Weapons
Expanded Guide on Xiao's Weapon Options
Summary
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 Faruzan, Bennett and/or TTDS in mind, 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.
5★ Polearms
Tier 1: Jade Spear and Staff of Homa
Xiao's Best-in-Slot weapons. Offering CRIT substats and useful passives, these weapons are similar enough in performance that picking one or the other boils down to personal artifacts and weapon availability.
Primordial Jade Winged-Spear
Base ATK: 674 | CRIT Rate: 22.1%
On hit, increases ATK by 3.2% for 6s. Max 7 stacks. This effect can only occur once every 0.3s. While in possession of the maximum possible stacks, DMG dealt is increased by 12%.
Pros
One of the highest base ATK spears.
The passive is easy to proc and stacks ATK% and DMG%.
With his ascension CRIT Rate, Xiao starts with 46.3% CRIT Rate baseline.
It’s Xiao’s canon and sexiest weapon.
Cons
Pre-stacking PJWS is a DPS loss, so the weapon’s full passive is only in effect after a few plunges.
Using NA cancels between plunges helps stack the passive faster.
Using a CRIT Rate Circlet can be inefficient for DPS.
Staff of Homa
Base ATK: 608 | CRIT DMG: 66.2%
HP increased by 20%. Additionally, provides an ATK Bonus based on 0.8% of the wielder's Max HP. When the wielder's HP is less than 50%, this ATK bonus is increased by an additional 1% of Max HP.
Pros
Massive stat stick that allows you to stack ATK and CRIT DMG.
Taking advantage of Xiao’s CRIT Rate ascension and artifact substats, you can run Staff of Homa and a CRIT DMG Circlet, gaining an easy 128.4% CRIT DMG.
Flexibility with allowing the usage of either a CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG Circlet.
Cons
Reliably activating Staff of Homa’s under 50% HP passive may limit team comps.
For the reasons explained below, you can choose to use Staff of Homa while disregarding its 50% HP passive.
Notes on <50% HP
We do not recommend forcing a team comp where Xiao stays at <50% HP. The passive alone is not valuable enough to justify limiting your team options (e.g., not utilizing strong supports such as Bennett and Jean).
If you do want to reliably activate Staff of Homa’s passive, Xiao will require one of these characters in the team to ensure you can stay under 50% HP safely:
Zhongli, for his strong shield to keep you alive in a healer-less team comp.
Diona, for her shield and healing with her Burst when needed.
Tier 2: Vortex Vanquisher and Calamity Queller
Both of these are good 5★ options and are similar to each other in that they boost Xiao’s ATK. Their performance should also be fairly similar.
Overall, these weapons are still overshadowed by PJWS and Staff of Homa due to their sole focus on ATK boosting. This makes them lose out in solo scenarios, and even more so in teams due to oversaturation of ATK and lack of CRIT Value. Compensating the lack of CRIT Value also requires you to possess improbable amounts of CRIT rolls on your substats.
Vortex Vanquisher
Base ATK: 608 | ATK: 49.6%
Increases Shield Strength by 20%. Scoring hits on opponents increases ATK by 4% for 8s. Max 5 stacks. Can only occur once every 0.3s. While protected by a shield, this ATK increase effect is increased by 100%.
Pros
Stable ATK substat and passive that can be maintained comparatively easily.
Better in solo or mid/low investment due to well-rounded ATK% buffs.
Cons
Requires Zhongli in order to be used effectively.
Relatively lower base ATK than Calamity which lets the latter receive more from ATK% buffs.
Calamity Queller
Base ATK: 741 | ATK: 16.5%
Gain 12% All Elemental DMG Bonus. Obtain Consummation for 20s after using an Elemental Skill, causing ATK to increase by 3.2% per second. This ATK increase has a maximum of 6 stacks. When the character equipped with this weapon is not on the field, Consummation's ATK increase is doubled.
Pros
Very high base ATK that can enhance anything that scales off ATK% quite well.
Gives Xiao unconditional Elemental DMG Bonus in passive.
Does not require pre-stacking. Not pre-stacking Calamity performs similarly and does not obstruct energy management.
Cons
Will overall give less ATK than Vortex due to its smaller ATK% multipliers in substat and passive.
Tier 3: Other 5★ Polearm Options
These 5★ polearm options are generally considered suboptimal compared to the others. Use them if you have them and they are your best option, but we do not recommend pulling them specifically for Xiao.
Staff of the Scarlet Sands
Base ATK: 542 | CRIT Rate: 44.1%
The equipping character gains 52% of their Elemental Mastery as bonus ATK. When an Elemental Skill hits opponents, the Dream of the Scarlet Sands effect will be gained for 10s: The equipping character will gain 28% of their Elemental Mastery as bonus ATK. Max 3 stacks.
Pros
Highest CRIT Rate spear with 44.1% CRIT Rate. With Xiao’s ascension CRIT Rate, you get an easy 68.3% CRIT Rate baseline.
Cons
Low base ATK.
Xiao does not benefit from the weapon’s passive as he does not generally build EM.
Unless your Xiao is C6, Xiao cannot maintain full uptime on the passive as stacks only last for 10s.
Using a CRIT Rate Circlet can be inefficient for DPS.
Engulfing Lightning
Base ATK: 608 | Energy Recharge: 55.1%
ATK increased by 28% of Energy Recharge over the base 100%. You can gain a maximum bonus of 80% ATK. Gain 30% Energy Recharge for 12s after using an Elemental Burst.
Pros
With its high amount of ER (more than 180% after Bursting), it can be utilized for batteryless team comps or more niche situations like solo runs at high refinements.
If going batteryless, can allow Xiao to use an additional damage dealer or buffer in his team.
Cons
Offers too much ER% if used in traditional Xiao teams with a battery.
Does not have full uptime on its passive as it only lasts for 12s.
Provides comparatively little in terms of damage.
Lack of CRIT and ATK substats makes it harder to build around.
Much better utilized on characters like Raiden and Xiangling that can double dip into building lots of ER.
Skyward Spine
Base ATK: 674 | Energy Recharge: 36.8%
Increases CRIT Rate by 8% and increases Normal ATK SPD by 12%. Additionally, Normal and Charged Attacks hits on opponents have a 50% chance to trigger a vacuum blade that deals 40% of ATK as DMG in a small AoE. This effect can occur no more than once every 2s.
Pros
Gives a perfect amount of ER% so that you don’t have to build for any ER% substats.
One of the highest base ATK spears.
Offers 8%-16% CRIT Rate.
Cons
Vacuum blades from passive deal negligible damage.
Lack of CRIT substat makes this weapon difficult to build around.
Provides comparatively little in terms of damage.
ER substats significantly lower the value of this weapon’s ER.
4★ Polearms
Lithic Spear
Base ATK: 565 | ATK: 27.6%
For every character in the party who hails from Liyue, the character who equips this weapon gains a 7% ATK increase and a 3% CRIT Rate increase. This effect stacks up to 4 times.
Pros
High base attack for a 4★ weapon.
Passive and substat gives both CRIT Rate and ATK%.
Passive is unconditional in combat. It is always active and does not punish player mistakes.
Cons
The passive is very difficult to build due to a majority of Xiao’s best supports being from non-Liyue nations.
Highly dependent on teammates and refinements; otherwise, you may find yourself lacking CRIT Rate, making it difficult to farm artifacts for.
Weapon banner limited.
Deathmatch
Base ATK: 454 | CRIT Rate: 36.8%
If there are at least 2 opponents nearby, ATK is increased by 16% and DEF is increased by 16%. If there are fewer than 2 opponents nearby, ATK is increased by 24%.
Pros
High amount of CRIT Rate. With Xiao’s innate CRIT Rate, you get an easy 61% CRIT Rate at Level 90.
The passive is easy to utilize, as it is constantly active.
Cons
Low Base ATK for a 4★Polearm.
Artifacts must be CRIT DMG substat heavy or risk overcapping on CRIT Rate.
Prospector's Drill
Base ATK: 565 | ATK: 27.6%
When the wielder is healed or heals others, they will gain a Unity's Symbol that lasts 30s, up to a maximum of 3 Symbols. When using their Elemental Skill or Burst, all Symbols will be consumed and the Struggle effect will be granted for 10s. For each Symbol consumed, gain 3% ATK and 7% All Elemental DMG Bonus. The Struggle effect can be triggered once every 15s, and Symbols can be gained even when the character is not on the field.
Pros
High base ATK for a 4★ weapon.
Passive and substat gives both ATK% and DMG%.
Cons
Passive can't be activated until at least second rotation (and you may have to delay Skill use after your first Burst because it might trigger the passive early).
Weapon banner limited.
Blackcliff Pole
Base ATK: 510 | CRIT DMG: 55.1%
After defeating an opponent, ATK is increased by 12% for 30s. This effect has a maximum of 3 stacks, and the duration of each stack is independent of the others.
Pros
Similar to Staff of Homa; it allows you to stack CRIT DMG with enough CRIT Rate substat rolls. Running a CRIT DMG Circlet with Blackcliff grants 117.3% CRIT DMG.
Also gives you the option to pick a CRIT Rate Circlet.
Cons
A very conditional passive that is generally inactive in Abyss Chambers where enemies have high HP or there is only one enemy.
Favonius Lance
Base ATK: 565 | Energy Recharge: 30.6%
CRIT Hits have a 60% chance to generate a small amount of Elemental Particles, which will regenerate 6 Energy for the character. Can only occur once every 12s.
Pros
High Base Attack for a 4★ weapon.
Xiao has high chances of activating the passive due to his on-field playstyle.
At higher refinements, it reduces the ER needs of the entire team, giving more flexibility in supports.
Nullifies the necessity of building ER% on Xiao, permitting you to chase after damage oriented substats.
The passive permits for easier gameplay, as it lessens the necessity of funneling energy to Xiao.
At R5, it may permit no-battery teams.
Cons
Requires at least R3 to be utilized properly.
With less invested builds, it may be difficult for your Xiao to do relevant damage.
Missive Windspear
Base ATK: 510 | ATK: 41.3%
Within 10s after an Elemental Reaction is triggered, ATK is increased by 24% and Elemental Mastery is increased by 96. [R5]
Pros
Passive can potentially last all of Xiao’s Burst duration, assuming you have a team composition where Xiao can consistently Swirl.
Even without its passive, it is a decent weapon due to its substat and passive giving ATK%.
Cons
Due to its high ATK%, it will require plenty of CRIT substats on your artifacts to compete against some other 4★ options.
Any other Polearms not mentioned here are considered suboptimal for Xiao and should generally be avoided or only used until a more suitable Polearm can be obtained.
