Is Sandslash Good in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Playthrough?
Ice/Steel Sandslash in Ultra Sun handles most of Kahili's Flying E4 and shuts down the Dragon trial. The move tutors add MoveIron Head for consistent Steel damage. Struggles against Molayne's Steel E4, though, since it lacks Fighting-type coverage.
Sandshrew has the type edge here and should clean up Ilima's team.
Hala's team hits Sandshrew's weaknesses hard.
Lana's team hits Sandshrew's weaknesses hard.
ElectricSteelReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Moon only)
BugElectricReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Sun only)
GrassReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Sun only)
GhostFairyReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou...
Sandshrew has the type edge here and should clean up Kiawe's team.
Sandshrew trades roughly evenly with Mallow's team.
Sandshrew has the type edge here and should clean up Olivia's team.
Sandshrew trades roughly evenly with Sophocles's team.
Sandshrew trades roughly evenly with Acerola's team.
Sandshrew trades roughly evenly with Nanu's team.
Mina's Pokemon outpace and outclass Sandshrew here.
Sandshrew trades roughly evenly with Hapu's team.
Sandslash has the type edge here and should clean up Molayne'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 trades roughly evenly with Kukui's team.
Catch Sandshrew on Tapu Village (walking, Lv 30-33).
Your Sandshrew should hit Level 22 before you reach Molayne, at typical leveling pace.
How to Get Sandslash in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
You're catching Sandshrew first, not Sandslash. Sandshrew appears at solid rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Sandslash in USUM
Sandshrew is your first catch on the way to Sandslash. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 30-50 across 4 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch SandshrewMount Lanakila - BaseLv.30-33CaveUltra MoonRate 30%Route 14Lv.30-33GrassUltra MoonRate 10%Tapu VillageLv.30-33GrassUltra MoonRate 10%Mount Lanakila - OutsideLv.47-50CaveUltra MoonRate 30%
Step 2Sandslash ✓
Sandslash Weakness
Sandslash is weak to Water, Grass, and Ice. On the flip side, it's immune to Electric-type moves entirely. Sandslash's physical bulk (base 110 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 |
What is Sandslash Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Sandslash
 Dartrix Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Route 1 Gift) | ||
 Glaceon Ice | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) | ||
 Grovyle Grass | C | |
 Jynx IcePsychic | C | |
 Popplio Water | D | |
Obtain MethodRoute 1 Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Popplio builds →Bubble Beam 2x56-68% Icy Wind 2x32-39% | ||
Dartrix Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Route 1 Gift) | ||
Glaceon Ice | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) | ||
Grovyle Grass | C | |
Jynx IcePsychic | C | |
 Brionne Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Popplio (Route 1 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Brionne builds →Water Gun 2x50-59% Icy Wind 2x42-52% | ||
Dartrix Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Route 1 Gift) | ||
Grovyle Grass | C | |
 Ivysaur GrassPoison | C | |
Glaceon Ice | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) | ||
Brionne Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Popplio (Route 1 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Brionne builds →Bubble Beam 2x75-90% Icy Wind 2x42-49% | ||
 Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Venusaur builds →Petal Dance 2x146-172%KO | ||
Glaceon Ice | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) | ||
 Primarina WaterFairy | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Popplio (Route 1 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Primarina builds →Sparkling Aria 2x134-158%KO Ice Beam 2x89-106%KO Energy Ball 2x89-106%KO | ||
Dartrix Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Route 1 Gift) | ||
 Pelipper Water | C | |
Obtain MethodAncient Poni Path Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Pelipper builds →Brine 2x78-92% Ice Beam 2x70-83% | ||
Ivysaur GrassPoison | C | |
Dartrix Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Route 1 Gift) | ||
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
Glaceon Ice | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) | ||
Pelipper Water | C | |
Obtain MethodAncient Poni Path Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Pelipper builds →Brine 2x74-88% Ice Beam 2x68-81% | ||
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Aggron's Earthquake hits Sandslash for 34-40%.
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemCustapberry NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Aggron builds →Earthquake34-40% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemMental Herb NatureSassy Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Carbink builds →Explosion33-39% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySandrush ItemLycaniumz NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Lycanroc builds →Accelerock7-8% Stone Edge18-21% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySheerforce ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Mawile builds →Play Rough34-40% Sucker Punch26-31% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityClearbody ItemEviolite NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Metang builds →Bullet Punch8-9% | ||
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. HP grew the most through evolution (+25 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 Chip Away, Counter, Crush Claw and 9 more.
USUM Sandslash Best Moveset
100 Attack and 110 Defense give a solid physical profile, but 65 Speed means acting after most threats. AbilitySand Rush doubles Speed in sandstorm for a fast Ground TermStab moveset under weather support. Alolan Sandslash trades Ground for Ice/Steel with AbilitySlush Rush in hail. Both forms need weather 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 Chip Away and Counter exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 9 types rounds out the picture alongside Earthquake and Earth Power.
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
Base Stats
Its claws and horns often break off. The broken claws and horns can be used to carve plows for tilling farm fields.
Thanks to its thick claws, it’s good at climbing trees. There are plenty of Sandslash that park themselves in trees and go right to sleep.
Sandslash Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Guide
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Sand Rush changes the entire equation for Sandslash. The 450 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as an attacker. Earthquake with Choice Band is the standard set.
Sand Rush is what you want on Sandslash. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Sand Veil) work on paper but Sand 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 an attacker.
For Ultra Sun & Ultra 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