Monoco stands out as one of the most distinctive characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, making him an excellent choice for a support role in your team. Unlike other characters, Monoco acquires new skills by collecting the feet of defeated Nevrons—yes, that’s correct! To access Monoco’s impressive abilities, he must be part of your active party during battles. As you defeat specific Nevron enemies, corresponding skills within Monoco’s skill tree will become available.
This character exemplifies what makes Clair Obscur such an exceptional RPG, featuring engaging and humorous dialogue alongside innovative combat mechanics. Beyond his unusual method of collecting Nevron feet, Monoco wields a device called a Bestial Wheel, which can enhance his skills based on the mask it lands on. Each skill rotates the wheel a specific number of times, and it features five masks: Balanced, Agile, Heavy, Caster, and Almighty, with the last one upgrading all skills at once.
Top Skills for a Monoco Support Build in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Monoco’s Support Skills Enhance Allies and Replenish AP
Monoco is a strong candidate for a support class in Clair Obscur, equipped with skills that enhance health, boost AP, and provide buffs to all teammates. While he has a vast array of abilities compatible with various play styles, I prefer to focus on building his Defense and Health to capitalize on his support strengths.
Unlocking these skills requires effort, but by thoroughly exploring Clair Obscur and facing numerous foes with Monoco in your party, you should access these abilities by Act 3. This build features the following key skills:
- Pelerin Heal
- Orphelin Cheers
- Potier Energy
- Boucheclier Fortify
- Contorsionniste Blast
- Chapelier Slash
The first three skills are Caster abilities that buff your allies in various ways. Pelerin Heal grants 40% healing to allies if Monoco is in Caster Mask. Orphelin Cheers gives 1–3 allies a Powerful buff that boosts damage by 25% and provides 3 AP if used in Caster Mask. Finally, the Potier Energy skill can give all allies up to 4 AP while in Caster Mask. Together, these skills deliver valuable boosts, ensuring your team stays healthy and energized.
A Monoco skill is considered “upgraded” when used with its designated Mask on the Bestial Wheel, while the Almighty Mask enhances all skills.
The other skills in this build are tailored to each remaining mask type: Boucheclier Fortify is a Heavy Mask skill, Contorsionniste Blast belongs to the Balanced Mask, and Chapelier Slash is an Agile Mask skill. Boucheclier Fortify adds a Shell to 1–3 allies and provides a shield if upgraded. Contorsionniste Blast deals medium Physical damage to all enemies while healing all allies by 10%, and Chapelier Slash delivers high Physical damage to all enemies and applies a Mark.
Best Weapons & Attributes for Monoco in Clair Obscur
The Ballaro: An Excellent AP Source for Your Team
I recommend using the Ballaro weapon, obtained by defeating Sirene. It significantly boosts AP for the entire party. The Ballaro features a unique Level 4 upgrade that alters the order of the Bestial Wheel, and importantly, it includes two valuable AP-boosting upgrades at Levels 10 and 20. At Level 10, Monoco can provide 1 AP to all allies when executing an upgraded skill, while at Level 20, switching to the Almighty Mask gives 2 AP to everyone. The Ballaro’s element is Light, and when fully upgraded to Level 33, it boasts 8053 Power.
The Ballaro is particularly effective because it mainly scales with Agility and Defense, meaning that Monoco’s weapon damage and defenses will be maximized by focusing on these attributes. It’s also beneficial to invest in Vitality for extra Health, as having Monoco fortified with Health and Defense is more advantageous than maximizing damage output.
Top Pictos & Luminas for Monoco
Enhance Health, Defense, & Immunity with Anti-Freeze, Anti-Burn, & Anti-Charm
For making Monoco a formidable tank and support character, I highly suggest utilizing “Anti” status effect Pictos: Anti-Freeze, Anti-Burn, and Anti-Charm. You can find Anti-Freeze and Anti-Burn in Frozen Hearts, a loot-rich area well worth exploring, while Anti-Charm is acquired by defeating the Tissuer before confronting Sirene. At level 33, each of these offers an additional 3577 Health and 2361 Defense, along with their respective immunities.
You can unlock various unique weapons at the merchant in Monoco’s Station by collecting Eternal Ice from the last boss in the Frozen Hearts area.
Frost and Burn are commonly used status effects in Clair Obscur, and Charm can be particularly debilitating, so having these three equipped is vital for Monoco’s success in challenging battles. Investing Lumina points in these effects frees up substantial resources. Some excellent Luminas for this build include Energizing Heal, Healing Share, Protecting Heal, and Powerful on Shell.
“This build surpasses any other support configuration available from the playable characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
In summary, these Pictos and Luminas will transform Monoco into a combat powerhouse, resilient enough to endure the most potent attacks and effects. Coupled with smart attribute investments, the Ballaro weapon, and Monoco’s exclusive skill buffs, this build will enhance each character’s efficiency and survivability in battle. While this is just one of many potential builds that take advantage of Monoco’s extensive skill set, I believe it stands out as the best support build among all characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
