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Project PU Next Best Thing! (Week 20: Aurorus)

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With a total of 8 votes, this week's winner is Oathkeepre with his Z-Rain Dance Lanturn, which places him at the top of the leaderboard ! Congrats !

This week's subject is...
169322

Articuno ! While it's usually seen as a specially defensive wall able to shut down dangerous threats such as Lilligant and Mesprit or, more rarely, it can run a Sub + Roost set due to its ability, Pressure, which give it a formidable stall match up while allowing it to pp stall moves such as Regirock's Stone Edge. However, its movepool, typing, and stats allow it to potentially run other sets ! Good luck, and have fun !!

Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Roost
- Freeze-Dry
- Hurricane

Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 204 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Roost
- Defog
- Freeze-Dry
- Heal Bell

Again, have fun ! Submission phase ends Thursday, same rules as always.​
 
latest

Articuno @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Freeze-Dry
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Roost

So if we’re gonna be honest, Ice/Flying is a pretty damn strong offensive typing and coupled with HP Fighting, Articuno has near perfect coverage that can make this set pretty threatening (especially since Togedemaru has been long gone) if you can keep Rocks off. Articuno does a really nice job softening up Steel-types much easier than its Sub sets with this offensive set which can be really ideal for sweepers like Lilligant.​
 
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Articuno @ Icium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hurricane
- Blizzard
- Hidden Power Fighting
- Hail

Why not put Articuno's offensive skills to some good use? Z-Hail gives it the boost of speed it needs to do some sweeping! Hurricane is there for STAB and Blizzard is always hitting while hail is up. HP Fighting picks off the would-be sweep stoppers like Alolaslash and Aggron.​
 
reserving choice specs

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Articuno @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Freeze-Dry
- Ice Beam
- Hurricane
- U-turn

Choice Specs combined with its good dual stab combination and also a decent SpAtt stat allows Artiuno to serve as a good special breaker.
Articuno is able to 2HKO Assault Vest Lanturn, 2HKOs Guzzlord, 3HKOs AV Hitmonchan with Ice Beam and it is a guaranteed 3HKO on Assault Vest Eelektross.
All in all this Set serves as a very offensive Set to break through the many bulky pokemon PU has to offer and guarantees a surprise.

Calcs:
252 SpA Choice Specs Articuno Freeze-Dry vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Gastrodon: 456-540 (107.2 - 127%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Articuno Freeze-Dry vs. 0 HP / 136 SpD Assault Vest Lanturn: 198-234 (50.6 - 59.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Articuno Freeze-Dry vs. 40 HP / 248+ SpD Lanturn: 236-282 (58.8 - 70.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Articuno Freeze-Dry vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Quagsire: 784-928 (198.9 - 235.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Articuno Freeze-Dry vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Guzzlord: 458-542 (78 - 92.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Articuno Ice Beam vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Guzzlord: 590-696 (100.5 - 118.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Articuno Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Assault Vest Eelektross: 142-168 (37.9 - 44.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Articuno Ice Beam vs. 244 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Hitmonchan: 109-130 (36 - 43%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
 
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SubToxic Articuno

Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 204 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Roost
- Substitute
- Freeze-Dry
- Toxic


General idea
This Articuno combines the utility provided by Substitute with its ability (Pressure) in order to PP stall some key moves.
Toxic is a sort of coverage move and Substitute+Pressure is useful towards Heal Bell users in order to PP stall Heal Bell/Aromatheraphy and other similar moves. Without means to get rid of Poison, the opposing team will be worn down with more ease.
In my opinion Substitute is better than Protect because it allows to gain even more than 1 turn thanks to the general bulk.
Freeze-Dry is the STAB chosen for its coverage.

The EVs spread is the same of the SpD set, but with different moves.


Teammates support
A way to deal properly with Steels (immune to Toxic) is recommended.
 
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Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 204 SpD / 56 Spe
Careful Nature
- Sky Drop
- Toxic
- Protect / Heal Bell / Defog
- Roost

This set utilises Sky Drop, an interesting move that isn't used much, especially in singles. If you aren't familiar with Sky Drop it basically works similarly to Fly but also picks up the target (as long as they weigh <200kg, which in PU is pretty much everything except Mudsdale, Aggron and Golurk), leaving them unable to act for a turn. Combining this with Toxic provides Cuno with an effective stall strategy, allowing it to passively recover health with Leftovers and damage the opponent while avoiding an opponent's attack every 2 turns. I like to use Protect with these two moves to further bolster Sky Drop Cuno's stall capabilities by allowing it to dodge 2/3 of attacks, but you can swap this move for utility depending on the team.​
 
Curse-cuno for T-spikes UNreserved(lab):MOVESET/ability RESTRICTIONS

Sub
Curse
Roost

Made a team and was excited...

Articuno can not use curse with pressure or physical ice stab. Fly/sky drop can't make up for that cut in power/speed/stalling

If someone else wants a curse set go for it, just know
 
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169643



Do you enjoy using sun teams? Do you think your mesprit is way too predictable and taunt blocked all day long?

Don't you worry anymore and let me introduce the brand new sun setter:

It's a trap (Articuno) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sunny Day
- U-turn
- Toxic
- Defog

Articuno has been baiting rock types in for ages and now is time to punish them. Set the sun & bait the rock type in - take your run a way car with u-turn - pick your favorite smasher and enjoy the ride
 
articuno.png

Articuno @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Agility
- Hurricane
- Freeze-Dry
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

Hopefully not too similar to Oath's idea - turns out Articuno has a few ways of boosting its speed.
I've personally opted for Agility as the +2 boost provides Articuno with 538 speed; enough to outpace Dodrio and every other Choice Scarf user in the tier. Hurricane and Freeze Dry are your moves of choice, with HP Fighting as the final coverage move to hit Sandslash-Alola and Aggron.

I'd normally stray away from Life Orb on setup mons due to how quickly they get worn down, but on this specific set it does allow Articuno to get otherwise impossible OHKOs on Carracosta, Oricorio-Pom-Pom and Sandslash-Alola making it preferable to a Z move.
Oh, and Modest is used over Timid because post-boost you still outspeed everything relevant anyway, but Timid is still an option I guess if you want to outspeed Mesprit and Skuntank pre-boost.

252+ SpA Life Orb Articuno Hurricane vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Persian-Alola: 294-347 (88 - 103.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Life Orb Articuno Freeze-Dry vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Oricorio-Pom-Pom: 351-416 (99.1 - 117.5%)
252+ SpA Life Orb Articuno Freeze-Dry vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Solid Rock Carracosta: 281-330 (97.2 - 114.1%)
252+ SpA Life Orb Articuno Freeze-Dry vs. 136 HP / 0 SpD Drampa: 283-338 (85.4 - 102.1%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ SpA Life Orb Articuno Hidden Power Fighting vs. 252 HP / 208+ SpD Sandslash-Alola: 296-354 (83.6 - 100%) -- 75% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
 
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Articuno @ Lum Berry
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 204 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Freeze-Dry
- Toxic / Hidden Power Fighting
- Roost
- Whirlwind​

While many of us have been victim of an Articuno pretty much annoying the hell out of us sometime in our lives before, I thought Id go for a more stally approach and try to make this annoying yet underrated beast into a more annoying and underrated beast. Who wants to be offensive when you can simply Whirlwind the opposing Regirock coming in till your opponent decides to click X? Why should I fear status when Im using my trusty Lum Berry? This Articuno does it all! Status, whirlwind, recovery, attack, whirlwind, status. A set so annoying it has to be good!

Nah but fr, I think this set could have a really solid place in hazard stack, being able to really wear things down with Whirlwind as well as with the status provided by Toxic. I was thinking about Hidden Power Fighting since Slash can often be invited in by Articuno and since the idea of this is to make it function in hazard stack allowing it to do that for free isnt the best idea, but either way you can just Whirlwind it away so the option is slashed (Get it? Slashed?). The other idea I had come up with regarding this was giving it a Lum Berry since opposing teams might try to status Articuno as a way of stopping it, since its huge bulk can result in such a big threat normally.

But yeah, the purpose of this is to set hazards and stop hazard removers from coming in for free as well as expected switches like Regirock or defensive Sandslash Alola. The player must be wary of their own hazards, as they normally should when using this mon, and attempt to predict expected switch ins from hazard removers, fast wallbreakers and p much anything that might wanna come in on this. After hazards have been set Articuno is able to wear down things as much as possible due to the combination of Whirlwind and Toxic. Thank you so much for reading!
 
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169994

Articuno @ Waterium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rain Dance
- Hurricane
- Freeze-Dry
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

Similar to Oathkeepre's Z-Hail Articuno, this set aims to sweep thanks to Z-Rain Dance, which gives it a boost in Speed while weakening Fire-type attacks, such as Simisear's Fire Blast. A Modest nature is choosen over a Timid one as it still outspeeds Scarf Modest Mesprit, which gets 2HKOed, and Scarf Kabutops outspeeds under rain anyway. Also, unlike the Z-Hail set, this set doesn't give Snowslash a boost in Speed, which can come in handy.

Articuno @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Freeze-Dry
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Roost

Articuno @ Icium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hurricane
- Blizzard
- Hidden Power Fighting
- Hail

Articuno @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Freeze-Dry
- Ice Beam
- Hurricane
- U-turn

Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 204 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
- Roost
- Substitute
- Freeze-Dry
- Toxic

Articuno @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 204 SpD / 56 Spe
Careful Nature
- Sky Drop
- Toxic
- Protect / Heal Bell / Defog
- Roost

It's a trap (Articuno) @ Heat Rock
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sunny Day
- U-turn
- Toxic
- Defog

Articuno @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Agility
- Hurricane
- Freeze-Dry
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

Articuno @ Lum Berry
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 204 SpD / 56 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Freeze-Dry
- Toxic / Hidden Power Fighting
- Roost
- Whirlwind

Articuno @ Waterium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rain Dance
- Hurricane
- Freeze-Dry
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

As always, nice submissions everyone ! Vote for your favourite set, as always get your votes in before Sunday and same rules !

As for me, I'll be voting for uhuhuhu7's Agility Articuno. This was a pretty hard decision to make as I was hesitating between voting for this or Z-Hail. I think that what sold it is the Modest nature on Z-Hail, as it means that Cuno is slower than Kabutops, which can easily revenge kill Articuno, but yeah it was hard to choose.
 
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