OVERVIEW
- an excellent dedicated spinner
- good physical bulk
- great physical attack
- can boost it's attack further with Swords Dance
- useful offensive typing
- Can set up rocks and remove the opposing ones
- resists stealth rocks
- low speed
- poor special defense
- easily overwhelmed by most special attackers
- weak to the common typings grass, ice and water
- Name: Sand Rush Attacker (Sandslash)
- Move 1: Swords Dance
- Move 2: Earthquake/Stealth Rock
- Move 3: Knock Off
- Move 4: Rapid Spin/Stone Edge
- Item: Lum Berry/Life Orb
- Ability: Sand Rush
- Nature: Adamant
- EVS: 68HP 252Atk 188Spe
- Swords Dance can boost attack to high levels
- Stealth Rock can set up hazards for the team
- Earthquake is a strong STAB; high power and accuracy
- Knock Off can KO common spinblockers, and damage Flying types and Levitate users significantly
- Lum Berry means that Sandslash will be able to set up vs pokemon like Gourgiest
- Life Orb boosts the power of Sandslash's attacks considerably, although Lum Berry is preffered as it offers more set up opportunities, and the Swords Dance already boosts Sandslash's Attack stat to high levels.
- Enough Speed out of sand to outspeed max Speed Jolly Rhydon, Adamant Torterra, Modest Gorbyess, 0 Speed Mesprit, etc.
- Enough Speed in sand to outspeed Jolly Swellow, neutral natured Choice Scarf Mesprit, Adamant Choice Scarf Sawk, etc.
- Maximum Attack ensures you hit as hard as possible
- The rest is put into HP to ensure Sandslash has as much bulk as it can
- Sand Rush doubles Sandslash's speed in sand and enables it to become a fast revenge killer or late game cleaner
- Keep it relatively healthy during the game
- Don't use it too much before you see a good set up opportunity
- Make sure you set up on Pokemon that cannot do too much to you, such as Regirock, and possibly Gourgiest-S if you have a Lum Berry
- It is far more advisable to set up late game, where the opponent's team is weakend and certian checks and counter are removed.
- Bring it in when Sand is up; it makes cleaning far more easy
- Make sure that scarfers that can outspeed and defeat Sandslash (eg. Scarf Jynx and Scarf Lilligant), or Aqua Jet users are removed before setting up with Sandslash
- Don't use Rapid Spin, unless a situation occurs when there is no way your opponent can switch in the spinblocker, or you are forced to, until said spinblocker is removed, if they have one. Use Knock Off where a free spin would be, in case they were to switch into their Ghost type and block your spin.
- If you have Stealth Rock, try and set it up when you force a switch or if they have something that cannot touch you on the field, and if it is a better play to set up rocks then set up.
- Hippopotas is a very good teammate as it can set up sand for Sandslash.
- Stoutland is a very good partner, as it can weaken walls with it's good wallbreaking abilites, and benefit from the sand as well.
- Pokemon that can deal with Water and Grass types are really good, Poison types like Garbodor Roselia can deal with Grass types and set up Spikes, which can help wear down walls. Roselia can also deal with Water types too.
- Fire types like Magmortar can beat Ice and Grass types, and in return Sandslash can beat Rock types and spin away Stealth Rocks, which can give Magmortar many problems.
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