Maelle isn’t the type to hang back and let others do the heavy lifting. She is one of thebest party membersfor playing offense inClair Obscur: Expedition 33. So if you want someone to keep the pressure on and take advantage of enemy weaknesses, Maelle is your girl.

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Maelle’s toolkit doesn’t rely on brute strength. It’s more about picking the right moment to strike, and knowing how to chain her attacks to keep enemies constantly off-balance. Whether you’re looking to shred defenses, punish enemies after they attack, or squeeze in extra hits with minimal AP, she has skills that work across a bunch of different scenarios.

Lune’s Skill Tree in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Deal Heavy Blows after Successful Parries

Maelle’sPaybackis exactly what it sounds like. If you’ve spent the enemy’s turn parrying attacks, you’re rewarded with a cheaper and stronger move when your turn comes around. The skill normally costs 9 AP, which is pretty expensive. But every clean parry lowers that cost. The more hits you deflect, the less AP you need to spend when it’s time to strike back.

The skill costs 8 SP to unlock, so it’s not available right away, but it pays off if you play Maelle as a reactive fighter. Let enemies come to her, absorb their blows with good timing, and answer with something that hits like she’s been waiting for just the right moment.

Maelle’s Payback Skill in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

7Fleuret Fury

Delivers Three Consecutive Physical Hits to a Single Enemy

When an enemy’s just about to break, and you need something that’ll tip them over,Fleuret Furyis the move you want queued up. It dishes out three fast hits, one after the other, all focused on a single target. If Maelle is already in Virtuose, she stays in it after using Fleuret Fury. That means she keeps that damage bonus going into her next action, which can make a real difference.

But if she’s in a different stance or not in one at all, she’ll drop out of it afterward. So it’s not just about when you use Fleuret Fury, it’s about how Maelle is set up before using it.

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Perfect for Dragging Down Bosses or Anything Tanky That Won’t Drop in One Turn

If you’re looking to melt something from the inside out,Pyrolysedoes the trick. It hits one enemy three times with fire-based strikes, and each one piles on 5 Burn stacks right away. If Maelle’s in Offensive Stance when she uses it, each of those hits adds two extra Burn stacks on top. That means 7 stacks per hit, or 21 in total if all land.

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Over time, that turns into a lot of damage for the target, especially if they’re the type that doesn’t handle Burn well. Also once she uses Pyrolyse, she shifts into Defensive Stance, which is handy if you’re planning to weather an enemy’s counterattack.

Maelle’s Fleuret Fury Skill in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

5Burning Canvas

Land Five Consecutive Void-Based Hits to a Single Target

This skill is all about piling on the pressure once the fire’s already started.Burning Canvashits the enemy five times with Void damage, and every single strike adds a Burn stack. It’s a great follow-up after something like Pyrolyse or any turn where you’ve already beenbuilding Burn on a target.

I prefer to use the Burning Canvas when I want to push my momentum even further, especially if I’m trying to drop someone before they can act again. And since it shifts Maelle into Offensive Stance when used, you’re also setting her up for future damage, not just wrapping up the turn.

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4Phantom Strike

One of the Best Skills for Crowd Control

Phantom Strikeis a move that you pull out when the battlefield starts to feel crowded. It lashes out at every enemy four times with Void-based hits, so no one’s getting off easy. After the move lands, Maelle automatically switches into Defensive Stance.

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That’s useful if you expect the enemy to respond right after. It gives her a bit of breathing room without needing to waste another turn adjusting her stance. Phantom Strike costs 7 AP to use and 4 SP to unlock, which feels fair considering it spreads the damage out and builds your Gradient meter at the same time.

3Guard Down

Makes Every Enemy Defenceless and Vulnerable to Attack

If you’re looking to mess with enemy defenses and line up a clean shot,Guard Downis your go-to move. It hits every enemy on the field with the Defenceless status for three turns. This basically means they take more damage from all sources. That window is perfect for setting up some heavy attacks or just making sure the whole team’s efforts hit harder than usual.

Maelle swaps into Offensive Stance right after using Guard Down, which gives her damage a boost. It’s a smooth way to shift gears if you were playing defensively and want to start dishing it back. Guard Down really shines when you’re about to drop a Gradient Attack or any other strong finisher.

2Sword Ballet

Land Five Quick Strikes on a Single Enemy

Sword Balletlets you unload five quick hits in a row, each one carrying the element of yourweapon. So if you’re packing fire and the target hates heat, Sword Ballet does more than just chip away at their health.

Sword Ballet leaves Maelle in Defensive Stance afterward. That makes her more durable and better at bouncing back AP with solid parries or dodges. So even if Sword Ballet doesn’t end the fight, it sets her up to keep the pressure on.

Modest Physical Damage to One Enemy

Maelle’sPerceeis one of those skills that rewards smart timing more than raw power. On its own, it deals a solid chunk of physical damage to just one enemy. But if the enemy is Marked, the damage ramps up. Also while Maelle is in Defensive Stance, she’s harder to hit and can build AP more quickly if you’re good at dodging or blocking.

So, in fights where you’re expecting retaliation after landing a hit, using Percee doubles as a way to prep for the enemy’s next move. The best part is Percee doesn’t cost any SP, so you may start planning around it from the beginning. Use it after an enemy’s been softened up with a Mark or some debuff, or save it for moments when you know you’ll need that Defensive Stance right after making your move.

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