What is a good moveset for Galarian Articuno?

Question

This thread is for Galarian Articuno. For Kantonian Articuno, please go here.

If you have a good competitive moveset for Galarian Articuno, post an answer below and upvote the best ones.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Galarian Articuno Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

VGC 2021 Competitive Abuser

Articuno-Galar @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Psychic
- Air Slash
- Shadow Ball
- Agility / Ancient Power / Recover

One of the most dedicated anti-Intimidate options, this thing is a monster in doubles. This set is partly ripped from another video but with my own modifications. Since Landorus-T and Incineroar are everywhere in doubles, this thing will enjoy eating up pointless Attack drops. Dynamax on the first turn to live almost any hit and maybe get WP up and running. Use Max Airstreams to gain speed control and Max Mindstorm to give you Psychic Terrains, nullifying any use of Whimsicott and boosting your Psychics in return. Shadow Ball hits Ghost types well, but apart from that it's just another coverage move. Agility raises your speed and makes up for the lack of speed EVs. Alternatively, you can run Ancient Power for even more coverage, or even Recover to increase your longevity.

Comments

Only regular Articuno can learn Weather Ball.  Its Galarian forme cannot.

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Noted and edited, thank you!

Answer 2

Doubles Set

Articuno-Galar @ Throat Spray
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Expanding Force
- Hyper Voice
- Tailwind
- Protect

This is meant for Doubles in Psychic Terrain. Expanding Force is STAB and hits both Pokémon. Hyper Voice also hits both Pokémon and activates Throat Spray. Tailwind is to provide speed support to your team. Protect is to protect yourself since this set is meant for doubles.

Answer 3

Articuno-Galar @ Leftovers / Choice Specs / Life Orb
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Freezing Glare / Psyshock
- Hurricane / Air Slash
- Shadow Ball
- U-turn

My favourite Galarian Bird. Freezing Glare and Psyshock are STAB. Freezing Glare hits specially, while Psyshock helps against special walls like Chansey. Hurricane is STAB, but it can be replaced with Air Slash for a more reliable move. Shadow Ball is coverage, and U-turn makes Articuno-G a nice pivot. Leftovers give it some staying power. Choice Specs and Life Orb further boost its offensive capabilities.

Comments

Maybe choice specs too? For more power.

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Good idea, edited.

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Heavy Duty Boots is better than Leftovers as its weak to Rocks.

Answer 4

Dual Screens

Articuno-Galar @ Leftovers
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def
Bold Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Freezing Glare
- Air Slash / Hurricane

Comments

Why Leftovers instead of Light Clay?

Answer 5

Stored Power

Articuno-Galar @ Leftovers / Flame Orb
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Agility
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Stored Power

The best part of this being a Stored Power set is that if your stats are lowered, you get a Competitive boost. Leftovers is used for recovery, while Flame Orb can be used to avoid getting paralyzed or poisoned.

Comments

I like this set. I did something like this with my Hatterene once. Would Wise Glasses / Twisted Spoon also work for this set?

Answer 6

Gen 8 PU

Articuno-Galar @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Life Orb
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Hurricane
- Freezing Glare
- Recover

I'm kind of surprised a set like this hasn't been posted yet. Calm Mind is for boosting your special attack and special defense, allowing you to be able to wallbreak better. Hurricane is flying STAB that allows you to deal with most psychic resists / immunites. Freezing Glare is for psychic STAB. Recover allows you to stay in longer.

Answer 7

Articuno @ Life Orb
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Tmid Nature
- Freezing Glare
- Hurricane / Air Slash
- Shadow Ball / Ancient Power
- Recover / Ancient Power
This is meant to take full advantage of that 125 SpA. Freezing Glare is STAB along with Hurricane or Air Slash. Shadow Ball is coverage. Ancient Power can be used if you want to dance with RNG. Recovery is to let Articuno last longer.

Answer 8

Articuno @ Choice Specs / Life Orb
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Timid Nature / Modest Nature
- Freezing Glare
- Hurricane / Air Slash
- Recover (if Life Orb) / Ancient Power
- Shadow Ball

Freezing Glare is STAB and has a small freeze chance. Hurricane is stronger than Air Slash, but AS is more accurate and has a solid flinch rate to boot, while Hurricane has a 30% confusion chance. Recover is used on Life Orb sets to heal off damage from stuff like Stealth Rocks and most importantly, Life Orb recoil, while Ancient Power is coverage for Ice types. Shadow Ball is used to hit Ghost types SE.

Comments

U-turn I guess is okay as a filler option on Choice Specs, but otherwise the ability to pivot really isn't all that notable for offensive variants of Articuno.  Particularly since it could easily not be worth taking Life Orb recoil and/or Stealth Rocks, and the paltry damage it deals is not likely to be significant or help put its checks into KO range.  And since we're not trying to Slow-Pivot here, it would make more sense to run something like Calm Mind or four attacks in the last slot to minimize the need to switch to begin with.   Switching out yourself when you predict a switch accomplishes the same thing as pivoting with U-turn.  So all-in-all, U-turn is not that great here.

Answer 9

Role: Sweeper
Galarian Articuno @ Throat Spray
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Freezing Glare
- Air Slash
- Hyper Voice
- Agility

Explanation: This is a very good Special Attacker. Hits hard with powerful moves and can be used in many different ways. Use Agility to get your Speed up and then use Hyper Voice for Throat Spray activation. Freezing Glare and Air Slash for STAB (Hurricane is too risky) and Modest Nature for more damage.

Answer 10

Gen 8 PU

Articuno-Galar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe or 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Timid / Calm Nature
- Air Slash
- Freezing Glare
- Recover
- U-turn

Bulky offensive(ish) set. For this set, you would need to switch into something Charizard can switch into that you can switch into as well, for example, a Whimsicott. You will have to hope for a stat drop so Competitive will activate, giving you a special attack boost. Air Slash is for flying STAB that allows you deal with most psychic resists / immunities such as Scrafty and opposing psychic types. Freezing Glare is for psychic STAB. Recover is for healing. U-Turn is for pivoting out against Pokemon you have a bad matchup against.

Answer 11

Gen 9 NU Dual Dance

Articuno-Galar @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Competitive
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Agility
- Stored Power
- Tera Blast

A Dual Dance set Galarian Articuno can use in Gen 9 NU. Calm Mind + Agility boosts Galarian Articuno's Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed stats, allowing it to become a scary sweeper if it gets off enough boosts. Stored Power is used for the Psychic STAB since it takes advantage of the Calm Mind + Agility boosts as well as the potential Weakness Policy boosts. Tera Blast Fighting allows Articuno to have a move to hit Pokemon who use Tera Dark, Dark-types such as Alolan Persian, and Steel-types such as Copperajah and Alolan Sandslash super effectively. Tera Blast Fighting also hits Klefki and Bronzong for neutral damage, which is nice. Competitive lets Articuno get a Special Attack boost should a stat be lowered, which is useful if you switch Galarian Articuno in on a predicted Defog.

Since this set is a sweeper set with Weakness Policy, this set must be used on HO teams. Lycanroc is the preferred lead to use on HO teams, as it is the fastest Pokemon who can setup Stealth Rock and use Taunt to prevent hazards from getting on your side. Tatsugiri is a good support option for Galarian Articuno, as it can clear away hazards from your side if any got onto your side of the field. It can also use Memento to lower the attacking stats from opposing Pokemon to help Galarian Articuno setup.

Answer 12

Gen 9 NU Calm Mind

Articuno-Galar @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Competitive
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Hurricane
- Recover

This Calm Mind set for Galarian Articuno is used on more bulkier teams such as Balance or (Bulky) Offense. Calm Mind lets Galarian Articuno boost its Special Attack and Special Defense stats to let it become a potent wincon. Calm Mind is also useful vs defensive Florges, as you can setup alongside it. Psyshock is used for the Psychic STAB over Freezing Glare or Psychic since it allows Galarian Articuno to beat opposing Calm Mind Pokemon such as Jolteon and Florges, as well as hitting Pokemon who can tank special hits such as Goodra and Chansey harder. Hurricane is used for the Flying STAB since it hits really hard provided you don't miss. Recover gives Galarian Artiucno reliable HP recovery. Heavy-Duty Boots is the item so Galarian Articuno doesn't get chipped by Stealth Rock. Tera Steel lets Galarian Articuno have a nice defensive typing that helps it vs Mono Moonblast Calm Mind Florges. The EV spread is a simple max max spread, though something like 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Timid Nature works since it outspeeds non-Choice Scarf Heracross.