Summary
It hasn’t taken long forClair Obscur: Expedition 33to become a massive hit in both the RPG space and the gaming world as a whole, defining what good turn-based combat should be and demonstrating that a well-crafted world full of life and character doesn’t need a huge team to succeed. Within the game, there is no shortage ofbuild diversity and combat customizationthat can turn certain characters from defensive tanks into aggressive fighters.
Gustave is one of the strongest party members for several reasons. Despite not having a super-broad range of skills to choose from, the power in his kit is pretty hard to match, and a large part of the strength comes from the weapons. Each brings a new set of buffs and tools that can change the course of a fight in no time, and it is a good idea to choose the right weapon for certain situations to make the most of the immense power that each can unlock.
Spoiler Warning: Certain weapon effects are exclusive to Verso and his abilities, but the two share the same set of weapons
Level 20
Parrying gives 2 Perfection instead of 1.
Lanceramis by no means a flashy weapon. Gustave can’t make the most of the abilities like Verso can, but even by itself, it’s a pretty powerful choice that comes withsome scaling that playerswill want to be leveling up anyway. Vitality and agility are two core stats that will be the main focus for any build, so having those be the primary scalers on the weapon makes Gustave hit like a truck, while being able to stay alive.
Existing combos that work around the gauntlet and break mechanics function great, and it’s overall a pretty decent choice for early on in the game. While it might lack in the style department and doesn’t push the character to his limit, he can still pump out some serious damage, and it’s still a great weapon to carry over to Verso on top of the existing power.
Gain 2 Perfection on turn start.
Elemental damage types are an incredibly important part ofExpedition 33,and one of the more powerful of the bunch is Earth. Plenty of enemies in the game have a weakness to it, and when Gustave has a bunch of abilities that function off of his weapon’s element, it’s almost a no-brainer to equipGaulteram, at least until something better comes along.
Strike storm becomes a rock-filled nightmare, and suddenly the overcharge meter is filled in an instant, ready to unleash an insane burst of damage all in one go. The utility might be minimal, but the damage is immense, allowing the player to dish out some serious pain against enemies who would rather stay in the air than set foot on the ground.
Apply Powerless on Counterattack.
Ice is a pretty great element overall that can deliver some pretty high damage across a range of enemies in the world. That power, added to a damage buff that comes from simply counterattacking an opponent, quickly makesCruleramone of the better choices for Gustave, particularly due to his natural ability to deal high bursts of damage in a single turn.
Getting a counterattack can take some getting used to, but once an enemy’s patterns are understood well enough and the player can consistently execute a counter to avoid all the damage, the returning fire can be pretty insane and combining it with the potential damage multiplier from an Ice weakness, and this single weapon can transform the player into a oneshotting machine.
Start battle on Rank B, but 50% Health.
Apply Powerful on Rank B.
Later on in the game, bosses and even basic enemies start to deal some pretty high damage, and the fights can go on for several turns, which makes having some sustain in the party not only useful, but a necessity. Being able to consistently deal damage and restore a decent amount of missing health each time is very valuable and can make certain fights that would otherwise be tricky a quick and easy encounter.
Gustave already has some pretty hefty heals in his base kit, so having even more at the click of a button, especially when the AP runs low, can quickly turn the tide of a battle in the player’s favor. On top of this, the light damage ofDelaramis a nice boon that deals significant hits to a long list of foes, making it a great choice to carry right from the start of the game.
Skills Are Overrated Anyway
Level 4
50% increased damage on Rank D. No damage increase on other ranks.
On Rank D, recover 20% Health with Base Attack.
A core part of the combat inExpedition 33is the usage ofbasic attacks in conjunction with skills. Oftentimes, it can be useful to weave the smaller attacks in between larger abilities, whether to save up for a larger hit afterwards, or to make up for a lack of AP.Abysseramturns basic attacks into high-damaging blows that can actually compete with abilities and are much more consistent.
The weapon can be incredibly powerful when combined with buffs from fellow party members, and by focusing on basic attacks to this extent, players can create quite a devastating character with the right set of Pictos. On top of this, the scaling with both vitality and defense turns Gustave into a pretty beefy tank that can take a lot of punishment, while still keeping up in the damage department.
Bring The Light Back From The Dark
Casting a Light Skill increases the damage of the next Physical Skill cast by 50% and vice versa.
Dealing Light damage with a Skill recovers 3% Health.
Light attacks are a pretty important part of the game, and having that kind of damage in an easily accessible place makes much of the game feel like a breeze.Gustave has plenty of skillsthat can be turned into Light ones with this weapon, and can be a pretty great choice for turning simplistic skills into immensely high damage hits that tear through anything in their path.
While damage is nice, sustain is also great, so the added benefit of having some handy healing attached to every skill associated with light makesDemonamfeel more like a portable hospital than a deadly sword. It’s an overall great addition to any build and shows off its strength later on when that extra damage can start to ramp up.
Play Good And Be Rewarded
Start battle at Rank S, but can’t be Healed or gain Shields.
Level 10
20% increased damage for each consecutive turn without taking damage. Can stack up to 5 times.
Apply Rush on Rank S.
A big part of the game’s combat is the ability to both dodge and parry to nullify all the incoming damage, and if the player can get good enough, they can effectively become immortal and be immune to everything the enemy can throw at them.Chevalamplays into the idea byrewarding the player with a significant boostto their damage, as every turn, that multiplier will continue to grow so long as the player is good enough to keep it up.
After just five turns, which comes around pretty quickly when taking on larger foes, suddenly the player has a sizable buff that now doubles all of their damage, regardless of whether it’s coming from basic attacks or skills. It’s a great weapon to incentivize good play and benefits those who are willing to learn enemy patterns to perfection to fully reap the rewards of the weapon.
Where There Is Light, There Is Fire
An ethereal Sword deals Light damage on any damage dealt with Skills.
Can’t die if at least Rank A.
There is no better weapon to take Gustave’s kit and push it to the maximum thanSimoso. A weapon that will only really be usable in NG+, the sword is absolutely devastating and turns a single skill of any kind into a burst of light that comes with an extra burn on top. The dual elemental potential is a real treat and a great incentive to go into that second playthrough and storm through the world once more.
Light weakness is pretty abundant throughout the world, so being able to repeatedly burst down opponents with a chunk of holiness, as well as igniting them at the same time, really makes Gustave into a killing machine that few other part members can match. The power from the early levels is enough to warrant it, but once it’s leveled up, nothing can touch it in terms of power and awesomeness.
