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Every strategy game needs a tank; it’s crucial to draw damage away from squishy damage-dealers as they attempt to kill your foes. When you first set eyes on Cornelius, it’s clear the developers ofSteamworld Heist 2envisioned him for this role. While each character can master every skill, his massive frame creates a big target, making him perfect for taking fire.
Cornelius’s starting class of Brawler provides a great foundation from which to build, but to get the most out of him, you’ll need to borrow talents from other skill trees as well. When you’re done leveling him up, you’ll have a beefy tank ready to take on whatever the sea throws at him.
Starting Build: Brawler
If you haven’t experimented with the Brawler class before, you’ll likely be surprised by how it functions. Unlike all other jobs,it operates with a melee weapon instead of a gun. In order to balance the range deficit Brawlers are at,they have the Adrenaline passive, whichheals one HP every time they scrap an enemy with a melee attack.
It’s important to level Cornelius’s Brawler abilities all the way up to level five, at which point he will earn Second Wind andbe awarded one HP for scrapping enemies with any attacks. This meanshe can use his meager sidearm to get killsif need be, and thatbecomes a free action at level three. Additionally, if you upgrade Payback,you’ll get a damage boost after being hurt, and if you scrap an enemy on your next attack,you’ll again heal one HP.
The healing effects do not stack, meaning that activating Payback+ will not get you an additional HP alongside Adrenaline or Second Wind.
Your healing abilities associated with the Brawler class will keep you in the fight, but you may not be taking much damage in the first place.Brawler Toughness and Hard Shell grant you armor, making you even more difficult to kill.
Second Class: Boomer
Boomer is the best second job for Cornelius to specialize in becauseit grants him the most extra HP. After reaching level five,he’ll have added another three HP to his health pool.
When you switch back to Brawler, you’ll want tospend your Cogs on Loose Cannon and Mines. Loose Cannon allows you the opportunity toattack twice in one turn, getting you closer to your healing refunds when fighting a stronger enemy. Mines will causeany enemy moving within one space of you to explode for three damage.
The Slot Machine ability should also be prioritized,letting you carry three utility items. This will enable you to layer Cornelius with even more bonuses as you create a truly broken build.
Best Equipped Items
There are lots of great items for Cornelius, butthe absolute best for this tank build is the Pain Amulet. Any time he takes damage,his attacker will lose two HP themselves. When paired with the Second Wind ability,you can create a feedback loopwhere enemies in critical condition will attack you, be killed by the Amulet’s effects, and then Cornelius will be refunded one HP.
To help combat the damage you’ll constantly be taking,the Sentinel Generator and Reinforced Plating are good options. The Plating will once againfill out your total health pool, and the Generator willgrant both yourself and allies close to you an extra layer of armor.
Warm Gloves are another excellent choice! They give the user+2 melee damage and prevent them from taking damage while Frozen. If you’re a more offensively minded player, they’ll make your Cornelius a force to be reckoned with.
Personal Upgrade: Body Butter
Cornelius enters your party withAbs of Steel, an ability unique to him thatdraws all enemy aggro and makes him invulnerable for one turn. This is perhaps the most valuable part of his kit because ittakes the rest of your party out of harm’s way, but itends the turn and can only be used once per mission.
After spending valuable Fragments andupgrading Abs of Steel to Body Butter, he’s able touse the same ability as a free action twice per mission. This doubles your defensive capabilities while still letting you act out an entire turn,perfect for positioning him away from your squadto protect them.
