Alolan Sandslash SM18/248 · SM Black Star Promos

SM Black Star Promos is a set in the Sun & Moon series. It was released on February 3, 2017. The printed size is 248. This checklist is longer, at 251 cards. Alolan Sandslash is SM18/248, in position 18 of 251 on this checklist. Before it is SM17 Lunala-GX, and after it is SM19 Oricorio. The listed rarity is Promo.

Alolan Sandslash is a Stage 1 Water Pokémon with 110 HP. In the Pokédex this is Sandslash (#028), generation 1 (Kanto). The card says it evolves from Alolan Sandshrew. In this catalog that name is Sandshrew (#027).

TOKIYA illustrated this card. The same name is on 93 other cards in the catalog.

Sandslash (#028) has 23 other cards in the catalog. Those other cards are in 22 sets. The other printings with a release date run from 1999 to 2025. The earliest other card is Sandslash 41/62 in Fossil (1999). That card is named Sandslash, while this one is Alolan Sandslash. That card lists 70 HP, and this one lists 110 HP. The rarity there is Uncommon, and here it is Promo. Ken Sugimori illustrated that card, and TOKIYA illustrated this one. Retreat cost there is 1, and here it is 2. 21 other cards of Sandslash list a different HP.

Slush Rush is listed as Ability. Once during your turn (before your attack), you may draw a card. The attack Smash Turn lists 50 damage. The cost is Water, Colorless, Colorless. Switch this Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon. Weakness is Metal ×2. Retreat cost is 2. The flavor text reads "Fleeing a volcanic eruption, it settled on a snowy mountain. As it races through the snowfields, it sends up a spray of snow."

I keep a set binder for SM Black Star Promos, meant to hold every card of that set. This card is one slot in the SM Black Star Promos set binder. A generation binder holds one card of each species. Sandslash can fill a slot in Generation 1 binder (Kanto). Themed lists that include this exact card are Alolan forms. I still need this card.