Articuno

[Rikter]

This is my first large non RMT post on Smogon and I hope I didn't forget anything major.​

Articuno​

Ice/Flying​

90/ 85/100/ 95/125/ 85​

Pressure: Moves that affect this Pokémon (including Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Stealth Rock) lose one extra PP per turn. When a Pokémon with this ability is first in the party, wild encounters have a higher chance of occurring.​

(Dream World) Snow Cloak: When hail is in effect, this Pokémon gets a 20% evasion increase. In addition, if a non Ice-type Pokémon has this ability, it will not take damage from hail.​

As you can see from Articuno's Stat spread and abilities it wants to be a defensive pokemon. However as usual it's typing lets it down with a lack of nice resists and immunities and a 4x weakness to Stealth Rock.​

Gen IV/V Level Up Movepool (All notable moves will be in Bold)
Lv1: Gust, Lv1: Powder Snow, Lv8: Mist, Lv15: Ice Shard, Lv22: Mind Reader, Lv29: AncientPower, Lv36: Agility, Lv43: Ice Beam, Lv50: Reflect, Lv57: Roost, Lv64: Tailwind, Lv71: Blizzard, Lv78: Sheer Cold, Lv85: Hail​

Articuno has poor coverage and a reletively barren movepool for offense with it's movepool but it learns Roost allowing it to use it's Dream World ability and Roost to annoy people in Generation 5 unlike other Roost users. Agility might have use but Articuno lacks the tools to pull off a sweep in my opinion. Blizzard can be used in Hail for a stronger Stab than Ice Beam. It also recived nothing new via level in Black and White. Some people may be wondering why Mind Reader and Sheer Cold are labled as Notable moves but Firestorm said this on the matter when it was brought up in the topic.

I haven't seen anything that says OHKO is banned this generation. Assume it isn't banned unless told otherwise. It's not banned in any of the tournaments Smogon has had on WiFi so far.

This could potentially allow Articuno to get at least 1 Kill a game maybe even 2 relying on it's bulky defences.​

Gen IV TM/HM Set​

Water Pulse, Roar, Toxic, Hail, Hidden Power, Sunny Day, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Hyper Beam, Protect, Rain Dance, Frustration, Return, Double Team, Reflect, Sandstorm, Aerial Ace, Facade, Secret Power, Rest, Steel Wing, Roost, Endure, Giga Impact, Avalanche, Sleep Talk, Natural Gift, Swagger, Pluck, U-turn, Substitute, Rock Smash, Fly​

B/W TM/HM Set​

Roar, Toxic, Hail, Hidden Power, Sunny Day, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Hyper Beam, Protect, Rain Dance, Frustration, Return, Double Team, Reflect, Sandstorm, Aerial Ace, Facade, Rest, Troll, Free Fall, Giga Impact, Ice Breath, Swagger, Pluck, U-Turn, Substitute, Rock Smash, Fly​

Roar, Toxic, Subsitute and Protect are the largest things that stick out in both TM sets. U-Turn might have some value for scouting but not to much seeing as Articuno can't afford to switch out constantly with it's 4X SR weakness.​

Generation 4 Move Tutors​

Air Cutter, Ancientpower, Icy Wind, Ominous Wind, Signal Beam, Sky Attack, Snore, Swift, Tailwind, Twister, Mud-Slap​

Nothing to useful to Articuno in the Generation 4 Tutors either. Air Cutter if you want to try some Flinch Hax on slower things but it's pretty situational.​

Generation 3 (Tutors, Pokemon XD)​

Heal Bell, Haze, Extrasensory, Double Edge
Only things of note is Heal Bell and Haze, Extrasensory and Double Edge aren't that good on Articuno.​

Potential Sets (Will add more as they are suggested/Later)​

Support
Articuno w/Leftovers
Pressure
Calm
EVs 252 HP / 96 Def / 64 SpA / 96 SpD
~ Ice Beam
~ Roost
~ Roar
~ Reflect / Heal Bell / Toxic​

The "Support" Set on Smogon's Articuno's Gen 4 Analysis looks as if it would translate just fine from Generation 4 because Articuno doesn't seem to have changed much at all. It's a defensive Ice type that faces competition in it's Niche from Walerien, Regice and now Furiijio.​

OHKO Abuse
Articuno w/ Leftovers/Bright Powder
Pressure/Snow Cloak
Calm (0 Attack IV's)
EVs 252 HP/240 Def/16 SpDef
~Mind Reader
~Sheer Cold
~Subsitute
~Roost​

Seeing as OHKO's may not be banned this set takes advantage of the fact that Articuno learns both Mind Reader and Sheer Cold. Mind Reader and Sheer Cold are there for Obvious Reasons. Subsitute and Roost are there to compliment the Bulk on both sides of the scale provided by the EV's to allow Articuno to take hits while firing off Mind Reader and Sheer Cold. The choice of Item and ability is mainly up to prefernce and if you are using this in Hail or not. It might be walled by Sturdy users if it retains the can't be killed by OHKO's but it can still get kills or forces Switches.​

All in all Articuno doesn't seem to have changed at all and isn't likely to see anything new and amazing this Generation.​

 

[biggie]

This upsets me as i've always been a fan of Articuno. Seriously, he couldn't get ANYTHING other than Snow Cloak?

 

[Wynought]

I'd love to see a pure Snow Cloak abusing set with the standard Substitute / Toxic / Roost / Ice Beam @ Brightpowder. Pretty much the standard SubRooster but with the added benefit of Snow Cloak!

But I doubt Hail teams would be effective or common, even Hail Stalls seem to have taken a blow in the 5th Gen ):
Maybe it'll be annoying in the lower tiers, where I hope Cuno stays c;

Articuno @ Brightpowder
Snow Cloak
Timid
252 HP / 40 SpA / 216 Spe
Substitute
Toxic
Roost
Ice Beam / Blizzard

 

[Arcticblast]

Articuno got Haze from Pokemon XD, and that is the only way to get the move.

I fucking love Articuno. The Agility set is actually pretty good, with Agility, Ice Beam, HP/Extrasensory, and Roost.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

The trouble with snow cloak (cool as it is as something bulky on Articuno) is that the big blue bird can actually make good use of pressure. With Toxic/ sub/ roost /Ice Beam, articuno can pressure stall effectively, especially in the lower tiers where its impressive stats can overcome its hideous typing

 

[Sajak]

Meh... Articuno is my favorite Pokemon and it irks me that it just can't work well without going well out of your way to support it in the OU...

Oh well. I'll just have to try to get a good one and get creative.

 

[M BLADE]

Articuno was made to exploit the cheapness of the OHKO moves.
Since we can't use those on competitive battles...

Well, Sub Roost still seems it's best shot. Snow Cloak gives Articuno some extra annoyance. Good on lower tiers to annoy the hell out of the enemy, and now a good choice for Hail stall.

 

[Original]

Artucino is pretty trashy without its pressure stall set so giving it snow cloak honestly did nothing.

 

[amphouse]

Unfortunatly, 4xstealth rock weakness is something that articuno can't recover from. At least moltres provides power, but articuno? It tries to be defensive, but ice is a terrible defensive type. Sadly, i don't see it being used much.

 

[deluge]

Every Smogon Articuno set is suboptimal because it should really be running Mindreader and Sheer Cold.
There are a number of good Pokemon with Sturdy and Sturdy has even been buffed this generation.
IMO, it's worth revisiting the OHKO move ban.

 

[Rikter]

Okay I overlooked Haze i'll add that in now. as for the Snow Cloak sets I really think Pressure benifits it more than Snow Cloak even in Hail and Bright Powder doesn't seem like it would be to helpful over Leftovers.

 

[Wynought]

Unfortunatly, 4xstealth rock weakness is something that articuno can't recover from. At least moltres provides power, but articuno? It tries to be defensive, but ice is a terrible defensive type. Sadly, i don't see it being used much.

Stealth Rocks apparently isn't all too common in the 5th Gen, so far.

But Articuno easily benefits from Wish support, and its ability to heal itself off and lose its Flying sub type as the same time. So people will find that Ice attacks won't break Articuno's Substitute.

I think there's hope for Articuno. I was experimenting with Cuno lately and found it very efficient as a lower tier Lead. Preferably a NU lead.

Articuno @ Power Herb
Pressure
Adamant
252 Atk / 252 Speed / 4 Def
Sky Attack
Ice Shard
Reflect
U-turn

It worked out surprisingly well. So I'd love to see what 5th Gen holds for Cuno, because looking at its stats it should preform well, and if SR is the only thing keeping it from higher tiers and a slow in your team then you should really fix that. Erufunn will do well beside Articuno.

 

[Firestorm]

Every Smogon Articuno set is suboptimal because it should really be running Mindreader and Sheer Cold.
There are a number of good Pokemon with Sturdy and Sturdy has even been buffed this generation.
IMO, it's worth revisiting the OHKO move ban.

I haven't seen anything that says OHKO is banned this generation. Assume it isn't banned unless told otherwise. It's not banned in any of the tournaments Smogon has had on WiFi so far.

 

[Tytus]

Aren't we also supposed to assume that Articuno won't be getting Snow Cloak until it's released via Dream World?

Should've gotten Snow Warning...

 

[DiscoDucky]

Articuno, I believe, will get a boost in usage this Generation. Why?
With Gen IV's TM 76 (Stealth Rock) gone and the introduction of the unmissing Aim Mark, Stealth Rock is going to be more riskier. Now you have an item that makes Spin Blockers spinnable and the decrease in availibility of Stealth Rock. Now Articuno can switch in without having to deal with Stealth Rock. Even though it doesn't get Snow Warning, Snow Cloak allows it to become very hard to hit, and even harder with Brightpowder. Working against it is going to be a pain in the ass after all of its Defensive checks are ridden.

I don't know why you guys sound so depressed, but I'm quite psyched.

 

[Tytus]

Articuno, I believe, will get a boost in usage this Generation. Why?
With Gen IV's TM 76 (Stealth Rock) gone and the introduction of the unmissing Aim Mark, Stealth Rock is going to be more riskier. Now you have an item that makes Spin Blockers spinnable and the decrease in availibility of Stealth Rock. Now Articuno can switch in without having to deal with Stealth Rock. Even though it doesn't get Snow Warning, Snow Cloak allows it to become very hard to hit, and even harder with Brightpowder. Working against it is going to be a pain in the ass after all of its Defensive checks are ridden.

I don't know why you guys sound so depressed, but I'm quite psyched.

"Aim Mark" doesn't work that way. IIRC holding it allows YOUR immunities to hit YOU.

 

[Rikter]

I haven't seen anything that says OHKO is banned this generation. Assume it isn't banned unless told otherwise. It's not banned in any of the tournaments Smogon has had on WiFi so far.

Okay this alone makes Articuno a much more interesting and somewhat better now. I'll add it to the top post if you don't mind.

 

[the_artic_one]

I have played in a competitave environment where OHKOs were allowed and I have to say that mindreader sheer cold really isn't as impressive as it sounds. In practice it functions as a weird pHaze since no one in their right mind stays in on the mindreader and it doesn't hit often enough without the mindreader. Plus, there are going to be a lot more sturdy pokes running around since it's been buffed.

 

[CoI]

I've always been a fan of Cuno, it sucks it didn't get much at all. I run Hail teams all the time and it has no place even in that circumstance. Snow Cloak helps, and is awesome when you run Brightpowder, but Ice Body would have been waaaay more useful. It would have justified its beefy bird stats. Movepool is pitiful, Ice needs a good support move.

@Brightpowder/Leftovers
Blizzard/Toxic/Sub/Roost

In hail. Its its best bet now. Moltres actually runs that set better, even in hail.

 

[Fisdunction]

I haven't seen anything that says OHKO is banned this generation. Assume it isn't banned unless told otherwise. It's not banned in any of the tournaments Smogon has had on WiFi so far.

I'm sorry, but between this post and the one where you stated Double Team shouldn't be banned in gen 5, I'm finding it extremely difficult to take what you are saying seriously.

These moves were banned previously due to the fact they made luck the deciding factor in a battle rather than skill (and in DT's case, extremely centralizing) and I fail to see how that changes just because there's a handful of new monsters and moves.

 

[PlatinumDude]

Articuno should've gotten Snow Warning as its Dream World ability because I remember one of its Dex entries stating that snow falls whenever it flies. Competitively, Articuno is better with Snow Cloak in hail teams and Pressure in standard (UU/NU) teams. It's sad that it really didn't get anything new.

 

[El_Sargento]

because the raw power of certain pokemon (Ononokusu and Shanderaa come to mind) makes OHKO moves look like a joke in comparison

Medicham, Azumarill, Rampardos, Porygon-Z with Download...

Yeah... They were breaking stuff in OU last generation...

Oh, wait...

 

[hsb39]

For the Mind Reader set, why not have Roar as an option over Sub or Roost, it may not be amazing, but after MR, most people switch, why not cause another switch?

 

[Wafflez]

What?Justice be done!Ho-oh gets regeneration why not articuno?

 

[Xaif]

I'm sorry, but between this post and the one where you stated Double Team shouldn't be banned in gen 5, I'm finding it extremely difficult to take what you are saying seriously.

These moves were banned previously due to the fact they made luck the deciding factor in a battle rather than skill (and in DT's case, extremely centralizing) and I fail to see how that changes just because there's a handful of new monsters and moves.

Be honest, only a moron is going to give up a valuable move slot to an attack which will work only 30% of the time. Zap Cannon and Dynamic Punch were never used on Pokemon due to their crappy accuracy, despite how strong the actual attacks were either. On top of this, with sturdy getting a buff this gen, it's now a perfectly viable ability to have.

The luck aspect is pretty much nulled by the presence of Haxrachi, this wasn't banned yet was based entirely around luck.

The only issue surrounding OHKO moves is the use of no guard in doubles and triples.

Sheer Cold along with Mind Reader is a brilliant set for Articuno, and would finally give it something good to work with.