Today at Infinite Start will bring you the solution to one of the most difficult things in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. If you read this, you will know how to find and defeat Simon in no time, I do not personally recommend reading this if you don’t want any spoilers however. Be advised that this strategy will only work if you are playing normal mode. Clair Obscur has plenty of difficult bosses that will stop you in your tracks if you don’t learn how they work. However, Simon has to be one of the most ruthless bosses in the entire game, if you want to win you will need to strategize to the limit.
How to find Simon?
Simon is a totally optional boss that you find once you reach ACT 3, which would basically be near the end game. There is a zone called Renoir’s Draft that is lost in an unknown region between South East of Visages and South West of Sirene Islands. Once you manage to reach the final flag in the map besides the Creations, you will actually find a portal that takes you to a hidden area in the game called “The Abyss”. It is clear that this is a reference to other popular games such as Dark Souls, where you have a totally optional area to visit provided you have the DLC, also called The Abyss.
Once you reach The Abyss, you are on the right track to find Simon, since this is basically his dungeon. Just traverse through the entire place until you reach an area covered in golden swords, the scenario is quite breathtaking if you ask me. In there, a shadow awaits at the center of the area, get ready because that shadow is actually Simon himself.
Getting ready for the bout
Verso:
You want Verso to be maxxed in Luck and Agility, defense is important too, you really depend on landing every single critical hit in this battle along with having a room to make a dodge mistake. This is similar to pretty much every build you did if you followed our guide to build characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. However, you need to take into account that Verso needs some things, Marking Shot is a must have to maximize damage from your party members, especially Maelle. As mentioned in the other guide, Verso is meant to be a support more than anything.
Maelle:
Maelle is your main damage carry, and provided you can level her up properly and have the correct Pictos in her you can blast Simon in just one shot. We found that trying to go for that approach however makes the battle completely anti-climatic, so you aren’t going to learn the cheese here. Last Chance is a must have in this battle, and in general, once you have Last Chance in Maelle she will pretty much carry you the whole game. Barrier Breaker is also an essential weapon you can use, combined with the Pictos “The One”, you can easily crank up your critical hit rate to the moon.
You really want to ensure that Verso can support her damaging endeavors, so that’s why you are going with a support build in Verso. Maelle is easily one of the best damage characters in the entire game if you know how to use her. If you are feeling adventurous, just grab Roulette and First Strike as Luminas. If you get lucky enough, you can score massive amounts of damage combined with The One and Last Chance.
Any 3rd member:
Your 3rd Member needs to be an unit that you have grinded the most through the game. Monoco seems to be the preferred choice of many as it can dish out some amazing buffs that really help turn Maelle into a time bomb. Provided you pair him with the right Pictos and Luminas, you can easily end the battle in just 1 turn. The only clue that we will give you to the one turn kill cheese method is the fact that Monoco is a must, his buffs are indispensable for the party to achieve this.
If you really wish to run some crazy damage build, Benisseur Mortar is a must to have in this fight too since it can dish out some nasty damage, just make sure Monoco never runs out of AP or else you will have a sitting duck. You want to use this skill once you have stopped doing buffs.
Extra Tips:
Phase 1 is relatively easy since you can see the attacks coming, but phase 2 has to be the biggest challenge in the game. For phase 2, be sure to parry twice per hit, that’s the key point to win without doing some cheesing and one shotting.
However, what’s the fun on trying to beat the game with cheese if what matters the most is having fun with challenges? Games are supposed to last, and playing them “the efficient way” seems like a big waste of money and enjoyment.
This was how to find and defeat Simon
If you have any particular tactic you want to try out, then you should go with it rather than going through a path a guide tells you. RPGs have plenty of space to experiment and have some skill expression in them, there’s always many different ways to solve many problems. Remember that the fun lies in discovery and optimization often does not lead to you having fun.
