Arknights Endfield Catcher Build & Analysis

Catcher is a 4★ Defender in Arknights Endfield built around shields, Protection uptime, and reactive mitigation for Physical teams. He is not a damage carry. His value comes from stopping runs from collapsing when enemies start landing real hits.

If you are comparing Catcher to other operators or checking where he fits inside the broader meta, this article is written to slot directly into our Arknights Endfield Tier List, where all characters are evaluated under the same conditions and assumptions.

Basic Information

Weapon: Great Sword
Role: Defender
Element: Physical
Rarity: 4★
Main Attribute: Strength
Secondary Attribute: Will

Base Stats

Stat	Base	Max
HP	500	5495
ATK	30	300
DEF	0	0
Strength	21	176
Agility	9	96
Intellect	8	86
Will	11	106

Skills

Basic Attack — Basic Tactics

Up to 4 attack sequences dealing Physical DMG
Final Strike deals 22 Stagger when Catcher is the controlled operator
Mid-air basic attacks become Dive Attacks, dealing Physical DMG in an area
Attacking a Staggered enemy triggers a Finisher, dealing heavy Physical DMG and restoring SP

Battle Skill — Rigid Interdiction

Raises a shield that can block attacks
Grants Protection to self and nearby operators and immediately returns some SP
When attacked while the shield is raised, performs a retaliation bash that deals Physical DMG and applies 1 stack of Vulnerability to the attacker

Combo Skill — Timely Suppression

Trigger

When an enemy starts charging a skill, or when the controlled operator is attacked and falls below 40% HP

Effect

A downward punch that deals Physical DMG
Grants shields to self and another teammate (controlled operator prioritized)
DEF can further increase Shield points

Ultimate — Textbook Assault

Two consecutive slashes dealing Physical DMG and applying Weaken
A powerful slam dealing heavy Physical DMG and applying Knock Down in an area

Talents

Resilient Defense

Promotion I: For every 10 Will, DEF +1.0
Promotion II: For every 10 Will, DEF +1.2

Comprehensive Mindset

Promotion II: Textbook Assault improved — final hit creates 2 shockwaves, each dealing 30% ATK of Physical DMG
Promotion III: Textbook Assault improved — final hit creates 3 shockwaves, each dealing 45% ATK of Physical DMG

Potentials

Potential I: Rigid Interdiction and Textbook Assault improved — after hitting the enemy, deals another strike that deals [300 + DEF×5.0] of Physical DMG
Potential II: DEF +20, Will +10
Potential III: Timely Suppression improved — Shield duration +5s
Potential IV: Textbook Assault improved — Ultimate Energy cost −10%
Potential V: Rigid Interdiction improved — hitting an enemy while the shield is active returns 10 SP

Promotions, Materials, and Bonuses

Promotion Materials

Promotion I

Protodisk ×8
Pink Bolete ×3
T-Creds ×1600

Promotion II

Protodisk ×25
Red Bolete ×5
T-Creds ×6500

Promotion III

Protoset ×40
Ruby Bolete ×5
T-Creds ×25000

Promotion IV

Protoset ×75
Tachyon Screening Lattice ×56
Bloodcap ×8
T-Creds ×225000

Attribute Bonuses

Promotion I: Strength +10
Promotion II: Strength +15
Promotion III: Strength +15
Promotion IV: Strength +20

AIC Skills

Promotion I: Control Nexus Mood Regen +8%
Promotion II: Growth Chamber Mood Drop −14%
Promotion III: Control Nexus Mood Regen +12%
Promotion IV: Growth Chamber Mood Drop −18%

Analysis & Verdict

Catcher’s value comes from two things that are easy to notice in real fights: he puts Protection and shields on the team, and he punishes enemies for hitting into his guard. He is not trying to win damage races. He is trying to stop pressure from turning into deaths.

Rigid Interdiction is the skill you feel immediately. You raise the shield, nearby teammates get Protection, and you get SP back right away. Then the important part happens when enemies actually attack: the retaliation bash triggers on being hit, deals Physical DMG, and applies Vulnerability to the attacker. This means Catcher’s defensive stance still contributes to the team’s damage cycle, but only when the enemy is actively pressuring you.

Timely Suppression is reactive by design. The trigger is either an enemy charging a skill or the controlled operator dropping below 40% HP after being hit. In practice this means you don’t “plan” the Combo Skill the same way you plan a DPS rotation. It shows up when the fight turns dangerous. The punch deals Physical DMG and immediately adds shields to two people, with the controlled operator prioritized. If you are trying to survive burst patterns or unavoidable hits, this is the part of his kit that buys time.

Textbook Assault is a simple offensive package attached to a defender. The two slashes apply Weaken, then the final slam applies Knock Down in an area. It doesn’t require conditions, but it also doesn’t replace a real DPS Ultimate. Its job is control and stability: lower enemy output, interrupt or knock down groups, and keep the team’s spacing manageable.

His scaling leans into defense loops rather than raw output. Resilient Defense converts Will into DEF. Timely Suppression explicitly scales shielding with DEF. Several Potentials reward staying in the defensive posture: extra damage based on DEF, longer shield duration, and SP return while the shield is active. The kit is telling you what to do: stand your ground, get hit on purpose in a controlled way, and turn that pressure into uptime and shields.

Catcher performs best in high-pressure content where survival is the main issue: bosses with heavy hits, enemies that force skill charges you have to respect, and physical teams that need a defender slot but don’t have premium options. In low-pressure rooms where nothing threatens the team, he still functions, but most of his value never gets triggered because nobody is getting hit hard enough to justify it.

Catcher Build

Under Construction

Catcher Teams