Stats & Training
Articuno's spread favors special bulk over offense. Sp. Def leads the defensive side, Attack eats the cost. Yields 3 Sp. Def EVs per defeat. Slow 1.25M XP grind to level.
A legendary bird Pokémon. It can create blizzards by freezing moisture in the air.
A legendary bird Pokémon that is said to appear to doomed people who are lost in icy mountains.
Articuno Weakness
Articuno is weak to Rock, Fire, Electric, and Steel. Watch out for Rock attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Ground-type moves entirely. Articuno's special bulk (base 125 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Rock |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Electric, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
 Lunatone RockPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Lunatone builds →Rock Tomb 4x63-75% Rock Throw 4x56-67% Charge Beam 2x24-28% | ||
 Solrock RockPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Solrock builds →Rock Tomb 4x92-108%KO Rock Throw 4x78-92% Charge Beam 2x15-19% Fire Spin 2x11-14% | ||
 Omanyte RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Omanyte builds →Rock Tomb 4x56-67% Rollout 4x35-42% | ||
 Kabuto RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift | ||
 Tirtouga WaterRock | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Tirtouga builds →Ancient Power 4x56-67% Rock Tomb 4x78-92% Rollout 4x42-50% | ||
 Carbink RockFairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Carbink builds →Ancient Power 4x47-55% Rock Tomb 4x51-61% Rock Throw 4x47-55% Smack Down 4x47-55% | ||
Lunatone RockPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Lunatone builds →Rock Slide 4x70-83% Rock Tomb 4x56-66% Rock Throw 4x47-55% Charge Beam 2x20-24% | ||
Omanyte RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Omanyte builds →Rock Tomb 4x47-55% Rollout 4x28-33% | ||
Kabuto RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift | ||
Tirtouga WaterRock | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Tirtouga builds →Ancient Power 4x47-55% Rock Tomb 4x70-83% Smack Down 4x61-72% Rollout 4x37-44% | ||
Carbink RockFairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Carbink builds →Ancient Power 4x47-55% Rock Tomb 4x51-61% Rock Throw 4x47-55% Smack Down 4x47-55% | ||
Lunatone RockPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Lunatone builds →Rock Slide 4x70-83% Rock Tomb 4x56-66% Rock Throw 4x47-55% Charge Beam 2x20-24% | ||
Omanyte RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Omanyte builds →Rock Tomb 4x47-55% Rollout 4x28-33% | ||
Kabuto RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift | ||
Tirtouga WaterRock | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Tirtouga builds →Ancient Power 4x47-55% Rock Tomb 4x70-83% Smack Down 4x61-72% Rollout 4x37-44% | ||
Carbink RockFairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Carbink builds →Ancient Power 4x47-55% Rock Tomb 4x51-61% Rock Throw 4x47-55% Smack Down 4x47-55% | ||
Lunatone RockPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Lunatone builds →Rock Slide 4x70-83% Rock Tomb 4x56-66% Rock Throw 4x47-55% Charge Beam 2x20-24% | ||
Omanyte RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Omanyte builds →Rock Tomb 4x47-55% Rollout 4x28-33% | ||
Kabuto RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift | ||
Tirtouga WaterRock | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Tirtouga builds →Ancient Power 4x47-55% Rock Tomb 4x70-83% Smack Down 4x61-72% Rollout 4x37-44% | ||
Carbink RockFairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Carbink builds →Ancient Power 4x44-52% Rock Tomb 4x52-61% Rock Throw 4x44-52% Smack Down 4x44-52% | ||
Lunatone RockPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Lunatone builds →Rock Slide 4x71-84% Rock Tomb 4x55-66% Rock Throw 4x48-56% Charge Beam 2x20-23% | ||
Omanyte RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Omanyte builds →Ancient Power 4x67-80% Rock Tomb 4x48-56% Rollout 4x27-33% | ||
Kabuto RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift | ||
Tirtouga WaterRock | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Tirtouga builds →Ancient Power 4x48-56% Rock Tomb 4x71-84% Smack Down 4x63-75% Rollout 4x40-47% | ||
 Amaura RockIce | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Amaura builds →Stone Edge 4x95-112%KO Thunderbolt 2x26-31% Ancient Power 4x57-67% Rock Tomb 4x60-72% | ||
Omanyte RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Omanyte builds →Ancient Power 4x68-81% Rock Tomb 4x46-54% Rollout 4x26-31% | ||
Kabuto RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift | ||
Tirtouga WaterRock | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Tirtouga builds →Stone Edge 4x118-139%KO Ancient Power 4x46-54% Rock Tomb 4x72-85% Smack Down 4x60-72% | ||
 Shieldon RockSteel | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Shieldon builds →Stone Edge 4x76-90% Thunderbolt 2x20-24% Ancient Power 4x42-49% Rock Tomb 4x49-58% | ||
 Lairon SteelRock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Lairon builds →Iron Tail 2x65-76% Stone Edge 4x130-153%KO Iron Head 2x52-62% Rock Slide 4x99-116%KO | ||
Amaura RockIce | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Amaura builds →Stone Edge 4x93-109%KO Thunderbolt 2x25-30% Rock Slide 4x71-84% Ancient Power 4x52-62% | ||
Omanyte RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Omanyte builds →Rock Slide 4x55-65% Ancient Power 4x68-80% Rock Tomb 4x46-55% Rollout 4x24-29% | ||
Kabuto RockWater | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Kabuto builds →Rock Slide 4x89-105%KO Ancient Power 4x46-55% Rock Tomb 4x74-87% | ||
Tirtouga WaterRock | D | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Tirtouga builds →Stone Edge 4x114-135%KO Rock Slide 4x86-102%KO Ancient Power 4x46-55% Rock Tomb 4x71-84% | ||
In X & Y, Zapdos deals 38-45% with Thunderbolt.
 Ferrothorn GrassSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureRelaxed Moves View Ferrothorn builds →
| ||
 Heatran FireSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Heatran builds →
| ||
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemSitrus Berry NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave 2x27-32% Thunderbolt 2x38-45% | ||
 Tyranitar RockDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemChoice Band NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Articuno View Tyranitar builds →Stone Edge 4x216-255%KO Pursuit22-26% Crunch43-51% Superpower43-51% | ||
X & Y Evolution
Articuno is strong overall with 580 total stats as a Ice/Flying legendary. Can't breed it, so you're locked to whatever you catch or receive. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
X & Y Articuno Best Moveset
The special wall spread is where Articuno earns its spot. Nevermeltice for extra utility, Calm nature for the right lean, and Roost handles sustain. Pressure does the rest without needing a move slot.
Best Build
Articuno best EVs are HP and Sp. Def
Doubles Wall Moveset
- Protect
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Roost
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Freeze Dry
- Roost
- Tailwind
- Hurricane
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Articuno develops a solid moveset just through leveling. Hurricane and Ice Beam show up naturally, and the progression handles both STAB and utility without leaning on TMs for the core attacks.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
X & Y Articuno Locations
Articuno sits at low spawn rates across 4 spots in endgame routes. Pick one from the sorted list and commit to it. Jumping between areas wastes more time than waiting in the right location.
Best Locations to Catch Articuno in X & Y
walking and fixed encounters for Articuno across 4 spots at Lv. 70+. The catch is that X and Y don't share every location, so compare what's available in your version.
Articuno Guide
In X & Y, Articuno is a Legendary Pokemon rated C-Tier. At 580 BST, it hits hard. It excels as a support. Protect with Nevermeltice is the standard set.
In X & Y, Articuno's biggest threats include Golem (Rock), Charizard (Fire), and Raikou (Electric), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Golem is the most dangerous since Rock moves deal 4x damage. Steel-type attackers are also a problem. Articuno has enough bulk to absorb a hit, but don't push the matchup. Pivot to a teammate that resists.
Pressure is the go-to ability for Articuno. It increases the PP cost of moves targetting the Pokémon by one. Its hidden ability Snow Cloak can work in specific setups.
In X & Y, Articuno fills the support role. It's a special attacker with base 95 Sp. Atk. Base 85 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's tanky enough to absorb a few hits.
For X & Y, the core moveset is Protect, Ice Beam, Toxic, and Roost. Protect leads at 25% usage. This set covers the support role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Articuno has appeared in 20 games since Red & Blue, spanning 10 generations. As a Legendary, it's typically a one-per-save encounter tied to the story or post-game content.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwShGalarian
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves