Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is an exciting game that lets you get creative with your characters and battle plans. The game’s special Picto system, wide range of weapons, and unique character abilities make it both fun and challenging.
This guide will mainly talk about good character setups, especially for Gustave. We’ll also share some helpful tips and ideas for other characters that can make your gaming experience even better.
Pictos:
Pictos are a crucial aspect of character customization in Clair Obscur Expedition 33. They provide various bonuses and effects that can significantly enhance a character’s performance. Here are some of the best Pictos to consider:
a) Energizing Pictos:
- Energizing Start (1-4): Provides more AP at the start of battle. It’s recommended to equip at least levels 1-3 on Gustave.
- Energizing Turn: Grants AP each turn, essential for sustaining high AP costs of powerful skills.
- Energy Master: Increases all AP gains by 1, stacking with other AP-gaining Pictos.
b) Critical Hit Pictos:
- Powerful on Self: Provides 25% crit rate.
- Quick Break: Offers 36% crit rate.
- Charging Critical: Grants 35% crit rate.
- Crit Moment: 50% increased crit chance when health is below 30%.
c) Damage Boosting Pictos:
- Augmented Counter: Increases counter strike damage.
- Augmented First Strike: 50% increased damage on the first hit once per battle.
- Confident Fighter: Increases damage when health is low.
- Exhausting Power: 50% increased damage when exhausted (situational).
- Full Strength: 25% increased damage at full health.
- First Offensive: First hit dealt and taken deals 50% more damage.
- Glass Cannon: Deal 25% more damage but take 25% more damage.
- Immaculate: 30% increased damage until a hit is received.
- Inverted Affinity: Increases damage but prevents healing.
- Painted Power: Allows breaking the damage limit (story-related, obtained later).
- Powerful Shield: 10% increased damage per shield point.
- Shield Affinity: 30% increased damage while having shields.
- Solo Fighter: 50% more damage when fighting alone.
- Tainted: Increased damage for each status effect on self.
- Teamwork: 10% increased damage while all allies are alive.
- Warming Up: 5% increased damage every turn.
d) Survival and Utility Pictos:
- Auto Death: Character dies at the start of battle (used strategically with other Pictos).
- Breaking Death: Fully charges enemies’ break bars on death.
- Second Chance: Revives character with 100 HP if they die.
- Dead Energy: 3 more AP on killing an enemy.
- Death Bomb: Deals damage to all enemies if the character dies.
- Energizing Break: More AP on breaking a target.
- First Strike: Character acts first in battle.
- Immediate Res: Gain 3 shields on battle start, but max health is halved.
- Quick Break: Play again on breaking a target.
- Roulette: 50% chance to deal either 50% less or 200% more damage per hit.
- Shield Death: Gives allies 3 shields if the character dies.
- Solidifying: More shields when health falls below 50%.
- Shortcut: Fight immediately when health falls below 30%.
- Survivor: Survive a fatal blow once per battle.
Weapons:
The choice of weapon significantly impacts a character’s performance. For Gustave, the following weapons are recommended:
a) Simoso: This is Gustave’s best weapon, obtained from a hidden super boss at the end of the game after beating it once.
b) Chevam: Another good weapon option for Gustave, details of which can be found on the game’s wiki.
It’s important to note that a weapon’s power is directly related to the character’s stats. For Gustave, focusing on Vitality (A rank) and Agility (S rank) will maximize his weapon’s effectiveness.
Skills:
Each character in Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has unique skills that define their role and playstyle. For Gustave, the following skills are crucial:
a) Strike Storm: Deals high single-target damage with six strikes. Each critical hit generates two additional charges, making it excellent for filling the overcharge gauge.
b) Shatter: Hits all enemies and can break them. If it breaks a target, it also fills the overcharge gauge.
c) Overcharge: A powerful skill that becomes available when the overcharge gauge is full.
d) Lumiere Assault: A good alternative to Strike Storm when AP is low.
e) Recovery: Heals Gustave for 50% of his health and dispels status effects.
f) From Fire: Deals damage to burnt enemies and heals Gustave for 20% of his health.
Early in the game, skills like Powerful and Marking Shot are useful but become less necessary as you acquire Pictos that automate these effects.
Character Builds and Strategies:
Gustave Build:
The optimal build for Gustave focuses on maximizing his break potential and critical hit rate.
Here’s a breakdown of the strategy:
a) Stat Distribution:
- Max out Vitality and Agility (99 points each)
- Put remaining points into Might for maximum damage
b) Key Pictos:
- Energizing Start (1-3)
- Energizing Turn
- Energy Master
- Critical hit Pictos to reach 100% crit rate
- Damage-boosting Pictos like Powerful Shield, Shield Affinity, and Inverted Affinity
- Survival Pictos like Second Chance and Survivor
c) Skills Usage:
- Use Strike Storm to quickly fill the overcharge gauge
- Use Shatter to break multiple enemies and refill overcharge
- Utilize Overcharge for massive damage and breaking
d) Team Synergy:
- Place Gustave as the first character in the team
- Use Lune with Auto Death and Breaking Death Pictos to instantly fill enemy break bars at the start of battle
- Consider using Maelle as a powerful finisher
General Strategies:
- Marking Enemies: Use the free aim shot with a 20% chance to mark enemies Picto instead of the Marking Shot skill to save turns.
- AP Management: Utilize Energizing Pictos to ensure a constant supply of AP for powerful skills.
- Breaking Enemies: Focus on breaking enemies quickly to gain additional turns and deal more damage.
- Shield Management: Take advantage of Pictos that grant shields and increase damage based on shield count.
- Critical Hit Optimization: Aim for 100% crit rate on characters to maximize damage output and charge generation.
- Health Management: Use Pictos like Confident Fighter and Inverted Affinity to turn low health into an advantage.
- Team Composition: Create synergies between characters, such as using Lun’s Auto Death to set up breaks for Gustave.
Advanced Techniques and Tips:
a) Damage Limit Breaking: The Painted Power Picto, obtained later in the game, allows characters to break the damage limit, significantly increasing their damage potential.
b) Looping Breaks: Use Gustave’s ability to break enemies repeatedly to control the flow of battle and prevent enemies from acting.
c) Auto-Marking: Equip the Picto that gives free aim shots a chance to mark enemies on all characters to increase overall damage output.
d) Shield Stacking: Utilize Pictos and skills that grant shields to maximize damage bonuses from shield-related Pictos.
e) Risk Management: Balance high-risk, high-reward Pictos like Glass Cannon and Roulette with survival Pictos to create powerful but sustainable builds.
f) AP Cycling: Use a combination of Energizing Pictos and AP-generating skills to maintain a high AP count for consistent use of powerful skills.
g) Status Effect Synergy: Take advantage of the Tainted Picto by applying multiple beneficial status effects to increase damage output.
h) Break Gauge Manipulation: Use Lun’s Auto Death and Breaking Death combo to start battles with enemies’ break gauges filled, setting up for immediate breaks.
i) Overcharge Management: Plan skill usage to consistently fill and utilize the overcharge gauge for maximum efficiency.
j) Weapon-Stat Alignment: Choose weapons that complement a character’s highest stats to maximize their effectiveness.
Character-Specific Notes:
While this guide focuses primarily on Gustave, it’s worth noting some key points about other characters:
a) Lune: Use various stances and can be used strategically with Auto Death and Breaking Death Pictos.
b) Maelle: Similar to Gustave in terms of build potential, can be extremely powerful with the right Picto combination.
c) Sciel: Focuses on buffing teammates, debuffing enemies, and applying stacks.
d) Monoco: a “blue mage” with a wide variety of skills.
Progression and Accessibility:
It’s important to note that while many powerful Pictos and strategies are available, some elements are progression-locked:
a) Most Pictos can be obtained on the first playthrough, but some, like Painted Power, are story-related and obtained later.
b) The Cheater Picto, which grants an extra turn, is obtained in Act 2.
c) The best weapons, like Gustave’s Simoso, are often obtained from hidden bosses or after completing the game once.
d) New Game Plus offers higher-level Pictos but isn’t necessary for accessing most builds.
Concluding Lines:
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 offers a deep and complex system of character customization through its Pictos, diverse weapon choices, and unique character skills.
By understanding and optimizing these elements, players can create incredibly powerful and satisfying builds.
Remember, the builds and strategies discussed here are just the beginning. The true depth of the game lies in discovering your own unique combinations and playstyles that suit your preferences and tackle the specific challenges you face.
