Arcanist
Cornerstone
★★★★★★
/Mineral/DPS Riposte
Introduction
Cornerstone is a 6-star Mineral character in Reverse: 1999. Cornerstone's role is DPS Riposte. Damage type: Reality.
On the combined Reverse: 1999 tier list Cornerstone is A tier, 58th of the 129 characters ranked, from where 2 community tier lists put Cornerstone.
Other Mineral characters in Reverse: 1999: Balloon Party, Bette, Brimley, Coppélia, Cristallo, Eternity and 20 more.
Profile
An arcanist's work. First exhibited in the 1990s for 28 years. Completed in winter, on February 9. Originally exhibited in Nowa Miedź, Republic of Poland, later touring through several European countries. Now on display at the St. Pavlov Foundation.
Dimensions: 67 3/4×31 1/8×16 1/8 in.
Medium: Concrete
Fragrance Notes: Woody - Cedar, Burnt Coffee, Charcoal, Fragrant Minerals, Dandelion
Afflatus: Gray Walls of the Old Building [Mineral] Architectural Design
Cornerstone's birthday is February 9.
Stories
9"Lightweight"
A pair of polygonal glasses with a thin, spotless titanium frame. According to the interviewee, her mentor gave them to her with these words: "Architecture is heavy—but thought should be light." Nowhere does its virtue suit better than the bridge of the interviewee's nose.
Wisdom Made Manifest
A soft, bouncy ... brain made of cloth. The author later confirmed that there is no living tissue woven into this delicate hat.
Every mad scientist takes pride in their brain—the cornerstone of all their achievements and the source of their superiority when proclaiming their manic manifestos. It was for this very reason that the interviewee commissioned this hat before October's arrival.
"Froebel's Gifts"
A set of concrete building blocks modeled after children's educational toys, made up of basic geometric shapes—circles, triangles, rectangles, and others.
For the interviewee, even though the blocks carry arcane functions like decomposition, construction, and material absorption, she still prefers to think of them as "toys," a reminder to pay attention to architecture's foundation—the quiet rhythm hidden between each mass and form.
Pulse Visualized
A scarlet ribbon brooch inspired by the interviewee's own doodle.
Imbuing the lifeless with life, emotion, and a beating heart is precisely what a mad scientist would spend their October doing. And thus, for this month only, her studio shall become a dark workshop for the vivification of boulders.
The interviewee introduces the festivities while clad in a special costume. She encourages our readers to come and see for themselves.
"Home on the Move"
A small drafting case stamped with the Foundation symbol, used to hold the architect's drawing board, a coffee-stained sketchbook, and countless "souvenirs" picked up from who-knows-where. But its most important function is simple and plain: a scarf printed with patterns from her hometown, tied to the handle so the interviewee can carry it with her wherever she goes.
"The Next Step"
Elegant and balanced with a satisfying heft, it has every quality of an ideal staff. It directs the flow of stones by day and summons lightning by the dark of night. More importantly, it might just make negotiations with the client go more smoothly.
"Why would a mad scientist have clients?"
"Does it matter? Don't tell me you've never wished for a cane like this on a difficult workday," answers the interviewee.
Flower Pots or Gray Walls
Ceramic, red brick, glass, straw ... people kept chasing whatever new building style came along, just like the three little pigs trying to find the house that actually stood up against the howling wind. But the answer the world finally settled on was a flower pot from 1867.
Soon came engineering's quiet helpers. Building after building of durable, cheap, quickly assembled precast concrete cages became the best solution for housing people. Meanwhile, flower pots grew ever more refined—those expensive, hand-glazed ceramic pieces would never again be coated in that coarse gray. From then on, the gray belonged only to human dwellings.
Years after one architect's masterwork was completed in Marseille, people finally discovered the beauty unique to that gray. He stripped away the plaster and paint and revealed the material's true face to the world. At the end of this cement fairy tale, the architect gave it an honest name: Brutalism.
One woman was born into that gray and, as an architect, gave the rest of her life to it—which is why we can still find it standing beside still waters, a monument bearing the weight of the Industrial Age.
Architect's Commission List
A Twig
Requirements: a comfortable grip, and unremarkable enough to blend among the trees.
Architect's Note: A comfortable grip ...? But I don't have talons. How am I supposed to judge that?
Secret Base
Plan A: Cover the floor with gummies, use biscuits as the basic frame, then pour chocolate and syrup to set it all in place. (Budget insufficient. Rejected.)
Plan B: Night light, tent, flashlight, and tons of adventure novels. (Bad for the eyes. Rejected.)
Plan C: A wooden treehouse, complete with safe stairs and railings, full living amenities, and fall-prevention measures.
Architect's Note: A rope net could work to prevent falls. Its color would look nice against the dark wood paneling, too.
Sleeping Cabins
Requirements: each room needs enough personal space and excellent soundproofing to meet the sleep needs of a few arcanists suffering from nervous exhaustion.
* Some arcanists from the East who prefer midday naps have also taken a keen interest in this project.
Architect's Note: Choosing the right beds and bedding matters too. I should probably find time to consult Ms. Barbara and Ms. Baby Blue.
No Architects Needed
Pandora Wilson: It's rare to find an interviewee like you—someone with a stable job and a successful career.
Cornerstone: I'm used to the interview process—the pitch-perfect smile, the squared shoulders, the expensive suit ... But I often find myself asking whether the world even needs architects.
Cornerstone: Oh, don't take that as self-deprecation.
Pandora Wilson: Would you care to elaborate on what you mean by the world not needing architects"?
Cornerstone: Of course.
Cornerstone: Architects can't make concrete any cheaper or more durable. We didn't invent rebar, and we certainly didn't create safety glass. That's all thanks to technological innovation.
Cornerstone: It's a meaningful question. Did say, Brutalism, really come about as a work of conscious design, or was it just the inevitable outcome of affordable concrete as a material?
Cornerstone: All we can do is take what the era hands us and shape its rhythm into space and form.
Pandora Wilson: A very thought-provoking philosophy.
Cornerstone: I knew you'd like that one. Clients and business magazines always eat that one up.
Cornerstone: Oh—you're cutting that last part, right?
Stats
- HP32nd of 1326,666
- ATK3rd of 1321,295
- Reality DEF19th of 132567
- Mental DEF21st of 132567
- Technique17th of 132535
- Crit Rate17th of 13217.8%
- Crit DMG17th of 132156.8%
At Insight III level 60, before Psychube, Resonance and Euphoria. Each bar is measured against the highest value in the Reverse: 1999 roster, and the place is out of every character with that stat.
At each Insight's level cap
- Insight 0, level 30HP: 2,266ATK: 441Reality DEF: 193Mental DEF: 193Technique: 382Crit Rate: 12.7%Crit DMG: 149.1%
- Insight I, level 40HP: 3,800ATK: 739Reality DEF: 323Mental DEF: 323Technique: 433Crit Rate: 14.4%Crit DMG: 151.6%
- Insight II, level 50HP: 5,666ATK: 1,101Reality DEF: 482Mental DEF: 482Technique: 484Crit Rate: 16.1%Crit DMG: 154.2%
- Insight III, level 60HP: 6,666ATK: 1,295Reality DEF: 567Mental DEF: 567Technique: 535Crit Rate: 17.8%Crit DMG: 156.8%
Base values before Psychube, Resonance and Euphoria. Each Insight also adds a share of the level 1 stats, which is counted here.
Recommended by the game
Teams
Psychubes
The game's goals for Cornerstone: Insight I level 40, then Insight II level 50, then Insight III level 60, then Resonance 5, 10, 13 and 15.
Skills
3Concrete Functionality
Incantation 11-target attack. Deals 500% Reality DMG. If in the [Inspection Process] status, this attack deals an additional 500% Reality DMG and gains Critical DMG +100%. This attack counts as 1 riposte.
Form follows function. Remember it, understand it, and put it into practice.
StarsFigure-Ground Relationship
Incantation 2Self counter. Enters the [Inspection Process] status for 2 rounds. Gains 5 stacks of [Progressive Iteration] for 2 rounds.
Understand this shade of gray, understand its shape and form, understand it in its totality.
StarsToday Builds Tomorrow
UltimateSelf counter. Enters the [Delivery Process] status for 1 round.
From the ground, from geometric structures, from fundamental forces and ideals.
Insight passives
4Precognition
PassiveWhile Cornerstone is present, all allies gain [Eligibility Assessment] and Cornerstone gains [Trial and Error]. Cornerstone's Max Moxie -1 and Ultimate Moxie consumption -1.
As Found
Insight IWhenever an ally performs an extra action, Cornerstone gains 1 stack of [Progressive Iteration] for 2 rounds, plus an additional stack if the extra action is a riposte. For every 10 stacks of [Progressive Iteration] gained, Cornerstone gains 1 stack of [Design Revision].
As Found II
Insight IIATK +5% when entering battle.
As Found III
Insight IIIUltimate does not take up the allied Incantation Limit. When entering battle, Cornerstone gains Moxie +2. Reserves up to 4 excess Moxie (replenished at the end of the round if applicable).
Portraits
5- P1Precognition: The number of [Progressive Iteration] stacks required to gain 1 stack of [Design Revision] is now 8. Today Builds Tomorrow: [Delivery Feedback] now deals 4000% Reality DMG and consumes only 4 stacks of [Design Revision] to gain effects. Figure-Ground Relationship: [Inspection Feedback] now deals 2500% Reality DMG.
- P2Today Builds Tomorrow: By consuming [Design Revision] stacks, [Delivery Feedback] now deals 2500% additional Reality DMG and gains Ultimate Might +100% and Penetration Rate +30%. Figure-Ground Relationship: For every 1000 points of [Trial and Error] consumed, [Inspection Feedback] now deals 250% additional Reality DMG and grants 2 stacks of [Design Revision] to self. Precognition: [Progressive Iteration] now grants Riposte DMG and Incantation Might +5%.
- P3Precognition: Whenever another ally ripostes, Cornerstone now adds (Cornerstone's ATK x200%) Reality DMG to the attack, and this additional Reality DMG now increases by (Current percentage of [Trial and Error] filled x250)%.
- P4Precognition: [Eligibility Assessment] now mitigates up to (Cornerstone's ATK when entering battle x120%) DMG taken. [Trial and Error] now stores up to (Cornerstone's ATK when entering battle x600%) points. Today Builds Tomorrow: [Eligibility Assessment] now mitigates up to (Cornerstone's ATK when entering battle x240%) DMG taken when [Delivery Process] is active.
- P5Today Builds Tomorrow: [Delivery Feedback] now deals 5000% Reality DMG; for every 1000 points of [Trial and Error] consumed, this attack now deals 250% additional Reality DMG. Precognition: [Progressive Iteration] now grants Riposte DMG and Incantation Might +6%, up to 25 stacks.
Each duplicate of Cornerstone gives one Artifice, and each Artifice unlocks the next Portrait, up to five.
Resonance patterns
6- Placidity
- From the start · Default
- Elucidation
- Resonance 10 · Ultimate Might, DMG Bonus
- Genuinity
- Resonance 10 · Incantation Might, DMG Bonus
- Mercy
- Resonance 10 · DMG Heal, DMG Taken Reduction
- Equanimity
- Resonance 10 · HP, Reality DEF, Mental DEF
- Equibalance
- Resonance 10 · Generalized
Resonance goes up to level 15. Each pattern swaps some Ideas for tuned ones that favour the stats listed beside it. Lay out Cornerstone's board in the Resonance builder.
Terms in this kit
7- Design Revision
- Consumed by [Delivery Feedback] from Cornerstone's Ultimate to enhance its effects (stackable up to 10 times, undispellable).
- Trial and Error
- Stores up to (Cornerstone's ATK when entering battle x600%) points. Whenever another ally ripostes, adds (Cornerstone's ATK x200%) Reality DMG to the attack. This additional Reality DMG increases by (Current percentage of [Trial and Error] filled x250)%. (This additional DMG is dealt by Cornerstone. When [Trial and Error] is full, it stops storing points, but [Eligibility Assessment] continues mitigating DMG.)
- Delivery Process
- While active, [Eligibility Assessment]'s DMG mitigation effect increases to (Cornerstone's ATK when entering battle x240%) per instance of DMG. At the end of the enemy round, Cornerstone casts [Delivery Feedback], ignoring [Control] effects ([Inspection Process] will not trigger this round, reapplying this status extends its duration, undispellable).
- Delivery Feedback
- Mass attack. Deals 5000% Reality DMG to all enemies. Gains Moxie +1. Clears all [Trial and Error] points; for every 1000 points cleared, this attack deals an additional 250% Reality DMG. If Cornerstone has at least 4 stacks of [Design Revision], consumes 4 stacks of [Design Revision] to deal an additional 2500% Reality DMG and grant Ultimate Might +100% and Penetration Rate +30% to this attack; otherwise, gains 3 stacks of [Design Revision]. This attack counts as 1 riposte and extends the duration of [Inspection Process] by 1 round.
- Inspection Feedback
- Mass attack. Deals 2500% Reality DMG to all enemies. Gains 2 stacks of [Design Revision] and Moxie +1. Clears all [Trial and Error] points; for every 1000 points cleared, this attack deals an additional 250% Reality DMG. This attack counts as 1 riposte.
- Progressive Iteration
- Riposte DMG Bonus +6%, Incantation Might +6% (stackable up to 25 times, each stack timed independently, undispellable).
- Eligibility Assessment
- When attacked, mitigates each instance of [DMG] taken by up to (Cornerstone's ATK when entering battle x120%) DMG. Cornerstone stores the mitigated DMG as [Trial and Error].
Upgrade costs
Open in the plannerInsight
- Insight I
Sharpodonty ×18,000
Page of Mineral Wealth ×6
Magnesia Crystal ×6
Rough Silver Ingot ×5 - Insight IISharpodonty ×40,000
Scroll of Mineral Wealth ×10
Fox Tail ×5
Goose Neck ×5 - Insight IIISharpodonty ×200,000
Tome of Mineral Wealth ×16
Emerald Slate ×6
Serpent Scepter ×3
Levels
- Insight 0, level 1 to 30Sharpodonty ×15,080
Dust ×27,700 - Insight I, level 1 to 40Sharpodonty ×53,250Dust ×100,500
- Insight II, level 1 to 50Sharpodonty ×137,500Dust ×407,500
- Insight III, level 1 to 60Sharpodonty ×403,000Dust ×816,400
Resonance
- Level 2
Moment of Dissonance ×5 - Level 3Moment of Dissonance ×5Magnesia Crystal ×4
- Level 4Moment of Dissonance ×5
Spell of Banishing ×6
Solidus ×3 - Level 5
Brief Cacophony ×5Fox Tail ×3
Cicada Wings ×4 - Level 6Sharpodonty ×30,000Brief Cacophony ×5
Golden Beetle ×3 - Level 7Brief Cacophony ×6
Bifurcated Skeleton ×5 - Level 8Brief Cacophony ×6
Biting Box ×4Rough Silver Ingot ×4 - Level 9Brief Cacophony ×8Goose Neck ×5
Spell of Fortune ×6 - Level 10
Sinuous Howl ×1
Sonorous Knell ×5
Red Lacquer Slab ×6
Winged Key ×6 - Level 11Sinuous Howl ×1Sharpodonty ×120,000Sonorous Knell ×5
Golden Compass ×4 - Level 12Sinuous Howl ×1Sonorous Knell ×6
Murmur of Insanity ×4
Golden Grass Incense ×5 - Level 13Sinuous Howl ×1Sonorous Knell ×6
Bogeyman ×5
Holy Silver ×5 - Level 14Sinuous Howl ×1Sonorous Knell ×8
Rheingold ×2
Watch Core ×4 - Level 15Sinuous Howl ×1Sonorous Knell ×8
Golden Fleece ×3
Wyrmling Skeleton ×4
Costumes
3Cornerstone
Through the quartz glass, she searches for nature's hidden order.
Cornerstone
An architect dreams without rules, but builds with discipline.
The Cabinet of Vivification
"And the Architect injected into us ... a drop of soul, you say?"
