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Pokémon Go Articuno counters, weaknesses and moveset explained

Catch the legendary bird of ice in Pokémon Go!

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Guide by Lottie Lynn Guides Editor
Updated on

Articuno, the freezer Pokémon and the first legendary bird to appear in the Pokédex, is best sourced from Pokémon Go raids.

Articuno may have been one of the first legendary Pokémon to appear in Pokémon Go, but you'll still need a keen understanding of the various Articuno counters and weaknesses if you wish to catch it.

Like all legendary Pokémon, Articuno will appear in five-star raids. You may discover that you need to team up with a group of trainers to defeat Articuno, but, thanks to Remote Raiding, you can easily do this at home.

Articuno makes a reappearance during the Season of Go, appearing alongside Zapdos and Moltres during July 2022.

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Articuno counters and weaknesses in Pokémon Go

If you want to defeat Articuno in Pokémon Go, then you need to know what it's weaknesses and counters are:

  • Articuno type - Ice and flying-type
  • Articuno is weak against - Electric, fire, rock and steel-type Pokémon
  • Articuno counters - Zapdos, Moltres, Entei,Raikou, Metagross, Groudon, Dialga, Garchomp, Rhyperior and Darmanitan
  • Other Articuno notes - Though you might be tempted to start the battle with a strong fire-type Pokémon, you'll actually do better using rock-types, as, thanks to Articuno being a dual flying-type, these types of moves will be more effective.

Articuno CP in Pokémon Go

Below you can find the CP ranges you can expect to see when battling Articuno in a raid and if you earn the opportunity to catch one:

  • Raid Boss CP - 40,165 CP
  • CP when being caught - 1,743 CP
  • Weather boosted CP (Snow) when being caught - 2,179 CP

Articuno Moveset in Pokémon Go

Articuno can use a variety of Fast and Charged moves in Pokémon Go, which are:

Articuno.

Possible Fast Moves:

  • Frost Breath (Ice)
  • Ice Shard (Ice)

Possible Charged Moves:

  • Ancient Power (Rock)
  • Blizzard (Ice)
  • Ice Beam (Ice)
  • Icy Wind (Ice)

The World of Wonders season has come to Pokémon Go, which has brought Rediscover Kanto and Sustainability Week, along with the World of Wonders quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.

Everything we know about Articuno

Articuno, alongside Zapdos and Moltres, is a member of the first legendary trio to appear in the Pokémon franchise - the legendary birds.

With their status as being the first legendary trio, the three birds have set the standard from what we expect from a legendary trio or, in some cases, quartet. This includes sharing a type, in the bird's case flying, a similar design, each bird reflects their primary type, and, when it comes to Pokémon lore, having a trio master, which would be Lugia for the birds.

Zapdos and Moltres are the other members of the legendary bird trio.

Articuno is often considered one of the hardest Pokémon to catch in the original Pokémon games - Red, Blue and Yellow - due to its location at the bottom of the Seafoam Islands.

Not only do players have to keep their Pokémon battle ready as they trek through this multi-level dungeon, but their journey is hampered by the strength puzzles they will have to solve. Even if you do successfully travel from one side of the islands to another, there's still a chance that you might have missed Articuno's hiding spot.

For years, players have found themselves lost in the Seafoam Islands, wishing they had brought an Escape Rope, while Articuno sits in the depths of the cave probably having a good old laugh.

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