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B1 battle droid

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This article is about the basic Trade Federation infantry unit known as the "battle droid". You may be looking for other battle droids.
B1 battle droid
Production information
Manufacturer

Baktoid Combat Automata

Product line

B-series battle droid

Model

B1 battle droid

Class

Battle droid

Technical specifications
Height

1.91 meters[1]

Gender

Masculine programming

Sensor color

Black

Armament
Chronological and political information
Era(s)
Affiliation
[Source]
"Useless things. A greater danger to us than to Jedi."
―General Grievous[src]

B1 battle droids were battle droids that made up the backbone of the Trade Federation Droid Army[2] and the Separatist Droid Army.[3] It was the successor of the hunter-killer droid.

B1s were perhaps the most numerous—and expendable—soldiers in galactic history, and, unlike most organic soldiers, they were capable of action in hostile environments like underwater or in space. They were designed, for the most part, to defeat their enemies through sheer numbers, not through the ability to think or skill, unlike clone troopers

Contents

[edit] Characteristics

[edit] Design

"Roger, roger."
―Typical response of a B1 battle droid. [src]
The Trade Federation Droid Army at the Battle of Grassy Plains.

B1 battle droids' heads were designed to imitate the shape of a dead Neimoidian's skull. In this way, they were intended to strike fear into an enemy's heart.[4] In addition, their bodies vaguely resembled those of the Geonosians.

B1 battle droids were physically identical to their direct predecessor, the OOM-series battle droid; unlike OOM models, however, they were not color-coded according to function, if any. However, some were painted with different colors to blend into a certain environment[source?].

B1s were usually slaved to a central control mainframe located on a remote starship or some other well-defended facility. However, this could lead to massive failure if the central control mainframe was destroyed, such as during the Battle of Naboo, in which Anakin Skywalker destroyed the Droid Control Ship.[2] The monumental defeat at Naboo spurred interest in independent battle droids, and this technique gained ground following the battle.

B1 battle droids in action during the Battle of Geonosis.

In extreme cases, the droids would deactivate the electromagnets that kept their limbs attached. During the Clone Wars, clone troopers learned to aim at the hips, torsos, and arm joints of the B1s to quickly destroy them.

B1s were designed for cheap mass-production. As a result, they were very flimsy and vulnerable, but were capable of swarming an enemy with their hugely superior numbers. Other models, like the droideka, B2 super battle droid, grapple droid, and B1-A air battle droid, were more expensive.

Battle droids used E-5 blaster rifles, blaster pistols, and thermal detonators in combat. They spoke in a high-pitched monotone. The voice varied between units around the time of the Battle of Naboo, and at some point during the Clone Wars their voices were uniformly changed to a more high-pitched version.[5]

[edit] Performance

A lineup of B1 battle droids
"Remember, they are droids. They're just a little slow."
―Ahsoka Tano commenting on the battle droids' reaction time[src]

B1 droids seldom employed sophisticated tactics in battle. Massed parade ranks or simple swarms were used, and they rarely displayed a concept of cover[6], a notable exception being the Battle of Naboo. During the Clone Wars, however, there was the inevitable development of wartime, and B1 programming began to show some improvement. Nevertheless, their in-battle reactions were often slow, and such initiative as was shown was slight.[2]

Although they appeared to be weak, some B1s were able to take down an enemy in hand-to-hand combat as seen in the Battle of Grassy Plains where some battle droids were able to take Gungans one on one.

Although the earlier generations were entirely dependent on Central Control Computers, post-Naboo models featured some degree of independence and personality.[7]

[edit] History

B1s were used by a variety of governments and armed forces. Even smugglers were known to use them, but in smaller amounts compared to the galactic armies of the commerce guilds.[8]

[edit] Invasion of Naboo

"Ouch time!"
―Gungan Grand Army Officer[src]
A B1 piloting a Single Trooper Aerial Platform on Naboo.

B1 battle droids were used extensively during the Invasion of Naboo by Viceroy Nute Gunray. Although the droids were statistically flimsy, with overwhelming numbers they were able to subdue the Naboo and maintain surface control of the planet. The Trade Federation invasion force which held Naboo until the Battle of Naboo was mostly composed of B1s, droidekas and other mechanized vehicles such as AATs, MTTs and STAPs.

Upon their arrival to the Trade Federation blockade of the planet, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn highlighted weaknesses of the droids. These technical shortcomings, including a slow reaction time, weapon inaccuracy, and straight-forward tactics, stemmed from the nature of the Trade Federation quantity-over-quality production of B1s.

The "primitive" Gungan Grand Army and the bulk of the Trade Federation invasion force ultimately fought openly in the Battle of Grassy Plains. Although the uneven nature of the terrain and innovative tactics of the Gungans initially posed a problem, the overwhelming supply of B1s and other automata on the battlefield proved to be the trump card.

The turning point and saving grace of the Battle of Naboo proved to be the destruction of the Droid Control Ship by Anakin Skywalker. After the Central Control Computer of the droid army was destroyed, all mechanized units on the Grassy Plains reset and became inanimate, harmless constructions.[2]

[edit] Aftermath

Upon the closure of the Naboo crisis, the Galactic Republic passed legislation that prohibited the Trade Federation's use of droid armies and the development of military hardware. The Trade Federation, however, relocated its military research and production centers to extra-Republican territories like Geonosis.

During this time, the Trade Federation began to recuperate from Republic ordinance and the incredible financial loss from the Naboo fiasco. Existing models of battle droids were improved and new generations of soldiers were developed, such as the Super Battle Droid.

The B1s, however, were retooled and refitted. Learning from the destruction of the Droid Control Ship above Naboo, the Trade Federation upgraded B1s with on-board independent intelligence centers that could operate without a master signal.[1] The spherical centers of the Droid Control Ships were also redesigned to operate on land, which proved to be easier to defend.

[edit] Clone Wars

B1s during the Battle of Christophsis.
"You expect victory over Jedi, but all you give me to fight them is battle droids! Bah!"
―General Grievous to Count Dooku[src]

After the Trade Federation joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems, they became a part of the Separatist Droid Army. B1s would be the Confederacy's most common soldiers, with quintillions churned out on countless CIS factory worlds.[9] However, their uselessness frustrated Confederate commanders, such as General Grievous.[10]

They participated in many battles including, but not limited to, the Battle of Geonosis, Battle of Muunilinst, Battle of Coruscant, and Battle of Kashyyyk.

Following the execution of the Separatist Council by Darth Sidious's new apprentice, Darth Vader, most, if not all, of the B1s were de-activated. However, some would be re-activated to serve in the various Confederate Remnants.[11]

During the Clone Wars, Null-5 spoke to and managed to "convince" an important Separatist metallurgist who gave him vital clues on the metallurgic structure of droids. By adding 5% extra carvanium to the droids via the main factory computer, these droids crumbled when hit with any weapon. The sabotage acts were so successful that the kill ratio for Clone Troopers was raised from 1:20 droids to 1:50 droids during the first year of the Clone Wars. [12]

[edit] Post-Clone Wars

"Send a message to the ships of the Trade Federation: All droid units must shut down immediately."
―Darth Sidious to Darth Vader[src]

Soon after Order 66, surviving Jedi Olee Starstone and Roan Shryne fled to Jaguada, a former Separatist base. Attempting to contact Jedi on Coruscant, they accidentally activated the droid guards. Vader discovered their position, and sent troops from the planet to destroy them. The Jedi activated the droids to serve as a rearguard against the troopers.[13]

During the rise of the Empire, some B1s were reactivated and reprogrammed for use as security droids.[14]

In 11 BBY, Gizor Dellso re-activated a droid army on Mustafar. Shortly after this, the 501st Legion quickly destroyed the army and Dellso in the Battle of Mustafar.

A variant of the B1 frequently encountered by Delta Squad

During the Galactic Civil War, B1s left over from the Clone Wars were discovered on Geonosis by Rebel pilot Wedge Antilles after crash landing in his X-wing. Several stormtroopers that landed on the planet in escape pods managed to destroy many droids by using E-web blasters, but they ultimately fell to the battle droids' overwhelming blaster fire.[15]

Other B1s that weren't deactivated were used in the Death Watch Bunker, known crash sites on Tatooine, Separatist holdouts, Stone Wall Labs and Borvo's Vault on Naboo, and even on Kashyyyk.[16] Osaji Uhares repaired some and used them as his bodyguards on Centares.[17]

[edit] Impact on galactic society

Toy versions of the B1 battle droid were known to have been manufactured, as Boba Fett had some of his own during his youth on Kamino. It is unknown if the Trade Federation approved this.[18]

The extensive use of B1s by the Confederacy also contributed to the general distrust of droids in society during the Imperial Period.

[edit] Notable Units

[edit] Design variations

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Non-canon appearances

[edit] Sources

Wookieepedia has a collection of images and media related to B1 battle droid.

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1  Battle droid in the Databank
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
  3. ↑ Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
  4. ↑ Episode I: The Visual Dictionary
  5. ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film)
  6. ↑ Star Wars: Clone Wars
  7. ↑ Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
  8. ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
  9. ↑ Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary
  10. ↑ Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (novel)
  11. ↑ Star Wars: Battlefront II
  12. ↑ Star Wars Republic Commando: Odds
  13. ↑ Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
  14. ↑ The Last of the Jedi: Against the Empire
  15. ↑ Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
  16. ↑ Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
  17. ↑ Triplet Threat
  18. ↑ Star Wars: Jango Fett
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