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. Discover the secrets behind this staggering power and how Sandfall Interactive is addressing this game-changing skill.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Updates

Stendhal Hurts, A Lot

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to captivate players with new discoveries each day. One standout is Maelle's ability to hit up to 2 billion damage, a testament to the game's depth and player ingenuity.

Once you've completed the main storyline, the endgame opens up, offering additional narratives and formidable bosses. These challenges can be daunting, with bosses boasting massive health pools and one-hit kill abilities. In response, players have crafted a powerful nuke build. Note: This article contains minor spoilers, so proceed with caution.

Maelle's skill, Stendhal, is key to this build, capable of dealing significant damage, especially when amplified to 200% in her Virtuose stance. To maximize this, players need two specific Luminas: Cheater, which grants an additional turn, and Shortcut, which provides another turn when Maelle's health drops below 30%.

Additionally, equipping Maelle with the Medalum weapon is crucial, as it allows her to start battles in Virtuose stance. Another essential skill is Last Stand, which activates Virtuose stance and reduces her health to one hit point.

To further enhance her damage, Maelle should equip three of the following skills: Painted Power for exceeding 9,999 damage, Death’s Door for a 50% damage boost at low health, Confident Fighter for an additional 30% damage (but no healing), and Inverted Affinity for another 50% damage boost (though healing becomes harmful). With the right combination of Pictos and Luminas, Maelle can achieve over 2 billion damage. To put that into perspective, the endgame boss Simon has approximately 45 million HP, meaning Maelle's nuke could theoretically defeat him 48 times over.

Players continue to experiment with different strategies and characters to push the boundaries of damage output, showcasing the creativity and challenge of Expedition 33's post-game content.

Stendhal Getting Nerfed

Sandfall Interactive has acknowledged that Stendhal's overpowering nature was making the game too easy. In a tweet on May 8, the studio announced upcoming adjustments to Maelle’s skill. Initially, they planned only bug fixes, not balance changes, at this early stage. However, Stendhal's extreme damage prompted a rethink. Sandfall admitted that Stendhal was underwhelming during development until a final pre-release boost went too far.

"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 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 continues its meteoric rise, selling over 2 million copies within just 12 days of launch, as announced on Twitter on May 6. Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron celebrated the game's success on Instagram, praising Sandfall Interactive for showcasing French creativity and audacity.

With such accolades and sales, Expedition 33 is a strong contender for this year's Game of the Year. The developers are committed to enhancing the game through updates, with potential DLC on the horizon if the game continues to thrive.

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!