Stats & Training
Sandshrew's spread isn't flashy. Defense leads, Sp. Atk trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Easy to catch and worth 1 Defense EV, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It burrows and lives underground. If threatened, it curls itself up into a ball for protection.
Disliking water, it lives in deep burrows in arid areas. It can roll itself instantly into a ball.
Sandshrew Weakness
Sandshrew's Ground typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Grass, and Ice. It shrugs off Electric-type attacks completely. Sandshrew's physical bulk (base 85 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Grass, Ice |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Poison, Rock |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric |
In X & Y, Gastrodon can KO Sandshrew with Scald (195-229%). Mamoswine's Earthquake also KOs at 85-101%.
 Gastrodon WaterGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityStormdrain ItemLeftovers NatureQuiet Moves
Damage vs Sandshrew View Gastrodon builds →Scald 2x195-229%KO | ||
 Whimsicott GrassFairy | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPrankster ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves View Whimsicott builds →
| ||
 Mamoswine IceGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityThickfat ItemChoice Scarf NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Sandshrew View Mamoswine builds →Earthquake85-101%KO Ice Shard 2x70-82% Rock Slide21-25% | ||
 Swampert WaterGround | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Sandshrew View Swampert builds →Earthquake76-90% Scald 2x139-163%KO | ||
X & Y 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 200 breeding partners from the Ground egg group. Pass egg moves like Chip Away, Counter, Crush Claw and 8 more to offspring.
X & Y Sandshrew Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 6.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
You'll want to breed for Chip Away and Counter on Sandshrew. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Earthquake and Dig, they expand what Sandshrew can actually threaten in practice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Sandshrew in X & Y
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 X & Y, Sandshrew does the job early-game if you need a Ground 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 X & Y. 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