Maelle's 2 Billion Damage Build Nerfed by Clair Obscur

Dive into the world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 where Maelle, an Expeditioner, can unleash a staggering 2 billion damage using her nuke build. This guide will walk you through the mechanics of achieving such massive damage and how Sandfall Interactive is responding to this game-breaking skill.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Updates

Stendhal Hurts, A Lot

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to surprise and engage players with new discoveries every day, including Maelle's ability to deliver up to 2 billion damage. After completing the main storyline, players unlock the endgame, which is packed with additional narrative elements and formidable bosses. These bosses often come with huge health bars and can deliver one-hit kills, pushing players to develop strategies like Maelle's nuke build. Be aware, minor spoilers ahead!

Maelle's skill, Stendhal, is key to this high-damage output, especially when amplified to 200% in her Virtuose stance. To maximize this build, players need to equip Maelle with two specific Luminas: Cheater, which grants an extra turn, and Shortcut, which provides another turn when Maelle's health drops below 30%. Additionally, Maelle needs her weapon, the Medalum, to start battles in Virtuose stance, and the skill Last Stand to enter this stance while reducing her health to one hit point.

To further enhance Maelle's damage, equip her with any three of these skills: Painted Power to exceed the 9,999 damage cap, Death’s Door for an additional 50% damage at low health, Confident Fighter for a 30% boost but at the cost of healing, or Inverted Affinity for a 50% increase while making healing detrimental. Experimenting with different Picto and Lumina combinations allows players to push Maelle's damage beyond 2 billion. For context, this is enough to defeat the endgame boss Simon, who has around 45 million HP, 48 times over.

Players continue to explore and innovate with damage strategies in Expedition 33, making the challenging post-game content more manageable and enjoyable.

Stendhal Getting Nerfed

Recognizing the imbalance caused by Stendhal, Sandfall Interactive announced upcoming adjustments to Maelle's skill. In a tweet on May 8, the studio explained that while they initially planned only bug fixes, the extreme damage output of Stendhal necessitated a balance change. Originally underwhelming, Stendhal received a significant damage boost in the final pre-release balance pass, which proved to be too much.

"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," Sandfall Interactive stated. The changes to Stendhal will be part of their first full hotfix, rolling out today on Steam and soon on other platforms.

2 Million Copies in 12 Days

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been a massive success, selling 2 million copies within just 12 days of its launch, as announced on Twitter on May 6. The game has also received high praise from French President Emmanuel Macron, who congratulated Sandfall Interactive on Instagram for showcasing French creativity and audacity.

Given its rapid success and ongoing updates, Expedition 33 is poised to be a strong contender for this year's Game of the Year. With potential DLC on the horizon, the game's future looks bright.

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