Sandslash
Mouse Pokémon
It curls up, then rolls into foes with its back. Its sharp spines inflict severe damage.
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Competitive
Strategy Overview
Sandslash has a tough time competing for a team slot with Donphan, who boasts superior stats in everything but Speed. However, Sandslash does have a few advantages over his tusked counterpart, namely access to Swords Dance and a rare ability, Sand Veil. Sandslash's unique access to both Rapid Spin and Swords Dance (a combination only shared by Kabutops in UU) allows him to support the team and sweep when given the opportunity. Sandslash is quite effective on sandstorm-based teams, because Sand Veil boosts Sandslash's evasion by 20%, potentially allowing Sandslash to avoid an attack that would normally KO him. Sandslash may be burdened with low Speed and Special Defense, and he may even face serious competition with Donphan, but he is still a solid choice if you want a reliable defensive Ground-type Pokemon or a powerful offensive sandstorm sweeper.
Competitive data from Smogon University via data.pkmn.cc