Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Sandfall Interactive’s visually stunning turn-based RPG, has captivated players with its haunting narrative, innovative combat, and challenging bosses. Set in the surreal world of the Canvas, the game’s Act 3 introduces some of the most formidable foes, none more daunting than Clea, a secret boss lurking in the Flying Manor. Known for her relentless Nevron summons, punishing combos, and massive health regeneration, Clea tests even the most skilled players with her demand for near-perfect parry timing. Yet, a devastating strategy has emerged that allows players to defeat Clea quickly—sometimes in a single hit—transforming this grueling battle into a swift victory. This article dives into how to locate and obliterate Clea in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 using a high-damage Maelle-focused build, detailing the setup, execution, and why this approach is a game-changer for tackling one of the game’s hardest fights.

The Challenge: Why Clea Is So Formidable

Clea, one of three secret bosses in Act 3, is a pinnacle of Clair Obscur’s combat design. Found in the Flying Manor—a floating island accessible only after unlocking Esquie’s flight ability—she’s a painted doppelganger of a key lore figure whose Nevrons have plagued Expedition 33 throughout the story. The battle, recommended for levels 75-90, is a brutal test of precision. Clea summons a variety of Nevrons to unleash complex, multi-hit combos, ranging from three to seven attacks, each requiring specific parries or jumps to counter. If any attack lands, Clea regenerates approximately 600,000 HP, undoing significant progress and prolonging the fight. At 50% health, she introduces new attack patterns, and at 33%, she summons a Bourgeon that can devour a party member, leaving you shorthanded. Her weakness to Void damage offers a glimmer of hope, but her erratic combos and health regeneration make traditional strategies a slog.

The key to beating Clea quickly lies in bypassing her mechanics entirely. Instead of enduring her combos and mastering parry timings, players can leverage a specialized build to deal millions of damage in one hit, ending the fight before her Nevrons can overwhelm the party. This approach, centered on Maelle’s Gradient Attack, exploits the game’s systems to deliver a nuclear strike, making Clea’s daunting reputation irrelevant.

Locating Clea: Unlocking the Flying Manor

Before you can face Clea, you must reach her atelier in the Flying Manor, a process that requires preparation and combat prowess:

Prerequisites: Progress through Act 3 until Esquie regains his flight ability, typically after completing major story beats around level 70. Ensure your party is at least level 75, though 85-90 is ideal for the one-shot strategy.
Getting to Flying Manor: Fly to the Floating Manor, located centrally on the map between the Forgotten Battlefield and Monoco’s Station. Land in the Central Plaza, where a Young Boy stands among four glass cases.
Unlocking the Fight: Defeat four Nevron mini-bosses to open Clea’s door:

Lampmaster: Accessible via the left elevator, weak to Fire damage.
Eveque Trio (Flame, Frost, Thunder): Found via the right elevator, each weak to opposing elements (e.g., Flame to Ice).
Goblu: Reached by climbing a rock wall on the left, weak to Break damage.
Dualliste: Accessed via floating picture frames on the right, requiring precise parry timing.

Final Step: After defeating all four, the glass cases light up, and the door behind the Young Boy unlocks. Interact with the door, ignoring its warnings, to trigger a cutscene and begin the battle.

Equip your party with maxed-out weapons and Pictos before entering, as Clea’s fight demands optimal gear. Speaking to the Young Boy after the fight also unlocks Clea’s dress for one female character (Lune, Sciel, or Maelle), a cosmetic reward you can claim multiple times by revisiting him at teleport points.

The One-Shot Strategy: Building the Boss Melter

The fastest way to defeat Clea is to one-shot her using Maelle’s Level 3 Gradient Attack, Gommage, in Virtuose Stance, amplified by Sciel’s buffs and Void damage synergy. This build can deal 25-35 million damage, far exceeding Clea’s health pool, and requires careful setup but minimal execution time. Here’s how to do it:

Party Composition

Maelle: The primary damage dealer, equipped for maximum Void damage and critical chance.
Sciel: The support, used to apply buffs and control turn order.
Third Member: Optional, but Monoco is recommended for additional Void damage via his Creation Void Skill. Alternatively, use Lune for elemental flexibility or Gustave for Break synergy.

Gear and Attributes

Maelle’s Gear:

Weapon: Equip Medalum (Maelle’s endgame weapon, found in Act 3’s Lumiere Gardens) or Lithum (available in Flying Manor), both boosting Void damage. Max upgrade for +% critical damage.
Pictos: Equip Clea’s Life (rewarded post-fight, but farmable in NG+ or other Act 3 areas) for full HP restoration on extra turns, and Cheater (found in Renoir’s Drafts) for a 50% chance of a second turn. Add Painted Power (unlocked late in Act 3) to remove the 9,999 damage cap.
Lumina: Use Anti-Stun (from Crimson Forest) to prevent stun lock if parries fail, and Virtuoso (from Monoco’s Station) to boost damage in Virtuose Stance by 200% when HP is above 80%.

Sciel’s Gear:

Weapon: Any staff with +% spell damage, maxed out.
Pictos: Equip Cheater and First Strike (from Forgotten Battlefield) to ensure Sciel acts first.
Lumina: Use Fortune’s Fury (from The Crows) to boost Maelle’s critical chance and Marking Shots (from Spring Meadows) to apply Marked status for extra damage.

Monoco’s Gear (if used):

Weapon: Equip a Void-focused weapon like Noire’s Blade (from Monoco’s quest).
Pictos: Use Creation Void (from Renoir’s Drafts or Lumiere Gardens) for high Void damage.
Lumina: Add Anti-Stun for safety.

Attributes: Max Maelle’s Strength and Critical Chance (aim for 500+ Strength, 50%+ crit). Boost Sciel’s Intelligence for spell potency (300+). Ensure Monoco has 200+ Strength for Void synergy.

Skill Setup

Maelle:

Gommage (Level 3 Gradient Attack): Deals massive Void damage, costing 3 Gradient Charges.
Last Chance: Restores AP for skill spam.
Phantom Strike: Builds Gradient Charges quickly.
Virtuose Stance: Activates Virtuoso Lumina for 200% damage boost.

Sciel:

Rush: Increases party turn frequency.
Marked: Applies Marked status to Clea, boosting Maelle’s damage.
Fortune’s Fury: Enhances Maelle’s critical chance.

Monoco (optional):

Creation Void: Deals heavy Void damage to exploit Clea’s weakness.
Stalact Punches: Builds Break meter for crowd control.

Preparation

Level: Aim for 85-90 to ensure high stats and maxed gear. Level 87 is optimal for one-shot consistency.
Consumables: Stock Chroma Elixirs (health potions) and Revive Tints (revival items), restocked at Expedition Flags.
Turn Order: Remove all party members except Sciel, then re-add Maelle to ensure Sciel acts first, followed by Maelle, before Clea’s turn. This leverages First Strike for turn advantage.

Executing the One-Shot

With the setup complete, the fight is over in moments:

Sciel’s Turn: Cast Marked on Clea to increase damage taken, then use Fortune’s Fury on Maelle to boost critical chance. If AP allows, cast Rush to speed up party turns.
Maelle’s Turn: Activate Virtuose Stance to trigger Virtuoso’s 200% damage buff. Use Last Chance to restore AP, then cast Phantom Strike to build 3 Gradient Charges. Finally, unleash Gommage with perfect timing (nail the QTE if auto-QTE is off) to deal 25-35 million Void damage, one-shotting Clea before she summons Nevrons.
Fallback (if needed): If the one-shot fails (e.g., low crit), Monoco can use Creation Void to deal additional Void damage. Parry Clea’s first combo (a 3-hit single-target attack) to prevent her 600,000 HP heal. Use Chroma Elixirs to heal and retry the combo.

This strategy bypasses Clea’s mechanics—no need to parry her 5-7 hit combos, counter her Bourgeon, or endure her health regeneration. The fight ends in one turn, earning the Clea achievement (25 Gamerscore) and unlocking Clea’s Life Pictos, which restore full HP on extra turns if undamaged.

Backup Strategy: Outdamaging Clea

If the one-shot build isn’t feasible (e.g., lower level or missing gear), you can still beat Clea quickly by outdamaging her healing:

Party: Use Maelle, Sciel, and Monoco, equipped with Void-focused weapons and Anti-Stun Lumina.
Tactics:

Parry Focus: Parry all Nevron attacks to prevent Clea’s 600,000 HP heal. Her combos include:

3-hit single-target: Parry all three (Chalier-based, fast timing).
7-hit party-wide: Alternate parry (Chalier) and jump (Stalact) for six hits, parry the final Stalact.
5-hit single-target: Parry four slashes, parry the fifth Troubadour hit.
4-hit single-target: Parry three similar-timed hits, parry the delayed Hexga hit.
6-hit agile: Parry four quick hits, parry two delayed hits.
6-hit tricky: Parry four quick hits, jump the fifth, parry the sixth.
5-hit deep: Parry two quick double-hits, parry the slow Bourgeon slam.

Damage: Spam Maelle’s Phantom Strike and Monoco’s Creation Void to exploit Clea’s Void weakness. Use Sciel’s Rush and Marked to amplify damage.
Break Meter: Build Clea’s Break meter with Gustave’s Overcharge (if subbed in) or Monoco’s Stalact Punches, then trigger Break to stun her, preventing summons and boosting damage.

Consumables: Use Revive Tints if a party member falls to the Bourgeon’s devour attack at 33% HP.

This approach takes 2-3 turns with a level 80+ party, dealing 5-10 million damage per round to outpace Clea’s healing, ending the fight in under a minute with solid parry skills.

Why This Strategy Shines

The one-shot Maelle build is a revelation because it trivializes one of Clair Obscur’s hardest fights. Clea’s design demands perfection, with her health regeneration and escalating combos punishing even minor mistakes. By leveraging Maelle’s Gommage, Sciel’s buffs, and Void damage, players can skip the learning curve of her attack patterns, making the fight accessible without sacrificing its thrill. The build’s reliance on late-game gear like Medalum and Cheater ensures it’s balanced for Act 3, rewarding players who’ve invested in exploration and upgrades. The visual payoff—Maelle’s Gommage unleashing a Void-fueled explosion—is as satisfying as the victory itself, with the Canvas’s painterly aesthetic amplifying the moment.

This strategy also highlights Clair Obscur’s depth, where creative builds can overcome even the toughest challenges. The ability to one-shot a boss as imposing as Clea feels like mastering the game’s systems, blending preparation, synergy, and execution into a single, devastating blow. The backup parry-focused strategy ensures players at lower levels or with less optimized gear can still succeed, maintaining the game’s accessibility.

Tips for Success

Farm Gear: Explore Renoir’s Drafts and Lumiere Gardens for Cheater, Painted Power, and Void weapons. Max out weapon upgrades at Gestral Village smiths.
Practice QTEs: If not using auto-QTE, practice Gommage’s timing in easier fights to ensure maximum damage.
Rest at Flags: Use Expedition Flags to restock consumables and retry if the one-shot fails.
Level Up: Grind in Flying Manor’s mini-boss chambers for XP if under level 85. Each Nevron boss yields significant experience.
Save First: Save before entering Clea’s atelier, as the fight’s cutscene locks you in.

The Bigger Picture

Clea’s boss fight is a microcosm of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s brilliance—challenging mechanics, rich lore, and rewarding creativity. As a secret boss, she ties into the game’s narrative, revealing details about the Canvas’s fractured world and the Dessendre family’s tragedy. Defeating her quickly with this build doesn’t diminish her impact; it showcases the game’s flexibility, letting players choose between skill-based mastery or overwhelming power. With Hotfix 31 (May 14, 2025) ensuring stable performance, there’s never been a better time to tackle this fight.

Conclusion

Beating Clea quickly in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 transforms a punishing endurance test into a triumphant display of strategy. Whether one-shotting her with Maelle’s Gommage or outdamaging her with Void-focused teamwork, this approach makes the Flying Manor’s secret boss a thrilling milestone. Equip your party, perfect your build, and unleash a Void-powered onslaught—Clea’s atelier awaits, and with this guide, you’ll leave her painted legacy in ruins.