Stats & Training
Sandshrew's all-in on Defense at the expense of Sp. Atk. The physical lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 1 Defense EV and follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It digs deep burrows to live in. When in danger, it rolls up its body to withstand attacks.
No matter how high a place it falls from, this Pokémon can save itself by rolling in a ball and bouncing.
Sandshrew Weakness
Sandshrew's Ice/Steel typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Fighting, and Ground. Fire and Fighting hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Poison-type attacks completely. 8 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Sandshrew's physical bulk (base 90 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Fire, Fighting |
| 2x (Weak) | Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Grass, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Dragon, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Ice |
| 0x (Immune) | Poison |
 Volcarona BugFire | A | |
Fire deals 4x damage to SandshrewView Volcarona → | ||
 Annihilape FightingGhost | A | |
Fighting deals 4x damage to SandshrewView Annihilape → | ||
 Krookodile GroundDark | A | |
Ground is super effective against SandshrewView Krookodile → | ||
 Urshifu FightingDark | A | |
Fighting deals 4x damage to SandshrewView Urshifu → | ||
 Blaziken FireFighting | B | |
Fire deals 4x damage to SandshrewView Blaziken → | ||
In Scarlet & Violet, Volcarona can KO Sandshrew with Heat Wave (370-436%). Annihilape threatens a KO with Drain Punch (120-142%). Krookodile's Close Combat also KOs at 148-174%.
Volcarona BugFire | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemGrassyseed NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Sandshrew View Volcarona builds →Heat Wave 4x370-436%KO | ||
Annihilape FightingGhost | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityDefiant ItemSitrus Berry NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Sandshrew View Annihilape builds →Drain Punch 4x120-142%KO | ||
Krookodile GroundDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Sandshrew View Krookodile builds →Earthquake 2x93-110%KO Knock Off30-36% Close Combat 4x148-174%KO | ||
Urshifu FightingDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityUnseenfist ItemFocus Sash NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Sandshrew View Urshifu builds →Close Combat 4x262-309%KO Sucker Punch39-45% | ||
Blaziken FireFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySpeed Boost ItemFocus Sash NatureAdamant Moves View Blaziken builds →
| ||
Scarlet & Violet Evolution
Sandshrew evolves into Sandslash. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. A massive partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolved forms gain up to 150 total stats over Sandshrew. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Sandshrew easily with 206 breeding partners from the Ground egg group. Pass egg moves like Counter, Crush Claw, Curse and 5 more to offspring.
Scarlet & Violet Sandshrew Best Moveset
Still unevolved, still relevant. Sandshrew's Eviolite bulk with spread EVs creates a defensive profile that punches above its stage. Sandrush adds passive value. Earthquake gives it offensive presence.
Best Build
Sandshrew best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Life
Recommended Teammates
Physical Wallbreaker Moveset
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Low Kick
- Poison Jab
Recommended Teammates
Bulky Support Moveset
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Double Edge
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
Moves
STAB runs through Steel Beam and Blizzard for the basics, but Sandshrew's real strength is the 10-type coverage spread. Normal and Rock hit common defensive types, and the movepool keeps going.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Alolan Sandshrew in Scarlet & Violet
Sandshrew Guide
Get Sandshrew to Sandslash at level 22. At 300 BST, Sandshrew is just the starting point.
Level 22 gets you Sandslash. Not the fastest evolution, so consider Exp. Share or route grinding to speed it up.
In Scarlet & Violet, Sandshrew does the job early-game if you need a Ice/Steel type on your team. Evolve it into Sandslash before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
You can find Sandshrew in Scarlet & Violet. The Locations section has the full breakdown of routes and encounter details. It also appears in 19 other games across the series.
Game Availability
Sandshrew first appeared in Red & Blue and spans 20 games across 10 generations. It later gained an Alolan form in Generation 7, adding new dimensions to its competitive identity.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SMAlolan
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves