The best moveset for Galarian Articuno in Pokemon GO

The Galarian variants of Kanto's staple legendary bird trio have finally made their way to Pokemon GO servers. Of course, one of these creatures of interest is the new variant of the Legendary Pokemon, Articuno. Given its recent announcement, players around the world have started the hunt for this rare regional variant.

Regional variants have been a part of the franchise since the seventh generation and have served sort of a dual purpose. Not only do they spice up some of the older Pokemon, they also make the world of Pokemon feel more relatable, as in the franchise, these are explained as Pokemon adapting to their environments.

With every new addition to Pokemon GO comes a wave of players attempting to use it in competitive play. While many Pokemon simply perform better in battle than others, having a good strategy as well as knowing the Pokemon the player intends on using goes a long way. So how does the Galarian variant of Articuno compare?

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Galarian Articuno in Pokemon GO: An Analysis

Galarian Articuno as it appears in Pokemon Sword and Shield (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Unlike the standard Articuno that everyone is used to, the Galarian variant exchanges its Ice typing for a Psychic one. This makes Galarian Articuno a Psychic and Flying-type Pokemon. This combination is one that is not seen often in the franchise as it is only shared by Lugia, another Legendary, and Sigilyph.

Galarian Articuno is much more offensively oriented in Pokemon GO. With its highest stat being its attack of 250, Galarian Articuno is powerful. While other Pokemon even this out by having significantly lower stamina and defense, Galarian Articuno stays relatively balanced with a defense of 197 and stamina of 207.

This makes for a Pokemon with excellent capabilities to clean up in the endgame with an attack to quickly burst down weakened foes. However, Articuno also has some utility in the midgame as it is more than capable of taking a couple of hits. Just make sure to keep it far away from any Ice, Rock, or Electric-type attacks.

Going into Galarian Articuno's moveset in Pokemon GO, the options available are quite small. When going into viable options, the options get even more scarce. For fast attacks, Articuno only has Psychic-type attacks, Psycho Cut and Confusion. For damage-oriented Pokemon, using the highest damage option is best.

For charged attacks, players can choose between Future Sight, Brave Bird, and Ancient Power. Ancient Power is usually never the play, but the other two are basically interchangeable. Brave Bird is usually recommended as the player will already have a Psychic-type attack in the form of one of its fast attacks.

In summary, Galarian Articuno brings an interesting new spin to the world of viable Psychic-types in Pokemon GO. Though it will be easily outclassed by Mewtwo in Master tier, it may have a chance to shine in the Ultra tier. Galarian Articuno's best moveset is a combination of Confusion and Brave Bird.

Although, for those with access to the resources to unlock its second charged attack slot, opting to fill it with Future Sight is another great choice.