Overview
Quick Build
Artifacts
Vermillion Hereafter
4-Piece · Farmable
Sands
ATK%
Main stat
Goblet
Anemo DMG%
Main stat
Circlet
CRIT DMG
Substats
CRIT Rate ≥ 60% > CRIT DMG > ATK% > ER% to 160%
Strengths
- Xiao’s basic combos require little skill
- Xiao’s Plunging Attacks have a large AoE
- His teammates require minimal investment but excel at high investment
- Xiao offers a mobile playstyle, allowing him to dynamically reposition his AoE during his Burst
- Xiao’s Plunges stagger enemies, stopping them from attacking
Weaknesses
- Xiao has limited free weapon options
- As a Burst-reliant damage dealer, Xiao requires intentional Energy management
- Xiao’s teammates are limited by his long field time
- His Constellations are mostly unimpactful
- Xiao drains his own HP during his Burst, so he requires a shield or healing for survivability
Talent Priority
Main source of damage or utility. Level to 10.
Level to 6–8 for meaningful gains.
Level minimally or skip.
Substat Priority
Faruzan Burst → Xianyun Skill (launch) → Xiao Burst → Xiao Skill → Plunge → Skill → Plunge (cycle for 15s) → swap for Energy refund → Xiao Burst again. Jean or Furina heals during setup.
Zhongli Burst (shield) → Faruzan Burst → Bennett Burst → Xiao Burst → Normal x2 → Plunge → Normal x2 → Plunge (rapid chain for 15s). More forgiving HP management than Xianyun variant.
Pre-build energy before Burst. In Xianyun teams, use Skyladder launches to plunge rapidly — each Skill → High Plunge cycle is one rotation beat.
Weapons
5-star Weapons
4-star Weapons
3-star Weapons
Artifact Sets
Sands
ATK%
Goblet
Anemo DMG%
Circlet
CRIT DMG
Sands
ATK%
Goblet
Anemo DMG%
Circlet
CRIT DMG
Sands
ATK%
Goblet
Anemo DMG%
Circlet
CRIT Rate / DMG
Team Compositions
Xiao
Main DPS
Xianyun
Plunge Enabler / Healer
Faruzan
Anemo Support / RES Shred
Jean
Healer / Anemo Support
Xiao's current best team. Xianyun launches Xiao repeatedly with Skyladder while granting massive Plunging Attack DMG Bonus. Faruzan provides Anemo RES shred and ATK buff. Jean or Furina provide healing (Jean: safe sustain; Furina: higher damage with HP fluctuation). This team reaches Xiao's damage ceiling.
Yaksha state Plunging Attacks during Bane of All Evil deal enormous Anemo DMG per hit. Each Plunge benefits from Xianyun's Plunging Attack DMG Bonus, Faruzan's Anemo RES shred, and the inherent Burst multiplier — the combination is devastating.
Skyladder (Elemental Skill) launches the active character into the air, allowing instant Plunging Attacks without Stamina cost. Her Elemental Burst also grants a Plunging Attack DMG Bonus that scales with Xianyun's ATK (up to thousands of flat DMG per plunge). Also heals via Cloud Transmogrification.
Prayerful Wind's Gift provides -30% Anemo RES debuff and a flat Anemo DMG Bonus buff from her C6 or Burst. C6 Faruzan is her power spike — the bonus Anemo DMG she grants applies to every single Plunging Attack in Xiao's Burst window.
Heals Xiao against his Burst HP drain. Jean Burst AoE healing keeps Xiao healthy throughout the Yaksha window without requiring him to swap. Also provides VV Anemo RES shred as a secondary benefit.
Talents & Constellations
Talents
Standard 6-hit Polearm Normal Attack. During Bane of All Evil (Burst), all Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attacks deal Anemo DMG. Plunging Attacks deal Low/High Plunge DMG based on height of descent. The Burst multipliers apply a large % bonus specifically to Plunging Attack DMG.
Xiao lunges forward, dealing AoE Anemo DMG. Can be used in mid-air. Has 2 charges. This skill is central to positioning for Plunging Attacks — using Skill in the air while near Xianyun's Skyladder allows instant aerial repositioning for rapid plunge sequences. Both charges recharge independently.
Xiao dons the Yaksha Mask and enters an empowered Yaksha state that lasts 15 seconds. During this state: all Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attacks deal Anemo DMG that cannot be overridden; Plunging Attack DMG is increased by 5% per second, stacking up to 4 times (20% total); and Xiao rapidly loses HP. The combination of Plunge DMG multiplier + A1 ATK stacks + Faruzan buffs + Xianyun Plunging DMG Bonus creates an enormous burst window.
While in Yaksha state, after Xiao plunges from high altitude, his ATK increases by 5% for 3 seconds. This bonus stacks up to 4 times, for a maximum of +20% ATK. The bonus resets each time he enters Yaksha state. With rapid Plunging Attacks, max stacks maintain throughout the Burst window.
When Xiao's Elemental Skill hits opponents, the Plunging Attack DMG multiplier is increased by 15% for 6 seconds, and using Elemental Skill resets this duration. This means that actively cycling Lemniscatic Wind Cycling between plunges maintains a permanent +15% Plunging Attack DMG multiplier throughout the Burst window.
Constellations
Xiao now has 3 charges on his Elemental Skill instead of 2. The additional charge gives more flexibility in Plunge positioning sequences, especially when chaining skills between Xianyun Skyladder launches.
Is it worth getting?
Solid mobility upgrade. Particularly useful in the Xianyun team where rapid Skill-to-Plunge cycles are key to maintaining A4 Plunge DMG buff and filling Burst windows efficiently.
Each high-altitude Plunging Attack during Bane of All Evil resets the cooldown of Lemniscatic Wind Cycling. This creates an essentially unlimited dash during the Burst window — Xiao can use Skill, plunge, Skill, plunge continuously for 15 seconds.
Is it worth getting?
A substantial upgrade for the Xianyun team. Continuous Skill resets mean both more Anemo DMG from Skills and permanent A4 Plunge DMG maintenance. Meaningfully extends effective DPS during the window.
Higher Skill levels increase Lemniscatic Wind Cycling's Anemo DMG — contributing during the Burst window's rapid cycling.
Is it worth getting?
Incremental DPS upgrade. Clean passive improvement.
Xiao's Burst drains his HP, frequently triggering the sub-50% threshold. The +100% DEF bonus provides meaningful damage reduction during the HP drain phase, making the Burst window safer without a dedicated shielder.
Is it worth getting?
Good defensive upgrade for players running Xiao without Zhongli. The DEF bonus activates reliably during every Burst window.
Higher Burst levels increase the Plunging Attack DMG multiplier that Bane of All Evil provides, directly improving every plunge in the Yaksha window.
Is it worth getting?
Meaningful DPS upgrade. Burst level increases compound with all other multipliers.
In multi-target scenarios (2+ enemies hit by a single Plunge), Xiao summons a Yaksha Spirit that deals continuous Anemo DMG for the Burst's duration. In Spiral Abyss chambers with grouped enemies, the Yaksha Spirit adds substantial total damage over the 15-second window.
Is it worth getting?
Significant DPS increase in AoE scenarios. C6 Xiao with Xianyun in multi-target Abyss is his absolute ceiling. The Yaksha Spirit ticks compound with all damage buffs — Faruzan shred, Xianyun flat DMG, and Furina Fanfare all apply.
C0 Xiao is fully S-tier in the Xianyun team. Invest in Vermillion Hereafter and ER to 160%, pair with C6 Faruzan for the best results. C2 is the first meaningful constellation upgrade.
Alternatives to Xiao
Not sure Xiao is right for you? Compare against other characters to find your best pull.
On-field Anemo DPS with Hover state. Less skill-intensive than Xiao, better with Faruzan. Different playstyle — no HP drain.
Pyro Plunge DPS who uses Xiao-style Plunge spam. Much lower damage ceiling but no HP drain mechanic — easier and more accessible.
Not an alternative — Xianyun is Xiao's best support. Running both together is the meta. Xianyun replaces a healer slot AND dramatically buffs Xiao simultaneously.