Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 deserves all the praise and recognition it’s been getting from the industry and players alike. Everything the game presents is a breath of fresh air, and the moment I finished it, it became one of my favorite JRPGs of all time.

A lot of that comes from the visual presentation and cinematography, with a script worthy of the most premium entertainment out there. It also features new takes on the staple turn-based combat JRPGs are known for.

I do have, however, an argument that the strongest suit of Expedition 33 doesn’t lie only in the execution of its battle system, but rather in how we can customize and build each character uniquely. A lot of that depends on the Pictos and Luminas equipped, but also on the weapons.

Each weapon has remarkable effects, directly influencing the many different builds for each character. In this list, I want to highlight the best weapons for Verso in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and how the Ben Starr-voiced character can take full advantage of them to become a menace to all Nevrons out there.

10

Tireso

Mark Thy Enemies For Death

If, by any chance, you use Verso more as support than a primary damage dealer, then let me introduce you the Tireso

. This weapon is made to apply Mark on enemies and let your next party member seal the deal.

Yeah, you could, use Marking Shot (Verso)

or Defiant Strike

to apply Mark on enemies. But what if you’re building AP to unleash those nasty high-cost skills? Base attack is the way to go. At level 20, every Mark applied will also apply Powerless to the enemy, which is super helpful.

Also, Tireso is a hammer. Who doesn’t love knocking your enemies to death while fixing that wooden table back at camp? No better way to increase your relationship level with party members.

9

Abysseram

If You Suck At Parrying

Abysseram

is a weapon for those who suck at parrying in Expedition 33. At first, its effect sounds counterintuitive, since it only benefits you when you’re at Rank D, the lowest with Verso.

But then, if you check the other passives, you realize this weapon is for those who want to build a Tank Verso that takes hits head-on. That’s because every time Verso gets hit, he loses Perfection and his rank drops. Well, that’s not a problem. It’s on Rank D, where you’re the strongest with Abysseram.

This weapon even scales with Vitality and Defense, again pushing you toward a bulkier build. The last effect heals you by 20% on Base Attack at Rank D, so you’ll want to avoid dodging or parrying, because that which doesn’t kill Verso makes him healthier.

8

Lanceram

If You Rock At Parrying

On the other hand, if you’re a menace at parrying, the Lanceram

is your weapon of choice. With it, your Rank can’t go lower than C, meaning you start battles with Verso on Rank C. The second passive effect is mid, though.

The best effect is the one at level 20, where each parry gives double Perfection. If you parry a 3-or-more hit enemy combo, your Rank level will soar, and you’ll hit that A or S in no time. And even if you miss some parries, that’s okay, you can’t go lower than Rank C.

I admit that, if you really are a menace at parrying and are nailing all counterattacks, you better swap Lanceram for Dreameso

. But that’s only for those highly confident in their parry skills and not for the average player.

7

Corpeso

Burn, Baby, Burn

As I approached the endgame, I realized my usual strategies weren’t cutting it anymore, and enemies were dropping me fast. That is, until I discovered the power of Maelle’s Stendhal.

I started testing new builds, and one of them was a Burn-oriented setup involving the whole party. With Verso, Maelle, and Lune in the party, I used any and every skill that applied Burn to the enemies, including weapons.

Verso’s Corpeso

is perfect for that. Every Base Attack applied more Burn, increasing the tick damage of the DoT already laid by others. On top of that, the higher the Rank, the more Burn damage. Needless to say, the Nevrons’ Gommage was dragging them straight down to hell.

6

Dualiso

Base Attacks Were Never So Good

We get the Dualiso

after defeating the Dualliste, the first main boss we face after Verso joins the party. Don’t let this weapon’s low power fool you, because the real benefit lies in its effects.

Before you get the Cheater Picto, Dualiso is a weapon that will let you act twice every turn with Verso. Its base effect at level 4 enables you to act twofold as long as your first move is a Base Attack.

I immediately built a setup focused on Base Attacks with Verso when this weapon dropped. I equipped Pictos like Attack Lifesteal

, Augmented Attack

, Combo Attack I

, and anything else that boosted Base Attack. I didn’t even need to use skills with Verso anymore; just Base Attack alone was enough to wreak havoc.

5

Nosaram

For Those Who Prefer FPS Games

One of the things that surprised me most in Expedition 33 was seeing a player take down superbosses using a Free Aim build. I knew the potential of Free Aim and took advantage of shots to apply Mark on enemies. But taking down superbosses like it’s Call of Duty? Come on.

And that’s possible with weapons like the Nosaram

. Every shot with it deals more damage, gives you more Perfection, and even removes those pesky shields from cowardly Nevrons. Pair this weapon with Augmented Aim

, Breaking Shots

, Burning Shots

, and any Picto with “Shots” in the name, and now you’re bringing a gun to a sword fight.

Granted, it’s not the most fun you’ll ever have, but hey, it works, so there’s that. You’ve got to praise a game that knows how to bolster every one of its gameplay systems, no matter how unorthodox they seem at first.

4

Sakaram

The Gestral’s Weapon

At first, Sakaram

seems like an oddity. If Verso’s whole mechanic lies in his Perfection and Ranks, what’s the use of a weapon that avoids losing Perfection but gives no bonus damage on Ranks? Well, my dear Expeditioner, that’s because of skills like Perfect Break

and Phantom Stars

.

The higher your Rank, the lower the cost of those skills. So, even if you don’t get bonus damage, you’ll be able to fire off those high-cost skills frequently, making up for the lack of extra power.

On top of that, Sakaram scales with Agility and Luck, which means more turns and higher crit chance. You won’t need the extra Rank damage when your basic hits are already wreaking havoc on the Paintress’ canvas.

3

Chevalam

Starting With A Bang

For a long time, my party’s build was focused on killing fodder enemies before they could even act. The weapon I used with Verso for that was Chevalam

, which let me start off at Rank S with all the bonus damage and benefits that Rank could offer.

You know which skill benefits immensely at Rank S? Phantom Stars. This extreme Light damage to all enemies costs just 5 AP at Rank S. Now throw in every Energising Start I

Picto you can find, and Verso opens battles casting Phantom Stars from the get-go.

There wasn’t a single fodder enemy surviving that initial onslaught. And if, by any chance, some Nevron were still alive to tell the tale, I still had two other party members waiting to land the final blow.

2

Contorso

The Alternative Before Simoso

Contorso

was the weapon I used to face all of Expedition 33’s superbosses before getting Simoso. Unlocking its level 10 passive is super easy, but pair it with the level 20 one, and every attack from Verso will hit twice.

Since I wasn’t the best player when it came to parrying, I played it safe, using dodge and slowly breaking bosses to reach Rank S in one go. Once I hit Rank S, it was massive damage one after another.

Since my critical hits were guaranteed at 100%, I didn’t need to raise Luck with Verso, especially because the weapon doesn’t even scale with it. With a mix of Agility and Strength, no enemy could withstand his Light-aspected skills once Verso hit Rank S.

1

Simoso

The Best Weapon In The Game

As is tradition in many JRPGs, you get the best weapon or gear after defeating the strongest boss. It’s a statement of your prowess, even if there are no lingering challenges to put that gear to use.

In the case of Expedition 33, the strongest weapon in the game is Simoso

, earned after defeating the superboss Simon. With it, every Skill attack from Verso hits twice, mimicking the fight against Simon and his lightning-fast sword strikes.

On top of that, if you can keep Verso’s Rank at A, the man becomes immortal (gameplay-wise), thanks to Simoso’s level 20 passive. Since it already comes at level 33, the highest for any weapon, you can be sure all its effects are active. Use a Steeled Strike

with Simoso equipped, and you’ll see just why Simon was so keen on hitting us repeatedly.