Best Xiao Genshin Impact build: Artifacts, weapons, more

Xiao is still one of the premiere Anemo DPS in Genshin Impact. With the right build and best-suited artifacts, the Liyue adeptus can conquer every demon in Teyvat with his Polearm. We’ve got a breakdown of the best Xiao build in Genshin Impact right here, including the top artifacts, weapons, and more you’ll need to use. 

Xiao can be best described as Genshin Impact’s ultimate one-man army. The Liyue adeptus boasts one of the highest DPS in the game, especially when he’s built in the correct manner. However, it’s still important to build a strong team around him so you can maximize his impact on the battlefield.

If you’re looking to pull for Xiao on his current rerun banner, you may be wondering what Artifacts to farm.

We’ve got the ultimate guide to Xiao right here, including his best build in Genshin Impact and the top artifacts, weapons, and team comps you should run with the Vigilant Yaksha.

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Contents

• Xiao abilities
• Xiao constellations
• Best Xiao artifacts
• Best Xiao weapons
• Xiao Talent Level-Up and Ascension materials
• Xiao trailer
• Best Xiao team comp

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Xiao abilities in Genshin Impact

Normal Attack: Whirlwind Thrust

• Normal Attack: Xiao performs up to six consecutive spear strikes.
• Charged Attack: Xiao consumes a certain amount of Stamina to perform an upward thrust.
• Plunging Attack: Xiao plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact. Xiao does not take DMG from performing Plunging Attacks.

With Xiao, you want to do as many plunging attacks as possible, as it’s his highest DPS. Because he has a higher-than-normal jump compared to other characters, he can plunge with ease, and it dishes out major AOE damage. Just make sure to plunge when you reach the apex of your jump for maximum damage.

You can also combo one normal attack into a charged attack to cancel its animation, then jump into the air and plunge enemies as they’re falling.

Elemental Skill: Lemniscatic Wind Cycling

Xiao’s Elemental Skill makes the Liyue adeptus lunge forward, dealing Anemo DMG to enemies in his path. It can be used in mid-air to hit weak spots on certain targets, as well as reposition in a fight.

He has two charges of it in his base kit but can get an extra charge with his first constellation, and infinite refresh upon hitting two targets with his sixth constellation, making it more than just a movement tool and worth investing into (if you find all those constellations).

Elemental Burst: Bane of All Evil

Xiao’s Elemental Burst is the core of his kit, with the Liyue adeptus donning the Yaksha Mask that set gods and demons trembling millennia ago. It greatly increases his jumping ability, increases his ATK, and imbues his attacks with Anemo, which is great for swirling Elemental Reactions.

Xiao will lose HP while wearing the mask, and it can be stopped by leaving the field. However, it’s important to maximize your uptime of the Burst, so bring a healer or shielder that can keep Xiao buffed up even while off-field so he can make the most of it.

Xiao constellations

Lucky enough to get multiple copies of Xiao? You’ve got plenty of great constellation buffs to look forward to.

• Level 1 ⁠— Dissolution Eon: Destroyer of Worlds: Increases Lemniscatic Wind Cycling’s charges by 1.
• Level 2 ⁠— Annihilation Eon: Blossom of Kaleidos: When in the party and not on the field, Xiao’s Energy Recharge is increased by 25%.
• Level 3 ⁠— Conqueror of Evil: Wrath Deity: Increases the Level of Lemniscatic Wind Cycling by 3. The maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Level 4 ⁠— Transcension: Extinction of Suffering: When Xiao’s HP falls below 50%, he gains a 100% DEF Bonus.
• Level 5 ⁠— Evolution Eon: Origin of Ignorance: Increases the Level of Bane of All Evil by 3. The maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Level 6 ⁠— 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.

Best Xiao artifacts in Genshin Impact

The best artifacts for Xiao would be the 4-piece Vermillion Hereafter set as a Main DPS. This would greatly increase Xiao’s ATK due to his HP reduction effect. You could also use 2-piece Gladiator’s Finale and 2-piece Viridescent Venerer. 

You can find a list of Xiao’s best artifacts in Genshin Impact below.

Best Xiao weapons in Genshin Impact

There are two standout weapons for Xiao that are very flexible in every situation. The only downside is both Primordial Jade Winged-Spear and Staff of Homa are hard-to-get five-star weapons. If you have either, you should run it on Xiao regardless because the ATK buffs are huge.

Deathmatch is a great 4-star alternative that scales damage based on the number of enemies nearby.

Check out the full list of Xiao’s best weapons in Genshin Impact below.

Xiao Talent Level-Up and Ascension materials

Being a Liyue Adeptus, you can expect to find most of Xiao’s materials in the region. Slime Condensate can be found everywhere, but special items like Shadow of the Warrior and Juvenile Jade are from Liyue bosses Childe and Primo Geovishap, respectively.

Qingxin can be found dotted around the Liyue mountainside, while Vayuda Turquoise can be farmed from bosses like the Anemo Hypostasis or Maguu Kenki.

You can find the full list of Xiao’s Talent Level-Up and Ascension materials below, including exactly how much you need to max him out.

Xiao Talent Level-Up materials

Xiao Ascension materials

Xiao trailer in Genshin Impact

Xiao’s trailer dropped ahead of his February 2021 release during the first Lantern Rite event, showcasing the Vigilant Yaksha and diving into his backstory dating back to the millennia-ago Archon War.

It also dives into some of his combos and enhanced movement techniques, which are the key to mastering Xiao.

Best Xiao team comp

Xiao is very much a one-man army. He can deal all the damage himself, and it’s worth having him on the field for as much as possible. That means when you’re building a comp around Xiao, you want to get the most out of your Supports and Sub DPS units who can drop their spells and sub out.

However, there’s one non-negotiable option if you really want to maximize your Xiao, and that’s Zhongli. It’s a heavy investment to get the two Liyue 5-stars, but Zhongli’s shielding makes Xiao unkillable and also resistant to some enemy crowd control, which can be key with his plunging playstyle. Taking Albedo alongside Zhongli for Geo Resonance is also a great idea.

You also want Anemo supports like Faruzan, Venti, or even Jean in your squad, who can provide Xiao with Elemental Particles as a battery as well as Anemo Resonance. Jean fills the nice double role of being a healer, but you can round out your team with Diona, Xingqiu, Bennett, or even Kokomi if you don’t have Jean.

If you flex around these options, making sure you have at least a healer, a shielder, and an Anemo battery for Xiao (some of those characters fill multiple roles), then you’re well on your way.

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That’s everything you need to know about achieving the best Xiao build in Genshin Impact, including the best artifacts for him.

If you’re looking for more great Genshin Impact builds to round out your team, check out our list below:

Best Ayaka build | Best Childe build | Best Diluc build | Best Eula build | Best Ganyu build Best Heizou build | Best Hu Tao build | Best Itto build | Best Kazuha build | Best Keqing build | Best Klee build | Best Qiqi build | Best Raiden Shogun build | Best Shenhe build | Best Yoimiya build