Gen 1 Articuno (UU) [QC 2/2] [GP 2/2]

[Shellnuts]

[OVERVIEW]

With an incredible Special stat, the strongest unboosted special attack in the generation, and access to Agility, it's easy to see why Articuno is one of the most dangerous sweepers in RBY UU. The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is enough to 2HKO nearly two-thirds of the metagame, frequently 2HKOing specially bulky Pokemon like Kadabra and Haunter and always 2HKOing offensive titans like Kangaskhan and Persian; for many Pokemon, just switching into Articuno and surviving is a herculean task. Articuno's incredible bulk also surpasses that of many tier staples, like Tentacruel, Hypno, Kangaskhan, and Tangela. It is only surpassed in physical bulk by Omastar and Golem, and in special bulk by Vaporeon. This fantastic bulk allows Articuno to set up against many targets without fear of being taken out quickly, as well as making it even harder to stop once it begins sweeping. It can also check physical attackers such as Persian, Dodrio, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio, a trait appreciated by many teams.

However, Articuno's Blizzard is a significant reason why bulky Water-types like Tentacruel and Vaporeon are so dominant, as they can shrug off the hit with relative ease; Articuno must rely on its mediocre physical movepool to break past them. Articuno's middling Speed tier is another notable weakness, as being slower than Tentacruel makes it vulnerable to Wrap and leaves it open to being revenge killed by Dugtrio, Persian, and Kangaskhan, unless it finds an opportunity to use Agility. Nonetheless, Articuno's raw power makes it a staple pick on many successful offensive teams.

[SET]
name: Agility Sweeper
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Hyper Beam
move 4: Agility

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Articuno's Blizzard is the strongest special attack in the generation and its primary attacking move, capable of KOing most Pokemon in only two or three hits. Double-Edge and Hyper Beam help Articuno combat Water-types and Kadabra attempting to stop it from running over teams, with Double-Edge having additional utility as a finishing move with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard or Hyper Beam. Agility lets Articuno outspeed the unboosted metagame, making it harder to pin down with Wrap and allowing it to bypass the Speed drop from paralysis.

Articuno usually operates in one of two distinct ways: as a late-game sweeper or as a tank. In the former role, Articuno generally stays in the back for most of the game, waiting for its answers to either be KOed or weakened to the point where they cannot contest its sweep, from there it begins to look for opportunities to come onto the field and use Agility. From there, the game is usually over, as Articuno will be able to summarily mop up the opposition, barring a couple of untimely Blizzard misses. The biggest obstacles to Articuno's sweeping are Tentacruel, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Dewgong, and it usually falls on Articuno's teammates to remove these Pokemon. However, Articuno can help in this process by coming onto the field safely, such as by double switching into a target that can be OHKOed by Blizzard like Dragonite or Dugtrio, and then attacking the predicted Water-type switch-in. This can be especially effective against a chipped Vaporeon or Dewgong, since a Double-Edge followed by a Hyper Beam will KO both of them from half health as they switch into Articuno to stop an Agility sweep. The other obstacle Articuno faces when operating as a sweeper is finding a turn to safely use Agility. Some examples of good opportunities for Articuno to come onto the field are sleeping targets, attacks it takes easily like Venusaur's Razor Leaf and Dugtrio's Earthquake, and predicted switches to a Normal-type attacker such as Kangaskhan, Persian, or Dodrio. Opponents are likely to play more cautiously with their Articuno checks if it is revealed, so they may be easier to remove if Articuno is revealed only once it is prepared to sweep.

On the other hand, Articuno can perform the role of a tank admirably. With its incredible natural bulk and nuclear damage output, Articuno can aid its teammates by taking on some of the most dangerous physical attackers in the tier. From full health, Articuno can switch into and usually KO Kangaskhan and Dodrio. It can also beat Persian, Gyarados, and Dugtrio in a one-on-one matchup if it is reasonably healthy, barring critical hits. In general, Articuno can handle Normal-type attackers that otherwise greatly pressure frailer offensive teams. Furthermore, because of how strong Articuno's Blizzard is, it can help break past defensive Pokemon such as Hypno using Rest, Venusaur, and Tangela to enable teammates like Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, and Kadabra. This way of using Articuno primarily works when facing offense structures that do not run multiple Water-types, as they often lack a good answer to a well-played Articuno outside of their Tentacruel.

As mentioned before, Articuno despises bulky Water-types and thus appreciates teammates that can deal with them. Persian, Kangaskhan, Gyarados, and Dugtrio are fantastic Articuno partners, breaking through Articuno checks such as Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Omastar. They can also weaken any other potential roadblocks to Articuno's sweep. In return, they appreciate Articuno's ability to deal with their common answers such as Kangaskhan, Tangela, Dragonite, opposing Dugtrio, and Aerodactyl. Electric-type Pokemon such as Electabuzz and Raichu can aid Articuno in breaking through Water-types as well, given their STAB Thunderbolts and high Speed stats They can also spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, which Articuno appreciates. In return, Articuno helps answer checks to Electric-types such as Dugtrio, Venusaur, and Tangela. Sleepers such as Tangela, Venusaur, and Haunter let Articuno easily set up or start dealing damage when facing a sleeping foe. In addition, their super effective Grass- and Electric-type attacks can help break through the pesky Water-types that Articuno hates. In return, Articuno helps deal with some of their common checks, such as Flying- and Grass-types—especially Dragonite and Dodrio—in the case of Venusaur and Tangela, and Dugtrio in the case of Haunter—albeit to a lesser extent because of Dugtrio's Rock Slide. Venusaur and Tangela come with the added benefit of checking Dugtrio and Electric-types, which can revenge kill or paralyze Articuno. This lets Articuno focus on dealing with other threats and avoid the risk of Dugtrio landing a critical hit with its Rock Slide. Lastly, Water-type Pokemon such as Tentacruel and Vaporeon can be valuable Articuno partners, as their defensive utility helps keep Articuno from overextending and lets it opt out of playing the mirror match.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

On the vast majority of teams, Articuno is best off using its standard set; however, it does have some options which can prove useful. Ice Beam can be used over Double-Edge, giving Articuno another Ice-type attack with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard to pick off targets such as Dugtrio without worrying about Blizzard's accuracy. Ice Beam also improves Articuno's ability to fish for a freeze as a desperation play. However, Double-Edge is preferred due to its better damage output against Water-types. Rest enables it to consistently take hits and pressure the opponent throughout the game, but it is hard to justify using Rest over Articuno's other moves, as this severely cuts into its sweeping prowess. In a similar vein, Articuno can run Reflect to bolster its defensive prowess, but justifying it over other moves is difficult. Also, critical hits ignore Reflect’s Defense boost, rendering it completely useless against Pokemon with Slash such as Persian.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Bulky Water-types**: Many bulky Water-types in RBY UU can switch into Articuno's Blizzard and defeat it. Tentacruel is the most common and can wear it down with Wrap while keeping it from attacking. Worse still, it can use Rest to heal off any damage it may take. However, if Tentacruel takes some chip damage beforehand and Articuno uses Agility on the switch, then Tentacruel becomes a far worse check, as Articuno only needs one Double-Edge critical hit to bring it into Hyper Beam KO range. Vaporeon is another strong answer to Articuno, taking very little damage from Blizzard or Double-Edge while threatening reasonable damage in return with Surf and healing off the damage it does take with Rest. Dewgong and Omastar in particular are hard walls for Articuno, as both take very little damage from Double-Edge or Blizzard and can use Rest if they are at low health. Outside of a timely freeze against Omastar, Articuno needs two consecutive critical hits with Double-Edge or Blizzard against Dewgong and Omastar, respectively, to subsequently break through them on its own. Poliwrath can take a couple of Blizzards before going down, but it is unable to threaten Articuno outside of Hypnosis or Body Slam paralysis.

**Hypno and Kadabra**: While Hypno and Kadabra are by no means reliable answers or even good switch-ins to Articuno, they can act as soft checks in some scenarios. If Hypno is at full health and not asleep, it can take two Blizzards while paralyzing Articuno in return and potentially doing some damage with Psychic or burning limited Blizzard PP with Rest. Kadabra can also take a Blizzard or Double-Edge from full health, and paralyze Articuno in return, before healing off any damage it takes with Recover and praying for full paralysis. However, Articuno can use Agility to remove the Speed drop and then fish for a Double-Edge or Blizzard critical hit fairly safely, finishing Kadabra off with Hyper Beam once it does land the critical hit. Still, though, Double-Edge's recoil damage can add up over repeated uses, and repeated Recovers can stall out Blizzard’s low PP.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon like Kangaskhan, Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, and Raichu can all threaten to KO Articuno if it has taken chip damage and has not yet used Agility. However, none of these Pokemon can switch into Articuno's Blizzard without suffering severe damage, if not being KOed outright.

**Rock Slide Users**: Golem, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio can deal significant damage to Articuno due to its severe Rock weakness. Golem and Dugtrio are OHKOed by Blizzard, which limits them to hitting Articuno as it switches in or revenge killing a weakened Articuno, especially in the case of Dugtrio. If Kangaskhan chooses to run Rock Slide, it becomes a true Articuno check, because it outspeeds and 2HKOes Articuno with Rock Slide while surviving its Blizzard.

**Paralysis**: While Agility does let it ignore the Speed drop, Articuno doesn't handle paralysis all that gracefully, considering its two best moves only have 89.45% accuracy. This means a paralyzed Articuno is dealing damage a mere 67.09% of the time. Paralysis also makes less consistent checks, like Tentacruel, significantly more reliable.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Shellnuts, 491544], [Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[phoopes, 96315 ], [Volk, 530877]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Muk, 33374], [Finland, 517429]]

 

[Plague von Karma]

Sound off some of the ridiculous 2HKOs and OHKOes Blizzard can pull off, this thing is a demon and should be treated as such. It's good to say "2HKOes everything that doesn't resist it" but a few bulky mon mentions can really help put it into perspective. This eldritch horror hits harder than an unboosted Mewtwo and has an arguably better offensive type to boot. Hell, maybe it's even worth noting that in the Overview!

Maybe mention that it can somewhat contest Dugtrio thanks to being a flier, as well as just deleting the poor moleman with its ice moves. Rock Slide kinda bonks it if it crits though, that should be emphasised. I'd say this is the most volatile matchup in the tier to some degree. Someone's dying on that turn!

It may be worth suggesting Rest and Ice Beam together in OO; I experimented with that set a few years back among friends and it was quite effective against bulky Waters. You can freeze stuff much more consistently. Not sure how it'd stack up in modern gameplay but I'm sure you can apply it.

It may be worth giving Dewgong its own section in Checks & Counters. Articuno is almost the entire reason it's used over Vaporeon: quad resist, can't be frozen. Hell, Articuno is hit neutrally by its strong Blizzard to boot, it's a shocking display to say the least.

 

[Volk]

Let's roll.

With its incredible special stat coupled with STAB on the strongest special attack in the game, Blizzard, and access to Agility, it's easy to see why Articuno is considered one of the most volatile sweepers in RBY UU.

This is really pedantic, but technically speaking, Mewtwo's Psychic does the most damage per time the move is clicked (factoring in critical hits, accuracy, etc.). I stick to "in the tier" just to be safe.

The power of Articuno makes switching into it without getting KOed very difficult for many Pokemon.

As Plague von Karma said, here is a great place to put out a bunch of calcs. Here are some starters:
OHKOes:

• Aerodactyl
• Dodrio
• Dragonite
• Dugtrio
• Golem
• Tangela (51.3% chance)

2HKOes:

• Electabuzz
• Kadabra (Blizzard into Hyper Beam)
• Kangaskhan
• Persian
• Raichu
• Haunter (72.5% chance)
• Venusaur

This means that Articuno can OHKO approximately half the tier with a critical hit Blizzard and that about half the tier can't switch into Articuno (especially if it has used Agility).

Articuno is also surprisingly bulky, in spite of its mediocre defensive typing, only being 2HKOed by Kangaskhan’s Rock Slide.

This is another point worth elaborating. Articuno can set up on a large portion on the tier, as very few things can actually consistently 3HKO it, let alone 2HKO it. Articuno is also a surprisingly good defensive Pokemon. It is pretty good as an anti-Normal option and counts as like a half point towards checking Dugtrio (so pairing it with other soft checks like Venusaur and Kangaskhan tends to make sense). While Articuno is most dangerous as a sweeper, it makes for a good wall in a pinch, especially on Special and Mixed Offense Teams.

However, Articuno has some notable drawbacks that prevent it from devastating the tier. For starters, the dominance of bulky Water-types like Tentacruel and Vaporeon put a firm cap on what Articuno can do, shrugging off Blizzard and forcing it to rely on its mediocre physical attacking movepool to break past them. Articuno's middling speed tier is another notable weakness of Articuno, as being slower than Tentacruel makes it vulnerable to Wrap unless it finds an opportunity to use Agility. However, even with these drawbacks, Articuno's raw power allows it to succeed in spite of these flaws and is a worthwhile addition to many teams.

The essence of this is true, but I'd consider rephrasing it. The existence of Articuno, among other lesser factors, has played a role in how the tier has become shaped around Water-type Pokemon. A lot of teams, especially classic ones, tend to run two or more Water-type Pokemon just as "Freeze Insurance." Granted, this is a downside to Articuno, but it does demonstrate just how strong Articuno is. Additionally, Articuno can still cut through these Pokemon if the have low enough health, or if Articuno can muster a few critical hits or a timely Freeze.

Double-Edge is used primarily for combatting Water-types attempting to stop Articuno from running over teams, and while it 4HKOes Tentacruel at best, critical hits and Hyper Beam assist with the effort.

Double-Edge also has perfect accuracy and a lot of PP, making it the go-to move for finishing off most low HP targets. Blizzard tends to out-damage it, but in cases where you can use both, Double-Edge is recommended as those 8 Blizzards go fast.

[Insert paragraph or 2 about how it plays here, am working on this]

For this part, you should focus on what Articuno can set up on, at what point it should feel comfortable going for the sweep (like what needs to weakened or eliminated), and whether or not you should keep it unrevealed. Articuno can function in two ways, as a mid-game tank or as a late-game sweeper. Both roles are important and should be discussed extensively. I could see a solid three paragraphs here. Also be sure to include common partners, like Haunter, Kangaskhan, Tangela, Venusaur, Electric-type Pokemon, etc. and explain why these partnerships work.

Ice Beam lets Articuno fish for freezes against opposing Water-types which, if all 16 PP are used, occurs 81.98% of the time, however, it is generally much more reliable to use Double-Edge and Hyper Beam to break through enemy Water-types.

I can't say Ice Beam is really ever used with the expressed purpose of Freeze fishing. Ice Beam is mainly for extra PP and accuracy, like Double-Edge. It picks off Dugtrio reliably, for example, without wasting any PP or risking a potentially fatal miss.

Another option available to Articuno is Rest, enabling Articuno to consistently take hits and pressure the opponent throughout the game, however it is hard to justify using Rest over Articuno’s other moves and it doesn’t fit well with Articunos main role as a volatile offensive sweeper.

It may also be worth mentioning some other defensive options like Reflect. Defensive Articuno sets are possible and can work, though I wouldn't call it the best use of Articuno. Sky Attack can maybe be mentioned too.

**Bulky Water-types**: Despite Articuno’s nuclear damage output, there are many bulky Water-types in RBY UU that can switch into its Blizzard and defeat it. Tentacruel is the most common Water-type Articuno check due to its dominating presence in the tier and can switch into its Blizzard and wear it down with Wrap while Articuno is unable to attack and use Rest to heal off any damage it may take, however, if Tentacruel takes some chip damage beforehand and Articuno uses Agility on the switch, then Tentacruel becomes a far worse Articuno check since it can be very quickly brought into Hyper-Beam range from repeated Double-Edges’. Dewgong, Omastar, and Vaporeon are complete stonewalls for Articuno, able to shrug off its Blizzards and Double-Edges’ while suffering little damage in return and slowly chipping away at Articuno. Poliwrath can take a couple of Blizzards before going down but is unable to threaten Articuno in any significant way outside of Hypnosis.

This section is a tad disoriented and could use some general revsisions. Also not sure why you put apostrophes on Double-Edge. Omastar and Dewgong should have a little extra information, as they are the two hardest checks. Articuno pretty much will never break Omastar without a Freeze (you would need two conscutive timely critical hits) and Dewgong can only be broken by Double-Edge critical hits (though a critical Double-Edge into a critical Hyper Beam can potentially do the trick). Gyarados may merit a brief mention here.

**Raichu and Electabuzz**: While these two do not enjoy taking a Blizzard by any means, both Raichu and Electabuzz can paralyze Articuno with Thunder Wave and do significant amounts of damage with their super-effective STAB attacks. However, by no means are they switch-ins to Articuno, outside of coming in on an Agility.

These two aren't really checks, like at all. They both can't switch in and lose the one on one. Blizzard 2HKOes while Thunderbolt will usually 3HKO. I suppose you can mention Paralysis as a check, but even that isn't the best way to deal with Articuno. "Faster Pokemon" may also be an option, as stuff like Electabuzz, Raichu, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio can apply some pressure to Articuno if it is weakened and hasn't set up Agility yet. Golem is also an interesting Pokemon that should be mentioned somewhere as Rock Slide is liable to OHKO outright.

Hopefully this will give you some ideas to launch from. Cheers!

 

[Shellnuts]

Finally found time to finish writing this, it is now ready for QC.

 

[Plague von Karma]

Putting in a check, won't QC since I helped write this in the first place. Most of this is just grammar things so GP doesn't have to deal with them. I highly doubt there's anything that could be noted here, it's basically perfect.
Add
Remove
Comment
Highlight
(ASC) = Add Semicolon
(AC) = Add Comma
(AP) = Add Period
(AH) = Hyphenate
(RH) = Remove Hyphen
(RC) = Remove Comma
(RP) = Remove Period

You appear to have problems using "it" as an object pronoun. This is a good resource for that, just be careful not to go to the opposite end of the spectrum and use it too much.

You also seem to have a habit of using "however" as an "interrupter", this and this may help illustrate what I mean. When using "however", you don't really want to put commas between it the way you do. Almost every time, you usually mean to use a semicolon followed by "however,", eg. "Articuno is good; however, it sometimes isn't".

Lastly, Hyper Beam is never hyphenated. Ever.

the check

[OVERVIEW]

With its incredible Special stat coupled with STAB on the strongest unboosted special attack in the generation, Blizzard, (it's Blizzard + Articuno's Special, so this is a bit redundant, esp when you mention it right after) and access to Agility, it's easy to see why Articuno is considered to be one of the most volatile sweepers in RBY UU. The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is enough to 2HKO nearly two-thirds of the metagame, including specially bulky Pokemon like Haunter and Kadabra, and as well as tier titans like Kangaskhan and Persian, and which makes switching into it a difficult task for many Pokemon. This difficulty is further compounded by Articuno's respectable bulk, which grants Articuno it more opportunities to set up and sweep while also making it even harder to stop when it gets an Agility boost up. (it's hard to stop in general, sometimes it doesn't need the agility, plus a bit redundant when you mention setup prior) Articuno's bulk also allows it to check physical attackers such as Kangaskhan, Persian, Dodrio, and Dugtrio, which is a trait that offensive teams appreciate.

However, Articuno has some notable drawbacks that prevent it from devastating the tier. The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is a significant reason why bulky Water-types like Tentacruel and Vaporeon are so dominant, as they are among the few Pokemon that can stop Articuno from sweeping through their team, forcing Articuno to rely on its mediocre physical attacking movepool to break past them. Articuno's middling speed tier is another notable weakness of Articuno, as being slower than Tentacruel makes it vulnerable to Wrap unless it finds an opportunity to use Agility. However, even with these drawbacks, Articuno's raw power allows it to succeed despite these flaws and is a worthwhile addition to many teams. (How about "is a staple pick on many successful offensive teams"? Sounds a bit more grandiose, yeah? Not sure if the scope is too different, though.)

[SET]
name: Agility Sweeper
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Hyper Beam
move 4: Agility


[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========

Articuno's Blizzard is the strongest special attack in the generation and Articuno's its primary attacking move against most targets, allowing Articuno to KO most of the opponent's (AA) Pokemon with only a couple of uses. Double-Edge and Hyper-Beam (RH) help Articuno combat Water-types attempting to stop Articuno it from running over teams, with Double-Edge having additional utility as a finishing move to pick off low-health targets with better accuracy than Blizzard and Hyper-Beam. (RH) Finally, Agility rounds out the set to let Articuno outspeed the unboosted metagame, making it harder to pin down with Wrap and allowing it to bypass the Speed drop from paralysis.

Articuno usually operates in two distinct ways, either as an endgame sweeper—cleaning up weakened teams after boosting its speed with Agility—or as a tank—using its damage output, bulk, and Ground immunity (RH) to take hits and do significant damage to the opponent. When operating in the former role, Articuno generally stays in the back for most of the game, waiting for its answers to either be KOed or chipped low enough so that Articuno can finish them off and then looking for opportunities to come onto the field and use Agility. From there, the game is usually over, (AC) as Articuno will summarily be able to mop up the opposition, bar a couple of untimely Blizzard misses. The biggest obstacles to Articuno's sweep are Tentacruel, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Dewgong, and it usually comes down to Articuno's teammates to remove them; (ASC) however, Articuno can help in this process by coming onto the field safely, such as by double-switching into a target OHKO'd by Articuno Blizzard, (clarity) such as Dragonite or Dugtrio, and attacking them while they come in. This can be especially effective against a chipped Vaporeon or Dewgong since a Double-Edge (AH) followed with a Hyper Beam will kill KO both of them from half health (RH) as they switch into Articuno to stop an Agility sweep. The other obstacle Articuno faces when operating as a sweeper is finding a turn to safely use Agility. Some examples of good opportunities for Articuno to come onto the field are against sleeping targets, against attacks it resists such as like Venusaur's Razor Leaf, and against Ground-type attacks from the likes of Dugtrio or Golem.

On the other hand, Articuno can perform the role of a tank admirably. With its incredible natural bulk and nuclear damage output, Articuno can aid its teammates by taking on some of the most dangerous physical attackers in the tier. From full health, Articuno can switch into and usually KO Kangaskhan and Dodrio while also beating Persian, Gyarados, and Dugtrio, in a one-on-one matchup if Articuno is reasonably healthy, helping stabilize offensive teams greatly as Articuno's ability to deal with those aforementioned strong attackers helps make up for their lack of longevity. Furthermore, because of how strong Articuno's Blizzard is, Articuno can help break past defensive Pokemon such as a freshly-resting Hypno using Rest, Venusaur, and Tangela, to enable teammates like Dugtrio, Persian, or Kadabra, to deal damage to other targets. This way of using Articuno primarily works when facing offense structures that do not run multiple Water-types, as they often do not have lack (less words, same point) a good way to answer a well-played Articuno outside of their Tentacruel.

As mentioned before, Articuno despises bulky Water-types, and as such appreciates teammates which can deal with them. Persian, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio are fantastic Articuno partners, as their damage output allows them to break through Articuno checks such as Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Omastar, while also weakening any other potential roadblocks to Articuno's sweep. In return, they appreciate Articuno's ability to deal with their common answers such as Kangaskhan, Tangela, Dragonite, and Aerodactyl, as well as Articuno's ability to help check Dugtrio. Pokemon with sleep moves such as Tangela, Venusaur, and Haunter, also make good Articuno partners, as they can put an opposing Pokemon to sleep, which is a good point for Articuno to come onto the field and start dealing damage, and can break through the pesky waters Water-types that Articuno hates with their super-effective Grass- (AH) and Electric-type attacks. In return, Articuno helps deal with some of their common checks, (AC) such as Flying- (AH) and Grass-types in the case of Venusaur and Tangela, and Dugtrio in the case of Haunter. Venusaur and Tangela also come with the added benefit of helping check Dugtrio, which lets Articuno focus on dealing with other threats and avoid the risk of Dugtrio landing a critical hit with its Rock Slide. Electric-type Pokemon such as Electabuzz and Raichu can aid Articuno in breaking through water-types as well, as their STAB Thunderbolts and speed-tier allow them to deal damage to Tentacruel and Vaporeon, while also spreading paralysis with Thunder Wave (RH) which Articuno appreciates. In return, Articuno helps answer checks to them such as Dugtrio, Venusaur, and Tangela.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

On the vast majority of teams, Articuno is better off using its standard set; (ASC) however, (AC) it does have some options which could prove useful. Ice Beam could be used over Double-Edge on Articuno, giving it another Ice-type attack with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard to pick off targets such as Dugtrio without worrying about Blizzard's accuracy., (RC, AP) however, On the other hand, (less whiplash on "however") Double-Edge is preferred due to its better damage output against Water-types. Another option available to Articuno is Rest, enabling Articuno it to consistently take hits and pressure the opponent throughout the game, however but it is hard to justify using Rest over Articuno’s other moves and as it doesn’t fit well with Articunos main role as a volatile offensive threat.

(Maybe mention Reflect and subsequently talk about Persian dunking on it? I'd also argue that mentioning Bubble Beam if only to discourage its use is a decent idea.)

Checks and Counters

===================

**Bulky Water-types**: Despite Articuno’s nuclear damage output, there are many bulky Water-types in RBY UU that can switch into its Blizzard and defeat it. Tentacruel is the most common Water-type Articuno check due to its dominating presence in the tier and can switch into its Blizzard (redundant) and wears it down with Wrap while Articuno is unable to attack. (AP, run-on sentence removal) and Worse still, it can use Rest to heal off any damage it may take, however, if Tentacruel takes some chip damage beforehand and Articuno uses Agility on the switch, then Tentacruel becomes a far worse Articuno check since it can be very quickly brought into Hyper-Beam (RH) range from repeated Double-Edge's. Poliwrath can take a couple of Blizzards before going down but is unable to threaten Articuno in any significant way outside of Hypnosis. Dewgong and Omastar in particular are hard walls for Articuno, as both take very little damage from either Double-Edge or Blizzard and can use Rest to heal off any damage if they are low. The only way Articuno can break through either of them on its own—outside of getting a lucky freeze on Omastar with Blizzard—is by landing at least 2 consecutive critical hits with Double-Edge and Blizzard for Dewgong and Omastar respectively and then a follow-up Hyper-Beam (RH) or Blizzard to finish them off.

**Hypno and Kadabra**: While Hypno and Kadabra are by no means reliable answers or even good switch-ins to Articuno, they can act as soft checks to Articuno in some scenarios. If Hypno is at full health and is not asleep, it can take two Blizzards while paralyzing Articuno in return and potentially doing some damage with Psychic or Rest looping it Resting ("Rest loop" is not a recognised term in GP and it sometimes belies how the interaction actually works, try to avoid it with stuff like "repeatedly use Rest" etc) through Blizzard’s limited PP. Kadabra can also take a Blizzard or Double-Edge and paralyze Articuno in return from full health, before healing off any damage it takes with Recover and praying for Articuno to fully paralyze, though Articuno can use Agility to remove the speed drop and fish for a Double-Edge critical hit fairly safely, OHKOing with Hyper Beam once it does land the crit hit.

**Faster Pokemon**: Against a chipped Articuno which has not used Agility yet, faster Pokemon like Kangaskhan, Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, and Raichu, can all threaten to KO Articuno and force it to switch out. However, one of these Pokemon (what?) can switch into Articuno's Blizzard without suffering severe damage, if not being KOed outright.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Shellnuts, 491544], [Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

 

[phoopes]

Let's take a look.

The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is enough to 2HKO nearly two-thirds of the metagame, including specially bulky Pokemon like Haunter and Kadabra, as well as tier titans like Kangaskhan and Persian, which makes switching into it a difficult task for many Pokemon.

I think it's important to make the distinction that Kadabra and Haunter are potential 2HKOs whereas Kangaskhan and Persian are guarantees. I'd reword to something like...

"The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is enough to 2HKO nearly two-thirds of the metagame, notably tier titans like Kangaskhan and Persian. Blizzard even has a chance at 2HKOing specially bulky Pokemon like Haunter and Kadabra, which makes switching into it a difficult task for many Pokemon."

Tried to keep as much of your original wording as possible while still making the distinction between potential and guaranteed 2HKOs, let me know what you think.

This difficulty is further compounded by Articuno's respectable bulk, which grants it more opportunities to set up and sweep while also making it even harder to stop Articuno's bulk also allows it to check physical attackers such as Kangaskhan, Persian, Dodrio, and Dugtrio, which is a trait that offensive teams appreciate.

I think this is supposed to be two sentences instead of one. Also I might add some kind of qualifier here about Dugtrio considering yeah you're immune to Earthquake but it is very likely to 2HKO you or even crit one-shot with Rock Slide, making Articuno a much shakier check to it than the Normal-type attacking trio mention. You do mention the crit Rock Slide chance later in the analysis but yeah, maybe adding some kind of qualifier in the overview would be good too. Especially since you make mention of it checking Dugtrio later in the analysis multiple times. I just think it'd be a good thing for the player to keep in mind.

The biggest obstacles to Articuno's sweep are Tentacruel, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Dewgong, and it usually comes down to Articuno's teammates to remove them; however, Articuno can help in this process by coming onto the field safely, such as by double-switching into a target OHKO'd by Blizzard, such as Dragonite or Dugtrio, and attacking them while they come in.

This sentence is a little hard to follow for me, maybe it's the use of "such as" twice in quick succession.

The only way Articuno can break through either of them on its own—outside of getting a lucky freeze on Omastar with Blizzard—is by landing at least 2 consecutive critical hits with Double-Edge and Blizzard for Dewgong and Omastar respectively and then a follow-up Hyper Beam or Blizzard to finish them off.

This sentence is also a little hard to follow in my opinion. Maybe split it into two sentences?

---

That's all I got really. I read over everything a bunch of times and I think you're spot on for most things. Let me know what you think about those proposed changes in the overview, but right now it's already good enough to give a QC 1/2

 

[Shellnuts]

text

Implemented

 

[Volk]

I'm like mad tired, so I'll probably need to look at this again. But for now, here we go.

With its incredible Special stat coupled with STAB on the strongest unboosted special attack in the generation and access to Agility, it's easy to see why Articuno is considered to be one of the most volatile sweepers in RBY UU.

This is kind of a super nitpick, but depending on how you define "strongest" this isn't necessarily true. In terms of raw, maximum damage, Articuno takes it. However, if you start factoring in stuff like accuracy and critical hit chance, I believe Mewtwo's Psychic actually takes the cake. So just be careful how you word this.
Also, that is not what "volatile" means. Volatile usually means rapidly changing, inconsistent, and degrading. Articuno is kind of the opposite of this, being highly consistent and increasingly strong over the course of a battle.

The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is enough to 2HKO nearly two-thirds of the metagame, frequently 2HKO'ing specially bulky Pokemon like Haunter and Kadabra, as well as tier titans like Kangaskhan and Persian, for many Pokemon, switching into Articuno and surviving is a herculean task.

The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is enough to 2HKO nearly two-thirds of the metagame, frequently 2HKOing specially bulky Pokemon like Kadabra and Haunter and always 2HKOing offensive titans like Kangaskhan and Persian; for many Pokemon, just switching into Articuno and surviving is a herculean task.
Instead of a semicolon, you can also just use a period and start a new sentence. The comma is no good.

This difficulty is further compounded by Articuno's respectable bulk, which grants it more opportunities to set up and sweep while also making it even harder to stop.

I wouldn't really say Articuno has more opportunities to set up thanks to its bulk. I think it would make more sense to say Articuno can set up on many different targets without fear of being taken out quickly. I also think calling Articuno's bulk "respectable" is selling it short. Articuno is strictly bulkier than Hypno, which was described as having "high natural bulk" in its analysis. If I'm not mistaken, Articuno has the second best Special bulk in the entire tier (behind only Vaporeon) and the second best Physical bulk in the entire tier (behind only Omastar and barely beating out Tangela and Kangaskhan). I think Articuno might have the best "mixed bulk" in the entire tier. This is worth selling.

Articuno's bulk also allows it to check physical attackers such as Kangaskhan, Persian, Dodrio, and Dugtrio—unless it uses Rock-Slide on the switch—which is a trait that offensive teams appreciate.

For what it is worth, Kangaskhan can also potentially nail Articuno with Rock Slide. The move is a guaranteed to 2HKO. Additionally, I think defensive teams also appreciate this.

The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is a significant reason why bulky Water-types like Tentacruel and Vaporeon are so dominant, as they are among the few Pokemon that can stop Articuno from sweeping through their team, forcing Articuno to rely on its mediocre physical attacking movepool to break past them.

This sentence is very choppy and difficult to read.
The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is a significant reason why bulky Water-types like Tentacruel and Vaporeon are so dominant, as they can shrug off the hit with relative ease. Articuno must rely on its mediocre physical attacking movepool to break past them.

Articuno's middling speed tier is another notable weakness of Articuno, as being slower than Tentacruel makes it vulnerable to Wrap unless it finds an opportunity to use Agility.

Being susceptible to being revenge killed by Persian, Dugtrio, and especially Kangaskhan is also kind of lame.

However, even with these drawbacks, Articuno's raw power allows it to succeed despite these flaws and is a staple pick on many successful offensive teams.

You mention "despite these drawbacks" twice in this sentence. Remove the redundancy.

Articuno's Blizzard is the strongest special attack in the generation and its primary attacking move against most targets, allowing Articuno to KO most of the opponent's Pokemon with only a couple of uses.

Again, debatable if this is the strongest move. Also, say "in two or three hits" instead of "with only a couple of attacks."

Double-Edge and Hyper Beam help Articuno combat Water-types attempting to stop it from running over teams, with Double-Edge having additional utility as a finishing move to pick off low-health targets with better accuracy than Blizzard and Hyper Beam.

Hyper Beam is also your strongest move against Kadabra, by a lot.

Articuno usually operates in two distinct ways, either as an endgame sweeper—cleaning up weakened teams after boosting its speed with Agility—or as a tank—using its damage output, bulk, and Ground immunity to take hits and do significant damage to the opponent.

The latter half of this sentence kind of just describes what a tank is. Might be worth adding a little detail, like how it might break open some holes or enable other sweepers or something.

When operating in the former role, Articuno generally stays in the back for most of the game, waiting for its answers to either be KOed or chipped low enough so that Articuno can finish them off and then look for opportunities to come onto the field and use Agility.

There is a fair amount of strength in an unrevealed Articuno, as your opponent won't be sure how conservatively they'll need to play their Water-type Pokemon.

The biggest obstacles to Articuno's sweep are Tentacruel, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Dewgong, and it usually comes down to Articuno's teammates to remove them; however, Articuno can help in this process by coming onto the field safely, such as by double-switching into a target OHKO'd by Blizzard, like Dragonite or Dugtrio, and attacking them while they come in.

You can also use Articuno a bit earlier to bait in Water-type Pokemon. Partners like Venusaaur, Kangaskhan, and Persian can come in and get the necessary damage on the Water-type or whatever switches in (as the opponent will probably want to keep their Water-type Pokemon healthy if Articuno is known). Also, maybe mention Freeze as a last-ditch method for sweeping.

The other obstacle Articuno faces when operating as a sweeper is finding a turn to safely use Agility. Some examples of good opportunities for Articuno to come onto the field are against sleeping targets, against attacks it resists like Venusaur's Razor Leaf, and against Ground-type attacks from the likes of Dugtrio or Golem.

Some things to keep in mind when setting up Agility:
Dugtrio Rock Slide vs. Articuno on a critical hit: 367-432 (95.8 - 112.7%) -- 74.4% chance to OHKO
Golem Rock Slide vs. Articuno: 350-412 (91.3 - 107.5%) -- 46.2% chance to OHKO
Normal-type Pokemon are also pretty good set-up targets. Kangaskhan can Paralyze with Body Slam, which is bad, but Persian and Dodrio really aren't going to do much here, and are pretty likely to switch or just get swept over.

With its incredible natural bulk and nuclear damage output, Articuno can aid its teammates by taking on some of the most dangerous physical attackers in the tier.

That's a better description of the bulk.

From full health, Articuno can switch into and usually KO Kangaskhan and Dodrio while also beating Persian, Gyarados, and Dugtrio, in a one-on-one matchup if Articuno is reasonably healthy, helping stabilize offensive teams greatly as Articuno's ability to deal with those aforementioned strong attackers helps make up for their lack of longevity.

From full health, Articuno can switch into and usually KO Kangaskhan and Dodrio while also beating Persian, Gyarados, and Dugtrio in a one-on-one matchup if Articuno is reasonably healthy. Articuno's ability to deal with these threats helps stabilize offensive teams by making up from their lack of longevity.

In return, they appreciate Articuno's ability to deal with their common answers such as Kangaskhan, Tangela, Dragonite, and Aerodactyl, as well as Articuno's ability to help check Dugtrio.

I'd probably just lump Dugtrio in with the other four.

Pokemon with sleep moves such as Tangela, Venusaur, and Haunter, also make good Articuno partners, as they can put an opposing Pokemon to sleep, which is a good point for Articuno to come onto the field and start dealing damage, and can break through the pesky Water-types that Articuno hates with their super-effective Grass-and Electric-type attacks.

Pokemon with sleep moves such as Tangela, Venusaur, and Haunter, also make good Articuno partners, as Articuno can easily set up or start dealing damage when facing a sleeping foe. In addition to Sleep, their super-effective Grass-and Electric-type attacks can help break through the pesky Water-types that Articuno hates facing.

In return, Articuno helps deal with some of their common checks, such as Flying-and Grass-types in the case of Venusaur and Tangela, and Dugtrio in the case of Haunter.

Dragonite is the biggest Ice-weak Grass check, so you should probably mention it by name. Dodrio is notable too.

enusaur and Tangela also come with the added benefit of helping check Dugtrio, which lets Articuno focus on dealing with other threats and avoid the risk of Dugtrio landing a critical hit with its Rock Slide.

They also check Electric-type Pokemon that can revenge kill or paralyze Articuno.

Team Options

Articuno also teams surprisingly well with Water-type Pokemon, as they keep Articuno from over-extending itself and prevents the game from being settled by the ditto (Articuno would rather not be forced to face itself). Dragonite and Gyarados are also pretty good bulky teammates, especially because of their access to Thunderbolt. Turns out basically everything works with Articuno.

Ice Beam could be used over Double-Edge on Articuno, giving it another Ice-type attack with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard to pick off targets such as Dugtrio without worrying about Blizzard's accuracy.

It's also your best option if you're desperate and have to play for a Freeze.

Another option available to Articuno is Rest, enabling it to consistently take hits and pressure the opponent throughout the game, but it is hard to justify using Rest over Articuno’s other moves as it doesn’t fit well with Articunos main role as a volatile offensive threat.

Again, not really what "volatile" means. You also missed the apostrophe on "Articuno's."

In a similar vein, Articuno can also run Reflect to try and bolster its defensive prowess, but justifying it over Articuno’s other moves is similarly hard to justify, and the increased defenses of Reflect are ignored by critical hits, making it completely useless against Pokemon with guaranteed critical-hit attacks such as Persian.

"...but justifying it over Articuno's other moves is difficult..." (you already said "justify" and "similar").

Bubble Beam might seem like a decent option, however, it is completely outclassed by Agility as a means of allowing Articuno to outspeed targets, and outclassed by Double-Edge and Ice Beam as an attacking move.

Not really sure if this is even worth mentioning. I think Blizzard or Double-Edge will always be stronger and Agility is basically always the better Speed control option. Basically the only case I can think of where it would be useful is if Articuno needed to catch a switch that is faster than it and just barely out of Blizzard range, that way you could get the damage and the KO on the next turn. This is extremely niche though.

Tentacruel is the most common Water-type Articuno check due to its dominating presence in the tier and wears it down with Wrap while Articuno is unable to attack.

Tentacruel is the most common Water-type Articuno check and can wear it down with Wrap and keep it from attacking.

Worse still, it can use Rest to heal off any damage it may take, however, if Tentacruel takes some chip damage beforehand and Articuno uses Agility on the switch, then Tentacruel becomes a far worse Articuno check since it can be very quickly brought into Hyper Beam range from repeated Double-Edge's.

Break this into two sentences. Add a period after "take" and capitalize "However." Also, no apostrophe there; "repeated uses of Double-Edge" is much better.

Poliwrath can take a couple of Blizzards before going down but is unable to threaten Articuno in any significant way outside of Hypnosis.

Body Slam paralysis is kind of threatening, I guess. Also, I'd probably put Poliwrath last in this category, seeing as it is the least effective check.

Bulky Water-types

WHERE IS VAPOREON!?

Kadabra can also take a Blizzard or Double-Edge and paralyze Articuno in return from full health, before healing off any damage it takes with Recover and praying for Articuno to fully paralyze, though Articuno can use Agility to remove the speed drop and fish for a Double-Edge critical hit fairly safely, OHKOing with Hyper Beam once it does land the hit.

This, by definition, is not an OHKO. Say "finishing it off with Hyper Beam" instead. Also, note that stalling out all of Articuno's Blizzard PP is actually reasonably possible for Kadabra. Articuno can use Double-Edge instead, but that forces Articuno to sustain some recoil, which could build up a bit over time.

Against a chipped Articuno which has not used Agility yet, faster Pokemon like Kangaskhan, Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, and Raichu, can all threaten to KO Articuno and force it to switch out.

If Articuno is chipped and has not used Agility yet, faster Pokemon like Kangaskhan, Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, and Raichu, can all threaten to KO Articuno or force it to switch out.
Also note that Rock Slide Kangaskhan wins one-on-one against Articuno if both are at full health. This technically makes it a true Articuno check. Perhaps a section titled "Rock Slide Users" is in order.

Checks and Counters

You could probably put Paralysis somewhere in here. While Agility does ignore the Speed drop, Articuno doesn't handle paralysis all that gracefully, considering its two best moves only have 90% accuracy. This means a paralyzed Articuno is dealing damage a mere 67.5% of the time. It also makes less consistent checks, like Tentacruel, a lot more reliable.

I think that is it for now. Let me know when everything is done so I can check this again and we can get this published. Cheers!

 

[EB0LA]

Volk mentions this stuff in post above, didn't read the comments prior to reading the analysis, but just adding them due to what stood out the most for me.

"Bubble Beam might seem like a decent option, however, it is completely outclassed by Agility as a means of allowing Articuno to outspeed targets, and outclassed by Double-Edge and Ice Beam as an attacking move."

No one is using/should use BB lol I'd scrap this bit.

Vaporeon not mentioned in Bulky Water Checks/Counters.

Saw PVK mention Sky Attack, don't think SA is that useful on Cuno, everything SA would be good for is already covered with STAB Ice.

Also I too think adding somewhere that Dewgong is more or less used over Vaporeon due to Articunos presence.

Else looks good!

 

[Shellnuts]

stuff

stuff

implemented virtually everything suggested in both of these, I didn't have time to work in the comment on Dewgong being used for Articuno, but everything else was done.

 

[Volk]

Let's see if we can QC this thing.

Articuno's incredible bulk further compounds this issue.

I'd replace "issue" with "strength" or maybe "challenge." Using "issue" makes it sounds like its a problem Articuno faces, rather than a power that it has.

Articuno has more physical bulk than Tangela or Kangaskhan, more special bulk than Tentacruel, Kadabra, and Gyarados, and directly outclasses Hypno, one of the sturdiest and most pivotal Pokemon in the tier, at taking both physical and special attacks.

This is a little odd, for a few reasons. For one, Articuno is flat bulkier than Tentacruel, Kadabra, and a few other Pokemon on this list, so it seems weird to separate only Hypno from them. Between this and the word "outclasses," this sentence is borderline misinformation. It might be easier to just say Articuno is bulkier than many tier staples, like Tentacruel, Hypno, Kangaskhan, and Tangela.

It is only outclassed in physical bulk by Omastar and in special bulk by Vaporeon.

You should double check me on this. Off the top of my head, I know that Golem has more physical bulk than both Omastar and Articuno.

Articuno's bulk also allows it to check physical attackers such as Persian, Dodrio, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio—though the latter two are less secure checks because both of their Rock Slides cleanly 2HKO Articuno—a trait appreciated by many teams.

You can probably save the stuff between the em dashes for later.

Articuno's middling speed tier is another notable weakness of Articuno, as being slower than Tentacruel makes it vulnerable to Wrap and leaves it open to being revenge killed by Dugtrio, Persian, and Kangaskhan, unless it finds an opportunity to use Agility.

This is definitely a nitpick, but I don't know if "middling" is the best word here, as Articuno is still faster than a lot of notables. I'd have to check, but I think Articuno is above "the middle."

Articuno's Blizzard is the strongest special attack in the generation and its primary attacking move against most targets, allowing Articuno to KO most of the opponent's Pokemon with only a couple of uses.

Again, I'm going to suggest saying "in two or three hits."

Double-Edge and Hyper Beam help Articuno combat Water-types and Kadabra's attempting to stop it from running over teams, with Double-Edge having additional utility as a finishing move to pick off low-health targets with better accuracy than Blizzard and Hyper Beam.

The plural of Kadabra is Kadabra. Plurals virtually never receive apostrophes. Additionally, I'd say "with better accuracy and more PP than..."

Articuno usually operates in two distinct ways, either as an endgame sweeper—cleaning up weakened teams after boosting its speed with Agility—or as a tank—using its damage output, bulk, and Ground immunity to take hits and do significant damage to the opponent, opening holes for its teammates to exploit.

I don't think the information between the em dashes is necessary, as you should go on to explain the roles in more detail anyway.

There is some value in keeping Articuno unrevealed until it goes for the sweep, as it can leave your opponent uncertain about how conservative they need to play with their Articuno counters which can be exploited by Articuno or its teammates.

It's mainly being exploited by Articuno's teammates. After all, how can it exploit anything if it is unrevealed?

Furthermore, because of how strong Articuno's Blizzard is, Articuno can help break past defensive Pokemon such as a Hypno using Rest, Venusaur, and Tangela, to enable teammates like Dugtrio, Persian, or Kadabra, to deal damage to other targets.

Hate to hyper-saturate this with examples, but Electabuzz also very much appreciates pressure on that combination of Pokemon.

ersian, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio are fantastic Articuno partners, as their damage output allows them to break through Articuno checks such as Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Omastar, while also weakening any other potential roadblocks to Articuno's sweep.

You can probably lump Gyarados in this category as well.

Electric-type Pokemon such as Electabuzz and Raichu can aid Articuno in breaking through water-types as well, as their STAB Thunderbolts and speed-tier allow them to deal damage to Tentacruel and Vaporeon, while also spreading paralysis with Thunder Wave which Articuno appreciates. In return, Articuno helps answer checks to them such as Dugtrio, Venusaur, and Tangela.

I'd probably move this after the first set of partners but before the list of sleepers, as the behave pretty similarly (check Water-type Pokemon for Articuno).

In return, Articuno helps deal with some of their common checks, such as Flying-and Grass-types—especially Dragonite and Dodrio—in the case of Venusaur and Tangela, and Dugtrio in the case of Haunter. Venusaur and Tangela also come with the added benefit of helping check Dugtrio and Electric-types that can paralyze or revenge kill Articuno, which lets Articuno focus on dealing with other threats and avoid the risk of Dugtrio landing a critical hit with its Rock Slide.

This information isn't wrong, but I can imagine it being a tad confusing to new players, as it says Dugtrio both can and cannot threaten Articuno. The matchup is quite situational, so it may be worth clarifying or re-writing this part.

Ice Beam could be used over Double-Edge on Articuno, giving it another Ice-type attack with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard to pick off targets such as Dugtrio without worrying about Blizzard's accuracy, as well as allowing Articuno to fish for a freeze as a desperation play.

No need to say "on Articuno" in this sentence.

Due to Golem and Dugtrio’s Ice weakness, Rock Slide has to be used as Articuno switches in so they can KO Articuno before it OHKOs them with Blizzard.

Alternatively, they could be KOing it from low health, especially in the case of Dugtrio. It also might be worth noting that Golem is basically the only Pokemon that can potentially OHKO Articuno.

This means a paralyzed Articuno is dealing damage a mere 67.5% of the time.

I forgot to factor in the Uncertainty in this calculation, so it should be lower.

Checks and Counters

You can maybe skip this because it is so niche, but I've noticed that Fire-type Pokemon actually kind of counter Articuno. Ninetales, barring a very high Blizzard roll, is actually a true Counter to Articuno. As far as more common options go, Moltres does win the 1v1 from full more often than not.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Shellnuts, 491544], [Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[Phoopes, 96315 ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

phoopes is spelled with a lowercase "p."

This should be it. Let me know when it's all done and I'm confident that'll be a QC from me!

 

[Shellnuts]

words

Implemented nearly everything (and something I missed with water-types pairing with Articuno).

 

[Volk]

This has shaped up very well.

There is some value in keeping Articuno unrevealed until it goes for the sweep, as it can leave your opponent uncertain about how conservative they need to play with their Articuno counters which can be exploited by Articuno’s teammates.

I'd start this sentence with a transition word like "Alternatively," just to illustrate how keeping Articuno unrevealed innately differs from the tenchnique you just described.

From full health, Articuno can switch into and usually KO Kangaskhan and Dodrio while also beating Persian, Gyarados, and Dugtrio in a one-on-one matchup if Articuno is reasonably healthy.

Maybe add "barring critical hits" as they make the Articuno versus Dugtrio matchup infamously shaky.

Articuno's ability to deal with these threats helps stabilize offensive teams by making up for their lack of longevity.

This is a little vague. I'm not entirely sure what you were going for with this sentence, but it might be worth saying something along the lines of "Articuno can handle Normal-type attackers that otherwise greatly pressure frailer offensive teams." You can clarify this sentence by extending it, replacing it, and/or adding another one, your call.

In return, Articuno helps deal with some of their common checks, such as Flying-and Grass-types—especially Dragonite and Dodrio—in the case of Venusaur and Tangela, and Dugtrio in the case of Haunter—albeit to a lesser extent because Dugtrio has access to Rock Slide.

I'm not going to make a suggestion on this right now, but I suspect the GP Team will go after this one.

Venusaur and Tangela also come with the added benefit of checking Dugtrio and Electric-types that can paralyze or revenge kill Articuno, which lets Articuno focus on dealing with other threats and avoid the risk of Dugtrio landing a critical hit with its Rock Slide.

Swap "paralyze and revenge kill" as Dugtrio usually does the revenge killing and the Electric-types do the paralyzing.

Lastly, Water-type Pokemon such as Tentacruel and Vaporeon can be valuable Articuno partners, as their defensive utility helps keep Articuno from overextending and lets Articuno opt out of playing the mirror-match against itself.

A mirror-match is inherently against oneself.

However, if Tentacruel takes some chip damage beforehand and Articuno uses Agility on the switch, then Tentacruel becomes a far worse Articuno check since it can be very quickly brought into Hyper Beam range from repeated uses of Double-Edge.

It may be worth giving a sort of play-by-play here, like assuming Artiucuno has used Agility, Articuno only needs one critical hit Double-Edge to get Tentacruel into range of Hyper Beam.

**Paralysis**: While Agility does ignore the Speed drop, Articuno doesn't handle paralysis all that gracefully, considering its two best moves only have 90% accuracy. This means a paralyzed Articuno is dealing damage a mere 67.5% of the time. It also makes less consistent checks, like Tentacruel, significantly more reliable.

Please verify the consistency of these accuracy numbers with the 1/256 Uncertainty.

Checks out. Implement these and it's QC 2/2! Cheers and on to GP!

 

[Lunaflare]

amcheck, implement what you want add remove comment (AC) = add comma (RC) = remove comma

Articuno

[OVERVIEW]

With its incredible Special stat, (AC) coupled with STAB on the strongest unboosted special STAB Special attack in the generation, (AC) and access to Agility, it's easy to see why Articuno is considered to be one of the most dangerous sweepers in RBY UU. The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is enough to 2HKO nearly two-thirds of the metagame, frequently 2HKOing specially bulky Pokemon like Kadabra and Haunter and always 2HKOing offensive titans like Kangaskhan and Persian; for many Pokemon, just switching into Articuno and surviving is a herculean task. Articuno's incredible bulk further compounds this challenge. , in addition Articuno is bulkier than surpasses that of many tier staples, like Tentacruel, Hypno, Kangaskhan, and Tangela. It is only outclassed in physical bulk by Omastar and Golem, and in special bulk by Vaporeon. This fantastic bulk allows Articuno to set up against many targets without fear of being taken out quickly, as well as making it even harder to stop once it begins sweeping. this sentence is true for any bulky 'mon, and it also interrupts the next sentence, so I chose to cut it out altogether. Articuno's bulk also allows it to check physical attackers such as Persian, Dodrio, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio, a trait appreciated by many teams.

However, Articuno has some notable drawbacks that prevent it from devastating the tier. T the raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is a significant reason why bulky Water-types like Tentacruel and Vaporeon are so dominant, as they can shrug off the hit with relative ease. trimming fluff Therefore, Articuno must rely on its mediocre physical attacking movepool to break past them. Articuno's middling speed Speed tier is another notable weakness, (AC) of Articuno, as being slower than Tentacruel makes it vulnerable to Wrap and leaves it open to being revenge killed by Dugtrio, Persian, and Kangaskhan, unless it finds an opportunity to use Agility. However, Articuno's raw power allows it to succeed despite these flaws, and it is a staple pick on many successful offensive teams.

[SET]
name: Agility Sweeper
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Hyper Beam
move 4: Agility


[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description

=========

Articuno's Blizzard is the strongest special Special attack in the generation and its primary attacking move against most targets, allowing Articuno to KO most of the opponent's Pokemon in only two or three hits. Double-Edge and Hyper Beam help Articuno combat Water-types and Kadabra, (AC) attempting to stop it from running over teams, with Double-Edge having additional utility as a finishing move to pick off low-health targets with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard and Hyper Beam. Finally, Agility rounds out the set to let Articuno outspeed the unboosted metagame, making it harder to pin down with Wrap and allowing it to bypass the Speed drop from paralysis.

Articuno usually operates in two distinct ways, either as an endgame a late-game sweeper or as a tank. When operating in the former role, Articuno generally stays in the back for most of the game as a sweeper, waiting for its answers to either be KOed or chipped low enough so that Articuno can finish them off and then look for opportunities to come onto the field and use Agility. From there, the game is usually over, as Articuno will summarily be able to mop up the opposition, bar a couple of untimely Blizzard misses. to me, this feels like fluff, but as always, feel free to skip this The biggest obstacles to Articuno's sweep are Tentacruel, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Dewgong, and it usually comes down to Articuno's teammates to remove them; however, Articuno can help in this process by coming onto the field safely, such as by double-switching into a target OHKO'd by within KO range of Blizzard, like Dragonite or Dugtrio, and attacking them while they come in. This can be especially effective against a chipped Vaporeon or Dewgong, (AC) since as a Double-Edge followed with a Hyper Beam will KO both of them from half health as they switch into Articuno to stop an Agility sweep. The other obstacle Articuno faces when operating as a sweeper is finding a turn to safely use Agility. Some examples of good opportunities for Articuno to come onto the field are against sleeping targets, against attacks it resists like Venusaur's Razor Leaf, against Dugtrio if it uses Earthquake instead of Rock Slide, or a predicted switch to a Normal-type attacker such as Kangaskhan, Persian, or Dodrio. Alternatively, there is some value in keeping Articuno unrevealed until it goes for the sweep, as it can leave your opponent uncertain about how conservative they need to play with their Articuno counters which can be exploited by Articuno’s teammates.

On the other hand, Articuno can perform the role of a tank. admirably. With its incredible natural bulk and nuclear damage output, Articuno can perform the role of a tank and aid its teammates by taking on some of the most dangerous physical attackers in the tier. From full health, Articuno can switch into and usually KO Kangaskhan and Dodrio while also beating Persian, Gyarados, and Dugtrio in a one-on-one matchup if Articuno is reasonably healthy, barring critical hits. Articuno can handle Normal-type attackers that otherwise greatly pressure frailer offensive teams. Furthermore, because of how strong Articuno's Blizzard is, Articuno can help break past defensive Pokemon such as a Hypno using Rest, Venusaur, and Tangela (RC) to enable teammates like Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, or Kadabra, to deal (RC) damage to other targets. This way of using Articuno primarily works when facing offense structures that do not run multiple Water-types, as they often lack a good way to answer a well-played Articuno outside of their Tentacruel.

As mentioned before, Articuno despises bulky Water-types, and as such appreciates teammates which can deal with them. Persian, Kangaskhan, Gyarados, and Dugtrio are fantastic Articuno partners for Articuno, as their damage output allows them to break through Articuno its checks such as Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Omastar, while also weakening any other potential roadblocks to Articuno's sweep. In return, they appreciate Articuno's ability to deal with their common answers such as Kangaskhan, Tangela, Dragonite, Dugtrio, and Aerodactyl. Electric-type Pokemon such as Electabuzz and Raichu can aid Articuno in breaking through water-types Water-types as well, as their STAB Thunderbolts and speed-tier Thunderbolt and Speed tier allow them to deal damage to Tentacruel and Vaporeon, while also spreading paralysis with Thunder Wave. which Articuno appreciates. In return, Articuno helps answer checks to them such as Dugtrio, Venusaur, and Tangela. Pokemon with sleep moves such as Tangela, Venusaur, and Haunter, (RC) also make good Articuno partners, as Articuno can easily set up or start dealing damage when facing a sleeping foe. In addition to Sleep putting threats to sleep, their super-effective Grass-and Electric-type attacks can help break through the pesky Water-types that Articuno hates facing. In return, Articuno helps deal with some of their common checks, such as Flying-and Grass-types, (AC)— especially Dragonite and Dodrio — in the case of Venusaur and Tangela, (RC) and Dugtrio in the case of Haunter, (AC) —albeit to a lesser extent because even though Dugtrio has access to Rock Slide. Venusaur and Tangela also come with the added benefit of checking Dugtrio and Electric-types that can revenge kill or paralyze Articuno, which lets Articuno focus on dealing with other threats and avoid the risk of Dugtrio landing a critical hit with its Rock Slide. Lastly, Water-type Pokemon such as Tentacruel and Vaporeon can be valuable Articuno partners, as their defensive utility helps keep Articuno from overextending and lets Articuno opt out of playing the mirror-match. not sure what you meant by overextend, so i left it in case an official checker wants to take a look

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options

=============

On the vast majority of teams, Articuno is better off using its standard set; however, it does have some options which could prove useful. Ice Beam could be used over Double-Edge, giving it another Ice-type attack with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard to pick off targets such as Dugtrio without worrying about Blizzard's accuracy, as well as allowing Articuno to fish for a freeze as a desperation play. On the other hand, Double-Edge is preferred due to its better damage output against Water-types. Another option available to Articuno is Rest, enabling it to consistently take hits and pressure the opponent throughout the game, but it is hard to justify using Rest over Articuno's other moves as it doesn't fit well with Articuno's main role as an offensive sweeper. In a similar vein, Articuno can also run Reflect to try and bolster its defensive prowess, but justifying it over Articuno's other moves is difficult. Reflect’s defensive boost is also ignored by critical hits, rending it completely useless against Pokemon with guaranteed critical-hit attacks such as Persian.

Checks and Counters

===================

**Bulky Water-types**: Despite Articuno's nuclear damage output, there are many bulky Water-types in RBY UU that can switch into its Blizzard and defeat it. Tentacruel is the most common Water-type Articuno check that checks Articuno and can wear it down with Wrap and keep it from attacking. Worse still, it can use Rest to heal off any damage it may take. However, if Tentacruel takes some chip damage beforehand and Articuno uses Agility on the switch, then Tentacruel becomes a far worse Articuno check, as Articuno only needs one Double-Edge critical hit to bring Tentacruel into Hyper Beam range. Vaporeon is another strong answer to Articuno, taking very little damage from Blizzard or Double-Edge while threatening reasonable damage in return with Surf and healing off the damage it does take with Rest. Dewgong and Omastar in particular are hard walls for Articuno, as both take very little damage from either Double-Edge or Blizzard and can use Rest to heal off any damage if they are low. Outside of a timely freeze against Omastar, the only way Articuno can break through either of them on its own is by landing at least 2 consecutive critical hits with Double-Edge and Blizzard for Dewgong and Omastar respectively, and then a follow-up Hyper Beam or Blizzard to finish them off. Poliwrath can take a couple of Blizzards before going down but is unable to threaten Articuno in any significant way outside of Hypnosis or a Body Slam paralysis.

**Hypno and Kadabra**: While Hypno and Kadabra are by no means reliable answers or even good switch-ins to Articuno, they can act as soft checks to Articuno in some scenarios. If Hypno is at full health and not asleep, it can take two Blizzards while paralyzing Articuno in return and potentially doing some damage with Psychic or Resting through Blizzard's limited PP. Kadabra can also take a Blizzard or Double-Edge and paralyze Articuno in return from full health, before healing off any damage it takes with Recover and praying for Articuno to fully paralyze, though Articuno can use Agility to remove the speed drop and fish for a Double-Edge or Blizzard critical hit fairly safely, finishing it off with Hyper Beam once it does land the hit. Both options do have shortcomings, however, as However, Double-Edge does deal recoil damage to Articuno which can add up over repeated uses, and Blizzard’s low PP can be stalled out by Kadabra repeatedly recovering.

**Faster Pokemon**: Against a chipped Articuno which has not used Agility yet, faster Pokemon like Kangaskhan, Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, and Raichu (RC) can all threaten to KO Articuno or force it to switch out. However, none of these Pokemon can switch into Articuno's Blizzard without suffering severe damage, if not being KOed outright.

**Rock Slide Users**: Pokemon with access to Rock Slide, such as Golem, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio (RC) can deal significant damage to Articuno due to its severe Rock-type weakness. Due to Golem and Dugtrio’s Ice weakness, they have to be careful to avoid being OHKOed by Blizzard, limiting them to hitting Articuno as it switches in or when going for a revenge kill on a weakened Articuno, especially in the case of Dugtrio. If Kangaskhan chooses to run Rock Slide, it becomes a true Articuno check, because it outspeeds and can 2HKO Articuno with Rock Slide while surviving Articuno’s Blizzard, letting it win the one-on-one matchup if it is healthy and Articuno has not used Agility.

**Paralysis**: While Agility does ignore the Speed drop, Articuno doesn't handle paralysis all that gracefully, considering its two best moves only have 89.45% accuracy. This means a paralyzed Articuno is dealing damage a mere 67.09% of the time. It also makes less consistent checks, like Tentacruel, significantly more reliable.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Shellnuts, 491544], [Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[phoopes, 96315], [Volk, 530877]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

 

[Muk]

I unfortunately did not refresh the page before the amcheck above was posted. You can implement what you want from it first, or you can simply implement my Official™ check. GP 1/2

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

With itsan incredible Special stat coupled with, STAB on the strongest unboosted special attack in the generation, and access to Agility, it's easy to see why Articuno is considered to be one of the most dangerous sweepers in RBY UU. The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is enough to 2HKO nearly two-thirds of the metagame, frequently 2HKOing specially bulky Pokemon like Kadabra and Haunter and always 2HKOing offensive titans like Kangaskhan and Persian; for many Pokemon, just switching into Articuno and surviving is a herculean task. Articuno's incredible bulk further compounds this challenge. Articuno is bulkier than many tier staples, like Tentacruel, Hypno, Kangaskhan, and Tangela. It is only outclsurpassed in physical bulk by Omastar and Golem, and in special bulk by Vaporeon. This fantastic bulk allows Articuno to set up against many targets without fear of being taken out quickly, as well as making it even harder to stop once it begins sweeping. Articuno's bulk also allows it to check physical attackers such as Persian, Dodrio, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio, a trait appreciated by many teams.

However, Articuno has some notable drawbacks that prevent it from devastating the tier. The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is a significant reason why bulky Water-types like Tentacruel and Vaporeon are so dominant, as they can shrug off the hit with relative ease.; Articuno must rely on its mediocre physical attacking movepool to break past them. Articuno's middling speed tier is another notable weakness of Articuno, as being slower than Tentacruel makes it vulnerable to Wrap and leaves it open to being revenge killed by Dugtrio, Persian, and Kangaskhan, unless it finds an opportunity to use Agility. HoweverNonetheless, Articuno's raw power allows it to succeed dmakespite these flaws, and it is a staple pick on many successful offensive teams.

[SET]
name: Agility Sweeper
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Hyper Beam
move 4: Agility


[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description

=========

Articuno's Blizzard is the strongest special attack in the generation and its primary attacking move against most targets, allow, capable of KOing Articuno to KO most of the opponent's Pokemon in only two or three hits. Double-Edge and Hyper Beam help Articuno combat Water-types and Kadabra attempting to stop it from running over teams, with Double-Edge having additional utility as a finishing move to pick off low-health targets with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard andor Hyper Beam. Finally, Agility rounds out the set to lets Articuno outspeed the unboosted metagame, making it harder to pin down with Wrap and allowing it to bypass the Speed drop from paralysis.

Articuno usually operates in one of two distinct ways, either: as an endgame sweeper or as a tank. When operating iIn the former role, Articuno generally stays in the back for most of the game, waiting for its answers to either be KOed or chipped low enough so that Articuno can finish them off and then look for opportunities to come onto the field and use Agility. From there, the game is usually over, as Articuno will summarily be able to mop up the opposition, bar a couple of untimely Blizzard misses. The biggest obstacles to Articuno's sweep are Tentacruel, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Dewgong, and it usually comefalls down to Articuno's teammates to remove these Pokemon; however, Articuno can help in this process by coming onto the field safely, such as by double- switching into a target that can be OHKO'ed by Blizzard, like Dragonite or Dugtrio, and then attacking them while they com predicted Water-type switch-in. This can be especially effective against a chipped Vaporeon or Dewgong, since a Double-Edge followed withby a Hyper Beam will KO both of them from half health as they switch into Articuno to stop an Agility sweep. The other obstacle Articuno faces when operating as a sweeper is finding a turn to safely use Agility. Some examples of good opportunities for Articuno to come onto the field are against sleeping targets, against attacks it resists like Venusaur's Razor Leaf, against Dugtrio if it uses Earthquake instead of Rock Slide, or on a predicted switch to a Normal-type attacker such as Kangaskhan, Persian, or Dodrio. Alternatively, there is some value in keeping Articuno unrevealed until it goes for the sweep, as it. Doing so can leave your opponent uncertain about how conservative they need to play with their Articuno counters, which can be exploited by Articuno’s teammates.

On the other hand, Articuno can perform the role of a tank admirably. With its incredible natural bulk and nuclear damage output, Articuno can aid its teammates by taking on some of the most dangerous physical attackers in the tier. From full health, Articuno can switch into and usually KO Kangaskhan and Dodrio while. It can also beating Persian, Gyarados, and Dugtrio in a one-on-one matchup if Articunoit is reasonably healthy, barring critical hits. In general, Articuno can handle Normal-type attackers that otherwise greatly pressure frailer offensive teams. Furthermore, because of how strong Articuno's Blizzard is, Articuno can help break past defensive Pokemon such as a Hypno using Rest, Venusaur, and Tangela, to enable teammates like Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, orand Kadabra, to deal damage to other targets. This way of using Articuno primarily works when facing offense structures that do not run multiple Water-types, as they often lack a good way to answer to a well-played Articuno outside of their Tentacruel.

As mentioned before, Articuno despises bulky Water-types, and athus such appreciates teammates whichthat can deal with them. Persian, Kangaskhan, Gyarados, and Dugtrio are fantastic Articuno partners, as their damage output allows them to break through Articuno checks such as Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Omastar, while. They can also weakening any other potential roadblocks to Articuno's sweep. In return, they appreciate Articuno's ability to deal with their common answers such as Kangaskhan, Tangela, Dragonite, opposing Dugtrio, and Aerodactyl. Electric-type Pokemon such as Electabuzz and Raichu can aid Articuno in breaking through wWater-types as well, as their STAB Thunderbolts and shigh Speed-tier stats allow them to deal damage to Tentacruel and Vaporeon, while. They can also spreading paralysis with Thunder Wave, which Articuno appreciates. In return, Articuno helps answer checks to themElectric-types such as Dugtrio, Venusaur, and Tangela. Pokemon with sSleep movers such as Tangela, Venusaur, and Haunter, also make good Articuno partners, as Articuno can easily set up or start dealing damage when facing a sleeping foe. In addition to Sleep, their super- effective Grass- (add space)and Electric-type attacks can help break through the pesky Water-types that Articuno hates facing. In return, Articuno helps deal with some of their common checks, such as Flying- (add space)and Grass-types—especially Dragonite and Dodrio—in the case of Venusaur and Tangela, and Dugtrio in the case of Haunter— (albeit to a lesser extent because Dugtrio has access to Rock Slide). Venusaur and Tangela also come with the added benefit of checking Dugtrio and Electric-types that, which can revenge kill or paralyze Articuno, which. This lets Articuno focus on dealing with other threats and avoid the risk of Dugtrio landing a critical hit with its Rock Slide. Lastly, Water-type Pokemon such as Tentacruel and Vaporeon can be valuable Articuno partners, as their defensive utility helps keep Articuno from overextending and lets Articuno opt out of playing the mirror- match.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options

=============

On the vast majority of teams, Articuno is betterst off using its standard set; however, it does have some options which couldan prove useful. Ice Beam couldan be used over Double-Edge, giving itArticuno another Ice-type attack with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard to pick off targets such as Dugtrio without worrying about Blizzard's accuracy, as well. Ice beam also allowings Articuno to fish for a freeze as a desperation play. On the othHowever hand, Double-Edge is preferred due to its better damage output against Water-types. Another option available to Articuno is Rest, which enablinges it to consistently take hits and pressure the opponent throughout the game, but it is hard to justify using Rest over Articuno's other moves as it doesn't fit well with Articuno's main role as an offensive sweeper. In a similar vein, Articuno can also run Reflect to try and bolster its defensive prowess, but justifying it over Articuno's other moves is difficult. Reflect’s dDefensive boost is also ignored by critical hits, rendering it completely useless against Pokemon with guaranteed critical- hit attacks such as Persian.

Checks and Counters

===================

**Bulky Water-types**: Despite Articuno's nuclear damage output, there are many bulky Water-types in RBY UU that can switch into its Blizzard and defeat it. Tentacruel is the most common Water-type Articuno check and can wear it down with Wrap and keep it from attacking. Worse still, it can use Rest to heal off any damage it may take. However, if Tentacruel takes some chip damage beforehand and Articuno uses Agility on the switch, then Tentacruel becomes a far worse Articuno check, as Articuno only needs one Double-Edge critical hit to bring Tentacruel into Hyper Beam KO range. Vaporeon is another strong answer to Articuno, taking very little damage from Blizzard or Double-Edge while threatening reasonable damage in return with Surf and healing off the damage it does take with Rest. Dewgong and Omastar in particular are hard walls for Articuno, as both take very little damage from either Double-Edge or Blizzard and can use Rest to heal off any damage if they are at low health. Outside of a timely freeze against Omastar, the only way Articuno can break through either of them on its own is by landing at least 2two consecutive critical hits with Double-Edge andor Blizzard foragainst Dewgong and Omastar, respectively, and then a follow-ing up with Hyper Beam or Blizzard to finish them off. Poliwrath can take a couple of Blizzards before going down, but it is unable to threaten Articuno in any significant way outside of Hypnosis or a Body Slam paralysis.

**Hypno and Kadabra**: While Hypno and Kadabra are by no means reliable answers or even good switch-ins to Articuno, they can act as soft checks to Articuno in some scenarios. If Hypno is at full health and not asleep, it can take two Blizzards while paralyzing Articuno in return and potentially doing some damage with Psychic or Resting through Blizzard's limited PP. Kadabra can also take a Blizzard or Double-Edge from full health and paralyze Articuno in return from full health, before healing off any damage it takes with Recover and praying for Articuno to fully paralyze, thoughsis. However, Articuno can use Agility to remove the sSpeed drop and then fish for a Double-Edge or Blizzard critical hit fairly safely, finishing itKadabra off with Hyper Beam once it does land the critical hit. Both options do have shortcomings, however, as Double-Edge does deal's recoil damage to Articuno which can add up over repeated uses, and Blizzard’s low PP can be stalled out by Kadabra repeatedly rusing Recovering.

**Faster Pokemon**: Against a chipped Articuno which has not used Agility yet, fFaster Pokemon like Kangaskhan, Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, and Raichu, can all threaten to KO Articuno or forceif it to swithas taken chip damage and has not yet used Agility. However, none of these Pokemon can switch into Articuno's Blizzard without suffering severe damage, if not being KOed outright.

**Rock Slide Users**: Pokemon with access to Rock Slide, such as Golem, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio, can deal significant damage to Articuno due to its severe Rock-type weakness. Due to Golem and Dugtrio’s Ice weakness, they have to be careful to avoid being OHKOed by Blizzard, which limitings them to hitting Articuno as it switches in or whento going for a revenge kill on a weakened Articuno, especially in the case of Dugtrio. If Kangaskhan chooses to run Rock Slide, it becomes a true Articuno check, because it outspeeds and can 2HKOes Articuno with Rock Slide while surviving Articuno’'s Blizzard, letting it win the one-on-one matchup if it is healthy and Articuno has not used Agility.

**Paralysis**: While Agility does let it ignore the Speed drop, Articuno doesn't handle paralysis all that gracefully, considering its two best moves only have 89.45% accuracy. This means a paralyzed Articuno is dealing damage a mere 67.09% of the time. ItParalysis also makes less consistent checks, like Tentacruel, significantly more reliable.

 

[Shellnuts]

words

implemented a while ago, forgot to reply.

 

[Adeleine]

Add/Fix Remove Comment
(AC)/(RC): Add/Remove Comma

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

With an incredible Special stat, STAB on the strongest unboosted special attack in the generation, and access to Agility, it's easy to see why Articuno is one of the most dangerous sweepers in RBY UU. The raw power of Articuno's Blizzard is enough to 2HKO nearly two-thirds of the metagame, frequently 2HKOing specially bulky Pokemon like Kadabra and Haunter and always 2HKOing offensive titans like Kangaskhan and Persian; for many Pokemon, just switching into Articuno and surviving is a herculean task. Articuno's incredible bulk further compounds this challenge. Articuno is bulkier than also surpasses that of many tier staples, like Tentacruel, Hypno, Kangaskhan, and Tangela. It is only surpassed in physical bulk by Omastar and Golem, and in special bulk by Vaporeon. This fantastic bulk allows Articuno to set up against many targets without fear of being taken out quickly, as well as making it even harder to stop once it begins sweeping. Articuno's bulk also allows it to It can also check physical attackers such as Persian, Dodrio, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio, a trait appreciated by many teams.

However, Articuno has some notable drawbacks that prevent it from devastating the tier. Articuno's Blizzard is a significant reason why bulky Water-types like Tentacruel and Vaporeon are so dominant, as they can shrug off the hit with relative ease; Articuno must rely on its mediocre physical attacking movepool to break past them. Articuno's middling Speed tier is another notable weakness, as being slower than Tentacruel makes it vulnerable to Wrap and leaves it open to being revenge killed by Dugtrio, Persian, and Kangaskhan, unless it finds an opportunity to use Agility. Nonetheless, Articuno's raw power makes it a staple pick on many successful offensive teams.

[SET]
name: Agility Sweeper
move 1: Blizzard
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Hyper Beam
move 4: Agility


[SET COMMENTS]

Set Description
========= (removed blank line above)

Articuno's Blizzard is the strongest special attack in the generation and its primary attacking move, capable of KOing most Pokemon in only two or three hits. Double-Edge and Hyper Beam help Articuno combat Water-types and Kadabra attempting to stop it from running over teams, with Double-Edge having additional utility as a finishing move with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard or Hyper Beam. Agility lets Articuno outspeed the unboosted metagame, making it harder to pin down with Wrap and allowing it to bypass the Speed drop from paralysis.

Articuno usually operates in one of two distinct ways: as an endgame a late-game sweeper or as a tank. In the former role, Articuno generally stays in the back for most of the game, waiting for its answers to either be KOed or chipped low enough so that Articuno it can finish them off, (AC) and then it can (as written, it sounds like articuno won't be able to use agility right after "finishing off its answers", and will need to find a separate entrance opportunity, which is why i structured the sentence like i did. just make sure that's right, and change things if not) look for opportunities to come onto the field and use Agility. From there, the game is usually over, as Articuno will summarily be able to summarily mop up the opposition, barring a couple of untimely Blizzard misses. The biggest obstacles to Articuno's sweeping are Tentacruel, Omastar, Vaporeon, and Dewgong, and it usually falls on Articuno's teammates to remove these Pokemon. However, Articuno can help in this process by coming onto the field safely, such as by double switching into a target that can be OHKOed by Blizzard (RC) like Dragonite or Dugtrio, and then attacking the predicted Water-type switch-in. This can be especially effective against a chipped Vaporeon or Dewgong, since a Double-Edge followed by a Hyper Beam will KO both of them from half health as they switch into Articuno to stop an Agility sweep. The other obstacle Articuno faces when operating as a sweeper is finding a turn to safely use Agility. Some examples of good opportunities for Articuno to come onto the field are against sleeping targets, against attacks it resists attacks it takes easily like Venusaur's Razor Leaf (RC) against Dugtrio if it uses Earthquake instead of Rock Slide, or on a predicted switch and Dugtrio's Earthquake, and predicted switches to a Normal-type attacker such as Kangaskhan, Persian, or Dodrio. Alternatively, there is some value in keeping Articuno unrevealed until it goes for the sweep. Doing so can leave your opponent uncertain about how conservative they need to play with their Articuno counters, which can be exploited by Articuno’s teammates. make your opponent play too riskily with their Articuno counters. (feel free to tinker. assuming the "can be exploited by articuno's teammates" means "opp playing too risky with their water can let teammates chip them down enough for articuno to take advantage", i think that can be easily enough inferred to not be explicitly said. lmk if i'm missing something though)

On the other hand, Articuno can perform the role of a tank admirably. With its incredible natural bulk and nuclear damage output, Articuno can aid its teammates by taking on some of the most dangerous physical attackers in the tier. From full health, Articuno can switch into and usually KO Kangaskhan and Dodrio. It can also beat Persian, Gyarados, and Dugtrio in a one-on-one matchup if it is reasonably healthy, barring critical hits. In general, Articuno can handle Normal-type attackers that otherwise greatly pressure frailer offensive teams. Furthermore, because of how strong Articuno's Blizzard is, Articuno it can help break past defensive Pokemon such as Hypno using Rest, Venusaur, and Tangela to enable teammates like Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, and Kadabra to deal damage to other targets. This way of using Articuno primarily works when facing offense structures that do not run multiple Water-types, as they often lack a good answer to a well-played Articuno outside of their Tentacruel.

As mentioned before, Articuno despises bulky Water-types and thus appreciates teammates that can deal with them. Persian, Kangaskhan, Gyarados, and Dugtrio are fantastic Articuno partners, as their damage output allows them to break breaking through Articuno checks such as Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Omastar. They can also weaken any other potential roadblocks to Articuno's sweep. In return, they appreciate Articuno's ability to deal with their common answers such as Kangaskhan, Tangela, Dragonite, opposing Dugtrio, and Aerodactyl. Electric-type Pokemon such as Electabuzz and Raichu can aid Articuno in breaking through Water-types as well, as given their STAB Thunderbolts and high Speed stats allow them to deal damage to Tentacruel and Vaporeon. (unless there's a reason only those two apply here, in which case you should probably specify unless i'm missing something obvious) They can also spread paralysis with Thunder Wave, which Articuno appreciates. In return, Articuno helps answer checks to Electric-types such as Dugtrio, Venusaur, and Tangela. Sleepers such as Tangela, Venusaur, and Haunter also make good Articuno partners, as Articuno can let Articuno easily set up or start dealing damage when facing a sleeping foe. In addition, their super effective Grass- and Electric-type attacks can help break through the pesky Water-types that Articuno hates. In return, Articuno helps deal with some of their common checks, such as Flying- and Grass-types—especially Dragonite and Dodrio—in the case of Venusaur and Tangela, and Dugtrio in the case of Haunter—albeit to a lesser extent because Dugtrio has access to Rock Slide). of Dugtrio's Rock Slide. Venusaur and Tangela come with the added benefit of checking Dugtrio and Electric-types, which can revenge kill or paralyze Articuno. This lets Articuno focus on dealing with other threats and avoid the risk of Dugtrio landing a critical hit with its Rock Slide. (if dug crit rock slide risk is important enough to specifically point out here, you can keep that part) Lastly, Water-type Pokemon such as Tentacruel and Vaporeon can be valuable Articuno partners, as their defensive utility helps keep Articuno from overextending and lets Articuno it opt out of playing the mirror match.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
============= (removed blank line above)

On the vast majority of teams, Articuno is best off using its standard set; however, it does have some options which can prove useful. Ice Beam can be used over Double-Edge, giving Articuno another Ice-type attack with better accuracy and more PP than Blizzard to pick off targets such as Dugtrio without worrying about Blizzard's accuracy. Ice beam also allows Articuno Beam also improves Articuno's ability (i imagine this checks out, bc it can fish for freeze with blizz anyway?) to fish for a freeze as a desperation play. However, Double-Edge is preferred due to its better damage output against Water-types. Another option available to Articuno is Rest, which Rest enables it to consistently take hits and pressure the opponent throughout the game, but it is hard to justify using Rest over Articuno's other moves, (AC) as it doesn't fit well with Articuno's main role as an offensive sweeper. this severely cuts into its sweeping prowess. (seeing this was somewhat jarring after "sweeper" and "tank" roles were presented as relatively equally "good/valuable". feel free to tinker with what i did - especially if it doesn't quite make sense - but if you want to just revert, i'd recommend tinkering the presentation of these roles in Set Description so it transitions to this better.) In a similar vein, Articuno can run Reflect to bolster its defensive prowess, but justifying it over Articuno's other moves is difficult. Also, critical hits ignore Reflect’s Defense boost is also ignored by critical hits, rendering it completely useless against Pokemon with guaranteed critical hit attacks Slash (venu razor leaf is peanuts anyway; are there non-Slash moves/pokemon worth factoring in here? if there are, feel free to revert) such as Persian.

Checks and Counters
=================== (removed blank line above)

**Bulky Water-types**: Despite Articuno's nuclear damage output, there are Many bulky Water-types in RBY UU that can switch into its Articuno's Blizzard and defeat it. Tentacruel is the most common Water-type Articuno check and can wear it down with Wrap and keep while keeping it from attacking. Worse still, it can use Rest to heal off any damage it may take. However, if Tentacruel takes some chip damage beforehand and Articuno uses Agility on the switch, then Tentacruel becomes a far worse Articuno check, as Articuno only needs one Double-Edge critical hit to bring Tentacruel it into Hyper Beam KO range. Vaporeon is another strong answer to Articuno, taking very little damage from Blizzard or Double-Edge while threatening reasonable damage in return with Surf and healing off the damage it does take with Rest. Dewgong and Omastar in particular are hard walls for Articuno, as both take very little damage from Double-Edge or Blizzard and can use Rest to heal off any damage if they are at low health. Outside of a timely freeze against Omastar, the only way Articuno can break through either of them on its own is by landing at least Articuno needs two consecutive critical hits with Double-Edge or Blizzard against Dewgong and Omastar, respectively, and then following up with Hyper Beam or Blizzard to finish them off. to subsequently break through them on its own. Poliwrath can take a couple of Blizzards before going down, but it is unable to threaten Articuno in any significant way outside of Hypnosis or Body Slam paralysis.

**Hypno and Kadabra**: While Hypno and Kadabra are by no means reliable answers or even good switch-ins to Articuno, they can act as soft checks to Articuno in some scenarios. If Hypno is at full health and not asleep, it can take two Blizzards while paralyzing Articuno in return and potentially doing some damage with Psychic or Resting through Blizzard's limited PP. burning limited Blizzard PP with Rest. Kadabra can also take a Blizzard or Double-Edge from full health, (AC) and paralyze Articuno in return, before healing off any damage it takes with Recover and praying for full paralysis. However, Articuno can use Agility to remove the Speed drop and then fish for a Double-Edge or Blizzard critical hit fairly safely, finishing Kadabra off with Hyper Beam once it does land the critical hit. Both options do have shortcomings, however, as Still, though, Double-Edge's recoil damage can add up over repeated uses, and repeated Recovers can stall out Blizzard’s low PP can be stalled out by Kadabra repeatedly using Recover.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon like Kangaskhan, Dugtrio, Persian, Electabuzz, and Raichu can all threaten to KO Articuno if it has taken chip damage and has not yet used Agility. However, none of these Pokemon can switch into Articuno's Blizzard without suffering severe damage, if not being KOed outright.

**Rock Slide Users**: Golem, Kangaskhan, and Dugtrio can deal significant damage to Articuno due to its severe Rock-type weakness. Golem and Dugtrio are OHKOed by Blizzard, which limits them to hitting Articuno as it switches in or to going for a revenge kill on revenge killing a weakened Articuno, especially in the case of Dugtrio. If Kangaskhan chooses to run Rock Slide, it becomes a true Articuno check, because it outspeeds and 2HKOes Articuno with Rock Slide while surviving Articuno's its Blizzard.

**Paralysis**: While Agility does let it ignore the Speed drop, Articuno doesn't handle paralysis all that gracefully, considering its two best moves only have 89.45% accuracy. This means a paralyzed Articuno is dealing damage a mere 67.09% of the time. Paralysis also makes less consistent checks, like Tentacruel, significantly more reliable.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Shellnuts, 491544], [Plague von Karma, 236353]]
- Quality checked by: [[phoopes, 96315 ], [Volk, 530877]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Muk, 33374], [Finland, 517429]]

2/2

 

[Shellnuts]

gp check

implemented