Why the 9,999 Cap Matters
In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the base damage output for all characters is capped at 9,999. While that might seem like a high ceiling early on, you'll soon face optional bosses and endgame enemies that laugh off those numbers. That’s where this guide comes in.
We’ll show you how to break that limit and push your damage into truly insane numbers using the Painted Power Picto, optimized weapons, character builds, and team synergy. Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Unlock the Painted Power Picto (Overpainted)
After defeating The Painter (final boss of the main story), you’ll unlock a special Picto: Painted Power (Overpainted). This item allows your characters to deal damage beyond the 9,999 cap.
How to Equip: Add it as a Lumina on any character.
Cost: Only 5 Luminas, making it extremely efficient.
Upgrade It: Visit your Lumina upgrade NPC to boost Painted Power to its max level. This not only enhances damage but allows you to share it across the party.
Tip: Prioritize Monoco and Esquie when equipping this to take full advantage of transformation and combo mechanics.
Step 2: Build Your Team Around High Damage Synergy
Once you break the cap, it’s all about stacking buffs and choosing skills and gear that scale hard.
Best Characters for Overcap Builds:
Monoco: Can copy enemy skills that scale higher than normal attacks.
Esquie: Buffs and elemental advantages. Unlock her final dive skill to reach secret areas and better gear.
Gestral Support: Bring in relationship-based Gradient boosts for increased crit, ATK, or speed.
Buff Skills to Stack:
Gradient ATK Boost (from max relationship)
Esquie Elemental Charge
Weapon Break + Pierce abilities
Step 3: Upgrade Your Weapons to Max Tier
You won’t hit big numbers without a fully enhanced weapon. In your first run, weapon upgrades are capped due to limited resources.
How to Fully Upgrade:
Start New Game+ to unlock high-tier materials.
Farm elite zones and hidden bosses.
Use resource converters found in post-game towns.
Need help with mods and tweaks? Check out our Trainer & Mods Installation Guide
Step 4: New Game+ and Painted Power Scaling
NG+ is where your build truly shines.
What Carries Over: Weapons, Luminas, Pictos, skills.
What Increases: Enemy levels, loot quality, damage potential.
Why It’s Worth It: You can scale Painted Power higher and apply it more broadly.
Want smoother performance? Don’t forget to optimize with our Best PC Settings Guide.
Bonus Tips: Relationship Buffs & Lore Unlocks
Max out your party relationships to gain extra buffs and unlock unique dialogue.
Relationship-based buffs can increase damage, add crit chance, or reduce skill cost.
Collect all expedition logs and music tracks to fully unlock the endgame lore and atmosphere.
Dive deeper into the game’s audio magic with our Soundtrack & Voice Acting Guide
Community Links
Final Thoughts
Breaking the 9,999 damage cap in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the most satisfying parts of the postgame. Once you unlock Painted Power and build your squad right, you’ll be melting bosses, clearing hidden dungeons, and cruising through NG+ with style.
Got your own high-damage build or favorite combo? Drop it in the comments or join the community discussion!
Need help with more endgame goals? Check out our companion post: Endgame in Clair Obscur: What To Do After Finishing the Story
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