Clair Obscur: Expedition 33takes the staple turn-based combat fromJRPGsand adds an extra layer of spice with counters, parries, and other reactive actions.
A progression systemfeaturing Pictos and Luminas perfectly matches this beautiful battle mechanic. Pictos are the accessories our party equips, while Luminas are the passive abilities learned by these Pictos.
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Each Picto increases specific attributes such as Health and Speed. While the high-level ones are absolutely needed, it’s their abilities that really make a difference in the RPG and open up insane customization.
After taking down all the super bosses and completing every piece of side content in the game, I am ready to rank the 10 best Pictos inClair Obscur: Expedition 33to help you own the Paintress.
One of the wonders of Expedition 33 is that each player has the freedom to have their own playthrough and party composition. Therefore, many of the Pictos I used may go unnoticed by you and vice versa.
11Painted Power
Now You Paint Death
I know this is a given, especially for those tackling endgame content, but it’s still worth mentioning.sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssPainted Powerlets our damage exceed the 9,999 ceiling all the way up to… I have no idea. My maximum damage was 65 million.
We unlock this Picto after defeating the Paintress. Then, at the beginning of Act 3, the game throws aboatload of side contentat us, much of it requiring your damage to go beyond 9,999.
I don’t need to say it, but you absolutely have to equip thePainted PowerLumina on every character. Unless, for some reason, you’re looking to make your gameplay harder on purpose.
10Confident
For The Insecure
I built one of my characters as a tank/support whose primary role was to keep the battle rolling. If an AoE attack wiped outtwo of my members, this character would stay standing and could revive the others.
TheConfidentPicto ability was essential for that. Its effect causes the user to suffer 50% less damage, but in contrast, they can’t be healed.
I equipped it on a character whose Defense stat was maxed out, and let me tell you, they became nearly immortal. The downside didn’t even matter—after all, who needs healing when enemy damage is laughable?
It’s pretty situational, but it did wonders for me, especially when paired with theConfident FighterPicto, which boosts damage by 30% while also disabling healing.
9Revive Paradox
When Adrenaline Kicks In
Revive Paradox lets a party member act immediately after being revived, which can save your skin from many wipes.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’d revive an ally just to see the enemy attack again right after and knock them back down before I even blinked. Rinse and repeat until I was out of Revive Tints.
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This Picto also combos great with many others. For example, the strategy above of creating a super tank makes having Revive Paradox equipped a must. Acting right after being revived gave me room to plan new strategies.
If you want to get the most out of this Picto, pair it withSecond Chance, a Picto coming up in the next few entries. With this mix, you’ll have extra time to learn enemy patterns while messing up.
8Augmented First Strike
Strike Hard, Strike Fast, No Mercy
I’ve been using this Picto ever since I found it to clear out common Nevrons. As the name screams,Augmented First Strikeincreases the first hit dealt in battle by 50%.
In longer battles, like boss fights, it’s kind of throwaway, though there are builds where it’s essential. But against fodder enemies, this Picto is a menace.
Pair this one withFirst Offensive, which also boosts the first hit damage by 50%, and you’ll be bulldozing common Nevrons before they even hear the battle theme. You can even one-shot bosses if you buff a character before throwing that first punch.
7Glass Canon
Show Enemies Who’s The True Glass
Glass Canonboosts both damages dealt and received by 25%—straightforward, simple, and brutally effective. Don’t even think twice if you’re an ace at dodging and parrying. ActivateGlass Canonand watch enemiesshatterlike… glass.
Combining this with all the damage-boosting Pictos turns even the puniest character into a threat. My motto is to either go all in or not go at all.
You’ve probably picked up a pattern in my builds by now. Yeah, I always go for offense first and foremost when picking Pictos, but I keep a few Plan Bs tucked away in case things go south.
6Second Chance
ASecond ChanceTo Die Again
If you’re a maniac like me and build your character entirely for offense, you’re definitely going to die more than expected. I thinkExpedition 33saw this coming and gave us theSecond ChancePicto.
As the name suggests,Second Chanceallows a character to revive immediately after dying. But it doesn’t do you much good if the enemy acts right after and takes you out again, right?
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That’s why it’s crucial to combineSecond Chancewith Revive Paradox. In that manner, you can jump right back into action once you die. You can then use Revive Tints to bring your party back, apply buffs, or whatever else you need to avoid dying again.
I can’t count how many times I lost focus, missed a dodge, got nuked by an AoE, but was granted aSecond Chanceto turn the tables and snatch victory.
5Base Shield
Permission To Err
Even though I believe the best defense is a good offense, I still like to have a few tricks up my sleeve for protection. Since my defense or HP is usually paper-thin, I found the best alternative inBase Shield.
This Picto gives the character +1 Shield if they don’t already have one at the start of their turn, which essentially means you can take one extra hit per turn and keep on kicking.
Don’t underestimate the power of one measly shield. It can be the difference between life and death, especially when a boss throws a jumping attack right in the middle of their area-of-effect combo.
4Shield Affinity
When Defense And Offense Pairs
This Picto has a great effect, but a big downside, depending on your build.Shield Affinityboosts your damage by 30% if the character has a shield, but any damage wipes them all out.
If your build relies on stacking shields, ditch this Picto immediately. But hear me out—If you’re using the aforementionedBase Shieldpaired with this one, then you’re getting that 30% increased damage every single turn. Plus, you still get an extra shield to boot.
So even if you lose your shield and the buff vanishes, you’re guaranteed that on your next turn, your shield will recharge, and the 30% bonus damage will be back. Wombo combo.
3Clea’s Life
We Shall Live As Gods
Honestly, I never really got to use this Picto to its full potential because I had already taken down all the game’s super bosses with a highly offensive build by the time I got it.
But if you happen to be running a more balanced setup, then Clea’s Life, a Picto that restores your HP to 100% if you didn’t take damage in the previous turn, is a must-have.
Basically, your character can turn immortal like the Dessendre family. If, by chance, you can’t avoid damage in the last turn and break the effect, equip aCheateralongside it, and your character will be back to full HP every single turn.
2Energy Master
More AP, More Kills
What separates kids from grown-ups when it comes to RPGs is how refined a player is in their use of abilities. Beating battles on auto-attack is fine-ish, but nothing feels better than using the right skills and steamrolling the enemy.
That’s whyAP is key inClair Obscur: Expedition 33. The more AP, the more abilities and the more tools of destruction at your disposal. That’s why a Picto that increases every AP gain by 1 is insanely good.
At the start of the turn and when attacking an enemy, we normally get 1 AP each, totaling 2. Well, with this Picto, you get 4. Parrying also gives us 1 AP per successful block—or, you guessed it, 2 with this Picto equipped.
All those Pictos that also grant AP from special actions are affected, too.Energy Masteris easily one of the best in the game, and you should equip it the moment you get your hands on it.
