Sandy Shocks
VGC Guide
Sandy Shocks is one of the best spread special attackers in Electric Terrain teams: Quark Drive boosts 121 SpAtk by 30% to effective 157, Discharge hits both opponents simultaneously. Its Electric/Ground dual type grants immunity to Electric moves, and base 101 Speed with Timid nature outspeeds most non-Scarf threats.
Quark Drive: Discharge Spread Power Boost
Quark Drive activates in Electric Terrain or when holding Booster Energy, boosting the highest stat by 30%. With 121 SpAtk as the highest stat, effective SpAtk reaches 157. Discharge hits both opponents in doubles with a 0.75 spread modifier — still massive damage at effective 157 SpAtk. Earth Power provides Ground coverage; Volt Switch enables safe pivoting.
Discharge: Doubles Spread Damage
Discharge is an 80 BP spread move hitting both opponents with a 0.75 modifier in doubles. In Miraidon’s Electric Terrain, Discharge receives an additional 1.5× boost while simultaneously activating Quark Drive. Critically, Sandy Shocks' Electric/Ground typing makes it fully immune to Electric moves — it can stand beside an ally using Discharge and take zero damage, enabling one-sided spread pressure.
EV Spreads
Team Partners
Miraidon’s Hadron Engine sets Electric Terrain on entry, simultaneously activating Sandy Shocks’ Quark Drive and boosting Electric moves. Together they form an Electric Terrain dual core — Miraidon’s single-target Electric STAB combines with Sandy Shocks’ Discharge spread for comprehensive Electric pressure.
Incineroar’s Intimidate lowers opposing physical attackers’ Attack, giving Sandy Shocks safer special output turns. Parting Shot enables safe pivoting; Sandy Shocks’ Earth Power fills Incineroar’s Ground coverage gap.
Tornadus sets Tailwind further extending Sandy Shocks’ base 101 Speed advantage. On non-Miraidon teams, Sandy Shocks can activate Quark Drive solo with Booster Energy while Tornadus provides speed control.
Iron Hands’ Quark Drive also activates in Electric Terrain, creating a dual Quark Drive core. Sandy Shocks’ Discharge spread combines with Iron Hands’ Thunder Punch for layered Electric pressure; their weaknesses complement each other well.
How to Counter Sandy Shocks
Grass moves hit Sandy Shocks for ×2 damage from the Ground-type vulnerability. Rillaboom and Venusaur directly threaten Sandy Shocks’ offensive position. Switching in a Grass-type during Discharge turns is an effective response to the spread pressure.
Water moves also deal ×2 damage to Sandy Shocks. Kyogre or Swampert with Surf spread can threaten entire Electric Terrain teams simultaneously. Water spread is one of the most cost-effective counters to Electric Terrain team structures.
Sandy Shocks’ Quark Drive cannot activate without Electric Terrain if it lacks Booster Energy. Rillaboom’s Grassy Surge or terrain removal forces Sandy Shocks to rely on Booster Energy as a backup, significantly reducing its output consistency.
Base 101 Speed is fast but Choice Scarf users above this threshold (Calyrex-Shadow at 150, Regieleki at 200) can revenge kill before Sandy Shocks acts, disrupting its spread output timing entirely.