Weekly Poll #12: The Legendary Birds

[wraith89]

Returning from my hietas for a while... here is an actual three way poll of three well known Pokemon. I think I will know who will get the most votes >.>

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ARTICUNO

ICE/FLYING

HP: 90

Atk: 85

Def: 100

SpA: 95

SpDef: 125

Spe: 85

BST: 580

Advantages:

- Is statistically the most defensive of the three birds

- Ice is generally one of the better offensive typing, scoring a lot of damage on many things, especially when STABd

- Learns Ice Shard, a priority Ice move (albeit physical)

- Is the only Pokemon to learn the Mind Reader + Sheer Cold combo (aside from Smeargle)

- Can outstall bulky waters easily

- Is aesthetically the most pleasing of the three birds

Disadvantages:

- Is arguably the worst legendary Pokemon (not just bird, but of ALL legendary Pokemon)

- 4x weak to Stealth Rocks, meaning it cannot even perform its duties as a wall properly

- Ice typing gives it almost no key resistances to speak of while adding a plethora of common weaknesses, further diminishing its duties as a wall

- Offensive stats are mediocre at best, not being able to use its typing at its best capabilities

- Is usually avoided from using in competitive battling as it becomes a dead weight in one's team

- Very small movepool: aside from Ice Beam, it really cannot do much else

- Zapdos and Moltres does the walling job even better thanks to their typing

- Even if it can outstall bulky waters, Zapdos can still fry them instantly, so Articuno is of little use

- Unlike the other birds, it does NOT learn Heat Wave

- Is countered by Heracross, Scizor, Gyarados, Rotom, Suicune, Blissey, Skarmory, Tyranitar, Infernape, Lucario, Metagross, Empoleon, Magmortar, Electivire, Raikou, Jolteon, Flareon, Charizard, Bibarel, Luvdisc, Caterpie, Articuno... that's right. It is not going to work in competitive battling.

- Replaced by Suicune and Regice in its duties; Gamefreak neglects Articuno to oblivion that no one even thinks it exists anymore

- Noticably has the MOST disadvantages and the LEAST advantages listed here

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ZAPDOS

THUNDER/FLYING

HP: 90

Atk: 90

Def: 85

SpA: 125

SpDef: 90

Spe: 100

BST: 580

Advantages:

- Is arguably the BEST legendary bird and one of the better legendary Pokemon

- Has a high Special attack, adding to its capability of destroying things with STABd Thunderbolt

- One of the game's better electrics...

- Can learn Heat Wave, a defining trait which puts it over the other two birds

- Has an immunity to Ground, which is crucial for an electric Pokemon

- Can survive physical and special hits thanks to its typing

- Does the walling job better than the other two birds thanks to its typing and its 2x weakness to Stealth Rocks as opposed to 4x

- Is versatile despite its small movepool

- Gained the best moves from over the other two birds; Baton Pass and Metal Sound are very helpful

- Has very few true counters, even things like Gliscor who is supposed to counter it can be messed up badly

- Made it first into the Pokemon Trading Card Game; the other two were not made until later; it was an electric Pokemon with no weakness and - 30 resistance to Fighting unlike the other electrics who had a weakness to Fighting (Fighting is equivalent to Rock/Ground/Fighting Pokemon in the card games)

- Noticably has the MOST advantages and the LEAST disadvantages listed here

Disadvantages:

- Needs Hidden Power for nearly perfect coverage, without a proper Hidden Power, things like Swampert and Gliscor walk all over it as they are intended to do

- Tyranitar and Blissey can eat Thunderbolts and whatever else Zapdos has and mess it up badly

- Does not resist electricity, which is not a good thing for an electric

- Despite being only 2x weak to Stealth Rocks, it IS still weak to Stealth Rocks. It only has the upper hand relative to the other two birds

- Common weakness to Ice and Rock, although the former is not usually seen with STAB in the standard metagame

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MOLTRES

FIRE/FLYING

HP: 90

Atk: 100

Def: 90

SpA: 125

SpDef: 85

Spe: 90

BST: 580

Advantages:

- Is offensively very powerful: with STAB Overheat/Fire Blast/Flamethrower and Air Slash, along with Sunnybeam as an option, Moltres will surely terrorize many of its opponents

- Does the walling job better than Articuno thanks to its ability to tank physical hits if EVd properly and to counter Lucario and Scizor, both of which cannot defeat it (except for the rare Stone Edge/Hidden Power Rock Lucario)

- It has Will-o-Wisp to screw with its physical counters, especially Gyarados, who cannot OHKO with Waterfall or Stone Edge after it is burned

- Morning Sun can be a great healing tool in the sun

- Has an immunity to Ground, something Heatran would wish for

- Is one of the few special attackers capable of 2HKOing Blissey

Disadvantages:

- That attack stat would be better off in its speed stat, as it does not have many attacks to abuse it with

- 90 speed can sometimes be middling

- 4x weakness to Stealth Rocks is really bad

- Movepool is rather limited

- Tyranitar still messes with this thing

- Zapdos learning Heat Wave gives players no real reason to use Moltres (I wonder if they will give Leafeon Flare Blitz or Salamence Outrage... oh! The latter has already been done!)

- Looks like a rubber chicken, although I actually do like Moltres's aesthetics

So who is your favorite? Despite me making Articuno look like a really bad choice for battling (and it is), I chose Articuno. It has always been my favorite and always will be. I use it in battles and sometimes, it does work very well, but it does it rather slowly and something else could have done the job WAY faster and WAY better. I just hope Gamefreak does a better job with it later on... which they won't >.>

Actually, I like Moltres too... very much. But I hate Zapdos VERY much.

Edited November 13, 2009 by wraith89

[Mewtwo Ex]

I prefer the other birds more. And they all fail when i use them. Maybe Moltres but not enough to make me vote for it.

[wraith89]

I prefer the other birds more. And they all fail when i use them. Maybe Moltres but not enough to make me vote for it.

With that crazy Moltres of yours? You lie >.>

[Relyte]

Frostmourne does hunger...

[ParaDoX65]

Just like you said, The frosty bird is #1 in looks, but not in performance.

At least when compared to the others. At least she has some support options like heal bell, reflect, tailwind...she still makes a decent support pokemon. (>.> Stealth rock)

Maybe I should try her "Sniper" strategy sometime >

[Goldgross]

Looks like im the only one who voted for Zappy. You fools! NO ONE matches in strength with His Majesty Zapdos! Strike Thunderbolts from the shattered skies! Rofl.

[COBHC]

articuno for the win man hes the best of the birds

[Mewtwo Ex]

articuno for the win man hes the best of the birds

Wraith was right. Join us on shoddy to find out if it really is better. I will be waiting there.

And just to be on topic if i got off accidentally - I am with Moltres again.

[SwitzaHouse]

I was always a fan of the G/S birds, but I have to say of these three Zapdos for me.

[DeathWatch]

I like them all to be honest.