Discover how Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can unleash over 2 billion damage with her nuke build, and learn about the adjustments Sandfall Interactive is implementing to balance this powerful skill.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Updates
Stendhal Hurts, A Lot
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to captivate players with new discoveries, such as Maelle's ability to deal up to 2 billion damage. Once you've completed the main storyline, the endgame unfolds, offering additional narrative depth and challenging bosses. These encounters can be intimidating, with bosses boasting massive health pools and one-hit kills, prompting players to devise strategies like Maelle's nuke build. Be aware, this article may contain minor spoilers.
Maelle's skill, Stendhal, is key to her high damage output, amplified to 200% in Virtuose stance. To achieve this nuke build, you'll need two specific Luminas, accessible through Pictos (equipable items with various effects): Cheater, which grants an extra turn, and Shortcut, which does the same when Maelle's health drops below 30%.
Maelle also requires her weapon, the Medalum, to start battles in Virtuose stance, and the skill Last Stand, which activates Virtuose stance while reducing her health to one hit point.
To maximize Maelle's damage, equip any three of the following skills: Painted Power for damage beyond 9,999, Death’s Door for an extra 50% at low health, Confident Fighter for another 30% at the cost of healing, or Inverted Affinity for a 50% boost with a penalty to healing. With the right combination of Pictos and Luminas, Maelle can exceed 2 billion damage. For context, the endgame boss Simon has around 45 million HP, meaning Maelle's strategy could theoretically defeat him 48 times over.
Players continue to push the boundaries, experimenting with different characters and strategies to achieve even higher damage numbers. The challenging post-game content of Expedition 33 encourages players to develop innovative tactics to enhance their gaming experience.
Stendhal Getting Nerfed
Sandfall Interactive has acknowledged that Stendhal made the game too easy, announcing upcoming changes to Maelle’s skill via a Twitter (X) post on May 8. Originally, no balance adjustments were planned this early, only bug fixes. However, due to Stendhal's excessive damage, adjustments are necessary. The skill was initially underwhelming during development but received a significant damage boost in the final pre-release balance pass, which was 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 first full hotfix, including these changes, will be released today, starting on Steam and followed by other platforms.
2 Million Copies in 12 Days
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has achieved another milestone, selling 2 million copies in just 12 days since launch, as announced on Twitter (X) on May 6. The game's success was further highlighted when French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Sandfall Interactive on Instagram for their achievements and for showcasing French culture, saying, "Congratulations to Sandfall Interactive and all the creators of Expedition 33. You are a shining example of French audacity and creativity."
With its continued success and planned updates, Expedition 33 is a strong contender for this year's Game of the Year award. The developers are committed to enhancing the game and are considering future DLC.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay updated with the latest game news by clicking on our article below!
