Is Sandslash Good in Red & Blue Playthrough?
A solid Ground-type option in Blue version. Sandslash is tough enough to take physical hits all game and puts in work against most of the late-game leaders. Water and Ice attacks are the problem, and both show up a lot at the E4. Useful for the story but fades against Lorelei and Lance.
Brock's typing presses Sandshrew's defenses.
Misty's team hits Sandshrew's weaknesses hard.
Sandslash resists most of Lt. Surge's coverage and hits back hard.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Sandslash resists most of Koga's coverage and hits back hard.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Sandslash resists most of Blaine's coverage and hits back hard.
Sandslash resists most of Giovanni's coverage and hits back hard.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Lorelei's team.
Sandslash has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Sandslash has the type edge here and should clean up Agatha's team.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Sandslash trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Catch Sandshrew on Route 4 (walking, Lv 6-12, common).
- After Brock
- TM28GroundDig120100%10
- LV 17NormalSlash70100%20
- After Misty
- TM08NormalBody Slam85100%15
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull Bash130100%10
- TM10NormalDouble-Edge120100%15
- After Koga
- TM26GroundEarthquake150100%10
- TM09NormalTake Down9085%20
- HM04NormalStrength80100%15
Your Sandshrew should hit Level 22 before you reach Lt. Surge, at typical leveling pace.
- After Brock
- TM28GroundDig120100%10
- After Misty
- TM08NormalBody Slam85100%15
- After Erika
- TM15NormalHyper Beam15090%5
- TM40NormalSkull Bash130100%10
- TM10NormalDouble-Edge120100%15
- After Koga
- TM26GroundEarthquake150100%10
- HM04NormalStrength80100%15
- TM03NormalSwords Dance—100%20
How to Get Sandslash in Red & Blue
3 encounter spots for Sandslash at moderate rates starting from late-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.
Where To Catch Sandslash in RB
To get Sandslash, start by catching Sandshrew through walking encounters at Lv. 6-57. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch SandshrewRoute 4Lv.6-12GrassBlueRate 30%Route 10Lv.11-17GrassBlueRate 30%Route 9Lv.11-17GrassBlueRate 30%Route 11Lv.12-15GrassBlueRate 25%Route 23Lv.26GrassBlueRate 20%Route 8Lv.17-19GrassBlueRate 15%
Step 2Sandslash ✓Route 23Lv.41GrassBlueRate 5%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.52CaveBlueRate 10%Cerulean Cave - B1FLv.57CaveBlueRate 5%or evolve from Sandshrew (Step 1)
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 |
- Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
- Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
- Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
What is Sandslash Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Sandslash
 Wartortle Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Squirtle (Pallet Town Gift) | ||
 Ivysaur GrassPoison | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Bulbasaur (Pallet Town Gift) | ||
 Bellsprout GrassPoison | D | |
 Oddish GrassPoison | C | |
Wartortle Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Squirtle (Pallet Town Gift) | ||
Ivysaur GrassPoison | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Bulbasaur (Pallet Town Gift) | ||
Bellsprout GrassPoison | D | |
Oddish GrassPoison | C | |
 Gyarados Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Magikarp (Route 4 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Gyarados builds →Bubble Beam 2x56-66% Ice Beam 2x52-62% | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Celadon City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Vaporeon builds →Bubble Beam 2x84-99% Ice Beam 2x81-97% | ||
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Vileplume builds →Petal Dance 2x92-109%KO | ||
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
Wartortle Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Squirtle (Pallet Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Wartortle builds →Bubble Beam 2x58-69% Ice Beam 2x54-64% | ||
Gyarados Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Magikarp (Route 4 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Gyarados builds →Bubble Beam 2x55-65% Ice Beam 2x53-62% | ||
Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Vileplume builds →Petal Dance 2x92-108%KO | ||
 Lapras WaterIce | B | |
Obtain MethodSilph Co Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Lapras builds →Ice Beam 2x102-121%KO Bubble Beam 2x70-84% | ||
Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Celadon City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Vaporeon builds →Bubble Beam 2x87-102%KO Ice Beam 2x81-97% | ||
Gyarados Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Magikarp (Route 4 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Gyarados builds →Surf 2x79-94% Ice Beam 2x53-63% | ||
Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Celadon City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Vaporeon builds →Surf 2x125-147%KO Ice Beam 2x83-98% | ||
Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Vileplume builds →Petal Dance 2x92-109%KO | ||
Lapras WaterIce | B | |
Obtain MethodSilph Co Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Lapras builds →Surf 2x102-121%KO Ice Beam 2x102-121%KO | ||
 Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Bulbasaur (Pallet Town Gift) | ||
Gyarados Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Magikarp (Route 4 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Gyarados builds →Hydro Pump 2x93-110%KO Blizzard 2x57-68% | ||
Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Bulbasaur (Pallet Town Gift) | ||
Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
 Tangela Grass | C | |
Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
 Articuno Ice | B | |
Obtain MethodSeafoam Islands Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Articuno builds →Blizzard 2x129-152%KO Bubble Beam 2x51-60% | ||
Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Bulbasaur (Pallet Town Gift) | ||
Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
Gyarados Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Magikarp (Route 4 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Gyarados builds →Hydro Pump 2x98-116%KO Blizzard 2x60-71% | ||
Tangela Grass | C | |
Articuno Ice | B | |
Obtain MethodSeafoam Islands Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Articuno builds →Blizzard 2x127-150%KO Bubble Beam 2x51-60% | ||
Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Bulbasaur (Pallet Town Gift) | ||
Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
Gyarados Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Magikarp (Route 4 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Gyarados builds →Hydro Pump 2x96-114%KO Blizzard 2x59-70% | ||
Tangela Grass | C | |
In Red & Blue, Snorlax's Self-Destruct hits Sandslash for 49-58%. Exeggutor deals 54-64% with Explosion.
S | ||
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Snorlax builds →Body Slam21-25% Self Destruct49-58% Earthquake25-30% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Chansey builds →Ice Beam 2x33-38% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Exeggutor builds →Psychic44-52% Explosion54-64% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Tauros builds →Body Slam19-23% Hyper Beam34-41% Earthquake23-27% Blizzard 2x44-52% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build Moves
Damage vs Sandslash View Zapdos builds →Drill Peck17-20% | ||
Sandslash Evolutions
Sandslash is the evolved form of Sandshrew, reached at level 22. A Ground type at 460 stats that still can't breed. Special grew the most through evolution (+35 over Sandshrew), and Sandslash peaks at 460 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
RB Sandslash Best Moveset
100 Attack with MoveEarthquake for reliable Ground damage and MoveSwords Dance to double the Attack stat. Swords Dance into Earthquake is the one combo worth building around, though the Speed means going second against most real threats.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Hyper Beam
- Body Slam
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
TMs carry this one. Sandslash learns Earthquake and Dig naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Normal and Poison and beyond give it real matchup play.
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
Base Stats
Curls up into a spiny ball when threatened. It can roll while curled up to attack or escape.
Sandslash Red & Blue Guide
For Red & Blue, we rate Sandslash C-Tier: a niche pick in Red & Blue's meta. At 460 BST, it fits the attacker role. Earthquake anchors the moveset.
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 Red & Blue, the core moveset is Earthquake, Swords Dance, Hyper Beam, and Body Slam. Earthquake leads at 0% usage. Earthquake provides reliable STAB damage.
In Red & Blue, the best way to handle Sandslash: Faster attackers outpace it. Anything with a super-effective STAB move and decent speed can revenge kill.
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