uploaded -mz
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Defog
move 3: Freeze-Dry
move 4: Heal Bell / Toxic / Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 208 SpD / 52 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Given this set's defensive nature, Roost is vital for longevity. With it temporarily removing its Flying typing, Articuno can use Roost to safely scout for and PP stall threatening Rock-type moves from slower Pokemon like Aurorus and Regirock. It also helps against Eelektross, which may try to pressure Articuno with Volt Switch. Defog supports not only Articuno's teammates but also itself, as steering its side clear of Stealth Rock is an integral part of keeping Articuno healthy. Articuno will have many chances to make use of this move thanks to its ability to switch into many common entry hazard setters such as Mesprit, Clefairy, Qwilfish, and Weezing with little to no risk. Freeze-Dry is Articuno's Ice-type STAB attack with added coverage on Water-type Pokemon, punishing Qwilfish, Lanturn, and Carracosta. Moreover, it always OHKOes Alolan Exeggutor and Ludicolo after Stealth Rock damage and can pressure bulky variants of Oricorio-G. Heal Bell cures Articuno and its teammates of status conditions. Thanks to Pressure, Articuno can stall a single Pokemon out of all its Toxic PP, which is great for dealing with individual users like Clefairy. Alternatively, Toxic is a staple on the bulkier and stall teams that Articuno best fits in as a top-notch option for wearing down defensive and offensive Pokemon alike. In Articuno's case, it's also punishes Fire-type switch-ins like Combusken. Substitute takes advantage of Articuno's Pressure against Pokemon by reliably stalling out moves like Regirock's Stone Edge or Rock Slide and Aggron's Head Smash. Stalling out Regirock's STAB attack can be helpful, as it can't significantly damage Articuno otherwise, allowing it to remove its Stealth Rock throughout the battle safely. It can also be useful for avoiding Toxic from Pokemon like Pyukumuku. Haze is a unique choice that negates stat boosts, which is particularly notable for disrupting Calm Mind users such as Spiritomb, Clefairy, Mesprit, and Musharna throughout the match.
Set Details
========
Pressure allows Articuno to stall out crucial moves from opposing Pokemon to alleviate pressure for the rest of the team. Leftovers gradually restores Articuno's HP and, with Roost, makes Articuno as durable as possible. 248 HP EVs and 208 EVs in Special Defense provide Articuno with great special bulk, notably allowing it to always survive a Choice Specs-boosted Blizzard from Aurorus after Stealth Rock damage and safely Roost off the damage afterward. 52 Speed EVs let Articuno outspeed Jolly Aggron, which gives it the option to scout and stall out its strong STAB moves with Substitute. Outspeeding Aurorus is noteworthy as well; Articuno can use Roost first to gain a resistance to its Ice-type STAB attacks and reduce its Rock weakness, allowing it to tank subsequent hits and stall out Aurorus's limited PP with ease. If Articuno isn't running Substitute, Articuno can reduce its Speed investment to 44 EVs, which gives a minor increase to its special bulk and still lets it outspeed Aurorus.
Usage Tips
========
One must keep track of the PP of moves of opposing Pokemon that Articuno can be in a position to stall, as this is effectively Articuno's way to secure a win for its team, whether it's through stalling out Aggron's Head Smash, Mesprit's Stealth Rock, or Clefairy's Moonblast PP. Otherwise, Articuno should prioritize utilizing Pressure by proactively switching into Stealth Rock users and other hazard users that can't directly threaten it like Mesprit, Clefairy, and Qwilfish and removing them with ease. The threat of Freeze-Dry deters Qwilfish enough to force it out as opposed to Taunting, so this can be used to Articuno's advantage. If the opponent already manages to have Stealth Rock out on the field, it is highly advised to rely on the secondary remover to clear them out on the field instead of recklessly switching Articuno in to remove them. Utilize options like Heal Bell or Substitute to deal with potential status ailments. If using Heal Bell, Articuno should directly switch into Toxic users that can't threaten it, as with Pressure it can win the PP war against any individual Toxic user. Articuno should keep itself as healthy as possible with Roost, as it can act as a secondary pivot into strong special attackers when teammates like Audino are weakened, such as against Drampa, Ludicolo, and Lilligant. It can also use Haze to stop a variety of forms of setup from Pokemon like Calm Mind Clefairy and Lurantis.
Team Options
========
Articuno is specialized on stall-oriented teams as a staple option for entry hazard control thanks to its reliable recovery, its great bulk, and the great options it has for supporting its teammates. Despite it acting as a Defogger, separate hazard control remains vital alongside it to maintain its longevity due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Skuntank and Altaria are notable picks, with the former being great for bulky teams that need a Toxic Spikes absorber while also a decent check to stallbreakers like Oricorio-G. Altaria offers good support with its utility and reliability as a Defogger and is able to come in more safely against Eelektross and Combusken and remove hazards. As this set is meant to be used on stall teams, standard stall staples such as Audino and Pyukumuku are expected to be run alongside it, as they form a core that is vital in providing recovery, Wish passing, spreading Toxic, and blanket checking a majority of threats. These three Pokemon can also all alternate their support options based on the team's needs. Physical tanks such as Regirock, Mudsdale, and Tangela can be quite effective in taking on physical attackers such as Stoutland, Aggron, Lycanroc, and Alolan Raticate. These Pokemon, in general, also appreciate Articuno's ability to check Water-, Ice-, and Grass-type special attackers like Poliwrath, Aurorus, and Bellossom.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[jklioe, 424692]]
- Quality checked by: [[Megazard, 202117], [UberSkitty, 355061], [allstarapology, 400292]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The-Dutch-Plumberjack, 232216], [P-Squared, 168392]]
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Defog
move 3: Freeze-Dry
move 4: Heal Bell / Toxic / Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 208 SpD / 52 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Given this set's defensive nature, Roost is vital for longevity. With it temporarily removing its Flying typing, Articuno can use Roost to safely scout for and PP stall threatening Rock-type moves from slower Pokemon like Aurorus and Regirock. It also helps against Eelektross, which may try to pressure Articuno with Volt Switch. Defog supports not only Articuno's teammates but also itself, as steering its side clear of Stealth Rock is an integral part of keeping Articuno healthy. Articuno will have many chances to make use of this move thanks to its ability to switch into many common entry hazard setters such as Mesprit, Clefairy, Qwilfish, and Weezing with little to no risk. Freeze-Dry is Articuno's Ice-type STAB attack with added coverage on Water-type Pokemon, punishing Qwilfish, Lanturn, and Carracosta. Moreover, it always OHKOes Alolan Exeggutor and Ludicolo after Stealth Rock damage and can pressure bulky variants of Oricorio-G. Heal Bell cures Articuno and its teammates of status conditions. Thanks to Pressure, Articuno can stall a single Pokemon out of all its Toxic PP, which is great for dealing with individual users like Clefairy. Alternatively, Toxic is a staple on the bulkier and stall teams that Articuno best fits in as a top-notch option for wearing down defensive and offensive Pokemon alike. In Articuno's case, it's also punishes Fire-type switch-ins like Combusken. Substitute takes advantage of Articuno's Pressure against Pokemon by reliably stalling out moves like Regirock's Stone Edge or Rock Slide and Aggron's Head Smash. Stalling out Regirock's STAB attack can be helpful, as it can't significantly damage Articuno otherwise, allowing it to remove its Stealth Rock throughout the battle safely. It can also be useful for avoiding Toxic from Pokemon like Pyukumuku. Haze is a unique choice that negates stat boosts, which is particularly notable for disrupting Calm Mind users such as Spiritomb, Clefairy, Mesprit, and Musharna throughout the match.
Set Details
========
Pressure allows Articuno to stall out crucial moves from opposing Pokemon to alleviate pressure for the rest of the team. Leftovers gradually restores Articuno's HP and, with Roost, makes Articuno as durable as possible. 248 HP EVs and 208 EVs in Special Defense provide Articuno with great special bulk, notably allowing it to always survive a Choice Specs-boosted Blizzard from Aurorus after Stealth Rock damage and safely Roost off the damage afterward. 52 Speed EVs let Articuno outspeed Jolly Aggron, which gives it the option to scout and stall out its strong STAB moves with Substitute. Outspeeding Aurorus is noteworthy as well; Articuno can use Roost first to gain a resistance to its Ice-type STAB attacks and reduce its Rock weakness, allowing it to tank subsequent hits and stall out Aurorus's limited PP with ease. If Articuno isn't running Substitute, Articuno can reduce its Speed investment to 44 EVs, which gives a minor increase to its special bulk and still lets it outspeed Aurorus.
Usage Tips
========
One must keep track of the PP of moves of opposing Pokemon that Articuno can be in a position to stall, as this is effectively Articuno's way to secure a win for its team, whether it's through stalling out Aggron's Head Smash, Mesprit's Stealth Rock, or Clefairy's Moonblast PP. Otherwise, Articuno should prioritize utilizing Pressure by proactively switching into Stealth Rock users and other hazard users that can't directly threaten it like Mesprit, Clefairy, and Qwilfish and removing them with ease. The threat of Freeze-Dry deters Qwilfish enough to force it out as opposed to Taunting, so this can be used to Articuno's advantage. If the opponent already manages to have Stealth Rock out on the field, it is highly advised to rely on the secondary remover to clear them out on the field instead of recklessly switching Articuno in to remove them. Utilize options like Heal Bell or Substitute to deal with potential status ailments. If using Heal Bell, Articuno should directly switch into Toxic users that can't threaten it, as with Pressure it can win the PP war against any individual Toxic user. Articuno should keep itself as healthy as possible with Roost, as it can act as a secondary pivot into strong special attackers when teammates like Audino are weakened, such as against Drampa, Ludicolo, and Lilligant. It can also use Haze to stop a variety of forms of setup from Pokemon like Calm Mind Clefairy and Lurantis.
Team Options
========
Articuno is specialized on stall-oriented teams as a staple option for entry hazard control thanks to its reliable recovery, its great bulk, and the great options it has for supporting its teammates. Despite it acting as a Defogger, separate hazard control remains vital alongside it to maintain its longevity due to its Stealth Rock weakness. Skuntank and Altaria are notable picks, with the former being great for bulky teams that need a Toxic Spikes absorber while also a decent check to stallbreakers like Oricorio-G. Altaria offers good support with its utility and reliability as a Defogger and is able to come in more safely against Eelektross and Combusken and remove hazards. As this set is meant to be used on stall teams, standard stall staples such as Audino and Pyukumuku are expected to be run alongside it, as they form a core that is vital in providing recovery, Wish passing, spreading Toxic, and blanket checking a majority of threats. These three Pokemon can also all alternate their support options based on the team's needs. Physical tanks such as Regirock, Mudsdale, and Tangela can be quite effective in taking on physical attackers such as Stoutland, Aggron, Lycanroc, and Alolan Raticate. These Pokemon, in general, also appreciate Articuno's ability to check Water-, Ice-, and Grass-type special attackers like Poliwrath, Aurorus, and Bellossom.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[jklioe, 424692]]
- Quality checked by: [[Megazard, 202117], [UberSkitty, 355061], [allstarapology, 400292]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The-Dutch-Plumberjack, 232216], [P-Squared, 168392]]
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