Overview

Xenobia is one of four support Hero's in Gigantic and her role is, I would argue, the opposite of Vadasi. Where Vadasi is all about giving life (or health), Xenobia is focused on stealing life and debuffing those around her. Although she can sustain herself through her Gaze of Envy and its life drain, she isn't indestructible and relies heavily on stamina management, positioning and the strength of her utility in order to defeat enemies. With a set of skills that can break armor, poison, weaken or cripple, she's a powerful ally to have.

A well skilled Xenobia can significantly reduce the strength of her opponents and with the right build choices, ensure an easy kill against an unsuspecting target. Unsurprisingly and due to her kit, she's incredibly weak if out of position and with no mobility, can be focused incredibly quickly. 

Guide Updated: 27 June 2017

Skills

This section of our guide contains a list of Xenobia skills, what they do, which upgrades you should choose (and when).

Gaze of Envy (LMB) - This beam is Xenobia's default attack, and allows her to channel her attack for several seconds. During its duration she'll deal damage but also heal herself for a small amount . Although the amount of self healing isn't huge, it's primary purpose - as far as I'm concerned - is to offset incoming damage, as opposed to gaurenteeing your survivability. As a beam attack, Gaze of Envy also bypasses Deflects so it's very useful against Heroes such as Mozu. I'll also add that with the right upgrade choices, Gaze of Envy - combined with use of her other skills - can offer Xenobia large health returns. 

Words of Spite (RMB) - Probably my favorite skill in the game, Words of Spite is an incredibly powerful tool that when fired, will home onto the enemy and break their armor. The homing element is relatively forgiving and the projectile travels fast, meaning it's difficult to actually miss with it as long as you point it an enemies general direction. Reducing an opponents armor allows you and your team to deal much higher damage against them. Words of Spite is also particularly strong when upgraded as it allows Xenobia to significantly slow the affected player, but also gain health and movement speed in the process. Cast against a high value target such as Tripp or Sven, it can make their life very difficult. 

Wave of Sorrow (Q) - As your primary means of defence, Wave of Sorrow is a projectile that travels forwards from Xenobia's feet. By default the first targets you hit will be knocked up and weakened (reduces the damage they deal). It's invaluable for hitting enemies off cliffs or preventing them from reaching you, but it also pairs exceptionally well with Mark of Despair at later levels, where it eventually knocks players back. Despite being a defensive skill, Wave of Sorrow is also fantastic when used aggressively. A combination of Words of Spite > Mark of Despair > Wave of Sorrow is a period of damage and lock-down that most heroes can struggle to recover from. 

Mark of Despair (E) - Offering Xenobia a long-range targetted AOE skill that slows all enemies caught in its zone, Mark of Despair is exceptional in a team fight. It's incredibly strong late game as you can upgrade it to cause damage to all those caught in it, or to reduce healing received. Due to the fact it causes so many debuffs in a relatively large area, it's incredibly important to  

Cursed Soul (F) - Undoubtedly a unique Focus, Cursed Soul allows Xenobia to place enemies caught in its radius into stasis. During this time enemies cannot move or use skills, nor can they take damage. It effectively removes them from the game for at least 4 seconds, up to a maximum of 8 when upraded. It only has a small radius and after casting, the pool takes about 0.5 seconds to trigger. If you can, you should always try to use it on the enemy tank or healer (The Margrave or Uncle Sven), or against the enemy team when they're attempting to defend a wound. It effectively removes one (or several) players from a fight, ensuring you have team numbers in your favor. I'd also add that Cursed Soul can be obtained quickly as long as you regularly use Gaze of Envy; have a level 1 Focus available to defend yourself is never a bad thing.  

Skill Upgrade Paths and Order

Active Link

Level 1: Demoralizing Cry (RMB Right)

Level 2: Banishing Sorrow (Q Right) 

Level 3: Building Anguish (E Right)

Level 4: Greedy Gaze (LMB Left)

Level 5: Feast of Spite (RMB Right)

Level 6: Amity (Focus Right)

Level 7: Life Line (Focus Left)

Level 8: Survival of the Cruelest (LMB Left)

Level 9: Crippling Anguish (E Left)

Level 10: Heightened Sorrow (Q Left)

Clash Talent (accessible at level 5): Insult to Injury

Threat

This section of our guide contains a list of tactics for fighting against other Hero's with Xenobia. Please note that only the Heroes that are the highest risk and threat to Xenobia are included in this list. 

Charnok will always be a difficult Hero to face because his range, damage and burst, if he has his Focus, can reduce most Hero's to ash. If he's attacking you from afar, there's very little you can do. It's during mid-range fights that you stand a chance. Be aware that most Charnok players will bait your Words of Spite or use Detonate. If you do land Words of Spite, go through your typical rotation. If you miss, you need to have enough stamina to avoid his Focus (if he has it) but also Hot Hail. 

Threat: 7/10

Griselma can be a challenge for Xenobia only if she has her Portal Beasts out. If she doesn't, she's more than likely going to portal away rather than stay and fight. If her Portal Beasts are active, there's very little you can do besides trying to focus Griselma (who will use her hands to block your shots whilst still dealing damage to you). 

Threat: 7/10

HK 206 versus Xenobia is dependant on how far away you are from HK at the start of a fight. If it's at full range, you're going to take significant damage from Bullet Barrage and his Rail Gun, before you get close. If it's mid to close range, you're in a very good position to beat him as long as you avoid his Mortar. His lack of mobility combined with your slow, weakness, armor break and burning mean you can cut him down fairly easily even if he's fortified. 

Threat: 7/10

Lord Knossos is always going to be a threat irrespective of what you throw at him because of his ability to knock you down. Key to beating him is to kite, but to also utilise your slow and knockback effectively. You have to keep him at arms reach, which means alternating your skills. Rather than bursting him, use Wave of Sorrow to knock him back and keep pressure on with LMB. 

Threat: 8/10

Mozo, similarly to Lord Knossos, is a challenge for Xenobia. I've always found that when you get too close she'll teleport away or if she doesn't, she'll use Arcane Vortex. If she has neither, she'll then slow and interrupt you with Attractor Beam. When she does eventually gain full distance, she'll then unload Magic Bolts and melt you in seconds. If you can, the best you can hope for is to interrupt her Dimension Door with Words of Spite. 

Threat: 7/10

Tripp, just like Tyto, is always a threat to Xenobia because of her speed and burst. If she catches you from stealth, it's gaurenteed you're going to take a huge amount of damage with very little you can do whilst knocked down. If you are facing trip when she isn't stealthed, a typical rotation of Words of Spite > Mark of Despair > Wave of Anguish > Gaze of Envy is enough to kill her.

Threat: 9/10

Tyto The Swift is somewhat easier to deal with than Tripp because he can't stealth. Unfortunately for you, he's still fast and very strong. He'll almost always throw Fang your way to break your armor and follow it up with a Blade Dance. Fortunately you've lots of skills to keep him back, so just follow the same routine as with Lord Knossos and Tripp. Use Words of Spite early, Mark of Despair on yourself when he comes at you, and when he gets too close, Wave of Anguish. 

Threat: 8/10

Wu at this moment in time is a headache for anyone as a single Tongue Lash can result in you being chain stunned/beaten until you're dead. If you don't avoid his Tongue Lash, you're surely going to die. That said and if you do, he's fairly easy to kite and you can keep him immobilized/knocked back/slowed long enough to wither him down. Just remember that if you're a couple of meters in front of him and if he's facing you, he's going to use Tongue Lash. Be prepared to dodge. 

Threat: 9/10

Tips

This section of our guide contains a list of tips and tricks we think will help your Xenobia play. We'll continue to add to the list as required and if you have any tips you'd like to share, let us know in the comments below and we'll place them here. 

1. Always try to preserve your stamina. You need as much as possible of it to escape easily or to evade incoming attacks.  

2. Remember your highest damage rotation: Gazy of Envy > Words of Spite > Mark of Despair > Wave of Sorrow > Gaze of Envy 

3. The most difficult Hero's for Xenobia to deal with are Lord Knossos, Tripp, Wu, and Tyto. You can beat them, but you need all your skills and stamina as well as perfect play. 

4. If the enemy is grouped together in a tight area, be sure to use Mark of Despair > Wave of Sorrow. It's a quick chain of AOE damage that can hit multiple foes. 

5. Words of Spite can massively slow a target. Be sure to cast it on a high value hero AFTER they've used their skills - they'll struggle to escape. 

6. In a group fight always try to land Words of Spite on the target you and your team want to bring down. The armor crack will boost all your damage significantly. 

7. When you follow this build upgrade path, remember that Mark of Despair has a cast time. You need to take this into account when aiming it so you hit your target.  

8. On Canyon you can use Wave of Sorrow to knock players off the cliff edge to their deaths. It's a quick and hilarious kill.