How To Kill Simon Dead In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

The Simon boss fight in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the most punishing encounters in the game, demanding absolute mastery of party synergy, timing, and optimal Lumina usage. Below, we break down every phase of the Simon boss battle, provide the perfect party setup, and detail step-by-step strategies to annihilate Simon in each form. This comprehensive guide ensures you’re not just surviving—but dominating.

Phase 1: Setting the Stage Against Simon

Simon opens the encounter with a devastating AoE setup and progressively tests your knowledge of each character’s strengths. This phase isn’t about raw damage but setup and disruption control.

Recommended Party Composition

• Verso: Main DPS with Death Bomb Lumina
• Maelle: Support-DPS hybrid using Virtuose Stance
• Balthazar or Niko: Defensive off-healer with barriers or taunts
• Jules: Buff/Debuff handler and elemental counter

Lumina Loadout

• Verso: Death Bomb, Void Grenade, Charged Edge
• Maelle: Virtuose Stance, Stendahl’s Requiem, Tempo Fortissimo
• Balthazar: Iron Curtain, Healing Mist
• Jules: Elemental Flux, Shield Bind

Phase 1 Tactics

1. Open with Verso’s Death Bomb. If you’ve met the condition—at least one dead teammate from a previous encounter—it will auto-trigger. Otherwise, burn a turn to activate it manually.
2. Maelle immediately enters Virtuose Stance and begins building meter.
3. Balthazar shields the party and sets up defensive support.
4. Jules rotates in elemental debuffs on Simon. Pay attention to Simon’s aura shifts.

Simon’s attacks here include:

• Ink Barrage: Randomized projectiles that must be blocked.
• Ink Pulse: A pulsing AoE that increases in radius—perfect timing negates it entirely.
• Narrative Rend: Targets your lowest HP party member—protect with Iron Curtain or shield rotation.

Key Strategy: Stagger Simon early using elemental disruption from Jules. This reduces his ability to phase shift unpredictably.

Phase 2: The Puppet Master Unleashed

This is where the battle gets brutal. Simon begins manipulating the battlefield with reality-altering attacks and summons spectral minions that disrupt your buffs and positioning.

New Mechanics Introduced

• Mirage Puppets: These spawn at 50% HP. If not destroyed within two turns, they explode.
• Ink Reversal: Simon reflects the last damage type used on him.
• Time Rewrite: Resets buffs/debuffs randomly.

Action Plan

• Use Maelle’s Stendahl’s Requiem as soon as you can combo it with Virtuose Stance. The burst potential removes Mirages in one sweep.
• Verso should pivot to Void Grenade to avoid triggering Ink Reversal from energy-based attacks.
• Rotate in Jules’ Shield Bind when Simon starts prepping Time Rewrite. It can delay his reset for two turns—critical window.
• Keep Balthazar on healing or use Healing Mist between big AoEs.

Defensive Rotation:

• Turn 1: Iron Curtain
• Turn 2: Healing Mist
• Turn 3: Jules refreshes Elemental Flux
• Turn 4: Rotate back to shields

Enemy Attack Patterns (50–25% HP):

• Ink Reflection: Absorbs Lumina and fires it back; don’t use the same element twice.
• Narrative Collapse: AoE disorient that can be blocked with perfect timing or Balthazar’s taunt mechanic.
• Summon: Black Quills: Multiple target dots that Maelle must clear using Tempo Fortissimo if stacked.

Expert Tip: If you’ve preserved Verso’s Charged Edge, unleash it right after Ink Reflection dissipates. This creates a massive stagger, allowing Maelle to finish her combo uninterrupted.

Phase 3: Simon’s Final Form – The Author of Death

At 25% HP, Simon transforms into his true form, amplifying damage, reversing turn order, and modifying Lumina effects. This is the most lethal phase, where mistakes mean instant death.

Phase 3 Boss Mechanics

• Turn Reversal: Simon randomly inverts the turn order. Plan as if Maelle may act before Jules or Verso.
• Lumina Corruption: All untyped Lumina have reduced effect. Only elemental and narrative-aligned skills work reliably.
• Ink Absolute: A one-turn nuke that must be interrupted or survived with a full shield stack.

Survival Strategy

• Jules must anchor the timing of elemental rotations. Begin each turn with him to stabilize buffs.
• Verso shifts to defensive DPS, alternating Void Grenade and Charged Edge.
• Maelle’s job is simple: stack into Virtuose, trigger Requiem, and use Tempo Fortissimo to cleanse or buff speed.
• Balthazar’s Healing Mist becomes essential. Time it to land right after Ink Absolute hits.

Final 10% Strategy:

1. Rebuff with Shield Bind.
2. Verso activates Death Bomb (if recharged via limit or item).
3. Maelle double casts Stendahl’s Requiem with Speed Buff active.
4. Chain combo to stagger Simon, then unleash all remaining Lumina in one offensive burst.

Simon will attempt to resurrect once. If you do not finish him within two turns of his “rebirth,” he wipes the board.

Recommended Equipment and Buff Items

Gear Focus

• Verso: Focus on Ink-Piercing Edge and Critical Soulbracer
• Maelle: Equip Virtuose Chalice and Accelerando Boots
• Balthazar: Stack Shield Aegis and Temporal Medallion
• Jules: Use Elemental Grimoire and Chrono Catalyst

Consumables To Stock

• Phoenix Shard x3: Revives a fallen character immediately.
• Chrono Tea x2: Boosts speed and grants immediate next turn.
• Ink Purge Elixir x5: Removes all DOT and disruption effects.

Post-Fight Rewards and Hidden Lore Unlock

Killing Simon rewards:

• Inkblade of Truth: Weapon for Verso with increased crit chance on enemies below 50%.
• Chapter Fragment: “Before the Silence” – Unlocks additional lore for Maelle’s backstory.
• Simon’s Soul Quill: Crafting item for top-tier narrative armor.

Bonus Tip: If Maelle lands the final blow with Stendahl’s Requiem, a secret cutscene plays revealing Simon’s original fate as a fractured author. This can affect the story’s end arc subtly.

Conclusion

Defeating Simon in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not about brute force. It’s about precision, synergy, and timing. With the right Lumina selection, rotation strategy, and attention to each phase’s nuance, you can kill Simon dead—no retries, no second chances. Equip your team wisely, act deliberately, and this ink-stained tyrant will fall under your blade.

Let this guide be your final draft—Simon’s story ends with you.