Act 2 is where Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 starts rewarding builds that are built around engines instead of one-off buttons. You have enough attribute points to respec cleanly, your weapon passives start mattering more than raw Power, and the fights punish “generalist” loadouts that do a little of everything but never spike.
Below are the strongest Act 2 build archetypes I recommend, plus how to pilot them so they feel consistent against bosses and elite packs.
What Makes a Build “Best” in Act 2
In Act 2, the best builds do at least one of these extremely well:
- Enable burst windows (Mark, damage buffs, vulnerability, stance opens).
- Generate AP efficiently so you are not forced into basic attacks at the wrong time.
- Convert a status stack into damage (Burn pop, Foretell spend, multi-hit scaling).
- Stay stable under pressure (survivability baked into weapon choice and defensive stats).
If your team cannot reliably do two of the above, Act 2’s difficulty spikes will feel random instead of learnable.
Gustave Act 2 Setup: Mark and Powerful Support Engine
Gustave is the cleanest Act 2 “battle opener” because he compresses setup into a single turn: apply Mark, apply a party damage buff, then let your damage dealer cash it in.
Core idea: Open with Marking Shot and/or Powerful, then pivot to charge generation and Overcharge timings.
What to prioritize
- Skills: Marking Shot, Powerful, then keep a survivability tool (Recovery) available.
- Pictos and Lumina: Effects that reinforce your job: apply debuffs, sustain, and generate AP off good defensive play.
- How to pilot: You are not trying to top damage charts. Your “damage” is the extra damage your carry deals because the enemy is Marked and your team is buffed.
Act 2 party pairing that simply works: Gustave support team is Gustave (Support), Lune (Sub-DPS), Maelle (Main DPS) with the explicit turn order of Gustave first, then Lune, then Maelle.
Maelle Act 2 Build: Medalum Virtuose Burst With Burn Pop
Maelle becomes an Act 2 monster the moment you commit to Medalum and stop treating her like an “early crit” character. Medalum’s biggest practical value is starting fights already positioned to do what Maelle does best: burst from Virtuose.
Core idea: Start in Virtuose, stack Burn fast, then convert Burn into damage.
What to prioritize
- Weapon: Medalum for Act 2.
- Attributes: Lean hard into Agility and Defence to match Medalum’s scaling.
- Skills for Act 2 damage loop:
- Percee for big value into Marked targets.
- Rain of Fire to stack multiple Burn quickly.
- Combustion to consume Burn for increased damage.
- Keep Fleuret Fury as your reliable single-target finisher that keeps Virtuose going.
How to pilot (the part that makes it feel “best”)
- Let Gustave Mark and buff.
- Use Rain of Fire to get Burn stacks to a meaningful level.
- Cash in with Combustion during your buff window.
- Use Percee when the target is Marked for efficient burst.
If you do this in the wrong order (for example, spending Burn before Mark lands), Maelle can feel merely “good” instead of Act 2 defining.
Lune Act 2 Build: Kralim Element Rotation DPS That Self-Fuels AP
Lune’s Act 2 power spike is not just a new weapon, it is the freedom to respec into a focused stat line that makes her turns frequent and productive.
Core idea: Rotate elements to keep Kralim “online,” then use Stain consumption to maintain AP and tempo.
What to prioritize
- Weapon: Kralim for Act 2.
- Attributes: Respec into Agility and Vitality rather than spreading points.
- Skill package: prioritize a spread of elements so you can rotate without dead turns.
Act 2 skills that fit the loop
- Wildfire for AoE and Burn application.
- Thunderfall for multi-hit randomness that can spike hard, especially when your crit tools are coming together.
- Ice Lance for control and single-target pressure.
- Mayhem as your “convert Stains into real damage” button when you have the setup.
- Thermal Transfer is a strong tempo tool when the enemy is Burning because it can swing your AP economy and can grant an extra turn based on Stain consumption.
How to pilot
- Think in two-turn cycles: first turn builds Stains and sets an element, second turn spends the right Stains for damage or tempo.
- In longer boss fights, prioritize staying “AP positive” over forcing Mayhem on cooldown. Kralim rewards patience.
Sciel Act 2 Build: Foretell Battery Support That Also Heals and Refuels AP
Sciel’s best Act 2 identity is not “pure DPS,” it is support-through-damage: stack Foretell efficiently, then convert it into either healing, AP, or a finishing spike depending on what the fight needs.
Core idea: Apply Foretell quickly, then spend it on the effect your team needs right now.
What to prioritize
- Weapon: Rangeson for Act 2 if you want a sturdier support lean.
- Attributes: Emphasize Agility and Defense to stay alive and take more turns.
- Skill package: lean into Foretell generation plus one or two Foretell spenders.
Foretell tools you want online
- Focused Foretell to get Foretell started fast, especially when the target has none.
- Marking Card because it applies Mark and Foretell, which is exactly what burst teams want in Act 2.
- Plentiful Harvest as an Act 2 support cornerstone: it consumes Foretell and gives AP to party members based on Foretell consumed.
How to pilot
- If your carry is about to take a buffed turn (Maelle in Virtuose, for example), convert Foretell into AP so they can spend freely.
- If the team is low, lean into the Foretell-based healing option and keep your spenders flexible rather than rigid.
Verso Act 2 Build: Gaulteram Perfection Rank Stability Into Crit-Based Tempo
Verso is one of the highest ceiling characters in Act 2, but the “best build” is the one that reduces variance while you are still learning his defensive timing.
Core idea: Maintain Rank consistency, generate Perfection efficiently, then spend turns on high-impact multi-hit skills.
What to prioritize
- Attributes: prioritize Agility, followed by Luck for crit rate.
- Weapon: Gaulteram for Act 2, particularly because it helps preserve Rank while you adapt.
- Skill package: at least one fast Perfection builder plus one multi-hit spender to cash in.
Act 2 skills that fit the plan
- Quick Strike and Assault Zero to build Perfection reliably.
- Light Holder as a key multi-hit tool that scales well when your Rank is high.
How to pilot
- In Act 2, play Verso like a controlled tempo piece, not a reckless finisher. Rank protection gives you space to learn enemy patterns without your damage collapsing after one mistake.
- Once your defensive timing is consistent, you can start building around faster Rank climbing and greedier damage windows.
The Most Reliable Act 2 Team Templates
Act 2 rewards committing to a plan. These templates are reliable because every character’s turn advances the same win condition.
Mark and Burn Burst (fast fights, boss deletes)
- Gustave opens with Mark and Powerful.
- Lune stacks Burn and keeps AP stable through Stain play.
- Maelle starts in Virtuose with Medalum, then bursts with Percee and Burn pop.
Foretell Resource Engine (long fights, safer clears)
- Sciel stacks Foretell and turns it into AP and healing as needed.
- Verso supplies steady damage while benefiting from high Agility pacing.
- Your third slot can be Maelle for burst or Lune for AoE control depending on the zone.
The key Act 2 build rule: if your carry needs the enemy Marked, do not treat Mark as optional. If your finisher consumes Burn or Foretell, do not spend those stacks on low-impact turns. The best builds in Act 2 are the ones where every turn either sets up the cash-in, or is the cash-in itself.