After getting a full party in Persona 3 Reload, you occasionally get the option to send an ally to scout ahead and clean the way through the next floor. While the tactic seems effective, it means you’ll be down a member for a while, so is it worth it?
How to Scout the Area in Persona 3 Reload (P3R)
There are two ways of sending scouts. After winning a battle or after finding the stairs. Once you do, you can get the option to send a team member as a scout. A random member will volunteer to do the job, and they will temporarily leave the part to do so. They won’t be back until either you or the scout find the way to the stairs, or once you enter the next floor.
The member also opens any non-locked chests around the floor and gives everything they find to you once you reach the next floor. The path to the stairs will have fewer enemies than usual, but new spawns can appear if you take too long. If you sent a scout after you founds the stairs, the next floor will be partially explored giving you a safer way of exploring Tartarus.
It differs from other versions, as you cannot split your party whenever you want and have them fighting shadows solo. The scout system is reminiscent of that but works quite differently now.
Should You Send a Scout in Persona 3 Reload?
While it depends on the situation, sending a scout is usually a good call. It makes your exploration quicker, and the scout also gives you some loot from destroying objects in Tartarus. If you have obtained the Devil Major Arcana during this visit, said loot will also be doubled.
The downside is the temporary loss of a party member. This means that you’ll be weaker for other fights. And since the experience obtained is the same regardless of how many people are in your party, there’s no real benefit to having smaller groups.
So, you should always send a scout when possible but try to avoid it if there’s a Rare Shadow in the current floor or a locked chest somewhere, unless you’re confident you can open it without starting an unnecessary battle.
One thing you should be aware of is the rare shadow, The Reaper. Early game players should not worry about them, as they spawns once you hit the 62nd Floor. The Reaper is a very difficult enemy that appears after a certain amount of time is spent on a single floor. So with that in mind, don’t take too long waiting for scouts to do their job.
Be on the lookout for Monad doors as well. Enemies inside those doors can give you some headaches when you have a full party, and facing them alone is even more difficult, so try to avoid that. Even with some powerful Theurgies at your side, things can still get ugly if you’re not careful.
