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Maelle quickly proves herself as a formidable damage dealer right from her arrival in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Throughout the journey, she becomes essential to various strategies, and unlocking her ultimate abilities in Act 3 cements her as the most lethal member of the Expedition.
With her incredible skills, top-notch weapons, and a variety of Luminas available to the team, you can equip Maelle to hit millions in damage within a single turn, making her a significant threat to even the toughest bosses in Clair Obscur. Here’s our favorite build for this deadly fencer.
Best Weapons and Attributes for Maelle
Maelle has a chance to wield arguably the best weapon in the game, so make sure to get it in Act 3 and upgrade it as much as possible. The Lithum, a Void-elemental rapier, can be obtained by climbing the makeshift tower of The Reacher located west of Visages’ Island and defeating Alicia in a duel at the top.
Maelle must face Alicia alone, and her opponent won’t hold back. It’s wise to equip her with Luminas like Solo Fighter and Recovery before reaching the summit.
The Lithum weapon works best with Luck and Agility, so prioritize those attributes before expanding into others. Once both reach 99, give Maelle some added durability by investing in her Defense and Vitality; otherwise, she risks becoming an easy target after a missed parry.
Lithum Weapon Traits (Level 20+)
- When Maelle is in Virtuose Stance, hitting Marked enemies does not remove the Mark.
- Maelle automatically enters Virtuose Stance after a successful counterattack.
- Maelle gains Shell automatically upon exiting Virtuose Stance.
Having other team members set Marks for Maelle to take advantage of can be beneficial. Monoco’s Chapelier Slash applies Mark to all enemies, making it a smart choice for this purpose.
Best Skills for Maelle
Even if you focus on leveling up for Skill Points, Maelle’s top abilities stay locked until Act 3. Once she unlocks them, she can handle most regular encounters on her own.
Phantom Strike is perfect for taking out groups, inflicting heavy Void damage across multiple enemies. For bosses and tougher foes, it serves as an excellent opener for clearing away minions.
For single enemies, starting with Pyrolyse maximizes damage and stacks several Burn effects, then following up with Burning Canvas increases the damage even more. Transitioning to Virtuose Stance between turns using a counter may provide additional benefits.
Gustave’s Homage is a strong finisher and a costly option to enter Virtuose Stance. Remember, this is a Lightning elemental attack, which might not align with Maelle’s typical abilities, so consider enemy resistances.
The last two slots in her setup should accommodate utility Skills. Breaking Rules effectively breaks through enemy Shields for only 3 AP, making it the most reliable attack for this purpose, while Fleuret Fury allows Maelle to break enemies when their gauges are full while maintaining her Virtuose Stance.
Best Luminas for Maelle
Like many late-game builds, Maelle’s preferred Lumina configuration can get pricey. It’s important to balance her Pictos with the rest of the party, sharing the more expensive skills to ensure everyone gains access to their essential abilities.
The Basics
Start by equipping Maelle with Luminas that all party members should have:
- Cheater
- Painted Power
- Dead Energy
- Sweet Kill
- Energising Start 1
- Energising Turn
These Luminas help maintain her Health and AP while giving her an edge in late-game battles through extra turns and removing damage caps.
Damage Boosters
Most of Maelle’s Luminas should aim to boost her damage output, enhancing both her Burn effects and her Skills and Counters.
Adding Double Burn is essential for Maelle, and since it’s less crucial for other characters, you can make it a Pictos on her to save 30 Lumina Points. Pair it with Burn Affinity for more damage against Burning foes, but skip Critical Burn; at 99 Luck, Maelle won’t need the extra help landing crits.
Second Chance might be too costly for Maelle, but using it along with Burning Death can be a fun tactic with Double Burn.
Full Strength, Auto Powerful, and Augmented First Strike help Maelle start battles strong, and acquiring as many Augmented Counter Luminas as possible makes her even deadlier on defense as long as you can effectively parry. Roulette combines with her existing buffs to propel her damage into the millions.
Synergy Luminas
Since Lithum allows Maelle to buff herself with Shell, Luminas that interact with that status effect are particularly useful. Longer Shell and Powerful On Shell cost 10 LP each, augmenting Maelle’s damage while extending her survivability.
Because Lithum permits Maelle to exploit Marks without removing them, and Gustave’s Homage gains increased benefits when hitting Marked Targets, Rewarding Mark is a great choice to mitigate the high AP cost of this Skill.
Healing Parry helps keep Maelle at full Health, maintaining Full Strength and saving the rest of the team from spending their turns ensuring your damage dealer stays alive.
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