Should You Pull for Xiao or Alhaitham? A Comprehensive Guide
Choosing between Xiao and Alhaitham can be a tough decision for any Genshin Impact player. Both are powerful DPS characters capable of carrying teams through challenging content, but they achieve this in vastly different ways. Ultimately, the “best” choice depends on your playstyle, existing roster, and what you’re looking for in a main DPS. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide.
Direct Answer: Who Should You Pull For?
If you enjoy a plunging attack-focused, high-damage character with a more selfish playstyle that requires specific team compositions, then Xiao is the better choice. His gameplay is centered around his powerful Elemental Burst, which increases his jumping ability and converts his attacks to Anemo damage, making him a powerful force on the field.
However, if you prefer a consistent Dendro DPS who can trigger elemental reactions like Bloom and Hyperbloom, and want a character that offers more team-building flexibility with intricate mechanics, Alhaitham is the recommended pick. He requires more thought when it comes to rotations, but his damage output is both consistent and impressive, especially when paired with other powerful Dendro or Electro units.
Understanding Xiao: The Vigilant Yaksha
Playstyle and Strengths
Xiao is an Anemo Main DPS whose strength lies in his powerful plunging attacks during his Elemental Burst state. When his Burst is active, he leaps high into the air, making it easy to perform his signature plunges. His damage is high and concentrated, making him ideal for taking down individual high-HP enemies or clearing waves of weaker foes quickly. He is one of the original five-star DPS characters and remains a formidable option.
Weaknesses and Considerations
Xiao’s Burst comes with a cost. During its duration, he continuously loses HP, necessitating a reliable healer or shielder to keep him alive. He also struggles with Energy Recharge, as his Burst is crucial to his damage output, and he is constantly moving during its duration, making it difficult to receive energy particles. This means you’ll need specific supports to feed him energy, especially before unlocking his first constellation. Additionally, Xiao benefits heavily from specific characters like Faruzan (especially at C6) and Zhongli, requiring more investment to reach his full potential. Lastly, he does not react with any elements other than Swirl meaning he will always remain an Anemo DPS character.
Ideal Team Compositions for Xiao
Xiao’s optimal teams typically include:
- Anemo Battery: Sucrose or Jean are often used to generate energy for Xiao. Faruzan (especially at C6) provides the strongest Anemo support for Xiao.
- Healer/Shielder: Characters like Bennett, Jean, or Zhongli are essential to keep Xiao alive while mitigating his HP loss and providing important buffs/shields. Barbara is a more budget-friendly healer for Xiao.
- Sub-DPS: Xiangling, Fischl, or Albedo can add off-field damage to further boost the team’s DPS.
- Double Geo: Zhongli provides a strong shield as well as Anemo resistance shred, Albedo provides additional geo damage while off-field.
Understanding Alhaitham: The Sage of the Sumeru Akademiya
Playstyle and Strengths
Alhaitham is a Dendro DPS who excels at consistently applying Dendro and triggering elemental reactions. His main source of damage comes from his mirror-based attacks, which are triggered through his Elemental Skill and Burst. His kit involves managing his mirrors to maximize his damage output, adding a layer of complexity to his gameplay. He’s particularly effective in teams that utilize Bloom, Hyperbloom, or other Dendro-based reactions and can be a strong Dendro Hypercarry.
Weaknesses and Considerations
Alhaitham’s mechanics can be more complex compared to other DPS characters. Optimizing his damage requires understanding his rotations and managing his mirror stacks effectively, which may not appeal to all players. While he can perform well without specific characters, he truly shines with Nahida or an EM buffer, emphasizing his dependence on certain characters for high-end damage potential. He also thrives with a fully maxed out team with maximum investment for a whaled account. He is not the strongest DPS character when compared to the likes of Neuvillette or Lyney.
Ideal Team Compositions for Alhaitham
Alhaitham thrives in a variety of Dendro-focused teams:
- Dendro Support: Nahida is his best teammate by far, amplifying his Dendro damage and enabling reactions.
- Electro Applicator: Kuki Shinobu (for Hyperbloom), Yae Miko or Fischl are excellent choices for triggering electro based reactions with Dendro.
- Hydro Applicator: Characters like Yelan, Xingqiu, or Ayato provide reliable Hydro application for reactions like Bloom or Hyperbloom.
- Flex Character: A shielder like Zhongli or a healer like Yaoyao or Baizhu can round out his teams depending on your preference.
Xiao vs Alhaitham: A Direct Comparison
| Feature | Xiao | Alhaitham |
|---|---|---|
| —————— | —————————————— | ———————————————- |
| Element | Anemo | Dendro |
| Damage Type | Plunging Attacks | Dendro Reactions and Mirror-based attacks |
| Playstyle | Selfish DPS, Needs Energy | Consistent DPS, Reaction-focused |
| Team Needs | Strong Anemo Battery, Healer/Shielder | Dendro Support, Electro/Hydro Application |
| Team Flexibility | Lower, Needs specific supports. | Higher, Can be used in more varied teams. |
| Mechanics | Simpler Burst focused gameplay | More complex mirror management. |
| Investment | Relies on team-investment, especially for supports. | Benefits greatly from Dendro supports and good EM. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Alhaitham stronger than Xiao?
Not definitively. Xiao can dish out higher pure damage during his burst but relies on specific supports and suffers from self-inflicted HP loss. Alhaitham is more consistent and his damage scales incredibly well with elemental reactions and team composition, especially when built with EM. Both can clear abyss content well with the right investment.
2. Is Alhaitham worth pulling without Nahida?
Yes, Alhaitham is still viable without Nahida. While she significantly boosts his potential, he can be effectively paired with other Dendro characters like Yaoyao or even the Dendro Traveler or Baizhu, and can be used in Hyperbloom teams.
3. Is Xiao still good in 2024?
Yes, Xiao is still a powerful Anemo DPS character in 2024. His high multipliers and plunge attack-focused gameplay are still very effective. The powercreep has not made him obsolete.
4. Who is the best support for Xiao?
Faruzan (especially at C6) is the best Anemo support for Xiao, significantly boosting his Anemo damage. Zhongli, Jean, and Bennett are also valuable for protection and healing/buffing.
5. Is Xiao a selfish DPS?
Yes, Xiao is a selfish DPS. He spends the majority of the on-field time during his burst to deal damage, needing to be supported by other team members. He does not enable reactions or support other teammates at all.
6. What is the best weapon for Alhaitham?
Light of Foliar Incision is Alhaitham’s signature weapon and provides the best performance. Other excellent options include Mistsplitter Reforged or Jade Cutter as 5 star alternatives, and Blackcliff Longsword as a good 4 star option.
7. What is the best artifact set for Alhaitham?
Gilded Dreams is generally considered the best artifact set for Alhaitham, maximizing his damage through EM (Elemental Mastery) and ATK%. Deepwood Memories is also good when no one else is carrying it.
8. Why does Xiao lose HP during his Burst?
This is part of his lore and mechanics, reflecting his Yaksha nature. This loss needs to be mitigated with healing or shielding to keep him alive during combat.
9. Who is Alhaitham’s best friend?
The lore highly suggests Kaveh is his closest relationship, often being interpreted as having a romantic undertone.
10. Is Xiao one of the strongest DPS?
Xiao is definitely a strong DPS, but he requires investment and proper team building to reach his maximum potential. The powercreep of newer DPS characters like Neuvillette and Lyney has reduced his power rating, but he is still good.
11. What are some good team comps for Alhaitham?
Alhaitham excels in Hyperbloom or Spread teams. A common team is Alhaitham, Nahida, Kuki Shinobu, and Yelan. He can be flexible as his character has very little energy issues.
12. Is Xiao easy to play?
Xiao is relatively easy to understand, but he requires precise timing and rotations to maximize his damage. Managing his HP loss and energy is also crucial.
13. Can Alhaitham be used as a sub-DPS?
While it is possible, Alhaitham is primarily a main on-field DPS. His kit is designed for him to stay on-field for the duration of his attacks.
14. Should I pull for Xiao if I already have a strong DPS?
If you already have a strong Main DPS and a fully built Anemo character, you might not need Xiao, unless you really enjoy his playstyle.
15. Can Alhaitham be used in a Hyperbloom team?
Yes, Alhaitham is very effective in a Hyperbloom team, triggering Dendro reactions with Hydro and Electro.