[OVERVIEW]
Galarian Articuno is one of PU's best and most dangerous special attackers thanks to its high Special Attack and great offensive typing. Part of what makes Galarian Articuno so threatening is Future Sight, which can severely limit its counterplay. Furthermore, Galarian Articuno is somewhat versatile, capable of serving either as a pivot that wallbreaks for itself and its teammates or a Choice Specs user that can tear through many teams with its power and coverage. Both sets fit on similar teams, which can make it hard to predict what Galarian Articuno is going to do and play around it. Galarian Articuno even has a nice defensive presence because of its decent bulk and recovery, with its typing also providing it useful opportunities to switch in against foes like Tsareena and Mesprit. However, Galarian Articuno can only reliably come in on threats that are weak like Whimsicott or Choice-locked like Passimian. This is because Pokemon like Weezing, Sandaconda, and Scrafty can either threaten it with status or super effective coverage. Galarian Articuno also struggles to break through bulky Rock- and Steel-types like Gigalith, Aggron, and Galarian Stunfisk, given its lack powerful coverage for them. Finally, due to its middling Speed tier, Galarian Articuno is outpaced and easily pressured by Pokemon such as Archeops and Basculin.
[SET]
name: Heavy-Duty Boots
move 1: Future Sight
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Recover
move 4: U-turn
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Competitive
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
This set lets Galarian Articuno serve as an offensive pivot that checks defensive Pokemon like Weezing and Sandaconda and generates momentum for its teammates. Protect is a niche alternative to U-turn that stalls a turn after using Future Sight and allows Galarian Articuno to see what move Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Togedemaru will lock into. However, U-turn tends to be better, since it maximizes the pressure Future Sight puts on teams. Freezing Glare can be used over Future Sight for an accurate and immediately damaging STAB move, although it's noticeably weaker. Physical wallbreakers such as Passimian, Absol, and Trevenant appreciate Future Sight deterring their checks from switching into them and, in return, break through special walls like Gigalith and Articuno. Passimian also forms a momentum core with Galarian Articuno and offensively checks Dark-types like Sneasel. Since many of Galarian Articuno's best checks are grounded, support from entry hazard setters such as Weezing, Ferroseed, and Froslass is very useful. These Pokemon have an easier time keeping their entry hazards up thanks to Galarian Articuno's Competitive discouraging Defog attempts, and the former two can also sponge hits from potential revenge killers like Ribombee. Because of its weakness to Knock Off and reliance on Heavy-Duty Boots, Galarian Articuno should never be a team's only way to deal with Fighting-types. More reliable checks to them like Aromatisse, which can also eliminate status with Aromatherapy, are therefore important partners. It's worth noting that Heavy-Duty Boots Galarian Articuno can alternatively serve as a decent setup sweeper with Calm Mind, forgoing U-turn and opting for Freezing Glare instead of Future Sight. Such a set is more self-reliant, since it allows Galarian Articuno to more readily exploit the switches it forces.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Future Sight
move 2: Psyshock / Freezing Glare
move 3: Hurricane
move 4: U-turn / Shadow Ball
item: Choice Specs
ability: Competitive
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Future Sight becomes incredibly strong when powered up by Choice Specs but shouldn't be used as this set's only Psychic-type STAB move. Psyshock hits special walls like Audino and Lanturn harder than Freezing Glare and more reliably than Hurricane, but Freezing Glare has better overall damage output. U-turn allows Galarian Articuno to pivot against its switch-ins, but Shadow Ball can be used instead to hit Steel-types for neutral damage and more consistently threaten Psychic-types like Mesprit and opposing Galarian Articuno. Entry hazard control is important, since Stealth Rock prevents Galarian Articuno from freely switching in. Tsareena and Whimsicott are notable removers, since they both threaten common entry hazard setters like Gigalith and Galarian Stunfisk and can use Knock Off to soften shared checks with Galarian Articuno, such as Alolan Sandslash. Tsareena can go one step further by running High Jump Kick to eliminate unsuspecting Steel-types altogether. Another good example is Charizard, which pressures Steel-types and offensively checks faster Pokemon like Ribombee. Particularly, if it lacks Toxic, Charizard also enjoys Galarian Articuno overwhelming its primary switch-in in Gigalith. Setup sweepers like Scrafty and Silvally-Fairy appreciate Galarian Articuno giving them an easier time breaking through teams and finishing them off late-game. They also find Future Sight dissuading their checks and counters from switching in very useful, since this can translate to either a forced KO or more turns to set up.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[asa, 400292]]
- Quality checked by: [[MZ, 202117], [avarice, 346653]]
- Grammar checked by: [[DC, 449990]]
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