Stats & Training
Palossand's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Physical bulk with Defense doing the heavy lifting. And the medium-fast 1M XP curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 2 Defense EVs.
Palossand is known as the Beach Nightmare. It pulls its prey down into the sand by controlling the sand itself, and then it sucks out their souls.
This Pokémon lives on beaches, but it hates water. Palossand can’t maintain its castle-like shape if it gets drenched by a heavy rain.
Palossand Weakness
Type-wise, Palossand takes extra damage from Water, Grass, Ice, Ghost, and Dark. Normal, Electric, and Fighting moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. Palossand'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, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug, Rock |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0x (Immune) | Normal, Electric, Fighting |
In Sword & Shield, Rillaboom can KO Palossand with Wood Hammer (124-147%). Weavile's Knock Off hits Palossand for 60-71%. Slowking deals 71-84% with Scald.
 Rillaboom Grass | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityGrassy Surge ItemAssault Vest NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Palossand View Rillaboom builds →U Turn12-14% Wood Hammer 2x124-147%KO | ||
 Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Palossand View Weavile builds →Knock Off 2x60-71% Ice Shard 2x38-44% | ||
 Slowking WaterPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemColbur Berry NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Palossand View Slowking builds →Scald 2x71-84% | ||
 Blacephalon FireGhost | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityBeastboost ItemChoice Scarf NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Palossand View Blacephalon builds →Shadow Ball 2x120-141%KO Flamethrower67-79% Overheat97-114%KO | ||
 Gyarados Water | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Palossand View Gyarados builds →Waterfall 2x84-98% Bounce44-52% Ice Fang 2x45-53% | ||
Sword & Shield Evolution
Palossand is what Sandygast becomes. Breed it for Sandygast eggs (quick to hatch). A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are quick to hatch. The evolution from Sandygast pushed Palossand to 480 total stats. HP saw the largest single gain at +30. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Palossand to get Sandygast eggs easily using 46 partners from the Indeterminate egg group. Notable egg moves include Ancient Power, Curse, Destiny Bond and 3 more.
Sword & Shield Palossand Best Moveset
The Sash lets Palossand ignore defensive shortcomings for one turn. Use that turn to deal early damage, and Watercompaction squeezes extra value from the position. Max Attack without Speed EVs push damage output.
Best Build
Palossand best EVs are Attack and Sp. Atk
Doubles Mixed Attacker Moveset
- Destiny Bond
- Shadow Ball
- Ancient Power
- Bulldoze
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Earth Power
- Shore Up
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
Bulky Support Moveset
- Shadow Ball
- Shore Up
- Sandstorm
- Sand Tomb
Recommended Teammates
Moves
The egg pool carries weight here. Ancient Power and Curse aren't available any other way for Palossand, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Poltergeist and Earthquake for solid options.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Palossand in Sword & Shield
You're catching Sandygast first, not Palossand. Sandygast 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 Palossand in Sword & Shield
Step 1Catch SandygastLoop Lagoon - BeachSwordOverworld Lv.16-21100%MidAll WeatherLoop Lagoon - BeachShieldOverworld Lv.16-21100%MidAll Weather
Step 2Palossand ✓
Palossand Guide
In Sword & Shield, Palossand works as a tank with 480 BST behind it. C-Tier on our list: a niche pick in Sword & Shield's meta. Destinybond with Focus Sash is the standard set.
In Sword & Shield, Palossand's biggest threats include Gyarados (Water), Exeggutor (Grass), and Walrein (Ice), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Ghost and Dark-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 35 Speed, Palossand won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Water Compaction is the go-to ability for Palossand. It raises this Pokémon's Defense by two stages when it's hit by a Water move. Its hidden ability Sand Veil can work in specific setups.
Palossand is a special attacker with base 100 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 35 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. Fits the tank role.
In Sword & Shield, the best way to handle Palossand: Status moves (Toxic, Will-O-Wisp) wear it down. Setup sweepers can use it as a boost opportunity. Physical attackers can break through.
Game Availability
Since Sun & Moon, Palossand has been obtainable in 6 games. A Generation 7 debut means a shorter history, but Palossand has appeared steadily across every generation since.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SMDebut
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves