Sandslash
Ground
Best attacking moveset: Sand Attack and Earthquake, worth 10.9 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Sandslash can learn 15 combinations. Sand Attack with Earthquake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Claw | Steel | 6 | 0.5s | +5 |
| Mud Shot | Ground | 4 | 0.5s | +6 |
| Sand Attack | Ground | 4 | 0.5s | +7 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldoze | Ground | 80 | 3.5s | -50 |
| Earthquake | Ground | 140 | 3.5s | -100 |
| Rock Tomb | Rock | 65 | 3.0s | -50 |
| Scorching Sands | Ground | 90 | 3.0s | -50 |
| Night Slash Legacy | Dark | 45 | 2.0s | -33 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Sandslash has been released. Players have found it from: wild, raid, research, evolution, photobomb.
Other forms
Evolution family
Numbers
| Max CP | 2,684 at level 50, 2,374 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 1,356 CP at level 20, or 1,696 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 1,288 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 182 attack · 175 defense · 181 stamina |
What it costs
| 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 | 1 m and 29.5 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Sandslash 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 + Earthquake | 16.4 |
| Rock | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 16.4 |
| Steel | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 16.4 |
| Fire | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 16.4 |
| Electric | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 16.4 |
| Ice | Metal Claw + Earthquake | 12.8 |
| Fairy | Metal Claw + Earthquake | 12.8 |
| Normal | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 10.9 |
| Fighting | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 10.9 |
| Ground | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 10.9 |
| Ghost | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 10.9 |
| Water | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 10.9 |
| Psychic | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 10.9 |
| Dragon | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 10.9 |
| Dark | Sand Attack + Earthquake | 10.9 |
| Metal Claw + Rock Tomb | 9.4 | |
| Bug | Metal Claw + Rock Tomb | 9.4 |
| Grass | Metal Claw + Earthquake | 7.9 |
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 Sandslash is actually for.
Counters: what beats Sandslash
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Kartana | GrassSteel | Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade | 31.1 |
 Inteleon | Water | Water Gun + Hydro Cannon Legacy | 28.0 |
 Kyogre | Water | Waterfall + Origin Pulse Legacy | 27.9 |
 Roserade | GrassPoison | Magical Leaf + Leaf Storm | 26.5 |
 Kingler | Water | Bubble + Crabhammer | 26.5 |
 Greninja | WaterDark | Water Shuriken + Hydro Cannon Legacy | 26.4 |
 Zarude | DarkGrass | Vine Whip + Power Whip | 26.0 |
 Eternatus | PoisonDragon | Dragon Tail + Dynamax Cannon Legacy | 25.8 |
 Rillaboom | Grass | Razor Leaf + Frenzy Plant Legacy | 25.7 |
 Quaquaval | WaterFighting | Water Gun + Hydro Cannon Legacy | 25.4 |
Ranked by damage per second against Sandslash's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.