The demon slayer has finally returned to Genshin Impact. When he’s not brooding or looking out over Liyue from some lofty perch, like Batman, Xiao is one of the best Anemo damage-dealers in the game. Shenhe and Yun Jin may be strong in their own right, but this Adeptus warrior beats out most other characters in terms of his sheer DPS potential.
Another thing that makes Xiao a bit like Batman is his Yaksha mask. When Xiao dons this devilish disguise, he enters a super-state where he can jump extra high, and dive into enemies to deal increased plunging attack and AoE damage. He can also dash using his Lemnistatic Wind Cycling skill, to reposition mid-air for another dive, or evade out of harm’s way while dealing damage.
But Xiao also damages himself in this state, making it a risky proposition. Still, if you’re looking for a powerful character to help you explore the dangerous depths of Enkanomiya, or just to play around with, Xiao has an extremely fun play style and is a reliable DPS. In this Genshin Impact Xiao build guide, I’ll go through his best build as well as a free-to-play option for none spend-happy players.
The best Genshin Impact Xiao build
Xiao's primary way of dealing damage is through the buff he gains from his Bane of All Evil burst. This increases his AoE and attack damage, and in combination with increased jump height, lets him spam plunging attacks over and over. He also gains Anemo weapon infusion, meaning that as he dives into enemies, he can also trigger the Swirl reaction.
But similar to Hu Tao's elemental skill, Xiao constantly loses HP the longer his burst state persists. Once you unlock his Conqueror of Evil: Bane of Demons passive, you'll be tempted to keep him in the state even longer, as his damage will increase by 5 percent when using it, and by a further 5 percent every three seconds up to a limit of 25.
Considering Xiao uses an elemental infusion and relies on regular attacks, your best bet is strengthening his Anemo damage, as well as his crit rate and damage. This build does both:
- Weapon: Primordial Jade-Winged Spear
- Artifact: (2) Viridescent Venerer (2) Gladiator's Finale
The five-star Primordial Jade-Winged Spear has long been the best pick for Xiao, and that's why it's currently featured on the epitome invocation banner alongside his rerun. That, and because it's his weapon. It boosts crit rate as a secondary stat, and when you hit, attack is increased by 3.2 percent for six seconds, with a max of seven stacks. If you have all seven, damage is boosted by 12 percent.
As a fast-hitting polearm-user, this effect perfectly suits Xiao's playstyle, as he dashes between foes with his Lemnistatic Wind Cycling and goes to town. If you have Hu Tao's Staff of Homa, this is also a pretty good choice, boosting crit damage, HP, and attack based on 0.8 percent of the wielder's max HP. Having that little bit of extra health pairs well with Xiao's HP-reducing burst, since it lets you last longer and offers more of a safety buffer in case he gets hit.
For artifacts, you'll want two pieces of Viridescent Venerer for their 15 percent Anemo damage bonus, strengthening Xiao's Anemo burst infusion and his skill. For the others, two pieces of Gladiator's Finale round everything out with an 18 percent attack boost. In terms of stats, you'll want to prioritize crit damage, crit rate, and attack, though also throw in some energy recharge so Xiao can get his burst state frequently. All in all, this should turn Xiao into an effective all-around damage-dealer.
Genshin Impact Xiao F2P build
Though Xiao's best secondary weapon options are four-stars you get through the battle pass and Paimon's Bargains, he does have a three-star option:
- Weapon: White Tassel or Blackcliff Pole
- Artifact: (2) Viridescent Venerer (2) Gladiator's Finale
White Tassel is pretty straightforward. It boosts crit rate as a secondary stat and increases normal attack damage by 24 percent, which adds some value. Even better, as it's a three-star, you can find it in chests all over Teyvat, meaning it's easy to refine and strengthen. If you happen to have some Masterless Starglitter floating around from previous wishes, you might also be able to buy the Blackcliff Pole from Paimon's Bargains.
This is the best four-star polearm for Xiao, increasing crit damage while boosting attack by 12 percent for 30 seconds whenever you defeat an enemy. This can stack up to three times, and each stack has its own timer, meaning they can overlap. For the greatest effectiveness, make sure you prioritize defeating individual enemies, but considering this effect includes basic enemies too, it's easy to get it performing at its best.
For artifacts, it's much the same selection — neither of these are particularly hard to get a hold of, though you can replace the Gladiator's Finale with Shimenawa's Reminiscence for the same effect, or even Brave Heart in a pinch. If you've managed to build up his attack with your artifact stats, but are struggling to get crit rate, you could replace Gladiator’s Finale with Berserker for that 12 percent crit rate increase. In terms of substats, you'll want to prioritize the same as with the build above.
There you have our Genshin Impact Xiao build guide. We hope you manage to get him if you want him!
