Clair Obscur Expedition 33: Ranking the 11 Best Pictograms

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 introduces a fresh twist to conventional turn-based combat, primarily seen in JRPGs, by incorporating dynamic elements like counters, parries, and responsive actions. This innovation enhances engagement and strategy, making each encounter more exciting.

The game features an intriguing progression system that utilizes Pictos and Luminas. Pictos function as the various accessories equipped by characters, while Luminas provide unique passive abilities tied to these Pictos, contributing to an enriched gameplay experience.

Each Picto enhances specific character attributes such as Health and Speed, creating a gameplay environment where players can deeply customize their builds. While high-level Pictos are essential for success, it’s their unique abilities that truly cultivate an enjoyable RPG experience.

After conquering the game’s formidable super bosses and completing all available side quests, I am eager to share my rankings of the top 10 Pictos in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, offering insights that can significantly empower your strategy against the Paintress.

The beauty of Expedition 33 lies in its customization; each player can curate their own experience and party composition. Hence, some Pictos that worked wonders in my playthrough may not resonate with yours, and the reverse is also true.

11 Painted Power

Now You Paint Death

It’s crucial to mention the Painted Power Picto, especially for those engaging with endgame content. This powerful ability enables damage to surpass the typical 9, 999 threshold — my highest recorded damage hit an astonishing 65 million!

You unlock this Picto after defeating the Paintress, and as you progress into Act 3, you’ll encounter an array of side quests demanding elevated damage levels. Thus, applying the Painted Power Lumina to all characters is non-negotiable unless you’re intentionally complicating your gameplay.

10 Confident

For The Insecure

For my tank/support character, I designed a build focused on maintaining battle momentum. In scenarios where an AoE attack incapacitated multiple party members, this character would stand steadfast, ready to revive allies.

The Confident Picto was instrumental in this strategy, granting the user a 50% damage reduction while sacrificing the ability to heal. I equipped this on a character with maxed-out Defense stats, creating a near-immortal frontline that thrived even without healing.

Although situational, the synergy with the Confident Fighter Picto, which enhances damage by 30% at the cost of healing, produced remarkable results.

9 Revive Paradox

When Adrenaline Kicks In

The Revive Paradox Picto allows a character to act instantly post-revival — a game-changer for averting catastrophic party wipes.

Countless times, I would revive a teammate only to witness the enemy’s immediate strike, leading to a frustrating cycle until my Revive Tints were depleted. This Picto shines when paired with the super tank strategy, enabling tactical adjustments after a revival.

To maximize its potential, combine Revive Paradox with the Second Chance Picto, which I’ll detail next, allowing you to analyze enemy movements while planning your next maneuvers.

8 Augmented First Strike

Strike Hard, Strike Fast, No Mercy

The Augmented First Strike Picto has been a staple in my strategy against common Nevrons, as it enhances the damage of the initial attack by 50%.

This ability may seem less impactful in protracted encounters, like epic boss battles, but it remains critical for summoning tactical prowess against weaker foes.

The combination with the First Offensive Picto, which also boosts the first hit by another 50%, can lead to obliterating common Nevrons before they even realize a battle commenced.

7 Glass Canon

Show Enemies Who’s The True Glass

The Glass Canon Picto is straightforward yet incredibly effective, elevating both damage dealt and received by 25%.This is a perfect choice for players skilled in dodging and parrying.

By leveraging this Picto, you can turn even the weakest character into a formidable opponent, embodying the philosophy of going all-in or not playing at all.

You might notice my preference for offensive strategies; however, I always maintain a few alternative tactics in case the tides turn against me.

6 Second Chance

A Second Chance To Die Again

If you’re the type to heavily favor offense, you’ll likely find yourself facing death more often than anticipated. Thankfully, Second Chance steps in to rectify that predicament.

This Picto allows a character to revive on the spot following their demise, which is less beneficial if the enemy strikes right after, sealing your fate. That’s why pairing it with Revive Paradox becomes critical.

This combination grants you immediate action post-revival, offering the chance to utilize Revive Tints, bolster your team, or strategize how to avoid a repeat death.

5 Base Shield

Permission To Err

While I champion an offensive approach, I still favor having protective strategies. Given my character’s typically fragile defense, I found great value in the Base Shield Picto.

This ability grants an additional shield to a character who begins their turn without one, effectively allowing them to absorb an extra hit.

Never underestimate the critical nature of a single shield; it can spell the difference between survival and defeat when facing powerful enemy attacks.

4 Shield Affinity

When Defense And Offense Pairs

Shield Affinity is powerful but comes with potential drawbacks based on your character’s build. It boosts damage output by 30% as long as the character possesses a shield, but any damage received destroys that shield.

For builds centered around stacking shields, this Picto might not be the best fit. However, combined with Base Shield, you can enjoy 30% extra damage while maintaining a shield buffer for protection.

This synergy guarantees that when your shield eventually breaks, you can easily refresh it on your next turn while regaining that sweet damage bonus.

3 Clea’s Life

We Shall Live As Gods

Admittedly, I didn’t leverage the potential of the Clea’s Life Picto to its fullest, as I had already cleared the game’s toughest challenges with a heavily offensive build before acquiring it.

This Picto, however, is invaluable for balanced setups, restoring a character’s health to 100% if they haven’t sustained damage during the previous turn.

Essentially, this grants you an opportunity to become as resilient as the Dessendre lineage. If you do take damage, consider equipping Cheater alongside it for a continuous HP restoration cycle.

2 Energy Master

More AP, More Kills

In the realm of RPGs, mastery over ability usage distinguishes experienced players from novices. While automating attacks is a valid strategy, skillfully deploying abilities yields a more satisfying experience.

This is where AP (Action Points) becomes crucial in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. More AP translates to more attacks and strategic options. Thus, a Picto that boosts AP gain by one enhances your potential significantly.

Normally, one receive two AP per turn — one at the start and one for the actual action taken against an enemy. With this Picto, however, that number doubles to four. Successful parries also yield an instant AP boost, multiplied by this Picto’s effect.

As a result, it’s safe to consider Energy Master one of the best Pictos available in the game; equipping it promptly is highly advisable.

1 Cheater

Cheating Is So Good

In a turn-based RPG, the ultimate advantage comes from taking consecutive turns, which is precisely what the aptly named Cheater Picto allows. It grants characters the ability to act “twice”in a row.

The quotation marks are essential, as this ability doesn’t function universally. While powerful, distributed effectively across your party, it contains quirks. For instance, if a character has high-speed stats that ordinarily grant them two turns, they won’t enjoy the benefit of four turns; instead, they receive only three.

Nonetheless, the Cheater Picto’s impact cannot be understated. It allows for extraordinary combo possibilities, such as executing Verso’s Steeled Strike immediately without the wait of an entire turn.

When combined with Energy Gain, you effectively accrue AP during battles. Joined with Clea’s Life, you’ll consistently regain full health every turn. The combinations this Picto enables are virtually limitless.

If you haven’t obtained the Cheater Picto yet, make it a priority. Defeating the super boss Sprong, a formidable Nevron located in the ocean of the first region, will grant you this powerful tool.

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