So, you’ve reached the second half of the Tziah block in Tartarus. Everything is going fine until you run into a pile of sentient hourglasses called Flowing Sand. If you’re like me, you probably tried to blast them with a heavy Agidyne or a quick Ziodyne only to see that "Resist" or "Null" pop up. It’s annoying. Tartarus is already a grind, and running into enemies that shrug off your best magic can really stall your momentum.
Flowing Sand isn't a boss, but it acts like a gatekeeper for your SP. If you don't know the trick, you’ll waste half your resources just trying to chip away at their health.
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Flowing Sand Persona 3 Reload Weakness: The Simple Answer
Let’s get straight to it. Flowing Sand is weak to all Physical damage types: Slash, Strike, and Pierce. That's it. No magic. No fancy Light or Dark instakills. If you try to use Fire, Ice, Electric, Wind, Light, or Dark, you're going to have a bad time. They basically resist the entire elemental spectrum. Honestly, it’s a bit of a trap because by this point in the game (around Level 45), you’re so used to hunting for elemental weaknesses to trigger All-Out Attacks.
Here is the breakdown of what works and what doesn't:
- Slash: Weak
- Strike: Weak
- Pierce: Weak
- Fire: Resist
- Ice: Resist
- Elec: Resist
- Wind: Resist
- Light: Resist
- Dark: Resist
Basically, if it involves a weapon or a physical skill, it’s going to hit like a truck. If it involves a spark or a flame, it’s going to feel like hitting a brick wall.
Why This Shadow is a Pain
Most Shadows in Persona 3 Reload have one specific element they hate. You find it, you exploitation it, you win. Flowing Sand is different because it forces you to stop relying on your SP-heavy casters.
You’ll usually find these guys between Floors 145 and 172. They often hang out with Visceral Mayas. This is a classic Atlus "screw you" move because Visceral Mayas actually resist physical damage. So, you’re stuck in a battle where half the enemies want magic and the other half—the Flowing Sands—will laugh at it.
If you aren't careful, you’ll accidentally hit the sand with a multi-target spell (like Maragion) and do almost zero damage to the biggest threat on the field. It’s a mess.
Best Party Members to Bring
Since you need raw physical power, your team composition matters more than usual here. You want people who can swing a sword or a spear without needing to tap into their SP every five seconds.
- Aigis: She is the MVP for this section of Tziah. Her physical skills are top-tier, and she doesn't have to worry about elemental magic anyway.
- Junpei: His crit rate is usually high enough by this point that he can knock a Flowing Sand down even without a "Weakness" hit, but since they are weak to Slash, he just deletes them.
- Akihiko: Strike damage is his bread and butter.
- Shinjiro: If you're playing during the window where he's available, his physical output is unmatched.
I’d keep Mitsuru or Yukari on the sidelines for these specific fights unless you just need them for healing. Having Mitsuru try to freeze sand is just a waste of a turn.
Combat Strategy: Save Your SP
The best way to handle a pack of Flowing Sands is to use Standard Attacks or low-cost physical skills like Torrent Shot or Blade of Fury.
Because they are weak to all three physical types, every single member of your party—including the Protagonist—can trigger a "Down" state just by using their basic weapon attack. You don't even need to spend HP on skills if you're trying to conserve resources for a floor boss.
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Just cycle through your characters, hit each sand once with a regular attack, and then trigger an All-Out Attack. It’s the most efficient way to clear the floor.
A Quick Note on "Sand" Variations
Don't confuse Flowing Sand with its cousins. You’ve probably seen Ochlocratic Sand (the boss on Floor 77) which is weak to Ice, or Perpetual Sand which is weak to Slash and Pierce but nullifies magic entirely. Reload loves to reuse these hourglass models, so always check the name before you commit to a strategy. If you've fought them once and used Fuuka's "Analysis," just hit the shoulder button to remind yourself. It saves lives.
Actionable Tips for Tziah Exploration
If you're pushing through this block right now, keep these things in mind to make the Flowing Sand encounters trivial:
- Check your weapons: Ensure your party has the highest attack-stat weapons available from the police station. Since you'll be using basic attacks to trigger weaknesses, weapon power actually matters here.
- Equip Physical-boosting Personas: For the Protagonist, have something like Ose or Hanuman ready. These Personas naturally lean into physical damage and will make short work of any sand-type enemy.
- Don't Auto-Recover SP: It’s tempting to use items to get SP back, but if you're fighting these guys, you don't need it. Save your Snuff Souls for the bosses at the top of the block.
- Use Fuuka’s Sylphid Aura: If you're worried about getting hit first (since Flowing Sands can sometimes hit hard), use Fuuka’s buff before the fight to ensure you get the jump on them.
Focus on your physical attackers, keep your casters on heal duty, and you'll be through the Tziah block before the next Full Moon.