There were few Pokemon as feared in Red & Blue as Articuno, one of the most powerful Ice-type monsters in the game. As it turns out, Dungeons & Dragons parties that want to test their mettle against the iconic Legendary Bird in a more contemporary game can now do so — although they might regret ever seeking it out.
Articuno is one of the three Legendary Birds of Kanto and is easily the hardest one to find. You first have to reach the remote Seafoam Islands, and then use HMs like Strength and Surf to explore the maze within. Once you finally reach Articuno, you face the nightmarish task of actually trying to capture it. Obviously the revered mythical bird is equally difficult to locate and defeat in Dungeons & Dragons.
Setting The Scene - The Harbinger Of Doom
Articuno is said to appear to travelers who are lost in frozen locations. You might think that it would save those people, seeing as Pokemon is a franchise meant for kids, but you’d be wrong. According to the early Pokedex entries, Articuno only appears to people who are doomed, presumably to have a good squawk at their expense.
In Pokemon Red & Blue, Articuno can be found in the Seafoam Islands, which is one of the most remote locations in the Kanto region. There are plenty of frozen and remote locations in D&D worlds to accommodate Articuno’s lair, such as Icewind Dale. Articuno’s lair is isolated enough that it likely won’t have many guardians, save for the horrific environmental conditions themselves. Simply reaching Articuno is an adventure, and not necessarily an enjoyable one, as you’ll be contending with stormy seas, frozen labyrinths, and vicious storms. Once you finally reach Articuno’s abode, you will hear its horrific screech ringing out from beyond the storm, before it swoops in to do battle.
Articuno’s Stats
Strategies & Tactics
Articuno will start the battle with Sheer Cold, using it on the toughest-looking melee fighter. It will spend this initial round using Agility to keep its distance from its foes. In the next round, Articuno will bring out Blizzard to strike as many foes as possible. Articuno will then focus on the spellcasters, keeping close to them with Agility and exerting Pressure on them to force them to burn through extra spell slots, while tearing through their HP with Peck attacks. If enemies are foolish enough to stick close together, then it will use Legendary Strength to ensure that it can fire off a Blizzard on its next turn. If players manage to protect themselves from cold-damage, however, then it will focus on Peck and Vicious Peck, with Agility being used to help it perform hit and run tactics.
