Articuno – Genetic Apex
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2025
Ratings Summary:
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is horrible. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Otaku
Note: At this point, while I’ve seen several cards from the upcoming Celestial Guardians (A3) set, I’ve still not seen all of it.
Articuno (A1 083) is a Water-Type, Basic Pokémon. Articuno has 100 HP, (L) Weakness, (C) Retreat Cost, and the attack “Ice Beam”. For (W)(W)(C), Ice Beam lets Articuno do 60 damage to the opposing Active, as well as to flip a coin. If “tails”, the attack just does the base 60 damage. If “heads”, the opponent’s Active is now Paralyzed. Articuno is available at the ♦♦♦ rarity.
The Water Type is well supported. Misty (A1 220, 267) and Vaporeon (A1a 019, 072) provide forms of (W) Energy acceleration exclusive to (W) Type Pokémon. Irida (A2a 072, 87) provides healing based on having (W) Energy attached, regardless of Pokémon Type. Manaphy (A2 050, 162; P-A 048) needs a (W) Energy to do it, but its attack lets you attach one (W) Energy to two of your Benched Pokémon. Again, regardless of Pokémon Types.
There are multiple proven (W) Type attackers, both main and supporting, for (W) Energy using decks.
Piloswine (A2 032) and Mamoswine (A2 033, 160) each has an Ability that reduces the damage they take from (W) Type attackers (and (R) Type attackers as well). Neither has seen competitive success. Rounding out what Articuno enjoys from its Typing, almost all (R) Types are (W) Weak. Articuno doesn’t hit overly hard, it should still be handy when attacking (R) Types1.
As a Basic Pokémon, Articuno requires no other cards, nor waiting to evolve, for it to hit the field. It also enjoys access to Basic support2, the relevant bits being deck search via Poké Ball (P-A 005; A2b 111) and – maybe – Shaymin (A2a 069, 081) lowering Retreat Costs for Basics via its Ability. This is a massive advantage over Evolutions; even if all other aspects of the cards were equal, Basics leave an extra slot or two open in your deck. Anti-Basic effects exist3, but currently aren’t worth the effort.
Articuno has 100 HP; decent-to-good for a non-evolving Basic. (L) attackers will enjoy +20 damage thanks to the bird’s (L) Weakness, which might not matter. Formerly competitive (L) attackers4 need the +20, and it’ll make something like Pachirisu (A2b 025, 103; P-A 058) more of a threat, but not main attackers like Magnezone (A2 053) and Pikachu ex (A2b 022, 082, 092). Articuno’s Retreat Cost of (C) is nice and low; affordable even before cards like Leaf (A1a 068, 082) and X-Speed (P-A 002).
60 for three isn’t mind-blowing, but it’s not bad. In fact, since we’ve got that 50% chance of inflicting Paralysis, it’s actually good. Easily forgotten, if you’re “me”, but good nonetheless. Score a solid hit while trying to stall for time. Am I thrilled that half the time, before factoring in what my opponent is running and could counter, Articuno isn’t going to be able to successfully stall? Of course not, but that doesn’t change what this card can do.
When all we had were Genetic Apex and the early Promos Series A cards, I remember using Articuno alongside Articuno ex (A1 084, 258, 275). Then, both in terms of my personal cardpool, and the cardpool of Pocket in general, we got more and more capable (W) Type attackers, and so I forgot about Articuno. So, why are we looking at it now? Just for something to do?
Okay, needing something to review was indeed part of it, but a few weeks ago, Articuno popped up in NE’s tournament winning Gyarados ex (A1a 018, 076)/Palkia ex (A2 049, 182, 204, 206) list. A deck Normally, the deck uses Origin Forme Palkia (A2b 023) as a tertiary attacker. Which has +20 HP when compared with Articuno, and for (W)(W)(W), does 60 damage with a coin toss to see if the attack does 120 instead. All other things being equal, I’d favor hitting harder over Paralysis so… what gives?
Retreat Costs. Articuno is still a solid backup – or backup-backup, as the case may be – attacker, but has an easier time getting out of the way. Speculation on my part, but I’d also imagine that, as these two are mostly there for when neither Gyarados ex nor Palkia ex show up “on time”, it’s more of an emergency usage kind of play. Like when you’re staring down at something so big you cannot OHKO it… but Paralyzing it while doing 60 damage can set you up to win next turn.
Rating: 3/5
Possibly a little high; one thing I have yet to mention is Pokémon Center Lady (A2b 070, 089), and she can ruin this attack plan. She’s become quite the common inclusion, though as much or more for her healing 30 damage regardless of the target’s HP or attached Energy, as for her getting rid of Special Conditions. In the end, though, Articuno does it’s job, and it does it adequately. For a forgotten, early non-ex “Legendary”… that’s better than is usual.
1Other than Moltres (A1 046) and Moltres ex (A1 047, 255, 274; P-A 025), the only (R) Types that are (L) Weak, instead of (W) Weak.
2The rest of Basic support includes Celestic Town Elder (A2a 073, 088) and Combee (A2 017, 157).
3Pokémon Flute (A1a 064) and Victreebel (A1 020).
4Pachirisu (A2 061, 183, 198) and Pikachu (A1 096, 259, 281, 285)
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