Just when you think you’ve got the rhythm down and your squad’s looking solid,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33will throw a boss at you that wipes the floor with your entire party in two turns. These bosses are out to punish sloppy timing and lazy planning. Some will hit you with flashy attacks and weird mechanics, others chip away at your confidence with slow, steady pressure.
Review: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG that pushes the technical aspect of modern hardware to its limits.
A few will even mess with your party members, turning your own team against you or locking your best fighter out of the fight entirely. Every single one of these boss will put your dodging, jumping and parrying skills to the test.
Requires Element Swaps, Quick Reflexes, and Smart Gradient Timing to Defeat
The main thing to know going into thefight with Stalactis that it keeps flipping between Fire and Ice modes. That means you have to stay alert and swap up your approach mid-fight. If it’s burning red, hit it with Ice. If it’s frozen over, switch to Fire. Anything matching its current element gets absorbed, so if you’re not paying attention, you’re basically healing the thing.
Lune works well here since she’s got both elemental types in her toolkit. Build your team to keep both Fire and Ice covered, or you’ll spend the whole fight chipping away slowly while Stalact shrugs it off. Also watch out for its Earthquake move. It jumps around a few times, and each landing sends out a shockwave. The key is to jump right after you see the flare, not when it lands. Then there’s a multi-hit combo that’s easy to panic through. Focus on the wind-ups, which are two quick attacks from its snout, then two slower ones from its legs. Time your dodges or parries right and it’s manageable. Beat Stalact and you walk away with 21,600 EXP and a Polished Chroma Catalyst.
Uses Masks to Fight
You find this boss waiting for you at the end of the Visages Peak area. Right from the start, it cycles through masks that control the flow of battle, and if you don’t adapt fast, it’ll drag the fight out or shut you down completely. One mask, Anxiety, is especially annoying. It dumps the Exhaust status on everyone, making it harder for your team to build up AP. Then there’s the Peace Mask, which doesn’t sound like much of a threat until it starts rebuilding Visages’ shield layer by layer. You’ve got to dodge each pulse just as the mask starts glowing. Mistime it, and the shield stacks up fast.
How to Defeat Visages in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The master of all masks, this hulking Axion force looks intimidating, but he is also putting on a mask for Expedition 33.
But the most frustrating trick is the Confidence Mask. It heals Visages with a slow, delayed blast that only triggers if it hits someone. That means it’s on you to read the timing. Wait until the mask lifts, then dodge right as it begins to drop. If you’re too early or too late, it lands, and Visages regains health. Fire and Dark skills hit hardest here, so build your lineup around them.
8Glissando
Charms, Swallows Your Allies, and Summons Deadly Ballets
You find Glissando near the Crumbling Path Expedition Flag in the Sirene area. On the surface, it seems manageable, but this thing throws out some pretty annoying mechanics. Its Charm attack is the most dangerous, flipping your allies against each other. If you don’t prepare for that, it can mess up your rhythm fast. Glissando also pulls off this weird trick where it eats one of your party members. You don’t just sit there helpless. You’ve got to pressure it hard. Stun it, break it, hit it fast, whatever works to make it spit your teammate back out.
Then there’s the Ballet Summons move. It’s a string of jump prompts with projectiles flying in, so you need to watch the timing and hop just after each Jump Flare shows up. Ice and Dark damage work pretty well here, so bringing Lune or Sciel gives you a nice edge. They can dish out the elements Glissando hates while keeping your team afloat during the chaos. Win the fight and you’re looking at getting 43,248 EXP, 2,820 Chroma, a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst, and the Sirene Outfit.
Deal With Support Enemies First to Create Some Breathing Room
This fight isn’t just about beating one target. You will be facing Creation and two support enemies called Aberrations. If you ignore these support enemies, things can spiral out of control quickly. They boost Creation’s offense and clutter up the fight with extra attacks. So knock them out first. That clears the field and lets you focus on the real threat without getting chopped down every turn.
Creation’s got high resistance to Light attacks, so leave those on the bench. If your setup revolves around Light damage, it’s going to be a slog. Bring different elements and stack damage wherever you can. You’ll also want to be ready with strong area-of-effect attacks if you’re trying to clear out those Aberrations fast. Parrying still plays a role here. Creation’s hits hurt, but landing your parries softens the blow and keeps your turn economy stable, which matters more the longer the fight drags out. Defeat the Creation and his minions, and you will be rewarded with 128,100 EXP, nearly 7,000 Chroma, a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst, and asupport pictocalled “Faster Than Strong.”
Punishes Hesitation
Renoir shows up twice in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and both times, he’s a serious problem. You’ll first face him in Old Lumiere during Act 2. His main trick is the Gradient Attack. If you mess up the timing on your parry when he strikes the Void orb, one of your characters is gone for good because there’s no reviving. The parry window is tight, so you have to stay sharp. Later in the fight, once his health dips below half, he brings in two healing petals. If you don’t destroy them quickly, he just keeps healing and the fight drags. Direct damage skills or AoE attacks will help you keep the upper hand.
How to Beat Renoir (First Fight) in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
How this man escaped the Gommage is still a mystery, but he stands in your way.
The second time you fight Renoir is at the Monolith, and it’s a step up. He keeps all his moves from Old Lumiere, including that same Gradient Attack and the petals. But now, once you push him under 50% HP, he summons a dark creature. This thing heals him all the way back to full and buffs his damage output with Enrage. The key here is to shift focus fast and burn that creature down before it snowballs the fight. Having someone on your team who can remove buffs or keep your party alive through the Enrage phase makes a big difference.
Disrupts You with Charm and Random Movement
She’s a tough one mainly because of how she messes with your team’s behavior. Her go-to trick is Charm, which I find really annoying. She sends out these Ballets during her big moves that charm your characters if you don’t deal with them. It’s a good idea to bring an Anti-Charm Picto or keep someone handy with Cleansing Tint to snap your allies out of it fast.
Sirene isn’t a fan of cold or darkness. Lune and Sciel are your best bets if you want to exploit these weaknesses and speed things up. Just make sure you’re keeping up with her patterns, because she’s got a lot of them. When she kicks off her “Grand Ballet,” you know things are about to get chaotic. You’ve got to read her movements and when she flicks her hands, that’s your cue to dodge. Get through the fight, and you’ll walk away with 108,120 EXP, a weapon called Tisseron, the Energising Turn Picto, and three Resplendent Chroma Catalysts.
4Dualliste
Inflicts Inverted Status Effect Where Healing Becomes Damage, and Damage Doesn’t Heal
Early in the fight, Dualliste goes for broad, sweeping slashes. The tricky part is the multi-hit combo that looks simple but punishes anyone who mistimes a block or jump. Then there’s his ground stab attack. If you see him raise his sword overhead and slam it down, dodge the instant it hits the ground, or your whole party gets stunned.
How to Defeat Dualliste in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
A Nevron that looks like a Dark Souls character, take down this powerful MSQ boss in Expedition 33.
Things get more tense in the second phase. This is where the Inverted status shows up. So healing a character actually damages them. You’ll need to plan around it by either holding off on healing or bringing Chroma Elixirs to clear the status. Beating Dualliste gets you 27,560 EXP and a Polished Chroma Catalyst.
3Lampmaster
Master of Glowing Lamps, Timed Strikes, and Punishing Light Attacks
You’ll find the Lampmaster near the end of Act 1, specifically in the Stone Wave Cliffs. This boss also shows up later in the Endless Tower trials, but your first real encounter will be as part of Gustave’s storyline. The fight is split into two parts. In the beginning, the Lampmaster surrounds itself with four floating lamps that fire projectiles. Each one launches an attack, so it’s smart to knock them out early. You can destroy them by targeting them directly using Free Aim.
Once you’ve dealt with the lamps, the fight shifts gears. The lamps start glowing in a sequence. Watch closely and remember the order then shoot them back in that same order using Free Aim. Do it right and you’ll deal solid damage and cancel its next big move, the Sword of Light attack. You also don’t spend AP when pulling this off, which is a nice bonus. The Lampmaster’s attacks have a delay, so don’t dodge or parry too early. Wait it out, then react. When it’s over, you’ll walk away with 15,750 XP, three Polished Chroma Catalyst, and the “At Death’s Door” Picto.
2The Paintress
Countdown to Your Death
You’ll run into the Paintress on the Monolith after taking down Renoir. She opens with standard attacks, sure, but it’s the Corrupted Chroma move you really need to prepare for. Once she casts it, everyone in your squad gets cursed. After a few turns, any cursed character just drops, no revives. The only way to stretch out their time is by shooting the glowing orbs that appear over the Paintress. Each orb you hit buys you two extra turns before the curse kicks in. If you ignore them, you’ll run out ofparty membersfast.
The rhythm of the fight is all about managing those orbs and keeping your timing sharp. Parrying helps too, not just for defense, but for extra damage output. If you’re running someone like Monoco or Lune, make sure they’ve got a solid heal in their kit, like Revitalization. You’re going to need that sustain to survive until the orbs show up again. And don’t go into this fight thinking your A-team will carry you all the way through. Once that curse starts wiping people out, you’ll want a second squad ready to jump in. Give them the First Strike Lumina so they can act immediately when they show up. If you win, you get a fat chunk of EXP, three Resplendent Chroma Catalysts, two Recoats, and a new ability Picto called Painted Power.
1Renoir (Final Boss)
Renoir is More Aggressive Than Ever
The final Renoir fight rolls out in two phases, and both require a cool head and quick reflexes. In the first phase, Renoir’s swings mostly follow a parryable rhythm, but one slow slash breaks the pattern, you’ve got to jump that one, not parry. It’s easy to miss if you’re too locked into your normal habits. He also summons Visages that float around him and give him a shield. Don’t waste time attacking blindly. Aim for the Visages directly.Maelle’s offensive skillslike Fencer’s Flurry and Breaking Rules make this a lot easier.
In the second round, Renoir starts acting more aggressive, throwing out heavier attacks that can wipe a party member in one hit. You’ve got to manage your parries, keep healing ready, and push for damage when there’s a safe opening. He doesn’t have gimmicks in this phase, just raw strength. The trick is keeping your team on their feet long enough to finish the job. The fight ends with a scripted moment in which Maelle stands her ground and counters Renoir’s last desperate attack. After that, it’s done and you get only 183,000 EXP for your troubles.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
How to Beat Renoir (Second Fight) in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The rematch of the century, take down Renoir once more, but this time he has a couple of extra tricks up his sleeve.
