Maelle's 2 Billion Damage Build Nerfed by Clair Obscur

Dive into the world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, where Maelle's nuke build can unleash over 2 billion damage. Learn how to achieve this staggering feat and understand why Sandfall Interactive is stepping in to balance this overpowered skill.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Updates

Stendhal Hurts, A Lot

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to surprise its community as players uncover new strategies daily. One such discovery is Maelle's ability to deal up to 2 billion damage, making her a formidable force in the endgame.

After completing the main storyline, players enter the endgame, which offers additional story content and challenging bosses. Facing bosses with massive health pools and one-hit kill capabilities, players have developed a nuke build strategy to counter these challenges. Note: This article contains minor spoilers, so proceed with caution.

Maelle's skill, Stendhal, is key to this high-damage output, especially when amplified by 200% in her Virtuose stance. To execute Maelle's nuke build, players need two specific Luminas, unlocked through Pictos (equipable items with unique effects): Cheater, which grants an additional turn, and Shortcut, which provides another turn when health drops below 30%.

Additionally, equipping Maelle with her weapon, the Medalum, allows her to begin battles in Virtuose stance. The skill Last Stand is also crucial, as it activates Virtuose stance while reducing Maelle's health to one hit point.

To further enhance Maelle's damage potential, players should equip any three of the following skills: Painted Power, which allows damage to exceed 9,999; Death’s Door, adding 50% damage at low health; Confident Fighter, which boosts damage by 30% but prevents healing; and Inverted Affinity, which increases damage by 50% but makes healing detrimental. Various combinations of Pictos and Luminas can be experimented with, but with the setup described, Maelle can achieve over 2 billion damage. To put this into perspective, the endgame boss Simon has around 45 million HP, meaning Maelle's nuke could theoretically kill him 48 times over.

Players continue to push the boundaries, seeking even higher damage outputs with different characters and strategies, making the post-game experience both challenging and rewarding.

Stendhal Getting Nerfed

Sandfall Interactive has acknowledged that Stendhal's overpowering nature was making the game too easy. In a Twitter (X) post dated May 8, the studio announced upcoming adjustments to Maelle’s skill. Originally, they planned only to address bugs, but the extreme damage from Stendhal necessitated a balance change.

During development, Stendhal was underwhelming until a final pre-release balance pass, where a significant damage increase was applied, inadvertently making it too powerful. Sandfall Interactive stated, "We still want you to be able to break the game—and you absolutely still can—but Stendhal was making it a bit too easy." The changes to Stendhal will be part of the first full hotfix set, rolling out today on Steam and soon on other platforms.

2 Million Copies in 12 Days

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has not only captivated players with its gameplay but also achieved remarkable sales success. In a Twitter (X) post on May 6, the game was reported to have sold 2 million copies within just 12 days of its launch.

French President Emmanuel Macron also celebrated the game's success, congratulating Sandfall Interactive on Instagram for their representation of French culture and creativity. He stated, "Congratulations to Sandfall Interactive and all the creators of Expedition 33. You are a shining example of French audacity and creativity."

With its ongoing success and continuous updates, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is poised to be a strong contender for this year's Game of the Year award. Future updates and potential DLC could further enhance its appeal and longevity.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news and developments by checking out our dedicated article below!