Genshin Impact, the extremely popular anime-style free-to-play game that took the world by storm when it first launched in 2020, has a diverse cast of characters. While new characters keep being added, one of the fan favorites came with the second region of the game, Liyue.
We are, of course, talking about Xiao. This adeptus that utilizes Anemo abilities is a force to be reckoned with, regardless of whether you’re taking on random slimes in the overworld or more powerful enemies in the Abyss.
However, to best make use of this powerful character, it’s important to build him properly. Fortunately, that’s where we come in. We’ll be going through everything you need to know about building Xiao, including how to best utilize his abilities and which items you should use for this playable 5-star character.
Who is Xiao in Genshin Impact?
Source: Mihoyo
We touched on this a little before, but who even is Xiao in Genshin Impact? Well, Xiao is a playable Anemo character who was first introduced in the game’s 1.3 as a playable character, meaning when the game only had two regions and exploring the water of Fountaine was a dream.
He is an adeptus under the name Alatus, and the sole surviving member of the five foremost Yakshas. If you’ve played the quests that feature the Yakshas then you’ll know how tragic this playable character’s past is.
Source: Mihoyo
As for his abilities, Xiao’s starting abilities are ‘Lemniscatic Wind Cycling,’ which has him lunge forward with a burst of speed, as well as his ultimate Bane of All Evil, where he wears the Yaksha Mask that set gods and demons trembling millennia ago. He’s a polearm character and his playstyle normally revolves around acting fast and hitting hard.
When and How to Get Xiao in Genshin Impact
Source: Mihoyo
Since Xiao is a 5-star character who isn’t part of the standard lineup, the only way to get him is by rolling in the limited-time banner when it pops up. Since you can’t get him by rolling in the standard banner, you’ll have to use Intertwined Fates as your currency, which can be acquired through multiple methods. Of course, using primogems is the most common one.
So, when does Xiao’s banner become available in Genshin Impact? Well, that’s a difficult question to answer. As of the time of writing, Xiao has received multiple banners since he first became playable, with his last rerun starting on January 18, 2023, and ending on February 7, 2023. Since then, there hasn’t been any news of when he’ll get a banner.
Source: Mihoyo
With that being said, thanks to his popularity, it’s very likely that he’ll get another banner in the near future, although no one knows the exact date Mihoyo will bring this Adeptus back. Until Xiao doesn’t get another banner players have no way of obtaining him.
Best Build for Xiao in Genshin Impact
Now that you know everything there is to know about Xiao’s abilities, lore, and how to get him, it’s time to get into the meat and potatoes of this article. We are, of course, talking about the best way to build this 5-star Anemo character to utilize all of his potential.
Primordial Jade Winged-Spear
Source: Mihoyo
Come on, we have to highlight Xiao’s signature weapon as the most ideal weapon to use with him. The Primordial Jade Winged-Spear is a polearm with the potential to go up to a 22.1% Crit rate at level 90.
The weapon’s skill has the potential to increase damage up to 22.4%, allowing Xiao to hit even harder than he already does. Combine this with the weapon’s Crit Rate sub-stat and you’ll be able to build either CR or CD depending on what you want from this DPS character on your team.
As for how you can obtain the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear, it’s only available through the limited-time weapon banner. Unfortunately, this means that you’ll only be able to get a shot at obtaining this 5-star weapon when Xiao gets a banner rerun, as that’s when this weapon will make a return too.
Staff of Homa
Source: Mihoyo
If you don’t have Xiao’s signature weapon, then the second best weapon to use with him is the Staff of Homa. While several characters can make good use of the Staff of Homa, characters like Xiao and Hu Tao who sacrifice their health to deal damage have a greater use of its ability to increase the damage for units that have their health below 50%.
Unfortunately, the Staff of Homa is another limited-time 5-star weapon that can only be obtained through its designated banner. The last time this weapon’s banner was available was in the game’s 4.1 version, from September 7, 2023, to October 17, 2023.
Best Artifacts for Xiao in Genshin Impact
Source: Mihoyo
With the two best weapons out of the way, it’s time to go through which artifact sets you should use on Xiao to bring out the best of him. Hey, you don’t want him to meet the same fate as his fellow Akasha, now do you? Sorry, too soon?
Vermillion Hereafter Set
The first set and the most ideal one for Xiao is the Vermillion Hereafter artifact set. Having been released back in March 2022, this artifact is so well-suited for Xiao thanks to his HP draining elemental burst.
This artifact set is available at 4-star and 5-star rarities and can be obtained from The Lost Valley. While the two-piece bonus increases the attack of the character by 18%, the four-piece bonus gives the user the Nascent Light effect after using an elemental burst which increases the character’s attack when their health decreases.
Best Teams for Xiao in Genshin Impact
Source: Mihoyo
- Team: Xiao, Faruzan, Zhongli, Jean
If you asked us which character goes the best with Xiao then we would say Faruzan in a heartbeat. Her ability to increase Anemo damage is incredible, after all, and you’ll definitely feel the difference in attack damage when using Xiao with Faruzan in your team.
Conclusion
This concludes our guide on building Xiao. Since Xiao is generally a pretty strong character you’ll likely see pretty good performance even with a decent build. However, follow this guide and you’ll be decimating enemies in no time. If you’re looking for some more guides on fan-favorite Genshin Impact characters then we recommend you check out our Charlotte Build Guide and Furina Build Guide.
