Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Guide: Tips to Defeat The Paintress

The Paintress stands as one of the most formidable challenges in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This boss is notorious for her rapid-fire attack sequences, which can be difficult to predict, and her ability to curse party members, inflicting significant damage. However, with the right preparation, players can turn the tide and emerge victorious. This guide offers essential strategies to ensure you are ready for this tough battle.

Preparing for the Encounter with The Paintress

The Paintress Clair Obscur Expedition 33

Successful preparation starts with selecting the optimal party members and equipping effective skills. The following sections will delve into ideal party compositions and skill sets to maximize your chances of defeating The Paintress.

Optimal Party Composition

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Paintress Prep

For this encounter, the perfect trio is Maelle, Verso, and Sciel. Not only are they among the strongest characters available, but their abilities synergize exceptionally well when paired with the right skills.

Sciel’s Foretell skill enhances damage output on The Paintress over time, while Verso’s Perfection system contributes to a powerful attack synergy. Additionally, Maelle can inflict Burn on The Paintress, causing extra damage for each turn that passes.

Essential Skills

Best skills for The Paintress Clair Obscur Expedition 33

Equipping the right skills is vital for your party’s success against The Paintress. Below is a detailed table outlining the recommended skills for each character:

Party Member	Skills	Description
Maelle	Pyrolysis	Inflicts severe Fire damage in three hits, applying 5 Burn per hit. Can add additional Burn on offensive stance.
	Rain of Fire	Causes medium Fire damage in two hits, applying 3 Burn per hit and more on defensive stance.
	Degagement	Deals low Fire damage in one hit, weakening the target to Fire for two turns.
	Fury Flows	Delivers high single-target Physical damage in three hits. Can maintain Virtuose stance and break an enemy.
Towards	Speed Burst	Inflicts high Light damage in five hits, with damage increased by the speed differential.
	From Fire	Delivers medium damage in three hits, healing herself if the target is Burning.
	Burden	Transfers all status effects from allies to Verso and gains a Rank boost.
	Berserk Slash	Causes medium Physical damage in three hits, increasing for each health shortfall Verso has.
Sciel	Grim Harvest	Medium Dark damage in one hit, healing allies by 30% Health, with enhanced healing per Foretell consumed.
	Plentiful Harvest	Medium Physical damage in two hits, bestowing AP to a party member for each Foretell consumed.
	Sealed Fate	High damage output in 5 to 7 hits, each hit may consume 1 Foretell for increased damage.
	Final Path	Extreme Dark damage in one hit, applying 10 Foretell and capable of breaking an enemy.

Feel free to customize with your favorite skills in the remaining slots for each member. The skills listed above were critical to my success against The Paintress, and this guide will elaborate on their effectiveness in the upcoming sections.

Understanding The Paintress’ Attack Patterns

The Paintress Attack Breakdown Clair Obscur Expedition 33

Before strategizing to defeat The Paintress, it’s crucial to comprehend her attack patterns and how to respond effectively.

The First Phase

The Paintress First Phase Clair Obscur Expedition 33

While the initial phase may seem less daunting than the subsequent one, it still presents significant threats. Be prepared for five distinct attack patterns:

Attack Phrase Indicator	Description	Action
“The Paintress summons Void meteors”	Seven meteors rain down, targeting individual party members.	Parry
“The Paintress performs a Gradient Attack”	A forward lunge followed by a slam attacks from a created orb.	Gradient Parry
“The Paintress throws Chroma Waves”	Four light waves attack in sequence, the last with a slight delay.	Parry
“The Paintress scatters Chroma”	A giant black orb detonates multiple times, targeting the party.	Parry
“The Paintress manipulates Rocks from the Monolith”	Three rocks are launched at the party members in succession.	Parry

Mastering the timing of each of these attacks and executing precise parries will help you navigate through this initial phase. Familiarization will lead to a more fluid experience as you engage with The Paintress.

The Second Phase

The Paintress Second Phase Attack Breakdown Clair Obscur Expedition 33

The complexity escalates in the second phase, wherein each assault bears heightened damage and requires quick reflexes to avoid or parry.

Attack Phrase Indicator	Description	Action
“The Paintress summons her weapon from her palette.”	She draws a sword from behind her.	No action needed, automatic player turn.
“The Paintress summons a giant brush of light.”	Three sword swings occur with slight delays.	Dodge or Parry
“The Paintress flies into the air”	Delivers five strikes upon one target with varying speeds.	Parry or Dodge
“The Paintress rips reality apart”	Five orbs descend, targeting different members of the party.	Parry
“The Paintress unleashes”	Lunges and swings her sword seven times.	Parry or Dodge
“Corrupted Chroma cascades from the hands of The Paintress”	Inflicts shields on The Paintress and curses the party.	Shoot to remove shields.
“The Paintress attacks from afar”	Releases ground waves followed by beams of light.	Jump to counter the wave, parry the beams.

The second phase presents a more challenging environment. If parrying is not your strong suit, focusing on quick dodges may be the safer option. Mastery over the parrying mechanic will yield significant damage through counters.

The Third Phase

Upon reaching the third phase, The Paintress is not in a combat stance. Instead, she becomes vulnerable and stationary, focusing on healing her party. It is simply a matter of continuing to attack until her health is fully drained—there’s no need for dodging or parrying at this point.

Strategies to Defeat The Paintress

Beating the Paintress in Clair Obscur Expedition 33

To emerge victorious against The Paintress, strategic roles for each party member are imperative.

Maelle’s primary goal involves maximizing the application of Burn via Pyrolyse and Rain of Fire. The use of Degagement is also crucial to weaken The Paintress against fire attacks, amplifying the effects of Burn. The skill Flueret Fury provides solid damage output and aids in keeping Maelle in Virtuose Stance.

With Verso, the focus should be on expediting the accumulation of his Perfection. Skills like Speed Burst and Berserk Slash can rapidly fill the meter due to their multiple hits. Utilize From Fire effectively when The Paintress is Burning to provide healing when Verso is low on health. It’s also essential to deploy Burden to eliminate curses inflicted by The Paintress.

Finally, Sciel’s role is multifaceted as a healer, AP provider, and damage dealer. The Final Path skill serves to apply Foretell, while the skills Grim Harvest, Plentiful Harvest, and Sealed Fate leverage that Foretell for extra benefits. For example:

Sealed Fate: Up to seven hits that can consume Foretell for substantial damage increases.
Grim Harvest: Grants a 30% health heal to the party and boosts healing with consumed Foretell.
Plentiful Harvest: Allocates AP for each point of Foretell consumed.

This synergy allows Sciel to maintain party vitality and enhance skill usage, thus accelerating the downfall of The Paintress.

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