What is the best moveset for Alolan Sandslash in Pokemon GO? 

With today marking the Alolan Sandshrew Spotlight Hour event for Pokemon GO, many players will find themselves with its evolved form, Alolan Sandslash. While many may not want to add this creature to their competitive team, some may want to test it out in the game's Battle League to see if it can hold its own.

Being one of the many regional variants from the Alola region, these forms fail to see much play with Galarian variants taking over the spotlight. Nevertheless, these regional variants see a play by some of their more dedicated players with varying results. One of the regional forms players experiment with the most is Alolan Sandslash.

So what should players know about this pick in Pokemon GO before hitting the ranked ladder with it on their team? Since every creature in the franchise is different, players may need to do some background research on a specific Pokemon before using it effectively in battles.

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Alolan Sandslash in Pokemon GO: Everything to know, moveset, and more

The first thing to know about any creature before using it in Pokemon GO's Battle League is its elemental type. Alolan Sandslash is an Ice and Steel-type Pokemon. This means that Alolan Sandslash is weak to Ground-type attacks and critically weak to Fighting and Fire-type attacks. Though being weak to such common types seems like a liability, there are some great situations where Alolan Sandslash shines.

For starters, its Steel secondary typing grants it nine resistances. This is one of the majority of the elements in the franchise, which makes Alolan Sandslash a high-risk, high-reward tank option. Since Great League hosts most of the Fairy-types in Pokemon GO, being part of Steel also works in Sandslash's favor offensively.

In terms of its stats, it should not surprise players to learn that Alolan Sandslash is a defensive Pokemon, with its highest stat being 195 Defense stats. The other two stats are just a little behind this, making Alolan Sandslash a well-rounded defender with a lot of attacking potential in the right situations.

In terms of an optimal moveset, players should aim to fix their Alolan Sandslash with either Metal Claw or Powder Snow. If players prioritize coverage, take Metal Claw. This attack is Alolan Sandslash's only Steel-type fast attack, making it invaluable to care for Fairy-type, Rock-type, or Ice-type opponents.

For potentially charged attacks, players looking to focus on damage should take Blizzard. It is Alolan Sandslash's strongest attack in Pokemon GO and deals a massive burst of Ice-type damage. For those with the resources to unlock the secondary charged attack slot, opt to take Bulldoze, as it gives solid coverage against Fire-types that may switch to Alolan Sandslash.

In summary, players can build their Alolan Sandslash in many different ways in Pokemon GO. More often than not, an optimal moveset is comprised of Powder Snow, Bulldoze, and Blizzard. However, players can also use Metal Claw, Bulldoze, and Ice Punch for more spam-based damage output.

In terms of the fast attack, Alolan Sandslash got in its recent Community Day, Shadow Claw, it fails to see much usage. It is useless in any situation where Alolan Sandslash would be in Pokemon GO's Battle League and thus go unused.