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Adeptal Guide to Conquering Xiao
Adeptal Guide to Conquering Xiao
An In Depth Guide to Xiao's Builds, Teams, and Gameplay
Credits
Credits
Principal Authors
baeliph, orum
Principal Theorycrafters
coded, felic1an, itslin
Guide Content Contributors
alerine, for the Lithic Thesis.
leeyuuh, for notes on Diona, Qiqi, and Zhongli.
3pi14, for notes on Energy Management and Zhongli.
poiiyo and .ioncy, for notes on Energy Management.
notmemu, for Collision Plunge damage mechanics and video examples.
Visual Contributors & Proofreaders
dri / @prinzcake for providing the guide banner.
jenjenjl, iongrey, llamagician, never3nder, homeless and rich3331, for edits and proofreading.
orum, for the guide's overall design.
Updated for Version 5.4
Character Introduction
Character Introduction
Xiao is a 5★ Anemo Hypercarry DPS. As a Hypercarry, Xiao generally takes up the most field time due to his Elemental Burst's long duration. Ideally, he will also contribute the majority of the Team's DPS. This makes Xiao an expensive unit individually, as the majority of investment will be given to him, but the rest of his teammates can be managed with less investment.
TL;DR Visual Guide
TL;DR Visual Guide
Is Xiao Worth It?
Is Xiao Worth It?
Pros
Pros
Low skill floor gameplay.
Large AoE.
Team requires minimal investment.
Plunges count as heavy attacks, which are useful for breaking object shields & staggering enemies.
Cons
Cons
Lacking F2P weapon options.
Requires intentional energy management.
Investment-heavy as a Hypercarry.
Team options can be limited due to the long duration of his Elemental Burst.
Low value Constellations.
Ultimately, our goal is not to convince you whether Xiao is meta or not meta, or whether he is worth pulling or not for your account. Instead, the reader should review Xiao’s strengths and weaknesses as detailed above and in our “Should You Wish for Xiao?” guide, and then draw your own conclusions whether he is worth your pulls.
Talents
Talents
Constellation 0-5
Constellation 0-5
Xiao's Normal Attack Talent is worth crowning.
We recommend leveling Xiao's Skill and Burst to TL8. Raising them past that is not a priority and should only be done out of love for Xiao.
Getting Burst to at least TL7 is recommended to reduce the life drain from 2.5% to 2% HP/sec.
Constellation 6
Constellation 6
Xiao's Constellation 6 is conditional and will become inactive in single-target scenarios. Because of this, we suggest raising both his Elemental Skill and Normal Attack Talent equally.
Why prioritize Normal Attack over Burst?
Why prioritize Normal Attack over Burst?
Xiao scales better through Normal Attack Talents than his Elemental Burst:
Xiao's Elemental Burst simply provides him with additional DMG Bonus to his infused Normal/Charged/Plunging Attacks. Hence, Xiao's damage is still calculated through the Plunge Modifiers on his Normal Attack Talent.
The DMG Bonus from Xiao's Burst is additive to other sources of DMG Bonus, such as from your Goblet, artifact set bonuses, weapon passives, etc.
The scaling on his Burst's Elemental DMG Bonus isn't significant. From TL8 to TL10, you only gain 9.1% more DMG Bonus, which is less than what a 2pc artifact set would provide.
Constellations
Constellations
At C0, Xiao already has everything you need to clear the hardest content in the game.
His C1 is primarily quality of life. It is only beneficial for gaining extra energy for the second rotation.
Unfortunately, none of C2-C5 contribute significantly to improving Xiao’s DPS nor his gameplay.
For these reasons, we recommend players to either pull for C0/C1 or to fully commit to C6.
For those desiring Xiao upgrades, it is generally better to pull for his support's Constellations (e.g.: Faruzan C6, Xianyun C2, Furina C2, etc.) as they provide a better upgrade to his overall damage.
C1. Dissolution Eon: Destroyer of Worlds
C1. Dissolution Eon: Destroyer of Worlds
Increases Lemniscatic Wind Cycling's charges by 1.
In optimized rotations, C1 only offers a single extra Skill charge between Xiao’s first and second Bursts. This is because:
Xiao can only pre-funnel two of his Skills, so using the third Skill before his first Burst is wasting those energy particles.
Xiao should use all three Skill charges between his first and second Burst. After his second Burst, Xiao’s third Skill charge will still be on cooldown and so cannot immediately fund energy for his third Burst.
For these reasons, C1 is not a standard DPS increase to Xiao's damage per rotation. However C1 does soften his ER needs by enabling Xiao to obtain his second Burst much more reliably, while also being a decent source of extra energy in comps featuring Faruzan and/or additional Anemos.
C2. Annihilation Eon: Blossom of Kaleidos
C2. Annihilation Eon: Blossom of Kaleidos
When in the party and not on the field, Xiao's Energy Recharge is increased by 25%.
C2 is inconsequential as Xiao should be on-field as much as possible, especially when particles are directly funneled between Elemental Bursts.
C3. Conqueror of Evil: Wrath Deity
C3. Conqueror of Evil: Wrath Deity
Increases the Level of Lemniscatic Wind Cycling by 3.
C3 does not impact Xiao’s plunge damage. It is only useful for C6 Xiao.
C4. Transcension: Extinction of Suffering
C4. Transcension: Extinction of Suffering
When Xiao's HP falls below 50%, he gains a 100% DEF Bonus.
C4 provides a DEF bonus which is useless in 99% of scenarios, especially since his most popular supports are generally Zhongli and good healers like Jean or Bennett.
C5. Evolution Eon: Origin of Ignorance
C5. Evolution Eon: Origin of Ignorance
Increases the Level of Bane of All Evil by 3.
C5 is also not a big improvement as Xiao gains little overall DPS increase from Burst Levels due to oversaturated DMG Bonus.
C6. Conqueror of Evil: Guardian Yaksha
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.
This Constellation changes Xiao’s main damage source from spamming plunges to Elemental Skills, assuming that he faces 2 or more enemies. His optimal attack string becomes 1 Plunge followed up by 3-4 Elemental Skills, heavily increasing his damage output.
While this Constellation brings powerful upgrades, it is not without its limitations; for more details please check out our C6 Xiao Guide.
Artifacts
Artifacts
Baseline Stat Recommendations
Baseline Stat Recommendations
Xiao is a Hypercarry, so the more you can afford to invest in him, the better. We recommend building Xiao at least to the point that his team is able to clear most content in 2-3 Burst rotations. We recommend the following stat baselines:
CRIT Rate: 70%+
Energy Recharge: 120% ~ 140%
ER needs depend on team batteries and investment, we recommend you use the Xiao ER Calculator by 3.14#2780 for specific Energy needs.
Main Stats
Main Stats
Anemo DMG% vs. ATK% Goblet
Anemo DMG% vs. ATK% Goblet
The difference between the two is marginal in the majority of cases, and it is often better to prioritize the Goblet's substats.
The exact number depends on your weapon, team comp, artifact rolls, etc. which is why we suggest checking your damage in-game or using a tool like Genshin Optimizer to confirm which Goblet is better for your Xiao.
With 4pc Vermillion Hereafter, Anemo Goblet tends to perform better. However if your team includes Faruzan, the difference ends up being small enough that substats will matter more.
With 4pc Long Night's Oath, Anemo Goblet will perform better, except for teams with Furina and no Xianyun.
With Xianyun teams, Anemo Goblet tends to perform better due to her Flat DMG buff scaling with DMG%.
With C6 Xiao, Anemo Goblet is generally preferred.
CRIT Rate vs. CRIT DMG Circlet
CRIT Rate vs. CRIT DMG Circlet
Either Circlet is viable on Xiao depending on your weapon and artifact substats. Regardless of whichever you pick, we recommend at least getting 70% CRIT Rate on Xiao to permit consistent critical hits.
ER% Sands
ER% Sands
There is no situation where running an ER% Sands is beneficial as it lowers Xiao’s damage. You should always aim to get sufficient ER% from substats and/or utilize proper batteries in your teams. Please read our Battery section for more information.
Substats
Substats
20–40% ER > CRIT Rate = CRIT DMG > ATK% > Extra ER%
Xiao is a relatively simple character whose damage scales purely from ATK, CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG (as well as DMG Bonus). We recommend a minimum of 70% CRIT Rate on Xiao, and further CRIT stats should ideally be balanced in a 1:2 ratio.
While Energy Recharge may not affect his damage, a large chunk of his gameplay is reliant on utilizing his Elemental Burst, so obtaining ~20–40 ER% from substats can be invaluable.
Recommended Artifact Sets
Recommended Artifact Sets
For full sheet comparing 4pc VHA, 4pc MH, and 4pc LNO for all weapons and refines, see Xiao 4pc Artifact Set Comparison and New Set Shenanigans by sohan4543.
4pc Vermillion Hereafter
4pc Vermillion Hereafter
2pc: ATK +18%.
4pc: After using an Elemental Burst, increases their ATK by 8% for 16s. When the character's HP decreases, their ATK will further increase by 10%. This can stack up to 4 times.
Xiao is one of the only and best users of this artifact set. Its 4pc effect is easily proccable by Xiao, gaining stacks as Xiao's Elemental Burst drains his HP. It is also one of the few ATK sources that last for the entire duration of his Burst.
Recommendation
This is one of Xiao's best-in-slot artifact sets. It performs best in scenarios with less external buffs and more AOE. If you have a highly invested 4pc VHA set, farming other 4pc sets is not required.
Caution
In general, other 4pc sets will often perform better in Single Target scenarios and premium team comps. In particular, Xianyun will give greater weight to DMG% and CRIT stats, and Bennett will decrease the value of 4pc VHA's ATK stats.
See Xiao 4pc Artifact Set Comparison and the other artifact set descriptions below for more details.
4pc Marechaussee Hunter
4pc Marechaussee Hunter
2pc: Normal and Charged Attack DMG +15%.
4pc: When current HP increases or decreases, CRIT Rate will be increased by 12% for 5s. Max 3 stacks.
While his plunge attacks do not benefit from the 2pc set bonus, the 4pc effect has great synergy with Xiao’s innate HP loss, allowing him to reach max stacks (for a total of 36% CRIT Rate) by the 3rd plunge. It can stack even faster with external HP drain sources, such as Furina.
Recommendation
This set is a great alternative to 4pc VHA.
It has particularly strong synergy with Xianyun team comps due to her Flat DMG buff scaling on CRIT. It is especially powerful in Xiao's team with both Xianyun and Furina (aka FFXX). With their constellations, it becomes Xiao's best-in-slot option.
Caution
If using 4pc MH, be cautious to not overcap on CRIT Rate. This may require hunting for primarily CRIT DMG rolls on your artifacts or switching to a non CRIT Rate weapon.
4pc Long Night's Oath
4pc Long Night's Oath
2pc: Plunging Attack DMG +25%.
4pc: Plunging Attacks gain 1 stack. Charged Attacks and Elemental Skills gain 2 stacks. A stack can be gained every 1s, and each stack increases Plunging Attack DMG by 15% for 6s. Max 5 stacks. Each stack's duration is counted independently.
Both the 2pc and 4pc effect grant Xiao a huge amount of DMG% for his Plunges, which make up the majority of his damage profile. In uninterrupted High Plunge rotations, Xiao will be able to gain 4-5 stacks during his Burst, for a total of 85-100% Plunge DMG in total.
Recommendation
Even when only assuming 4 stacks, Long Night's Oath is one of Xiao's strongest artifact sets. It is best-in-slot in Bennett teams and also performs competitively in Xianyun teams due to her Flat DMG buff scaling on DMG%. Given consistent Plunge timing, we recommend farming this set.
Caution
This set's stacks are dependent on Xiao's Plunge timing. When performed frame perfect (i.e., one High Plunge every 1.17s), Xiao can refresh stacks before they expire and gain all 5 stacks. However, if his Plunges are delayed or interrupted, then Xiao will no longer be able to maintain max stacks. Thus, for our calculations, we assume 4 stacks max as a baseline.
C6 Xiao
We do not recommend this set for C6 Xiao. This set only buffs Plunge DMG, and Xiao's Elemental Skill provides the majority of his damage in C6 gameplay.
2pc / 2pc Combinations
2pc / 2pc Combinations
Any combination of 2pc sets offering Anemo DMG%, ATK%, or Plunge DMG% will work.
Comparison between Anemo/ATK and ATK/ATK depends entirely on your teams and the buffs provided to Xiao. Please refer to the sheet below for more information. Generally speaking, however, you should prioritize better substat rolls over specific set bonus combinations.
2pc Emblem
2pc Emblem
Energy Recharge is an important part of Xiao’s gameplay.
The stat value of 18% ATK and 20% ER are virtually identical, making the trade-off fairly equal for those who want to reach a desired ER threshold. While the set on its own does not raise your Xiao's damage directly, the extra ER% permits for easier Energy management and rotations; the faster you get back Xiao's Burst, the better your overall DPS will be.
Conditional Artifact Sets
Conditional Artifact Sets
4pc Desert Pavilion Chronicle
4pc Desert Pavilion Chronicle
Conditional proc; falls behind 4pc Vermillion Hereafter.
We do not recommend farming this set specifically for Xiao.
4pc DPC requires the user to cast a Charged Attack to gain a 40% DMG Bonus to Normal/Charged/Plunging Attacks, This bonus is additive to existing DMG Bonus sources like Xiao’s Elemental Burst and Anemo Goblets.
In single-target scenarios using the N1CJP attack string, it performs between 4pc VH and 2pc combinations, making it a good option. In multi-target situations however, since players will prefer pure plunge spamming, the time required to cast a Charged Attack will decrease the overall damage dealt, thus lowering its value.
4pc Viridescent Venerer
4pc Viridescent Venerer
Doesn't buff Xiao's damage, but buffs Xiao's supports that deal Elemental damage.
4pc VV is viable for enabling high-damage Pyro/Cryo/Hydro/Electro damage dealers on your team, such as Xiangling, Raiden or Yelan; however, this requires high investment in these supports for it to be worthwhile. The inconsistency of Xiao’s Swirls also makes it less viable than 4pc Vermillion or 2pc combinations. 4pc VV will almost always be better to put on your Anemo battery instead.
Additionally, with the introduction of Faruzan in Patch 3.3, players will generally find more value in increasing Xiao’s own damage, thus rendering 4pc VV less practical on Xiao.
Useless Artifact Sets
Useless Artifact Sets
2pc Noblesse Oblige and 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate
2pc Noblesse Oblige and 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate
Does not work with Xiao's Elemental Burst.
Xiao’s Burst only transforms and modifies Xiao’s Plunging damage. Because of this, he cannot utilize the Elemental Burst DMG buff that is provided by any type of artifact set bonus.
Weapon Chart
Weapon Chart
Xiao's rotation damage with each weapon and refinement. No buffs assumed and ER is not considered.
The table above displays Xiao’s total damage across a single Burst rotation consisting of two Elemental Skills and twelve High Plunges (EEQ12HP).
Assumes 10/10/10 Talent and 25 perfect artifact rolls distributed optimally across ATK%, CRIT Rate, and CRIT DMG.
It does not factor in external buffs of any kind. If you’d like to see how the weapons compare with different teams, please check out the full Xiao Weapon Comparison sheet.
The best weapon for your Xiao will depend heavily on the artifacts, stats, and supports available to you.
The purpose of this table is solely to provide a quick damage comparison. If you'd like a more in-depth look into his weapons that considers ease of building, necessary teams, ER effects, etc, please read our full Weapons guide to understand their in-depth pros and cons.
To calculate your Xiao’s damage with different weapons (and artifact sets), please use our damage calculator or other in-depth calculators such as Genshin Optimizer.
Supports, Teams, Gameplay
Supports, Teams, Gameplay
For information on Xiao's best supports, teams, and gameplay tips, please see the individual sections below.
Afterword
Afterword
Once the guide is thick enough, we can eat it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this guide. We hope that this has provided you with all the information you need to play the Eternal Yaksha, Xiao.
If you have comments or suggestions for the guide, or wish to contribute to our Theorycrafting in the future, be sure to join the Xiao Mains Discord. We would love to have you there!
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