How to Spam Gradient Attacks in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy the strategy behind the combat system in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Sure, one-shotting enemies is fun at first, but let’s be honest, it can turn encounters into a snoozefest real fast. That’s why I’ve been diving into one of the most rewarding systems in the game: Gradient Attacks. These flashy, powerful abilities are meant to feel like ultimates, but what if I told you there’s a way to use them not once, but multiple times per fight? This guide will walk you through how to do exactly that.

How to Spam Gradient Attacks

Gradient Attacks are special, high-impact skills unique to each character. They’re not just big damage dealers, they can also trigger status effects, buffs, or devastating finishers. You’ll unlock them not through skill points, but by building relationships at camp and progressing through the story. Each character can unlock up to three.

Here’s what makes Gradient Attacks really interesting:

• They use a shared Gradient Charge bar, meaning any character can contribute to or use it.
• They don’t consume your turn, which opens up some crazy combo potential.
• You can trigger them multiple times (sometimes even 4 to 5 times!) per battle with the right setup.

Charging is surprisingly easy, even a single combo can give you two charges for someone like Maelle. With the right combinations, you can fully charge it in a single turn.

In my current build, I focus on amplifying basic attacks, those repeat multiple times per turn, which lets me generate Gradient Charge quickly. The same applies to counterattacks and hitting stunned enemies. That’s why I like to equip Death Bomb and Auto-Death, which help me fully charge the Stagger Bar early in the fight, so I can immediately break it and unleash powerful combos.

Now, those combo attacks, Combo Attack 1, 2, and 3, can be expensive in terms of Lumina Points, but trust me, they’re worth it. You can even build around just basic attacks and make it incredibly strong and fun.

Building a Gradient-Spam Strategy

The key to spamming Gradient Attacks lies in smart charge generation. Here’s what to focus on:

• Stack Gradient-Charging Traits: Look for passive traits and Picto effects that give Gradient Charge when you:
  • Attack (base or skill)
  • Land a critical hit
  • Hit a stunned or broken enemy
  • Parry
  • Apply buffs
  • Hit Weaknesses
  • Through Mass Alteration skills
• Optimize Your Turn Economy: Abilities that let characters act twice in a turn (like what I use with Maelle) massively accelerate charge gain. That second action is often the difference between charging and firing off another Gradient Attack that same round.
• Chain Combos and Staggering – I built my current team to focus on:
  • Base attacks (which repeat multiple times)
  • Break and stagger mechanics to keep pressure on and recycling your advantage
  • Death Bomb and Auto-Death, which help charge the stagger bar quickly for early breaks
    • This lets me burst down enemies with a full combo, then launch a Gradient Attack right after.

Top Equipment and Picto Picks

Here are some must-have passives and gear:

• Picto Synergies
  • +50% Gradient Charge on breaking a target
  • +20% Gradient Attack Damage
  • +35% Charge from Phantom Strike (Maelle)
  • +10% per Buff Applied
  • +20% on Crits (once per turn)
  • +5% on Parry
• Weapon Examples
  • Maelle’s Battlum Weapon:
    • Double charge in Defensive Mode
    • +5% Gradient Charge when switching from Base Attack to Defense
  • Lune’s Saperim Weapon:
    • Gradient Attacks grant +1 Light Stain
    • Gradient and Counterattacks deal +50% more damage

These gear combos really ramp up your consistency and damage output.

If you’re using a character like Maelle, look at the card icons, blue means defensive. Executing a high-AP defensive move not only switches stance but also gives good Gradient Charge per AP spent. So try to use high AP defensive skills when possible.

Even for support characters, buffing allies can contribute to charge generation. And of course, high-damage characters like Stendhal can almost fully charge the bar in one hit. Even if that gets nerfed, it’s still incredibly effective.

How to Execute Gradient Counters

Enemies can use Gradient Attacks too, and they hit hard. Thankfully, you can parry them with a Gradient Counter.

Here’s how:

1. When the enemy jumps up and the Gradient animation begins, don’t press anything.
2. Wait for the visual effect to start fading, that’s your moment.
   • What really helped me nail the timing was watching for the disappearing text, it fades out right as the Gradient animation ends, and that’s your cue to hit the counter. It’s super consistent once you spot it.
3. Press RT (or your keybind) to parry or Gradient Counter.
   • Also, just a heads-up: you need to press RT (or R2 on PlayStation) to trigger a Gradient Counter. A lot of people (myself included, at first) confuse it with the standard parry input, which is RB/R1, but that one won’t work against Gradient Attacks. Make sure you’re hitting the right button!

If timed right, you’ll take no damage and often get bonus XP, or even a free Gradient Charge. It takes some practice, especially since different enemies have slightly different windows. But once you get it down, it becomes second nature.

Gradient Spamming Isn’t Just for Endgame

This setup works best in NG+ or mid-to-late game, but you can start building toward it early. Here are some ideas:

• Use Combo Attacks 1, 2, and 3 early, they synergize beautifully with charge-based builds.
• Even support units help, buffing allies contributes to charging.
• Use “Play Immediately When Revived” or “Second Chance” Pictos to keep momentum if something goes wrong.
• Experiment! Don’t feel locked into one character. Try mixing defensive stances, crit builds, or counter-heavy approaches.

Wrap-up

Gradient Attacks give Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that extra strategic depth that makes combat satisfying and flexible. So if you’re tired of one-shotting everything and want a more strategic experience, this is a mechanic you should absolutely explore. I wouldn’t say you should only build around it, especially early on since it can be a bit costly, but it’s definitely something to work towards, especially in New Game+.

The build is still not 100% optimized yet, there are probably still items I haven’t found, but even now, I can easily hit four or five Gradient Attacks in a single battle. Gommage, of course, is absolutely bonkers in this setup. Have you encountered the “Find an Expeditioner” tag while trying to buy from the Merchant near Esquie’s Nest in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Check out the explanation why and how to fix it!