Maelle's 2 Billion Damage Build Nerfed by Clair Obscur

Discover how Maelle from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can unleash over 2 billion damage with her nuke build. Learn about the mechanics behind this incredible feat and how Sandfall Interactive is addressing this overpowered skill.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Updates

Stendhal Hurts, A Lot

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to surprise and delight players with daily discoveries, such as the revelation that Maelle, the Expeditioner, can deliver up to 2 billion damage. This discovery came to light after players completed the main story and ventured into the endgame, which introduces additional narrative elements and formidable bosses.

The endgame is challenging, with bosses boasting massive health pools and some capable of one-hit kills. In response, players have crafted a nuke build strategy to tackle these formidable foes. Be aware, this article may contain minor spoilers, so proceed with caution.

Maelle's skill, Stendhal, is central to this build, dealing substantial damage that can be enhanced by 200% when she is in her Virtuose stance. To achieve this nuke build, players must equip Maelle with two specific Luminas, unlocked through Pictos, which are items that enhance gameplay effects.

The necessary Luminas are Cheater, granting 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 maximize damage, Maelle should also equip three of the following skills: Painted Power, allowing damage to exceed 9,999; Death’s Door, offering a 50% damage boost at low health; Confident Fighter, providing a 30% damage increase but disabling healing; and Inverted Affinity, which boosts damage by 50% but turns healing into damage.

With the right combination of Pictos and Luminas, Maelle can deal over 2 billion damage, significantly outstripping the endgame boss Simon’s 45 million HP. This means Maelle could theoretically defeat Simon 48 times over, showcasing the extreme potency of this build.

Players continue to experiment with different strategies and characters to achieve even higher damage numbers, making the post-game content of Expedition 33 both challenging and enjoyable.

Stendhal Getting Nerfed

Sandfall Interactive has acknowledged that Stendhal’s damage output was making the game too easy. In a Twitter (X) post on May 8, the studio announced upcoming adjustments to Maelle’s skill. Originally, the developers planned only minor bug fixes, not early balance changes.

However, due to Stendhal’s overwhelming power, they decided to intervene. Sandfall Interactive explained that Stendhal was initially underwhelming during development but received a significant damage boost in the final pre-release balance pass, which was excessive.

"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 included in the first full hotfix set, which will go live today on Steam and soon on other platforms.

2 Million Copies in 12 Days

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has reached another milestone, selling 2 million copies just 12 days after its launch, as announced in a Twitter (X) post on May 6.

The game has also received recognition from French President Emmanuel Macron, who congratulated Sandfall Interactive on Instagram for their success and for showcasing French culture. He remarked, "Congratulations to Sandfall Interactive and all the creators of Expedition 33. You are a shining example of French audacity and creativity."

Given its rapid sales success and ongoing updates, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a strong contender for this year's Game of the Year. The developers are committed to enhancing the game further, with potential DLC on the horizon.

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!