Sandshrew
Ground
Best attacking moveset: Sand Attack and Dig, worth 6.5 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Sandshrew can learn 12 combinations. Sand Attack with Dig does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
Type matchups
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mud Shot | Ground | 4 | 0.5s | +6 |
| Sand Attack | Ground | 4 | 0.5s | +7 |
| Scratch | Normal | 6 | 0.5s | +4 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dig | Ground | 100 | 4.5s | -50 |
| Rock Slide | Rock | 75 | 2.5s | -50 |
| Sand Tomb | Ground | 60 | 4.0s | -33 |
| Rock Tomb Legacy | Rock | 65 | 3.0s | -50 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Sandshrew has been released. Players have found it from: wild, raid, research, photobomb.
Other forms
Evolution family
Numbers
| Max CP | 1,426 at level 50, 1,261 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 720 CP at level 20, or 901 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 670 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 126 attack · 120 defense · 137 stamina |
What it costs
| Candy to evolve | 50 Candy |
|---|---|
| Second charged move | 50,000 Stardust and 50 Candy |
| Buddy distance | 3 km per Candy |
| Purify a Shadow one | 3,000 Stardust and 3 Candy |
| Size | 0.6 m and 12 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Sandshrew does not have one best moveset, it has 3. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Poison, Rock, Steel.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Poison | Sand Attack + Dig | 10.1 |
| Rock | Sand Attack + Dig | 10.1 |
| Steel | Sand Attack + Dig | 10.1 |
| Fire | Sand Attack + Dig | 10.1 |
| Electric | Sand Attack + Dig | 10.1 |
| Ice | Sand Attack + Rock Slide | 8.6 |
| Sand Attack + Rock Slide | 7.4 | |
| Bug | Sand Attack + Rock Slide | 7.4 |
| Normal | Sand Attack + Dig | 6.5 |
| Fighting | Sand Attack + Dig | 6.5 |
| Ground | Sand Attack + Dig | 6.5 |
| Ghost | Sand Attack + Dig | 6.5 |
| Water | Sand Attack + Dig | 6.5 |
| Psychic | Sand Attack + Dig | 6.5 |
| Dragon | Sand Attack + Dig | 6.5 |
| Dark | Sand Attack + Dig | 6.5 |
| Fairy | Sand Attack + Dig | 6.5 |
| Grass | Scratch + Rock Slide | 5.6 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Sandshrew is actually for.
Counters: what beats Sandshrew
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Kartana | GrassSteel | Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade | 43.7 |
 Inteleon | Water | Water Gun + Hydro Cannon Legacy | 39.4 |
 Kyogre | Water | Waterfall + Origin Pulse Legacy | 39.2 |
 Roserade | GrassPoison | Magical Leaf + Leaf Storm | 37.3 |
 Kingler | Water | Bubble + Crabhammer | 37.2 |
 Greninja | WaterDark | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon Legacy | 37.1 |
 Zarude | DarkGrass | Vine Whip + Power Whip | 36.5 |
 Eternatus | PoisonDragon | Dragon Tail + Dynamax Cannon Legacy | 36.3 |
 Rillaboom | Grass | Razor Leaf + Frenzy Plant Legacy | 36.1 |
 Quaquaval | WaterFighting | Water Gun + Hydro Cannon Legacy | 35.7 |
Ranked by damage per second against Sandshrew's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.