📘 Articuno — Pokémon TCG

Category: Pokemon TCG · Created: · Updated:

Articuno card art from Majestic Dawn (dp5-1)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Articuno is a Basic Water-type Pokémon card that appears in the Majestic Dawn expansion (dp5) of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Printed as a Rare Holo, Articuno embodies the archetype of early-Generation IV Water representatives—a solid, defensively oriented Pokémon whose value centers on control and tempo rather than raw power. The card combines a Poke-Power with a spread-attacking Blizzard, providing players with options to influence both the opponent’s active and their board state. As part of the Majestic Dawn set, Articuno sits within a transitional era for the game, where Trainers and Energy acceleration mechanics were evolving to support more versatile bench play and status effects. The illustration for this card was created by Masakazu Fukuda, a contributor known for rendering iconic Pokémon with a wintry atmosphere that complements Articuno’s Ice-type legacy, even within its Water-type card designation.

Card Information

  • Name: Articuno
  • Dex number: 144
  • Types: Water
  • Stage: Basic
  • HP: 100
  • Rarity: Rare Holo
  • Set: Majestic Dawn (dp5)
  • Illustrator: Masakazu Fukuda
  • Attacks: Blizzard — Cost: Water, Water, Colorless; Damage: 60. Effect: Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 damage to each of your opponent's Benched Pokémon. If tails, this attack does 10 damage to each of your Benched Pokémon. (Don't apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
  • Poke-Power: Freezing Screech — "Once during your turn, when you put Articuno from your hand onto your Bench, you may flip a coin. If heads, choose 1 of the Defending Pokémon. That Pokémon is now Paralyzed."
  • Weakness: Metal ×2
  • Resistance: Fighting −20
  • Retreat Cost: 2
  • Evolution: Basic (no pre-evolutions in the dp5 line for Articuno)
  • Variants: Normal, Holo, Reverse; WPromo: False
  • Legal Format Availability: Not legal in Standard or Expanded (as of the date on record for this data set: 2025-08-16)
  • Set details: Majestic Dawn comprises 100 cards total in its official print run (cardCount: official 100, total 100). The dp5 logo and symbol mark the set’s identity, with the dp5 logo hosted at DP5 Logo and symbol at DP5 Symbol.

Gameplay and Strategy

Articuno’s design emphasizes a balance between disruption and damage: a reliable early-game setup via Freezing Screech and a mid-game to late-game mana sink with Blizzard. The Poke-Power is activated when Articuno is placed from hand onto the Bench, which means players typically plan to stage Articuno as a benched threat to trigger paralysis on the Defending Pokémon once the coin flip resolves. Paralyzing the Defending Pokémon can provide a strategic tempo swing, potentially hindering the opponent’s ability to retreat or attack effectively on the following turn. The Poke-Power’s text requires a coin flip, so its success is not guaranteed, but the potential to Paralyze a threat makes Articuno a tempo-oriented inclusion in decks that value disruption as part of their game plan. The Blizzard attack supplies a straightforward offensive option: for two Water Energy and one Colorless, Articuno delivers 60 damage. The coin flip does not alter the damage to the active, but it does extend a small amount of pressure to the opponent’s Bench via 10 damage to all Benched Pokémon in either outcome. The instruction “Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon” is a standard condition for bench-targeted damage in this era, ensuring a consistent, non-synergistic spread that can soften multiple opposing threats over the course of a game. From a strategic standpoint, Articuno is best utilized in a deck that leverages Water-type consistency and support card velocity to quickly set up the Bench and accelerate energy placement. Its relatively high HP of 100 affords it reasonable staying power in the early to mid-game, while the Resistance to Fighting and Weakness to Metal shape matchups against common archetypes of the period. In formats where Articuno is legal, players often pair Basic Water types with draw engines and Stadiums that can mitigate the cost of attachment or enhance the ability to bench Articuno rapidly. In contemporary contexts, however, Articuno from Majestic Dawn is not legal in Standard or Expanded play, limiting competitive use to collection-focused play or non-rotating formats that honor older card pools. Notable synergy considerations include complementing Articuno with other Water-typed attackers or Stadiums that increase your ability to sustain bench pressure. Because Blizzard’s effect spreads 10 damage to Benched Pokémon regardless of the coin flip outcome, it can contribute to gradual board control even when Paralyze attempts from Freezing Screech fail to connect. Skilled players may time Freezing Screech to maximize the risk-reward of paralyzing an opponent’s key attacker, thereby reducing the risk that a single active threat can overwhelm Articuno without reprisal. The card’s retreat cost of 2 invites careful positioning and potential retreat or switching tactics to maintain board advantage without sacrificing Articuno’s presence on the field. In summary, Articuno’s niche lies in its combination of disruption (via Freezing Screech) and spread damage (via Blizzard) within a legacy set. This makes it a card of interest to collectors and to players exploring historical deck-building strategies that emphasize tempo and control rather than raw power.

Collector and Market Information

The dp5 Articuno is identified as Rare Holo, adding appeal for collectors seeking holo foil versions from Majestic Dawn. As with many vintage holo cards, pricing can vary significantly based on condition, print run, and market demand. The following data points illustrate typical market behavior for this card’s holo variant, drawing from major price aggregators as of late 2025:

  • Cardmarket (Europe): Official average holo price around €11.00; holo-specific averages show a higher range, with an average holo price around €11.00, a low near €1.99, and a longer-term trend around €12.98. Non-holo averages show roughly €8.54 with a low around €1.75. The holo market can be notably more volatile due to supply and demand among collectors.
  • TCGPlayer (US): Holofoil values display a wide spread: low price around $19.10, mid around $24.00, high up to $49.99, market price around $39.09, with direct low pricing around $20.38. Reverse-holofoil values typically sit lower, with low around $14.50 and mid around $17.25, though market prices can approach $23.75 depending on condition and seller.
  • Overall market context: The combination of Rare Holo status, the dp5 Majestic Dawn placement, and the card’s historical role as a disruption-oriented basic attacker contribute to a price range that reflects both nostalgic value and collector demand. Pricing data reflects variations across markets and condition tiers, with holo variants generally commanding stronger attention than non-holo copies.

Collectors should consider factors such as card condition (factory-worn, near-mint, or pristine), centering, hollow pattern, and any misprints that may accompany vintage print runs. The dp5 Articuno’s value is driven not only by its power level in historical play but by its status within the Majestic Dawn lineup and its place in the broader Legend Birds collection from that era.

Art and Lore

Masakazu Fukuda’s artistry for Articuno in Majestic Dawn presents the Legendary Bird in a winter-tinged aesthetic consistent with the set’s thematic direction. Fukuda’s work on this card captures the icy essence associated with Articuno, translating the bird’s legendary aura into a stylized, collectible card that reflects the DP generation’s characteristic blend of vivid backgrounds and dynamic creature portraits. The Majestic Dawn era sought to bridge early Diamond and Pearl storytelling with a sense of awakening dawn—hence the set’s name—and Articuno’s illustration contributes to that atmosphere by emphasizing cool tones and a sense of wind-swept motion. In a broader sense, Articuno’s TCG depiction aligns with the Pokémon’s place in the Kanto dex as one of the trio of Legendary Birds, a theme repeatedly revisited across multiple sets and generations. The card’s inclusion in Majestic Dawn reinforces the era’s emphasis on reimagining classic Pokémon with contemporary energy dynamics and evolved framing techniques common to early 2000s art direction.

Trivia

  • The card’s Poke-Power, Freezing Screech, is triggered by placing Articuno from hand onto the Bench, a mechanic that reflects the tempo-oriented design philosophy of early Diamond & Pearl-era sets.
  • Blizzard’s coin-flip mechanic creates a predictable spread to Benched Pokémon, aiding in subtle damage distribution without relying solely on active-targeted hits.
  • Articuno’s HP of 100 for a Basic Pokémon was relatively competitive in the Majestic Dawn era, balancing durability with the other set mechanics available at the time.
  • Although Articuno is a Water-type card in this print, the species is traditionally an Ice-type in the core Pokémon games; this is a case of a Water-typed basic in the TCG that reflects the era’s evolving type alignments.
  • The card is not legal in Standard or Expanded play in modern formats, reflecting its origin in a pre-rotation era and its status as a legacy collectible card from the Majestic Dawn set.

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