Jukain
!_!
Hi, I'm sure you guys have seen a Sand Rush Sandslash or two. It's actually really good. It received a massive boon from the Dream World in the form of Sand Rush. It doesn't hit even close to Excadrill level speed, but notably can take a hit from Excadrill and retaliate with Earthquake to OHKO. It also learns Stone Edge, along with Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, being bulkier than Excadrill as well. 75 / 110 physical defense is nothing to brush away, and is pretty bulky, being furthered bolstered by possible investment. However, Sandslash is not all bells and whistles, and needs investment in about 5 different places everything it wants, which is not possible. His Special Defense is terrible, so switch out on EVERY special attacker that you can't kill first. However, there are a number of things Sandslash can do, and you should utilize it for those things.
Sandslash and Excadrill wear down each others counters, along with Magnezone to take on steels, forming a very potent trio.
[pimg]28[/pimg]
Base Stats:
HP: 75
Attack: 100
Defense: 110
Special Attack: 45
Special Defense: 55
Speed: 65
Possible sets:
Swords Dance:
Sandslash@ Leftovers / Life Orb / Air Balloon
Trait: Sand Rush
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Speed
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
Swords Dance
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Rapid Spin / Return / X-Scissor
This is Excadrill essentially with more bulk but less attack and speed.
Rocks & Spin Attacker:
Sandslash@ Leftovers / Air Balloon
Trait: Sand Rush
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Speed
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Stealth Rock
Rapid Spin
You set up Stealth Rock, you spin, you attack. That simple.
Support:
Sandslash@ Leftovers / Air Balloon
Trait: Sand Rush
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
Rapid Spin
Stealth Rock
Earthquake
Stone Edge / Safeguard / Toxic
You set up Stealth Rock, you spin, you take hits, you attack, you Safeguard or Toxic. Pretty self-explanatory.
Discuss Sandslash, more sets, and other niches it can fill below. If you for some reason believe it has no ability to take a hit from Excadrill and work as an Excadrill check, post that too. Discuss!
This post shows exactly why you use Sandslash. The user alexwolf made this post.This is quite false. Of 'course Excadrill will be the superior option, but Sandslash is by no means outclassed.
When using Sandslash, you should play him to his strenghts. Which means very good physical bulk, allowing him to easily take priority or even some strong hits from pokes that outspeed him. In DW, where Excadrill is running rampant, everything is centralized around countering him. For example Mach Punch Techinician Breloom is a full stop to Excadrill, but not for Sandslash which can just tank the hit and ko back with a +2 X-Scissor. The same goes for any other kind of priority user, that your opponent may be relying to, to kill Excadrill. Another very good check to Excadrill, CB Azumarill, fails to ohko Sandslash even after SR, dealing 74.91 - 89.34%. Conkeldurr is in the same boat.
Finally Sandslash can deal better with some pokes that counter Excadrill like Gliscor which gets 3hkoed by Jolly Sandslash's LO +2 Return or SE, while it fails to 2hko dealing 39,5% max with EQ.
Also these 2 pokes can used together, so they can break each other's counters and allow the other to sweep.
So, you can use Sandslash over Excadrill if you want a strong Sand Rusher that doesn't get stopped by priority and Gliscor or a poke to complement Excadrill's sweep.
Sandslash and Excadrill wear down each others counters, along with Magnezone to take on steels, forming a very potent trio.
[pimg]28[/pimg]
Base Stats:
HP: 75
Attack: 100
Defense: 110
Special Attack: 45
Special Defense: 55
Speed: 65
Possible sets:
Swords Dance:
Sandslash@ Leftovers / Life Orb / Air Balloon
Trait: Sand Rush
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Speed
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
Swords Dance
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Rapid Spin / Return / X-Scissor
This is Excadrill essentially with more bulk but less attack and speed.
Rocks & Spin Attacker:
Sandslash@ Leftovers / Air Balloon
Trait: Sand Rush
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Speed
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Stealth Rock
Rapid Spin
You set up Stealth Rock, you spin, you attack. That simple.
Support:
Sandslash@ Leftovers / Air Balloon
Trait: Sand Rush
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
Rapid Spin
Stealth Rock
Earthquake
Stone Edge / Safeguard / Toxic
You set up Stealth Rock, you spin, you take hits, you attack, you Safeguard or Toxic. Pretty self-explanatory.
Discuss Sandslash, more sets, and other niches it can fill below. If you for some reason believe it has no ability to take a hit from Excadrill and work as an Excadrill check, post that too. Discuss!