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

Pokemon Go developer Niantic has been bringing a handful of Legendary Pokemon back to the game over the past few weeks as part of its September events, and the latest to return is Articuno, one of the three Legendary birds from Pokemon Red and Blue. Articuno was one of the first Legendaries to debut in Pokemon Go, and it has made many appearances in the game since, but if you've yet to capture one or are just looking to add another to your collection, here are some tips to help you battle and catch Articuno before it leaves Raids again.

Articuno Raid Hour Schedule

Articuno will appear as a five-star Raid boss from September 18 to 25, giving you one week to battle it. These Raids don't follow a set schedule, so they can occur any time, but you'll receive a notification in-game when one is about to begin at a nearby Gym.

You'll also have a better chance to find Articuno Raids on Wednesday, September 23, when Niantic holds its regular Raid Hour event. From 6-7 PM local time that night, most Gyms will be taken over by Articuno Raids, which should help ensure you have a chance to battle the Legendary Pokemon.

Articuno Weaknesses And Counters

As previously mentioned, Articuno is an Ice/Flying Pokemon, which makes it doubly weak against Rock types. Rhyperior, Golem, Terrakion, and other Rock-type Pokemon will all dish out a ton of damage against Articuno and resist any Flying-type attacks it has; however, Rhyperior, Golem, and any other Pokemon that's part-Ground will take super-effective damage from Articuno's Ice attacks.

Steel and Fire Pokemon will also be helpful when battling Articuno. Heatran in particular is a great counter, as it resists both Ice and Flying moves and deals super-effective damage to the Legendary bird, but Charizard (especially if you Mega Evolve it into Mega Charizard Y), Entei, Metagross, and Cobalion will be helpful when challenging Articuno.

Types To Avoid

Although Dragon Pokemon don't have many weaknesses, they are very vulnerable to Ice-type attacks, so you'll want to avoid using them when battling Articuno. Grass, Ground, and Flying Pokemon are also weak to Ice, while Bug and Fighting Pokemon are weak to Flying-type attacks, making them poor matchups against the Legendary Pokemon.