Flying Waters walkthrough – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Welcome to our 100% walkthrough for Flying Waters, the second area of Act One in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This region is the perfect representation of the haunting beauty that exists throughout the continent – it’s full of kelp, corals, and breathtaking ocean beasts that float above you, but also home to lots of Nevrons in deep sea gear who can’t wait to tear you to bits with their rusty anchors.

You’ll obtain a valuable new party member as you trek through Flying Waters, which is also home to a handful of bosses – both optional and mandatory – who’ll really test your mettle. Also, more of the dangers faced by previous expeditioners will come to the forefront as your crew gains a better understanding of what awaits them in the realm of the Paintress.

In this guide, we’ll offer a 100% walkthrough of Flying Waters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, including how to beat optional foes like Bourgeon and Chromatic Troubadour.

In this guide:

Entering Flying Waters

We finished our last walkthrough by entering Expedition 33’s overworld, so take some time to enjoy the sights as well as the haunting music. There are a few enemies to fight along the way, and it’s worth doing so to rack up more experience points. You should also carefully explore any landmarks you pass, as there’s a Colour of Lumina hidden amongst some tents not far from your starting point.

To get to Flying Waters, head towards the big coral pieces to the northeast. Ignore the entrance to Abbest Cave, which you’ll pass on your left, as the area is too challenging at the moment. (But if you turn right outside the cave entrance, there’s another Colour of Lumina near the boxes.)

Eventually you’ll get a prompt to set up Camp, which can be done at any time while on the overworld. Camping is a vital activity, as it’s a chance to rest your characters, chat with them to build up relationships, play any Records you’ve unlocked, and write in Gustave’s Journal. When you’re finished with Camp activities, interact with the campfire and select the “Go to Sleep” option.

Write in Gustave’s Journal after major story beats
An extra tip from Jeremy

Journaling may just seem like a flavourful thing to do without any tangible purpose at first, but don’t be fooled. Get in the habit of writing in the Journal after every plot development if you want to eventually unlock an important skill called Gustave’s Homage. This skill either unlocks in Act 2 or Act 3, and you can get it sooner rather than later by writing in the Journal as much as possible.

After leaving Camp, go to the swirly portal near the coral pieces to enter Flying Waters.

Reaching the Manor

Wow, you’re somehow underwater now! After the cutscene, go left of the first wrecked ship and take the pathway through the kelp to find the SOS Shell Pictos. Then return to the wreck and walk towards the shining mass on the ground, which is a Paint Cage.

Paint Cages are chests that store valuable loot, and they have three locks scattered around the nearby environment. Opening this particular Paint Cage gets you a Chroma Elixir Shard, as well as the Paint Cage Achievement, since it’s the first of many. You can find the locks as follows:

Open your first Paint Cage by breaking these three locks. They’re not too hard to find, thankfully.

1. To the left of the Paint Cage, glowing atop a wall of rock.
2. To the right of the Paint Cage, near a long array of bubbles and some kelp.
3. If you’re facing the Paint Cage, turn around and look at the wreck. The lock is on the whale’s tail.

Proceed onwards on the path past the Paint Cage, picking up Chroma x333 as you go. You’ll soon run into your first Luster. This fast-moving Nevron has a two-hit combo of a melee slash followed by a jumping slam, and it’ll also ‘unleash its fury’ with a dash attack that charges through a party member three times. Parrying The Luster’s dash combo is tricky, but if you get the timing down you can pop a Counter that kills the Luster before it can complete all three dashes.

Further onwards, you’ll meet the Démineur Nevrons, who look like little deep sea divers. They summon lightning bolts and are technically classified as flying creatures, meaning that melee attacks won’t work on them. Instead, Free Aim at the mines they hold to deal respectable AoE damage.

Beyond the first Démineur encounter and to the right is a Chroma Catalyst and more Démineur and Luster fights. Keep going this way and you’ll reach a cave outlined by red coral and lampposts – there’s another Chroma Catalyst to the right of it, but you’ll also have to battle three Démineurs. Once you’re done, go through the cave until you spot a house.

The Manor

What a fancy place. Use the Expedition Flag – Entry Hall to level up and heal, and then go up the staircase, take the right stairs, and enter the room that has some blue light peeking out from the entrance. It’s Maelle! After a cutscene, she’ll join the party.

With Gustave’s little sis in tow, let’s take some time to explore the joint. Aside from a piano that you can play, most of the doors are locked, and there’s seemingly not much you can do here. However, if you look carefully you can find four switches throughout the Manor’s main dining room.

These switches tend to blend into the ornate wallpaper of the Manor, so we’ve marked their general direction for your convenience.

1. The first switch is found on one of the pillars, to the right of a landscape painting.
2. Facing the piano, look at the pillar to the right of it. The second switch is on the wall against the pillar.
3. Opposite the piano, go into the alcove with the fireplace; the switch is on the left wall below a square-shaped painting and the counter.
4. Facing the fireplace, turn right and walk towards the stairs; you can find the third switch on the wall to the left of another landscape painting.

When all switches are flipped, there’s an alcove that opens by the fireplace. Inside is a room full of storage crates and a statue. Search by the statue to get your reward – the Nocturne Pour un Masque de Tristesse record.

You can also find Maelle’s new friend the Curator hanging out by the exit of the Manor. Chat with him to enter a tutorial battle that explains Maelle’s skills in combat. She’s a stance user, and all of her skills will be categorised under one of three poses – Defensive Stance, Offensive Stance, and Virtuose Stance. Every stance can flow into another as long as you use the right combination of skills.

String Maelle’s stances together for maximum damage
An extra tip from Jeremy

If you’re confused about Maelle’s stances, just remember: Defensive takes less damage and gains 1 AP with every successful dodge and parry, Offensive deals more damage but also takes more damage, and Virtuose is the strongest when it comes to damage dealing, but is tricky to set up.

Also Read:  What is ??? Island in Octopath Traveler 2? - Answered

Maelle is a powerhouse of a 16-year-old, and has the potential to be the most OP character in the game if you can master stringing her stances together. However, conserving AP and figuring out which skills end on what stances can be challenging. To end in Virtuose Stance, start weaving Swift Stride into your attack rotations, since it automatically puts Maelle in Virtuose as long as she hits a burning target – which Lune should be able to easily set up at this point.

The Curator fight shouldn’t be too hard, and aside from Maelle’s stances, the most notable new mechanic here is attacks that require the entire party to jump rather than dodge or parry. If you successfully jump, your team can pull off a group counter in mid-air that looks very cool.

After you’ve beaten the Curator, he’ll show up again later at Camp. For now, exit the Manor to return to Flying Waters.

Noco the merchant

Bet you were wondering if this RPG had any merchants, eh? Have no fear, Noco is here. This little guy is the first of several Gestral Merchants you’ll encounter in your travels, and he shows up as soon as you exit the Manor. You’ll probably have enough Chroma to clean him out or buy most of his wares, and I recommend you do so.

If you’re feeling lucky, you can also select ‘Fight the Merchant’ to face Noco in combat. This will be a battle with only one party member, so choose the one you’re most comfortable with. (I picked Maelle.) Noco will grow to a huge size on his first turn of combat, and he attacks with a jump followed by a smash with both arms. Ignore the jump but parry the arm smash.

Beating Noco will add the Exposing Attack Pictos to the shop menu for 3,600 Chroma.

Expedition 68 shipwreck

With three expeditioners under our control, it’s now time to go deeper into Flying Waters. There’s some Chroma x665 not far from Noco; grab it and then take the path littered with dead Nevrons, which branches off towards a Chroma Catalyst. You’ll soon emerge into an open area containing the shipwreck of Expedition 68.

Patrolling this area are Bruler, a new type of hulking Nevron that carry anchors as weapons. They’re weak to lightning and resort to a painful but slow two-hit melee combo, so take the chance to practise your parrying and dodging against them. Defeating your first two batches of Bruler will get you the Brulerum, a new rapier for Maelle, and 4 Chroma Catalyst.

As you explore the area around the shipwreck you’ll spot a Luster enemy wandering about; fight it and then turn towards what looks like a huge Démineur helmet lying on the ground. This is actually a tunnel entrance that leads to a side quest; before entering, grab the Recoat from the platform nearby, then take the handholds up and use the Grapple points to reach the Augmented Aim Pictos.

Démineur side quest

Now it’s time to enter the big Démineur helmet tunnel. A lone Démineur awaits on the other side; this particular Nevron isn’t violent like its kin and instead seems to be missing a mine.

To complete this side quest, go right of the Démineur to see an expansive area with multiple platforms and floating mines. Jump across all of the pillars and you’ll eventually come across a ledge with an Intact Mine. Bring this back to the Démineur to get Deminerim, a very good weapon for Lune.

As was the case with Jar – and all of the other white non-hostile Nevrons that you’ll soon encounter – you can fight the Démineur if you wish, and it’s a relatively easy affair comparable to fighting any normal Démineur. Doing so will get you 3 Colour of Lumina and a Chroma Catalyst. Echoing my advice with Jar, the nonviolent path is the preferable option here if you want to get nice rewards from the NPC Blanche much later in the game.

The Coral Cave

Return to the wreckage of Expedition 68 and enter the warmly-lit cavern that has lights located outside and an anchor marking the entrance. This leads to the Cruler, a new enemy Nevron working an anvil alongside a Bruler. Try to blast it from behind for a sneak attack.

The Cruler has two Shields that require breaking, and it can also create Shields to cover other Nevrons. Last but not least, it unleashes a massive thwack from its club that’ll stun party members. Weaken it with electricity, like all Flying Water enemies. Victory gets you the Cruleram, a coral-encrusted blade for Gustave.

Move forward to unlock the Expedition Flag – Coral Cave. To the right of the flag, you can find the Staggering Attack Pictos in a small alcove. Ahead of the flag is coral cluster of lamps, and a Chroma x333 lies just beyond.

Keep moving past the lamp cluster and a Cruler will bust in from the left, clearly looking for a rumble. When you emerge victorious, investigate where it came from to get the Rewarding Mark Pictos, which is a good choice for keeping your AP high.

From here, go up the nearby slope to find a Colour of Lumina and Chroma x665. Then veer towards the red-lit area with climbing holds that you can use to drop downwards. You’ll end up in a dark passage; go over the Grapple point and you’ll reach a wide room that houses several platforms, floating mines, and another Paint Cage. There are also two Cruler patrolling the area, so take them out first before you go hunting for Paint Cage locks.

This Paint Cage contains a Revive Tint Shard. You can find its three locks as follows:

Another Paint Cage to break, and this one’s slightly more complex than the first.

1. On the wall near the Paint Cage.
2. Next to the cage, on one of the platforms that rise up around the room.
3. Stuck on one of the floating mines. This one’s easier to spot if you climb the platforms to give yourself a higher vantage point.

While you’re in this area, use the platforms to explore the upper ledges and grab a Colour of Lumina. Then leave this reddish area and go back the way you came, taking the climbing holds upwards.

Back up top, veer rightwards to pick up Journal – Expedition 68, which will offer some insight into the tribulations of the shipwrecked crew that came before you. Then continue along and you’ll see an absolutely gigantic Nevron lurking in the distance, Shadow of the Colossus style. You’ll deal with it soon enough – for now, turn right and you’ll see a kelp forest.

How to beat the Flying Waters Mime

Guess what – another Mime awaits you if you venture into that kelp and take the handholds up. As with the other Mimes, this one will erect a protective wall that you need to break before damage can accumulate. It also has two Shields to contend with, as if the wall wasn’t enough.

If you can, take advantage of Maelle’s heavy-hitting Virtuose Stance skills to smash the wall and Shields ASAP – here’s where it really helps to deal that +200% damage! Aside from these obstacles, the Mime’s combos are the same as usual. When it’s been defeated, you’ll get the Short hairstyle for Maelle.

How to beat Bourgeon

Exit the Mime’s hidey-hole and return to the main path. Take the ledge up and you’ll reach a fork in the road. The left takes you to Expedition Flag – Lumièran Streets, and you’ll catch a glimpse of a chonky Nevron named Goblu. Ignore him for now, and use the flag to upgrade your gear and weapons.

Once you’ve levelled up, take the right path through the kelp to face the optional boss Bourgeon. This fella isn’t as big as the huge Nevron you saw earlier, but it’s still an imposing contender!

Bourgeon Weakness: Lightning damage

Bourgeon uses the following attacks:

• ‘Bourgeon eats [insert character name here]’ – This one’s pretty wild, as Bourgeon ends up swallowing a member of your party wholesale. Don’t panic – this only removes them from the fight temporarily until you deal enough damage. Unfortunately, Bourgeon has room in its belly for more than one party member.
• ‘Bourgeon spits out [insert character name here]’ – Keep pelting away at Bourgeon and eventually it’ll barf out whoever it’s swallowed up.
• ‘Bourgeon spits miasma’ – Bourgeon chucks four globs of spittle in a character’s direction. These aren’t too difficult to dodge or parry, but getting hit will inflict the Exhausted effect, which prevents further AP gain.
• ‘Bourgeon performs a 3-hit combo’ – Bourgeon uses its arm for three ground slams in quick succession. You’ll need to be fast to parry these.
• ‘Bourgeon performs a 4-hit combo’ – This is a massive headbutt, followed by a pause and then three swift ground slams with an arm.
• ‘Bourgeon performs a 5-hit combo’ – Two ground slams with one arm, then a pause as Bourgeon switches arms for three more slams.
• ‘Bourgeon performs a Crushing Combo’ – Bourgeon’s ultimate attack. Three slams with one arm, a pause, then two slams with the other arm, followed by another pause, and finally a headbutt. Time your parries or dodges accordingly!

This can be a rough fight, especially due to Bourgeon’s ability to remove party members from the fray for long periods. Use electricity and take advantage of Lune’s Deminerim weapon for maximum damage.

Your rewards include the Abysseram weapon for Gustave, a Chroma Catalyst, the Augmented Counter 1 Pictos, and a key item called the Bourgeon Skin, which will come in handy down the line.

Exploring the Lumièran Streets

Return to the Lumièran Streets Expedition Flag. There are a few tidbits to grab here if we climb the roof embedded in the ground and Grapple onto the building rooftops. There’s a Bruler and Luster battle that awaits you, followed by another Grapple point that leads to the Versatile Pictos, which increase attack damage by 50% for 1 turn after a successful Free Aim hit.

Drop back down to the ground, defeat the wandering Cruler for 4 Chroma Catalyst, and pick up the Energy Tint Shard that lies behind a box. Then go up the nearby slope to the ledge and grab a Colour of Lumina.

As you explore the area, you’ll encounter a patrolling Luster near a climbable wall. Go up the wall and you’ll be on an upper ledge; you should see a Cruler moving back and forth. To the left of its patrol route is a path that leads to a Grapple point. Grappling over takes you to a building balcony, and then to a ledge with a Chroma Catalyst. Another Grapple point is beyond that will take you to a platform where another optional boss awaits – Chromatic Troubadour.

How to beat Chromatic Troubadour

Chromatic Troubadour Weakness: Lightning damage

Chromatic Troubadour Resistance: Dark damage

Chromatic Troubadour is a formidable opponent at this early stage. Its Weakness is Light damage, which isn’t exactly in big supply right now, so your best bet is to rely on old standbys like Burn for damage over time. Start the fight by shooting its glowing core weak point, and then get used to the following attack patterns:

• ‘Chromatic Troubadour performs a Trumpet Concerto’ – Chromatic Troubadour blows its trumpet in a dance before slamming it down on a party member three times. To parry or dodge this attack, you just need to study the timing of the three trumpet slams, which happen after the Nevron lifts its little legs for the second time.
• ‘Chromatic Troubadour performs a Tricky Shot with its trumpet’ – An erratic attack animation that takes some time to learn. The Chromatic Troubadour blows two glowing wisps out of its trumpet, then dashes at a character for a trumpet swing. Parry/dodge this swing, and then ignore the Chromatic Troubadour’s further movements, which are a distraction. Instead, focus on parrying/dodging the glowing wisps as they fall towards you.

Winning the fight will earn you the Troubadim weapon for Lune, 2 Chroma Catalysts and 5 Colours of Lumina. If you explore the area behind the Chromatic Troubadour, you can also find the Energising Break Pictos.

Once the fight concludes, go all the way back to the Lumièran Streets Expedition Flag and rest up. Then search for the “Tour Eiffel” sign and take the path behind it to reach Goblu and the end of Flying Waters. There’s another save point conveniently before the boss – the Expedition Flag – Flower Field.

How to beat Goblu

Goblu Weakness: Lightning damage

Goblu Resistance: Ice damage

Goblu has some of the best boss music ever. It’s highly possible that you may jam out too much while fighting him and let some of his attacks smash you, so beware the following:

• ‘Goblu jumps’ – Goblu leaps into the air and lands with three big butt pounds that target all expeditioners. There’s a slight delay between the second and third butt pounds; nevertheless, your team will need to jump to avoid all of ’em. If your timing is good you can pull off a jumping counterattack.
• ‘Goblu performs a melee combo’ – A jump forward followed by two rapid slams from different arms. Pretty easy to counter.
• ‘Goblu grows flowers’ – Goblu makes flowers pop up around the arena. Whenever this happens, you should use your Free Aim to immediately destroy them before they’re absorbed (see below).
• ‘Goblu regenerates flowers’ – If you’ve destroyed Goblu’s flowers, the Nevron brings them back to life with this move.
• ‘Goblu absorbs the flowers’ power’ – If you haven’t managed to destroy Goblu’s flowers, they’ll be absorbed. The blue flowers give Goblu two Shields, while the red flowers give Goblu’s attacks a damage buff.

The fight ends with Goblu fleeing, but you’ll still get a Shape of Health, a Polished Chroma Catalyst, and 3 Chroma Catalyst for your efforts. Proceed onwards to the exit – which gets you the Flying Waters Achievement, and watch the ensuing grim cutscene dubbed Maelle’s Nightmare.

After the cutscene finishes, you’ll end up in Camp. Take some time to rest, upgrade, and chat with Lune and Maelle, and then explore the outer reaches of Camp to find the Curator, who can help you upgrade your weapons and improve the number of Expedition Resources you can carry.

Well done, our underwater adventure and 100% walkthrough of all of the bosses and collectibles in Flying Waters is now finished. There are many more eeric and magical areas to discover on the continent, and clearly, Maelle’s Nightmare hints at grim tidings awaiting our heroes. This walkthrough will continue soon, so stay tuned to Rock Paper Shotgun for more. Meanwhile, our Expedition 33 boss list is a useful resource for those who want to keep track of foes defeated and the ones who lie ahead. For those who come after!