It’s ninja time as Xian Mei enters the scenario. The sly blade expert may be health-wise the weakest of the players in Dead Island: Riptide, but she’s definitely one that can dish damage at rates faster than anyone else. Her expertise with bladed weaponry and ability to heal give her a fine reputation of a zombie slaying artist.
Let’s have a look at Xian Mei’s stats and expertise:
Expertise: Blade Weapons Expert
Stats:
- Health – 90
- Speed – 100
- Stamina – 100
Dead Island Riptide Xian Mei Skill Tree Builds
Fury
Bloodrage
Unleash your Fury to use your most lethal skills to quickly deal with nearby foes.
Assassin’s Guile
Increases maximum health while Fury is active. Has 3 Skill levels.
Fury Health Boost:
- Lvl 1) +30HP
- Lvl 2) +60 HP
- Lvl 3) +90 HP
Grim Inspiration
Killing enemies with a blade weapon generates additional rage. Has 3 Skill levels.
Rage Gained:
- Lvl 1) +6%
- Lvl 2) +12%
- Lvl 3) +18%
Lightning Moves
Fury makes you move faster. Has 3 Skill levels.
Movement Speed Boost:
- Lvl 1) +33%
- Lvl 2) +66%
- Lvl 3) +99%
Like A Rock
Cannot be knocked down while in a Fury.
Boiling Bloodrage
Fury last longer and make you even more effective in combat.
Group Fitness
Disable stamina cost for yourself and your allies during a Group Fury. Has 3 Skill levels.
Group Fury:
- Lvl 1) Duration: 30s
- Lvl 2) Duration: 45s
- Lvl 3) Duration: 60s
Volatile
Decreases the amount of Rage required to activate Fury. Has 3 Skill levels.
Rage Cost Reduction:
- Lvl 1) -5%
- Lvl 2) -10%
- Lvl 3) -15%
Flowing Strikes
Critical Kills gain you more Rage. Has 3 Skill levels.
Rage Gained:
- Lvl 1) +27%
- Lvl 2) +54%
- Lvl 3) +81%
Rerage
Chance to restore 20% Rage after fury ends. Has 3 Skill levels.
Rage Restore Chance:
- Lvl 1) 10%
- Lvl 2) 20%
- Lvl 3) 30%
Burning Bloodrage
Fury last even longer and is more devastating.
Combat
Blade Fighter
Bladed weapons are now more efficient and effective. Additional a special attack is unlocked.
- Blade Weapon Damage: +5%
- Blade Weapon Stamina Cost: -10%
- Critical Hit Chance with Blade Weapons: +1%
- Head Hits: +5% Damage
Flying Strike
Attacking with bladed weapons while jumping causes extra damage. Additional this skill will unlock a special attack. Has 3 Skill levels.
Jump Attack Damage:
- Lvl 1) +33%
- Lvl 2) +66%
- Lvl 3) +99%
Flawless Blade
Increase damage down with Blade weapons. Has 3 Skill levels.
Damage Increase:
- Lvl 1) +5%
- Lvl 2) +10%
- Lvl 3) +15%
Maintenance
Increases durability of Blade weapons. Has 3 Skill levels.
Durability Boost:
- Lvl 1) +10%
- Lvl 2) +20%
- Lvl 3) +30%
Backstab
Increases damage when attacking enemies from behind with a melee weapon. Has 3 Skill levels.
Backstab Damage:
- Lvl 1) +20%
- Lvl 2) +40%
- Lvl 3) +60%
Effortless
Decreases stamina cost for using Blade Weapons. Has 3 Skill levels.
Stamina Cost:
- Lvl 1) -10%
- Lvl 2) -20%
- Lvl 3) -30%
Deep Wounds
Chance to inflict bleeding upon critical hit with Blade weapons. Has 3 Skill levels
Chance of Bleeding:
- Lvl 1) 10%
- Lvl 2) 20%
- Lvl 3) 30%
Charge
perform a powerful, wide attack while sprinting. Has 3 Skill levels.
- Lvl 1) Charge unlocked
- Lvl 2) Force: +25%, Damage: +25%, Stamina Cost: -15%
- Lvl 3) Force: +50%, Damage: +50%, Stamina Cost: -30%
Blade Expert
Blade weapons are more effective and efficient. Additional a special attack is unlocked.
Stomp unlocked:
- Blade Weapon Damage: +5%
- Blade Stamina Cost: -10%
- Critical Hit Chance: +2%
- Head Hits: +10% Damage
Serrated Blade
Increases bleeding duration. Has 3 skill levels.
Bleed Duration:
- Lvl 1) +30%
- Lvl 2) +60%
- Lvl 3) +90%
Telling Blows
Increased critical hit chance with blade weapons. Has 3 Skill levels.
Critical Hit Chance:
- Lvl 1) +4%
- Lvl 2) +8%
- Lvl 3) +12%
Poisonous
Increases poison duration.
Poison Duration:
- Lvl 1) +15%
- Lvl 2) +30%
- Lvl 3) +45%
Stroke of Luck
Instant kill chance with Blade Weapons.
Instant Kill Chance:
- Lvl 1) 1.5%
- Lvl 2) 3%
- Lvl 3) 4.5%
Pressure
Increase critical hit chance when the enemies’s health is below 50%. Has 3 Skill levels.
Critical Hit Chance:
- Lvl 1) +3%
- Lvl 2) +6%
- Lvl 3) +9%
Master Assassin
Increase bleeding and poison duration. Has 3 Skill levels.
Bleeding and Poison Duration:
- Lvl 1) +20%
- Lvl 2) +40%
- Lvl 3) +60%
Blade Master
Blade weapons are more efficient and effective. Additional this skill unlocks a special attack.
- Blade Weapon Damage: +5%
- Blade Weapon Stamina: -5%
- Critical Hit Chance: +5%
- Hitting fallen enemies inflicts +15% damage.
Survival
First Aid
Medkits are 25% more effective.
Life Insurance
Decreases Cash Penalty for death. Has 3 Skill levels.
Cash Penalty:
- Lvl 1) -15%
- Lvl 2) -30%
- Lvl 3) -45%
Vampire
Kills give you stamina. Has 3 Skill levels.
Stamina Gain:
- Lvl 1) +10%
- Lvl 2) +20%
- Lvl 3) +30%
Spectre
You’re less likely to attract the enemies’ attention. Has 3 Skill levels
Threat factor:
- Lvl 1) -5%
- Lvl 2) -10%
- Lvl 3) -15%
Spring
When knocked down, quickly get up.
Deeper Pockets
Increase the number of Inventory Slots. Has 3 Skill levels.
Gained Slots:
- Lvl 1) 2
- Lvl 2) 4
- Lvl 3) 6
Lockpicking
Allows opening of locks. Has 3 Skill levels.
- Lvl 1) Can open Level 1 locks.
- Lvl 2) Can open Level 2 locks.
- Lvl 3) Can open Level 3 locks.
Endurance
Increases stamina regeneration rate. Has 3 Skill levels.
Stamina Regeneration:
- Lvl 1) +15%
- Lvl 2) +30%
- Lvl 3) +45%
Field Medicine
Medkits are 50% more effective.
Choice Cuts
Increased Experience reward for severing limbs. Has 3 Skill levels.
XP Boost:
- Lvl 1) x2
- Lvl 2) x3
- Lvl 3) x4
Merchant
Decreases the price of items you buy. Has 3 Skill levels.
Discount:
- Lvl 1) -10%
- Lvl 2) -20%
- Lvl 3) -30%
Combo
Kills within 5 seconds of each other are rewarded with bonus Experience. Has 3 Skill levels.
XP Bonus:
- Lvl 1) +10%
- Lvl 2) +20%
- Lvl 3) +30%
Rally
Increased Stamina regeneration when your health drops below 50%. Has 3 Skill levels.
Stamina Regeneration Bonus:
- Lvl 1) +15%
- Lvl 2) +30%
- Lvl 3) +45%
Custom Maintenance
Increases durability of modified weapons. Has 3 Skill levels.
Durability Boost:
- Lvl 1) +10%
- Lvl 2) +20%
- Lvl 3) +30%
Equal Chance
Decreases penalty for fighting enemies with a higher level than you. Has 3 Skill levels.
Penalty Removal For:
- Lvl 1) Enemies 1 Level higher
- Lvl 2) Enemies 2 Levels higher
- Lvl 3) Enemies 3 Levels higher
Surgeon General
Medkits are 75% more effective.
Dead Island Riptide Character Builds – Xian Mei
Fury:
- Bloodrage (1/1)
- Grim Inspiration (3/3)
- Boiling Bloodrage (1/1)
- Flowing Strikes (3/3)
- Rerage (3/3)
- Burning Bloodrage (1/1)
Combat:
- Blade Fighter (1/1)
- Flying Strike (3/3)
- Flawless Blade (3/3)
- Maintenance (3/3)
- Effortless (3/3)
- Backstab (3/3)
- Sharp Expert (1/1)
- Telling Blows (3/3)
- Pressure (3/3)
- Blade Master (1/1)
Survival:
- First Aid (1/1)
- Vampire (3/3)
Though Xian Mei is health-wise the weakest character in the game, sadly the Survival tree (except for Vampire) is completely useless, and it’s a complete waste of points if you’re investing further down. You’ll want to start off with Bloodrage, and then move to complete the Combat tree.
After getting Blade Fighter, you’ll likely be taking all three of the tier 2 skills. However, it’s best to take one for now, and leave the rest. The skill that seems to work best with Xian Mei for the initial part of the game is the insane Flying Strike, which will deal double the normal damage if you jump and strike at enemies.
Combine that with Flawless Blade and you’ll be a killing machine. However, you shouldn’t take Flawless Blade just yet. Instead, take Backstab, which greatly increases the damage you do to enemy backs (this and Flying strike can be stacked up to do round about 320% damage!), and then move to the Survival tree to take First Aid and Vampire.
What Vampire at full 3 points will do is completely nullify the stamina consumption if you do the Flying Strike, which in most cases will actually one-hit kill enemies. This means that your most devastating strikes will come free of cost. Sweet!
Now, coming back to the Combat tree, invest in Flawless Blade and then Maintenance. Usually, maintenance with other characters is completely stupid, but with Xian Mei it’s extremely effective, since precious blade weapons repairs are more expensive, especially those that are modified. Now, it’s time you run down the Combat tree with Pressure and Blade Master, which allows you to stomp without actually carrying out the stomp animation. Even Sweeter!
Once the Combat tree is filled up, head on to the Fury tree, and work your way down to Boiling Bloodrage. The choices are quite because of their descriptions.
Xian Mei is initially the toughest character to play with because of her weakness and limitation to blade expertise. But once you manage to get a hang of the flying strike and backstab, there’s no stopping her.
