Xiao Guide and Best Builds

Xiao Guide and Best Builds for Genshin Impact

Xiao is a 5-star Anemo Polearm DPS. Acting as a Hypercarry, Xiao's provides high DPS for the team with his gameplay revolving around plunge attacks powered up from his Elemental Burst, Bane of All Evil.

Last updated on Jun 05, 2024 at 11:00 by Shikhu
A Rating
Anemo Element
Polearm Weapon
Rarity
Laila Berzins EN Voice Actor
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka JP Voice Actor
1.

Xiao Strengths and Weaknesses

V Strengths
  • +Easy to play with higher skill combos available
  • +Incredible AoE damage
  • +Great for exploration
X Weaknesses
  • -Good artifact investment is required
  • -Drains HP during their Elemental Burst
  • -Certain enemies are hard to hit such as flying enemies
2.

Hypercarry DPS Xiao

Xiao's is primarily played as a Hypercarry, using various supports available to increase his personal damage. Unlike many other Anemo characters, Xiao does not incorporate swirling various elements into his gameplay.

BiS Weapon Primordial Jade Winged-Spear
Alternative Weapons
  1. Staff of Homa
  2. Vortex Vanquisher
  3. Calamity Queller
  4. Deathmatch
  5. Lithic Spear
  6. Missive Windspear
Best Artifacts
  1. Vermillion Hereafter
  2. Marechaussee Hunter
  3. Desert Pavilion Chronicle
Main Stats
  • Sand Stats: ATK %
  • Goblet Stats: Anemo DMG
  • Circlet Stats: CRIT Rate / DMG
Substat Priority
    1. CRIT Rate / DMG
    2. ATK %
    3. Energy Recharge
Talent Priority
  1. Normal Attack
  2. Elemental Burst
  3. Elemental Skill

Xiao has a range of strong 5-star weapons that work for him due to his skills scaling off of attack. Therefore, we have listed several 4-star options as well. Additionally, Xiao wants around 130% Energy Recharge to help maintain uptime on his Elemental Burst.

With regard to his artifact set choices, they are all fairly similar damage-wise and while Vermillion Hereafter is his best in slot that does not necessarily mean it is worth aiming for. Marechaussee Hunter is incredibly resin efficient and a powerful alternative. Aside from Marechaussee, Desert Pavilion Chronicle being generally third best, if you already have a well-built set for Xiao then consider spending your resin on other characters such as his supports.

3.

Combos and How to Play Xiao

Xiao's gameplay revolves around using Bane of All Evil to apply his Yaksha's Mask and increase his jump height, Plunge damage and turn his attacks into Anemo Damage. To play Xiao optimally however, start by using both of his Elemental Skills, Lemniscatic Wind Cycling before his Burst. This is because Lemniscatic Wind Cycling will not generate Energy while under the effects of Bane of All Evil.

Afterwards, you can begin your plunge attacking, You also want to throw in the occasional normal/charged attack to animation cancel between plunges which varies depending on if you are fighting 1 enemy or multiple enemies.

  • Single Target — Plunge > Normal Attack > Charged Attack > Repeat
  • AoE — Plunge > Normal Attack > Plunge
3.1.

Using Xiao for Exploration

Xiao has several benefits and techniques you can use to help your exploration of the open world.

  • Transcension: Gravity Defier reduces stamina consumption while climbing.
  • Lemniscatic Wind Cycling can be used in the air helping you cover a lot of distance without losing any height.
  • Using Lemniscatic Wind Cycling will also result in restoring a small amount of stamina which can be useful while gliding and especially climbing helping you get further.
4.

Xiao's Best Team Comps

Because Xiao is the Main DPS of your team and by far the primary source of damage, using characters that increase his damage is the way to go. Players often use characters like Jean, Faruzan and Bennett to do so.

Xiao will need a healer to help mitigate his constant HP loss while under the effects of Bane of All Evil. A shielder such as Zhongli or character with interruption resistance can also help but is less important compared to having a healer. More importantly, using a character as a battery to help ensure Xiao never runs out of energy is incredibly helpful to your team.

4.1.

Xiao Hypercarry

Main DPS Support Support Support
Xiao Faruzan Furina Xianyun
Xiao Faruzan Jean Bennett
Xiao Faruzan Zhongli Bennett

Here are 3 examples of Hypercarry teams you can run with Xiao. Faruzan, Xianyun and Bennett are there to provide huge damage bonuses with additional support from characters like Jean or ZZhongli who bring extra Resistance Shred to the party. Jean at C4 also reduces Anemo Resistance by 40%.

4.2.

Double Pyro Xiao

Main DPS Sub DPS Support Support
Xiao Xiangling Bennett

As a 4-Star budget tea you can use 2 Pyro characters, one of which being Bennett, allows you to gain an additional 25% Attack from Pyro resonance. The main 2 Pyro options here are Xiangling or Thoma with Xiangling providing impressive damage and Thoma instead providing defensive support. Anemo characters in this team provides additional RES Shred for Pyro as well as additional Energy for Xiao. Faruzan is still your best option here although Lynette can be a nice alternate choice instead providing an ATK boost.

5.

Xiao's Ascensions, Talents, and Constellations

Xiao Ascensions Xiao Talents Xiao Constellations
5.1.

Xiao Ascension Passives and Materials

Unlock Ascension Passive Explanation
With Character Transcension: Gravity Defier
  • Decreases climbing Stamina consumption for your own party members by 20%.
  • Not stackable with Passive Talents that provide the exact same effects.
1st Ascension Conqueror of Evil: Tamer of Demons
  • While under the effects of Bane of All Evil, all DMG dealt by Xiao increases by 5%.
  • DMG increases by a further 5% for every 3s the ability persists.
  • he maximum DMG Bonus is 25%.
4th Ascension Dissolution Eon: Heaven Fall
  • Using Lemniscatic Wind Cycling increases the DMG of subsequent uses of Lemniscatic Wind Cycling by 15%.
  • This effect lasts for 7s, and has a maximum of 3 stacks.
  • Gaining a new stack refreshes the effect's duration.

Xiao requires a range of materials to ascend to the 6th ascension. Starting from the second ascension they gain additional CRIT Rate as their bonus stat giving a total of 19.2% increased CRIT Rate at the final ascension. The total cost to upgrade all ascensions is:

Source Quantity
Mora 420,000 Mora
Boss Material 46x Juvenile Jade
Ascension Material
Local Specialty 168x Qingxin
Enhancement Material
  • 18x Slime Condensate
  • 30x Slime Secretions
  • 36x Slime Concentrate
5.2.

Xiao's Talents

Listed below is each talent and a simplified explanation of how they work.

Type Talent Name Brief Explanation
Normal Normal Attack: Whirlwind Thrust Performs up to 6 consecutive spear strikes. Plunging Attacks do not deal damage to Xiao regardless of the height.
Elemental Skill Lemniscatic Wind Cycling
  • Xiao lunges forward, dealing Anemo DMG to opponents in his path.
  • Can be used in mid-air. Starts with 2 charges.
Elemental Burst Bane of All Evil Uses Yaksha's Mask to increase jump height, AoE radius, damage and converts all damage to Anemo. Xiao will lose HP while Yaksha's Mask is in play.

To upgrade a single talent to level 10, it costs:

Source Quantity
Mora 1,625,500 Mora
Special Material 1x Crown of Insight
Boss Material 6x Shadow of the Warrior
Domain Material
  • 3x Teachings of Prosperity
  • 21x Guide to Prosperity
  • 38x Philosophies of Prosperity
Enhancement Material
  • 6x Slime Condensate
  • 22x Slime Secretions
  • 31x Slime Concentrate
5.3.

Xiao's Constellations

Xiao's best constellations are his C1, Dissolution Eon: Destroyer of Worlds, and C6, Conqueror of Evil: Guardian Yaksha. Unfortunately, the remaining constellations are less important with Transcension: Extinction of Suffering being very weak for a C4. His Dissolution Eon: Destroyer of Worlds provides an additional charge of your Elemental Skill making it much easier to generate energy.

Conqueror of Evil: Guardian Yaksha on the other hand drastically changes your gameplay. Using a Plunging Attack while under the effects of your Elemental Burst lets you spam your Elemental Skill. It deals an incredible amount of damage and is honestly really fun.

# Name Explanation
C1 Dissolution Eon: Destroyer of Worlds Increases Lemniscatic Wind Cycling's charges by 1.
C2 Annihilation Eon: Blossom of Kaleidos When in the party and not on the field, Xiao's Energy Recharge is increased by 25%.
C3 Conqueror of Evil: Wrath Deity
  • Increases the Level of Lemniscatic Wind Cycling by 3.
  • Maximum upgrade level is 15.
C4 Transcension: Extinction of Suffering When Xiao's HP falls below 50%, he gains a 100% DEF Bonus.
C5 Evolution Eon: Origin of Ignorance
  • Increases the Level of Bane of All Evil by 3.
  • Maximum upgrade level is 15.
C6 Conqueror of Evil: Guardian Yaksha While under the effects of Bane of All Evil, hitting at least 2 opponents with Xiao's Plunging Attack will immediately grant him 1 charge of Lemniscatic Wind Cycling, and for the next 1s, he may use Lemniscatic Wind Cycling while ignoring its CD.
5.4.

Changelog

  • 03 Jun. 2024: Reviewed for 4.7.
  • 31 Jan. 2024: Guide updated for Xianyun. Triple Anemo team removed because Xianyun enables proper Triple Anemo.
  • 29 Nov. 2023: Guide added.
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