Competitive Information for Sandile [X/Y]


Ground / Dark
Abilities:
If this Pokemon (not its substitute) takes a critical hit, its Attack is raised 12 stages.
On switch-in, this Pokemon lowers the Attack of adjacent opponents by 1 stage.
This Pokemon's Attack is raised by 1 stage if it attacks and KOes another Pokemon.


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Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Sandile? These builds are optimized for X/Y Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the X/Y metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Prepare for battle with Sandile, a phenomenal Pokémon boasting Ground and Dark attributes. Sandile is not a Pokémon anyone usually expects to see on the battlefield. In the LC tier (Little Cup), it's a fierce competitor. It is weak to Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Grass, Ice, and Water-typed attacks. Explore the movesets below to see how Sandile performs in battles.
Item: Life Orb / Choice Band
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Foul Play / Crunch
- Earthquake / Bulldoze
- Thunder Fang / Double-Edge
- Aqua Tail
Prepare for single battles with Sandile as an extraordinary Physical Sweeper. This configuration strives to overwhelm foes with heavy-hitting physical power. Choice Band will increase the damage of Sandile's physical moves by 1.5x at the cost of locking you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Sandile's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Intimidate, on switch-in Sandile lowers the attack of adjacent opponents by 1 stage. Thunder Fang was added to provide additional threat coverage.
◆ Crunch is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Dark-type move (20% chance to lower the target's defense by 1 stage).
◆ Earthquake is a physical STAB-boosted 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
◆ Bulldoze is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Ground-type move (100% chance lower adjacent Pokemon speed by 1 stage).
◆ Thunder Fang is a physical 65-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze. 10% chance to flinch).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
◆ Aqua Tail is a physical 90-base power Water-type move that deals a considerable amount of damage.
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/iaa227
Item: Soft Sand
Ability: Moxie
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Def
Moveset:
- Bulldoze
- Retaliate
- Return
- Rock Slide
For single battles, Sandile is a spectacular Physical Tank. This moveset is formulated to absorb physical damage and return fire with decent force. With Moxie, Sandile's attack is raised by 1 stage if it attacks and koes another pokemon. With a Soft Sand equipped to it, Sandile's ground-type attacks have 1.2x power.
◆ Retaliate is a physical 70-base power Normal-type move (power doubles if an ally fainted last turn).
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/iba227
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Sandile? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive X/Y Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the X/Y metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Life Orb / Choice Band
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Earthquake / Bulldoze
- Foul Play / Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Thunder Fang / Double-Edge
In double battles, Sandile is known as a fabulous Physical Sweeper. It is designed to crush rivals using lethal physical attacks. Choice Band will increase the damage of Sandile's physical moves by 1.5x at the cost of locking you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Sandile's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Intimidate, on switch-in Sandile lowers the attack of adjacent opponents by 1 stage. Thunder Fang was added to provide additional threat coverage.
◆ Bulldoze is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Ground-type move (100% chance lower adjacent Pokemon speed by 1 stage).
◆ Foul Play is a physical STAB-boosted 95-base power Dark-type move (uses target's attack stat in damage calculation).
◆ Crunch is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Dark-type move (20% chance to lower the target's defense by 1 stage).
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Thunder Fang is a physical 65-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze. 10% chance to flinch).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/jaa227
Movepool
Want to know what moves Sandile can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon X/Y generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Sandile.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Sandile can perform in X/Y. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive XY Move and Ability Combos for Sandile
- Moves: Swagger + Foul play
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Assurance + Item: Rocky Helmet
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Moves with Priority: Protect, Snatch
- Moves that inflict status: Toxic
Moves that boost Sandile's stats
- Hone Claws
- Rage
Most notable and possible best moves for Sandile
- Earthquake
- Protect
- Rest
- Snarl
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Sandile in X and Y
- Adamant Nature ( 0/252/0/0/0/252 )
- Modest Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Jolly Nature ( 0/252/0/0/0/252 )
- Timid Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Bold Nature ( 252/0/252/0/0/4 )
- Calm Nature ( 252/0/0/0/252/4 )
- Relaxed Nature ( 252/0/88/0/168/0 )
- Sassy Nature ( 252/0/4/0/252/0 )
- Optimize Sandile's Defensive EV-spread for Pokemon X and Y
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.

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