Articuno Raid Guide – Best Counters, Weakness, CP & Strategy

📊 Articuno Stats

Articuno has very strong defense, but its weaknesses make it easier to defeat with the right Pokémon.

🎯 Catch CP & 100% IV

After defeating Articuno, you will encounter it for capture.

CP Range:

• No Weather Boost: 1,665-1,743 CP
• Weather Boost: 2,082-2,179 CP

100% IV:

• 1743 (Normal)
• 2179 (Weather Boosted)

Use:

• Golden Razz Berry
• Curveball Excellent Throws

Keep in mind that weather-boosted Articuno is significantly harder to defeat, so always prepare strong Rock, Electric, Fire, or Steel-type counters.

💊 Revive & Potion Cost

• Average revives used: 8–14
• Average potions used: 10–18

❌ Common Raid Mistakes

• Not bringing a Mega Pokémon for team boosts
• Using weather-boosted Pokémon of the wrong type
• Relobbying too late and losing damage time
• Ignoring dodging during hard-hitting moves

🧩 Best Team Compositions

A balanced team might look like this:

• Lead with strongest Rock attacker
• Follow with two additional Rock Pokémon
• Include one Electric or Fire attacker as backup
• Finish with another Rock-type for maximum DPS

Avoid using Grass, Bug, or Ground types, as Articuno resists them. Using resisted types significantly increases raid time.

Best Team (3–5 Trainers)

Rock-type Pokémon are the fastest option because of the double weakness:

• Mega Diancie — primary Rock DPS
• Shadow Rampardos — top Rock attacker (Smack Down + Rock Slide)
• Shadow Rhyperior — bulky Rock counter (Smack Down + Rock Wrecker)
• Mega Tyranitar — Rock power + versatility (Smack Down + Stone Edge)
• Terrakion — balanced Rock damage (Smack Down + Rock Slide)

Alternate / Backup Options

• Heatran — Fire DPS support
• Electivire — Electric coverage
• Raikou — Electric fast attacker
• Mega Blaziken — Fire DPS and Mega boost (Fire Spin + Blast Burn)

Even if you don’t have perfect Rock counters, mixing Fire, Electric, and Steel attackers fills in coverage while still exploiting weaknesses.

👥 Raid Difficulty & Trainers Needed

Recommended Group Size

Articuno is easier than many Legendary raid bosses due to its double weakness. Here is a general difficulty estimate:

• 2 Trainers: Possible with strong Rock counters
• 3 Trainers: Comfortable clear
• 4–5 Trainers: Very easy
• 6+ Trainers: Guaranteed win

High-level trainers with optimized Rock teams can duo Articuno, especially in Partly Cloudy weather.

🧠 Raid Strategy & Advanced Tips

1. Focus on Rock Damage

Because Articuno has a double weakness to Rock-type attacks, your goal should be to maximize Rock damage output. Even if your Rock Pokémon are slightly under-leveled, they will often outperform stronger non-Rock attackers.

2. Pay Attention to Moveset

Articuno can use Ice-type and Flying-type charged moves. If it has Blizzard, your Fire and Dragon attackers may faint faster. If it has Hurricane, Electric and Rock types are generally safer. Adjust your dodging strategy depending on the charged move.

3. Use Mega Pokémon Wisely

Mega Evolution can significantly increase raid efficiency. A Mega Rock-type Pokémon boosts Rock damage for all trainers in the lobby. Coordinate with teammates so that at least one Mega Rock attacker is active during the battle.

Articuno’s dual Ice and Flying typing gives it several important weaknesses — notably to Rock, Electric, Fire, and Steel-type moves. Trainers should prioritize counters that not only hit these weaknesses but also resist Articuno’s powerful charged Ice-type attacks. Pokémon like Rampardos with Smack Down + Rock Slide, Magnezone with Spark + Wild Charge, and Heatran with Fire Spin + Flamethrower are excellent choices because they combine high damage output with effective typing against Articuno.

Weather conditions play a meaningful role in this encounter. In Sunny or Clear weather, Fire-type moves receive a weather boost, making Fire counters especially effective. During Windy weather, Flying-type moves are boosted, which indirectly helps Rock-type counters by softening Articuno’s aerial attacks. Trainers should always check the weather before battling, as picking counters that receive weather bonuses can dramatically increase your damage per second (DPS).

Dodging charged attacks like Ice Beam and Blizzard can help your counters survive longer, especially in smaller raid groups where every HP counts. While it’s not always necessary to dodge every attack — particularly in larger groups — avoiding the most powerful charges gives your team more time to deal damage. Prioritize dodging when your team’s health is low or when weather boosts make Articuno’s moves hit harder.

For optimal results, lead with your strongest DPS counters that exploit Articuno’s weaknesses. Once those Pokémon begin fainting, follow up with secondary attackers that still deal super-effective damage but have greater bulk. In larger groups, coordinating counter roles — for example, assigning Rock-type attackers first and following with Electric or Fire types — can improve your team’s overall effectiveness and help finish the raid cleanly and quickly.

🌦️ Weather Boost Effects

Weather conditions can strongly influence your raid performance:

🌧️ Rainy Weather

• Boosts Electric-type moves.

🌬️ Windy Weather

• Boosts Articuno’s Flying-type moves

⛅ Partly Cloudy Weather

• Boosts Rock-type counters.

🌨️ Snowy Weather

• Boosts Articuno’s Ice-type moves

☀️ Sunny Weather

• Boosts Fire-type counters.

Partly Cloudy weather is ideal because it boosts Rock attacks, making raids significantly faster. Avoid Snow or Windy weather if possible, as these conditions strengthen Articuno’s own attacks.

🌀 Articuno Moveset

🗡️ Fast Moves

• Frost Breath
• Ice Shard

💥 Charged Moves

• Ancient Power
• Ice Beam
• Icy Wind
• Triple Axel
• Blizzard

🔄 Elite Moves

• Hurricane

Move Notes: Blizzard is Articuno’s strongest attack and can deal heavy damage to many counters.

🚶 Buddy Distance

20 km (per Pokémon GO buddy distance)

⚖️ Shadow & Mega Comparison