[OVERVIEW]
Articuno’s Blizzard is the strongest attack in RBY that is not Explosion or Hyper Beam. It can even outdamage Mewtwo’s mighty Psychic against neutral targets if both are unboosted. Articuno specializes in tearing huge holes in opposing teams, achieving things like 3HKOs on Mew and Snorlax, 2HKOs on Tauros, Exeggutor, and Zapdos, and clean OHKOs on Rhydon and Golem. Blizzard is very easy to spam, as even resistant Pokemon usually take noticeable damage. The move also comes with a nice chance to freeze and disable a foe for the rest of the game. Articuno also is decently bulky and can take a few strong attacks. For example, Tauros's Body Slam usually takes less than a quarter of its health, assuming it does not get a critical hit.
However, Articuno's movepool is abysmal, with almost exclusively Ice- and Normal-type moves to choose from. The latter come off of its mediocre Attack stat, leaving it unable to deal with certain bulky Pokemon like Cloyster and Starmie. Articuno is also rather slow, requiring paralysis support or an Agility in order to function effectively against faster Pokemon. Articuno's low Speed also prevents it from functioning as a good lead, as it is outsped by common leads like Gengar, Jynx, and Starmie. These weaknesses can make Articuno hard to fit on teams at times. Still, Articuno's devastating Blizzard will reward you handsomely for the compensation it needs.
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Hyper Beam / Double-Edge
move 3: Rest
move 4: Agility
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Blizzard will hit most everything harder than any other move in the game can, so Articuno will use it the most by far. Hyper Beam gives Articuno better odds to defeat Chansey, as Blizzard + Hyper Beam deals a minimum of 59% of damage to it, while also dealing massive damage to Jynx. Double-Edge can be used if Articuno wants to avoid Hyper Beam recharge mind games, but the recoil damage can easily put it into KO range of other threats. Rest allows Articuno to stick around for much longer and fire off more Blizzards. Agility lets Articuno outspeed the entire unboosted metagame and ignore the Speed drop from paralysis. It also makes Articuno less reliant on team paralysis support.
Articuno is best used early-game to rip holes into the opposing team with the sheer power of Blizzard, as even Water-types are afraid of switching into Blizzard because of its freeze chance. Switch Articuno in against weaker attacks, such as Chansey's attacks bar Thunderbolt, or on a predicted Earthquake from opposing Mew, Snorlax, or Tauros. It can also switch in against Earthquake from Rhydon or Golem, but it must be very careful, as Rock Slide from either can OHKO Articuno. However, if it manages to come in on their Earthquakes, Articuno will either OHKO them or force them out and do massive damage to something else. Articuno can also be used to absorb paralysis, since it can use Rest later to heal itself or use Agility to negate the Speed drop. Once Articuno is on the field, it should use Blizzard as often as it can and do as much damage to opposing teams as possible.
Articuno greatly appreciates paralysis support from teammates such as Exeggutor, Mew, and Zapdos. This allows it to be less reliant on Agility, letting it start doing damage faster and more consistently. However, one must be careful when using Thunder Wave, as a Water-type switching into it becomes immune to freeze, meaning Articuno cannot threaten it at all. Tauros can capitalize on holes Articuno makes in the opponent’s team while supporting it by dealing with opposing Chansey, Starmie, and Jynx. It can also spread paralysis with Body Slam to assist Articuno. Articuno appreciates teammates that can deal with Slowbro, which it is helpless against most of the time. Zapdos, Jolteon, and Thunderbolt Mewtwo can use critical Thunderbolts to bypass Amnesia boosts and do huge damage to Slowbro, while Cloyster, Starmie, Lapras, and Light Screen Chansey wall Slowbro even after it has gained boosts. Light Screen Chansey can also check Amnesia Mewtwo, which Articuno struggles to damage after it has set up. Teams with Articuno tend to be weak to Electric-types, so a check to them like Rhydon, Golem, or Jolteon is appreciated.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Articuno’s barren movepool leaves it with very few other options to choose from. Sky Attack is a decent option, being Articuno’s only Flying-type STAB move and very powerful in its own right. It can be used over Articuno’s Normal-type coverage, dealing huge damage to Chansey and more damage to Mewtwo. However, its two-turn nature makes it less reliable and harder to use than other moves, and Blizzard does more damage to Mewtwo over two turns. Another option is Ice Beam to save precious Blizzard PP in certain situations. Alongside Rest, it can be used to fish for a freeze, with about an 85% chance to get one with all of its PP used. However, Ice Beam Articuno is completely walled by Jynx and Chansey, since it must drop its Normal-type coverage.
Articuno can also utilize Reflect, alongside Rest, to become a good tank that easily staves off hits from Tauros, Mew, and Snorlax. Reflect Articuno's main goal is to freeze a foe, so it should run Ice Beam to maximize that chance. If Articuno uses Reflect, it will likely forgo Agility. This means that, while not completely ruined by paralysis, Reflect Articuno is threatened more by it, since it is forced to use Rest to negate the Speed drop.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-resistant Pokemon**: Cloyster completely walls Articuno, since it is 4x resistant to Ice, can't be frozen, and has huge Defense to make Hyper Beam deal next to no damage. Similarly, Lapras takes almost zero damage from Blizzard, can't be frozen, and threatens Articuno with Thunderbolt; however, it must watch out for Hyper Beam if it's at low health. Slowbro can easily set up Amnesia on Articuno but fears a stray freeze or critical hits from Blizzard. Starmie can hit Articuno hard with Thunderbolt and heal from Blizzard damage with Recover, but it too must be wary of a freeze.
**Chansey**: While Chansey must be somewhat healthy to switch in on Articuno carrying Hyper Beam, it takes relatively little damage from Blizzard and can scare Articuno away with Thunderbolt or Thunder Wave + Seismic Toss. However, Chansey must be cautious to not be frozen in the process. Although rare, Articuno can use Sky Attack on a predicted switch to do massive damage the next turn; however, Chansey will likely just heal the damage off.
**Jolteon and Zapdos**: Jolteon outspeeds Articuno and will almost always 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Articuno also barely misses the 2HKO with Blizzard, meaning it needs a critical hit or a freeze to win one-on-one. Zapdos, albeit weak to Ice, outspeeds Articuno and threatens to 2HKO it with Thunderbolt while narrowly surviving one Blizzard. Jolteon and Zapdos can also paralyze an Agility-boosted Articuno with Thunder Wave to negate its Speed boost.
**Mewtwo**: None of Articuno’s attacks hit Mewtwo very hard after it has used Amnesia, except a critical hit Blizzard, and Mewtwo has Recover to heal off any damage it does take. Even unorthodox Mewtwo sets can take at least two Blizzards, allowing Mewtwo to use Thunder Wave on Articuno followed by heavy-hitting moves like Psychic, Thunderbolt, and Self-Destruct.
**Explosion**: Mew, Gengar, and Snorlax, among others, can finish off a weakened Articuno with their powerful Explosions even after Articuno has set up with Agility. However, an Articuno using Reflect does not fear them.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[LTG, 473639]]
- Quality checked by: [[Caetano93, 394051], [64 Squares, 441093]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Muk, 33374]]
Articuno’s Blizzard is the strongest attack in RBY that is not Explosion or Hyper Beam. It can even outdamage Mewtwo’s mighty Psychic against neutral targets if both are unboosted. Articuno specializes in tearing huge holes in opposing teams, achieving things like 3HKOs on Mew and Snorlax, 2HKOs on Tauros, Exeggutor, and Zapdos, and clean OHKOs on Rhydon and Golem. Blizzard is very easy to spam, as even resistant Pokemon usually take noticeable damage. The move also comes with a nice chance to freeze and disable a foe for the rest of the game. Articuno also is decently bulky and can take a few strong attacks. For example, Tauros's Body Slam usually takes less than a quarter of its health, assuming it does not get a critical hit.
However, Articuno's movepool is abysmal, with almost exclusively Ice- and Normal-type moves to choose from. The latter come off of its mediocre Attack stat, leaving it unable to deal with certain bulky Pokemon like Cloyster and Starmie. Articuno is also rather slow, requiring paralysis support or an Agility in order to function effectively against faster Pokemon. Articuno's low Speed also prevents it from functioning as a good lead, as it is outsped by common leads like Gengar, Jynx, and Starmie. These weaknesses can make Articuno hard to fit on teams at times. Still, Articuno's devastating Blizzard will reward you handsomely for the compensation it needs.
[SET]
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Hyper Beam / Double-Edge
move 3: Rest
move 4: Agility
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Blizzard will hit most everything harder than any other move in the game can, so Articuno will use it the most by far. Hyper Beam gives Articuno better odds to defeat Chansey, as Blizzard + Hyper Beam deals a minimum of 59% of damage to it, while also dealing massive damage to Jynx. Double-Edge can be used if Articuno wants to avoid Hyper Beam recharge mind games, but the recoil damage can easily put it into KO range of other threats. Rest allows Articuno to stick around for much longer and fire off more Blizzards. Agility lets Articuno outspeed the entire unboosted metagame and ignore the Speed drop from paralysis. It also makes Articuno less reliant on team paralysis support.
Articuno is best used early-game to rip holes into the opposing team with the sheer power of Blizzard, as even Water-types are afraid of switching into Blizzard because of its freeze chance. Switch Articuno in against weaker attacks, such as Chansey's attacks bar Thunderbolt, or on a predicted Earthquake from opposing Mew, Snorlax, or Tauros. It can also switch in against Earthquake from Rhydon or Golem, but it must be very careful, as Rock Slide from either can OHKO Articuno. However, if it manages to come in on their Earthquakes, Articuno will either OHKO them or force them out and do massive damage to something else. Articuno can also be used to absorb paralysis, since it can use Rest later to heal itself or use Agility to negate the Speed drop. Once Articuno is on the field, it should use Blizzard as often as it can and do as much damage to opposing teams as possible.
Articuno greatly appreciates paralysis support from teammates such as Exeggutor, Mew, and Zapdos. This allows it to be less reliant on Agility, letting it start doing damage faster and more consistently. However, one must be careful when using Thunder Wave, as a Water-type switching into it becomes immune to freeze, meaning Articuno cannot threaten it at all. Tauros can capitalize on holes Articuno makes in the opponent’s team while supporting it by dealing with opposing Chansey, Starmie, and Jynx. It can also spread paralysis with Body Slam to assist Articuno. Articuno appreciates teammates that can deal with Slowbro, which it is helpless against most of the time. Zapdos, Jolteon, and Thunderbolt Mewtwo can use critical Thunderbolts to bypass Amnesia boosts and do huge damage to Slowbro, while Cloyster, Starmie, Lapras, and Light Screen Chansey wall Slowbro even after it has gained boosts. Light Screen Chansey can also check Amnesia Mewtwo, which Articuno struggles to damage after it has set up. Teams with Articuno tend to be weak to Electric-types, so a check to them like Rhydon, Golem, or Jolteon is appreciated.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Articuno’s barren movepool leaves it with very few other options to choose from. Sky Attack is a decent option, being Articuno’s only Flying-type STAB move and very powerful in its own right. It can be used over Articuno’s Normal-type coverage, dealing huge damage to Chansey and more damage to Mewtwo. However, its two-turn nature makes it less reliable and harder to use than other moves, and Blizzard does more damage to Mewtwo over two turns. Another option is Ice Beam to save precious Blizzard PP in certain situations. Alongside Rest, it can be used to fish for a freeze, with about an 85% chance to get one with all of its PP used. However, Ice Beam Articuno is completely walled by Jynx and Chansey, since it must drop its Normal-type coverage.
Articuno can also utilize Reflect, alongside Rest, to become a good tank that easily staves off hits from Tauros, Mew, and Snorlax. Reflect Articuno's main goal is to freeze a foe, so it should run Ice Beam to maximize that chance. If Articuno uses Reflect, it will likely forgo Agility. This means that, while not completely ruined by paralysis, Reflect Articuno is threatened more by it, since it is forced to use Rest to negate the Speed drop.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ice-resistant Pokemon**: Cloyster completely walls Articuno, since it is 4x resistant to Ice, can't be frozen, and has huge Defense to make Hyper Beam deal next to no damage. Similarly, Lapras takes almost zero damage from Blizzard, can't be frozen, and threatens Articuno with Thunderbolt; however, it must watch out for Hyper Beam if it's at low health. Slowbro can easily set up Amnesia on Articuno but fears a stray freeze or critical hits from Blizzard. Starmie can hit Articuno hard with Thunderbolt and heal from Blizzard damage with Recover, but it too must be wary of a freeze.
**Chansey**: While Chansey must be somewhat healthy to switch in on Articuno carrying Hyper Beam, it takes relatively little damage from Blizzard and can scare Articuno away with Thunderbolt or Thunder Wave + Seismic Toss. However, Chansey must be cautious to not be frozen in the process. Although rare, Articuno can use Sky Attack on a predicted switch to do massive damage the next turn; however, Chansey will likely just heal the damage off.
**Jolteon and Zapdos**: Jolteon outspeeds Articuno and will almost always 2HKO with Thunderbolt. Articuno also barely misses the 2HKO with Blizzard, meaning it needs a critical hit or a freeze to win one-on-one. Zapdos, albeit weak to Ice, outspeeds Articuno and threatens to 2HKO it with Thunderbolt while narrowly surviving one Blizzard. Jolteon and Zapdos can also paralyze an Agility-boosted Articuno with Thunder Wave to negate its Speed boost.
**Mewtwo**: None of Articuno’s attacks hit Mewtwo very hard after it has used Amnesia, except a critical hit Blizzard, and Mewtwo has Recover to heal off any damage it does take. Even unorthodox Mewtwo sets can take at least two Blizzards, allowing Mewtwo to use Thunder Wave on Articuno followed by heavy-hitting moves like Psychic, Thunderbolt, and Self-Destruct.
**Explosion**: Mew, Gengar, and Snorlax, among others, can finish off a weakened Articuno with their powerful Explosions even after Articuno has set up with Agility. However, an Articuno using Reflect does not fear them.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[LTG, 473639]]
- Quality checked by: [[Caetano93, 394051], [64 Squares, 441093]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [Muk, 33374]]
Last edited:
