Player Mistakes
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The Vigilant Yaksha, Xiao, is an Adeptus that watches over Liyue inGenshin 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.
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Among the five foremost Yakshas inGenshin 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 August 08, 2025, 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, fourOcean-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.
13Using Four Pieces Shimenawa’s Reminiscence
Shimenawa’s Reminiscenceis an artifact set released inGenshin Impact2.0. The two pieces have the same effect asGladiator’s Finale, while the four pieces increase normal, charged, and plunging attack damage by 50%. BecauseXiao 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.
12Swapping Xiao Out After Using His Burst
There are someGenshin Impactcharacters that retain their Elemental Burst even when they’re swapped out. For example,Noellewill keep her Geo infusion whileXianglingandXingqiucan deal Burst damage off-field. On the other hand, characters likeKlee,Razor, orRaiden Shogunneed 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.
11Using The Wrong Sub-DPS
Unlike many teams that will work with Xingqiu, Xiao won’t fare with him. The Adeptus also won’t do asgreat as other units withVentiorKaeya. 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.
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Therefore, when using a Sub-DPS with Xiao, it’s best to use characters that deal damage unconditionally, likeAlbedo.
10Playing 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 iscrucial to protect Xiao with a healer. Xiao is best paired with healers that can “follow” him, such asBarbaraorQiqi. 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.
9Playing 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.
WithoutEnergy 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 useAnemo characters like Sucrose, Anemo Traveler, Jean, or Venti as a battery.
8Building Four Viridescent Venerer On Xiao
Currently, Xiao’s best-in-slot artifact set is2-Gladiator’s Finale + 2-Viridescent Venerer. This composition will support Xiao’s damage before using his Burst and for the duration of his Burst.
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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 willfocus on a sub-DPS to deal damagewith 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.
7Playing 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 thedamage bonus inMona’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.
6Playing 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, itinfuses the Yaksha’s weaponwith 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.
5Not 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 Xiaowill not gain Elemental Particlesif the Adeptus uses his Skill in the duration of his Burst, so use this repositioning method with caution.
4Underestimating 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.
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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.
