Why Double Geo is a Xiao Main’s Best Friend
Double Geo compositions synergize exceptionally well with Xiao, offering a potent combination of increased survivability, damage output, and overall team stability. The Geo Resonance, activated by having two Geo characters in your party, provides a significant boost to shield strength and damage. Specifically, the Geo Resonance grants a 15% DMG Bonus to active characters when protected by a shield, and decreases Geo RES of enemies by 20% for 15 seconds when they are hit by a character protected by a shield. This is invaluable for Xiao, as it enhances his personal damage while plunging during his Burst, a key component of his DPS. Furthermore, Geo characters like Zhongli can provide strong, long-lasting shields with resistance shred, further amplifying Xiao’s damage potential. The increased survivability allows Xiao to maintain his Burst uptime, making him less susceptible to interruption and enabling consistent DPS delivery. A well-constructed Double Geo team also solves energy issues and grants consistent damage application.
Understanding Xiao’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Before diving deeper into the Double Geo composition, it’s crucial to understand what makes Xiao tick. Xiao is a powerful Anemo Main DPS known for his high-risk, high-reward playstyle. His Elemental Burst, Bane of All Evil, imbues his Normal and Plunging Attacks with Anemo damage and significantly increases his jump height. This allows him to repeatedly perform Plunging Attacks, dealing massive damage to enemies.
However, Xiao also has notable weaknesses:
- Energy Dependency: Xiao’s Elemental Burst requires 70 energy, and he generates relatively little energy himself. This necessitates a battery character to ensure consistent Burst uptime.
- Vulnerability During Burst: While in his Burst state, Xiao continuously loses HP. This makes him vulnerable to being one-shot by powerful enemies, requiring a strong shield or healer to mitigate the HP loss.
- Anemo Limitations: As an Anemo character, Xiao can only trigger the Swirl reaction, which deals relatively low damage compared to other Elemental Reactions. This limits his team-building options.
How Double Geo Addresses Xiao’s Needs
The Double Geo composition directly addresses Xiao’s weaknesses and amplifies his strengths:
- Shield Strength: The Geo Resonance significantly increases shield strength, providing Xiao with better protection during his Burst. This mitigates the HP loss and prevents interruptions, allowing him to maintain consistent DPS.
- Damage Boost: The Geo Resonance grants a 15% damage bonus, further enhancing Xiao’s Plunging Attack damage. The Geo RES shred from the resonance also increases his damage against Geo resistant enemies.
- Geo Support Synergy: Geo characters like Zhongli and Albedo provide off-field damage and consistent shield uptime, synergizing well with Xiao’s playstyle.
- Energy Generation: Many Geo characters, such as Ningguang and Geo MC, can generate particles to help charge Xiao’s Burst. Albedo also passively generates energy with his Elemental Skill.
Ideal Double Geo Team Compositions for Xiao
Several effective Double Geo team compositions exist for Xiao, each with its own strengths and weaknesses:
- Xiao/Zhongli/Albedo/Flex: This is arguably the most popular and effective Double Geo composition for Xiao. Zhongli provides a strong shield and resistance shred, Albedo provides off-field damage and energy generation, and the Flex slot can be filled with a healer, battery, or sub-DPS depending on the situation.
- Xiao/Zhongli/Ningguang/Flex: Ningguang can provide a decent shield with Crystallize, energy generation, and a damage buff through her Jade Screen and constellations. She also deals high off-field damage.
- Xiao/Albedo/Geo MC/Flex: This is a more budget-friendly option, with the Geo MC providing energy generation and some crowd control. However, it lacks the shield strength and resistance shred of Zhongli.
- Xiao/Yunjin/Albedo/Flex: Yunjin’s ability to buff Xiao’s Normal Attacks can be useful when he is not in his Burst state, allowing more damage when waiting for energy.
FAQs: Unlocking the Full Potential of Xiao Double Geo
Here are some frequently asked questions about using Double Geo with Xiao, providing valuable insights to optimize your team:
1. Who is the best Geo character to pair with Xiao?
Zhongli is arguably the best Geo character to pair with Xiao due to his extremely strong and long-lasting shield, universal resistance shred, and consistent Geo application. Albedo is another great choice for his off-field damage, energy generation, and ease of use.
2. Is Albedo necessary for a Double Geo Xiao team?
No, Albedo is not strictly necessary, but he significantly improves the team’s damage output and energy generation. If you don’t have Albedo, you can use other Geo characters like Ningguang or the Geo MC.
3. What artifact sets should I use on my Geo supports in a Xiao Double Geo team?
For Zhongli, Tenacity of the Millelith is generally the best choice to further increase team-wide ATK. For Albedo, Husk of Opulent Dreams is optimal for maximizing his off-field damage.
4. Does the order of applying buffs matter in a Xiao Double Geo team?
Yes, the order matters. Ideally, you should apply Zhongli’s shield and resistance shred before Xiao uses his Burst, followed by any other buffs from characters like Albedo or Bennett.
5. Is it worth investing in Geo characters solely for a Xiao Double Geo team?
It depends on your resources and goals. If you heavily invest in Xiao, then investing in his supports can be worthwhile to maximize his damage potential. However, if you have other DPS characters that you also want to build, it may be better to prioritize them.
6. Can I use Bennett in a Xiao Double Geo team?
Yes, you can use Bennett, but you need to carefully manage his healing to avoid overhealing and interrupting Xiao’s Plunging Attacks. Generally, Bennett works best in teams where Xiao doesn’t require the Geo Resonance as much, or where you need the extra healing.
7. How important is Zhongli’s shield in a Xiao Double Geo team?
Zhongli’s shield is extremely important as it provides Xiao with the necessary protection to survive during his Burst and maintain consistent DPS. His universal resistance shred further amplifies Xiao’s damage.
8. What are the alternatives to Zhongli if I don’t have him?
Alternatives to Zhongli include Diona, Layla, or Thoma for shielding, but they lack the resistance shred. Ningguang with constellations can provide a weak shield through Crystallize, and Albedo and Geo MC can do some damage while also providing shields through Crystallize.
9. How much Energy Recharge does Xiao need in a Double Geo team?
Xiao generally needs around 120-140% Energy Recharge in a Double Geo team, depending on the energy generation of his supports and his teammates weapon choices.
10. What weapon is best for Xiao in a Double Geo team?
Primordial Jade Winged-Spear (PJWS) is Xiao’s BiS weapon, followed by Staff of Homa and Blackcliff Pole. Deathmatch is a good F2P option. However, energy recharge weapons are also good, such as Favonius Lance.
11. How does Faruzan affect a Xiao Double Geo team?
Faruzan greatly increases Xiao’s damage with her Anemo DMG Bonus and Anemo RES shred. However, she is often energy-hungry herself and requires high investment to be effective.
12. Is Xiao a better DPS than Raiden Shogun?
According to the provided text, Raiden is not that great of a DPS at C0, while Xiao is.
13. Is Wanderer better than Xiao?
Their damage outputs are comparable, but Wanderer may be considered more versatile than Xiao in terms of team compositions and exploration. For more information on character builds and gameplay strategies, consider exploring resources provided by the Games Learning Society, where research often involves using games to teach and understand complex systems. You can visit their website at GamesLearningSociety.org.
14. What is Xiao’s real name?
Xiao’s true name is Alatus.
15. Is Xiao an immortal?
Yes, Xiao is an immortal adeptus.
By understanding Xiao’s strengths, addressing his weaknesses with a well-constructed Double Geo team, and optimizing your team composition and artifact builds, you can unlock the full potential of this powerful Anemo DPS and dominate the Spiral Abyss. Remember to experiment and find what works best for your playstyle and available characters.