Pokemon Go Articuno Guide: Raid Tips, Weaknesses, And Best Counters

The legendary Ice/Flying Pokémon has made its triumphant return to Raid Battles, remaining available until September 25. This guide provides comprehensive battle strategies and capture techniques to maximize your success against this formidable opponent.

Niantic continues its September event rotation by reintroducing Articuno, the majestic legendary bird originally from Pokémon Red and Blue. As one of the earliest legendary Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Go, Articuno has maintained consistent raid presence, offering both new and veteran trainers opportunities to strengthen their rosters. Whether you’re seeking your first capture or aiming to secure additional specimens for trading and battling, these proven methods will enhance your raid performance.

Articuno commands five-star raid battles throughout its availability window from September 18 through 25. These high-level encounters operate on dynamic scheduling rather than fixed timetables, though the game provides real-time alerts when raids activate at nearby gym locations.

Your optimal opportunity arrives during the dedicated Raid Hour event scheduled for Wednesday, September 23. Between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM local time, the majority of gyms will host Articuno raids, significantly increasing your chances to engage this legendary creature. This concentrated timeframe allows for strategic planning and coordinated assaults with fellow trainers.

Articuno

Articuno’s dual Ice/Flying typing creates a critical vulnerability to Rock-type attacks, which deal 256% increased damage due to double type effectiveness. This makes Rock specialists your primary assault force when challenging this legendary bird.

Rhyperior stands as the premier counter with its massive Attack stat and access to powerful Rock-type charged moves like Rock Wrecker. Terrakion delivers exceptional damage output with its Fighting/Rock combination, while Rampardos offers the highest pure Rock-type DPS despite lower bulk. Traditional options like Golem remain serviceable but require careful positioning to minimize Ice-type damage exposure.

Steel and Fire-type Pokémon provide excellent secondary options with favorable defensive profiles. Heatran emerges as particularly valuable, resisting both Ice and Flying moves while dealing super-effective Fire damage. Mega Charizard Y transforms into an absolute powerhouse when mega-evolved, combining immense Fire-type damage with Flying-type resistance. Additional reliable choices include Entei for consistent damage output, Metagross with its Psychic/Steel durability, and Cobalion as a balanced Steel/Fighting alternative.

For trainers seeking optimal performance, consider these advanced tactics: Lead with your highest DPS Rock-types to maximize damage during Articuno’s initial attack phases, then transition to bulkier Steel and Fire-types as the battle progresses. This strategy maintains pressure while conserving revives and potions throughout multiple raid attempts.

Several Pokémon types suffer disastrous matchups against Articuno’s offensive capabilities, making them poor choices for your raid team composition. Understanding these vulnerabilities prevents wasted resources and failed attempts.

Dragon-type Pokémon, despite their generally high stats, face extreme danger from Ice-type attacks that deal 160% increased damage. This vulnerability eliminates otherwise powerful options like Dragonite, Salamence, and Rayquaza from consideration unless absolutely necessary.

Grass, Ground, and Flying-types all share weakness to Ice attacks, taking 160% damage from moves like Ice Beam and Blizzard. Meanwhile, Bug and Fighting Pokémon suffer 160% damage from Flying-type assaults including Hurricane and Air Slash. These compounded weaknesses often result in rapid knockouts that undermine your raid progress.

Common strategic errors include underestimating Articuno’s charged move frequency and bringing mixed-type Pokémon with unintended vulnerabilities. For example, Excadrill (Ground/Steel) might seem appealing but takes super-effective damage from both Ice and Flying moves. Similarly, Scizor (Bug/Steel) maintains Steel resistance but carries Bug-type Flying weakness.

Optimal team construction requires 3-5 coordinated trainers with properly leveled counters. Solo attempts prove exceptionally difficult due to Articuno’s substantial HP pool and time constraints. Coordinate through local Discord servers or Pokémon Go communities to ensure adequate participant numbers during Raid Hour events.

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