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Renoir’s first mandatory fight takes place at the end of Old Lumiere, just beyond the Manor Gardens flag. He has no elemental weakness, so focus on reliable damage and staying alive while you learn his attack cues. The key mechanic is his petal summon: destroy both clusters before Renoir reaches critical health, or he can absorb them and heal almost to full.
Where to find Renoir
The fight is at the end of Old Lumiere, immediately after the Manor Gardens flag; it is required for story progression, according to Gamepressure’s Renoir guide. The Expedition 33 Wiki entry places the encounter near the South Entrance Flag and distinguishes this first appearance from later full encounters. This guide covers the first fight.
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Prepare for a neutral matchup
Renoir is neutral to all elements. The Expedition 33 Wiki lists no weakness, resistance, or absorption, so there is no elemental vulnerability to build around. Prioritize dependable single-target damage, upgraded weapons, and enough survivability to recover from missed timing. Your ability to read his attacks matters more than trying to force an elemental advantage.
How to answer Renoir’s attacks
Watch his animations and listen for the audio cues rather than relying on a fixed rhythm. Several attacks include pauses or delayed final hits.
#1 Best Overall
- Reactive Turn-based Combat: Craft unique builds for your Expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and &character synergies
- Dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free aim system
- With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, & fellow Expeditioners as they embark on a desperate quest to break Paintress’ cycle of death
- Explore an enchanting realm populated by adversaries; Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield
- Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack
- Five-hit cane combo: He strikes three times quickly, pauses, then jumps for the fourth and fifth blows. Do not treat the pause as the end of the sequence; watch for the jump.
- Pool of Chroma: Jump when the jump symbol disappears.
- Gradient Chroma explosion: Watch the three ink lines in the Chroma orb. Perform a Gradient Counter when they align vertically, horizontally, and diagonally.
- Triple Chroma explosion: Parry the first two explosions in rhythm, then use a Gradient Counter on the third when all three lines align.
- Chroma waves: Parry all five waves. The fifth is significantly delayed, so wait rather than parrying on the earlier cadence.
- Strange masks: Three masks fire seven Chroma shots. Their trembling and characteristic sound signal an incoming shot; the seventh shot is delayed.
- Vanish: Dodge the two cane swings, then use a Gradient Counter when Renoir raises his cane. Missing this response removes the targeted character for the rest of the fight and prevents resurrection.
Stop the petal heal
At mid-fight, Renoir summons two clusters of petals. They do not attack, but they are the encounter’s most important priority: stop attacking Renoir and destroy both clusters. If his health reaches a critical level while either cluster remains, he absorbs them and heals almost to full. Save enough damage for the clusters and switch targets as soon as they appear.
Choose an approach that fits your timing
There is no elemental shortcut established for this fight. Choose a plan based on how consistently you can execute its defensive timings and handle the petals:
Rank #2
- Reactive Turn-based Combat - In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions enhance the heart of turn-based combat. Build your party and level up six characters. Craft unique builds for your expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and character synergies. Open an active dimension in combat - dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free-aim system.
- “Tomorrow Comes” - With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, and their fellow Expeditioners as they embark upon a desperate quest to break the Paintress’ cycle of death. Follow the trail of previous expeditions and discover their fate. Get to know the members of Expedition 33 as they learn to work together against impossible odds.
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- Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack.
- European/ UK version
- If your parries and Gradient Counters are reliable: Use those responses to limit incoming damage and create room for sustained attacks.
- If your timing is inconsistent: Favor survivability and recovery margin over a damage race; a missed Vanish response has a particularly severe cost.
- If you rely on burst damage: Keep enough output available to destroy both petal clusters promptly rather than spending every strong attack on Renoir.
- If you favor sustained damage: Keep pressure on Renoir between attack sequences, but switch immediately to the petals when summoned.
Rewards for the first fight
Gamepressure’s 2025 guide lists these rewards for the encounter:
Quick Recap
Best Value
- IGN and GameSpot "Game of the Year" and "Best RPG" from The Game Awards
- ATLUS' newest fantasy JRPG with beautiful anime cutscenes
- Free demo with save-data carry over
- Awaken 40+ "Archetypes," magical powers that lie dormant in your heart
- Innovative battle system that blends strategic turn-based combat and dynamic real-time combat
Rank #4
- Engaging Storyline: Dive into a rich, narrative-driven adventure with unexpected twists.
- Complex Puzzles: Test your problem-solving skills with challenging puzzles.
- Immersive World: Explore a visually stunning alien planet with breathtaking details and treacherous terrain.
Rank #3
- Engaging Storyline: Dive into a rich, narrative-driven adventure with unexpected twists.
- Complex Puzzles: Test your problem-solving skills with challenging puzzles.
- Immersive World: Explore a visually stunning alien planet with breathtaking details and treacherous terrain.
- 51,750 XP
- 5,988 Chroma
- Melarum weapon for Maelle
- 3 Polished Chroma Catalysts
- Esquie gains the ability to flow through coral reefs and set up camp at any flag
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