Introduction
Hero Wars Alliance Cornelius Guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Cornelius!
Cornelius is a high-intelligence support hero in Hero Wars: Alliance, known for his ability to deal heavy damage to enemy mages and protect his team from magic attacks. He is a powerful counter to magic-based teams due to his ability to target high-intelligence enemies. His signature ability, Heavy Wisdom, delivers massive damage to the enemy with the highest Intelligence, often eliminating key magic damage dealers. This makes Cornelius an ideal hero to use when facing teams with mages who rely on Intelligence for their damage output.
In addition to his offensive capabilities, Cornelius also provides significant defensive support to his team. His Protective Barrier skill offers magic defense to his allies, reducing incoming magic damage and helping his team survive against spellcasters.
While Cornelius is primarily known for his anti-mage abilities, he requires careful positioning in the team, as he is not as durable as tank heroes. He works best when paired with other heroes who can absorb damage while he focuses on countering the enemy’s magic-based threats.
Cornelius shines in both PvE and PvP scenarios where magic damage is a significant threat, and his ability to protect and retaliate against mages makes him a valuable addition to any team.
Skills
Cornelius is a Mage hero class. Mages start the battle with 347 energy and gain an additional 99 energy when using any ability other than the first one and the regular attack.
His Heavy Wisdom ability hits the enemy with the highest Intelligence using a monolith, dealing damage proportionally to their Intelligence. The animation delay is 0.4 seconds, and the damage per 100 Intelligence points of the target is 29117.8, calculated as 20% of his Magic attack plus 3600.
Rune of Suppression is an ancient spell that targets the enemy with the highest Magic Attack and reduces their Magic Attack for the next 12.0 seconds. The skill has a cooldown of 12 seconds, an animation delay of 1 second, and temporarily reduces the Magic Attack by 67615.05, which is 45% of Cornelius’s Magic attack plus 10200.
Protective Dome casts a barrier on the team, increasing their Magic Defense for 6.0 seconds. The initial cooldown is 12 seconds, but it increases to 15 seconds after use, with an animation delay of 0.6 seconds. The temporary Magic Defense increase is 43676.7, which is 30% of Cornelius’s Magic attack plus 5400.
Memory Loss curses a random enemy at the beginning of the battle, reducing the level of their first skill. If Cornelius dies, the curse disappears. The animation delay is 0.5 seconds, and the target’s first skill level decreases by 95.
These hero skills are based on the maxed level skill of a maxed hero.
Talismans
Cornelius has two main talismans: the Talisman of Wisdom and the Talisman of Mentor. Both provide distinct advantages depending on whether the goal is to enhance his support capabilities or increase his offensive power.
The Talisman of Wisdom boosts Cornelius’ intelligence and magic attack, making him stronger in providing support and executing his skills effectively. Since Cornelius’ physical attack depends on the enemy’s intelligence, this talisman helps increase the damage output by leveraging his magic attack stats. The main stat of the Talisman of Wisdom is Intelligence +2000, with Slot 1, 2, and 3 increasing Magic Attack by +6600 each. This talisman is ideal if the goal is for Cornelius to play a supportive role, enhancing his abilities to reduce enemies’ magic attack and provide temporary magical defense to allies. Cornelius is particularly useful when supporting heroes like Keira, as his magic attack boosts her survivability against magic damage.
The Talisman of Mentor, on the other hand, focuses on increasing Cornelius’ health and armor penetration, making him more offensive and capable of dealing higher damage. With this talisman, Cornelius becomes better at bypassing the enemy’s defenses, particularly against shielded enemies who would otherwise block his attacks. The main stat of the Talisman of Mentor is Health +2200, with Slot 1, 2, and 3 increasing Armor Penetration by +6600 each. This talisman is a great choice for a more aggressive damage dealer, capable of piercing through enemy defenses with his newly added armor penetration.
If the goal is for Cornelius to be a support hero, the Talisman of Wisdom is the better choice, as it enhances his abilities to weaken enemies and protect allies. On the other hand, if the aim is for Cornelius to become a damage dealer, the Talisman of Mentor will be the better choice due to its armor penetration, making him stronger in attack.
Glyphs Priority
Cornelius’s glyphs enhance his ability to deal damage to enemy mages and protect his team from magic damage. Properly prioritizing his glyphs is essential to maximize his effectiveness. For this reason, it is recommended to level up Magic Attack and Magic Defense glyphs first.
The recommended priority for all of Cornelius’s glyphs is as follows: Magic Attack should be the highest priority, as it directly increases Cornelius’s magical attack power. Magic Defense comes next, as Cornelius has the ability to provide magical defense to himself and his allies. Intelligence is also important, as it indirectly contributes to magical attack power and the effectiveness of Cornelius’s abilities. Health is crucial for increasing Cornelius’s durability in combat. Armor is less prioritized but still contributes to Cornelius’s physical resistance.
In short, the glyph priority is Magic Attack, Magic Defense, Intelligence, Health, and Armor.
Skins Priority
Cornelius’s skins provide valuable stat boosts that enhance his effectiveness as a support and mage-counter hero. Prioritizing the right skins will improve his survivability and ability to deal heavy damage to enemy mages.
The recommended priority for Cornelius’s skins is as follows: Magic Attack should be prioritized to improve Cornelius’s offensive power. Health is important for increasing his survivability in battle. Intelligence contributes to the power of Cornelius’s magical abilities, though it holds medium priority. Magical Defense is also medium priority, as Cornelius already possesses magical defensive capabilities through his abilities. Armor is the least prioritized but still contributes to his physical resistance.
It is very important not to invest in the skins in the same order as the glyphs, as this can result in a lopsidedly developed hero. The skin priority should be tested in line with the stats received from the glyphs to prevent running into stat caps or building a Cornelius that goes down too early.
The Cybernetic Skin should be the first skin to invest in. Ideally, get it to Level 40 before leveling the next skin, with the recommended final level being Level 60.
In short, the general skin priority is Magic Attack, Health, Intelligence, Magic Defense, and Armor. The first skin to focus on is the Cybernetic Skin.
Artifacts Priority
The Book is Cornelius’s best artifact and should be the priority to level before everything else. It enhances magic attack and health, which strengthens both Cornelius’s magical attack and survivability. The book is also known as the Tome of Arcane Knowledge.
The Weapon is the second priority. However, it should not be invested in higher or at the same level as the Book. Evolving the weapon grants more magic defense, further enhancing Cornelius’s and his team’s defensive capabilities. The weapon is also known as the Archivist’s Staff, and it has an activation chance of 100%.
The Ring is not as helpful and is only recommended for higher spenders, competitive players, or those who use Cornelius frequently. It is still not recommended to invest as much as in the other two artifacts. Finally, upgrade the ring to gain a bonus magic defense for the whole team, reinforcing overall resistance against magical attacks. The ring is also known as the Ring of Intelligence.
In short, the artifact priority is Book, Weapon, and Ring.
Best Teams
Cornelius thrives in teams where he can focus on eliminating high-intelligence mages while being protected by strong tanks or supported by healers and energy manipulators. His best synergies revolve around teams that require strong magic defense or are built to counter magic-heavy opponents. Pairing him with heroes who can protect him while he focuses on eliminating enemy mages maximizes his utility in battle.
Cornelius pairs well with tanks like Astaroth, Galahad, or Rufus who can absorb damage and protect him. He also works well with damage dealers like Keira, K’arkh, or Ishmael, who can focus on physical damage while Cornelius eliminates magical threats. Additionally, support heroes like Jorgen, Nebula, and Martha help control the battlefield, provide healing, and boost team survivability.
Here are some ready-to-use team compositions that work well with Cornelius:
For offense, you can use team compositions such as Phobos, Faceless, Cornelius, Morrigan, and Corvus; Phobos, Cornelius, Iris, Morrigan, and Corvus; Phobos, Faceless, Cornelius, Jorgen, and Morrigan; Phobos, Cornelius, Jorgen, Morrigan, and Corvus; Phobos, Faceless, Cornelius, Jorgen, and Celeste; Faceless, Cornelius, Amira, Jorgen, and Celeste; Lilith, Phobos, Cornelius, Xe’Sha, and Celeste; Phobos, Cornelius, Xe’Sha, Morrigan, and Corvus; Phobos, Cornelius, Amira, Jorgen, and Celeste; or Faceless, Cornelius, Nebula, K’arkh, and Astaroth.
For defense, you can try compositions such as Phobos, Faceless, Cornelius, Morrigan, and Corvus; Cornelius, Yasmine, Tristan, Luther, and Cleaver; Phobos, Cornelius, Iris, Morrigan, and Corvus; Fafnir, Artemis, Cornelius, Tristan, and Galahad; Martha, Cornelius, Celeste, Satori, and Astaroth; Fafnir, Artemis, Cornelius, Tristan, and Luther; Phobos, Cornelius, Jorgen, Morrigan, and Corvus; Cornelius, Jorgen, Celeste, Satori, and Astaroth; Martha, Cornelius, Jorgen, Satori, and Astaroth; or Fafnir, Cornelius, Yasmine, Tristan, and Cleaver.
Cornelius can sub for Faceless in many lineups and works particularly well with Faceless. For example, he pairs well in teams like Astaroth, K’arkh, Jorgen, Cornelius, and Faceless or Aurora, Celeste, Jorgen, Cornelius, and Faceless.
How to Counter Cornelius
Cornelius is known for his ability to deal heavy damage to enemy mages and protect his team from magic attacks. He is a high-intelligence support hero that can eliminate key magic damage dealers.
Several heroes can counter Cornelius. Sebastian’s shield will block Cornelius’ Memory Loss skill, which attempts to curse a random enemy at the beginning of the battle. Sebastian can also remove Lian’s charms and unblock his teammates. Jorgen can block Cornelius’ ability to gain energy and stop him from using his monolith. Jorgen can also shut down Galahad’s ultimate by stealing his energy. Jhu targets the back line where Cornelius is positioned, making Cornelius an easy target to die early in the game.
Jhu can effectively counter Peppy because he targets back-line heroes where Peppy usually is located. K’arkh does single-attack damage, staying out of Corvus’ altar radar. Fafnir can be used to ensure K’arkh stays alive, provided that K’arkh is the only hero with an agility stat so Fafnir’s runic shield will target K’arkh. K’arkh also gains additional energy with its shield on each attack, so he will reload energy faster. Any physical team can also deal with Cornelius effectively.
Cornelius Against Hydras
Cornelius is rarely used in Hydra battles, and there is no meta team with this hero so far that can counter any Hydra. However, he can be used in runner-up teams. Cornelius can help his team by protecting them with his shield, which absorbs magic damage. Cornelius can be a good ally against Magic Hydras, making his team resist longer, mostly for novice players.
Some example teams include Cornelius, Nebula, Celeste, Qing Mao, and Markus; Cornelius, Nebula, Keira, Luther, and Martha; or Cornelius, Mojo, Jhu, and Andvari.
Positive and Negative Points
Cornelius has several positive points, including high physical damage on mages with his Heavy Wisdom skill, a lot of Magic Defense, a Magic Shield for allies, the ability to reduce enemies’ Magic Attack, and the ability to curse a random enemy by lowering their Ultimate’s level. He is also easy to obtain and improve and remains relevant at all stages of the game.
However, there are some negative points as well. Cornelius has weak armor defense, is weak against agility attribute heroes, and does not deal magic damage. He also needs the right pack to support him, and the damage from his main ability is physical, so armor penetration is needed in the team.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Cornelius is a versatile mage/support hero in Hero Wars Alliance, primarily designed to counter enemy mages while providing valuable protection and support to his own team. He is a hero that is relatively easy to obtain and improve, which makes him an appealing choice for both beginner and advanced players. His relevance spans across all stages of the game, making him a consistent and dependable asset in a wide variety of situations.
Cornelius shines in his ability to deal substantial physical damage to enemy mages, especially with his signature skill, “Heavy Wisdom.” This skill allows him to deal damage based on the enemy’s intelligence, targeting their most potent magic users. Additionally, Cornelius can significantly bolster his team’s defenses by providing a magic defense boost. His ability to weaken the magic attack of the enemy mage further reinforces his role as a counter to high-damage spellcasters. In addition to his damage-dealing and defensive capabilities, Cornelius also curses a random enemy at the beginning of the battle, lowering the level of their first skill. This provides a unique form of control that can be particularly disruptive to high-utility enemies.
However, while Cornelius is a strong hero in many aspects, he is not without his weaknesses. One of his main drawbacks is his weak armor defense, making him vulnerable to physical damage. This vulnerability is especially pronounced when he faces agility-based heroes, who are often harder for him to counter. Additionally, Cornelius’s damage is physical, not magical, so teams built around him should focus on supporting him with armor penetration to maximize his damage output. Proper team composition is crucial to fully exploit his strengths while mitigating his weaknesses.
In terms of his glyphs, the priority should first be placed on Magic Attack and Magic Defense, which directly enhance his abilities to deal damage and protect his allies. After that, Intelligence should be a priority, as it indirectly boosts his magic attack power and the effectiveness of his abilities. Health and Armor come next in the glyph priority list, as they improve his overall durability and resistance to physical damage.
When it comes to skins, the focus should be placed on Magic Attack and Health. The first skin to prioritize depends on the platform you’re playing on. For mobile players, the Cybernetic Skin should be the first investment, ideally reaching Level 40 before moving on to the next skin.
Cornelius’s artifacts also play a key role in boosting his capabilities. His Book is the most important artifact and should be leveled first, as it provides both magic attack and health, bolstering his offensive power and survivability. The Weapon should be the second artifact to focus on, but it should never be leveled higher than the Book.
The Weapon, known as the Archivist’s Staff, increases his magic defense, providing both offensive and defensive support for him and his team. The Ring, while beneficial for some players, is the least important of the three artifacts and should be leveled last. The Ring of Intelligence provides a bonus magic defense for the team but is not as essential as the other two artifacts.
In terms of team compositions, Cornelius works best when paired with heroes who complement his abilities. Tanks like Astaroth, Galahad, or Rufus are ideal because they can absorb damage and protect Cornelius, allowing him to focus on his role as a mage counter. For dealing physical damage while Cornelius handles magical threats, pairing him with damage dealers like Keira, K’arkh, or Ishmael is highly effective. Support heroes like Jorgen, Nebula, and Martha further enhance Cornelius’s utility by boosting team survivability, providing energy manipulation, or controlling the battlefield.
Cornelius also has some notable counters that players should be aware of when facing him. Sebastian is a particularly strong counter, as his shield can block Cornelius’s “Memory Loss” curse, preventing the debuff from being applied at the start of the battle. Jorgen can shut down Cornelius’s energy generation, disrupting his ability to cast his powerful abilities, while Jhu can be a threat to Cornelius due to his ability to target backline heroes, where Cornelius is often positioned. K’arkh, with his single-attack damage, can bypass some of the more common tank defenses and deal significant damage to Cornelius.
While Cornelius is rarely used in Hydra battles, he can still be a useful addition to some runner-up teams, particularly when facing Magic Hydras. In such battles, Cornelius can help shield his team from magic damage, making them more resilient and allowing them to survive longer in the fight. This is especially beneficial for newer players or those looking for a way to support their team in Hydra encounters.
To summarize, Cornelius is a highly useful mage/support hero in Hero Wars Alliance, and with the right team composition, prioritizing glyphs, skins, and artifacts, he can be a game-changing hero for countering enemy mages. His strengths lie in his ability to deal high physical damage to magic users, support his team with magical defense, and disrupt enemies through his curses. However, his weak armor defense and vulnerability to agility-based heroes mean that careful team composition and synergy are essential to maximize his potential. With proper planning and strategy, Cornelius can be a cornerstone of any team, providing both offensive power and crucial support.
