You’ve been there. Standing in the middle of a literal sandstorm in Sumeru’s Desert of Hadramaveth, squinting at the screen, waiting for a giant mechanical worm to ruin your day. It’s annoying. The Dealing Sands Genshin Impact achievement isn't one of those things you just "get" by playing the story naturally. It’s a specific, slightly frustrating hidden wonder that requires you to play a dangerous game of chicken with a Setekh Wenut—or more accurately, its smaller, angrier cousins.
Honestly, the desert expansions in Genshin are beautiful, but they are also designed to test your patience. The "Dealing Sands" achievement is tucked away in the Wonders of the World category. It’s worth a measly 5 Primogems. Yet, for completionists, those 5 Primogems represent a rite of passage. You have to let a Wenut hit you. Well, specifically, you have to let it break something for you. It sounds simple until you’re actually out there dodging a creature that feels like it’s controlled by an AI that knows exactly when you’re about to lose focus.
The Reality of the Dealing Sands Genshin Interaction
Most people think you just need to stand in the desert and get smacked. Wrong. If you just get hit, you're just taking damage for no reason. To trigger the Dealing Sands Genshin achievement, you need to find a very specific set of Weathered Rocks. These aren't your average breakable boulders that hide common chests. They look like pale, jagged pillars—almost like calcified teeth sticking out of the dunes.
The mechanic is straightforward but finicky. You lure a Wenut (the ones that lurk underground and jump out) into charging through these rocks. When the Wenut smashes the rock, the achievement pops.
Where do you find them? Usually, you’ll want to head to the areas surrounding the City of Deceased domain or the Sands of Three Canals. Look for the yellow circles on the ground. Those are the warning signs. If you see those, you’re in the right neighborhood. But don't just stand there like a target. You need to position yourself so the rock is between you and the center of that yellow circle. It’s a bit like bullfighting, except the bull is a giant prehistoric worm and you’re probably playing as a tiny magical girl or a tall, brooding swordsman.
Why This Achievement Frustrates New Players
Genshin doesn't explain this. At all. You could play for three hundred hours and never realize those rocks are breakable. Most players discover the Dealing Sands Genshin requirement by accident or by scouring forums because they noticed a weird rock that Zhongli’s pillar couldn't break.
That’s the key. These rocks are immune to player damage. You can hit them with a claymore, blast them with Klee’s bombs, or drop a literal meteor on them. Nothing. They only break when the environment—specifically the Wenut—interacts with them. This creates a weird disconnect in game logic. We’re used to being the most powerful thing in Teyvat, but here, we’re just the bait.
Finding the Best Spots
Don't wander aimlessly. The desert is huge and the heat haze is real.
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- South of the City of the Deceased: There are clusters of these rocks near the teleport waypoints. This is arguably the easiest spot because the Wenut activity here is high.
- The Northern Dunes: If you head toward the edge of the map where the sandstorms get thick, you'll find more. However, visibility is terrible here. It makes for a cool screenshot but a miserable gameplay experience.
You've got to be careful with your HP. If your characters are low-level, a direct hit from a Wenut charge isn't just a slap on the wrist; it can one-shot a squishy mage. Bring a shielder. Layla, Kirara, or Zhongli make this a breeze. You can stand behind the rock, let the Wenut telegraph its attack, and just soak up the impact while the rock shatters.
The Lore Flavor Nobody Asks For
Why are these rocks even there? Sumeru’s lore is dense. The Desert of Hadramaveth is essentially a graveyard of an ancient civilization. These "Weathered Rocks" are remnants of structures that have been eroded by thousands of years of supernatural sandstorms and elemental shifts. The Wenuts aren't just monsters; they are the apex predators of this ecosystem. They aren't trying to help you get an achievement. They’re trying to eat you.
The fact that only they can break these rocks suggests the sheer force behind their movement. It’s a nice bit of environmental storytelling. It shows that despite our Vision-wielding powers, the natural world of Teyvat still holds forces that we can't mimic. We can't break the rock, but the worm can. It's a humbling thought while you're grinding for that 100% exploration stat.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
People mess this up constantly. I’ve seen players standing next to regular iron ore thinking it’ll work. It won't. If the rock doesn't look like a weird, fossilized ribcage, move on.
Another mistake: killing the Wenut. If you’re using someone like Yae Miko or Furina, their summons might actually kill the "harmless" overworld Wenut before it can charge the rock. Dismiss your pets. This is a solo job. You want the Wenut healthy and angry.
Also, check your achievement list. Sometimes it triggers and you don't notice because of the chaos of the sandstorm. Go to the "Wonders of the World" tab and search for "Dealing Sands." If it's there, stop letting yourself get hit by worms. You're done.
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Practical Steps to Wrap This Up
If you haven't done this yet, stop procrastinating. It takes two minutes if you know where to go.
- Teleport to the City of the Deceased.
- Look for the pale, jagged rock pillars nearby. They stand out because they don't look like the surrounding orange sandstone.
- Wait for the yellow circles. This indicates a Wenut is targeting you from below.
- Stand directly behind the rock. Use a shield if you're worried about dying.
- Let the Wenut burst through the rock. The achievement should pop instantly.
Once you’ve cleared the Dealing Sands Genshin task, you can finally ignore those rocks forever. Unless, of course, you're looking for the other hidden chests in the area that require similar "environmental manipulation." The desert is full of them. It’s a place that rewards observation over brute force. Go get your 5 Primogems and move on to the next headache—probably those damn Scarabs.