Images: HoYoverse
Genshin Impact version 5.1 is almost upon us!
With two elegant 5-star Geo Sword ladies gracing us with their presence in the first half banners, we can see how this banner run is going to be a hard pick. First up is Xilonen, who makes her debut as the game’s first-ever Geo support character that buffs other elements. Then there’s the first rerun for Chiori, a formidable Geo DPS that can take on both Main DPS or quickswap Sub DPS roles.
If you’re still on the fence on whether you should pull on the version 5.1 banners, then read on as we break down if you should spend your hard-earned Primogems on Xilonen, Chiori, or maybe even both of them!
Need a Kazuha-tier buffer that also heals? Pull for Xilonen
For the longest time, Geo has stood apart from Genshin Impact’s other character elemental alignments due to its lack of synergy with them and the resulting tendency to form Geo-only teams.
Xilonen will be looking to change that dynamic as she brings powerful boosts to Elemental DMG for her Pyro, Hydro, Cryo, and Electro teammates on top of some nice defensive utility in the form of healing and Crystallize shields. This basically makes Xilonen a Geo version of Kazuha, who has been Genshin Impact’s best Elemental DMG support for the longest time.
Xilonen’s biggest strength comes from her skill, which lets her decrease the Elemental RES of nearby enemies if her allies have Pyro, Hydro, Cryo, and Electro elemental alignments. At level 10, Xilonen decreases enemies’ Elemental RES by 36% for 15 seconds. While that buff is already powerful on its own, it gets even better when combined with the effects of Xilonen’s best-in-slot artifact set: the 4-piece Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City, which can give allies a 40% Elemental DMG Bonus for 20 seconds.
That makes Xilonen’s Elemental DMG boost capabilities comparable to that of Kazuha, which lets you field two powerful Elemental DMG teams each supported by the two of them in the Spiral Abyss or even have both of them in one Hypercarry team.
But what sets Xilonen apart from Kazuha is her ability to heal allies with her burst, which lets give continuous healing to all allies based on her DEF for 12 seconds. When combined with the Crystallize shields created as you go through your rotations, Xilonen’s defensive utility lets her team brush off most enemy attacks. This also lets Xilonen synergize with another top-tier support in Furina, letting the latter’s burst quickly build up Fanfare stacks for even more DMG buffs to the entire team.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Xilonen’s Nightsoul’s Blessing effects are also very helpful in overworld exploration by giving her enhanced movement and climbing speed while exploring the mountains and valleys dotting Natlan’s landscape. If you only have enough Primogems to pull for one character in this banner, then we wholeheartedly recommend going for Xilonen.
Need a versatile Geo DPS? Pull for Chiori
Chiori is a force to be reckoned with both within the fashion world and on the battlefield, able to take on both on-field Main DPS or quickswap Sub DPS roles. She is also unique in that her DMG scales off both ATK and DEF, which makes building her a tad easier as any substat rolls into ATK or DEF won’t feel wasted like with most other characters.
Chiori’s thread-and-needle, so to speak, is her skill that has different effects based on if it’s tapped or held when used.
When tapped, Chiori’s skill lets her dash forward to deal area-of-effect (AOE) Geo DMG to nearby enemies while also summoning her automaton Tamoto to aid in battle. Tomato slashes at enemies in intervals, dealing AOE DMG based on Chiori's ATK and DEF. And if there is another Geo construct on the field, like the pillar from Zhongli's skill, Chiori will also summon an additional Tamoto. On the other hand, holding her skill will allow Chiori to enter aiming mode to target where her dash will go.
Chiori's Talent then plays into her role as a Quickswap Sub DPS. When tapping her skill, she will automatically switch to the next character in your roster while also enabling her Tamoto summon to perform coordinated attacks. If you want Chiori to be your Main DPS though, just hold her skill instead to grant her attacks a Geo infusion for a short period.
Meanwhile, Chiori’s burst is more straightforward as it simply lets her unleash a powerful attack that deals AOE Geo DMG based on both her ATK and DEF.
Chiori’s dynamic skill set lets her fit into a wide variety of team compositions. You can play her as the Main DPS with supports like Furina or Bennett to boost her damage or have her be the quickswap Sub DPS alongside another Geo DPS like Navia or Itto.
Genshin Impact version 5.1 drops on October 9 with one new 5-star character in Xilonen as well as reruns for Chiori, Nahida, and Hu Tao. For more information on what’s coming in Genshin Impact version 5.1, check here.
