Sandile Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Earthquake is a powerful STAB move that does huge damage after one or two Moxie boosts, especially to common Pokemon such as Onix and Mareanie that are weak to it. Crunch is a great secondary STAB option to hit Flying-types or anything weak to it. Fire Fang is a great way to heavily damage Pokemon such as Ferroseed and Cottonee, which resist Sandile's STAB moves. Pursuit is a good option to trap Abra and Gastly as they try to switch out, while Stone Edge does decent damage to Flying-types such as Vullaby and Doduo as they try to switch in. Set Details Maximum Attack and Speed investment allows Sandile to hit as hard and fast as possible. This is augmented by a fantastic sweeping ability in Moxie, boosting Sandile's Attack each time it scores a KO. The remaining EVs are used to boost Sandile's Defense by one point and help Sandile better take physical priority hits; however, they still hit Sandile hard due to its poor bulk. Adamant is the preferred nature to hit as hard as possible, but Jolly can be used to outpace other 16 Speed Choice Scarf users like Pawniard and Rufflet. Choice Scarf raises Sandile's Speed to a very good 24 with an Adamant nature at the cost of being locked into a move; however, Choice Scarf is necessary for Sandile to do its job. Usage Tips Choice Scarf Sandile is best used as a cleaner later in the match when Pokemon that can wall it have been eliminated, especially after any Flying-types or Pokemon such as Cottonee and Vullaby that resist both of Sandile's STAB moves have been eliminated. Sandile is also very weak to a number of priority moves such as Mach Punch and Vacuum Wave, so it's good to clear out Pokemon such as Timburr and Croagunk that often have priority moves. The biggest difficulty with this set is beginning its sweep; Sandile is a nightmare for anything that doesn't resist it once Moxie activates, but before that happens, it's very difficult to score a KO on anything to activate Moxie. As a result, Sandile should be brought in on a weakened Pokemon or one that it can hit super effectively to score a quick KO. Sandile can also be used as either a revenge killer with its excellent Speed from Choice Scarf or a Pursuit trapper for Pokemon such as Abra and Gastly. However, if you're using Sandile as a revenge killer, keep in mind that its Attack is rather low before Moxie activates. Avoid switching Sandile into an attack, as its awful bulk means that it cannot take a hit from anything that it does not resist, and when predicting a switch-in that is resistant or immune to Sandile's STAB attacks, always use super effective or neutral coverage. Avoid using Fire Fang unless you are expecting the opponent to switch into a Pokemon such as Ferroseed that would wall Sandile's STAB moves. Team Options Counters to Fighting-types, such as Spritzee or Snubbull, are necessary for Sandile to do its job, as both have the bulk to deal with a Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave. It's a good idea to have Knock Off support from Pokemon such as Pawniard or Mienfoo to remove Eviolite from foes, as Sandile benefits greatly from foes having reduced bulk. Knock Off can also be used to remove Choice Scarfs from foes such as Mienfoo and Doduo, both of which outspeed Sandile and often carry Choice Scarf. Poison-types such as Foongus are good partners with this set, as they check Sandile's Fighting, Grass, and Fairy weaknesses and in turn can use Sandile to check their Psychic weakness. Stealth Rock support from Dwebble or Archen is also good to have, as it helps wear down Flying-types hoping to switch into an Earthquake. Magnemite is a good partner to Sandile, as it deals with Fairy-types and can serve as a second check to Water-types. Croagunk can also be useful as a Fairy check.

Moves Earthquake is a very powerful STAB move that Sandile can utilize to clean up weakened teams. Crunch adds to Sandile's great coverage, hitting Psychic- and Ghost-types hard. Fire Fang is used to break through Ferroseed and Cottonee, while providing nice all-around coverage. Pursuit is useful for trapping Psychic- and Ghost-types, but Stone Edge can be used instead to hit Flying-types attempting to switch into Earthquake. Set Details The listed EVs give Sandile the highest Attack and Speed possible, while adding an additional point to Defense. Choice Scarf bolsters Sandile's Speed and gives it a chance to sweep when coupled with Moxie. An Adamant nature is preferred to make Sandile as hard hitting as possible, since Adamant Choice Scarf Sandile still outspeeds most of the metagame with its 24 Speed; however, a Jolly nature can be used if Sandile needs to outspeed Choice Scarf Chinchou. Choice Band and Life Orb are also candidates for items, but the immediate Speed provided by Choice Scarf is much more beneficial. Usage Tips Sandile must be wary of being locked into certain moves; for example, Earthquake should be used sparingly when the opponent carries a Flying-type, and the same goes for using Crunch when the opponent has a Fairy-type, etc. Try to avoid being locked into Fire Fang and Pursuit if possible, as these moves are not very powerful without boosts, and Sandile does not always have the luxury of attaining a boost. Bringing Sandile in with a slow U-turn or Volt Switch is needed, as it lacks bulk and has many weaknesses. Walls should be broken down early game so Sandile has an easier time sweeping late-game. Don't attempt to set up Moxie boosts early on in the match, as Sandile will often not be powerful enough to steamroll opposing teams by itself. Team Options Pokemon that appreciate the removal of Ghost-types, such as Mienfoo and Bunnelby, make good partners. Trubbish is a good partner because it provides Spikes support to wear down the opposition and resists Sandile's Fighting-, Fairy-, and Grass-type weaknesses; Sandile can take Psychic-type moves in return. Pawniard provides Knock Off support, removing opponents' Eviolites, which is crucial for Sandile because it needs the support to break through bulkier Pokemon. Stealth Rock support from the likes of Archen and Dwebble is helpful to wear down Flying-type Pokemon attempting to switch into Earthquake. Fairy-types, such as Spritzee and Snubbull, are good partners to handle Dark-, Fighting-, and Bug-types for Sandile.

Moves Stealth Rock lets Sandile provide its team with a lot of utility, being useful for breaking Sturdy and potential Focus Sashes. Taunt prevents foes from setting hazards,as well as stopping foes like Porygon from using status and healing moves. It also can be used to annoy Ferroseed and bulky Tirtouga, which like to take advantage of the free turn they gain from forcing Sandile out to set hazards. Pursuit is an option to grab chip damage on foes like Fletchling as they try to switch out. It is also useful for eliminating Gothita after it picks off something with Psychic or Thunderbolt. Earthquake provides it with a solid source of damage. Stone Edge grants Sandile the ability to threaten Flying-types such as Vullaby and Archen, which would otherwise be able to come in and Defog for free. Finally, Crunch is another option for a STAB move, granting Sandile super effective coverage on certain bulkier Pokemon, most notably Pumpkaboo and Slowpoke. Set Details Intimidate is the ideal ability for this set, as it helps mitigate Sandile's admittedly poor bulk. Eviolite effectively gives Sandile decent 21 / 18 / 15 bulk, which allows it to survive certain attacks it would otherwise not, such as Fletchling's +1 Acrobatics and Chinchou's Scald from full health. Maximum Speed EVs with a Jolly nature are necessary because it allows Sandile to hit the crucial 17 Speed tier that allows it to Speed tie with many top threats like Onix, Mienfoo, and Archen. 17 Speed also grants Sandile the best chances at both setting entry hazards and preventing them from being laid in return, most notably from Dwebble, whic honly hits 16 Speed. 156 Defense EVs allow Sandile to avoid a 2HKO from itemless Archen's Acrobatics after the Attack drop from Intimidate and OHKO back with Stone Edge. The remaining EVs are thrown into Attack in order to allow Sandile to maintain a bit of offensive presence. Usage Tips Switch Sandile into Rock-types such as Onix and Dwebble and use Taunt and set Stealth Rock as soon as possible; this should be done especially on opposing entry hazard setters or when you expect your opponent to predict your switch out. Despite Sandile's poor bulk, it can usually take a weak super effective attack like Croagunk's Vacuum Wave or U-turn, so don't be afraid to make an aggressive play in order to gain a potential advantage. Don't be too scared about switching into Pawniard and giving it a Defiant boost, because Sandile can still outspeed it and threaten it with Earthquake. When running Pursuit, bringing Sandile in on Gothita after it has used Psychic or Thunderbolt to pick off something is a great opportunity to eliminate it. Other potential targets to trap include slower Ghost-types like Pumpkaboo and Frillish, though making that play is sometimes tricky, as they can threaten Sandile with their STAB moves and aren't KOed should they not switch out. If Sandile isn't doing too much for you mid- or late-game and there is a threatening physical attacker on the opposing team, switching Sandile in to get off an Intimidate can be potentially game saving. Team Options Croagunk has really nice type synergy with Sandile, dealing with the Grass-, Water-, and Fighting-types that give Sandile trouble. However, a more secure Fighting-type check than Croagunk is mandatory, especially for threats like Scraggy and Timburr, because while Sandile can prevent setup with Taunt, it doesn't exactly want to stay in on them. This makes Cottonee, which can not only check Fighting-type threats by virtue of typing but also punish setup with Encore, a fantastic option for a teammate. Fletchling and other Flying-types enjoy Sandile's ability to deal with Rock- and Steel-types. Staryu is particularly annoying for Sandile, as Eviolite sets can come in on it without fail and proceed to spin away its entry hazards and Recover off any damage Sandile may have done to them, so a teammate such as Pumpkaboo, which not only threatens Staryu with its Grass STAB moves but also blocks Rapid Spin, is recommended.

With access to Hone Claws, a wonderful ability in Moxie, and powerful STAB attacks, Sandile can function very well as a setup sweeper. Earthquake and Crunch are Sandile's dual STAB attacks, giving Sandile great neutral coverage and hitting anything that doesn't resist them very hard after a boost. However, Pursuit can be used over Crunch to revenge kill fleeing Pokemon, Psychic-types in particular. There are two options for the final moveslot. Stone Edge pairs very well with Sandile's other moves, giving it the excellent EdgeQuake coverage as well as decimating any Flying-types who may switch in for free on Earthquake. Stone Edge also has its imperfect accuracy boosted by Hone Claws, making it much more reliable. On the other hand, Fire Fang roasts Steel-type walls such as Ferroseed and Bronzor to a crisp, which is very useful when considering the ubiquity of these threats. The EV spread is straightforward, maximizing Sandile's Attack and Speed. Adamant and Jolly are both great options for a nature. While Adamant gives Sandile a great deal of power, Jolly allows it to outspeed threats such as Rufflet and Chinchou. Pokemon that can set up entry hazards, such as Dwebble, aid Sandile immensely. Fire-types such as Houndour also make good teammates, as they can deal with threats such as Snover with ease. However, note that they add to Sandile's Water-type weakness. Choice Scarf users that can clean up the remains after Sandile has weakened the opponent's team also make fine partners. The damage calculations given below highlight the amount of havoc which Sandile can cause with Life Orb after a Hone Claws boost: Earthquake vs. 84 HP / 188 Def neutral-natured Ferroseed: 93.9% - 112.2% Earthquake vs. 236 HP / 196 Def neutral-natured Eviolite Frillish: 62.4% - 72.8% Earthquake vs: 36 HP neutral-natured Dwebble: 99% (Sturdy) Fire Fang vs. 84 HP / 188 Def neutral-natured Ferroseed: 100% Fire Fang vs. 236 HP / 196 Def neutral-natured with Eviolite Frillish: 20.8% - 26% Fire Fang vs. 36 HP neutral-natured Dwebble: 53.1% - 59.1% Crunch vs. 84 HP / 188 Def neutral-natured Ferroseed: 41.3% - 47.2% Crunch vs. 236 HP / 196 Def neutral-natured Eviolite Frillish: 100%

With a Choice Scarf, Sandile easily outspeeds all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup. Earthquake and Crunch are its two STAB attacks, hitting a wide range of foes very hard. Fire Fang complements Sandile's other moves very well, OHKOing Ferroseed while also smacking Bronzor hard, while Stone Edge provides coverage on Flying-types. Alternatively, Pursuit can see usage for its ability to trap Misdreavus or the occasional Gastly, but Sandile must beware of Will-O-Wisp. Adamant is the nature of choice here, as Sandile already outspeeds most unboosted threats with a Choice Scarf and appreciates the power boost. Moxie is the preferred ability on this set, allowing Sandile to clean up weakened teams easily with team support. This set appreciates having its opponents weakened by entry hazards. Dwebble thus makes a great partner for Sandile, as it can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock. Dual screen support from the likes of Bronzor and Exeggcute also aids Sandile immensely, as it finds it difficult to take hits with its abysmal base 35 defenses. The EV spread maximizes Sandile's Attack and Speed, allowing it to hit as hard and as fast as possible, with the rest dumped into Defense.