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Maelle is the only character with a stance system inClair Obscur: Expedition 33.This unique system allows her to switch between Defensive, Offensive, and Virtuose Stances.
Each one of her stances offers an advantage during battles and allows players to strategize her moveset. However, thestance system is more complexthan you may think and can be pretty tricky to understand fully.
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In this guide, you’ll learnhow Maelle’s stances work inClair Obscur: Expedition 33. You’ll also master the best ways to utilize this mechanic and the benefits of each stance.
How Do Stances Work in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?
In batle, Maelle can enterthree different stances:Defensive Stance, Offensive Stance, and Virtuose Stance. Maelle can also becomeStanceless, which is her default stance that doesn’t offer any benefits.
Players canchange Maelle’s battle stance through her skills. For example, herDegagementskill puts her in an Offensive Stance after using it, while her Piercee skill puts her in a Defensive Stance.
You’ll know which stance Maelle will enter by looking at thesmall icon in the upper right corner of the skill card.
The blue logo is Defensive, red is Offensive, and purple is Virtuose. These logos are similar toLune’s Stain colorsthat appear on her skill cards.
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If Maelle uses herbase attack while in an Offensive Stance, then she will switch to the opposite stance, which is Defensive. On the other hand, if she does a base attack while in a Defensive Stance, she will switch to Offensive.
Additionally,if Maelle uses a skill that changes her to the same stance she is already in, then she will return to Stanceless. For example, if you use theDegagementskill twice in a row, she will become Stanceless.
Becoming Stanceless isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn’t offer any real benefits or multipliers when it comes to offense and defense.
All Maelle’s Stances Explained
Now that you understand how Maelle’s stance system works inClair Obscur: Expedition 33, let’s discuss the benefits of each stance.
First off, when Maelle enters anOffensive Stance, she deals more damage to enemies. However, she alsotakes increased damage, making parrying and dodging much more important than before.
When Maelle is in aDefensive Stance, she takes less damage and gains 1 AP per Parry or Dodge. The downside of a Defensive Stance is that Maelle won’t deal as much damage as she would in an Offensive Stance.
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Next, we have a Virtuose Stance. When Maelle enters aVirtuose Stance, she deals 200% more damage. This is where Maelle is at her strongest and can make a huge impact in battle, especiallyagainst the game’s bosses.
Lastly, we haveStanceless.As previously mentioned, it’s not the end of the world to enter a Stanceless state, butyou won’t get any benefits.
Maelle will deal her normal damage according to her Attack Power stat, and receive normal damage corresponding to her Defense stat.
Players will alsoreceive 1 AP whenever Maelle enters any of her stances, except for Stanceless. In other words, changing between Offensive, Defensive, and Virtuose stances can be a great way to acquire AP at a fast rate.
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