Table of Contents
Spring Meadows serves as your introduction to the world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This lush, verdant area teaches you the game's core mechanics while presenting your first real challenges. In this guide, I'll walk you through every corner of Spring Meadows, helping you find all collectibles, defeat enemies efficiently, and overcome the area's imposing boss.
Getting Started
When you first arrive, take a moment to look around and soak in the atmosphere. Turn around to spot a waterfall in the distance, where you'll find your first Chroma x180. These Chroma resources are essential for upgrades later in the game, so always keep an eye out for them.
As you follow the main path, the game will introduce you to the Expedition Status UI. Press the designated button to access this interface, which shows your current objective in the upper right, a directional compass in the lower left, character health indicators on the right side, and your Chroma Elixir inventory below the health bars.
Chroma Elixirs are your healing items that replenish your party's health. They have limited uses but recharge whenever you rest at a camp.
First Combat Encounter
Proceeding into the clearing will trigger a scene, followed by your first fight against a Lancelier. This encounter introduces the free aim mechanic. You can aim with L2 and fire projectiles at enemies for a cost of 1 AP per shot. Make sure to target enemy weak points, which appear as glowing orbs, for significant damage.
After defeating the Lancelier, continue forward and use the grapple point you'll encounter. Follow the path until you reach a climbable wall. Scale it and proceed into the cave ahead.
Meeting Lune
Inside the cave, a cutscene will play introducing Lune, who becomes your second playable character. You'll immediately engage in battle with a Portier, which serves as a tutorial for Lune's magical abilities.
Lune's combat style revolves around Elemental Stains. Her attacks generate Ice, Fire, Lightning, Earth, or Light Stains that appear on her weapon, visible by her character portrait. Some of her skills generate stains while others consume them for powerful effects.
For this tutorial battle, you'll use Ice Lance to create an Ice and Light Stain. Then you'll use Immolation, which applies two Fire Stains and consumes the Ice Stain for increased damage. This shows you how the stain system works, creating and consuming elements strategically is key to maximizing Lune's potential.
Different elements cause various status effects too. Ice attacks slow enemy movement, while fire attacks cause burn damage at the start of an enemy's turn. Enemies also have elemental affinities that affect damage.
- When an enemy is weak to an element, they take 50% extra damage.
- If they're resistant, they take 50% less.
- Some enemies can nullify elements completely or even absorb them for healing instead of damage.
After defeating the Portier, you'll receive Pictos - Dodger.
Meadows Corridor
Exit the cave and follow the path until you pass under a huge tree root. Ahead, you'll spot your first Expedition Flag: Meadows Corridor. These flags function as checkpoints where you can restore Chroma Elixir charges, heal your party to full health, respawn defeated enemies, and spend Skill Points and Attribute Points. Make sure you're visiting them whenever you see them.
Continue forward and you'll learn about initiating combat by pressing the attack button to hit enemies first, which gives you the advantage of the first strike, which is such an important feature in a turn-based game. Defeat the Lancelier to obtain the Lanceram, a new weapon for Gustave.
After the fight, head over to the slope on the right side of the path for another Chroma x180. After that, follow the path and check the small dead-end on the right to find Pictos - Critical Burn, an excellent early upgrade for Lune.
The House Area
As you approach the house, look for a sloped path on the left. Climb to the top for another Chroma x180 before dropping down to proceed to the house. Defeat the Lanceliers guarding the entrance. Once inside, turn right and get the Chroma Catalyst in the corner.
Climb the slope on the left side and use the magic rope. After reaching the upper level, turn right and go down the slope. Check under the slope you just passed for an Energy Tint Shard. Exit through the hole in the wall to find Chroma x360 just beside a dead body.
Return inside to the room with the rope and take the path leading outside. At the bottom of the slope, activate the Expedition Flag: Grand Meadow.
Grand Meadow
From the Expedition Flag, you have two paths to choose from. The right path continues the main journey, but the left path offers extra rewards, so let's explore this first.
Take the left path first, and you’ll spot a Chroma x180 on the right side (overlooking a green waterfall). Keep going, and there’s another Chroma x180 near some debris to the left. As you progress, a Lancelier will block your way, kill it, and you’ll find one more Chroma x180 under a tree just past where it was standing. You’ll also notice a grapple point nearby that leads to a far-off ledge.
If you use the grapple, it’ll take you to the third Mime. This one hits much harder and has way more health than what you’ve faced so far. If you manage to beat it, you’ll earn the Gustave Outfit – Baguette and Gustave Haircut – Baguette. But don’t worry, you can always come back later if you’re not quite strong enough yet.
Now, head back to the Expedition Flag and take the right path. Defeat the Portier, then check under the tree behind where it stood to find a Colour of Lumina. Check across the tree, on a small ledge with crates, there’s a Chroma Catalyst tucked away.
Keep moving forward along the main route until a cutscene introduces the Volesters, flying enemies that are tricky to hit with melee. Use your free aim attacks to take them out since they’re great at dodging melee strikes.
After the fight, look to the right side of the area to spot a Chromatic Lancelier. This is a tough enemy with a dangerous forward jab and a two-hit combo that can wipe you out in just one or two hits. Make sure to dodge and parry with precision!
If you manage to beat it, you’ll be rewarded with Pictos – Augmented Attack, Lanceram Lv 2, 2x Chroma Catalysts, and 5x Colour of Lumina. Check the spot behind where it stood for a Chroma x180. Like the Mime earlier, this fight can be brutal if you're underpowered, don’t hesitate to come back later, or you can just get past it for the Chroma.
Return to the main path and use the magic rope to continue. At the top, go all the way to the far edge of the platform and look over the ledge to find Chroma x720 below. After picking it up, climb back up and use the grapple points to move forward.
Eventually, you’ll come across a group of enemies on the right side of the path, guarding a Chroma x180. Defeat them, get the Chroma, and backtrack to follow the main trail until you reach a climbing wall. Climb up and head into the cave ahead.
Abandoned Expeditioner Camp
Inside the cave, a cutscene plays where you recover Journal – Expedition 81 and meet Jar, a friendly Nevron who triggers your first side quest. Nearby, you’ll also find the Expedition Flag: Abandoned Expeditioner Camp.
When you leave the cave, you’ll notice a flare in the distance. But before heading toward it, take a right along the upper path to find Pictos – Dead Energy II. Afterward, return to the cave’s exit and turn left to pick up Pictos – Burning Shots.
Make your way down the slope next, where you’ll face off against a new enemy type: the Abbest. They use magic-based attacks, including eruptions and summoning large spears that crash down from above. Despite their flashy spells, they're manageable with your current skills. Defeating the first group rewards you with a weapon for Lune, Lighterim.
After defeating it, turn around and look back toward the cave, where you’ll spot a Colour of Lumina. Ahead is a bridge with a path that goes underneath it to the right, but first, take the upper-left path. Defeat the Abbest up ahead and get the Chroma Catalyst behind it.
Next, head down to the area beneath the bridge. After defeating another Abbest, check under the bridge for another Colour of Lumina. Keep moving past the bridge and take out one more Abbest. In the nearby corner, you’ll find Resin, the item needed to progress Jar’s side quest.
Before returning to him, explore the small path to the left of the incline. At the end, you’ll find a Revive Tint Shard, a handy item for upcoming fights.
Now, head back to Jar and give him the Resin. After a short dialogue, use Lune to shoot the tip of his staff and light it. Once you speak with him again, he’ll reward you with a Healing Tint Shard.
The Indigo Tree & Boss Battle
Head to the far end of the lower area and go up the ramp near where you picked up the Resin. At the top, you’ll come across the Expedition Flag: The Indigo Tree. This is a good time to rest and spend any skill or attribute points you’ve earned, as a boss fight is just ahead.
The upcoming boss, Évêque, introduces a new shield mechanic. You'll notice shield icons on its health bar, these must be broken first. A single hit will destroy one shield, so it’s best to use a skill that has multiple hits, such as Gustave’s Lumiere Assault. Not only does it remove the shields, but it also increases his Overcharge gauge. Once all the shields are down, you can attack the weak point to deal extra damage.
Boss Abilities:
- Spear Slam: The boss winds up slowly, then slams its spear down on a character (has a two-handed variant)
- Eruption: Its hands glow before creating three energy eruptions, moving toward your characters. Time your parry or dodge on the third eruption.
- Summon: Calls two Abbest enemies to help (prioritize defeating these when they appear)
The boss absorbs earth damage, so avoid Lune's earth skills. It's weak to ice, so use Lune's Ice Lance for extra damage and to apply Slow. When the boss charges up near the end, its weak spot reappears, target it between attacks for big damage.
After defeating Évêque, you'll receive Cleansing Tint and Chroma Catalyst x5.
Before Leaving Spring Meadows
Before wrapping up the area, turn back and take the path on the right to find Pictos - Empowering Attack. Use the nearby magic rope to descend and grab the Colour of Lumina below.
Once that’s done, return to the top of the tree and move toward the swirling energy to leave Spring Meadows. You’ll now enter the world map and continue your journey into the next area, the Flying Waters.
