[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 8
**Price Range**: 1-2 points
**Overview**: Alolan Sandslash makes for a decent budget Steel-type that can provide some defensive utility and entry hazard control in a pinch. Its great Defense lets it switch in freely against some physically offensive foes, but its massive weaknesses to Fire and Fighting often hold it back. Its terrible Speed and Special Defense along with its awkward offensive and defensive typing hold it back tremendously, allowing many foes opportunities to safely switch in against it.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Utility**: Alolan Sandslash can take many physical attacks with ease and retaliate by removing the foe's item via Knock Off, setting up entry hazards, removing them with Rapid Spin, weakening switch-ins with Super Fang, or dealing a good amount of damage with its solid coverage. To further punish physical attackers, it can also use Rocky Helmet, or it can stay healthy with Leftovers or Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Snow Sweeper**: With a teammate that can set snow, Alolan Sandslash gains some offensive capabilities thanks to Slush Rush. It can safely set up against physical attackers thanks to the additional Defense Boost, and it can outspeed many foes afterwards.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Triple Axel, Icicle Crash, Ice Spinner, Icicle Spear, Ice Shard, Iron Head, Gyro Ball
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Agility
**Utility Moves**: Rapid Spin, Stealth Rock, Spikes, Knock Off, Super Fang, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Low Kick, Rock Slide, Poison Jab, Shadow Claw, Leech Life, X-Scissor, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Counter / Mirror Coat / Metal Burst**: Counter works great against physical attackers that deal large amounts of damage to Alolan Sandslash if it cannot revenge kill the foe otherwise. Mirror Coat combined with Assault Vest can work as a surprise answer to special attackers, and Metal Burst works as a safe option against potential mixed attackers.
**Endeavor**: Alolan Sandslash can survive a handful of physical attacks, allowing it to use Endeavor to weaken foes that it otherwise struggles to damage. This can also work well with Custap Berry to get off a last-minute surprise attack or set up entry hazards before fainting.
**Endure**: Endure allows Alolan Sandslash to activate Custap Berry to deal surprise damage to a faster foe. It can also be used with a Rocky Helmet to deal extra damage to physical attackers.
Common Items
========
**Rocky Helmet**: Alolan Sandslash's Steel typing and good Defense allow it to utilize Rocky Helmet well, especially to punish pivots and Knock Off users.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots allows Alolan Sandslash to remain healthy in matches where it wants to come in frequently to check physical attackers and remove entry hazards.
**Leftovers / Sitrus Berry**: Leftovers keeps Alolan Sandslash healthy against many physical attackers, especially ones that aim to chip it down via pivoting. Alternatively, Sitrus Berry can allow it to take an additional hit from stronger attackers in a more fast-paced match.
Niche Items
========
**Assault Vest**: Alolan Sandslash's mediocre Special Defense can get patched up decently with Assault Vest, allowing it to be a surprise check to some special attackers while still being able to provide utility via Knock Off, Rapid Spin, and Super Fang.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Items like Choice Band, Life Orb, and Expert Belt give Alolan Sandslash immediate wallbreaking power, and they pair especially well with Slush Rush sets so that it relies less on needing additional turns to set up.
**Custap Berry**: Alolan Sandslash can get around its low Speed with a Custap Berry, allowing it to get off a powerful attack or use Endeavor. This can work with Endure or by getting chipped down from physical attacks.
**Focus Sash**: With a Focus Sash, Alolan Sandslash can guarantee an opportunity to set entry hazards or trade itself with a specially offensive foe that would otherwise KO it.
Tera
========
Alolan Sandslash makes for a decent secondary Tera Captain, since it can utilize better defensive typings or gain additional coverage for offensive sets. Tera Water and Fairy give it alternative defensive typings that can handle its existing weaknesses. Tera Electric and Ground allow it to more reliably hit Water-, Fire-, and Steel-type foes, and Tera Ice further boosts its offensive power while maintaining its Defense boost under snow.
Draft Strategy
========
Alolan Sandslash makes for a decent defensive utility Pokemon that can occasionally deal damage, but teams should not be heavily reliant on it, since its weaknesses are very easy to take advantage of. It is especially best paired with alternate entry hazard removers so that it does not need to be brought in its unfavorable matchups.
**Snow Setters**: While Alolan Sandslash should not be fully reliant on being a snow sweeper, teammates that can set snow like Galarian Slowking and Abomasnow give it more of an offensive presence, opening up its potential in the teambuilder.
Checks and Counters
========
**Fire- and Fighting-type Attacks**: Alolan Sandslash's 4x weaknesses to Fire and Fighting make it get easily threatened by foes like Gouging Fire, Blaziken, and Iron Hands as well as ones with Fire- and Fighting-type coverage. Additionally, it has to rely on its own coverage to hit Fire-types super effectively, and most bulky Fighting-types can safely switch in on it, since it cannot hit them super effectively.
**Water-types**: Alolan Sandslash has no coverage that can reliably deal damage to Water-types like Alomomola, Urshifu-R, and Palafin, allowing them to easily set up or maintain momentum against it.
**Special Attackers**: Without an Assault Vest, Alolan Sandslash struggles heavily against special attackers like Greninja, Gholdengo, and Sandy Shocks.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/e-man.617175/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
**Draft Order**: Round 8
**Price Range**: 1-2 points
**Overview**: Alolan Sandslash makes for a decent budget Steel-type that can provide some defensive utility and entry hazard control in a pinch. Its great Defense lets it switch in freely against some physically offensive foes, but its massive weaknesses to Fire and Fighting often hold it back. Its terrible Speed and Special Defense along with its awkward offensive and defensive typing hold it back tremendously, allowing many foes opportunities to safely switch in against it.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Utility**: Alolan Sandslash can take many physical attacks with ease and retaliate by removing the foe's item via Knock Off, setting up entry hazards, removing them with Rapid Spin, weakening switch-ins with Super Fang, or dealing a good amount of damage with its solid coverage. To further punish physical attackers, it can also use Rocky Helmet, or it can stay healthy with Leftovers or Heavy-Duty Boots.
**Snow Sweeper**: With a teammate that can set snow, Alolan Sandslash gains some offensive capabilities thanks to Slush Rush. It can safely set up against physical attackers thanks to the additional Defense Boost, and it can outspeed many foes afterwards.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Triple Axel, Icicle Crash, Ice Spinner, Icicle Spear, Ice Shard, Iron Head, Gyro Ball
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Agility
**Utility Moves**: Rapid Spin, Stealth Rock, Spikes, Knock Off, Super Fang, Brick Break
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Low Kick, Rock Slide, Poison Jab, Shadow Claw, Leech Life, X-Scissor, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Counter / Mirror Coat / Metal Burst**: Counter works great against physical attackers that deal large amounts of damage to Alolan Sandslash if it cannot revenge kill the foe otherwise. Mirror Coat combined with Assault Vest can work as a surprise answer to special attackers, and Metal Burst works as a safe option against potential mixed attackers.
**Endeavor**: Alolan Sandslash can survive a handful of physical attacks, allowing it to use Endeavor to weaken foes that it otherwise struggles to damage. This can also work well with Custap Berry to get off a last-minute surprise attack or set up entry hazards before fainting.
**Endure**: Endure allows Alolan Sandslash to activate Custap Berry to deal surprise damage to a faster foe. It can also be used with a Rocky Helmet to deal extra damage to physical attackers.
Common Items
========
**Rocky Helmet**: Alolan Sandslash's Steel typing and good Defense allow it to utilize Rocky Helmet well, especially to punish pivots and Knock Off users.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots allows Alolan Sandslash to remain healthy in matches where it wants to come in frequently to check physical attackers and remove entry hazards.
**Leftovers / Sitrus Berry**: Leftovers keeps Alolan Sandslash healthy against many physical attackers, especially ones that aim to chip it down via pivoting. Alternatively, Sitrus Berry can allow it to take an additional hit from stronger attackers in a more fast-paced match.
Niche Items
========
**Assault Vest**: Alolan Sandslash's mediocre Special Defense can get patched up decently with Assault Vest, allowing it to be a surprise check to some special attackers while still being able to provide utility via Knock Off, Rapid Spin, and Super Fang.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Items like Choice Band, Life Orb, and Expert Belt give Alolan Sandslash immediate wallbreaking power, and they pair especially well with Slush Rush sets so that it relies less on needing additional turns to set up.
**Custap Berry**: Alolan Sandslash can get around its low Speed with a Custap Berry, allowing it to get off a powerful attack or use Endeavor. This can work with Endure or by getting chipped down from physical attacks.
**Focus Sash**: With a Focus Sash, Alolan Sandslash can guarantee an opportunity to set entry hazards or trade itself with a specially offensive foe that would otherwise KO it.
Tera
========
Alolan Sandslash makes for a decent secondary Tera Captain, since it can utilize better defensive typings or gain additional coverage for offensive sets. Tera Water and Fairy give it alternative defensive typings that can handle its existing weaknesses. Tera Electric and Ground allow it to more reliably hit Water-, Fire-, and Steel-type foes, and Tera Ice further boosts its offensive power while maintaining its Defense boost under snow.
Draft Strategy
========
Alolan Sandslash makes for a decent defensive utility Pokemon that can occasionally deal damage, but teams should not be heavily reliant on it, since its weaknesses are very easy to take advantage of. It is especially best paired with alternate entry hazard removers so that it does not need to be brought in its unfavorable matchups.
**Snow Setters**: While Alolan Sandslash should not be fully reliant on being a snow sweeper, teammates that can set snow like Galarian Slowking and Abomasnow give it more of an offensive presence, opening up its potential in the teambuilder.
Checks and Counters
========
**Fire- and Fighting-type Attacks**: Alolan Sandslash's 4x weaknesses to Fire and Fighting make it get easily threatened by foes like Gouging Fire, Blaziken, and Iron Hands as well as ones with Fire- and Fighting-type coverage. Additionally, it has to rely on its own coverage to hit Fire-types super effectively, and most bulky Fighting-types can safely switch in on it, since it cannot hit them super effectively.
**Water-types**: Alolan Sandslash has no coverage that can reliably deal damage to Water-types like Alomomola, Urshifu-R, and Palafin, allowing them to easily set up or maintain momentum against it.
**Special Attackers**: Without an Assault Vest, Alolan Sandslash struggles heavily against special attackers like Greninja, Gholdengo, and Sandy Shocks.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/e-man.617175/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theuncultured.629845/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
