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Chromatic Troubadour will most likely be the first boss inClair Obscur: Expedition 33that gives you fits, as it’s way more difficult than puny littleÉvèque. His attacks can be confusing and tricky to deal with. He’s not impossible, though, as he’s still tuned to be attempted in these early hours.
More than anything, Chromatic Troubadour prepares you for the enemies you’ll soon encounter down the road as you progress through the game.
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Our guide for defeating Chromatic Troubadour will go over the boss' attacks, abilities, and how to handle them all. You still have a long way to go before your showdown with The Paintress, so don’t let this guy stand in your way.
You’ll also earn a nice batch of rewards at the end of this battle for your troubles. Let’s get down to business.
How To Prepare For Chromatic Troubadour
As we just mentioned, this is more likely than not the first boss to give you fits inClair Obscur: Expedition 33, thanks specifically to its attack animations. They are confusing on purpose and meant to distract the players from knowing when the timing is right to dodge and parry.
Now, if you have plenty of experience in theSoulslike genre, then you may have fewer issues here.
For the rest of us, let’s get ready to take this trickster down.
Best Party Composition for Chromatic Troubadour
At this point in the game,party compositionfor Chromatic Troubadour is pretty straightfoward since you really only have one option.You’ll be fighting Chromatic Troubadour with Gustave, Lune, and Maelle.
Best Skills for Chromatic Troubadour
Again, since you’re still somewhat early in your Expedition 33 experience, you won’t have that many skills to choose from.
Having said that, there are plenty of useful abilities at your disposal. I’ve highlighted my favorite ones below.
Party Member
Description
Overcharge
After collecting 10 charges by dealing damage,Overchargedeals immense damage. This is Gustave’s unique ability and doesn’t have to be equipped.
Lumiere Assault
Low Physical damage. 5 hits. Critical hits generate 1 additional Charge.
Marking Shot
Low Lightning damage and applies Mark x1. 1 hit.
Immolation
Low Fire damage that applies 3 Burn. 1 hit. If Marked, applies 2 more Burns. Consume 1 Ice Stain: damage increased.
Deals medium single target Ice damage that Slows the target. 1 hit.
Healing Light
Heals the targeted ally by 30-50% Health and dispels Status Effects. Consume 2 Light Stains: Costs 0 AP
Low Fire Damage. 1 hit. Applies 3 Burns. If in Offensive Stance, applies 2 more Burn.
Swift Stride
Low Physical Damage. 1 hit. Switches to Virtuoso Stance if target is Burning. Regains 0-2 AP.
Fleuret Fury
High Physical Damage. 3 hits. If in Virtuoso Stance, stay in Virtuoso Stance. Can Break.
The two most important skills here are Gustave’sOverchargeand Maelle’sFleuret Fury, as they’re the ones that will break the Troubadour and stun him, which is your safest bet for taking him out quickly.
Let’s move on and talk about Chromatic Troubadour’s abilities.
Chromatic Troubadour Attack Breakdown
The good news here is that Chromatic Troubadour only has two attacks. The bad news is that the timing of the attack animations is all sorts of wonky.
Thankfully, he doesn’t hit terribly hard, giving you plenty of leeway to learn the animations and know the right time to dodge and parry.
Attack Phrase Indicator
Attack Description
“Chromatic Troubadour performs a Tricky Shot with its trumpet.”
Chromatic Troubadour will sound its trumpet and shoot two energy balls in the air that will come at you. Before those balls approach you, it will attempt to distract you by swinging with its trumpet.
“Chromatic Troubadour performs a Trumpet Concerto.”
Chromatic Troubadour will dance towards a party member and swing at you with its trumpet in a distracting manner.
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Be patient! The whole purpose of this boss is to introduce confusing and less telegraphed attacks. The parry window is tighter than the dodge window, so if you’re notconfident, it’s better to dodge than parry and risk getting damaged.
How to Beat Chromatic Troubadour
While using aparryis always the best way to deal with oncoming attacks, this is where it starts to become riskier. Thankfully, the benefits from parrying aren’t needed here. You can dodge every attack from the Chromatic Troubadour and just outlast him. Let’s talk about best practices for dealing the most damage.
Your best bet is to utilize the strengths of your party and focus on breaking the Chromatic Troubadour as soon as possible. UnlikeÉvèque, Gustave isn’t the only party member who’s capable of doing this. Maelle’s offensive prowess is just as deadly.
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Your goal here is to utilize your best attacks to break Chromatic Troubadour and deal the most damage possible. You’ll do this by filling Gustave’sOverchargemeter, as well as setting up Maelle’sFleuret Furyto do maximum damage while in Virtuose Stance.
First, let’s talk about Maelle’s stances.
Based on the skills you use, Maelle will enter one of three stances: an offensive stance that deals extra damage but makes you susceptible to taking more, a defensive stance that lets you take less damage at the cost of dealing it, and then Virtuose Stance that deals 200% bonus damage.
What I do isopen withOffensive Switchto move into Offensive Stance, then have Lune useImmolationto Burn the target. This means Maelle can useSwift Strideto switch into Virtuose Stance. My goal here is to maximize the damage fromFleuret Fury, which requires a total of 6 AP. Being able to parry attacks gives me the AP I need to do it as soon as turn three.
This alone is normally good enough to Break Chromatic Troubadour. If not, Gustave is doing his thing to build hisOverchargemeter, allowing him to also Break Chromatic Troubadour eventually.
Rinse and repeat this throughout the fight and Chromatic Troubadour will be defeated in no time.
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Rewards for Defeating Chromatic Troubadour
Congrats! Despite appearing early in the game, Chromatic Troubadour is no pushover. Just wait until you fight this guy as a normal enemy later on.
Here are your rewards:
Not too bad of a haul, and it’ll come in handy to prepare you forGoblulater on.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
WHERE TO PLAY
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever. Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions enhance the heart of turn-based combat. Craft unique builds for your Expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and character synergies. Open an active dimension in combat - dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free aim system.With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, and their fellow Expeditioners as they embark upon a desperate quest to break the Paintress’ cycle of death. Follow the trail of previous expeditions and discover their fate. Get to know the members of Expedition 33 as they learn to work together against impossible odds.Explore an enchanting realm populated by surreal adversaries. Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from the Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield, discovering secrets and hidden quests along the way. Find allies of fortune in creatures of legend and recruit special companions, access new travel methods and discover secret areas in the World Map.
