Crushing Cavern | Expedition 33

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Crushing Cavern

Crushing Cavern Location Objectives

• Defeat the Giant Sapling

Full Crushing Cavern Walkthrough

Crushing Cavern Entrance

The Crushing Cavern entrance is located northwest of the Gestral Village. See Expedition 33 Map Link. Once you enter, you will be greeted with the Entrance Expedition Flag.

Make your way through the dark cave to find an item ahead, only you will fall through the floor before you can get to it. When you reach the bottom of the drop, you will be met with two large glowing eyes. Strike it to initiate combat against the Giant Sapling. Defeat it to obtain Solidifying and a Polished Chroma Catalyst.

Go ahead to the tunnel and take the rope up to another tunnel. Follow this tunnel down until you reach the fork in the path. To the left, you can pick up a Colour of Lumina, and Journal - Expedition 45 at the end of the path. Return to the fork and head to the path on the right to reach a ledge. Drop down and take the path on the right to exit the cave.

After dropping down to where the Giant Sapling is, if you wish to leave without fighting it, a rope back up can be found behind and to the right of where you dropped down.

Crushing Cavern Notes & Tips in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• The Giant Sapling fight has a strict turn limit. At the start of each of the Sapling's turns, the walls of the cavern will move in towards the group. On the Sapling's 7th turn, they will crush the group, immediately failing the fight.
• The Giant Sapling has only two actions it can take on its turn, only one of which it will use on any given turn:
  • It will apply 6 Shields to itself.
  • It will fire 3 purple orbs, which apply Exhausted on the target if not countered/avoided.
• Winning the encounter relies on countering the shields it applies, dodging or parrying the exhaustion orbs, and dealing damage rapidly enough to kill the boss before the time limit.
  • Maelle's Breaking Rules is exceptionally strong for the boss's shields, removing all shields, dealing damage, and restoring AP per shield removed.
  • The exhaustion orbs will arc upwards and then sharply curve down towards the target character. The optimal avoidance timing is just as the orb starts to curve downwards. The orbs move fairly quickly, however.
  • Since the time limit is based on the Sapling's turns, the higher the Speed stat of the characters in the party, the more turns they'll have to deal damage before reaching the lethal 7th turn for the Sapling.