Xiao, the legendary demon-slaying Yaksha and guardian of Liyue, serves the Geo Archon dutifully and expertly. He’s one of two anemo DPS units in the game and, surprisingly, maintains relevance in the meta despite being released so early on in Genshin’s development. This is due to a multitude of reasons, but he’s both a powerful unit and a stellar character–elusive, mysterious, and kind-hearted despite his outward coldness.
If you’ve gotten him recently or are just looking for an in-depth guide on how to build him on his next rerun, you’ve come to the right place. For now, let’s discuss why you might (and might not) want to pull on a rerun.
Xiao’s Strengths
- Xiao, as a character, is fundamentally very easy to learn and play. All you do, for the most part, is press space bar and plunge in his ult, sometimes using a charged attack.
- Impressive damage AoE (area of effect) and rather large, satisfying numbers.
- Xiao’s team comps don’t require heavy investment, which is great because you’ll need to be heavily investing into him–more on that later.
- Plunges break shields easier; Xiao’s entire kit is centered around plunges, which means breaking shields is faster.
- Plunges also stagger enemies, meaning you can continuously CC enemy units until they die.
- His gameplay is satisfying in my opinion, but it works both ways; more on the negative below. Being able to slam into the ground is fun, and being able to see a big number is satisfying. If that’s your cup of joe, you’ll love Xiao.
Okay, so now that we’ve gotten his strengths out of the way, let’s map out his drawbacks.
Xiao’s Weaknesses
- Nausea. Xiao’s character plays in such a way that it can actually cause players to find themselves motion sick. No, I’m not joking. I find his gameplay “satisfying,” but at the same time get a little nauseous if I play him for too long. .
- Though his skill floor is undeniably one of the lowest, he still requires energy management to make sure you’re able to burst as needed in your rotations.
- One of the more investment heavy hyper-carries. You need energy recharge, attack, crit rate, crit damage; it can be hard to fit all of those into his build, though using a battery character can ease the pain a little.
- He’s not exactly worth getting constellations for, especially early ones. They don’t really increase or add much utility to his kit. They barely even make getting his burst easier. Though having three dashes instead of two seems helpful (and it is, to an extent) you’re much better off using those wishes on another banner.
- His team comps can be, and are, restrictive due to the duration of his burst.
- With both his pros and cons out of the way, let’s talk about how to build the evil-conquering Yaksha.
1.Xiao Hypercarry: Vermillion Hereafter
Vermillion Hereafter is Xiao’s strongest artifact set without a doubt–but ever since Fontaine dropped alongside Marechaussee Hunter, it’s not by much, perhaps a meager 5%. It’s worth noting that, though this is his highest DPS set, it’s not exactly worth grinding for because it’s so niche and specific to him.
Why Vermillion Hereafter?
- It provides tremendous attack bonuses, both with its 2 Piece and 4 Piece bonuses.
- It synergizes perfectly with Xiao’s kit once you have the 4 Piece; as you can see above, the character equipping this set gains Nascent Light upon bursting. Every time HP decreases (and it drains constantly in Xiao’s burst) this buff is increased.
- It can currently be strongboxed, which makes acquiring pieces easy. You can grind the domain and place Echoes of Offering pieces you get into the strongbox and turn them into more Vermillion pieces.
- The durations and timings were specifically curated for Xiao’s burst, which means making use of the 4pc is as easy as it can possibly be.
- It’s still his strongest set; the 5% might matter a lot to you if you’re doing a challenge in the Abyss or trying to beat something a little faster. Also, some sets and weapons change the percentage differences. For some teams and builds, this difference is nearly 10%.
Artifact Stats:
Goblet: Anemo Damage main stat.
Flower: Flat HP main stat.
Feather: Flat Attack main stat.
Sands: Attack% main stat.
Circlet: Crit Rate/Damage main stat.
For substats: Try to get around 20% Energy Recharge (his burst is very, very important), then Crit Rate and Damage are both equal to one another, and Attack% is more important than more Energy Recharge. As with nearly every main DPS, try to go for a 1:2 split on Crit Rate/Damage. 120-130% ER is preferred.Weapons:
- Five Star: Primordial Jade Winged-Spear is everything Xiao could ever want in a weapon and more. Indeed, it’s uncommon for an event character’s weapon to also be available in the standard banner, but Xiao’s is, which means–if you’ve failed the weapon banner–you might actually have one sitting around. It’s a solid spear and, since it was made with Xiao in mind, his best five star option to-date.
- Four Star: Lithic Spear is undeniably strong, especially if you’re running a Liyue-only comp. This is because it increases attack and crit rate for every member of the party hailing from Liyue, up to a maximum of 28% attack and 12% crit rate.
Xiao’s Talent Priority:
- 1. Normal Attack: Whirlwind Thrust. Performs up to 6 consecutive spear strikes.
- 2. Burst: Bane of All Evil. Xiao dons the Yaksha Mask that set gods and demons trembling millennia ago. Yaksha Mask: Greatly increases Xiao's jumping ability. Increases his attack AoE and damage. Converts attack DMG into Anemo DMG, which cannot be overridden by any other elemental infusion. In this state, Xiao will continuously lose HP. The effects of this skill end when Xiao leaves the field.
- 3. Elemental Skill: Lemniscatic Wind Cycling. Xiao lunges forward, dealing Anemo DMG to opponents in his path. Can be used in mid-air.
Best Team For This Build:
Hypercarry: Xiao, Faruzan, Bennet, Zhongli
This is one of Xiao’s strongest teams. It gives everything he wants; a shield, an anemo damage increase, and an attack steroid plus healing in the form of Bennet. Basically, as mentioned in the Xiao’s Weaknesses section, he can be knocked out of the air mid-plunge. It’s frustrating, but Zhongli comes as an answer to that conundrum. Or, if you have him, c6 Thoma; this will increase your plunging attack damage. Also, if you have C5 Bennet and c6 Faruzan, you’ll be dealing slightly over double the damage you otherwise would be without those units. C2 Faruzan is also incredibly powerful.
2.Double Anemo: Marechaussee Hunter
Since the addition of Fontaine, Marechaussee Hunter has been one of the strongest artifact sets ever created in Genshin. This is due to crit rate’s importance as a stat relative to DPS characters. A 4 piece providing 36% crit rate for fluctuating HP is unheard of. . Take Vermillion Hereafter for example; not all characters can make use of it because it’s specifically curated for Xiao, but something like Marechaussee Hunter can be used on anyone to great effect. All DPS units make use of crit stats.
Why Marechaussee Hunter?
- Free crit rate. Yep, that’s enough reason for any DPS unit to want the 4 piece.
- Golden Troupe is another artifact of this domain; you’ll be getting two of the game’s most powerful artifacts at the same time.
- It’s relatively easy to clear, with only 5 enemies. They can be hard, but if you have Xiao or any other character whose HP increases/decreases, you might want to take a look at grinding this domain.
- It’s going to be more versatile once you’ve gotten the right main stats for the pieces. This means that, moving forward, you could slot this artifact set on almost any character, even despite the hydro dmg bonus of the 2 piece. Crazy, isn’t it?
- Marechaussee is consistently only around ~5% worse than VHA (Vermillion Hereafter). If you want damage, go VHA. If you want to spare your account some needless suffering, grind Marechaussee Hunter.
Artifact Stats:
Goblet: Anemo Damage main stat.
Flower: Flat HP main stat.
Feather: Flat Attack main stat.
Sands: Attack% main stat.
Circlet: Crit Rate/Damage main stat.
For substats: Try to get around 20% Energy Recharge (his burst is very, very important), then Crit Rate and Damage are both equal to one another, and Attack% is more important than more Energy Recharge. As with nearly every main DPS, try to go for a 1:2 split on Crit Rate/Damage. 120-130% ER is preferred.
Weapons:
- Five Star: Staff of Homa is another option for Xiao, providing a massive buff to crit damage and also synergizing with his kit (in that, because his HP drains, it’s easy to make use of its effect). If you have it but not PJWS (primordial jade winged-spear) then this is, without question, your second best option.
- Four Star: Deathmarch is another strong option, though you might not want to pick it with Ballad of the Fjords in the game. Ballad is, in my opinion, not as strong of a pick, but it depends on the team comp you’re running Xiao in.
Xiao’s Talent Priority:
- 1. Normal Attack: Whirlwind Thrust. Performs up to 6 consecutive spear strikes.
- 2. Burst: Bane of All Evil. Xiao dons the Yaksha Mask that set gods and demons trembling millennia ago. Yaksha Mask: Greatly increases Xiao's jumping ability. Increases his attack AoE and damage. Converts attack DMG into Anemo DMG, which cannot be overridden by any other elemental infusion. In this state, Xiao will continuously lose HP. The effects of this skill end when Xiao leaves the field.
- 3. Elemental Skill: Lemniscatic Wind Cycling. Xiao lunges forward, dealing Anemo DMG to opponents in his path. Can be used in mid-air.
Best Team For This Build:
Double Anemo: Xiao, Kazuha, Bennet, Rosaria
This team allows you to swirl cryo/pyro and continuously proc melt. It also gives you the anemo resonance buff, which Xiao and Kazuha both benefit from. If you have Sucrose and not Kazuha, swap them in the team. If you’d rather run a shielder than Rosaria, you could also put Layla or Diona in instead.3.Hyperbloom: 2pc Viridescent, 2pc Gladiator’s Finale
While this might seem like a “budget build,” (and it is, to an extent) it’s still a super powerful option for Xiao, who desperately wants both attack and anemo damage. It’s also (relatively) easier than the other sets to get and grind, so if that affects the artifacts you’re trying to go for, I would strongly recommend this set as another option.
Why Viridescent and Gladiator’s?
- As mentioned previously, you’re gaining anemo damage and attack%, two stats Xiao wants and makes use of.
- It’s easy to grind.
- It’s beginner friendly, too, with players starting the game in Mondstadt and being able to unlock both the Viridescent Venerer and Gladiator’s Finale domains.
- It’s still powerful and another safety net option like Marechaussee. If you get an Anemo Damage goblet for Viridescent, say, you’ll always be able to make use of that; anemo support units want it, too.
- Strongbox-ability means you can throw away all your excess artifacts and get sets you need.
Artifact Stats:
Goblet: Anemo Damage main stat.
Flower: Flat HP main stat.
Feather: Flat Attack main stat.
Sands: Attack% main stat.
Circlet: Crit Rate/Damage main stat.
For substats: Try to get around 20% Energy Recharge (his burst is very, very important), then Crit Rate and Damage are both equal to one another, and Attack% is more important than more Energy Recharge. As with nearly every main DPS, try to go for a 1:2 split on Crit Rate/Damage. 120-130% ER is preferred.
Weapons:
- Five Star: Calamity Queller might not seem good at first, but it’s useful to note that it provides attack, which Xiao wants, and its weapon effect, Extinguishing Precept, provides an elemental damage buff when using a skill and simultaneously increases attack. Even considering the fact that the attack buffs are doubled while off-field, this weapon is still a good option for Xiao.
- Four Star: Ballad of the Fjords provides a buff to elemental mastery (120) for having three different elements in the party. It also levels with crit rate, a stat Xiao wants. The EM will prove a nice buff when in reactionary teams, though you don’t typically hunt for the stat on Xiao.
Xiao’s Talent Priority:
- 1. Normal Attack: Whirlwind Thrust. Performs up to 6 consecutive spear strikes.
- 2. Burst: Bane of All Evil. Xiao dons the Yaksha Mask that set gods and demons trembling millennia ago. Yaksha Mask: Greatly increases Xiao's jumping ability. Increases his attack AoE and damage. Converts attack DMG into Anemo DMG, which cannot be overridden by any other elemental infusion. In this state, Xiao will continuously lose HP. The effects of this skill end when Xiao leaves the field.
- 3. Elemental Skill: Lemniscatic Wind Cycling. Xiao lunges forward, dealing Anemo DMG to opponents in his path. Can be used in mid-air.
Best Team For This Build:
Hyperbloom: Xiao, Fischl, Kirara, Furina
This team relies a little more on reactions than the others mentioned previously. Basically, Kirara is here to shield, Fischl is there to proc aggravate (you can swap her with Kuki or Kujou Sara or Raiden if you’d like) and Furina is there to make sure the team gets Hyperbloom while also being able to provide healing. Since Xiao’s HP decreases in ult, it means he works well with Furina, who records such fluctuations in HP. Xiao can also swirl both electro and hydro, which helps the team achieve reactions.
So now you know how to build Xiao, his strengths and weaknesses, and what weapons work well on him, good luck! May your artifact grinding be bountiful and your wishes plenty.
