Quality Control Articuno [QC 1/2]

missangelic

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[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 Galarian Articuno, Tatsugiri, and Venusaur 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, Wo-Chien, and Frosmoth. 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. Haze and Roar shut down setup sweepers like Calm Mind Dudunsparce, Terastallized Tatsugiri, and Calm Mind Galarian Articuno; Haze doesn't force Articuno to take a hit, while Roar can rack up chip damage from entry hazards and annoy Substitute users like Frosmoth and 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, Galarian Articuno, and Goodra, and the Toxic immunity and Rock resistance are excellent for a defensive pivot like Articuno. 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 Frosmoth and Milotic, while Tera Steel makes Articuno weak to Earth Power from Dudunsparce and Venusaur as well as more vulnerable to 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 and Wo-Chien complement Articuno, appreciating that it can handle special attackers 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 Bellibolt, 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. 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 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/

Grammar checked by:
 
Last edited:
Happy Pride Month. I love queers. (:
[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 to special attackers like Galarian Articuno, Tatsugiri, and Venusaur. (I personally feel like you need to mention its nicheness- Its typing is fucking awful and it suffers extremely heavy competition from the likes of Milotic / Wo-Chien / Frosmoth / etc. Mention its big use is having the fattest defenses of them all.) Freeze-Dry has the best combined coverage and reliability of any of Articuno's attacks, dealing solid to great 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. Haze and Roar shut down setup sweepers like Calm Mind Dudunsparce, Terastallized Tatsugiri, and Calm Mind Galarian Articuno; Haze doesn't force Articuno to take a hit, while Roar can rack up chip damage from entry hazards and annoy Substitute users like Frosmoth and Grimmsnarl (Don't like this example cause BU Grimm is p uncommon these days, using another example like SD Qwilfish or smth is probably better.). 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, Galarian Articuno, and Goodra, and the poison Toxic immunity and Rock resistance are excellent for a defensive pivot like Articuno. (Mention the dissadvantages of teraing; Dragon makes you fail at any Ice-type coverage while Steel is nice but makes u helpless vs Grounds who can take a Freeze-Dry.)

Bulkier teams can rely on Articuno as a solid defensive anchor, pivot, and blanket check to special attackers. Physically defensive Pokemon like Mudsdale and Wo-Chien complement Articuno, appreciating that it can handle special attackers for them while they answer physical attackers (I feel like you probably wanna mention some examples here? Cause like, theres defo Physical Attackers Arti can handle on its own (like Decid, Bombird, Bonnet, etc) 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 Bellibolt, 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, Choice Band Arcanine (This is relatively niche tech imo, something like Golurk is probably better here.), and Zoroark. Other wallbreakers like Paldean Tauros-F, Hariyama, and Golurk 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 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/

Grammar checked by:
1/2 when this is done, nice work!
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