10 Popular Pokémon That Struggle Battling Online

One of the Legendary Birds from Gen 1, Articuno's stunning design, legendary status, and unique Ice/Flying typing make it a firm fan favourite. Journeying through the Seafoam Islands to capture Articuno in Pokémon Red and Blue was a labour of love for most players, and as such, it earned a place on the vast majority of trainer's teams once caught.

But Articuno hasn't been able to keep up with the pace of the new Pokémon and battling techniques on the online competitive scene.

Since the introduction of the entry hazard move Stealth Rock in Gen 4, switching between Pokémon means your battlers are prone to being injured upon entering the field. It's a common move used early on in the match, and being a Rock-type move, Articuno is four times weak to it, meaning the Legendary Bird loses 50% of its health when switched in.

Articuno can hit relatively hard, and can take none super-effective hits well, but a low Speed stat and a weakness to many common moves, like Thunderbolt and Flamethrower, means that it can be knocked out in one or two well-placed hits by faster Pokémon.