Sand tile: Difference between revisions

A sand tile is a special tile that can be found in the beach and desert areas of the Pokémon games. There are two types of sand tile: regular and deep.

Normal sand

Normal sand does not have any wild Pokémon, so it is very similar to a regular tile. Walking or running over sand leaves footprints, while cycling leaves a tire track; both disappear shortly after appearing.

Deep sand

Deep sand is a special type of sand that appears in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Black, and White. By entering patches of deep sand, wild Pokémon may appear and battle the player, making it the desert equivalent of tall grass. In Hoenn, it is found in the desert section of Route 111. In Unova, it is found on Route 4 and in the Desert Resort. In Generation V, it slows down the bicycle to speeds slower than the walking speed.

Differences between games

RSE BWB2W2

Technical mechanics

The rate of Pokémon encounter is determined from a simple mathematical formula:

1 in (187.5 / ( x )) per step

Let x equal the a value which determines how rare the Pokémon is. The higher the encounter rate, the more common the Pokémon is.

In battle

Certain moves have special effects when used in a battle on a sand tile.

• Secret Power
  • In Generation III: has a 30% chance of lowering its target's accuracy and the appearance of Mud Shot
  • In Generation IV and later: has a 30% chance of lowering its target's accuracy and the appearance of Mud-Slap
• Nature Power
  • In Generations III-V: turns into Earthquake
  • In Generation VI: turns into Earth Power
• Camouflage: makes the user Ground-type

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.