Xiao |
Anemo |
Polearm |
Liyue |
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Guides |
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Player Mistakes |
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The Vigilant Yaksha, Xiao, is an Adeptus that watches over Liyue in Genshin Impact. A long time ago, he signed a contract with the Geo Archon, and Xiao has been fulfilling his duty ever since. In the Eons of Slaughter, Xiao's way of restoring balance came with a price, which all the Yakshas paid.
Among the five foremost Yakshas in Genshin Impact, Xiao is the only one remaining. Even through all the torture of Karmic Debts, Xiao continues to uphold his contract with Rex Lapis. Not only does he protect Liyue, but the Adeptus can also be obtained to protect the player's party. To this end, here are some common mistakes Xiao players should avoid.
Updated on February 21, 2022, by Nahda Nabiilah: New versions of Genshin Impact don't only bring new characters. Sometimes, players are also treated with new artifacts to play with. Most of the time, these additions will serve as a piece of new best-in-slot equipment for existing characters. For example, four Ocean-Hued Clam became the best set for Sangonomiya Kokomi in Genshin Impact. However, these extensions also lead to players using the wrong set for the wrong character. Among them, Xiao is included in the list of oversight Travelers can make with the new artifacts. Other than that, here are some additional mistakes players can make when using Xiao.
13 Using Four Pieces Shimenawa’s Reminiscence
Shimenawa’s Reminiscence is an artifact set released in Genshin Impact 2.0. The two pieces have the same effect as Gladiator’s Finale, while the four pieces increase normal, charged, and plunging attack damage by 50%. Because Xiao highly relies on his plunge attack, many players thought that 4-Shimenawa is a great option for him. However, what most people miss is that this artifact set takes 15 energy to trigger the bonus.
As Xiao needs his Elemental Burst to enter his Yaksha state, players should ensure that it's always available. With Shimenawa, this task becomes significantly harder. In the end, if Travelers fail to keep maximum uptime, then using Shimenawa will be a DPS loss instead of a gain.
12 Swapping Xiao Out After Using His Burst
There are some Genshin Impact characters that retain their Elemental Burst even when they're swapped out. For example, Noelle will keep her Geo infusion while Xiangling and Xingqiu can deal Burst damage off-field. On the other hand, characters like Klee, Razor, or Raiden Shogun need to stay on-field or else their Burst will be lost.
Unfortunately, the Adeptus is included in the second category. Therefore, after players cast their Burst, Xiao needs to stay active until the duration ends. So if Travelers want to set some support for Xiao, they need to do it before entering his Yaksha state.
11 Using The Wrong Sub-DPS
Unlike many teams that will work with Xingqiu, Xiao won't fare with him. The Adeptus also won’t do as great as other units with Venti or Kaeya. Because Xiao’s playstyle involves plunge attacks, Kaeya's Burst will hardly hit anyone mid-air. With Venti, the Anemo Archon’s ultimate may suck the enemy too high, out of Xiao’s AoE box. Meanwhile, with Xingqiu, Xiao needs to use his normal attack to trigger the Guhua Disciple's Raincutter.
Therefore, when using a Sub-DPS with Xiao, it's best to use characters that deal damage unconditionally, like Albedo.
10 Playing Him Without A Healer
Xiao's main source of damage comes from his Elemental Burst. However, its massive damage comes with a cost. For the duration of his Burst, Xiao constantly loses HP, which means he will soon be on the brink of death.
To handle this issue, it is crucial to protect Xiao with a healer. Xiao is best paired with healers that can "follow" him, such as Barbara or Qiqi. Bennett is also a decent choice; however, Bennett's field has a limited AOE, so Xiao can't exit the area to maintain the healing.
9 Playing Him Without A Battery
Although Xiao's damage mostly comes from the Elemental Burst, the skill itself has a high energy requirement. Players will need to collect 70 energies to use this skill again.
Without Energy Recharge, this can be tough for Xiao to handle alone. Luckily, players can pass this job on to another character. These support units are called "batteries" and can generate a lot of energy through their Elemental Skill. For Xiao, players can use Anemo characters like Sucrose, Anemo Traveler, Jean, or Venti as a battery.
8 Building Four Viridescent Venerer On Xiao
Currently, Xiao's best-in-slot artifact set is 2-Gladiator's Finale + 2-Viridescent Venerer. This composition will support Xiao's damage before using his Burst and for the duration of his Burst.
Some players might think that 4-Viridescent Venerer is the better choice for Xiao. While this set is not bad if it's used properly, it is extremely niche. This set will focus on a sub-DPS to deal damage with Xiao while he shreds the enemy's resistance. One example involves using Xingqiu's Burst along with Xiao's Burst. The numbers work, but the practicality, not so much.
7 Playing Him With Noblesse Oblige
It is true that Xiao's burst is his main source of damage. However, the Burst itself has no personal damage multiplier. Instead, it has a damage buff and Elemental infusion.
Noblesse does not enhance damage buffs, nor does it enhance Elemental infusion. For example, Noblesse does nothing for the damage bonus in Mona's "Omen", although it does enhance the damage of the burst itself. Unlike Mona's Burst, Xiao's does not have a damage multiplier of its own. This means that using Noblesse on the Yaksha will practically do nothing.
6 Playing Him As A Physical DPS
Xiao's normal attack multiplier is not bad, so players can definitely play without utilizing his signature plunge attacks. However, this does not mean players should use him for Physical damage.
When Xiao's Burst is active, it infuses the Yaksha's weapon with Anemo. This Infusion takes away any possible Physical bonus. As a result, players will lose the extra Anemo damage they could've gotten when using Xiao's burst. Boosting Physical damage will only hurt the character's potential.
5 Not Using His Skill During His Burst
For the duration of his Burst, Xiao will be able to jump higher, allowing him to plunge attack easily. These attacks can crowd control smaller enemies, throwing them all over the place. Unfortunately, it includes hurling them outside Xiao's range.
Because of this, players should utilize Xiao's skill for repositioning. Whether it's reaching thrown enemies or attacking another group, Xiao has the ability to come close to them without touching the ground. This technique may be hard to master at first, but it's truly a rewarding one. However, it’s important to note that Xiao will not gain Elemental Particles if the Adeptus uses his Skill in the duration of his Burst, so use this repositioning method with caution.
4 Underestimating His Normal Attacks
Xiao's plunge attack is his most important asset; yet, players shouldn't ignore his normal attack damage. Currently, Xiao has the highest multiplier on his normal attacks among all Polearm users. That is to say, players can further experiment more with the Vigilant Yaksha.
This character can be built with four sets of Gladiator's Finale, while still boosting his Anemo damage. During his Burst, players can use his normal attacks instead of plunging attacks. This way, Xiao will still deal massive damage. This build also boosts his damage outside his Burst form. However, this method means players will lose the fun of Xiao's plunge attacks.
3 Not Using Him To Explore The Open World
One of Anemo's best assets is its supportive abilities. For example, Anemo Resonance reduces skill cooldown and stamina consumption for all party members. Players should not forget about these supportive effects while using Xiao.
Everyone knows how climbing is annoying around Teyvat. Whether it's Liyue, Mondstadt, or Inazuma, mountainous terrains that require climbing to explore. Luckily, Xiao's passive reduces stamina consumption for this activity. Combining both his passive and his Element Resonance will make him a must-have for the players' exploration team.
2 Upgrading His Burst Before His Normal Attack
When it comes to upgrading, Xiao's talents are all useful and important for his playstyle. But with the game's limited resources, players can find themselves in a place where they must focus on one talent before the other.
Xiao's plunge attack can be upgraded by leveling his normal attack. Thus, it's vital to maximize his normal attack first. The Yaksha's Burst boosts his damage, so it must be the second priority. Finally, his skill can be leveled after the other two are taken care of.
1 Not Building Enough Critical Rate
Xiao is primarily a damage dealer. His asset to the team is his ability to destroy the enemies as fast as possible. As a result, some players might fall into the trap of maximizing his Critical Damage without paying attention to Xiao's Critical Rate.
Not balancing both Critical Rate and Critical Damage will hurt this character. It is better to have an 80% Critical Rate with 140% Critical Damage, than 50% Critical Rate and 200% Critical Damage. Luckily, Xiao's ascension bonus is Critical Rate. This means players will have an easier time building this stat for the Yaksha.
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.
