The only remaining member of the Five Yakshas, Xiao, is one of the top-tier characters in Genshin Impact.
As a Polearm user with Anemo Vision in his hand, Xiao is able to command the wind at will. He shines best as a main DPS; this much is clear seeing the way all of his skill works. He’s made to combat and he is excellent at it.
With a Polearm in his hand, his attack is swift and continuous. This is supported by his Anemo element, as his Elemental Skill helps him shift him back and forth, striking his target as fast as the wind.
With a speedy attack and even more powerful Elemental Burst, the only thing left to do is to build him as best as you could so all of his attack is as optimized as possible.
Right here are the five artifacts you can use for Xiao; whether you want to use them as a whole set or you want to mix two sets together, it’s your choice.
Good luck figuring it out!
5. Bloodstained Chivalry
Bloodstained Chivalry details:
- 2-Piece bonus: Physical DMG +25%
- 4-Piece bonus: After defeating an opponent, increases Charged Attack DMG by 50%, and reduces its Stamina cost to 0 for 10s. Also triggers with wild animals such as boars, squirrels and frogs.
- Source: Clear Pool and Mountain Cavern
Bloodstained Chivalry is a fairly decent set when you’re seeking to maximize your Physical DMG. Even so, it wouldn’t be the first choice when it comes to Xiao.
This set is better used when mixed with another set, preferably ones that boost your Elemental DMG so it balances out. But, if for some reason you want to use the whole set on your Xiao, no one’s stopping you either. He’s a main DPS, after all, and this set wouldn’t be the worst choice for him.
On top of that, you can spam his Charged Attack for more DMG if you use the full set.
Why Bloodstained Chivalry Is Great:
- Physical DMG boosts
- The 4-Piece bonus can be triggered even with wild animals
- Able to spam Charge Attack for more DMG
4. Noblesse Oblige
- 2-Piece bonus: Elemental Burst DMG +20%
- 4-Piece bonus: Using an Elemental Burst increases all party members' ATK by 20% for 12s. This effect cannot stack.
- Source: Clear Pool and Mountain Cavern
With Xiao’s rather unique Elemental Burst, Noblesse Oblige just might be what you need to make the best of his Elemental Burst.
As Xiao’s Elemental Burst drains his HP little by little the longer the duration goes, it would be better to maximize the DMG done through his Elemental Burst before his HP is drained out. This set helps to do exactly that, though you don’t necessarily have to use the whole set for this purpose.
That doesn’t mean using the whole set wouldn’t be a good idea, though. Because the Elemental Burst takes Xiao’s HP as seconds go by, if you end up using him until the very end of the Elemental Burst duration, his HP might be less than ideal to fight immediately after that.
As stated, the whole set increases all party members’ ATK after Elemental Burst, meaning you can switch him out for a moment and use your other DPS to do the work if you don’t have food or healer ready to heal him just yet.
Why Noblesse Oblige Is Great:
- Boosts Xiao’s Elemental Burst
- Helps party members’ ATK after Elemental Burst
- Suitable with Xiao’s Elemental Burst
3. Berserker
Berserker details:
- 2-Piece bonus: CRIT Rate +12%
- 4-Piece bonus: When HP is below 70%, CRIT Rate increases by an additional 24%.
- Source: Bosses’ drops (3 and 4 Stars), Chests (3 Stars)
The Berserker set is quite clear with what it does: boosting CRIT Rate. That’s it. But it’s splendid because CRIT Rate is pretty hard to find as a main stat or even substat.
Basically, what this set does is to offer you a +12% CRIT Rate for free simply by equipping two pieces of the set on your character. But the second effect also doesn’t require a lot, as easy as having your HP below 70% to get an additional 24% CRIT Rate.
Berserker, along with Gladiator’s Finale, might be one of the few artifacts that you manage to compile the full set quite early on if you don’t miss a day fighting bosses.
Unfortunately, Berserker can only go up to 4 stars. This means its substat wouldn’t be as much as the 5 stars, but it’s a fair trade for free CRIT Rate, I suppose.
Why Berserker Is Great:
- Both bonuses boost CRIT Rate
- Easier to farm
- Good for anyone
2. Viridescent Venerer
Viridescent Venerer details:
- 2-Piece bonus: Anemo DMG Bonus +15%
- 4-Piece bonus: Increases Swirl DMG by 60%. Decreases opponent's Elemental RES to the element infused in the Swirl by 40% for 10s
- Source: Valley of Remembrance
Ah, a set made just for your Anemo Characters. Viridescent Venerer is especially good for Xiao, whether you use only two or all of them as a full set.
With his Elemental Skill having two charges and his Elemental Burst converting attack DMG into Anemo DMG, it is clear why this artifact is perfect for Xiao.
Furthermore, his Ascension 1 also increases all DMG Xiao does when his Elemental Burst is on. For every 3 seconds he’s on this form, the DMG goes up by 5% with a maximum of 25%. That way, having his Anemo DMG increased is a great choice for Xiao if you’re one to use Elemental Skill and DMG over and over again.
Why Viridescent Venerer Is Great:
- Great for Anemo characters
- Supports Xiao’s Elemental DMG
- Boosts Swirl DMG
- Very suitable with Xiao’s Elemental Burst in particular
1. Gladiator’s Finale
Gladiator’s Finale details:
- 2-Piece bonus: ATK +18%
- 4-Piece bonus: If the wielder of this artifact set uses a Sword, Claymore or Polearm, increases their Normal Attack DMG by 35%
- Source: Bosses’ drops on World Level 2+ (4 Stars), Bosses’ drops on World Level 3+ (5 Stars)
Gladiator’s Finale being on this list is pretty anticlimactic; but what can I do when it is a great artifact for basically everyone?
The fact that it boosts overall ATK with a +18% bonus is superb already, after that, it’s a game of luck to get good stats along with this already good default bonus from the two pieces.
As I mentioned, Gladiator’s Finale is great as it is. Its 2-Piece bonus is a free pass for literally any character, which is also why you don’t have to think much about putting it on if you’ve got good stats. It’s not unusual to mix Gladiator’s Finale with any other set.
With Xiao, though, it’s totally okay if you choose to use the full set on him. As a Polearm user, he will get that extra 35% Normal Attack DMG from the 4-Piece bonus. He is a main DPS, after all, boosting his Normal Attack DMG is something that you’re welcome to do.
As I said in Berserker, Gladiator’s Finale is probably one of the sets that you can compile early on if you’re always fighting bosses.
Why the Gladiator’s Finale Is Great:
- Boosts overall ATK by +18%
- 2-Piece bonus is great for anyone, but Xiao can optimize the 4-Piece bonus
- Boosts Normal Attack DMG
- 5 stars artifacts (= more stats)
