Choosing the right Pictos in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 could very well be the difference between struggling with survival and being victorious in every encounter. These mighty accessories stretch a gamut of powers-working on attack power and defense or maybe help to enhance healing and also counter mechanics. Below is a breakdown of some of the most useful Pictos you might consider building your team around.
1. Energising Start 1 – Fast-Track Your First Move
Go hard, really hard. Pictos in the Energising Start series give your character 1 extra AP for use at the start of the battle. It’s a small bonus, and yet, suddenly finding yourself able to immediately strike with some crazy power could just tilt the momentum immediately.
Key Notes:
- Earlier versions of Energising Start (like version 1) are more LP-efficient.
- The higher the version, the more LP it costs—Energising Start 1 uses just 5 LP, while version 2 costs 10.
- A smart strategy is to use higher-tier Pictos with the cheapest available Lumina to maximize your efficiency.
2. Solo Fighter – For the Last One Standing
Endgame fights often see your team whittled down to one final warrior. Instead of burning resources to revive fallen allies, sometimes it’s better to bet on the survivor.
Why it’s great:
- Only costs 1 LP.
- Boosts damage by 50% when the user is the last active party member.
- Low cost makes it easy to slot into all characters’ builds as a fallback measure.
- Ideal for clutch moments—especially if you’re running Verso or any character who’s good at holding their ground.
3. Roulette – Risk and Reward
If you’re a gambler at heart, the Roulette Picto adds a wildcard twist to your strategy. Each hit either deals half or double damage, determined randomly.
Why it works:
- On average, damage output balances out over time.
- Pairing Roulette with buffs like Powerful, Virtuose Stance, or Offensive Stance greatly increases your odds of scoring massive hits when RNG goes your way.
- Best used on characters who benefit from high burst potential or already have strong offensive setups.
4. Shared Care – Extend Your Healer’s Reach
Healing in Clair Obscur is often limited to single targets, even though enemies tend to damage everyone. That’s where Shared Care shines.
Functionality:
- When you heal an ally, the caster also receives the same healing.
- Doesn’t trigger on self-healing—only works when healing another team member.
- Perfect for maximizing efficiency with AP and keeping both your healer and their target alive during team-wide damage phases.
5. Cheater – The Ultimate Turn Advantage
One of the most impactful Pictos in the game, Cheater doubles a character’s turn frequency by letting them act twice each time they’re up.
Why it’s a game-changer:
- Enables powerful combos like: build AP + unleash a heavy skill, or heal + attack in a single round.
- Perfect for characters with versatile or high-cost skills.
- Helps maintain tempo, control, and pressure in prolonged boss battles.
- Unlocks new layers of strategy and makes every turn twice as dangerous—for your enemies.
Final Tip
Mix and match your Pictos based on team synergy, not just individual strength. Sometimes, it’s the combination—not just the standalone effect—that makes a Picto shine in battle.
