Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG with a deep combat system, and Pictos are key to making your characters stronger. Pictos are accessories that give stat boosts and special abilities called Luminas, which you unlock after winning four battles with a Picto equipped. You can then use these Luminas on any character with enough Lumina Points. This guide lists the best Pictos to help you dominate battles, with simple tips for early, mid, and late game.
Warning: This guide has spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Read only if you’re past Act 2 or don’t mind story details.
What Are Pictos?
Pictos give your characters extra stats (like Health or Speed) and a unique ability. Each character can equip up to three Pictos. After mastering a Picto (four battle wins), its ability becomes a Lumina that anyone can use without equipping the Picto, as long as you have Lumina Points. With over 190 Pictos in the game, picking the best ones is crucial for strong builds.
Also Read: Best Lune Build Guide in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Best Pictos for All Stages
Early Game (Act 1 – Spring Meadows, Flying Waters)
These Pictos help you survive and fight better early on:
- Dodger (1 Lumina Point)
- Effect: Gain 1 AP per Perfect Dodge (once per turn).
- Why It’s Great: Extra AP lets you use skills faster. Perfect for Gustave, who needs AP for strong moves.
- How to Get: Found after recruiting Lune and beating Portier in Spring Meadows.
- Tip: Master this early to use as a Lumina on all characters.
- Cleansing Tint (5 Lumina Points)
- Effect: Healing removes status effects like Burn.
- Why It’s Great: Saves you from using separate items to cure status effects, keeping your team healthy.
- How to Get: Found in Spring Meadows, near the exit of the first dungeon.
- Tip: Equip on Lune for her healing skills.
- Dead Energy (3 Lumina Points)
- Effect: Gain 3 AP when you defeat an enemy.
- Why It’s Great: Awesome for fights with multiple enemies, giving you AP to keep attacking.
- How to Get: Found in Spring Meadows by exploring paths.
- Tip: Use on Verso or Maelle when clearing groups of enemies.
- Mid Game (Act 2 – Stone Wave Cliffs, Sacred River)
These Pictos boost damage and survival for tougher fights:
- Double Burn (8 Lumina Points)
- Effect: Apply a second Burn stack when you add one.
- Why It’s Great: Doubles Burn damage, perfect for Maelle or Lune’s fire skills like Rain of Fire or Immolation.
- How to Get: Found in Sacred River or as a boss drop in Act 2.
- Tip: Pair with Lune’s skills to stack Burn fast in the Act 2 boss fight.
- Attack Lifesteal (10 Lumina Points)
- Effect: Recover 15% HP when using a basic attack.
- Why It’s Great: Helps fragile characters like Sciel stay alive without wasting turns on healing.
- How to Get: Found in Flying Waters or bought from a Gestral Merchant in Sacred River (after defeating them).
- Tip: Equip on Sciel to keep her attacking safely.
- Survivor (15 Lumina Points)
- Effect: Survive a fatal hit with 1 HP (once per battle).
- Why It’s Great: Acts as a safety net for tough battles, letting you recover from big hits.
- How to Get: Exchange 98,000 Chromas with Grandis at Monoco’s Station.
- Tip: Use on any character to avoid sudden defeats.
- Late Game (Act 3 – The Monolith, Lumiere)
These Pictos are must-haves for endgame bosses:
- Painted Power (5 Lumina Points)
- Effect: Removes the 9,999 damage cap, letting you deal millions of damage.
- Why It’s Great: Essential for Act 3, where bosses have huge HP. Boosts all characters’ damage, especially Maelle or Verso.
- How to Get: Automatically gained after defeating The Paintress at Monolith Peak in Act 3.
- Tip: Unlock its Lumina ASAP and equip on everyone.
- Cheater (20 Lumina Points)
- Effect: Lets a character act twice in a row.
- Why It’s Great: Doubles your actions, letting you buff, heal, or attack more. Amazing for setting up big combos.
- How to Get: Defeat the optional boss Sprong in the water southwest of Blades’ Graveyard (needs Esquie’s swim ability).
- Tip: Equip on Maelle or Sciel for devastating turns.
- Gradient Fighter (5 Lumina Points)
- Effect: Increases Gradient Attack damage by 25%.
- Why It’s Great: Boosts powerful Gradient Attacks, like Maelle’s or Sciel’s, for massive damage against endgame bosses.
- How to Get: Found in Lumiere or as a boss drop in Act 3.
- Tip: Use on characters with Gradient Attacks, like Sciel or Maelle.
- Second Chance (30 Lumina Points)
- Effect: Revives a character with 100% HP (once per battle).
- Why It’s Great: Saves your team from wipes, especially in brutal endgame fights.
- How to Get: Defeat Renoir at Tower Peak in The Monolith.
- Tip: Equip on Lune or Monoco for emergency revives.
Also Read: Verso Build Guide for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Simple Tips
- Master Pictos Early: Fight four battles with each Picto to unlock its Lumina, then equip it on all characters for maximum effect.
- Mix and Match: Combine Pictos for synergy. For example, use Double Burn with Gradient Fighter for Maelle’s fire-based Gradient Attacks.
- Focus on AP: Pictos like Dodger, Dead Energy, and Energy Master (found by defeating Serpenthare near Coastal Cave) keep your AP high for more skills.
- Check Merchants: Buy strong Pictos like Energising Parry (170,975 Chromas from Grour at Renoir’s Drafts) after winning duels.
- Explore Everywhere: Find Pictos in Paint Cages, on the ground, or from bosses. Check Spring Meadows, Flying Waters, and Lumiere for hidden ones.
Final Thoughts
The best Pictos in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 make your team unstoppable. Start with Dodger and Cleansing Tint in Act 1, grab Double Burn and Survivor in Act 2, and use Painted Power, Cheater, and Gradient Fighter in Act 3 for massive damage.
Master these Pictos to unlock their Luminas and experiment with builds to crush bosses. With these, you’ll conquer the toughest fights in Reveria!
