and Paldean Tauros-F. Articuno can even bring its Fire-checking partners in to freely take advantage of its checks with U-turn. As a defensive pivot, Articuno excels at bringing in strong wallbreakers like Pawmot, Golurk, and Zoroark on other special walls, such as Dudunsparce and Snorlax. Other wallbreakers like Paldean Tauros-F and Hariyama excel at breaking Alolan Sandslash, which Articuno invites in. Other pivots, including Rotom-H, Hisuian Decidueye, and Ambipom, can form cores with Articuno, catching opponents using defensive cores that include Pokemon like Cramorant, Mudsale, and Palossand in a vortex.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bella.567483/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/yunie.414072/
Grammar checked by:
Wall (Articuno) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Dragon / Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Roost
- Freeze-Dry
- U-turn
- Haze / Roar
[SET COMMENTS]
Articuno's amazing bulk and reliable recovery make it a solid special wall against special attackers like Tatsugiri, Venusaur, and Shaymin in spite of its bad typing, and its ability to blanket check these foes and run reliable recovery differentiates it from more popular walls like Milotic and Goodra. Freeze-Dry has the best combined coverage and reliability of any of Articuno's attacks, dealing good damage against foes like Cramorant and Goodra while deterring physical attackers like Rhydon and Bruxish from switching in. U-turn helps Articuno not be a momentum sink, taking advantage of switch-ins like Paldean Tauros-F and Rotom-H, and its massive special bulk makes it a good defensive pivot against special attackers such as Florges and Alolan Ninetales. Haze and Roar shut down setup sweepers like Calm Mind Dudunsparce and Terastallized Tatsugiri; Haze works against Espeon and doesn't force Articuno to take a hit, while Roar can rack up chip damage from entry hazards and further waste the HP of Substitute users like Uxie. Tera Dragon grants Articuno several new resistances so it can check Fire- and Electric-type special attackers like Delphox, Rotom-H, and Hisuian Electrode. Alternatively, Tera Steel improves Articuno's matchups against Florges and Goodra, the Toxic immunity is good for a wall, and a Rock resistance are excellent for a defensive pivot like Articuno in case it loses its item. However, the newfound weaknesses from Terastallizing can compromise some of Articuno's good matchups, as Tera Dragon makes it vulnerable to Tatsugiri and Ice-type move users like Alolan Ninetales and Milotic, while Tera Steel makes Articuno weak to Earth Power from Dudunsparce, Shaymin, and Venusaur as well as more vulnerable against bulky Ground-types like Mudsdale and Palossand.
Bulkier teams can rely on Articuno as a solid defensive anchor, pivot, and blanket check to special attackers. Physically defensive Pokemon like Mudsdale complement Articuno, appreciating that it can handle special attackers like Tatsugiri and Dudunsparce for them while they answer physical attackers like Arcanine and Rhydon for it. Articuno's reliance on Freeze-Dry and passivity invites in Fire-types, so it appreciates checks to them; Goodra and Rhydon can answer specially offensive Fire-types like Rotom-H and Delphox, while Palossand and Cramorant can answer physically offensive ones like Arcanine and Paldean Tauros-F. Articuno can even bring its Fire-checking partners in to freely take advantage of its checks with U-turn. As a defensive pivot, Articuno excels at bringing in strong wallbreakers like Pawmot, Golurk, and Zoroark on other special walls, such as Dudunsparce and Snorlax. Other wallbreakers like Paldean Tauros-F and Hariyama excel at breaking Alolan Sandslash, which Articuno invites in. Other pivots, including Rotom-H, Hisuian Decidueye, and Ambipom, can form cores with Articuno, catching opponents using defensive cores that include Pokemon like Cramorant, Mudsale, and Palossand in a vortex.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/missangelic.452572/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bella.567483/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/yunie.414072/
Grammar checked by:
Last edited:
