Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Best Pictos & Lumina

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This guide covers the best Pictos and Lumina abilities for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, categorized by Act. As the game progresses, the usefulness of certain abilities changes, and you'll have more Lumina Points (LP) to spend.

Best Act I Pictos and Lumina

In Act I, you'll have limited Lumina Points and access to lower-quality Pictos. However, some early-game abilities are crucial for success. The following table lists recommended Pictos and Lumina for Act I, along with their stats and locations:

Name	Location	Stats	Ability
First Strike	Stone Wave Cliffs - Entrance: After going through the pot you’ll reach an area with scythe enemies. Keep going and look for some ledges you can climb on your right	Speed +41, Crit Rate 10%	Play first
Energising Start I	World Map - North of Gestral Village, requires Esquie	Health +320	Get +1 AP at the start of battle
Energising Start II	Ancient Sanctuary - Sanctuary Maze: Go right from the flag, and right again to reach an open area, climb the wall to the left to find it at the end	Health +175	Gain +1 AP at battle start
Energising Start III	Esquie’s Nest: After giving him the rock, he knocks a pillar down, take that all the way back to the entrance to find it on a ledge	Health +320	Get +1 AP at the start of battle
First Offensive	Abbest Cave - Defeat the Chromatic enemy there	Speed + 75, Crit Rate 13%	First hit dealt and taken deals 50% more damage
Teamwork	Yellow Harvest - Harvester’s Hollow Trader	Health +216, Defense +71	10% increased damage while all allies are alive
Augmented First Strike	Esquie’s Nest - Dropped from Francois	Speed +51, Crit Rate 5%	50% Increased damage on the first hit once per battle
Augmented Aim	Flying Waters - Noco’s Hot: There are some blocks you can jump on to climb on top of a pillar. From there, teleport over two ledges to find the item	Speed +21, Crit Rate 4%, Level 3	50% increased Free Aim damage
Breaker	Ancient Sanctuary Boss drop	Speed +26, Crit Rate 9%	25% Increased Break Damage
Solo Fighter	Hidden Gestalt Area - Defeat all four opponents	Health +168, Defense +50	Deal 50% more damage if fighting alone
Augmented Counter I	Flying Waters - Coral Cave: After you see the giant monster in the background, keep going and climb the first wall, then look for a path on the right that leads to an optional battle against Bourgeon, who drops this	Health + 90, Crit Rate 4%	25% increased counter attack damage
Dead Energy II	Spring Meadows - Abandoned Expedition Camp: When you go outside, take the path on the right (instead of going down and toward the flares)	Speed +4, Crit Rate 9%	Get +3 AP on killing an enemy
Dodger	Spring Meadows: Dropped in first battle with Lune	Speed + 12, Crit Rate 3%	Gain 1 AP on perfect dodge, once per turn

Key Act I Abilities Explained

First Strike

Costing 10 LP, First Strike is highly useful, especially in Act III where enemies often act first regardless of Agility. If you focus on dealing damage early, this ability can mitigate enemy threats. It synergizes well with the Cheater Pictos found in Act III.

Energising Start

The Energising Start Pictos are valuable throughout the game. Each copy grants +1 AP at the start of battle, with costs ranging from 5-15 LP for I-III (a IV exists later). Equipping multiple Energising Start abilities, especially when combined with First Strike, can lead to quick victories.

First Offensive

This ability boosts your first-turn damage by 50% for only 5 LP. The trade-off is taking 50% increased damage on the first hit, which can be risky if you struggle with parrying or dodging. Despite the risk, it's a significant damage boost for a low cost.

Teamwork

At a low cost of 5 LP, Teamwork provides a 10% damage increase when all party members are alive. This should be the constant goal, making the ability a consistent benefit.

Augmented First Strike

Further enhancing first-turn damage, Augmented First Strike increases the first hit's damage by 50% for 5 LP. Note that this bonus applies only to the first hit of multi-hit attacks.

Augmented Aim

For 3 LP, Augmented Aim increases Free Aim Shot damage by 50%. This is particularly useful against flying enemies and is recommended for all characters throughout the game.

Breaker

Breaker increases Break damage by 25%, which is effective for stunning enemies, especially bosses and in optional encounters, allowing for greater damage output.