Ahh... Articuno... Your my favorite pokemon. Too bad no one else really thinks so huh? So I've tried to create a set for you.
Articuno Item:life orb/leftovers. 252 Hp, 6 Def, 252 Sp. Atk Modest
Move 1: Ice beam
Move 2: Hidden power(Ground)
Move 3: Agility
Move 4: Roost
Level 100 stats
Attack: 160
Defense: 237
Sp. Atk 316
Sp. Def: 285
Speed: 206
I tested this set On Wifi Random Matchup, where you can encounter any pokemon except for the Ubers with a BST of over 600 and Mew, Jirachi, Celebi, Manaphy, Shaymin, and Victini. If Articuno doesn't get affected by typing, then it can easily set up agility to raise it's speed to 412, outspeeding 130 base speed pokemon and some choice scarf users like abamasnow(And generally, NEVER use abamasnow against this set because it lost each time i faced one) Hidden power Ground hits fire types, steel types, as well as rock and electric types for super effective damage, and can allow Articuno to claim victory against deadly opponents like Aggron, but must be wary of air balloon against anything you'd use the move on. Roost is the final move, while Articuno only has EVs in HP, it's good natural bulk makes most special attacks and weak physical attacks only 3HKO, allowing Articuno to gain HP and stall if it needs to. Additionally, since Articuno will likely have 412 speed, it can roost to protect it'self from electric type attacks. This is valuable when facing Jolteon as it can only 2HKO with a super effective thunderbolt. Hilariously, the same thing tends to apply to Zapdos(But Articuno has Ice beam). Ice Beam, well that's obviously for STAB, but backed by 316 Sp. Atk it does some good damage(Compare 316 Sp. Atk, to 110 Neutral Nature, which is 318 with the same amount of IVs. This is good considering everyone
runs a speed boosting nature). Articuno tends to be a good counter to dragon type pokemon, as it can take draco meteor, then ice beam, which can OHKO pretty much anything when super effective and life orb is held (Bar 252 HP 252 Sp. Def dragonite, though stealth rock?) I generally prefer leftovers though, due to it's great bulk and general tanking ability, but life orb tends to be very useful as some super effective attacks wont OHKO without it, as well as aiding it against bulky pokemon, so the superior item is debatable. So there you have it, I know this set has many counters, but does it sound like a viable set to you guys?
Moves that I would like to see Articuno get(You can skip this if you want to) are Aura sphere and Hurricane. Aura sphere is possible, if B/W 2 is kind to it(Earth power is less realistic). Fighting type moves pair very well Ice. Hurricane, while 70% accuracy may be problematic, cuts the amount of pokemon that can counter it after agility, it will OHKO fighting types and bug, types, it can even potentially kill Terrakion with two layers of spikes last time I calculated. It would hurt Volcarona Badly, as well as Scrafty. It would also hurt most fire types and water types for good amounts of damage. Though Articuno will be resisted by steel types, all is not lost, as most of the common steel types take flying neutrally, like Cobalion, Durant, Lucario, and more. Then there's Heatran and rotom formes ..... Switch out if Articuno gets Hurricane.
Articuno Item:life orb/leftovers. 252 Hp, 6 Def, 252 Sp. Atk Modest
Move 1: Ice beam
Move 2: Hidden power(Ground)
Move 3: Agility
Move 4: Roost
Level 100 stats
Attack: 160
Defense: 237
Sp. Atk 316
Sp. Def: 285
Speed: 206
I tested this set On Wifi Random Matchup, where you can encounter any pokemon except for the Ubers with a BST of over 600 and Mew, Jirachi, Celebi, Manaphy, Shaymin, and Victini. If Articuno doesn't get affected by typing, then it can easily set up agility to raise it's speed to 412, outspeeding 130 base speed pokemon and some choice scarf users like abamasnow(And generally, NEVER use abamasnow against this set because it lost each time i faced one) Hidden power Ground hits fire types, steel types, as well as rock and electric types for super effective damage, and can allow Articuno to claim victory against deadly opponents like Aggron, but must be wary of air balloon against anything you'd use the move on. Roost is the final move, while Articuno only has EVs in HP, it's good natural bulk makes most special attacks and weak physical attacks only 3HKO, allowing Articuno to gain HP and stall if it needs to. Additionally, since Articuno will likely have 412 speed, it can roost to protect it'self from electric type attacks. This is valuable when facing Jolteon as it can only 2HKO with a super effective thunderbolt. Hilariously, the same thing tends to apply to Zapdos(But Articuno has Ice beam). Ice Beam, well that's obviously for STAB, but backed by 316 Sp. Atk it does some good damage(Compare 316 Sp. Atk, to 110 Neutral Nature, which is 318 with the same amount of IVs. This is good considering everyone
runs a speed boosting nature). Articuno tends to be a good counter to dragon type pokemon, as it can take draco meteor, then ice beam, which can OHKO pretty much anything when super effective and life orb is held (Bar 252 HP 252 Sp. Def dragonite, though stealth rock?) I generally prefer leftovers though, due to it's great bulk and general tanking ability, but life orb tends to be very useful as some super effective attacks wont OHKO without it, as well as aiding it against bulky pokemon, so the superior item is debatable. So there you have it, I know this set has many counters, but does it sound like a viable set to you guys?
Moves that I would like to see Articuno get(You can skip this if you want to) are Aura sphere and Hurricane. Aura sphere is possible, if B/W 2 is kind to it(Earth power is less realistic). Fighting type moves pair very well Ice. Hurricane, while 70% accuracy may be problematic, cuts the amount of pokemon that can counter it after agility, it will OHKO fighting types and bug, types, it can even potentially kill Terrakion with two layers of spikes last time I calculated. It would hurt Volcarona Badly, as well as Scrafty. It would also hurt most fire types and water types for good amounts of damage. Though Articuno will be resisted by steel types, all is not lost, as most of the common steel types take flying neutrally, like Cobalion, Durant, Lucario, and more. Then there's Heatran and rotom formes ..... Switch out if Articuno gets Hurricane.
