Pokemon player wins regional competition with an unexpected Articuno using one of the most baffling competitive movesets I've ever seen
The Pokemon community has been left flabbergasted by the team of the Masters champion at the European Special Event in Utrecht yesterday, which includes one particular Pokemon with an unusual moveset that you'd usually never see in competitive battling.
To be exact, winner Nikhil Reddy brought with them the legendary Ice-type bird, Articuno. According to competitive Pokemon battling fansite Smogon, Articuno falls into the ZU – or "Zero Used" – tier in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which as the name suggests, means it's very rarely used. This wasn't the only reason why Reddy's usage of it was notable, though – the attention has been placed on its moveset, which was described by content creator WeedleTwineedle as "the type of set you run on your in-game Pokemon when you're 10 years old".
For context, the player's Articuno had learned Blizzard, Ice Beam, Freeze-Dry and Sheer Cold – all four of which are Ice-type moves. Apart from Freeze-Dry, which is super-effective against Water types, the legendary bird had no type coverage to damage Pokemon that resisted its chilly attacks. Not only that, but Sheer Cold is a high-risk, high-reward move that can one-hit KO opponents… if you're willing to risk the 70% chance that your attack will miss.
the type of set you run on your in-game pokemon when you're 10 years old just won a regional
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