Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Monoco Build Guide Skills Weapons and Loadout Tips

When Monoco joins your party in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the possibilities explode-thanks to his Bestial Wheel, he can morph into a tactical powerhouse, a relentless breaker, or the ultimate support. But what’s the secret sauce for turning this shapeshifter into your squad’s MVP? Dive into our guide for the best Monoco build across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, and discover how to unleash his full potential-whether you want to break enemy defenses, keep your team alive, or simply dominate every encounter with style.

Monoco is meant to set up advantageous scenarios for two other DPS party members to capitalize on. Monoco can fill up the enemy’s Break bar or even help take care of shields. He’s also able to match damage, should the need arise, as he’s like Lune – a character who works just as well in a support role as a DPS role.

If you’re interested in the best for your gestral buddy, this Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 guide will break down the best Monoco build, including his best weapons, attributes, and skills to prioritize.

Best Monoco build in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

For the best Monoco build in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, focus on maximizing his versatility as both a powerful support and a formidable breaker. Monoco’s unique Bestial Wheel mechanic lets him adapt to different roles, but the most effective builds lean into his ability to heal, shield, and buff allies while also shattering enemy defenses. Equipping the Joyaro weapon and prioritizing Agility and Defense attributes allows Monoco to rapidly fill enemy Break Meters and take more turns, making him exceptional at stunning foes and opening them up for attacks. For a support-focused build, stack Pictos and Luminas that grant AP, enhance Shell and Powerful effects, and boost survivability-making Monoco a tanky, indispensable party member. Alternatively, a DPS or breaker build leverages AoE and single-target skills like Creation Void and Obscur Sword, with AP-generating Luminas to maintain a relentless offensive pace. Ultimately, Monoco’s best build depends on your party’s needs, but investing in his hybrid potential ensures he remains a cornerstone of any Expedition 33 team.

Monoco can act as a DPS unit, but his skills are better-used in a support role. Unlike Lune – who can definitely go toe-to-toe with the other damage-focused units – Monoco can’t quite compete at that high of a level, which is fine; he isn’t designed to. A team with Monoco on support is different from a team with Lune on support, as it is still offense-focused.

The best Monoco build in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is:

• Attributes: Agility and Defense
• Weapon: Joyaro
• Skills: Potier Energy, Benisseur Mortar, Chevaliere Piercing, Stalact Punches, Sakapatate Explosion, and Portier Crash
• Pictos: Immaculate, Energising Parry, and Empowering Parry

Monoco joins your party in Act 2, and as soon as you can allocate his attributes, you want to fully invest in Agility. His best weapon in Act 2, the Nusaro, scales very well with Agility, and you can increase your attack, speed, and defense all at once. Extra points should go to Vitality for survivability.

In Act 3, Agility is still the best attribute to prioritize because Monoco’s overall best weapon, the Joyaro, also scales well with Agility. Leftover points should go into Defense because it scales well with the weapon, and Agility and Defense are great stats, no matter how you decide to use Monoco.

Best attributes for Monoco

When building Monoco in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the best attributes to prioritize depend on your chosen weapon and desired role. For support and tank builds-especially when using the Ballaro weapon-focus on Agility and Defense, as these boost both Monoco’s speed and survivability, while also enhancing weapon damage. Investing in Vitality as a third attribute further increases Monoco’s health, making him a durable frontline support who can shield, heal, and buff the party effectively. For offensive or Break-focused builds, particularly with the Joyaro weapon, Agility and Defense remain top priorities, but you can also consider Vitality or Luck for extra health or critical rate, respectively. Ultimately, aligning your attribute choices with your chosen weapon’s scaling ensures Monoco reaches his full potential, whether as a resilient support or a barrier-breaking attacker.

Your attribute spread for Monoco will look pretty similar across Acts 2 and 3, with one key difference.

In Act 2, prioritize Agility. You’ll want him to attack early, if not first, and be able to survive long enough to support your team with damage or utility.

In Act 3, completely max out Agility as it is still his best attribute. Defense comes into play in Act 3 with the Joyaro weapon, as Agility and Defense are both used for scaling. On top of that, Agility and Defense are the support attributes and are necessary for any support unit.

Best weapon for Monoco

When it comes to the best weapon for Monoco in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the top contenders are Joyaro, Urnaro, and Nusaro, each catering to different playstyles. Joyaro stands out as the most effective overall, starting Monoco in the powerful Almighty Mask state, which not only doubles his Break damage but also boosts all skill damage with every consecutive turn he avoids taking damage, up to a maximum of double damage. This makes Joyaro ideal for players focused on maximizing Monoco’s offensive potential from the very first turn. Alternatively, Urnaro excels in break-focused builds by letting Monoco switch into Almighty Mask immediately after breaking an enemy, further increasing Break damage by 50% and granting 2 AP to all allies upon transformation. For those seeking a hybrid DPS-support approach, Nusaro is a strong choice, offering a substantial 30% bonus to upgraded skill damage and extra AP on Mask changes, making it versatile for both damage and utility roles. Ultimately, Joyaro is the best pick for pure damage and breaking power, while Urnaro and Nusaro provide unique advantages for specialized strategies.

The best weapon for Monoco is the Joyaro.

This weapon is missable, but luckily, you can receive it from two locations. You can defeat the Lampmaster in Flying Manor (not to be confused with the Lampmaster boss at the end of Act 1) or you can get it from the Ultimate Sakapatate in Endless Night Sanctuary.

The weapon scales well with Agility and Defense, Monoco’s best attributes, and has good passive abilities. Joyaro allows Monoco to start the battle in his Almighty Mask form, allowing for an enhanced version of whatever skill you decides to use on turn one.

However, since you must beat endgame super bosses to receive it, you’ll probably hang on to the Nusaro until then. The Nusaro has similar benefits as the Joyaro instead, it rewards you for parrying and allows you to access enhanced versions of your skills as well.

Best Pictos and Luminas for Monoco

When optimizing Monoco in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the best Pictos to prioritize are those that enhance her elemental damage and survivability, allowing her to excel in both offense and defense. Look for Pictos that boost her primary attack stats and provide utility effects such as shield generation or healing over time. For Luminas, focus on those that increase Monoco’s energy regeneration and elemental mastery, ensuring she can unleash her abilities more frequently and with greater impact. Combining these Pictos and Luminas will maximize Monoco’s effectiveness in challenging encounters and support a versatile playstyle.

The best Pictos for Monoco are those that provide a decent mix of health and offensive stats and something to offset his primary weakness – the high AP cost of his skills. To that end, the best Pictos for Monoco are Immaculate, Energising Parry, and Empowering Parry. Below are the detailed descriptions of what these Pictos do and the stats they grant bonuses to.

• Immaculate – Speed and Crit Rate. 30% increased damage until a hit is received.
• Energising Parry – Health. 1 AP on successful Parry.
• Empowering Parry – Speed and Crit Rate. Each successful Parry increases damage by 5% until end of the following turn. Taking any damage removes this buff.

While these Pictos cover Monoco’s weaknesses, they do require a level combat prowess to really work. Full stop: If you want to use Monoco to his fullest in your team, your parries must be on point. As for Monoco’s Luminas, you want ones that grant more AP, parry effects, Break, or a damage boost.

We recommend using the following Luminas, depending on how many Lumina Points you have.

• Dead Energy II
• Energising Start II
• Rewarding Mark
• Marking Shots
• Auto Rush
• Breaking Counter
• Breaker
• Full Strength
• Inverted Affinity
• Augmented First Strike
• Augmented Counter II
• Sweet Kill
• Painted Power
• Exposing Attack
• Longer Powerful
• SOS Power
• Glass Canon
• Teamwork
• Tainted
• Warming Up

Best skills for Monoco

Monoco excels as a versatile support character in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, with a skill set that enables him to heal, buff, debuff, and deal both single-target and area-of-effect damage. His best skills include Stalact Punches, which delivers four consecutive Ice hits for rapid Break buildup against single targets, and Chevalière Thrusts, a powerful AoE attack ideal for clearing groups of enemies early in the game. For utility, Clair Enfeeble and Abberration Light stand out-Clair Enfeeble debuffs all enemies by inflicting Powerless, while Abberration Light applies multi-hit Light damage and stacks Burn, especially effective under the Agile Mask. Monoco’s support toolkit is rounded out with Potier Energy and Pelerin Heal for AP generation and party healing, making him invaluable for sustaining the team and controlling the battlefield. Equipping one skill per Mask maximizes his Bestial Wheel mechanic, ensuring Monoco can adapt to any combat scenario and consistently empower his allies.

The best skills for Monoco are the following:

• Potier Energy: Gives 1-3 AP to all allies. Caster Mask: Gives 1 additional AP.
• Benisseur Mortar: Deals medium single target Ice damage. 3 hits. Change to Almighty Mask if target is Marked. Caster Mask: Increased damage.
• Chevaliere Piercing: Deals single target Physical damage through Shields. 6 hits. Damage increased for each Shield on the target. Agile Mask: Increased damage.
• Stalact Punches: Deals medium single target Ice damage. 4 hits. High Break damage. Heavy Mask: Increased damage.
• Sakapatate Explosion: Deals medium Lightning damage to random enemies. 3 hits. Critical hits trigger an additional hit. Caster Mask: Increased damage.
• Portier Crash: Deals high Physical damage to all enemies. 1 hit. Can Break. Heavy Mask: Increased damage.

Unlocking Monoco’s best skills takes a bit more effort than it does for characters, since you must find and defeat requisite enemies with Monoco in your party to unlock those skills. For a while, you’ll need to play with a lower-powered Monoco before you’re able to unlock his full potential (though you’ll get there in time, don’t worry).

Potier Energy is your best support skill, while your other skills are for filling in any gaps in your offense. Monoco is perfect in the first position of your team setup as he’s able to dictate the pace of the match, either with a strong damaging start or by granting AP to your main damage deal – whether Maelle, Lune, or Sciel – so they can set up their one-shots.

What makes the Almighty Monoco build stand out in Expedition 33

What Makes the Almighty Monoco Build Stand Out in Expedition 33

Immediate Power Spike

• The Almighty Monoco build is centered around starting battles in the Almighty Mask state, thanks to the Joyaro weapon. This unique mechanic grants Monoco maximum offensive potential from the very first turn, bypassing the usual need to cycle through other Masks.

Explosive Damage Scaling

• With Joyaro equipped, Monoco gains a 20% damage boost for each consecutive turn he avoids taking damage, stacking up to 100% (double damage). This incentivizes skillful play-dodging, parrying, or using shields-to maintain the damage multiplier and unleash devastating attacks.

Break Damage Dominance

• While in Almighty Mask, Monoco’s Break damage is doubled, making him the premier choice for rapidly filling enemy Break Meters and shattering defenses. This allows your team to capitalize on frequent stuns and deal massive follow-up damage.

Skill Synergy and Flexibility

• The build leverages powerful skills like Sakapatate Fire, Duallist Storm, and Lampmaster Light, which are further amplified in Almighty Mask. The right combination of skills, Pictos, and Luminas can end fights swiftly, especially when rotating the Bestial Wheel to return to Almighty Mask as often as possible.

Endgame-Ready Versatility

• The Almighty Monoco build is not just about raw power; it’s designed for endgame content, providing consistent pressure and adaptability. With the right setup, Monoco can serve as both a high-impact breaker and a main damage dealer, making him a standout asset in any party.

In summary, the Almighty Monoco build distinguishes itself by enabling Monoco to start strong, scale rapidly with skillful play, and dominate both regular encounters and boss fights through unmatched Break and damage output.

What specific skills and weapons give Monoco explosive firepower in Expedition 33

Monoco’s Explosive Firepower: Key Skills and Weapons in Expedition 33

Top Weapons for Maximum Damage

• Joyaro: This endgame weapon is the centerpiece for Monoco’s highest damage output. Joyaro allows Monoco to start every battle in the Almighty Mask state, instantly upgrading all his skills and granting a stacking damage boost (up to 100%) as long as he avoids taking damage. Its stats scale with Agility and Defense, making Monoco both fast and resilient.

• Nusaro: Excellent for earlier acts, Nusaro offers high Power and strong Agility/Vitality scaling, letting Monoco deal significant damage and reach the Almighty Mask faster, especially when parrying. Matching skills to the Bestial Wheel with Nusaro also grants a 30% damage bonus.

Essential Skills for Explosive Offense

• Sakapatate Fire: Highlighted as a devastating skill in top-tier builds, Sakapatate Fire delivers massive damage, especially when used in the Almighty Mask state.

• Chapelier Slash: A high-physical-damage, all-enemy attack that also applies Mark, making it a great opener or finisher when upgraded by the Almighty Mask.

• Contorsionniste Blast: Deals medium physical damage to all enemies and heals all allies by 10%, offering both offensive and supportive utility.

• Chevaliere Piercing: Noted for breaking through enemy shields and dealing high damage, especially effective when combined with the Almighty Mask or matching the Bestial Wheel.

• Duallist Storm and Lampmaster Light: Frequently recommended for their synergy with Almighty builds, these skills provide powerful single-target and AoE options when fully upgraded.

Synergy and Playstyle

• The combination of Joyaro and skills like Sakapatate Fire, Chapelier Slash, and Chevaliere Piercing lets Monoco deliver explosive bursts of damage, especially when maintaining the Almighty Mask and stacking Joyaro’s damage bonus.

• Rotating the Bestial Wheel to land on Almighty Mask as often as possible amplifies all skills, turning Monoco into a relentless breaker and damage dealer.

Summary Table: Monoco’s Best Weapons and Skills for Firepower

Monoco’s explosive firepower comes from leveraging the Almighty Mask with the right weapon and skill synergy, allowing him to dominate both single-target and group encounters in Expedition 33.