Background of Xiao

Rarity	(5-Star)
Element	Anemo
Weapon	Polearm
Best Role	Anemo Plunge Hypercarry
Stat Priority	CRIT > ATK% > ER
Tier	S (With Premium Team)

Xiao is the Vigilant Yaksha and one of the "Liyue Big Three" hypercarries. His playstyle is aggressive and acrobatic, utilizing his Elemental Burst to don the "Yaksha Mask," draining his own HP to jump high and rain down devastating Anemo Plunge Attacks.

Pros

Unrivaled AoE (Area of Effect) damage.
Strongest Plunge DPS in the game.
Synergizes perfectly with Xianyun and Furina.
Ignores enemy shields (staggers them).
Fun and dynamic gameplay.

Cons

Energy Hungry (Relies on batteries).
HP Drain mechanic requires a healer.
Knocks small enemies away (needs grouping).
Performance is heavily tied to premium supports (C6 Faruzan/Xianyun).

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

If you don't have time for the math, here is the cheat sheet.

Best Artifact: 4pc Vermillion Hereafter (Signature).
Alt Artifact: 4pc Marechaussee Hunter (Only with Furina/Xianyun).
Best Weapon: Primordial Jade Winged-Spear (Signature) or Staff of Homa.
F2P Weapon: Blackcliff Pole (Shop) or Missive Windspear (Event).
Main Stats: SANDS: ATK% | GOBLET: Anemo DMG | CIRCLET: CRIT.
Talent Priority: Normal Attack > Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill.
Top Team: Xiao + Xianyun + Furina + Faruzan (C6).

Pro Tip: Plunge Collision ("Jet Tech"): Try to aim your plunges so you land *on top* of the enemy's hitbox rather than just the floor. This triggers a "Collision" damage instance in addition to the AoE splash, significantly increasing DPS against bosses.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Qingxin	Liyue Peaks (Jueyun Karst)
Boss Drop	Juvenile Jade	Primo Geovishap (Liyue)
Talent Books	Teachings of Prosperity	Taishan Mansion (Mon/Thu/Sun)
Common Mob	Slime Condensate	Slimes (Everywhere)

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Normal Attack: Whirlwind Thrust

The Plunge: This is Xiao's main damage source. During his Burst, he gains massive jump height and AoE range on Plunges.
Scaling: Xiao has some of the highest Normal Attack scalings in the game. Even his NAs hit hard, but Plunges are his specialty.

Elemental Skill: Lemniscatic Wind Cycling

Dash: Xiao dashes forward dealing Anemo DMG. Can be used in mid-air.
Particles: Generates 3 particles. Important: He does NOT generate particles if used during his Burst. Always use Skill *before* Burst (E E Q) to catch the energy.
Exploration: Essential for climbing and gliding efficiency (Passive).

Elemental Burst: Bane of All Evil

Yaksha Mask: Xiao dons his mask. He gains increased jumping ability, AoE, and converts damage to Anemo.
HP Drain: Xiao continuously loses HP while in this state (2% current HP/sec). Requires a healer.
Damage Bonus: Provides a massive DMG% bonus to Normal/Charged/Plunge attacks.

Passive: Conqueror of Evil

Ramping DMG: While under the effects of Bane of All Evil, Xiao's DMG increases by 5% every 3 seconds. Max 25% bonus.

Talent Priority Order:

Normal Attack (Level 10) - Directly scales Plunge DMG.
Elemental Burst (Level 9) - Increases DMG Bonus and drain.
Elemental Skill (Level 8) - Burst damage and particles.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Xiao is burst-reliant (70 Cost). If you aren't plunging, you aren't dealing damage.

Team Context	ER Requirement (C0)	ER Requirement (C1/C6 Faruzan)
Triple Anemo (FFXX)	120% - 130%	110% - 120%
Double Anemo (Standard)	130% - 140%	120% - 130%
Solo Anemo (Not Recommended)	160%+	140%

Substat Priority:

CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG (Target 75/180+)
ATK% (Xiao has high Base ATK, this scales well)
Energy Recharge (Comfort is key)
Flat ATK

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Vermillion Hereafter	BiS General	Signature set. Gains ATK% when losing HP (which Xiao does automatically). Best universal set.
4pc Marechaussee Hunter	Furina Teams	If playing with Furina, this gives 36% Crit Rate. Can outperform Vermillion in specific Furina setups due to stat efficiency.
4pc Desert Pavilion	Strong Alt	Good bonuses, but requires a Charged Attack before plunging. Slightly clunkier than Vermillion.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
Primordial Jade Winged-Spear	CRIT Rate	S+	Signature. Stacks ATK on hit. Perfect aesthetic and performance balance.
Staff of Homa	CRIT DMG	S+	Massive Crit DMG. HP passive is useful as Xiao drains HP. Often performs equal to PJWS.
Deathmatch	CRIT Rate	S (BP)	The best 4-star option. High Crit Rate makes building him very easy.
Blackcliff Pole	CRIT DMG	A (Shop)	Decent stat stick if you lack Deathmatch. Passive is unreliable against bosses.
Missive Windspear	ATK%	A (Event)	Solid ATK/EM stats. Good F2P option if you played during the event.

Constellation Value

Xiao is a complete hypercarry at C0. His early constellations are QoL, while C6 changes him entirely.

C1: Dissolution Eon: Destroyer of Worlds - (Energy) Adds 1 charge to Lemniscatic Wind Cycling (3 total). Great for energy generation and exploration.
C2: Annihilation Eon: Blossom of Kaleidos - (Weak) Increases Energy Recharge when off-field. Xiao is usually on-field, making this low value.
C6: Conqueror of Evil: Guardian Yaksha - (Game Breaker) Hitting 2+ enemies with a Plunge grants 1 charge of Skill and allows spamming Skill for 1s. Transforms him into a dashing machine. Highest damage ceiling in AoE.

Verdict: C0 is perfect. Stop there unless you plan to go all the way to C6.

Top Team Compositions

1. FFXX (Premium Anemo)

Main DPS: Xiao
Buffer/Healer: Xianyun (Cloud Retainer)
Buffer/Battery: Faruzan (C6)
Buffer/Sub-DPS: Furina

Why it works: The strongest Xiao team. Xianyun heals and buffs Plunge DMG. Faruzan shreds Anemo RES. Furina provides massive DMG% buff. Xiao utilizes all these to hit 100k+ plunges consistently.

2. Classic Double Geo

Main DPS: Xiao
Healer/Battery: Jean / Sucrose
Shield: Zhongli
Sub-DPS: Albedo / Bennett

Why it works: The old reliable. Zhongli provides shred and shield. Jean/Sucrose generate particles. Albedo adds off-field damage. Comfortable and safe.

Rotations & Combos

FFXX Rotation:
Furina E Q > Faruzan Q E CA (or just Q if C6) > Xianyun E Q > Xiao E E Q -> Plunge Spam

Tip: Always use Xiao's skills (E E) immediately *before* pressing Q. This allows him to catch the particles during his burst animation, ensuring better uptime for the next rotation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Xiao vs. Wanderer?
Xiao has better AoE and survivability (higher base stats). Wanderer is better for single-target, exploration, and range. Xiao feels more "impactful" but requires Burst; Wanderer can drive with Normals.

Vermillion vs. Marechaussee Hunter?
Vermillion is his unconditional best set. Marechaussee Hunter is strictly better *if and only if* you run him with Furina, due to the massive Crit Rate buff. Without Furina, stick to Vermillion.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Xiao Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis