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Pressure
Enemy attacks lose one extra PP. Increases wild encounter rate.
Type Tier
Ice / Flying NU
Statistics Min- Min Max Max+
HP 90 - 321 384 -
Atk 85 185 206 269 295
Def 100 212 236 299 328
SpA 95 203 226 289 317
SpD 125 257 286 349 383
Spe 85 185 206 269 295
Name Item Nature
SubRoost Leftovers Timid
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute
~ Roost
~ Toxic
~ Ice Beam
252 HP / 40 SpA / 216 Spe
This set is horribly annoying for any opponent to face in UU. Articuno's solid defenses allow it to switch in with relative ease, force a switch, and then put up a Substitute. From there, Articuno can simply Toxic the opponent and continually Substitute and Roost until Toxic takes its toll. Add Pressure into the mix to drain away the PP of moves such as Stone Edge or Fire Blast and your opponent will find this Articuno incredibly difficult to take down.
While you might think the abundant number of Poison-type Pokémon in the UU tier would seem to reduce the efficacy of this set, this is entirely false. The most common Poison-type Pokémon in the UU tier often have a secondary typing that leave them being hit for super-effective damage from Articuno's STAB Ice Beam. Those that aren't hit for super effective damage are either 2HKOed by Ice Beam or can be PP stalled with Pressure. Casual observation also may lead one to believe that this set is completely walled by Steel-type Pokémon, such as Aggron or Probopass, however this also is false. Articuno is faster than every Steel-type in the UU tier, meaning it is perfectly able to defeat them by PP stalling with Pressure. This set also works fantastically with Spikes and Stealth Rock on the field, since you will have the ability to cause many switches as your opponent attempts to thwart this vicious cycle.
The given Speed EVs allow Articuno to outrun maximum Speed Grumpig, enabling Articuno to hit it with Toxic before it can use Substitute. The remaining EVs were placed into HP and then Special Attack. Pouring 252 EVs into Speed will allow Articuno to at worst tie with Pokémon that have a base Speed of 85 and a positive nature. The large Speed investment is important to the success of the set since Articuno needs to outrun the majority of threats and either Substitute or Roost accordingly to effectively Toxic and PP stall. However, if a more defensive spread is desired, 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 Spe with a Bold nature is also a viable spread and still allows Articuno to outrun neutral nature base 75 Speed Pokémon, such as Absol.
Name Item Nature
Support Leftovers Calm
Moveset EVs
~ Ice Beam
~ Roost
~ Roar
~ Reflect / Heal Bell / Toxic
252 HP / 96 Def / 64 SpA / 96 SpD
The addition of Roost to Articuno's movepool gives it a much needed instant recovery option with the added benefit of allowing it to shed its quad Rock weakness for one turn! The idea is to use this guy in concert with Spikes or Stealth Rock to shuffle opponents around the field, inflicting damage along the way. Of course, the glaring 4x weakness to Stealth Rock is a problem, but with adequate Rapid Spin support and judicious use of Roost, Articuno is more than capable of hanging around for quite a while. The fourth moveslot helps Articuno fulfill its role as a support Pokémon more effectively; choose the one that will help your team the most. Usually that will be Reflect due to the physically oriented style of the DP metagame, but the other moves have their uses.
Name Item Nature
Sleep Talk Shuffle Leftovers Calm
Moveset EVs
~ Rest
~ Sleep Talk
~ Ice Beam
~ Roar
252 HP / 96 Def / 64 SpA / 96 SpD
This set functions in exactly the same way as the one listed above, except that you give up the support options in order to use the Rest / Sleep Talk combination. The popular combination offers two advantages over Roost. The first is that you do not have to fear status, and with the apparent decrease in the popularity of clerics, this may be useful on the stallish Articuno. The other, more important, reason for doing this would be to have the one in three chance to remove Roar's negative priority modifier while using Sleep Talk. Obviously the advantages of Roost will outweigh the potential benefits of RestTalking ninety-five percent of the time, even with the removal of Roar's negative priority, because Articuno isn't quite fast enough to take advantage of it, but there it is.
Name Item Nature
Rain Dance Support Damp Rock Calm
Moveset EVs
~ Ice Beam
~ Roost
~ Rain Dance
~ U-turn
240 HP / 92 Def / 176 SpD
This set's purpose is to take advantage of Articuno's high Special Defense and "pass" with U-turn an eight turn Rain Dance to a team member. It is meant to come in on common UU threats like Steelix (generally don't carry Stone Edge), Claydol, Clefable (non boosted Thunderbolts and Flamethrowers will barely dent Articuno), and Leafeon, use Rain Dance and "scout" with U-turn to switch the proper recipient in.
Articuno's Ground immunity and high Special Defense naturally lend it to be an effective passer, so the potential of U-turn should be not underestimated. While Articuno will generally look to Rain Dance first, its ability to give the user the upper hand in battle pacing with U-turn is a huge advantage. Roost also plays a significant role in "psuedo-passing," as it allows Articuno to heal off crippling Stealth Rock and general battle residual damage. Ice Beam is the attacking move of choice simply because it is STAB and because Grass Pokémon are common in UU, making it an effective offensive tool to use against a potential weakness of a Water Pokémon heavy team.
Damp Rock is the item of choice because it boosts Rain Dance to eight turns, a very useful characteristic when attempting to UU sweep with Rain. Leftovers can be considered if Articuno's survivability takes precedence over that goal, however. The HP EVs reach 381 and do not max out HP or reach the "magic" Leftovers number of 384 in order to allow Articuno to switch into Stealth Rock twice without fainting. An emphasis is given to Articuno's higher defensive stat, Special Defense, because most of the common physical attacks against it, Stone Edge and Flare Blitz, will deal massive damage anyway.
Name Item Ability Nature
Agility Life Orb Pressure Modest
Moveset EVs
~ Agility
~ Ice Beam
~ Roost
~ Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ground
152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe
This set sees Articuno break from its usual role as a defensive Pokémon and attempts to sweep by boosting its rather average Speed. Articuno sports a respectable base 95 Special Attack, which when amplified by a Life Orb is more than sufficient enough to work within the UU tier. The premise of the set is simple enough, by virtue of Articuno's good defenses, switch in on opponents Articuno can either take on, or scare away, then Agility to initiate the sweep.
As always, Stealth Rock is a real thorn in Articuno's side and is even more problematic when you consider Articuno will be losing 10% of its HP from each attack due to Life Orb recoil. For this reason, Roost is a real help on this set, allowing Articuno to lengthen its sweep, or recover Stealth Rock damage.
Ice Beam on the set is a given, however subsequent moves will depend on what you want to be able to hit harder. Hidden Power Grass is the primary option, as it helps you to strike Pokémon such as Gastrodon and Lanturn that like to switch into Articuno hard as well as threats such as Kabutops and Omastar. In terms of coverage, Hidden Power Ground is the best way to go. You won't be hitting Water-types as hard, but the Ice/Ground attacking combo hits everything in UU for at least neutral. Hidden Power Ground will also help out against Probopass and Fire-types, Pokémon which with Hidden Power Grass you would have difficulties with.
The given EVs allow Articuno to reach a Speed of 464 after an Agility, outpacing Timid Scarf Rotom, and pretty much the rest of the UU metagame.
Even with Articuno firing on all cylinders with a Modest nature and a Life Orb to boot, the typical special walls of UU such as Hypno, Grumpig and Clefable can still soak up Articuno's attacks, and thus should be weakened before attempting a full-fledged sweep. The set lacks the power needed to compete in the OU environment, so don't try using it there.
Other Options
Articuno's other offensive options include only the physical moves U-turn and Ice Shard, but honestly they have little utility. Articuno can abuse Protect to stall for additional Leftovers recovery, or utilize Substitute for general defensive stalling and scouting purposes. Tailwind is somewhat viable to boost Speed; too bad it only lasts 3 turns.
EVs
Articuno is a defensive Pokémon and should be EVed as such. 252 HP EVs gives good staying power and yields maximum Leftovers recovery. The defensive EVs offer a convenient distribution that allows Articuno to sponge neutral unboosted special attacks with ease while ensuring that Adamant Salamence's Dragon Claw is a 3HKO. The 64 EVs in Special Attack could be pushed to one of the defensive stats if you like, but it adds a bit of bite to that STAB Ice Beam which is quite welcome now that sandstorm boosts Rock-type's Special Defense. 104 Speed EVs with a Modest nature outpaces Timid Scarf Rotom after an Agility.
Opinion
A defensive Ice Pokémon may seem to be an oxymoron, but Articuno has a lot of potential. Obviously Stealth Rock is a huge inconvenience for this guy when Suicune can accomplish many of the same things without the trouble switching in, but that is not really reason enough to relegate this guy to the land of the disused. It is a niche Pokémon that fills a very specific role quite well when supported properly. Articuno is an excellent Spikes shuffler and Pressure allows it to drain opponent's PP.
Counters
Metagross and Bronzong are the most complete counters for Articuno, but there are quite a few ways to force it out. Tyranitar, with its blasted Special Defense boost, doesn't mind switching in and threatening a Stone Edge, but really any Pokémon with a Rock attack is a sufficient threat to force Articuno to flee. Heatran, Infernape and other Fire Pokémon are troublesome as well. Obviously Raikou, Jolteon, Lanturn, and other Electric Pokémon should be avoided at all costs. And finally, Starmie is quite a problem since it will Rapid Spin the Spikes Articuno uses to inflict damage and is resistant to Ice Beam; Articuno will win one-on-one even if Starmie has Thunderbolt, though, because its high Special Defense and Roost will protect it while it PP wastes Starmie with Pressure.
Taken from Smogon.
Enemy attacks lose one extra PP. Increases wild encounter rate.
Type Tier
Ice / Flying NU
Statistics Min- Min Max Max+
HP 90 - 321 384 -
Atk 85 185 206 269 295
Def 100 212 236 299 328
SpA 95 203 226 289 317
SpD 125 257 286 349 383
Spe 85 185 206 269 295
Name Item Nature
SubRoost Leftovers Timid
Moveset EVs
~ Substitute
~ Roost
~ Toxic
~ Ice Beam
252 HP / 40 SpA / 216 Spe
This set is horribly annoying for any opponent to face in UU. Articuno's solid defenses allow it to switch in with relative ease, force a switch, and then put up a Substitute. From there, Articuno can simply Toxic the opponent and continually Substitute and Roost until Toxic takes its toll. Add Pressure into the mix to drain away the PP of moves such as Stone Edge or Fire Blast and your opponent will find this Articuno incredibly difficult to take down.
While you might think the abundant number of Poison-type Pokémon in the UU tier would seem to reduce the efficacy of this set, this is entirely false. The most common Poison-type Pokémon in the UU tier often have a secondary typing that leave them being hit for super-effective damage from Articuno's STAB Ice Beam. Those that aren't hit for super effective damage are either 2HKOed by Ice Beam or can be PP stalled with Pressure. Casual observation also may lead one to believe that this set is completely walled by Steel-type Pokémon, such as Aggron or Probopass, however this also is false. Articuno is faster than every Steel-type in the UU tier, meaning it is perfectly able to defeat them by PP stalling with Pressure. This set also works fantastically with Spikes and Stealth Rock on the field, since you will have the ability to cause many switches as your opponent attempts to thwart this vicious cycle.
The given Speed EVs allow Articuno to outrun maximum Speed Grumpig, enabling Articuno to hit it with Toxic before it can use Substitute. The remaining EVs were placed into HP and then Special Attack. Pouring 252 EVs into Speed will allow Articuno to at worst tie with Pokémon that have a base Speed of 85 and a positive nature. The large Speed investment is important to the success of the set since Articuno needs to outrun the majority of threats and either Substitute or Roost accordingly to effectively Toxic and PP stall. However, if a more defensive spread is desired, 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 Spe with a Bold nature is also a viable spread and still allows Articuno to outrun neutral nature base 75 Speed Pokémon, such as Absol.
Name Item Nature
Support Leftovers Calm
Moveset EVs
~ Ice Beam
~ Roost
~ Roar
~ Reflect / Heal Bell / Toxic
252 HP / 96 Def / 64 SpA / 96 SpD
The addition of Roost to Articuno's movepool gives it a much needed instant recovery option with the added benefit of allowing it to shed its quad Rock weakness for one turn! The idea is to use this guy in concert with Spikes or Stealth Rock to shuffle opponents around the field, inflicting damage along the way. Of course, the glaring 4x weakness to Stealth Rock is a problem, but with adequate Rapid Spin support and judicious use of Roost, Articuno is more than capable of hanging around for quite a while. The fourth moveslot helps Articuno fulfill its role as a support Pokémon more effectively; choose the one that will help your team the most. Usually that will be Reflect due to the physically oriented style of the DP metagame, but the other moves have their uses.
Name Item Nature
Sleep Talk Shuffle Leftovers Calm
Moveset EVs
~ Rest
~ Sleep Talk
~ Ice Beam
~ Roar
252 HP / 96 Def / 64 SpA / 96 SpD
This set functions in exactly the same way as the one listed above, except that you give up the support options in order to use the Rest / Sleep Talk combination. The popular combination offers two advantages over Roost. The first is that you do not have to fear status, and with the apparent decrease in the popularity of clerics, this may be useful on the stallish Articuno. The other, more important, reason for doing this would be to have the one in three chance to remove Roar's negative priority modifier while using Sleep Talk. Obviously the advantages of Roost will outweigh the potential benefits of RestTalking ninety-five percent of the time, even with the removal of Roar's negative priority, because Articuno isn't quite fast enough to take advantage of it, but there it is.
Name Item Nature
Rain Dance Support Damp Rock Calm
Moveset EVs
~ Ice Beam
~ Roost
~ Rain Dance
~ U-turn
240 HP / 92 Def / 176 SpD
This set's purpose is to take advantage of Articuno's high Special Defense and "pass" with U-turn an eight turn Rain Dance to a team member. It is meant to come in on common UU threats like Steelix (generally don't carry Stone Edge), Claydol, Clefable (non boosted Thunderbolts and Flamethrowers will barely dent Articuno), and Leafeon, use Rain Dance and "scout" with U-turn to switch the proper recipient in.
Articuno's Ground immunity and high Special Defense naturally lend it to be an effective passer, so the potential of U-turn should be not underestimated. While Articuno will generally look to Rain Dance first, its ability to give the user the upper hand in battle pacing with U-turn is a huge advantage. Roost also plays a significant role in "psuedo-passing," as it allows Articuno to heal off crippling Stealth Rock and general battle residual damage. Ice Beam is the attacking move of choice simply because it is STAB and because Grass Pokémon are common in UU, making it an effective offensive tool to use against a potential weakness of a Water Pokémon heavy team.
Damp Rock is the item of choice because it boosts Rain Dance to eight turns, a very useful characteristic when attempting to UU sweep with Rain. Leftovers can be considered if Articuno's survivability takes precedence over that goal, however. The HP EVs reach 381 and do not max out HP or reach the "magic" Leftovers number of 384 in order to allow Articuno to switch into Stealth Rock twice without fainting. An emphasis is given to Articuno's higher defensive stat, Special Defense, because most of the common physical attacks against it, Stone Edge and Flare Blitz, will deal massive damage anyway.
Name Item Ability Nature
Agility Life Orb Pressure Modest
Moveset EVs
~ Agility
~ Ice Beam
~ Roost
~ Hidden Power Grass / Hidden Power Ground
152 HP / 252 SpA / 104 Spe
This set sees Articuno break from its usual role as a defensive Pokémon and attempts to sweep by boosting its rather average Speed. Articuno sports a respectable base 95 Special Attack, which when amplified by a Life Orb is more than sufficient enough to work within the UU tier. The premise of the set is simple enough, by virtue of Articuno's good defenses, switch in on opponents Articuno can either take on, or scare away, then Agility to initiate the sweep.
As always, Stealth Rock is a real thorn in Articuno's side and is even more problematic when you consider Articuno will be losing 10% of its HP from each attack due to Life Orb recoil. For this reason, Roost is a real help on this set, allowing Articuno to lengthen its sweep, or recover Stealth Rock damage.
Ice Beam on the set is a given, however subsequent moves will depend on what you want to be able to hit harder. Hidden Power Grass is the primary option, as it helps you to strike Pokémon such as Gastrodon and Lanturn that like to switch into Articuno hard as well as threats such as Kabutops and Omastar. In terms of coverage, Hidden Power Ground is the best way to go. You won't be hitting Water-types as hard, but the Ice/Ground attacking combo hits everything in UU for at least neutral. Hidden Power Ground will also help out against Probopass and Fire-types, Pokémon which with Hidden Power Grass you would have difficulties with.
The given EVs allow Articuno to reach a Speed of 464 after an Agility, outpacing Timid Scarf Rotom, and pretty much the rest of the UU metagame.
Even with Articuno firing on all cylinders with a Modest nature and a Life Orb to boot, the typical special walls of UU such as Hypno, Grumpig and Clefable can still soak up Articuno's attacks, and thus should be weakened before attempting a full-fledged sweep. The set lacks the power needed to compete in the OU environment, so don't try using it there.
Other Options
Articuno's other offensive options include only the physical moves U-turn and Ice Shard, but honestly they have little utility. Articuno can abuse Protect to stall for additional Leftovers recovery, or utilize Substitute for general defensive stalling and scouting purposes. Tailwind is somewhat viable to boost Speed; too bad it only lasts 3 turns.
EVs
Articuno is a defensive Pokémon and should be EVed as such. 252 HP EVs gives good staying power and yields maximum Leftovers recovery. The defensive EVs offer a convenient distribution that allows Articuno to sponge neutral unboosted special attacks with ease while ensuring that Adamant Salamence's Dragon Claw is a 3HKO. The 64 EVs in Special Attack could be pushed to one of the defensive stats if you like, but it adds a bit of bite to that STAB Ice Beam which is quite welcome now that sandstorm boosts Rock-type's Special Defense. 104 Speed EVs with a Modest nature outpaces Timid Scarf Rotom after an Agility.
Opinion
A defensive Ice Pokémon may seem to be an oxymoron, but Articuno has a lot of potential. Obviously Stealth Rock is a huge inconvenience for this guy when Suicune can accomplish many of the same things without the trouble switching in, but that is not really reason enough to relegate this guy to the land of the disused. It is a niche Pokémon that fills a very specific role quite well when supported properly. Articuno is an excellent Spikes shuffler and Pressure allows it to drain opponent's PP.
Counters
Metagross and Bronzong are the most complete counters for Articuno, but there are quite a few ways to force it out. Tyranitar, with its blasted Special Defense boost, doesn't mind switching in and threatening a Stone Edge, but really any Pokémon with a Rock attack is a sufficient threat to force Articuno to flee. Heatran, Infernape and other Fire Pokémon are troublesome as well. Obviously Raikou, Jolteon, Lanturn, and other Electric Pokémon should be avoided at all costs. And finally, Starmie is quite a problem since it will Rapid Spin the Spikes Articuno uses to inflict damage and is resistant to Ice Beam; Articuno will win one-on-one even if Starmie has Thunderbolt, though, because its high Special Defense and Roost will protect it while it PP wastes Starmie with Pressure.
Taken from Smogon.