Sandstorm is the only weather condition in Pokémon Champions that directly harms any Pokémon that can’t adapt to it. Even without a Smooth Rock, you can turn that chip damage into an advantage with the right setters, abilities, and teammates. This guide covers Regulation M-A and may need updates in future seasons.
1. What Sand Does in Pokémon Champions
Sandstorm causes sand to buffet all Pokémon on the battlefield for five turns. Since it damages most Pokémon, this is excellent at breaking a Focus Sash without needing entry hazards. Both Pokémon with the Sand Stream Ability instantly summon a sandstorm when sent out.
Arcanine takes damage from the sandstorm in Pokémon Champions.
Sandstorm bolsters Rock-type Pokémon, damages many other Types, and affects certain moves.
- Sandstorm chip damage: Most active Pokémon lose 1/16 of their maximum HP each turn.
- Sandstorm immunity: Rock, Steel, and Ground-type Pokémon take no sandstorm chip damage.
- Rock-type boost: Rock-type Pokémon gain a 50% Special Defense boost.
- Rock-type Weather Ball: Weather Ball becomes Rock-type, and its base Power doubles to 100.
- Stronger Shore Up healing: Shore up restores two-thirds of its users’ maximum HP instead of half.
- Weaker recovery moves: Synthesis, Morning Sun, and Moonlight restore one quarter of their users’ maximum HP instead of half.
- Weaker Solar Beam and Solar Blade: Solar Beam and Solar Blade inflict half their original damage.
2. All Sandstorm Setters
Hippowdon and Tyranitar are the only Sand Stream users in Champions, while Sandaconda can summon sand with Sand Spit when it gets hit. Each of these Pokémon has a Type that protects them from sandstorm damage. They don’t cover each other’s weaknesses, so leave room for teammates that do.
Corviknight thrives in a sandstorm. Alakazam and Mega Emboar do not.
Best Hippowdon Builds
Hippowdon possesses everything a physical wall needs to survive and rack up residual damage from Stealth Rock and Sandstorm. These traits make it one of the strongest Pokémon in Single Battles. A high Attack also means it can fire strong STAB Earthquakes, no matter its build.
- Stats: 108 HP / 112 Atk / 118 Def / 68 Sp. Atk / 72 Sp. Def / 47 Spe
- Type: Ground
Hippowdon’s Sand Stream summons a sandstorm in Pokémon Champions.
Hippowdon Stealth Rock Utility for Singles
Run this spread to maximize Hippowdon’s defenses while keeping enough HP for repeated switch-ins.
- SP Allocation: 32 Def, 32 Sp. Def, 2 HP
- Nature: Careful
- Held Item: Leftovers
- Moves: Stealth Rock, Earthquake, Slack Off, Whirlwind
- Strategy: After setting up Stealth Rock, use Earthquake as your primary means of damage. Use Whirlwind against potential setup sweepers and anything not threatened by Earthquake. Use Slack Off to restore HP when necessary.
Hippowdon Speed Control for Doubles
Since entry hazards are less useful in Double Battles, Hippowdon focuses on speed control with Bulldoze.
- SP Allocation: 32 Def, 2 Sp. Def, 2 HP
- Nature: Careful
- Held Item: Sitrus Berry
- Moves: Bulldoze, Rock Slide, Helping Hand, Protect
- Strategy: Use Bulldoze or Rock Slide to attack both opposing Pokémon. When using the former, make sure its partner uses Protect or is a Flying-type (or has Levitate) so it doesn’t get hit. Alternatively, a Contrary Serperior will gain Speed instead, while resisting Bulldoze’s damage.
Best Sandaconda Builds
Aside from Sand Spit, Sandaconda also has Sand Veil to boost its Evasion by 25% in a sandstorm. This works if you already have sandstorm setters on your team. Additionally, it has the highest Attack of all Pokémon that can use a Coil setup build.
- Stats: 72 HP / 107 Atk / 125 Def / 65 Sp. Atk / 70 Sp. Def / 71 Spe
- Type: Ground
Sandaconda takes a hit to set up a sandstorm in Pokémon Champions.
Sandaconda Evasion Tank in Singles
Among the three Pokémon that can use Minimize, Sandaconda is the only one bulky enough to abuse it.
- SP Allocation: 32 HP, 32 Sp. Def, 2 Def
- Nature: Careful
- Ability: Sand Veil
- Held Item: Bright Powder
- Moves: Earthquake, Stone Edge, Coil, Minimize
- Strategy: Switch Sandaconda in during a sandstorm, then use Minimize before setting up with Coil. One Minimize drops its chance of being hit to roughly 40%, and two more uses can push that below 30% before Sand Veil is counted. Use Coil at least once to make Stone Edge reliable, then attack with Earthquake and Stone Edge.
Sandaconda Speed Control for Doubles
Any time Sandaconda gets hit without a sandstorm, it whips one up.
- SP Allocation: 32 HP, 32 Def, 2 Sp. Def
- Nature: Impish
- Ability: Sand Spit
- Held Item: Quick Claw
- Moves: Bulldoze, Rock Slide, Glare, Protect
- Strategy: Like with Hippowdon’s Doubles build, use Bulldoze or Rock Slide to attack both opposing Pokémon. Use Glare on a non-Electric-type Pokémon to paralyze it. If using Rock Slide on a paralyzed opponent, the ‘Paraflinch’ combo has a 38.75% chance to stop it from moving.
Best Tyranitar Builds
Tyranitar is the only Sand Stream setter that gains the Special Defense boost upon doing so, making it deceptively bulky. It’s also the only one with a Mega Evolution. No matter what build it runs, it has a 4x weakness to Fighting-type attacks.
- Stats: 100 HP / 134 Atk / 110 Def / 95 Sp. Atk / 100 Sp. Def / 61 Spe
- Mega Stats: 100 HP / 164 Atk / 150 Def / 95 Sp. Atk / 120 Sp. Def / 71 Spe
- Types: Rock / Dark
Tyranitar’s Sand Stream overwrites Pelipper’s Drizzle in Pokémon Champions.
Mega Tyranitar Sweeper for Singles
After a Dragon Dance, Mega Tyranitar’s Speed reaches 184, guaranteeing it moves before any Pokemon with a base Speed of 115 or less.
- SP Allocation: 32 Atk, 32 Spe, 2 HP
- Nature: Adamant
- Held Item: Tyranitarite
- Moves: Dragon Dance, Rock Slide, Crunch, Low Kick
- Strategy: Mega Evolve Tyranitar and use Dragon Dance. During each subsequent turn, use whichever attack has the highest Type effectiveness against the opposing Pokémon. If two or more moves are tied with the highest effectiveness, prioritize Crunch first and Low Kick last.
Tyranitar Special Tank for Doubles
With maximized special bulk, sandstorm’s 50% Special Defense boost, and an Intimidate partner, Tyranitar can stay on the field for a very long time.
- SP Allocation: 32 HP, 32 Sp. Def, 2 Def
- Nature: Careful
- Held Item: Chople Berry
- Moves: Rock Slide, Bulldoze, Breaking Swipe, Protect
- Strategy: All three of Tyranitar’s attacks hit both opposing Pokémon. Use Rock Slide for damage, Breaking Swipe for an Attack drop, or Bulldoze for a Speed drop.
3. Moves Which Counter Minimize
While Sandaconda is difficult to defeat after using Minimize, it’s not invincible. Aside from bad luck and moves that never miss, there are several moves in Champions designed to counter Minimize. Keep this in mind when using Sandaconda’s Evasion Tank build.
Mega Chandelure shrinks with Minimize to avoid incoming attacks in Pokémon Champions.
| Move | Type | Power | Accuracy | Compatible Pokémon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Slam | Normal | 85 | 100 | Too many to list - Feraligatr, Pinsir, and Glalie are especially dangerous |
| Dragon Rush | Dragon | 100 | 75 | Aggron, Altaria, Charizard, Dragapult, Dragonite, Drampa, Flapple, Garchomp, Gyarados, Heliolisk, Hydreigon, Noivern, Rhyperior, Sandaconda |
| Heat Crash | Fire | 40 to 120 | 100 | Arcanine (both forms), Camerupt, Charizard, Emboar, Golurk, Incineroar, Rhyperior, Skeledirge, Snorlax, Torkoal |
| Heavy Slam | Steel | 40 to 120 | 100 | Aggron, Appletun, Archaludon, Avalugg, Bastiodon, Beartic, Camerupt, Corviknight, Emboar, Flapple, Forretress, Garganacl, Golurk, Hisuian Goodra, Hippowdon, Hydrapple, Machamp, Mamoswine, Mudsdale, Orthworm, Rampardos, Rhyperior, Snorlax, Steelix, Tinkaton, Torkoal, Torterra, Tyranitar |
| Flying Press | Fighting | 100 | 95 | Hawlucha |
| Supercell Slam | Electric | 100 | 95 | Ampharos, Bellibolt, Luxray, Manectric, Rampardos, Rhyperior, Snorlax |
4. All Sand-Boosted Abilities
Three Abilities in Champions need sandstorm to reach their full potential. Heliolisk with Sand Veil also avoids sandstorm damage despite its Typing. However, these sand-boosted Pokémon are not Rock-type, so they do not receive the Special Defense bonus.
Garchomp’s Sand Veil helps it avoid an attack in Pokémon Champions.
In most teams, start with one Sand Rush or Sand Force user, then use a single Sand Veil option only if an Evasion Tank fulfills a clear role.
| Ability | Effect | Compatible Pokémon |
|---|---|---|
| Sand Force | Boosts the power of the Pokémon’s Rock-, Ground-, and Steel-type moves by 30% | Excadrill, Mega Garchomp, Hippowdon, Mega Steelix |
| Sand Rush | Doubles the Pokémon’s Speed stat. | Excadrill, Lycanroc |
| Sand Veil | Boosts the Pokémon’s evasiveness by 25%. | Garchomp, Gliscor, Heliolisk, Orthworm, Sandaconda, Stunfisk |
Sand Rush Speed Tiers
As with Swift Swim, Champions has only two Sand Rush users. Lycanroc outspeeds all Mega Evolutions with no Speed investment, while Excadrill hits much harder. Excadrill can also disguise its role by holding Choice Scarf while running Sand Force or Mold Breaker instead of Sand Rush.
Excadrill is a blisteringly fast sweeper with a sandstorm.
These numbers represent the minimum and maximum Speed of each Pokémon while Sand Rush is in effect, with and without a 10% boost from its Nature.
| Pokémon | Nature+ | Normal |
|---|---|---|
| Lycanroc | 290 – 360 | 264 – 328 |
| Excadrill | 236 – 308 | 216 – 280 |
5. Best Teammates For Sand Teams
Sand teams can use Rock-, Steel-, and Ground-types without taking chip damage, which makes them flexible. Prioritize teammates that avoid sandstorm damage and resist at least one key threat Type: Water, Fighting, or Ground.
Corviknight speeds up its party with Tailwind in Pokémon Champions.
These Pokémon are highly splashable in any team, despite receiving no direct benefit from a sandstorm.
| Teammate Options | Reasons |
|---|---|
| Clefable | Nullifies sandstorm damage with Magic Guard, resists Fighting-type attacks, has many support options |
| Kommo-o | Nullifies sandstorm damage with Overcoat, resists Water-type attacks, can set up a sweep with Clangorous Soul |
| Corviknight | Immune to Ground-type attacks, can set up Tailwind, many Type resistances |
| Aegislash | Immune to Fighting-type attacks, access to King’s Shield, effectively runs physical and special attacking builds |
| Altaria | Nullifies sandstorm completely with Cloud Nine, resists all three Types (immune to Ground), can trade these boons for Pixilate-boosted attacks via Mega Evolution |
