Every party member in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can be built in many different ways, thanks to all the Pictos and Lumina that can be equipped. While a lot of builds amplify things a character already does, some can completely change how you play sections of a battle, some in more jarring ways than others.
One of the more unique builds in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the auto-death build, which immediately has a character die at the start of battle to buff the other two party members. Here’s how to make this build work, along with the necessary Pictos you’ll need to master and use.
Updated on August 9th, 2025 by Joshua Leeds: The Auto-Death build is only as good as the characters you bring along with this party member, as their main goal is to set the other two up for a strong start to the battle. This article has been updated to include additional information on who your best options are for the auto-death build, and some useful ideas on builds to use with the other two party members to get the most out of all the auto-death buffs.
Where To Get The Auto Death & Second Chance Picto In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The Auto-Death build is centered around killing one of your characters right at the start of a battle with a Picto. While this sounds counterintuitive, that character will have a lot of other Pictos/Lumina that buff the other two party members in a lot of ways, setting them up for very effective turns for the start of a battle. With the Second Chance Picto, the character that dies will get right back up, so by the time the first turn happens, you’ll have two very buffed party members and no other real consequences.
The Auto-Death build does have some flexibility depending on where you’re at in the main story, but the most important Picto, Auto-Death, can be obtained in Act 1. Head to Yellow Harvest, in the northwestern corner of the first section of the continent. Once here, you’ll want to find the merchant Barnaby starting from the Harvester’s Hollow Flag. From the flag, head out to the large open area ahead and stick to the right side until you see a slope leading up. Following the slope and through the clearing with the lamps to find a grapple point, with the merchant being at the top.
Auto Death costs 5,320 Chroma.
Also found in an outcropping in the large clearing past the Harvester’s Hollow Flag which is not necessarily a useful addition. The next Picto/Lumina you’ll need for this build is obtained towards the end of Act 2, Second Chance. It is obtained by beating a required story boss, so keep progressing the main story, and you won’t miss it. This allows the character who dies from Auto Death to get right back up at the start of the battle. If you’re trying to use this build before getting the Second Chance Picto, just make sure the Auto Death character isn’t your fastest, so your first character to act can revive the one that died.
All Auto Death Build Pictos In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Once you have the foundations of the build, simply equip those Pictos on whichever character is the least effective in combat among your three active party members. The one that dies won’t get the buffs from the following Pictos/Lumina that you choose to equip. Ideally, you’ll want all the Pictos listed below to get the most out of the build. This build only needs to be equipped on one character in your party, and the other two should simply have whatever other build you think is best, as the auto-death build will provide useful buffs all right at the start of the battle.
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Picto/Lumina Name |
Effects |
How To Get |
|---|---|---|
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On Death, applies 3 burn to all enemies. |
Drops from the Bourgeon west of Monoco’s Station. |
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On death, fully charge the enemy’s break bar. |
Defeat the Eveque east of Stone Wave Cliffs Cave. |
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On death, +4 AP to all allies |
In the Forgotten Battlefield, starting from the Fort Ruins Flag. Head to the left to the footholds across the gap, then up and down the stairs. Through the doorway, turn right, heading straight through the next doorway before turning left. On the other side of the guardrails will be the blue item, which is the Picto. |
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On death, all allies get Shell. |
In Sirene, starting from the Dancing Classes Flag. Run past the door to the manor and look to the right. |
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On death, deal damage to all enemies. |
In Yellow Harvest, starting from the Harvesters Hollow Flag. Head towards the large stone statue and look off to the right to see a small path between the mountains with the Picto being among the campsite at the end. |
Burning Death
Energising Death
Death Bomb
How to Best Use Auto-Death in Claur Obscur: Expedition 33
While just about every party member can be a heavy hitter depending on how you build them, you’ll want to put auto-death on those who are just slightly weaker than the other options:
While one of these party members has the auto-death build, you’ll want powerful damage-focused builds on the remaining party members. One incredible build that pairs well with the auto-death build is commonly referred to as the Maelle Nuke, which sees her dealing an incredible amount of damage on turn one. Pairing her with the auto-death build can further push her turn one damage to heights unobtainable by other party members.
If you use auto-death on Verso, Monoco can also be a great option to benefit from auto-death, as both Sciel and Lune require a turn or two of build-up to deal the most damage they normally can. That being said, the buffs from auto-death last at least three turns, so you’ll have the time if needed to set up whatever perfect turn you want.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Released
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April 24, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
-
Kepler Interactive
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
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