Competitive Information for Articuno [Black/White]
Ice / Flying
Abilities:
If this Pokemon is the target of a foe's move, that move loses one additional PP.
If Hail is active, this Pokemon's evasiveness is 1.25x; immunity to Hail.
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Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Articuno? These builds are optimized for Black/White Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Black/White metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Prepare for battle with Articuno, a terrific Pokémon boasting Ice and Flying attributes. Articuno is a common Pokémon to see in the BW metagame. It is weak to Electric, Fire, Rock, and Steel-typed attacks. Curious about Articuno's movesets? Check our suggestions listed below!
Item: Life Orb / Metal Coat
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Steel Wing / Double-Edge
- Sky Attack / Sky Drop
- Avalanche / Ice Shard
- U-turn
Articuno is a legendary Physical Sweeper. It's purpose is to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Life Orb boosts the power of Articuno's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Pressure, if Articuno is the target of a foe's move that move loses one additional pp. Steel Wing was added to provide additional threat coverage.
♦ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
♦ Sky Attack is a physical STAB-boosted 140-base power Flying-type move (charges, then hits turn 2. 30% flinch. high crit).
♦ Sky Drop is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Flying-type move (Articuno and foe fly up turn 1. damages on turn 2).
♦ Avalanche is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Ice-type move (power doubles if Articuno is damaged by the target).
♦ Ice Shard is a physical STAB-boosted priority-increased 40-base power Ice-type move (usually goes first).
♦ U-turn is a physical 70-base power Bug-type move (Articuno switches out after damaging the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gaa90
Item: Life Orb / Never-Melt Ice
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Ice Beam / Icy Wind
- Extrasensory
- Air Cutter / Gust
- Signal Beam
Articuno is a legendary Special Sweeper. It is designed to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Life Orb boosts the power of Articuno's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Pressure, if Articuno is the target of a foe's move that move loses one additional pp.
♦ Icy Wind is a special STAB-boosted 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
♦ Extrasensory is a special 80-base power Psychic-type move (10% chance to flinch the target).
♦ Air Cutter is a special STAB-boosted 55-base power Flying-type move (high critical hit ratio. hits adjacent foes).
♦ Gust is a special STAB-boosted 40-base power Flying-type move (power doubles during bounce, fly, and sky drop).
♦ Signal Beam is a special 75-base power Bug-type move (10% chance to confuse the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gba90
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Snow Cloak
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 192 Hp / 64 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Roost
- Sheer Cold
- Mind Reader
- Substitute
Articuno is a legendary Support. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Articuno last longer regaining it's stamina every turn. Substitue for Defense then use Mind Reader followed up by Sheer Cold (OHKO). Use Roost for recovery when needed.
♦ Sheer Cold is a special STAB-boosted 0-base power Ice-type move (ohkos the target. fails if Articuno is a lower level).
♦ Mind Reader is a status move (Articuno's next move will not miss the target).
♦ Substitute is a status move (Articuno takes 1/4 its max hp to put in a substitute).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gca90
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Articuno? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Black/White Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Black/White metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Life Orb / Metal Coat
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Steel Wing / Double-Edge
- Sky Attack / Sky Drop
- Avalanche / Ice Shard
- U-turn
Articuno is a legendary Physical Sweeper. The purpose of this moveset is to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Life Orb boosts the power of Articuno's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Pressure, if Articuno is the target of a foe's move that move loses one additional pp. Steel Wing was added to provide additional threat coverage.
♦ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
♦ Sky Attack is a physical STAB-boosted 140-base power Flying-type move (charges, then hits turn 2. 30% flinch. high crit).
♦ Sky Drop is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Flying-type move (Articuno and foe fly up turn 1. damages on turn 2).
♦ Avalanche is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Ice-type move (power doubles if Articuno is damaged by the target).
♦ Ice Shard is a physical STAB-boosted priority-increased 40-base power Ice-type move (usually goes first).
♦ U-turn is a physical 70-base power Bug-type move (Articuno switches out after damaging the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/haa90
Item: Life Orb / Sharp Beak
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Air Cutter / Gust
- Icy Wind / Ice Beam
- Twister
- Extrasensory
Articuno is a legendary Special Sweeper. It is meant to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Life Orb boosts the power of Articuno's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Pressure, if Articuno is the target of a foe's move that move loses one additional pp.
♦ Gust is a special STAB-boosted 40-base power Flying-type move (power doubles during bounce, fly, and sky drop).
♦ Icy Wind is a special STAB-boosted 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
♦ Ice Beam is a special STAB-boosted 95-base power Ice-type move (10% chance to freeze the target).
♦ Twister is a special 40-base power Dragon-type move (20% chance to flinch the foes).
♦ Extrasensory is a special 80-base power Psychic-type move (10% chance to flinch the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/hba90
Movepool
Want to know what moves Articuno can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Black/White generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Articuno.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Articuno can perform in Black/White. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive BW Move and Ability Combos for Articuno
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- OHKO Combo - Moves: Mind Reader + Sheer Cold
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect, Ice Shard
- Moves that Break Screens: Defog
- Moves that inflict status: Toxic
Moves that boost Articuno's stats
- Agility
- Ancient Power
- Ominous Wind
- Steel Wing
Most notable and possible best moves for Articuno
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Reflect
- Rest
- Roost
- Toxic
- U-turn
Common Effort Values for Articuno in Black and White
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.
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Here are the best movesets for Articuno. Top rated Articuno Black/White movesets. You can find Articuno builds Black/White. Articuno movesets Black/White are listed here. VGC Articuno Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Articuno in Black/White along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution