Its strongest point is Defense — higher than 89% of species. On the other hand, Sp. Atk — lower than 79% of species. This is the final form of its line — it does not evolve any further. In defense it has 3 weaknesses, 2 resistances and 1 full immunity at its disposal. Electric-type moves do nothing to it at all.
Base stats
Last column: what percentage of 1084 species and regional forms have a lower value. Strong point: Defense; weak point: Sp. Atk.
A nature can improve this entry further: its boost hits hardest on Defense, the stat in which this species already leads. Which nature does that — see the list of natures.
Which nature to choose
It hits physically: its Attack (100) is 55 points higher than its Sp. Atk. So the drop hits a stat the set usually does not use at all.
- Adamant +Atk · −SpA The default choice: the boost goes where this species is already strong.
- Jolly +Spe · −SpA Mid-range Speed means the turn order is still worth fighting for — check exactly whom you will outspeed before you give up power.
- Hidden Power and Weather Ball still deal damage based on Sp. Atk. If either of them is going into the set, lowering Sp. Atk is no longer free.
- Sand Rush doubles Speed in a sandstorm. Calculate Speed benchmarks with the ability active — it may change the point of a +Spe or −Spe nature.
A conclusion drawn from base stats alone — a specific moveset can reverse it. All 25 natures.
Regional numbers 11
The header shows the national number. Inside the game the Pokédex counts from the beginning — below is the number you will see in your version.
| Kanto | #028 | Red/Green (Japan) , Blue (Japan) , Red / Blue , Yellow , FireRed / LeafGreen , Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee |
|---|---|---|
| Johto | #049 | Gold / Silver , Crystal , HeartGold / SoulSilver |
| Hoenn | #113 | Ruby / Sapphire , Emerald |
| Hoenn | #118 | Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire |
| Unova | #114 | Black 2 / White 2 |
| Kalos | #098 | X / Y |
| Alola | #252 | Sun / Moon |
| Alola | #329 | Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon |
| Isle of Armor | #169 | Sword / Shield , Sword/Shield: The Isle of Armor |
| Kitakami | #117 | Scarlet / Violet , Scarlet/Violet: The Teal Mask |
| Blueberry Academy | #156 | Scarlet / Violet , Scarlet/Violet: The Indigo Disk |
Abilities
- Sand Veil Increases evasion to 1.25× during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
- Sand Rush Doubles Speed during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
How players use it
Data from 574,541 ranked battles on Smogon (Gen 9 OU, 2026-09). These are not numbers from the game — they are player habits. Gen 9 OU is the most popular format with no top-down team restrictions — everything is allowed except what was deemed too strong.
Rank 307 among 309 Pokémon in use — it is on 0.01% of teams.
Each row is a separate distribution, not a single set: the most common item and the most common move do not have to appear on the same Pokémon.
Pokédex entry
Curls up into a spiny ball when threatened. It can roll while curled up to attack or escape.
Resistances and weaknesses
Type chart →How much damage Sandslash takes when it is hit by a move of each type.
How it was drawn
1996–2019The sprites come straight from the games in which Sandslash appeared — one from each release.
Variant gallery
The gallery shows only the appearance variants that exist for this Pokémon. Every image shows the same character and differs in source — a Pokémon HOME render or a pixel sprite — and in coloring, regular or shiny.
TCG cards (15)
All Sandslash cards →Sandslash has 15 cards in 15 sets. The oldest of them are shown below.
Breeding
All Egg Groups →Offspring can come from 275 species from the same Egg Groups (with opposite genders) or from Ditto. Below are the first 12 by Pokédex number.
The Egg hatches after 20 cycles, which is roughly 5,400 steps. The exact cycle length depends on the game — newer titles shortened it noticeably — so treat this number as an order of magnitude, not a countdown. Having the Flame Body Ability in your party halves the wait.
Where to catch it (19)
All locations →The levels shown are the widest range across all game versions — in a specific release it may be narrower. The exact area, catch method and chance are on the page of each location.
Galar
Johto
Kalos
Kanto
Sinnoh
Unova
Moves (103)
Full move list →Below are the moves learned by leveling up. The rest (90 via TM/TR, 6 via Egg, 29 via tutor) are on the full list.
| Lv. | Move | Type | Cat. | Power | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — | — | 30 |
| 1 | Counter | Fighting | Physical | — | 100% | 20 |
| 1 | Crush Claw | Normal | Physical | 75 | 95% | 10 |
| 1 | Defense Curl | Normal | Status | — | — | 40 |
| 1 | Poison Sting | Poison | Physical | 15 | 100% | 35 |
| 1 | Sand Attack | Ground | Status | — | 100% | 15 |
| 1 | Scratch | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100% | 35 |
| 9 | Rollout | Rock | Physical | 30 | 90% | 20 |
| 12 | Fury Cutter | Bug | Physical | 40 | 95% | 20 |
| 14 | Magnitude | Ground | Physical | — | 100% | 30 |
| 15 | Rapid Spin | Normal | Physical | 50 | 100% | 40 |
| 18 | Bulldoze | Ground | Physical | 60 | 100% | 20 |
| 21 | Swift | Normal | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| 26 | Fury Swipes | Normal | Physical | 18 | 80% | 15 |
| 28 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 31 | Sand Tomb | Ground | Physical | 35 | 85% | 15 |
| 36 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 | 100% | 20 |
| 41 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 | 100% | 10 |
| 46 | Gyro Ball | Steel | Physical | — | 100% | 5 |
| 51 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| 56 | Sandstorm | Rock | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 61 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 | 100% | 10 |