Summary
WhileClair Obscur: Expedition 33ispredominantly a party-based game, there are multiple instances throughout the story where players will need to select one champion and send them forth in a 1v1 duel. Luckily, each character in the Expedition has a great deal of versatility, letting them adapt and fill multiple roles, even taking on fights on their own.
There isn’t really a bad choice for solo combat. Any of thecharacterscan do very well, particularly if players are on the ball with parries and dodges. But some characters are more efficient in one-on-one fights than others,especially if they’re equipped well. Here are some of the best picks for solo fights.
6Gustave
A Thunderous Fighter
Gustave is the first character players get to control inClair Obscur, and they’ll even beforced into some solo fights early onas they learn the ropes of combat. Gustave is a potent character, charging up his devastating Overcharge move through successful attacks and parries. If it’s charged enough, this move can often end a solo fight on its own, or at least Break a foe and set it up for even more damage.
The only thing holding Gustave back is the need to charge up his Overcharge move, which can take a few turns and consume quite a bit of AP. In the early game, if players aren’t yet confident in their parrying skills, AP can be hard to come by, especially in solo fights where there are no allies to support Gustave. Luckily, Gustave also has access to some powerful healing skills, which can help him outlast his rival in difficult solo fights.
5Sciel
Try Your Luck
Sciel can be an extremely powerful character, but she’s also one of the most complicated on the roster. Her moves rely onbuilding up Foretell charges in Sun mode, then consuming them in Moon mode to enter Twilight and deal even more damage. This process is somewhat more intuitive than it sounds, and once players get into the right rhythm, they can dish out a lot of punishment.
Sciel is a somewhat risky character for solo fights, but she can be a rewarding one. The challenge comes in building up enough Foretell charges to set up Sciel’s strongest moves, which can be a bit tricky when there aren’t any other allies to keep the foe distracted. With reliable self-healing moves like Harvest, though, Sciel can hold her own just fine in a one-on-one fight.
4Monoco
Monoco is the last party member players will recruit inClair Obscur, and he’s one of the strangest. Monoco gets all of hisskills from defeating enemies, and these skills can be upgraded based on the player’s position on a wheel that spins whenever he uses one. With the right moves, Monoco can be a real powerhouse, but players will need to go out and hunt for the creatures to give him that edge.
In a solo fight, Monoco can dish out some serious damage, but only if the wheel spins in his favor. Monoco is also a very AP-hungry character, so if his opponent is difficult to parry, he could run out easily, and find himself unable to capitalize on a desirable wheel selection. Still, with the right spread of moves, Monoco can plow through these obstacles and serve as a solid and reliable solo fighter.
3Verso
Strength and Style
Verso joins the party in act 2, and hisfighting style is incredibly potent, if somewhat demanding. The more damage Verso dishes out, the higher his Rank will become, graduating from D all the way up to S and increasing his damage as it goes. However, taking damage will lower his rank, making it a struggle to avoid damage and parry as much as possible. This makes Verso a somewhat risky choice for solo fights. With no allies for the enemy to focus on, Verso will struggle to mitigate damage and keep his rank up.
Luckily, Verso has enough versatility to make up for this risk. Many of his moves deal upgraded damage at certain ranks, giving him potent options even at ranks like C and B. He has reliable healing moves like Perfect Recovery to keep him on his feet against more punishing opponents, and he can equip powerful weapons like Dualiso to give him even more of an edge and churn through ranks quickly. Verso is also one of the best party members at Breaking opponents, which will buy him even more free turns in a duel.
2Lune
Master of the Elements
Lune is one of the most versatile characters on the roster. Her mastery of elemental magic gives her awide suite of moves to choose from, and the Stain mechanic lets her set up elaborate combos in order to enhance her other moves. She’s also one of the best party members at applying Burn to foes. This is particularly valuable for solo fights, as the damage over time from Burn helps Lune make up for the missing damage from her allies.
Lune is also one of the best healers in the game, so even if a solo fight isn’t going her way, she can bounce right back and stay on her toes. The only downside is that Lune needs a lot of AP to fuel her various spells, which can be hard to come by in solo fights. Luckily, moves like Thermal Transfer can keep her fueled up and capable of dishing out some potent spells to bring her rivals to their knees.
1Maelle
Duelist Par Excellence
Maelle is the youngest member of Expedition 33, and arguably the most powerful. Her variety of stances give her a wealth of buffs as long as she constantly swaps around, and her moveset is full of powerful single-target moves that can put a swift end to any one-on-one fight. Maelle also has access to a variety of powerful Burn moves, which let her further whittle down enemy health bars while also giving her an easy path into Virtuose Stance using Swift Stride.
In early solo fights, it can take a few turns toset Maelle up for maximum damage. Typically, players will want to get her into Virtuose mode as soon as possible, while making sure they’ve saved enough AP for Maelle’s strongest moves to capitalize on the massive damage buff. It can be a bit of a struggle to keep her alive long enough to line up her shots, especially in the early game. Later abilities, however, give Maelle the potential to end a fight before it even begins.
