With the upcoming release of Genshin Impact's 1.3 update on February 3, players will be able to participate in the Lantern Rite event and roll for the new limited banner character, Xiao. Information about Xiao has been available since the closed beta test as he was a playable character, but there have been a few changes to his kit over time.
Genshin Impact recently released a brand new trailer for the 1.3 update, and players are finally able to see Xiao in action. With a unique style of aerial combat and a focus on plunge attacks, Xiao appears to offer an exciting new way to play the game. However, he does have a few drawbacks that will require supports and investment to mitigate. Players should understand Xiao's playstyle and team compositions before investing heavily for him.
Who is Xiao?
For Genshin Impact players, Xiao will be a familiar face if they have completed the main storyline. He initially appears as a minor character in the Liyue storyline as an adepti known as the "Demon Conqueror." Quiet and reserved, Xiao takes his duties seriously and was renowned as one of the Yaksha, who were defenders of Liyue. Xiao is the only remaining Yaksha, and he wields a polearm with his Anemo vision.
Xiao is able to take on the form of the Yaksha by putting on a mask that enhances his powers at the price of suffering great pain. From the available books and lore in Genshin Impact, it appears that many Yaksha die from the immense pain their powers cause and Xiao is the only survivor remaining. Beyond that, however, much of Xiao's history is shrouded in mystery, but his upcoming storyline should yield more information about his past.
Xiao's Attack Patterns, Elemental Skill, and Elemental Burst
Although much of Xiao's kit has been revealed in the closed beta test (CBT) leaks, there's always a chance that minor adjustments will be made before his release. However, his attack patterns and skills will likely remain the same so Genshin Impact players should have a good idea of what his playstyle is like. Some fans are worried that Xiao might be underwhelming due to the Zhongli controversy, and the fact that he was quite overpowered in the initial CBT leaks. Nonetheless, Xiao offers a completely new and unique playstyle that appears to have lots of potential once players invest in him.
While Xiao's normal attack combo is quite similar to Zhongli with six rapid strikes, Xiao's charged attack is quite different from other characters. As seen in the latest Genshin Impact trailer for version 1.3, Xiao appears to perform an upward thrust that launches enemies into the air much like Jean's elemental skill. Originally, Xiao's charged attack was simply a plunge as not all characters had a plunge attack in the CBT. However, this change makes Xiao a lot stronger given that his kit revolves around his ability to fight in mid-air. Launching enemies while being limited by stamina instead of a cooldown like Jean will enable Xiao to effectively cycle his rotations.
Xiao's elemental skill is called "Lemniscatic Wind Cycling" which allows Xiao to lunge forward dealing Anemo damage to any enemy along the path. It's important to note that this elemental skill can also be used in mid-air which further enables Xiao's elemental burst and his ability to start fights by jumping off ledges. "Lemniscatic Wind Cycling" also starts off at two charges, so Genshin Impact players won't need to worry about rolling constellations in order to effectively juggle enemies in the air.
Xiao's elemental burst is called "Yaksha's Mask" which grants a large number of buffs along with a big drawback. While Xiao wears the mask, his ability to jump is greatly increased, all of his attacks have their damage amplified and it converts his attack damage into Anemo damage that cannot be overwritten. However, while Xiao is in this state, he also continually loses HP until the skill ends or he leaves the field.
Xiao's Team Composition and Weapon
Looking at Xiao's attacks, elemental skill, and elemental burst, he offers a unique playstyle that hasn't been seen in other Genshin Impact characters. He appears to specialize in aerial combat with a focus on plunged attacks and mid-air combos while his elemental burst is active. As the effects of Xiao's elemental burst stop when he leaves the field, he will likely have to be played in the main DPS role. This means that he requires a good supporting cast of characters who have persistent utility even when they are swapped out. Characters like Qiqi or Xingqiu who can continuously mitigate the HP loss during Xiao's elemental burst will be very important in team compositions.
As of right now, it's difficult to gauge what Xiao's best weapon is. The biggest reason is that there is an important 5 star polearm that has yet to be released in Genshin Impact. While Xiao's signature weapon is the Primordial Jade Winged Spear, there have been leaks that future character Hu Tao's signature weapon will amplify damage based on missing health. As a result, it's difficult to tell which 5 star weapon will end up being best-in-slot for Xiao. On the other hand, most players will likely stick with 4 star weapons anyways so polearms such as Deathmatch and Blackcliff Pole will be quite effective as long as Xiao can keep their passives up.
Xiao's Passives and Constellations
Genshin Impact's Xiao has two main passives: "Conqueror of Evil: Tamer of Demons" and "Dissolution Eon: Heaven Fall." The "Tamer of Demons" passive strengthens Xiao's elemental burst by increasing all damage by 5% for every 3 seconds the ability persists. Since the elemental burst lasts for 15 seconds, it will add up to a 25% damage bonus for Xiao. His second passive, "Heaven Fall," strengthens his elemental skill by increasing each the damage of each subsequent use by 15%. This effect lasts for 7 seconds and has a maximum of three stacks. Since Xiao starts off with two charges on his elemental skill with a cooldown of 10 seconds, players will need to manage their timings in order to reach three stacks.
For most players, constellations for a 5 star Genshin Impact character will likely be out of reach. Thankfully, many of Xiao's constellations appear to be nice bonuses instead of necessary additions and he will likely be quite strong even at 0 constellations. The most notable Xiao constellations appear to be the fourth and sixth ones. The fourth constellation is called "Extinction of Suffering" and it boosts Xiao's defense by 100% when his HP falls below 50%. His sixth constellation is called "Guardian Yaksha" and it allows him to use his elemental skill without spending a charge during his elemental burst so long as he hits two enemies with a plunge attack.
Although some Genshin Impact players will need to spend time learning the mechanics and combos for Xiao, he offers a brand new playstyle and fits in well with most team compositions given his Anemo vision. If players are unsure about the emphasis on aerial combat and combo chaining, Xiao will be available in a trial run when his banner is released. As always, players should note that this information is from the beta leaks and Genshin Impact 1.3 trailer so there is still room for minor adjustments before his release. Nevertheless, Xiao should prove to be an exciting new character with a unique playstyle involving aerial combat.
Genshin Impact is available now on Mobile, PC, and PS4, with PS5 and Switch versions in development.
