[OVERVIEW]
Galarian Articuno's main draw is its high Special Attack and good matchup into threats like Flamigo, Toxicroak, and Amoonguss. Its ability, Competitive, also makes it very attractive, since stat-dropping moves and abilities like Brambleghast's Strength Sap as well as Paldean Tauros-W's and Incineroar's Intimidate are commonplace. Additionally, Galarian Articuno is one of the few viable Future Sight users, combining very well with NU's many Fighting-type wallbreakers like Heracross, Flamigo, Infernape, and Paldean Tauros-W. However, Steel- and Dark-types like Registeel, Bronzong, and Alolan Muk being everywhere holds it back. Not only that, but Galarian Articuno is also forced to compete with Oricorio-P and -F. Unlike Galarian Articuno, these Oricorio formes have access to Quiver Dance and Taunt as well as Revelation Dance, which is useful before Terastallization unlike the Tera Blast that Galarian Articuno is forced to use. Galarian Articuno's Speed and defensive profile can be disappointing at times as well, since Pokemon such as Staraptor, Flygon, and the Paldean Tauros formes can easily outpace it whereas Basculegion-M's Aqua Jet, Decidueye's Shadow Sneak, and Toxicroak's Sucker Punch all threaten to deal great damage to it.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Recover / Agility
move 3: Hurricane / Air Slash / Tera Blast
move 4: Freezing Glare / Stored Power / Tera Blast
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Grassy Seed / Weakness Policy
ability: Competitive
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe or 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
tera type: Steel / Fairy / Fighting
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
On more balanced teams, Galarian Articuno prefers a moveset of Calm Mind / Recover / Hurricane or Air Slash / Freezing Glare. However, on more offensive or hyper offense builds, it can opt for other moves like Agility, Tera Blast, and Stored Power. Recover allows Galarian Articuno to repeatedly set up throughout the course of a match, letting it wear down walls like Bronzong. Hurricane hits Dark-types like Alolan Muk and Scrafty, and it's especially strong against Incineroar due to Intimidate activating Galarian Articuno's Competitive. Alternatively, Air Slash can be run for its higher accuracy. Freezing Glare is a decently powered Psychic-type STAB move with no drawback, while Stored Power aims to capitalize on Agility compounding with Calm Mind boosts. Psychic Noise can be used on balanced builds so that Galarian Articuno aids its team in breaking through walls like Gastrodon, Porygon2, and Milotic, denying them from healing, though it can be weak at times. Additionally, Psyshock can be used to aid in Calm Mind wars with Sylveon and Scream Tail. Tera Blast Fairy lets Galarian Articuno hit Dark-types like Scrafty more reliably than Hurricane, though many of them like Incineroar and Alolan Muk are still hit neutrally by it. However, in general, Tera Fairy offers Galarian Articuno a solid defensive typing that helps it against most of the tier's threats like Heracross, Flygon, and Incineroar. On the other hand, Tera Fighting trades off defensive capability, only helping Galarian Articuno with taking Knock Off from Incineroar and Copperajah, for offensive prowess, since Tera Blast Fighting lets it hit both the Dark- and Steel-types that resist its Psychic-type STAB move like Incineroar and Registeel. Heavy-Duty Boots allows Galarian Articuno to constantly come in on and threaten Pokemon like Tentacruel, Amoonguss, and Breloom regardless of entry hazards. Alternatively, Galarian Articuno can go for Grassy Seed on Grassy Terrain teams to ease setup opportunities. Weakness Policy can also be run to boost Stored Power's Base Power quickly. An alternative EV spread of 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe can be run on Galarian Articuno sets that aim to gain many boosts, especially aiding ones that carry Agility, Stored Power, Grassy Seed, and Weakness Policy. Tera Steel offers Galarian Articuno an incredible defensive typing, which helps with taking powerful attacks like Alolan Ninetales's Blizzard, Diancie's Meteor Beam, and Flygon's Dragon-type STAB attacks.
Hyper offense teams can best support Weakness Policy Galarian Articuno with Cinccino, especially lead sets of Cinccino to ensure entry hazards are removed, and Aurora Veil from Alolan Ninetales, which lets Galarian Articuno better withstand super effective attacks to activate its Weakness Policy. In return, Galarian Articuno's Competitive deters Defog, ensuring Aurora Veil stays up. On these teams, Galarian Articuno appreciates teammates like Porygon-Z, Toxtricity, Flygon, and Paldean Tauros formes to weaken or outright KO Steel-types like Bronzong, Registeel, and Duraludon for it. Similarly, more balanced teams can take advantage of partners like Chandelure, Heracross, and Flygon for their ability to threaten these Steel-types. For Grassy Seed Galarian Articuno sets, Thwackey is a vital teammate to set Grassy Terrain. Additionally, other Terrain sweepers that can take advantage of Grassy Terrain like Grafaiai, Diancie, Oricorio-F, and Hitmonlee synergize well, as the first two can overwhelm Steel-types alongside Galarian Articuno, while the latter two can beat them outright. Dark-types such as Incineroar, Alolan Muk, and Scrafty can be problematic for Galarian Articuno to deal with, making Pokemon like Paldean Tauros-W, Heracross, and Sylveon good partners. On top of that, these Pokemon can also act as good Knock Off switch-ins. In return, Galarian Articuno handles pesky Poison-types like Amoonguss and Galarian Slowbro for them.
[SET]
name: Future Sight Pivot
move 1: Future Sight
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Recover
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Competitive
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
tera type: Fairy / Steel / Ground
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Tera Fairy gifts Galarian Articuno an amazing defensive profile, letting it take on Scrafty, Flygon, and, in a pinch, Toxicroak. Alternatively, Tera Steel lets Galarian Articuno take on powerful special wallbreakers like Sylveon, Porygon-Z, and Munkidori. Tera Ground lets Galarian Articuno become immune to Kilowattrel's Electric-type attacks and resist Diancie's Rock-type STAB moves.
Future Sight Galarian Articuno is best paired alongside wallbreakers like Paldean Tauros-W, Infernape, Heracross, and Flygon, since they can capitalize on it drawing in and pivoting on Steel- and Dark-types as well as specially defensive blanket checks like Incineroar, Bronzong, Registeel, and Porygon2 with its U-turn. On top of that, Galarian Articuno's Future Sight dissuades Poison-types like Galarian Slowbro and Amoonguss from switching in. Similarly, Fairy-type wallbreakers like Alolan Ninetales, Sylveon, and Diancie can take advantage of Galarian Articuno drawing in and pivoting on Dark-types with its U-turn and discouraging Poison-types from switching in with its Future Sight. Additionally, together they can work to wear down shared Steel-type checks. Knock Off switch-ins are vital for Galarian Articuno, since it is both weak to the move and vulnerable to Stealth Rock. Because of this, Pokemon like Diancie, Paldean Tauros-W, and Overqwil make for good teammates. Bulky Psychic-types like Galarian Slowbro, Uxie, and Scream Tail can be difficult for Galarian Articuno and, at times, the wallbreakers it's paired with to break through, so Galarian Articuno pairs well with Pokemon such as Incineroar, Decidueye, and specially oriented Substitute Basculegion-M.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Shadow Ball can be run on Calm Mind sets to hit Bronzong, but it's nearly useless outside of that matchup.
Checks and Counters
====
**Steel-types**: Bronzong, Registeel, Copperajah, Klefki, and Duraludon can all check Galarian Articuno. Additionally, they can use it to set up their entry hazards; Bronzong, Registeel, and Duraludon can boost their stats; and Klefki as well as Duraludon can paralyze it. However, Registeel, Copperajah, and Duraludon have to be cautious of Tera Blast Fighting.
**Dark-types**: Incineroar and Alolan Muk can take Galarian Articuno's Psychic-type STAB moves, but the former needs to worry about its Intimidate activating Competitive and, consequently, boosting Hurricane. Additionally, while Overqwil and Dragon Dance Scrafty don't take Hurricane too well, they can outspeed and threaten Galarian Articuno with Throat Chop and Knock Off.
**Electric-types**: While Kilowattrel, Raikou, and Toxtricity don't switch into Galarian Articuno's Psychic-type STAB attacks too well, the former two outspeed it, and they all threaten it with huge damage.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pika134.609709/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
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