Pictos are an important building block of your character’s power, so getting the best ones is practically mandatory. So, we have compiled a list of the top 8 Pictos and Luminas in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that the community deems the best and that practically all of your characters should have.
In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you can choose up to three Pictos for each of your characters. Each Pictos is unique, meaning that only one of your characters can benefit from them, unless you “unlock” its Lumina power, when it becomes available for all. And choosing the right combo of these Pictos can mean the difference between a victory and a defeat. However, some of the Lumina powers are so good that practically every character should have them. Let’s see what the fans think is the best.
Top 8 Best Pictos and Luminas in Clair Obscur Expedition 33, According to the Fans
There are a lot of things to worry about in Clair Obscur. From your regular stats, like Health and Armor, to timing Dodges and Parries (so you can perform those awesome counterattacks), damage that you can do, and more. All the damage in the world will not save you if you get downed in one hit, and vice versa, surviving indefinitely while doing little to no damage is hardly the way to go. In any case, we have singled out eight top Pictos/Lumina that every character will definitely benefit from. Remember that these are the thoughts of the general community, and naturally, your own experiences and thoughts may differ.
Note: We will try to keep the list as spoiler-free as possible, that’s why some locations are a bit vague.
1. Painted Power
Hands down, the most useful Pictos of them all. In Clair Obscur, your damage is capped at 9.999, which is all well and good up to a point. In the later game, especially Act 3, you will need a pit more punch, and that is where Painted Power comes in. This Pictos removed the damage limit from your attacks, allowing you to make some insane combos and actually deal some serious damage to end-game bosses. So, a must-have.
How to get Painted Power: As a “story-reward” near the end of Act 2.
2. Cheater
Without sugarcoating it, Cheater allows you to play a second time each turn. Truly, the sneakiest of all powers, it basically doubles your output, be it heals, buffs, or damage. And let’s not forget that your character can “set themselves up” for some crazy combos, like performing a basic attack, getting that additional AP, proc a “on hit” ability, and then unleashing a powerful skill. The possibilities become endless.
How to get Cheater: As a reward for defeating Sprong (the massive Nevron standing in the water between Crimson Forest and Blade’s Graveyard).
3. Survivor or Second Chance
Well, you lose battles by having all your characters downed, so doing anything to prevent that is the way to go. This is where Survivor and Second Chance Pictos come into play. They both stop your character from dropping, once per game.
Survivor turns a fatal hit into one that drops you to 1HP, allowing you to come back, or do that final strike and win the fight. The better (and “pricier”, in Lumina points) version is Second Chance, which automatically revives the character with full health, the first time they are downed. Both will keep you around longer and prevent enemies from one-shotting you, so it is no wonder that everyone recommends them.
How to get Survivor: Purchased from the Grandis Merchant, in Monoco Station, after completing its quest.
How to get Second Chance: As a “story-reward” near the end of Act 2.
4. Energizing Start
AP management is what wins you battles, and missing that single point of AP at the crucial moment can run your whole combo setup and turn your victory into a defeat. So, the more AP, the better, in any situation. Energizing Start is not one, but four Pictos that all do the same thing. You can stack them, and each costs more Lumina than the one before it. And, they all grant the same benefit: you start the battle with one more AP.
How to get Energizing Start I: North of the Gestral Village area on the map.
How to get Energizing Start II: In the caves within the Sanctuary Maze area.
How to get Energizing Start III: At the end of the path leading out of Esquie’s Nest.
How to get Energizing Start IV: In the trench in the Forgotten Battlefield area.
5. Teamwork
Teamwork makes the dream work, and that is especially true in Clair Obscur. Most of the time, you’re trying to have your whole team alive and active in the fight, and Teamwork will get you some extra bonuses for doing so. Specifically, Teamwork increases your damage output by 10% if all of your characters and alive. That is what you are trying to do anyway, so why not get a handy bonus for doing so? This is only irrelevant if you are gunning for the “Lone Wolf” build.
How to get Teamwork: Purchased from a Merchant in Yellow Harvest.
6. Dead Energy
As previously mentioned, getting more AP is always good. Dead Energy gives your character three AP points after defeating an enemy. Even though you are only fighting three opponents at the most, free AP points are always good. And the best part is that this Lumina power is pretty cheap to have. Note that there are two separate Dead Energy Pictos, with both providing the same benefit, meaning they are stackable.
How to get Dead Energy I: Near the Dark Shores entrance on the world map.
How to get Dead Energy II: Near the exit of the cave with Jar in Spring Meadows, the first area.
7. Energizing Parry
Getting good at Dodging and Parrying is an important skill in the game. Dodges are safer of the two, but Parries give you AP and a chance to do a powerful Counterattack. Parrying is how you can get some AP back quickly, and Energizing Parry will turn that +1 AP per Parry into +2 AP per Parry. This will allow you to use those high-cost Skills more often, as it practically doubles the AP gain.
How to get Energizing Parry: As a reward for defeating the Chromatic Luster in the Forgotten Battlefield area.
8. Dodger
Our personal favorite, Dodger, gives you an AP when you make the Perfect Dodge. Simple as that. It is a neat way of getting some extra AP while remaining relatively safe. Perfect for farming those AP while trying to learn the attack patterns of your enemies, so you can Parry more confidently.
How to get Dodger: As a reward for defeating the Porter in Act 1.
And there you have it, the top 8 best Pictos/Lunima powers, according to the players. No doubt that the players have their own personal favorites, and this list is simply what is generally recommended by the majority. Tomorrow comes!
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