When I was a primary school child I got what was basically a pog with a Sandshrew on it, and a few days later, for the first time, I saw the anime, and it was the one where the guy macho-brace trained the Sandshrew and then it handed Team Rocket a severe beating (which made me laugh a little).
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| SandSHREW: "the MOUSE Pokemon"...? |
Sandshrew is, at stat level, not terrible, or at least physically... It has 75 base attack, which a significant number of evolutionary lines don't reach, and 85 physical defence, but only 50 HP, limiting use as a wall somewhat. Specials wise, it's bleak, with only 20 special attack and 30 special defence. Remember that eviolite can apply, making an actually very decent physical wall since you gain 50% on each defence, but even so, the special defence is a poor 45, and since it's weak to water and ice (as a ground type), where a lot of moves are special, it kinda dies of a little there.
Coupled with these slightly awkward stats, you get two abilities: sand veil and sand rush. The former boosts evasion in a sand storm, and makes wild encounters less likely when in a sandstorm environment (think the desert in ORAS), and sand rush doubles your speed in a sandstorm (from a dire 40 to a slightly respectable 80). Neither ability is great since you would need to be either in a doubles battle or self-trigger sandstorm with a move slot, which I don't find too appealing. You could skill swap the abilities, but if a Gardevoir traces the ability, then they become immune to a sandstorm and also gain the bonuses, meaning you are dead in the water...
Aside from the mentioned sandstorm, you do get access to rapid spin, meaning you can clear entry hazards nicely. You also gain access to the variably powered physical ground move magnitude, and earthquake, which is a great move. There are a few stat boost moves, such as defence curl, which can combo with rollout to hit a little harder in the first combo added to Pokemon, and if you are running a physical wall, this may not be a terrible idea to take defence curl. Swords dance is another status move that can be considered, offering a good boost to your attack. Slash and dig are both reasonable ideas, as is maybe fury cutter as a bug-type for coverage, but it is weak, so this and poison sting are rather forgettable, as is the special attack swift, despite it not missing. Gyro ball is a good option if you are running low speed, so that isn't too bad an investment as a potentially heavy hitting steel-type physical.
The TM list for Sandshrew is rather huge, allowing for early learning of some later level moves, rock tomb (which slows and kills ice type rather well), and for some unknown reason you can get aerial ace... Right... Brick break is a fine fighting move, hitting hard and breaking screens, poison jab is a nice one, as well, rock slide hits pretty hard (especially on ice and flying) and shadow claw is pretty decent. Strength and secret power are decent considerations, allowing some work to be done in the overworld, where rock smash is also applicable, but not good enough in terms of power if you are running a Sandshrew.
Rock climb, night slash, crush claw and chip away are all decent shouts for egg moves, and rototiller is an odd one, boosting all grass moves in the field, which doubles something that hits you pretty hard.
With the same abilities and pretty much the same movepool, you get Sandslash, which looks pretty menacing. Sunny day is an interesting addition to the TM list, since it boosts fire, which you resist, so could be a good support move, but enables multiple incoming, no charge turn as warning solar beams to destroy you. Oh, and in both cases you can use return or frustration, but with very few exceptions everything gets these, so I'll only mention them when something cool happens with them...
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| Like Wolverine, only not so obnoxious and over-worshipped by fans... and missing a claw |
The thing about Sandslash is, with sand rush, it is fast: 130 base from the doubling (and double any IV or odd EV investment). Base 65 speed is pretty crap, since it's too slow to be good, but not bad enough to work on a trick room team if the opposition has also setup for this. 100 attack and 110 defence makes this a pretty decent physical wall with 75 HP being nothing dreadful, but then nothing to write home about. The problem really is still the special side of life, with a poor 55 special defence. Special attack is low, but this isn't really a problem since there are very few good special moves (hidden power if you get a good one and earth power from the tutor).
All in all, Sandlash has potential as a physical wall, and could shrug off a lot of physical based Pokemons' special coverage attacks. Iron tail, knock off and super fang are nice ideas from the tutor, but you could run a rapid spin and stealth rock set: if you manage to start with Sandslash against something with sandstream then you can rapidly place stealth rock and hit hard and fast with some physical moves, clearing their hazards too, until a surf comes in and washes you away. This Pokemon that I have fond memories of away from the games is decent, but certainly not fit to join Mega Blastoise or Mega Beedrill at the top table, though certainly better than Butterfree if used right.
(All artwork presented by Ken Sugimori, taken from the Bulbapedia image archives)
Sandslash is a completely average Pokémon in my book.
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