Is Sandslash Good in Sun & Moon Playthrough?
Sandslash arrives late in either form. The imported Ground version competes with Mudsdale, and Alolan Sandslash doesn't show up until the team is already set.
Sandshrew has the type edge here and should clean up Ilima's team.
Sandshrew trades roughly evenly with Hala's team.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Lana's team.
Sandshrew has the type edge here and should clean up Kiawe's team.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Mallow's team.
Sandslash has the type edge here and should clean up Olivia's team.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Sophocles's team.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Acerola's team.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Nanu's team.
Sandslash has the type edge here and should clean up Totem Kommo-o's team.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Hapu's team.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Hala's team.
Sandslash has the type edge here and should clean up Olivia's team.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Acerola's team.
Kahili's team hits Sandslash's weaknesses hard.
Sandslash cannot be caught in this game. It must be traded in from a compatible game where it appears in the wild. Cross-region trading typically becomes available after defeating the Elite Four. Alternatively, transfer the pre-evolution and level it up to Lv 22.
How to Get Alolan Sandslash in Sun & Moon
Alolan Sandslash doesn't appear wild. Catch Sandshrew instead, it shows up at solid rates. Evolve it at level 22 to get Alolan Sandslash. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Sandslash in SM
The path to Sandslash starts with Sandshrew at Lv. 28-45 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch SandshrewRoute 14Lv.28-31GrassMoonRate 10%Tapu VillageLv.28-31GrassMoonRate 10%Mount Lanakila - OutsideLv.42-45CaveMoonRate 30%
Step 2Sandslash ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Sandslash egg.
Sandslash Weakness
Sandslash is weak to Fire, Fighting, and Ground. Watch out for Fire and Fighting attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Poison-type moves entirely. With 8 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Sandslash's physical bulk (base 120 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 |
What is Sandslash Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Sandslash
 Crabrawler Fighting | C | |
 Machop Fighting | C | |
 Mankey Fighting | C | |
 Quilava Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Quilava builds →Ember 4x87-104%KO Brick Break 4x58-69% | ||
 Litten Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodIki Town Gift | ||
 Torracat Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Litten (Iki Town Gift) | ||
Crabrawler Fighting | C | |
Machop Fighting | C | |
Quilava Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Quilava builds →Flame Wheel 4x68-82% Brick Break 4x56-67% | ||
Mankey Fighting | C | |
 Magmar Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Magmar builds →Flame Burst 4x151-177%KO Brick Break 4x66-79% | ||
Torracat Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Litten (Iki Town Gift) | ||
Crabrawler Fighting | C | |
Machop Fighting | C | |
Mankey Fighting | C | |
 Passimian Fighting | C | |
Magmar Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Magmar builds →Flame Burst 4x152-179%KO Brick Break 4x66-78% | ||
Torracat Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Litten (Iki Town Gift) | ||
Crabrawler Fighting | C | |
Quilava Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Quilava builds →Flame Wheel 4x66-78% Brick Break 4x52-62% | ||
 Flareon Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) | ||
 Ninetales Fire | C | |
 Arcanine Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Arcanine builds →Overheat 4x278-328%KO Bulldoze 2x30-35% | ||
 Turtonator FireDragon | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Turtonator builds →Overheat 4x259-306%KO Bulldoze 2x23-28% | ||
 Poliwrath WaterFighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Poliwrath builds →Brick Break 4x99-117%KO Bulldoze 2x26-31% | ||
 Salazzle PoisonFire | B | |
 Incineroar FireDark | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Litten (Iki Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Incineroar builds →Overheat 4x231-272%KO Brick Break 4x74-87% Bulldoze 2x29-35% | ||
 Primeape Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Primeape builds →Close Combat 4x162-192%KO Overheat 4x123-145%KO Bulldoze 2x29-34% | ||
Flareon Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) | ||
Ninetales Fire | C | |
 Typhlosion Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Typhlosion builds →Eruption 4x343-404%KO Focus Blast 4x184-217%KO Bulldoze 2x24-28% | ||
 Chandelure GhostFire | B | |
Flareon Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) Available Move Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Flareon builds →Flare Blitz 4x194-229%KO | ||
Passimian Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Passimian builds →Close Combat 4x184-217%KO Bulldoze 2x31-38% | ||
 Emboar FireFighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Emboar builds →Overheat 4x276-325%KO Hammer Arm 4x156-183%KO Bulldoze 2x31-38% | ||
 Conkeldurr Fighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Conkeldurr builds →Focus Punch 4x257-303%KO Earthquake 2x58-68% | ||
Typhlosion Fire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Typhlosion builds →Eruption 4x343-404%KO Focus Blast 4x184-216%KO Earthquake 2x38-45% | ||
Chandelure GhostFire | B | |
Incineroar FireDark | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Litten (Iki Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Incineroar builds →Flare Blitz 4x174-205%KO Cross Chop 4x97-115%KO Earthquake 2x49-57% | ||
Emboar FireFighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Emboar builds →Flare Blitz 4x185-218%KO Hammer Arm 4x155-183%KO Earthquake 2x51-61% | ||
In Sun & Moon, Aggron's Earthquake hits Sandslash for 63-74%.
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemCustapberry NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Aggron builds →Earthquake 2x63-74% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemMental Herb NatureSassy Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Carbink builds →Explosion15-18% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySandrush ItemLycaniumz NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Lycanroc builds →Accelerock13-15% Stone Edge32-38% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySheerforce ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Mawile builds →Play Rough15-18% Sucker Punch24-29% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityClearbody ItemEviolite NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Metang builds →Bullet Punch7-8% | ||
Sandslash Evolutions
Evolved from Sandshrew. Sandslash is the final form in this two-stage line. A massive partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Defense grew the most through evolution (+35 over Sandshrew), and Sandslash peaks at 450 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Sandslash to get Sandshrew eggs easily using 218 partners from the Ground egg group. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, Chip Away, Counter and 8 more.
SM Sandslash Best Moveset
100 Attack at 110 Defense with AbilitySand Rush doubling Speed in sandstorm. Alolan Sandslash trades Ground for Ice/Steel typing with AbilitySlush Rush working the same way in hail. Neither form breaks through the defensive backbone of the format at 65 Speed outside weather. The moveset needs weather support to function.
Best Build
Sandslash best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Rapid Spin
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Egg moves make a real difference. Sandslash gets Amnesia and Chip Away exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 9 types rounds out the picture alongside Blizzard and Icicle Crash.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
Fleeing a volcanic eruption, it settled on a snowy mountain. As it races through the snowfields, it sends up a spray of snow.
This Pokémon's steel spikes are sheathed in ice. Stabs from these spikes cause deep wounds and severe frostbite as well.
Sandslash Sun & Moon Guide
In Sun & Moon, Slush Rush changes the entire equation for Sandslash. The 450 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as a tank. Earthquake with Choice Band is the standard set.
Slush Rush is what you want on Sandslash. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Snow Cloak) work on paper but Slush Rush is what makes Sandslash worth using.
At base 65 Speed, it won't be moving first often. On offense, Sandslash is a physical attacker with base 100 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a tank.
For Sun & Moon, the core moveset is Earthquake, Knock Off, Rapid Spin, and Swords Dance. Earthquake leads at 0% usage. Earthquake provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Sandslash has appeared in 20 titles over 10 generations. Along the way, it received an Alolan form in Generation 7, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SMAlolan
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves