Shadow Alolan Sandslash Raid Guide

Tips and Tricks

Communication will be key for this raid! You will want to plan not only your Mega Pokémon team positions and counters, but also your use of Purified Gems, so be sure you communicate with your fellow trainers.

We would suggest groups of 5+ for trainers with top counters that are maxed out and armed with Purified Gems, or 8-10+ for lower-level trainers and those without ideal counters. Purified Gems are a must!

While Shadow Pokémon are extremely expensive to power up, we have included the top Shadow Pokémon you can use against Shadow Alolan Sandslash. Ensure you no longer have Frustration on these Pokémon before considering adding them to your team. If you have any of these as an option, while they may take more damage than non-Shadow Pokémon, they will also deal more.

We would highly recommend the use of Mega Evolved Pokémon in Shadow Alolan Sandslash raids. They provide not only greater damage output, but also boost Pokémon of the same typing in the raid. We would suggest discussing your counter choices with your fellow trainers and planning Mega Pokémon and their positions in your team accordingly.

If you have a group of 6, for example, one person should have their mega in slot 1, the next slot 2, the next slot 3, etc., you can try to keep the mega boost going throughout the raid.

You can also make use of the Party Power raid bonus through Party Play! The Party Power is a Raid bonus that fills up as members of your Party attack the Raid Boss. Once the Party Power bonus is full, your next Charge Attack will receive a special boost. You can see the Party Power button and your progress towards achieving the bonus in the bottom left corner of your Raid Battle.

Related reading

• Pokémon GO Shadow Raids: Comprehensive Guide is an overall guide to all things Shadow Raids

Shadow Raid Information & Advice

As a Shadow Raid, Alolan Sandslash will hit harder than ever before, so make sure your counters are powered up, have the right moveset, and aren’t weak to the Raid boss’ moves. These Tier 5 raids are extremely difficult, even for the most prepared trainers, and you will need Purified Gems to defeat them. Shadow Raid Bosses will grow enraged as you battle them, boosting their attack and defense.

You will need to subdue Shadow Alolan Sandslash using Purified Gems, an item that can be assembled from Shadow Shards.

Shadow Shards are mysterious gem pieces that may be dropped by Team GO Rocket grunts, leaders, and from Shadow Raids. You will need to gather enough shards to use Professor Willow’s newly invented Shard Refiner, and in return, you’ll be rewarded with a Purified Gem. Be sure to have collected as many as you can before you attempt a Shadow Alolan Sandslash Raid, as without them, you won’t be able to return it to its normal, non-enraged state.

There are multiple ways Purified Gems can assist your battle against enraged Shadow Raid Bosses:

• When you use a Purified Gem during a Shadow Raid, the enraged Shadow Raid Boss’s attack and defence will be lowered temporarily. This can give you the opening you need to take them down.
• You and your fellow Trainers can use more than one Purified Gem during a Shadow Raid. If used at the same time, their effects will stack.
• If enough Purified Gems are used, the enraged Shadow Raid Boss will be subdued—returned to its non-enraged state—which might give you the edge you need to defeat it!

Purified Gems will show in the bottom-left corner of the raid battle when you can use them, so be sure to communicate with your raid group to stack their effects!